April, currently

Listening to the birds singing outside.
Watching my daughter play softball
Loving on this amazing man.
Talking with teachers at Elliot's school for next year: High School, yikes.
Preparing mentally for having a boy in football.
Planning future business endeavors
Thinking of ideas and filling notebooks with plans
Scrapbooking simply and loving it.
Tinkering around with more digital elements.
Going on a class field trip and just loving helping out.
Brainstorming what to include in a class auction basket.
Smelling spring, fresh cut grass, and barbecues.
Sneezing and feeling quite stuffy.
Rubbing my eyes and trying really hard not too.
Enjoying the warmer weather and longer days.
Jump roping with the kids in the afternoon and laughing and laughing.
Eating salad like it's going out of style.
Running around to softball games, practices, and what not.
Walking with the dogs and listening to the birds.
Enjoying writing blog posts.
Driving to way too many appointments lately.
Dreaming of traveling back to our home state this summer.
Working on many home projects with Eric and loving it.

I will be back later today with my March Recapitulations post. Until then,

Happy Scrappin'

xoxox

Toni

February, currently.

Seeing the rain hitting the windows outside.

Feeling the warmth of my grandparent's wool blanket on my skin.

Listening to the slow rolls of thunder outside.

Smelling the rain and hopefully a start of spring.

Petting both of the dogs repeatedly today.

Gazing at our new ceiling fan in the family room. 

Planning out a new entertainment center.

Sketching out a furniture plan onto sketch paper.

Writing, and writing, and writing, lists and doodles and ideas.

Being inspired by so many things lately.

Reading blogs and books and magazines and everything I can.
Contemplating a new hair color and style.

Devouring maple nut ice cream earlier this week.

Laying down and resting when my body needs it.

Sleeping well and waking much earlier.
Developing a really great work week routine.

Breathing in and out and in again.

Devoting myself each and everyday to my family.

Reminding myself to take deep breathes when the kids argue.

Hugging my husband more and for longer periods.
Rubbing sore muscles from sewing projects.

Working on algebra with my daughter.

Cutting out letters for her science report.

Beaming at the boy's class work.

Thanking God for this beautiful life, family, and good fortune.

Giving myself over to new changes and new ideas.

Believing that anything is possible.

Smiling and laughing and rejoicing.

Knowing that right now, this is where I am suppose to be.

xoxox

Toni

October, currently.

Listening to my dog breathing deeply under my feet.
Breathing in and out, in and out.
Smelling eggs from breakfast.
Resting after a long wall this morning.
Reading blogs and e-mails.
Shivering a little at the drop in temperature.
Using blankets, warm socks, and sweaters.
Drinking pumpkin spice coffee.
Savoring the exquisite taste.
Thinking of projects to do.
Cooking and meal planning more.
Holding Eric's hand in the evenings.
Enjoying our children's personalities and quirks.
Dreaming of Christmas and crafting.
Organizing all of my Christmas scrapbook goodies.
Pinning way too much to my December Daily board.
Hearing the bluebirds and finches chirping outside.
Watching the birds eating at my bird feeder.
Cleaning the bathrooms.
Clearing away clutter.
Making lots of donation piles everywhere.
Feeling like I need to have less stuff in general.
Sorting scrapbook layouts into various albums.
Rearranging them into color-order.
Smiling at them all lined up on my shelves.
Laughing out loud at the Christmas tree already fully decorated at our mall.
Realizing that it might be a little too early for that.
Painting a few picture frames.
Putting together a fall wreath.
Packing up the last of the fall decor we won't use this year.
Dreaming of the holidays, family, warmth, comfort, and the miracle of Christ.
Humming Christmas songs everyday.
Being present and keeping myself accountable for my goals.
Using my Arc planner like it's going out of style.
Writing lists in multiple colors and fonts and smiling.
Feeling productive, content, and so alive.

Wishing you all a gorgeous day today. It was very cold in North Carolina, I woke up to 37 degrees and frozen car windows. I think that means it's time to start parking in the garage very soon.

xoxox

Toni

March, currently.

Looking out my window and watching a bird decide if he wants to build a nest in our little tree.
Listening to the heat turn on.
Seeing my labrador's head resting on my feet under the desk.
Eating oatmeal daily and loving it.
Smelling my glorious Starbucks coffee as I savor each sip.
Wishing the kids would hurry up and get home from school so that we could drive down to see my hubby/ dad.
Daydreaming about being reunited with my love.
Hoping that the weather will really reach 80 degrees in South Carolina this weekend.
Praying that traffic is minimal this afternoon.
Remembering that I have to go to Costco on the way out of town.
Thinking about summer and smiling.
Planning a trip to see family and friends in Washington State in July.
Feeling the sun steam through the windows and warm my face.
Smiling, smiling, and more smiling.
Being, just being.
Breathing in and out, in and out, in and out.
Creating.
Loving myself more.
Falling in love with my children and husband more and more each day.

I hope y'all have a great weekend

xoxox

Toni

December, currently.

Waking up at 2:30 am, full of excitement to move all of our furniture to our new home.
Wishing that I could fall back asleep.
Chuckling at the thought that my mom and I both cannot sleep when we are excited.
Dreaming of having all of the boxes unpacked and my kitchen organized.
Listening to Isabelle sleeping beside me.
Hearing the fan turn on, circulating heat throughout our townhome.
Avoiding running into boxes as I pad slowly across the carpet.
Seeing lots of items left to pack, but also super impressed with the progress we have made thus far.
Realizing that this will be my last night in this home.
Praying in thanks for this tremendous blessing.
Anticipating a very long day today.
Imagining my cup of coffee in the morning.
Smelling the beans, adding vanilla Coffeemate, and almost tasting that first delicious sip.
Exciting that my parents, nephew, and cousin will be here to spend the holidays with us.
Thinking that I wish I could pack more right now, but I don't want to wake anyone up.
Preparing myself for some disagreements between the kiddos tomorrow.
Hoping that they will get along better today than yesterday.
Contemplating what I want to unpack and organize each day in the upcoming week.
Wishing I had time to work on my December Daily album or any scrapbooking right now.
Going to find a way to carve in some time everyday next week to get my craft on.
Browsing Home Depot online to find a lightbulb changing pole extender thingy.
Discovering that it is called a "pole lightbulb extension kit."
Focusing on my breathing, taking long deep breaths.
Smoothing my duvet cover and blanket.
Adjusting my pillows and Sheldon, the pillow pet that Isabelle brought to bed with us tonight.
Trying to figure out what to do since I am wide awake.
Deciding on watching the new Vampire Diaries on Hulu Plus.
Finishing typing up this post.

So thankful, so very thankful to have a home again. I have missed our Washington house these past 18 months in our Raleigh townhome. So thankful to have great tenants taking care of our first house. So thankful to be moving to our second house and that I adore it more than our first. So thankful for great mortgage rates and VA loans. So thankful to have a garage again and all of our extra items out of our storage unit.

So very, very thankful. So thankful for this leap of faith, and job opportunity for my husband in another state. So thankful that the Lord continues to provide for our little family. So thankful that we can do all of this with me staying home with the kids.

Washington house 2003-2011 (photo taken 10 / 08.) Currently a rental property

 Townhome rental, Raleigh, NC June 16, 2011-December 9, 2012. (Photo taken 11/ 12)

Rolesville, NC, new house. Present day. (Photo taken 11/ 12.) 

Thank you reader for taking the time to stop by my blog, I appreciate you!

Happy Sunday!

xoxox

Toni

October, currently.

Driving on Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway.
Listening to the crunch of leaves...shuffle, shuffle, stomp
Unpacking our van at dusk.
Watching Eric building a fire.
Sorting through our cooler and organizing supplies for a barbecue.
Smelling charcoal grilled burgers.
Hearing my children ask each other very enthusiastically, "Do you see how big the fire is?"
Playing UNO way too many times.
Sleeping in a mummy sleeping bag very cozily.
Shivering in the early morning crispness in the air.
Noticing my breathe leave my body in little puffs of smoke.
Realizing my husband is a genius for purchasing our little propane heater, years ago.
Watching a plethora of oak leaves blowing around our campsite in the early morning hours before settling in for a long rest on our tent; in one word: Magic.
Braiding long pigtails every morning.
Eating hot oatmeal for breakfast.
Drinking hot chocolate.
Witnessing the children interacting with nature, trying to sing back to the birds.
Relaxing and listening and seeing and doing.
Hiking on two different trails and feeling free.
Seeing Stone Mountain for the first time.
Believing that anything is possible when you look at scenery this beautiful.
Wishing I could share this firsthand with everyone.
Reflecting on crossing an item off my bucket list: Camping in Blue Ridge Mountains.
Contemplating another camping trip next spring.
Taking the last photographs of our weekend trip.
Smiling and laughing and feeling so eternally grateful for such a blessed weekend with my little family.

My kiddos: Isabelle (9) and Elliot (12,) taken on 10-20-12

I highly recommend visiting North Carolina in the fall, it is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Happy Monday!

Toni

*43 for Jonathan challenge for October-currently at 13 miles
http://www.dailymile.com/challenges/6111-43-miles-for-jonathan

October, currently.

Packing a bag to take to Archiver's to scrapbook today while the kids are in school.
Pleading with my daughter into letting me french braid her hair today.
Folding laundry that is piled up on the couch.
Organizing my desk.
Contemplating how sweet Elliot is when he says goodbye to me at least five times every morning.
Making way too many lists.
Thankfully, marking some items off my lists.
Drinking coffee= Heavenly.
Planning to make pumpkin pancakes for dinner tonight.
Feeling so blessed and happy
Sorting paper into recycling.
Picking up items in the family room
Loving my washi tape.
Using lots of Studio Calico masks on projects lately.
Being. Just being. Present.
Witnessing my dogs interacting with one another, always a comedy show around here.
Reading a book about design principles I picked up.
Enjoying spending fall evenings on the couch with my husband.
Missing my parents and best friend back in Washington State.
Waiting to hear back from someone.
Looking at a Halloween drawing made by my daughter.
Thinking I need to go for a long walk once I take Isabelle to the bus.