Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Carefree Timelessness

What is Carefree Timelessness? Matthew Kelly explains it perfectly from his book "The Rhythm of Life. Living Everyday with Passion and Purpose."

Most of us know that the happiest people on the planet are those who are focused on their personal relationships.  Relationships thrive under one condition: carefree timelessness.  Do we gift our relationships with carefree timelessness?...We have to make carefree timelessness a priority.  The nature of carefree timelessness is to be timeless.  You lose track of time. Carefree timelessness is carefree.  It has nothing to achieve other than the enjoyment of each other's company.  Teenagers are experts at this.  How often do parents ask their teenagers when they are going out with friends, "Where are you going?" The children reply, "I don't know!"  Of course, we may consider this an unacceptable answer, but it may well be the truth.  Carefree timelessness.  It is the reason young people fall in love so easily.  The lack of carefree timelessness is the reason the rest of us fall out of love so easily.  Carefree timelessness cause us to fall in love with life and others.  The first thing that you need to do is schedule it.  Now I hear the objection in the back of your mind.  You are thinking,  if I have to schedule it then it is not carefree timelessness. Not so.  Think back to our definition of carefree timelessness, as time spent without an agenda.  I didn't say that it is unscheduled and will happen all on it's own.  We know it won't. We have to schedule it, but we don't have to have an agenda."

Carefree timelessness sums up our Christmas break.  It was glorious! This picture also sums up the majority of my day "Mom, mom, mom, I'm hungry. Mom, I'm bored what can I do. Mom, Mom do you want to play a game. Mom, Mom..." This was a real life moment that Reid captured when he came home early to work from home because of the weather.


which then turned in to more silliness...have you ever sat with your legs up on the wall.  Try it, it's pretty great. And then it turned in to this...




 Of course we did! and we laughed the entire time
 Jamesie had fun playing with his Dinosaurs now that his room is super organized and he can find everything!

 Elizabeth helped organize books by color
 and Daddy built the shelf we picked up from Target that was pictured in the last post and Mom found a place for all the things!
 New Year's Eve I took the Bigs out for a day of skiing. We had so much fun

 After a while, Daddy brought the Littles out so they could watch us Ski and Emma got to try a few runs down the Bunny hill!
 Thank you to Lucy for helping to teach her to ski too.  Emma is using the skis she once used!

 Slowly but surely I'll turn our family in to a skiing family ;)
 So fun running in to some of our favorites and getting to ski with them!
 After New Year's Day Mass we headed over to friends' house to skate and sled in their backyard. Childhood memories in the making!
 and then we made it home in time to cheer on our Gophs! What a game! So much fun cheering with my Craigy!

Happy 2020 may it be filled with lots and lots of carefree timelessness!

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Mason's 1st time Skating

Reid took all 4 kiddos ice skating at our Rec Center.  Mom went for a run and met them there.  Sally upgraded to Mom's skates and don't mind Mason's pink skates.  He has 3 older sisters and they'll fit him for two days before he's on to the next pair :)




Slow and steady wins the race! [VIDEO]


WhoaHoo Craigy is a rockstar!
 "I want a picture with Mom"
 We got a new shelf for Mason's room to keep up with the organizing of all of his trucks and cars and army guys and dinosaurs.  I love it! It was a tight squeeze to bring it home.  Some day soon, Mason will upgrade to a Big Boy bed.  Mama's just got to build up the courage to take down the crib after it has been up for 11 years!!! To be fair, this is the longest a C-Mile Sib has been in a crib, we've always been prepping or welcoming another baby at this point....Bittersweet
 We've been enjoying this new game, I'm sure many of you have heard of it or already have it KANOODLE
 I got to sneak away for a quick bit yesterday to cash in an Anniversary gift.  An hour Facial.  It was AMAZING!! Thank you Craigy! I left with plenty of time to spare as earlier in the day the roads were glare ice.  Luckily by the time I left they were just wet.  It allowed me time to sit in the peaceful Lobby reading up on my new Saint for this year. Saint Michael the Archangel.  Do you pick a Saint for each year? This is my 3rd year and I love it.  I also pray about a word for the year.  This year God is giving me two, HARMONY and DELIGHT.

To Select your Saint for the year, click HERE

To Select your Word for the year, click HERE

Happy almost New Year!! Whoop Whoop for an EVEN year 2020!! and a leap year!


Saturday, December 28, 2019

Christmas 2019

Craigy (Reid) got me a new Chromebook for Christmas.  Here's to hoping this will inspire me to keep up with the blog!

Here goes nothing....

Craigmile Crew Christmas 2019

Best Buy puts on a great event each year where the kids get to sit on Santa's lap!

We headed up to Grandma and George's for a few days.  Dinner time, awaiting the Moran Fam to arrive the next day

The Cousins prepared a Nativity Play for us.  Grandma found old Christmas cards and programs we had made when I was little.  Here are a few of mine


 [VIDEO]

Duck Duck Grey Duck on the ice!
 Seesters
 Living the good life
 Ready to cheer on the Vikings...wish the outcome would have been better...
Cousins
 Thank you Emily for snapping this
 So excited about a journal
 Rub a dub dub cousins in the tub! We love bath time with Ava!
 Watching Uncle Joe Joe shave off his stash
 Round 2 of the play and Ava got to play baby Jesus!

 All 9 of the cousins!
Christmas Eve we headed home.  Tradition of reading T'was the Night Before Christmas

 When you have zero cookies...
Loved this reflection!
 Christmas morning!


 [Video]


[VIDEO]

Then we hit of 10am Christmas Mass.  What a treat, not overcrowded!!
 What may become a new tradition, we head to Perkins! A stranger stopped over with tears in his eyes to compliment the beauty of a big family all the kiddos behaving well. Hard work paying off...we still have our moments.  We made sure to tip our Waitress well as it was such a treat to have Perkins open on Christmas Day!
 Love this guy!
 and then we changed back in to our jammies and opened presents from each other

 Little did the kids know, but we had a BIG surprise up our sleeve.  We got creative in how we were giving it to them and whipped up this video in 20 minutes...unscripted...
[VIDEO]



Each kid got a swimsuit...matching!
 Elizabeth wasn't too interested in trying her suit on
 Rocking her new shoes from Santa and swimsuit from Mom and Dad!
 Because most don't love cake in this family, we celebrated Jesus' birthday with ice cream.  Each kiddo got to blow out a candle after we sang Him happy Birthday



 Happy Birthday Jesus! Cheers!
 Craigmile Crew Christmas 2019, another one for the memory books! The year Jamesie knocked over mommy's full cup of coffee and it shattered, but also the Christmas we surprised the kids with our first ever flying family trip!!
 Happy Birthday Jesus!
 Upgrading from #ThankfulandGrateful to #JoyfulGratitude

LOVED this Blessed is She reflection SO much!  Have you signed up for their daily emails? You won't regret it!
 Two runs OUTSIDE #JoyfulGratitude!
Here's to hoping I'll be back again soon!

Merry Christmas to you all! God's Blessings on your year ahead!

Monday, December 16, 2019

Elizabeth is 8!!!

Elizabeth is 8 Today! Gosh I love this girl. Her joy for life and Jesus is contagious to all those she encounters. You can see it in her smile. She is SO excited for this year, to attend her 1st Reconciliation and receive her 1st Holy Communion.

Take a look at her 8th year in pictures, Enjoy!


Happy Happy 8th Birthday Elizabeth Josephine! We love you so very much sweet girl!!