little. big. life.

most days, it seems that i am dabbing on one minute of makeup and shuffling my little ones out the door while locking my mouth together to hold in the apple i just shoved inside of it. i urge, i clap, i repeat directions like a poorly-trained drill sargeant.

i check again for backpacks and lunch boxes and i kiss each one as i click the car and booster seats. i realize that after we have taken our time 'waking up/cuddling' for an hour, we are always rushin' it the last few minutes causing us to make it to school right before the bell rings.

yes, i am that mom.

i'm lynette from desperate housewives. i wouldn't mind saying i could rock out a sweatsuit while exercising in full hair in makeup, but that is the opposite of me. if i make it out to exercise, you can bet your last buck that i will look like the picked over remains of last night's thai take-out.

i guess what i am trying to say in a backward way is, i never fail to feel like i am part of an unspoken club. a club made up of strong and passionate women. the club where all mommies herd their young out the door, where pop-tarts are considered a good option for breakfast, where whipped cream is desperately unleashed into a cup-of-wake-me-up-NOW-cup-of-joe because i forgot to buy cream...or another gallon of oj that the kids just have to have on the only morning that i don't have any.

fleeting thoughts of guilt try to float in...i should have gone shopping last night. i should have packed a healthier lunch. i shoulda...woulda...coulda...

i push these thoughts out. it's a skill that i have been working on and i highly recommend it to everyone.

i'm not a 'club' girl. whatever that means. but as i heat the car to warm my little ones; sing them happy and upbeat songs that my tired brain will conjure up (without a side of eye-rolling from one little miss peyton mae, please);

and encourage good behavior while teaching them last minute life-lesson playground scenarios (be kind, independent, and a role-model even if little sara said you shouldn't play with any other little girls because they all smell like rotten milk)...i gotta say...i know i am one of thousands loving, instilling, and praying for a productive and happy day for their little pint-sized scholars.

for our 7 minute car ride to kindergarten, we get a lot of stuff in and it all comes down to one thing. one goal. one belief. to send my kids to school feeling loved, warm, and fed ...with an extra helping of encouragement or hand holding if needed.

it seems she needs me less these days. that sucks, but it's good too. so, with all of the other moms, young and old...i stand along beside you as you fill mini-vans and bleacher seats. i think about this being our time. the best time in our lives is right now and it's worthy of note!

end of ramble.

we went home to michigan for a few days last week! to the snow...

i didn't have cool snow clothes...it kind of made it more fun to look to not put together! it was funny!

we landed in detroit and exactly two hours later we were on a snow covered hill lovin life!

our little snow bunnies had an amazing time and we were so proud of how brave they were.

michigan can be so beautiful. it was...crisp, good, and picturesque.

we went fast, caught snow flakes with our tongues, and made a few angels in the snow!

our budding snow queen.

the next day we went to my families annual family party! a bunch of us crazy sisters and loud italian dad get together to eat, laugh, and passionately defend our opinions while my mom hands us things to cook under strict supervision! we look forward to the family time together and it's always filling and fun and a sure way to gain 5 pounds in one night!

my sweet grandma, peyton's namesake. i relish every minute spent with her. she always smells of lilacs and revlon lipstick...and maybe pond's cold cream. i held her hand for a long while feeling her thin, soft familiar fingers. she looks a little different this time. better, maybe. older, for sure. it's hard to see someone you love so much changing before your eyes.

it's like a door into one's future, but more than that, it reminds you of how precious time is. i love that woman so much. she is my angel.

my mom, finally relaxing after a week of home cooking. love you, mom!

as three-day vacations do...it flew by and we are back home!

the promise of a new year. a better year. time for other opportunities and growth. january feels like a rebirth of the universe. i love basking on its clean canvas.

my cranky girl. we were walking too slow, i guess.

i played mommy to four kids!

and i liked it. totally think i could handle a couple more!

yes, our girl lost her top tooth. she lost it at school and proudly wore it in a plastic tooth case around her neck. i kind of dreaded this moment as her baby face is gone, but she is so happy about it that we can't help but love her new look and her new big girl status update!

(the kids looks like they were dipped in cherry kool-aid)

beckham told peyton that he could stay up long enough to see the tooth fairy, so he slept with his big sis that night with grand promises of catching her in a net and then taking a picture. this is what we found an hour later...

my loves.

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speaking of love...

this family had me at hello!

or twins or beautiful mama...not sure.

i can't say enough about these people, now friends. they radiate happiness and their house is full of laughter and recently...the sounds of soft baby cries and new life...

this dad and his girls never stopped laughing, joking, playing. one thing is for sure, they love to make music and they do it well!

i can't wait to watch these little ones grow!

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another session!

i was so excited to meet this family! they were so fun to shoot and can these boys get any cuter?

melissa, thank you for taking time out and trekking across snow and sleet to get to me! your boys are adorable and...sweet as pumpkin pie!

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lots of love!