Hit the road Jack....Frost, and don't you come back no more

 (no more no more no more)

Its time.

I know this happens every year. Winter, that is. And, every year everyone gets tired of winter, and starts to complaaaain, and loudly long for warmer weather. So, for the sake of tradition that is what we are doing around here.

How do I know its time? Beside the fact that Sunday is March?

I know its time for spring because the four pair of boots that I rotate through all winter are looking much less appealing than all of my flats, sandals, and slip ons that are sitting sadly in my closet. I have a serious love affair with boots. Boots, you will always be my favorite of all footwear, but we need some time apart.

I know its time for spring because work out videos are getting more and more difficult to put in that DVD player. I just want to go outside and walk or (gasp) jog! I've been staring into the eyes of Jillian Michaels for far too long.

I know its time for spring because I have a baby who has never been outside longer than a trip from building to vehicle and back again. I'd love to introduce you. She's a doll.

I know its time for spring because I'd appreciate having my shorts and cropped pants as an excuse to shave at least my lower legs more than occasionally.

Winter, you've been tolerable, even pleasant in spurts, but why don't you just find your way on over to the other side of the planet for the next 8 months or so. Mmmmmkay?

A year in fiveish paragraphs

and thats a wrap for 2014. Holy shmoly.

We started the year by spending three months in Mahwah, New Jersey. We have some marvelous friends from Mahwah that own and operate a maple farm near Cooperstown, New York. Ches spent those months tapping maple trees, and I spent them annoying Nancy by laying around her house nauseous. We loved spending that time there, and feel so blessed to know such amazing people.

Chesley spent over three hundred hours of this year about ten feet off the ground in a BELL 47 helicopter. He dominated that sweet corn. He has loved flying everyday just as much as he always thought he would, and being paid to fly rather than having it the other way around has made for one happy man.

I spent the year growing a human. I finally got a piano of my own, and we were able to move from our apartment into a house (can I get a HUZZAH!) ?? The highlight of my year has been all of the visitors we've had. My mom basically waited on me for three weeks, and it was heaven. She was here a full week before the baby was born, and ten days after. My dad even got to come for a couple of days at the end of my mother's visit, which was a huge deal. My mother in law came for about five days while Ches went on a hunting trip, and we got to have the ENTIRE Lewis clan out for Thanksgiving. The house was bursting at the seams, and it was absolutely perfect.

Maverik grew from a baby faced toddler into a little boy this year. I can't believe how much he's changed. He has an incredible vocabulary for a two year old, and will talk your ear off. Some of his favorite things to say are from movies. He loves to say, "curse you tiny toilet!" and "I had a dream once" (even in a little tiny deep voice). You totally get points if you know those movies. He also totally rules at being a big brother.

Piper managed to break free of the womb on October 15th, and had one happy momma. She was about 10 pounds, and was between 21 and 22 inches long. She has been such a dreamy baby, and we can't wait to see her personality come out.

Have great holidays and stuff!...or we hope you did since we got our cards out late, and some of you may be reading this after the fact.

Love,

The Lewis's

The kind of things I shouldn't say

Being a mom has been hard lately. Lately being for the last eight weeks or so. Winter makes a mother's confidence shrivel to a fraction of itself. I have found myself wishing that I could just let someone else take care of M for a while. I'm not a bad mom. I'm a tired mom. All moms want to ship their children to the other side of the country at least pretty often.

I'm failing at liking my body today. I'll try again tomorrow.

Dishes have been sitting in the sink for at least 24 hours.

It took me two weeks to put two letters in the mail. It took me five minutes.

I let my not-quite-two year old watch about an hour of television every day. I don't count the hours that shows may be on for me. He doesn't really pay attention to Say Yes To The Dress.

And you know what, I still think my life is pretty good, that I'm a pretty good mom, and that there is something sexy about me. I do have a child, and we know how those come about: by being sexy.

Apologies for the price of postage

We were unable to send a card and letter to everyone we would have wished, so here it is. Merry Christmas. Isn't our Savior the greatest!?

You guys. 2013. It happened. It happened in a marvelous way. We arrived in Le Sueur, Minnesota on December 31, 2012, and started out the brand new year in a brand new place. It has had its challenges, but they have been mustard seeds in comparison to our yoga-ball sized blessings.

Chesley continues to work like a mad man to keep our lives up and running. He worked many 18+ hour days this summer, and always still had a positive attitude when he got home. He even still had a positive attitude when he would wake up before 4:00 the next morning to start another long day. Can we just bottle this positive energy already? We’d be rich. He got more flight time than last year, and is so excited to be a full time pilot next year. Finally! Three year old Chesley’s dream comes true!

I am still momming it up around here. Bein’ a mom.  I have a hard time finding grown up things to do sometimes, but building blocks and Bob the Builder will have to do as pass times for now. The baby and I spent a full three months in Utah and Idaho this summer while Ches was working those crazy hours. I did have some elderly women in my parents’ ward concerned about my marriage after such a long trip, but we managed to stay in love, and the trip was a treat. With Chesley being gone so much we were right where we needed to be.

Maverik grows and grows and grows! In both stature and personality. He is busting at the seams with it. He doesn’t say many actual words, (mama, daddy, and Bob), but he jabbers nonstop in his own little baby words.  He loves to throw, and we are constantly blocking our faces and flinching away from projectiles. We are working on clearing up the rules on what can be thrown safely and what draws blood.

So, we raise our glasses of non-alcoholic sparkling white grape juice (it’s the best kind) to the passing of another wonderful year. We hope the Spirit of Christ fills your Holiday season. Loves from the Lewis family.

Some new lyrics to a Christmas classic.

I haven't done one of these since 2010, so I figured I might as well do it again. Also, I wish I could copy this post every year, because it is truly how I feel. I always forget how indifferent I am about hot chocolate.

Dear hand-me-down garland,

Since you are are doubling for our tree this year, I am pretty happy about you. You look cute with ornaments hanging on you. However, you will not always have that particular honor, so enjoy it. I am hoping 2014 can bring us our first actual Christmas tree....Also, I apologize for the bunching of lights on one end, and sparsity of them on your other. 

Dear 'Bing Crosby' Pandora station,

Marvelous. I have no complaints other than that you have way too many versions of "Baby, Its Cold Outside" and "Santa Baby". Stop it. Other than that, don't stop it. Play on.

Dear C,

Thank you for loving me enough to give in on your hard and fast 'no Holiday music before Thanksgiving' rule. I am not sure I really knew what real love was before this. Also, you did a pretty good job of meticulously painting my popsicle sticks red. Lets make out later.

Dear Pinterest,

Thank you for allowing me to feel festive with  the aforementioned popsicle sticks and metallic poster board. You truly understand poor people on a budget.  

Dear Christmas,

Come come come come. (read to the beat  of the little drummer boy's rum tum tum tum. Obviously.)

Breaking the first rule of time.

My enviably lovely friend Lacy wrote a post today that I completely love, so I decided to take a shot at being as lovely as she is by copying her (form of flattery...right?). 

To my 16 year old self,

Don't feel so intimidated by those "attractive" boys in the grade above you. You think that they think that you are a nerdy loser (wordy much?), but they don't think of you at all. Which is a-okay.

Be a little more reliable. I know you want to see everyone and go to everything, but your friends are going to tease you for years about being the flaky one. But, they will also stick around forever.

Please don't wear those cut off tights beneath your knee length shorts because you are embarrassed of your legs. You will get tired of people asking if you are a burn patient. Also,your legs aren't nearly as ugly as you think they are.

Those overalls you think are cool, really are pretty cool, but get them in a long.

Don't be sad that you don't have a boyfriend. You have the best and sweetest guy friends in the world, and you will date later. You'll have a boyfriend next year for a little while, and it isn't nearly as fun. Enjoy the freedom of being close to so many wonderful people in an unattached way.

Make more time to talk with your girlfriends. You will wish you had worried more about them and less about yourself.

Enjoy the crap out of that music. You will never be immersed in it like that again, and you will ache for it. Go for more solo's and sing louder with the radio because your voice will be out of practice before you know it.

Don't let anyone dissuade you from wearing that purple choir robe in your school picture. It totally goes with the parrot ear rings.

Also, try not to go outside looking like this.