A year.

Probably one of my favorite parts of each day is getting my daily photo of Archer. Carrie has been so good about texting them to everyone this past year, and I love all the little glimpses into how he spends a second of each day. I love this kid!

It's always great to come together to celebrate that first year mark, and Grandma DJ put together a great party for her first grand baby's first birthday. :)  I think that first birthday is as much a celebration for the parents and relatives as it is for the little one.

There really isn't anything out there that can prepare someone for a baby, and I know Archer has had some challenging stretches, but Carrie and Bobby have come through it all beautifully. I'm already looking forward to seeing how much Archer changes over this next year.

I remember the phone call I had with Carrie when we first got the news that Darius had been offered a transfer to Salt Lake. I knew what it meant it be able to live close to her and the rest of the family. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be around, to watch Carrie become the mother that she is and to see Archer grow and be able to spend time with them both.

Warm Florida...

Time sure has been getting away from me! Just when I think I've caught up my train gets derailed and I find myself behind again. Such is life...

December was nuts but a lot of fun. I'm thinking there needs to be a bigger stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There doesn't seem to be enough time to squeeze in enough holiday fun into just one month. I keep going over the things we didn't find enough time to do, but I shouldn't lose sight of all the great things we did squeeze in.

The boys and I had planned a little visit to Florida back in October, but as we were sitting at the gate at the airport, ready to board, the boys' behavior dictated a very loud and dramatic exit from the airport instead of a walk down the jetway. Not exactly the pleasant flight I had hoped for. Lucky for us we found a small window to make up the trip, and we enjoyed a few days with the Bacon's....after a much better travel experience!

We love all the Bacon's, but we were extra excited to see how much Emma had changed since we last visited. It's so much fun to see a little person change so quickly in a short amount of time. She definitely did not disappoint and was full of the lively, sweet/sassy personality we had been hearing so much about. It was so nice to spend most of our time just hanging out at their house. Patti and I did a little sewing, which totally took me back to when I was a kid around the holidays, watching my mom sew our Christmas gifts. Love it.

After we finished up sewing projects and dinner, Patti majorly treated the boys and I to a little visit to Magic Kingdom. We enjoyed a few hours to watch the fireworks show, electric parade, and a couple of rides. I loved seeing the castle frosted with lights for the holidays. It was gorgeous, and it was such a treat to be able to visit the park during that time of year. Thanks again Patti!!

I loved that we were able to find the time to visit the Bacon's, especially during the holidays. I love their home and how much they get into Christmas. I don't know anyone else who decks their house with 4 full-sized Christmas trees and a few bonus smaller ones! It was another great, and always special, visit with some of our favorite people.

"Daddy are you old?"

Zach has been on this kick lately about people getting old. He has been asking Darius and I and others if we're old yet. Regardless of D tacking on another year a few weeks ago, I still think he's pretty youthful for his age...but Zach may have a different opinion. ;)

I remember the first birthday I spent with Darius. He was living in Florida at the time, and I was still in NJ. I came down for a short visit, brought him a birthday cake, and went fishing with him. It wasn't exactly a fun-filled day. He wasn't in much of a celebratory mood. He barked orders at me in the boat while we fished, and I basically did my best to keep my movements and comments to the bare minimum. He wasn't even interested in having any birthday cake. Needless to say it wasn't the type of visit I had hoped to enjoy with him.

Regardless of his surly mood that day, he didn't scare me off and after some time passed he eventually warmed up to me. We've come a long way and made a great deal of progress since then. Darius will be the first to tell you that at that point in his life, he never envisioned a future with a wife and kids. I'm still grateful that he was able to open himself up to the possibility of a future together.

We started D's birthday with a delicious breakfast at the Park Cafe.

We had a great offer through the boys' school for a free showing of the Nutcracker at Capitol Theater.  I told D it was up to him if we went or not, and he was willing to give it a shot. Well after a big breakfast and a very toasty theater, it wasn't long before D fell asleep. We ended up leaving at intermission. :)

We learned our lesson last year and stayed away from fried chicken. D requested pizza, so we invited a few people over to help us eat it all and enjoyed a little birthday cake afterwards. 

This is the time of year that I'm reminded of how fortunate we are to have each other. Darius is an enormous blessing in my life, and I'm so grateful for how hard he works and the love he shows us. I'm especially grateful to his mother, Margaret, for her part in bringing him into this world and for the fine man she helped to raise.

I love you Darius...always more.

What are you grateful for?

On the days leading up to and following Thanksgiving, our daily photo challenge topic each day was something we are thankful for. After Thanksgiving I also came across a lovely tradition that I'd like to begin next year. It may be a little past Thanksgiving already, but there's no time like the present to actually get started.

For those of you that read this post and would like to join me, please feel free to leave a comment (or even send me a photo you would allow me to post) to express what you're thankful for.

My list is endless of the things I am grateful for, but I'd like to take the opportunity to elaborate on my family and share a little something about each of them that I love and appreciate.

Grandma Ruth - She is as sweet as they come, and I love that every time I leave her house I can always find her at the door or in the window waving to me as I pull away. The sight of her waving goodbye makes my heart swell.

Dad - I think Dad is almost as excited as I am that we finally have a garden to plant in the Spring. His green thumb is one of the things I'm so happy to have picked up from him. Before we left to come home Thanksgiving evening, he told me he had some flower bulbs for us on his workbench. I love and appreciate the little thoughtful things he does.

Mom - Her generous spirit is a blessing, and from her I have learned the tremendous satisfaction to be gained by doing for others. I think like her, I am truly happiest when I am able to help anyone in any capacity.

Michel - She pays it forward. She knows the struggles of being a SAHM, and she has shared some of her experiences and challenges with me. She knows how it feels to be need, and in return she has graciously given to my family when we've been in need ourselves.

Eric - I love his calm. He is gentle with his words and his children. I am louder and more abrasive. He's a quiet reminder to me that I don't need to raise my voice to get my point across.

Clair - He is courageous in the ways he is able to be vulnerable. I love his ability to let his guard down and share with others his struggles and triumphs. He has been sharing his personal affirmations for a year now on his blog Canffirmations. Although his affirmations are personal to him, I can often find ways to apply them to my own life.

Connie - I feel really loved when she gives me a hug. I think my family members all give great hugs, but Connie's radiate a warmth that is extra special. Maybe it's more noticeable to me considering we weren't always very kind to each other in our youth. I'm grateful that we can express our love for each other now.

Carrie - She is thoughtful and always remembers the little things. I like to think she has an excellent Rolodex in her head of important dates and events. Carrie will be the one that always remembers to call and send her best wishes for whatever the occasion may be.

Joy - Her strength and resilience inspire me. Her inner strength is much like a boxer. She takes her blows amazingly well and comes up swinging like Mickey O'Neil.

James - His fun-loving and easy-going nature is contagious. His humor and relaxed attitude is refreshing to be around.

Darius - He is such a hardworking man, and as hard as he works, he's so pleasant to be around when I am fortunate to have time with him. Regardless of his schedule or how tired he may be, he helps me around the house and acknowledges the work I do with the boys at home.

Ben - I love his willingness to help me around the house and his independent spirit. It sometimes breaks my heart just a little when he refuses my help, but at the same time I love that he wants to do things for himself and the satisfaction it brings to him.

Zach - He is social and will talk to anyone about anything. I love that he pulls me into his conversations with others that I probably would not talk with otherwise. He's a great reminder that there's no reason we can't connect with the people we come across each day.

And to each of you....the rest of my family and friends, there are so many wonderful qualities about each of you that I love and admire. I'm truly grateful for each of you and the strength and inspiration I am able to take away from all of you. Part of the reason I am me is due to the positive influences of the amazing people I am surrounded by. I hope to be more mindful of each of you and to take the opportunity to express my gratitude more often.

Much love to each of you.

The Canfield's 1st Annual Pie Night!!!

PIE!

Miss Hope's grin and enthusiasm for pie is awesome!

We all know already about my family's great love for pie. I think it's up there at the top of the list as far as things I would say to someone when describing my family. How it has escaped any of us to actually set aside a day to celebrate the deliciousness of pie is beyond me.

I can't take credit for coming up with the idea of Pie Night, but I'm fine with admitting that I totally scammed it off of someone else who encouraged me to do so. Maybe it's already caught on and we'll soon see it become an unofficial holiday. :)

Mom & Dad returned home from their mission at the perfect time, right before the holidays. It's good to have them back

Aunt Elaine and her husband Paul joined us, and it was wonderful to have them with us. 

Miss Jaydaka has a little brother coming soon. James and Brooke are expecting a boy in the Spring.

Cousin April was in from Colorado with her kids and joined us. It was so great to see her and catch up with her. We rarely see our Canfield cousins anymore, and it was such a treat to have her there!

Naturally Pie Night makes sense to pair up with Thanksgiving, so the night before we all got together at the Strate/Canfield residence and feasted on a smorgasbord of pie. I got a little carried away and brought 10, and there was well over that amount when we arrived. Needless to say it was an instant hit, and I think we have a new family tradition! 

Archer is the ultimate mama's boy. He can hardly stand for anyone else to hold him, but Eric seems to have the secret here. I'll have to try this the next time I get my hands on Archer. :)

Chris and Analyse came down from Idaho for the long weekend, and Chris introduced many of us to a new (and very addicting) game, which I can't remember the name of. Maybe that's a good thing!

 

No family gathering is ever complete unless there are multiple games of Pinochle.

Clair and Eric have been entertaining our family for years now with their own rendition of Adam Sandler's Turkey Song. This year Clair tweaked it in honor of our first Pie Night. Awesome as always!