Life with The Youngs: Catching Up

So much time has passed since my last post, but it just feels like life has been a little hectic these days. Snow has started falling and Jeff's Birthday, Christmas, our wedding, and year-end taxes are ALL within 3 week away. Strap on a 10 week old baby and a business that needs to be run and you have me..... slightly stressed. Of course, it is 3 pm on a blizzardy day and I am writing from the comfort of my pajamas, so it can't be that bad!

There is over a foot of snow on the ground and Jeff, Kiera, and I spent the day in our PJs taking a family nap by the fire. Lexi had a 1/2 day at school and she just got home to enjoy the laziness with us. I guess that you have to seize these opportunities when they present themselves.

Perhaps our biggest news is that we spent Thanksgiving in Virginia with my mom (or as Kiera calls her: "Memere" - which is the French word for Grandma.) The 4 of us piled into the new Suburban and headed on a "13 hour" trek down South. For the record... a 13 hour trip with a baby ends up being more like 16 or 17 hours. We left at 9 pm Friday night and arrived at Mom's at about 1 pm on Saturday. It was all worth it when we got there. Our trip was a nice balance between relaxing around mom's house and shopping/sightseeing in Washington D.C. We stopped in New York City on the way back home and Kiera got her 1st experience in Central Park and Times Square!

As the end of the year approaches I realize what a turning point it has been in my life. I was looking through my journal and I found an entry from New Year's Day of this year. Jeff, Emily, and I spent New Year's Day lounging around the house just laughing and relaxing. We didn't leave the house once but still had the best time. I wrote, "if the rest of the year is as great as today, I am in for a treat." 16 days later, Jeff and I found out that we were going to have a baby! We also managed to get engaged, start a business, have a baby, take multiple trips, and soon get married! 2009 has been my most eventful year to date.

I had so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for my old family and my new family. Thankful for a stepdaughter I love like my own, so many opportunities to laugh, snowstorms, yummy coffee, sharing a glass of wine with friends, a sister who makes me laugh until I cry, my mom who taught me how to be a mother, everything about Jeff, and every single moment that I have with Kiera. This list could go on for hours, but everything just feels right.

Serena is still living with her mom and isn't interested in seeing us. It makes me so sad that she is missing out on this time with Kiera and the upcoming wedding. It will only happen once in life and it goes by so quickly. I had imagined that our whole family would be present and involved in the wedding, but it doesn't look like that will happen. It isn't easy being a 14 year old girl... I know first hand. We are just trying to trust that it will all work out in the end and that she will get it one day.

Lexi has had a few basketball games and I love to go watch. She is playing on both A team and B team and is doing so well so far. It's so fun to see how she improves from year to year. Kiera also loves to watch her big sister play. I strap her into the front pack for the games, but it isn't long before she makes her way out to play with everyone.

Here are some photos from the past few weeks. As always, I phone pictures come out pretty crappy, but the sentiment behind them is what matters....Enjoy!