Happy Chinese New Year! Today Addy and I spent the day running errands, reading stories, baking together, and finishing up Valentines-we wanted to make sure we had everything done by the time my Mom got home because we knew she had some fun planned for us all in honor of today. She is so creative!

We had a lot of fun watching Mulan and participating in making dinner. Luke made orange chicken, Samantha and my mom made fried rice and my friend Chelsea and I made pot stickers. While we ate my Mom put on one of her favorite shows, and her inspiration for the nights activities-an episode of The Amazing Race Season 18 where they are in China. We each were randomly assigned a team, and we got to watch our characters do their best in different tasks. With a few of them, my Mom would pause the show and we had to do our own version of the task here at home. For example, on the show they had to search for all 12 of the Chinese zodiac signs on plaques, and then put them in order on a hanging ornament thing. So my Mom gave us about 2 minutes to do the same on a piece of paper. Luke kicked our butts and got 11 out of 12 correct! Chelsea was a close second with 10. In another task they had to use hammers to pound out a traditional Chinese candy. My amazing Mom then brought out 2 trays of homemade peanut brittle and we all had to race to hammer it into good chips the best and the fastest. Lets be real, my pieces were the best, but I have to admit that Chelsea did finish first haha.

In the end, we combined our own scores with the scores of the team who represented us on the show. Once again, Luke won hands down and got to enjoy his reward of some yummy Pocky snacks. Of course, he shared with us. We ended the festivities by reading about our zodiacs [I for example am a dragon.]

It was so fun and I am so glad we are here to enjoy it! A very Happy Chinese New Year to all of you!

Hooray, first post of a new year-sure its a little delayed, but we have been busy! Busy filling our times saying goodbye to our visiting family, and trying to get back to a routine. Easier said then done, am I right?

As I said, we were lucky enough to be able to spend new years with all the siblings and family. We weren't sure when this would be a possibility as time and age has spread us out, so we were loving every second of it. The two little ones enjoyed a lot of play time, and it is fun watching them be able to spend time interacting and growing up some together. We played a lot of games, and did the usual stuff-which was exactly what we wanted. New Years itself we spent at the Porter's before moving the party back to our house with Andy and Melody. It was low key, and lots and lots of fun.

After that everyone started to trickle out-Mariah and bf headed back to their destinations. Friends left too, and then last of all the Dobbins family headed back to Utah. Its amazing how even with this many people still living here, the house seemed so much quieter. We are missing everyone, but that is life and we are going to enjoy it as best we can!

Now that everyone is back to school and work, it is just Addy and I most days. Although I enjoyed everyone being home, I will admit that I love being able to have some one on one time with my girl. We've been able to practice colors by painting with dyed pudding, and gotten back to our numbers and letters by doing our reading. We've had a few play dates, and gone on some walks and to the park and stuff.
I often find myself living the balance struggle, of feeling like when I am nailing motherhood, the chores are being neglected a little, or visa versa. But still-somehow everything manages to get pretty well done and I am finding satisfaction in that.

I think sometimes maybe people take their life experiences and apply them to others; for example, they think 'Oh I was so miserable or so happy when such and such thing happened in my life-they must be having the same experience.' Like the fact that we are living here with my family-so many people seem to have had negative experiences living with their parents after marriage, and they think that no matter what we say, it must be horrible and we are just putting on a nice face.

The thing is, I know its only been about 6 months, but they couldn't be more wrong. Lester and I are sincerely loving living here with my family, and they seem to be enjoying us being here as well. This is such a stark difference to how I was feeling this time last year in this post.

Like I said there, I think 2012 was a time of challenges, difficulties, break downs and a lot teaching moments. It was the year where the tide of my life ebbed more then ever before. But as I hoped when I blogged last year, in 2013 I experienced the peace, reassurance, blessings and happiness that came as a result of that. The tide of my life truly flowed full of the rewards that came through endurance, hard work and maintaining hope.

I don't know whether this year is going to be an ebb or a flow. I hope it is both. But at least right now, I know that I have all the tools I need to ride the tide no matter what it brings and come out the better for it. So far so good though-Lester has a job he is loving, with a schedule we are all loving, Addy and I have time just the two of us, but lots of friends and family as well. We have places to go, and people we love to see close by. We have several things to look forward to on our calendar this coming year-vacations, life events, etc. So even if there are hard times-at least we know for a fact there will be good ones to.

So I guess here is to a new year-to 2014 and all that it will bring, both the foreseen and the unexpected. I am ready to receive it all. Hopes and good wishes for all of you as well in this new year!