Simple Gifts

We have spent much of this last year moving closer and closer towards simplicity and the gifts from this process have been simply sweet! Clint and I really felt a calling to abandon our mainstream mentalities that were telling us more is better and learn to find contentment with less -

• Less job - Clint traded in his highly esteemed, high-tech job as an electrical engineer to become an electronics educator which has greatly reduced his daily stress.
• Less money - Our experience was that when you have more money, you just spend more. A bigger paycheck meant a bigger house, more stuff, and more activities for the kids. It was easier to justify buying things that we wanted versus just what we needed when we had the money in the bank account to spend. We have become much more disciplined with our spending and better managers of what we do have.
• Less house - We moved out of our big house that came with a big mortgage, big expenses, and big responsibilities which lifted a big burden!
• Less hustle and bustle - We moved to a slower-paced, smaller town which I will admit was hard to adjust to, but the benefits far outweigh any hesitations I once had.
• Less stuff - We sold or donated over half of all we owned and it felt great! It is so much simpler to keep track of and take care of less stuff! The best part was that our whole family learned that the joy of giving is far greater than the joy of having and we will continue to take seasonal inventories to get rid of more stuff! Be free from stuff!
• Less activities - There was always something to do and somewhere to go and busyness divided us. I still struggle sometimes to maintain a healthy balance, but we have really enjoyed just spending time at home as a family playing in the backyard or baking together or building something together and that motivates me to keep activities to a minimum.
• Less technology - This has made the biggest difference in my life. I used to be so connected to my iphone that I was becoming disconnected from everything else...ironic! Praise the Lord that my iphone crashed one day and my eyes were opened to a life free from the distraction of a "smart" phone! We rarely watch TV anymore and we do not own a gaming system. I spend less time on the computer these days as well and consequently less time blogging, but I figure if I am spending more time making memories than recording them...it's a good thing (that was so Martha Stewart)!

Less really is more!

A Better View

Sophie recently got her first pair glasses and she loves them!! The first time she put them on she was amazed at all she could see! I think she looks adorable in them all well!

Out of the mouths of babes...

Ella says the funniest, sweetest, and most adorable things! I love how she expresses herself and communicates with us. Actually, she will talk to anyone who will listen! It took her a long time to find her words, but as she neared 2 years old, her babble finally became recognizable and now it will be memorable too.

Ella's first word - "uh-oh"

Ella's first sentence - "Max, shut mouf!" (to our dog who was barking when she was trying to take a nap)

Ella's famous phrases -
"That's too loud!"
"Shhhh, baby sleeping!"
"Yummy cakes please!"
"Dance with me!"
"Daddy home!"
"Kiss my boo-boo."
"Feel better."
"My boo-boo needs a banaid."
"Wuv you!" (love you!)
"That's my favorite!" (to just about everything)
"I clean it."
"I help you!"
"Ella do!"
"I do it by myself."
"Ella eata it!"
"No baby Kate...that's mine!"
"I need my pretty dress."
"I see you later!"

Funny mistakes -
"No may!" (instead of no mam)
"That's my pot!" (instead of that's my spot)
"auce" or "appo-auce" (instead of applesauce)
"obama" (instead of bottom...really...I'm not kidding)

Precious moments -
When baby Kate is crying, Ella says, "It ok...Ella here, I'm here...no wying" as she strokes her head and gives her a kiss.

Big sister Ella will also let me know when Baby Kate is hungry. She says, "baby needs to nurse" or "baby wants mama's milk."

When I get her out of her crib in the morning she will hug me and say, "Good morning! I sleep good!"

When Ella sees me clean something up she says, "Good job mommy! I so proud of you!"

Clint and I call each other babe or honey so Ella will sometimes greet us by saying, "hi honey" or "hey babe" - so cute!

The other day, I asked her to help me clean up and she said, "I can't hear you." So, I got right next to her and looked in her eyes and asked her again. She looked right in my eyes and with a smile said, "I still can't hear you." I couldn't help but laugh. What a stinker!

Ella also loves to sing...as loud as she can! She makes me smile everyday. What a fun stage!