Just Because

She is so cute!

Gratitude!

This holiday season feels very different for me. This year the season feels so rich, so full, so joyful. I think for the first time I really realize what it is meant to be about. As I think about creating new traditions and what I want my kids to remember, I realize how a season that is meant to be a time to feel gratitude we so quickly shift into thinking about the things we DON'T have, what we CAN'T buy, how we can get MORE. I want to truly focus on the spirit of gratitude. In the spirit of celebrating so much that I have been given in my life, the grace that I have received, I want to give to others as a way of expressing my love and appreciation. Gratitude is more than saying Thank-you, it is a way that we live our lives. Practicing gratitude alone is considered a spiritual practice. When we take the time to feel the depth of gratitude we open yourselves to connect to the divine, to something much bigger than ourselves. When stepping into gratitude you are often humbled by the power, beauty, and mystery of life. Living genuinely from the depth of who you are is an act of gratitude. When we compare, criticize, and mask our truth we are disconnecting from our source. When we live authentically and truthfully we are expressing gratitude for who we are and what we have become.

Here is my prayer for this holiday season:

May we connect deeply with our truth

May we express our gratitude by living authentically

May we recognize and honor the truth in others

May we feel blessed to have the opportunity to experience connectedness with those around us

May the way we live, the choices we make, the words we speak be a constant expression of gratitude

May we begin to see a shift in the direction the world is taking because we choose thankfulness

Through recognizing our blessings, may we bless others

May we begin to understand our power to change the world through the practice of gratitude

As we take time to pause and reflect, may gratitude spill forth uncontrollably

Here are some highlights from our Thanksgiving meal. A beautiful start to this season with AMAZING friends and my family too!

We also went on our first family ski trip together!

Happy Halloween 2011

Back It Up

Ok, so it has been awhile since my last post. A lot has happened since then, so let's rewind a bit and get caught up. By the end of my pregnancy, I got huge.

I was so uncomfortable and was sure I would go into labor early and every day that didn't happen was miserable. I woke up at 4am on Tuesday, September 6th and literally begged God to go into labor. It went a little something like this, "Seriously God, I can't handle another day of being pregnant. PLEASE TODAY!" And at 7am my water started leaking!

Heath and I hung out at home all day. It was cloudy and rainy, the perfect day to stay home, relax, and have a baby. By about 3:30pm I started active labor. Our midwife, Penelope, was at our house and just let me do my thing. She was so amazing and just intuitively knew exactly where I was in my labor. At about 6pm she suggested we check to see how dilated I was (even though she knew I was already at 10cm). And sure enough, it was time. We went into our bedroom and began to prepare for the "big push". After some coaching/coaxing from my midwife, I squatted by the side of the bed and gave it my all. Anjali was born just 1 push later! Out came our little Red Head angel. It was such an amazing experience. My parents were waiting in a hotel room with Bloom and were there to see Anjali at about 15 minutes old! By about 9 o'clock our midwife had left and we all cuddled in bed. Anjali's birth was such a powerful, amazing experience and I feel so blessed.

Anjali Bliss Brown

September 6th, 2011

7lbs, 14oz

21 inches

The Boys

My sister came to Colorado for a little visit, so Bloom, Heath and I headed to the Springs to spend time with the family! Life is so different now. Lots of chaos, but oh so much laughter. We all can't believe another soon will be added to the wild mix. What a crew! Here are a couple of photos of Amos and Bloom. They are only 8 months apart and we are certain they will be great pals (even though all of Bloom's hugging kinda freaks out Amos).

It's a Baby...

Girl!

We are so excited!

Birthday Party!

A few highlights from the big day...

Blooms First Year

Life Has Officially Changed

At the beginning of April, Bloom and I took a trip to Bellingham to visit the cousins. Aaron was out of town and I went out to "help" Kate (mostly just an excuse to visit). Bloom seemed to handle the traveling pretty well (probably better then me), if the flight had been any longer he may have lost it...but we made it safe and sound. Usually visits with my sister means going for long walks, drinking lots of coffee, and SHOPPING. This trip was very different. We actually did go to the mall...twice. One day I took Bloom and Montana to play at the playground there (raining of course), and I had to resort to window shopping while we went to and from the playground. Another day we went there to visit the Children's Museum and honestly didn't even get a chance to glance longingly at the Spring fashions in the window. Oh yeah, and we did manage to make it to Target, but by the time everyone ate a snack, changed diapers, etc, shopping just seemed like too much! Wow, life is different. Going anywhere meant strapping 3 kids into the car, packing snacks, and planning around naps...It feels surreal to be full on in this phase of life. And to be completely honest, I LOVE IT! I love to play and laugh and be SO BLESSED to share motherhood with my sister! It was a great and exhausting trip and I am so glad I went.

Walking Fool 11 Months

Spring Break 2011!

This year for spring break we went to Akumal (just south of Cancun). Heath and I left Bloom with his grandparents in Newcastle, WY and took off! Heath's brother joined us for the fun. It was glorious! I don't think that I have ever appreciated vacation, heat, and the sun so much. We stayed right on the beach and woke up to the sound of the ocean. I found my new favorite sport, surf kayaking, it was a blast. Heath and I sat in the airport watching all of the families with strollers, diaper bags, wagons,....and we loved walking onto the plane with one tiny little personal item. The question I get asked the most is, "did you miss Bloom?", and yes I missed him, but not too much. I really appreciated the time to relax and sleep...he was in good hands. In fact, I was kind of afraid that his grandma might keep him forever. Here's to the ocean, the warmth, sun, sleep, and being fortunate enough to take this vacation!

Since it was So Fun the First Time

Let me start by saying...
This is not a joke.

It turns out, I'm knocked up again. In case you are still in disbelief I'll clarify, I am pregnant...again. I suspected something "fishy" at the beginning of January which led to a positive pregnancy test (which was then thrown at Heath). I think I said something like, "I'm **cuss word** pregnant!. So, needless to say, it was quite a surprise. We definitely wanted more kids, just a little later. It has taken awhile to warm up to the idea (especially for me). The baby is due in the beginning of September which means I have to be big and pregnant all summer. No mountain biking for me! It seems like for awhile the list of "negatives" went on and on...

But really, when it comes down to it we feel so blessed. We have had so much fun with Bloom and it will be so great to see him play and interact with a sibling. I have talked to many women who have had children close together and they all talk about what good friends their kids are. And so our Brown family continues to grow, fast. We can't wait to meet our new little bean and experience the joy and laughter that he/she will certainly bring!

Here's to the Brown family band!

The Places Youll Go Now

A New Kind of Busy

It's noon. This barely marks the day as half over. Bloom discovered the concept of shoveling everything into his mouth. This morning he found a piece of a carrot from last nights dinner. I used my finger to scoop it out of his mouth. I guess I lost a bead, but found it in his mouth! A piece of bark! Where did that come from? Who knows, but it ended up in Bloom's mouth. I go to the kitchen to rinse a few plates and suddenly Bloom is gone. Not to worry, I found him in the bathroom unrolling the toilet paper. I put a basket of clean laundry down and before I know it the clothes are scattered all over the living room floor. I bundle him up, put him in the car seat, and we arrive at the grocery store only to find he has peeled off his hat, shoes, & socks. I could go on, but you get the point. As exhausting as life feels at times, it is so much more amusing with Bloom around. For now, I find his "mischief" humorous and delightful.

That Kind of Father

Soon after Bloom was born, Heath and I were sitting around with our new little family, and Heath said, "I want to be the kind of father that kisses his son a lot". I think about that statement so often. It honestly makes me melt. I think it speaks so much to who Heath is. And yes, he IS that kind of father! He openly loves and kisses and adores his son. Both Bloom and I couldn't ask for more!

Month 9 in a Nutshell

I made this video for my parents so they could watch it while they are in India. I know this trip will be quite difficult for them, and I wanted them to take a little piece of home. This is a good summary of what my days now look like.

New Year, New Me

I cleaned out my closet yesterday, and here is the pile I am getting rid of! Yes, this is for real. This translated to 6 loads of laundry, 6 garbage bags of clothes, and 1 box of shoes. My closet it really bare for the first time in my life. With the new year I have 2 new rules for buying clothes:

1) Don't buy it unless you put it on and L-O-V-E it! (don't just buy something that is "ok" because it is cheap, and if you totally love it, buy it, no matter the price)

2) If you L-O-V-E it, only buy it if you can think of two things in your closet it will go with.

This is my strategy for having a kick ass closet...and this is only the beginning of the simplifying that will take place in 2011. Let go of the old! Done & Done.

No Big Deal...He's Just Crawling

Official Date: December 30th, 2010
Task: Crawling
Comment: And he looks great doing it.

Christmas in B Town

My new nephew, Amos Pax, was born on December 11th just in time for our visit. We loaded up and took Bloom on his first airplane ride to Bellingham, WA to visit his cousins for Christmas! Three kids and four adults in a tiny space was a real "adventure". Life as we know it is changing; we listened to a lot of crying babies, everywhere we went we had to take two cars, in restaurants we took up a lot of space (toddler, carseat, highchair), we watched cartoons instead of good movies, we went to take picture with the Grinch, and on and on....here come's the cheese...but my heart felt so full the entire time. I still can't get over the fact that my sister and I are MOMS (but the cool kind)! Everyday I had many moments of feeling deep gratitude for the family that I have...it made me feel heavy in a good way, just full. Here's some highlights: