Coyle Family: Our Stories and Adventures: January 2015

Saturday, January 10, 2015

And they are FOUR!

And Luke and Amelia are FOUR -- I never would have imagined that birthdays were hard on the parents but every year I have a good cry around their birthday -- tears of disbelief that they're so old and thankfulness that they're here and healthy and joy about remembering the fun things about the last year of their lives. This birthday was a sweet one as it was the first time they were so aware of everything happening and had been counting down the days. They loved waking up to balloons on their chairs at breakfast and having cupcakes at preschool. We did a small evening party and I think the adults had as much (or more) fun with the superhero theme as the kids :) Happy birthday, sweet Luke and Amelia -- you are so loved!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Happy New Year!

2014 ended in the ideal way in my world: rich in relationships. Three dear friends and I were gifted a weekend away at the coast and so four young mamas spent two days debriefing life and parenting and what-the-heck-happened-to-us-these-last-few-years. It was refreshing to be with three other transparent mamas who love their families with everything that they are but who also need to take a step back from them to help us get perspective. I'm grateful we were able to just be together (how quiet it seems without 7 little kids!) and laugh and share and cry. Good group parenting therapy session :)

The glorious Oregon coast!

Michelle, Danielle, Lindsay -- thankful every day that I get
to navigate parenting with such wonderful people.

And then the cousins arrived to be here for the holidays!!! Luke and Amelia were beside themselves -- counting down the days until "Caroline and baby Addy and Auntie and Joe-Joe" would be here. And Buddy and Samantha, of course. Amelia informed me today that Samantha is her best friend. What can I say? The girl loves animals. We had a blast -- sledding and hiking and sharing meals and just being together. When we found out my sister and I were only 10 weeks apart in our pregnancies with the twins and Caroline I had no idea what a gift it would be to get to have our kids be so close in age. It's so much fun! It's a circus to have 4 under 4 all together -- but a good (as long as everyone is fed and napped) and very noisy circus :)