Celebrate Together | Day Twenty-Three

Ironically, this post is a coming a little late because we were celebrating fall last night. :)
We may have celebrated more this month than all the other months this year. Birthday parties every weekend!

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"Rituals involve 'symbolic communication and convey 'this is who we are' as a group and provide continuity in meaning across generations.'" Susan Usha Dermond

I have fond memories of childhood Christmases -- the kuchen and other German treats on the table, the role of "Santa" at gift-opening time, the snow play. We celebrated family connection in meaningful ways that etched happy memories in my heart.

Children need that.

It's the intentional celebrations that unite us, transmit our family values and help us feel like we're part of something bigger than ourselves.

Celebrations can be as small as a note from the tooth fairy complete with fairy dust. Or as big as amazing fabulous three-year-old parties in the forest.

We can celebrate daddy's promotion at work, mommy's book release, brother's first goal at a soccer game.

Celebrating the first day of fall with pumpkin pie and apple cider sounds so warm and cozy.

"Seasonal rituals remind us of our connection to nature and help us appreciate that interdependence." Susan Usha Dermond

Why not bring new creative traditions to your holiday celebrations like this family {reindeer treats on the driveway?}. Seriously? ;p We might stick to caroling. With our lit-up stroller and tunes.

We'll all celebrate different things, in our own ways, but the important thing is to do it -- CELEBRATE LIFE with your children.

Celebrate Sabbath. Celebrate with friends. Celebrate just because.

April 2 is International Children's Book Day
July 10 is Teddy Bear Picnic Day
March 12 is Plant a Flower Day
January 18 is Winnie the Pooh Day

And today is your day. Live it.

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to Happier Children.

Spring Break in Singapore

Many people have been confused by our answer to the question, "Why are you going to Singapore?" Going to see the coolest airport in the world doesn't seem like a worthy enough reason to go! The Changi airport in Singapore is VERY hyped, so you've probably heard about it, especially if your Internet algorithm sends you all the travel content. Now that we've been there, we can let you know that the description online is definitely sparklier than the actual thing. For the most part, it's a pretty average airport. There are four terminals [we visited three of them], each with their gates, normal stores, traditional carpet, etc. There are a few unusual things hiding in corners here and there, like little gardens [butterfly, cactus, sunflower, orchids], a long slide [we didn't try it], and a movie theater [pretty small]. The reason it gets so much attention is probably for its newest building [The Jewel], which is pictured above. The center is made up of this i

Finishing Another Year | 2022 Went Really Quickly

Twenty twenty twooooo!! In many ways, this year was an improvement over the last two years! We stopped wearing masks at school in March, we stayed home for most of the summer [that made the boys happy], I took a college class and read a lot of books in preparation for my new role at work, Ezra played soccer and basketball this fall, and I've been able to accomplish some fun challenges with my #40before40 list! We had a couple mouth procedures this summer too -- wisdom teeth extraction for Peter and braces for Ezra! It was a good summer to spend more time at home. Stats: 7 blog posts 220 photos on Instagram 26 posts on Facebook 9 posts on Strava 2 family photos with the tripod!! I asked family members to reflect a little...some participated better than others. :) Most memorable times this year: Ezra: playing with the Evans' both in the winter and summer Laura: water sports in San Diego Tim: taking Peter to work where he was meaningfully helpful Best part of the year: Ezr

Another January and February | 2023

January 2023: I went snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with friends, once each. I completed a 50 mile walking challenge #somuchwalking, even though it was REALLY cold. I took Ezra up to Mission Ridge a few times. I made tacos for my family. February 2023: We had a day that was warm enough to play disc golf. Ezra got new "chains" in addition to his braces and the adjustment to that was pretty painful. I hiked up Icicle River road with a friend and ate a veggie dog. I dropped off Tim at SeaTac and missed him for three weeks. I visited a friend in Portland, ate a Voodoo Donut, and took a city lights helicopter tour. 😯 I only have 13 photos on Instagram for two months. It's been a rough start to the year. It seems like the beginning of every year is difficult. Maybe I should experiment by spending January and February in the southern hemisphere sometime! It's time for a quick #40before40 update since I have less than two months until my birthday. 18. Walk 40 miles

Pete and Buzz

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