January, January!

I've never really been a big January fan, I usually consider it the armpit of my year. Stuffed between Christmas and our birthdays, it's short, cold and snowy days and wet slushy dirt lines that ring around my pants seem to be just a little bit of a downer to me thus, it drags on forever. Not that I don't want to cherish each day and all of that, but winter seems be a titch depressing at times and sometimes January is just hard to get through. This year though, I am trying to recount where January even went. It seems to have disappeared without a trace. Maybe when you have these two lovely lads to keep you busy nothing drags on too long, they simply don't let anything get them (or me) down!

My "BIG BOY" being asked to "smile"...it went well:)!

My Beanie Boy smugly smiling, he KNOWS how adorable I think he is:)!

This January has been so fun with the boys amidst the long nights Beanie has been putting in awake and the long hours Ryan has been putting in at the office.

Griffin had his first preschool program and it was so precious, although I am pretty sure he sang only a few words to one of the songs. The rest of the night was spent watching the other kids sing, thus our video has a better "buns" than face view. Still a highlight of my month for sure!!

Here are some shots of us before the curtain call! He looked so cute in his "Mr. Rodgers" vest, I can't get enough of it!

We also got in some play with my "best friends", as Griffin would call them and their moms, pictured above! Marybeth, Erin & Jenni are my saving grace as I journey through motherhood and I would be LOST without them! Thankfully God has put these precious ladies and their boys...there are literally 9 in total (yes ALL BOYS) when we are all together...in our life and as we navigate through potty training and preschool and pureeing baby food I am thankful for good friends and Godly advice!

And then there was family night....which got canceled due to illness (another thing that I dislike about this time of year by the way) and so we had a family afternoon on

BEARS

vs.

PACKERS

Sunday,

which is a point of contention at our house. I was raised Bear and for some unknown reason my hubby is a Packers fan (I had to overlook this when deciding to date him...haha!) BUT it has become a fun family rivalry and many a phone call are exchanged between the men in our family after a match up between these two! I will give props to the Packers this time and hold my breath for a "Super Bowl Shuffle" outbreak next year! While watching the game Ry made us some super delicious taco bowls and Griff and I prepared the side dish....

Snowmen...another January staple, I am finding redeeming qualities right and left:)!

And we also got our craft on to make this delightful thumb print family portrait, which seriously cracks me up...the making of it was mostly me with the gluing but the boys all (sort of) willingly enjoyed their thumb stamping!

And now I am laying on my bed recalling and typing out another month that has almost gone by. Griff is in the tub splashing away with "Jackie" his jet skier and Ry (God bless him) was finally able to be at home at a decent hour tonight and volunteered to change a stinky cloth diaper! So all my boys are accounted for and January this year at our house accounted for time to learn how to sit up with confidence, to build many a tower in the play room, to learn how to run a snow blower for the only girl in this house, and time to snuggle and make snow angels and drink hot coco....hummmm, all the sudden January seems pretty sweet...as long as it comes with marshmallows:)!