{My boys}....love the mountain. They love to Hunt. Fish. Hike. Camp. They love it. So the little man decided for his 8th birthday party he wants an indoor camping adventure. Let the birthday week begin. How can he be 8? That totally blows my mind.  alisha.

{My kids make fun of me}....because I have this thing for old trees. Dead trees with no green. I threaten I am going to bring one home for Christmas next year. I just think they are beautiful. I love seeing beauty outside of the box. Alisha.

{Just another snow storm moving in}.....I am anxiously waiting for much warmer days. I know I shouldn't wish away time but man, the older I get the more I really hate the cold and snow. I really do like the little man tho.

{MLK DAY}.....and no school.  I HAVE A DREAM....

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.

The time is always right to do what is right.

This man had the courage to do what noone else would take on. May we all learn a few life lessons from him.

{Not to great}....when the little man has to make a trip to the ER. He gave me a scare today when he passed out and went limp for a few minutes. A trip to the hospital showed that he was dehydrated, had strep throat and his ears were really red. He is such a stubborn little thing, never mentioned that he even had a sore throat. The doctor couldn't believe that he could have handled the pain without complaining. I guess that explains his nasty breath....so grateful for modern medicine we really are blessed. It makes your momma heart hurt to see your kid so sick.

{This I am sure}....was one of the best Christmas ever for the little man. The whole collection of the DIARY of A WIMPY KID books and a digital money counting machine. I told him it must be magic. He told me that nothing is magic, there is a reason behind everything that works. Okay kid.....i just wanted you to believe in magic.

{Here's to a New Year} Do less.....feel more. 2016 intentions not resolutions.  I've been thinking about this a lot over the past week. Sometimes these thoughts run through my mind  in moments when I feel on top of the world, capable of anything, hopeful for the future, and optimistic. Other times these thoughts run through my mind in moments of self-doubt and critical reflection on the past year. Did I do my best in 2015? Was I the best mother that I could have been?

Every year, as the end of 365 days begins to approach I find myself slipping into split personality mode.

Positive Alisha dances around the house giving my boys surprise giant hugs and thinking cheery thoughts like: Anything is possible. I can start now. I am capable. 2016 is my YEAR.

While negative Alisha wallows, sleeps in to late, wants to stay under the covers all day and think thoughts like: There's so much I need to improve about myself. Where do I even begin this year with my business. It's to overwhelming. I will just be disappointed in myself.

The back and forth is exhausting. It's a personality (slash surely slightly crazy) personality trait I have recognized in myself from a very early age. And sure enough, every year, as the calendar switches to January, I find myself compiling lists, completing journal entries on how this will surely be the year that I finally DO all those things I've been meaning to do.

Sometimes I become consumed by my futile attempts to control every aspect of our home. Easily frustrated. Discouraged. Overwhelmed. Because I really LOVE a controlled environment. I love things done and done my way. I know, not a very good trait.

And then over the last few days, the first few days of January which so far have not been very great. I feel myself stuck in a rut. And then it hit me.

        FEEL MORE....
        DO LESS......this moment right here. Right now. This hug. This trip. These smiles. I want to feel this way more. That's my resolution. That's my intention for 2016. I made a list of ways I want to feel in 2016 (rather than things I need to do  more often). I don't want to feel rushed all the time, overwhelmed, disconnected. I want to feel LOVE, inspired, connected, AT PEACE, understood ( i am a bit complicated).

The way I figure it, if I allow myself to "FEEL" more...the "DOING" part will come. Oh my gosh this is it....the New Year 2016.  Alisha

{Christmas 2015} was so good to us.....I love that we have started doing our own little family traditions and some fun things that the kids look forward to. Christmas was super busy for me this year with my photography business and so I try really hard to stay caught up so that I still have time to do Christmas activities with the kids. This year we had the family up for a Christmas Eve dinner and we ate yummy food and enjoyed great company. Of course, The Christmas Story is a must on Christmas Eve. The little man was so worried that Santa was going to miss him because he never goes to bed, thank heaven for the Santa Tracker.....and it snowed which makes Christmas magical.