so, i subconsciously stole ali’s word.  i guess it’s such a lovely, insightful word, that after she shared it with me, i accidentally made it mine, too.  thanks for sharing your word, ali!  i love hearing what your words are for 2010–if you haven’t shared yet, please do!  happy new year’s eve!

we are thrilled to be collaborating with ali edwards again for her word of the year project.

you can read more about the project here.

i love this idea.  and this year we have a super simple, organic design to help you connect with your word every day.

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our new necklace for this year is a thick, 3/4″ sterling washer, hand-cast with an organic feel.  customize with your own word or phrase-up to 15 characters!  it’s absolutely stunning and simple enough for everyday.

you’ll find it here.

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my word this year is ‘story’.  i feel like every day, as steve and i nurture our boys, work, play, see friends and dream, our story unfolds.  i want to play an active role in the story, and not let it happen without my notice.  i want to be present in our story–not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  i want to be focused.  so i chose the word ‘story’ to help me remember to be present, and to watch with contentment while our story unfolds.

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journey. dream. imagine. fulfill.  what’s your word for 2010?

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we had such a relaxing trip to omaha.  the snow slowed us down–which was fine with me!  for two days, all did we relax.  wonderful!

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video games, snoozing, reading magazines, watching movies, sipping hot chocolate, you get the idea.

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i think it’s safe to say, matthias looooved the snow.  it was a completely different experience from the coast of california.  wading through knee deep snow kept him very happy.

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steve’s family is british, so that means mince pies, crackers (the rolled up tubes filled with goodies) and roasted potatoes.

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these pics above were taken right after i told matthias to be careful, then he fell in the snow.  it was hilarious.

i’m heartless, i know.

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a highlight of our trip was meeting staci, jim, vinny and leo.  staci is an online friend and vinny (pictured above with david) was also born with cdls.  we met for pie and immediately connected.  it’s crazy how similar our experiences have been.  when you meet another family with cdls, it’s like meeting extended family.  we could have talked all night. you can get to know staci and vinny here.

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they have a 5 year old (Leo) and he and Matty had a blast eating ice cream, playing superheros, and coloring.

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Vinny is sooo darling.  I completely fell in love.  Oh, he is so charming.  I could go on and on…

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We loved our snowy trip to Omaha.  Please tell me about your holiday!!

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we’ve been cozy and relaxed with family in nebraska.  this is our first white christmas–and it’s been very, very white.  we were snowed in for two days, which was fine with me.  lots of food, video games, magazines and naps.  it’s so good to be together, but i’ve also been finding little moments to sneak away and be alone–that’s how i recharge.

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how do you recharge-by being with people or by finding time alone?

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we’re closing out the year with some amazing deals.  four of our faves are reduced just for a couple days!

the petite crest

leaf ornament

baby spoon

and

laundry line

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hope your christmas was wonderful.

we’re off to doing some shopping and maybe see the zoo.

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sending warm christmas wishes to you.

i hope your day is warm, cozy and blessed.

merry christmas!!

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yesterday we left reeeally early (before sunrise) to visit family in omaha.  the boys were super excited about the plane ride.  that wore off after the first half hour.  then matthias said he’d rather walk to omaha.  luckily, we convinced to him stay on the plane.  david was such a happy guy, especially during take off and landing.

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the landscape here is completely different than california.  we’re loving a white christmas.  it’s snowing and the cousins are playing.  i’m off to drink more coffee and lay around and do nothing.  merry christmas!

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when you’re a little boy at christmas time…

wrapping paper rolls are really swords

marshmallows are snow bombs

gingerbread men are aliens in disguise

every christmas card contains a secret message

and candy canes are laser guns

but thankfully

raincoats and boots turn you into a superhero.

phew!

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did you learn the colors of the spectrum with the acronym roy g. biv?  i’m so into color this season.  i find myself particularly drawn to yellow.  blue is probably the color i’m least fond of–although it’s often found in my favorite parts of nature.  and, it’s matthias’ absolute favorite color.  what’s your favorite color right now??

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last week when chrissie and i were in santa barbara we hit the beach at sunset to capture some silhouette photos.  i’ve been wanting to try it for a while–but it was way easier than i expected.

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the sunset was crazy amazing and the tide was very low–so the setting was unusually dramatic.

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i brought my tripod and remote so we could both be in the pics.  the sun had just set–so we had about 10 minutes of twilight before dark.

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this last one cracks me up.  by this point we were having way too much fun.  i can’t wait to take the boys out and try more silhouettes at sunset.

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