Once more for old times sake...

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been a long time since I last posted and you've all probably been thinking what I have been for the past two months.  It's time to close out the blog.  The end of a 7 and a 1/2 year journal of our lives.  I feel bad thinking of the stories yet to be told, children yet to be celebrated, and adventures yet to be logged; but I think that this outlet for my thoughts and memories has run it's course and needs to done.  I have loved having these memories and pictures down in posts (and then printed into journals) and I worry that I won't journal again, and maybe I won't ever do it again in this format, but who's to say that the photo 'albums' of my Instagram feed don't serve the exact same purpose, even if they're more brief and to the point.  I feel like there is a time and a place for everything in your life and as our children get older and my life gets crazier, I need to take a more permanent break from this blog that I've already naturally tapered off.

Thanks to my handful of friends and family for reading along and thank you all for supporting me and my family these past seven years.

Meriel aka Meems

2013 in Review

I couldn't let January pass all the way through without checking in at least once and doing the yearly review.   Christmas passed easily and without stress or (much) sickness.  We spent Christmas with my parents, we got to spend time with my sister and her family, and Bart got to play on the can-am a lot. 

This past month we've been focusing on trying to get back to a regular schedule for all of us.  Isla's back in school and dance, Loie's having playdates with friends, and we're trying to get outside more while the weather is 'nice'.  Bart's back to work and I'm trying to be NOT lazy.  Haha, vacation brings out the worst in me, right? I've been watching lots of shows, doing lots of puzzles (on the iPad), and hanging out with the kids.  Now it's time to get back into my church calling, really work on Isla's reading, maybe read a little myself, and maybe blog a few times.  Also, ever since we started the basement and had to move all my craft stuff all over the house, I haven't had any desire to craft at all and it's kind of bumming me out… a little.  I guess it's nice to cut that out sometimes and simplify, I'm just used to January being when I get the bug.  Oh well, maybe later.

Well, here's the highlights of the year!

JANUARY

After vacationing in Orange County for the holidays, we spent the rest of the month visiting AZ, getting Loie's tube surgery to stop her ear infections, making an igloo, and just hanging out.

FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL

We had fun doing normal winter activities, took Isla skiing for her first time, (and our first time in years!) I finished sewing projects, and the weather miraculously got nice very early in March! Easter passed and the weather only got nicer.  We had lots of outings to our park, the Thanksgiving Point gardens, dinosaur museum, and the farm.  I completed my first 10k, and the girls had a blast spending springtime days at my parents.

MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST

We showered Andrea and her baby girl, Isla graduated from her first year of preschool, and we enjoyed lots of spring outings to fairs, splash pads, and huntsville.  Our spring and summer were glorious in 2013! Sometimes we get jipped, but not last year.  We had such a fun time going to the farm, up the canyon, and playing with our neighborhood friends.  Andrea had her baby girl, Macy, and we had fun when all the family came up to Utah to visit her. My cousin got married, we had more outdoor water fun, and I completed my first half marathon!!!

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER

These fall months were absolutely jam packed, all starting with Isla back at school, dance, and her 4th birthday!  She is our princess and we love her so much. We gave away the shark Bart had built in June, I was deep into assembly of the golf tee mural that was commissioned back in the spring.  My grandpa Holt died which brought the family together a few weeks before we all came together again for my dad's huge surprise 55th bday celebration!  Bart went to Brazil so he missed out on the fair, my dad's Casablanca party, pumpkin picking, etc.  We missed him so much during the fun Halloween festivities. Both girls were princesses as well as baby Macy who came to trick or treat with us.  Loie turned 2 and we had a nice little bday get together with my parents to celebrate with pie and pumpkin carving.  October ended with my completion and installation of the golf tee mosaic!! What an accomplishment.

NOVEMBER, DECEMBER

I turned the big 3-0 at the beginning of November and my friends all made it a very special day since both my husband and family were out of town.  Bart came home the day before Thanksgiving and we had such a great holiday weekend with him home and his dad in town to visit.  I went to SF on a girls trip with my mom and sisters.  It was a lot of shopping, yummy food, and I even got to squeeze in a date with Allie!  Isla had performance after performance for school and dance.  She had her first dance recital and I was so proud! Christmas was lovely, with a cheesy Santa visit and Isla's first time seeing the Nutcracker! Christmas itself was so nice and chill up in Huntsville with my parents.  We even got to FaceTime with Price and later that week we got to spend time with Laurel and her family!

2013 was such a great year!!

Christmas performances

Remember how December used to be filled with a zillion work, neighborhood, church, and family parties and your holiday schedule was always super packed?  Having kids has doubled that because now there are school performances and dance recitals to fit in there somewhere.  It really has become a crazy month.  No wonder everyone is always talking about 'simplifying' Christmas, and remembering what it's really about.  But seriously, I'd take Isla's performances over a work or church party ANY day.  She is such a joy!

Isla got to be Rudolph in her school performance.  She enthusiastically sang every song except her own.  I think she got a touch of stage fright when they put her up in front of everyone with a bright red nose on.  So cute.

Isla had her first ever dance recital a couple weeks ago.  She was one of four girls in her class, by far the best, and probably the oldest in her 3/4 year old class.  Haha.  They danced to Susie Snowflake and my heart was so FULL!  I know I talk about 'mommy moments' all the time, but seriously, there are just some moments in a moms life that are the most special and only a mom can really understand.  Especially a mom to a little girl.  Her first pair of ballet shoes, her first dance recital. 

Her first bouquet of flowers.

Seeing her first Nutcracker Ballet.

Definitely NOT her first rodeo with Santa.  And technically not Loie's either, but geez, she still really doesn't like Santa.  She had the grip of death on me and there was no way I was going to be able to set her down and bolt. Not happening.  Can we also get it out there that this Santa is super ghetto?  I mean, seriously Santa, I'm not paying to take a pic of you in your pjs!

Anywayz.  It was a busier than normal December but I still really loved being able to have so many amazing 'firsts' with the girls.  They are so adorable and we have such special moments with them during the holidays.

SF Holt Girl's Trip!

About a week after Bart got home my mom, sisters, and I took a trip out to San Fran to visit Laurel and the fam in their new house and do some serious shopping in the city.  It was suuuuccchhh a good break for me, I cannot stress enough how badly I needed some alone time, girl time, city time, and retail therapy.  Geez.  

Immediately after we got into CA, we went to Danville to check out Laurel's new place and get lunch at both Brass Bear (for me) and Dominicos for my mom and sisters.  Sooo good.  Also, I seriously love Danville because you always see everyone you know everywhere!  We saw an old neighbor at Brass Bear and a church friend at Dominicos.  I love it there.

The first night I got to go into the city a little early to meet up with a bestie, Allie Berding.  She knows how to show you a good time and take care of you.  That lady got me a cab from her phone while I was stranded on Market coming out of B.A.R.T. and ready to cry because I was so turned around and couldn't get a cab for the life of me.  Saved me when I was almost in tears.  Then we had a fabulously authentic italian dinner and matching conversation.  Always lovely to see her.

Friday was awesome.  Did I say there was lots of shopping? And Rach and I can't go to SF without getting a massive loaf of sourdough and diet cokes for 'lunch'. (Excuse the lazy eye business…)

After struggling to find a good restaurant we LUCKED out finding this gem of a place.  The Wayfare Tavern and their signature fried chicken.  Ahhhhhhh die, roll over and kill me it was so good.  I don't know how I can be more dramatic about how delicious it ended up being. 

Saturday we went back to Danville before we got on the plane and played with the kids a bit.  Don't worry, Rach and I didn't plan on being twinsies.

twister with Ave and Ashton. Those kids are so awesome.

Me and my mom.  Thanks for an amazing trip!!!

Thanksgiving catch-up

Hi y'all.  The past month has been non-stop holiday fun (and obligations) and I haven't really thought until now that I should probably post anything.  Plus I have my husband back! Hooray! So the blog was put pretty far down the list.

The day before Thanksgiving, Bart flew home to us.  Phew.  We made it, we survived, and now we can get back to normal.  It's an adjustment, but we're all doing our best to get back to life together as a family under the same roof.  The girls were so happy to have him home, they were on their best behavior for at least a week.  Haha, it was awesome. 

Thanksgiving was spent up in Huntsville.  We had dinner with the fam at Snowbasin and we got some much needed QT with Bart.

The weekend after Thanksgiving, Bart's dad and grandma came up to spend the week with us and the girls.  We had a blast doing all sort of activities with them, like picking out the christmas tree, building toolboxes at the Home Depot kids activity center, and blow-torching the ice off the driveway.  Always a good time when Grandpa Brent is in town.

That's how real men shovel a driveway.

A is for Apple Holiday Cards

Hi all!  It's that time of year again! 

Remember to place your orders soon before the December rush starts! 

$25 for a custom design & $15 for a semi-custom design from one of the many designs up at my shop!

Here are a few of my custom cards from last year :: 

 

the yearly pics

Every year I get the girls' pics taken and every year it's by a new photographer because the previous year's photographer has always moved!  This year I took a chance with a friend of a friend and I was really happy with how they turned out.  She had this great little studio set up in her basement with every imaginable prop and backdrop you could think of.  I wanted a really simple shoot so we stuck with only a few different looks.

How cute are our kids?

the big 3-0

Yes, I turned 30.  I am officially old.  I have reached the point in my life where I can say I still feel young, but when I'm around young people I see what a big generation gap there really is.  Yikes.  So cliche.  Anyways,  it was a decent birthday given my circumstances.  Better than the last two years but no where near what I had always expected my 30th birthday to be.  My husband and parents were both out of the country so that didn't bode well, but my friends saved the day.  I seriously love our neighborhood.  They are the village that help me take care of our kids.  I had friends take care of the kids almost all day and then my amazing friends from high school took me out to sushi in salt lake at night.  It was a great night and it ended with the house totally cleaned by the babysitter (Bart's cousin Summer).  Also, I made myself a pie.  So that was nice.

Happy Birthday to me.

and the tees are done!

Many years ago, my dad had this golf tee mosaic designed, installed, and painted in his basement.  This brain child spawned into this project that has consumed my life for the past 6+ months and is finally finished!  Throughout the process, we have learned quite a lot about what will make the next project even more efficient and cost effective.  I am sooo happy with this result.  We installed it this past week and took a ton of pics.  When the buyer completes his garage and the 'framing' of the piece, then we'll take even more pics!

(This time around, Isla even learned how to bang the tees in too! She did that all on her own!)

Ta-da!