jenn suchniak's photostream  

....or boots. : )

i know this is going to sound crazy, and very out of character for me. but dare i say ....... i'm over it?

i do love the snow. anyone that knows me, knows i cheer on the blizzards and mountains of snow that it never seems we can get enough of out here. i dream about it all summer. i missed it so much when we lived in virginia.

but.

i'm kind of ready for spring. short sleeves, losing the layers, playing outside until sunset. enjoying our last colorado spring. we were spoiled yesterday, and got to play outside all afternoon. it was a nice break from the cold and wind rut that we've been stuck in!

i have to say, though, the snow is just gorgeous. there is no other setting as beautiful, and as much as i'm over it today, i will miss it next winter when we are sloshing around in the rain.

i debated on what to do for today. i obviously do not have a job that brings in an income. i have several hobbies, but did not think that they would really fit the bill.

i decided to go with where i work all day and night. my job pays more than i could ever imagine. staying home with my littles has been the best 9 years of my life. being able to be there for all of their toddler-hood, and all their exciting (and even not-so-exciting) moments in school has given ME (and hopefully them) more than any occupation ever could.

i was never the girl that dreamed of meeting her prince, and having the big dream wedding. my thoughts were always focused on having a family. as an only child, i could not wait to have a ton of kids, and get to do all the things i know my mom wished she could. thankfully i did find an awesome husband who shared the same values and encouraged me to stay home, and raise them.

so this is where i work. the living room floor. the back yard. around the block. at the library. at gymnastics. the elementary school. the park.... i may not have a full resume' filled with fantastic positions and achievements, but i do have four very loved little kids that pay me in more ways than a "job" ever could. watching them grow and change into these wonderful (most of the time!) little beings has been such an amazing adventure.

we may not have all the fanciest, latest & greatest things..... we might have some miss-matched furniture, and a teeny house. our cars were all bought used, with many miles, and we still have the same mattress we bought when we got married. but it's worth the sacrifice to be able to stay home with our children. even on the days where i am counting down until bedtime. i would not change a thing.

today's picture feels like a cheat. taking a picture of an awesome photographer's picture.

i try to make sure, even if it's with the timer, or having a stranger use my camera ending with an out of focus image, that i get in photos regularly with my children and family. i want them to be able to look back and see all of us, just not the four of them.

back in september, a photographer friend who moved away last year (the lovely lora of swinson studios: www.swinsonstudios.com/) was coming back "home" to denver for a short trip. that just so happened to be the same time i was turning 30. i told john not to buy me a gift, and that all i wanted was a session with her. he obliged, and i was so thrilled with the images we ended up with. she really captured my family in their glory, and you could see the love pouring out of the images.

this one, of john and i is one of my favorites. when we move, i am going to have the same image in color, printed for our bedroom.

if you want to see more images from the session, you can see them here: www.swinsonstudios.com/blog/2011/10/6-shawnee-ok-denver-c... (but i am sure most of you have seen them over and over! i was so proud to share them).

well, not so much handwriting, AND another iphone/instagram pic, but it's here, and there are numbers i did write!

i usually enter all our receipts every time we spend any money. BUT, this week i was lazy, and let the reciepts pile up.... and i'm paying for it now! i balanced the checkbook this afternoon, and it's not matching up with my numbers (i must be completely zeroed out!). thankfully the bank says we have more than my checkbook app, so it's just a matter of finding what hasn't cleared that i recorded. which drives me crazy.

and the little girls were watching 101 dalmatians in our room, so i just hung out with them while i was doing it.... hence the cute baby feet. :)

update: i'm zeroed out. nice! i can sleep tonight, lol.

this was something i hated to do, but am learning to love.

i have never been a fitness fanatic. i always thought i would be one of those people that was back in a bikini a month after the baby was born. but let's just say, my first baby is almost 9 years old, and i have not worn a bikini since i was pregnant with her! :)

i have worked out on and off over the years, but never gave it a real shot, and always had an excuse.... pregnant, just had a baby, nursing baby won't let me leave, husbands deployed, no sitter .... you name it! but now i have no excuses, and i have to start making time for myself. because, by making this time for myself, i will be helping my family. i'll be extending my life, and the quality of our life. i will feel better and be able to be a better mom.

and darn it, it's not such a bad hobby, is it? so yesterday, i decided to start running. and i liked it. and i hope to learn to love it. i have worked out 7 days in a row, for the first time, ever. i am excited to see where this journey takes me!

p.s. i took this with my phone. i thought i might get kicked out of the gym if i brought in the nikon. and this was during my "cool down" .... hence the snail pace. ;)