Keeping it real!

This week has flown by. I have no idea where it went and blogging fell to the wayside once again. Honestly, I have been making a conscious effort to stay "unplugged" throughout the day and in the evenings have been focusing on spending uninterrupted time with my guy. Moving 1,000 miles away is really hard on a family and marriage. New job, new house, and trying to make new friends all while learning the new normal for your family. It's hard. So we have been really focusing on what is most important which is the four of us. Josh travels a good bit and doesn't leave a lot of time for quality time together. Of course, we are very calculated in all of our travels trying to get the most bang for our buck so to speak. The girls and I travel while he travels so that there isn't extra un-needed time away but the return is always a game of catch-up and trying to get back into a groove leaving little time for fun. Thus why we have started to really focus on our family. I recently had to remind myself of the pecking order of relationships. I had lost sight of it in the hustle and bustle of moving and just trying to keep up: God, husband, children and so on. I feel like being "unplugged" has really given me more of an opportunity to take time for daily devotion & prayer, my husband and my children. To be honest, I can tell a difference it each of those relationships. I'm feeling calmer, more grounded and balanced throughout the day which is like a domino effect touching each of the relationships most important to me. If you are moving or have recently moved, remember not to lose sight of the important things. The boxes can wait!

I challenge you all to take a week or if your job doesn't allow it, allot a few hours a day to go unplugged and focus on what's important. 

Happy Friday y'all! This week my sweet friend Stacy sent me our family pictures. Man, did they put a smile on my face. I can't wait to share the ones for our Christmas card!

A picture taking tradition

While living in CNY we lived in a beautiful neighborhood on a corner lot that had a magnificent view of a small pond. 

When I was expecting the girls, I scheduled my maternity photos and had every intention to have them taken at Skaneateles Lake- one of the gorgeous Finger Lakes in Central New York. 

Sadly, I went into preterm labor and was put on strict bed rest just a few days before our session. 

Thankfully, our photographer was great and such a trooper to come to our home to photograph us.

I really wanted an outdoor photo or two so we drove over to the pond- all of maybe a football field away {remember, strict bed-rest!} so I could have a couple outdoor photos. 

This started a trend. 

When the Zabies arrived they were so tiny that we didn't want to go far for picture 

taking so we went to our good ole' pond across the street from our house. 

When we had our farewell photo sesh the pond was a must for picture taking. 

I have already blogged for today and don't usually blog twice in one day but today I am missing my home in CNY. 

I was going through our beautiful farewell photos- that I will share really soon, Promise!

Reminiscing about how beautiful CNY is this time of the year with my guy and wanted to share these gorgeous, breath-taking {if you're me} photos of my family and how it has grown in two short years. 

These photos are so special to me and remembering our home + memories there. 

I may insist on having photos taken next to this pond every time we go to visit. 

I'm sure one day the girls will be rolling their eyes and whining about Mommy wanting too many picture and "do we have to take a picture? We do this every time!"

I'm giggling at the thought of it already and can't wait!

YEAR IN REVIEW | 2014

The past year has been full of exciting times and changes, which comes with the territory of having infant twin daughters. I didn't start blogging until mid-way through the year so I don't have a lot to reflect and relink to as a result. Instead what I have decided to do is every month for the next year incorporate a throwback to the year before during that month and re-cap what happened. I have all of this written down so it will be fun to relive the moments as I share them with you in the year to come. 

Here are our highlights of 2014 in picture format:

Looking through these pictures, I can't believe how much my sweet girls have grown. 2014 was an awesome year!!!

Throwing back on Thursday...

Last year we went to Georgia to visit my family for Thanksgiving so that most of my family and friends could meet our sweet little ladies. While we were there my Mom wanted to have family pictures taken. She had been asking me for a few years to have pictures of us (me and Josh) taken with her and my Dad, professionally. We always had someone snap a quick picture here or there at family functions but never had any nice photos taken. I gave in and arranged to have our photos taken by a family friend who did a great job. The day was cold but she worked quickly and the photos turned out great, with the exception of my 3 month postpartum body that I still critique in photos... but that isn't anything she could have made better... photoshop? Ha! I kid!... Kinda! I love photography in general but especially love any photos of my girls, my guy or my parents. Looking at these picture brings tears to my eyes because I can not believe a year has passed since the Zabies where this small. Where did my babies go? Time needs to slow down!!!

Josh, Kensington, Quinn and myself with my parents, Nana & Pawpaw. 

Clearly we were still learning how to hold our babies and not look awkward! 

Look at those babes!

Us with my parent again. I just love these pictures and I'm so thankful I gave in to my mom's request!

This guy right here stole my heart many moons ago!

How cute are they? So sweet!

Such great memories from that day. The Zabies had their first experience at Ross' Diner for lunch and also met my God Parents later that day. Sweet, sweet memories.




                                               

Thanksgiving...

As I am catching up on all things life... blogging is definitely in the mix of those things as well as organizing, re-organizing, recovering from and preparing for more family visits, dinners and celebrations. I suddenly remembered that I haven't even uploaded our Thanksgiving photos to my computer since my guy has had our sole computer with him on his travels. Josh's family visited for Thanksgiving. It was lots of fun having the buzz of family around for the holiday. His parents drove all the way from St. Louis, MO and his cousin along with his family drove from Charlotte, NC- all thru a nor'easter snow storm. We managed to get a few pictures and thought I would share.

The Zabeks

My guy and our Zabies

With Josh's parent, Bob & Sandy

The Zabies with Grandma & Grandpa (GrandBob)

The high school sweethearts

Two sets plus 1 of Zabies