december in an instant

I love everything about December - the smells, the lights, the traditions, the people. I love watching the simple joy of my children as we spend time together as a family. I love the time I take to slow down and focus on my Savior and see the goodness in the world around me. There's a lot of hustle and bustle this time of year - places to be, gifts to buy, things to check off my to-do list. But my favorite moments are the quiet ones - sitting in the glow of the Christmas tree lights, watching the snow fall softly to the ground, singing a favorite carol. And I'm grateful for each of those moments and more this December. 

november in an instant

“I believe that appreciation is a holy thing--

that when we look for what's best...

we're doing what God does all the time...

we're participating in something sacred.”

-Mr. Rogers

october in an instant

L.M. Montgomery said it best when she penned, 

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

Incredible Team Leah Bean support, fall leaves, weekend trips to Minneapolis, birthdays, two cute girls in their Halloween costumes, and baby GIRLS...I really am glad I live in a world - my world - where there are Octobers. 

september in an instant

We spent September recuperating from our August adventures. The girls settled into new school routines (2nd grade! Preschool!) and we added some extra curriculars. Ryan traveled for work. We geared up for our 2nd annual Team Leah Bean virtual 5k. And we traveled to the Big House to cheer on our Cougars (but apparently didn't cheer loud enough for them to score any points). 

Fall is in the air, we're back into our routines and it feels good. 

august in an instant

August flew by altogether too fast. We snorkeled in the ocean, we played with grandma, we took a day trip (read: 10 hours in the car) to Indianapolis, we started school!, we swam, we camped, we cleaned. Maren went on a girl's trip to Chicago. And our sweet little Leah was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

It was a really good month spent with even better people. 

july in an instant

You start out with Utah, throw in a little heat and humidity in Iowa and end with Cancun. 

July was basically an Iowa sandwich with a really tasty bun on both ends. 

Throw in some swimming, star-studded golf, Nauvoo, neurology and GRANDMA and you've got a pretty great month. 

june in an instant

Summatime, summatime, sum sum summatime. 

Sunshine, swimming, sweat, strawberries, seizures. Almost everything about summer is simply glorious. I do tremble with fear thinking about long days that lead into long weeks with me as the sole entertainment for my children. But, I do love it. And I REALLY love it on swim days. 

In June we spent three whole days driving so we could run for two days straight. Really, we did. Good thing we love so much about Utah and the people who live there (and the people who visit there the same time we do). And lucky for the Laytons, they all put up with us and our bathroom-flooding shenanigans (that's a story for another day). 

may in an instant

Twelve.
Tucson. 
Tulips. 
Tornadoes. 
Three. 

May had a little bit of everything. Most of it good. 

april in an instant

Growing up, I was never one to appreciate the spring. I couldn't understand why some people chose it as their favorite season. After living through another Winter That Shall Not Be Named, I completely understand. Spring, and April in particular brings new life. Hope. Rebirth. Joy. Warmth. We celebrated the birth of our Savior. We enjoyed time with friends...outside! And we marveled at the beauty...and warmth...of God's creations in spring. 

march in an instant

March was a month of traveling - Ryan traveled, I traveled, we all traveled. I traveled south to warmth, he traveled waaaaaay south to even more warmth, and we all traveled north to...not warmth. But if an inability to decide whether its hot or cold doesn't define March in Iowa, I'm not sure what does. 

february in an instant

February brings a chill to my bone, literally. 

Iowa sure knows how to do winter. With a high of 42 for the month (not accounting for wind chill - I can assure you it felt like 42 exactly one day of the entire month and we spent it playing outside) and a low of -19 (still not accounting for wind chill - I can also assure you it felt much colder than -19 at many points during the month), and 15+ inches of snow (I know, we've got nothing on Boston in that department, but the WIND, I tell ya), it was miserable, on most days, to go outside. 

My front entryway was a snowy, salty mess of coats, boots, hats, mittens and scarves. There were tissues scattered throughout the house every single day. And Ryan happened to be out of town (in very warm places) during each major snow storm. With the exception of one fabulous friend on a particularly snowy Sunday morning, I single-handedly kept our driveway and walks shoveled (and burned a lot of calories doing it!).  

Luckily our time inside was well spent celebrating birthdays, valentining, reading good books, exercising, snuggling up to movies and eating yummy food to keep us sane. And we had one picture-perfect snow day that we spent sledding in our backyard with friends. 

Some good times were had, but I'm ready to put this chilly February in the books. 

January in an instant

This January I did my best to just love January. I do love new beginnings, but I also love green grass and flowers, sunshine and warmth. 

And since January in Iowa has none of those things, I tried my very best to enjoy what January in Iowa does have: cold, wind and snow. We embraced the snow and boots and mittens and coats and below zero temperatures. We got out and played and discovered and experienced as much as we could without getting frostbite. And I enjoyed it. We tried to make the inside stuff fun too. And I enjoyed it. 

Well, almost all of it. 

I still don't like the wind. 

december in an instant

It's hard to not just love December and all that it stands for and brings. A time to give, to worship, to love. A time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the new. A time to be with family. A time to rejoice and sing. 

I love blasting Christmas music all day long (I do it sometimes in June, but it's not as universally accepted then). I love opening my mailbox every day (and opening more than just utility bills). I love sitting on the couch at the day's end in the glow of twinkling tree lights. 

Fall is still my favorite, but I'm really glad it's followed by December. 

november in an instant

"How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child's personality. A child is resentful, negative - or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people."

-Sir John Templeton

I am thankful for November. I am thankful for husbands and daughters and leaves and church and friends and piano and food and flowers and family and school...and pumpkin pie. 

I am thankful for November. 

october in an instant

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

-L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

That about sums it up. 

September in an instant

As I was compiling this collage, I had an overwhelming feeling of happiness and contentment. This isn't to say the entire month of September was nothing but sunshine, but I just feel grateful. I look at these pictures and I know it's these small moments that will continue to make me smile as the years pass by. It's the things my girls are learning, the experiences we are enjoying together, and the family and friends involved. 

Plus, it's FALL and I am certainly going to enjoy it while it's here. 

The days have felt hectic, but in a more organized sort of way. Leah is in a routine and we've had multiple "good days" at school after a rocky start. Kate, though intense, is truly a joy to be with each day. Ryan works hard all day and comes home to work hard for his girls at night. 

The days are messy, hectic, long and loud and I'm so lucky for the reasons they are. 

August in an instant

August simultaneously crawled and flew right by. Leah was soooooo beyond ready to start school again, so those first two weeks were a bit painful. We tried to fill them with fun things, but it seemed there were always extra hours in the day. But, no fear, school did, actually, start. And we made it through the summer mostly unscathed! 

I'm calling it a win. 

The final two weeks of August were filled with adjusting to new regular schedules (first grade! preschool!, piano lessons!), sending Ryan off to Finland (but this time for only a week, not three) and of course, getting sick (so. many. tissues.). 

As of today, we're all good. And settled. And smelling fall. 

And it smells goooooood. 

july in an instant

We decided after our lengthy car travels in June, our family hadn't had enough. So, July was filled with a little more traveling. 

Ryan escaped to New Zealand and Australia for 3+ weeks for work and the girls and I road tripped to Kentucky (a new state for all three of us!) one weekend to visit my (visiting) sister and a long-lost cousin, and Chicago the next to visit some Rett friends (and IKEA and Trader Joe's, of course).

We traveled nearly 20 miles on our six little legs on the trails. Double our goal - those girls are rock stars. 

Leah traveled a few cities over for her first-ever summer camp. It was a hit. 

We received a Box Tops label in the mail that traveled all the way from Fiji. Thanks Grandma! 

I traveled up and down the hill in my backyard 60+ times mowing the lawn for the first (and second) time. And Leah ran up the hill all by herself. She was beyond pleased. I don't have words for the incredible feelings I felt watching her. 

And we traveled all around town checking things off our summer bucket list. 

It was a well-traveled and much enjoyed month! Now for the pictures...

june in an instant

So, June happened. 

Really fast. 

Some days seemed like they'd never end - like the few we spent driving through Nebraska. But mostly the days flew by. 

Really fast. 

Hoping to catch up and document all that we were lucky to be a part of...

...really fast. 

may in an instant

May started out with all four of us at HOME...and it's ending the very same way. 

It was nice to just kind of "be" after a few months of go go go. Don't get me wrong, we were still busy, but it was a great kind of busy. Busy celebrating anniversaries and little birthdays. Busy working and playing in the yard. Busy attending end-of-year celebrations. Busy barbequing. Busy running (but not for four hours at a time). And busy enjoying the (finally) incredible weather. 

That's my kind of busy.