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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

the sweetest

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The sweetest sight in the world is your four year giggling and jumping up and down for joy on the morning of her first day of pre-k.

I was so proud of her this morning. She picked out her outfit (and ‘cessories of course) and helped me pack her backpack.

But over breakfast she told me she was nervous and excited. And that little cleft chen wobbled two or three times when she was eating breakfast,those eyes filled with tears.

She checked and rechecked with me as to which hand was her kissing hand.

And she said she was worried she’d miss me.

And even though she was smiling she was wringing her hands. Look in the 1st and 3rd photos. See? Wringing.

This mama was (secretly) a little bit nervous. 

The sweetest sound in the world is when your daughter gets back in the car saying she had the BEST FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL EVER. And that she made four new friends. And that she can’t wait to go back. And that she wishes she could go back RIGHT NOW.

That’s my girl.But man…that chin. Makes my heart hurt every time. It will always be that way, won’t it? Yep.

And tomorrow I sent my biggest off to first grade.

Oh, my heart.

34–>35

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In the year I was 34, I…started to run, started working a part time job, moved to Rhode Island, quit all my design teams, saw Baltimore for the first time, made a new group of friends and several best friends, threw a last minute party with a good friend, said goodbye to my best friend and then welcomed him home from Afghanistan, became a mother of four WALKING children, got together with a group of friends and rode a huge bicycle with a bar down the middle, met my favorite author, participated in my first charity race, saw Roman Holiday on the big screen, took all four children to the beach by myself, saw a beautiful and young friend say goodbye to her beautiful and young husband, realized who I was and was not creatively, celebrated 9 years of marriage, saw my very first Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade, got the shortest haircut I've ever had, dyed my hair red, dyed it back to brunette, visited Charleston for the first time, started Project Life, quit Project Life, visited St. Augustine, visited Hilton Head, visited Jacksonville, visited Sea World and Orlando, planned and threw a rainbow themed party for Sadie, perfected the art of saying no thank you, had my feelings hurt by someone and realized the power of words, said goodybe to the best group of friends i've ever had, really fell in love with Savannah, planned and threw my very first cookie exchange, watched a Baylor Bear win the Heisman, attended the Ranger Ball with Jimmy, spent my first 2 nights away from my children, sent my first child off to kindergarten, watched my babies turn one, my eldest turn six, and my second born turn four,got better at getting in the photos and not just taking them, saw a Savannah Philharmonic Sept. 11 concert, saw a coin in an x-ray of Sadie's stomach,started taking care of myself agin.

 

In the year I am 35,I will…run a 5k, teach myself to sew (yes,this was on last year's list),attend CHA, teach a scrapbooking class at a LSS, visit NYC at least 5 times, celebrate my 10 year anniversary, try a yoga class, finally teach that BPC scrapbooking class, eat more lobster, visit Boston, visit Maine, visit Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, continue feeling creatively free and only say yes to things that are authentic and that are me, exercise regularly with my family, go to a concert, have online friends come to visit, NOT SEND MY HUSBAND TO AFGHANISTAN AT ALL, learn too cook some new meals, have lots of date nights, make time for one-on-one time with the girls, put myself out there and not be scared to ask for my heart's desires, visit the MME headquarters in Utah, do CrossFit with J, take lots of classes at the YMCA, meet Leigh and Kelly in person for the first time, potty train two babies, embrace imperfection, read more, have a big family Thanksgiving, have FUN!

 

I am blessed to be given another year. I am grateful for the gift of each day. Bring it on, 35!

xoxo

Stephsignature


uncanny.


one and a half vs. four.

good golly, i love this girl.

there’s just something about sadie.

xoxo

Stephsignature

wordless (ish?) wednesday


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quite possibly the first two photos ever taken of h where she is not smiling.

what can i say? life’s hard when you are six.

and by hard i mean magical.clearly.

xoxo

 

determined.


note: jimmy’s comment on this photo in my instagram feed…”how long did it take you to line all of those rocks up?”HA!

We have been saying for a while that this is the year. The year to exercise as a family.

The year to cook more, eat healthy whole foods and be conscientious about what we are putting into our mouths.

Don’t worry. This isn’t going to turn into a running blog. Or a diet blog.

But this is a part of my life,y’all. And I’m really serious about it.

I want to set a good example for my girls. Teach them to take care of themselves and to love themselves. To respect themselves.

Your body is a temple.

So, I’ve been trying harder. Trying to cook more. Avoid those drive throughs. I have been running a bit. Getting outside more. We take walks/bike rides as a family. This morning I ran with Jimmy. I am thinking about what I put in my mouth.

Because you see…I have no excuse. If I am unhappy with the way I look it is in my power to change it.And it’s in my power to show the girls how to live a healthy life.

I’m not staring at numbers on the scale every morning,because I refuse to get obsessed. It’s a slippery slope. I’m not going down that road. The number game.

I am just concentrating on living in a healthy way. Not hard when you are married to the paragon of good health and good shape. Maybe intimidating…but it definitely encourages me. 🙂

No magic pills, no trend diets. Just the good life.

One foot in front of the other, slowly but surely. My goal in the end is to do a Color Run. Oh, and to be able to touch my toes when I stretch. Not even joking. 🙂

Happy Tuesday,y’all.