Snow, Snow Snow!

We've been fortunate to have a semi-mild winter so far...except for a couple weeks when it was below freezing for about a whole week. But, we had our first BIG snow of the winter - we've had small snows and flurries but this recent snow got us out of the house for exploring, sledding, and snowman making!

Conrad loves him some snow! It's hard to get him out of it despite his red nose, frozen fingers, and chattering teeth - oh to be young again!

Confessional Friday ~ Getting to Know You MORE

Linking up again this week with Leslie @ A Blonde Ambition 

1. What's your middle name?
    Anne - after my mother and both grandmothers

2. If you could live anywhere else in the world where would you live?
    Tough one...somewhere on the water but still east coast to be near      
    family...Annapolis, Charleston, Hilton Head...not very glamorous but I'd 
    be happy

3. Tell us about your guilty pleasures.
    Anything on Bravo TV! It's gross and decays your mind but it's an     
    awesome way to just veg out

4. What do you like best about your job? If you weren't doing that, what 
    career would you have pursued?
     I LOVE helping my residents realize a better life. If I wasn't doing that, 
     I would want to be a teacher...K through second or third grade most 
     likely

5. Five items you'd grab during a fire. (People and pets don't count. Those are 
    a given.)
    Conrad's lovie and Mr. Bear (which was mine when I was little), box of 
    my Gampi's photos, box of important files, Conrad's baby book...and I 
    can't think of anything else. I'm not really attached to my stuff

6. Marathon running...something you'd like to pursue or just plain crazy?
    Well I've already run three but I still think it's crazy! I'm definitely 
    wanting to do more or even a triathlon in the future

7. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
    Pizza, pizza, and more pizza!

8. Last person you spoke to...annnnnd....go!
    My husband

9. Favorite childhood toy
    The aforementioned Mr. Bear and my Barbies! I was a girly-girl


10.Breakfast cereal of choice
     Honey Nut Cheerios...I can eat these by the boxful!

Thankful Thursdays

For those of you who've been hit by the recent snow storms and cold weather (below zero here at some points!), you know how important a nice, warm home is. In times like these it breaks my heart that there are those that go without heat and home. So, this Thursday, I am so thankful for my home. For my job that allows me to pay for this home. For the education that took me to this job and therefore my home.

It's amazing to me that in our Northern Virginia area, an area that holds two of the wealthiest counties in America, there are still so many that have no place to call home. Growing up it was important for my parents to instill in us a sense of gratitude for what we have so we were constantly volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, and drives or fundraisers. I hope to teach Conrad the same.

During these cold winter months, if you can, please consider donating your time to one of your local shelters or kitchens. If you don't know of any, check out www.volunteermatch.org for places near you. If you can't donate your time, then perhaps try to donate food you know you won't eat or coats you know you don't wear.

Be thankful and stay warm, friends.

It's the Little Things

Linking up today with Ashley at Words About Waverly for 

Being a working-out-of-the-home mom, "the little things" are absolutely the most important things in the world. It's so hard when you have limited amounts of time at home to just let go of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry and devote your time to your family. For instance, last night as I'm trying to prepare lunch for the next day for Conrad, he came up with a new toy and said "hep you Mama" (meaning, "help me Mama"). Now, to be honest, if I'm on a roll with a chore or task, I sometimes say, "it's ok sweetie you can do it" and let him play by himself. Ugh. Last night I just said "f-it" and threw everything back in the fridge and reveled in my evening with just him. I can wake up early to make lunch. Since I only get about 4 hours a day with my beautiful son, I'm going to spend every second with him even if it means the dust bunnies take over the house. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend all their time with this munchkin:

There will be days soon enough where he won't want his Mama to "hep you" (still trying to get him to understand that it's "help me") so for now, dishes and laundry be damned, I'm going to try to spend as much of every second of every four hours with my little guy so that I don't miss any little moments.