February Sponsor Special

Do you have an Etsy store?Do you sell stuff online? Do you want to draw more attention to your blog?

This month I am going to run a special on my sponsor spots, in an effort to spotlight those of you with amazing and beautiful goodies and of course to bring in a little extra money...moving is expensive! :)

The 120 x 120 ad you see to the right will be just $15 for the rest of February. If you are interested in drawing attention to your lovely little business and supporting our family in the process, you can email me at janssenfamily (at) gmail (dot) com and we will get you all set up.

Much love!

A Snow Day and Dreams of Summer

Today, for the first time in the month that we've been here, we got a "real" snowfall in Longmont. Enough to actually go out and play around in and shovel! After several days of being housebound, we were glad to frolic in the warmer temps. It's always refreshing to get out there and breathe in the cold air.

I love the snow and all the fun activities that come with it...but don't get me wrong, I am extremely EXCITED for the upcoming Colorado summer. We have the greatest little backyard and patio and I have big plans for it! :)

The first step is to create spaces for the girls that they enjoy being in. We found this adorable wooden playhouse on Craigslist last weekend and it was love at first site. The seller threw in a covered sandbox with the deal too. Weeeeee!

Can't wait to put some sweet little flower pots out front :) In fact, they better watch out...I might try to move in!

Connection

And God did start it. It was nothing short of a miracle considering the last dead battery incident which involved a mind numbing non-stop car alarm extravaganza. I breathed a sigh of relief as that key turned over and the engine rumbled slowly to a start. We headed down the snowy street to the library to meet Natalie and the kids...offering up our deepest thanks to Jesus as we drove.

Natalie and I sat in two kiddie chairs and watched our littles play. We talked about homeschooling and upcoming birthdays and other mommy chitter chatter.

There were many times while living on the road that I LONGED for a best friend. I would see other mamas at the park with their girlfriends and a lump would form in my throat as I realized how long it had been since I had a girlfriend (in person) to confide in and laugh with until our sides hurt. I longed for that connection again. I longed to be able to answer "YES!" to a  library invitation on a snowy morning.

After the library, the girls and I went for our weekly "mommy date". This week we enjoyed the lunch special at the Thai restaurant in town. Lucy watched the goldfish while Bella read local magazines. We shared the pad thai and red curry...and then bundled back up to go grocery shopping.

We enjoyed our time out "on the town"...but we were even happier to get home and get the house ready for Daddy's arrival. After a dinner of homemade tortillas + tacos, we started up the fire and watched American Idol. We LOVE our quiet, magical evenings at home and the simple connection that comes from being with each other day in and day out.

What have you done this week to build "connection" in your family or friendships?