More celebrations...

We closed out October with Halloween (of course!). It was a fun and festive night. We followed our usual tradition of dinner at my mom's (minus dad, he was in Dallas) and then off to trick or treat in her neighborhood, with my sister, Jeff and cousin Brieley. Bailey continues to bail out on trick or treating. He has the last 2 years. This year he was too busy finishing a novel project that was due.

All the grown ups dressed up but me. I don't really love dressing up. Not sure why...maybe I'm happy being me! ;). But they looked great. The kids were adorable!

Today starts off November's celebrations...it's Jonas Sebastian Boyen's 8th birthday. He's having a little camping and outdoor themed party, with just a few friends from school. Funny enough, mostly girls! He invited a few boys, but he's such a sweet and tender hearted kid, the girls just love him!

We've got a lot of preparations to get going on this morning! It's going to be perfect weather for an outdoor camping party. Can't wait to post those pictures!

Happy birthday dear Jonas! We love you so much!

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Feeling a little salty...

It may not look like I'm feeling a little salty in this picture, but I was. It's June, and summer vacation had just started. All the chaos of May had me feeling a little tired, and I was experiencing what I thought was mild back pain from sciatica. I had noticed a few spots on my back and leg that looked like bug bites. Savannah was over, and we were about to head out to the pool when she noticed a crazy rash on my leg. She FaceTimed my mom, who said it looks like shingles?!?! John didn't agree and thought there was no way. Savannah insisted I go to urgent care. What do you know...I did have shingles. As soon as I mentioned how busy my month had been, that I was a teacher, had a Senior graduating, etc. The doctor said stress is one of the biggest causes of shingles. I was lucky this sweet girl of mine made me go get checked out. I was able to start meds and caught it early. I did not have time for shingles! Hence the saltiness. That same week was Lorelei's high scho...

The days are long...

...but the years are short. I've always loved the saying. One of my favorite authors and podcasters, Gretchen Rubin, is credited as the original author of this quote. I always think about it when another year passes. This year was fast and furious, as I have found all the years to be since my kids became teenagers. It seems like every time I turn around, there's another graduation, major milestone, or life achievement by one of my kids. 2024 had a high school graduation, college graduation, three moves from home to college, from college back to town, from across town, back to home. And the dust hasn't completely settled yet. Gretchen Rubin has another saying now that her kids are grown. Instead of an empty nest, she calls it an "Open Door." I love that too. My door will always be open to my kids and their friends, as it seems like there's always an extra somebody at our house too. It's one of my favorite times. Thanksgiving break brought some new friends ...

Relax...

January came and went, (even though it felt like forever.) February is nearly over. I haven't felt like writing, sharing, or posting. Nothing secretive or special going on, I've just been living in my own space and moments. A new year feels precious and extraordinary, even if winter feels hard, I want to savor these cozy moments. The next six months will be challenging, as I face more milestones with my Boyen Bunch. These last two months have been a time for me to brace myself for the excitement ahead. Once Spring break hits, the rest of the school year flies by, and before we know it...well, you know how that goes. By the end of 2025, my nest will be empty. I'm not a fan of the "new year, new me" concept, because I am a continuous work in progress. I can't start over every year. But the one thing I know I need to work on is relaxing . That's why this year, my word of the year is to relax. This blog post is a prime example. I give myself a deadline ...

The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Mother

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