Resolved.

I stopped doing the New Years' Resolution thing quite a while ago. Something about that feeling of setting yourself up to fail (or was that just me?) made it seem like the year wasn't starting off on the right foot. However, this morning I woke up feeling very resolved... it was the first day in so long that started with bright sunshine spilling through every window, and I swore I'd spend the whole darn day out in it.

I got my Littles out with me (after only a little prodding) and we let the chickens out and fed them waffles, took a walk in the woods, and then worked on the Gnome Homes until lunch.

I adore the conversations we get to have these days, now that my kids are a little older and a lot more thoughtful... when they're not arguing or any of the other normal sibling/family stuff that can be so distracting, that is. We chatted, we soaked up our vitamin D, we heard coyotes and woodpeckers, and we found the gnome snail Mimmy made.

When we finished the gnome home renovations and were walking in to make grilled cheese sandwiches, Audrey grabbed my hand and said, "I love gnomes and I love you and I think the gnomes are going to love their homes now, and us for making them special again!"

I'm not much on resolutions, but right now I feel pretty resolved to make this kind of day happen again soon and every chance I get after that.