Merry Christmas

Sending lots of love and good wishes to you and yours as we spend the day the five of us all healthy and under one roof (that was my Christmas wish from last year).

Four generations of Kulow men in one kitchen...

Zeke and Grandpa Mark

Riah opened his first present!

Ki opening his present from Grandpa Mark

Watching Zeke open his present from Grandpa Mark

Riah not being so patient to get his train out to play with.

Ever want to know if a Kulow is concentrating? 

Ki trying to put together his train present from Grandpa Mark

Zeke enjoying from cherry pie

Christmas Morning

Ki got some Lightening McQueen Ear phones.

Michael bought the boys tool boxes and Zeke starting putting some of his tools to good use, opening his presents.

Riah laying on his pillow from Great Grandma Betty.

Well that is all for today!  Enjoy!

Friends

My mom once told me in fifth grade when I made my first best friend, "Hold on to her, not everyone gets a best friend like her in their lives."  Here I am now much older than fifth grade and not only am I still friends with that fifth grade friend but I have been truly blessed by a group of friends here in Colorado.  I can say that I have two really good friends here, ones that I can be totally real with.  You know those days that life is kind of sucky and you just want to pout - these friends are the ones to call up. 
Yesterday I was reminded of just how blessed I am! 
Yesterday morning the boys and I went over to my friend's house and the boys played with her girls and she and I chatted.  She expressed how she was just not loving life right now and I listened and then we went on, we didn't dwell on it but she spoke her peace and we laughed about it.  After a few hours of hanging out together the boys and I have to leave to take another San Diego friend to the airport.  As we were driving home from the airport my friend from the morning called and said she needed to borrow my crock pot so I ran it over.  Just those simple things reminded me what it is to have friends around to help you out, chat with and just be myself around.
As I was driving back home I felt compelled to text my dear fifth grade friend, she and I exchanged texts back and forth most of the evening.  She and I have not lived in the same state since we were in seventh grade.  This summer she came out here for a visit and it was as if no time had passed since our last visit many years earlier. 
While texting with that friend another friend called me and asked me to go out with her for a pedicure today.  She and I became friends a few years ago, we come from very different worlds (literally) and yet we can yuck it up for hours. 
So to the three ladies that made my day yesterday I am truly grateful!  Sarah Davenport, you are my forever friend - always on my mind and always wishing that some day in the future we can live in the same state once again.  Stacey Brand, you rock - who would have known four years ago when I was placed at your MOPS table that we would have become such good friends.  Piedad Rodriguez, you are awesome - I am so glad that three years ago you and your family found it fitting to move right next door to me!  You three women are a huge blessing to me - more than you can know!

Snap Shots

I thought I would post a few pictures from the last few days... Enjoy!

Just a few of Riah's teeth.  He has four more on the top!  Oh yeah, the bumps on his forehead - the wonders of learning to stand up.

A little morning dance party in our house.  The boys love rocking out to Adele, but then again who doesn't?

Zeke decorating his envelopes for grandparents.

Ki decorating his envelopes for grandparents.

Zeke and his friend Lily doing a show for us moms.

Ki watching the above mentioned show sporting some princess heals.

Dream World

In my dream world... which trust me there are a ton - I am a great photographer, a writer and in my spare time I am a message therapist.  A wide variety I know however these are three things that have always intrigued me, maybe some day I will be able to explore each of these options fully however in the mean time, here I am - writing a family blog, taking pictures of my little men and occasionally spoiling my husband and boys with some reflexology foot rubs.
Is it just me or what... the world of photography is an overwhelming one?  I have spent hours pouring over site after site trying to figure out which camera would be the best, which lens and all the gadgets as well - and that is just the actual camera.  Sakes Alive!  The purchase of a camera is a big thing, it is very costly and from what I am seeing can be very specific to the types of pictures you desire.
In the time being I want a camera that will allow me to capture the times I have with my boys.  I want something that may offer me the chance to capture the special times of my friends little ones too.  Too lofty?  Maybe, but that is what I am thinking about.  I know that there is a lot to learn about it all but for now I am snapping pictures like a fool of my little men and using iPhoto to touch them up and change them ever so slightly to what my mind's eye sees. 
Any ideas or suggestions will be welcome.
Is there a lens that you can't live without?  What editing program do you use?

Thank you Pinterest

A BIG shout out thank you to Pinterest!  I have been a Pinterest whore lately and it has paid off.  I have quite a few things that I still have on my boards that I want to make and some that I have tried my hand at already.  Here are my latest things that I have made compliments of Pinterest ideas...

I made our family stockings.  I realized that Ki and Riah did not have any so rather than buy two that wouldn't match what we already had I decided to make some myself.  Total cost was $7 for all five of them - not bad, eh?  The stocking foot is made out of natural cotton and the top is of muslin and then I added a little lace trim around all of them and the hanger is a satin ribbon.

As you can see for the boys I just bought monogram iron ons for their first names.  See "Z" for Zechariah.  I don't have anything on mine or Michael's but a friend of mine made some stockings and found really cute "mr. and mrs." patches that I might see where she got those from and do that for ours.

These are two sparkling cider bottles and a soda bottle that I have been saving and just spray painted them, added a little texture with some natural sisal and purchased two calla lilies which are my favorite.  Total cost for this project was $4 that includes the flowers, paint and sisal  (which I still have a ton of for other projects.)

The complete look... I know it is bare but I prefer the less is more approach.  I think I might add a little something here and there, I was actually thinking that the other tall "vase" needed some calla lilies too... they are 50% off so they are only $1 - we'll see.