Merry Christmas from The Thomas Family!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

First Thomas Family Camping Trip!

We just returned from our first family camping trip and it was a great success! We had a very fun time with the kids and my sister and her daughter. There was sunshine, amazing scenery, swimming, good food, and smores! Can't ask for much more. We can't wait to do it again next year!

gone camping

So...we're going camping. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Sleeping in a tent with two kids, cooking outdoors, scary campground bathrooms. And then there's the whole diapers situation, and yes, they are both still in diapers.

But I'm hopeful it will be a fun trip and we'll make some amazing memories. I have great memories of camping as a kid and I can't wait for my children to experience it, and to experience it with them.

We don't actually depart until after the holiday weekend. So I think the plan is to give the tent, etc. a test run in the backyard tonight. Wish us luck!

Hopefully I'll have some fun pics to post of our little adventure!

10-10-10

My resolution for 2009 is to simplify my life. I'm trying to go "back to basics" in all aspects of my life. From the time I spend with my family, to my health and fitness, to Peekaboo Picks. I believe that extraordinary things can come from living a simple life.

My crave for simplicity is perhaps what drew me to 10-10-10, a new book by Suzy Welch. The name Suzy Welch might ring a bell for some of you, she is a regular contributor to O Magazine. Having lived a very busy life herself as an author, commentator and business journalist (not to mention MOM to 4 kids ages 14-19!) Suzy dishes up some simple advice for dealing with life's more difficult decisions.

The 10-10-10 concept is basically a way to think through the consequences of your decisions in a 10 minute, 10 month, 10 year time frame. This thought process can be applied to any decision you have to make, whether it be about love, work, family or anything else life might throw at you. How simple! How smart!

I will admit, I tuned out some of the chapters and stories shared in 10-10-10 that didn't really apply to me...at this point in my life. Instead, I focused on the chapters in the book about parenting and career decisions, things I deal with every day.

While I have chosen to be a stay-at-home mom for the time being, it wasn't an easy decision for me to make. It would have been so helpful to have used 10-10-10 to guide me through my thought process. Now that I'm focused on building a career from home, I will continue to use the 10-10-10 concept as I strive to find balance between having a successful career and raising my family with the values that are important to me.

What I love about Suzy's writing is that she offers her readers a tool (10-10-10) that doesn't frame things in black and white. It's an individual's values that will guide them through the 10-10-10 process, meaning results will be as different as people are. So even though staying at home with my children might be the right decision for me, it isn't the right decision for every parent. She even jokes about the ongoing "mommy wars" which we all know is a battle that will never be won! Using 10-10-10 can free you from guilt and any insecurities you might feel about your decision; something I think ANY mom could use!

I would definitely recommend this book to my fellow novice moms. It's a quick read and will leave you thinking more clearly about your life. You can read more about the book on Suzy's website: www.suzywelch101010.com

Signs of Spring

We sure enjoyed the sunshine this weekend! Saturday we took a little road trip north to the Tulip Festival. What a fun way to celebrate Spring! You can watch the video on Thomas Family TV.


Sunday we did a little yard work and enjoyed relaxing at home.

Have I mentioned how much I love the springtime!

Happy Birthday Baby!

Yikes, it's been forever since I've updated my blog! Lots to catch you up on...will be updating soon, I promise!

In the meantime, enjoy this video of Ireland's first birthday. **Warning** Graphic throw-up scene...too much cupake!!! :) My poor baby girl.

Little Big Star

Our Little Big Star from Jason Thomas on Vimeo.

My little country girl is a big star around these parts!

For better viewing, please visit Thomas Family TV.

Will you accept this rose?

The hubby and I had a wonderful Valentine's Day. There were cupcakes. Beautiful, yummy cupcakes!


It started with a delicious soy latte and a single pink rose. Of course, he had to add in "Will you accept this rose?" because I'm currently addicted to watching The Bachelor. "Yes! Of course I will :)"


Next was a yummy sushi lunch. We found a new sushi bar that was questionable from the outside but we decided to give it a shot anyway. SO glad we did! The sushi was unbelievably good, some of the best I've ever tasted. This AMAZING roll was called "The Playboy" haha!


Of course, we had to have some green tea ice cream too!


Next up, a trip to the wineries for a little tasting.


All in all, it was a wonderful Valentine's Day with my sweetheart! Isn't he just adorable? Thanks for a great day baby!

A little on Love

Valentine's Day is coming up, and while I'm not a die-hard when it comes to celebrating, I do think it's nice to have a day dedicated to showing the people we love that we really do love them. I know, I know, we should show our love EVERY day, but let's face it, life is hard sometimes.

I think I'm pretty good about showing my love to my husband daily. After the kids go to bed we enjoy just hanging out with each other, talking about life or even just watching television. We also "chat" online throughout the day...not obsessively or anything...we just check in with each other every so often. We are getting better about making time for date nights too, which is a lot of fun! Now, if I can just talk him into seeing Confessions of a Shopaholic with me that would be perfect! haha

Anyways, I just feel lucky to have a nice husband who loves me and who I love very much. It makes life so much sweeter (and easier to handle when times get tough)!

We're trying to think of something fun to do to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Anybody have suggestions? What are you doing to celebrate? Staying in and watching a movie? Getting all dressed up and hitting the town? I need some ideas!

Overdue, Library, Books

Is it just me or is anyone else wondering what happened to January? I for one hit a rough patch at the beginning of the year. We had some horrendous weather here which resulted in me staying cooped up in the house WAY too much and going a little crazy. But I'm happy to announce I've snapped out of it, I've gotten a little sunshine, gotten back into a regular exercise routine, and am feeling "normal" again.

So yes, this blog post is a little overdue. But the good news is you didn't miss much! Some of our family highlights in January included a trip to Woodland Park Zoo and the opening of our town's new library (photo above).

As I type this we are in the process of redesigning Peekaboo Picks. There's still much work to be done but so far I'm loving it!

Look for more regular posts here on The Novice Mom (as long as the sun keeps shining) and Happy February I guess!