Monday, December 25, 2017

Merry Christmas! 2017

merriest christmas from our family to yours!
we were dreaming of a white christmas- and it happened!!
JUST THE BEST.EVER.

christmas with these young children makes for the best christmas we could imagine.
keeps getting better and better & we are thankful for it all.

Merry Christmas!!

christmas cards of years past:
2016 card
2015 card

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Monday, December 18, 2017

christmas 2017 pictures

another year in the books and what a great, busy, loving one it has been.
looking back on last year's christmas pictures, boy have these two littles of ours grown and changed!
it's always hard for me to narrow down my favorites after we get our pictures back from kristal cause i'm usually in love with them all... so here are a good majority of our pictures i'm sharing!

merry christmas, friends & family!
we are so very thankful for where the Lord has brought us and for all the loved ones in our life.
...maybe i'll get back to regularly blogging... but until then hit or miss will have to do ;)

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Monday, November 6, 2017

FUN BIN || a week away for mom + dad

early in the wee hours tomorrow morning, brandon and I, (along with his brother and his wife- - tyler & angela!), are escaping this true fall/winter weather of RAIN (and SNOW!!) that has recently arrived in washington. we're making our way over to MAUI and CANNOT WAIT!!
oh we are so ready for this getaway. to relax + refresh.
as excited as I am. my mama heart does break over leaving my babies behind. brandon and I need this for just the two of us, but good gracious am i gonna miss harper and tanner! the last time we were away this long was when I was towards the end of pregnancy with tanner and we went to kauai for a babymoon :)  (with tyler & angela again haha!)
...that was about a year and a half ago. I remember it being SO hard to leave harper behind, yet once we got to hawaii I almost felt guilty for not missing her more each day.
this will be our first time ever being away from tanner. and I don't know that I should even put an ounce of makeup on the morning we're leaving cause I'm likely to cry it all off.
my babies. my heart.

I came up with the idea to create a 'FUN BIN' for when we're gone this week!
a small little surprise for each tanner and harper that they get to open from mommy + daddy when then wake each morning. maybe with this they (mainly harper with her age) ;) will still feel that we're close and can feel a touch of our love.

I did a fairly quick run through the store to grab some small, inexpensive items to fill their bags.
..and let me tell ya it wasn't hard to do... haha!
HELLO TARGET DOLLAR SECTION.

on the outside of each paper bag I wrote a little note that nana & grandma she-she can read to them before opening their surprises.
♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡
...along with this timing of 'being away'... I don't know that there's ever an actual good time, but harper has been going through some tough separation anxiety over the last few weeks. she is very attached to brandon and I as of late and sometimes, but not all the time, her emotions and sadness get so big when one of us leaves. she won't go anywhere without either brandon or I with her. even suddenly no longer wants to go into her dance class.. which up until now she has loved sooo much and has so much fun with her best friend and sweetest teacher!

so hard for me to see her when she gets so worked up because I know her feelings are so real. I do feel like this last week has been really good in that regard, with a turn for the better. it's always a rollercoaster ride though. ...but it's the ride we're on and motherhood brings one heck of a ride. we love this girl with all our might and are showering her with love, consistent discipline, and prayer.
my prayers lately have been so filled with her and for her to feel peace and comfort. and especially so as we're away for the week. these kids are going to be in the best of hands between my mom and brandon's mom. we are all praying it will be a smooth, uneventful week for all.

any mamas out there who have dealt with separation anxiety at this age (3), I would LOVE to hear from you and hear some things that maybe helped you and your family through. cause i know i can't be alone here!

it's a bittersweet thing to leave your babies behind.
I'm already thinking about the moment we return home to them. so excited for those sweet hugs and kisses.

I'm also SOOO much so looking forward to that beautiful hawaiian beach and the fresh salty air. a whole week's worth of time with my husband. though no doubt him and tyler will be hitting up the golf course too.. and angela and I will be at the spa!

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth