Up North Preppy

Drop off.....

2012-01-27T06:54:00.000-06:00

One of the things I like least about working and using daycare is the drop off. Some days it is no big deal. I'll get there, get him settled in playing with something, and off I go. I usually sneak out while he's distracted because a long, drawn out good-bye doesn't work for either of us, but on the good days, he doesn't even notice that I'm leaving. Other days, it's full of drama. He's clinging to me, saying "mama, mama" over and over, and crying. One of his teachers will have to pull him from my arms so that I can go. It's literally heart wrenching to hear that and know he just wants you and isn't ready to be left yet.

He definitely doesn't do act that way the rest of the day. Usually if I stand outside the door for two minutes, he's adjusted and off playing with the other kids. It's just that initial moment of feeling deserted or left that really gets him. It also may just be complete drama and him wanting me to know I'm making a bad decision. I guess I don't really know. All I know is that it makes me feel guilty every time!

When B drops off, he says (and our head teacher agrees) that Spence does fine. Very rarely will he be upset. Most times, he goes in, starts playing and is over it. I know that he loves daycare- he is always smiling and playing when we pick him up. Both teachers report how good and easy he is and that he really does well with the other kids. From what I see at certain points of the day, he loves the other kids and interacts with them really well. So, he's very well adjusted there and is learning a ton. It's just the drop off that is hard. I suppose I should be thankful that it's not a constant, daily, ongoing problem where he cries all day and isn't adjusted at all. That's a complete blessing. I just wish that leaving him weren't so hard. It's definitely harder on me, and I know that, but it doesn't always make it easier!!

26 weeks!!

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm 26 weeks now! I just looked at old pics from 22.5 weeks and 30 weeks when pregnant with Spencer, and I would say that I am about in the middle of both of those pics. So, apparently, even though I feel much larger this time around (and have gained ugggg amts of weight), I'm actually looking (in pics anyway) completely appropriate for my pregnancy body. I did try on a pair of my normal jeans the other day and can pretty much still get them on (without being buttoned obviously). They're a little tight, but at least I know I'm not too crazy big! I'll take it!!

As for the general pregnancy stuff, I'm definitely enjoying the overall second trimester. I do have my occasional days when I'm exhausted by 8 p.m., but for the most part, I have normal energy and am not any more tired than I would be working full time and chasing after a toddler in my "off" hours. Otherwise, I have no other symptoms: no heartburn, no nausea, not peeing too often (Thank the Good Lord I still don't have to wake up in the middle of the night and I am sleeping SO well), no significant cravings, etc. It can be hard to breathe at times, especially when the little chap stretches out fully, but a little readjusting and we're good to go. Second tri is always the best!!

Thank you all so much for your name suggestions. We're working on it still, but you all have given us new names to talk about!!

Fabulous article on naming your baby.....

2012-01-23T13:15:00.001-06:00

Baby naming

Don't get me wrong, I know that you all have named your children appropriate names (many of which I adore (J.W. being my favorite!!)), but I found this article and just had to share it here. Naming a baby is tough work and required a lot of thought, and I'm not sure that everyone in the world realizes this. Honestly, you should see the names that people come up with. Working in a pediatric clinic, you see it all (as I'm sure many teachers can also attest to). I understand that YOU think you are being unique when you spell a child's name atrociously (and just plan incorrectly), but your child has to a) learn to spell it, b) pronounce it for everyone they meet, and c) spell it constantly because no one can spell it correctly. Neveah, Jaxon, Maddyson,

We're struggling with this currently as the name we both love and agree on has the initials G.U.T. It's such a fabulous first name, it would go really well with Spencer, and the whole thing flows really well, but how do you give your kid a name with such atrocious initials? I really want to, but just can't (the U is a family name which is why it is tip-top in the running for a middle name). The other name we loved and were going to use was just used by B's cousin (whom we see very regularly as they live close to us), so that's out. So now we really have very little to work with. It's not that we don't see eye to eye on naming, it's just that we know a ton of little boys and a lot of them have used the "normal" names that we like. I can't name my child Jack or Will. They're darling names, but we know a ton of them under the age of 3, and I don't want my next baby to be one of three Jacks in his room. My besties have Ben, Henry, and Patrick, so those are all off the board too.

If you have any favorite baby boy names that you'd like to share in the comments, I'd love to hear them. Remember that our last name starts with T and we would prefer to use a U (first choice), J, or W (all family names) as the middle name. So Benjamin U.T. wouldn't work either!! Help, ladies!!!

Finding out vs not finding out

2012-01-19T19:36:00.002-06:00

From what I gather of the people around me, other bloggers, people on the Bump, etc, I would say that most people find out the sex of their baby at the 20 week ultrasound. As most of you know, when we were pregnant with Spencer, we chose not to find out if we were having a boy or a girl until he (well, it or Puddin at the time) was born. This time, B really was interested in finding out at the 20 week ultrasound, so we did. I thought I'd share my experience with both, in case others are debating whether or not they should find out at their ultrasound.

With SYT, it truly did not matter one bit if he was a boy or girl. That was a huge factor in not finding out. We didn't care, we knew we wanted a relatively neutral nursery (we wanted to always keep the nursery a nursery and move the older child up to a bigger room), we wanted the surprise factor, etc. I've heard people say that they bonded with the baby better once they knew the sex, but, to me, once we found out we had a healthy baby growing inside, I could have cared less if it was a boy or girl. I felt extrememly bonded to "Pud" and I felt like I had the opportunity to dream for all 41 weeks about all the possibilities that existed for that baby. Since we didn't know, I could dream of dresses and dance class and two hours later be dreaming of hockey and exploring. It was awesome to be able to do that. I had no preconceived notions of anything throughout the pregnancy.

Another really nice thing is that we got very, very few clothes at my baby shower. Instead of being bombarded by blue or pink, we received bottles and a baby tub, blankets and breastpump parts, a car seat, a storage bench, a diaper bag, a swing, the monitor, etc. We did get a few neutral sleepers and some onsies which were great. But, honestly, for the most part, I wanted to dress my baby. I'd been dreaming of that for years, and I didn't want other people's taste to dictate what my child wore just because I felt obligated to those outfits. A few weeks before I delivered, I bought both boy outfits and girl outfits that I knew could be returned and then my mom returned all the girl stuff once we knew that Puddin was actually Spencer. It worked really, really well for me. I loved that we had all the stuff we needed from our shower, and I got to lovingly pick out all my little ones clothes. We did get a lot of clothes as gifts after he was here and I was definitely grateful for all those that we received (and they all ended up being super cute!!).

With this baby, we often heard at the beginning of the pregnancy, "Oh, I hope you get your girl" or "Are you having different symptoms? Do you think you'll get a girl this time?". All of this talk made B really nervous not to find out. He was really worried that if we didn't find out, when we had the baby and if it was a boy, people would be so upset that we didn't "get our girl" that they wouldn't be excited about this baby and the fact that it was healthy, normal, and ours. He wanted any last shred of disappointment for family/friends/strangers (because they always have an opinion) out of the way early enough that the birth would just be exciting itself. I understood his reasoning and, since I was so adamant the first time around about not finding out, I was totally fine with it being his decision this time around.

Once we found out that we're having another sweet baby boy, I did sense a little bit of disappointment from a few people (I was not upset by this and I completely understand and agree that girls stuff is so much cuter that they just wanted to have a little pink in this family!!) but for the most part, I don't really think that people cared either way. It's not their life and it's something that is nice to know but in no way will affect them, so it's just not a big deal. It really didn't matter to me in a practical way this time as we knew if we would have a boy, it's the exact same season as Spencer, so we have every last bit of clothing possible, and if it was a girl, my mom would go nuts buying stuff anyway. It's going into the same nursery, and we were just going to pink it up a bit if it turned out to be a girl.

Now though, I do feel a bit of disappointment in finding out. Not that it is a boy (I'm dying over having another cuter than a button Spencer!) but in the fact that there is no surprise, no mystery. I am a planner in every sense of the word, but I have nothing that I have to plan for this time anyway, so finding out didn't change that. Buying a double stroller (ugggg!) doesn't change regardless of sex! I feel like I have nothing to look forward to for the next 16 weeks. The baby is healthy (thank God!) and the baby is a boy. Soooooooo, now we're just waiting. I guess there is some mystery in what he will look like, but that will change so much over the first few years of life that it's not a big "surprise" moment like the sex is. I don't know, I just don't get why it's so important to know everything at 20 weeks. I realize that it's obviously HUGE to most people (over 90% of Americans find out the sex of their baby prior to delivery), but after doing it both ways, I can honestly say that if we have a 3rd child, we won't find out that time. I just really, really, really like the dreaming, the mystery, the possibilities that come with not finding out.

I realize that a lot of people out their totally disagree with this, and that's fine. We all have different ways to bond with our babies in waiting, we all have different ways of preparing for being a mommy. Finding out suits some people to a T. I have numerous people who have told me that they are shocked that I didn't like finding out because they see me as so typical, so straight as an arrow, such a planner, etc. And I see myself that way too. But I really, really loved the shock and amazing surprise I felt last time and will really miss that this time around in the delivery room. Ah well, live and learn!! Either way, I can't wait to hold this little, precious bundle of love in my arms!

Carmelitas

2012-01-16T20:08:00.003-06:00

Sunday night we had 7 adults over for dinner. It was a delish dinner- brisket, pulled pork, cornbread, cabbage salad, mac and cheese, and green beans. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal immensely. The best part came afterwards.............

(photo from Lulu the Baker)

This frickin phenomenal desssert. Caramel, chocolate, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter- pure, pure, pure awesomeness. Are there a few changes I would make? Sure. I would cut the caramel to 3/4s of what it calls for and I would increase the chocolate by 1/3. But, overall, these are one of the best, easiest, most delicious desserts that I have made in a long time. They are very rich, so you can cut them pretty small and serve a lot of people even with an 8x8 pan.

If you are looking for a great Super Bowl dessert, a dessert to take to new parents, or a fun new dessert for your hubby, I would highly recommend these!!

Snowfall

2012-01-13T07:43:00.003-06:00

We got SNOW!!!! It hit the lakefront harder than it hit our house (we're about 50 min inland from Lake Michigan); unfortunately our yard probably only has 2 or 3 inches. We're supposed to get another inch or so today. It is so pretty!!! While I didn't take the below picture, I easily could have- it's almost an exact replica of our backyard! Amazing what will come up on google images :)

Tonight when we get home, we are going to shovel the driveway (pointless to do this a.m. with not very much snow and more on the way). Why is this so exciting?? Because I get to wear my new boots!! Woo Hoo! Spencer has a tiny spade/shovel thing, so we'll get him out there too. He loves "helping" so we'll see if that applies to the wet, cold snow too!

Hopefully those of you northerners who are wishing for some snow this weekend will also get some. It looks like the storm is heading east as I type. I just wish that more of the West was being blanketed by the same. A lot of my family lives in Aspen, and they are dying for snow. The base is miserable, a lot of tourists have cancelled their trips, and their skiing hasn't been enjoyable for them. It's rough going in CO right now.

We aren't supposed to get any more snow in the next week, just lots of cold and wind. I'm not looking forward to the cold, but I am ready for more snow. I'm looking ahead in earnest, so bring it on!! (Boy this makes me sound crazy, huh??)

Wayyyyyyy late, but here are a few Christmas photos to share

2012-01-11T19:42:00.003-06:00

Spencer and his baby cousin, Leah. She is a total doll face and such a fun baby. Spencer loves playing with baby "Yaya". They were so cute together.

Seriously, could those cheeks be any cuter (or any bigger?)!

Christmas Eve after church. I wore the dress I made, Spencer had on black velvet overalls with a plaid turn up cuff from Hanna, and B wore his RL plaid pants with a black cashmere sweater. We don't normally match this well :)

Kissin' cousins!

Christmas day, just bumming around

New Year's weekend at my mom's house. Mimi got Spence a new backpack, and he loved it! He looks WAY too old in this picture though!

Touchdown!

With Uncle G

Spencer's first snow of the year. He's saying "snow" in this picture. He kept saying "uh-oh" when it would get on his boots. He was very concerned about it. Hysterical.

No, he doesn't have mittens on- he wanted to feel the snow (and we were only out for a few minutes). I'm not sure he loves it yet, but he will, I'm not worried :)

There's a little bit of my photo dump from the end of 2011. I'm heading to bed early tonight (it's only 8:40) but I was up all night with a sick, coughing, whiny, crying baby. Poor thing has croup and has been sick since Saturday. 2 other kids in his class have croup, one has RSV, and every single one of them has a runny nose and cough. Out of 12 kids, 6 were out on Monday and 7 on Tues. We stayed home today and even though he got no sleep last night, he was up at 6:30 and only took a 20 min nap today. He was in a pretty good mood overall, but it was rough on me to not have any time to myself (a 20 min nap is just NOT long enough when I only got 4 hours of sleep myself). I'm just praying he gets better every day and that tonight brings a little more sleep for all of us!!!!

My new Sorels

2012-01-08T20:40:00.002-06:00

oooooh, aren't they snazzy? I just love them! My old boots cracked and I needed a new pair this year. When I saw these in the store window up north over Christmas, I knew I needed them. I had to go to 3 different stores to find my size (they're already sold out at Sorel too, so what you find is what you get) but I'm so glad I finally found them in my size. Now, if only we would get some snow around here, I would be ready to shovel the driveway and go "sploring" in our backyard with B and Spence. I hope the snow is coming............I'm really ready for winter!! The brown-ness would look so much better covered in a beautiful blanket of white!

Resolutions? More like goals......

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've never really been one for resolutions. To me, why does it have to be January 1st to change anything? That being said, B and I do have some goals for the months and year ahead, so I'll post them here to have a record and see how we do!

1. B is onto another 1,000 mile year. He did this in 2010 too (and was done running his 1000 miles by mid-December). It's essentially 2.73 miles/day. Since we now have a treadmill in the basement (and have quit the gym due to lack of time to get there), it should be pretty easy for him to meet this goal. He always has to have a goal in front of him to keep him running, and he's not in the marathon mindset this year, so 1,000 miles it is.

2. My goal is to just get out of bed at 5 at least 3 mornings a week to either work on the treadmill or do a workout video. I don't like getting up that early, but I also know that staying in shape while I was pregnant with Spencer really helped me to get back into shape once he was born and helped keep me sane. I've been feeling a bit out of control with this pregnancy, and I'm hoping this will help.

3. We are creating a list of home items that need to be done by the end of 2012 and are breaking them down by month. These include: getting a painter into the house to get the basement and family room redone, new light fixtures in the breezeway and laundry room, finishing Spencer's big boy room, and getting quotes on hardwood floors in the family room. There are quite a few smaller items as well. We have been saving quite a bit this past year in order to get this stuff done, and I'm excited to now spend that money!!

4. Our other big goal is to sit down and figure out where our finances will be in May when the baby is here. Would I be able to talk to my boss about staying home a day or two a week? How much more are we going to contribute to the college account? What will daycare costs be? Will our hospitals costs be the same for this baby as they were for Spencer? Are we going to change our personal expenditures in order to save more? Etc, etc, etc. One of the things I feel SO blessed about is that B and I are pretty dang compatible when it comes to finances, so these conversations are never a chore. Plus, he adores excel and tracking stuff like this, so I just get to talk and he does all the math :)

5. Have a health baby. Enough said.

6. Find a name for above baby.

7. Find a double stroller. This is the one I am dreading the most. Ugggg....

I can't wait to read about all of your goals for 2012!! Hopefully accomplishing all of them will be satisfying for all of us!!

Merry New Year!

2012-01-02T19:50:00.000-06:00

We arrived home this afternoon after spending the weekend at my mom and Ralph's to celebrate the holidays with them. It was wonderful to see my family and spend time in their new house. It's pretty dang awesome and so perfect for them. I will upload all my pics this week and get a few posted here, but not tonight.

After we got home this afternoon, I made a quick grocery list and headed out to the store. After getting home, I was able to prep all the chicken and veggies for tomorrow night's chicken noodle soup, make the stock, chop veggies for our baked spaghetti dinner for Wednesday, make dinner for tonight, play with Spence, get his bath/bed done, and get the kitchen cleaned. If I can keep this up, 2012 is going to be one productive year!!

B&J had their first baby on Thursday, just before we left to go up north. They named him John- I love that name. So classic and not one you hear much anymore. It also meets all my baby name criteria! It does take it off our list though (cousins who are 5 months apart and live in the same city probably shouldn't have the same name!). Bummer! This weekend we are going to make a few freezer meals, some coffee cake, and some chocolate chip cookies to them (more time in the kitchen - yea!!). We were able to meet him for a little bit in the hospital, and we are very excited to spend more time with him.

We have also got to get all of our Christmas decorations down this weekend. We haven't been home yet to do it, but it's time. It'll be a busy, and hopefully very productive, weekend at home. Putting away laundry, writing thank you notes, and getting in a workout or two also need to get done. I love knowing that we are home and settled for the rest of the month, so it's all about being productive this month!! Yea for January!

Do any of you feel the same way? Now that the holidays have ended, do you feel like your time is your own AND you can make the most of it? I also love that the cold helps us to be a little more indoor focused so that we can get little things done that we've put off for awhile. Hopefully I'm not the only crazy person out there who thinks this! Have a great Tuesday, everyone!!

My amazing Christmas gift!!

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

On December 20th (last Tuesday) we were blessed with the best Christmas gift we could possibly get as expecting parents. We went to our 20.5 week appointment, met with the OB, and had our ultrasound. I am a paranoid freak when it comes to the *big* ultrasound as I know all the bad things that can happen. Luckily, I am so, so, so happy to say that our little "Cletus the Fetus" (B's current nn for the baby. Yes, I am being serious, and yes, it's awful) is as healthy and active as can be!!! This baby is much more active than Spencer was, and it definitely proved it during the ultrasound by doing all kinds of gymnastics for us while we were watching!

Let me be the first to introduce to you our sweet new bundle of (a little over halfway there)love!! Adorable, isn't it??? And let me also be the first to tell you that, in May, Spencer will be welcoming a baby...........

BROTHER!!!

Yep, it's another little boy for the T family. While a small part of me is sad that bows, dresses, and 80% of children's clothing stores will not be a part of my life, I am thrilled that Spence will have playmate, a hockey partner, and a best friend for life. B is thrilled that I just cut our costs by 90% (because Lord knows I would not be able to resist much in the world of girl's clothes!!). But, in all seriousness, we are just beyond excited that this baby is healthy and growing as expected. We realize how amazing a miracle this is and feel incredibly blessed. Now we just have to be patient for 20 more weeks until we can meet him!

Oh, and let the naming begin!!!

Merry Christmas from JD & the Muppets!

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000-06:00

My favorite Christmas album and my favorite song. May your Christmas be as perfect as this song is to me!

It's almost here!

2011-12-22T20:20:00.001-06:00

It's almost here!! The music has been playing, the cookies and eggnog pound cake have been baking, the presents are wrapped, the cards have arrived, and now the most important part of the season is here! Time for the presents!!

Just kidding, of course. It's time to celebrate the birth of Mary's son, our savior, Emmanuel. It's time for the reading of the Christmas story and pondering Mary's incredible bravery, Joseph's incredible faith, and Jesus's immaculate birth.

It's time to cherish our families and spend time breathing, laughing, singing, rejoicing, and loving.

It's time to listen to our hearts.

It's time to pray for faith, peace, happiness, and health in the New Year.

It's time to remember that the smallest things, like the ringing of a bell, might, just might, help an angel get it's wings.

I pray that your Christmas is full of wonder, hope, love, family, rejoicing, and precious memories. I pray that the baby we all celebrate will hear the deepest desires of your hearts in the coming year!

Merry Christmas one and all!!

Family Fun Saturday

2011-12-18T20:50:00.002-06:00

Just woke up from his nap and ready to go to Meijer Gardens (our local botanical garden) to see the Christmas Trees from around the world.

Much to our surprise, and massive delight, there were two reindeer from a local reindeer farm outside at Meijer Gardens. They were asleep when we first arrived but then woke up once they smelled an apple that some other visitors brought. These reindeer were 5 and 6 years old, weighed in at 350 lbs, and had huge antlers. Did you know that reindeer antlers are like our fingerprints? No two are ever the same, and a father reindeer can look out amongst a herd and spot his own flock.

This one is Blizzard. He was closer to us most of the time. Spencer was so excited to see them!!

Okay, you can't really tell in this pic, but he was happy to see them and be outside!

Our first snow of the year on Spencer's hood.

Spencer with the Swedish tree. It had horses on it which automatically mean that he loved it.

The Irish Tree. It had all of the 12 Days of Christmas ornaments on it plus Irish crosses. I adored the velvet ribbons with the jingle bells running down them. How easy would this be to make for next year?

At the outdoor children's play area. This little door is just too cute and Spence loved it.

All the way through the door.

Daddy and SYT taking a break

The German tree. It was definitely my favorite of all the trees.

The electric model train that ran above three of the rooms. You should have seen the number of kids that were mezmerized by this! Even the adults thought it was fascinating.

Spencer pointing at the "choo choo".

I'm so glad we went to see this. It was well worth the admission cost (goodness, the reindeer and the trains alone were worth even more than we paid!). We came home afterwards and fed Spencer dinner, got him in his jammies and read a few books before bundling him up and getting back in the car to drive around and look at Christmas lights. We ended up being gone for almost two hours (Spence fell asleep in the car) and picked up dinner on our way back home. We had Christmas music on the whole time. It was seriously a wonderful day with my boys.

Did you have a holly, jolly Saturday too??

Spencer, 19 months

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

(The lights are "hot", so he has to blow on them to cool them off!)

Spencer is already 19 months old. Yowzers. We've had some good and bad moments this month.

You have learned how to hit. It's incredibly frustrating. Luckily it happens mostly at home, not at daycare, but either way it's SO hard to discipline. When we hold your hands and say "no hit", you just laugh, pull your hands away, and do it again. Or you look at us, start crying, and immediately hit again. Often you will hit someone and then immediately follow it with a "gentle" touch, but that doesn't help much when you've hurt someone already. You had one really aggressive day at daycare, but most of the time, this only happens at home.

You also have typical toddler meltdowns. Often it's because we won't let you watch "baby" (videos we take of him on the ipad) or "Momo" (elmo videos on you tube). It also happens when we won't let you into the baking cabinet. You adore the baking cabinet and want to get out all the pop top containers to play with the lids. That would be fine if you hadn't also discovered that brown sugar tastes really good- you will try to eat it by the handful if we don't catch you fast enough!!

(My favorite picture this month!)

Your vocabularly continues to grow. It's definitely not perfect as you miss consanants quite a bit, but most of the time you are able to get your point across. You still have never said "yes". Odd, I think, but I'm sure it will happen someday.

You love to "help". Even if it's not perfect, it's so cute to see. You're really good at throwing things away, getting your boots/shoes, bringing us what we ask for, and picking up your books/toys (sometimes!).

You adore your bear (a little white bear head lovie) and your Little Giraffe blankie right now. You want them with you at all times, especially when you are upset. You haven't been attached to anything before (no pacifier), so it's cute to see this. We're trying to keep the blanket in the crib only as both of them are white (good thinking, Mom!) and I don't like having to wash them 2 or 3 times weekly. Sometimes this throws you into a tizzy, but most times you're okay with just having bear.

(Haircute #8!)

Your eating is so typical of a toddler. You want small portions more frequently, you rarely eat meat right now, and you definitely prefer your favorite foods. Black beans, bananas, cheese, milk, "uice" (juice though you aren't allowed to have it at home, you do get some occasionally at daycare), crackers, peas, eggs and any kind of fruit tend to be your favorite. I try to keep everything as balanced as I can. Loading spaghetti sauce with tons of veggies and ground beef as well as giving you something to dip usually helps!

You are trying to jump now. You bend down and then stand up really fast. You haven't yet managed to get your feet off the ground. You do like to jump off the ottaman when we're there to help. It's always good for a belly laugh! Your other new game is to chase us around the kitchen island. You love, love, love it!! It's hysterical how much you will laugh at this.

You're still such a doll, buddy, and I love you!!

2011-12-14T11:53:00.001-06:00

Praying this goes on sale sometime this winter. The smallest size is a size 5, so we'd have to wait awhile to put SYT in it, but it's NEVER going to go out of style, and it's just fantastic!! Perfect for chilly summer nights and for all fall and winter in our chilly state. L-O-V-E!!

Christmas Joy

2011-12-12T19:02:00.001-06:00

I have a horrid head cold and have been wanting to do nothing but sleep for the past 3 days. I took a nap both Saturday and Sunday and was even in bed by 8:30 on Saturday night (skipped the neighborhood party due to this cold and significant sleepiness). All the sleep hasn't helped and right now, I feel that I can barely breathe. A few of the girls in my office have already had this, and the good news is that it hasn't gone to anyone's chest- it's just all been stuffiness, headaches, sneezing, and runny noses. Even though none of it is fun, it's WAY better than a significant hacking, barking, wheezing cough!!

So, instead of dwelling on yuckiness, let's instead talk about the Christmas joys I've encountered lately instead.

*Today as I walked out of work, one of the local churches bells were going off (it was exactly 5 p.m.) to the tune of Deck the Halls. I love church bells and to hear them set to a Christmas tune just made my afternoon.

*I made peppermint bark for our JL mtg tomorrow night, and it is good!!! I hope all the ladies at the meeting like it! Honestly, if I weren't on the Arrangements Committee (we arrange/set up/decorate for/organize all the meetings), I probably wouldn't go tomorrow just b/c I would prefer to sleep, but I am excited to see my favorite girls!

*When we get home from work/daycare, the first thing Spencer does is come into the family room, point to the tree, and say "ights, ights". So we'll plug in the Christmas tree lights and then he immediately starts pointing to the mantle saying "ights, ights". He does that for the two smaller front trees too. It's super cute!

*I love driving home from work and seeing all the "ights" everywhere decorating the houses. Even the gaudy, tacky beyond belief ones make me smile. I can't wait to get in the car in the next week and drive around the neighborhoods I don't see daily!

*Our mailbox is full of Christmas cards, gifts, and catalogs. I love it!! I'm working on getting mine addressed, and I hope our recipients love them as much as I've loved getting theirs!!

*Christmas music. Manheim Steamroller, Amy Grant, John Denver and the Muppets, George Winston- it all really gets me in the mood and puts a huge smile on my face. Our Christmas pandora station really has me pegged!!

*My baking is no where near finished. The treats I have made so far have been devoured by friends and coworkers, and I have a lot more to go. As soon as I have a touch more energy, it's back in the kitchen for me.

*I have put Spencer in all but one of his Christmas outfits (the last will get worn next weekend), and he looks adorbs in all of them. I just love dressing him in cute seasonal clothing! Thank goodness for ebay, btw. I got great prices on all of them!

*Okay, I've never posted a video before, but this little guy (and his sweet daddy) are what are bringing me most of my joy this year (and a little special someone tucked away in my tummy kicking like crazy!!). This is my overexaggerated "mommy" voice, so please don't make fun. In case you can't tell, he's saying bell, neigh (for horse), bear, star, and bell again. Easy to understand if you speak "toddler-ease", harder if you don't and you're watching cheesy home videos!

So, tell me, what is bringing you holiday joy this week? Mail? Music? An awesome homily at church? The baking you are doing (or that your co-workers are bringing in)? I can't wait to hear!

Holiday Celebrations!!

2011-12-08T20:54:00.001-06:00

B and I went to his company's Christmas party tonight, so I made the babysitter take a few pics once we got home. We rarely get pics of just the two of us anymore, and since we were dressed up, I thought it was a good opportunity. We had a lot of fun at the party. He works with really nice people (mostly men), and I definitely enjoyed myself. He did too.

Tomorrow night is my Christmas party (it's just for our staff, so B is staying home with Spence), and Saturday night is our neighborhood tree toasting, so it's a BUSY weekend. Fun though, so I can't complain!! Neither night will be super late, so I'm not too worried about being as tired as I was last weekend. The neighborhood party could end up being a late night, but it's nice that B will be able to stay if he wants, and I'll be able to be in bed at a decent hour. It's a really fun evening. We start at one of our neighbor's homes for chili and cocktails and then go around house to house to look at everyone's tree and then end up back at the first house for the rest of the evening. We had a blast last year!!

As you can tell in the above pic, I'm obviously sporting a bump now (though that pic makes me look bigger than I actually am- I think it's the angle). I made the dress from this tutorial and am quite happy with the results. I'm planning on wearing it to church on Christmas Eve as well. I have another long sleeved shirt and more fabric and I think I'm going to make another one that is more work appropriate after the holidays are over.

I'm sure you all are just as crazy this weekend and next. I hope it's all fun stuff, and I hope you are also able to get your lists checked off in the down time!! I have to round this weekend as well as the above social stuff, but I'm hoping to get a few more baking things done as well as wrapping some gifts and addressing our Christmas cards which arrived this week!! We've already received two in the mail from truly organized friends of mine :) Have a great weekend!!

Weekend in the kitchen

2011-12-04T21:29:00.001-06:00

B and I spent all weekend in the kitchen making amazing food, and I seriously didn't take one photo. What was I thinking??? I wish I had some for you, but instead, I'm just going to have to write about it all instead.

Saturday our goals were to bake most of the day, pick up one Christmas gift for our niece, and watch the MSU/Wisconsin game. We definitely accomplished all those things (don't you just LOVE a productive day?). We made peppermint bark brownies, eggnog poundcake, buckeye bark, and soft ginger cookies with lemon glaze. We also threw together "nuts and bolts" (our family's version of chex mix) and made apple compote. We really wanted to have Christmas tins put together for all of our dinner guests, and we wanted a variety of things to put inside. Between B and I, we were able to sample all of the above, and, I hope our guests will agree, it all tasted delicious!!

Today after church, we started on the meal for our Christmas dinner party (we hosted 3 other couples whom we just adore). We served the baked brie with apple compote (from Annie's Eats), Smitten Kitchen's short ribs with swiss chard and pearl onions (I cannot rave about these enough. They're time consuming but worth every single bite!!), mashed potates, and eggnog trifle. Everyone seemed to leave the table full and happy.

The best part? Hanging out with delightful people that we just don't see enough of!!! It was so, so, so nice. Spencer was a little shy at the beginning but then loved showing off the "balls" (aka ornaments) to all our guests and climbing the stairs to turn the dining room light off and on. It was a wonderful evening!!! Another great part? We have a few cookies, brownies, and pieces of eggnog pound cake left, but most of it went out the door. Enough for a few bites over the week but definitely not enough to gorge ourselves on. Unfortunately, we didn't give away enough nuts and bolts, and this lady has been craving nothing but salt lately!!

Did any of you make anything exciting in the kitchen this weekend? Any fantastic Christmas cookies I should make next weekend?

Pregnancy Update

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a few weeks since I've talked about this new little one, so I thought an update was in order!

*I'm now 18 weeks and feeling great. Absolutely no more nausea, no fatigue, eating normally (craving salty more than sweet still), and am definitely showing!!
*I broke out a bit this week (all around my nose) which I hate (bad skin= feeling ugly), but at least they're not huge craters. Lots of smaller ones instead.
*My pregnancy bras from last time are a lot more comfortable than my regular bras are, so I must be getting bigger up top. I really never experienced soreness or the horrific painful ni*#(#s that I did last time. That was a true blessing because for a few weeks showering was awful with Spencer.
*I am having some mild pain in the back of my left hip almost daily. It feels tight and like it needs to be popped or something. It doesn't stop me from doing anything, it's just slightly annoying at this time. Hopefully it won't get worse!
*Overall, I would say this pregnancy is even milder than my last. I wonder if it's because I'm busier and just don't have the time to dwell on all the symptoms? Or maybe it's just that I am not nearly as emotional, so things are put a little more into perspective. Whatever it is, I cannot complain one bit (so if I do, refer me back here).
*I have zero idea if it's a boy or girl, no dreams, no feelings, no nothing. I have occasionally leaned towards boy because my symptoms have been similar to Spencer's pregnancy (besides that complete exhaustion in the first tri), but that's about it. I never, not once had a dream about Spencer being a boy or girl throughout my entire pregnancy with him. Apparently I have bad mommy intuition!
*Did I tell you that we are going to find out with this pregnancy? B wants to know, and since I made the decision last time to not find out, I figure it's his turn this time. Our apt is December 20th as our office won't let you schedule an ultrasound until you are 21 weeks. A lot of my friends have known by 18 or 19, and I do wish we had a sooner apt (mostly because I am impatient), but I think it will be interesting to find out with this babe. We will not be sharing names until the baby is here, but perhaps we can do a fun "name the baby" post in the future!
*The baby is moving and has been for a few weeks. Around 14ish weeks I was definite about the feeling the movement. With Spencer, it was around 18-19 weeks. It's definitely not just flutters, either, this is full on kicks and punches. Every single one of them makes me giddy. And slightly (but just slightly) emotional. I don't think this will be our last pregnancy, but just in case it is, I am treasuring these kicks for sure!! Plus, the movement helps to connect me to this babe!!
*No nickname for baby#2. Puddin was great last time, but it hasn't stuck for this peanut. Maybe because we are going to find out, so we're waiting to know the sex before giving it a name? Spencer does say baby and point to my stomach which is adorable!!

Tiny SYT update: He was sick all weekend with high fevers (102-103.7), clingy, and miserable. Monday he went to pediatrician and was diagnosed with tonsillitis. He's now on an antibiotic for 10 days. Poor thing! He has been afebrile since Monday morning and is eating a little better, but he is still pretty crabby and clingy. I feel so bad for him. I can't wait until Saturday so I can just spend a whole day loving on him (while he throws fits on the floor when I won't let him watch "Momo" ie Elmo on youtube!). Seriously, though, even though it was something as minor as tonsillitis, he was just so sick all weekend and I did break down once crying as I thought about how minor this was in comparison to so many sick kids I see all the time. It, once again, puts into perspective how important our health, and the health of our families, really is.

Holiday dressing

2011-12-01T12:23:00.001-06:00

Absolutely gorgeous black dress perfect for pretty much any occasion. Very Jackie-ish AND under $100!! If only my every expanding waistline would fit into this number, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Anyone else need a classic black dress?

Arizona?

2011-11-29T14:30:00.001-06:00

The details aren't complete yet, but it looks like B will be attending a conference in AZ for work in February. We were going to take a long weekend getaway the next weekend for his birthday and had talked about NYC or Boston (Hi MCW and kHm!!), but now I'm wondering about flying out to meet him in AZ for the rest of the week (Thurs-Sun). Neither of us has been before, so we don't know if it would be a great trip or a bust.

Sooooo, tell me....
1. Is AZ only old people?
2. The conference is in Pheonix- do we stay there? Go to Scottsdale? Sedona?
3. Besides playing golf in above cities, what is there to do? Shopping? Good Food? I'm assuming, I'd be able to lay by a pool somewhere which would be nice!
4. Take the babe? Don't take the babe? We're leaning towards no, but then B wouldn't see him for a week and that seems like a REALLY long time!
5. I'll be 29ish weeks preggers- do I want to be in that hot of weather? Or do I make B fly twice in one month and go out east instead? I'm used to the cold, but would we appreciate all that Boston and NYC are in the dead of February?

Thoughts? Ideas? Help us out, please!!

Thanksgiving Appetizers

2011-11-29T14:07:00.001-06:00

We were in charge of appys on Thanksgiving. I was pretty happy about this as it's truly a way to be so creative on a day when the meal is usually soooo traditional (and I wouldn't have it any other way!). I scoured pinterest and Annie's Eats (my go to source!) for ideas and here is what we came up with.

pic from Bon Appegeek

Sugared Cranberries. I don't really like cranberries, but even I thought these were good. Spencer LOVED them and would have eaten the whole bowl if I let him! They were easy to make and definitely added some color to the display. Plus, they were so tiny, everyone could enjoy them without any added guilt!

Baked Brie with apple compote. I adore baked brie but usually serve it wrapped in crescent rolls with mustard sauce. This way was awesome and I would definitely make it for any special occasion. The apple compote is super easy and so delish that you could serve it up alone! It would also be great just quadrupled and served as a tart- it's that good!

pic from Martha

Cheese straws. So good, so easy. I would add cracked pepper to the top prior to baking next time. It also would be great to experiment with other cheese. People really liked them. We doubled the recipe and didn't need to as we had WAY too much to eat!

Roasted garlic. I wish I had a pic of what we did. It was everyone's favorite. We roasted about 7 bulbs of garlic (could've gotten away with 5 for 14 people) for 45 min at 350 after cutting the tops off the bulbs and drizzling them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then we popped them out of the bulbs, mashed them, and served them alongside of roasted cherry tomatoes, toasted bread points, and arugula drizzled with olive oil and balsalmic. I would call it a wintertime bruschetta. And I would also call it one of the best things I ate on Thanksgiving!! We roasted them in muffin tins and covered them with tinfoil while baking. The muffin tins were perfect as then they weren't rolling around on the tray.

I would serve all of the above at any fall or wintertime gathering. No fails this time around. Yea! Any of you have fabulous apps that I should consider for our next dinner party? I've got one coming up this Sunday!!

Silly things I am thankful for

2011-11-22T21:01:00.001-06:00

As all of you, I'm incredibly thankful for my family, my friends, the roof over my head, the God I entrust my life to and the health of those I love. I cannot express my gratitude enough in just a few simple sentences.

I do have other, silly little things that I am so thankful for that definitely make my life just a tiny bit better by them being present. So, since I'll never be able to do the first paragraph justice, I'm going to share my little things here today.

1. Maternity pants. I can't believe I'm already in them (and was at 15 weeks with this baby), but thank goodness they exist. Regular pants don't even come close to covering this belly unless I'm wearing a bella band over top. Buttons are just laughing at me, and belts are a thing of the past.

2. The Miami Men's Glee Club. B sang with them in college, and because of that time, he came out with truly amazing friends (some of our best) and, lucky for me, some truly awesome wives and girlfriends. He was also in a fraternity, and, while he would rave equally about that experience for him, it's the Glee Club friendships that have lived on so strongly for both of us. I also am slightly (okay, really) obsessed with the recordings we have of them and listen to the cds a lot in the car. I need them to put another one out for a little variety :)

3. Warm blankets. At night when we are winding down from our day, there is nothing like sitting on the couch snuggled up under blankets watching tv, browsing the computer, etc. I tend to get cold a lot easier than B does, so it's nice to be able to keep the house set to where he likes it and just throw a blankets over top of me.

4. Our kitchen island. Our kitchen definitely needs an update in decor, but the layout was very well designed. My favorite part of the kitchen is definitely the island. It's generous in size and can allow both B and I to work comfortably around it without ever having to worry about space. This is really important this time of year when we are entertaining, baking cookies, or just making fancy dinners for ourselves at home.

5. The public library. I love to read, and if I had to purchase all the books I read, I'd be broke. Plus, I would hate spending money on a book I know I'll never read again (I'm a definite re-reader). To me, I really couldn't make it without the library existing. I get 95% of my books from the library and, even if I have to sit on a waiting list, the cost savings is immense.

6. Working with children daily. I've done it now for 12 years as a nurse/nurse practitioner, and for years before that every summer in BV at club. I love the joy they bring to my life. I love the hugs I get from the little ones. I love that I can make a difference (even if it's only for one minute of one day) in their lives.

7. Stain stick. Now that SYT is in the toddler room at daycare, he comes home FILTHY every single day. Paint, food, whatever it is, it's gross. I can't do laundry nightly, so being able to put stain stick on his clothes and then wash it two or three days later, really is helpful!!

8. My bed. Because at the end of a long day, there is nothing like it!!!

What's your favorite silly, little thing that you're thankful for? I'd love to know!!

Pinterest recipes.....

2011-11-20T20:47:00.001-06:00

I made quite a bit of food from my Pinterest board last week. Some of it was good, some was a bust (I've removed those from my board). I thought I'd share the hits over here in case anyone was needing some inspiration!

(pic from meal planning 101)

We made this Slow Cooker Tiki Masala for dinner one night. We also made tumeric basmati rice with peas and naan. It was delish!! B enjoyed it numerous days for leftovers (my reflux couldn't handle it, so I had to forgo the leftovers). There's also a butter chicken recipe on this site that we'll be making in the near future. It's a little more work and ingredients than your average slow cooker recipe, but 100% worth it.

(pic from Dine and Dish)

(pic from the Craving Chronicles)

(pic from Taste of Home)

On Friday we hosted our neighborhood monthly party, so I made all of the above recipes plus my favorite brownies for everyone to graze on while we chatted, enjoyed cocktails, and played Euchre. It was a really, really fun night. These pretzel bites were a huge hit and I made homemade nacho cheese to dip them in. I had to adjust the recipe a bit b/c I don't have a bread maker, but it was easy to do, and even though they didn't brown as well as the above pic, they were sooooo good. I ate WAY too many (so did everyone else!). Definitely something to have on hand for a party evening! The pumpkin spice donut holes were a perfect fall bite (says B- I didn't end up trying one before they were all gone). I didn't have mini muffin tins, so I made them in regular muffin tins and then cut them in half prior to the cinnamon sugar step. The peanut butter chocolate dessert was decadent and so worth every calorie. If you like chocolate and peanut butter, you MUST try this. It keeps well for a few days in the fridge too!!

I'm going to post about our Thanksgiving appetizers next week if they're good. They would be great for a holiday party too!

Hopefully you all had a wonderful weekend!!

Upcoming Christmas party??

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

Work parties, dinner parties, cookie decorating parties, dinners out with friends and family, holiday concerts, and church events are going to be in full force in just two weeks. Do you know what you are wearing yet? Here are a few ideas below to help you start thinking about what you already have in your closet and what you need to add to it.

Houndstooth Hostess Skirt

I could see this with a skinny black turtleneck and a fabulous black taffetta sash (sew it yourself!) tied in a big bow in the back.

Chantilly Lace Top

This would work for numerous occasions with pants or a skirt. A pair of sparkly earrings or a great bracelet and a clutch and you're all set!

Gathered Taffeta Skirt (sorry that this image is the back of the skirt)

Love the berry color (Is anyone with me on how hideously this is styled? Really, cork wedges and taffetta? Uggg......)

Sequin mini skirt

Pair it as styled above with nudes/ivories or with a black sweater, black tights, and black heels to make the skirt the standout piece

Another Taffeta Skirt (the full taffeta skirts hide a multitude of sins!!)

Classic enough to be used year after year with different tops and accessories.

Fabulous holiday maternity dress!!

Definitely worth the price too!!

Any of the above catching your eye? Are you already awash in holiday invites?

Quick weeknight fall dinner

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it for dinner this week as the picture couldn't be more delicious looking. I think B would agree, it was awesome!! For a quick and easy weeknight dinner, it really can't be beat. We made cheddar biscuits to go with it, though it would be equally good with a great storebought or homemade focacia bread.

I did tweak the recipe a bit. I added another can of tomatoes, another can of white beans, a little extra crushed red pepper, and 16 oz of frozen tortellini rather than the dried (it's just what we already had at home). I wanted it to be a little heartier (8oz of chicken broth is a LOT!). I also had a ton of spinach on hand so used that as my leafy green.

Definitely put this on your weeknight rotation. You'll love it!!!!

(We're trying another Pinterest recipe tomorrow night- Tiki Masala. If it's good, I'll let you know!)

Monday updates

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

1. Hosted a baby shower this weekend for B's cousin who lives here. It was small and lovely with great food and wonderful gifts. I made the quiches and the muffins, the other hostess made an amazing fruit salad, and her mom brought her favorite couscous salad (I'll try to get the recipe and post it- it was delish!!). I was surprised at how many people had never made a quiche or a homemade muffin before. They're both really easy items. It's moments like that when I know I am my mother's daughter. Why would you buy store bought muffins when they're so easy to make at home? Apparently this is not the norm!!

2. Friday night B went up to hang out with his aunt and grandma who were in town for the shower. He took Spencer so that they could see and play with him (he was in a good mood- thank you Lord!). I was able to run two errands on my way home from work, get all the prep work for the quiches done, and make all the muffins before they got home (B had put Spencer down there as he transfers really well). I had Glee Cast radio on Pandora while I cooked and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the quiet, alone time I had. It really recharged my batteries to be able to do that!

3. If you have little kids to buy Christmas presents for, I would definitely check out your TJ Maxx right now. Our TJs is one of the worst I've ever been in, but the kids' toy section was awesome when I was there this week. I saw a ton of Melissa and Doug items (puzzles, paint brushes and paints, blocks, musical instruments, etc), all which were priced really well. In fact, most were priced better than any of the prices I've seen on Zulily or Totsy. I was very impressed and picked up a few things for Spencer for next summer when the baby comes and he needs something to do!

4. Thinking about a double stroller is stressing me out! They're all really big, and I'm just not in love with any that I see.

5. B wants a new lawnmower for Christmas. Really, a lawnmower? And how the heck am I supposed to pick THAT out??? Why can't he want a few new sweaters, a new pair of pants, and some shoes? That I can manage. Alas, I'll now spend the next month researching mowers- anyone want to do that legwork for me??

6. It snowed here last Thursday. We had mostly a dusting, but about an hour north of here, they had 3 inches! I suppose this means that I really need to get Spence some boots!

7. I can't believe I have to wait until May of 2012 to read Veronica Roth's next book (her first, Divergent, is the best book I have read in the last two years, hands down) (If you don't trust my opinion, don't buy it, check it out from the library) (But I promise you'll love it!!). With Spencer I would always read as I was nursing him, but I'm not sure that will happen this time as I'll have to nurse and keep an eye on SYT. I'm going to have to have B put Spence down while I do this baby's nighttime feed so that I can get 15 min of reading time per day; otherwise, how else will I know what is happening with Tris and Four????

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are looking forward to the week ahead!

Need help hydrating

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

My hair, that is! I have used numerous deep conditioners over my lifetime, but I've never found one I love. My favorite is the one above- Biolage products smell amazing, and this one did hydrate pretty well. I tend to deep condtion once to twice a week, and I'd like to only have to do it once a week (and maybe even every 10 days in the summer).

I was just wondering what deep conditioner you all use and what you love about it. Smell is important to me (ie- I cannot use Aveda products- yick.) Any suggestions???

Things I need to write down because apparently my memory stinks.

2011-11-06T20:57:00.000-06:00

I have very limited memories of being pregnant with Spencer. I mean, I remember the big stuff, the highlights, and a few of the not so fun moments, but I certainly don't remember many of the details. I feel horrible about this. It's only been two years, and I can't remember how long I was nauseous in the first trimester, when I needed to start wearing a different bra, when showering was painful, when it was a pain to shave my legs, if I woke up 3-4 times every night in the first trimester, etc, etc.

Since I blog (well at least partially) to keep a journal of my life, I want to document this current pregnancy so that, if we ever decide to have a third, I'll be able to look back on this and remember if what is happening now is normal or if my symptoms are different. This may be stuff a lot of you don't care about, but I need to do this!

*Found out we were pregnant about 4 days after I should have gotten my period.  I took a few pregnancy tests prior to that and they were all negative. At my dating ultrasound, I was a week behind where I should have been based on my last period, but that makes a lot of sense as to why I had so many negative tests without a period.

*Within one week of finding out, I was nauseous. With Spencer, I was never nauseous in the morning. It always hit around 11 and lasted the rest of the day. This time I've felt gross at all hours of the day. I have an occasional day where I'll feel fine but at least 5/7 days, my stomach is acting hungover. No vomitting yet!!   It is helpful if I eat something every 2-3 hours. Drinking water does not help- just makes me feel seasick.
     Week 14- I feel so much better. No nausea at all!!! Woo Hoo!!!

*I'm waking up 3-4 times a night from dreams. I don't have to pee (I obviously don't drink enough); I must wake up due to the dreams only. The dreams are incredibly vivid and incredibly weird. I do remember having vivid dreams with Spencer, but I don't remember them being this frequent. It often takes me 30 min at least to fall back asleep which is killing me for total sleep time. There have been studies that state that pregnant women don't have different sleep patterns than other women their age, but I completely disagree. I have always been an awesome sleeper (and I do require a good night's sleep in order to be a pleasant, well-functioning lady), and this is just killing me. I'm in week 10 now, and it's not getting any better. Week 11 is a little better (maybe because I have a killer cold and my body knows it needs rest??)
     Week 14- No more weird dreams. Must be a first tri thing for me. Still waking up once a night, usually between 3:45-4:20 and usually for no reason. I am still not waking up at night to pee (thank goodness!!)

*I don't know if it's due to this being my second pregnancy or if it's the fact that I rarely work out, but I just feel gross about my body right now. I'm still in all my regular clothes at week 10 (okay one pair of my skinniest pants are definitely tight) and am very comfortable in most, but I just "feel" yucky. Week 11 now and I'm definitely struggling to be comfortable in my pants. This sucks.
     Week 14- Sooo much more comfy in maternity pants! I've been wearing a few of my "bigger" pants as well, but now, mostly maternity. I have definitely popped and look more pregnant than fat (at least to my eyes!).

*I am EXHAUSTED this time around. I know that this wasn't this way with SYT. I did get really, really tired with him in week 24 (my iron was way low at that time), but I wasn't at all tired in the first tri. I even remember talking about that with friends- they'd mention how tired they were in the first tri and I had no clue what they were talking about. Friends, they aren't talking about "I stayed up too late and I'm paying for it the next day." They're saying, "I'm bone tired, I want to nap in the middle of work WHILE people are talking to me, and I absolutely must go to bed by 8 o'clock at least two nights a week."  I am not a sleepy girl usually. I am a great 10 p.m.- 5:30 sleeper, and I do like to go to bed, but I'm never dragging during the day (and I don't drink caffeine regularly), and I am much more Enegergizer bunny than Slowsky turtle. This tiredness is just beyond anything I've ever known.
     Week 14- I am much less tired than I was in the first tri. The trip to CA that I took last week for a conference wiped me out with the time change, but I'm no longer bone tired like I was. This makes me deliriously happy!!
*Dinner? Half the time it sounds good, half the time it was something I was craving a few days prior and now sounds disgusting. B says this was totally me last time too. I take a few bites, realize how awful it is (even though it is normally one of my favorite meals), and then hand it over to B to finish. Good thing he's been running like crazy :)

*Reflux is kicking my butt. I do remember eating tums with SYT more frequently than when I wasn't pregnant, but this time is definitely worse. I am constantly burping air and acid up all day long. If this continues for another month or two, I may have to go on a prescription med b/c this is soooo yucky. I definitely feel very bloated with air in my tummy a lot which doesn't help the reflux either.
     Week 14- It's still bad! Anything with tomato sauce and I'm still tasting it the next day- UGGG!! I'm still trying to decide if I want to do a daily pill or if tums are enough for me.
*I'm not quite the emotional basketcase that I was the last time. I've had a few very minor breakdowns but nothing like the Thursdays of my first pregnancy. I would just sit on the couch and cry though an entire episode of Gray's, even when they weren't sad. And it happened every single Thursday without fail. I feel much more stabilized this time.
     Week 14- Still feeling happy! Yea!!
I know this sounds like a lot of complaints. It's not (well, a little bit)......it's just the honest to God truth about the first trimester. It's usually the worst trimester for most people, and I know it's something I just have to get through. It's also a very nervewracking time as you're trying to hide everything, worrying about miscarrying, and dealing with all the side effects. But as B would say, all these side effects are there to remind me that I'm still pregnant AND #it gets better!!! I also know that weeks 18-40 were fine for me (40-41 was a little rough), and it was so worth it in the end.

21 week ultrasound of SYT

1st day home- I still adore this pic!!

We're so lucky, and I really, really am glad to be pregnant again. Just 25.5 weeks until this little one makes his or her way into the world!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday afternoon play time with mommy. Oh, yeah, and I got a haircut, so I can finally see again and no longer have a mullet in the back!!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T19:36:00.004-05:00

Our little lion!

Who needs candy when you can collect leaves?

Or use the bucket for a hat??

I love trick or treating!!

(He only went to 2 houses- don't tell him though, he thought he was too cool!!)

Enjoying my sucker with my dinner. Mommy should give me one of these every day!

It was hysterical watching him eat the tiny tootsie pop. Once it was gone, he tried to eat the stick too!!

Hope your Halloween was just as fun!!

2011-10-30T04:00:00.000-05:00

God Pause for Sunday.....

Psalm 36:5-10 (Click to view Bible text below.)
My 8th grade confirmation class gave me a gift recently. It's a fleece blanket that they hand-tied as part of a service project. But it's not just any blanket: it's the biggest blanket in the world. Seriously. This blanket is longer than my couch. My whole family can snuggle under it and still have room left over. Its size and weight makes me feel like I am being completely cared for. Thinking of the students who made it warms my heart.

That's the image I get from this Psalm: God's love as the biggest blanket in the world. It stretches from the ground to the sky and back again. It envelops all of creation, people of every age and creed and race. This love offers comfort and peace, security and warmth. It never fails.

Can you feel this kind of love in your life today? How?

Wrap me up in your love today, gracious God, and warm my heart. Amen.

Shelley Cunningham
Christ the King Lutheran Church, New Brighton, Minn.
Master of Divinity, 1998

Psalm 36:5-10 (NRSV)

5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!

Ahhhhhh.......guilt

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ladies, I feel guilty for being pregnant. Is this normal? Am I crazy? I have no idea. But I do feel this way. I had a few people I really didn't want to tell my news to because I didn't want to hurt them. I know how long some wonderful women wait to get pregnant and I know those who continue to miscarry time and time again, and I have definitely had my fair share of conversations with God asking why. Why is it that 16 year olds who don't want to be moms get pregnant at the drop of a hat but 30 year olds who have college degrees, great jobs, and amazing marriages can't seem to? Why must fertility treatments be so expensive? Why does adoption have to be so difficult? Why isn't wanting a family good enough? I've never gotten answers, and I know those who are praying so hard for their babies haven't gotten them either.

I come from a really long line of exceptionally fertile women (on my mom's side). Seriously, my aunt got pregnant twice (out of three babies) while using birth control (one of those times was TWO forms!). I realize how lucky I am to take after these women. It really is a blessing. With Spencer, we had no idea how long it would take us or what the pregnancy would be like. Both, it turned out, were fairly easy/lucky. Yes, I was a week overdue, but I didn't have many complications (until the actual labor part) and I felt great even at 40 weeks and was working full time. This time, we hoped it would be just as easy to conceive and the pregnancy is a little different (more on that later) but is, so far, progressing without complication.

I know that being pregnant is a blessing, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I just hate that I might be making other people upset/feel that it is unfair/sad/etc. It's NOT fair. And I wish I could just give everyone who wants one/deserves one a beautiful baby of their own to love on. It's NOT fair. My goal for myself is for extra prayers this week and next for those who are waiting on their little, crazy, sweet, bundles of energy. Yes, someday you, too, will get to pick up all the food off the floor when your one year old dumps it all over, you'll get to fight with them over changing diapers, you'll pick up more books than you can count, you'll fight with stains that just won't come out, but MOST importantly, you'll have someone reach for you, say momma, and kiss you so sweetly that you know nothing could ever be better than this.

Our newest family picture........

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Boy, it takes a lot of work to keep that a secret around here for 13 weeks! We're really, really excited to have another little one around here to love on. I'm not so sure how much Spence will love it, but he'll adjust over time, right??? Right??? I mean, we all did!

I have lots to share with you all over the next few days, weeks, months and hope you'll all stick with me through pregnancy posts AND Spencer posts. I'll try to keep up with other "adult" stuff like fashion and decorating too!!

Any and all prayers for a safe and healthy pregnancy would always be appreciated :) I still get all giddy and smiley every single time I make this announcement. My heart is so happy about this little person!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 34th (really?? how did this happen??) birthday to me! We celebrated while we were up north last weekend with my family- apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, fun presents, time spent with family and friends, AND an Ipad 2. Holy shoot, peeps, I never thought that would be something I would own! I still don't even have a smart phone! But, thanks to an awesome husby, I now have one and am listening to it on Pandora as we speak. We were going to go out for a nice dinner downtown tonight, but instead we decided to skip the long dinner and head to the Apple store instead. Hey, we already had a babysitter booked, and I want to make sure this thing is protected from a certain 17 month old and figure a few other things out with an Apple geek. Yea!!!

If anyone has any app recommendations or case/screen cover recs, I will gladly take them!! Yes, I already have blogger, pinterest, FB, and Pandora loaded.

I already know that this is going to be a GREAT year!

Spencer, 17 months

2011-10-22T07:17:00.004-05:00

Hey, buddy! You were 17 months old last week! It's amazing how much fun you are right now. This is the best age. You love to play, you love to communicate, you love to help, you are still really cute, and the tantrums are occasional, but very minimal. I'd keep you here forever if I could!!

We had a gorgeous Indian summer at the beginning of October, and it was nice to let you wear all your cute summer clothes just a few more times before packing them away for our long winter. You're wearing 12-18 month clothes currently. Some are getting too tight in the waist, but the 18-24 is WAY to long on your little legs. You are in size 4.5 Wide shoes- your feet are definitely short and chubby. I'm not looking forward to buying you winter boots because I've heard that fitting short chubby feet into boots isn't easy!!

Here you are "helping" in the yard. You love to pick things up and take them where ever we tell you to. You love to throw things into the garbage and shut doors. You are so excited when we praise you after doing something. It takes a lot longer to get little things done, but I know it's worth it as you are learning that everyone helps around the house and helps mommy and daddy. Your very favorite thing to do is put away shoes. You LOVE all our shoes. It's too too funny.

Your favorite things to play with are your bike, your Things that Go flashcards, your books, and your new Elmo doll. You also love cars and trucks. At daycare they say that all of you (boys and girls) love to get out the dolls, wrap them in blankets, lay them on the floor, and pat them on the back to put them to sleep. Chris says it's really funny to watch 8 of you lined up saying "night-night" to all the babies. I can only imagine how funny it is!!

(At Millenium Park playing in the fountain)

You are still working on learning words. You can say quite a few animal noises (moo, baa, woof, bow wow, doodle doo (for rooster), hop hop (for bunny), neigh, a wiggly nose kind of snort for oink, and a elephant type noise) but you don't say dog or cat or horsey yet. You say momma, daddy, mimi and bobo (Abuelo), Gigi, up, please, more, Mo-Mo (elmo), baby, night night, eat, vroom vroom, bus, bike, plane, choo choo, and a few more I'm sure I'm missing. It is really wonderful to have you communicating with us. We're really trying to teach you help because you definitely get into situations where you need us or where you get stuck, and it would be helpful to have you be able to tell us what you need. It hasn't stuck yet, but we're working on it!

You have a few temper tantrums (usually after a long day at daycare or when you are really tired), and it's mostly because you want something and we can't figure it out or because you are being naughty and we correct you on it (throwing food on the floor during dinner is a perfect example). They usually only last a few minutes and we really have to let you work it out on your own. You are definitely independent now. It is funny that if it starts in another room and we move to the kitchen or to the family room, you will get up, come over to where we are, and restart the tantrum in front of us. It's nice to know that you still want us to know that you need us and want us to be involved (even while you are screaming and throwing yourself on the ground!)

(One of your favorite things- flips off daddy or mommy's shoulders!!)

(Signing more after being flipped)

You are a sweet little guy, Spencer Young and your daddy and I feel blessed every day to be your parents. You're getting so big and if you could just take a moment or two longer to grow up, I would appreciate it!!!

Dear Katherine,

2011-10-17T12:48:00.000-05:00

Why, yes, I would love one. You are such a darling for making something so cute just for me ;)

XXOO,

aeot

Chicago Marathon 2011

2011-10-12T19:38:00.002-05:00

Marathon training is a LOT of work. I know I could never in a million years do one (let alone two, three, or twenty). I don't have that kind of mental determination, I would never take that kind of time for myself, and I don't believe that running at 0400 is any kind of enjoyable. B had some great (and not so great) training runs this year, and we both knew he was more than ready for this race. A lot of his long runs were in the 9:30-9:50 pace and he was very comfortable there. He was really, really hoping to beat his last time, and we both knew that with the training he had been putting in, it was a definite possibility.

The only problem we foresaw was the weather on Sunday. It's been exceptionally warm here for the past two weeks (70s, 80s) and the forecast for Sunday in Chicago was 84 degrees. Well, they didn't miss the mark on that one! It was HOT. When I left the hotel at 7:30 with Spencer in tow, it was so warm, I didn't even put a jacket on him. That's how warm it was that early. For those of you who don't run, this sounds wonderful. And, as a spectator, I wasn't complaining! But for B, this is about the worst thing that could happen. He, and many other runners, would rather run in 30 or 40 degree temps than in 70 or 80 degree temps. You already know you're going to sweat buckets during a 26.2 mile run, and adding heat to that means that dehydration is a severe threat, chafing can be worse, and you're a lot more tired than normal. He felt pretty much all those things on Sunday. I saw him for the first time at mile 8 and he was already saying how he didn't feel like he "had it." He didn't look bad, though, so I just encouraged him and told him he'd be fine. He gave us both kisses and kept on his way. Spence and I navigated the city (side note: crowed el trains and a jogging stroller do NOT mix; 2nd side note: I'm glad we're out of the city. I would hate doing that every day with a baby!!) and met up with him again at mile 16. I was nervous as I waited as he was behind his expected time and the text messages I had gotten from the runner tracking weren't the times he needed to PR. I saw the guy he was running with and he told me that B was "a bit behind him". So we waited some more and finally saw him. He looked exhausted. He said there was no way he was going to PR and was having a hard time even running. While Spence and I were standing there waiting, even I was sweating, and I wasn't doing a darn thing, so I know B had to be soooo internally hot. Most of the runners on the course looked way more bedraggled than at many of the other marathons I've watched.

B came in at 4:51:39, which is about an 11 min mile pace. WAY behind where he had been training and where he wanted to be. He was really disappointed with the whole thing. I felt so bad for him as it's hard to know that you have prepped, prepared, put in tons and tons of hard work, and then something you have no control over ruins your mojo. That's the way he felt- like his mojo had been taken away from him by the heat. He's always wanted to do at least three marathons, which is great because this won't leave as bitter as a taste in his mouth as it would if it were his one and only or his last. I think what has also helped him was that every single person we knew who ran had a bad run. Two women we knew who have easily qualified for Boston in the past were about 30-40 minutes slower than their average time, so B being about 30 min behind his previous time is about right. It doesn't necessarily take away the disappointment, but it does take away some of the sting.

He was happy about his little marathon gift- a new Tervis marathon tumbler. I saw it this summer and snatched it right up, knowing it was perfect as a reminder of all the hard work and dedication he puts forth during marathon season.

I'm really proud of him (and so glad that Spence was such a trouper during the whole thing!!), and I know that the next marathon will be much better. Here's to 2013!!!! (Yes, he's skipping next year and won't run another one until then)

Marathon Weekend!!

2011-10-07T10:20:00.003-05:00

Well, it's a huge weekend for B! Sunday he runs his 2nd Chicago Marathon. He is excited as he had a great 20 miler (ahead of pace) and has been feeling really good. I know he's ready, he knows he's ready, and SYT has no idea what's going on, so we're all quite excited!

It's going to be harder this time around to watch him as I'll have a stroller and toddler in tow, but I'm hoping we'll be able to see him a few times on the course! The hardest part is that B will finish right at Spence's nap time. So do you forgo the nap to watch your husband finish an amazing journey but deal with the aftermath at lunch with all your friends? Or do you miss the finish line to make the rest of the afternoon more enjoyable? I can't imagine not being there to support B, so we'll just have to roll as best we can with a mini nap while B showers and we pack the hotel room before lunch and pray that Spence doesn't melt throughout the lunch celebration.

We're leaving early Sat morning, we'll head to the expo and then go settle in at the hotel for a bit, hopefully getting some rest time/nap time in. I'd like to hit a few stores in the afternoon (have to shop when I can peeps!!) and then we'll have an early dinner at our favorite Lebanese restaurant before tucking into bed to watch the Michigan game and fall asleep for our early morning.

A few people have thought it's weird that B wants Lebanese food as his pre-marathon meal. He doesn't carbo load at all for races. He always asks for clean protein, a carb side dish (pasta, rice, or potates) and a veggie. This works for him. We'll get the mixed grill at Semi Ramis (soooooo good!), grape leaves, and hummus, and call it an evening. Clean, healthy, and delish! I'll probably even convince him to order some extra hummus and pita so that we can take it home with us on Sunday!

B ran the marathon in just under 4:30 last time (4:29:45 if I'm remembering correctly- B you can correct me in the comments!!) and is hoping to come under that time this year. I don't think he's looking to pound that time- just beat it by a few seconds to minutes. I think if he comes in at 4:27, he'll be thrilled! I'll be thrilled just to have him done and healthy! It's going to be a WARM day out there which makes me a little nervous. Runners like it cold, especially northern runners!! A 75 degree day is great for spectators but not so much for my hubs!!

B, I'm so proud of you and all the dedication and time you've put into this. Spence and I can't wait to see you on the course and cheer you on!!! We've even got a tiny token of our love for afterwards!!! If the going gets tough, just remember #it gets better (ha!) and think about that massage on Monday morning!! Love you!

Madison, part II.......the wedding!

2011-09-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

B and I at the rehearsal dinner- so cute in his bowtie!!

P&N are a fabulous couple and, really, there's nothing like going to a wedding where you just know that the bride and groom are just meant to be together.

(Great friends that I really miss!!)

Some of the major highlights of the day were:

1. Our friend's officiating. I think many of us were nervous for Parker as he has never officiated a wedding before and you just don't know how that is going to turn out. He was amazing, you guys. He gave a history of their relationship which was awesome and had spent an hour with each of them interviewing them prior to writing his ceremony, and it ended up being so incredibly personal. I don't think their was a dry eye in the house during certain parts.

(P&N after the ceremony- they had beach balls thrown as they walked down the aisle together)

2. Upon me telling P that his sisters looked gorgeous in their bridesmaid dresses, he stated "Really, I haven't noticed. I haven't taken my eyes off her (his wife) all night." Melt!!

3. Seeing N as a bride. N is a total ponytail, hoodie sweatshirt, no make-up kind of girl, so to see her with make-up, her hair done, and an incredibly beautiful, slinky wedding dress on was amazing. She definitely was the star of the show!

4. Watching P's dad do air guitar to Baba O'Reilly by The Who. Eventually all three of his kids joined him on the dance floor. Hysterical and legendary!

5. The DJ. I've never heard a better wedding dj in all of the gazillion weddings I've been to. He totally rocked and the dance floor was full ALL night long!

(Hottie C and his incredibly beautiful future wife, N)

(M&L)

6. Spending adult time with B and our friends. It was truly nice to get away (though I'm not doing it again, ever! Well at least for a lot of years!!).

Madison, Wisconsin...........L-O-V-E!!!!

2011-09-27T19:40:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful weekend! Madison was everything I expected it to be. A fabulous college town, great downtown, really good food (oh the food!!), great views down every street, and an amazing setting for a great wedding!

This, THIS, is the view from UW-Madison's student union. Seriously!!!! And there's a bar where you can sit outside and just watch this view. After seeing this I was really bummed I didn't go to school here :)

Doors on campus. Not all the buildings were this lovely (there were certainly some 1970s war buildings that were NOT cute), but many were great!

Camp Randall!

The Wisconsin Seal

The farmer's market was amazing. It surrounds the entire block of the capitol each Saturday morning. We bought muffins, veggies and fruit for the week, and thoroughly enjoyed all the football fans out in their red and white getting ready for the game. I would do this every Saturday, for sure!!

Once again, the amazing view of the lake. You could see peeks of it down some of the downtown streets and, just like I do up north, I would get so excited to see the lake. I'm such a water sign!!

We ate two meals (dinner and bruch) at Sardine (as recommended by QBS) and all of us talked about it ALL weekend. So, so, so good!! Have you ever had creamed eggs? Oh, you should!! B and I a went to Marigold for breakfast on Friday- YUM! We also ate lunch at the Old Fashioned and Dotty Dumplings Dowry. All the meals we ate were delish!!!!!

I can't believe we haven't gotten to Madison prior to this. It's a great city!! It was a wonderful weekend with our friends and a great weekend to enjoy just being married.

As for the real reason we were there? The wedding? Pics to come tomorrow!!!

Long weekend, coming up!!

2011-09-21T10:28:00.003-05:00

My mom and Ralph come tonight to stay at our house and take care of the buddy for the next 4 days while B and I head to Madison, WI for FOUR days!!!!

We're driving to Chicago tonight to stay with friends, split up the trip, and have a great dinner. Tomorrow morning we'll get up and drive 3 more hours to get to one of my top 5 places in the world that I've wanted to visit. This is a HUGE trip for me, you guys. I absolutely cannot wait!

Our plans are to walk around UW-Madison's campus, shop, eat, exercise (ahhhhhhh......so nice), hang out with friends, attend a fabulous rehearsal dinner and wedding, and sleep in (you know, til 7:30!). Darling QBS provided me with tons of recommendations for restaurants and shopping, and we can't wait to utilize them all.

Yes, I am slightly nervous about leaving the buddy for this long (we've only ever left him once for less than 24 hours), especially since he is rocking a wicked diaper rash right now and is having a disgusting amount of diarrhea, but since it's my mom that's coming down, I know he'll be in great hands and he'll love being with them. I also know we'll leave super early on Sunday in order to get back to him and smother him with kisses!!

Have any of you been to Mad-town? Do you have any recommendations for things to do? Am I going to love it as much as I think I'm going to? I can't wait to report back next week with lots of pictures!! Enjoy the rest of your week and your weekend. I'll be off the grid and enjoying every second!

2011-09-15T19:31:00.003-05:00

If only this came in a different color. I would buy it in a heartbeat. Can you imagine how gorgeous this would be in a deep teal, a navy blue, or a simple ivory? It just looks incredibly flattering and is nothing short of glamorous. Very Mad Med-esque, non? Unfortunately, I cannot pull of mustard, especially in the winter. Not good against my soon to be pale northern skin!

Five for Fall

2011-09-14T18:59:00.003-05:00

One of my faves, QBS, tagged me in a fun post to name 5 goals for the fall and nominate 5 blogs to follow in my footsteps. She is, not only, the queen of goals but also the queen of meeting them. It's a lot to live up too!!!

Here we go.....
1. Find a Halloween costume for Spencer. I am NOT a Halloween person and strongly dislike dressing up, so I don't really give this stuff much thought. However, since I've gGeot a little one at home, it's something I now have to think about every year. I currently have no ideas, so if you have a great one, let me know!!

2. Make these. Because, seriously, yum!! I also need to make Vineyard Vogue's pumpkin chocolate chip bread (one of B's faves). It's pumpkin season, finally!!!

3. Finish our two art projects we have going on (making a mirror for our mantle and a subway sign) and get another room in our house painted.

4. Get to an orchard to pick apples. I need to make homemade applesauce and stuff myself silly on Honeycrisps.

5. Get our yard/plants/gardens bedded down for winter, get all the deck furniture cleaned and put away, and put SYT's sand and water table away (maybe in the basement with rice in it).

The five people I'd like to see fabulous fall goals from?

1. Living on Call (who has a new baby on the way!!)

2. Saving the Best for Last

3. I pick pretty

4. Vineyard Vogue

5. Mrs. Preppy

Thanks for the tag, kHm!!!!

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crass, yes. But seriously, just try not to laugh. I love this!!!!

Via Pinterest

2011-09-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

God Pause for Sunday.........

"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less," LBW 293 & ELW 596 (Click to view the hymn text below.)
Nine years ago I, like many others across the country, awoke to the news that an airplane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. As I live on the West Coast, it was just after six o'clock a.m. when the second plane hit the other tower. I remember the fear I felt as I drove to work that morning. By that time another plane had hit the Pentagon, a fourth plane had crashed in Pennsylvania and we had no idea if there was more to come. That morning we gathered as a church staff in the sanctuary to pray. It was not something we did regularly, but that was certainly not an ordinary morning. We prayed for our nation. We prayed for our world. We prayed for peace and courage. We prayed for hope.

The hymn, "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less," reminds us that in the midst of a world in which acts of terror can strike fear in our hearts, God is still at work.

"In every high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."

That day and the rest of that week, it felt like the ground was shifting underneath us. Since then we have learned to live with fears of terrorism and heightened security. This hymn reminds us that our ultimate security is in Christ Jesus who gave his life to forgive our sins and redeem this world. We stand securely in Christ, trusting in his care at all times.

Most gracious God, we thank you that you are the solid rock on which we stand when the ground shifts beneath us, whether due to world events or our own mistakes. We thank you for holding on to us securely and helping us to have hope in you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Andy Taylor
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, San Diego, Calif.
Master of Divinity, 1986

"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less," LBW 293 & ELW 596

1 My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; no merit of my own I claim, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; in ev'ry high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

3 His oath, his covenant, his blood sustain me in the raging flood; when all supports are washed away, he then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, clothed in his righteousness alone, redeemed to stand before the throne!

Refrain

Current favorite books and toys at our house

2011-09-08T19:46:00.002-05:00

I have always loved it in the past when other bloggers mentioned their favorite toys and books for their little ones. It helps me to know what to look for at the stores and what to plan for for big gifts like Christmas and birthdays. Spence is almost 16 months, and these are a few of our go to things around our house.

We bought this bike for Spencer for his birthday. He loves it! He scoots around on it, climbs on it, wants us to push him on it, etc. We keep in indoors mostly and he'll scoot and scoot and scoot around the kitchen while we're working in there. He loves to say bike (seriously, it's his favorite word), so he'll get on it and say bike, bike, bike forever and ever. We debated between this and a wagon, and I think he would have liked both. I think he would like to pull the wagon around and put things in it. That's a possible Christmas idea for him.

Oh, goodness, we love Sandra Boynton around this house!! This is, by far, my favorite bedtime book to read to the buddy. Moo, Baa, La La La is another great one. If you don't have these in your bedtime repertoire, you're missing out!!! WAY better than Goodnight Moon (which I just don't get!?!?!?). We also love Thomas the Train books, Big Red Barn, Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Recordable Storybook from Hallmark (this is a GREAT idea for a niece, nephew, or grandchild!!)

Balls. Any. All. He loves to kick them, throw them, drop them, chew them.

This Melissa and Doug stacker is great. It has a ball on top (see above) and the circles in the middle are large enough that he can get the rings onto the peg. Melissa and Doug really do make great toys. We have on of their puzzles, and I know I'll be looking to buy more this fall/winter.

We received the above Tonka truck from a friend of my mom's whose boys are too old for this now. I would have never thought to buy something like this, but it's definitely Spencer's favorite outdoor toy. He likes to sit in the back and have us push him, and he likes to push it up and down the sidewalk in front of our house.

My Quiet Book is a great book for church or to have in the diaper bag. It teaches all kinds of good skills for young ones (buttoning, snaps, lacing, matching colors, etc), and it can all be done quietly!! It's a little pricey, but the bookstore up north that I frequent can't keep it in stock, it's so popular!!

These flashcards were give to us by my SIL, and I would have never expected them to be the hit they are. Spencer loves looking at them and has learned a few names/sounds already from doing them with him. There are a few others (First Words, Animals, Colors, etc) and I have to imagine they're all just as good. They're great now for learning all the modes of transportation, and they'll be great later for learning colors, sounds, and jobs.

So, these are our current favorite toys. What are yours? Anything I should be thinking about for the fall/winter?

Updates

2011-09-07T20:40:00.001-05:00

**Thank you all so much for your comments from my last post. They totally made my day. I guess if you are reading me regularly, you probably approve of most things smocked, Lilly, preppy, and the like, so it's not surprising that I got such kind words, but I do want you to know that I did really, really appreciate them. While I knew dressing Spencer more "baby-like" would be more contraversial in the north, it's nice to know that others do the same (and have gotten the same reactions, no matter where they live!!)!!

**My hair, toenails, and eyebrows are gross. We have a wedding in 2.5 weeks where we will see wonderful friends, and I need to get with the "operation don't look like a sleep deprived mother" program sooner than later. I have a dress, I have the jewelry, I have the shoes, now it's just all about the physical stuff. I've got a call into my hair lady for an apt, I'm hoping to get my eyebrows done on Friday, and I'll probably do my own pedicure this weekend or next. Let's hope it all comes together....

**I'm seriously obsessed with Pinterest. I'm here if you want to follow my boards. I know I already follow a few of you, but who else is out there? I found the most amazing (and seriously WAY easy) oreo and reece's peanut butter cup dessert today and I'm making it this weekend to take to work on Monday. I also am dying to try the (baked) pumpkin spice doughnut holes. YUM!

**Labor day came and went and with it went all forms of summer weather. I actually asked B last night if we could turn on the heat (didn't happen). It's been in the 40s the last two mornings!! I was hoping it would be a warm September, but so far, that's a no go.

**We watched "Something Borrowed" over the weekend. Very formulaic, but I still loved it. John Krasinski is definitely in my top three. He plays such sweet guys and you can't help but love him. I would hope he is as sweet and nice in real life!!

**One of the kiddos in Spencer's daycare class just moved up to the toddler class about three weeks ago. The toddler's all play outside at the end of the day, so we always walk by her as we are leaving to go to the car. Every single day, he walks up to the fence and says "bye-bye" to her and then leans in for a kiss. It melts my heart every time. Seriously, nothing cuter than toddlers kissing, and it's nice to see remembering someone. His best buddy in his class is going to move up this month and it's going to be so hard for him. Luckily he'll be moving up to the same class 3-4 weeks later!!

**B had to run 18 miles last weekend, this weekend he steps back to 14, and next weekend it's the 20 miler. Just think about that- he's going to run 20 consecutive miles because he WANTS to for four hours straight!!! Marathon training is intense and I'm really proud of him for doing it (again). I'm really nervous about being able to get Spencer all around the city while also trying to see B at at least
4 spots, but hopefully we can do it. I know it's a lot more pleasant to complete the marathon when you are being cheered on by people who love you! I also know that B's ultimate reward will be eating pizza at Pequod's after the race (we miss Chicago restaurants so much!!)

2011-09-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

God Pause for Sunday.......

Isaiah 55:3-5 (Click to view Bible text below.)
A friend who is a camp counselor taught me the phrase "Listen up!" When she uses these words she is not just getting the attention of her campers. She means, "Listen to God." In a world of noise and distraction, of banter and buzz, Isaiah whispers a profound word for those patient enough to take time to listen for God. What we will hear, the prophet promises, is an extraordinary word of God's nearness and God's faithfulness.

God of power and might, help us draw near and listen to your voice amid the shouts and boasting of this world. Where we have been too full of speech, quiet us. When we substitute our own verbosity for your words of promise and grace, help us to listen up. We remember today those who have taught us your ways, and we name them before you now; for Christ's sake. Amen.

Patricia Lull
Former Dean of Students, Luther Seminary

Isaiah 55:3-5 (NRSV)

3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.

5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

Yes, I dress my baby like a baby........

2011-09-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about this post for the last week and am not really sure how to write it. I am not into controversy, and I would never want to hurt anyone's feelings on purpose so I hope this post doesn't offend anyone. I just had "a moment" last week at church and need to get it off my chest. The "moment" has been building for awhile (pretty much all summer). I do know that I've brought this on myself. I do know that it would be easy to change this. But at what point do I get to do what I want vs what the rest of the midwestern mommies and daddies and random strangers at church think I should do?

As my (10) faithful readers know, this is my buddy. He is sweet, he is my heart, and, he is ONE!!! He is not 6, he is not 13, he is not 22, and he is not his daddy. He is still a baby, and I really, really don't see the problem with dressing him like one.

Peter pan collars? Sweet on babies. Smocking on longalls? Even more precious. Bubbles, jon jons, rompers, sunsuits? I don't care what you call them, they're appropriate when it's hot out and make him look like a little boy. I may not be jealous of the extreme heat that the south has in the summer, but I am jealous that you can take your babies out in sweet outfits and people don't look at you like you are a crazy woman who might just be trying to turn her son into a girl.

(see, even as a newborn he looked like a boy!!)

I have to say, I am NOT trying to dress my little guy up like he is a girl. I am dressing him like he is a baby. If you look at pictures from my brother 30 years ago? Same kind of outfits. Sweet sunsuits with appliques, the occasional smocked outfit for church, etc. These are classic clothes for young boys. I understand that there are plenty of people out there (especially in the midwest) who don't dress their children this way. Church clothes are khacki shorts and polo shirts, khacki pants and sweaters, cordouroys and button downs. Don't get me wrong, Spence has plenty of all of the above. He certainly isn't wearing smocking to daycare (too expensive to ruin!!) and wears very "normal" boys clothes a lot. However, there are times when I want him to look sweet and a little more "dressed", and I don't find anything wrong with that.

(bad picture, adorable outfit!)

I've heard it from some of my extended family "Oh, AEOT's got Spence in a dress again." I've heard it from B's family, "Seriously, don't they make, like, regular collars?". I heard it from a woman at church who asked my what my child's name was (essentially because she couldn't figure out why a boy would be wearing an outfit like the one he wore to church)(which was sweetly balanced out by a very darling grandmother who told my husband how sweet his baby boy looked in his cute outfit!). And I've heard it from others "Oh, he's a boy?" when he's wearing something a little fuller (as above) or something smocked.

Yes, he's a boy. Seriously, dude, my son has the BEST hair (not to brag but for a 15 month old he has his daddy's really good hair), and if he were a girl, don't you think he'd have bows in it? And not a bowl cut? And he'd be in an actual DRESS????? Shortalls snap at the crotch and have legs. They are NOT dresses.

I want my baby to be a baby for a year or two or three. Is that too much to ask? Is it really that odd that I don't dress him exactly like my husband? He has the rest of his life to dress like his daddy. Yes, he looks cute in a button down and cords, but he looks much sweeter in his smocked longalls and peter pan collars. And that sweetness will go away soon enough. Why do people feel the need to rush him through this sweet, innocent baby stage?

Listen, I don't care what you dress your kid in as long as said child is clean, so let me do my thing too. You want your baby in skull and crossbones? Go for it (Gap did it well last year)! You want your kid in a sport jersey all the time? I can totally respect that (though I may not respect your teams ;)). Your favorite kiddo's outfit says "I dig my mom" or "Daddy's little pumpkin". Totally cool. It's your sweet babe, and you are picking out the clothes that you think are cute because you know that in 4 or 5 years, you will have very little control over what he will wear (it'll only be the Superman tshirt that he has worn every day for the past week or the shirt that is getting way too small but is the favorite) and so you have to get it all in now while you can. Well, that's all I'm doing too. And, honestly, I'm going to do it no matter what others say, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt my feeling at times.

Moral of this (very long, very ranty) story? If we have 2 or 3 more children and they're all boys, I'm going to have to convince B to move down south where momma's believe in smocking!!

Harbor Springs Vacay 2011

2011-08-31T20:22:00.000-05:00

The first week of August (yep, I'm waaaaayyyyyy behind) we went up north for our second week of summer vacation. B's family from FL and OH was all there, so we spent most of our time with them (though we got to spend a little bit of time with my fam too!). The weather was amazing, the fam was great, and it was nothing short of awesome to spend 10 days in a row with B and SYT!!

What my buddy looks like on our morning walks. He is always great in the stroller in the morning (after dinner? not so much!!)

We stayed over in Harbor at a house that B's brother and his wife rented (his parents and his other brother's family stayed about 10 min from this house), and it was super close to a fabulous playground. Spence loved it and it kept him occupied for a LONG time. He loved climbing underneath things and peeking his head out to do peek-a-boo. Too cute!

(Okay, seriously, when did he grow up? He looks like he's 3 in this pic!!)

B and I went away for 24 hours down to the Leelenau Penninsula to taste wine, have a fabulous anniversary dinner, spend the night in a hotel, and, best of all, sleep in!! N&K watched Spencer for us, which was wonderful. He did so well (we were nervous!).

The weather was great, the wine was fabulous (our favorite two wineries were 45 North (their pinot gris is the perfect summer wine) and L.Mawby (all sparkling wines)).

Drinking wine in Lilly and Seersucker on a gorgeous summer day? Don't mind if I do!

We spent lots and lots and lots of time on the beach and at the pool. Spencer loves the water!

Playing on the tire swing up at Pond Hill Farm. It's a petting zoo, working farm, pick your own fruit, type of place that is just wonderful. The kids all love it! Spencer just loved the swing and sitting on one of the tractors pretending to drive.

This is N&K's daughter (our niece) and Spencer just loved staying with her. She's a really sweet baby and tolerated constant kisses from him! It was nice having another baby around as LGT and SYT often napped at the same time, so K and I were able to hang out together while they were napping. Thank goodness for sister-in-laws. Mine are fabulous!

Thanks for tolerating my picture heavy posts of late!!

Kate Spade Sample Sale!!

2011-08-31T08:02:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a new purse, a new baby bag, a new wallet, a simply gorgeous dress, or new baubles, you simply MUST check out the KS sample sale right now!!

There are some amazing deals to be had but the sale ends tomorrow, so hurry on over. Plus, with shipping at only $5, this sale cannot be beat! A few of my favorite are below.

Gramercy Park Stevie

Small Nylon Mae

Beachcomber Stevie

Maryanne Baby Bag (this does NOT look like a baby bag, does it? I just love this and the price is amazing!)

(Can you tell I'm in the market for a new black purse??)

Darling iphone 4 cover

Fabulous yellow jacket (very Betty Draper)

Darling night on the town top

If I didn't have a very similar pair, I would scoop these up in a heartbeat!!

Fabulous with a LBD or a great black cashmere turtleneck and jeans! This would be a stunner at holiday parties!

Really, really cute stuff over here, but remember, there's only one day to shop, so head on over!!

Lobster Party 2011

2011-08-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

Boy, oh boy, it was H-O-T when we arrived at the party. We got down to the beach around 6 p.m., and most of us filled up a cocktail glass and headed down to the lake to put our feet in and chat while cooling ourselves off. After about 20 minutes of feet cooling, we went up to take pictures on the dunes, refill our cocktails, have some appetizers, and chat it up with the fam.

Spencer, 15 months

Harbor Springs, MI

All the cousins together. The three older ones were so delightful with the two babies. It was lovely to see! You can see the darling lobster bows in this picture. The girls all loved them.

PGT and LGT

(different middle names though)

All smiles from my two amazing boys. God in Heaven, thank you for these two blessings. There isn't anything better than their happy smiles!!!!

A and his girlfriend, A came in from the East Coast for the party.

Family pic

About 8 p.m., my mom came up to get SYT and LGT to take them home for the night. It was definitely night night time for the little ones. We were then able to eat our lobster dinners and dance with the band. Around 9:30 the other little ones left to go home as did B's parents and one of my SIL's. The rest of us stayed to dance some more and then........the rain started!!! Not the best thing to happen at an outside party :(

Sister-in-laws make life SO much better!!!!!!

It started pouring around 10 p.m. The band had to stop playing early which was a bummer. It did cool the weather off for the rest of the week, which was nice!! We all had a wonderful, wonderful time as always!

Hysterical!!

2011-08-23T08:02:00.000-05:00

via Baby Brewing

Now this is funny!!!!

Spencer is 15 months!

2011-08-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

My little guy, how you grow so fast!!! You are no longer a baby (though you'll always be "my" baby), you are a toddler through and through.

Eating: You're still a great eater and don't refuse much. You still do your green monster smoothie every day and a milk smoothie too. Your newest phase it wanting to lick the hummus or peanut butter off the pita/toast and then give it back to me for more of the topping. It's quite comical. I'm so glad that you are a good eater, buddy! We're pretty anal when it comes to junk food (ahhhhh......first time parents!), and we definitely had to let go a bit when we were up north with all the grandparents. They definitely didn't see the need for our strictness, and I do realize that we won't always be able to control what you eat or what you like, but I do hope that giving you healthy and nutritious options now will help to set you up for better choices and healthier tastebuds in the future.

Sleeping: We're down to one nap a day, though occasionally you'll still do an extra afternoon one or fall asleep in the car on the way home from daycare. The nap can be 1- 2 hours, though once last week while we were on vacation you took a 2 hr and 40 min nap. Daddy and I both went to check on you more than once b/c we were worried! You were just WAY overtired and needed some catch up time. You are still going down around 7 or 7:30 and waking up sometime in the 6 o'clock hour.

Milestones: You got your 5th tooth this week. Finally! It's been on the verge of coming in since the 4th of July. Unfortunately for you, it meant a horrible night's sleep and a bad diaper rash. Teething stinks, little guy! Your 6th tooth looks like it'll be in sooner than later, but I'm not holding my breath.

You now know how to blow kisses, say "thank you" in sign, and have about 11-12 words under your belt that you say regularly and correctly. While we were up north, we would pass you around the dinner table to give good night kisses, and at the end of the week when we would say that it was time for night night, you would walk around the table yourself to make sure everyone got a kiss. It was adorable and oh so charming!

The other night you climbed onto your bike and balanced on it by holding the handlebars and having one foot on the seat. You wanted us to push you around like that. I am not ready for you to be a little daredevil!! Yikes! You can say bike pretty well and always point them out whenever we see them around.

Favorites: Swimming in the pool or in the lake has been a HUGE source of entertainment this summer. You (and mommy!) wish we could do this every single day. You move your hands like you are swimming and you blow bubbles without any difficulty.

I don't know if you'll ever get tired of saying "ball"! You just love them and love to point out anything and everything that looks like one.

You love to be outside and it definitely helps to calm you down when you are upset. I'm hoping you always love the outdoors, buddy!

Stats: 24 lbs 6 oz and 31 in long (47th and 49th percentiles), wearing 18 month clothing for the most part, in size 4 diapes and size 3-4 for shoes (you have tiny, chubby feet for sure!!)

Fabulous Friday

2011-08-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

Things that make me happy today........

*A cool morning (59 degrees) that required Spencer and I to wear coats to work and also allowed for a GREAT nights sleep. Even better? It's going to be 82 by the afternoon. This is my version of perfect weather! It was supposed to rain here most of the weekend, but it's looking now like we'll have some rare, scattered rain with lots of sun in between. Yea!!

*Being home for a weekend (my first one in a month) and being able to get stuff done. I do have to round both days at the hospital, but we have only a few patients to see, so I should be able to get lots of cleaning, errand running, and yardwork done.

*Hearing "Born this Way" on the radio on my way to work. I always listen to NPR in the mornings, however this morning my car was on the radio and this song had just started. Lady Gaga is one weird chick, but I do love a lot of her songs!!

*I just won a bunch of cute outfits on ebay for SYT. Yea for adorable bargains!!!!

*B is enjoying a weekend away for a bachelor party. He's SO excited. I'm excited because it means the wedding of two fabulous friends is coming up in one month!! It also means that the countdown to Mad-town is ON. QBS, I will be messaging you for area recs very, very soon!

*Ford is making the Flex in navy blue!!!!!! They obviously found my blog post that talked about it and decided to do it especially for me (tee hee!!). Now if only they would get on that wood paneling, my dream car would be waiting for me!! Nice work on the blue, Ford Motor Co. Such a classy car color, IMO.

Have a great weekend, friends!!

Babies, babies, and more babies!

2011-08-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Nope, not for me! Something must be in the water, though, because 5 people I know have recently announce their pregnancies. I am thrilled beyond belief for all 5 of them. I just love hearing this news because I know how excited the parents are, and I know how much fun they will all have being new parents (for all but one family, this will be the first baby!!)

The best part about this news is that for two of the families, I have been praying and praying and praying that they would get pregnant and have healthy babies. Both have experienced infertility and have gone through multiple rounds of IVF. One even delivered twin girls at 21 weeks that couldn't be saved and then miscarried soon after with another baby. I have no idea how hard it is for those families to be around pregnant women or to be around new babies as I haven't experienced this myself, but I cannot imagine it is easy at all. I knew there was nothing I could physically do to help these families get what they wanted (but trust me that if I could be a surrogate for every family out there, I would!), so I knew I had to pray as often as I could and with my full heart, mind, and soul, in hopes that God would answer the prayers of these families. He did, and I have said a hundred "thank yous" over the past few weeks to Him!! One of the other set of parents tried for over a year and finally were blessed with great news.

I still am praying for the health of all these little ones, and I still have one family (J!!) that I am praying for. I just really felt called to share all this wonderful news and to say thank you out loud!! There really isn't much better (in my opinion) than finding out that people who are ready to be parents are getting that opportunity!!

Lust List: Kitchen Edition

2011-08-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

Below are a few items I've been thinking about, longing for, wanting for my kitchen.

A pasta maker attachment for my kitchen aid. Good friends have one and they love making homemade pasta. B and I love to experiment in the kitchen, and with fall coming, I can totally see us using this on the weekends to make our own lasagna noodles, linguine noodles, and ravioli.

via

An ice cream maker. I'm blaming this one sorely on Annie. Her homemade ice cream recipes always look amazing, and how good would peach blueberry ice cream or peanut butter ice cream be when it is fresh, fresh, fresh. I've had a few people tell me that they own ice cream makers that they've never used and that I shouldn't get one, but that's why it's a lust list, right? And if any of you have one you never use and want to send me, you just let me know!! I'm an ice cream-aholic and dang proud!!

via

New bread pans. I've been needing new ones for awhile, and these from Williams-Sonoma always get rave reviews. I only have two big loaf pans and need at least four for my bread baking days. I have a gift card to WS, so the next time I'm at the mall, I just have to remember to pop in there!!

via

Ooooohhhhh, how pretty is this trivet?? Certainly pretty enough for a dining room table on a holiday or for a dinner party. It's certainly better than the current trivets I have (yep, that would be an old potholder!!). I get such a heady, lovely feeling when I peruse Le Crueset stuff. I want it all!!

via

New kitchen towels and oven mitts. Ours have just gotten so ratty and I'd love to send them to the rag pile and get pretty new ones so that I'm not embarrassed when people come over. I'll have to head to TJs sometime and see what I can come up with.

via

A new toaster oven. Our moms both went on and on about how awful our last one was, so we got a new one. The one we have now may look better, but it sucks (excuse my language). It's tiny, it doesn't toast well, and the tray it came with is warped beyond belief. I hate it. I really want a new one, and the one below gets good reviews without being over $200.

via

So, those are my current "wants" for our kitchen. What are yours? Do you have a great toaster and want to divulge why it's so great? Do have/love any of the kitchen aid mixer attachments? Do you have a favorite dish towel? Let's "dish" :)

Long time, no blog

2011-08-14T17:46:00.000-05:00

Just back from a week away, in up north heaven, naturally. I've been a not-so-great blogger as of late, and I apologize :) I've got a few great pictures of our week up north, I've got a few fun tales to tell, and I've got a SYT update. Hoping you all are still around, having a wonderful summer, and care to read my babble!!

Back soon!!!!

Article on BV

2011-08-02T20:07:00.001-05:00

A well written article here about Bay View. The above picture is one from the article as well as one of my favorite cottages. Truly, is there anything better than a gorgeous porch? I think not!!

No longer a skeptic....

2011-08-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

So, I've read all the posts from other bloggers, and I've heard all the hype from my friends, but no matter how many times I've looked at the books, I didn't think they even looked interesting, let alone like something that I wanted to waste my precious reading time on.

As oft quoted from Pretty Woman, "Big mistake. Big. HUGE!"

These books are frickin phenomenal. I kept saying to B in the car, "Seriously, these are some of the best books I have ever read."

I ordered them from the library and finished the first two in 4 days. I literally could not put them down and stayed up way past my bedtime with the first book because my heart was racing, my mind wouldn't shut off, and I knew I had to get to a safe stopping point before I would be able to fall asleep.

I have the third one, MockingJay, on order and am going to be miserable waiting for it to come in. I have a visceral need to know how this trilogy ends. Plus the second book ends with a HUGE cliffhanger, and one of my favorite, favorite, favorite characters is in a wee bit of trouble. Ugggg.....

I wouldn't say that these are beach reads. To me, beach reading is "I can still chit chat with those sitting next to me and then hop back into the book and then drink my diet coke and then give snacks to my babe and so forth". These books are not that way. They're so engrossing you won't be able to talk to those around you, you won't care about eating or drinking, and you'll pretty much ignore your children (bad, bad, bad mommy!!) These are the kind of books where you put the kids to bed early, hunker down in bed, and read for 3 hours straight.

I promise, you will NOT be disappointed by them. Yes, they are a science fiction type book but please don't let that stop you. The characters are well written, and I can't see people not falling completely in love with so many of them. Prim, Rue, Peeta, Cinna, and, of course, Katniss. Just writing the names makes my heart happy. Did you all fall in love with the characters from Time Travelers Wife? If so, you'll feel the same way all over again.

So, have you read them? Did you love them? Who is your favorite character? Am I going to love book 3 as much as I've loved the other two? Discuss!!

Help a girl out, will you?

2011-07-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

So, Team, UNP. It seems that I have 226 followers (though I am questioning the validity of this as I only get comments from about 20 of you!!). If you could be so kind as to do me a teensy, tinsy favor, I would really appreciate it.

So, you know that I have this son I talk about regularly. And you also know that I love to shop for said son. Well, one of my favorite online stores, Bella Bliss, is having a facebook contest and the person with the most "likes" on their picture will win $150 to spend at their store. I uploaded a ~~pretty darn~~ cute pic of the buddy from 9.5 months in one of their outfits (I have it in 3 different sizes, friends, that's how much I like it!!), and if I could get your help in voting for my picture, I could potentially get a gift certificate for new fall and winter clothing for Spencer. Sooooooo.....head over to FB (or if you are at work, mark this as unread so you read it again once you get home and then do it when you aren't blocked by your work computer), go to Bella Bliss's facebook page, and "like" Spencer's picture. You should definitely like the site once you are there too, as they often will post advance notice about sales on their page. I would really appreciate it if you would take the time to do this today!!

Thanks, friends!!

Oh, and another thought........there are a LOT of you that I have tried and tried to email over the past two or three weeks (Emily, Sarah, and quite few others) and I can't because I get the noreply@blogger.com when I try. I also, for some odd reason, can't leave a response on your blogs (which I never had a problem doing before, so why now, blogger????). I'd love to be able to respond to your comments, so if you have a "noreply" in your settings, and you want to hear back from me, check out this post so that you can see how people can more easily respond to your comments that you leave!! I'd love, love, love to get back to you all!!

These are a few of my favorite pins.......

2011-07-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Perhaps it's the fact that it has been really hot here or perhaps it's that I always dream of what it would be like to have my summers off, but the past few days, all I can think about is the sound of the lake as it comes rolling in at night, the summer breeze through the trees, and the fabulous nights when you need just a little nightie, a thin sheet, and you're just a tiny bit chilly.

The pictures below help me to dream this just a little bit further.....

Do any of you dream of a sleeping porch?

A fabulous grilled dinner!!

2011-07-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

We've been wanting to try grilled pizza for awhile, but thought it would be too complicated, too much work, and not worth the time we'd have to put into it.

Boy were we wrong!! I followed these two recipes, and they were perfect! If you've never made your own crust, it is easy and so, so, so much better than any store bought crust ever could be.

They may not have been perfectly round, but they were perfectly delicious! I can't wait to make them again with different toppings. I'd love to try one with grilled veggies as well as a bbq chicken. The crispiness of the crust and the little bit of char made it seem so much "summerier" than a regular pizza.

If you haven't tried grilling pizza before, I would highly recommend it.

So would this little guy!!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Weekly winner!!

2011-07-18T19:05:00.002-05:00

Very fun surprise this Monday evening as I was checking FB. I was the weekly winner on Salmon Cove's FB page!! The weekly winner gets a $50 gift card towards Salmon Cove products. I've blogged about the company before. The quality of the shirt I already own is phenomenal, and it's the first shirt I pull out of my closet when I need a polo (easy choice because it's navy, it's monogrammed, and it's seriously the perfect fit!!)

Pink and green!!

The Harbor Springs button down- perfect name for this up north couple!!

I would highly recommend "liking" the page on FB to see if you could also be one of the weekly winners!! Why not, right? Seriously, who would turn down this chance? Let me know if you head over there or if you already own some of their products.

Now, the questions exists, do I get a long sleeved polo, a short sleeved polo, or do I buy B a new shirt?? Any advice?

PS- Don't forget to check out their blog here!!

Fourteen Months!

2011-07-15T07:00:00.003-05:00

My dearest baby boy,

You are now 14 months old!! You are no longer a baby; you are a complete toddler. This is such a fun age. Definitely my favorite stage so far!! You are so interested in everything. It's funny to see how you differ from other babies your age. You are definitely slower to warm up to people than you used to be. You won't just immediately go from person to person. You will hide in my legs and peak out on occasion. When you are in a new situation, you will get really quiet and for the first 10-15 minutes, you just observe. You don't rush to jump in. You also aren't as smiley with strangers as you used to be. If we are holding you, you will smile and say hi or bye bye, but you don't want to be put down, and once we do get you down, you will grab a toy and play contendtedly at our feet. Once you do warm up, you start to babble, laugh, play and smile. I can tell you are very comfortable at daycare, though, because you immediately walk in and act like you own the place :)

You are walking like crazy now. In fact, we even make comments when you occasionally crawl because you just walk all the time. You definitely have moments of unsteadiness on your feet and are the definition of a "toddler". Luckily you are so close to the ground that falling doesn't bother you in the least bit, and you are really quick to bounce back up.

You have become quite the climber and will try to get up on everything. You love to be on top of your little picnic table, the ottoman, your little truck, pretty much anything! You are also learning/trying to kick balls. It's funny because as we roll the ball to you, you pick your foot up in anticipation of it coming but you haven't quite mastered the actual "kicking" motion yet. It totally cracks me up. You do love to practice it though.

You are a great eater and will eat pretty much anything. Your favorite are bananas, hummus, cheese, sweet potatoes, squash, and your spinach smoothie. We make sure you are getting 2-3 veggies a day (which really isn't a problem for you) and 2-4 fruits (again, not an issue). You are a great meat eater, and you LOVE to eat off our plates and drink from our glasses. You think water tastes a lot better from our glasses than from your sippy cup. We even bought you a Camelbak water bottle that looks like mine because you weren't drinking anything for awhile and that was the one way you would drink well!

You have gotten a little better about drinking in the past month. You will drink water from a sippy (you like your water best from the straw sippies or your camelbak) and you love your smoothies. We do the spinach smoothie every day and we do a milk based smoothie 5ish days a week. You absolutely 100% refuse milk. You won't even drink it with chocolate added! We do a whole milk smoothie with vanilla carnation instant breakfast and fruit or with banana and fruit. If we just do fruit (strawberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries) you can still taste the milk and you refuse it. We went through a long period of time after you stopped nursing where you really wouldn't drink anything and you'd only have 3 wet diapers a day. We really felt like we were at a loss. We are happy you love the green smoothies as they have a ton of spinach in them so at least you are getting some calcium that way. You also eat a lot of cheese and yogurt to make up for your lack of milk and lots of avacado for the healthy fat!

(walking in the grass!!)

Your favorite toys are definitely balls. You've mastered the word, you like all kinds, you love to throw them, kick them, catch them; it doesn't matter to you at all! You also like your bike, the slide, and our chargers for our phones. You love to push buttons on all the remotes and our phones. You've dialed some pretty weird numbers before!!

Spencer, you are a pretty good sleeper. You go down sometime in the 7 o'clock hour and you sleep until the 6 o'clock hour. We've tried keeping you up later to see if you will sleep longer in the mornings, but that failed miserably, so we put you back on your normal schedule. You vary between two naps and one nap, depending on the day and on our schedule. While we were on vacation, you were a GREAT napper. I think all the fresh air and sunshine just tired you right out.

You love to smile, you are so easy to make laugh, and you are just an easy baby. I know I say this all the time, but we are truly blessed to have you in our lives. Your daddy and mommy just adore you, and we can't wait to see the person you become. I pray for you every day and hope you are able to realize all the potential you have. I also pray that God gives your daddy and I guidance in raising you and helps us to be good parents for you!!

Love, Mommy (aka: AEOT)

Vacation, part two

2011-07-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

So.......Tues through Sunday. What did we do? Enjoyed beautiful blue skies like the one above every day!! Blair golfed Tues, Wed, and Thurs (aren't I just the nicest wife?), so Spencer and I spent time going on walks, going to the beach, and playing with balls.

On Wednesday night, Mom and Ralph watched SYT so that B and I could go to dinner. We went to the Veranda at The Perry Hotel to have a "proper cocktail" prior to going to dinner. We thought we would end up at Chandlers or Little Traverse Bay Golf Club, but the weather was perfect on the Veranda, the drinks were stiff (Arnold Palmer martinis!!), and the view was so beautiful, we decided we couldn't leave.

Pretty flowers in the garden

One of the views from our table

The other view from our table

We stayed to watch the sunset over a bottle of bubbly. Great decision on our part!!

Thursday evening we were able to head down to the beach to get a few pics of SYT in his sweet Kissy Kissy outfit that B's aunt bought him last summer when he was just a wee little lad. He had a horribly runny nose (getting teeth) and it was, perhaps, just a little too close to bedtime, but, for the most part, he was cooperative :)

Friday morning, one of the besties and I ~~forced~~ allowed our husbands to watch our lovely angels, and we went into town to shop for awhile. I got a few new books for Spence at the bookstore, almost bought a pair of Lilly shorts (am hoping they'll be on sale in a few weeks at sidewalk sales), and mostly enjoyed hanging out with NCS. Friday night we had dinner with my family and B's aunt out at her house. It was lovely. Pesto (for our third time that week- no worries, we never tire of it!) with shrimp and chicken, salad, a gorgeous berry crumble, and great wine all served on the deck.

(please excuse the obviously puffy hair/no makeup/I had to really hurry home from the beach look!)

Saturday B and I did a little antique shopping after his 10 mile run, spent time organizing all our stuff so that we could pack, played more ball with SYT, made dinner for mom and Ralph, and then joined friends at one of our favorite watering holes to toast to an amazing week together.

All in all it was a WONDERFUL week filled with sunshine (have I mentioned that yet??), babies, friends, fun, family, and lots and lots of love. I couldn't be happier than I am in my little tiny version of heaven. Amazing, extravagent, worldly vacations have nothing on being "up north". Blessed, I tell you!!

An amazing honor

2011-07-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

Today, my husband will be singing at Betty Ford's funeral service at our church in Grand Rapids. The services for Mrs. Ford were held in California (where she has spent a lot of her life) and at Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids, MI. This is the church we started attending after moving here and the church that B sings at every single week. After the death of Mrs. Ford, a call was put out to all the choir members to see if they were able to sing, and B is taking off most of the day to be able to have this amazing experience. I know he is really, really honored that they are allowing our small little church choir to sing at the previous first lady's funeral. One of President Ford's funerals was also held at our church- amazing, huh? There is a fantastic picture of the funeral in our gathering space at church that I always sit below when SYT gets fussy during the service.

I am praying that today the choir is at their best and that the family and friends of the Fords are happy with the musical performance. I am also praying for Mrs. Ford and am thanking God for her amazing life on this Earth. She was a truly amazing woman.

Vacation!!

2011-07-12T18:56:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhhh......there is NOTHING like a good vacation to get your heart, body, and mind where they need to be. While rest wasn't on the top of my priority list, not having an absolute set schedule for 10 days straight was a form of rest for me. You want to know what is also restful? Full loads of laundry with all stains gone, completely folded, and placed on our bed all of which was done by my wonderful mother!! She is an amazing person and SO great with "baby Spencert" (yes with a T)(that's what our neighbor's little boy calls him!!). She just kept trying to force B and I out of the house with just each other so that she could steal our little guy for a few hours. She is never impatient with him (even when he is being naughty) and she couldn't love him more!

Warning, the next two days of posts are going to be picture overload, so feel free to ignore them if you could care less about our little family vacay!!

The first day we were there, it was warm but slightly overcast. Not really what we would consider a "beach day". My aunt and uncle bought a new boat this spring, so we were able to go out on it Sat afternoon. It was SYT's first boat ride and he seemed to love it! I was a little nervous as I can get a little queasy on boats at times and I wondered if he would have the same issue. He didn't seem to have one bit of trouble, thank goodness. The last thing I wanted was baby puke all over the nice white leather seats!!

(The sun finally came out!)

Spencer and my mom- "Mimi"

Gorgeous boats on the bay

Saturday night my mom and Ralph watched SYT so that we were able to go to dinner with friends. It was a great first night as we were able to catch up with everyone.

After dinner we were all able to stay out a little longer and have drinks at a new place downtown. They have a great outdoor roof deck, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

After Saturday afternoon, we didn't have one even remotely bad day of weather while we were there. It was simply gorgeous! Sunday, and most days thereafter, we spent part of the afternoon (either before or after SYT's nap) at the beach with our friends and their children. Spence loved the baby pool, the lake, and the sand. He occasionally got a little testy when another child was playing with a toy he wanted, so I would have to intervene a bit. Sharing will take awhile, I think!!

Sunday night we went to Vespers with my Grandmother. The theme was patriotic music (being on July 3rd and all), and it was perfect. I feel so lucky that B is willing to attend things like this with me. Most of the members that go to Vespers are, on average, between 50 and 70 years old, but I adore the weekly Sunday night concerts and went almost every Sunday with my Gram even when I was 17, 18, 19, etc. After the concert we went to a party at SSK's parents cottage. It was so much fun!! A few cocktails later, B and I called it a night and headed home to prepare for my favorite day of the year!!

A few shots of the kiddos at the Harbor Springs Parade. Spence loved the parade. He was clapping every time a band or a float with music went by, and he would wave and wave at all the cars.

A friend of mine monogrammed his outfit and it turned out to be cuter than I could have hoped for. He had on little blue sandles with stars on them too.

B and I did the Paul Revere Run the morning of the 4th (B pushed SYT in the stroller so that he would have a slow enough pace for me to run with him!) and spent the time before the parade exploring the art show. We had a family dinner at my Gram's that night and watched a few fireworks but were so exhausted, we didn't end up seeing most of them. The first big fireworks didn't start going off until after 10:30. With a little one who gets up between 6 and 6:30, numerous late nights in a row make for a tired mommy and daddy!!

More pics (and the rest of the week) to come.....

Well, color me cherry......

2011-07-06T06:58:00.001-05:00

How many of you have heard the Pure Michigan commercials on your radio? The ones that are voiced by Tim Allen? Do you listen in your car and dream of vacation? When I was in Chicago, EVERY TIME one would come on, I would listen intently, get teary eyed about being "home" and think of all the things we were going to do on our next Michigan vacation.

Now that we live in the state, one would think that we'd get sick of the commercials or that we'd be so used to being here by now that they wouldn't tug on our heartstrings as much. Wrong! We still love them and can just picture the golf courses, the ski hills, the beaches every single time. We are truly meant to be here in this great state. (And if that makes me a sucker for a good advertising campaign, then I prefer to be of the cherry variety.)

Maybe, even if you've never been here or even if you think I'm a crazy person for living in this tundra of a state, just maybe a few of these will also tug at your heartstrings. I adore my state, and I hope that we'll always have the opportunity to live here, play here, and breathe it all in. Nothing better than Pure Michigan!

Happy 4th of July week!

2011-07-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

(via Country Living)

Wouldn't you just love to live in this house? I adore houses with porches and I love the way this is all decked out for the holiday!! Can't you just imagine it on Main Street, USA? L-O-V-E!!

How many things can I check off my list??

2011-07-02T07:38:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh........it's vacation time. Let's all just take in one long, deep breath of the great northern air, shall we? We arrived last night and after a dinner at my mom's, put SYT down for "nigh-nigh", and went on a long walk with just my darling hubby. We had a nice long drive through a few new neighborhoods last night too, but more about that later.......

So, now that we're here, what are our plans?
*Playing tennis (this will be comical as B and I haven't played in years)
*Driving range for both of us
*At least 3 rounds of golf for B
*The full gammet of 4th of July activities, including the Paul Revere Run (a 3 miler- SYT's first!), the Harbor Springs Art Show, the parade, a party on the bluff, and fireworks
*Eating an ice cream cone
*Biking from Gram's into Harbor for said ice cream (we brought the burley with us)
*Pictures of SYT on the beach in the late afternoon/early evening
*Going out on my aunt and uncle's new boat
*Getting sandwiches from Gurney's
*Morning walks with the stroller brigade
*Afternoons on the beach
*Going out for breakfast (B and I have only been out for breakfast once in the last year - Easter brunch!)
*Proper cocktails
*A Vesper concert
*Socializing, socializing, socializing!

We're here, we're happy, we've got time to refresh and rejuvinate. I'm hoping that your long weekend leads you into some happiness and rejuvination as well!! I'm promising a picture overload when we return :)

Mary, mary, quite contrary....

2011-06-30T14:00:00.002-05:00

Our beautiful hydrangea bushes are popping out flowers like champagne bubbles from a shaken bottle of bubbly. I'm not sure how it happened, but we have all three colors growing down our hill. Last summer I think we got two blooms total (we didn't plant them until July), and this summer.....POOF.....here they all come. So very pretty!!

These are just some of the blooms I cut last Friday. Still going strong on the kitchen table!

As you can see, my planter boxes and pots are doing well too!!

As for the edible stuff??

The lettuce is starting to come up

We have our first tomato

and our first pepper.

Our raspberry bushes (all that green stuff in front) are looking good and it looks like I'll have enough berries for two pies.

And our basil is growing like gangbusters! I made another batch of pesto tonight!!

I am hoping to find a gardening class or two to take this winter. I adore gardening (way more than I imagined I would, even the weeding!!), and I know there is so much more I need to learn. Has anyone taken a gardening class before? Or does anyone have a favorite gardening website or book?

I'll continue to post progress throughout the summer!

Our Sneak Peek!!

2011-06-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning we had our first professional pictures taken since our wedding. We had been wanting to do family pictures and decided to do them close to Spencer's first birthday so they could work as his one year pictures too. We were lucky to be introduced to the work of Christy Pacanowski by a friend of mine and booked her as soon as I hear she was doing a set of mini sessions. Our sitting fee was nominal due to it being a shortened session, and, if the rest of our pics are half as good as the one below, I am going to be one happy camper!!!

It's a keeper!!

Seriously, she is one talented photographer. I am now planning on doing this every other summer, for sure!!

Want to see some more cuteness??? These are our fabulous neighbors

(aren't they one of the cutest families you have ever seen? They're sweet as pie too!)

And this is the family that introduced us to Christy in the first place

Let me know if you want to see the rest of them when they're posted on her website, and I'll send you the link and the password. I'm really, really hoping she got a few cute ones of Spence. He wasn't in a very smiley mood that morning and that makes me a little nervous :( Ah, well, we'll just have to see!!

A little birdie told me....

2011-06-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

that Bella Bliss is going to have a monster sale on Wed.

Not entirely sure what it entails, but I know I will be heading over to the website first thing Wed morning to check it out. Spencer has a few outfits from them and I just love them. Made of true pima cotton, they are so soft, wash up very well (no fading!), and are almost all monogrammable! I think it's hard to find sweet, simple, yet high quality boy's clothes, and Bella Bliss definitely has great items. They also have fantastic sweaters that are pricey, but worth it for the quality. My mom found one for me at an upscale consignment boutique, and it's beyond adorable. It's a 2T, so Spence can't wear it yet, but once he fits into it, it'll be a staple!! There are also gorgeous things for girls!

Check it out and, if you get anything, let me know! I'll do the same!

Things I loved about June 2011

2011-06-26T20:17:00.000-05:00

*Spencer started walking! On Father's Day, none the less!! He was exactly 13 months and just started going. He still gets places faster by crawling, but he definitely walks a lot. I'm really, really proud of him (because, seriously, what mom doesn't think that everything their child does is just adorable!? Well, except the other new "skill"- i.e. throwing food on the floor when he is finished with his meal. Uggggg.....anyone have any ideas how to stop that??)

*My flower boxes are out of control. I have 2 colors of pink petunias plus white petunias, and they are gorgeous. Spencer loves to "help" me deadhead- I pluck the dead ones and he throws them over the edge of the deck. Cracks him up every time!!

*We have become yard nazis and are cutting down trees and pulling bittersweet vines like it's our job. I wish I had before and after pictures b/c it's amazing the work we've done. B even got up on a 28 ft extension ladder with a chainsaw to cut down a HUGE dead branch. It is fun and really rewarding.

*I made my first strawberry rhubarb pie. The lattice crust was beautiful and really good. The filling was perfect in sweet/tart balance, but I would add more cornstarch next time b/c it was a little runny still. Our guests (and B) loved it, so I'll definitely try making one again next summer.

*Our amazing hydrangea bushes. I cut a ton of blooms Thursday night and need to cut more already. They're just gorgeous. We have blue, white, and pink blooms. I love the way it looks with all the colors.

*We have three pots of basil and I've already made pesto twice! It's gonna be a good summer!

*There are only 4 days left in the month, and then it's VACAY for 10, count them T-E-N, days!!! Absolutely, positively cannot wait!!

Summertime rooms that make me happy

2011-06-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

These rooms all just scream summertime to me. I can't imagine B letting me be this bold in our current house, but if I ever am lucky enough to own a cottage, you better believe it is going to scream pink, green, and yellow with florals, checks and stripes all over the place.

Bright, bright, bright, but still warm and clean and oh so preppy.

(source unknown)

No way on earth would I ever do this to a kitchen, but, on the other hand, wouldn't you want to be friends with someone who does? So grown up girlie, so fun, so interesting!

(source unknown)

Clean lines, love the beadboard, love the limier (is that a word?) green.

(via Sunset)

This would be a lovely room for a Southerner. The ceiling is my favorite. Oh and all the windows that let in all the light. The flowers are a perfect compliment for this room.

(via BHG)

Those walls are a delicious shade of pale pink, I love the pillows, and I adore cabinets that have the inside of them painted a different color. That round coffee table would be perfect for little peanuts to run around without fear of being hurt too!!

(via BHG)

So, could you paint your kitchen the same color as your toenails? Do you adore yellow rooms? Would you put beadboard on your ceiling? Do you dream of screened in porches with great flowers?

What's going on at our house

2011-06-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

*We had a delightful dinner on the deck tonight. A little chilly here all weekend, but nice enough that we were able to eat on the deck with long sleeves on. Classic summer dinner: chicken on the grill, sauteed zucchini and squash, and pasta with pesto. Oh, yeah, and a bottle of wine. It went down well :)

*Planning a cocktail party for July at our house. Figured out a weekend tonight; now it's onto invites, planning the menu, and planning the cocktails. Can't wait to wear a fun dress and see friends!

*Our peony bush is CRAZY right now. It smells SO good. We have cut a bunch of them and brought them into the house. They're such pretty flowers. I just wish they bloomed for more than 10 days out of the whole year.

*We need to buy new pepper plants as my seeds never took off, but otherwise our garden is looking pretty good. We're going to be able to make a crapload of pesto this year as our basil is out of control!

*We've almost figured out SYT's big boy room. I'm excited about it AND I'm glad we have a while before he has to use it. It's going to take awhile to put everything into place.

*We spent a lot of the afternoon sawing down dead branches and tearing down bittersweet vines from trees. They're awful climbing vines that essentially kill the trees they're climbing in. One of our neighbors came over for awhile and lent us his saw that has a telescoping handle. It's awesome! I'm really proud of the work we've done in this specific area over the course of the last few weekends.

*I'm so glad that I like to work outside and that I love to weed. Living on the lot size we do would not be a good choice for a couple who doesn't want to devote time and energy to keeping things up. I suppose you could hire it out, but do it oneself burns a lot more calories and is a lot more satisfying!!!!

*Our flowerboxes are full of pink and white petunias, and I adore them. I ccould deadhead petunias all day long!!

*I am slightly obsessed with Pinterest. Should I be following you? MMM, you and I must share the same dream house!!

*Top Chef, can you please come back on??? I miss you.

*Craving chocolate????? Make these NOW!!!! One of the best cookies I have ever made. Soft, chewy, chocolatey, and just downright delish. People will be begging you for the recipe, I promise! Even better if you add a little sea salt to the top!

Have a great week, darlings!!!!

SYT's gonna look cute in August!!

2011-06-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

I picked these darling lobster shorts up for Spence this weekend. Won't they be perfect for the Lobster party?? I have been searching and searching for lobster stuff for him, and I bought these as soon as I saw them. L-O-V-E!!

Knowing that Michigan weather is very, very fickle, I also found a rollneck navy sweater with a red lobster on the front that is by LL Bean on ebay. I'll take it up north just in case!

My two boys will be soooo cute together. Cannot wait!

Anyone else love lobsters??

2011-06-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

Then you need to buy this from Zulily today!! It could be the cutest little themed hair clip I've ever seen!! I just bought 3 of them. One for each of my nieces to wear to the lobster party this summer. I have to say that I almost bought a 4th for me, but I restrained myself :) It's only $6.99, and at that price, totally worth it (even with shipping!!).

More lobster to come......

Anyone going to a party?

2011-06-07T07:00:00.004-05:00

If you are, here are a few cute dresses and skirt for your consideration........

via

via- in multiple colors!!

via

I just love pretty dresses. I wish I had an excuse to wear fun ones more often! My work dresses are so much more staid than the ones above. Any other fun summer dresses you love?? Or any great work dresses that you love (and I need to order?)?

Happy Tuesday!!

Pretty feet!!

2011-06-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Have you seen these darling flip-flops?

The bows are interchangeable with any grosgrain or satin ribbon you have.

They come in a range of colors- gold, white, black, pink, navy, green, aqua, yellow, etc.

They have arch support!!

And, while I've heard that the rubber can occasionally rub if your feet get sweaty, it's easy to put a little powder on your feet prior to going out for the day.

I had the darling pair above and can no longer find them anywhere. At $30 a pop, they are going to end up on my feet again this summer. They're too cute not to!!

Anyone else have them? Love them?

My newest mascara trick

2011-06-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

I've tried lots of different mascaras over time (what woman hasn't??), and I've never been overly thrilled with the results. In the past few weeks I've tried something new, and since I'm loving it so much, I thought I'd share it here.

I start with Lash Discovery by Maybelline...

The brush is really tiny so it gets all of the little lashes on the edges, and I feel like it gives all of my lashes a simple coat of black. I usually do two coats of this.

After that has dried for about 30 seconds, I add one or two coats of L'Oreal Telescopic

This adds some serious length to the already coated lashes. I have tried this alone, but it works SO much better for me with the undercoat of the Lash Discovery. Even at the end of the day, my lashes look great. I've never been as excited about mascara as I have been lately!! The nice thing is they are both drugstore finds and will often go on sale for buy one get one free, so it's a cheap venture, even though you're using two kinds.

Have you tried either of these? Do you like them? Do you have a different favorite? Do share!!

Summer is HERE!!

2011-05-31T20:50:00.000-05:00

This LONG weekend was just lovely. Friday night we stayed in and made a good dinner at home. Saturday we both did outdoor runs (he did 7, I did 4.5), ran a bunch of errands, cleaned and did laundray. Sunday we went to church in the morning (I sang with B and the choir this week), and when we got home N&K (B's brother and sister in law) were here with their new baby, Leah. They came up to visit as K is still on maternity leave, and they needed to get out of town for awhile.

After they arrived on Sunday we went over to our newest neighbors' house to hang with them and their families and friends for awhile. They were supposed to have an outdoor bbq, but unfortunately it started thunderstorming just minutes before their party. So we hung out inside instead and had a ball. The bbq'd smoked pork was the BEST I've had, EVER. So, so, so good. We've already hit them up for the recipe as B and I have a stovetop smoker and love to use it! We came home after a few hours and B&J came over for dinner. We had beef tenderloin, grilled corn, grilled new potatoes, and broccoli. I also made a angel food cake with lemon curd and strawberry sauce. It was nice to just sit around and chat with everyone!!

Monday morning the boys went golfing so K& I took care of the babies, went on a walk, and ran an errand. We all had lunch together and then were outside the rest of the afternoon. The weather was FINALLY nice, so we were able to plant the rest of the flowers, blow up SYT's little pool, put together his water table, and then just sit around on the deck and hold the babes. I adore K (B's sister in law), and it is always so amazing to have her around. We are similar in a lot of ways and get along so well. It's lovely!!

We went out for dinner Sunday night and, since it was 90 degrees here, I was able to "go out with" Lilly and Jack. Yep, ladies, it's officially summer!! That probably means I need to PUT MY SWEATERS AWAY!! Ugg.....I hate switching clothes for the season. It just reminds me that I really need to purge some stuff and also reminds me that I really have very little clothing options right now.

Because I can't go a few weeks without sharing news about the little guy......here are a few pics from Monday. You can see all four of his teeth in these pics.

Happy, happy babe!

Constant drool, constant hand in the mouth.....I think a 5th tooth is coming soon!!

So interested in grass, leaves, flowers, trees. He loves being outside.

Combing his hair (backwards). He always takes the comb from me and tries to do it himself. Too cute!

I hope you all had lovely weekends as well. Here's to a super short work week and hopefully a great summer to come!!