Resplendent

What's Missing Here?

2012-01-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

Beej volunteered to do all the grocery shopping and run quite a few of our usual errands once Adon arrived. "At least through Christmas" is what he told me. What a great guy huh! I knew I had a few months where I didn't have to juggle two kids and bags of groceries!

I have been very thankful for this act of love from him! When it was just Grace and I, we'd make a morning out of it, running tons of errands on the same day. She loved her car seat and was pretty entertained as long as we were out and about. I wore her in the ergo while grocery shopping until she got big enough to sit in a cart.Yes, I was that mom, sweating as I bagged groceries while wearing Grace, but it worked for that season! I would just nurse her in the car and she'd konk out on the ride home, and usually stayed asleep once I whisked her inside the house. Even now, if she's in the car for a long time, she'll just fall asleep.

Adon, so far, does not share his sister's love for car seats. This is unfortunate and something that I hope gets better as he gets older. I've heard friends tell stories of how their kids screamed the entire time, every time, they were in the car. We're nothing near that, thankfully! But it's just obvious he prefers to be out of it, held up, looking around more. So far, I've ran quite a few errands with just the two of them, but nothing like the marathon mornings I used to plan.

Anyway, this was one of the times Beej took Grace out with him to run errands. He made it all the way to Target before he realized he'd packed her in the car without any shoes! I don't think either of them cared. Usually she loves getting out with her Dad because of all the extra attention and treats she gets!

InLinkz.com

Grace's 2nd Birthday Party Pages

2012-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here are two pages I created to capture Grace's 2nd Birthday. A couple of the new products I purchased and used were the pennant banner stamp, which I love, and Amy Tangerine "A slice of the good life" cardstock shape. The little "Happy Birthday" Elephant card I have been saving since shortly after she was born. I picked it up at a local second hand store's card boutique area and knew I wanted to include it somehow. See, I've been thinking about this album for a long time! I have five, count 'em, FIVE pages done already and it feels great to finally be putting it all together.

I still want to hear your own ideas about how you capture family memories!

InLinkz.com

I Was THAT Kid...

2012-01-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I would save my money all summer long to buy...school supplies! Yep. That's right. School supplies. I was that kid perusing Sprouse Ritz for several hours drooling over all the pencil boxes, hot pink sharpeners, and Lisa Frank tape. Seriously folks, I don't even know what to say. I asked my mom why she let me waste all my hard earned allowance on that stuff, but I guess there was no stopping me. If I remember right, I even roped my dear childhood friend, Audrey, into going with me and using all her money to buy school supplies as well. A natural leader I tell ya!

Fast forward many years and I was still addicted. Only as an adult, you know...it's called scrapbooking supplies, and it's an acceptable hobby. I was in paper heaven! I loved pretty paper, stamps, embelishments, you name it. Only I mostly bought and hoarded stuff. I would make cards occasionally for friends, and I even started a wedding album. Good intentions at best.

But this year, I am determined to put Grace's album together and start one for Adon. I have several little books that I've filled with memories of Grace over the last two years and Adon's first journal is already starting to fill up. You know, all those little details and sayings you just don't want to forget. I want to include as much as I can to along with the photos in their books.

Thank goodness God blessed me with a man who also loves office supplies. We can never have enough pens here in the Stockman household. He understands my love to create and wholeheartedly encourages me to use my birthday/Christmas/extra money to be artistic. So I splurged right after Christmas and ordered some things from Two Peas in a Bucket. I couldn't wait for the box to get here. I've already used several things just working on Grace's and Adon's albums. I've got a good start, and this is one of the projects that brings me joy, so I want to keep it up. I love the process. There's something fun for me in taking photos, editing, and then putting it all together in a creative way. It's one of those things that I enjoy simply because.

Anybody else out there love paper? How do you store your photos? Did you create any kind of albums for yourself or your children?

One Little Word

2012-01-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

Last year, one of my friends chose three words to focus on in 2011. Those three words summed up what all her resolutions were about. I have always been a big goal setter, and I loved the idea of narrowing all the resolutions and goals for a new year down to the very root at what you're getting at. Then, this year, I was inspired by Allie Edward's challenge to simplify even more and choose just one word.

So, I've been thinking and praying about this for a while. What is one word that I want to describe this new year? When it's over, what do I want to look back and see the most of? What's one word that can sum up what most my resolutions and goals are hoping to bring about?

I kicked around a few other words the last few weeks, but finally settled on JOY. I want to have more joy this year. In fact, I've been praying that 2012 will be the most joyful year I've had yet.

The last few years have been filled with a lot of heartache over losing loved ones, a lot of blessing in the birth of our two children, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of tears, a lot of date nights and long conversations, a lot of sweet memories made with family and yes, there's been joy. BUT, I just feel there could be so much more!

Have you thought about what you want out of this year? What is your one word for 2012?

36" Helium Balloons

2012-01-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

It's so much fun taking pictures with ginormous props! When Grace turned one, I ordered one GIANT balloon and we had fun taking pictures of her with it. This year, of course, we ordered two GIANT balloons and headed to the park to carry on the tradition. We have the usual cake and presents, but I love that we've incorporated something else that's special about her birthday. We did this the day after her party. It's amazing to me how much she's changed since then--just two months ago! I want to do this with each of my children until they hit five years old, at which point, five balloons may lift them off the ground. These things really are that big!

Do you have any fun birthday traditions you practice with your children?

Grace's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-11-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

Grace turned two on October 26th, but we waited to throw her a party for a few weeks until my brother and sister-in-law could make it up here from Sacramento. Here she is, deer in headlights look, as we sang Happy Birthday to her. We'd been talking about her party for awhile, but she still seemed pretty surprised by the whole thing. Once I asked her "what would you like" and she said "a bike". Well, we'll have to keep working on that one, but she did get a ton of gifts and enjoyed all the extra attention.

This was, of course, the only picture of her and I that didn't turn out really blurry. What can I say? She's two!

Philippians 4:4-7

2011-11-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

The first three weeks after Adon was born were wonderful. He was nursing well, Grace was loving on him, there was tons of family around to visit with, etc. I felt so great I was walking every other day, enjoying the last of our nice Fall weather. I was so thankful for how many prayers God had answered positively concerning Adon. I remember telling Beej, “With every baby I just fall more in love with you”. And I was already daydreaming about more children, imagining myself loading them all into a large vehicle and driving them to the park.

Somewhere around week four the bubble burst. Adon was still eating every three hours around the clock. No long stretches for him at all, which meant the most sleep I’d gotten by then at one time was around 2 ½ hours. The lack of rest finally caught up with me, and I felt like I hit a wall. I made and broke plans all week because I was just too tired. My attitude plummeted. It wasn’t “oh Beej, I love you so much” anymore. It was more “how come you’re not reading my mind to help meet my needs”. Suddenly I was wondering if I was ever going to get any sleep or feel rested, and my thankful heart was long gone.

It is amazing to me how having a newborn (or any life changing event) can reveal weaknesses in my heart, my marriage, and the way I look to and think about the Lord. All that junk was already there, it just took a few sleepless weeks to draw it out. I did need rest—way more of it. But I needed Christ even more than I needed sleep.

Beej brought me a beautiful bunch of flowers, and we shifted gears. I pumped and Beej gave Adon a bottle for his midnight feeding. I let a few friends know that I desperately needed prayer. I got a little more sleep, and I memorized Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I needed rest that only Christ can give. I needed my mind to stop racing with all I "had to" get done. I needed to stop doing everything out of my own strength and lean on His. And you know what, I feel a whole lot better.

In other news…

We’ve begun reading Timothy Keller’s “The Meaning of Marriage”. Perfect timing considering everything I mentioned earlier don’t you think?! We’ve made it through chapter three and already there have been some good and difficult conversations. It’s really causing us both to think a lot and stirring up a desire to grow more. I am looking forward to making our way through the rest of the book together.

I also read a great article about grief which I recommend even if you haven’t lost someone yet. It’s helpful to know how to encourage those who have. And another about cultivating a restful, quiet heart which I found incredibly convicting! Check ‘em out and pass them on.

We’re having Grace’s party this Friday. Just a small, low-key family party with cupcakes and a little cake I whipped up. But the big surprise I’ve been working on is a play kitchen. I scored two beat up nightstands that have taken me forever to transform. I am just hoping to have enough time to get it done by Friday.

And that's it for today folks. Hope your Thursday is going well!

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

We took Grace and Adon trick-or-treating downtown this year. It was incredibly windy though, so Beej whisked Adon back to my mom’s house. I feel very safe when Adon's in uniform...

My little watermelon was somewhat apprehensive at first. I don’t think she really understood what was going on. She just kept staring at all the other people in costume. After a few stops though she got the hang of it and was gung-ho about filling her bag with candy!

She likes chocolate, but hasn't had much candy in her two short years. This is her first sucker and boy, did she sure enjoy it! She has since forgotten all about her bag of treats, which just means there's more for me!

Psalm 116

2011-10-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

I love when this happens, which hasn’t been very often—maybe a handful of times. The first time was when Beej and I were dating. We met up at the end of a long day, both ready to share a verse that God had used to really convict us each personally. It was Proverbs 3:5-6, the verse on my sidebar. We’d both read it that morning separately and felt God was saying it was especially for us in that season. I remember being amazed and so thankful for that confirmation.

So, I shouldn’t have been surprised last week when Beej sat down to share a verse with me that he thought was fitting for the season we’re in right now.

It’s Psalm 116 and what he didn’t know was that this verse is one I’ve read over and over since July. I already felt it was the verse for the season I was in personally, so I love that God also pressed this specific psalm on BJ’s heart as well.

Over the last several months, I’d focused on verses 5-7.

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, o my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

But I was struck again when BJ read this aloud by the verses that directly follow.

“For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”

When my grandma died in March, although I grieved for her, her death made me think more of my dad than ever before. It was like taking me back to the first few months after he passed away, and it was awful, all over again. I don’t think I have ever felt so low as I did in those first few months after she died.

On top of that, I was busy growing a baby, and I couldn’t help but wonder at the fact that I was pregnant again and another loved one was gone. I felt tired, both physically and emotionally, and there seemed to be a giant to-do list running constantly through my head as we helped family and began busily anticipating and preparing for our little boy.

As usual, God is so good and patient with me. He really used this psalm to gently remind me of all there is to be thankful for. That I do indeed still walk in the “land of the living” and therefore need to celebrate being alive! He has indeed been my refuge, my comfort and at times my only joy in the midst of sorrow.

I guess this is all to say that there are times when we all feel alone and overwhelmed with our circumstances. We feel like no one understands what we're going through or how much we have on our plates just getting through the day. If you have Christ though, you are NEVER ALONE. He goes before you in all things. He is worthy of all your love and trust. He orchestrates all things in your life for your good. We cannot always know how, but we can choose to trust in God and let His peace be what carries us through each day.

I just want to encourage you to choose joy. Life is so short and time goes by quickly. So choose to live with a joyful, thankful heart. Focus on what you have, the ones you love, others around you, and on the Lord, if you know Him.

Thursday Morning

2011-10-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Adon was a bit of a night owl last night, so I was tired this morning. Grace too has been waking up often at night. I’m hoping she’ll get it all sorted out soon and go back to sleeping peacefully throughout the night. But this morning was fun…and productive. Two things I wasn’t expecting considering no one really slept all that well.

I pulled out some new water color paints for Grace to try out. This is the first time she’s ever painted—and she spent 2 hours painting at the table, completely enthralled with it all. And so was I! I should’ve pulled the paints out months ago. At first she was a little hesitant, then she let loose and even painted the table. That’s when I pulled out a really old cookie sheet and had her just paint on that.

Then she wanted to help me wash dishes—which is really her just playing with bubbles in the sink. This is a favorite pastime for her. She also helped me vacuum the whole house. Her job is helping roll up the rugs. It’s such a fun age because she loves to help with whatever I’m doing at the moment.

Adon just hung out the whole time. We all ate a snack together and then they both went down for naps at the same time. Hallelujah! Not everyday will be like today, but man am I thankful when it does go this well.

He's Here!

2011-10-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying our little boy for a whole week now, and the time has flown by.

Let me introduce you to the newest little Stockman...

Adoniram John

He arrived at 4:51am on October 4th, 2011, weighing 7lbs. 4 oz., 20 inches long.

We are going to call him Adon for short since Adoniram is a mouthful for most people. It's been hilarious to hear the number of ways people try to say his name.

We named him after Adoniram Judson--a man whose life story and testimony point to the goodness and glory of God. And John, after my dad, who I miss dearly during this sweet time and wish that he was here to share it with us.

Grace was pretty excited to meet her baby brother. Can you tell? She didn't stop moving for any of the pictures.

At my 36 week appointment she watched the midwife measure my stomach and check the baby's heartbeat. She then patted the table like it was her turn. Sure enough, we put her up there, she leaned back, lifted her shirt and let our midwife give her a little checkup as well. It was really cute and for the last few weeks she'd been measuring my stomach with my sewing measuring tape whenever the mood suited her. So far, she's been really sweet with Adon, kissing his arms whenever she gets a chance and asking to hold him often.

Adon got a little sun exposure to help with jaundice. Thankfully, his first few days home were nice out. He's doing well now, and his bilirubin count never got as high as Grace's did when she was first born.

I am so thankful for so much and feel that God has been so good to bless us with this easy going little boy. We are loving every minute with him!

30! Years Old

2011-09-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yes. 30. Yesterday I turned 30. I'm going to have to keep saying it because I still can't believe it!

I woke up a little sad and missing my dad, wishing he was around for this milestone. But as the day went along, it got better.

Allow me to brag about my husband for just a moment. Beej did an amazing job of making a difficult day extra special. On "Kate Eve" (his words), he surprised me with two books. On my actual birthday he tried to let me sleep in--I only say tried because at this point in my pregnancy, I'm just not sleeping that great. He gifted me "Young Victoria" before leaving for work. He walked through the door later that day with a beautiful bouquet of flowers--I LOVE flowers! He brought home my favorite pizza (we are going out to celebrate on Saturday night) for dinner and chocolate covered gummi bears for dessert (technically these were from our little boy who also loves chocolate). He wrote me a beautiful letter that, as usual, made me cry. After eating, he gifted me a pair of earrings I've been wanting. He curled up and watched my new movie with me after we put Grace to bed. When I turned back the covers at the end of the night, I found two magazines--one on parenting that I wanted a subscription to (this was from Grace). And I didn't change a single diaper while he was around!

Really, thank you so much Beej for making my 30th birthday one I will remember sweetly.

Do birthdays make you think back on your life? Do they make you think about the future?

2011 Ferndale Fair

2011-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

All my memories of going to the fair as a kid are good ones. We went in the evening and each of us kids got to choose three rides to go one. My favorite was always the super slide. In high school I went with friends, riding the ferris wheel with a death grip hoping I wouldn't pee my pants in fear as my more exuberant friend rocked our seat the entire time. I am not a fan of heights or rides that are thrown up and torn down within a weeks time! I took Grace on Monday--the first time I'd been in years and years. If I wasn't eight months pregnant, I would've loved to try the super slide just one more time!

Grace is just like her mama and loves to dig into a nice, soft pretzel...

We hit the dime toss, tried the merry-go-round without success (they took a little too long to get the ride going and Grace changed her mind), scoped out the bunnies and then started to crash around 1:30pm.

No sooner had I started the engine and Grace had konked out. She was SO tired. This kind of small town stuff is so much more fun with my own daughter. I love making memories with her--even if I'll have to remember all these early years for her!

Week in the Life 2011

2011-07-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

I'm following along with Allie Edwards and taking her "Week in the Life" Challenge right now. She's a talented "Memory Keeper", writer for Creating Keepsakes, and has a passion for photography and digital art/media. I found her blog who knows how and have really enjoyed and been inspired by her stuff. Go check her out!

I started Sunday. I just took my camera around with us everywhere we went, documenting all that we did. I think I took around 125 photos just that first day! I'll be taking photographs of what's happening from Sunday through Saturday and then working them into a small album the following week. The hard part will be narrowing them down and telling a story with them...ok, who am I kidding?! The hard part will just be following through and completing this project, which is a finished album of the week, but I'm looking forward to that part too.

Here's a bit of what's been going on so far...

Happy Birthday Dad...

2011-07-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is a really silly photograph of my dad. We'd gone up to Tillamook for Thanksgiving in 2007. My folks had moved up there for my dad's new job. They'd never lived that far away from all us kids before. It was difficult for them, but as my mom said later, "It made us rely on each other in new ways that we hadn't for a long time". We'd toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory. My parents had actually been saving this thrilling adventure for when we all got up there--it's a very small town. But back to the silly photo. It's perfect. He was a total ham. He was light-hearted, loved to laugh, was always encouraging, and looking on the bright side of things. He listened. He wasn't perfect, but on the whole, he was a wonderful dad.

Losing him is always hitting me in new ways. I remember about three weeks after he passed away when it struck me that that was the longest time I'd ever gone without speaking to him. Only I never would again. Now, a little over two years later, I think often about how much he loved me. How he was one of the few people in my life to love me unconditionally, who really knew me, got me and had always been there. Good parents are a gift from the Lord. And my dad was a HUGE gift to me.

We went out to dinner in honor of him last night and shared a few stories about his past birthdays. Most of the gifts we gave were "Best Dad" t-shirts from Montgomery Wards, golf tees and balls, or we'd chip in a little on a new club he'd been eyeing.

But one year was awful. The worst. I realized around 10:30 at night that I'd completely forgotten to call him on his special day. I felt terrible. By then it was way too late to call because I knew he had to get up incredibly early for work the next morning. The next day I spoke to my mom. NO ONE remembered his birthday. Not one of his kids--and there are four of us. I don't know that I've ever felt worse about disappointing him. I called the next day, only to make it worse, because I felt so bad that I cried on the phone while apologizing and telling him Happy (Belated) Birthday. He was great about it, totally brushed it off, and made it seem like it was no big deal--which as you know how those things go, only made me feel worse!

My dad would've turned 54 years old today. How I wish he was here so I could tell him how happy I am to honor and celebrate the day he was born! So Happy Birthday Dad! I'm loving you, missing you, and thinking of all the things I'd say if you were still here.

This & That

2011-07-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I was hoping to show you the last of Grace's room sometime last week, but...it will be a few more days.
We had her first major temperature scare the Sunday before last. At church, she was her usual happy self when all of a sudden her cheeks turned flaming red and a moderately high fever followed for the next 16 hours. She has been getting four teeth the last couple weeks, so that may have been the cause. Her fever was gone by the next morning, but it took a couple days for her to seem back to her normal easy-going self. She had the flu twice as an infant, but never had a fever for what seemed like no reason at all. And I can't even remember the last time she was so tired and listless that she fell asleep in my arms by 7pm. A little scary for this first time momma!

In the midst of that, we had our regular week stuff going on, a visit with some dear friends from L.A., plus we were getting ready to go camping for a few nights with good friends last weekend.

Needless to say, I had little time to do anything else other than take care of my sweet baby girl, clean up around the house and pack and prep for our weekend trip. Hope you had a good week/end and that this week is treating you well so far!

The Nursery: Curtains

2011-07-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Grace's curtains are just one more DIY project I really enjoyed working on. I am naturally more drawn to neutrals, and I love white, so it was a fun stretch to incorporate a lot more color into her room. One way I did that was to make her curtains myself.

I have always liked the style of Pottery Barn's Ribbon-Tie Curtains. And one perk of this curtain style is that it required less fabric than full length panels would have. Each panel is 36 inches wide and 63 inches long.

Does anyone else out there love Amy Butler's fabric designs? I picked out this fabric for Grace's room months before I had her and then ordered it long after she was born and we'd moved into our new place. I just loved that there was grey and green with just a hint of pink. Call me old lady, but I do love floral prints, at least the more modern, large designs.

The pink ties were kind of a happy accident. When I measured to order the fabric, I only thought about the front ties, not realizing until after I'd cut everything out that I would need to sew four fabric strips for each window panel. Measure twice, cut once is a lesson learned!! But I do like how they turned out and the pink is just an added bonus, some cheap fabric I'd had on hand.

The rod was a $2 find from Ross that I spray painted.

And I really have to give credit to my mom, because this is just one of a couple projects she helped me with as I put Grace's room together. I'd been having a lot of trouble with my sewing machine just before making these and I was fearful of ruining the fabric somehow. I did not want to have to spend more, so it was Mom to the rescue. She loaned me her old one, and stayed for a couple hours to make sure I didn't have any other problems getting things going. I am still such a beginning sewer! And her sewing advice over the phone to me is like my computer advice over the phone to her--it's just so much easier to explain and show someone things in person!

Loleta Race: Jim Davy Run / Walk

2011-07-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

This was me and Grace after I ran in May's race--the two mile in Loleta. I didn't want to do it. I honestly thought about how if I hadn't already committed I would just rather sleep or make breakfast at home. But I went, and as usual when I feel that way, was glad I did--especially since June raced by and no race!

It was pretty cold and there was just a small group running the two mile. The course went down a little paved hill onto a road with wall to wall blackberry bushes. It smelled great, until I had to run back up the little hill. I felt okay running, but looking at my time, I was super slow. Two miles took me 21 minutes! Wow. I ran the whole way, but knew that would be my last time I'd run a full two miles. I scaled back to walking around the same time in my pregnancy with Grace. All the movement just puts way too much pressure on my bladder--and it's hard to run when you feel like you have to pee the whole time--just sayin'!

It felt great to cross the finish line and Grace, who was patiently waiting for me at the end, raced out of her daddy's arms and straight for me right before I reached it. It was really sweet.

Here's my race record so far:

January - Clam Beach Run - 3 miles

February - out of town during race weekend

March - missed the Foggy Bottoms Run b/c we were in San Diego helping with family

April - INSPIRE Race - 2 miles

May - Jim Davy Run - 2 miles

June - no time, which is a poor excuse!!

So, my record is 3:3 for 2011...and it will only get worse! I will be walking in anything else I enter from here on out, and I won't be running any races right after I have the baby, probably not until after the new year.

How are you doing with your own personal challenges? I'd love to hear about them!

The Nursery: Reading Corner

2011-06-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite things are all tucked into this one little corner of Grace's room.

One of the reasons putting her room together was so much fun for me was because I got to learn some new skills and practice some old ones along the way: re-do quite a bit of furniture, sew some stuff, and build with a saw. Maybe you can relate...I am always seeing things and thinking, "I think I could make that for cheaper...if I only knew how". And I am telling you, if I can do it, then so can you!!

This time around, I enlisted the help of my mom who has a talent for working with wood. When we were kids she was often out in the garage, working on her saw, making creative stuff, and hosting bazaars to showcase and sell all that she made by hand...but it had been a long time (something like 15 years) since she'd made anything new. It was a fun for me to spend an afternoon learning from her.

My inspiration were these adorable, but expensive shelves from Pottery Barn Kids. They're originally anywhere from $34 to $59 dollars--each!

We sketched out a template for the sides, figured out all the measurements and then hit the local lumber supply store to get what we needed. Mom fired up the scroll saw, and we set to work.

I realized even in writing this that you could easily get some scrap lumber for a project like this, it just didn't cross my mind at the time to ask around for some. But even after purchasing all the supplies we needed, each shelf cost just under $12 to make.

After she showed me how not to lose any fingers, it was my turn to give it a shot. I got to learn how to use a scroll saw and a drill press. I am honestly really excited about this--it was a lot of fun, and something I have wanted to do for a long time. I think it's the idea that you really can hurt yourself with this kind of equipment that kind of scares me, so I was really appreciative that my mom was there to step-by-step show me how to work both machines. Now I feel like I know what to do and can tackle other projects all myself if I want to.

Then came all the gritty details: filling holes with wood putty and cracks with wood glue, sanding, priming and painting.

After a friend saw the shelves, she told me she found a template on Anna White's website for something similar. So, if you like this look and want to make some similar shelves, but need step by step instructions, let me send you over there for help.

The shelves are now filled with her daddy's old kid books, special stuffed animals from Baba (my mom), baby books, and an adorable hand sewn teddy bear we got from our dear friend Shelly.

Another favorite piece in this corner is the homemade lion face artwork. Grace's Auntie Lola created it for her as a gift (for Christmas, I think!?). The other frames are all clearance/second hand finds I spray painted and then filled.

On the chair is one of my all time favorite baby gifts--it's the vintage looking handmade quilt from my best friend's mom, Holly. Brown picked out all the fabric and couldn't have shown me more just how well she knows me and my likes. I adore it, even though it really belongs to Grace....

The fish pillow is another newer favorite because I took Grace to pick out some fabric for a little pillow I wanted to cover for her. As soon as she saw this in the store, she literally would not let go of the bolt of fabric and carried it all by herself to the counter. She LOVES fish.

And the touch lamp was a $15 clearance score from Target. I didn't even realize it had three settings until just before I had Grace, but man has it come in handy! All those first few weeks of nursing at night--I couldn't do it without a light. Believe me, I felt like we were both slow learners, but eventually we got the hang of it and this light with it's super low first setting was very helpful to have.

We've spent a lot of time in this corner, nursing and reading and whiling away lots of close time. It's one of my favorite spots in the whole house.

I am linking up this week with The Shabby Nest so scoot on over there to get more home/decor inspiration!

Another Anniversary

2011-06-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Beej came home Friday night with my some of my favorite flowers.

Saturday morning, we made a big breakfast and afterward, Beej was outside playing with Grace while I cleaned up a few dishes. I looked up and there they were, Grace on Beej's shoulders, waving to me through the window above the sink, enveloped in sunlight, obviously enjoying each other. And all of a sudden, my thoughts burst with memories of my dad and my heart flooded with another terrible longing to see him again, speak to him again, tell him I love him just one more time. It was just seeing Beej and Grace, knowing my dad did the same thing with me, with each of his children--delighting in us, spending time with us, loving us that struck me. And I cried...on our anniversary...a lot.

Beej kindly gave me a few minutes to myself while he took Grace to pick me up a special coffee. But before they took off, he handed me an envelope. It was a love letter, and it was beautiful.

"To my bride of six years ago today,

Today is our wedding anniversary, and according to tradition, it is the anniversary of iron. The first anniversary is paper, the second cotton, the third leather, the fourth moves to silk, and as last year's gift of a redwood vase had shown, the fifth is wood. To me at least, the progression seems to move in a dance of the various characteristics and attributes of marriage: paper--thin but worth celebrating nonetheless; cotton--beginning to take shape in being knitted together but still permeable; leather--worth assembling a book of memories out of as the story starts to take shape; silk--romance rooted in four years of promises kept; wood--like a tree deepening its roots further in God, one another and family; and now iron...

Did you know iron is actually soft, but it can be significantly hardened by smelting it with something such as carbon? For instance, mixing carbon with iron can be up to 1000 times harder than pure iron. Why this scientific segue on iron in an anniversary letter? Because smelting must take place in high temperatures, and I think that is an appropriate metaphor to mark our sixth year of marriage.

I was thinking of the smelting process our marriage has been through--high temp sadness and high temp joys...all of this--this furnace of trials and blessings in marriage--over the years is producing a more ironclad relationship.

But what truly makes our marriage strong--though not easy--and where the real smelting strength comes from, is in covenanting together to love each other forever in Christ and before our God. What makes our marriage and this anniversary of iron, 1000 times harder than pure iron, is not carbon, but Jesus....

He has never failed us once in anything that has occurred in our marriage, and he will never fail us as long as we live. I will fail and you will fail and the circumstances of life and other people will fail, but we will trust Jesus who never, ever does, and we will root our marriage in the never-failing, covenanted love that we promised and strive to live each and every day tethered to that magnificent vow....."

I sobbed my way through it--twice. Over the years Beej has written me many things, but as our marriage lengthens and life moves forward, and I think after losing my dad, all of life's little moments have so much more meaning. There is more to the letter, but that's about all of it that I want to share. Oh how I love my husband. Not because he's perfect, but because he is committed. To God first and to me, and I am so thankful for this.

The Nursery: Changing Table

2011-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

I found this adorable dresser while wandering through a bunch of craft booths one afternoon with my mom in Arcata. Coated in chippy oil based paint, it was a beauty with a lot of potential. I think I fell in love with it's curvy top drawer and legs. It just spoke femininity to me, and I wanted it for Grace's room. It was the first big thing I bought for her once we'd found out I was pregnant with a little girl.

I had to called the owner many times to see if it was even available. It took awhile, but eventually I was able to track her down and get what I thought was a good deal for it. She was asking $85, but sold it to me for $65. I was so excited to begin planning something for Baby Grace that I would've paid the full price if she'd really stood firm. Lucky for me, she didn't!

My mom diligently sanded it down for me. Then I primed and painted it Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace, fixed it up with some knobs (never really finished the pulls!) a friend had recycled to me and that was that.

Grace's sweet little changing table looked like this, sadly, until this last April. Even though she's so big now that I don't change her on it anymore (the dresser top is only a little over 30 inches long--I had to order a shorter than average changing pad to use on it), I really wanted to finish the project. And I know I'll use it a lot more once The Mister arrives. Don't despair if you have a lot of unfinished projects--just keep plugging away until they get done. It took me 18 months to complete this. Hope that makes you feel better!

I kept looking at a large green rug for Grace's room. I really loved the idea of having a plush 8x10 rug covering the old wood floor and giving her a soft place to play. I just didn't like the price tag! The rug I kept going back to was around $500, and even though that's a great deal for a rug that size, it was still WAY out of our budget.

So, I decided to paint her changing table green instead. I popped by the hardware store and picked up a quart of Benjamin Moore's Olive Tree, came home and painted the piece that afternoon in my bedroom. Three coats later, I had a beautiful green dresser and my desire for the green rug was gone.

I found the old window frame at our local city-wide yard sale last summer. It was in bad condition--which was perfect for the look I wanted. After a little sanding, scraping, pink spray paint, and more distressing, it was done. I love how it turned out.

I added the brackets and eyelets to attach the ribbon to. The letters are actually little books from an alphabet set I picked up at Costco.

The tiered basket holds the wipe warmer (which I mainly used when Grace was teeny-tiny), diaper liners, diaper cream, regular wipes and anything else she decides to stick in there.

The Nursery: An Update

2011-06-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Remember waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I shared with you about Grace's nursery...

BLANK SLATE

PAINT

My original goal:

So, my goal has been to finish the room for her before her first birthday. To make it a place where I really like to be, and I hope she will too as she grows.

Well, I did not have her room done by her first birthday, but I've kept working on it and definitely feel I met my second goal--creating a space I love to hang out with her in. She told me she loves it too! Not really on that last part, but what little girl wouldn't love any room her momma had worked so hard to make cozy for her?!

It has been such a pleasure to creatively transform her little space. And I've been wanting to share the details for awhile now, but just haven't made the time to take photos and post the projects I did along the way.

Only, now there's a little boy in the picture. The Mister will be arriving around October 10th. Now Grace, she was punctual, born right on her due date. We'll just have to wait and see with our next little one. You know how babies are--they have their own sense of timing. Even though I have 16 more weeks to go in my pregnancy, I'm already thinking about all the fun ways I can change up her room to make it work for her and her little brother, since eventually, they'll be sharing.

But, before I make any changes to accommodate another man in the house, I'd like to share all the details of Grace's girly room with you this week.

Sequoia Zoo

2011-06-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

I hit the local zoo with Grace today. She was still an infant on her first visit, so this time was a whole new experience. And it was hilarious! I hope that looks she's giving that goat makes you laugh as hard as I did. Welcome to the Petting Zoo Little Grace!

She was a little hesitant at first, but eventually found her courage. I love doing all this kind of stuff with her-- planning our weeks, watching her experience things for the first time, being there for all the hugs... the list could go on and on.

I hope your day brought you some new experience that made you laugh or brought you joy.

GRACE: 18 Months Old

2011-05-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

She's no longer a baby anymore.
She's running around and climbing all over everything. She's capable of so many new things. It seems like all of a sudden she's just grown so much.

She loves to walk down to see the fishies in the hatchery near our house. She asks almost everyday, signing "fish please" with a desperate look on her face. We walk down there as often as we can.

She's gotten over her aversion to grass and wants to be outside every second that she can. She's content to just play in the small front yard and climb up and down, up and down the steps.

She's also begun to let us know when she's not happy, occasionally rolling around on the ground to really let us know how she feels. I'm just waiting for it to happen in public. Her hearing has become more selective as well. A few times, I've been surprised that she can't hear or understand me when I ask her to do something she's done a hundred times. Hmm...need to get that checked out!

She is such a delight to us, and the older she gets, the more in love with her I grow. It is an amazing thing to be her mother, a gift I am so incredibly thankful for. Even on the days that are a little long or tough, there is still just so much joy because she's here with us.

INSPIRE RACE

2011-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

I ran the INSPIRE Race again this year with my good friend, Rach.

This is our before picture. If you've ever raced, then you know that someone official always takes a photo as you're nearing the finish line. Mine are always awful! Tired and ready to be done and not camera worthy--that's for sure. Definitely can wait to see how the one from this race turned out!

I haven't had a lot of time to run since we returned from San Diego, so I went the easy route and ran the two mile. Last year, the race really made me think of my dad. Same thing during the Clam Beach Run earlier this year. But with this race, it just felt great to get out and stretch my legs, clear my head, and do something I love.

Here's where I'm at with my racing goal:

January - Clam Beach Run - 3 miles

February - out of town during race weekend

March - missed the Foggy Bottoms Run b/c we were in San Diego helping with family

April - INSPIRE Race - 2 miles

I've missed a couple races due to things beyond my control. I'm o.k. with that. The whole point of my goal this year is to just keep myself running. I usually need an upcoming challenge to stay motivated. The next race I plan on participating in is on MAY 15th, The Eureka Waterfront Run. Another 2 mile.

How 'bout you? Any challenges/goals you've set for yourself this year? How's it going so far?

Memories of Gram

2011-04-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

It was a sweet surprise when Grace, my grandma's first great grand-baby arrived on her birthday. She was 79 years old.

Gram passed away several weeks ago.

Every summer, my mom would drive us kids down to my grandparents house in San Diego. The same house she grew up in. They'd lived there forever. We'd be down there for a week and then my dad would join us for the second week of our vacation. I have lots of great memories from all the visits down there: going to the beach, the garage fridge stocked with soda, Yoo-Hoo and all our other favorites, Christmas' with extended family and billions of presents, playing bus and airplane for hours on the carpeted stairs leading up to the big room where we all slept, my grandpa's fountain out in the back yard, making orange juice from my grandma's orange trees, getting the six foot subs from the deli and making my dad lie down next to them so we could check if they were really six feet long or not. So many more too.

It's sad. And for some reason, losing my grandma makes me miss my dad all the more. Most of March was just very wearying. Thankfully, I serve a good God, the great Comforter.

Trinidad to Clam Beach Run

2011-02-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this year is to run in one race a month.

Even though I really like to run, I know that I am way more consistent when I'm training for something. The hardest part for me is to just get my shoes on and get out the door. I am always so glad I got out there and ran after I'm finished and a lot of times I feel that way once I've hit my stride. Other times, it's a mental battle the whole time. There's a lot of things like that in my life. I know they're good for me, I enjoy doing them, it's just that initial step that my lazy body or mind fight. That's partly why I made this goal--to keep myself running. The other part is that running races is fun. There's always a ton of people and excitement.

So, a couple Saturdays ago, I ran in my first race of the year: The 46th Annual Trinidad to Clam Beach Run.

Beej and I loaded Grace in the car, grabbed some coffee on the way and headed up north to Trinidad. It was a beautiful day. Grace snoozed while we hung out in the car waiting for the race to start at 1pm. We met my friend Naomi and her husband Alan up there. She'd been training to run the 8 3/4 race and I participated in the 3 mile.

We all drove up to the starting area together. "The first three miles are the hardest. Lot's of hills." That was the bomb Naomi dropped on me about 30 minutes before race time. I had been running flats only, three miles max to prepare. But it wasn't so bad. My main goal was to finish the race without walking and do it in under 30 minutes. I didn't walk and passed the finish line at 28:06. Along the way, I saw old men and little kids pass me. It was great. See that's me when I could finally see the finish line. And see that kid behind me. Yeh, that's right. Beat him up the last little hill. Showed him!

My new goal may be to beat as many kids as possible. We'll see....
Seriously though, I had a fun time and look forward to the next one!

WHAT IF Your Computer Crashes...

2011-01-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

This happened to me early last week. My computer was old, but it worked fine. And the really great thing was that it was free, a generous gift from a friend.

Of course, I'd been searching for our external hard-drive the week before the crash. I kept telling Beej, "I really need to back up some of my photos. It's been a few months, and I'm worried I'll lose it all if the computer crashes". I said that, but I was still shocked when it actually happened. Thankfully, one of our local computer techs was able to retrieve all the files I needed. What a blessing! I was already thinking I might cry if I lost all the recent pictures of Grace, so I am very happy that didn't happen.

This did get me thinking though. What would I want to take with me (apart from family--of course!) if our house was on fire or hit by an earthquake or suffered some other major catastrophe where all of our belongs were trashed or gone. If I actually had time to grab anything that is.

I realized everything I'd want to save has something to do with the people in my life who have loved me and have made a difference. We don't really have any expensive furniture or family heirlooms, so that made the decision easier for me. Photos are definitely at the top of my list, but they tie with all the cards and notes I've saved over the years from Beej and some other really great friends. And my journals. Can't forget those. These were the "things" that kept running through my head. The things dearest to my heart--words of love and encouragement, correspondence, evidence of deep and lasting connections with others. I'll admit it, though it's no surprise to those who know me, books came in a close third, but those are obviously replaceable.

It's morbid, I know, but what would you want to save? I think it's something worth thinking about, even if it's just to spark a deeper love for the people in our lives and a looser grasp on the things around us.

Praying Psalm 68:19

2011-01-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Beej shared Psalm 68:19 with me the week before New Year's Day. When he started his bible reading plan this year, the first Psalm on the list was, you guessed it, Psalm 68. What a happy surprise.

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens; God is our salvation."

This is our family verse for this new year. Remember last year's? I think it's fitting. There are a whole lotta burdens I need to leave at God's feet this year. It's such a wonderful gift, this grace. To be able to lay down our weary load and take on freedom, lightness of heart, joy. I am asking the Lord bring that to our family in new ways this year!

Do you have a special verse that you're praying specifically for your family? May I encourage you to do so?

Missy Farmer's "Eating For A Healthier Life"

2011-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to a friend of mine:
Missy Farmer.

Missy is the creator and writer of Love at First Bite, a great website where she shares an abundance of tasteful recipes and her passion for cooking healthy, family friendly meals.

She wrote and published her own 56 page cookbook last year. Let me tell you--it's amazing. Eating For A Healthier Life: Whole Foods That Feed Your Body is an easy to follow, tasty cookbook you can't go wrong with. I highly encourage you to take a look at it and order one as soon as you can. With tons of pictures, flavor and just plain goodness, this cookbook is already a favorite of mine.

I had the privilege of interviewing Missy at the end of last year. Her desire to write and publish her own cookbook is a lifelong dream. She's an inspiration to me and hopefully to you as well. Congrats Missy on already accomplishing one of your life goals!
Enjoy the interview!

1. Please tell us a little about yourself & your family.

I am a stay at home mom right now with my 18 month old son Emory. If there is one thing I will look back on and cherish the most, I think being home with my son is one of them. I absolutely love being a mom, and I have an amazing husband who supports me fully with staying at home. He recently graduated from law school, and I could not be more proud of him. We currently live in Phoenix, AZ, and I love this city. There is nothing like Phoenix winters. I mean who wouldn’t love having 70 degree weather this time of year? As much as we love it here, we have bigger plans for our future. In September of 2011, we will be moving to France so that Toby can do a 2 year International MBA program (yes...more school). I am so excited to embark on this new journey and I can’t wait to see where the Lord takes us next!

2. What inspired you to write a cookbook? How did you get started?

I grew up loving to cook. I can thank my mom for that. She was always cooking and baking, and it is something I picked up and fell in love with at a very early age. When I was in college in Texas, I started venturing out in the culinary world and really found a passion for all things food. My love for cooking/baking was not only because I enjoyed it, but because there is nothing more rewarding than preparing a meal for someone and seeing their face as they taste what you made (that is as long as they liked it). I love serving people, and cooking for them came right along with it. As I began cooking more and more for people, a few friends had mentioned the idea of writing a cookbook. This was something I had thought about doing for years, but I never really thought the idea was tangible. One day I decided to make a list of the things I wanted to do in my life, and number one was publish a cookbook. I honestly never really thought it would happen, but a girl can dream right?! This idea has been in the back of my mind for years, and thanks to Toby (my husband) it finally became reality. He is a man who dreams big. I love that about him, and he encouraged me to really go for it. So I did an online search of self publishing companies and found one that looked good. I downloaded the software and began writing and brainstorming ideas.

3. How did you juggle taking care of an infant while also creating your cookbook?

I had A LOT of help. I knew it would be a challenge with a baby, but I didn’t realize how complicated things could get. When taking pictures of food (the cheap and unprofessional way) you have to use natural lighting which meant all of the food pictures had to be taken in the early evening (or earlier). This would not be all that challenging except for the fact that Emory would always wake up from his afternoon nap right as the lighting was perfect. I was on a tight budget, and didn’t want to waste any food, so I made sure we ate anything I made for dinner that night. This created a small timing problem because as prepared as I would be (prepping everything during nap time), it seemed that crunch time came right as Emory wanted my full attention. This is where the help came in. My family is amazing, and all pitched in to hold/watch him while I ran around like a crazy woman trying to snap a quick shot. It was a little challenging, but I managed to get it done. Next time I will give myself more time, and slow down a bit so that I can get some better pictures.

4. What kind of advice would you give other women with young children who are trying to fulfill their own dreams?

Go for your dreams. Dreams can be as big as running a marathon or as small as making a healthy dinner. No matter what your dreams are, you should dream big and keep working towards your dreams. I think it is easy for moms to use their kids as an excuse for not living their dreams. I know I did for a while. I would say “It’s too hard to work around nap time”, or “He has a strict schedule”, but the reality was that it was an easy out for me. It can be scary taking those steps towards your dreams, but you will be a better mom in the end. Not only will you be living your dreams out, but your kids will see this, and it will rollover into their lives. I want Emory to see the things me and Toby have accomplished, and be inspired by us to do anything he wants with his life. There is nothing greater than seeing people (especially moms) going for their dreams, and living their lives to the fullest. Staying at home with Emory is my dream, but I also have other things I want to accomplish in my life, and I think it is important for moms to show their kids how to dream big.

5. What are some of your other life goals?

Some goals I have for the near future are to learn French, and teach Emory the language as well. I want to run a marathon within the next year. I want to bake my way through a pastry cookbook. I want to get cooking lessons from a professional chef. I want travel the world with Emory and Toby. I want to teach Emory to be respectful and cultured. I want to go to a farmers market and choose only a few items and make a gourmet dinner off the top of my head...and the list goes on. Some of these are silly, but they all give me a sense of accomplishment, and all are experiences I want to have.

6. How has this experience changed your eating/cooking habits, your overall philosophy concerning food?

When I first started the cookbook, I had a hard time trying to decide what direction to take it. I sat down and thought hard about what I wanted people to know most about food, and that was how to feed our bodies, what they were created to eat. I love to bake, but I know that eating refined foods and sugars are not always good, and I wanted to focus more on eating naturally. I was really forced to expand my horizons on creating recipes that were not only healthy, but packed full of good flavors. I know how to cook healthfully, but I wasn’t always good about being creative. I had a lot of fun learning how to be creative. This experience has not changed my cooking or eating habits a ton, but it has really taught me how to make it more fun. Let’s face it, french fries are good, but once you make healthy meals that are more satisfying and packed full of good flavors, those french fries become less tempting. I did do a lot of research on foods, and how your body uses each food, and it did make me become more conscience of eating a more natural diet. And I have felt a lot better since doing it.

7. Were you at all intimidated by your goal and what did you do to overcome that feeling?

I was very intimidated by it. In fact, I pushed it aside for a long time and made every excuse possible, but Toby really pushed me to go for it. Once I made up my mind that I was going for it, it became a whole lot less intimidating. I made short term goals, and did a lot of planning which helped a lot. I knew having a baby would make it a bit more challenging, and so I allowed for some leeway on my due dates. My first and foremost job is to be the best mom that I can, and as some of you know, babies can really mess with your “schedules”. It helped because there were days where Emory would be sick and I had all these good intentions of making 2 new recipes, but that was just not going to happen. Instead of getting frustrated, I just took it one day at a time, and did my best to make the most of the time I had. The most important thing was that I never gave up. I will be honest, it was a lot of work, even exhausting at times, but I knew how important it was to me to finish it.

8. Will you continue sharing new recipes on your website? And is another cookbook on the horizon in the future?

Yes, I will definitely be sharing new recipes on my blog. I can’t get away from it. It really is my second love. I love everything about creating and making new recipes. Some women love shoes. I love recipe planning and going to the grocery store. Put me in the kitchen and I feel at peace and at home. As far as another cookbook goes, I hope there is more to come. I have no plans at this particular moment. I had to kind of put my blog on the backburner while I was creating the book, and I would like to take some time and put some good TLC into my blog. Once I catch back up, I will probably be ready to jump into another book. Now that I have done it, I have learned a lot and know what I would do differently. The hardest part will be deciding what approach to take next time, I have a few ideas already brewing!

New Year, New Outlook

2011-01-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from our family to you!

I haven't blogged in a long time. It's been months. I thought about it a lot, but just didn't write anything. Things have just been difficult since Grace's 1st birthday--mainly grieving my dad and thinking about him a lot from then through the holidays. Even really good things can be hard because they make me miss him all the more. There just wasn't a lot of motivation to put anything up here.

But that's what New Year's resolutions are for right?! So, here I am, at it again. Wanting to write, update family, share about what we've been doing, how we're growing, what's changing and staying the same.

But enough about me.

What are your plans and goals and dreams for this New Year?
How are you going to challenge yourself to grow?
C'mon, I'd love to hear about it!

The Doctor Is In

2010-11-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

At the last minute I found a this 12 month set of scrubs at a second hand store for $2.95. I bought the medical kit at Walgreens for $6 (which was completely worth it because the stethoscope has kept her entertained for days). My mom whipped up the little scrub cap about 10 minutes before we had to leave and meet family at the local mall.

The only drawback was that she looks a little boy-ish in this costume.
If I'd found the scrubs sooner I would've gone with a pink scrub cap--oh well!

The back read "Doctor in Training".

This little doctor had fun but was tuckered out by the end of the night!

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-11-01T00:37:00.000-07:00

We took Grace on her first trip to the pumpkin patch this last Saturday.

We'd debated about going, but I am so glad we did.

It was cold and windy and a lot of fun.

All the girls enjoyed picking out pumpkins. Kylie and Ava were so sweet.

They picked out two baby pumpkins for Grace.

Of course, Grace just wanted to eat her little pumpkin.

Baba was there--she wouldn't have missed it for the world.

And Papi and Grammie made a special trip up for Grace's birthday party

(which we'll celebrate this evening).

I don't know that I ever really thought having a baby and making these kinds of memories would be SO much fun. I could say it a thousand times: she is such an incredible blessing to us--most of the time I can't even believe she's mine!

Jim & Anna's Cozy Two Story

2010-10-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

My first official post ran yesterday over at Apartment Therapy--check it out HERE.

Thanks a bunch Jim & Anna for letting me share your beautiful home!

2010-10-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE!

My Baby turns ONE today!

Wow. So one year ago, Beej and I arrived at the hospital. I was in horrible back labor, but, hours later--and really, it seemed to go by pretty quickly--I got to see and hold Grace for the first time. I felt elated and super energized. I think my body was coasting on all the adrenaline because I should have been exhausted, but I felt great.

Beej was amazingly encouraging through it all. My mom came into the room and instantly started sobbing as soon as she saw Grace. It was hilarious and so like my mom. Dan and Liv arrived and took tons of pics with Grace, and I really do mean tons. Some with them holding her alone, then together, then holding her with their backs against each other--so many poses. Obviously, they were excited too. I have more photos of them with her that first day than of me holding her! Then Beej's folks arrived and Grace got to hear Papi sing to her and get loved on by her Grammie.

First night of parenting was rough. By the evening, I was really tired (next time, no matter how great I feel, I know I need to take a nap!). We changed seven poopy diapers that first night and didn't sleep very much. And so began the first year of being a mom, the first year of little sleep and lots of love, the first year of being in awe that I have a daughter who is such an amazing blessing in my life. Happy Birthday Baby Grace!

For the Moms

2010-10-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

This one is for all the young moms out there.

May I encourage you to take a few minutes to check out this link and be encouraged again in your calling.

My husband alerted me to this post this morning, and I am so glad that he did! It's so easy to get caught up in all I'm not getting done and forget how important investing in my baby girl is right now. I love, love, love being able to stay home with her. I really do count it as a privilege and know that my wonderful husband works very hard to make this possible because it's something we both desire for our daughter. Even so, there are days that I feel I should be doing so much more, accomplishing more toward personal goals, especially since we moved, since a baby can really slow down the unpacking process. It is a good thing to be reminded of what the real priority is in this season which is flying by so quickly.

The Nursery: Paint

2010-10-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get a little overwhelmed by all the paint choices out there. I see SO many colors that I like! I want to be able to decorate 20 different rooms, each in a different color, not just one. In this case, I knew I wanted to go with some shade of grey. I know it's a neutral, but I absolutely love the color right now. Beej and I picked out "Sweet Innocence" by Benjamin Moore. I think the folks at Ace Hardware did a pretty good job matching the paint.

And you can't beat that price: $15 for one can. There were three left on clearance, so we bought them all. We used all of one to paint Grace's room and will use the other two when we finally get around to our own. I was a little hesitant because I've never used flat paint before, but I love how it turned out! It looks sort of like chalk, and I already appreciate the lack of shine when I'm taking pictures in there.

We painted the ceiling and a border around the top of the room using a mis-tint I got for $11. I didn't even know they can mis-tint white--what luck! I was inspired when I saw this nursery here on Apartment Therapy. The border just looked so sweet that I couldn't pass up doing the same thing. I used a slightly different technique to get the same result. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

We did the majority of the painting two weekends ago. Last weekend I touched everything up a bit and hit all the trim. Well, we're one step closer to getting it all done. Don't you just love that with some paint and a few hours of work, a room can be totally transformed?!

The Nursery

2010-10-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

Baby Grace's birthday is coming up quickly, and I can't believe she's turning ONE! It really has gone by so fast. I know, I know. Sometimes I can get too nostalgic and sentimental, but I just can't get over it, and it makes me happy and sad at the same time to see her growing up. I won't be able to call her Baby for too much longer.

Once I found out I was pregnant, I couldn't wait to hug and kiss and love on the newest little member of our family. I also really looked forward to preparing a place for the baby. But when my dad died suddenly and unexpectedly and my mom and sister moved in with us, the nesting months were filled with many other things that were more important than decorating a room. With just a little less than six weeks before my due date, we helped my mom and sister move next door, painted a ton of furniture, washed all her clothes and assembled her crib. That was about as far as we got. Once Grace arrived, elusive sleep and the busyness of caring for a baby left little time for getting projects finished. For most of Grace's first year she slept in a teeny tiny half finished room, that she shared with tons of books and craft supplies. It was definitely a bit of a disappointment {queue pity party music now please...}. Seriously though, I just had to get over it because there was a lot to be thankful for--like the reason for a new room anyway: Grace.

When we decided to move and began looking over this last summer, I made the decision to not do anything else and just "be ok" with waiting. I didn't want to waste time and energy and money on a place we were leaving behind.

Fast forward to a month ago when we moved into our much, much larger home. Overnight, Grace got a room all to herself, at least for now. The space is large enough that we're hoping to fill it with a few more kids, Lord willing, as our family grows. So, my goal has been to finish the room for her before her first birthday. To make it a place where I really like to be, and I hope she will too as she grows.

You get the idea of the before. Her birthday is October 26th, so that's what I'm shooting for. As renters, there are some constraints--like the wood floor that could really use some tlc but won't get any, or the fact that we're trying to do this on a cheap budget. But hey, constraints just force you to be more creative. I'm hoping you'll join me as I go about the process of transforming her nursery. I'm really happy and excited to do this and can't wait to show you how it all turns out!

The Package

2010-10-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Don't you love getting mail? Real mail, like from a good friend?

A handmade card? Or how about a package just for you?

Even better, a package filled with foreign goods.

One of my dear friends is amazing at this. She constantly sends me stuff, and I am thrilled each and every time. I have received an innumerable amount of cards, notes, on top of countless gifts, over the years from her, and I've saved almost every one. They fill several shoe boxes and although I'm not sure what I'll do with them eventually, they are a sweet reminder of how old our friendship is and how much it means to both of us. Really, it's a history of where she's been and how much she loves me.

This time, most of the goodies came from Spain. She traveled there recently and, get this, asked me if there was anything I really wanted, before she left. How thoughtful! I asked her to keep her eyes peeled for any type of unusual nativity scene. I have one made from black stone that I got in Oaxaca. I like putting one out in December that isn't the usual beautified, overly done type of nativity scene. So anyway, she found me one which she tucked in amongst a pair of real pearl earrings, candies, a notebook, a sweet birthday card! She's so wonderfully creative in her choices and opening everything is a gift in itself because she always wraps everything up exquisitely. I absolutely love, love, love seeing a card or package with her handwriting on it in our mailbox. It always makes my day.

So, here's to you Brown. You are the friend I can't do without! I love you so much and am so thankful for you!

The Grandma Ruth Hat

2010-10-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

We have some dear friends, who have a grandma, Ruth, who makes the cutest hats for babies. We were lucky enough to receive one for Grace. The hat finally fits her. Perfect timing as we are hitting Fall weather. I couldn't ask for a cuter little gnome!

Diaper Rash and a Lack of Sleep

2010-10-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

We've been dealing with a lot of middle of the night wake ups over the last two weeks. And we're back to changing diapers all.the.time. Sorta similar to when Grace was a newborn. Poor thing either overdosed on fruit, tried too many new foods in too short a time (although the doctor kept telling me she didn't think it was either of those) or a little stomach virus has run its course (but with no temp?!)--either way, we are talking major diaper rash. After two weeks of continual stomach issues and two doctors visits, we're waiting to get the results from a few tests and hoping they can figure out just what's been going on. Thankfully, the diaper rash is finally almost gone and things are very slowly getting a little back to normal.

Grace is a champ though, other than trying to run from us at diaper change time, she's her usual happy little self. I, on the other hand, am tired. It's tough to go back to the stage when you're consistently not getting enough sleep. My only solution has been to crack down and send myself to bed a little earlier--which has helped. And don't get me wrong--Grace is so worth every single diaper change, late night wake-up, whatever. She is such a joy, and even though I can't wait for her to be over this whole bizarre stomach thing, she is a huge blessing and would change a bazillion diapers if I had to!

Which brings me to this...

How do you deal with lack of sleep when your little ones are sick or you're dealing with just the normal newborn feeding schedule?

Obviously, I haven't been very motivated to use what little free time I've had lately to blog! I've still been trying to unpack, set up our new place--can't believe we've been here for a month already!--and get Grace's room decorated before her 1st birthday. There's been a lot to do!

TOMS Shoes

2010-09-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had never heard of these up until about two weeks ago. Now, I really want a pair! Hmm...maybe I'll use my birthday money for these.

Check the site out : TOMS

I saw them somewhere online and then noticed an article about TOMS in, of all places, the Costco Connection we recently started getting. Most of the magazine was just advertising and I was about to toss it into the recycling bin when I realized there was an article about the company. Now I'm even more of a fan of the business!

Blake, the owner and founder of TOMS, spent some time traveling in Argentina. He saw tons of kids running around without shoes and realized he could do something about it. So, he started TOMS, a for profit business whose main motivation is to help others. What I love is his "one to one" policy. You buy a pair of TOMS and the company gives a pair to an impoverished person in a foreign country. It's a win-win for everybody. So when you consider the cost of the shoe, keep in mind that you're really buying a pair for yourself and one to giveaway to someone else.

I love these kinds of ideas. Ways to make a living which also helps those in need. Really inspiring!

A New Home

2010-09-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

We moved and you know what that means.
Lot's of work. Little time to blog.

Do you have a favorite place you go to get moving boxes? We've found that in the four moves we've made in our 5+ years of marriage, McDonald's fries boxes are the best. They're free, sturdy, and not so big that by the time they're full you can't lift them! I lost count as to how many boxes of books we moved--but that is what a lot of the leg work went into!

We actually moved almost a week earlier than planned. Our landlords at our old place found a couple who wanted to move in on Friday--we found this out on the Tuesday beforehand and moved the very next day! Phew. It was a busy week.

So, we've been in the new place for two weeks now. Of course, the first few days we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. Why is it that you always end up cleaning your old place really well and have to work just as hard in the new place? Obviously, some people just don't care about getting their deposit back--'cause this new place was very dirty! But, it is probably three times the size of our old duplex, so I think all the hard work has been worth it.

Grace has done really well through the whole transition. She seems to be loving having so much space to roam about and has been really happy exploring everything. During the move, she was super clingy--made it a little more challenging to get stuff done. Thankfully, she's gone back to her usual independent self this last week though.

I've started decorating (just a tiny bit) and have yet to set up the craft/office area--I can't wait to tackle that this weekend though! Wish me luck!

What's your favorite or least favorite part of moving? Any funny stories?

September Reading List

2010-09-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Several of these are books I've been reading for a month or two.
I generally read several books at one time, so my goal this month, in part, is to finish some and start a few more.

Here's the rundown:

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

I've heard a lot of hype about this one and his first The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I'd also like to read. So far, so good. Lots of sound and, ahem, convicting reasons on why people (yep, that's me) need to revolutionize the way they think about and eat food.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I read a lot of it years ago, but am getting so much more out of it this time around. Maybe because I'm older? More aware of what I want to get out of life? Who knows. Just read it.

Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

So far a very eye opening book. I will let you know more about what I think when I'm finished.

What Did You Expect?? by Paul David Tripp

Another one that I highly recommend! It is rocking my marriage. Beej and I are going through this one together and wow! Grab your honey and do the same, but be warned: I don't think you can read this book and not be changed by it somehow.

Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson

Did you read Three Cups of Tea? Phenomenal. Talk about inspiring--I am just amazed at all this man has accomplished and can't wait to crack his second book.

So that's it. Have you read any of these? What'd you think?

Do you have a reading list of your own? Please share.

And let me know if you plan to read any of these with me. I LOVE talking books with others!

Some Exciting News...Revisited.

2010-08-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

Remember when I shared with you about my audition to become a house tour contributor for Apartment Therapy? I think I mentioned how shocked and thrilled I was that I made it into the second round and got to see my work posted on the website.

Well, readers' comments weren't something I'd considered when I was working on my audition. In fact, I had completely forgotten how much people comment on what they see and read online, and at the time, I was unaware of just how large AT's audience is. So, I was in for another shock--all the negative comments!

There were a lot of good and bad things said about my work--probably about 50/50 in the end. And, I'll admit it really threw me for a loop for a few days. I was disappointed that so much attention was taken away from the beautiful home I wanted to show, in part, because I didn't edit and proofread well enough. Now, I know not everyone will like my style--that's ok. But, I will freely admit that there's just no excuse for poor proofreading. It's something I am taking pains to get better at. I am usually a stickler about it and catch all kinds of mistakes in books and other things I read all the time. What I've found though, is that it's SO much harder to catch my own mistakes, especially if it's an article, post, or whatever that I've been working on for awhile. Is anyone ever really objective with their own work?

Through this whole experience, I've learned a couple very good lessons. One is that anytime you put yourself "out there" online (or anywhere for that matter), you are going to get feedback. Opinions, criticism, praise, whatever--people are going to tell you what they really think and feel. Anonymous user names make people feel liberated to share their opinion without consequence. The problem is that there is absolutely no accountability. I think often people forget that there is a real person on the other end who is affected.

The second lesson though, is don't let that stop you! After giving myself a few days to wallow in self-pity (I know. It's never fun or pretty) and wish it had turned out differently, I began to realize just how good this experience was for me. Fear is something that stops a lot of people from ever even trying to do something they dream of or aspire to be. Fear of failure, fear of what others will think or say, fear that even their best just won't be good enough. We all have our reasons for choosing not to try.

So some people pointed out typos I should have caught the first time around, some in really snarky ways, some just didn't like my writing. So what? In the end, I had a lot of fun putting it together, I gave my best, and I was still alive. I know, sounds dramatic right?! But sometimes you have to ask yourself: what's the worst thing that can happen to me or come out of this? My dad once got fired from a job. It came as complete shock and surprise. He'd given his best--and for whatever reason, it just wasn't good enough. I remember talking with him about it months later. He said that after living through one of his worst fears, he realized he was ok. He was still alive, still surrounded by the ones he most cared for. Life was still moving forward and so was he. That really made an impression on me.

Turns out, I was also ok. The whole AP thing was a great learning experience. It left me with a thicker skin and a real desire to improve my skills. It was fun and exciting and really humbling all at the same time.

And then I found out a few weeks ago that Apartment Therapy wanted to hire me after all! The editor referred to my audition experience as a "trial by fire". I made it through, and am a little more tempered now knowing how people can respond. But you know what, I'm still just as excited to get started!

So thanks for all your support and encouragement.

And if you're a local with a big or small, unusual, interesting, or well cared for home or apartment or if you know of someone who has a place that inspires you--let me know and please pass the word on! I really like Apartment Therapy's mission of making wherever you're at a place you like to be, which is one of the many reasons why I'm looking forward to doing this. Now I just need some homes to photograph!

Recently...

2010-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

How was last week for you? Mine, well, it was stressful. And the more stress I felt, the less motivated I was to write and share here on the blog. August has just been a busy, chaotic and emotional month so far. I'm hoping this second half will be a little less so.

Recent happenings:

We have an opportunity to move to a bigger place. There are some things about it we've been considering and praying over, and we have to give our final decision by Wednesday (AHHH! That's tomorrow!). No pressure. We both just want to be sure that this new place is the right decision for us. I love change and am usually more excited about moving than Beej, but this time around, we are both feeling the same--desperate for more space! We've moved 3 times in the 5+ years we've been married, each move a downsize of both space and rent. Go figure--they usually go together.

If we take the place, we'll be moving in the first part of September. Prayer would be appreciated!

My garden is still doing well. Tons of tomatoes just waiting for more sun--I cannot wait for them to ripen! Hurry up!!

My mom and I are almost done with the sewing portion of Liv's room makeover. We've planned on giving her the boot in two weeks and just madly putting the whole thing together over the last weekend of August. We're still searching for a few more pieces, so I'm hoping this weekend's yard sales do not disappoint.

Grace is now officially in 9 month clothes. This means yet another sorting and purging of her closet. Bagging up all the 'too small' clothes always makes me a little sad. Don't laugh. I'm all for keeping her a baby forever! She's also getting her fourth tooth (top left), which once it comes in will make her look even less like a baby. It's so fun and going by way too fast all at the same time.

At 9 1/2 months, she is pulling herself up on everything. This has, of course, resulted in several major falls, a bruise on her face, and some tears. It's also really fun to watch her figure it out and means I have to be even more careful about what I put on the coffee table. She did this for the first time last Wednesday evening. Grabbed the coffee table leg, inched her way up that and then stood typing away at my lap top for a long time. She seemed pretty pleased with herself. So cute!

At her nine month checkup on August 2nd she weighed in at 18 lbs. 4 oz., 27 inches long, with a head size much larger than average for her size. Go figure. I knew that one was coming! They told me, "Don't worry. It's just all those brains. She's smart." While I sure hope so, I also know that large heads seem to run on both sides of the family!

She is talking more and more. Now likes to say "mamamamamama" when she wakes up early, rustling around in her crib until I go in to get her. Does she know what she's saying? Probably not, but it melts my heart regardless.

She's still nursing, but has also started eating real food in the last couple months.

It's fun and very messy!

She also is expressing herself more when she wants something, is not happy that we took something away (like the spoon as she's flinging food about with it), or when she wants to be picked up. She likes to crawl up to Beej and just make a lot of loud noise at his feet--that's her signal (we think) "Pick me up Dad!". We gladly oblige. She's also started crawling into my lap and snuggling a lot more, which, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!

2010-08-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

This was only our second year camping out in Petrolia for a whole week, and let me tell you, camping for that long is a ton of fun, but it's also exhausting! All the packing, food prep, setting up, cooking, keeping your daughter from inhaling every rock on the riverbank--it all just takes so much work. Near the end of the week we all joked that it would be just as costly and so much less work if we all just agreed to go on a cruise next year instead!

Jokes aside, it was a wonderful time where we got to eat, eat, eat, laugh with old friends, play tons of games, and enjoy the outdoors. I think all the kids loved it, which makes all the effort worth it. They just have so much fun playing all day long outside together. I look forward to next year when we won't have to corral Grace in the "baby zoo" because she'll be walking and (hopefully) over the "let me put everything in my mouth" stage.

My nieces had a blast--what a joy they are!

I came home two days early to spend time with one of my dearest friends who was in town for a short time. I drove back from camping, dropped all the dirty laundry and bags on the floor, ate dinner with my sister, fed and put the baby to bed and then crashed out. I felt like I had hit the wall. All those late nights, early mornings in a row did me in!

I think there were around 60 of us coming and going throughout the week.

In years past, we would just go out and join everyone for a few days. Usually three days max, mostly over the weekend. Having a whole week is better. It gives us enough time to enjoy all the hard work of setting everything up and really getting to spend quality time with people, but any longer would just be too long for me. I'm usually ready to come home, sleep in my own bed, not freeze in the night/early morning by then.

This years camp art was mosaic tiles again--always a favorite--thanks Lorna!

We all celebrated with Frank & Jolon - - 35 years of marriage!!!

Grace did really well out there. I was worried she'd be way too cold at night, but four layers did the trick. She slept better out camping (up until our last night there) than she did at home the week before we left. That was a huge answer to prayer because I was a bit nervous that she might be the baby who woke everyone else up in the middle of the night. It was definitely a challenge keeping her contained and entertained since we couldn't let her crawl all over the place.

All in all it was a good week. Looking forward to next year!

The Purse

2010-08-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post of sorts. Let me explain...

Have any of you heard of
the CSI project?

It's a really great idea. Creative contests with some amazing prizes. Tons of inspiration. Plus, having a weekly goal forces you to focus on a single craft--and actually finish it!

That's the tough part for me. I always feel like I have a BAZILLION ideas running through my head. It's overwhelming at times. I finally started a craft notebook just to write them down, basically dump them out of my brain so I can stop thinking about them, worrying that I'll forget that idea...etc.

So, now I just have to find time to work on some of them. I did read this thing the other day about taking whatever time you have, being ok with that, and just doing what you can. I know. So simple, right! But if you're anything like me (Are you? I'm counting on at least one of you!), then you feel like you can't really start on something unless you have plenty of time to work on it, finish it. I'm trying to toss that idea out and just go with whatever time I have. The baby took a shorter nap than I thought she would, oh well, at least I got something done. I only had 15 minutes to craft, ok, at least I had that. The point is just to do something, anything.

See, I do this with reading. Sometimes I just get to read little snippets throughout the day--but I still make sure I read every day. This is because I absolutely LOVE to read. I realized this yesterday and then thought, "I guess if I really love doing creative and crafty projects I need to take the same approach". I mean, deep down, I know that there will be an endless list of excuses for why I didn't get such and such done--unless I just get. it. done. You know, actually make time for it.

Whew, are you still with me? So the reason this is a re-post is because I decided to enter the sewing contest the CSI project is hosting this week. I am a novice sewer (is that even how you say it?). Recently, my mom and I have been secretly sewing stuff for my little sister's surprise room makeover. I really can't wait to put it all together and see how she reacts. I will share more with you about that later! But, this project is a purse I gifted her for her 22nd birthday. Thankfully, she loved it! Homemade gifts, well, you never know exactly how someone will respond. My sister was extremely pleased, and my mom was so proud, you'd think I cured cancer or something. Seriously, she was that excited that I'd sewn this beauty for Liv. I'll admit, I was a little proud myself because I didn't use a pattern. Initially, when I first finished it, I was just so shocked that I could actually make something...out of nothing! I think that's one reason I love learning how to sew. From a pile of fabric you can make almost ANYTHING! It's so fun.

So, here it is, for a second go round! Check out the site. Enter a contest. Make it a personal challenge and share how it goes. Whatever you do, make time in your life to do the things you really want to, big or small!

2010-07-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Petrolia
for our annual camping trip!

See you in a week!

Have a good one.

LonnyMag June/July 2010

2010-07-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that this is an online magazine I enjoy....

Go HERE for the latest issue.

I think you'll like it!

Blog Happenings...

2010-07-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

So I've been slowly learning how to change the look of my blog. Mostly by trial and error and some very helpful tutorials. I love doing this! I love learning how to change html codes--which I would've never ever have imagined would be something I would enjoy learning. Surprise, surprise!

I'm also having a blast exploring Picnik. You should check it out. Hands down it's the easiest, most user friendly photo editing software I've ever found. And because it's online, you can upload a ton of photos and then work on them from anywhere! That's a huge advantage. Granted, it has it's limits, but if you blog or if taking pictures is your thing, then I don't think you'll be disappointed.

In all of this learning and trying out new stuff on the blog, I realized some comments got deleted. Oops! I think mainly from the anniversary post I wrote. So if noticed your comment is no longer there, it's not because I didn't like it--I love hearing from you!

Bear with me as I keep trying out some new things and changing it up around here!

It's Here!

2010-07-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

My Cricut has finally arrived!

I've got a date with this bad boy this afternoon--and Beej approves! He's taking the baby so I can have several hours to explore my new gift--undisturbed!
What a guy, huh!?

Some Exciting News...

2010-07-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Go HERE, please!

Some of my writing and photography is being shown on Apartment Therapy's website.

A couple months ago, I saw an ad on their website. They're searching for more contributers who can write/photograph for their "home tours" column. I thought, "why not?!" So I contacted a dear family friend, Jennifer Mackey, and asked if I could raid her house. She lives in an amazing place, and she graciously obliged and answered the home tour survey of all the basics about the house. I wrote up the intro, snapped and edited the photos and sent them in.

I thought that was that. Just a fun experience. Then, they contacted me and let me know that my work would be posted on their website--I'd made it through to the second round! It's definitely exciting. I have taken a look at some of the competition--it's tough. There's a lot of talented people out there. So, I don't expect to get hired, but I had a ton of fun doing this and still can't believe I even made it this far!

Ignore the typos (oops--there are two I caught too late!) and show me some comment love over there!

Good Housekeeping

2010-07-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

My first Christmas with the Stockman family was wonderful and awfully awkward all at the same time. I was really hesitant because Beej and I had been dating, and then he'd let me know (oh so painful!) that he just, to paraphrase: couldn't be in a relationship at the time. So, now we weren't dating...but he'd asked, insisted, and pushed for me to come spend the holiday with his side of the fam so much that I finally gave in and decided to go.

Again, the whole week was filled with so many strange and awkward moments, but it makes for very good laughs now!

Like when we got out of the car and he slung his arm around me as we walked up to his grandparents house only to quickly look over and realize we weren't dating--whoops. Better drop that arm buddy!

Or when we opened our gifts Christmas morning. Their tradition is to open one gift at a time while everyone watches. This is the polar opposite of my family where my dad would always pass out gifts and everyone would just tear into their pile, laugh, compare, hug and thank each other. So, I was on the spot, opening a tiny box from Beej...which turned out to be one of those flip flop necklaces that were so popular at the time. And it wasn't just one of the regular, old tacky ones--it was made of sterling silver with tiny sapphires and diamonds inlaid into it. It was hideous!

{Side note: So sorry if you loved those! I was never a fan.}

Everyone was eagerly awaiting my reaction--so I did what most single, in love with the guy they're not dating girls would do. I faked it. I exclaimed how wonderful it was, and Beej looked both relieved and pleased. Shortly after gift giving was done, I beelined it to the room I was staying in. I needed a moment. So the thing was hideous--at least it told me one thing: He still liked me! My heart soared. He'd obviously gone to great measures and expense to get me something. Who cared if he was WAY off the mark! Jenn (my dear friend and now sister-in-law) followed me into the bedroom and immediately started laughing. She got it. She knew the second I'd opened the gift that I would never, in a million years, have picked something like it for myself! We had a good laugh, and I remember her saying, "Wait a few years, after you're married, and it'll be a good joke between you". She was right!

Fast-forward five years into our marriage and Beej has become an excellent gift giver, all on his own. I know he tries very hard to gift me things I will like and usually presents them to me in a creative manner.

Last year, Christmas Eve rolled around and as I climbed into bed, I found a thin, flat package under my pillow. I ripped it open to find...a Good Housekeeping magazine?! Granted, I was a little down about the first holiday without my dad, and I was exhausted because Grace was eating so often, so I could only muster a "oh, thanks babe." He could tell I was a bit disappointed. Usually he gives me something small, but special Christmas Eve, so I was just a bit surprised because I would never, on my own, sign up for a Good Housekeeping magazine subscription. Nothing against the magazine, I just thought it wasn't really my thing. He told me he found a deal online to get a year for $5, and so he took a risk. I know, by now you're probably thinking that my behavior was quite spoiled--I agree.

But, the gift has been redeemed! I'm actually going to point you to an interesting article I read in the July issue this week. It's an interview between Emma Thompson (I'm a huge fan!) and Maggie Gyllenhaal who are best friends in real life. In it they talk about how they just can't do it all. Nobody can. They can't have their careers and husbands and children and large homes and travels and etc. all at the same time. Somethings gotta give. They talk about priorities and how they love to take care of their husbands--all without apologizing for wanting to uphold some of the more traditionally feminine aspects of marriage. How having and raising kids is hard work. About how to run a household hands-on takes a tremendous amount of time and energy.

Here's a snippet of their conversation I found incredibly refreshing and down to earth:

"Emma: I don't want your readers ever to think they have to have it all. I think that's a revolting concept. It's so false! Sometimes you'll have some things, and sometimes you'll have other things. And you do not need it all at once; it's not good for you. You can't be a great mom and work the whole time necessarily; those two things aren't ideal. We have an awful lot to work on and to debate about in relation to our working lives, because it isn't working for a lot of people, particularly for a lot of women....
The only way you can have it all is by delegating all the running of the home to other people — which I don't ever want to do, nor does Mags. So you do it yourself, and it takes time and energy and effort. And if you give it the time, it's profoundly enjoyable.
Maggie: I do care about my home feeling warm and clean and loving and welcoming, and that takes a lot of work. I mean, I had no idea how much work that takes. I am just getting above water on that.
When I was pregnant, we bought a four-story brownstone — we'd been living in this little apartment. I didn't know what I was taking on; I didn't know how to manage it at all. I got this book called Home Comforts, about the basics of housekeeping and homemaking. And I am fascinated by it. How there's a marketing day — or a day when you do the big shop — and another when you do a little shop. And organizing all the meals for the week. And truly how if you're organized, how different your life is.
I'm not naturally organized, but I'm getting there. Being a mother has absolutely forced me. You have to write things down and have systems for all of it. And then you set up systems and you realize they don't work. [Laughs.] That's the stage I'm in now: "I set up all the systems! Why isn't this working?" And then you have to change them."

I loved hearing that being a celebrity doesn't make all that we "everyday" women strive for any easier--unless you're willing to pay someone else to take care of everything--including raising your children--for you. I want a peaceful home where people feel welcomed and loved, a husband who feels honored and affirmed, a child who knows just how much I love her and enjoy being her mom, among many other things. But what I don't want is that feeling of pressure to do it all, be it all--right now! Nice to know I'm not the only one who can't and doesn't want to be SUPER-human.

See the rest of the article HERE.

This & That

2010-07-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Beej was gifted a brand new propane barbecue just before we left for vacation.
Last night was his first time grilling on it--he loves it!

We are surrounded by such generous people!!

Several weeks ago I told Beej I was "swearing off fiction for the summer". This was because I have been reading strictly fiction for months and months and felt I needed to read something more challenging, educational, or spiritually encouraging. That feeling didn't last more than a few days, and I picked up Persuasion by Jane Austin to re-read while on vacation.

I just finished another novel by Audrey Niffenegger called Her Fearful Symmetry. It was...um...depressingly morbid. Disturbing. Morbidly romantic. Romantically morbid. I'm not even sure how to describe it. I don't want to give too much away, let me just say it involves a love triangle, grave digging, and a sad ending. But it was interesting--she's definitely one creative author. I was trying to talk to Beej about it, but he hasn't read it and probably won't, so I need one of you to read it so we can talk about it! Beej surprised me with it while we were on vacation. He had no idea what it was about. He just knew that I loved, loved, loved her first book The Time Traveler's Wife. I've read that one a couple of times and highly recommend it. I will warn you that there is...ahem...sexual content. I just always feel a bit uneasy recommending novels to others because I'm not sure what they are okay with. So I love to recommend books but with a "read at your own risk" disclaimer.

In other news, I came back to this. Coming home after vacation is always a bit of a letdown. It's so much easier when you don't have a house to keep clean.

My garden is a monstrosity.

It needs some serious tlc which I have yet to give it.

Grace surpassed even our highest hopes while on vacation. She was amazing. Had about two fussy afternoons the entire time we were there. She loved all the extra attention--really started talking so much more the second week, pulling herself up on things, laughing and giggling so much more. I wonder if returning from vacation is a bit of a let down to her too? I got her a new bath toy to spark things up. She was unimpressed.

We hit up the Farmer's Market in Fresno. First of all, it was under this amazingly gorgeous arbor. And it puts our tiny market to shame. Still, I love being able to buy fresh fruit and veggies outside all summer long. I LOVE how homegrown tomatoes taste! Can't wait for mine to ripen.

Wednesday, my lovely friend and sister-in-law, Jenn, and I took Grace and my nieces to the Sequoia Zoo. If you go on Wednesday, it's half price day and all kids under the age of two are free any day you go! There were tons of other moms and kiddos there. I have never seen so many strollers in one place! It was great. The girls are all too little to understand just how dinky our zoo is here. Still, I'm just glad we have one. And it really is a pretty spot to visit and picnic at.

And that's it for this week. I hope your's treated you well! Enjoy the weekend!

2010-07-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

How I love this place.

And this year it was so special, because we got to take our baby girl.

She won't remember, but I love starting this tradition with her.

We headed into the park very early in the morning and reached Glacier Peak around 7:30 or so. There was no one else up there! It was awesome. That's never happened before--but it was July 5th so we figured that everyone had stayed up late celebrating the 4th...? Who knows why. It was just great to be up there all by ourselves.

There was so much water coming down the falls this year. It was beautiful. Really you could say that about everything in the park. If you've never been, I highly encourage you to take the time, plan a trip, and go!

Every year we walk through the Ahwahnee Hotel. We want to stay there sometime for one of our "bigger" anniversaries. Maybe our 10 year--we'll see. It's pricey!!

We did less hiking and took less photos this year than ever before. The day was way more low-key than any other time we've been there, but it was just nice to be there again and soak up all the beauty.

This was also the 1st time ever that Grace's hair went flat! Sounds silly--but it's usually sticking up straight. Hat head solved this problem and makes her look so different, at least to me. I like her spiky hair!

Right now we're talking about hiking to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls next year. That's one we've yet to do. And someday, I want to take enough time to backpack in. The valley is amazing, but it's only a very small portion of the park. I want to see so much more!

Out of Town & Unplugged

2010-07-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Wow...it's been really quiet around here lately. The first half of our vacation I didn't have very much time to blog. Then the internet died at my in-laws house for the second half. What can you do!?

We really enjoyed the pool, the time spent with family, the fact that Grace was such an amazing traveler, the hot weather (it's hard to come home and have to put on pants!), and all the adventures one has on vacation.

I'll try to catch you up this week!

Fresno's Underground Gardens

2010-07-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we did a little sight-seeing and visited a place where a man spent around 40 years digging under the ground. He built rooms, dug a well, built a sort of underground orchard, an aquarium, bed chambers, chapel, and much more.

Unfortunately, most of it was filled in when 99 was built. His name was Baldassare Forestiere, and he had immigrated to the U.S. from Sicily in the hopes of growing oranges in California. He initially worked digging subway tunnels in New York, then traveled out to California where he bought 80 acres--only to discover it was too hard to grow anything in. So he dug deeper, down below the hardpan.

The place was pretty neat, and obviously, Baldassare was onto something, because it was much cooler and many of the trees he planted are still growing down there. We got to see many citrus trees and a 100 year old grape vine he cultivated and made his own wine from. You can check out the website HERE if you're interested in more information.

People from all over the world visit the gardens.

He built skylights and planted citrus trees so that they would grow up and above ground.

Many of them still remain and bear fruit today.

He was very religious and built a chapel complete with a bell tower.
There are many references to the number three and seven all over the place.

His outdoor-underground courtyard was pretty.

To get to it, we crossed over a little pool where he would keep his catch of the day.

It was cool and lush and a great place to relax in a tub.

It was an interesting tour. Grace was amazing and barely made a peep the entire time. We enjoyed it!

You Want Me to Go Where?

2010-06-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

We took Baby Grace swimming in the pool this evening for the first time. She just stared at the water for a while when we got her poolside, but did great once we got in there. If I have anything to do with it, she'll be a water dog for sure. I really look forward to teaching her how to swim--private lessons with mommy will be a lot of fun in the future!

We made it down here by 2pm on Tuesday. It only took us 8 1/2 hours. Which is really incredible since we stopped twice to feed Baby Grace. In years past, pre-baby, it always took us about 7 hours...so the trip down was MUCH smoother than I had anticipated. Grace did great in the car with only one tense moment for about 10 minutes when we hit the 5 hour mark, but she got over it quickly and that was that.
Thank you for all your prayers!

So far, we've...

lounged
played games
tried some delicious red wine
hit up Target for a swimsuit, sunscreen & pool toys for Grace
hit up Old Navy for shorts & tanks
perused at Borders
eaten at IN-N-OUT (Beej's fave)
some of us have already logged hours poolside
hit up Trader Joe's
eaten wonderful homemade dinners
gorged ourselves on cheesecake

We are enjoying our stay here at the Stockman Inn and looking forward to all we have planned!

I'm tired. My bed is calling. Last night was a killer.
Rough night in a new place = Grace waking up multiple times.
Let's hope we all sleep better tonight!

And We're Off...

2010-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Am I the only person who runs around like crazy before a trip, deep cleaning the house and making sure all the laundry is done?! I just like coming home to a clean house.

By the time you read this, Beej and I should be long gone. He's antsy to get going sooner and so we're leaving a day early to set out on our vacation. Shoot up a prayer for safe travels and easy times with Grace in the car!

Can't wait to feel some heat! See you tomorrow...

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Two weeks before my first semester in college ended, I found out my financial aid wasn't going to work out as expected. A week later, my high school boyfriend broke up with me. The week after that, I packed, cried, and took finals. As I'm sure you can imagine, it was a bit of a rough time for me.

After deciding not to take out a bazillion dollars in student loans to stay at the college I'd been attending, I moved back home. A few weeks later I met Beej. I can still see him in my mind--cap on backwards, t-shirt, jeans, explaining the rules of a game to a group of friends as we played outside late in the evening. I fell asleep that night thinking, "he's very cute. obviously a leader. and he's a believer." We became friends and 18 months later, we started dating. Thus began our rather long and at times, painful history, which thankfully had a very happy ending! I married my best friend.

Last Friday, we celebrated our 5th anniversary. I remember people telling us before the wedding to try and remember as much as we could because it would go by quickly and become a blur. But, I remember so many details, so well. Which is good, because Beej has a terrible memory for such things. Someone has to be able to tell our kids how we met!

It sounds odd, but we've never given each other anniversary presents before. We both share the mindset that we'd way rather create a memory than get something, so we've always saved our money for our "Anniversary Week Vacation". Every year, a few days after our actual anniversary, we head back to Yosemite (where we spent part of our honeymoon), visit Beej's parents in Fresno, soak up the sun, swim, eat, read and just enjoy each other's company. It's always a lot of fun and something we look forward to all year long.

But this year, Beej surprised me by showering me with gifts.He came home the night before and gifted me a book. I woke up to a cute card, cash (for whatever my heart desires), and moolah for a cricut--which I have been wanting for a while now. Later, I received another book and a beautiful redwood bud vase because, apparently wood is the traditional gift for celebrating five years of marriage. Who knew?! And I had no gifts for Beej, which, wonderful man that he is, he was fine with because, um...like I said before, we never do that kind of thing.

With our first anniversary, we also began the tradition of driving over Monument. We always get up early enough to catch the sunrise, climbing slowly, winding our way up above the fog. It's always a little windy and cold, but beautiful. We've done this every year, except when we were in Mexico. I love doing this with Beej. I love the idea of 50 years from now us carrying on the same tradition.

This year we decided to try and catch the sunset up there instead. We didn't want to shake Grace's routine up by waking her so early. You know how it is if you have kids...if they are sleeping, DO NOT wake them up!! So, we grabbed dinner on the go and drove out there. It had been a pretty bad day weather wise, so we weren't sure what'd we'd hit once we got up there.

Can you tell it was really windy and freezing and so foggy we could barely see five feet in front of us?! But it was still fun! We snapped some pics, tried not to scare the cows milling about (they're huge up close! kinda scary!), laughed a lot, prayed together and then hurried back home to curl up, crack open a bottle of wine we've been saving for the last five years and enjoy the rest of our anniversary together.

We leave early Wednesday morning to kick off this year's Anniversary Week Vacation. Can't wait!!!

SKIN DEEP

2010-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

PRODUCTS. What's really in them? What am I rubbing onto my face? Spraying all over my hair? Washing my skin with?

There are just so many choices out there. Can you relate? I stood there, in the middle of the hair products aisle, feeling overwhelmed by hundreds of brightly colored bottles, each promising to give me unbelievably beautiful hair. Or skin. Or whatever. You name it...there's a product for it. Which mousse really volumizes the most? Which hairspray won't leave my hair clumpy? It took me way more time than was even remotely reasonable to figure out what I needed. I mean really, who has time to be overwhelmed by choices like that--life is way too short.

Which is one reason why I've shortened the list of products I use. Of course, I have a few favorites. We all do. Moisturizer with SPF. Eyeliner & Minerals Foundation. Face Wash. Toothpaste & Deodorant.

But how often do you stop to consider just what is it you're using or why? Do you ever do a little digging to see what all those chemicals add up to?

Introducing: Skin Deep, a cosmetic safety database

I've been checking this website out for a while, and I'm still learning how to use it and how they gather information, rate products, just what it means, etc.

I encourage you to check it out. See some of the benefits and dangers in some of the most common products you use everyday. Just pace yourself, because otherwise you'll end up feeling just like I did in the middle of that aisle--overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information out there.

Grace Will Be 8 Months Old THIS SATURDAY!

2010-06-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

What? Already! I know. I feel the same way...it's going by so fast.
I think I say that at least once a week. I do feel that things keep getting more "fun" the older she gets.

So, here's the stats...

She's weighs just under 18 pounds.

She is crawling all over the place--still mostly using the army crawl technique, which she has mastered and it gets her about quite quickly. She has a built in radar for all cords and anything else she isn't supposed to get into.

She's been rocking back on her legs and doing crazy push-ups for the last month, but has yet to crawl "normally". Who knows, maybe she'll just keep up the army crawl until she starts walking. We'll see.

She loves it when you jump out and startle her a bit. Weird kid. It makes her laugh really hard.

She is, for the most part, back into the rhythm of sleeping through the night.

Praise the Lord. Seriously.

Loves, loves, loves to swing.

She still puts EVERYTHING into her mouth....

dirty sock, yum...shoes, yum...stroller tire, let me lick that for a bit, yum!

She has cut her first tooth...just this last week actually.

She has become so much more aware.

Finally noticed the ceiling and recently seems to just love staring up at it.

I wonder what she's thinking!?

She's also discovered the joy of climbing around in her exersaucer

and spends quite a bit of time under there.

And she's slowly begun to eat some food.

Doesn't look like she cares too much for oatmeal, does it?!

Before & After: The Craft Desk

2010-06-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Craigslist. Over the years, I have found numerous pieces on there for dirt cheap! Here's something I saw on there about, oh, two months ago now. At Beej's encouragement, I'd been looking for something that would work as a craft desk. He took me all around to check out new desks, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on something made of particle board that I knew wouldn't hold up well. Hands down, I would much rather buy something used that is solid wood but maybe needs a little tlc.

So, when I first spied this one on Craigslist, I thought, "How cute. Perfect. Love the look and the legs." And the price made my decision pretty easy.

Some people really hate painted wood furniture...but not me! And I love white. So crisp and clean. Plus, Grace's crib and dresser are white and she shares her room with my overflowing supply of craft stuff, so I wanted it to match.

After some sanding, priming, painting, and a little distressing, I've got just a couple more details to take care of to finish it up. I kept the knobs, in part because new ones can be pricey, and I actually liked the original ones. I've since moved the piece into my craft area and after having it in there for about a month, I am so glad I got this desk. All the storage is perfect for what I need and the desk is wide without being too deep--which is great because, as I've mentioned before, this room is tiny and has to serve several purposes.

How about you? Prefer to buy new or spruce up used?

{I've linked this project to The Shabby Nest & Just a Girl--two other fun blogs showcasing lots of DIY posts where you'll get even more ideas and inspiration! Go check 'em out!}

White Chili

2010-06-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Since I mentioned yesterday that I've tried a lot of The Pioneer Woman's recipes, I thought I'd share one that has become an all time favorite around our home. It's her Hearty White Chili. Super Easy. Super Tasty. I've linked to her original recipe...but I'm going to show you the way I make it. Just a couple changes.

I always double the recipe in a large pot and freeze all the extra. I wasn't sure if it would taste as good after being frozen and then reheated, but yep, it's still just as delicious! I usually freeze it in quart size freezer bags, measuring out about 2 1/2 cups per bag. I've frozen it in larger batches, but the 2 1/2 cups seems like a great amount for lunches or dinner.

Everyone I've ever made this recipe for loves it! Except my sister-in-law--I'm not sure about her family...?! I made it for them one time forgetting that they don't like onions...and uh, there's a lot of onion in this baby. Whoops! So I guess I should preface this recipe with: know your ingredients and who you're cooking for ahead of time!

This was also the first dish I picked cilantro out of my garden for! I love getting to grow our own herbs to use. If I'd known it was this easy, I would have started a little garden ages ago.

Anyway, here it is.

To double the recipe:

4 chicken breasts (cooked & torn up--I usually just boil mine--gross!, but fastest!)
2 medium white onions, diced
10-12 garlic cloves, minced
4 7oz cans green chilies, chopped
2 lbs. dried great northern beans, rinsed
3 32oz. cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 jalapeño, sliced
1-1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup whole milk (I have also just used 2% and didn't notice any real difference in flavor)
2 tablespoons cornmeal
grated Monterey Jack cheese
cilantro

Here are Ree's cooking instructions with my own adaptations added in:

In a large (8 quart) pot, saute onions and garlic on medium heat for 2 minutes. Pour in all 4 cans of chopped green chilies, then the rinsed beans. Now pour in all 3 cans of chicken broth. Add chopped jalapeño (I de-seed mine, but leave 'em in if you like it real hot!). Add your ground cumin and season with some salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low.

Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. It literally takes that long for the beans to soften. You'll know it's done when the beans are tender. If you find that it's taking too long to cook, you can always increase your cooking temp to medium low. This may also be a great one for the crock pot, I just haven't tried it that way yet.

Once that's going, I boil my chicken and let it cool enough to tear up into bite size chunks. Add the chicken about halfway through the cooking process, so in this case when you hit the 2 to 2 1/2 hour mark.

When the beans are tender, mix milk with cornmeal and stir into pot. Cook for another 10 minutes to let it all thicken. Add the cayenne pepper and paprika. Stir in a bit of Monterey Jack cheese (or you can just save that to top it off, or do as I do, add it in and sprinkle a little more in your bowl after serving!).

You could garnish this with anything, but I really like it with just cheese and cilantro.

2010-06-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Father's Day 2010

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, on Father's Day, we spent the morning unloading a giant u-haul into two large storage units and moving my mom and sister into our tiny 10' x 10' extra bedroom. Then we took Beej out to lunch where we saw a ton of people we knew and no one even mentioned the obvious--my dad was gone. It was awkward. Basically, it was just a long, emotional and exhausting day.

This year was much different. I missed my dad--a lot. But this time around the day was much more lighthearted. What a joy Grace is, she's a wonderful reason to celebrate! And I had planned quite a bit of things to try and make Beej's 1st Father's Day a memorable one.

Beej slept in while I made one of his favorites: Eggs Benedict...for the first time ever! I followed The Pioneer Woman's recipe. The final verdict was just okay. This was surprising to me because I have tried a number of Ree's recipes before and so far really liked every one of them. He loved the way the poached eggs turned out, but the sauce tasted, in his words, "very buttery". Which makes sense, since the recipe calls for a whole lotta butter! I will have to do some research and try some other sauce recipes. He did tell me that even though he didn't love it, he was so glad I went out on a limb to try and make something he loves. It's the thought that counts, right?!

Grace gave Beej her gift right after breakfast. The first of many cheesy "dad" gifts he'll receive over the years.

2010-06-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

That warm weather I've been hoping for has finally arrived. I love summer! It's one of my favorite seasons, for many reasons. I love to swim almost as much as I love to read--which is saying a lot. I feel so much more motivated when I wake up to sun rather than fog. It feels good to actually feel some heat. I love being outside so much more when it's not raining. We always go out of town a lot over the summer--and I love road trips and visiting other places. That's really only a few of the reasons this weather change has put a smile on my face.

Last Saturday, we met some friends down by the river. Grace and I camped out under a large umbrella and watched her cousins splash, roll and lounge in the water. It was great to gab a bit with friends and enjoy the outdoors. Now all I need to do is find a swim suit for this season. Nothing like waiting 'till the last minute!

2010-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

apartment therapy

This website is like one big treasure trove, I swear! And I love the name.

There is just so much information about design and decor, not to mention an innumerable amount of dazzling photographs. So head over there only if you have hours to get lost and wander around the site. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm serious.

Here's the LINK Let me know what you think!

I knew this day was coming...

2010-06-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Picture Post

2010-06-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Let me catch you up on what's been keeping me from Resplendent...

Family came into town on May 30th: My brother Luke, and my sweet sister-in-law, Laura. They got to spend the week with all of us up here. Always a good time. My brother always sparks passionate debates and shares a wealth of interesting facts when he's around. He has a mind like a steel trap!

He's also pretty silly at times.

We've settled on a G'ma name for my mom: BABA
My Great Grandma was also called Baba, so the name has a lot of special meaning for us. My mom loves it and hopefully Grace will catch on.

Lot's of good food with the fam.

Hitting up another local favorite with Beej's folks who came into town on Thursday.

Getting in some good times with my cute nieces, who I can never get enough of.

Beej's cousin got married Saturday. First wedding Grace has gotten to attend. She was very quiet through the ceremony! Good job Baby! And yes, it was a surprisingly muggy, muggy day which is why our foreheads are so unbelievably shiny. Gross!

Grace got to pull out all her tricks and entertain Papi and Grammie for a bit. Of course, they loved every second of it.

We've been on the hunt for a new game that just the two of us can play occasionally when we want to keep date nights on the cheaper side. I think we found it!

Window Shopping with Auntie O. We've got plans for a room makeover, so we've been out and about getting ideas on textures, fabrics, styles...you name it.

There's so much more. But I'll stop there. Basically, the last week was busy, busy, busy!

How the Garden Grows

2010-06-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Our little square foot garden is growing, growing, growing!

I took this photo just after we planted everything on May 13th...

And this photo was taken this morning. It's so fun to see how big everything is getting. And all I have to do is watch and not water too much!

We recently added two more things to the garden:

Mesclun Mix Lettuce. I'm hoping this will go well with the other type of lettuce I planted, something like Red Oak.

And the other addition was Sparky Mix Marigold Seeds. We heard these are great at keeping unwanted pests out of gardens. I planted them mainly around the edge of the box--not all of them. There were a whopping 315 seeds in that little package!

And look at that, they've already sprouted!

Which may be a good thing because something has seriously taken a bite out of my zucchini plant.

Any of you more experienced gardeners know what's doing this? Have any other ideas on how to keep pesky pests away from our little plot? Please, share away!