Woah! It's been awhile. How are ya?
Life has been crazy busy and so good. Feels like we've been living in the fast lane for the last year. I wouldn't change a thing! Well maybe something, but I can't think of what. It's been stressful, trying, triumphant and very, very rewarding. We moved a little over two months ago. Talk about a big adjustment! No longer did we have mom and dad close by to run to (aside from being nearly right across the street from them now :)), to make us dinner when we were too tired and too broke to do it ourselves.. oh the changes we face when we finally have to grow up and move on!
I love our place. It is so us. We have a big front and back yard, and a quaint living space, really. I just started my own garden. Lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, peppers... yumm!! Oh, but it just didn't feel complete until we welcomed a new doggy into our home and into our family! Frank, previously Dartagnon, came to us from another family who was forced to give him up. I just can't think for the life of me why or how someone could give him away. He's an 18 month old Bernese Mountain Dog and he is sweeter than sweet. In fact, I just so happen to think he is sweeter than the half dozen sweety chocolately cupcakes he devoured the other day. Ok, so maybe he has some things to work through. But who doesn't? Despite the unforseen astronomical vet bill, we still love him fiercely. He brings such a dynamic aspect to our home. Frank adores us. I mean, really adores us. He's a whole lotta dog, a whopping 100lbs and still growing! But he's gentle and listens better than Kyle most days ;) Winnie thinks he's pretty special, too.
Kyle is still busy with school and work and being a new daddy. Oh, and to top it all off, he is starting training to become a firefighter. The guy just can't get enough of life-- it's one of the things I love most about him. Eventhough the days are long and grueling, he wants more. A lot more. Most don't know how he does it. But I do. He's magic. There, the secret's out!
Winnie recently turned six...six...SIX months old. Wait, hold the phone, where did the time go?! Will I always be asking that? I have a feeling the answer is yes. That little girl. Oh my goodness, I could talk about her for days. It's true. My world revolves around this little person. She is growing and becoming so playful and silly, and yet still has her serious side from time to time. She sits on her own. She has a funny giggle. She loves when we pop up and scare her. She puts up with my terrible singing and uncoordinated dance moves, and loves me beyond all things. She needs me. And I have come to realize that I really need her. She makes life so fascinating and thrilling, madening sometimes, but again, I wouldn't change a thing. Now that Winnie is eating solid foods, our feeding times have gotten much more pleasant and less frustrating. She will eat you under the table any day of the week! Her favorite is sweet potato. And bananas. And pears. And peas. And carrots-- can't forget about carrots! From the beginning we called her Winn The Bin, I don't really know why or how we came up with that nickname, but it's stuck. Tonight, she pooped in the bath. And yes, I was in it with her. Usually I love our bathtime together, but after scooping her doodies out with my bare hands, I can't fathom when we will share that time again. I'm sure by tomorrow it'll all be forgotten, but for right now-- yuck!! Was that too much? ;-) I'm going to keep going. If that's alright with you? Winn sleeps through the night most nights. After finally transitioning her into the crib (yes, it took us until she was about 5 months because we were just flat out scared of what it'd be like) bedtime actually got much easier. I think she likes the freedom. She is a real water baby! I mean, she LOVES it. She splashes and smiles constantly. And now that warm weather has finally showed up at our doorstep, we are soaking up every ounce of it we can.
It's funny how a year and a half ago how different life was. And now I can't even picture that life we were once living. Of course, I miss the freedom every once and a while, and alone time, but wow, a life without my sweet Winnie girl? Cannot begin to think of that! And luckily, I don't have to :) Ok, I feel better now. Who knows when I'll be back again, but I hope it's soon. Goodnight!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Engagement shots
Courtesy of Jeff Marsh, @JeffMarshStudios.comWe had an absolute blast working with him! He did such a great job getting us to relax and just act natural. Can't wait to take more pictures with him on our WEDDING DAY! That's right--we have a day! August 24, 2012 to be exact :) Save the dates will be in the mail soon, so stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
A born reader
Reading has always been an enjoyable pastime for me. As a little girl, my books fascinated me. I loved being read to, especially my favorite stories over and over and over again. My mom would usually end up falling asleep as she read to me, thus leaving me to recite the rest of it by pure memorization as I turned the pages.
I don't remember exactly when I learned to read on my own, but I'm sure it was a monumental day. I loved the quirkiness and rhyming rhythm of Dr Seus. I loved the family togetherness of the barenstien(?) bears. The classic appeal of toad and frog. Ah it is all too much. Nostalgia is at an all time high!!
High school was when my book preference really took a transformation. In my AP english class, we had a required reading list. I took one look at it and didn't find one title I had ever heard of! Boy did that get me out of the box. I started reading novels like Me Talk Pretty One Day and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I realized there was more out there for me than teen girl melodramas. I discovered a new world in books. I still get excited each time I open a new cover. Where will I go today? What will I be doing? I root myself in the story and allow myself to get taken to another place. It awakens my soul and broadens my imagination.
I hope Winnie will like to read one day. I hope she will find it enchanting and life altering. I want to share with her my favorite books and hope she keeps coming back for more.
I always wanted to be with someone who loved to read almost as much as I do. I envisioned late nights in bed as we both hold tight to the pages completely enthralled with our stories. I pictured early Sunday mornings reading the newspaper together and sharing a cup of coffee.
Kyle likes to read. No wait. He loves it. Hallelujah! Crisis averted.
I recently started my first Steven King novel. It's called 11/22/63. It's over 800 pages! Easily the longest book I will have read. My mom finished it in a matter of days. Piece of cake for her. I know without a doubt that is who I got my fierce desire for reading from. Watching how glued she was to the thing, I can only imagine it's good. It's about time travel and a man's quest to stop the assassination of JFK. So far, 150 pages in, I'm hooked.
In fact, I must go. I have more to read!
I don't remember exactly when I learned to read on my own, but I'm sure it was a monumental day. I loved the quirkiness and rhyming rhythm of Dr Seus. I loved the family togetherness of the barenstien(?) bears. The classic appeal of toad and frog. Ah it is all too much. Nostalgia is at an all time high!!
High school was when my book preference really took a transformation. In my AP english class, we had a required reading list. I took one look at it and didn't find one title I had ever heard of! Boy did that get me out of the box. I started reading novels like Me Talk Pretty One Day and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I realized there was more out there for me than teen girl melodramas. I discovered a new world in books. I still get excited each time I open a new cover. Where will I go today? What will I be doing? I root myself in the story and allow myself to get taken to another place. It awakens my soul and broadens my imagination.
I hope Winnie will like to read one day. I hope she will find it enchanting and life altering. I want to share with her my favorite books and hope she keeps coming back for more.
I always wanted to be with someone who loved to read almost as much as I do. I envisioned late nights in bed as we both hold tight to the pages completely enthralled with our stories. I pictured early Sunday mornings reading the newspaper together and sharing a cup of coffee.
Kyle likes to read. No wait. He loves it. Hallelujah! Crisis averted.
I recently started my first Steven King novel. It's called 11/22/63. It's over 800 pages! Easily the longest book I will have read. My mom finished it in a matter of days. Piece of cake for her. I know without a doubt that is who I got my fierce desire for reading from. Watching how glued she was to the thing, I can only imagine it's good. It's about time travel and a man's quest to stop the assassination of JFK. So far, 150 pages in, I'm hooked.
In fact, I must go. I have more to read!
Monday, January 23, 2012
The realest of the real
Last night, as I tried to convince myself to get sleepy, I read a blog from a girl I went to high school with. Quickly I became entranced by her stories. Apparently we had more in common than I thought. We were never close in school, but as we've grown up, it seems as though our lives have taken similar paths. Anyways, her writing swept me away. She was so real. Her stories so bare and organic. It inspired me. I find myself always writing about the great things in life, the wonderful, joyous moments. And while that is all fine and dandy, it may be possible that you don't constantly want to read about how magical my life is. And trust me, it isn't always so. In the past, I thought "who would want to read about things that are sad and depressing?" But truth be told, and I can attest to this, it takes those true, deep, and sometimes low points in one's life to be able to connect with an audience. I believe people are rivited by personal challenges. And success, of course. But the tough times are what bind people together, bring you closer in. Because let's face it, we are not perfect. So here I am. I am getting real.
In the past couple of months, we have undergone quite a few changes. And besides the most obvious one, our new addition to the family, we also managed to loose one as well. My beloved cat, Skeeter, has a few issues. Ok, the cat is seriously bonkers. But I love him. Probably, wait, no definitely, more than I should. Before making his home permanately outdoors, he peed all over our bed, thus forcing us to buy a new mattress (which we really couldn't afford, so we had to buy an inexpensive, and just so happens to be an extremely firm one.. causing much back pain for both of us and a lot of trouble falling asleep because it feels like laying on wood floors). For the longest time, it has been hard for me to admit this harsh reality about my cat to others. I was, and continue to be, ashamed that I let matters go as far as they did. It put so much strain on the relationship between me and Ky. I still don't know why I let it get between us like it did. My stubbornness has GOT TO GO! Let me continue. He then peed on our couch, multiple times. We are still trying to get the stench out. Cat urine is honestly the worst smell. It's the kind that permeates all things around it, and the kind that you can't get out of your nose no matter how hard you try. He also managed to pee in the nursery, before it was a nursery of course. So every once in a while, the smell comes wafting back. Ugh. It is an absolute nightmare, one that we are fighting to end once and for all. He has caused so much irrepairable damage. I am exceptionally cranky today because of my poor nights sleep. Awful. Miserable. And I can't even blame the baby. What is this!? We were blessed with a good sleeper and I can hardly reap the benefits. Boo. And yet, I continue to love him. One will never know or begin to understand why, not even me.
On to other matters..
From the beginning, breastfeeding has been a challenge for us. Winnie and me, that is. At first, it was just painful. Excrutiating hardly describes it. Sometimes, I could do nothing but cry as I tried to feed my baby. Eventually the pain subsided and we moved on to other issues. She began to get fussy almost every time she nursed. It was so hard to get her to latch on and be content. It has been such an internal struggle for me, a new mom. Not only was I feeling downhearted because it wasn't easy, but what is a brand new mommy like me to do when she can't provide for her baby? I tried not to get too down on myself about it because it only made things worse. I know it's not always a piece of cake for people, and certainly not me. But every once in a while, the feelings of not being enough, not being sufficient for my child creep back in. I know I am a good mother, and in some form or another, I will find a way to nurish my baby. But the road has been and continues to be a long and challenging one. She still gets fussy from time to time, and it's hard to tell if she is getting enough. My newest worry is her constant spitting up. More times than not, she will spit up quite a bit after she eats. It is a lot. I am not overexaggerating. Is she having a bad reaction? It is something I ate? Is she allergic? I just don't know. It is exhausting. And yet, I won't give up. I have gotten used to the fact that most of the time I am covered in spit up. We even joke sometimes that I have become immune to the smell. And it doesn't smell nice. Oh the wonders of mommyhood...
Since sitting down to write this post, I have had to get up three times to calm my crying baby. It's bedtime, and definitely not her favorite time of the day. I've had to learn to let her just cry it out sometimes. As hard as it is, she sleeps so much longer and deeper because of it. It just makes me so sad listening to her unhappy though!
Four.
Being faced with these struggles has tested me in more ways than I can count. At the end of the day, I am grateful. For gaining more patience. For becoming a nurturer. For earning strength and for letting go of what I cannot change. I am grateful for battles big and little, because they shape me and force me to grow. And that is a good feeling.
Goodnight.
In the past couple of months, we have undergone quite a few changes. And besides the most obvious one, our new addition to the family, we also managed to loose one as well. My beloved cat, Skeeter, has a few issues. Ok, the cat is seriously bonkers. But I love him. Probably, wait, no definitely, more than I should. Before making his home permanately outdoors, he peed all over our bed, thus forcing us to buy a new mattress (which we really couldn't afford, so we had to buy an inexpensive, and just so happens to be an extremely firm one.. causing much back pain for both of us and a lot of trouble falling asleep because it feels like laying on wood floors). For the longest time, it has been hard for me to admit this harsh reality about my cat to others. I was, and continue to be, ashamed that I let matters go as far as they did. It put so much strain on the relationship between me and Ky. I still don't know why I let it get between us like it did. My stubbornness has GOT TO GO! Let me continue. He then peed on our couch, multiple times. We are still trying to get the stench out. Cat urine is honestly the worst smell. It's the kind that permeates all things around it, and the kind that you can't get out of your nose no matter how hard you try. He also managed to pee in the nursery, before it was a nursery of course. So every once in a while, the smell comes wafting back. Ugh. It is an absolute nightmare, one that we are fighting to end once and for all. He has caused so much irrepairable damage. I am exceptionally cranky today because of my poor nights sleep. Awful. Miserable. And I can't even blame the baby. What is this!? We were blessed with a good sleeper and I can hardly reap the benefits. Boo. And yet, I continue to love him. One will never know or begin to understand why, not even me.
On to other matters..
From the beginning, breastfeeding has been a challenge for us. Winnie and me, that is. At first, it was just painful. Excrutiating hardly describes it. Sometimes, I could do nothing but cry as I tried to feed my baby. Eventually the pain subsided and we moved on to other issues. She began to get fussy almost every time she nursed. It was so hard to get her to latch on and be content. It has been such an internal struggle for me, a new mom. Not only was I feeling downhearted because it wasn't easy, but what is a brand new mommy like me to do when she can't provide for her baby? I tried not to get too down on myself about it because it only made things worse. I know it's not always a piece of cake for people, and certainly not me. But every once in a while, the feelings of not being enough, not being sufficient for my child creep back in. I know I am a good mother, and in some form or another, I will find a way to nurish my baby. But the road has been and continues to be a long and challenging one. She still gets fussy from time to time, and it's hard to tell if she is getting enough. My newest worry is her constant spitting up. More times than not, she will spit up quite a bit after she eats. It is a lot. I am not overexaggerating. Is she having a bad reaction? It is something I ate? Is she allergic? I just don't know. It is exhausting. And yet, I won't give up. I have gotten used to the fact that most of the time I am covered in spit up. We even joke sometimes that I have become immune to the smell. And it doesn't smell nice. Oh the wonders of mommyhood...
Since sitting down to write this post, I have had to get up three times to calm my crying baby. It's bedtime, and definitely not her favorite time of the day. I've had to learn to let her just cry it out sometimes. As hard as it is, she sleeps so much longer and deeper because of it. It just makes me so sad listening to her unhappy though!
Four.
Being faced with these struggles has tested me in more ways than I can count. At the end of the day, I am grateful. For gaining more patience. For becoming a nurturer. For earning strength and for letting go of what I cannot change. I am grateful for battles big and little, because they shape me and force me to grow. And that is a good feeling.
Goodnight.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Winnie's first snow!
Little gnomie baby loved the snow! She was in quite the photogenic mood (*see other post on photoshoots..) I just couldn't wait until the perfect opportunity to get her in this cute poncho and bootie set that I found on etsy! Today was the day. She totally rocked it!
(* sidenote: look at how long my hair is!! I'm chopping it off soon.)
Love these precious moments with my girl.
Can't believe she is already sitting in her bumbo chair! Seriously, where did the time go?! I simply can't get over what a big girl she's turning into. She loves when she gets bumbo time. She could sit there for hours if we let her!
I'm gonna be sad when this little snowsuit doesn't fit anymore. It's so soft and cuddly.
(* sidenote: look at how long my hair is!! I'm chopping it off soon.)
Love these precious moments with my girl.
Can't believe she is already sitting in her bumbo chair! Seriously, where did the time go?! I simply can't get over what a big girl she's turning into. She loves when she gets bumbo time. She could sit there for hours if we let her!
I'm gonna be sad when this little snowsuit doesn't fit anymore. It's so soft and cuddly.
This girl smiles like it's goin outta style. LOVE her! Can't wait for more snow days spent with my little family. I was just thinking... next year is going to be so different with her when it snows. She might actually wanna play in it, or my guess.. eat it! ha!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Lake Chelan Fire & Ice festival
Lake Chelan is always one of my favorite vacation destinations. I love the hot, hot summers and am glad to say, the winters do not disappoint either. Winnie experienced her first snow while we were there-- what could be more special than that??
I had no idea there was such a thing as professional ice sculpting, but apparently there is! These people were incredible. All throughout town, there were giant ice blocks set up that were eventually turned into masterpieces! They used chainsaws to do it, too! It was unreal.
We went to a few different wine tastings at our favorite wineries. Yum!
But the best part was being with my family. Big ups to our little girl for being such a good trooper through it all. The long car rides, no swing to lull her to sleep, a different environment-- she did so great!
I had no idea there was such a thing as professional ice sculpting, but apparently there is! These people were incredible. All throughout town, there were giant ice blocks set up that were eventually turned into masterpieces! They used chainsaws to do it, too! It was unreal.
We went to a few different wine tastings at our favorite wineries. Yum!
But the best part was being with my family. Big ups to our little girl for being such a good trooper through it all. The long car rides, no swing to lull her to sleep, a different environment-- she did so great!Monday, January 16, 2012
Recipes
As I've said, one of my new year's goals is to cook more often. And let me tell you-- I have been workin' on it! Thought I'd share a few recipes with you, in case you are looking for something new to try.
Tonight for dinner I made:
-chicken
-green beans
-spicy roasted sweet potatoes (!!)
They weren't kiddin-- these babies are SPICY! Loved em. The recipe is super easy. All you need is cayenne pepper (1/2t), chili powder (1/2t), garlic powder (1/2t) and some salt. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil, heat the oven to 400*, peel and cut potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and coat with ingredients. Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through. Delish! Click here for a better reference:http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/11/spicy-roasted-sweet-potatoes.html
I also made a version of the oh-so very popular PAZOOKI )deep dish cookie with ice cream on top) for dessert. It gave me a great excuse to use my sweet little ramekins that Jaimie gave me last year for Christmas.
You can find the recipe here: http://www.blueeyedbakers.com/home/2011/8/8/deep-dish-cookie-pies.html
*sidenote-- I didn't put as much butter as it calls for and I substituted the milk chocolate chips for white chocolate :)
I've found so much inspiration on Pinterest for new recipes to try. Tomorrow I am going to make crockpot Chicken Taco chili and put it over rice. Yummmm (hopefully ;))
Cheers!
Tonight for dinner I made:
-chicken
-green beans
-spicy roasted sweet potatoes (!!)
They weren't kiddin-- these babies are SPICY! Loved em. The recipe is super easy. All you need is cayenne pepper (1/2t), chili powder (1/2t), garlic powder (1/2t) and some salt. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil, heat the oven to 400*, peel and cut potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and coat with ingredients. Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through. Delish! Click here for a better reference:http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/11/spicy-roasted-sweet-potatoes.html
I also made a version of the oh-so very popular PAZOOKI )deep dish cookie with ice cream on top) for dessert. It gave me a great excuse to use my sweet little ramekins that Jaimie gave me last year for Christmas.
You can find the recipe here: http://www.blueeyedbakers.com/home/2011/8/8/deep-dish-cookie-pies.html
*sidenote-- I didn't put as much butter as it calls for and I substituted the milk chocolate chips for white chocolate :)
I've found so much inspiration on Pinterest for new recipes to try. Tomorrow I am going to make crockpot Chicken Taco chili and put it over rice. Yummmm (hopefully ;))
Cheers!
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