Category Archives: family

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Weekend Review

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Since it’s already Wednesday, I figured it was a little too late to do a full on weekend recap, so here it is via photo highlights…

Our weekend started out with a Starbucks & Doughnut date in the grocery store…

Then that afternoon someone couch napped for THREE hours while I worked on my laptop for a bit {then snuck in a two hour nap myself}…

Sunday I started that craft I saw on Pinterest for decoration in Ry’s new big girl room. And they actually turned out pretty well…now I just need to decide if I’m going to put them in a glass bowl up on a shelf or hang them from the ceiling. Thoughts?


And, we’re still having water issues, but we have water pressure and we can shower so it’s not all bad. Turns out we’re getting a whole new filter system! Yeow! Vacations? Who needs ’em!? We’ve got a fancy new filter system! Our life is seriously so glamorous. The fact that it costs a boat load of moola hurts a little less when I remember that we’re getting an awesome deal because we “have people” and because the new system means we won’t have to use water softener salt pellets anymore so it’ll pay for itself in just a couple of years! And bonus…it’s a tax write-off because it’s for the rental too!

Oh, and there’s the fact that I’m enjoying THIS this morning…

It’s a little known fact that cookies & coffee help make everything better.

Happy Wednesday!

Oh and P.S. if you have an iphone and you’re not on instagram, GET ON IT! (and follow me while you’re at it because you’re clearly missing out on all the awesome photos I post on there.)

Linking up with BabyBabyLemon, Parenting By Dummies, The Paper Mama and Jenni from the Blog.

Spring {And Change} is in the Air

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It’s that time of year…

The time of year where the sun starts peeking through the rain clouds and we start spending a little bit more time each weekend outside.

There’s no doubt, Spring is in the air.

But with Spring comes…work.

Gone will be the days of lazy family weekend morning filled with cartoons and home improvement shows.

Gone will be the family trips to the grocery store.

They will be replaced with one of us (me) staying inside the good majority of the day to get housework done and one of us (Andy) heading outside for hours on end working on the property.

Of course there will still be family lunches and family dinners at the table daily.

And there will be plenty of time where all of us are outside, but instead of us doing something all together, I will likely be hanging out with Rylee while she plays in her sandbox or digs in the rocks and Andy will be off in the distance brush-hogging a field, cleaning up the brush around the pond, pruning a fruit tree, taking care of the burn pile or any one of the other seemingly million things on the to-do list when you have 12 acres and two houses to take care of.

We’ll take a family walk to the back of the property now and again, watching Dante zoom past us when he realizes where we’re going. But shortly after our walk is over, it will be back to work.

Obviously, this isn’t meant to be some sort of woe-is-us thing because, really, we chose this path as our life we’re building. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it will be an adjustment.

Spring is in the air. And while we can’t be more excited for some sunshine and time spent outside, Spring means change. And it’s the change that we have the trouble with.

Wait, is this real life!?

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Life has been a whirlwind lately. As per the usual, I suppose. But there’s something about traveling for 5 days that really throws things off. I was thinking this morning about how this week has seemed ridiculously LONG, then I realized it’s because I’ve worked for the last 12 days straight. Sure there was a leave early and show up late thrown in there for good measure, but yea…lots of work. Good thing I love my job, no?

So about that trip I took. Last Thursday I headed across our great country to good old, Hershey, Pennsylvania for a tradeshow for work. It was a good show. I love the industry I’m in…everyone is so nice and helpful and fun. I learned something while I was there…if you’re 17+ weeks pregnant and pack a pair of non-maternity slacks that you haven’t worn in 2 weeks, you should probably try them on before you go, because there’s a STRONG likelihood they won’t button…or even zip. I am SO glad I decided at the very last minute to throw in my Bella Band because yea…I used it.

I didn’t eat any Hershey’s chocolate while I was there. FOR SHAME, I know. But, I did get to have dinner with the amazing Krista. Seriously, she and her husband drove THREE hours one way to come have dinner with me on my last night there. Amazing. And I did bring chocolate home for Rylee.

I got home late-ish Monday night and since I’d worked through the weekend, I figured I deserved a little bit of a sleep in on Tuesday. Any by sleep in, I mean I got up at 6:15 AM. Rylee and I had a leisurely morning of cartoons and breakfast before I dropped her off at preschool and headed to work. On the way to school we passed the same park we always do and she mentioned wanting to play there so when I picked her up that night and it was still light out and not raining, I decided that we’d head to the park to play for a bit…or at least until Andy called to let us know he was on his way home. It was freaking cold, but so heart warming. I love the pure joy that comes from little ones with something as simple as going down the swirly slide.

The rest of the week was kind of a blur to be honest with you.

This weekend Andy, Ry & I are headed up to the outlets to do a little shopping because this funky in-between stage I’m in of my pregnancy is lame and I’d really like to have some cute clothes that actually look like they fit me to wear next week. And BONUS! My sister is going to meet us there and have lunch with us!

Speaking of next week? Oh holy crap I am SO stoked about next week. Have I told you what I get to do?

A few weeks ago I received an email with an invite to TWIN Camp {remember that partnership I have with Toyota?}. So anyway, next week Toyota is flying me, and some other amazing women, down to their headquarters just outside LA, to tour their facility, meet with the Totyota team, talk about things like branding, product life cycles, in-car technology, the car buying process and do some product testing/test drives. When I figured out that I’d be able to swing the trip I got excited. Then today? Then sent me the itinerary. I am STOKED!

You guys…they’re having a driver pick me up from the airport. Like, straight up one of those dudes that wears a black hat and holds a sign with my name on it! Ok, truth be told, I don’t know if it will be a dude, or if a hat will be worn, but still…I feel like freaking JLO or something!

The hotel we’re staying in? Beachside! The restaurants? Well, let’s just say when I visited their websites I started drooling! They will be a pregnant lady’s nirvana.

And not to mention I am genuinely excited to learn more about the Toyota brand, meet their team and test drive their vehicles!

I am really excited to share more about it all when I get home.

I mean really…is this real life? Am I really getting flown to LA for this amazing trip/workshop just because of the words I type on the little blog?

So, see what I mean? Whirlwind.

On sibling spacing and brutal honesty

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When Andy & I talked about having kids we always knew we wanted them to be about 2 years apart.

It just seemed perfect for so many different reasons.

They’d be each others best friends. It wouldn’t be a tough transition for us because we’d be in a constant state of baby. Blah blah blah.

In all that time, I may or may not have forgotten all of our other reasons.

Well, about the time we were due to start trying for baby #2 our life was flipped upside down with a single phone call and after a very brief discussion, we decided it was best to put our baby plans on hold for a year.

It was the responsible thing to do. Having a 3 year gap between kids wouldn’t be so bad.

Well, what ended up being the hardest year of our lives came and went and when it was “time” again, we took a look at our situation and decided, again, that it’d be best to wait.

And again with the responsibility thing.

I’d be lying to your face parts if I told you I wasn’t upset/mad/hurt/resentful about the entire situation, but we made it through another year and then it was time for a little brown chicken, brown cow, if you know what I mean.

And now here we sit, just starting 2012, with baby #2 FINALLY on the way.

Looking back now, I can tell you it was such a hard, but good decision for our family, and not just financially.

I have adored my time with Rylee being just Rylee. We’ve had so many fun adventures as a family of 3 that I know wouldn’t have turned out the same if we’d been toting a little 2-year-younger sibling.

On the flip side, over the last 2 years there have been more occasions than I care to admit where I’ve struggled with Rylee and thought, “there’s no way I’d be able to handle 2 kids right now. Will I be able to handle 2 kids ever!?”

Remember how I’ve said before everything happens for a reason? I totally believe it.

And really, let’s be real, if we’d stuck with our “2-year-spacing” plan, I’d be missing out on conversations like this:

Rylee: Mom, you’ve got a fat belly.
Me: Oh just wait, it’s gonna get a whole lot bigger!
Rylee: {eyes as big as pie plates} WHOA!

Gotta love kids and their brutal, innocent honesty, am I right!?

For the record? I’m only 12 weeks.

Little Monster…

 

Happy New Year!

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Oh, yes, I’m fully aware I’m about 5 days late on this post, but well…I’ve had other things going on.

Besides baking a baby that has me wanting to go to bed at 7:30 every night, work has been particularly busy these last couple of weeks, as I prep for product launch and tradeshows. Insanity is more like it.

With work being so busy, my lunches, better known as my normal blogging time, has been filled with running errands for work or just plain working through.

And my evenings? Well, those have been reserved for my family.

The long weekend was glorious. It was the perfect mix of productive and lazy. We spent the entire weekend as a family…it was so needed. Saturday we spent the afternoon running errands. And, shockingly enough, I made it all the way to midnight!

Sunday, New Year’s Day, we took down Christmas decorations while Rylee napped. Undecking the halls actually resulted in a major living room and office overhaul, completely rearranging and cleaning everything.

Monday was filled with more cleaning and rearranging. And more laziness. And even spending some time outside…in, get this, the SUN!

Seriously, the weekend was perfect. I mean…when this is your view, how can it not be a great weekend!?

It was the perfect way to start a new year.

Hope your year is off to a great start too!