The Person Family

Theo

2012-02-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

Theo spotted this soccer jersey at a kids consignment store yesterday and insisted on having it, it was $3.50 and Theo has never insisted on a piece of clothing in his life, I couldn't say "no". He asked "Mom, this is a cool shirt, right?" and put it on in the car over his long sleeved shirt. He is also wearing it again today and asked me to take a picture of him in his "cool shirt". I am a bit of a sucker for camo cargo pants, they are my favorite on my boy and with this "cool shirt", I think Theo looks like a serious hipster, not to mention such a big boy, he is wearing a size 5 after all. Maybe it's the kindergarten registration, the picking of clothes, the big growth spurt, the size 5 clothing, the big (good) change in behavior but either way this boy is growing and it's a happy/sad time for this momma. Theo is such a delight, so sweet, so energetic, talkative, bright, fascinating, independent, eager to learn and over all just fun but I miss having a baby, big time.

Bloom Trailer

2012-02-14T16:05:00.000-08:00

my favorite blogger wrote a book, I can't wait to read it!

a few more NYC pics

2012-02-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

my first "babies' Nick and Tess, the kids I was a nanny for in NY for 6 years, all grown up, too fast.

Christian, Carissa and baby Olivia

my lovely friend Paula with 3 week old Olivia!

Olivia!

cousins!

saying goodbye to Grandma

my super cute cousin Debbie

night out, purple tights, why not?!

Jackson, Theo's NYC buddy, only 6 weeks apart from eachother, miss this family!

kindergarten

2012-02-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

I just registered Theo for kindergarten...definitely bittersweet to send my baby to school, I know everyone says this but seriously, where did the time go?

my squishy and yummy, hipster!

2012-02-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

I had the best time in NYC, so much fun that I hardly had time for pictures!

New York pizza w/ a martini of course!

my best bud Salwa

love her!

nervous

2012-01-31T09:15:00.000-08:00

I am not sure how this has happened...but I have never really left my kids before. Carter is 8.5 years old and Theo is 4.5 years old and this is the first time other than a night here or there that Jeremy and I have both left our kids. I flew to NYC for 3 days right after we moved here but Jeremy was home with the kids. Jeremy has left for work but I am always home. We have never flown and been away together. I will be gone 5 nights and although I am super excited to be reunited in the city that Jeremy and I got married and had two precious children, I am super nervous. I know my mom will do great with the kids and I know the kids will be great for my mom, it's just hard to let go...um, yes I am a bit of a control freak. I care what my kids eat, wear, do, especially while I am away and I want to make sure that Jeremy and I both come home safely. I also know that I will probably have the time of my life and if the kids were not in Seattle to come back too, I would assume Jeremy and I would just stay, stay in that glorious city forever...because even though I am nervous I can't wait to have that overwhelming feeling of just being "home".

M & M's

2012-01-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

overheard by Theo in the back seat of the car after dropping Jeremy off at the airport..."Carter, if they made New York City M & M's they would be all gray".

*lucky Jeremy is going to NYC for 8 days (for work) I am just tagging along the last few days to attend my Grandma's funeral and then Jer and I get to spend some time just us, in our favorite city, surrounded by noise, traffic, huge buildings, lots & lots of people, taxi's, buses, subways, museums, restaurants, the best shopping in the world, more people, street vendors, and more, my heart beats fast just thinking about it, I seriously love NY!

96

2012-01-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

My beautiful sweet Grandma Helen aka Mom Mom died this morning, so sad, but honestly at 96 years of age she was ready to go, she had an awesome life! She had 3 busy boys who combined had 10 even busier grand kids who then had 20 super busy great grandchildren, my kids are in that bunch. I was going to see her next week while I was in NY, but I have memories to last a lifetime. Thanks Mom Mom, I love you.

5/13/1915 to 1/26/2012

I love NY!

2012-01-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

take a wild guess to where I am heading next week?

4 days, me and Jeremy, love and fun in my favorite city ever!

wedding bells

2012-01-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

My little brother is getting married, whoo hoo! He proposed to his girlfriend on Sunday, we are so excited. Welcome to the family Kendra : )

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2012-01-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

no, we are not expecting another snow storm but Jeremy and I finally took the plunge and bought a 2nd car and it's perfect for the snow, too bad we bought it a week late!

our new(ish) car!

ecstatic and creative

2012-01-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

day 6 stuck inside, the kids are ecstatic, lots of extra TV time, outside snow playing, sledding, inside game playing, toy playing, all-day pajama wearing ecstatic! We just finished off our last 2 boxes of cereal, we have one egg left, 2 bananas, 1 red pepper, a lemon and lots of cheese and a freezer full of frozen meat, bags of frozen veggies, a few Eggo waffles and a frozen pizza, we are good for a few more days. Last night, I got a bit creative with whatever we had in the freezer (frozen bag of hot dog buns, but no hot dogs!) and I made hot dog bun garlic bread. I gotta say they were delicious, easy and obviously really cheap. I just opened the buns, spread butter, sprinkled with crushed garlic and popped them in the oven for a few minutes at 350 until they were slightly golden brown, they went perfect with bolognese and pasta.

I have been a bit stir crazy but my kids are homebodies, especially my Carter, they love being at home, playing and enjoying their toys, their rooms, the time with mom, the snow, movies, Kinect games, weird lunches, lots of snacks and reading in bed. It turns out, that I really REALLY like my kids, 3 cheers for another day at home because our 2 wheel drive beemer is going nowhere!

Thursday snow day

2012-01-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

my cute snow ready people!

Carter's ice "pen & paper"

football and mowing on ice-covered snow, fun!

Wednesday snow day

2012-01-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

snowy day pictures!

2012-01-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

snow day!

2012-01-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

new boots that were just waiting for snow!

Theo is excited!

2012-01-13T08:27:00.001-08:00

American girl

2012-01-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Carter got a $25 dollar gift card for American Girl doll from Christmas and since there is now a Seattle store...take wild guess where we went last Saturday? She also had some extra money saved up, $40 dollars to spend at AG, what fun! There is a new doll McKenna who is actually from Seattle and you can buy her rain gear, funny. I am a HUGE fan of American Girl Doll, I love every single thing in that store, Carter and I can spend hours and hours in there, we did in NYC too. My fingers are crossed that she will want a little birthday party at the cafe. Carter bought McKenna's cast and crutches set, so between her wheelchair and this new set she has a triage center for dolls set up in her room.

Carter with Lisa, Kirsten got left in the car, not enough hands to hold two dolls and look!

photo by Theo

counting out her money!

good mail day #1

2012-01-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

Look what I got in the mail on Monday? Our yearly photobook from Snapfish, the Person family from 2011 in a 26 page book, yay!

the packaging alone just makes me happy!

good mail day #2

2012-01-11T08:08:00.000-08:00

and look what I got in the mail on Tuesday! My friend Linsey who blogs over at beanes' things made Theo a sweet snuggle blanket. Carter has one that became her favorite blanket as a baby and toddler (even now too) and a few months ago I asked Lins to make one for Theo since he wanted one. He loves it and so do I! Thanks Linsey!

awesome

2012-01-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

click here if you want to see a really silly picture of me and my friend Kelly from our sophomore year of high school, the one year I spent at private school. So fantastic, you made my day Kelly, thanks!

puppy love

2012-01-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

Bryn is hardly a puppy, we have had her for over 10 years. The last 2 years she has had a favorite, every night she is snuggling with Carter, it's pretty cute.

Well...

2012-01-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

I am certainly having fun with Theo's new Playmobil castle!

20 minutes of finding shields & swords for all these little knights, fun stuff, Theo and I had an epic battle later, I lost.

fitting lyrics

2012-01-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

love these lyrics by Death Cab for Cutie (quite possibly the worst name for a bad ever, but I love their music) in the song You Are A Tourist-

And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born
Then it's time to go
And define your destination
There's so many different places to call home
Because when you find yourself the villain in the story you have written
It's plain to see
That sometimes the best intentions are in need of redemption's
Would you agree?
If so please show me

I do agree!

beauty & life

2012-01-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning sunrise, gorgeous!

Mateo, 10 days old, I am absolutely in love with that little guy,

shake it up

2012-01-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

I am trying to make the conscience decision to not be on the computer so much. It's hard. The computer is in our playroom, near the laundry room and needless to say the location is very tempting, very tempting indeed. My plan for now is to use the computer in the evenings after the kids go to bed. Do I really need to be on it 2, or 3, or even 4 or more times a day? No. So that means I may post less, or I may post a bunch of stuff in one day but either way my blogging will be inconsistent at best.

back at it

2012-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

back to school, back to a normal and steady routine, which I totally love, I am a planner and thrive on a good schedule but I also enjoyed our lazy carefree days during winter break!

hello Tuesday morning...

Carter heading back to school!

This guy can't wait to play Wipeout 2 on the xbox kinect, he got dressed and ate breakfast in no time!

New Year

2012-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

I wonder if this post was written especially for me? It's perfect and intentional and exactly what I needed, I feel refueled, refreshed and so ready for 2012! The weather was beautiful today and other than one little errand we had nothing to do. We slept in so late that we missed church so we all settled in on the couch and watch Rio instead (very cute movie, btw), after the movie we finally got dressed then went to do our quick errand and then with the sun shining the kids and I went to the park while Jeremy took the Christmas lights down and relaxed in a super quiet house, it was a lovely day, the right way to start a whole new year.

34

2011-12-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

I turn 34 tomorrow, I am not going to lie, I am having a hard time with this one. I don't want to get older, for the first time in my life, I really just don't want to get older. I have felt very unsettled knowing that my birthday was creeping up. I think breaking my toe, our one and only car breaking down, a little family drama and the fact that a few of my hopes and dreams are not coming true, throw that all on top of turning 34 on New Years Eve and boom, you get a bit of a Carissa pity party. I have been doing my share of pity party to anyone and everyone who will listen. I have several amazing friends who listen non-stop and love me, care about me and pity party with me but mostly they also tell me to shut up and get over myself. I love that about them (you know who you are, wink, wink) they love me so much that they tell me to shut it, but always with love. I have a blessed life, I really do. It's not perfect. I struggle. I struggle with my weight. I struggle with my kids. I struggle with my husband. I struggle with family and with friends. I struggle with my place in life. I struggle with my desire to have another baby and I struggle with trying to also let that go. I struggle with control. I struggle with jealousy. I really could go on and on and on but then it would be a long post about my Carissa pity party and that is boring, it really is. What I do know is that on my 34 birthday, I am deeply loved by so many people and it's so emotional to even write about. I have such an amazing husband who is crazy in love with me, yup me the one who struggles with so much, he loves me for me, plain and simple. My kids love me, mommy, and I am so blessed to be their momma. I have many friends but I have four awesome ladies who love me, who care deeply about me, about Jeremy and about my kids. There is never a week that goes by that I do not receive a text, email or phone call from each and everyone of them, sometimes all three in just one day. Thank you Emy, Salwa, Jo and Deirdre. Thanks for making everyday feel like my birthday just because I have you, your friendships are the greatest gift. I am also so very thankful for my parents, their wisdom and love have carried me through. I am thankful for the laughter and joy I share with my brothers. So, on this New Year, my 34th year, I want to make sure that I am forever grateful even in the midst of hardships or disappointments. I want the people around me to know how much I care and appreciate them. I want to scratch the old plans, hopes and dreams for my life and make new ones and just follow God's plan for my life. I might have to loosen the reigns a bit and learn to chill out. But, I have pretty good idea that several people will be along for the ride, to help me out!

Happy New Year, peeps!

I think 2012 and 34 could be pretty fantastic, if I only let it, 3 cheers to that and my new pretty fabulous shoes!

Christmas fun!

2011-12-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

a few more pics from Christmas-

all set up, waiting for the AM!

Christmas breakfast courtesy of my amazing husband!

Christmas night at my inlaws with the cousins, more fun-

Theo and cousin Cooper. goof balls!

the best Christmas gift, xbox 360 with Kinect, my kids have never had so much screen time in their whole lives, I can't wait for my toe to heal so I can jump up and down too!

Christmas Eve pony rides

2011-12-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

We went to The Bravern on Christmas Eve for a little free pony riding and last minute letter writing to Santa and maybe a few last minute gift (ahem, Jeremy!) the kids had a blast. Later that evening we opened Christmas jammies that the kids had picked out for everyone and had a fantastic dinner that Jeremy made. Our original plans got canceled but it was nice to have a quiet evening at home, the kids were in bed by 8:30pm and Jeremy and I started on our toy building and present wrapping, we always make a few cocktails, pop a movie in and get deep into Playmobil building, it's a tradition every year. We are going to be pretty sad when our kids no longer play with Playmobil, those large sets take forever to build but we love it!

, I love that they pick their own things now (i.e new Christmas jammies) and even wrap them for themselves!

Ta Da! is my girl long or what?

daily scripture

2011-12-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

I get a scripture emailed to me daily, I have been a bit behind on reading a few emails but finally had the chance to get caught up today and read this scripture:

Dear Children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show by our actions.
1 John 3:18 (New Living Translation)

Honestly, reading that was like a dagger through my heart. I have not been loving by actions, as a matter of fact my actions down right stink. Sometimes it's a lot easier to love than to like someone but that doesn't mean I drop the ball on having loving words and actions. How often am I impatient with the grocer check out person or behind a slow car? my children are watching my actions and if my actions are not loving how can I expect my kids to be loving towards each other? if they see me gossip or act unkind they will gossip and act unkind, if I am lazy and impatient, they will be lazy and impatient. If I am loving even if it's by the grace of God then my kids will learn to be loving in all circumstances even when it's really difficult.

Joy to the World!

2011-12-25T11:33:00.000-08:00

this is joy...

this is blessings...

I love when jeremy makes breakfast, especially on Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

greatest gift

2011-12-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

Sweet baby Mateo who's name means "gift from God" was born last night to my cousin Katie who tragically lost her daughter Elisabeth one day before her due date and was told that because of complications delivering Elisabeth that she was unable to have more children, God is good, Mateo is the best gift ever, our family is blessed. We are feeling the love and ever so thankful for the gift of life.

neurotic

2011-12-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

yes, this is me frantically scrapping and cleaning mud off my kids rain boots, yup, you read that right. I was cleaning mud off of rain boots that are meant to be muddy!

favorite Christmas card ever!

2011-12-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

a fabulous friend can lift spirits in no time, Merry Christmas!

lots of new blog posts, last week was busy!

2011-12-20T09:42:00.001-08:00

ugly Christmas sweater party

2011-12-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

The parties keep coming...Tyler and Jessica's annual ugly Christmas sweater party!

Mullet hair Jeremy and I with his brother Tyler and sis in law Jessica
(don't I look super middle aged, suburban mom in this pic, wow!)

Jeremy won last year for the ugliest sweater so this year he wanted to give someone else a chance to win (that was his excuse at least for not wearing an ugly sweater)

Jessica with not only an ugly sweater but also a baby bump, only 2 months to go and I get a new niece!

Christmas celebration #1

2011-12-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Our whole family was able to get together last weekend for an early Christmas celebration. Justin and his family came from Spokane and Trevor and Kendra from Portland. We had a blast! I like spreading it out because so far this week has been quiet because the kids are occupied with new toys. I got my cute little measuring cup stacking dolls (Thanks Kendra and Trevor) and many wonderful new treats. It's so nice to see my kids and their cousins have so much fun exchanging gifts. My mom and John made a wonderful dinner, it was perfect. Merry Christmas!

Kendra, Shyrah and me (and Theo)

Sunrise likes to sleep through all the festivities!

Playmobil firehouse, yay!

Praline and Playmobil, fun!

Theo really wanted this Lego Star wars sticker book.

playing a new game

last week

2011-12-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

Carter and Ms. Rosenthal making a snowman at school

We like to bring the whole family to school events!

Cart and cousin Saphyre at dinner

Yum!

Tharps and Persons

Theo's preschool Christmas show

2011-12-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

Last week Theo's sweet little school put on a Christmas show, it was cute, cute, cute!

His buddy and cousin Cooper came and that by far was the highlight for Theo. Theo was very serious during his performance but he became very silly after with Cooper.

Theo and his teacher

so happy to see Cooper

silly cousins, these two are only 6 months apart!

Sooooo...

2011-12-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

between my broken toe, picking up too many extra shifts at work and having to deal with crazy mall parking and traffic, turning 34 in a week and half and not being pregnant, and gaining 4 pounds, I have hit my bottom, this momma cannot stop crying and the worst part is I am at work, at a maternity store helping out super cute and really young moms to be. It's 6 days before Christmas and no one should be crying. I am just done, period. I hate the "woe is me" but today I just can't help it. Boo.

2011-12-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

My broken toe has definitely been slowing me down but we did celebrate Christmas last weekend with my side of the family and attended a ugly Christmas sweater party where I did a lot of sitting and eating holiday treats, pictures to come!

ouch and other things

2011-12-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

I broke my toe today, pretty badly, my poor toe is bending in a way that is not natural at all and my whole right foot is in a boot. Luckily, my moms husband is a podiatrist and was able to fix me up quickly but holy smokes it. is. painful. like really, really painful. I have to hop on my one good foot or crawl on my hands and knees to get anywhere, obviously it's not a great way to start one of our "super weekend before Christmas" weekends, I will obviously have to slow it down and all my pretty holiday heels will be taking a long hiatus, sad. My mom was joking that I need a shot of whiskey to help the pain and not an hour later Jeremy came home from work with this:

6 bottles of whiskey, Johnnie Walker blue label included. Jeremy just went to rent a movie so I will be sitting on the couch with my poor foot up watching a movie while sipping on a little bit whiskey and taking it easy, which for me is really hard!

questionaire

2011-12-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

my friend Kelly posted this on her blog, I asked Carter and Theo (at different times) to participate and this is what we got-
1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
C: "I loooove you"! (long and drawn out, apparently)
T: "I love me" but I think he meant that I love him

2. What makes Mommy happy?
C: "Hugs"
T: "a hug"

3. What makes Mommy sad?
C: "no, hugs"
T: "someone lying to you"

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?
C: "tickling me"
T: "by sticking your tongue out" (I'm classy like that!)

5. What was Mommy like as a child?
C: "playful"
T: "I don't know"

6.How old is Mommy?
C: "33, almost 34"
T: "43" (yikes!)

7. How tall is Mommy?
C: "probably, 5 feet"
T: "1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10"

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
C: "baking cakes"
T: "saying I love you"

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?
C: "clean"
T: "run errands"

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
C: "movie star!"
T: "famous for TV"

11. What is Mommy really good at?
C: "cleaning"
T: "everything"

12. What is Mommy not very good at?
C: "I can't think of anything" (bless her!)
T: "getting upset when I dump the game Apples to Apples"

13. What does Mommy do for her job?
C: "she sells baby stuff" (I work one day a week at a maternity store)
T: "go to work"

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
C: "salad"
T: "salad"

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
C: "that you're a good mommy"
T: "hugging"

16. What do you and Mommy do together?
C: "read and play"
T: "doing something good to our self, like kissing"

17. How are you and Mommy the same?
C: "we are both girls and we both have blond hair and we are in the same family"
T: "we have the same hair but yours is longer"

18. How are you and Mommy different?
C: "mom is a grown up and I am kid and she can type fast"
T: "you have blue slippers and I have spider man ones"

19. How do you know Mommy loves you?
C: "you hug and read to me"
T: "hugs and kisses"

20. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
C: "grandpa Dave's house!"
T: "bed"

keep in mind that Theo is 4 so some of these questions were a bit challenging : )

and there you have it

2011-12-14T13:52:00.000-08:00

Today, after Theo's preschool Christmas performance I found myself kid free. My mother in law took Theo and his cousin to lunch and Carter was at school. I did what I hope any self-respecting mother with unexpected free time on her hands with an already clean house and not an ounce of laundry to fold I treated myself to a Chai latte (well, actually that was courtesy of my mom, thanks momma for the Starbucks gift card!) and a super indulgent almond croissant. That my blog reading friends is a very satisfying afternoon!

making a list

2011-12-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

How fantastic are these?

they on my Christmas list and if I don't get them for Christmas then there is always my birthday (perfect birthday present, Kitchen aid, please!) , my kitchen needs these little cuties!

busy!

2011-12-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we had swim lessons, a kids birthday party, a lovely walk around Green lake seeing lights, a way past our kids bedtime (and mine) dinner party, then on Sunday we had church, a family birthday party, a little bit of work, and last but not least The Amazing Race finale (super disappointed with the winners) We had a whirlwind weekend, deep breath, exhale...moving into a super busy weeks, super busy. I am helping out at the store this week, doing a bunch of closing shifts which means lots of late nights and the regular stuff during the day and then more closing shifts, it will be busy but I like it. I like it because after Christmas we have a nice long week of calm, Jeremy has 10 days (yay!) off, and besides my nieces birthday and my own, it's a pretty quiet week, lots of playing with new toys, and seeing friends, just the way life should be at the very end of the year.

Green lake walk

cute dads

4 kids in a wagon

Crash, apparently 4 kids is too many!

I forgot to post a pic of our tree all decorated and pretty, I love it!

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

2 weeks until Christmas, but who's counting? (me, me, me!)

Christmas ridiculousness (if that is indeed a word)

2011-12-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

I saw this fine fellow (who I assume is Jesus) this morning while out running errands, I did a super almost illegal wide turn just to get a picture and I have had a smile on my face ever since, reason #347 why I love the Christmas season, ridiculous decorations, awesome!

light it up

2011-12-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

I meant to post this weeks ago but I kept forgetting and now it's really close to Christmas...but if you want to spread some good cheer to our service men and woman overseas here is an idea:

I read an article while at a rest stop near Vantage Washington heading back from our November Spokane trip and saw an article about a service man from Yakima who wanted Christmas lights for his air base, you can read the article here. We love Christmas lights at our house, they add sparkle and wonder to the delights of Christmas and it made me a bit sad to think of the wonderful people serving our country all over that will not only miss Christmas with their families but also the delights of lights. The kids and I got lights, we just made Mr. McGowan some cards and I will mail it tomorrow and hopefully it will get to Afghanistan soon and Christmas delight will be spread. I think the more lights the merrier. The address can be found int he article.

Merry Christmas people, spread the cheer, light it up!

I heart my people!

2011-12-06T08:49:00.001-08:00

Pictures like this make my heart beat a little faster, dreams do come true.

The game angry birds has taken over my phone, my boys love it, not sure why but my phone is constantly being used up, I am trying to get Jer to upgrade his ancient blackberry to an iphone but no such luck, that man loves his blackberry!

Ralph Laurenish?

2011-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my new deal breaking riding boots and a text conversation about fashion with my ridiculously pretty cousin Collette (who has the coolest name) I decided to try to dress a little more hip today. The results...Ralph Lauren, on the cheap of course!

riding boots: $239 but on clearance for $139 with an extra 30% off, add a $15 off DSW rewards coupon, and a $5 off black Friday coupon and a $5 off birthday coupon and voila $72!

same ol' Old Navy skinny jeans that I got for $9.99 tucked into lovely new boots

one white camisole that is almost a billion years old

striped button up shirt also at old Navy for $9.99 from a summer sale

pretty gold necklace bought with a gift card from Fireworks (free!)

funky bolero type sweater hand me down from my friend Kendra (also free!)

also sporting my "when in doubt, belt it!" look (cheap belt taken from a cheap dress)

the results? a slightly less boring outfit than usual, I heart fashion and sales!

*pics taken while at work, which explains the background and the big mirror, working hard people, working hard!

it's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

2011-12-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

We got our Christmas tree yesterday, early for us as we usally get it so late but this year we have weekends together, the first time in 10 years, I am feeling so blessed just for that. I love Jeremy's job and schedule. I know most people have weekends together but like I said this is the first time since we have been married that we have all weekend, every weekend together and that means we get a Christmas tree on the first weekend in December! We go all out (insert sarcasm here) and search high and low for a Christmas tree at Home Depot, it sort of reminds us of our Christmas tree shopping in NYC. Sadly, Home Depot this year was pretty picked over so we went to Lowe's instead and found a fantastic tree.

NYC ornaments, some of my favorites!

showing off their new ornaments that Jeremy and I pick for them every year

read much?

2011-12-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

Last night after returning home from my monthly book club around 10, I went to kiss my little sleeping babes heads and saw Carter all snuggled up tight with a pile of books near her head. She had two Laura Ingalls Wilder books, These Happy Golden Years and a Laura Biography since she is writing a report on Laura. She also had our favorite children's Bible and the real Bible near her. Jeremy told me she was alternating between the books. I mean, I like to read and all but never 4 books at once!

blast from the past

2011-11-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

snow in NYC w/ Carter

Theo's 1st birthday

Caught in a snowstorm, Theo sleeping in the stroller NYC

Carter as a toddler

Carter was not a fan of Santa

Disney World!

Carter's 4th birthday, pregnant with Theo.

Theo Halloween in NYC!

The great thing about making photo books is that you get to go through a bunch of old photos and all the sweet memories come flooding back, it's been a blast. Love my kids. Love my husband. Love my life and love the reminder that past pictures show of a blessed life.

livingsocial

2011-11-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

This deal dropped yesterday on Livingsocial and if I wasn't married to the diamond ~~dealer~~ account manager (his "real" title)for that company I might have been inclined to buy the deal because this and this are on my Christmas list!

my sentiments exactly!

2011-11-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

I saw this in a magazine and had to rip it out and post in on my refrigerator. It's no joke I love coffee and Coffee mate creamer but this pic just about sums up what a nice piping hot cup of coffee can do on a sometimes stressful or busy day. It's my calm.

zzzzzzzz

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today, I am super thankful for good little sleepers who had no problem being put to bed at 6:30pm last night. Theo was out cold in 5 minutes and Carter read for a bit but was sound asleep by 8. They woke up at 7:30. Sleep in our house equals lovely temperaments, so I am a BIG fan of 13 hour sleep sessions and basically early bedtimes in general. It's such a fantastic way to start the week!

5 things

2011-11-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

I saw this on a few other blogs and thought it was interesting/fun, first 5 things that pop in your head that you like (besides the obvious i.e. kids, husband etc.) and dislike, Go!

LIKE:
coffee
newborn babies
salads
Christmas cards
maple bar donuts

DISLIKE:
eating in bed (gross)
pumping my own gas (also gross and smelly)
messes
hesitant drivers
Halloween

on Thanksgiving we did a lot of this...

2011-11-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

chillin' (Jer with my big brother Justin & little brother Trevor)

tight hugs (maybe too tight!)

pie eating (my nephew James)

napping (niece Sunrise)

game playing!

laughing

posing (me, Kendra, my mom and SIL Shyrah)

sister in laws are fun!

2011-11-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

we are both really goofy, absolutely love it!

here we go...

2011-11-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

I always look back at old pictures of our last Thanksgiving in ~~heaven~~ New York, the parade pics never get old. I am so thankful for those beautiful 11 years in that glorious city where Jeremy and I got married and two beautiful babies were born. The truth is no matter where I am (and seriously, I have been loving Seattle the past few months), I have amazing friends. I have a fantastic husband. I have the coolest dad. I have the sweetest, most supportive mom. I have two very crazy/fun/handsome brothers. I have the best kids. I have very cute nieces and nephews (and one on the way). I have AMAZING friends, did I mention that already? I. do. they rock. I have so much and for that and more I am so very thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

whooping it up, cheesy pictures and all!

2011-11-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

funky posing all around, why on earth the bending down in the front?
it must be a holiday party with an open bar, cheers!

We can cleanup it up if we need too!
(vintage dress, Capitol Hill, $8, no joke, love it!)
I am also sporting the classic Carissa smirk/pre-smile what-not.

did someone say "smile" Jeremy takes the cake on the cheese factor in this pic!

Thankful

2011-11-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today, I am super thankful for financial stability. I just got done reading a few blogs and most of them were about job loss, empty bank accounts and straight up hard times. We may not drive a fancy car, wear lots of designer clothes or even eat gourmet meals but we are secure. My husband is a financial genius. We will never be without. We have a safety net. We know the value of money and hard work, we don't spend money that we don't have. We don't rely on others for our bread and butter, we do it on our own. We are frugal but we also have fun and dress nice and eat out (occasionally). We are blessed, I am thankful.

Sunday:leaves, love and lots of naps!

2011-11-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

We had Jeremy's holiday work party Saturday night (pictures to come) and we didn't get home until 2AM, uh what?!!! Yes, it really was that fun, seriously. There is no question that I adore my husband and think the world of him but it's nice to know that people at Blue.Nile think the same, everyone who I met mentioned that they think Jeremy is the greatest, ridiculously smart and a fantastic addition to the BN team, I am super proud of him. However, staying out until 2AM does have some repercussions, like extreme fatigue. The kids were at my moms until Sunday afternoon and despite our attempts to sleep in we just could not but we did enjoy a lovely brunch and a little Christmas shopping. We came home and took a mini nap. Then the kids showed up just in time to get in on helping with blowing and raking leaves. A fantastic Sunday all around!

I love this pic, happy kids, so great!

I helped too there just are not any pictures of me lugging leaves to the compost pile.

why hello there

2011-11-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

I was quite pleased with this colorful (and yummy) dinner last night. Leave it to Trader Joe's to help make a super easy meal with this rice, oh so yummy. Along with a quick easy salad and some spicy pork cutlets and voila, Thursday night dinner. Somewhere between the time of 7pm and 8pm I got a little craving for some cheesecake not just any cheesecake but Cheesecake Factory cheesecake and in less than an hour I was out the door, with kids snug in bed, a husband doing some at home work and my dear friend in my car!

why hello there Reese's chocolate cake cheesecake!

Deirdre and I shared this and we couldn't even finish the last few bites, it's that rich and indulgent but oh so worth it. I heart Thursdays!

look...

2011-11-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

what I just got in the mail?! Holiday heels, 5 inches of oh la la. Let the festivities begin!

Carter!

2011-11-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

also, this little cutie got some new pumped up kicks yesterday. She picked some Pumas, I feel like we just entered a whole new world of bigger kid footwear, she's such a hipster!

Theo!

2011-11-17T08:25:00.002-08:00

It's always fun to wake up and see this cutie, his pajama combo's are out of this world, I love it!

2011-11-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

I heart this person (pun intended) so much!

hoarding

2011-11-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Carters dresser full of special ~~junk~~ treasures.

Carters bookshelf

I am not sure how I got a hoarding daughter, as I am notorious for being a purger, as a matter of fact I hate clutter so much I often get rid of perfectly goods things that I actually need. The Goodwill and I have a fantastic relationship. The only thing I hoard or collect is jeans. I really do feel that you can never have too many pairs of jeans, never. Often around this time of year I get the clean-out bug, just in time for new things from Christmas. My kids know the drill. Out with the old in with the new. Carter recently decided that she no longer wants or needs her mini My Little Pony figures so we posted on Craigslist and she hopes to make $20 to buy some Christmas presents for her family and friends. She has been eyeing this card making kit and has quite the list of recipients. I absolutely love the Christmas season, all the giving and sharing. However, I had a conversation with my mother in law yesterday about what my kids need or want for Christmas and I was really stumped, we honestly have SO much, so many blessings and so many toys. Obviously, you can see from Carters pile of stuff that she likes to collect and that she needs nothing. I certainly do not want spoiled kids but I also know the joy that grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and Jeremy and I have when seeing our children's faces light up on Christmas morning. It's a fine balance that we are continually working on. As Carter gets older I know that she won't want silly little toys anymore, especially after getting rid of a huge pile of silly little mini My Little ponies, but she is 8 and still little after all. I had to resist the urge to make her to purge all her little treasures. They mean something to her. I like clean, tidy and orderly. She likes a little mess and lots of stuff. I like that she is making her own decisions about what to get rid of and I like that she is selling to buy stuff to make and give to others. She might have a little bit of hoarding in her but she also has a big heart and a really creative mind. Some of the greatest and smartest people were also some of the messiest.

Snappy

2011-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

I am so very thankful for a little online company called snapfish. I made our family Christmas cards in less than 10 minutes and I also got 50% off, 80 cards for way under $40 is something to be thankful for! I love the picture this year, it's of our whole family in a beautiful setting. I am a bit notorious for sending pics out that don't show my kids faces, I prefer action shots instead of the super posed family pics but this year we got a somewhat posed shot but it's fantastic. I can't wait to get them in a few days and get addressing, yay to Christmas cards!

Spokane with the Tharps!

2011-11-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

About 6 months after we moved back here from NY my brother got a job transfer to Spokane, it was a major bummer for us as we basically hung out non-stop the first 6 months we lived here. Luckily, Spokane isn't too far away and they come visit often but my kids really do miss their kids. So, needless to say we took advantage of Carter and Theo not having school last Thursday and Friday by having Jeremy take some days off and we headed over for a 4 day weekend. We even managed to leave Wednesday afternoon. We had a blast! I really had not spent much time in Spokane since I was in high school, and that's been awhile. I was amazed at all the stuff I had memories about, the downtown stores, Riverfront Park, and my all time favorite kid memory of Spokane was and still is The White Elephant. I actually got a bit teary eyed when we went there (because I am a sap like that) remembering my parents surprising us with trips there. I distinctly remember my mom and dad waking us up after having fallen asleep in the car and saying "surprise" and seeing that we were in The White Elephant parking lot, good times indeed! I was excited to take my kids there and it did not disappoint. The Playmobil prices are by far the best I have ever seen and we know our Playmobil prices! The rest of our trip was hanging out at Cabelas where I tried a buffalo burger which was so gamy and not good that I think I might need to take a break from all red meat for a few months. Jeremy however, was like a kid in a candy shop looking at guns and I am sure without a doubt he was wishing his guns were not at his Grandparents house in Grangeville. It's time for my husband to get back into the wild and get a hobby, he used to rock climb, ski and hunt and then he followed some girl (wink wink) all the way to NYC and never looked backed, the city might run in our veins but I think our Spokane trip made Jeremy want to get back in the swing of things. Our kids of course have a blast with their cousins and even just hanging at their house is fun.

wrestling with Uncle Jeremy

puzzling with Grandpa Dave and Sharon

Apples to Apples our favorite game, our dog likes it too apparently!

more wrestling!

one of favorite pictures : )

The White Elephant has the same ride-on toy from when I was a kid only $.10 cents too!

Cabelas

maybe Jeremy's dream come true?!

Sunrise, Theo, Saphyre, Carter and James, the cousins in order by age

Riverfront park, super cold

the whole gang

fun stuff in Spokane... although this was technically in Idaho so really this is what you see in Idaho folks, gotta love that!

My brother Justin and I

Jer and I, very cold

busy

2011-11-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

I can't possibly be the only one who is so busy that I hardly have time to come up for air? Quite frankly, I am not even sure what we are so busy doing as my kids are not in a various array of activities other than Girlscouts and swim but nonetheless we are busy busy busy, just slightly more busy than I like. I can't wait to slow it down this weekend while hanging with the Tharp's, although come to think of it we will probably be a whirlwind of activity there as well. I am thinking 4 hour nap on the drive over!

hair today gone tomorrow?

2011-11-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

circa 2006 (pre-Theo)

I was thinking of growing my hair back out to this but after looking through some online pictures I am really drawn to the below look....how fantastic is Katie's hair? The BIG question is will I actually have this hair and be able to style it? and will I regret cutting it once it's actually cut? what to do, what to do? Thoughts?

2011-11-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for the blue skies and sunshine that we got today. I vacuumed out our car just in time to get all crusty and dirty again as we leave tomorrow for a long weekend in glorious Spokane!

49 days until Christmas,

2011-11-06T11:21:00.001-08:00

who's excited?!!!

coffee love

2011-11-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's no joke that I love a great cup of coffee or two or even three and on super crazy days maybe even an afternoon cup. Today, I am thankful for Coffee-mate coffee creamer, I love it even though it has high fructose corn syrup, as it turns out almost everything does and I don't have to the time or the money to shop all over Bellevue to find foods without it. I did however break from my usually vanilla flavored creamer and got Belgian chocolate toffee, it. is. delicious. It may be a big coffee drinking day for me!

2011-11-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Taking a queue from my friend Kelly and her daily thankful posts in the month of November, I am very thankful that Target (yup, that place again!) is open until 10pm and is also just right down the road. How on earth did I run out of shampoo without having a back-up?

I heart Thursdays in Fall!

2011-11-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

wow...

2011-11-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

apparently my few blog readers who have children have obedient and amazing eaters who get themselves dressed, either that or they are better at following through with discipline than I am, which I am pretty sure is the case because Jeremy and I get a big fat F in that area. Today, however has been much better because through this blog I found this article (which oddly enough was written by the sister of a former classmate who has another sister that has a fabric line that happened to show fabric once at the same show as my hospital buddy that I met and stayed friends with while I was in the hospital having Theo, did you follow all that? small world huh? talented people too, seriously!) and after I read said article I was reminded that my kids are indeed a blessing (I do know that but sometimes I just need a reminder) and they are only a burden because of my complete lack of self control, discipline and patience. The article made some amazing points, I highly recommend reading it but what most stuck out to me was some of the many points that Rachel makes. "Have you given to your children resentfully?" I will just admit that on plenty of occasions my kids annoy me, I want space, I want free time, I want quiet, I want clean, I want order, but I also want more kids...uh what? yup, I want more and yet I cannot even get the guts, the patience and the discipline in order that Theo so deserves. I had a big ol' "AH HA" moment today after reading Rachel's article. Here, I have been pouting to God and my husband about having another baby, saying things like "life is not fair", "others get what I deserve or want" etc. etc. and instead of stopping and listening to the one who already has my life planned out. I have just been going on and on and on about ME ME ME for years and months about what I do not have and then God reached into my heart and head and just said "Stop" "focus on what you have" "work on Theo, work on Carter, be better for them, to them, put their value first, as well as Jeremy's" It was clear and I listened. Rachel writes "The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord, We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children" I have been so far from imitating God in my discipline with my children that it is down right embarrassing. Where do my children rank in my life? Where does Jeremy rank? Where does the value of begging for a 3rd baby rank? my order is really messed up and my kids know it. I needed Rachel's pep talk and she didn't even know she was giving it to me. I needed to read her words and God's voice. I need to repent and I need to ask God for help in raising the two amazing kids I have. I need to gain the wisdom and strength to discipline Theo correctly. Please pray for our family as we do some major reconstructing.

The Nag

2011-11-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I have a nasty little problem...it's called nagging. It's a very unattractive trait yet it seems to take over my day, especially with my 4 year old. He is slow, painfully slow. My patience wears thin almost every morning getting him to not only sit still to eat a healthy breakfast but to also actually eat it. He's not a picky eater, he eats almost anything. The problem is he eats only a few bites and my momma instincts to make my kids eat takes over and I nag or even worse I baby feed my 4 year old! I remind him several times at every meal to take more bites, to eat more, to sit still and focus on eating. I am sick of my own nagging voice. I need some help, ideas, words of encouragement to get this nipped in the bud. My little guy also takes FOREVER to get himself dressed and guess what? I nag him all morning, I set timers, I make threats. I freak out, I sometimes get him dressed, we are both exhausted by 9am. I want the dressing and eating battles to stop. I know without a doubt the problem is with me, my inconsistency, my lack of self control, my lack of patience. I have heard such a gamut of ideas. Most say "he will eat when he is hungry" or "let him wear pj's to school" etc. and although I agree to a certain extent, it's hard for this momma to do. I would love some tips from my lovely friends. Please don't just say "we don't have that problem in our house, I would not accept it" I need encouragement and "real" ideas and probably a lot of prayers. This is a Theo issue only, for some reason Carter does just fine which makes me realize I may not be a complete failure of a parent but Theo can push those buttons and he's small so I want him to eat, I just want to stop nagging and stop the battles and have an obedient eater and dresser and cleaner upper all throughout the day, thoughts?

*I am reading Love & Logic (again) and it has great ideas, I just need the patience to orchestrate the ideas!

trick-or-treat!

2011-10-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

our large crew of kids

best costume ever!

Our family had a blast trick-or-treating. We started out at our friends the Morgenstern's for pizza, salad and wine (treats for the adults!) and went all throughout their neighborhood with a bunch of their other friends. Out of all the children there (13 total) Carter was the only girl! It was such a idyllic night and on more than a few occasions I had to hold back tears of just complete joy. I have such fantastic kids, such a charming husband and wonderful friends (the Twix and Almond Joy's helped too). Luckily, another mother was a complete sap too. The kids managed to score a crazy amount of candy and they were both in bed by 9pm, not too bad for Halloween night!

and the parties continue...

2011-10-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Theo with some classmates

We reuse costumes big time at our house, I am using Carter's Pikachu costume from last year. It was a HUGE hit with all the 3rd graders especially with this other Pikachu!

Carter's class

haunted house making

trunk or treat

2011-10-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Theo's preschool had a little trunk or treat last night. The kids got some candy and decorated some cookies. It was a small little prelude to tonight's fun but walking home Theo asked "so, that was Halloween, right?" and honestly a handful of candy and a decorated cookie was good enough for him!

Spiderman again.

skipping home, oh how I love that Theo's preschool is within walking distance!

pumpkin carving

2011-10-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

2011-10-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

Besides, the fact that it's Halloween and I can't wait to eat a Twix and a Almond Joy my beautiful pal Deirdre is finally back from an 11 day vacation. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and it's so very true Deirdre and I have coffee together at least two times a week, we always makes extra coffee on a day that we know we can get together. Our friendship is easygoing and fun. Our four year olds love each other. It also is a plus that our older kids are in the same class and she lives up the street from us. We can talk about anything and before we know it hours have passed. Welcome back D, coffee is on for tomorrow!

D and I, both of us are in need of some lipstick in this pic!

Her son Ho'okele and my Carter, classmates and silly friends

us with our babes, love love love!

let the Halloween festivities begin!

2011-10-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween party at our favorite hang out

making bats

although, we did go to a pumpkin patch, we wanted just a few more to carve tomorrow.
Albertson's had them for super cheap!

I got one too, I like the odd shaped ones.

Zombie getting ready for a party!

Zombie with his wife. I opted not to go to the party but I did jump into this picture,
Jeremy looks smoking hot even as a Zombie : )

Target trap

2011-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

What is it with Target? I just got back from Target. I went in to get a bottle of wine and navy tights. I left with two bottles of wine, navy tights, coffee creamer, two boxes of Halloween shaped mac and cheese, pumpkin flavored cream cheese, bananas and a nerf gun. I gave the cashier about five other items that I decided last minute I didn't need. That place is a money trap, super smart marketing tactics going on there. I need to be wiser.

2011-10-27T09:24:00.001-07:00

if you need a little chuckle check out this site.

Thursday thoughts

2011-10-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

The perk of being so productive yesterday (see below post), is that I am still in pajamas today! Sure, the beds are made, kids are fed and dressed and the big one is off to school (also a perk? Carter's school bus picks up 2 houses down from ours), there is laundry going but after such a busy day yesterday I can take it easy today, the ebb and flow of life, gotta love it!

In other news have I ever mentioned that I have a fanatical reader in the house, besides myself? Carter is a crazy reader and I mean crazy. I am so thankful that we live within walking distance of a library. We take her every few days and she loads up on books. Grandma DD took the kids yesterday while I was at work and Carter checked out 4 books. She read all 4 in one day, one day people! One was 157 pages long and the other 3 were anywhere from 80 pages to 100 pages. She was reading all afternoon. I pray that her reading skills take her far in life, God has blessed her. Jeremy often jokes that he should have had Carter read some of his boring grad school books!

This weekend we have some pumpkins to carve and Halloween festivities to attend. It's going to be fun.

Happy Thursday!

exhaustion, the good kind

2011-10-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Before even 9:30 this morning I had already made breakfast for 3 people. Jeremy had sausage, scrambled eggs and a english muffin. Carter had a banana, english muffin and chocolate milk. Theo had yogurt, cinnamon toast and a granola bar with orange juice (not a fan of chocolate chip granola bars for breakfast but sometimes it happens) I had coffee and a few quick bites of a yogurt. I made lunch for Carter and Jeremy. I bleached our bathtub and cleaned the rest of our bathroom (I like to clean before I shower and dress). I quickly dusted our room and the living room, made 2 beds (Carter makes her own) and threw in a load of laundry. I made sure Theo was dressed and had an item picked out for sharing day. I then quickly showered, dried my hair and dressed, I even managed eye makeup! Threw the breakfast dishes in the dish washer. Fluffed couch pillows and straightened the living room, then started the car to warm up. I dropped Theo off at preschool at 9:30. I then run to Safeway to get milk and carrots (we always run out of those things). I also decide to go to Nordstrom rack to try on a few dresses as I need a new one for Jeremy's holiday work party in November, 8 dresses later no luck. I run groceries home, switch laundry over and throw in another load. Check emails, respond. Fold laundry. Text back a friend. Email more. Prepare stuff for dinner (I am working today 2-9:30). Start to grill some chicken and chop some veggies. Stop to write this blog. It's only 11:30am and I feel like I have done a whole days worth of work. It's no wonder I can't keep my eyes open past 9:30pm. But, you want to know something? I love it, I really do! I love making my family breakfast and lunches. I love having a super clean house. I love folding warm clothes. I love that we own a dishwasher. I love preparing a good and healthy dinner for my husband and kids to enjoy while I am at work. I am so thankful that I have this life. I am blessed to be able (besides a very fun part-time job) to stay at home and raise my children and be there for my hardworking husband. I wouldn't want it any other way. I even get to do it all over again tomorrow and the day after that.

disclaimer: I am certainly not an anomaly, I do get frustrated, my house does get dirty, my refrigerator is often empty, I snap at my husband and kids and I sometimes have a very bad attitude...but all in all I have a fantastic life and I want my day to day errands to reflect the joy I have in being a good momma and a great wife.

a big thank you to my mom, mother in law and friend Deirdre who watch my kids so I can occasionally work, THANK YOU!

pre-k pumpkin patch

2011-10-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Theo's preschool class went pumpkin picking last Wednesday. We had spectacular weather and great company as Grandma DD (Jeremy's momma) was able to come too!

Theo with some of his class

story time at the farm

"donkey" riding

Theo and Grandma

Theo picks his pumpkin

enjoying lunch

hugs on a tractor

on the cheap

2011-10-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

or the thrifty.

picture taken by Theo

striped shirt Old Navy $10.50

short sleeve v-neck blouse Anthropologie on sale $39.99 (bought last year)

belt borrowed from a dress hanging in my closet

skinny jeans Old Navy on sale $9.49 (booyah, scored another pair of skinny's, on the cheap!) I am a big fan of "one can never have too many pairs of jeans" philosophy : )

brown patent (mostly likely fake leather) flats Target $14.99

I am working on getting some sort of decent fall wardrobe together using mostly old and only a few new items (Old navy long sleeve shirts , especially striped ones, are great for layering with spring/summer tops). My friend Salwa told me "when in doubt, belt it" which at first made me a bit nervous but she always looks great, so I am belting it!

99% my thoughts exactly.

2011-10-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

READ THIS! and start thanking your lucky stars, jumping up and down praising God for all that you have, seriously people, we are one super blessed nation stop being ridiculous.

and he cooks too!

2011-10-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Homemade waffles with a cooked apple-walnut topping, delish!

I love him.

2011-10-20T23:24:00.001-07:00

(and the Yankees)

Thursday thoughts...

2011-10-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Extensions anyone? I miss long hair, why oh why do I chop my hair off every few years? I almost instantly regret it and now I have the tedious task of growing it back out, seriously people, if you love me then don't let me cut my hair!

Does anyone out there in my circle (who actually reads this blog) have a high fructose corn syrup free life? I am thinking of stepping up my "eating" healthy situation and going completely high fructose corn syrup free. Thoughts? We have been trending in this direction the last few years. We started using real maple syrup and I have dwindled the unhealthy treats down, I still occasionally get my kids Gogurts and fruit by the foot (all on sale of course) but I think we can get it out of our lives completely. It might take a few months to phase stuff out but I have noticed that although I consider myself a health nut (with the ~~occasional~~ many slip-ups) my husband and kids eat not so healthy but I want a family effort to eat better.

I am also on the hunt (again) for some yummy and easy autumn dinner recipes, anyone have some to share?

And last but not least, does anyone else cry on every episode of Parenthood or am I the only sap out there?

Happy Thursday People, have a fabulous day!

2011-10-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Look, who is over at our house?!

Sunrise!

I just love this little girl!

happy cousins

My brother Justin has a business meeting for a few days this week in the Seattle area so he brought one of his kids (he has 3) to hang with my mom and with me for a few days. We are enjoying Sunrise so much. We last saw her in June at her 2nd birthday and can hardly believe all her new words. My kids are having a blast playing with her and I love all the snuggling she does with me. I can't wait to have her back tomorrow.