Thursday

I have had such a great week! Last week I encountered some *drama* in life. I find that when faced with a challenge or adversity, I tend to come out of it a better person. There have been very few instances as an adult that have caused me to question myself through the unkind words of another person. Through those instances, however, I am always challenged to rise above the tendency to sink into a depression and in the end I'm thankful for the opportunity to better myself. There are a lot of things in this world that cause worry and anxiety, like a friend's mother's cancer diagnosis for instance, and in light of things like that it just makes so many other things in life seem silly and petty. Life is truly too short to sweat the small stuff!!!

This week I decided to tackle life head on and it's been wonderful. I've made my bed every day, made dinner every night, made Brett a lunch on most mornings, and successfully balanced my social calendar and family responsibilities. I'm so thankful for God's grace and His mercies that are new every morning.

I am madly in love with this little boy that is growing inside of me. I know that he is going to be as perfect and sweet as his big sister and I'm so honored that the Lord has entrusted us with this precious life. Every day of my pregnancy is a miracle in my opinion.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Linen Closet

I have a rather long list of to-do's before Mr. Everett makes his arrival in 8 or 9 short weeks. Something I've been wanting to do since I started my SAHM career is reorganize my linen closet. It was pretty atrocious. (<--- not gonna lie, I had no idea how to spell that word. thank you spell check, ha!) I feel like I get discouraged when I don't get things done during Emersyn's nap time but let's face it....nap times should be spent relaxing sometimes!! It's like God's gift to us mom's for recharging time. Plus, I forget that I CAN get stuff done when Emersyn's awake, it just might take twice as long. :)

Warning, the following pictures may not be suitable for all eyes.

BEFORE:

(I realize this is not the most exciting blog post material but it's a big deal to me, therefore I blog about it!!)

Oh, the shame.

I usually only end up cleaning my laundry room about 4 times a year and those are usually the times that we have out of town guests. I figure the odds of them using my W&D are pretty good so I better spruce the area up. I feel so fortunate to even have a laundry room, I need to take better care of it. The room is such a blank canvas too. It might be fun to put up some bulletin boards in there with some lists or verses or something. We'll see after the nursery and Emersyn's room is all done.

AFTER:

Ahhhhhh. Serenity now.

So that's what the top of the dryer looks like. Who knew??

I got rid of a LOT of junk towels, sheets, pillowcases, etc. I also sorted out all the seasonal towels that are on top. I think I might get a tupperware to put them in so they are kept in one spot. I actually have a decent collection of seasonal linens, aren't I such a grown up??

And what was Miss Emersyn up to while I was doing all of this?

Why, putting about 20 diapers on her baby, then wadding them up and throwing them into the hall pretending they are dirty. NO clue where she gets that from!

So, at the end of my day I have an organized linen closet/laundry room. I still need to clean the surfaces but that can wait.

Happy Tuesday!!

Miscellany Monday

{1} I am 31 weeks pregnant today. I have approximately 31 weeks worth of work to do around my house before this little man arrives so I need to hop to it. (I'm pretty sure I say something along these lines every week...bear with me, it's like if I write it out, somehow it will magically happen) We are having friends over for the 4th so that should help with motivation!

{2} I am thankful for hair conditioner. See below.

My girl can rock some SERIOUS bed head. This shot was taken right after Emersyn woke up. It is totally untouched by me, no extra ratting for effect. 100% authentic.

{3} Speaking of hair, on Saturday we went to a bday party and Emersyn actually sat still and let me curl her hair. I nearly blacked out from how cute she looked. She also looked so grown up but I'm trying not to think about that part.

{4} Summer appears to have arrived in Oregon, although as we speak it's currently 59 degrees and overcast. It's supposed to get up to 79 today though! One of our favorite things to do is go play in the fountain. Ems brought her "bath baby" with us the last time we went and it was pretty funny.

{5} My husband makes some mean oven baked french toast. It's his breakfast specialty for sure. He made us some Saturday morning instead of our traditional Starbucks date. We actually didn't go to Starbucks the entire weekend, can you believe it??

{6} Sophia wore Emersyn's first Easter dress on Sunday and looked just darling. *sigh* I remember when my own little bug wore that dress....

{7} This morning Brett was getting ready for work and Emersyn said, "Be sure to wear pants to work Daddy or you'll get cold!!!". She speaks the truth.

{8} I got my double coupon action on last night at Albertsons and left with two things; a box of Life cereal and a bag of Kettle chips. I paid $1.99 total for both items. Not too shabby.

{9} I listed Emersyn's crib bedding on CL and Ebay. If you know anyone who's interested, let me know.....

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/bab/2463978509.html

Happy Monday!!!

This weekend we....

Watched a little TV with our *friends*

Got a call from MiMi at the mall saying that she'd been out shopping for Emersyn and Everett. Yippee!!

Had some fun in the sun.

Celebrated a sweet two year old's birthday.

Had fun at the park where Emersyn's daddy informed me that she was the only kid wearing sunglasses but I didn't care because I don't like the sun to be in my eyes and neither does my daughter! :)

Reconnected with some old friends.

Had fun at a friend's BBQ where they bought Emersyn some Pop-It's for entertainment. She was stoked.

Went to church.

Went to lunch after church with Auntie Jenny and Uncle David!

Realizing how quickly our family of three will be turning into a family of four!!!

Hope you all had a great weekend too!!!

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. The last thing I ate was potstickers from Costco and fresh pineapple! Yummy lunch!

2. The next thing I'd like to eat is hmm...hard to say since I'm not hungry. I think the next thing I would like to eat is some watermelon but I bought it to take to a BBQ tomorrow night so I'm trying to resist the urget. :)

3. The best things in life aren't things, they are friends, family and the memories you create! The best things in life also rarely cost anything; playing at the park, snuggles in bed, giggling at silly things...

4. Something that makes me supremely and utterly happy is hearing compliments from my husband regarding me as a wife and mother. Also, on a more superficial note, spa treatments bring me incredible joy. And reading magazines by a pool.

5. Sports are where my family's future is headed. :) Brett and I desire our children and our family to be active and we intend to enroll them in sports as soon as they are old enough. We don't care if they are competitive or even much good at them, just want them to learn the value of being on a team and the importance of staying active; something Brett and I are learning late in life as our metabolism declines. ;)

6. I miss the days when I used to sleep without hip pain. I also miss my parents and my family in California. I also miss my Gigi. :)

7. Right now I am super excited for a great weekend!!!!!!

Today I'm thankful for....

*A husband with an incredible work ethic that makes it so some weeks I don't get to spend near as much time with him as I would like but I can sleep easy at night, knowing that he is doing the best he can to provide for our family and that enables me to live my dream as a stay at home mom for a season.

*Unconditional friendships. I had a big long paragraph typed out regarding this issue but I think it's best to just leave it simple. Basically, I'm thankful for the friends in my life that love me without conditions or requirements. You know who you are. :) Dang. I had a lot I wanted to say but I know that some of those thoughts are better left unsaid. :) If you're dying to know, I'll email you the paragraph, ha! :)

*Finding toddler jeggings at Crazy 8's for $2.99!!!!!!! I got two pairs for the fall. Lord knows I'd rather wear jeggings then jeans but I am not quite able to pull that off at this moment. Perhaps after I start Shredding again after Everett's born. ;)

*For losing two pounds in the last two weeks! It turns out eating In'N'Out two days in a row can actually cause weight loss....if only they were up here! I could totally handle an In'N'Out diet. ;) (Actually not really....twice in one visit is my max, they're burgers and fries are pretty greasy but I did enjoy it). But still, I'm happy for a loss rather then a gain. I've gained 17lbs so far and am hoping to not gain too much more.

*For having a lunch date on the calendar with my brother and sister-in-law this weekend!!!! We've missed them!

*For the fun memories of last weekend that I've been able to ponder when I've felt sad or discouraged this week. It's been an interesting week to say the least and with Brett working late and starting to feel that third trimester fatigue, I'm extra grateful for the time I had being pampered last a week ago today!

Happy Thursday!

Father's Day Weekend

Surprise!

This past May my parents came to visit for my brother's graduation, remember? Well, my mom was fortunate enough to stay a week longer then my dad and when we dropped him off at the airport I was kinda bummed to see him go. I knew that I wouldn't get to see him again until August and even then it would only be for a week and I would have just had Everett, etc. On the way to the airport I got an idea of surprising my dad for Father's Day since he was going down to Sacramento, CA to visit his parents and siblings. It really was a brilliant idea because I have been missing my family down there, will have been missing my dad, and it was just a great opportunity. After we dropped Dad off at the airport I whispered my secret plan to Brett and he thought it was a great idea too.

I emailed my Auntie Marti right away to see if she would mind *hosting* me while I was there. I decided to come on Thursday and then leave Sunday or Monday. My grandpa has had some health concerns lately and I know that's a big reason that my dad was going to visit. I didn't want to step on anyones toes while I was there by infringing upon their time to visit so I asked Marti if her and I could maybe hang out for Thursday and Friday so that I could have some quality Auntie time and my dad could have some time with his parents and sister.

Marti agreed this was a good plan and then emailed me an idea she had for Auntie/Niece time....she says, "how about we go down to Napa, stay at The Meritage Resort and Spa, get some spa treatments, relax, etc." I nearly blacked out at the excitement of this idea. I mean, are you kidding me?!?!!?!? I emailed back and said, "um, yeah that sounds pretty AMAZING!!!!". :)

I arrived in Sacramento on Thursday afternoon where my sweet Auntie picked me up. I was a little nervous flying down there by myself, normally I have a 2.5 year old accessory with me after all. Also, I haven't gotten to spend any one on one time with my aunt before really. I have a lot of extended family down there so whenever I am there, it's usually brief visits with lots of different people. I hoped that Marti would have as much fun as I did and wouldn't get tired of me or we wouldn't run out of things to talk about. That turned out to be a non-issue. I totally believe that Marti and I are kindred spirits and we have such similar interests and enjoy doing the exact same things. It was SO wonderful.

Once we got into Napa we headed to the Greystone Culinary Institute. Everything I ate was SO good and it felt like I was in a Food Network show. We had appetizers, salads, and delicious entrees. I also ordered a "mocktail" made with pears that was SO good.

Cheers!

The Culinary Institute....such a beautiful building in an incredible setting!

After lunch we headed back to the resort for spa treatments. The spa part of the resort is located in a cave underneath the vineyard fields.

The spa treatments were MAGICAL. I got a prenatal massage and a facial. I felt like a new woman. It was so luxurious and I felt so spoiled and pampered. It was just what this pregnant mama needed. After the spa treatments Marti and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the spa and chatted for nearly two hours.

We had dinner in downtown Napa and then headed back to the resort. We shared a room and it was so relaxing and I slept great, and normally I can't sleep without Brett very well. Poor Brett didn't sleep well the entire time I was gone and I slept great in fact, poor guy. I think I was just SO relaxed and that just rarely happens for me. :)

The next day we headed into Napa and to Calistoga springs to check out some of the old mud bath spas and explored the area. One of Brett and my favorite things to do is drive around and explore new areas and as it turns out, Marti likes doing that too.

We went to San Francisco for lunch and a little shopping and I was in heaven. The weather, the scenery.....it was just too incredible. We hit the Vacaville Outlet mall on the way home where I picked up a couple things for Ems, didn't find anything for Everett.

The next day my Aunt Debbie picked me up from Marti's and she asked if I wanted to grab lunch before heading to her house. I said yes and she asked where and I thought.....IN'N'OUT!!!!!! Us Oregonians love In'N'Out and can't get it as you know. We had lunch there and then headed to her house where my dad would be meeting us. Debbie had some things to finish up around her house so I got to just relax on the couch and catch up on all the gossip magazines. She loves magazines as much as I do and she had all the latest Peoples, US Weekly, etc. It was great.

At around 3:30 my grandparents arrived at my aunts house with my dad. He came inside and I was just sitting on the couch. He started chatting with Debbie and glanced over at me, not really taking a second look. All of the sudden his jaw dropped and he looked from Debbie to me, to Debbie, to me, etc. He was SO surprised, it was SO worth it and maybe even a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had dinner and enjoyed the CA sunshine until it went away for the night.

I stayed the night at my aunts and then we went over to my grandparents house in the morning and delivered Starbucks. I brought my dad a Trenta Iced Brewed Coffee and he was a happy camper. We hung out there for a little while and then grabbed lunch before heading back to Marti & John's for dinner. I was SO happy to treat my dad to Father's Day lunch at In'N'Out.

We had the most incredible dinner to celebrate Father's Day. My Uncle John is an awesome cook. He made ribs, corn on the cob, and a hearty salad. My tummy was so happy and so was my heart. I adore my CA family and wish I lived closer to enjoy them more often.

Auntie Marti, Grandma, Aunt Debbie, and 30 weeks prego me :)

I had SUCH a fun visit, I almost felt guilty for enjoying myself that much while away from Brett and Emersyn. I'm anxious to get down there again, maybe soon after Everett's born. We'll see!

Thank you thank you to all my CA family for making this girl feel SO special and welcome. I am truly truly so lucky and will never forget the special memories that we made!!! XOXO

Yeah...I can sew...no big deal.... :)

The object of my affection.

So this morning I headed over to my crafty mentor's (Rachelle) house to get my sewing on. I came armed with 80+ inches of 1/4 inch elastic and 3.75 yard of the most darling boyish owl fabric.

Rachelle is a great teacher which is ironic because she actually IS a teacher. She helped me do the hard stuff and then let me go on my merry way. She did all the cutting, which I probably could have handled but since I was entertaining Emersyn it was better that she could focus since her own little munchkin was napping. I can safely say that I did half of this project which included some trouble shooting when the sewing machine wasn't cooperating due to what we later found was user error. This is the tutorial we used, although we modified it slightly because our fabric was only 44 inches wide. I'm SO happy with how it turned out and feel like now I have an itch to sew more things. I thought it was really relaxing. I know it was a VERY simple thing to sew but still, I'd put it in the same category as vacuuming and ironing....a very productive and relaxing thing to do.

Emersyn was such a good helper with Sophia once she woke up from her nap!

The finished product!!

(This is Sophia's crib mattress....Everett's crib is white, the same one we used for Emersyn)

Next project....the crib skirt!! Stay tuned....

Miscellany Monday

{1} This is Everett's future wife laying on his future nursery fabric. (I totally stole this pic from Facebook, hope that's okay Rachelle!!!) How adorable are they both?? (the fabric and the future wife) Rachelle and her husband have been taking pics of Sophia for every week of her life in a white onesie on a different blanket, sheet, fabric, etc. and then they photo shop the week onto the onesie. Clever, I know. They are going to make a coffee table book out of it when she turns one which is only two and a half short months away. Just think, I'll have a baby boy at her party!!

{2} This weekend wrapped up our garage sale fun, for now anyways. I did it with a friend last Saturday and this past Friday over at her house. I decided to go out on a limb and do my own garage sale in front of my house on Saturday morning and did really really well. I could totally do a garage sale every weekend, it was so fun. I sat outside, soaked up some sun, read the paper, and essentially got paid to do so. I didn't make a ton of money but enough to go into our "we're having our second baby" fund. Garage sale shoppers are kind of hilarious to me though. First off, they often want to buy things that are not for sale. Like a container of Clorox wipes that are out because I used them to wipe down a table. Or a roll of paper towels. (Yes, seriously) Or a potted plant on a patio. Secondly, the early birds are ca-razy. My friend Dara had advised me to put "no early birds" on my ads and I kind of laughed the idea off thinking, no big deal. I was WRONG. People started coming at 7:30am and had their clip boards and fanny packs full of change ready to browse and then speed off to the next sale. I told one lady that we weren't open yet and she was like, "well, we're on a schedule" as if that was my problem?!? The ad says it starts at 8am, not 7:30. Thirdly, if you come to my extremely reasonably priced garage sale, do NOT try to hustle me. I'm a Realtor and a pregnant one at that. Negotiating is a hobby and if you low ball me, I will make you feel SO awkward and foolish that it won't be pretty. Then you'll HAVE to buy that roll of paper towels because you'll be crying tears of shame. Yes, I'm talking to you lady who offered me ONE dollar for SIX dollars worth of clothing. Okay, that's the end of my rant. :)

Emersyn went on a date with her daddy while I manned the garage sale. She thought it was SO cool that we let her go in her jammies. I told Brett that if I saw a mom with a kid in her jammies at 9am I might judge her but with a dad it's kinda cute for some reason. :) :) I wouldn't REALLY judge a mom but you know what I mean.

This is Nate, Sanji and Emersyn having a picnic at one of our garage sale days. Rough life being a toddler.

{3} Last night Brett installed our new storm door, remember, the one that we practically stole from Lowes with our amazing deal? :) Anyways, while we were working on it Emersyn was driving us crazy was trying to be helpful so we pointed out a slug on the ground and it kept her occupied for a good ten minutes. She kept yelling "EWWWWW gross!!!!". At least it kept her from using the pliers to create trouble that she insisted on hanging onto as you can see in the picture.

{4} On Saturday afternoon we went to a birthday party for one of Emersyn's birth class buddy's little sister that was turning one. Emersyn just adores Rowen and his one year old sister Charlotte. When we were leaving, Ro and Ems exchanged goodbye hugs and Ro snuck a kiss....it was too darn cute!!!

{5} I'm VERY excited for Father's Day. I've got some surprises up my sleeve for Brett!!!! :)

{6} It finally happened. I didn't know if it was possible but it was. For about 24 hours I was actually completely caught up on the laundry. Actually probably not even 24 hours. But still. For that one glorious afternoon I got to say, "I'm all caught up on the laundry". It felt good. :)