Snippets

-It's my birthday, whoop whoop! I really have no plans aside from pizza with the family later tonight (which I am crossing my fingers that Justin is able to attend), and getting my free birthday coffee from the local coffee place. No matter what, it's going to be a good day...or at least better than last year's no-good awful birthday where we all had the stomach flu!

-We've been busy lately. In the last week, Justin rarely got home from work before 7pm. If he did, he had baseball. And on top of that, in the last week we also squeezed in a memorial service, my brother's birthday, some swimming, some beer brewing, a newborn photo session, some blueberry picking, and lots more. I'm a little tired just thinking about it!

{Lizzy and I blueberry picking}

 {I have no idea how this last photo horizontally flipped itself in my phone, but it did. I have no idea how long I walked around yesterday with two pairs of glasses on my head before I noticed.}

-Yesterday, after picking up a few things at Wal-Mart, I had the weirdest thing happen. As we were checking out, Lizzy told me that she had to go potty. We've been dealing with a major potty training regression with her since her cousin Lyla was born, so this was HUGE that she told me she needed to go. Awesome, and huge. Only? Wal-Mart told me that I was not allowed to take the cart full of things I'd just purchased into the bathroom. I get not taking unpaid merchandise in, but the stuff I'd just bought? What was I supposed to do with it? I'm sorry, but it's a terrible idea to leave a cart full of stuff I'd just paid for sitting unattended outside the bathroom where anyone could walk off with it. Luckily, we made it down the road to church for a pit stop, but honestly I was kind of hoping she'd pee on the the Wal-Mart floor.

- Justin and I still haven't actually sat down and had a names discussion about Baby #2. BUT, I think we are getting the impression that we are supposed to name her Rebecca? The weirdest thing happened this past week-- I had two separate dreams wherein I had a newborn named Rebecca. I hadn't told Justin about them yet....when the morning after the second dream I heard Justin accidentally call our daughter Rebecca instead of Lizzy. It was kind of bizarre! The only thing is that Justin's family was friends with another family in Washington that has both an Elizabeth and a Rebecca. Even though they're not a family we interact with all that frequently anymore....that would be a little weird. Also, there's an Elizabeth and a Rebecca (who are related) in my Mom's Group! How funny is that?! Either way, I don't think Rebecca was really on either of our "lists", but it just keeps popping up, ha!

The Squish Factor

 

 This is my niece Lyla. I finally finished editing the newborn session that I did with her about two weeks ago...and few things make me happier than squishy babies...and who doesn't need an extra dose of happy on Monday mornings?

Also, this session made me really excited to meet our sweet little #2, who unfortunately remains unnamed. And I can't believe that we'll be meeting her in just about 3-4 short months.

Also, it's kind of crazy to think that less than 3 years ago when Lizzy was born, I had absolutely no idea how to go about doing a "real" newborn photo session. They totally intimidated me, and I didn't particularly have any desire to do them ever. Now? I'd pretty much be content photographing newborns almost exclusively from now until forever, amen.

And a little vintage wash just for fun :)

Happy Monday everyone!

The Best Whirlwind

The last few days have been a crazy, glorious, amazing, blessing of a BLUR.

After Wednesday's totally freaked out post, Justin and I went out to dinner for a belated anniversary date once he finished jury duty, as Lizzy was spending the night at my parents' house. At that point, my head was in a totally different world, and I probably wasn't the best dinner company. We came home, and I had a bit of a meltdown, and then we fell asleep watching The Big Bang Theory, which is one of our newest loves! It was kind of a sucky five year anniversary date considering that I spent a good portion of it crying (ugh), but was also probably exactly what I needed at the moment!

I woke up about midnight mumbling something about how I HAD to plug in my dead cell phone in case my sister-in-law Renee went into labor. I think Justin thought I was insane because her due date is the 26th of this month. Then after I plugged it in, I pretty much didn't sleep the whole night, worrying about the dermatologist appointment on Monday. Which is silly, because it's not like I'll actually know anything on Monday anyway. I should be worrying about two weeks from Monday...but I digress. About 4am, we got a call that Renee was at the hospital and her water broken earlier that night (!)--my other sister-in-law Kelsey was at their house with the kiddos, but that she'd probably drop them at my house in the morning if that was okay. Of course it was, and I definitely didn't sleep much after that :)

The kiddos came over to my house in the morning, and then we headed to my parents' house to pick up Lizzy, and I figured we'd just hang out there and swim until we heard something. Payton and Logan were SO excited.

My sister asked us to come visit her at work, and the kiddos were THRILLED that she got them celebratory smoothies.

 Then later, we had giant pizza slices at my favorite pizza place in the whole wide world. Seriously, I want it again right now. I may have opened Pandora's Box by going there while pregnant, because now it's the only thing I want to eat. 

After that, we went swimming. They all did great. Lizzy was jumping in to the pool of the side of the ledge (jumping to me, but me letting her go under water briefly and then come back up). Payton is usually a little hesitant swimming and likes to use floaties, but before long she had those suckers off, and was putting her face in the water and practicing swimming across the pool (she did great!). Logan also took his floaties off and practiced swimming without them. It was a ton of fun. There are few things that make me happier than swimming with kiddos. 

We swam for several hours, and then Lizzy started to get really fussy, and so we piled in the car to head home. Within probably 5 miles, all 3 were out like a light. They all slept the 40 minutes home or so. Once home, we watched a quick episode of Dora, and then got ready to head to Justin's softball game, which was conveniently located just around the corner from the hospital. I continued to try not to call and text Ryan and Renee every 5 minutes to see how things were going :)

Our friend Pam is the master tooth puller. At the game, Payton asked her to see if one of her teeth was ready. It was :) Payton was thrilled that she lost a tooth the same day as she was gaining a little sister. Just in the last few minutes of the softball game (about 8:00pm) we got a call that their sweet baby sister had been born. Justin was still playing, but the kiddos were so excited I thought they might cry, so we made a plan for me to take the kids to the hospital right then, and Justin would meet us there after the game. 

{I wish I could toss up some "real" photos on here, but I have forgotten my camera card at home no less than 4 times in the last couple of weeks, and I'm just not taking any chances on that today!}

And we got to meet their beautiful "little" sister, who weighed 9 pounds 2oz, even two weeks early!!! As of last night, they hadn't quite picked a name, but I can't wait to see what they come up with! We didn't stay too long because it was late and Renee had been in labor for like 20 hours, and I'm sure she could not WAIT to get some sleep! Payton cried big time when we left, because she wanted to stay with her sister forever. It was the sweetest thing ever. 

We promised to come back in the morning when they wake up (you better believe we will, because I need to take 1,000,000 more photos, and I haven't actually held and snuggled her yet!)  It has been an awesomely exhausting couple of days. And you know what? I am so thankful for every minute of it, because not only has it been so much fun, but it has also left me nary a minute to dwell or stress about that stinking mole the dermatologist is removing on Monday. And that's a pretty amazing blessing in and of itself. But to not think of it because of a new little niece who has all of our hearts? Even better. And to think that in like FOUR MONTHS it'll be me having another little one? Amazing. 

The best whirlwind of all.

This morning....

-I'm thinking of the stuffed zucchini recipe that I made for dinner last night. I was inspired by this awesome recipe from Annie's Eats:

Source: annies-eats.com via Meredith on Pinterest

But I was running short on time and ingredients, and so I just combined ground beef, pasta sauce, and sprinkled a bit of parmesan cheese on top (and baked in a water bath). They were delicious. I think Justin ate 3 of them. So, I can't even imagine how much more delicious the Annie's Eats version would be!

-I'm nervous about my skin cancer follow-up appointment tomorrow afternoon, even though I don't have any reason to think that I should be.

-I'm beyond irritated with OHSU, who handled the skin cancer fiasco, and who also sent me a letter that we received yesterday saying that they'd be sending us to collections as of today for non-payment.

Only? According to my records and my bank account, we last made a payment on 6/11/12 over the phone...so I have no idea what this "non-payment" crap is about. Literally, every month since the procedure in January, there has been some sort of issue with OHSU, and I'm tired of spending time each month on the phone with them trying to explain how they've messed up...again. I've done my share of paying on medical bills in my life, and literally no one has handled it as poorly as OHSU.

-I'm excited about the raspberry freezer jam that I made yesterday. If you've ever wanted to make jam, you should check out this photo tutorial that I did last year, because it literally takes 30 minutes and is the easiest and best thing in the world. And there's no cooking or baking involved whatsoever. 

-I'm loving this photo that Kaitlin snapped of Lizzy last Monday while we were all berry picking. I totally stole it off Facebook. Speaking of berry picking...I really probably should, you know, WASH the blueberries that we picked a week ago, and actually do something with them.

-I'm excited about this stack of books that I got at the library for $1, total. Love their fill-a-bag sales!

-I'm still laughing about the shirt that I got for Justin (bottom photo) on clearance for $3 for himwhile he and the other Justin tried their hand at making beer for the first time this past weekend. They've totally decided that their first batch of beer will be the BEST! BEER! EVER! (even if it doesn't turn out), just because they made it. I think they're probably right! 

Rest.

There's this scene in the movie Big Fish where one of the main characters is laying in a bathtub fully clothed. When his wife comes in and finds him, by way of explanation, he says, "I was drying out." I've always loved that movie, probably in large part because I have always related so strongly to that one line. It's in my bones, and my name...which is said to mean "keeper of the sea" in Welsh.

Growing up in Southern Oregon, we were surrounded by lakes, rivers, and the ocean (not to mention some awesome public pools). Most of my favorite summer memories involve some body of water...and now, if I spend too much time away from those bodies of water, I start to feel like I'm drying out.

On Sunday, I was feeling restless. Dried out. I suggested going swimming at my parents' house, but they were headed up to the lake up in the mountains where my brother works to have lunch with him. The same lake where I literally spent hours and even days wakeboarding in high school. The same lake where I remember watching the 4th of July fireworks as a kid. The same lake where Justin and I met. The same lake that, despite my love, we hadn't been to yet this year because we have been trying to conserve on gas. I love the lake, and it had been awhile since we visited with my parents. I wanted to go.

I asked if there was room for us to tag along in my parents' car, and there was. I knew that Justin didn't really want to go. There was laundry to be done, grass to be mowed, and a million other things to do at home. As we discussed it in the car, Lizzy was yelling, "NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE LAKE! I DON'T WANT TO SWIM!" from the backseat. But ultimately, Justin left it up to me to decide. And I wanted to go. I felt dried out. And I was irritated that we had stayed home most of the day on Saturday to clean but still hadn't actually done much. I was dubious that we would actually get anything done that particular Sunday afternoon either. And I was a little irritated that Justin hadn't planned a time for our anniversary date this weekend, and was feeling like if we weren't going to go on that darn date, and we probably weren't going to end up cleaning (again), we might as well go do something fun as a family. So I said, "Let's go."

And I'm so thankful that Justin happily went along with it even though he didn't necessarily want to initially. Even though I was being a little childish and intentionally pestilent in making the actual decision to go. Because in the end, I think that we all ended up having a really good day.

And our sweet little girl who absolutely did not want to go the lake and absolutely did not want to swim? Within minutes of dipping her toes into the water, she was completely soaking wet and yelling "This is the BEST! DAY! EVER!" at the top of her lungs while splashing around the shore.

Sometimes, you just have to say, "Yes, you can get soaking wet, even though you're not in your swimsuit." Sometimes, it's necessary, just like the guy in Big Fish knew that sometimes, it's necessary to get into the bathtub fully clothed. And if that's not something you can understand, then I'm just not sure we can be friends. Plus, I knew we had a spare change of clothes in the diaper bag ;) 

We also got to spend sweet time with my parents, and visit my brother at his work...I've not always gotten along with my brother in the past, but am enjoying spending time with immensely this summer, and it was fun to see what he was doing at work. It was just a really, really good day, all around. (PS-Thank you dad, for picking up the camera when I went to go play with Lizzy in the water...it's nice to be in a photo or two once in awhile! I appreciate it!)

And the water...oh, the water! Truly, the water is good for my soul. Even though I just waded in and didn't actually swim (though now I'm kinda desperate to go swimming for real soon), it still managed to leave me feeling rested and renewed in a way that little else does.

Lizzy was right--it was one of the best days :)  
 It was a blessing, and I'm thankful. 
 

Thursday Thoughts

{one}

Justin and I are so incredibly blessed to have both sides of our families live nearby. It's awesome to be able to see everyone on big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. But since we've been married, we've also kind of reserved the 4th of July as a holiday that we spend with friends, because we both feel that taking time for friendships is really important too. Anyway, I think we've spent every 4th of July since we've been married with Kait, Jesse, and Kait's parents (or some variation thereof). This year was no exception, and aside from Justin and I arguing at the end of the day (but happily resolving things before we went to sleep), it was largely an awesome, laid-back day. Even the kiddos got along!

{Lizzy wanted to share her "flower seeds" (aka sunflower seeds) with her sister. 

{Forgot my tripod for "real" fireworks shots, but had fun playing around none-the-less}

{two}

It is a blessing and a gift to have friends like Kait and Jess who you can just hang with and always feel relaxed with (my dad used to call this having 'refrigerator rights'--when you're such good friends with someone that you can just open their fridge and grab what you want/need). And more important, I think it's amazing and pretty rare to have friends that you can be 100% honest with. I could totally tell Kaitlin, "Hey, I'm having a blast hanging out, but could you guys go home now because my kiddo is melting and just needs to go to bed?" without trying to have to phrase things so that I wouldn't hurt her feelings. And that? Sometimes is a relief.

{three}

I feel like our house has been hit by a tornado. We've literally been running and running non-stop for weeks, and haven't been home in the evening in I'm-not-sure-how-long. Justin had to work again today, and when I woke up this morning to make breakfast, I realized that we didn't have a single spoon or bowl clean. I hate when our house gets messy like this, because I feel like it takes FOREVER to catch up!

{four}

On Tuesday, I had to leave both a store and Justin's baseball game early because Lizzy was throwing a fit and/or was just flat out disobeying. Days like that are hard. I am in desperate need of a date-night and some adult time.

{five}

I don't have any maternity tank tops, and I've been scouring the very-limited maternity options we have here locally (which mostly include Goodwill) to no-avail. I've been trying to find some basic tanks that are side-ruched and relatively inexpensive...like under $10 a pop. Any suggestions? 

{six}

I am dying for a new phone. My Blackberry is on the fritz again, and between it randomly calling 9-1-1 all by itself and just turning itself off when I'm mid-call (only to sometimes re-start), I am ready to trade it in for good. Both Justin and my sister now have iPhones, and I'm seriously jealous. I'm hoping I can squirrel away some money in the budget within the next few months and join the iPhone (and Instagram) crowd. And yes, this is totally a "want" rather than a need. It may not happen, but I can dream, right?!

Hello Beautiful Day

{Hello garden} We left you basically unattended for a couple of weeks, and when we went to check on you last night, we were both blown away by how crazy-in-a-good-way you have gotten! Right now, it's mostly radishes and lettuce that are ready--I can't wait until the cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes kick into high gear as well!

{Hello grass!} It's nice to see you, and to feel like we *finally* have a real yard! The middle portion will probably need to be re-seeded this fall, but it's still nice to have an area outdoors that we can finally play on!

{Hello wildflowers} I planted some wildflowers around the well-house you can see in the above photos, and also around the edge of Justin's old truck to kind of act as a border. I'm having such fun seeing which flowers come up.

{Hello super-fun weekend} Over the weekend, we had a church picnic, which also included FREE water slides. We wanted Lizzy to try them, but weren't sure if she actually would since she had been a total barnacle the first time we went swimming this year and didn't like it at all. We talked up the slides all day long, and she went with Justin even though I could tell she was nervous the first time. And she LOVED it. Seriously, she'd start asking to go down again before she and Justin even made it out of the pool. Justin was actually the one to say uncle and call it a day once it got cold and started raining, which I didn't really think would ever be a potential situation!  It was so cool to watch, and also so cool to watch her get to do something super fun just with her dad.

{Hello belly laughs} After the water-slides, we were trying to keep Lizzy awake until we got to my parents' house. She was EXHAUSTED, and kept falling half-asleep and giggling hysterically while we were trying to keep her awake, so our car ride was hilarious. I can't remember the last time we all laughed that hard, and it was a lot of fun.

After the serious downpour on Saturday, it's a beautiful day today, and I couldn't be in a better mood, even though it's a Monday! We're going berry picking later today with some friends, and I can't wait :) Hope you all have amazing days!