SF ♥

Rick and I were excited to have a weekend to ourselves while my parents watched our two kids (I seriously can't believe we have two kids, that seems so adult-like and I still feel like such a kid).  We decided instead of going away we would explore around here, since we haven't gone out too much since moving back to California.

It was awesome; we slept in (and through the night), went out to eat, finished some projects around the house and spent an entire day biking around San Francisco.

Here is a video of our day in SF:

Thanks Mom & Dad for the much needed break!

Ariel's Shower

It was so fun to get together with dear friends and childhood neighbors for Ariel's bridal shower.  She is so adorable and we are all so excited for her and Cody!  I know Jessica would have loved to be there, but my mom and I did our best to represent :)

Good looking genes run in this family!

It's good to see some of the ladies I've always looked up to!

Britt & I sometimes go a while without seeing each other, but when we get together it's just like old times.

The view was just beautiful! 

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is always a good day for me to reflect on my blessings, mainly my family.  I am grateful for my mom and all our memories and love, and am grateful that Rick and I are able to be parents to Adelaide and Maverick.  It is hard to imagine life without them and I can honestly say that every day is an adventure while raising these cute kids.  It is fun to watch them grow and learn and do sweet things.  It is also embarrassing when they do things that are not so lovely and that perhaps they learned from us... oops.  Being a parent really does help you to see yourself in a more true light and want to be better, for yourself, and for those little eyes that are always watching you.  I'm still young in my journey of being a mom, and everyone tell me it flies by, so I'm really trying to make the most of each day I have with these cute kids :)

Thank you Rick, Adelaide & Maverick for making my Mother's day & more importantly my life as a mom so amazing.  You guys make me smile every day.

Idaho? No, Udaho!

Way back around Thanksgiving time, we ventured out to Idaho to spend time with family.  I found a couple of pictures from the trip and wanted to reminisce for a moment!


Black Friday shopping was a success! It was not crowded and Anthro had some amazing deals! We had fun getting up early and spending girly time together.  The boys I think checked out Wal-Mart and did not have such a lovely experience.

We had a really fun cousin video scavenger hunt. I can't remember who won and I'm not sure what was more fun- going out to get challenges done, or watching the videos when we got home. We could not stop laughing at Jessica's & Becca's videography... I think some of us got motion sickness but still enjoyed what was often accidental art. I think we'll definitely have to do another one next time we get together :)

I Won!

Rick and I have a Scrabble playing history that goes way back.  I remember playing it in awe with him and our friends on beach camping trips.... I could not believe how long we had to wait between each turn so the player could think of every possible play and debate between which word would get the most points and simultaneously make it harder for the next person to get anything good.  If I could have had it my way we would have just played the game quickly, had some laughs and moved onto something else like s'mores.  That was wishful thinking so I figured 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!'  I have become a scrabble nerd like the rest of them, taking my time to ponder my plays, and going for points instead of just clever or long words.  And it has payed off! Before Jessica left we played a few games and I finally won one! I had to take a picture of this momentous achievement.

Rick could hardly stand it :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

It is my birthday! I am now officially 26 and I would have to say that my 25th year was one of my most difficult but also most beautiful.  I definitely learned a lot this year and want to take a moment to reflect.

I remember hearing a story once in church I think about a boy sitting on the ground while his grandmother was cross-stitching in a rocking chair.  The child could not understand what the grandmother was doing, there were so many knots and nothing seemed to go together right from what he could see.  When she was finished she showed her grandson the beautiful finished product.  She knew what she was making all along, but from the perspective below it was hard for the boy to understand. 

And so it is with us and God.  I think about this story all the time actually, especially this last year, because sometimes I just don't understand what purpose many things in my life have, but I'm pretty sure that God does and that he will make a beautiful masterpiece out of my life if I let him.  This past year Rick and I made a lot of prayerful decisions that seemed a little crazy and our life path has seemed anything but smooth, but I feel like every once in a while we get a little glimpse of a higher perspective and I am grateful for my life exactly as it is, and for every thing we have gone through to get us to this place.  

I am so happy to back in California.  I wake up happy every morning, I have a gorgeous view from my window, I have a pretty dang cute husband, two happy & healthy kids who are so full of life, I have an amazing family (thank you google hangouts for helping us stay in touch!), we have a steady income, I have good friends, I am able to find time to get a little exercise here and there and to connect with God through reading scriptures and lots of prayer.  Life is good.  Thank you for being a special part of my life.  I know not many people read my blog so if you are one of those people and have made it this far into this long boring post, I'm pretty sure you mean something special to me and have helped make my life beautiful.

Notable Happenings from my 25th Year

Rick accepted a job offer in Arizona

I met Becky, my amazing midwife and forever friend

I gave birth to Maverick

I generally survived raising Adelaide through her terrible two's

Rick found another job in the bay area after the start-up in Arizona downsized

We were able to move back to California near my family

I said good-bye to my sister and best friend for 18 months

I have put my sewing machine to use

My faith has changed but become stronger

I learned a lot about cooking and have become a pretty good vegetarian cook for my family, although I still get a little nervous cooking for friends

Six Months

Mav is six months! On the one hand I can't believe he is already half a year old, but on the other hand he seems much older than that to me.  He is such a happy and sweet boy, always giggling and beaming with smiles.  He loves to produce high pitched screams lately with his sister (which drives me bonkers! but is funny too) and pretty much only cries when Adelaide takes away his toys or when he is really hungry.   He is quite mobile now and loves to walk around if you hold his hands.  He pulls himself up to sitting position in his little bassinet so I think he may graduate to a real crib soon. We've started feeding him bananas, barley and applesauce and will move on to more adventurous foods soon.  I thought he would really love eating but so far he seems pretty ambivalent about the whole thing.  He favors bananas and doesn't seem to be a fan or barley.  Happy half birthday Maverick!

I really failed at getting pictures up of Maverick's first few months... so here is a little blast to the past of his early months:

 

So much love: Grandpa, Gigi, Aunt Meg, Aunt Mary, Great Grandpa, Grandpa & Mim.

What a handsome (although slightly fuzzy) six month old he is today :)