Around Here | September 2015

Welcome, fall!

I love this time of year, although right now, it's still pretty warm here in Northern California. Today's high was near 90 degrees! I'm looking forward to wearing my warm sweatshirts, breathing in the cold, crisp morning air, sipping on some hot apple cider, and donning my brand new rain boots from Costco.

Here's a look at what has been happening around here this month.

Brian...

• Recently returned from his second strike team deployment.

• Is enjoying all the football on TV, especially the Notre Dame games. Go Irish!

• Is commissioner of his Fantasy Football League.

• Recently built a wooden bridge near our chicken coop. (It makes getting across the bed of rocks so much easier.)

• Is growing a mustache for only the second (?) time since we started dating 15+ years ago. He calls it his "strike team 'stache." I call it "early Movember." Noah doesn't like it, I'm kind of indifferent, and Brian loves it. 

• Just celebrated his 37th birthday!

Noah...

• Loves watching Peg Plus Cat, Curious George and Wild Kratts -- all great PBS shows.

• Completely undresses himself now. The last piece was learning how to pull his shirt off over his head, which he accomplished last week. 

• Goes to preschool two days a week now. 

• Is glad to be back singing and dancing at Music Together on Tuesdays.

• Is very into puzzles. He has several 12-piece puzzles that he can do all by himself, and we just started working on a 24-piece puzzle. He only needs a little help with it (the edges mostly), and then he can do the rest by himself.

• Is carrying his new leaf blower around wherever he goes -- even in the car and in bed as we read stories. (But the leaf blower "sleeps" in the hallway. Why? So Noah doesn't wake up and play with it at 3:00 am like he did last Tuesday.)  

• enjoyed a "goodbye summer" root beer float recently, and as he was eating it, he looked at me and asked, "Mom, do they have root beer sink?" (I love how kids are so literal.)

• Insists he wants to be Captain Hook for Halloween, and although most kids change their minds a hundred times in the weeks leading up to Halloween, I don't think he will. I think his mind is made up, so Captain Hook it will be!

Jennie...

• Is writing blog posts here and on her other blog.

• Is selling eggs to the neighbors for $5 per dozen. (Which, so far, has covered the cost of a 50 lb. bag of grain. Sweet!)

• Is researching engineered hardwood flooring.

• Is using her iPhone 4 until December when she's eligible for an upgrade.

• Is editing maternity photos of her sister and brother-in-law. (That's one of my favorite shots above.) Their baby girl is going to be a beauty, that's for sure.

• Is sprinkling hundreds of ladybugs at the base of the tomato plants, hoping to rid them of aphids. Go ladybugs, go! (Next year, I'm going to plant marigolds near them.) 

• Is marveling at the generosity of a community member who made a Little Free Library for her, and then wouldn't take payment for it. (Per his request, she made a donation to a local food bank on his behalf.)

• Is enjoying fresh-picked carrots from the local farm. They're so much better than the ones from the grocery store!

Lucy...

• Is moving slower and sleeping more. (She'll be 12 soon.)
• Is getting more stubborn (if that's possible) as she ages. 
• Is still taking 16 units of insulin twice a day.
• Is back to eating Kleenex out of the garbage cans, which she hasn't done for years.What gives?
• Can't hear very well anymore. Sometimes, though, I can't tell if she's just ignoring me or if she really can't hear me. 

Rudy...

• Loves to wander and roam around our property.
• Is so mellow, I really wonder sometimes if he is truly part Lab. 
• Enjoys hanging out with the chickens. Seriously, they're buds. 

What's happening in your neck-of-the-woods?

Around Here | July 2015

Wow, it's almost August. Say what?!

July has been a really full month for us. Nearly-every-square-filled-on-the-calendar-kind-of-month. 

It's been a month of playing and eating and camping and celebrating and watching movies and hiking and buying a few baby girl goodies and spending time with family and friends. 

We started the month off celebrating Fourth of July with old friends. It was HOT--totally to be expected in Sacramento in the summer--and Noah loved playing in the pool and eating ice cream. Later on in the evening, he waved sparklers around, and watched fireworks from his godfather Scot's lap. Brian and I had fun catching up with church friends whom we don't see much anymore now that we live in the foothills. 

Noah took swim lessons and gymnastics classes this month. He loved swimming, but wasn't quite sure about gymnastics. (He just wanted to jump in the ball pit, over and over again!)

I attended yoga three times in all--and twice by the river, which was such a treat. (Having a yoga buddy--my sister-in-law, Lori--the second time was great!)

Brian attended a Giants v. Mets game with some firefighter friends. (He was quite happy that night because the Mets won!)

Noah and I spent several mornings with friends at two local splash pads.

Brian and I took Noah to the movie theater for the first time, and he (well, we) loved it. Six thumbs up for Inside Out!

The three of us also tent camped for the first time this month, and we had a great time. Noah rode his Strider bike around the campground and campsite, and along the paved trail that wraps around the perimeter of Sugar Pine Reservoir. Brian and I both agreed that 3 1/2 years old is an absolutely perfect age to tent camp.

We tended to our growing vegetable plants, watering them each day and applying Miracle Gro once a week. Just this week, we harvested our first handful of cherry tomatoes and two yellow zucchinis, with -- fingers crossed -- lots more to come. Liquid fence for the win!

We celebrated Brian's cousin's nuptials in Old Sacramento. (A big thanks to Brian for keeping a close eye on Noah, so I could take photos during the ceremony and reception.)

We attended the Fast Fridays Speedway races in Auburn twice, and Noah loved it. As a kid, Brian attended the races on Friday nights with his family, and so it was really special for him to take Noah out there. (Just keeping it real: Speedway races are not my cup of tea, but it sure makes my boys happy.)

In our front yard last week, I spied a mama deer and her two babies. It's rare that we see twin fawns--and of course, with their white spots and wobbly legs--they are just the cutest!

We attended Brian's mom's family reunion last weekend in the San Joaquin Valley. There, we ate and swam and chatted and posed for photos and played a little basketball. Noah and his cousin, Sammy, loved eating at their very own kids' table! 

And as much as I enjoyed myself this month, there was a part of me, especially this past weekend, that longed for a slower pace...with more down time at home. Some time to just be in and around our home, puttering around in the yard or reading a book in the hammock or drawing hopscotch boxes on the driveway.  

Luckily, a new month starts soon, and August doesn't look to be nearly as busy as July has been. Phew!

Your turn: What are some of your memorable July moments?

Around Here | June 2015

Around here...

• Noah is officially addressing Brian and me as dad and mom. No more daddy and mommy.

• I'm overcooking pork again. Don't you hate it when you buy a huge chunk of meat from Costco and then cook it just a wee bit too long? Ugh. Wouldn't you know that during that same meal, I fried our instant read thermometer, too. I seriously think our kitchen gadgets get very, very scared when they see me enter the kitchen. I imagine they're thinking -- that is, if they weren't inanimate objects -- Oh no, she's back! Which one of us is she going to break this time? Ha!  

• Noah still loves to help with the dishes. 

• I'm seriously loving that Brian is cooking desserts like this amazing Pizookie in his dutch oven.

• Noah wants to know if there's a surprise for him every time a package is delivered to our home. Oftentimes, the answer is no, but last week, Noah got SO excited when a new ukuele arrived just for him. 

•  I'm experimenting with some new artists and music like: Chris Stapleton (traditional country), Passenger (love the tune, "Let Her Go"), Sam Smith (adore the song, "Stay With Me"), Rachel Platten (a big fan of her "Fight Song")

• Noah and I are listening to a Spanish CD in the car, and learning lots of new Spanish vocabulary as we cruise around town. (And I love that it's from the library!)

• Noah completed four private swim lessons (and loved everything about it -- especially teacher Natalie), and then proceeded to get his very first ear infection. Connection?  I think so.

• Brian completed the chicken's fenced yard, giving them 700+ square feet to run around and eat bugs and fly up into trees. (By the way, we discovered that we have 11 hens and one rooster. A rooster who loves to cock-a-doodle-doo at 6 o'clock every morning. Anyone want a free rooster?!)

• Noah is saying all kinds of cute and funny and silly things lately, so I've been busily jotting them down in his green quote journal. He's also asking, Why? A LOT, and Where does ______ come from? Insert: babies or cereal or paper or dogs or ...

• I'm so very, very excited that my youngest sister is going to be a mom at the end of November. (Congrats, Kate + Preston!)

• Brian and Noah fished at a kids derby and have been out on Brian's fishing boat twice now. (No fish yet, but lots of fun memories!)

• Noah is enjoying driving his John Deere motorized tractor around our front yard -- especially now that he's in the faster 2nd gear!

• Noah is dressing up as Jake and Santa and Buzz Lightyear and a monkey and a pilot. Our dog, Rudy, is not so sure about dress up. Ha!

• We're planting veggies in our side yard, and dreaming of ripe zucchini, tomatoes, and bell peppers fresh from our garden later this summer. (We're trying out liquid fence this year to keep the deer away; I'll let you know how it goes.) 

• We're reading stories and poems in High Five magazine over and over again. It's a seriously great magazine for toddlers. We keep a bucket of issues on the dining room table, so they are easily accessible before and after mealtimes. 

• Brian and I are preparing to sell our rental home. Roof repairs are happening this week and we hope to list it this weekend.

• Reading All the Light We Cannot See (thanks for the recommendation, Gina!), and loving that I've already come across two BIG words that I had to look up in a dictionary. I'm such a logophile!

 

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Around Here

Here's what's been happening around here lately:

I've been watching videos on my computer, which I rarely do. Here are three I've really enjoyed.

FUNNY VIDEO
Have you viewed this adorable dancing baby video?
It made me laugh out loud. 

MUSIC VIDEO
My mom recently reminded me of the "Happy" song from Despicable Me 2. I found the video on YouTube (or should I say one of the many videos) and have played it over and over on my iPhone. Just listening to it puts me in a good mood. I still need to see the movie.

FAITH-FILLED VIDEO
I've also been watching several Jud Wilhite videos. I first learned about Pastor Jud Wilhite on KLOVE. I listened to a few of his teaching segments and thought, Wow, I like what he has to say. His videos have been spiritually encouraging during this Lenten season.

READING
This book, Slow Family Living, is one of my favorite reads recently.  I borrowed it from the library, but I'm planning to buy it on Amazon, so I can refer to it during the next few years.

ENJOYING
Brian, Noah and I viewed Frozen as a family.  We watched half of it on Monday night, and the other half on Tuesday night. Noah loved his first ever Disney movie!

EATING
This soft taco recipe from Picky Palate is awesome! I made the yummy special sauce--combining homemade Ranch dressing and salsa verde--and drizzled it over the beef. Simply delicious!

WRITING
I'm writing the final article for my children's writing class.  This piece is all about a very unique career: brick artist. As in a LEGO brick artist.  Pretty cool job, eh? 

CLEANING
I'm currently cleaning out my office--donating, purging, and boxing items up--and it feels really good.  

RUNNING
Brian and I are running this 12K tomorrow with friends!

What's happening with you?

Around Here

Around here, I've been focusing my time and energy on a few projects, so writing here on my blog has taken a backseat.

Rest assured, I still think about blogging and frequently record voice memos and jot down notes on my iPhone, so I don't forget what I want to say in future posts.

For now, I want to share a little about what we've been up to, along with some iPhone snaps.

Noah and I recently joined a moms' group, and we're both having fun making new friends. Here, Noah is playing at Funfinity, the brand new indoor playground in Auburn.

Enjoying time in the helicopter with new friends.

Noah loved playing with this Jeep we randomly found in the sandbox at the park.

More "Jeep" action. Noah cried when I told him we had to put the Jeep back in the sandbox and head home. :-(

Celebrating Valentine's Day a few days early with dinner at Diegos. If you ever find yourself in Grass Valley, I urge you to try Diegos. Their food is so yummy! Sure makes me want to travel back to South America.

 

I love that Diegos has this sign up on their patio. I agree with everything, but the loud part. The introvert in me would change it to "We do QUIET." 

 Brian, Noah and I created valentines for Noah's grandparents. It was a team effort!

After the hand prints were done, it was time for some painting!

For Valentine's Day, Noah and I made a special treat, strawberry Jello.

Noah donned his flight suit from my good friend, Noah. (It's almost too small!)

Noah loves eating ants on a log! Well, he devours the peanut butter and raisins, but he's not interested in the celery. 

Earlier this week, Noah was watching the "Thomas & Friends" movie with the dogs while I showered. Back story: I put Noah on the bed and turned on the movie for him. Ten minutes later, when I peeked my head out of the bathroom to see how he was doing, he was no longer on the bed. Slightly panicked, I panned to the left and this is what I saw. Awww!

Around Here

Reading Me Ra Koh's new book, Your Child in Pictures.
As I mentioned in this post, I met Me Ra Koh at the Click Blogger Retreat in October.  When I returned home from Texas last week, I was surprised to receive a package with Me Ra's new book inside.  Talk about exciting!  But wait, it gets even better.  When I opened the book, I discovered that Me Ra wrote a sweet message inside, just for me.  Thanks, Me Ra!

Watching Call the Midwife: Season One, which I borrowed from the Sacramento Library.

Writing an article about animal communication for my children's writing course.  Who knew that bees could dance?!   

Praying.
  
Celebrating winning a $100 Amex gift card!  I filled out a quick survey about the Click retreat, and voila, I won some money.  A big thanks to Todaysmama.com!  

Editing photographs from our trip to Texas.

Drafting another blog post about adoption.  

Loving the fall foliage.

Adjusting back to California time, coupled with Daylight Savings Time.  Early to bed, early to rise.

Administering twice daily insulin shots to Lucy, our nearly 10-year-old Lab.

Thinking about the holidays.

Counting my blessings. 

Around Here

I am...

Marveling at how quickly Noah is growing up.  (This Friday, he'll be 15 months old.)

Welcoming spring.  

Cheering Noah on as he takes more and more steps on his own. 
  
Enjoying fresh strawberries.

Adjusting to just ONE nap a day instead of two.  

Gobbling up Girl Scout cookies.  I have no willpower, people.  Absolutely none.

Pulling Noah in the wagon outside. 

Loving all the deer on our property.

Thinking about Kisses From Katie, a book I recently read on my iPhone.  A truly inspirational story.

Reviewing this baby signing video, which I borrowed from the library.

Teaching Noah a little sign language--signs for water, more, all done,  thank you, and hungry.

Processing photos from March.

Appreciating the dogs for eating the food that Noah throws on the floor at mealtime.  

Missing Downton Abbey.  (Brian and I finally finished Season 3 last week.)

Researching geocaching for a possible children's article.  (Has anyone tried it?  Was it fun?)

Listening to music by Chris Young.  I can't wait until he comes out with new music; I just love his baritone voice!

Enjoying a "One Direction" cupcake with Cool Whip frosting.  (Thanks, McKayla!)

Looking forward to a photography mentoring session this Saturday with Beckie Kengle.  

What's happening with you?

Around Here

Around here I am loving my new hairdo. It's much shorter than I'm used to--especially in the back--but it's fun to try something new every now and again.

Around here I am enjoying Brian's delicious fish tacos. (They taste just like Rubio's!)

Around here I am washing and hanging a few spring shirts/blouses I purchased last week at Twice Nice. Three shirts and a sweater for $50...gotta love thrift stores!

Around here I am lying in our Pura Vida hammock soaking up the sun, and savoring my time at home.

Around here I am listening to Adele. I love her rendition of Make You Feel My Love on Pandora.

Around here I am cleaning. Sometimes it's so therapeutic to sweep and mop and vacuum.

Around here I am watching bull riding again. It's nice to see Kody Lostroh back; seems like he's been out with injuries forever.

Around here I am hard at work on a web-based project. More details to come.

Around here our tile floors are in and looking good, thanks to our tile installer. Next up, granite countertops.


Around here I am loving this paper creation that one of my students, Alan, made for me. It's Brian and me sitting on the couch (with a big bowl of popcorn between us) watching a movie. So adorable!

Around here I'm drafting a list of fun facts about me for another Ali Edwards' layout. Here's one: Every time I fly, as the airplane is careening down the runway and launching into the sky, I'm reciting Hail Mary after Hail Mary in my head, usually for a good 5 minutes or so. :-)

Around here I'm thinking about our godson Tyler and hoping he had a fun birthday party today.

J

P.S. I know my sisters will want to see my haircut from the front, so here you go, Nik and Kate. Miss ya!