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?

Our Texas Trip | 2013

About a month ago, Brian, Noah, and I flew to Texas for a week to celebrate my sister Kate's wedding. 

After arriving home in early November, I created a list of all that I wanted to remember about our trip. As I wrote down some of the details, the prompt that kept springing to mind was "It was the trip where..."  So, that's what I'm going to use to document my thoughts here. 

And who knows?  Maybe someday in the future, I'll create a scrapbook page wherein the text from this post becomes the journaling on the layout. 

It was the trip where Katie & Preston got married at a gorgeous ranch in East Texas.  What a beautiful ceremony and fun reception!

It was the trip where we "partied" with both my mom's extended family and my dad's extended family.  (The last time both sides of my family were all together was nearly ten years ago for our wedding!)  

 
It was the trip where Noah wore his first tuxedo.  He looked so adorable! 

 
It was the trip where Noah parked himself in front of guitarist Daniel Rocha and watched and listened to him for several long periods.  Well, long for a 21-month-old.

Noah also loved seeing Noelle Bean (Preston's sister) play her guitar.

He's got a thing for music (and instruments), which of course, I think is pretty darn cool.

It was the trip where Noah donned several cowboy hats.  My dad’s hat.  My cousin Chris’s hat.  My cousin Brian’s hat.  All black. All way too big. All adorably cute on ring bearer Noah.

It was the trip where Brian really stepped up, not only on the day of the wedding, but also on the days leading up to it.  He took care of the baby (when I was busy), packed the car, carried boxes of beer into the reception hall, dressed Noah in his tuxedo, and found milk for Noah after the reception.  Thanks, Babe!

It was the trip where the three of us stayed in a rental house (booked through vrbo.com) and played lots of hide-and-seek.



It was the trip where Noah crawled through this tunnel over and over again and rode his trike around. (A big thanks to my parents for schlepping both the tunnel and trike to Texas in their car.)

It was the trip where Noah locked himself in the bathroom of said rental house.  Eeek!  Luckily, we were able to free him quickly.

It was the trip where we played at a neighborhood park, just minutes from our rental house.  That's something I miss about living in the suburbs--a park just down the street.

It was the trip where we rented an SUV (and loved it!).

It was the trip where we sat in business class on the flight home.  It was Noah's first time, and only my second time ever. What a treat!

Mr. & Mrs. Meredith

First, comes love.

Then, comes marriage!

On Friday, November 1, my sister, Katie, and her fiance, Preston, tied the knot.

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Meredith!

To love, laughter, and happily ever after.

Handmade Wedding Gift

 

A few weeks ago, Brian and I attended Mike and Ali Johnson's beautiful wedding at their home in Loomis.  (Brian and Mike both work for Sac Metro Fire.)  

Prior to the event, I scanned the couple's registry, and while there were many lovely items on it, none of them jumped out and said, "Buy me!"  

So my next stop was Etsy, where I searched for a handmade wedding gift.  

Ever see an item online and think, I could make that!?  And make it for less.

That's exactly what happened while browsing the Domestic Notions shop on Etsy.  I spotted a framed art piece that I loved.  But I didn't like the price.

So, I decided to create a similar piece using an Aaron Brothers frame, a double mat, card stock, a heart punch and my computer.  

It's probably difficult to see in these pictures, but the hearts are filled with the lyrics to the couple's first song as husband and wife: When You've Got a Good Thing by Lady Antebellum.

Wishing Ali and Mike a long and happy marriage.  

J

Right Now

Ali & Mike's Wedding--9.24.11

Hi All!

I've been missing in action here on my blog over the past few weeks.  

It's a sure sign that school is back in session.

In addition to working and commuting, I also recently began a writing course.  (More about that later.)   

As such, blogging has had to take a backseat.   

But that's not to say that I don't think about blogging.   

I do. 

In fact, while I'm driving in my car two hours a day, I often brainstorm blog post topics.

Case in point: I dictated most of the following post into my iPhone while driving home on Friday.  (My dictaphone died a few weeks ago, so I switched to recording voice memos on my iPhone.)

Right now, I'm...

Watching--

Frontier Force


I watch very little television--maybe 5 hours a week--but this show on the National Geographic Channel has captured my interest.  It's a 1-hour "cop" show, but what I love most about it is the breathtaking Montana scenery, and of course, the wild animals.  Next summer, Yellowstone, here I come! 

Listening to--

Lady Antebellum's Own the Night album 

I'm loving tracks #1 and #2, both of which have been released to radio. 

Reading--

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I really wanted to like this book, based on all the stellar Amazon reviews, but I'm on page 182 of the 288-page Kindle book and I'm finding it difficult to keep reading.  I commend the author for having the courage to write a memoir about her childhood, but I am horrified by some of her parents' actions. 

I'm looking forward to reading The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks, which is due out in October.

Writing--

In August, I enrolled in the Writing for Children and Teenagers course through the Institute of Children's Literature.  As part of this course, I submit assignments to my instructor every 6-8 weeks and receive feedback 10 days later.  In early September, I turned in (read: e-mailed) my first assignment to my instructor and she e-mailed me feedback this week.  Now, I'm busy writing my second piece, a 1,000-word story, along with reading the assigned pages in my course manuals, and revising my first story.  It's such a challenge, but I am loving it!       

Eating--

Home grown tomatoes...yummy!


Shopping for--

A new car with all-wheel drive...possibly the Subaru Outback or Tribeca.  I adore my Honda Pilot, but we need a car that will be able to drive on snow-and ice-covered roads this winter. 

Digging--

Pandora's new interface.

Disliking--

Facebook's new design.  :-(

Looking forward to--

Celebrating Brian's birthday on Wednesday night, attending the Casting Crowns concert with my mom on Thursday night, and heading to Apple Hill with the Liotine family on Sunday. 

Hope you have a wonderful week!

J

The Giles Wedding

A friend of ours asked me to take photographs at her dad's wedding two weekends ago.

The day of the wedding, the shutterbug in me was excited.

But the perfectionist in me was so nervous.

Here are some of my favorite shots, along with a few things I learned that day.

Pre-wedding shots:

Divine Savior Catholic Church







Wedding shots:



Isn't the bride's father's grin simply adorable?!







Post-wedding shots:

Our friends, Scot, Jen and Jessie (Jen's dad is the groom.)







Shooting this wedding reminded me how much I love holding a camera in my hands, how much I adore seeing the world through my viewfinder, how much I enjoy capturing life with a lens.

It also became clear through this experience how much more I still have to learn about photography. For instance, I found it challenging to shoot indoors at the reception with low light. I begrudgingly used my flash, so my shots weren't blurry, but I'm interested in learning more about how to soften the light coming from my flash. I'm adding this to my summer to-learn list now.

I also learned that I need to start saving for another lens. Preferably a zoom lens that lets in more light.

This experience also reiterated the need for practice. I 'm realizing that if I don't pick up my camera on a regular basis, I easily forget what I've learned. The old adage is so true: If you don't use it, you lose it.

Weddings are such joyous occasions (no matter how young or old the bride and groom might be), and I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to witness this marriage, to practice my photography skills, and to get to know Lindy, the other amateur photographer shooting the wedding.

J