1...week from Saturday we will be tubing with my family
2...sleeps until we go to the lakehouse for 4 days! :)
3...months until Ashley & Myles wedding in Mexico
4...weeks until Alicia & Brad's wedding {& our 'Great Griswald Trip of 2014'--that's us driving to FL!}
5...weeks until I shoot my first wedding in Mexico!
6...days until I go to an ultrasound appointment as a photographer instead of a mama :)
7...weeks until Adam's band plays at the Balloon Festival
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Christmas Countdown for Kids
You guys have no idea how exciting I'm getting for Christmas this year. I know, we haven't even finished Thanksgiving yet {I am still holding off doing any Christmas decorating until after Turkey Day--except the little Advent Calendar Jordyn made this weekend--so high five for that}. But Christmas is FOUR WEEKS from today! And this is the first year Jordyn will 'get' Christmas. I want to make it as magical and memorable as I can for her--Living through your kids is so fun! I have so many ideas, but one can only start so many traditions. So, this is what I have narrowed it down to this year.
I decided I'll break our Elf on the Shelf out {that her Gram bought her last year} on December 1st. Since she is still pretty little to understand it, I'll just read the book and she can play with her elf. But next year? It's on! :)
I am continuing with my mom's tradition of new pajamas on Christmas Eve, but I'm adding my own twist which is that they'll be from 'the Elves' :)
I hope I remember to start Christmas music & lights {and breakfast--which we forgot last year} before we open our gifts on Christmas morning.
And their present from Santa will be in the Santa Bag, like last year.
If you're looking for other ideas to substitute out some of mine {in case you aren't local & don't have Santa at the Zoo, Jolly Holiday Lights, Jingle in the Junction, etc.}, I plan to use some of the following ideas in years to come....
Put reindeer food out on Christmas Eve
Build a Snowman as a Family
Take a SleigHAY Ride
String Popcorn for the Tree
Take a SleigHAY Ride
String Popcorn for the Tree
Cut-down a Christmas Tree from the Farm
Make an Ornament for the Christmas Tree
Make a Gingerbread House
Volunteer for a Christmas Charity {feeding the homeless, wrapping gifts at the mall, etc.}
Send Christmas Cards to the Troops or Veterans
Host a Cookie Decorating Competition
That's a whole latta Christmas packed into four weeks! :)
Make an Ornament for the Christmas Tree
Make a Gingerbread House
Volunteer for a Christmas Charity {feeding the homeless, wrapping gifts at the mall, etc.}
Send Christmas Cards to the Troops or Veterans
Host a Cookie Decorating Competition
That's a whole latta Christmas packed into four weeks! :)
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Appointments! {organization really}
Oh you guys…how do you keep up with everything?! I only have two kids and I feel like I'm constantly running all over the place. I really want 5, but honestly don't know that I could physically be there to manage them all. These are just some of the appointments we have had this month. Seriously?! Now I know why it feels like we always have medical bills! I may have to quit my job just to keep up with all of our appointments. Not to mention daily stuff, gym schedules, dinner/play dates, etc. ::sigh::
For those interested, my friend recommended the app called Cozi and we've been using it lately. It's pretty handy... user-friendly, free, and you can give each person a different color to keep track of who is where. Plus, it's a 'family app' so you and your spouse {or whoever} can all login the same account so it's on everyone's calendar with just one update. Any other apps you use to keep your family {or self} organized?
*No compensation, just like the app
Monday, October 21, 2013
Update!
Here's an update on the 10 most consuming things going on in our life right now...and yes, they're alphabetical! :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Babies
The babies are doing great...growing like weeds! Cullyn turned 6 months on Saturday & Jordyn will be 2 on Wednesday. Cullyn is still teething like crazy and starting to get everywhere {rolling/semi army crawling to get where he wants}. We had J's Birthday Party yesterday afternoon. Both kids have well checks on Wednesday. Jordyn had a follow up appointment with the ENT last Friday where they confirmed she still has an ear infection in her right ear :( So we have another follow up on Thursday to see if it's improving at all. Poor baby!
The Blog
I currently have 27 drafts started, but I struggle to find the time to finish them. I try to take at least part of my lunch break to get a post together, unfortunately lunch breaks {when you get them} post babies are filled with appointments, responding to emails, updating my Photography Facebook page, writing a blog post, scheduling appointments, making things for daycare/birthday parties, etc. Nevertheless, I love this blog & want to continue with it because it's fun and I love looking back and reading things about life that are so easy to forget.
The Body
Adam and I have started working out, we aren't seeing many results yet, but we both feel better, which is what matters most. I know we're developing good habits & getting stronger which is what matters most. I want to write a full post about this soon, but I'm really starting to like the whole gym thing. I mean they have a sauna, a tanning bed, & a daycare...what's not to love?! :)
The Car
We're throwing around the idea of trading my car {small SUV--Santa Fe} in for a minivan. I know, I know...90% of you are laughing your asses off...I'm okay with it. In fact, I remember very vividly the time I laughed at my cousin and his wife when they announced the purchase of their minivan and even followed it up with a very dramatic {imagine that--me being dramatic!} 'I will N-E-V-E-R own a minivan!' Well the truth is there are a lot of factors that play into it, but it just make the most sense for us to look further into the minivan option.--More to come! PS…never say never!
The Dog
Ugh! I swear...just when I say he's doing great he takes a turn! I really don't know how much more Adam & I can handle. Unfortunately {fortunately?!} we just love him so much. He was our first baby! So the latest...he has a 2 inch cut {?} in the tip of his tail {running the same direction as his tail}. I'm not sure why, if an occurrence caused it, or if this means something more? We noticed this after coming home to what looked like a murder in our house {specifically down the hallway, but definitely not limited to!}. We're talking blood swooshes from the floor up to 5 feet high, down the halls, around the walls, on the doors... We wrapped it {which lasted all of like 10 seconds}, cleaned the walls, and continue to deal with it daily. I'll keep you posted.
The Holidays
I can't believe I just mentioned the 'h' word…how is it possible we're talking about the holidays again, already?! At Jordyn's party yesterday, one of our pregnant friends {due at Christmas} said she only has 8 weeks left and it hit me…8 weeks from now the holidays will be over and we'll be prepping for another year, where does time go?! We did the apple picking/pumpkin patch thing. We're planning to take the kids to a trick or treat type of thing at the zoo on Thursday {still undecided about the real trick or treating thing this year} We've already made our Thanksgiving plans for the year, the party invites exploded last week {I swear everything is on the first weekend of December--ugh I hate missing out!}, & I'm already planning our December {stay tuned for details!!} :)
The House {condo really}
A hate to even type this out because it's that depressing. I should really do a whole post on it, but again, who wants to talk {or type} about depressing topics?! The truth is, we hate our condo. I mean there are things we like, the 14 foot ceilings, newness of it, etc. but having no yard, the 20 {cement} stairs to get to our front door, detached garage, etc. make be hate it. I know, I should be blessed. It's truly a first world problem, I get it. Which is why I try not to complain. Sadly, we're {very} upside down in it {Adam bought it brand new before our city build 9393908503984 more of the same units all over town } & now we're kind of stuck. Unfortunately we don't have $20k laying around to dig ourselves out and get another house. We have talked about renting it out for a while and living in the lake house full time for a year or two, but honestly the amount of money we would get to rent it {plus our gas back and forth everyday & extra wear and tear on our vehicles} wouldn't really put us ahead at all. Another option is to sell it and live at the lake house for a while, but they are going for so low right now & there are so many units available that it would take forever and we would have to take a huge hit. Plus, again, driving back at forth 60 miles {in an Iowa winter} each day is not favorable. The other {more practical} option is to sell the lake house. We don't really want to {since we love it there so much!} but really since we've moved down there we have hardly seen our lake friends. I find us squeezing in time to go down there. Everyone is just so busy. If we really wanted to hang out with everyone, we could always plan it and stay with our in-laws. So for now…we wait. sigh I've been praying about it a lot. Hope God will lead us in the right direction. I know we're just in a rut right now, but it's hard. It's hard to see all of our friends will amazing dream homes and not be jealous. It all takes time, and patience, right?
The J.O.B.
My job is crazy busy right now. I got a new boss a couple of months ago, which really is better than I thought it was going to be. I lucked out at got another great person. She's very nice & not a micro manager {thank God}. Our student numbers {& therefore my workload} have quadrupled since I started this position. That along with our new computerized charting has made for a very busy couple of months for me. The flexibility of this job is amazing {I really don't know how I could work without it}. Unfortunately, I'm pretty much maxed out at my position, so I really should be applying for other jobs to further advance myself. However that take time & energy, something I just don't have much of these days.
As for the husband's job…he's loving it. He's finally working with a great group of people {for the most part}. He's getting busier & better with his time management, so hopefully we'll start seeing that reflected in his commission checks! :) He really is wonderful with people {his clients love him & he has the best customer service with each of his accounts so I know it's going to do great!}. Unfortunately, as with most {all?} sales jobs, it takes time to build your accounts, so I know he's feeling stretched in a lot of directions most days. I pray he finds a good balance soon. Luckily we're both busy, so we both boot up our laptops to work after the kids go to bed at night.
The Marriage
We're getting ready to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary {why is it that some days I feel like I've been married to this man for 034095839 years and the next second I cannot believe we've known each other for 6 1/2 years!} Where does the time go. Considering how much change we're going through {have gone through in just 4 years} I feel like we're doing really good. I'll admit, not everyday is bliss, but we really are blessed. We have 2 homes, decent jobs, a loving pup, & two healthy kids. I couldn't imagine going through life with anyone else by my side. I feel really good that we get along so well even when the times are tough, it makes me really excited to be with him during the good times. I know I don't say it enough, but I appreciate the husband and father that he is. Juggling two kids under two and a sick dog is not easy, but he does it really well {each morning!} :)
The Photos
Photography has been booming. I have about 13 family sessions that need edited and sent out! I'm not as busy with client photos this year as I was last year, but we have so.much.going.on.all.of.the.time that I honestly don't know how I would find the time to do as many shoots as I did last year. It's more important to me to 1. spend quality time with my family and 2. put out quality photos for my clients than it is to schedule a ton of sessions and half heartedly edit them. I really enjoy photography, but it isn't my livelihood {at this point anyways} so I'm doing what feels best for me and my family right now. In the future, I would love to schedule 2 days a week and 2 weeks a month with photography clients, but right now that just isn't practical.
Okay…how is that for a 15 minute life recap? I tried to talk about most things that people have been emailing and asking about. I hope to put out some more quality {& photographic!} posts soon, but this is what you get for now! :)
PS…sorry…no time to proofread. please forgive me! ;)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Babies
The babies are doing great...growing like weeds! Cullyn turned 6 months on Saturday & Jordyn will be 2 on Wednesday. Cullyn is still teething like crazy and starting to get everywhere {rolling/semi army crawling to get where he wants}. We had J's Birthday Party yesterday afternoon. Both kids have well checks on Wednesday. Jordyn had a follow up appointment with the ENT last Friday where they confirmed she still has an ear infection in her right ear :( So we have another follow up on Thursday to see if it's improving at all. Poor baby!
The Blog
I currently have 27 drafts started, but I struggle to find the time to finish them. I try to take at least part of my lunch break to get a post together, unfortunately lunch breaks {when you get them} post babies are filled with appointments, responding to emails, updating my Photography Facebook page, writing a blog post, scheduling appointments, making things for daycare/birthday parties, etc. Nevertheless, I love this blog & want to continue with it because it's fun and I love looking back and reading things about life that are so easy to forget.
The Body
Adam and I have started working out, we aren't seeing many results yet, but we both feel better, which is what matters most. I know we're developing good habits & getting stronger which is what matters most. I want to write a full post about this soon, but I'm really starting to like the whole gym thing. I mean they have a sauna, a tanning bed, & a daycare...what's not to love?! :)
The Car
We're throwing around the idea of trading my car {small SUV--Santa Fe} in for a minivan. I know, I know...90% of you are laughing your asses off...I'm okay with it. In fact, I remember very vividly the time I laughed at my cousin and his wife when they announced the purchase of their minivan and even followed it up with a very dramatic {imagine that--me being dramatic!} 'I will N-E-V-E-R own a minivan!' Well the truth is there are a lot of factors that play into it, but it just make the most sense for us to look further into the minivan option.--More to come! PS…never say never!
The Dog
Ugh! I swear...just when I say he's doing great he takes a turn! I really don't know how much more Adam & I can handle. Unfortunately {fortunately?!} we just love him so much. He was our first baby! So the latest...he has a 2 inch cut {?} in the tip of his tail {running the same direction as his tail}. I'm not sure why, if an occurrence caused it, or if this means something more? We noticed this after coming home to what looked like a murder in our house {specifically down the hallway, but definitely not limited to!}. We're talking blood swooshes from the floor up to 5 feet high, down the halls, around the walls, on the doors... We wrapped it {which lasted all of like 10 seconds}, cleaned the walls, and continue to deal with it daily. I'll keep you posted.
The Holidays
I can't believe I just mentioned the 'h' word…how is it possible we're talking about the holidays again, already?! At Jordyn's party yesterday, one of our pregnant friends {due at Christmas} said she only has 8 weeks left and it hit me…8 weeks from now the holidays will be over and we'll be prepping for another year, where does time go?! We did the apple picking/pumpkin patch thing. We're planning to take the kids to a trick or treat type of thing at the zoo on Thursday {still undecided about the real trick or treating thing this year} We've already made our Thanksgiving plans for the year, the party invites exploded last week {I swear everything is on the first weekend of December--ugh I hate missing out!}, & I'm already planning our December {stay tuned for details!!} :)
The House {condo really}
A hate to even type this out because it's that depressing. I should really do a whole post on it, but again, who wants to talk {or type} about depressing topics?! The truth is, we hate our condo. I mean there are things we like, the 14 foot ceilings, newness of it, etc. but having no yard, the 20 {cement} stairs to get to our front door, detached garage, etc. make be hate it. I know, I should be blessed. It's truly a first world problem, I get it. Which is why I try not to complain. Sadly, we're {very} upside down in it {Adam bought it brand new before our city build 9393908503984 more of the same units all over town } & now we're kind of stuck. Unfortunately we don't have $20k laying around to dig ourselves out and get another house. We have talked about renting it out for a while and living in the lake house full time for a year or two, but honestly the amount of money we would get to rent it {plus our gas back and forth everyday & extra wear and tear on our vehicles} wouldn't really put us ahead at all. Another option is to sell it and live at the lake house for a while, but they are going for so low right now & there are so many units available that it would take forever and we would have to take a huge hit. Plus, again, driving back at forth 60 miles {in an Iowa winter} each day is not favorable. The other {more practical} option is to sell the lake house. We don't really want to {since we love it there so much!} but really since we've moved down there we have hardly seen our lake friends. I find us squeezing in time to go down there. Everyone is just so busy. If we really wanted to hang out with everyone, we could always plan it and stay with our in-laws. So for now…we wait. sigh I've been praying about it a lot. Hope God will lead us in the right direction. I know we're just in a rut right now, but it's hard. It's hard to see all of our friends will amazing dream homes and not be jealous. It all takes time, and patience, right?
The J.O.B.
My job is crazy busy right now. I got a new boss a couple of months ago, which really is better than I thought it was going to be. I lucked out at got another great person. She's very nice & not a micro manager {thank God}. Our student numbers {& therefore my workload} have quadrupled since I started this position. That along with our new computerized charting has made for a very busy couple of months for me. The flexibility of this job is amazing {I really don't know how I could work without it}. Unfortunately, I'm pretty much maxed out at my position, so I really should be applying for other jobs to further advance myself. However that take time & energy, something I just don't have much of these days.
As for the husband's job…he's loving it. He's finally working with a great group of people {for the most part}. He's getting busier & better with his time management, so hopefully we'll start seeing that reflected in his commission checks! :) He really is wonderful with people {his clients love him & he has the best customer service with each of his accounts so I know it's going to do great!}. Unfortunately, as with most {all?} sales jobs, it takes time to build your accounts, so I know he's feeling stretched in a lot of directions most days. I pray he finds a good balance soon. Luckily we're both busy, so we both boot up our laptops to work after the kids go to bed at night.
The Marriage
We're getting ready to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary {why is it that some days I feel like I've been married to this man for 034095839 years and the next second I cannot believe we've known each other for 6 1/2 years!} Where does the time go. Considering how much change we're going through {have gone through in just 4 years} I feel like we're doing really good. I'll admit, not everyday is bliss, but we really are blessed. We have 2 homes, decent jobs, a loving pup, & two healthy kids. I couldn't imagine going through life with anyone else by my side. I feel really good that we get along so well even when the times are tough, it makes me really excited to be with him during the good times. I know I don't say it enough, but I appreciate the husband and father that he is. Juggling two kids under two and a sick dog is not easy, but he does it really well {each morning!} :)
The Photos
Photography has been booming. I have about 13 family sessions that need edited and sent out! I'm not as busy with client photos this year as I was last year, but we have so.much.going.on.all.of.the.time that I honestly don't know how I would find the time to do as many shoots as I did last year. It's more important to me to 1. spend quality time with my family and 2. put out quality photos for my clients than it is to schedule a ton of sessions and half heartedly edit them. I really enjoy photography, but it isn't my livelihood {at this point anyways} so I'm doing what feels best for me and my family right now. In the future, I would love to schedule 2 days a week and 2 weeks a month with photography clients, but right now that just isn't practical.
Okay…how is that for a 15 minute life recap? I tried to talk about most things that people have been emailing and asking about. I hope to put out some more quality {& photographic!} posts soon, but this is what you get for now! :)
PS…sorry…no time to proofread. please forgive me! ;)
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
This is normal, right?!
About this time of the week I always start to feel exhausted. But then I remember all of the stuff on my calendar is fun stuff. And I think about how incredibly blessed we are to have such awesome friends and family to fill our lives with. I go from exhausted to happy again! :)
[Last Monday]
First night of swimming lessons
[Last Tuesday]
Late work meeting
[Last Wednesday]
Swimming Lessons
Photoshoot
[Last Thursday]
Winery with Friends
[Last Friday]
Cedar Rapids to see Baby K
Photoshoot
[Last Saturday]
Tubing
[Last Sunday]
Family & Friends over
[Monday]
Swimming Lessons
Purchase Car Seat
[Tuesday]
Picnic
Grocery Shop
[Wednesday]
Swimming Lessons
Dinner with Friends
[Thursday]
Winery with friends
[Friday]
Pool Day
[Saturday]
Brunch with Friends
DJ wedding
[Sunday]
Photoshoot
Caden's Birthday Party
Tell me this is what your schedule looks like too...
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Weekend Recap [Chicago Edition]
[Wednesday:very, very cold]
Checked into our hotel [the Westin on N. Dearborn Ave]
had Chicago style pizza at Lou Malnati's
cabbed to Millineum Park to take photos and look at the skate rink
walked to the Christmas Bizzar [handmade German gifts]
went to Dicks for a drink, but they were hosting a huge Fireman's celebration
decided to go to Blues on Grand for a cocktail & live music instead
finished our night at our Hotel Bar
[Thursday:beautiful, big snowflakes]
spent almost 10 hours in a work conference
took a cab across town
had dinner at Jacks
Shopped [got Adam a Cubs hoodie]
went to the Blue Man Group at Briar Street Theatre
took a Carriage ride around Michigan Avenue in the snow
[Friday:bright,sunny day]
Finished the conference
Shopped downtown [got a few Christmas ornaments]
Photos at the Bean
instead had lunch at Corner Bakery Cafe
shopped on Michigan Avenue
had a lovely dinner at Petterino's
walked to Wicked at Cadillac Palace
[Saturday:cold, rainy day]
slept in until 8!
caught lunch at Harry Caray's
shopped State Street [hit the 'H' jackpot @ Anthropologie]
took the bus home [in blizzard conditions] leaving me sick for the entire 7 1/2 hours!
I had an absolutely amazing, indescribable weekend away with my mom. Words cannot describe what this weekend meant to me. I'll treasure this memory forever.
Our Chicago Getaway in Photos to follow this week...Stay Tuned!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
[countdown]
It's such a crazy time of year...
[16 days] until Christmas
[15 days] until we celebrate with my family
[11 days] until our Mannheim Steamroller Concert
[9 days] until my sister in laws graduation from grad school
[8 days] until Adam's Christmas Party
[7 days] until my Christmas Party
[5 days] until my photography class
[2 days] until we leave Chicago :(
...so many exciting things going on...we love it!!
What do you have going on this Holiday season?
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