Category: Olivia Iris

September 11, 2013

This week is one of my busiest of the year as I prepare for a beautiful wedding in Paso Robles this weekend.  I truly cannot wait for the fruition of this special day for a couple I love dearly.  <3  (Hi T&L!)  I have been updating lists and charts, drawing layouts, finishing little projects and confirming and re-confirming with vendors.  Today’s main task was finishing up some fabulous welcome bags for our guests.  Assembling local “swag bags” is one of my favorite things to do!

Erik has been equally busy around here, spending all of his free time on our front lawn.  He single-handedly mapped out the area, dug up holes and trenches, cut pipe and created an all new sprinkler network.  He was an engineer when we got married and his attention to detail still blows me away.  I’m so grateful for his hard work both at work and at home; watching him care for and upgrade our new house is such a blessing.  Well needless to say, our front lawn has looked like a wreck for a week.  I have kept Olive away from the lawn, knowing that those open ditches paired with her curiosity and reckless abandon would spell disaster.  But yesterday, while Erik worked during his lunch break (!!), I brought her out to visit “Dada.”

Do you see this smile??

She instantly, and I mean *instantly*, dove headfirst for the nearest hole.  This girl LOVES her some dirt.  Whether it’s sand at the beach or fresh piles of earth at home, she wants to get into it.  And oh, did she.  My first instinct was to keep picking her up, trying to redirect her toward the clean grass.  I wanted to dust her off, shake out her cute sweater, etc. etc. etc.  Erik gave her a little spade and she started digging (aka flinging clods of dirt into the air, sending them flying up and then raining down onto her).  She was shrieking in delight, giggling, grinning from ear to ear.  I finally had to give in.  I settled down on the ground next to her, pulled off her cute sweater, and let her have at it.  And after I stopped staring at her dirty little fingernails, I relaxed and just reveled in that sweet childhood moment.

Another day in the trenches 😉

Although I’m definitely not a germaphobe or a neat freak (trust me, or take a look at the laundry pile), I’ve found that as a mother, I am weird about dirt and sand.  Am I alone in this??  Perhaps for you it’s glue or grass or sticky food… This silly little moment out on the lawn reminded me that I need to loosen up a bit.  I still have so much to learn as a mother, but I definitely don’t want to be a mom that is uptight about a little mess, a little stain.  If it’s all in good clean fun, sometimes you need to let go and enjoy the moment, right?  Well, most of the time.  😉  I know Olive will never remember our silly sandy antics this week, but I will.  I want to hold on to these memories, these moments of reckless abandon, this precious and fleeting childhood season.  I want to remember that I didn’t stress over some dirt, but I listened to her laughter, I dug right along with her, I cherished my daughter.  There will be plenty of time to be buttoned up and shiny and pristine.  But for now, we get messy.  And we love it.

Here’s to making messes without flinching!!  🙂  See you all again soon~

CATEGORIES: , , 6 comments

September 3, 2013

It is after 1:00 a.m. here but I’m anticipating a busy couple of days ahead so I thought I’d drop a quick line before the week slips away.  I hope you all had a great Labor Day, enjoying a little bit of fleeting summer sun.  Here in California it feels hotter than it has been all season, so perhaps there are still plenty of beach days in the future.  😉

We had another packed but lovely weekend over here.  Erik’s parents took their turn visiting us and it was great having them here.  Erik’s sister and her fiancé also joined for the last 24 hours so we could sneak in some Eurogames, too.

Highlights from the weekend included…

Another visit to Gopher Glen (of course), where Olive enjoyed her first cider pop.  It’s just a frozen chunk of their cold-pressed unpasteurized apple cider and it is AMAZING.  Worth every sticky finger!  Clearly, Olive was enjoying herself.

Olive with her Grandma + Grandpa

I made my favorite leek bread pudding for Sunday breakfast and I am sad to finish the leftovers today.  The recipe is from the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook by Thomas Keller.  You MUST get this cookbook if you don’t own it already — it is packed with great recipes and wonderful information.  I read it cover to cover!

We went to the drive-in for a double feature: Despicable Me 2 (B) and Elysium (C).  I love love love summer nights at the drive-in!

And of course, this little lady seemed to grow too much overnight.  I love this silly face!

Erik and his dad were able to enjoy some bonding time doing a little fishing in Pismo Beach and woodworking.  My mother-in-law and I had our fun at the farm and making a hilarious run to the supermarket “just for bread” that ended up with us turning heads as we balanced armfuls of “must-haves” down the aisles.  It was one of those silly moments that you had to be there to appreciate.  😉

Two weekends in a row with family visiting, plus our midweek visit with friends last week = Olive has been spoiled with fun and attention!  We are truly grateful for our family and friends who take the time to come see us.  <3

This week is busy with tastings (yum!), site walkthroughs, and creative projects (calligraphy, building, packing, assembling, etc.) for upcoming weddings.  I can’t wait to dive in!  I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday; see you again soon!

 

CATEGORIES: , , 3 comments

August 19, 2013

One week ago today, our little Olive turned 17-months old.  It seems like every morning when I pick her up from her crib after a good night’s sleep, she seems a little older.  She acts a little older.  She just has this “look” that I can’t really explain, but it’s the expression of a little girl, not the baby I once saw.  I am such a broken record in these posts, aren’t I??  Time is flying, how is she ____ months already, yada yada…  Well it is, she is, and the shock isn’t wearing off.  But I praise God for another full month with this sweet and spunky girl, who has taught me incredible lessons every single day she has been on this earth. <3

Here is a glimpse at month #17 with Miss Olivia Iris!

  • We went to see Monsters University at the drive-in and instead of instantly falling asleep, she stayed awake (most of the time) and enjoyed the movie in Daddy’s lap.  Her favorite movie-watching snack?  Baby carrots!
  • Olive got to visit Grandma + Grandpa (Erik’s parents) with Daddy while Mama worked on a wedding.  She was not amused with getting her face wet in the pool, but she had a great time seeing her cousins and family.
  • We went to the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles and Olive was amused by all the sights and sounds.  I think she had a bit of sensory overload, however, as she became really zoned out toward the end of the night…
  • I tried to make a greater effort to take Olive out to the park a couple times a week.  She loves nothing more than running free in the grass, picking up leaves/rocks/litter (haha), “chatting” with other kids, pointing out the “flow-wahs,” riding the swings, climbing the play structures, and digging in the dirt.
  • We went and saw Erik’s parents a 2nd time last month while I worked another wedding.  This time she enjoyed the pool much more.  😉  On the drive home, we had to stop in Solvang to run off some energy.
  • Olive has an increasing love for the alphabet and loves to sing herself the ABC’s all day long.  Whenever she sees any printed text or signs or letters on the wall, she says, “A-B! A-B-C!”  If I sing A-B-C-D, she’ll follow up with E-F-G.  If she sings starting with A, however, she usually skips the D.  haha  We are working on it.  😉
  • She still loves to make animal sounds for anyone who will watch her perform.  Erik loves her “meowwww” and I love her “baaaaa.”  Most people find her tiger roar most endearing.  😉
  • We caught up with some old friends from Santa Barbara when they passed through town.  Olive got to meet their son, James (a few months her junior) and we enjoyed a yummy meal at Jaffa Cafe (one of my favorite places to get shawarma and heavenly baklava).
  • We had another playdate with Jetta and Luke (and their mommies) at our favorite seaside park.
  • We visited 3 or 4 nurseries this month as we are planning what to plant in the front yard.  She is definitely developing a love for all types of plants and flora… I love watching her stop to smell the flowers (she insists on putting her entire face into the bloom) and then glance up at us for approval.
  • We had a lovely weekend hosting her aunt and uncle Bridget + Carlos and her cousins Adrian and Alejandro.  Apple tasting, peach picking, beach exploring and hay-riding were all on the agenda.  She especially enjoyed our Japanese dinner one night.  What can I say — the girl loves her some miso soup!
  • We continued to train Olive’s palate with new foods including chicken tortilla soup, galbi (Korean BBQ ribs), and a modified “PB & J” using sunflower seed butter and organic strawberry preserves from our friends at Heirloom LA.  I love that she is pretty adventurous when it comes to food, and will try almost anything with some gentle encouragement.
  • Although I said over and over that we wouldn’t let Olive watch TV, we did cave a teensy bit by allowing her to watch 5 minute episodes of Peppa Pig on my phone.  They are just long enough for me to load a dishwasher or dryer, or chop an onion, or do some other random household task.  Now we are paying the price, as anytime she sees my phone out she starts to say, “Peppa! Peppa!!”  What have I done??  She hasn’t seen any episodes in over four days, so I am trying to continue the withdrawal.  😉
  • I put her hair into two *braided* pigtails for the first time and pretty much died of cuteness overload.  The trouble is getting her to sit still long enough for me to do it again!

Gleefully greeting puppies at the park!

“Bird! Bird!”

Here is our 17-month photomosaic:

And here is a video from one month ago (7/18/13) of Olive reciting some of her animal sounds!  I should do an updated one soon!

Olive, you are our little parrot these days!  You repeat almost everything we say when prompted, and your pronunciation is getting better and better.  I won’t lie… I was kinda bummed that you stopped calling apples “bapples.”  😉  You continue to blossom as a sharp, social, silly little bundle of energy.  You are also revealing to us that you have a mind of your own, and you’re not always so keen on being limited by our rules.  Trust me, though, you really don’t want to touch the hot stove while I’m cooking.  Really.  And I wasn’t joking when I said sand tasted, well, like sand.  Your Daddy and I love you so much.  This month we are reminded of the blessing of family, and how grateful we are to be surrounded by families who love you, too.  You bring so much joy to those around you — I know that will never change.  God has given you such a sweet spirit and I pray you will use it to bring Him glory.  Happy 17 months, baby girl!!  Love, Mama

Thanks for stopping by!!  See you again soon!

CATEGORIES: , , 3 comments

August 1, 2013

Sometimes you just need to drop everything and take your daughter to the park.  For me, that means heading to my favorite seaside park that features an adorable Dino-themed play area for Olive and breathtaking views for mama.  😉  I spent a lovely afternoon there yesterday with two mommy friends and their kiddos, Jetta + Luke.  It was just what I needed to get out of the house and decompress a bit.

My timing was impeccable because upon returning from my mini-escape, I was faced with a potentially stressful sitaution.  Whenever life gets crazy, I am reminded that: a) God is in control and b) It’s time to re-focus on what truly matters.  I am so grateful for the sweet friends around me who lend encouragement when I need it most.  Glad to report that I put the drama in a bubble and sent it away.  😉

What is your favorite place to take a mini break??

Hope you are all having a lovely Thursday evening.  I’m about to make some yummy Japanese curry for dinner: it’s my ultimate comfort food!

CATEGORIES: , 1 comment

July 22, 2013

{ Congratulations to Abby for winning the Dior lipstick giveaway!  Thank you to everyone who entered; I love doing giveaways and hope to make you all winners soon! }

I was all ready to post this monthly update last week and was quite proud of myself for turning it around within days of her monthday.  And then, you know, things got crazy (fabulous wedding at Smog Shoppe over the weekend — congrats again B&S!) and here I am.  😉  My sweet girl is sixteen months old and for the first time (ever?), I don’t feel surprised.  I feel like this girl is 16 months going on 16, growing and changing everyday before my very eyes.  This month has been another crazy one for our family, so here’s the scoop!

make a gif at gickr.com if you can’t pick just one photo… gif maker at gickr.com

  • Upon our return from NZ/Australia/Ojai, we signed loan docs and closed on our first home!  We had to pose for the obligatory “sold” sign photo with Olive on the day of closing.  We feel so blessed to raise Olive in our own house!
  • We celebrated another Father’s Day by watching “Man of Steel” at the drive-in. Olive slept through most of the movie, per usual.  I truly love watching Olive with her Daddy and I thank God everyday for the special relationship they share.  She is SO blessed to have him as her protector, provider, leader and ‘first love.’ <3
  • Olivia enjoyed a handful of visits to the beach where she fell in love with the sand and the waves.  Give her a bucket and a shovel and she’s in heaven — a true California girl.
  • We moved into the new house and slowly began the unpacking process.  Olive loves going through the bags and boxes that line the hallways, reminding us that nothing is off-limits for a curious toddler.
  • We had a wonderful time at a 4th of July BBQ at “Grandma” Carole’s house. Olive is always so gleeful there, running free in teh garden or on the lawn, or exploring vintage bathtubs and trails with her little friend, Jetta.  🙂
  • She joined me for a little site visit in Paso Robles (sans client) and charmed strangers all along the way.
  • Olive finally met my clients-turned-friends Jess & Scott when they took a trip up here two weeks ago.  We had a blast giggling over cinnamon rolls together.
  • Favorite foods these days include corn on the cob, oatmeal with coconut sugar and chia seeds (she gets that from Daddy… I can’t stand the texture of “gruel”), and bananas.  Oh man she is WILD over her “nanas” and eats at least one a day. Anyone who knows me knows I’m crazy for bananas, too.  😉  Glad it caught on!
  • I catch her doing a lot more imaginative play: feeding her baby doll and rocking her to sleep, setting up her stuffed animals and giving them a speech, using a spoon and an empty bowl and pretending to mix something up, pretend-drinking from a block or other toy.  It is adorable and fascinating to see her grow and learn, as well as mimic a lot of Mama’s mannerisms!
  • New words in the vocabulary: “shoes” (she likes to pick her pair for the day), “hot” (when touching a warm bowl or the front of the oven — that didn’t last! haha), “hat” (she loves to wear hers), “eat” (when she’s hungry, or while I’m setting the table).
  • Animal noises upon command: puppy, kitty, duck, rooster, monkey, cow, birdie, tiger and lion (same roar).  🙂  I have a RIDICULOUSLY cute video to share along these lines soon…

What’s the big deal, guys?? 😉

Oh, these two… On Father’s Day.

And here’s our 16-month photomosaic…  It sorta bothers me that there are two striped purple dress pics in the same row but you know what?  When you’re blogging during your daughter’s naptime, you don’t have time for a re-do.  😉

Our darling Olive — Everyday you amaze us with your newfound skills and abilities.  As much as we’d like to say your brilliance is inherited, we know that all that you are is straight from your Heavenly Father.  You are wonderfully made!  We love your spunky personality and you make us laugh everyday.  I experience more joy than ever before and it is in large part due to you.  As we begin this new chapter in our new home, I pray that we would make many treasured family memories here.  These walls and halls are already blessed by your infectious giggles, your shrieks of joy, the gently babbling songs you sing.  You make this house the most wonderful home in the world.  We love you, little one.  xoxo, Mama

Thanks for stopping by — have an incredible afternoon & see you soon!

CATEGORIES: , 5 comments

July 8, 2013

Happy Monday, lovely readers!  I thought I’d share some random tidbits from our weekend & my iPhone, as I clean out the media library today…  Pardon my randomness!

On Friday we got together with some dear clients-turned-friends who were in town on vacation.  We shared some laughter & conversation over the most decadent cinnamon rolls.  Jess and Scott brought Olive some belated birthday presents and I couldn’t believe their thoughtfulness.  They spoiled her with some beautiful wooden toys, a vintage dress and a vintage board game.

giving kisses to her new toys…

On Saturday we welcomed Erik’s mom, sister Megan, and fiancé for a short but sweet visit to our new house.  We spent most of the day playing European board games (a longstanding love of ours — my geeky obsession continues) including Age of Industry, 7 Wonders and Power Grid.  Since moving here, we haven’t found friends to join us in our game playing.  As a result, family time typically includes some dedicated game play.  Let’s face it: few people are willing to devote an hour to learning how to play a 2+ hour game.  I think we’ll have to ease some of our local friends into it with a gateway game (like Catan) eventually…

Megan also asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding next fall (aww!).  Olive will be a flower girl as well.  Although the big day feels a long way away, I know the months will fly by as they always do.  Crazy to think that Olive will be 2.5+ at the time of the wedding!!!

On Sunday we went to church and spent the afternoon working on some projects at home.  We received our new faux wood blinds for the bedroom so he started installing them… He also took some measures to take care of the gophers tunneling through our front yard.  😉  I also went grocery shopping with Olive.

The week ahead will be busy with play dates, Olive’s belated 15-month well check, a site visit in Paso Robles, and lots and lots of emails + prep for our July brides.

Here’s a photo of Olive with her friend Jetta on the 4th of July and then today at Jetta’s house.  Love this pair of girlies together!!

I’ll end with this ridiculously sweet video of Olive and her “uncle” Van Ness.  He posted it to his Instagram account and the video received 12k+ likes and counting… LOL

If you haven’t already, make sure to enter my dot dot smile giveaway and don’t forget to get an extra entry on Instagram by posting a picture of your babe and tagging #makemedotdotsmile.  The giveaway ends Thursday night!

Enjoy your evening and see you all again soon…

CATEGORIES: , , 2 comments

July 1, 2013

Happy Monday, everyone!  I am finally posting Olive’s 15 month update and it’s a good thing since I was starting to get nervous about her 16-month-day being less than 2 weeks away!  I blame it on the fact that June 2013 was officially my craziest month ever.  Can you believe that in the entire month of June, I didn’t sleep in the same place for more than 5 nights in a row???  I went from Havelock North, NZ to Rotorua, NZ, to Auckland, NZ, to Sydney, Australia, to Ojai, CA to our old house to my mom’s house to our old house to our new house to my mom’s house and back to our new house!  That means I laid my head in 8 different locations in the span of one crazy month!  I am really glad July is here so I can reset and recharge.  Whew!

soaring over the ‘sails’ of the Sydney Opera House

Here is our recap for Olive’s 15th month —

  • We had a family adventure in New Zealand and Australia that took up a good part of this month!  We were traveling from 5/27-6/10 and it was a marvelous time!  Olive did great on all of the flights and only had a difficult time with jet lag upon initial arrival in New Zealand.  (More memories & details about our trip will be added to the forthcoming trip recap posts.  ;-))
  • Olive made friends with the children of our host family in New Zealand and especially enjoyed climbing up and down the stairs in their house.
  • Olive still loves to talk and we jokingly call her “the dictator” due to her passionate monologues.
  • We have begun trying to teach Olive to hold our hand when walking in public and to come to us when called.  It is proving quite difficult, as Olive savors her independence and loves nothing more than to run freely in public.  :-/  Hoping to continue to make some headway…
  • She had her first “complete stranger” babysitter in Sydney, when we hired one through the hotel so we could watch a show at the Sydney Opera House.  It helped to know that the hotel used a licensed service and we got to meet her beforehand, but I did rush straight home after the symphony!  Of course Olive slept the entire time.  😉
  • Olive had her first visit to an aquarium and a zoo in Sydney!  She LOVED both — no surprise!  Favorites included the sharks at the aquarium and the birds at the zoo.
  • After having my mom (her “halmunee,” or grandma in Korean) sing to her constantly on our trip, Olive began to sing a few songs of her own.  The sound of her tiny voice singing melts me instantly…  It is beyond precious.
  • Olive joined me on a girls’ trip to Ojai (aka Girl Scout Camp) and we had a lovely time.  Our sweet roomie, Diana from Casa de Perrin, gifted Olive with a stuffed chair in the shape of a puppy.  It was love at first snuggle!!  I am grateful I could enjoy some R&R with many of my favorite ladies, and Olive even cooperated by snoozing in the Ergo on a hike and then napping in my arms at dinner the last night.  <3  I’m cherishing these fleeting baby-experiences, when she’ll still fall asleep on my chest.
  • As new foods are introduced, Olive continues to impress us with her adventurous palate.  I am so grateful for that… We don’t want to raise a picky eater if we can help it!  She seems to love nearly everything we let her try, although she does prefer her food warm.  Japanese curry is a new favorite of hers, and peas continue to be a standby staple.
  • Olive likes to point out all the kids and babies to us in public.  Any child under 5 is called a “baby” by Olive.  😉
  • New words in the vocab include: bird, fishy, and poop.  Yes, I said poop on my blog.  We are getting ready to attempt to potty train, as she can clearly identify when she needs to go (she’s like clockwork) and will say the p-word to announce it to us.

always a character, that Olive…

Just for fun, here’s a link to a little video of Olive at Hobbiton in New Zealand…

video on the shire

And here’s our 15-month photo mosaic.  I love compiling these!!

My dearest Olive — You have three stamps in your passport already!!  Since visiting Canada last year, you have become an expert traveler and I am so grateful we were able to take you to New Zealand and Australia this month.  Thank you for being so flexible and adaptable on our journeys.  It’s no surprise, everything is more fun with you in tow.  We love watching you explore and marvel at God’s creation all around us.  Seeing you flip out over the animals at the aquarium and zoo were highlights of the month… We had never seen you so completely enthralled!  Thank you for keeping life so full of wonder.  😉  We love you baby!  xoxo, Mama

I hope your week is off to a fabulous start!  See you again soon!

CATEGORIES: , 4 comments

May 20, 2013

My little doll is 14 months old and I can hardly believe it!  Her “monthday” was on Mother’s Day and as we drove around town on our family adventure, I kept thinking of how quickly time is flying by.  I remember being pregnant and seeing my friends with 10 month olds, 1 year olds, 18 month olds.  I thought that was such a loooong way off for me.  Well here we are!  It is true that as each month goes by, things get sweeter.  I just love witnessing Olive grow and learn before my very eyes.  But I won’t lie… With so many of my friends pregnant with their #2s right now, I can’t say I haven’t wished for a sibling for Olivia.  Join us as we pray for that!!

Here are the highlights from month 14 with our baby girl:

  • We celebrated our nephew Alejandro’s 5th birthday in Pasadena, and Olive  had so much fun chasing the “big kids” around!
  • Uncle Ryan Ray and Auntie CC were in town and we had a great time catching up with them!  She loves them both so much and we wish they lived next door.  I can’t stop daydreaming about a trip to Texas to see them…
  • I can feel more teeth coming in (those dreaded first year molars) and know they will be here SOON… But no actual new breakthroughs before her 14-monthday (hint hint).
  • Grandpa Paul (my dad) came to visit and we continued with our traditional southern breakfasts when he’s in town.  🙂  When I was growing up, my Dad would take me out for southern breakfasts at the now defunct Po’ Folks Restaurant in Buena Park (near Knott’s Berry Farm… does anyone remember it??), or Johnny Reb’s or George’s 50’s diner (I knew it as Terry’s growing up, but George was the cook back then and now he owns the place!  So cool!) in Long Beach.  Breakfasts were our “thing” and I always wanted pork chops or chipped beef for breakfast… with a large chocolate milk.  😉  I love that we are continuing to share special indulgent breakfasts with Olive, although she’s sticking with pancakes, eggs and bacon for now.  My Dad always wants to spoil Olive rotten so I do my best to hold him back.  It does melt me, though, watching him push her through Target and ask her, “Do you want this one?  Do you like this dolly, Olive?” and then trying to convince me that she really wanted that one, and he can tell because she pointed at it and said “baby!”  haha
  • We visited beautiful Justin Winery in Paso Robles to prepare for a photo shoot, and returned a week later for the shoot!  Olive loved running throughout the Chateau and courtyard.
  • Erik went on a backpacking trip near Big Sur (Salmon Creek) and Olive and I had a little mommy-daughter weekend, visiting the farm, binging on berries, reading the same books over and over, and cuddling together.
  • We learned that cardboard boxes are the best toys.
  • Halmunee (‘Grandma’ in Korean: my mom) came to visit and we had such a lovely time!!  She made Olive lots of food and doted on her for days.  They have such a sweet bond and it is heartwarming to watch them together.  I kind of died over the sight of them both in their straw hats at lunch one day!  (see below) Although my mom was here as our guest, it humbled me to see how much I still can use her help.  She was a great blessing to us while she was here!
  • Olive’s 14th month-day coincided with Mother’s Day.  After church, we visited Los Olivos (and Enjoy Cupcakes) and then took a leisurely trip to Home Depot.  haha! Olive’s favorite part of the day was running free up and down the wide aisles — the girl LOVES wide open spaces.
  • She continues to chat up a storm and I am surprised daily when she clearly repeats or articulates some new word.  Her current vocab includes about 20 words and the new ones this month are: puppy, flower, cookie, cracker, and “A-B-C-D”.  We’ve been showing her alphabet flashcards for months but only recently have we tried singing her the alphabet song on a regular basis.  She sometimes says “A-B-B-D” but I’m gonna count it.  😉
  • She’s an expert climber and has now wriggled her way up onto the couch, although she still prefers to be helped up.

It was a busy month with more guests but we truly love hosting friends & family here!  Now we are full-speed ahead into the next month and I know it will be an unforgettable one…

Dearest Olive,

I used to tell you “slow down” as in, “don’t grow up too quickly.”  Now I just mean, “slow down!” literally.  😉  You are a boundless bundle of energy.  Halmunee jokingly said we’re in trouble because you have both verbal energy (our little chatterbox) and physical energy.  One thing is for sure: we are in for a lot of excitement with you around.  I thank God everyday that you are healthy, active, and joyful.  I don’t want to take that for granted.  I am grateful for your kindness to friends and strangers alike; it still cracks me up to see you waving at people while we’re shopping.  You won’t stop waving and smiling until you’re acknowledged.  I pray you always have a warm and inviting demeanor, spreading love wherever you go.  Everyday with you is a gift and we love chasing after you.  That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to work on teaching you to “come” when called, though (because it’s on the list this month, seriously…haha).  I just love watching your beautiful spirit blossom.  You know, Daddy and I prayed and prayed for just one little baby for so long.  I feel selfish now, so blessed with you (oh lovely YOU), still praying for more kiddos.  Even if we never have another baby, you will be more than enough.  You have been the answer to our prayers and deep desires and you are more than we could have dreamed of.  Until God blesses us with another (and even if He never chooses to do so), we will cherish every precious moment with you.  We love you, baby girl… more than you know.  Love, Mommy

And here is our 14-month photo recap:

I hope you are all having a great start to your week!  Thanks for stopping by!

CATEGORIES: , 1 comment

May 17, 2013

Happy Friday, everyone!!  I want to start off by congratulating REGINA, as the winner of the Piggledee pouches!  Check your email so I can get your prize to you!  Thank you everyone else for entering.  I wish I could give each of you a pair of these darling pouches, but make sure to check out Asako’s Etsy shop if you want to pick up some of your own.  I truly love mine.

photo-12

 

This week has been a blur of errands, emails and appointments!  One thing that remains constant, however, is Olive’s current obsession with reading.  I hope her love of books is more than a stage, of course!  It’s just that these days, she can’t get enough of them.  She is constantly bringing me (and Erik ) various books to read to her.  I love when she waddles over to me and plops herself on my lap, snuggles in, and looks up at me as if to say, “Okay already, are you going to get to it??”  Her current favorites include Let’s Dance, Little Pookie, Mister Seahorse, and Puppies… which is really a picture book with a bunch of dog photos!  haha  In Puppies, there is a tiny maltese named Toby and whenever we get to his page, Olive leans forward and plants a kiss on him!  Melt my heart!!  I think Erik knows that a maltese puppy is in the future one Christmas ahead… 😉  Although I’m sure I sound and look hilarious while I’m reading aloud to Olive, it is absolutely worth it.  I love getting into character and watching her eyes widen and her face crinkle up in delight as I read to her.  I’m never going to be too old or too busy to get silly with my little girl!

410OLzMygDL._SY300_

 Does anyone else know the Pookie Shimmy??  I feel like I sing it 10x a day!

I have a lot of half-written posts in the queue so I will be spending some time this weekend preparing posts for next week.  Remaining consistent with my blog posts is a big goal, so I truly appreciate all of you who stop by to read and comment.  😉  In addition to writing, my weekend will consist of purging & organizing my closets (a LOT more to sell on @shopangelscloset on Instagram, if you’re interested), having a Skype consultation with some potential clients, and swinging by Barnes & Noble to read up on our fast-approaching trip down under.  So excited!!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, whether restful, productive, or both!  See you next week with Olive’s 14-month post and more.  😉

CATEGORIES: , , 2 comments

May 7, 2013

The past week has been intensely busy!  I can’t share all the reasons for that yet (soon!!) but trust me when I say, it has been hard to come up for air around here!  That said, I feel like I have been busy with only good things lately.  From visiting friends & family to new clients and site visits, I am enjoying every active moment!  We all know there is good-busy and bad-busy.  I pray that I will always be busying myself with the worthy things — the valuable things & reasons for which I expend my energy, my resources, my heart.  First God, then family, then everything else.  🙂  Always.

This past weekend, Erik went away on a little backpacking trip.  He and two elders from our church went up to Salmon Creek, near Big Sur, and hiked up into the forest and stayed overnight.  (Looking forward to joining him next time — we can’t wait to take Olive on camping adventures later this year!)  Olive and I kept busy to distract us from missing him.  (It didn’t work, but we tried!)  As I was tidying up in the kitchen, I looked over to see that Olive had crawled into a box (it was from the camping gear Erik received earlier that week).  She was clearly pleased with herself, just grinning and giggling in her cardboard “boat.”  She got in and out of that box a dozen times, bringing small items (like my belt and her dolls some passengers) with her on each re-entry.  I had to grab my phone and snap a few pics.  It was just too adorable!!

picstitch

Olive has been climbing into her toy box for a few weeks now, but the cardboard box seemed like a unique milestone in and of itself.  Don’t they say that boxes make the best toys??  I hope to nurture Olive’s imaginative play and look forward to sharing lots of adventures with her in the future…

And oh yes, Erik did return safely.  😉  He came back clutching a bunch of beautiful wildflowers he had picked for me on the trail.  He said he had to carry them for over an hour before they got back to the car!

945966_10201249491303889_382713808_n

I’m grateful to have him home, and grateful for a husband who still believes in romantic surprises.  🙂

Thank you for stopping by the blog today!  I’m off to prep for a visit from my mom (yay!) and a fun project tomorrow.  I’ll be back again soon; there are some really exciting posts in the queue so stay tuned!

CATEGORIES: , 1 comment
« Next page
Previous page »