Home Sweet Home for One Year

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Today marks the one year anniversary of moving into our first home as well as our move down to Tacoma. I'd like to say I got some awesome pictures of the whole family in front of our house to commemorate the occasion, but Caleb was already down by the time Josh got home. And this mom ain't pushing back bedtime for a photo. 

I almost just posted a photo of the house (isn't it adorable?), but then Josh arrived home from work so we did a selfie (naturally).

We are so very happy in our home and with Tacoma. I particularly love...

...the window in our kitchen and how I can look into the backyard and see the flowers or dog running around. 

...the light that comes into the front room and how Asha and Caleb look outside together. 

...that we are so close to parks. There are at least three within walking distance. 

...the location. We can take a 15 minute walk to the Proctor district for coffee, library books, groceries, and the farmer's market. Or, hop in the car for fun at Point Defiance Zoo, Aquarium, and park. Or, go to the waterfront. 

...that we have a guest room, so friends and family can stay with us.

...our blueberry bush (wait, that's Caleb...well, I love it, too).

...that I know my way around town now, and we have our favorite spots (but still have opporunties to discover more!).

...that it is ours. 

It's amazing to think about all that has happened over the past year - especially with Caleb. It feels like we've lived here forever (in a good way). This definitely feels like home now!

Cheers to many more years! 

Caleb enjoying freshly picked blueberries from the backyard.

70th Celebrations and SD Sunshine

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Ahh, sunny San Diego. Look at that: the sun, the ocean, the palm trees...but most importantly it's where my parents live. If you didn't know already, I grew up in Encinitas, CA and still get to visit since my parents live in San Marcos. Last week we headed down to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday. We had a great time and I especially appreciate the extra help with the little guy. 

Of course we went to the beach, but the main event was the birthday party. You don't turn 70 years old everyday (well, you could say that about any age, but you get the point).

I had the honor of making the German Chocolate Cake this year. My dad requests it every year for his birthday. It was a Grandma Ruth speciality. Shed used to make it for him every year (and every time she came out to visit), but now it's up to my sister, mom, and/or me to make the cake. Everyone seemed to like it, so I think I did a pretty good job. It's a lot to live up to with it being "mom's cake" (or in my case, "grandma's cake").

The big party was on Saturday night. We got the outdoor patio at Bentley's to ourselves and all our family friends came to celebrate...and drink wine. We got to tell fun stories about my dad like how he loves to listen to the cockpit when on flights or take notes when he reads. My dad is pretty awesome and I so glad we got to have such a great party for him.

With my dad, there was wine. Definitely wine. It wouldn't be my dad's party without wine. And prime rib. I have to say the wine was excellent. The wine was some of the finest I've ever tasted. I'm happy to say I like wine now, too. Somewhere between being pregnant and having a kid, I developed a taste for red wine. The three wines served were Keever, Altamura, and 7&8. If you ever get a chance to taste one, do it.

It was so wonderful to see my parents with Caleb. You can see the love! Caleb will run up and give them big hugs. I love it! Of course, they spoiled him (exhibit A: see my dad eating cookies and ice cream with Caleb). It's so great to see them together.

When you visit home (yup, I still call it home. I call Tacoma home as well. So I have two homes), there is always a crowd. We saw all our friends and Aunt Lindsay and Damon came down to visit, too. Monkey and Max, our friend's dogs, even stayed with us a couple of days.

Daddy (Josh) also got to spend some good, quality time with Caleb.

No, they didn't really ride the motorcycle. 

I think Caleb's favorite part of the trip, though, was this Little Tikes car. It's an understatement to say he loved it. I think it's a blessing and a curse - good he loves it and keeps him preoccupied, but he doesn't want to stop playing. But when you see the joy on his face, you know it's a blessing. ;) 

Caleb got his first taste of the Pacific Ocean. He's been before, but only in a carrier. This time he walked up to the water on his own...and then fell. Watch the video, it's hilarious. There was lots of time at the park, in the sand, or roaming around Caleb-style. 

Unfortunately, I got a sinus infection while we were down there. I got some delicious pho, so that helped. And we had to get Lofty Coffee because I love it. Plus, the food is killer. The salted caramel latte, ahhhh so good. The eggs so freaking good. I die in food happiness.

We also went to Bellows for an early birthday dinner for me. I had a cauliflower steak, which was surprisingly super delicious. 

And when in SD, you gotta get Mexican food. We got some delicious tacos at Oscars Mexican Seafood.

Everything nom nom nom.

And to get there involved some flying. Caleb and I went down early, so we flew on our own. It was exhausting, but we did it. He wanted to do all the things he's not supposed to, and when I stopped him from doing them we got a bit of a tantrum. Blueberries helped for maybe five minutes...it's the small things. 

Luckily, Josh was with for the return flight. Still exhausting, but the help was nice. He was in a better mood, but it's non-stop wiggling the whole flight. And he was tired, so in normal toddler fashion he thought the best time to nap was when we landed in SeaTac. Figures.

Oh, and we survived our first flight delay. It wasn't too bad, maybe even for the best, because it gave us time to eat breakfast and stretch our legs. You can see Josh entertaining Caleb with the McDonald's neon sign. 

I love getting to visit SD and my parents. Can't wait until our next trip (except for the flight part, that's not something I really look forward to, hehe).

A Lovely Mother's Day

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I sometimes just can't believe I am a mother. It's just so amazing to look at Caleb and know he's my son. He is the light of my life and brings me such joy. Being a mother has been the hardest, but most rewarding thing in my life. Caleb brings a whole new, wonderful layer to our lives. I love being a family! I feel so honored to be part of the motherhood club.  

I am so grateful for the beautiful, strong, caring mothers in my life. The most important being my mother and my mother-in-law. They have taught me so much about being a good mother. I love them so much.

This was my second mother's day and it was so awesome. Josh and Caleb did a super job at treating me like a queen. I woke up with a little Caleb lying on top of me and giving me a great big, tight hug. Oh, the love and joy! Then we got a lovely breakfast at Jewel Box, which of course included coffee. And I enjoyed one of my favorite things, crepes! 

We went to church and they gave all the mothers a rose and pink donut. Yay!

We finished the day with a trip to the mall where I picked out my new mom bag, which was Josh's gift to me. I love it and feel so stylish. Much lighter then the diaper bag. More yays!

To finish the day, we did a family walk around the neighborhood and lucked up with some sunshine. It was fun to see Caleb on the walk - so much excitement over rocks and flowers (although it takes 45 minutes to go 4-5 blocks, haha). 

This mama didn't have to cook dinner, but we picked up some delicious Thai food. It was such an great day. 

Happy Mother's Day!!

A Look Back: Christmas 2016

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At long last I'm getting to the Christmas look back post. Let's just say I waited to post it to build excitement and anticipation, sound good? ;) Just go with it. 

Luckily, I didn't leave you totally hanging. I did share some Christmas season happenings and our Christmas letter with you. Hopefully that tied you over until this one. So let's jump into it. 

Family

Hurrah! My parents and sister flew up a few days before Christmas and stayed for about a week. For the first time ever they were able to stay at our house since we now have a guest bedroom. We took advantage of that by kicking up our feet and watching some awesome Christmas movies. And reading The Polar Express to Caleb before bedtime. 

It was so nice to have the whole family together, which is the best during the holidays. 

Celebrating with Caleb

Everyone wanted to see the Christmas spirit through a one year old's eyes. And Caleb loved having so many people to play with -- and grab their glasses, hair, etc. 

Christmas Morning 

There is something magical about Christmas morning. The tree is all shiny and bright, the gifts are under the tree, the stockings are full, and everyone is cheery and ready to celebrate. We even put a fire in the fireplace to make the house all cozy and warm. 

Caleb's First Christmas

I have been waiting to celebrate my favorite time of year with a baby for a very long time. Caleb was the cutest 'firs Christmas baby' ever. You could tell he was having a wonderful time and soaking it all in. Ahh, my heart melts! 

Toys Toys Toys

I totally thought Caleb would be more interested in the wrapping paper than the gifts itself. However, he surprised me by liking both. Sure, like most babies, he thought the wrapping paper was so cool - sparkles and crinkles galore! But the toys captured his interest as well. He really wanted to play with each toy after opening it. He got some pretty rad gifts, so who can blame him?! Trucks, helicopters, motorcycles, Rody, a singing soccer ball, bowling set, and clothes. Lucky (and very loved) little guy! 

Opening Gifts

Caleb wasn't the only one receiving gifts. We all must have been good since we got some great gifts as well. 

The Feast

After a long day of merriment, we needed to nourish ourselves with some delicious food. I hosted the dinner and made it very similar to Thanksgiving, but with some improvements like these rolls, Brussels Sprouts with butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. My tummy rumbles just thinking about it all. Honestly, I think it may have been the best meal I've ever served. 

What a perfect Christmas it was. I'll always remember this one for sure with it being Caleb's first Christmas, the first Christmas in our new home, and with the whole family. Such great memories!

Caleb's First Birthday

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Inconceivable! Hmm, "I do not think it means what you think it means." Okay, Heather, that was nerdy.

But seriously...oh.my.gosh Caleb is 1 year old now. It really does seem inconceivable sometimes. Yet, here we are with practically a toddler now. Generally I would launch into how quickly the year has gone by and yada yada. In reality though, sure it went fast, but parts of it went extremely slow. Like those nights where you wake up every three hours. That seemed slow. Or the days where he was Mr. Fussy pants and was all crankiness most likely due to who-knows-what -- sick, teething, tummy ache, it's a toss up sometimes. Yea, that all seemed slow.

Overall, though, I look back and think, "wow, we've raised this little guy from birth to a year old. That happened fast!" I keep thinking back to last year at this time. It's been an incredible journey so far (and it'll keep going and keep being incredible!). This has been the hardest, but most rewarding year of my life. Life has changed radically and I do not think I can even put it into words. It's been amazing to watch Caleb grow from the tiny little 5 pound 6 ounce newborn to his current 17 pound 5 ounce boy. I look at his newborn photos and it seems unreal now, but it still melts my heart. 

The little guy we have before us today still melts my heart. I'm 100% sure he'll melt my heart for the rest of my life. I go gaga over his little arms raised at me saying, "lift me up, mama!" Or that little finger he loves to point at everything and say "dat!" Or when he speed crawls down the hall, then stops and looks back expecting me to speed crawl after him. Then he continues on laughing. That laugh - it's contagious! Can you tell I'm in love? Is my gushing starting to get a little annoying. Well, it's my motherly duty. 

I bought him this adorable orange shirt. I think he looks pretty good in orange. He also looks good in blue; it brings out the blue in his eyes. Fun fact: the #1 thing strangers comment on are his blue eyes. They do seem to have a brilliant shade of blue and sparkle, especially when he smiles. The other two most commented things are his simple & dimple - he has a cute dimple on his cheek when he smiles. Also, I often get told he should be a Gerber baby model. I tend to agree (but I might be biased). 

To celebrate his first birthday, we had a small little get together at our home. I themed it "Winter ONEderland" (with sub-theme "celebrating Caleb's first on the first" since we had the party on 1/1/17) - yea, I'm corny. We decorated in blue, silver, and white to make it all wintery. Josh dressed up our holiday bear bust for the party, too. I thought it was pretty hilarious. It was fun to put it all together. Honestly, Caleb just wanted to tear everything down and put it in him mouth, so this was really for the parents. 

I got my crafty hands out and made this little chalkboard sign for the party. I wrote a DIY post if you're interested in how I made it. It was fun to put together and think about all the Caleb-isms. Although I realized I missed a few things. Under "I Love" I totally should have listed that he loves the Apple TV remote. It's crazy how much he loves it. What didn't fit were listing nicknames like "Captain Yogurt Face" given to him by Josh. Or what he's known for: his dashing smile, dimple, and blue eyes. Or his favorite word: Dat. Otherwise it really sums him up! 

Of course, we had to have cake. What's a party without cake. I made Caleb a little smash cake. I used the How Sweet It Is Mini Sprinkle Smash Cake recipe and it turned out quite tasty and totally sweet. I considered one of those healthy smash cakes they say for babies, but then I was like...why? We are celebrating..with sugar!

I totally expected Caleb to smash it and rub the cake and frosting through his fingers like he does with all his other food. Instead he just sort of stared at it. I took some and put it in his mouth and that got him interested, but he really didn't go smash crazy. I do like that he picked up half of it and tried to take a bite. Here's a video of us signing happy birthday, figuring it out, and taking a bite. 

The rest of us got cupcake versions of the smash cake. Of course, I didn't want to have folks leave on a sugar high, so we also provided snacks and beverages. We were sure to have some Caleb's Kola around as well. And who am I kidding, more sugar - hurray! So there was my new favorite crockpot hot chocolate. 

We did enjoy celebrating and Caleb enjoyed sitting in his throne, I mean high chair, waiving his king scepter, I mean party horn. 

And no party is a party without friends! We had a few friends over to help celebrate. 

It was great to have a little fun to celebrate one! I still have to post the usual update, but I thought you'd like to hear all about the party first. So up next: 12 month update! I'll be sure to gush some more. ;) 

2016, You were Awesome

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Happy New Year! 

We're already a week into 2017, and I'm just now writing a look back to 2016. The end of the year and start of this one have been keeping me pretty busy. It's just now starting to settle back into normal life routine (I wouldn't say slowing down...ha, wouldn't that be nice. With a 1 year old just not likely, though). 

Social Media says these were the best shots on Instagram. It got the majority of the highlights like having a baby and buying a house. I have to say, I'm glad the baby burrito made it onto my top nine photos. 

But really, I shouldn't let my Instagram feed tell me what was great about 2016. So I am here to give you the insight scoop.

  • We had a baby boy. Yup, this one is a big deal. In fact, it's been a life changer. You really can't top this one. Our lives were turned upside down on 1/2/16, in a very good way. 
  • New job.  For me, that is. I left the corporate world to be a stay at home mom. It's been the biggest blessing to be able to stay home with Caleb. Although, it's no walk in the park. This job is tough! But I wouldn't want it any other way.
  • Bought our first home. Another big deal. I told you 2016 was big. We love our new home and have enjoyed being home owners for half a year. It's in a great neighborhood, we have a great backyard, and I love the size of the kitchen. 
  • Moved to a new area. We bough our first home in Tacoma, which is just about 45-60 minutes away from Seattle. It's smaller, but family oriented and a great place to live. We have enjoyed exploring the neighborhoods and getting to know our new town.
  • Celebrated 5 years of marriage. Holy moly, it's been five years already! p.s. This is why there is a photo in the top row from our wedding. p.p.s. We've been together for 13 years, that's got to count for something, too, right?
  • Asha turned two. Our little Asha pup turned two years old in December. Can we still call her pup? I think so - she definitely acts it. I think she'll always be a pup at heart. She had a big year with the baby and move. She also went to doggie boot camp and is a much better walker and behaved pup. 
  • Traveling with a Baby. We went to San Diego and Utah to visit our families. Caleb and I went to San Diego on our own for a week to visit the O'Neill grandparents, but the other time it was all three of us for a friend's wedding (and visit the grandparents). We also went to Ivins, Utah to see the Brown grandparent's new digs. So three roundtrip flights with a baby...he was mostly good. 

I'm pretty sure 2017 is going to be great! I hope you all had a wonderful 2016, and here's to 2017!!!

P.S. Yes, I do intend to share Caleb's 1 year birthday celebrations and Christmas. Maybe a 2017 resolution should be to write posts more timely. But, let's not do that since I'm pretty sure I'll break it. #momlife #ihaveababy #stillababyright

The Christmas Season

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Gingerbread, peppermint, hot cocoa, cookies, decorated trees, mistletoe, glowing lights, bustling shopping, crackling fires, snowflakes, movies, caroling, annual cards, giving presents, reindeer, advent calendars, jolly Santa...the Christmas season. I LOVE everything about it. It's my favorite time of year. And I get to share it with my son, Caleb. It's been a great season and it's hard to believe Christmas is coming up so soon. 

We've had a wonderful season so far. And there is still so much celebrating to do! 

Santa

I've been looking forward to taking a baby to see Santa and this year I finally got to do it. The weekend after Thanksgiving we headed to the Bass Pro Shop to visit Santa. 

I felt so sure that Caleb wouldn't cry because he's generally a happy fellow and let's most people hold him without much fuss. I couldn't have been more wrong. He was happy in line holding his ticket to see Santa, but as soon as I placed him in Santa's lap the crying started up. Afterwards, he was back to being happy Caleb. Ha! But we got a classic "baby crying in Santa's lap" photo.  

Then last weekend we were at the Proctor Farmer's Market and we had another chance to see Santa. This time Caleb didn't cry, but he wasn't too thrilled about it either. Even with me holding him instead! We got a pretty cute photo, though.

Cookies

You know me, when there is Christmas there has got to be cookies. I didn't think I'd get to make many, but I surprised myself and got a few varieties baked. There was one failed cookie this year: the pepparkakor. Sad, I typed the recipe into Paprika and must have gotten something wrong because it was super goopy. #cookiefail. Pepparkakor is a bit time intensive so I just decided to skip it all together. I did make some other yummy cookies, though. This year's cookie platter includes: bourbon soaked cherry oatmeal chocolate chip, molasses spice, peppermint snowcap meringues, and spiced cider macarons. All are new cookies I tried except the molasses spice and they were all quite delicious. The macarons were good although a bit too delicate and smooched easily (but who cares if you're gonna eat it, right!). The meringues were light and reminded me of a after dinner mint. The oatmeal cookie, well, bourbony and chewy goodness. Nom nom nom. 

I was worried I might not get to all my cookie baking so I hosted a mom and baby Cookie Swap. I had my mom friends from Tacoma and Seattle come over on a week day morning and we swapped cookies, drank some hot cocoa, and let the kiddos play together. It was a blast and fun to taste each others yummy treats. I posted about it over here if you want to read some more. All together we had sugar & spice cookies, chocolate crinkles, wild blueberry oatmeal, and even baby cookies. This may have to be a holiday tradition! 

Tree

Caleb, Asha, and I picked out the tree together one afternoon at the local neighborhood nursery, GardenSphere. I stepped inside on a walk one afternoon and just saw the perfect, little tree just sitting there. I went back the next day and purchased it. They delivered and set it up for us. Score! It looks so beautiful in our new home. We got an adorable baby's first Christmas ornament and our first home ornament to adorn the tree. 

I put up a gate at first to keep the dog and baby away from the tree, but I noticed when we took it down for company they both were pretty behaved around it. Although, I didn't put ornaments on the bottom of the tree except for a felt ornament or two. 

Decorating

With a new home, I had to figure out where to put my decorations. It's funny how you tend to put things out each year in the same place. I hope I picked a good place for each decoration because it's likely to be there for future years. It's a bit like where you chose to sit the first day of class. Ha! 

I realized with more space, I could do with a few more decorations. Maybe I can hit up some sales after Christmas for next year. Josh did hang Christmas lights on the house, so we definitely sparkle in the neighborhood. Next year we think we'll do the bigger, white bulbs instead and cover the bushes. 

Snow

We had snow!!! It's been a few years since it's snowed in Seattle/Tacoma area. It was a winter wonderland for a few hours. It snowed lightly on two different occasions. It didn't stay around long, but we did get to enjoy it a little bit. Of course, we built a fire in our lovely fireplace. So cozy!

Family

My parents and sister are coming tomorrow! Then the Christmas festivities begin! Oh boy, oh boy! We're going to have a feast similar to Thanksgiving. Then stockings and church. It's gonna be great holiday fun.

The Spirit of the Season

We've really enjoyed the season so far! From our daily walks in the neighborhood (even thought it can be chilly) to the poinsettia (that sadly died due to the snow) to snuggles by the fire. I hope you're enjoying the season, too! Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving: The Outcome

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I bet after My Thanksgiving Game Plan, you've been scratching your head wondering how it actually turned out. And then I didn't post anything and you were very upset with me. How could I post such good looking food and then never following up. I shall not disappoint you this time...here's my update!

So the dinner was...wait for it...AWESOME! I couldn't be more pleased (ok, I'm a perfectionist and being so I always seem to find something that "could have been better"). 

Here's how it all looked on the table

Oh man, I want it all again. A few things are missing from the above. The horror! So here's my plate from the meal. I should have a bit of everything on there. I ate it ALL. It was Thanksgiving after all. I even went for a few nibbles more of some of my favorites. 

Let's see, my favorite was probably the cornbread stuffing. Although, the turkey earned it's place as the main dish. It was so delicious. The mashed potatoes really turned out great, too. We were all surprised at the cranberry sauce. It was wonderful! I feel bad for cranberry sauce as it's usually an after thought side dish. Although it can really be a great addition, especially for leftover sandwiches. Oh, and the gravy. It topped it all off (literally, ha!).

The green beans were good, but I just feel like they weren't something I was drooling over for more. Maybe a bit too much work in the end for them. The caramelized onions did bring them up a notch for sure, though. The sweet potatoes were also great, but nothing crazy special - just good, solid sweet potatoes. I think the least successful was the rolls. For me, they were more dense, but everyone else seemed to like them. Maybe it's just me being a perfectionist. 

Well, I take all that back...the pie. It was a knock-out it was soooo good. The crumb topping was phenomenal. Honestly, though, I think it was the home roasted pumpkin that really upped the ante on this one. You really need to make this pie. 

So there you have it. I got some definite keeper and re-make recipes - hello, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and turkey. Welcome to my holiday rotation! 

More important than the food, however, was family. I am so thankful to have such a beautiful and sweet little boy this Thanksgiving. Not to mention, a wonderful hubby. Don and Nada, my in-laws, are the best in-laws a gal can have. They are so generous and treat me like their own daughter. I feel so blessed and I am so thankful for the family in my life. My only wish is that my family and in-laws all lived closer so we could spend more quality time together. Luckily, holidays bring family together and that is my favorite part of the holidays. Cheesey to say, yes, but oh so very true. 

Now onto Christmas cookies and food. Nom nom nom. I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. 

To Grandma & Grandpa's house we go...

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Over the mountains, and through Las Vegas, to Grandmother's (and Grandfather's) house we go... 

Am I the only one out there that puts a song to everything? Well, besides my mom. Just me...well, that's awkward. Let's move on then.

Josh, Caleb, and I headed out to Ivins, UT to visit the Brown Grandparents in early October. They recently moved from Indio, CA (near Palm Springs) to Ivins, UT (near St. George). They have a beautiful new home nestled up against a red mountain (check out Day 5 collage to see it). The area is quite stunning. It's not far from Zion, so use that to help picture it. The weather was fantastic - our last taste of warm, sunny weather until next summer since we're headed into the rainy season here in the Pacific NW. 

We have a wonderful time visiting. It was relaxing and nice to catch-up. Visiting family is always so great. Plus, I got some extra help with little guy, which is always nice. And Caleb just loves his grandma and grandpa. It's so cute to see him with them. 

Here's a quick look at our visit:

Day 1 -

Our first day was mostly travel. We took a flight from SeaTac to Las Vegas. I was so proud of Caleb on the flight. He didn't cry out once. At the end of the flight, people walked by commenting that they didn't even realize there was a baby. SCORE. He even laughed at take-off when the engines roared - it was adorable. Planning it around a nap worked perfectly. Go us! 

Once we arrived, my father-in-law picked us up and we drove to Ivins - about 2 hours. Again Caleb did great and slept most of the time. So the day of travel was very successful. 

Hey look, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Dad (in the photo).

Day 2 -

We got a preview of the Ivins area. We drove by Kayenta Homes, a beautiful development, and got some tasty treats at Nielsen's Frozen Custard. Caleb got spoiled with a taste of custard. Speaking of spoiled, Caleb always got some new fun toys from grandma and grandpa. He absolutely loved the Learning Walker toy. 

Day 3 -

We made a day trip out to Zion National Park. This was Caleb's first National Park visit. Grandma Nada got him a National Parks Passport. I had one of them when I was little (I wish I knew where it was, bummer). Zion is such a beautiful area. It also brought back good memories of our trip in 2012.

Day 4 -

Unfortunately, Grandpa Don got sick and was stuck in bed (poor guy! we later found out it was pneumonia). So, Grandma Nada took us touring around St. George. We walked around the cute shops and grabbed lunch at TwentyFive Main.

That evening, Josh and I went out on a date night - just the two of us! We celebrated our five year anniversary with dinner at Xetava Gardens Cafe. We enjoyed a glass of wine and dinner al fresco. It was a lovely evening and great to get out. 

Day 5 -

We did some shopping around town and then mostly chilled at home. Caleb was a bit fussy with his bottom teeth coming in, but sitting out on the grass really cheered him up. While Josh and I soaked up the good weather. 

Day 6 -

We had a nice, relaxing day. Nada had to take Don to urgent care because he wasn't getting any better. It's a good thing, too, because it turned out to be pneumonia. Poor Grandpa!

Josh and I decided to help out and make dinner. We went to Harmons Groceries, which is an awesome grocery store. We went there a few times during our visit. And that mountain in the photo, that's just us driving home from groceries. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.

Day 7 -

Lucky me because I got a massage at Red Mountain Resort. It was heavenly. The massage therapist said I was pretty tight - uhh, yea. thanks to lifting a car seat, baby, stroller, chasing baby, etc.

In the afternoon we drove through Snow Canyon State Park. It was a beautiful drive and we'll have to go back for some great hiking (or camping, if Josh can convince me). 

Day 8 -

Happy Birthday to Josh! We celebrated with breakfast at Bear Paw Cafe, delicious shakes from Larsen's (OMG the banana cream pie shake is to die for), and a hearty dinner at Rib & Chop. Otherwise, we enjoyed a nice walk in the neighborhood and just lounging. 

Day 9 - 

Ho hum, we had to head home. Another day of travel from Ivins to Las Vegas, then onto SeaTac. Caleb was quite a handful (to put it nicely) at the start of the flight. By the time we were in the air, he settled down into a nap and the rest was fine (whew!). Luckily the people behind us liked to play peek-a-boo. 

We had such a lovely time. It's so great to spend time with family. I wish we could go back right now! 

Off to the Pumpkin Patch

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Oh boy, oh boy, the holiday season has finally arrived. I've been waiting all year for it and this year will be even more delightful since we have Caleb. It's always been a dream of mine to have a little one to share all my holiday joy. I LOVE the holiday season. And Halloween is a good holiday to kick-off the holidays. 

When I was a little one, my parent's would take my sister and I out to Bates Nut Farm. I just loved all the pumpkins and then the store with all the apple and caramel goodness. I do remember my parents made my sister wear sweatshirts in the 90 degree weather so they could get a Christmas card photo. I said to myself then that I wouldn't do that to my child. Luckily for Caleb, it's not 90 degrees in the Pacific NW for October. However, I did find myself wanting to get a great Christmas photo. So I guess I'm turning out like my parents after all. Again luckily, they are pretty great people.

What do you think...do any of these have Christmas photo potential?  

You'll see from the photos that we went to Spooner Farms (Bates Nut is just a bit far away - haha). It was a cute place with pumpkins, a maze, a pumpkin sling shot, food, barn, and a gift shop. We just did the pumpkin patch, barn, and store. I'd hate to get lost in a corn maze with a screaming baby. Seems a bit nightmarish - a good store for a Halloween horror movie, perhaps. 

Anyways, we took lots of photos (and by we, I mean me. I did warn Josh beforehand that I'd be a photo commander). So of course, we had to put our little pumpkin in a wheel barrel. Yup, I'm that mom. But isn't he the cutest? There was some lady behind us that was just making him giggle. 

And get this. I'm here eat Josh's parent's house for the week and Nada shared this photo of Josh and her. Josh is a bit older in his photo, but it's I think it's pretty awesome. 

Caleb and Mom had a good time together trying to pick out a pumpkin. Caleb was just indecisive about which pumpkin to pick as his mom.

Dad was very macho pushing the wheel barrel with all our pumpkins and gourds. Plus, carrying our little pumpkin.

There were some farm animals there as well. Caleb was very interested in the piglets and turkeys. 

Lots of pumpkins and gourds to chose from! We had such a wonderful time as a family together. 

By the end, Caleb was tuckered, but I think he had a good time. I know his parents had a good time! I got some baking pumpkins as well for some delicious pumpkin goodies. 

Happily Celebrating 5 Years

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Today we celebrate our fifth anniversary. Can you believe it? It seems like just the other day, yet so much has happened over the past five years. I'm not going to get all mushy, but I do have to say that I love Josh more than ever. I sure found a keeper! 

I love to look back at the wedding photos and remember what a great day it was. Such wonderful memories and such a wonderful day. 

To celebrate we ate leftovers (ha! there's having a baby for you). HOWEVER, I did manage to make a pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust. This was one of the pies we had at the wedding. It's the one we did the "feeding the other a bite" at the wedding. Having pie instead of cake was one of the best decisions of our marriage. Just kidding, or maybe not...

And here we are today. Yup, with an addition to our crew, Caleb. He's 9 months next week - I'll write about that in my next post probably. 

Cheers to 5 years and many, many more!

1st Anniversary

2nd Anniversary

3rd Anniversary

4th Anniversary

Happy Fourth 2016

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On the Fourth of July I always want to blast the song God Bless America by Lee Greenwood. I know that's totally geeky...but, hey, that's me. So this year I played it for Caleb. Poor kid. 

Usually, the fourth of July is the first great summer day here in Seattle. But so far it really hasn't been that way. It's been a fine weather day, not cold or anything, but it's cloudy and overcast. But we still got ice cream anyway. Soon we'll be out grilling up some hot dogs and hamburgers to chow on with the potato salad and zucchini I cooked up. The grand finale is dessert...a berry tart! This will have to do in place of fireworks because Caleb will already be asleep - and I am NOT about to wake a sleeping baby for fireworks. Plus, the dog is going to freak out. She already did last night and that was just for a few neighborhood fireworks. 

It's been a great day - and this family is totally proud to be American. God bless American (come on, sing it!)

Curious Caleb goes on Vacation

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Last weekend Caleb had a few firsts. It was his first...

  • Flight
  • Time in California
  • Night away from his own crib
  • Earthquake
  • Stay at a hotel
  • Going to the beach (California style)
  • At a Wedding

With all these firsts in just four days, it's a good thing Caleb is a curious little fellow. He's our little traveler and did such a great job. I was super nervous about the flight, but he did great. We had a 9am flight down to Orange County (SNA). He feed, slept, and then hung out with me in the carrier in the back of the plane with the flight attendants. 

For our return flight, we tried a night flight. He did just what we had hoped: slept the whole flight. Although I felt bad because we had to move him around a bit once landed and home, but he was a trooper. The only problem was then Josh and I didn't get to sleep until about 1am, so we were pretty pooped. 

Sadly, Alaska didn't have any wing stickers, but Caleb definitely earned his wings!

Our trip started at my parents house. We decided to head to Moonlight Beach and take a walk. Caleb had his first California beach experience.  He kept looking all around and I think he was amazed at the vast ocean. His eyes were like the color of the water - I love his eyes so sparkly and blue. 

We also went to lunch and enjoyed the gardens at Stone Brewery. It was so relaxing to sit outside while Caleb napped. It was beautiful outside and I enjoyed some time with my mom while my sister, her boyfriend, and Josh went on a brewery tour. 

By the way, look at Caleb reaching for my sandwich! The pork thief...he wishes, but maybe someday soon he can have some delicious pork. 

Did I mention there was an earthquake? Yup, our first night in Cali and there was an earthquake - a 5.2 quake. My mind immediately went to Caleb and get to safety. It's funny how a baby changes you...my mind went straight to his safety! Luckily, it was not a big one so it was over by the time I was up and going for Caleb. Caleb slept right through it!   

One of the big events of the weekend was our friend Heather Richardson's wedding. It was a beautiful reception at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. We brought Caleb along so he attended his first wedding. Pat, the mother of the bride, announced him as the youngest guest at the end of her toast. He got a round of applause! 

His little outfit was the cutest! We got it from Etsy and it fit him perfectly. Isn't he just the little gentlemen? So dapper in his bowtie! 

Mom and dad got dressed up, too. 

After a few days with the O'Neill family, we headed up to the OC to spend time with the Brown family. Caleb got to spend his first night in a hotel. The hotel had a crib, so we were all set. Caleb loved rolling around on the big bed - it was adorable. 

While in Orange County, we had the chance to see some Brown family friends. We enjoyed lunch with Sy and Mary Ellen at the Sherman Library and Gardens. So beautiful there! 

Caleb was impressed with all the flowers and plants. Look at the picture with his eyes so wide open in wonder. He also liked to reach out and grab the plants. 

We saw Carolyn and Rich for dinner as well. It's so great to see good family friends!

We also got to spend some time just chilling with both families, too. 

It was a wonderful trip and so awesome to see Caleb get to do some more "firsts" in his life. We're so lucky to have a pretty easy-going, happy baby. Hopefully we get to take many more trips together. 

And cheers to many more "first's for the little guy!

Joining the Mom Club

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I feel pretty darn privileged to join the mom's club this year with Caleb's arrival. I had no idea what being a mom would feel like, but it's the best. thing. ever. My heart bursts with the love I have for Caleb. I can't imagine my life without him now. In fact, I can hardly remember not having him. If I am driving around without him (Josh watching him as I run an errand, for instance), I keep looking back in the mirror to check on him. I also have picked up this rocking motion, which I'll do even if I'm not holding him. And you know what, if he splits up or poops on me, I am actually okay with it (ok, so the latter only if I know he's hurting from tummy aches). I just can't believe how the love keeps growing every day.

Even though I feel like the greatest gift is just to be Caleb's mom, I still got treated royally for Mother's Day. (Am I getting mushy enough for you?). My in-laws were in town, so I got to celebrate with my mother-in-law, too. It was a wonderful day! 

It started with a banana muffin and french press coffee (yea, yea...I made the muffins). Then we went to church, which was a big thing on it's own actually. It was the day we did Caleb's Baby Dedication. I'll do a separate post on this later once I have more photos (my father-in-law took them and is going to share them with me soon). So for now I only have this photo with Caleb eating my arm.

After church, we enjoyed brunch at Tilikum Place Cafe. I had the best dutch baby pancakes - savory ones with broccoli, bacon, and Beecher's cheese. Yum! Josh was a good Dad and took Caleb out at the beginning when Caleb was crying/fussy. He got Caleb to fall asleep and brought him back inside...and Caleb slept the rest of the meal. Yay! 

While at brunch, we opened gifts. I got a gift certificate for a massage from Josh (oh yea baby! my shoulders/neck are KILLING me from lifting Caleb and the car seat). I got this very cool multi-use nursing cover from my in-laws plus some macarons. Caleb got me a cute t-shirt with a mama elephant with a baby elephant. I just loved all the cards, too.

We made a pit-stop at home and then went shopping at U-Village. I was gifted some cute things from my favorite store, Evereve. Here's us at the mall.

We ended the day with take-out from Tigerly Ox since this mama didn't want to cook. Not to mention, I love Bun. Oh, and I got my super favorite pumpkin cookies for dessert. SO GOOD. This was from a friend who was visiting Eugene and brought them back from Palace Bakery for us...isn't that the nicest! 

I couldn't ask for a better day. I felt so special! And Happy Mother's Day to all my mother friends out there. xoxo

Insta-Caleb

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I know I've said it before, but I really can't help myself. I take photos of Caleb everyday. My photo stream on my devices (phone/laptop) is exploding. But I ask you this: how can you not take photos of this little guy? 

I want to capture everything - his smiles, his feet, his laughs, even his cries. I know in a few years I'm going to want to look back at these magical moments. Heck, I'm already looking back at his newborn photos. I'm sappy like that. I now cry at Hallmark commercials...okay, it hasn't gotten that far...yet. 

Rather than letting the photos sit on my computer to be seen only by me, I have been sharing many of them on Instagram. Correction: I have been sharing a LOT of them on Instagram. I want to be sensitive to my Instagram followers and not post too many, but it's really all I take photos of these days. #sorrynotsorry. But before you stop following me, hear me out. I have a purpose for all this baby posting (besides the memories I just mentioned). I want to make a book at the end of the year. Yup, you can do that. I am probably going to use either Blurb or Artifact Uprising. They both have tools to make Instagram books. I think this will be pretty cool to have to remember our first year with Caleb. 

So please bear with me and all the Caleb photos, or if this sounds exciting to you to see then start following me on Instagram. Below is just a snapshot of my Instagram photo stream. Yup, 6 out of 9 photos are Caleb. ;) I hope you find the photos cute at least! 

Spring Visitors

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Now that Caleb is here, I think my parents will be visiting more often - yay! My mom got a Seattle raincoat so she's all set. If it comes between rain vs. Caleb, Caleb wins. Those San Diegans, I tell you (ha, I say that like I wasn't born & raised there - shh don't tell anyone). 

It's amazing how much he's grown since my parent's first visited Caleb. Back then he was 3 weeks. This time around he was 10 weeks. The difference is crazy! He pretty much doubled in size and was totally more aware and alert. So for this visit, we got to get out and about much more. 

This time Aunt Lindsay came along as well, so we had the whole O'Neill family together. Here's all of us...

I love spring especially when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. We enjoyed the cherry blossoms at University of Washington. Apparently, it's a thing here to go to the UW quad and see the trees. I was my first time going since moving to Seattle, and it didn't disappoint. They grow all over Seattle, but when there are a bunch of them together it so pretty. I think the O'Neill clan enjoyed the flowers, too.

Of course, we took some photos of ourselves with the cherry blossoms. We didn't want to take Caleb out of his car seat/stroller as it was pretty chilly outside. My sister kindly held a flower up to the seat, though, so we got a photo of him with the flowers.

We also went down to Georgetown and took a Taste & Tour at Fran's Chocolates. They first took us in the back where we got to see all the chocolate in the making. They were hard at work with Easter chocolates. We even got to see Fran herself in action (see the lady in the black jacket below, that's Fran). My favorite was watching the lady make the chocolate eggs. She hand designed each egg, which is amazing. Check out my video of her pouring the chocolate and making the design. Then they did a little tasting of 5-6 different chocolates. Needless to say, we weren't too hungry for lunch afterwards. 

Of course there was a rainy day and we had to go indoors. We headed over to Mohai to learn about the history of Seattle. There was also a hip hop special exhibit. 

There was some good eats, too. We enjoyed some tasty meals at Little Water Cantina, Giddy up, and Cascina Spinasse (one of my favs!).

Good fun, good food, good family. Life is good! 

Every Morning is Easter Morning

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Every morning is Easter morning from now on... (hear it here)

This song is forever ingrained in my memory from my childhood church. I totally remember driving around with my parents and they would belt this song out. It wasn't Easter without it. Naturally, I find myself singing it today. It's the only Easter song that I can think of actually, which is funny because there are tons of Christmas songs. Isn't Easter just-as important (nay, more important!) of a holiday than Christmas? If you know any good Easter songs, let me know! 

Anyway, it was a good Easter here in Seattle. It was special for us since it was our first Easter with Caleb. He was handsome in his little Easter outfit. I can't wait until he can go on Easter egg hunts - his mom loved Easter egg hunts as a child.

We started with church this morning. We got into our Sunday best...

And then we enjoyed some tasty food. I made a mini Easter feast for us. We had Whole Foods glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, brown butter roasted asparagus, deviled eggs, cardamon rolls (from Byen Bakeri), and carrot cake oatmeal cookies for dessert. And because I'm crazy, and had more shredded carrots from the cookies, I made carrot-spiced oatmeal muffins for tomorrow morning.  Boom...Easter feasting. 

In other words, this Easter we dressed up, went to church, sang, cooked, and ate. Pretty good Easter if you ask me!

Welcome Baby Caleb

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I would love to introduce to you our son, Caleb. You might recall my due date being mid-January...well, he decided to join this world a bit early on Saturday, January 2nd, taking both Josh and I a bit by surprise. We were released from the hospital on Wednesday after a few days in the special care nursery due to some heart rate concerns. Fortunately, he proved to be healthy and we headed home to start our new life as a family.

Now, he is already a week old - can you believe it?! Josh and I are still settling down and figuring out the parenting thing, but Caleb has already captured our hearts. 

I'll share more details with you soon since writing a whole post right now is probably not going to happen given I keep starting a task and only halfway completing it and/or falling asleep. So for now I wanted to share some photos from the hospital. 

And a few more...

Isn't he the cutest? Expect many more photos of this little dude. ;)

Christmas Everything - A 2015 Recap

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Wow, the holidays flew by faster than Santa and his sleigh on Christmas Eve (do you like what I did there?). Our holidays were jam packed and full of merriment. I thought I'd share a holiday run down through photos. Let's do it...

My parents and sister flew up for Christmas and a few additional days. It was so wonderful to have the whole family here and to spend some quality time together.

Even though I had a million other things happening in my life, I just had to get a tree! I think this was our tallest tree yet.

Josh picked out the pig ornament. It makes me think about the dog trainer telling us to read the book, When Pigs Fly: Training for Impossible Dogs (ehh, that's encouraging...NOT). And so I dedicate that ornament to Asha's first Christmas with us. 

Of course, one of my favorite things is getting all the holiday cards and greetings from friends and family. This year I had a little ribbon to display them all.

There should be a Christmas song about Christmas cookies. Well, I bet there is one really, but let's start our own. "Oh Christmas cookie, how sweet thou art. You fill my tummy with happiness and glee." Uh, that needs some work. 

I kept the cookies simple this year - no macarons or pepakakor like years past. But these were delicious! Here's what I made this year:

Oh and for Christmas Eve dessert, I made a delicious Salted Caramel Apple Pie with a crumble topping. Oh man, so good!

I also organized a cookie exchange at work. I had organized it last year as well and it just so much fun to swap cookies and get new recipes. Lots of deliciousness. Let's sing that cookie song again.

And to round out the sweetness of the cookies, we enjoyed some delicious savory meals. Being preggo for Christmas, I opted to have us go out for dinner. Christmas Eve we celebrated at Bastille and Christmas Day at Rays Boathouse. I did manage a Spinach & Cheese Strata for Christmas morning brunch, though! 

Of course, we went to our church for the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. This is always a favorite of mine, probably because we get to sing so many Christmas songs. 

Presents! Gifts! Oh boy! Apparently we were all very good this year. ;)

And do you like my wrapping paper. I think it's the cutest!

Then we opened all the gifts. Look at those Christmas smiles!

As you know, I was pregnant this holiday season. This little guy will be the greatest gift - a bit late for Christmas, but I'm sure he'll ring in the new year.

This was also Asha's first Christmas with us. She was a good dog and didn't drink the water out of the tree. I do think she wondered why we brought the tree inside, though.

Well, that was one mighty fine holiday. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well. 

Much to be Thankful For!

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Wow, we have so much to be thankful for this year. We feel so blessed! 

Baby Boy Brown (aka B3) - We can't believe the wonderment this little guy has already brought to our lives and he's not even born. We can't wait to meet him, but we are thankful for him already.

Josh - I am a superbly lucky gal to have such a kind, loving, and smart husband. I’m so happy that I get to spend my life with my best friend.

Family - Our families are so supportive and loving. We are so grateful to have such wonderful parents, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents (in our memories!). 

Friends - We are lucky to have great friends here in Seattle, but also all around the country and even the world! We don't know what we'd do without such friends. 

Asha - Our little pup has grown so much this year. In December, she will be one year old. She has brought so much joy to our lives. 

Seattle - We felt in love with our city the first time we visited. We are so grateful to live in an exciting, beautiful city with nature all around, good food, and decent weather (yes, even including that occasional rain we get here).

Ballard Church - We joined Ballard Church earlier this year and already feel integrated to a supportive, church family. We've meet some awesome people and are so grateful we found this community.

Jobs - As much as we whine about work, we are so grateful for good jobs. I’m especially thankful for my co-workers, who are more friends than co-workers. They keep me smiling at work and are pretty fantastic, creative people. 

Country - Not to sound hokey, but I’m thankful for our country - the founders, the opportunities, and the freedom we so often take for granted. Thanks to the brave pilgrims and explorers, too! 

Thanksgiving Feast - I’m sitting here typing with a full and satisfied tummy. We had a most delicious feast and everything turned out so delicious. I’ll share that in another post soon. 

This list could go on and on. Like my thankfulness for coffee, pumpkin, fall leaves, technology (yes, that’s you iPhone - you keep me from getting lost and connected with long distance friends), and so much more. 

What a wonderful life! I hope you all had a great thanksgiving.

Now, let Christmas begin!