a little of this, a little of that

Realizing I'm far behind on my updates with my kids and my "everyday" self, I thought I could give a quick recap of the past couple of months surrounding some big highlights.

My Everyday Life (remember, I'm not that normal)

1. We got a new car. We traded in our Navigator and got a more "gas" friendly family car. So, I'm driving the Camry now and Joe upgraded to a Lexus. Enjoying life from a smaller vantage point and really enjoying my gas bill!

Not the best photo, but you get the point.

2. We booked a trip to Cabo! Celebrated our 5 year anniversary with an overnight in San Fran but going to really celebrate when we take to the skies for Cabo in May! Can't wait!!!

The all-inclusive resort we will be staying at

3. We got a new dining room table. Haven't eaten on it yet, but we LOVE it. We actually had it made by the Capital Kids Interns. We are slowly getting all the seating finished, but our dining room is finally coming together! I think we are going to invite those that helped us build it to eat on it first!

Thank you to ALL who helped make this happen!

4. MOPS is still in full swing. I love it! I just love helping moms not live life on their own when it's so easy in this crazy season of life to do. We are launching fundraisers and working together to get to MomCon in October too. Super excited to do life with some crazy women!

Mops Fundraiser- see raising money can be fun!

5. I just turned 30! AHH but really it felt like any other Easter day. I think post kids- birthdays just haven't really affected me much. Then again, I got completely spoiled by friends and family- and I'm just going to say it again because I can- we are going to Cabo! Celebrating it big in May!

Check out that Cabo view!

6. I've been on a semi-health kick. I say semi- because with the littles, it's kind of hard for me to commit completely. But I've been working out at least 3 times a week (which is better than nothing right?) and watching what I eat a little more cautiously . . . minus snacking off of my kids food- ha- that'll be the death of me.

Costco check out! 

7. Got to have a date night with all the adults in our fam! My parents are the best. They surprised us all and bought tickets to a show called Traces (super cool) and treated us to dinner. We just love hanging out with our fam sometimes without the kiddos. We are super spoiled. Love that our parents like hanging out with us still!

Love my fam!

8. Celebrated a few other family birthdays too (Ella, our niece, turned 2! Joe's dad & Mom also got just one year older, so did my Mom! Birthdays birthdays birthdays- love how they bring fam together)

Ella's Farm party

9. I've been spoiled by my husband just because. You see, his love language (primary- cause he scores almost even on all 5) is gift-giving. So in an attempt to help me look cute at the gym, I've been scoring Nike shoes and cute sweaters. I love that he loves to give- but I really need to get better at giving to him- cause just like he enjoys giving, he likes to receive too- ha! that's the only bummer about that love language (but it's really not a bummer) I'm just being weird. The real bummer is that he has expensive taste!

10. Work, Work and Work...I actually really LOVE going to work. We are on our 58th Issue of the Magazine (which I love!) Check out our pinterest board! I get to live life out with really cool people and try to solve the worlds problems with LOVE. No greater task than that.

I'm sure I'm leaving some fun things out, but really, my life is a crazy adventure! I love living it out with my little family of four! (and of course extended family and friends!) I do live it a little randomly. So my next goal is to actually create some goals and see how many I can accomplish through the rest of this year! I received these awesome Vision Cast questions to do with Joe from Jen Patin (our Threshold Young Married leaders). We will be going through them on our trip. But I was given permission to share with you all- cause I thought they were awesome starters for getting some goals.

Did I tell you I'm super excited about going to Cabo?

Anyways, just a little of this and a little of that. I could probably write an entire blog on each of the items above, but gotta move on to some new things...so just a quick update on my life.

LOVE!

K. I. S. S. I. N. G. first comes love, then comes . . .

So in my everyday search on Pinterest, I came across a blog that referenced the idea of making sure you kiss your husband goodbye for work every morning. If you know me, I'm sold when you say the word "kiss." I  had to convince my husband that it was a must though which is why this particular blog stuck out to me. They gave statistics. A man is more successful in life when given a kiss in the morning. I guess this idea has been going around for a bit, but I just discovered it.

Benefits from kissing in the morning:
1. Miss less work because of illness
2. They earn 20 to 30 percent more monthly (** I got Joe hooked here- it's now apart of our morning routine)
3. Fewer auto accidents on the way to work
4. Live about five years more than those who don't even give each other a peck on the cheek
5. Kissing husbands start off the day on a positive note, are less moody 

So, my challenge to you today and everyday, make sure to kiss your husband goodbye! It's good for the soul and your marriage.

Read more about the study here: http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/k/kissing.htm


I'll have to find the blog I referenced above later- can't seem to find it right now...If you find a good link to the actual study- let me know!

Marriage After Judah {part 1}

I would be lying if I said marriage is easier after having a kid. As a new mom, I was trying to balance meeting the needs of my baby and the needs of my husband. I think at the beginning, I was a little overwhelmed with all the selfishness that having a kid brought out in me. Without having any alone time, you can feel like you are giving out all the time...and everyone in your home is just taking from you. However, I do think that time, advise from friends and family, and of course God has helped me figure it out a little along the way (again, not saying I know everything, but just what has worked for me and I hope can work for you if you are in the middle or learning how to balance it all- this is just from the perspective of having one kid too, not multiples [yet].

We were told from the beginning to have date days. It's easier said than done. We are so lucky to be able to have both of our extended families in town which has helped with the babysitting aspect, and the fact that both of our parents value and understand the need for Joe and I to have dates. I have heard it said time and time again from my mother, the best gift you can give your children is a healthy marriage! So, for about the first year of Judah's life, we attempted to go out on date nights a couple times a month. Some months were more successful than others, but we made it work! Joe planned 2 getaways for us in Judah's first year of life as well (meaning over-nighters). We went to San Francisco for our anniversary trip and then he surprised me with another trip to go see the musical "Wicked." Both were highlights in our 2nd year of marriage and fun memories made. We easily could have stayed home and not worried about bugging our parents to watch the little man, but looking back, those times together helped keep "us" a priority.

Now that Judah is 15 months old (for those who hate month calculations, that's 1 year and 3 months old)...we have decided to try something new in 2011 with the help of our great friends and neighbors. They pitched this idea to us of wanting to celebrate each month with a date night on the day of their anniversary. They were married on the 27 of a month (can't remember which one) and Joe and I were married on the 1 of March. So, to ensure keeping the romance alive (and not having to bug our families for free care) we have agreed to watch each others kids. Meaning, on the 27 of each month, we will be watching our neighbors adorable 3 year old, Preston and 6 month old Sienna, while on the 1 of each month, they will watch our wild child. The best part- it's FREE care, a 30 second walk from our front door, and great UNDIVIDED attention for our spouses. So, we are booked on the 27 and 1 of each month for the next year! No matter what the date is, we are going to make it work!

We made it a point this week to have a double-date with great friends too. Aubrey & Jeremy Stewart introduced us to a great burger restaurant in downtown sac called "Burgers & Brew." For some reason, I'm addicted to cheeseburgers so this place hit the spot. It's owned by the same company that owns "Crepeville" - Another favorite if you live in the Sacramento area. Good friends, fun discussions, no kids, sometimes it just doesn't get better than that. It's funny how double-dates brings out the romance too- for some reason we end up holding hands more, the car door gets opened every time, lots of laughter, cute glances at eachother...All around, making it a point to work at your marriage is so vital. Do you have a favorite date spot? Please share! Also, I'll have to do another blog on fun date nights that don't cost anything...sounds like fun, huh!

Again, we don't have it all figured out. We would probably be embarrassed by some of our interactions with each other if there was a hidden camera in our home. Joe and I are opposites, and even more than being opposites, we have different love languages. Learning to communicate love the way the other person accepts it is a whole different story (maybe part 2 of Marriage After Judah). Focusing on the positives about each other really does help. Another tip my mom has shared with me for all the women out there: Never talk bad about your husband in public. I might share some funny stories of what we have learned from "bad" moments in our lives, but regardless of the mess we each bring with us- I LOVE my husband and I know that God has given him to me as a gift to honor, support and walk out life together. Love you babe and excited for our date nights to come this year!

Today's Surprise: Well, my husband has been out of town this weekend for a snowboarding trip to miss all the shower action. Judah decided to take a perfect nap so I could blog. The house is all clean and put back together from the shower. And, I get to see my handsome man in a couple of hours! I'm hoping his guest blog on Wednesday will be surrounding why he decided to go out of town this weekend. I think it's cute, funny, and probably necessary to keep both of us from killing each other...=)

Things to come this week:
1. Shabby Chic Part 2 {with photos}
2. Marriage After Judah Part 2 {love languages}
3. It'll be a toss between a cheerleading highlight, kickboxing class, or work...
Stay Tuned!

2 Year Wedding Anniversary

It's crazy to think that we have been married for 2 years. Time sure does fly by. I think we have changed a bunch after the first year. We have moved, had a baby, seen our ups and downs, but celebrated life through it all. Who ever said life was going to be perfect? I do have to admit pre-marriage, I thought it was going to be . . . our pre-marital counseling helped me understand a little more about reality.

I think marriage can be a crazy rush of romance, fairytale, and enjoying time with your best friend. . . but it can also be a notable source of pushing buttons, not meeting each others needs, and not agreeing on how to live day in an out . . . I think the biggest lesson I have learned surrounds the word "expectations." As long as we are communicating what we expect (and our expectations are reasonable) life seems to move peaceably. The minute we feel our expectations are not being met, life becomes a little more stressful. Finding the balance is the trickiest part in every marriage.

I'm looking forward to year 3. Joe and I have both entered into a coaching/mentoring relationship, setting life goals, action steps, ideal weeks, etc. . . and I think it's already making a big difference. I'm looking forward to the year ahead, not only as we both grow, but watching Judah grow as well.

Love.