best vacation ever . . . reality check

it's true. we had one of the best vacations yet! celebrating 5 years of marriage and getting some alone time doesn't really get much better. top it off with great weather, ocean view room, all-inclusiveness (i know that's not a word), we were on a high.

the only problem is, i'm having a hard time getting back into real-world mode. i was able to read two books, eat warm meals, lay out at the pool (without being clung to by a 3 and 1 year old), have uninterrupted conversations with joe, go to the bathroom in peace, and so much more (you know without the kiddos around.)

don't worry, i did miss them! we actually face-timed them every night (technology these days!) but the little moments of quiet, were oh so sweet! i would do it all over again tomorrow! it was actually a nice reality check for joe and i to make sure we get another vacation on the calendar longer than just a weekend getaway (or it won't ever happen.)

did i tell you already, we got a steal of a deal? the trip was 4 nights, 5 days to an all-inclusive resort, "dreams los cabos" for only $399 (total, not per person!) add in airfaire, we only paid $1200 for the trip. well worth the investment! yes, yes, we had to sit through a 90-minute presentation, but it was an easy "no." (you can listen to those details over at our podcast Space Three when it gets posted shortly, pretty funny.)

back to reality it is. i like to think of myself as a free spirit. i see life always with the glass full and spilling over but realizing lately that I let life happen to me instead of really making choices to grow. with that said, things i'm considering doing to make my life more productive because this quote keeps haunting me "by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" (thanks Benjamin Franklin).

1. creating a schedule for the kiddos on our days home. i have to get in a routine of doing it. i'm searching out ideas on Pinterest but could totally use your help!

2. meal plan anyone? i've been seeing on instagram lately the success of meal planning. one of these days i'm going to jump on the bandwagon. not only to eat healthier, but to save money. gotta do it. can somebody just email me there's? I know there are blogs out there, but i get so overwhelmed. maybe you could come live with my family for a week and help me do it. (again, haunted by the quote above)

3. memory verses with the kids? i saw this genius app on pinterest the other day and i'm totally considering using it with the kids (mainly for myself, but the kids motivation will actually help me do it). check this out (she really sucked me in when talking about how cheesy the book was too...i might have to design one- could be fun project...) the app link only $2.99 in the store- for some reason i was just really pulled into what she had to say. i want my home to be a place where the Bible is spoken often.

to keep it short and sweet (which i never can seem to do) i'll stop with 3 things. those 3 things are HUGE things that will take a lot of work and "preparation" for it to really make it work. even better of a word than "preparation" could be "organization." i seem to be able to get organized at work (to some extent) but i haven't got control over organizing the home yet. like i said, it's what's ahead for me.

back to reality i go. i want to succeed in life. don't you?

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!

San Fran LOVE with Judah . . .

One of our favorite places to vacate is San Francisco. Joe and I often take mini-weekend trips there for anniversaries, time to get away, and family shopping trips as well. This last trip was different though. It was all about seeing the city from our almost 2 year olds eyes (22 months). We discovered new places, and experienced love for boats, buses, and otters like never before.

I have some of the fondest memories taking family vacations. Some were elaborate (Disney World, Hawaii) and others were simply time-well spent together. Either way, my parents made it a priority to make "us kids" a priority. This is a tradition that Joe and I decided we would like to continue. The biggest trick is that you (Joe/I) often need a vacation from the kid-focused vacation too (all something we will figure out how to balance in time).

There is nothing that moves me more than seeing Judah in his element. I love watching him experience life, knowing he is loved, and seeing joy written from cheek to cheek. We only took two days in the city, but they were packed from sunrise to sunset. We started our journey with a trip to Discovery Bay Museum. Neither Joe or I had ever heard of it before this trip, but after looking online - we had a gut feeling it would be something Judah would love - and LOVE he did. There were things to explore, touch, see, climb, get dirty . . . all things a 2 year old live for. We got to play in water, paint, push tractors, look for treasure, jump on trampolines, mini-golf, see curious george, train tables, boat tables, and more!




We timed our departure perfectly so he would crash on route to our next location - lunch on Union street. Since becoming a mom, I've discovered a couple boutiques in San Fran that I love. We always hit up this fun urban area of the city to eat and shop. Judah slept so it felt like a date for Joe and I. Some of our favorite places: Jovino (great breakfast/coffee), The Brixton (food), Bubble (baby boutique), Sprout (baby boutique). There is so much more, but those are a few that never fail us.

A trip to San Fran isn't complete without a trip to Fisherman's Wharf. Judah loves seeing the boats, the sea lions (which he calls "otters" or "doggies"), the candy store, good food, etc. So we met up with one of Joe's old college friends/family and had a blast exploring with them and catching up! We didn't take any pictures which I'm now bummed about. It was the perfect ending to a great day. We were wiped out.

We woke up in Union Square (used priceline to get the hotel for the first time- not too bad) and headed for breakfast. Judah could hardly sit through it - he new we were going somewhere new and exciting again. The San Fran Zoo! We had never been and he loved it. They have a great farm space, all the animals he can name - we even got to go on our first "choo choo" ride. We did whatever made him smile and wore him out!


All in all- it was our first family vacation success! We were exhausted and grateful that we got to experience life through Judah's eyes. Nothing like getting to hang out with all the attention on him. A great memory before Ireland arrives...