Goodbye Roaring Twenties!!!

Well, the day finally arrived. Today is my 30th birthday. Most people say that with a sigh and then go run 4 miles to "prove they can." I, on the other hand, echo the words of my sister-in-law, Megan: "I feel like I'm just hitting my stride."


(Speaking of Megan, she and her hubs are currently texting me a major event that happened every year of my last 30...it's rather insane AND hilarious!!...and super creative. Well done, friends!!)


The big celebration started last night with a yum yum yummy apple pie baked by my friend, Mandy, at small group. Everyone was glad I turned 30. :-) 


This morning I woke up to a giant package creatively wrapped by my handsome man. He ran out of paper, but wrapped it in such a way that I couldn't tell. He just made me open it very carefully...


My first order of the day, however, was to open my card, which was actually 3. Dave, my mom, my sister and her man, and my in-laws all went in together for the gift (you will have to hold on for that part...) and my mom and sis wrote me little notes that Dave beautifully glued to crafty paper for me! He even picked the paper to match their personalities.  

Dave's card also matched his personality and was a perfect reflection of the atmosphere of our home most days, full of laughter, silliness and fun...

He said he couldn't resist the card because of the gift everyone got me....

TA-DA!!!!

"One happy wife and mama" doesn't even BEGIN to express how happy I am about this gift!! If you had asked me even 3 months ago if I would ever learn to sew, I would have laughed and said.."no way! Who has time for that?!" And then, I got roped into sewing some kitchen towels for a friend, the bug was caught and before long I was borrowing a sewing machine from anyone who would let me.  

I couldn't wait to put it to work!! But first, off to Hobby Lobby for some fantastically amazing cloth to fulfill  my fantastically amazing ideas!! 

Jackpot! 

They are all in the wash being loved on by some Tide before being jerked and stabbed into submission. No worries little cotton wares, you will live a much happier life as pillows, dresses, nursing covers and burp cloths. Life is better with purpose, dear ones! :-)

As I said earlier, I'm hitting my stride. 

I'm at home in my community and town. I know I've got some amazing women as back up while I journey this new mommy scene. 

I looking back at old recipes I thought were so hard once and I wonder why they were. I can bake bread, am going to make baby food, and am even tackling a cake that is 5 layers and looks like an American flag when you cut it! ha! 

I have a husband who would lasso the moon for me, who stands guard over me, our daughter and our home and who gets giddy over me getting giddy over something as silly as fabric. (In fact, he's got his eye on a pumpkin print he said he needs made into a table runner before October...told you we were silly most of the time...) He keeps my heart light and my vocal chords strained from laughter. You knocked it out of the park this year, my love. 

Well, there's the dryer buzzer. Off to build something fantastic!! 

And hey there, 30? 

Bring. It. 

It's Mama Flair!

Recently, Dave has been encouraging me to "...just do something for you." So, on my day off this week, I ventured to our local Sally's Beauty supply, and came out with some new adventures on my horizon...

I like to call it "Mama Flair."

As my sister in law likes to say..."I'm just keepin' it real, ya'll"

Time to get a lil messy!! Part Deux...

Well, I'm sure you regulars out there got a little tease from my post "Time to get a lil messy!!!"

Here's the video footage. I especially like her face with the first taste of sweet peas. I imagine my parents, godparents, grandparents...and the parents of all of my friends saw that exact same face when I was tot and faced down anything I found unacceptable. Like, riding in the backseat of Uncle Randy's car for instance.... :-D

In fact, the hubs has probably seen that scowl a few times from me as well...and I'm sure I will be seeing it from her for many years to come. Here's to parenting!!

This is our first attempt at solids! Mommy & Daddy bought some wonderfully organic, pure, healthy butternut squash! :-) Maybe we should have started her with cake and ice cream?!

With "Sweet" in the name, one would think an infant would enjoy. Not so, my friends, Not. So.

Father's Day!!

Well, Happy belated Father's Day to all you wonderful dads out there!! Dave and I celebrated over multiple days because he had to work this weekend. It all started Friday afternoon with a little fingerpainting action with me and the Ninja. There aren't many pictures because once she realized there was goop on her fingers, choas ensued. Screaming, big fat crocodile tears. Not. A. Fan. But you can see the before and after anyway...

The sweetness, being all swallowed by her swimmy diaper. Yeah, I know, not going swimming, but it was the only disposable in the house. :-)

The Canvas and the Artist. Watch out world, here she comes!

Enjoying the green. (Which subsequently made her hand look cyanotic. Note to self.)

The closest-to-the-end-without-the-hysterics picture I got. Yes. She did eat a little green. Yes. It was non-toxic. No. I do not plan to make a habit of it. ;-)

The masterful finished product. Oh. Yeah. I said masterful. She is an artistic genius. :-)

As I mentioned, Daddy Dave had to work Friday night, so when he got home 'round midnight, he got to see his present.I was a terrible wife and would NOT let him open it. He just had to stare at it! muhahahahaha!  The pics with lil miss were shot the next morning, but this is (essentially) what he saw:

For all the NJ fans on my little space, here are some more shots of her enjoying the feel of the slick paper and the crazy colors.

So, after Dave opened his gift on Saturday morning, we ran off to have breakfast with his dad. It's always a great time with him, so that was wonderful. Then on Sunday, we celebrated fatherhood and children with our Chirst Church Brenham community (blog coming later about that) then with lunch with sweet friends and a grand dinner at home just the two of us. It was a great weekend of celebrating this new season in life.

And just so I don't forget what my fridge looks like with her very first picture on it:



A Chicken Little Morning

So, past, present and future mommies-to-be...ever had a "chicken little"morning? Oh you know what I'm preaching...but just in case, let me paint the scene. 


POINT ONE: Dave works 3-11pm right now. I work 8a-5pm. We. do. not. see. each. other. awake. (Save my many middle of the night jaunts to the facilities, every. two. hours. but that's a completely different story...) 


POINT TWO: On Monday, the belly officially "popped," so I am looking quite dapper in my maternity clothes. Though, I'm CONVINCED at any moment my belly button will explode out my front and the baby, as well all my innards, will come flying out in one beautiful blaze of glory. Thankfully, my present mommy friends tell me that indeed, I will just stretch. Ever tried to read Hebrew or Greek? yeah, see that whole stretching concept ranks right up there in the "huh?!" category. 


I digress... 


POINT THREE: I stepped on the scale, as I am habit to do every morning while the shower is pulling hot water from the center of the earth (that's how long it feels like it's taking anyway, am I right?!), and for the first time in this new season called pregnancy, that blessed little black number was seriously on the rise. 


So, where do I immediately find myself -- you guessed it, friends! -- right back in the bed with that man who loves me in all my invisible (point one), uncertain (point two) and growing (point three) insanity.  And like the amazing man he is, he wrapped his arms around me, told me how beautiful I was, kissed my big ol pregnant belly and let me cry until I was all done. 


And then...he made me pancakes... 


So, while the day started off feeling a bit like the sky is falling, my knight arrived in his armor again to rescue me from the silliest (and often deadliest) of foes...myself.  


Here's to all the great men out there. You help us wives take our eyes off the falling sky and put them on the things we love.