where we gonna go from here

he's here!

2012-02-13T17:15:00.000-06:00

our beautiful boy - river james

february 10, 2012

4:42am

8lbs 8oz

21 inches long

chapters

2012-01-30T14:09:00.000-06:00

a very big chapter is coming up in my life story.

when one looks back we can all see those life-altering moments that changed the direction we thought we were headed. soon, josh and i will be parents and life will once again begin anew. as i was reflecting on that sentiment this morning i recalled a short story tucked away on a shelf in an old photo box.

our story.

josh has always been a writer, he can weave together words and garner a reader's attention in a way that i'll never attain. it can only be described as a natural talent for him. when we were dating and just becoming acquainted with each other i would ask him to tell me stories of his childhood, other times i would ask him to read aloud to me - just to hear the sound of his voice.

as a result of these instances it was very fitting, the manner in which he asked me to be his wife. while we were dating long-distance in the second year of our relationship he carried a jump-drive with him everywhere (school, home) and worked on a little masterpiece. it was our story from day one -the ups/downs, twists/turns and joys/hurts that we endured together throughout our courtship. it was not always a happy story - we had our share of difficult times in the dating process - but it is beautiful. i reread that story today as i sat on the couch and sobbed. the same story i cried to when he asked me to marry him, as he read it to me on a staircase high above the mississippi river at a private dining table covered in the graffiti of couples who had been there before us. the same story we are continuing as we take another turn in our life together. i am excited for this new chapter and i could not ask for a better person to share it with.

twiddling my thumbs

2012-01-26T11:22:00.000-06:00

trying to find ways to keep myself occupied now that there is a full-term baby inside of me who has decided he is quite comfortable, thank you very much.

i've been working on little things around the house - like making big batches of homemade taco seasoning and attempting to finish baby's paper crane mobile - i need some serious motivation to get out to the backyard and clip a branch to hang it from, lacing up my boots is sounding a bit laborious. josh has been great - helping me with the grocery shopping on our days off, finding me snacks/water when i don't want to get off the couch. we've also been trying to keep busy with friends and make plans so as to not drive ourselves crazy with waiting. today we have one last big project to knock off the list - clean out/rearrange the office and collecting objects for goodwill donations, i think mumford and sons will be keeping us company. wish us luck!

winding down

2012-01-23T19:05:00.000-06:00

i think my nesting instinct is kicking in of late which is great by me. saturday i rearranged the furniture in the bedroom to include the above wicker chair i thrifted - does it not remind you of this one i pinned a few months back? sunday i woke up and decided on a whim i wanted to deep-clean the fridge. guess i don't mind that i am benefiting from this peculiar pregnancy trait. i am full-term now so tonight you will find me helping josh shovel the few inches of snow that blanketed us this morning - anything to get this little guy moving.

little man's cousin mirinda arrived last week. as i was snuggling her the other day he was nudging her through my stomach, can't wait until they can be side by side. soon, very soon.

t-minus 1 month and 1 day

2012-01-13T11:55:00.000-06:00

it is certainly boggling when you can externally palpate the length of a leg stretched across the inside of your upper abdomen. thinking this kid might be long and gangly like his mama.

weekly appointments start next week, hope you are ready little man!

funk

2012-01-08T16:01:00.000-06:00

this had been the strangest winter in my 26 years. a few meager snowfalls and here we are on january 8th, 39*F and nary a snowman in site. which leads to our current doings. i've spent all day on the couch and i've liked it very much, thank you.

josh has been coming down with a nasty cold the past few days and i'm thinking i either have a lesser form of it or my 8 month pregnant body is catching up with me. i had to coax my aching body out of bed this am, it's becoming a bit laborious to only be able to sleep on my sides and by the time morning comes around i am ready for a new position. as a result this morning i drug myself out of bed, grabbed a couple pumpkin chocolate chip muffins i made yesterday and a glass of OJ and made my way to the basement. joining my gaming husband on the couch and promptly falling back asleep. we took a small break late morning to shower and brush our teeth and headed back down to 'the cave.'

petra has been laying patiently on her pillow at our feet and occasionally resting her nose on my lap and pleading with me to let her up and snuggle. were i not large with child i would allow her to leap up and crawl all over me, unfortunately her rambunctious ways don't maker her the safest snuggler and we've been missing each other of late.

our netflix queue is pulled up but sometimes tv doesn't suffice for a lazy day on the couch. i brought down my 'supplies' post shower and i am ready to stay put the rest of the day. my birthing book, latest county living mag and a couple beautiful catalogs for places i don't even shop at. the only downfall to this basement hideaway is the bathroom. the toilet seat down here is a frigid ceramic type due to it being by the back door. always a shocker.

i've got my feet propped up on my hubby's lap and an oversize maternity shirt on. the best thing about staying home is i don't have to wear my maternity jeans which are so uncomfortable at this point. perfectly content sitting here in these ratty 8 year old sweat pants. leftover applebee's for a late lunch and josh has been sucking down the green tea and leftover potato soup. hoping we both recover quickly as we have one last getaway coming up before the little man arrives.

last night we went out to applebee's with friends and we received some adorable baby clothes. when we first found out we were having a boy i was a little bummed about the apparel department, there are so many fun girl clothes out there and let's not even talk about accessories. but with time i've come to enjoy the challenge of finding fun boy clothes. savers and goodwill have been extremely helpful in this way and clearance racks are a great friend. our friends last night gave us a cute pair of patched up jeans for 0-3 months that i can't wait to style.

we've been spending a lot of time socializing with people/friends lately, it seems they think that once the baby comes they will never see us again so they are taking advantage of the time we have now. :) we shall see.

for the rest of the afternoon i will sit here: doze, listen to my husband watch political debates on youtube, eat the rest of the leftover puppy chow and candy from christmas and revel in the fact that i don't have to take care of a little person quite yet.

progress

2011-12-15T12:19:00.000-06:00

blogging has taken a backseat of late with all the tasks i've been wanting to accomplish. when i look at my to-do list it's overwhelming, but then i remember they are things i enjoy doing and it takes a bit of the stress off. i just have to remember to prioritize and the blog has not been a priority of late.

first off was throwing a baby shower for my sister-in-law which went great. she then threw one for me and i was blessed with so many beautiful and generous gifts. as a result i have been spending lots of time in the nursery washing/unpacking/organizing. want a peek?


as far as decor goes i've been re-purposing pieces we already own for the most part. i made that shelf in middle school shop class. the baby pics are us from our first year. i thrifted a few pieces of material and cut up some old sheets for the no-sew bunting i made (which i also hung at my sil's baby shower). we received a lot of repeat items at the shower so we were able to make some returns and pick up a few organizational items for his room. i know there will be plenty of rearranging in the next two months but i am happy with how it's coming together.


baby boy's book collection is growing and we received a few lovely books from friends/family. including this one from my thoughtful cousin - i've thoroughly enjoyed perusing it. thinking about which pictures little boy will attach himself to and remember as those 'big moments' (which really aren't that big at all) we all can recall from our own childhoods. and of course this a-mazing book.

i have a few projects i'm finishing up - one is a mobile to hang over the crib and the other is a piece of art for over the crib. i'm trying to cajole josh into letting me use a little chalkboard paint there - i've had the paint for months but he is hesitant about chalkboards on walls, for some reason. silly boy. i told him it's much safer than hanging a picture above the bed.:)

i leave you with a song we've been listening to non-stop. while making dinner/washing dishes, on the way to work/on the way home from work...

the second verse gets me every time. i can't wait to watch my husband become a daddy.

18+ years

2011-12-10T12:01:00.002-06:00

christmas 2010

it'll be a long while until we are just the two of us again.

and even then i can't kid myself, we won't be these two - jaclyn and josh.

we will be a different version of ourselves, hopefully improved-

a version with a new spin on life, a few gray hairs and some new lines carved into our faces.

the 'now' we have created for ourselves will be a faint memory and while i enjoy it thouroughly -

i can't wait to experience the love that awaits us as we become a family of three.

3 day weekend

2011-11-25T13:53:00.003-06:00

the living room is my favorite area in the house. i would spend all day in there if i could. if i'm gonna nap i usually snuggle in on the slip-covered couch and doze off to a spinning vinyl. it's my reading nook of a choice and i'll usually beg josh to curl up on the loveseat with me as my foot-warmer. when i am home alone, i usually fix my breakfast and plop down on the couch to enjoy the view. without trying to sound too materialistic this room is my happy place. the objects within it are not just decor but tell a story. so much of our house has been gifted/thrifted/rummage saled that i can't help but remember an anecdote for most things.

i have an extra long weekend and most of my time is accounted for with tasks around home. currently i'm avoiding making the jaunt into the tire and auto shop to have my car looked at. i plan to spend the rest of my time ordering maternity clothes online (i can't make it any longer), trying to de-stink some vintage baby clothes in the washer (vinegar, anyone?) whipping up some potato soup, prep for a baby shower i'm throwing next weekend, maybe haul out some christmas decor (this is a necessity!) and attempt a project for what will soon be part of my new favorite room. no sew bunting! this past week i thrifted some scrap fabric and bedsheets for some nursery bunting. i'm hoping to finish it up this weekend and maybe even use it as part of the decor for the baby shower next week.

i have not made much progress on the nursery of late - mostly just washing baby clothes people have given us and organizing. we have made one big change of late though. we found a 'changing table'. i have been searching craigslist for months and i finally found the one. not too short, nice and long and just deep enough for a changing pad. i had been drawn to the antique dressers with gorgeous curvy mirrors but my practical side told me i didn't want to go through the work of refinishing and of course i'm cheap. so, meet little man's throne.

i also added a couple new stations to my pandora account - 'the charleston' station, a 'pennies from heaven' station and a 'skinny love' station. i have too many stations, i'm always adding one here and there.

i've got my love to keep me warm

2011-11-21T18:36:00.001-06:00


for my birthday i received the first snow. i remember walking down the hall at work that morning, excited to see the first few flurries starting up. i love the first snow - it's seeing a new world when you look out the window. what had once been brown and drab is now clean and new. after my initial excitement i took a few moments to reflect and remember that i'm not always excited for all 6 months of it. by the end of winter i am usually bursting at the seams - ready for some warm, fresh air. but then another thought came to mind. my son (my son!) will be born in this snow. before i see the grass again i will have a wee babe to hold in my arms. and that will make a wonderful winter indeed.

26 weeks

2011-11-10T14:08:00.001-06:00

Posting from a mobile device so I 'm testing the waters today.

Life has become a little chaotic of late but I am doing my best to embrace it because I know it is only going to get more crazy in a few months.

First pic is what the bump looked like last week.
Last pic is Josh's bday gift for me. Love his little artwork on the front.

P.s I finally got an instagram account and I'm in love.

winter

2011-10-30T19:20:00.004-05:00

source

aren't these pretty? they are new this season. i just had to share.

i love my steger mukluks, can't wait for it to get a lil' bit chillier to break 'em out.

just a little bummed that none of my winter coats really fit anymore. such is life with a baby belly.

we winterized the yard today. and it was fun, i felt like such an adult. cut down the perennials, raked leaves and put away the lawn furniture. i love this time of year, the anticipation of the holiday season makes the end of summer less bitter and more sweet. i love a good cozy winter.

goodbye october!

the past few weeks

2011-10-29T10:29:00.001-05:00

a recap in pictures

the beginnings of a paper crane mobile

homemade applesauce

afternoon walks

went searching for a dresser to re-purpose as a changing table and this is what we come home with, i had been searching for a new/larger file cabinet that doesn't tip over when the drawer pulls out - this more than fits the bill.

morning sun in the little man's room. it's coming together

favorite stories and love letters to my son

i finished my wreath

in my arms

2011-10-16T17:41:00.001-05:00

we always knew we wanted little ones, someday. whether naturally or by adoption we knew we wanted to raise little ones of our own.

i say 'someday' because there were and still are times when we wonder 'what are we thinking?' -about bringing little ones into this world. this world so full of hurt and loss. why would we want to subject our child to a world we know will scar them?

lately i look around and see all these trials that impact everyone and worry about how i will keep my own little one safe. i want to hide them away and protect them from all the heartache. this is because i know i can not, soon enough this little boy will no longer be safely nestled in my womb and will have to face the world. i cry knowing i can not safeguard him when he ventures out to a friend's house or to the school bus.

the best we can do is to raise strong capable children that know they are loved and can talk openly with their parents about their burdens and heartbreak, pray they know their self-worth, and undoubtedly introduce them to all the good and wonderful things along the way, that make this life worth living.

oh boy

2011-10-07T18:07:00.003-05:00

we're having a boy. hurrah! a snugly little lad.

now begins the battle of what we will name him. i've found the greatest place to brainstorm names is not in books but in cemeteries. i stumbled upon a great one the other night while making our way through the city cemetery, but i have yet to win josh over. we may need to make another walk-through. :)

i don't have much to say for my absence. we've been keeping busy with fall, josh's new job/hours, the animals and life.

i have been enjoying the little details that come with growing a belly - josh's outstretched hand helping me up from a sitting position, secret smiles from old ladies at the grocery, and constant thumping from my womb.

i've also reached the point of seeing a giggling baby and wanting our own little one right now! but i will turn right around and start crying in sheer terror of being responsible for someone other than myself and the changes that accompany it. i suppose it comes with the territory.


on the way to our friends' house for dinner - my belly, along with some homemade banana bread, pumpkin bars and the best card game ever

i've been carefully constructing a fall inspired wreath for the front door. to the tune of <$10. i have a few finishing touches to make yet. but it was inspired by my friend tiffany's wonder. is hers' not impeccably beautiful?

i think i've finally decided on the perfect hue for our little man's room.

any tips for getting the musty smell out of old clothes? i've been going through the tubs of my hubby's baby clothes along with some thrifted finds and i just can't seem to get the smell out. i can't wait to dress our little guy in some of his papa's old duds.

and some bummer news. they found e-coli in our city water today. so we are restricted to boiling it or bottled water for most daily uses until further notice. i just boiled a pot on the stove and placed a glass of it in the freezer to chill. my sweet neighbor called just minutes after i had placed the pot to boil on the stove to make sure we were aware - what with baby and all.

nursery before

2011-09-19T20:10:00.002-05:00

considering how exciting it is to plan the nursery i have neglected putting my thoughts into actions. but a few nurseries come to mind that have inspired me greatly to give you an idea of what i'm thinking. eulalie's and elodie's are two of my favorites. but sadly i am not as brave as their mamas and do not believe i could bring a white canvas to life quite like they do. i am thinking a little more rich saturation - along the lines of everly and arlo's room. i have a few paint swatches picked out with a color palette i hope to stick to no matter what baby's sex is. but i'm waiting til that fated ultrasound next tuesday to give me a little more direction.

this is what i'm working with.

i've removed about half of the 'junk' so we could make room for the crib. that's all the farther i've gotten. but you can see glimpses of the 1950's Lane cedar chest i scored and the bassinet i hope to keep in our room. along with tons of other rummage sale finds and my ironing.


link found a way in, before permanently removing him from the room i had to snap a pic. he loves his pillows and uses them accordingly. the crib is a black sleigh style. the paint swatches are a few of those i have in consideration along with some sage and spring greens. the artwork leaning in the back of the crib is some i've been collecting - chinatown print for our honeymoon in san francisco (i have a golden gate print in the living room) and the framed black-eyed susan is by kristin. you can see a peek of my yellow childhood quilt made by my great aunt velma in the upper right corner. she was quite the quilter and i believe she made one for each of us kids when we were little.

i recently found these embroidered beauties at goodwill and i adore them. i took a little ORB (oil rubbed bronze) to the frames and they have a new life. the umbrella scene is my favorite.

last but not least my baby, loving on her bed. you can see it in the nursery pic up top sitting with the ironing. for some reason the only items she has ever destroyed have been her blankets/bedding. this one was shredded in the first 12 hours of her taking possession of it. it took me months to get around to mending it and now she's only allowed near it when we can supervise her. i'm hoping she'll get used to not ripping it to shreds and we can eventually surrender it to her completely.

p.s. josh felt the baby this last week.

autumnal hues

2011-09-12T15:39:00.002-05:00

somebody, who shall remain unnamed (even after the fateful ultrasound two weeks from tomorrow, eee!), has been banging around in my tummy today. reminding me of their daddy - busybusybusy, in the best sense. (any 'princess diaries' fans out here? paolo, anyone?)

totally loving on my sunflowers over here, they go well with pumpkin bars i have cooling on the counter.

is it weird that i'm excited for my bellybutton to pop? totally for hygienic reasons of course! i can't wait to really scrub that sucker out.
not. even. kidding.

play-time

2011-09-08T11:31:00.001-05:00

there is one couple we always play hard with and that is josh's sister and her husband. we were supposed to take our annual north shore trip to tettegouche with them this year but if you see that little pink cast on justin's wrist, you might have an idea of why we had to cancel.

the pink is in honor of the little girl they are expecting this winter, one month prior to our little bundle.

so this labor day we got out and had a little fun with them at a local arboretum. 2500 acres of woodland, savanna and wetland. 2 hours of hiking and acorn picking. not bad for two preggos.

not growing up in this area, i always enjoy the impromptu country drive to explore a new park/town and familiarize myself with my surroundings. to know what is at hand. to find new favorite spots to revisit time and again. josh is already talking about the carrier we need to get for baby so we can keep up on our little outings. i'm game.

far right pic shows a tactical team we stumbled upon in the woods

this is what i see when i look down now.

we ended the evening with our first trip to five guys burgers and fries - pretty tasty.

days of yore

2011-09-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

my hammock, photo by kristin jean

soon enough these days i lead will be a past life, one i will wonder that it really existed. i look around at my tidy home, the organized rooms that keep my sanity. it's hard to imagine spilled milk and brightly colored toys littering the floors. little ones scooting along through animal hair tumbleweeds because i haven't had a moment to vacuum.

i love my life now, the leisurely pace. naps on the couch, snuggling in with a good book. watching whichever movie i wish and eating whatever when i want. baking cookies late in the evening and sleeping in. not worrying about having to divide my time with my husband with another individual. but if what they say is true i will not trade the life i have in a year from now for anything in my past life. what a thrilling notion to ponder.

i've started listening to bon iver of late and their hauntingly sweet melodies have brought about this nostalgia i've been nursing. life is not going to slow down and i've been appreciating this space i have to document my thoughts and pictures. to assign each a sentiment and time to recall them in years to come. to appreciate my time before baby comes as a calm before the storm. a storm with sunshine and rainbows, i hope.

este semana

2011-09-02T18:20:00.001-05:00

this week i:

got stuck in a dress i thought could still fit in. the zipper literally wouldn't budge.

felt baby dancing up a storm in my belly. on 2 different days!

congratulated my sister on making it 'facebook official' with her boyfriend. his name is josh. it makes for confusing conversations, 'which josh are you talking about?'

watched 'marley and me' with petra, it was a hoot. she was so involved in the movie.

had a craving for craisins or raisins, finding none in my pantry i figured i could at least make myself some chocolate chip cookies but didn't have any baking soda? wha? i guess i've been using it for cleaning too much, so i went and bought the BIG box of baking soda.

been working on 'the road', it's getting really good.

bawled when i had to say goodbye to josh before work this morning...hormones, much?

will spend friday night home alone, so i think i will indulge in some classic musicals on netflix while the husband is away. i have to say 'gentlemen prefer blondes' was very entertaining.

happy labor day weekend!

stillwater

2011-08-30T08:13:00.003-05:00

last week we took a jaunt over to stillwater. we had a few days off and had made plans for a north shore camping trip complete with cart-in camping sites at tettegouche state park but had to cancel last minute due to some unforeseen events. if you have never been to stillwater it's definitely worth a trip. the town rests on the steep bluff banks of the st. croix river and it's full of old brick buildings turned boutiques/diners/antique stores. unfortunately it's a big tourist trap, so even on a tuesday afternoon it was buzzing and we only felt up to a few hours braving the busyness of it all.

we stuffed ourselves with yummy, reasonably priced food at leo's diner. the chicken wild rice soup was delicious but a bad choice on such a humid day. needless to say i felt sick by the time we left that evening - turns out hot, creamy soup and hot, humid days are a bad combo, who'd a thunk? they did have a unique deep-fried breadstick to accompany my entree though.

we bummed around at a few antique stores and i found some metal cookie cutters to use come christmas time. i really wanted to find a fun onesie for baby at one of the souvenir shops but the selection was not that great.

once again i took house pictures, there were so many beautiful homes to look at. we even took a country drive on a dirt road along the bluffs of the st. croix. beautiful land everywhere.

hanging out by the lift bridge

if we ever go again i would love to do an over-niter and stay at the water street inn or a local bed and breakfast and just wander the residential areas and play in the river.

recap

2011-08-29T12:40:00.001-05:00

we've been having gorgeous weather round these parts of late. josh and i took a bike ride last night and there was just enough breeze to make it heavenly.

i worked the weekend after having 8 days off last week and it was a lovely weekend indeed. i've started telling my residents about the baby and it has been so much fun. a few of my old maids have been so darling, thanking me for making them 'grandmothers'. i will definitely be bringing baby in to meet them when i am on maternity leave.

the nursery is still in disrepair and i know we have plenty of time to work on it, but josh and i had the pleasure of assembling our crib on saturday night. baha, we do not work well together when we assemble furniture or other goods from a box, two words 'constant bickering'. but we are able to acknowledge our differences and still finish the project together. ahh, i love him.

i brought home this rocking chair from my parent's house. they bought it the day i was born. it has yet to make it upstairs to the baby room but has been getting considerable use in the living room. last night josh was reading in it and broke out with a funny comment to me, 'i can move at the same time! this is perfect.' for those who do not know my husband he is a mover - phone calls are made while pacing the floors and we can't watch movie without him getting up at least 2-3 times. i wouldn't call it fidgety but he has always been busy (since childhood i am told) and i just hope only one of our children inherit these tendencies - i would certainly be kept on my toes. we shall see.


16 weeks tomorrow

last night i was laying in bed on my side and felt a light but incessant tapping for several minutes. i'm pretty sure it wasn't gas because i could feel my my insides shifting in other regions of my stomach. it was unlike any sensation i've had before. i think (hope) it was baby going to town on the inside of my womb! when i shifted positions i couldn't feel it any longer. i will be on the lookout in the next couple of days to see if it happens again.

happy monday everyone!

godspeed

2011-08-23T08:16:00.002-05:00

(a look back at my first few weeks of pregnancy)

6/25/11
dear little one -

we saw you this morning and i cried big, grateful, happy tears. so thankful you are safe.

gestational sac and our 6w4d old peanut

'summer'

2011-08-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

this just makes me happy. even josh loves this movie.

remember when...

2011-08-22T08:30:00.006-05:00

(a look back at my first few weeks of pregnancy)

6/23/11

the sound of little feet, was the music we danced to week-to-week. - alan jackson

1986

i know this precious time is going to fly by and in fifty years we'll look back and wonder why we were so impatient. but i'll say it now, finding out you are pregnant can be very anti-climactic. so, the stick said PREGNANT and hubs and i go out and celebrate with applebee's but the next day it doesn't seem real. i feel like the same person, is there really another person INSIDE of me? sure feels like a dream. but we are enjoying these last few months where it really feels like just the two of us.

i've begun to exhibit the cliche symptoms and for any mother in her 1st trimester they are VERY reassuring. i don't know where these weird boobs came from and i'm not sure if i like them. waves of nausea - check. i can hardly handle josh eating garlic hummus ACROSS THE ROOM from me without feeling like up-chucking, but i can walk into a resident's room at work that smells strongly of NECROTIC FLESH and not keel over. ha, it's laughable, really.

and apparently i've become a little harder to live with, per hubby. :) darn hormones.

i have started a journal to baby, one entry so far and i just passed up the 6week marker. i'm sure it will be quite full by the time we reach the finish line and i plan to continue it on as our child grows. a sort of baby book, haven't decided when i will present it to them? graduation, wedding day, announcement of their 1st pregnancy? anywho, i hope i keep it up and make one for each child we raise.

this saturday i will be blessed - my 1st ultrasound. yes, even before my inaugural trip to the OB. a local pregnancy resource center has a new ultrasound machine and they need MODELS, between 6 and 16 weeks. how lucky am i. i pray there is a beating heart thumping away in my womb. it will make the next 6 weeks a little easier.

p.s. i hope my pinterest friends haven't read too much into the nursery pics i've been pinning lately. ;)

eskimo baby

surprise!

2011-08-21T11:16:00.000-05:00

friday i headed north for a little surprise bday my family had planned for my grandma's 78th bday. she definitely had no idea it was coming. see her reaction? along with a few tears.

the rest of the afternoon was filled with grilling, walks, naps, pictures and dessert.

we culminated the evening with a slideshow.

grandma and uncle russell, circa 1962

grandpa (center) and two of his brothers, circa 1962

yellowstone, circa 1962

MN gem - summit ave

2011-08-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

last week we took a daytrip to the cities to celebrate out 4th wedding anniversary. we had a few things on the agenda, one from my summer to-do list - josh obliged me with a stroll down summit ave in st. paul to ogle the victorian mansions.


cathedral of st. paul from behind the james j. hill house


the cathedral

creeping vines get me every time

f. scott fitzgerald row house

a secret garden

love me a big front porch

several of the houses were for sale and had brochures out front for the taking. as a result we had fun looking a prices and interior pictures of the homes. this was a piece of MN history i had never seen and i appreciated the authentic feel of the neighborhood, apparently there has not been any new construction in this area since the 1920's!

if you have not been to this remarkable avenue i HIGHLY recommend it, there is so much to gape at and soak up.

following our turn on the avenue we made our annual IKEA trip and then went out for all you can eat sushi and hibachi. yum!

rock-a-bye baby

2011-08-15T13:30:00.001-05:00

this is the other song i wanted to share from the concert we went to back in july with the goo goo dolls. i knew i was pregnant so as soon as i heard michelle branch utter the word 'lullaby' i set my camera to film mode.

random factoid, the bass player on the right side of the clip is her husband and they have a 6 year old daughter named owen, whom the song is written for.

i think this is one of my favorite lullabies that i've added to my baby playlist, i love the realistic outlook. a few other favorites - zoe jane by staind and godspeed by the dixie chicks.

on the nest

2011-08-08T17:59:00.000-05:00

somebody special has been hanging out in my womb for the last few months.

meet our little pumpkin!

no, that's not a clown nose. that's a hand, baby is already trying to suck its thumb. jk.

i love baby's little rotund belly. it's soo precious!

believe it or not our little bundle of love is due on v-day itself. february 14th.

we are thrilled. :D

ringlet

2011-08-06T12:17:00.001-05:00

joshy woshy

is it too much to hope that our children will someday have curly hair?

goo

2011-08-04T15:59:00.004-05:00

i went to a wonderful concert last month and it may be cliche but this is the one song i want to share with you from an amazing evening.

don't you just love them?
i have another song i plan on sharing from the concert in a few weeks! different artist though.

the highway i take to work is currently being modified into a 4 lane beast. and while i love the idea of being able to drive 65mph all the way to work, i'm not loving the process. this piece of highway is not necessarily beautiful but there are pieces i am going to miss as it transitions.

there extensive stretches of road harbored by large evergreens - obviously planted when the road was first constructed, judging by their crowns. i've been watching them be torn down each day and i have to admit it makes me blue. i used to love peeking through these trees at the farm fields beyond in the early morning. the corn grows in little valleys and morning fog rests in these hollows. i love watching the morning sun illuminate the low-lying clouds through the trees. and while i can still appreciate the beauty of the dawn, i just miss the comfort of being surrounded by forest (you may be reminded of the post where i talk about missing the woods of northern MN).

i have definitely felt sheltered by these roadside forests in the dead of winter when blizzard winds cause dangerous drifting in the road. not to mention i feel for the people who live near the highway who are now just little bit closer to a speeding artery.

ugh, change. sometimes i dislike you.

bookworm

2011-07-28T16:47:00.001-05:00

children are made readers on the laps of their parents. - emilie buchwald

i have a confession to make. i've been collecting children's books. for years. do you? to me there is nothing more satisfying than to be thrifting or rummage saling and to find a favorite read from when i was young. and i'll admit one of the things i look forward to most when we have children is snuggling up on the couch and reading the day away. (random bit - did you know that josh proposed to me through a story that he wrote?) i think an enjoyment for reading is a great gift and i treasure the books my shelves contain. besides real relationships i can not recall a place where you can connect so closely with another soul. as c.s. lewis said -

we read to know we are not alone.

reading touches a place that no other media can - not movies, theater or even music (although i do believe music touches a unique of its own). i do hope our children are able to appreciate the gift of reading as they grow.

when i was in third grade my mom introduced me to the laura ingalls wilder series of 'little house on the prairie' and my world was forever changed. i was a girl obsessed, i read everything i could get my hands on and all of a sudden school was not as difficult as it had been in first and second grade. the benefits of reading are endless.

it is with some hesitation that i share my favorites - i want to keep them special for me and my family; it seems if i share they are not so special anymore. does that make sense? but some of my favorites that grace my shelves are-

you are special - max lucado

the house on east 88th st - bernard waber

the monster at the end of this book - jon stone

and anything by dr. seuss or louis sachar

and if we ever have a little boy i know i have to get 'love you forever' by robert munsch

any favorites out there that i NEED to add? i'm always hesitant to just add any old book but with the prices at rummage sales these days as opposed to book prices at the store you really can't go wrong.

summertime and the living is easy

2011-07-25T10:05:00.000-05:00

right outside my front door.

favorite find

2011-07-22T17:37:00.000-05:00

rummage sales, they pose a challenge in the clothing department due there being no fitting rooms. if the price is reasonable i will take the chance. thankfully a few dollars was in my budget this time. may i present the most awesome vintage red cow-hide pencil skirt.

guess i gotta wash the mirror now

it still has the tags on it and the previous owner was a 70 year old trendy avon lady. i could totally see her rockin' leather back in the day.

such as the way with leather skirts - i need to wiggle into it but in this manner it fits in a more becoming way. i couldn't pull off a baggy leather skirt. i hope to keep this piece in my closet for years to come and pass it onto our little girl someday. even if she just wants to use it for dress-up.

i am reminded of this post and skirt by favorite fashion blogger veronika. i adore her style and how it has evolved over the years.

now to figure out where to wear it! might be a little much for applebee's or pacific wok. suggestions?

first day of school! first day of school!

2011-07-18T10:55:00.002-05:00

remember the first day of school? a la 'finding nemo'?

that was my mantra while i was taking josh's mug this AM as he was about to head out the door for his ~~first day of school~~ first day at his new job. he was less than thrilled with my antics.

we are in an 'excessive heat advisory', so no tie and dress shirt today. ahh, well - i think i am gonna really enjoy seeing my man all spiffed up everyday.

as for the rest of us, we are staying in today. i already harvested a few things from the garden this morning and i think i will spend much of the day hulling strawberries to freeze. and maybe enjoy a fruit smoothie, or a root beer float for breakfast. gotta enjoy the ice cream for breakfast while there's nobody around to say i can't (aka no little ones underfoot to hide it from).

hope

2011-07-14T13:57:00.001-05:00

there is a house i pass by on my way to work. a mere three miles from my own, but worlds apart.

i dream of someday treading the wooden floors and gazing out through the lead glass windows. i will never own this home but i hope to someday learn of the current owner's journey as they lovingly restore it. everyday i sneak a glance as i drive by and see what little changes have occurred. last week, newer more efficient windows on the upper level to combat the frigid MN winter.

i stumbled upon a wonderful and heartbreaking blog this morning. my messy, thrilling life. she just wrapped up on six years of blogging a few months ago, i can't believe i missed her. i read back into the archives and a familiar ache started in my stomach - the dream of owning an old home. she breathed life into her blog and the few pictures of her own renovations in her historic home made me weak-kneed. i have to share: she speaks so perfectly the charm and mystery of living somewhere that has been in existence for so long and the wonder of those there before her. see freeman house journal and thoughts on coming home.

when we began our house search i so badly wanted an historic home. i was desperate for one. our realtor would send us links to new builds but my search button on the MLS was consistently set to houses built before 1940.

and then we found it, a 108 year old home with the original crown molding intact, hardwood floors and the perfect price tag. how were we so lucky? the owner accepted our offer and 4 days after our first viewing i already had every room decorated in my mind and josh was on the band-wagon wholeheartedly. but sadly historic homes are never as easy to care for as a new build, several factors lead us to say goodbye and we found a different, newer (95 years younger) home. and that's okay. this is the right place for us right now. at this time in our life we love our large yard, neighbor kids playing in the street and proximity to the school our future children will attend.

maybe someday we will join the realms of those who walk across creaky floors filled with history every morning and spend their days treading well-worn stairs.

i can hope. :)

la lluvia

2011-07-14T12:36:00.002-05:00

a dreary, rainy day is upon us and i am fully embracing it. my plans for rummage saling and strawberry picking were foiled but i am enjoying the excuse to stay inside. the windows are open as i listen to the steady drizzle, a few candles have been lit to combat the gloom and all the lights have been turned out. it's the kind of day where i happily eat all of my meals out of a bowl. i am content.

might switch to plates tonight for 'breakfast for supper'

un dia mas

2011-07-05T16:59:00.001-05:00

skiing on mille lacs, '07

work has been...interesting these last few days but i know that i am truly spoiled when i can say that i can't wait for my six day stretch over. this coming from a girl who rarely works more than 3 days in a row. i've been requiring frequent naps to offset rising at dawn everyday. no me gusta. but suffice it to say work has been going swimmingly the last two days, let's just not talk about the 36 power outage in the midst of the heat of the 4th of july weekend. no a/c, no ice water, no lights and no refrigerated food at my place of employment. it was an adventure i will always remember and it's always nice to see the whole facility come together in times of trial to take care of the residents and how close you feel after. my residents were especially darling, the cognitive and the confused. i love them.

i did enjoy my early morning commute all weekend. the roads were dead aside from a lone doe crossing the highway and an occasional fishing boat being tugged to the lake. the fog resting in the valleys of the crops and the water-colored sky make my heart happy every summer morning.

tomorrow my youngest siblings venture south and we will gallivant across the countryside and know why MN is the most beautiful place in the summer.

the rest of the summer is all lined up with the the perfect mix of relaxation and nostalgic activities. fetch with petra at dusk, steaks on the grill, hammock napping, camping, concerts, family reunions. we're gonna do it all. and somehow fit in the rest of my to-do list.

life is now

2011-06-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

yesterday was perfect. one of those beautiful summer days with no agenda so we decided to get out of the house and take a meal by the river.

favorite teriyaki

it was incredibly peaceful and we spread out our picnic quilt and soaked it all in. i knew it would be one of those summer nights that i would look back on as a defining moment of the season.

favorite riverside gardens

the heat index is high today and i am going to spend much of my time indoors and running errands before the big holiday weekend. hoping to pick up some corn on the cob and bacon for blt's for tonight - my favorite summertime meal. stay cool. and enjoy the festivities. summer is finally here. :)

strong enough to bend

2011-06-25T12:50:00.002-05:00

the gloom is over and we are relishing the sunshine the weekend has brought. the rummage sale went well and i got rid of all the big pieces i wanted to purge. just have to fill a box with the rest to donate. petra had a hay-day while we held the rummage sale - josh's cousins came and played fetch with her all day everyday and she did not tire. monday evening the sun came out to play and we played hard with her in the yard.

unfortunately she doesn't know how to pace herself, she will play all out and sometimes this leads to her demise. that night she had a limp and when i got up tuesday morning she wouldn't even use her right front paw. i, of course, was bawling but i knew we needed to give her time. she didn't once whine or whimper and when i ran my hand along her leg she didn't indicate any areas of acute pain indicating a break. thankfully by wednesday she was pretty much back to baseline and by thursday she was tearing around the yard again. guess i gotta trust her instincts.

last night we crossed another event off the summer to-do list. blissful summer concert with tanya tucker.

unfortunately a tree in our backyard was not strong enough to bend. i have noted so many large trees downed from the high winds last week. thankfully none that landed on homes though.

my peonies are highly harvestable at this time and along with their lucious blooms i've been bringing in the ants. ahh, well. i'll take them over the giant spiders i've been finding lurking in the basement any day. i think i have an overflowing vase in almost every room right now.

i found this little guy hanging out on the garden shed, he pretended he didn't see me.

still so young

wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'

2011-06-19T10:26:00.003-05:00

wishing i could be here the last few dreary days. the clouds can't seem to lift and it's the kind of muggy that makes you feel like you didn't shower that morning. pshhhh.

i just want to roll onto that sweet sunlit bed:

source

the cottage white brings to mind this link my little sissy sent me a few weeks ago, lovely. i especially adore the disheveled bookcase, the stepping stones in the creek and the window box planters.

p.s. the rummage sale went well.

taking a moment to breathe

2011-06-15T10:07:00.002-05:00

summer has hit with full force thus leaving me minimal time to document our adventures. it has been a fantastic few weeks and i am currently prepping for a rummage sale we are hosting for the next 3 days (part of my summer to-do list).

this is what i have to show for my absence:

a little oil rubbed bronze can go a long way!

camping at father hennepin

puppy love and puppy's love of water, had to restrain her from leaping from the speeding boat

quiet evenings on mille lacs


weekly bouquets from the garden, i inherited a GREAT yard. peonies are next!

happy trails to you.

gracefulness is overrated

2011-06-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

am i right? right? anyone?

just kidding.

i aspire to grace and poise and balance...but it's just not my style.

my style is tripping on invisible divots in the floor, knocking my knees on whatever piece of furniture is closest, etc.

i like to think it's my charm... ;)

i always have a bruise or two scattered here and there 24/7. just the other day i woke with two bruises on my right arm, positioned conspicuously along veins but i honestly don't know the last time i was poked with a needle. i'm just a klutz, a tangle of arms and legs.

as a matter of fact: yesterday i spilled a cup of strawberry ensure on my med cart (ewww), i snagged my last two toes coming barefoot around the corner at home (petra attempted to lick my wounds, what a sweetie) and i banged my elbow on the heavy, sound-proof med room door at work. i can't rest my elbow on anything today, too tender.

does anyone else have this problem?

case in point:

circa 1987

i just can't help myself

so here's to: many more thresholds to trip on, glasses to break and falling out of the hammock.

p.s. i haven't broken a bone yet. :)

haven

2011-05-30T14:46:00.002-05:00

memorial weekend is coming to a close and it has been a wildly productive time in our house. saturday we tilled, sowed the garden, mowed and still had some time for relaxation. sunday we removed two of the sad and sorry bushes from our front landscaping and replaced one with an annabelle hydrangea - eeee! still searching for a second replacement bush.

it has been work but it has also been great fun. back when we were house-hunting and would've given anything for a plot to call our own, we always thought we would be more than happy to take care of our own yard. but of course when it becomes a to-do list of your already mounting list of chores, it's not always easy to view it as a privilege. but that's what it is, we are blessed with a beautiful home and lovely yard that i can't get enough of in the summertime.

speaking of our beautiful home - our bedroom is quickly becoming my favorite room after a successful rummage saling day last week.

'new' headboard for $10

prior to this we had centered the bed under the windows to pass off as a faux-headboard and i was happy with it, but this new piece makes me giddy and i feel like i have a new room! i am especially excited to snuggle up with a book come winter because the afternoon sun lights this room like no other.

all the other furniture and art in the room has been gifted/thrifted/rummage saled and i am pleased with how it is coming together, i started the wall collage this afternoon and didn't realize when i initially grabbed the pieces that 3 of them were bird-themed, imagine the irony when i glanced down at the garbage can i had picked up a few weeks ago:

kismet

how quaint. :)

i have been looking for a dresser and this one matches the headboard, couldn't pass it up for such a well-made and beautiful piece:

dove-tail dresser for $35

summer is just about in full-swing here but i can't help but reference its counterpart once more in this post. i mentioned the other day about a rummage sale find a few weeks back that was almost making me wish it was winter:

$3 vintage dress coat with fur trim

can't wait to wear it, i love pretty things.

afternoons in the hammock

2011-05-23T20:25:00.001-05:00

and strawberry rhubarb crumble from the garden

we have yet to plant the garden due to the bog that has become our backyard. but we have been enjoying steaks on the grill, watching rogue sunflowers pop up beneath the birdfeeder and lingering sunshine.

i got dressed twice this week, i think that warrants a post

2011-05-20T04:26:00.023-05:00

ever since i've been done with school and working in my field i have become a bit of a slouch. it feels as though if i get dressed in real clothes i am trying too hard and i am overdressed. and for me this is an issue - because i used to love getting 'dressed up' and it's something i do take enjoyment in. i am trying to make a conscious effort to 'get dressed' and not schlepp around in my sweats/work scrubs of late. here is a look at last weekend and just so you know i got dressed yesterday and today as well. :)

another thing i miss is vintage. especially vintage dresses, i have a few favorites that i will NEVER get rid of. i used to dress in vintage a lot more than i do now and i miss it. i got rid of a lot due to the garments being ill-fitting, etc. but i want to get back on my game. some of my favorite reads nowadays are vintage fashion blogs and some not so vintage. these girls who style and remix their closets are such an inspiration.

cutie petutie emma

2011-05-19T17:41:00.000-05:00

please welcome miss emma margaret, niece extraordinaire. isn't she darling? i love her double dimples.

what a happy little girl.

for all you ladies out there sans children, doesn't it just make your heart flip-flop to see your husband holding a baby or playing with little ones? *cue happy sigh

we spent yesterday up north and today i got my rummage sale on. stay tuned for what may be MY FAVORITE FIND EVER! think vintage and *almost* wishing it were winter again. eeeee!

obaachan

2011-05-14T21:23:00.006-05:00

found some fun videos from the summer josh and i were married. apparently i was obsessed with the recording function on my camera at the time. these are my two favorites, they entertain me to no end.
the audio is a little ahead on both videos but you still get the personalities.

without further adieu, my grandma.

i like how you can see my grandpa snoozing on the couch at the beginning of the first video.

i also like how she was willing to sing at the drop of a hat.

my husband is soo romantic...

2011-05-14T12:53:00.003-05:00

he said he had a good dream about us last night.

we were unmarried and fleeing from a nazi-type regime. our hopes were to escape on a train. as we waited at the depot we decided to get married. but we didn't have rings to exchange so we made a blood pact.

sounds pretty passionate to me.
love him.

highs and lows

2011-05-13T18:20:00.001-05:00

i've been struggling with feeling discouraged this week and i know it partly relates to the joys of being a woman at that time of the month. but when i compiled a list of the lows of my busy week along with the highs you can guess what came out on top.

- and +

-the health dept is doing their annual survey at my facility, being the nervous nelly that i am i have not been able to sleep the nights prior - melatonin didn't do the trick
-petra ripping her makeshift bed to shreds - we have just been cleaning up the stuffing but we finally had to retire the poor blanket
-realizing if i go back to school it would involve more pre-reqs than i had originally though, decisions-decisions
-a rainy forecast for our upcoming weekend

vs.

+going to meet miss emma next week
+watching the 4 year old neighbor boy take a whiz on the street in front of our house
+planting a crabapple tree in the front yard - think anne of green gables 'white way of delight'

+whirlwind trips to the cities to see friends and their new house, complete with 80*F and the mugginess of summer - barefoot with short sleeves all evening

+kasey and her hilarious anecdotes, this one cracks me up too

+my rhubarb will be harvest-able in approximately one week

+i planted purple and white salvia (which i didn't realize was so controversial) and coleus last night in my galvanized pails and tubs

+the necessity of filling my birdfeeder 1+ times a week

+friends headed to zambia to love on aids orphans
+shawn mcdonald on shuffle

doggie paddle

2011-05-09T11:26:00.000-05:00

we took our girl out just 3 days after her first birthday for her inaugural plunge. the video clip is a little lengthy for those not interested in dogs but if nothing else it was a beautiful may evening and i love the MN countryside.

so proud of her.

*

2011-05-01T11:10:00.002-05:00

i spy flurries this morn. hmpf. spring, please come soon.

yesterday we were able to get out of the house for a bit in the afternoon and we went exploring the countryside. we meandered down to a local lake and were amazed at the whitecaps rolling into shore. it was a blustery day.

country drives to a foreboding sky

historic farm along the river

we eventually ended up at a regional park along the river (that included an historic farm from the late 1800's) and enjoyed gallivanting around and walking through yesteryear. no agenda and the weather was decent.

in other news my brother graduated with his bachelor's this weekend out in MT. :) he and his wife and baby emma will be packing up and moving to MN within the week. yay!

take the time to watch this video - your heart will thank you

2011-04-28T07:01:00.003-05:00

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw

it gets me every time, i've posted it before and i will post it again.

$26

2011-04-27T20:55:00.002-05:00

my favorite season has come around, you may be thinking spring but you are wrong. rummage sale season! if you know me, you know i speak the truth. woot! tomorrow marks the first day of getting up early and hitting the sales hardcore. i am a fairly seasoned saler but growing up i hated it. my mom dragging me out of bed when i wanted to be enjoying my summer vacation sleeping in. but as a result of her persistence she instilled a seed in me that has now grown into an insatiable thirst. all winter long i pine for rummage sales. and now the time has finally come again! for my fellow salers - check this out - you will laugh.

my sil and i are heading out in the wind and snow early tomorrow. i've got a few estate sales in mind along with some city-wide sales a bit farther out. got my smart wools and my rain boots, tuna sandwich in my purse and some hard-earned cash.

to get in the swing of things and to entice some of you that have not fallen prey to the rummage sale i thought i would share some of my favorite 'treasure' finds from the last few years. (not that i really want you as competition out there.) if you wonder why this post is titled $26, you will soon find out.


wall art $3, lamp $10


cabinet $10

orange velour chair $3

$3 + $10 + $3 +$10 = $26

you can't beat that. i must say i treasure every item pictured, not only because to me they are beautiful but because i appreciate the thrill of the hunt and can recall the location and a story for each piece.

mn love

2011-04-26T11:39:00.001-05:00

this was on national geographic. i am a proud minnesotan. :) we have yet to visit target field though, this summer...my warm weather 'to do' list is getting longer and looooonger.

april showers -or- do you wanna come over and listen to records?

2011-04-21T18:30:00.002-05:00

pat benetar herself joined the crew today and i am happy to add a little girl rock to my folky/classic country vinyl mix. it's been a pretty good week over here. yesterday we got the whole kit-and-kaboodle - woke up to snow, watched the neighbor kids dance in the hail (see below) and then had a nice little rain at sunset (see below, below).

today on my way home -from my annual computer training a mi trabajo, still haven't finished it- my eye caught site of a lone blaze orange sign at the one traffic light in my town. of course i braked and pulled a 180 and ended up driving way out in the boondocks. but it was worth it, probably because most people weren't willing to drive out so far on a brisk day such as this. see my treasures?


a little kitschy wall art, the complete LOTR trilogy along with 'the hobbit', i only had part of this vintage collection prior, so hubby is pretty thrilled about the complete box set. and a fun little bamboo mug, maybe to hold toothbrushes in my bamboo-inspired bathroom?

and of course, jumpsuit-clad pat benetar was part of the mix of treasures found today.

we are working on 'the pacific' as of yet (remember when i gave it to josh for his bday?). and today a kind co-worker lent me the foreign film sophie scholl, it looks incredibly powerful. so you can guess what we are up to lately, immersing ourselves in WWII. not to mention, i finished the book thief, heartbreakingly beautiful (set in germany during the hitler's reign). you must read it, i enjoyed it and it is now on my christmas list.

nesting

2011-04-20T18:37:00.000-05:00

i opened the front door to find two finches scolding me loudly. i looked down to see twigs and grasses scattered on the front stoop and up to find more of their treasures woven through the outdoor light fixture. my heart hurt a little as i removed their hard work but i knew they did not want to start their little family next to a swinging door that a puppy is constantly barging through.

wee hours

2011-04-19T21:43:00.001-05:00

this is the time of year i don't mind getting up early for work. first blush. when the trees are just starting to appear on the horizon as i back the car down the driveway. the dawn breaks through in oranges and blues as i ride along gazing in the rear view mirror at the sunburst appearing behind me. these are the times i enjoy a longer commute through farmland, when the birds are singing to meet the springy dew and i am in awe of the rebirth and novelty of every luminous morning. fog is still resting on the ponds and the roads are largely deserted. these are the mornings i coast along with my acoustic playlist and my peach tea and a smile for my co-workers as we greet the day.

p.s. i updated my about me. :)

my first gif!

2011-04-16T13:06:00.004-05:00

just recalled that i had a nightmare last night of wearing a white dress to a wedding and i couldn't live it down. bahahaha.

a little gif love, learned how to do it this AM. although there's gotta be an easier way, i have to resize my pics in photobucket, resave them to the computer, upload them to the site and then download it to the computer. is there an easier way?

compare and contrast

2011-04-16T11:13:00.001-05:00

the longer we are married the more home-bodies we have become. if i have a day off i avoid going anywhere, if possible. after spending all day with people at work i covet my alone-time. we weren't always this way, josh used to be more of an extrovert and i was the one who needed solitude. either way, it's always interesting contrasting our differences, i enjoy a quiet country-drive and josh is still the one who makes more social engagements than i. this morning i've been having fun with a few of these tests here and here. take one, it's fun. then have your spouse/best friend/etc take one and compare & contrast. i've consistently ended up with ISFJ. and when i search career paths for my type nursing pops up at the top of my list. how about that? :)

source

learning to love

2011-04-15T18:24:00.002-05:00

gazing out the kitchen window last evening i noticed two pheasant in the backyard and remarked to josh about how frequently i see them. up north it was not uncommon to come upon a partridge drumming in the woods, but where i live now pheasant are a commonplace site in the ditches and scuttling through the backyard. i have come to appreciate their beauty and welcome them as part of life in central MN. when i first moved here i missed the forests of northern MN, the lakes and the isolation. while my heart still yearns for the northwoods i'm learning to embrace the beauty and rich history of central MN. historic buildings and homes abound, sunsets stretch across a vast horizon and spring comes two weeks earlier.

i recall my mom telling of when she moved from farmland to wooded area as a newlywed - she felt claustrophobic, enclosed by the forest. when i moved i felt naked, lack of trees meant lack of privacy in my mind. all i know is my dream home definitely has a plethora of hardwoods.

here we go

2011-04-11T15:51:00.001-05:00

gonna pump it out bullet style today, since we have to get petra to the vet for her lymes booster in half an hour. :)

- i made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! i believe it was only my second cake ever, believe it or not (see the first one here) - guess we're not cake people. you can view it in all its delicious/blundered glory below. not only did the centers fall in but i ran out of frosting - the directions were for a rectangle cake and for frosting enough to cover the top of that cake. i thought i could trump the recipe and make a 3 layer cake. ahh, well. it was still yummy.

-spring green buds are just starting to emerge on the tops of the trees today

-kristin, want you to know i'm representing OBU today with my faded/bleach-stained black tee. :)

-couldn't believe the gobs of her hair floating around the neighborhood as we combed petra on the front stoop this morning, another reminder that spring has come

-beef kabobs on the grill tonight, our first grill night of the season (i don't think -7*F in february counts as the season, cuz i'm pretty sure that's the last time we grilled)

-slow-danced to sweet baby james in the living room this AM, trying to teach hubby how to lead. not that i'm an expert by ANY means

-daydreaming about hydrangeas and crabapple trees for the frontyard this summer

-for my sil jennie - to get you started on dear baby - these are some of my favorite posts: simple traditions, letters to arlo, the continuation of and, and letters to everly. happy reading!

yesterday

2011-04-07T12:05:00.001-05:00

my birdfeeder started yielding results yesterday

this little guy was quite the personality and was driving me bonkers. for every seed he ate he dropped 2-3 on the ground, and i don't think it was because he was looking out for his scavenging friends below. he's just messy! ah well, i think the birds below were appreciative.

i took a nap in the hammock, complete with stocking hat and a real good snuggle with the blanket. it was heavenly.

lately i've been reading back in the archives of dear baby and i'm smitten. definitely a blog favorite. for a girl who three days ago would have told you she was seriously pondering returning to school and not being done for two years, yesterday i turned a complete 180 and was ready for a baby right then and there. you simply must read it! melissa is such a talented writer, she is able to translate into words what i know so many mothers feel as they watch their little ones grow. it makes me ache with excitement at the idea of being a mother someday, not to mention i love melissa's vintage style.

but as i said, yesterday i NEEDED a baby (you could also attribute it to a serious case of PMS, i didn't even realize how erratic i was til josh got home). lately i can't walk through target without listening to the sampler of jewel's lullaby cd. clips of matthew mcconaughey talking about the joy his children bring him while he's a guest on 'the ellen degenres show' send me over the edge. traipsing through the thrift store i can't leave without three favorite children's' books. i see a woman cuddling a baby on the streetcorner and all i want to do is put my nose to it's sweet head and breathe deep that baby smell.

don't take this as an announcement that we're expecting or any such thing. just know that when rummage sale season hits this year you will find me searching out baby goods even though i don't foresee a baby anytime soon. :)

yes please

2011-04-06T11:22:00.000-05:00

source

i can't say enough good things about this kitchen/dining area. the dark beams, turquoise hutch, the intricate chandelier and texture/design of the chairs. and of course the beautiful windows with sunlight bouncing across the tabletop, summer please come quickly!

exacerbating the problem

2011-04-05T21:07:00.000-05:00

joshua james, circa 1989

he accuses me of posting unflattering pictures of him continually wearing the same clothes. maybe this is better?

anticipating the next two days off, daydreaming about what i can whip up for myself to do that does not involve a trip into town. i did most of my household duties over the weekend. but there's always the pile of cd's to upload in the corner of the office ... or cleaning out the crawl space for the upcoming rummage sale, maybe i could find my long-lost christmas ornaments down there ... baking ... take the dog for a loooong walk in the 50*F ... the endless laundry pile ... read my book. choices, choices.

one of my favorite songs this week.

april is a promise that may is bound to keep. - hal borland

2011-04-04T08:45:00.012-05:00

jus chillin' on the counter while i read the flyer

walks down the street, this pic reminds me of clifford the big red dog. whom i actualy dreamt about last night

she's so excited it's warm enough to play fetch again

the lakeview from my hammock

thrifted finds and one borrowed

i recently borrowed 'the book thief' at the recommendation of a few people and thus far have been quite engaged. i was always an avid reader, college kind of threw me for a loop though and it took awhile to get back in the groove of novels. but now that i'm back on top i am always game for recommendations. i love classics like 'a tree grows in brooklyn' and 'gone with the wind' but i also enjoy contemporary literature - the likes of 'peace like a river' and 'the time traveler's wife'.

i am always reminded of a lady i once cared for. she was a difficult, hard-to-please personality. she suffered from many physical ailments and received few visitors. she spent the majority of her days parked at the dining room table with a paperback held aloft in her good hand. i remember coming upon her several times, hiccuping and big crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks. the first time i was alarmed, believing she was in physical pain. but i soon found she was merely enjoying the story, welcoming the world she was able to take part in.

a good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. you live several lives while reading it. - william styron

i remember when my mom introduced me to 'the little house on the prairie' series. once i entered the world of laura, mary, ma and pa along with their dog jack, i was obsessed. not only with all things laura ingalls wilder but with all things book. and as i've matured i've come to better appreciate the impact a book can leave and the manner in which they communicate that no movie can acheive.

diez y seis

2011-04-03T14:38:00.000-05:00


random art around our town

yesterday was josh's birthday and we celebrated with our annual visit to his fave mexican restaurant for a free meal with fried ice cream. yum.

we had a beautiful sunny day in the upper 40's.

the haircut, very casual

feeding the meter

the restaurant is downtown in the historic part of the city. i love spending time down there, during daylight hours. after dark scares me ever since the night of our engagement. it was a november night and josh had proposed to me in a private dining area in one of the classic brick buildings (think private dining at a dinged up wooden table with a little lamp on it and couples' names graffiti-ed all over the walls, intimate and charming). we left the restaurant well after dark and were approached by a younger man who would not take his hands out of his parka pockets and gave us a bad vibe. he was asking for money and telling us he had lost his eye while in the service. we offered him my leftovers and to buy him a sandwich and all i could think was that i didn't want us to be shot to death the night of our engagement. i believe we ended up giving him some cash to leave us alone. but that part of downtown becomes shady after dark and ever since does not leave me with a good feeling.

his favorito

en el interior

josh chowed down on enchiladas while i enjoyed their chicken fajitas (my staple there). when we finished the delicous helado frito i gave josh his card which stated we were to wander down the street to the used bookstore to pick out a birthday present.

downtown

used bookstore

josh was drawn like a magnet to the WWII section, while i attempted to peruse the store. not 5 minutes later the owner said we had a few minutes to browse but that he was closing up. it was 5:20 and closing time has been 5pm. oops! thankfully i had surprised him with a different gift the night prior, so he wasn't too bummed. and said gift had also been WWII related - The Pacific.

subsequently we went home and hung the hammock in the backyard and played with petra. back in the house we started 'the godfather' (i've never seen) with root beer floats and were tucked tightly into bed by 10:20pm on a saturday night. oh the joys of aging. :)

radiant afternoon

2011-03-30T17:48:00.000-05:00

petra and i had the evening to ourselves last night. so we made a date of it. after strolling along the muddy boulevard i joined her in the backyard for a little fetch. it was a glorious sunlit evening and felt much warmer than the 39*F. the snow was perfect for tossing and petra jane was thrilled and bounding around the yard when i boasted the tennis racket and ball. i wore her out pretty good, winter has taken its toll on our pup. she may play outside for several hours everyday and be an 'active' girl but a good round of fetch will exhaust my baby. but with all her enthusiasm she would not step on the iced bog that is spilling over into our backyard when the ball bounced too far. thus, i was made to sacrifice my feet and crack through the thawing ice into the mire below.

october 2010

shucks, traipsing around the yard with soggy feet was worth it to see my girl so gay.

someday

2011-03-28T11:49:00.001-05:00

last night josh brought up the subject of dreams/hopes/goals. this is something we struggle with sometimes - we have long-term goals but feel as though it is a long time before they will come to fruition. dreams akin to living in the country, adopting a child, traveling overseas...for now we try to focus on our short-term goals until we amass the money and means to carry out our bigger dreams.

i've been better at making lists of things i want to do within the last year. before we moved into our house i compiled a series of goals i wanted to accomplish after settling into our new home. i/we achieved about 75% of those within our first year. a few that i have pushed back are 1)taking a community ed class with hubby, i.e. - a dance class, anything from a waltz to salsa 2) get josh a gat, specifically a handgun 3) restring my pearl bracelet 4) make my own yogurt 5) etc. etc. some are within reach and some take setting aside some cash for.

but while we continue to work on our current ambitions (such as this list) there is one future aspiration i want to make a little more personal at this time.

one of my residents recently decorated his room with a large (think 5'x6') color world map. whenever i enter his room it grabs my attention which leads to discussions of maps/geography/travel/etc. i currently have a US raised relief map hanging in our office but i want to expand our horizons. world map here we come! i hope to find a large scale map we can hang in our family room. with different colored pins to show where we've lived, where we've visited and where we hope to voyage someday. if anybody has input on where to find a great map, do tell! i would like a map with countries and large cities labeled. although, these picks on etsy have piqued my interest. :)

source

cheerio!

relaxed but lovely

2011-03-24T10:56:00.004-05:00

source

the grass so little has to do,-

a sphere of simple green,

with only butterflies to brood,

and bees to entertain,

and stir all day to pretty tunes

the breezes fetch along,

and hold the sunshine in its lap

and bow to everything;

and thread the dews all night, like pearls,

and make itself so fine,-

a duchess were too common

for such a noticing.

and even when it dies, to pass

in odors so divine,

as lowly spices gone to sleep,

or amulets of pine.

and then to dwell in sovereign barns,

and dream the days away, -

the grass so little has to do,

i wish i were a hay!

-emily dickinson

cabin fever

2011-03-23T18:07:00.001-05:00

overnight delivery

in a mad attempt to keep my sanity i chopped 6 inches off my do last week. it has helped, immensely. i especially enjoy cutting 5-10 minutes off my morning routine. other things that have been helping me keep my sanity lately:

road trips north to see family

this lovely kitchen - i love the collected over time look

the african queen

summer picks

future tanya tucker concerts to look forward to

this song by a MN band

a neighbor and his helpful snowblower

along with a few other pics from the week-

'i love you' flowers

buds

moon over mille lacs lake

blizzard

2011-03-21T17:54:00.001-05:00

6-11 inches by wednesday? i scoff.

i think tomorrow i will bring home flower seeds to plant on my windowsill and 'the beach boys' will definitely be on the agenda.

banning state park - spring 2007

help! my name is jaclyn and i'm a minnesotan.

the view from here: part deux

2011-03-15T17:07:00.005-05:00

to finish off yesterday's perfect AM. josh and i headed into town for a little day date. we had a loose agenda, plenty of daylight left and each others' company. can't beat that.

we perused the library. i browsed the poetry section, aspiring to borrow something by william wordsworth but quickly changed my mind. i'm more of a frost or dickinson girl, in that i appreciate their rural settings and shorter verse. josh on the other hand, macro-minded that he is, checked out a book on world economics and for his leisure a winston churchhill bio. yep, that's my husband. (my leisure book was a nicholas sparks novel, although i do love a good biography.) he makes me laugh and i appreciate our diverse interests. we complete each other. :)

supper was thai food with dainty spring rolls.we ran some errands and were able to print pics 10/$1 at target. (it's a screamin' deal this week, check it out.)

in conclusion, it really was an ideal day. we even commented on the complete lack of quibbling. because let's be honest, we all like to bicker now and again. ciao.

the view from here

2011-03-14T12:03:00.001-05:00

still in my pj's. just spent the morning in one of my favorite ways. snuggled up on the couch, talking with hubby and enjoying the animals. messy bed hair and bad breath still intact. but i like it because none of that matters.

surfin'

chillin'

readin'

watchin'

growin'

there was coffee to be had, my favorite mellow playlist and i may have snuck some spicy nacho doritos into the mix. how do you spend your days off? do you prefer to stay home and relax? or do you like to be active? i always like a new idea.

tunes

2011-03-12T16:46:00.001-06:00

hubby is always excellent at finding new music that i will like. and while matisyahu is probably not 'new', i am digging him. i am also very happy to say that i have already sprung all the clocks forward and can't wait for sunset to be at 7:17pm (according to jaclyn's clocks). 50* F by thursday!

thoughts and prayers

2011-03-11T16:46:00.001-06:00

grandma and me

my heart goes out to family and friends who are witnessing and enduring the tragedy in japan today. we haven't heard from my grandma's immediate family at this time. so we are hoping and praying for the best.

reminisce

2011-03-10T16:07:00.002-06:00

i remember piling in the car as a child, after we had our pj's on in the summer and going for country drives at sunset. sometimes, if we were lucky, we got to stop for an ice cream treat. this lovely post called that happy memory to mind along with a few others.

josh and i sometimes talk about the things we want to do with your children someday. no matter how tired we are after a work day, etc. we want to create little memories with our kids that they will look back on fondly. teaching them to ice skate at the townhall rink as they stumble around behind a little chair for balance. camping trips. homemade popcorn for supper on sunday nights (we may already partake in this one). and so many others...

any favorite memories come to mind?

current happy list

2011-03-08T16:38:00.001-06:00

sunshine on my shoulders

homemade pizza

thrifting days with my sil

the view of a grand four-story romanesque revival structure from the work parking lot

canadian geese flying north

the office season 7

daylight savings this weekend

does anybody else have a current 'happy' list?
share!

it's snowing

2011-03-06T12:27:00.000-06:00

let's go back to bed.

happy weekend

2011-03-04T17:06:00.001-06:00

welcoming the lovely weekend with open arms. supper with our in-laws and a few rousing games of dutch blitz are on the agenda. along with some leash-training for petra, we have been slacking in the winter months and now our arms are paying for it with the little bulldozer tugging them out of socket.

a favorite youtube montage of mine. i especially love the one-eyed cringes. classic.

tip

2011-03-03T16:16:00.001-06:00

if you are wondering how to make your pics bigger on blogger i learned how over here.
still tweaking cuz it screws up the html, but it's freakin' awesome!

it's okay

2011-03-03T10:52:00.012-06:00

sometimes a little affirmation can go a long way. this week i've gotten quite a bit of it and it's been extremely reassuring. after a rough weekend at work (i knew it was gonna be a tough one but i had no idea how tough) i had monday off to do nothing but relax. when i returned to work on tuesday everyone was very encouraging and recognized our hard work regarding the events on saturday-sunday. not to mention i've received some cards and words from other people in my life - those close to me and acquaintances. i really do enjoy being a nurse, i find it rewarding caring for people and making a difference in their lives no matter how small it may seem. for now, this is probably the best place for me at this point in my life. 10 years from now? we'll see. :)

walks to the post office

new griddle love

thoughtful snail mail from a friend

ORB

2011-02-28T10:50:00.007-06:00

i have been looking for a suitable oil-rubbed bronze spraypaint for awhile now and after a lot of fruitless leg-work and googling i may have found an option. so excited to pick some up. how can i resist 3 bucks? i have some ideas in mind somewhere along these lines inspired by the thrifty decor chick herself. buh-bye brass. hello bronze.

maybe someday i will be the owner of a house with floor registers such as these.

impressions

2011-02-26T17:20:00.004-06:00

i've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~maya angelou

this quote has been on my mind frequently of late. as i struggle through the work day wondering if i am really cut out for what i do. i know i am good at what i do. but sometimes i wonder if it's what i should do.

21

2011-02-25T16:33:00.004-06:00

josh is bringing me home a 12 pack of cherry coke and the newest album of this talented diva.

i just have to keep reminding myself. i will make it through the weekend. i will make it through the weekend...

corncob pipe

2011-02-24T15:05:00.002-06:00

she likes having somebody to hang with outside

you can see the drifting in the pic below - big snowbank and then grassy area between the houses

petra graciously provided us with one of his arms but we had to go in search for the second one, now it's just a matter of keeping her from stealing back the one she gave us.

a little over two months from now...

2011-02-24T09:55:00.015-06:00

spring/summer list:

host a rummage sale during the city-wide sales in june

visit summit ave in st. paul

country drives down dead end/dirt roads

plant a boulevard tree - maybe a purple maple or a weeping willow

explore a few more local towns - i have a few in mind with old houses to gawk at

make the patio space 'livable' - add furniture, plants and someday -this is a big dream- a pergola

outdoor music festivals - one block party in particular

expand my garden - sweet corn this year!

hang my hammock

grill out a 2+ times a week - first on the list: kebabs

wild raspberry picking with josh's grandpa

cart-in camping sites at tettegouche state park

picnic lunches at the gardens on the mississippi and wandering the streets on the river which includes this cottage

strawberry picking - for fresh fruit, jam and freezing

find a new spot for my hummingbird feeder
and
lure in the chickadees with my bird feeder so i can enjoy them next winter

a drive-in movie

i like that none of these ideas are going to break the bank - aside from the pergola and that's why that one is still a dream - that they are all out of doors and are all relatively simple to achieve.
AND i really want to include petra in as many of these activities as possible.

illusion

2011-02-23T09:36:00.006-06:00

have you seen these yet? truly magical and inspiring. her mother created these worlds while she was sleeping.

darling.

va-cay

2011-02-23T06:00:00.003-06:00

daydreaming of a pacific northwest vacation. but 25 hours drive-time one way is a little steep for a 7 day roadtrip. someday.

mt. rainier

vinter

2011-02-22T06:43:00.000-06:00

this is what my world looks like right now. exactly.

Midwinter in Sweden from Henning Sandström on Vimeo.

it snowed today and it makes me THIS happy

2011-02-21T17:36:00.005-06:00

just returning from a 6 day internet break and i think i may actually be looking forward to my next web-fast. i may have missed catching up on my fave blogs but the time away was inspiration in and of itself.

lots of snow here today and i am loving it. the nastiness of the brown february thaw we had going on was not to my liking, knowing that winter wasn't really gone. the world is once again perfectly blanketed and i don't even mind if it means i have to help josh shovel me out of the driveway at 5am. although the drifting with this storm is out of this world.

that's when you come home again and find yourself at square one and unable to get into the driveway. and that's when you are most thankful for the neighbor who comes over to lend a hand with his snow-blower.

one of my favorite childhood pastimes, chasing the toboggan after you have fallen off.

the little things

2011-02-12T16:16:00.008-06:00

current happy list:

34*F in february

maple sundaes - made with real maple syrup

hunting the tail

catching the tail

homemade valentines in the mail and blue ball jars

puppy chow (chex muddy buddies)

'new' vinyl records
this song in particular and a little bit of miss tanya tucker

bitter

2011-02-10T08:20:00.003-06:00

good morning.

-22*F this morning. at least the sun is out.

honeymoon, part II: pacific heights

2011-02-07T17:15:00.008-06:00

i loved the neighborhood our honeymoon condo was in, i felt safe and it was a beautiful non-touristy area. we were located in lower pacific heights, two blocks from japantown but it only took a 5 block walk to arrive in a depreciated part of san fran - we went in search of a mcdonald's one day and ran into two police officers frisking a ruffian down. but all in all it was perfect, were were able to walk to everything we needed: pizza inferno, the corner goodwill, the grocery market and all the fun boutique type thrift stores. i wandered into this hip thrift store for young professionals one afternoon and came out paying $13 for a beautiful yellow v-neck. don't ask me how, i never pay $13 for anything, brand-new or not...i must have been on vacation. :)

the architecture was gorgeous. we never got around to seeing the famous painted ladies you see on the intro to 'full house' but what we did see was amazing. i loved walking through the history of the city.

st. dominic's catholic church, i have run across wedding photos on the web of the inside of this beautiful church. this also reminds me of all the wedding parties we saw in the garden at the palace of fine arts when we wandered by the saturday we were there.

we definitely got our exercise on the steep hills.

an address marker in pacific heights. we were continually amazed at the million dollar homes we passed by in this area - houses that were no bigger than what would be considered modestly small in the midwest with the tiniest of yards only big enough for one perfectly groomed tree. we really are blessed with space here in mn.

bay city honeymoon, part I

2011-02-06T13:23:00.010-06:00

josh and i have dreams of all kinds of vacations in our future. the first one to check off our list is a US roadtrip - either east or west, it's still very much up in the air. we take plenty of weekend roadtrips in the summer to state parks around MN but our first trip together was our honeymoon to san francisco. we had great weather and i am so happy we took the time and money out of our limited budget to take a fun honeymoon. we rented a condo just off fillmore street in the pacific heights neighborhood of the city. this was a great idea for many reasons: 1) it allowed us to buy groceries and nixed the need of having to eat out for every meal. we also got to shop at the corner market like true san franciscans, which leads to the next pro of renting a condo 2) we got to pretend we weren't tourists, which is always fun 3) we got to see non-touristy parts of the city by renting 4) it was relaxing to have an actual apartment to live out of in our time there, rather than a hotel room.
but being young 21 year olds and inexperienced at city living led to a few things we may try differently on our next vacation. we would definitely try our hand at public transportation on our next trip. the only time we payed for transportation on our honeymoon was on our trip to and from the airport. we did not ride a single cable-car in the city know for cable-cars. sad face:(. between the first cab driver we met freaking out on us and the ride we scheduled for our return trip to the airport being a no-show, we may be more adventurous with transportation next time around.

above - the bay looks so close but as you can see from the pic below it is still far away.

we loved the city and enjoyed trekking around by foot for the 7 days of our stay. ascending the hill on fillmore street and seeing the panorama of the bay from the top was thrilling as we didn't have a map and were trying to find the way on our own. and marveling at the steep hills with vehicles which appeared to be tipping over, as above.

the many sites you see as you wander toward the bay. and our favorite coffee shop on our block - cafe muran - where we got our caramel macchiato every morning (below).

finally reaching the bay and seeing alcatraz (josh has a bachelor's in criminal justice, obviously this was his favorite part of the trip) which we had reserved our tickets for months in advance.

hanging out down at the marina was a fun. my favorite boat was a little old beater aptly named 'the intrinsic'. my only regret i took home from the trip was wishing i took more pictures. the beautiful houses with their diverse architecture across from the marina that had picture perfect views of the bay. the streets we wandered and the food we ate, i wish i had documented that a little more closely. and of course the interesting natives of the city, some that we wandered into multiple times down at fisherman's wharf and the next day at union square.

i loved this city. while we were engaged i told josh about an actual nighttime sleeping dream i had about taking a trip to san francisco, never dreaming we would actually take our honeymoon there. he made it happen and there you have it, our honeymoon was a dream come true. :)

it was also exciting to identify sites in the city from the sets of some of my favorite movies set in san francisco - yours, mine and ours with lucille ball and the princess diaries.

stay tuned for part II.

6 months from now

2011-01-31T09:58:00.007-06:00

wishing for fresh-picked strawberries, wild raspberries and veggies from the garden. i've been daydreaming about how i will rearrange my garden this year, what plants i will nix and which ones i plan to add to the mix. red sunflowers, only one hill of cucumbers and one hill of zucchini, sweet cherry tomoatoes, etc. i plan on spending more time in the garden this year, and as a result spending more time with petra outside. i'm excited for peonies, grilling, fresh produce, reading in the hammock, fires out back and exploring with the pup.

daydreaming about camping and traipsing around on the rocks of the north shore, cart-in sites at tettegouche and weekend road trips.

i am heading north this week with a girlfriend. we're off to two harbors to see the lovely erin and her new little babe in arms.

babies on the brain

2011-01-29T16:25:00.005-06:00

my beautiful niece emma was born this past week. she is such a pretty little girl and i can't wait to meet her. unfortunately it is going to be several months before that will happen because she lives far away in bozeman, mt. but for now the anticipation is mounting! my cousin had her little baby boy two days later in mn, so we are all very excited!

emma margaret

my brother and his little family. this picture makes me tear up everytime. i can't believe my little brother is a daddy. and a proud daddy at that. i love you guys!

6 years. 6 pictures.

2011-01-28T08:00:00.001-06:00

6 years ago today i went on my first date ever and it was simultaneously my last first date.
i wouldn't have it any other way. i can't believe how much we have grown and changed together. we have seen each other through so many life changes - joys and tribulations - in 6 short years.

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

i love you josh.

fort. THE FORT.

2011-01-27T15:46:00.006-06:00

gather all the blankets, throws, etc. in the house and inflate the air mattress.

invite the cat to warm up a spot for your feet.

assemble the treat tray and gorge yourself while watching 'the outsiders' and jim and pam's adorable romance in 'the office '.

sadly tell the puppy that she can't come in because she's too rambunctious.

by morning know that sleeping in the basement is reeeeaaaaaallllly cold.

classic

2011-01-25T20:09:00.002-06:00

tonight i was listening to my 'classic country' playlist and this song popped up. it is such a nostalgic song for me. i grew up listening to vinyls of marty robbins as a little girl and this was the song my sister and i played at my grandpa's funeral in 2003. we couldn't make it through the song without sobbing. he was a beloved cowboy grandpa with a wild streak. i miss sitting on his knee, the way he called me 'darlin' and his snakeskin boots.