Wordless Wednesday (still unsure about Santa...but at least he didn't cry this year!)

Before Christmas is Here...

I thought it would be nice to post our Thanksgiving photos! Ooops.

We hosted this year for this first time and I was amazed that I didn't end up stressed out... this was probably due to the fact that I wasn't feeling well and was forced to not care about making my house look perfect. It also helped that my mom scrubbed the kitchen and my sister scrubbed the bathrooms! I could get used to that.

We made most of the sides the night before, which made Thanksgiving morning pretty low-key. The turkey carving photo does not resemble the traditional turkey shot this year-- we decided to cut the bird up before roasting it so that different parts could be cooked for different amounts of time. Tim heard on the radio that this was the best cooking method for really juicy turkey. I'm sure most of you are thinking we committed a sin but I must say it was the most flavorful, juicy turkey I have ever had!

The boys had a blast together, of course, and provided us with lots of entertainment. And Nora was as sweet as usual. It was really cute to see Micah interact with her-- he offered her toys and sat with her for quite a while, which gave me hope that he just might be more interested in his

own baby sister that I have expected him to be.

.

On Friday, we visited my great grandmother in the nursing home with all the kids in tow. She was really touched that we all came and surprised her. We had 5 generations in one room.

Little Baker

I finally got the courage to let Micah help me bake. He has just started showing interest in what I'm doing in the kitchen, asking to stand on the stool and watch whats happening, so I figured it was time to let him help. I chose peanut butter blossoms for our first baking date since they are hard to mess up! Micah did a great job rolling the dough into balls and mixing them around in the sugar. But, as you will see from the third photo, his favorite part was opening up the Reese's peanut butter cup wrappers for me...and shoving them in his mouth when he thought I wasn't looking!

Hoping to do some more baking as a family this weekend. I found a cute gingerbread man kit today at Trader Joe's so that will have to be included in our baking party as well. Let the sugar rush begin! (I am SO glad I passed the glucose tolerance test or I would be one sad lady this Christmas season!)

So Long, Fall (we miss you already!)

Wordless Wednesday: Decorating Fun

Shutterfly Designs, Oh My!

Get this: Shutterfly is currently running a promotion to give away 50 FREE 5x7 Christmas cards to bloggers who review Shutterfly's products! I was so excited to hear about this offer, because I have used Shutterfly's service and have only good things to say.

First of all, I must say that Shutterfly's prints are the best we've found for digital printing. Having a "photo geek" husband (I say this with great endearment) means there was a lot of research done about different companies' printing processes, and Shutterfly's was the most impressive. We ordered over 1200 photos to finally document life since Micah's arrival, and we were very pleased with the quality of the prints.

We also created an adorable Christmas photo card (imagine Micah's adorable face inside the wreath!) for family and friends last year using Shutterfly. The coloring and photo quality were excellent and the delivery was fast. I loved how simple it was to insert our photo and add our own text below the header. Being able to customize the photo card made it very personal and meaningful. So cute, right?!

I am not sure which cards we will choose to order this year-- there are so many wonderful options! Since we always send a separate print of a family photo with our cards, I like choosing a simple design with a single photo of Micah (it's hard to believe that next year we will have two little ones one our card!). Here are a few that have caught my eye:

I like the centering of the photo and the simple yet meaningful design of this one. It really captures the spirit of Christmas-- it is a fun design and points to the reason for our celebration. It is definitely ideal for a close-up photo of one child. I can definitely see this one working well with the photo we have chosen of Micah.

This one offers space for 3 photos which could be fun to highlight several photos of Micah or one of each of us. This is a folded card which has the added benefit of being able to add a more personal message. I love the Scripture reference and the images of Jesus' birth displayed throughout the card.

Here is another one that beautifully highlights a single photo. I love the choice of colors and the simplicity of its design. If I choose this one, I will add a short personal message below the header as we did with our card last year.

One last card that caught my eye was this sweet design. I love that the photo takes up the entire front cover, because it is more likely to be kept on display long after the Christmas season has passed. The "Joy" text is very fitting for Christmas and adds an elegant touch to the photo. I also love that this is a folded card with room to write a more detailed message inside.

Head over to Shutterfly today and check out more of their beautiful designs! Better yet, write a blog post highlighting your favorites and score some free cards too!

Wordless Wednesday: Bath Time Silliness

Cali!

I am finally writing another blog post; how did a month go by?!

So my first agenda is to share about my trip to California last month-- what a treat! First of all, I must say that I feel very blessed to have a husband who encouraged me to take a little vacation and to have in-laws who were willing to stay at our home and help care for Micah while Tim went to work each day. After some challenging months, this trip allowed me to take a much needed break and revive my spirit.

Emily and I headed to San Francisco early Thursday morning (almost 3 weeks ago- second game day of world series I should add). The flight was tiring but not too bad with a great friend along for the ride. We arrived around noon and had the rest of the day to explore the city and spend time with my "other little sister," Sarah, who has been living in San Fran for about three years now. She was a wonderful host and tour guide, taking us around to popular attractions (Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the Presidio, Alcatraz), as well as some of her favorite local spots. It was so fun to see her at work and with her roommates, to get a more personal look at her life in California.

giants stadium

trolleys!

steep streets!

golden gate bridge

Lombard Street, crookedest road in U.S. (not a great shot since sun was setting)

love you, sarah!

After a delicious brunch Friday morning, we headed two hours south to Monterey to visit our dear friend and roommate, Erin, her husband, Kevin, and their three month old baby boy, John Michael. Erin and Kevin have been stationed in Monterey for a little over a year now with the navy. It was so sweet to see them as parents. John Michael is quite the charmer and the happiest baby I think I've ever met (I had him rub my belly and send good vibes to this little one in my belly!). We packed a lot in during our 3-day stay with visits to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Carmel, and several scenic spots along the coast. While on the beach in Carmel, we saw five or six dolphins swimming and diving about 150 feet from the shore-- amazing! We were also able to attend the weekly NavNite on Friday and get a closer look at Erin and Kevin's ministry to the students in Monterey. And of course there was lots of time spent just sitting around chatting together as if no time has passed since our college days. It was such a blessing to be with such dear friends! I am looking forward to next fall when Kevin and Erin will be moved to the east coast. It will still be a bit of a drive to see each other but I'm sure it will make visits a bit more do-able than now!

What more is there to say? Wonderful friends + beautiful scenery = 1 great vacation!

new parents!

little man

the seals looked like large rocks until you got up close

Carmel beach looking in direction of Pebble Beach

can you see them?

dolphins!

loved this spot, so peaceful

happiest baby!

2 Year Photo Shoot: Outdoor Series

These photos were taken in town...