Thursday, March 31, 2016

Thirty Three


Today I am thirty-three!

I have lived 33 wonderful years on this earth.  I am one of those people who has yet to dread a birthday.  Every year brings another batch of lessons to learn and experiences to be had.  Each year is unique and marked by milestones different from the next!

In my 33 years I have...

been raised by two of the best people in my world.
been a big sister for 29 years.
lived in 3 states and 2 countries with 14 houses or apartments between them.
graduated college with degrees in economics and business admin.
been married for over 8 years to my Benjamin.
have two bouncing boys + a Lulu.
traveled extensively.
worked for five different employers.
owned a pet photography business.

Now, here are thirty three facts about me!

1.  I accepted the free gift of Salvation when I was four years old.  This decision to believe in Jesus has molded and shaped me and my world view.
2.  In college, I worked at Swatch and have more watches than one person should be allowed to have.  
3.  My hair has been brown, black, copper, red, orange, blue, purple, and pink.
4.  My favorite Bible verses are Jeremiah 29:11-13.
5.  I lived in Scotland in elementary and again after college.  It's my favorite place to travel to.
6.  I can Highland dance.
7.  I name all of my cars.  They have been: Mean Green, Big Red, Harvey the Honda, Silvy the Silverfish, Blue Barry, Chuck the Truck and Kermit.
8.  I have been skydiving.
9.  I have a love of shoes, purses, jewelry, glasses...basically anything that is an accessory!
10.  My favorite color is orange.  No, yellow.  No... wait.
11.  I graduated high school a year early.  My main motivation... so that I didn't have to take Physics!
12.  I played Alice in my high school's production of Alice in Wonderland.
13.  I love to read!
14.  If I am focused on a task and you talk to me, I will more than likely not hear you.  I'm not ignoring you, I'm just in the zone!
15.  I have had three tickets.
16.  I've stood on a glacier in Iceland.
17.  My favorite food is probably Mexican food since I could eat it every night!
18.  I make up songs constantly.  About anything and everything!  Life was designed to have a tune!
19.  Which takes me to my love of music!  I will listen to just about anything except for heavy rap and country music.
20.  I am a homebody.
21.  I have my concealed carry permit.
22.  I love color!
23.  I am tattoo free.
24.  I have been kayaking in the ocean once.  It was my first and last time! {Note: Benjamin lost his wedding ring on this excursion!}
25.  I appreciate modern art.  My favorite art museum is The Tate in London.
26.  My middle name is Elisabeth.
27.  I want to raise my kiddos to be humans who love the Lord and look back on their childhood with memories of fun knowing that we loved the mess out of them.  It's how I was raised and I turned out okay...well, maybe.  :)
28.  I am an introvert with extrovert tendencies.
29.  I enjoy taking photos and documenting every big and small occasion.
30.  I rode in an elevator with Issac Hayes, Eric Clapton and Jerry Jones.  Not all at the same time.  :)
31.  I owned an original clam shell Mac book.  Bright orange!
32.  My career as a softball player lasted all of one practice.  Athletics is not my strong suit.  :)
33.  I am named after the song "Sara" by Fleetwood Mac.
So here's to another year of living life in this crazy world.  I am thankful for every thing and every day I have!

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

What's Up Wednesday: March Edition

Today I am joining ShayShaeffer and Mel for What's up Wednesday!  Every month on the last Wednesday I'm going to be answering the following prompts!  I didn't participate last month as we were still transiting into being a family of four!  
What We're Eating This Week
This week we had our easy favorites that include: tortellini and a visit to Chuy's!

What I'm Reminiscing About
Our Easter weekend!  We had such a lovely laid back morning with the boys opening gifts from the Easter bunny and playing with said gifts!  Then we got ready for church and all of the boys indulged my mama request for pictures together!
We did an Easter egg hunt with our niece, Penelope.  It was so fun to see her and Winston discovering the eggs and helping each other out!  I'm looking forward to next year with Truman will be in on the action!

What I'm Loving
I am loving the photos from the photography session we had with Katie Hill Photography when Truman was one week old.  I mean, this just warms a mama's heart! 

What We've Been Up To
Lately we have been adjusting to life with the four of us {plus Lulu!}.  
Winston still wakes up each morning on the look out for Truman, or Trumy as he calls him most times.  He loves to be right where he is or at least know where he is at all times.  Winston loves to hold Truman and any time he asks, we say yes. {With supervision of course!}  
We have managed to take Winston to and from school, get groceries, do some shopping at the mall, make doctors appointments and have a load of jammie days!  I am learning the best way to manage our time on the mornings we have places to be.  So far it is safe to say we are all doing very well! 

What I'm Dreading
I'm not sure that I'm dreading anything in the upcoming weeks.  Although Truman's next doctors appointments involve some shots...so that will be a bit unpleasant for the tiny!

What I'm Working On
...Being a mom of two!  Haha!

I am actually working on hosting a monthly link-up that should be fun and easy!  Stay tuned!

What I'm Excited About
This week is my birthday week!  Woo hoo!  I will be thirty three tomorrow!  I love reasons to celebrate and birthdays are a pretty big reason to celebrate in my book!  I don't quite mind getting older.  With each year I experience new things, I grow in different ways and I get to spend my days with the people that I love most of all in this world.  More than anything I always find myself being thankful for the days that I've had!  

What I'm Watching/Reading
Well, I have finished Friends.  All 10 seasons.  
{moment of silence for the end}.
By accident I started watching the movie Thor.  
And in that was reminded how much I enjoy the Marvel franchise movies.
Sooooo..  I decided I need to watch them all in chronological order. 
Having already seen the first two Iron Mans, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, we have watched Iron Man 3 and next on the list is Thor: Dark World.
Have you watched these movies?  Are you a Marvel comic fan?

And as far as reading goes, I downloaded Smart Girl by Rachel Hollis to read on the plane.  It is the third book in her series.  If you like fun, light, smart, easy reads I highly suggest you go read all three: Party Girl, Sweet Girl, Smart Girl  

What I'm Listening To
These days I am listening mostly to baby coos and cries, Winston as he plays and tells me about his day and imagines great things, the Lulu puppy barking or the recap of my husband's day!  :)  

In the car to and from anywhere we go these days Winston requests the number seven song which in my CD player equates to "This is Not the End" by Gungor.  

What I'm Wearing
 These days I'm wearing everything comfy!  Comfy, long dress, pajamas and LuLa Roe leggings have been my jam.  
It's hard to wear real pants {pants with a zipper} after having a C-section.  
Enter Hue leggings.  
These babies are awesome.  They give the look of wearing jeans without actually being jeans!  They are very comfy and I'm thinking they might replace all of my jeans.... Hooray for the elastic waistband! :)  They are also a good price point{$45 - $55} which is way less than designer jeans!  You can find them on their website, Amazon, Nordstrom and Dillard's!

What I'm Doing This Weekend
This weekend I am celebrating my birthday!  The husband has surprised me with a trip and I am looking forward to experiencing all that he has planned!

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month
Bunco, friends visiting from out of town and lots of family time are just a few of the things that I am looking forward to in April!  

What Else is New
I have my Spring hair color and I love it to bits!  It is a dark plum on the base with lavender and soft pink highlights!
What bold color would or have you dyed your hair?

What is Your Favorite Spring Cleaning Tip?
I'm not sure I have any good spring cleaning tips other than this is the time of year that I weed out any of the clothes I didn't wear over the winter.  If I didn't touch it or if I moved it from one side of the close to the other but it wasn't on my body... it has to go!  I also make Winston try on spring/summer clothes from the previous year and fold up or give away anything that is too small!

Friday, March 25, 2016

Five Things on Friday: 3.25.16

All I wanted was one cute picture...

Truman was uncomfortable. Bless.
I guess I would be to if someone just laid me in a basket filled with weird plastic grass.
A bug landed on Winston.  
Not even a scary bug, just a gnat.  But it landed on him none the less.
And of course instead of jumping to the aid of my sweet ones, I snapped a few photos and tried to hide a smile while I consoled them.  
{You know you do it too!}
 Here's my littlest bunny!
 ...And then finally, we got one!
One is all we need to make this mama happy! 
Any one else torture their kids this way?

Today is Good Friday.
And here are five things that I love about Easter:

{one}
Coloring and decorating eggs.  
This is one of my all time favorite traditions!  We did it every year as a family growing up and now, we do it with our kids.  I love the act of being creative together!

{two}
Hiding Easter eggs.
Last year Winston really go into finding Easter eggs and it was so much fun.  This year he is super pumped about finding eggs and it's pretty much all he talks about when you mention Easter.  I have found that there is so much joy in being a parent because it's doing little things like hiding plastic eggs that delight and enthrall the little that I love so dearly!

{three}
Easter outfits.
Who doesn't love a good Easter ensemble?

{four}
Easter Sunday Service.
I have been to a few sunrise services.  I have been to a Maunday Thursday service.  However there is nothing like an Easter Sunday service.  The excitement, the joy.  The celebrating and rejoicing!  

{five}
The continuation of the Greatest Story.
It all started with the birth of a baby in a manger.  Thirty three years later, nailed to a cross he declares "It is finished!", yet it is hardly the end of the story.  Three days later he raises from the dead!  The sacrifice of his perfect life and the conquering of death always boggles my mind and stirs my heart.  Because of His actions, I am extended the free gift of Salvation.   Do I deserve it?  No.  But then again none of us do.  His love, grace and mercy are poured out so that I may live a life that is free and full of joy!  He is the one who formed me, loved me so much to die for me, and leads me day by day.  I believe that my Lord reigns!  

My hope is that you know the true meaning of Easter and are able to rejoice knowing that truly He lives!

Linking up today with 5 on Friday: April | Oh Hey, Friday: September Farm + The Farmer's Wife | Friday Favorites: AndreaErika and Narci

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

My View This Morning

This morning I woke up to a kiss from the hubs.  I helped him button his shirt and away he went.  Off to save crooked teeth.  And me.  Off to face the day with two little humans.  

Truman woke up, hungry.  Winston woke up, snuggly.  Together we piled on the bed, watched Blaze the Monster Machine and learned about inertia.  

Breakfast with Winston while Truman chilled in his chair cooing at the windows.  Weather checked, day planned.  Haircut on the docket.

Time to get Winston dressed and ready.  All of us upstairs.  Set Truman down to pick out an outfit and this is what I see when I turn around.  
My heart bursts.  

I hear Winston say, 
"Let's watch the circus Trumy!  It's very fun and you will like the elephants!"

Truman's head, his tiny hand on Winston's arm.  Hearing Winston include his little brother in what he is doing.  
It's moments like these that I...
 ...store up in my heart
...freeze in my mind
...thank the Lord for
...love
...realize that Winston is the best big brother for Truman
...am overwhelmed
...get confirmation on how important it is to leave margin in our schedules for moments like these.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Kids Behind the Blog: March's Interview

Happy Day, dear friends!  It's quiet dreary here in The Great State.  Dreary days allow for us to stay in our jammies all day while watching shows and working on craft creations!  Today I'm joining in on The Kid's Behind the Blog!

1.  What do you enjoy doing with Mommy and Daddy?
Playing cars and monster trucks!  Watching shows too because we can cuddle together.  
2.  Name one thing you are really good at.
Making pictures!
3.  What's one thing that Mommy and Daddy tells you often?
They both tell me yes!  Oh, and "I looooooovve you!"
4.  What do you want to be when you grow up?
Uh, I want to be a Monster Truck driver {insert major monster truck sounds here!} And then I'd like to be a doctor!
5.  What do you think Mommy and Daddy do when you go to bed at night?
Go to bed.

Benjamin and I often joke that we don't tell each other no, we just tell each other not right now... and I think Winston is picking up on that!  Hahaha!  In all seriousness though, we try to be the right kind of "yes" parents.  If he asks us to play with him, read a book with him, imagine or create with him and we are available to do so - the answer is yes!  If he asks to bake something or help cook dinner or work on a project in the garage - the answer is yes!  Now don't get me wrong, we say no quite a bit too: no you cannot have gummy bears for dinner, no you cannot go naked to school, no you cannot use the very sharp knife!  In saying yes we have opportunities to teach Winston how to do things safely and we get to be a part of his magical world!  

The next link up is April 13th!  Click here for the list of questions!
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