girl from Florida

S'mores

2012-01-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks pinterest!

2012-01-22T10:20:00.001-05:00

Saw this tip on pinterest... Add rubbing alcohol to smashed makeup to restore it. It's not pretty but I'm hopeful! (and I have to credit my almost two year old for gleefully smashing my MAC makeup!)

Back to work

2012-01-03T12:23:00.001-05:00

Trying to start my days off with a healthy breakfast.. Yogurt with 1 c of fresh blueberries and a banana. Yum!

Christmas time... Holidays...

2011-12-30T10:06:00.001-05:00

I enjoyed the holidays but honestly am so happy they are almost over... It's just too much. All the parties and presents and events and food.. I'm ready for a life detox.

At grandmas house!

2011-12-30T09:52:00.003-05:00

Home for the holidays

2011-12-30T09:52:00.001-05:00

And my waistline is reflecting that...

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T22:27:00.001-05:00

Celebrate with 5 other couples tonight and piles of children.., crazy fun night!!

New job

2011-12-14T08:51:00.000-05:00

Huge deadline at work this week... Worked 13 hrs yesterday then scrambled to make girls night to pick up our race packets for 5k Friday, which I am SO not prepare for!!!! But I am LOVING this experience this job is giving me. I have not felt this challenged and intellectually stimulated in a long time. All of the sudden, all of these ambitions and career dreams are rushing back into my life. When I was in high school, I was the most motivated student, class president, and dreamed of becoming a female president or a surgeon (or both). Those dreams faded as I partied in college, got married, ha a family. But once again, I have a little inkling of those old desires. Not sure if this even makes sense, but it feels right :-)

Temple lights

2011-12-07T23:10:00.001-05:00

So pretty! Excuse the blurry pic :)

Long days

2011-12-07T23:09:00.001-05:00

In meetings/presentations all day, dinners (networking) at night, and still projects to stay on top of (sound familiar MK?). Still- I'm having so much fun and so intellectually stimulated. Love it!! But reallllly ready for bed tonight!

Breakfast

2011-12-06T09:47:00.001-05:00

Happy for healthy options to start my first day off. I ate wayyyyyy too much candy on the airplane yesterday and my entire body feels swollen with sugar! Way to make a first impression... Here comes puffilicious!! Huge presentation today- so nervous!!

Travels

2011-12-05T11:46:00.001-05:00

Heading to Utah for a business trip... Picked up a healthy lunch (hummus, yogurt and water) after eating candy for breakfast. So excited and a little nervous to meet my new department team!

Sunday brunch

2011-11-15T06:56:00.001-05:00

Simple dinner

2011-11-08T22:15:00.001-05:00

Cooked Lima beans in the crock pot in chicken stock (yum) with turkey sandwiches. Big hit!

Happy morning texts with MK

2011-11-08T10:24:00.001-05:00

She just GETS me!!

The Big Stuff

2011-11-03T15:55:00.004-04:00

In the first two years of Karlie’s life, H has missed a little over 1 year.

This year, he missed:

K’s first bday
A’s 5th bday
my 30th bday
Halloween and trick or treating
Valentines Day
A’s first dance recital
A’s Christmas pageant
A’s first school dance (kinda silly but still)...
teacher conferences, soccer games, gymnastics practices, etc.
hundreds of little moments (first steps, first words, sweet smiles)

Stuff he will NEVER get back. And countless nights that I’ve cried myself to sleep, punched the wall in frustration (or been REALLY aggressive in kickboxing class), and consoled my baby girls as they cried for their daddy.

It’s been a hard year. Our marriage has suffered- a lot. I feel so resentful of him on some days (I know it’s not *his* fault, but it still sucks). It's hard to connect on the phone. It's hard to re-connect when he comes home for a short period (knowing he is leaving again). The girls cry every time. Amelia counts the days down until she can talk to him.. but then refuses to talk to him on the phone.

Other days, I feel like Super Woman*! I wake up, pack lunches, dress kids, drive to school, sometimes hit the gym for 45 minutes (otherwise I do it in the afternoon), drop Karlie off at her babysitter by 9, work for 5-6 hours, pick up Karlie to come home for lunch and naptime (when I complete my day of work), pick up Amelia from school, drive her to gymnastics/soccer/park etc, come home for homework, make dinner, do baths, and get ready for bedtime (2-3 days/week I have late afternoon photoshoots, the girls go to their sitter and the bedtime routine runs late). I put them to bed and finish grading any extra papers or assignments. Edit a few pictures and then my goal is to be in my PJs and on my couch by 9pm.

Then I just COLLAPSE. I have NO energy to give to anyone or anything else. I can barely even talk to H when he is able to use the phone... I just can’t. He does not understand that and usually gets so mad... but I just crave the peace and quiet all day long and look forward to my quiet evenings more than anything.

This is just no way to live. I can’t stand NOT knowing anything about our lives anymore. I can’t stand him being gone whenever he is told to leave, no matter what our plans are and what our family has going on. He can’t stand missing out on our lives and feeling guilty for being gone. He can’t stand working in the environment he works in and waiting for someone to tell him where he has to move his family next year.

For those reasons, among others, and after a lot of praying and debating and discussing, he has made the decision to end his time in the military.

As of next summer, he will be a free man. He has accepted a wonderful job in Tennessee... a job where he will be home EVERY SINGLE night. We are going to enjoy our last 6 months in Florida, then we will have some very sad goodbyes in front of us. However, I am glad we are moving so early in the girl's lives, instead of continual moves every 2-3 years for the next 10 years. I am excited to put down roots and stay in one area! It will be an adventure, for sure.

PS. Part of this decision has involved me starting my new full time job that includes benefits, as we will be losing those awesome military benefits... boohoo! But gaining a husband/father who is HOME with us!

*I enjoy my jobs... I love working and getting satisfaction out of my career! Just a side note to the inevitable comments suggesting that I should be a SAHM. Not for everyone... please remember that!

Big stuff

2011-10-26T12:37:00.002-04:00

I had all intentions of beginning to blog regularly again, and then some life stuff got in the way.

Good stuff & some bad stuff. Lots of life changes and things happening over here.

I will update soon... for now, I have a new full-time job (!!!!!) to orient myself with while I'm finishing up my current commitments with my old jobs. And photos to edit, kids to raise, carpools to drive, soccer games to attend, and a diet to stick to (it's been 2.5 weeks and 4 lbs down so far).

Ah, life!!!!

Cute

2011-10-20T11:23:00.001-04:00

We are having a cold spell (71) and Lola always balls up when she's chilly :) I love it!

Brrr!

2011-10-09T19:48:00.003-04:00

I will be traveling to Salt Lake City for work in a few weeks... does anyone have any suggestions or advice? Restaurants, things I must see, places to go? How to keep warm since most of my wardrobe consists of flip-flops and sundresses?

Happy

2011-10-06T09:16:00.001-04:00

Surprised my mom by driving the two hrs to her house to take her to bonefish for her bday dinner. Lovely, lovely evening and totally worth the long ride!

I spy...

2011-10-05T16:43:00.000-04:00

Cleaning out amelias backpack and I noticed her embellishment on her HW :) I love this so much...

Photography FAQs part 1

2011-10-04T14:05:00.004-04:00

Since my last post, I've had 6 or 7 emails asking me for photography advice/tips/etc, so I wanted to just try to answer them all in a series of posts over the next week or two.

First of all- let me just say again that I am NOT an expert. You can find hundreds & hundreds of uber-successful and super amazing photography blogs out there, but I am not one of them. I am a beginner business owner who happens to have a LOVE of photography and good people skills. I think my business has been doing so well because my clients love the way I interact with their kids and then they recommend me to their friends and so on.

That brings me to my first Photography tip section:

It's all about the people. How you interact with them, how you connect with them (there is NOTHING worse than someone taking your picture and them making you feel weird!!). I play and act like a complete goofball sometimes for kids and that gets them giggling. I remember to remind mamas to tuck their hair behind their ear or angle their chin a little (I know how women want to appear in photos!). My photosessions are relaxed and fun and NOT formal at all. I leave each session feeling like I made a new friend.
Like I just mentioned, I am NOT a formal, pose-heavy photographer. I try to use a photojournalistic style and capture moments that I would love to have captured in my own family/life. Mamas laughing with their kids, a man gazing adoringly at his wife while she brushes the hair out of her kids face, etc. . NOTE: Some people do not care for this style. One of my closest girlfriends here will ONLY hang studio portraits on her walls. We just agree to disagree on this one... everyone has their own style and preference. Which brings me to my next point...
Don't be afraid to commit to your own style. It may not be trendy or fashionable or popular, but it's your own work and you can take pride in it. You will find your own niche of clientele eventually who like your style. Otherwise you will spend your hours editing photos you hate (for me, this is the studio sessions I do, I just dread editing them). I know another blogger who is a PHENOMENAL boudoir artist. His work is just amazing and blows me away. Boudoir a very small target market, so he's having to work around that. However, I think he is so amazing that eventually his clients will be lining up for him.

So here's how those 3 points tell you a little bit more about my personal photography outlook.

I love people. I LOVE hearing their stories and learning about them. I love photographing them. I wish I could photograph families who aren't aware that I'm there but that would be stalkerish and weird... so I just try to make them as comfortable as possible!!
I do not run very formal sessions. Often, I will meet a family at a park and tell their kids to chase each other or go crazy. Some people do not like this and they will probably never hire me again! However, 95% of my clients leave my sessions giggling and laughing. Their kids invite me over for dinner or playdates. And I leave happy and fulfilled knowing we had a fun time together and shared some laughs and memories!
I had trouble being confident with my own style at first. I felt like I "should" be publishing picture styles I saw everywhere else (super themed sessions, very vintage, high fashion, etc). But then I was never happy because I was comparing myself to other photographers who I will never be like. So now I am embracing the photo-journalistic style that I love and that means I am loving my sessions and my work!!

Coming up:

-What you "Should" be doing

-equipment investment & business stuff

-post processing

-other photographers

-any other FAQs I can find :)

(I think I replied to all the emails asking for my website... if you didn't get a response, please just email me at girl_from_florida@yahoo.com). Thanks!!

Me time

2011-10-02T16:49:00.000-04:00

Instead of rushing home after my family photo session this morning, I stopped by my favorite little European bakery and had lunch all by myself. It was divine and I was actually annoyed that the waiter kind of rushed me outta there!

I'm alive... and working!

2011-09-30T21:56:00.005-04:00

Someone has been keeping me very busy...

And...

blogging had started to feel like a "chore."

So it was time to take a little breather and not feel like I HAD to blog.

But I'm sticking around and slowly coming back!

Here's my update:

Photography: LOVING. EVERY. SECOND!! I never, ever dreamed my business would be going so strong after just 5 months. I am almost completely booked until December and having to put off sessions so I can still have 2 or 3 nights a week with my family. At first, it was just friends booking me, then friends-of-friends, and lately it's been strangers. That is so nerve wracking because I feel incredibly nervous... but they are NEVER strangers for long and I have met so many amazing clients!

Work: I picked up 2 other part-time teaching jobs and so far, so good! I'm enjoying the work and the steady paycheck. Still creating lots of new lectures and course curriculum so it's very time consuming right now. But I'm saving up for a new computer and trying to sock away every paycheck for that!

Family: Amelia is loving kindergarten and so busy with soccer, gymnastics, and Awanas (we made her choose between ballet and gymnastics because it was just TOO much). Karlie is into EVERYTHING and is just at that stage of curiosity and rebellion, but also sweetness and TOTAL CUTENESS! She has the tiniest spattering of freckles and these great big huge brown eyes that just melt my heart. She says, "Tank-oo" all the time and "sissy" and "mo-mmeeee" and "da-deeee" and a ton of other adorable little sayings. She colors all over my house and herself and I've just about given up on having a clean house right now (much to H's dismay!!).

Me: This is a topic I have NOT been focusing on lately. I go long periods of time without really thinking about myself, how I'm feeling, or what I'm appreciating about moments because I'm just so busy. I've been going to the gym only once or twice a week and just not taking much time for myself. This is my fault (I tend to over-commit myself with 2 jobs, playgroups, MOPS, Bible study, PTO, etc.).... hence the recent decline in my blog postings.

I always get comments like, "Why don't you just quit your job?" or "why don't you just pick one or the other?" It used to make me feel defensive and guilty. And I want to address that...

I love working. I have always loved working hard and feeling proud of my accomplishments (I got my first job scooping dog poop at 14). I saved up for my first car by myself and was so proud of that. Now, I work my jobs for a few reasons:

I have student loans from my PhD. A lot of my "real" paycheck goes to these.
Our family enjoys my extra income... Amelia does gymnastics and soccer (both require $) and Karlie is in a little baby gymnastics class with me (CUTEST Mommy & Me class!). And H & I are saving up to go on a vacation sometime in 2012!
A portion of my income goes towards our community involvement. We sponsor some families for MOPS/church retreats/food, etc. and that is very, very important to us to be able to do. I have a single mom friend for whom I like to buy food and random goodies and my extra income allows me to do so.
The money aside, I get SO much personal satisfaction and accomplishment out of working. I was miserable during my few weeks of unemployment and felt very unfulfilled. Now this does NOT mean that I think people who don't work are doing it wrong, etc., but please remember we are all different. Many of my best girlfriends don't work outside the home and they get so much joy out of baking and cooking and cleaning and volunteering at the elementary school. They love going to playdates and Target every morning and hanging out. I like to have a little something else, something for just ME and my career does that.

Now... do I think I can maintain my photography business and teaching full time? No, not forever. I have big dreams & hopes for my photography business one day. But for now, I'm still investing in equipment (all of my photography money goes directly back into my business), learning to market (thanks to a very special blog friend), building my portfolio, and just learning from my mistakes. I started off shooting hundreds & hundreds of photos at sessions, just hoping 30-40 turned out. But now I am much more specific and aware of what I'm doing. I've learned to charge clients for travel fees and how to price myself so I'm not LOSING money when I do a session (and that helps me & my clients value my work and myself). I've learned each lesson the hard way and I know it will probably be many years before I truly consider myself a successful business owner! I am LOVING this journey and my husband has been so, so amazingly supportive and that means so much to me.

(BTW... if anyone wants to see my photography business FB/webpage, please email me and I am happy to share!)

Ahhhh.... it feels good to be on here again!! I've missed blogging.

Yard sale find!

2011-08-27T16:28:00.001-04:00

I love this old singer!!!

Homework is fun

2011-08-23T19:52:00.001-04:00

(Amelia strongly disagrees with that statement)

money money

2011-08-23T09:11:00.003-04:00

With the unfortunate (sudden, sad and devastating) loss of my job, we are buckling down our budget and strictly sticking to the basics.

Our biggest expenses are gas (H has a long commute when he is home, but during deployments, no gas expenses, which I guess is a blessing?!?) and FOOD. We love fresh fruits, veggies, good cheeses, wine and coffee... all expenses that add up (we will be sticking with the fruits/veggies from the farmers market for now, and eliminating the good cheeses, wine and coffee.... SOB!!!).

H & I sat down and punched out the numbers this morning. We are on a strict NO BUYING regimen until December in an attempt to make our basic bills and pay off our credit cards. We have -$200 left over every month after mortgage, student loans, electric, food, internet, and credit card bills. Hopefully that negative balance will be covered with photo sessions and second shooter work (my photographer neighbor occasionally hires me to second shoot for her at weddings).

I am anxious to start marketing, advertising and growing my photography business as well... this is the perfect incentive!!

It sucks to cut out all the "fun" stuff I wanted to do this fall. But until I find a new job (I applied for 12 yesterday, which took about 6 miserable hours of writing essays and answering questions), it's a necessary sacrifice! I would love to keep Amelia in ballet classes and she wanted to start gymnastics... so she gets to decide one or the other.

I wish the military paid us a LOT more! But I am looking at this as a challenge for us to be debt free and live off the basics for the next 6 months. We can do it!!!

1st day of kindergarten!!

2011-08-22T14:48:00.000-04:00

And loving her twinkle toes!!

life lately

2011-08-19T22:06:00.008-04:00

Life has been rough lately. Lots of arguing with H. My job has been ROUGH... and unfortunately minimized (I just got the bad news today). Lots of extra expenses with significant loss of my additional income.

Have I mentioned how much I've been arguing with H? I am envious looking at my friend's marriages... how gleeful they are for a date night with their men... and I am dreading every second. I keep chanting to myself... "rough patch, rough patch... that's all it is," right?? Right?!?

The girls are lots of work lately... and we have some massive home repairs (more $$$) after an unfortunate overflow (thanks kids!!) upstairs:

But then I find pictures like this on my camera (Karlie's princess-feet, courtesy of Amelia photography) and have to laugh!

The other bright spot lately is my happiness in my new (baby) photography business. I love having something of my own and a creative outlet.

(picture from MK's AMAZING Jamaican wedding!)

Operation Eat Healthy

2011-08-08T20:15:00.000-04:00

And... lose 5 lbs by september 3 (when I'll be performing bridesmaid duties in front of hundreds of people).

Perfection!!

2011-08-07T16:27:00.000-04:00

MK got married this past weekend at the most perfect, beautiful, filled-with-love celebration in Negril. I will always remember this amazing weekend and celebrating with her family. I felt honored to be a part of it... And bonus, she looked like a supermodel! It was truly a breathtaking weekend. I am sad it's over (and sad we've been up since 4am to travel back to the states...)

30 is fun :)

2011-07-30T01:31:00.001-04:00

Birthday Eve

2011-07-28T23:46:00.001-04:00

So weird to be turning 30... Feels surreal. I never imagined this would be my life at 30... But I wouldn't change it for anything (well, I wouldn't mind being 20 lbs lighter... But that's been the story every year!). I love my 2 sweet little girls, my rarely-seen husband, my seedling of a business, my amazing girlfriends, and my home. Lots to look forward to over the next 30 Years (and 30 more??). Felt a little lonely and melancholy tonight as I reflected on the significance of this birthday, but I thought back on a phone call I received this morning from Australia. She wanted to share how empowering her 30s have been for her... Focusing on her career, herself, and appreciating the woman she is now. It was just what I needed to hear! So here's to 30!!!

Friends

2011-07-15T18:05:00.001-04:00

It's been a LoNG day... And it seemed like it was getting worse and worse when a girlfriend of mine showed up on the doorstep with dinner. Thank you, God, for friends like these!!!!

Cake pops

2011-07-11T14:55:00.001-04:00

These things are tedious to make! Much better with some girlfriends and a big bottle of red wine!!!

Day after...

2011-07-11T14:54:00.001-04:00

MKs bachelorette!

2011-07-11T14:53:00.000-04:00

After months of planning, we had a BLAST!!!! (although I was sooo tired the next day... I am an old lady). Also, I missed my babies like cra-azy after 1 night away. I have no clue how H does his long deployments away from them. Poor guy!!!

I know I make the same thing every year...

2011-07-04T16:24:00.001-04:00

But it never gets old! Happy 4th!

Hmmm...

2011-07-02T22:36:00.001-04:00

For some reason, I'm finding it difficult to lose weight these days...
...
In completely unrelated news, here are some pictures from last night and today...

Summertime: Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

Parties

2011-06-27T20:04:00.005-04:00

I wish I could go to parties everyday! We've had a few fun celebrations recently. Birthday parties, tea parties, and graduation parties.

(and every party is more complete with a big tub of beer!)

Dinner Time

2011-06-26T19:36:00.002-04:00

I've been trying to be more diligent about planning our meals and being prepared (instead of scrambling for something at the last minute and having mac n cheese or ordering pizza). One night last week, we grilled goat cheese burgers (just mixed in a container of goat cheese with the ground hamburger meat, greek seasoning, salt and pepper). They were DELICIOUS! I love the tangy flavor of goat cheese.
We finished the meal with some fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream- YUM! Amelia loves helping me add the powdered sugar to the cream and taste testing it repeatedly.
I love summertime meals!

Reuben Bake

2011-06-20T14:03:00.000-04:00

Pizza dough, corned beef/pastrami, thousand island dressing, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and diced onions... Rolled up and baked til golden brown! Delicious!!!!!!

Tough

2011-06-18T00:12:00.001-04:00

Some days are sooo tough with this little one. She gets into everything! She is so curious and has no fear. She climbs all over the furniture (well- all over anything she can find!) and tumbles off it all. She is very demanding and wants her mama all the time (love it!!!!). And she babbles and grins and belly laughs and makes my life a joy! A busy, hectic, can't-sit-down joy :-)

Lola

2011-06-16T08:44:00.001-04:00

Checkin out snacks for small group playgroup this morning...

Summer picnic

2011-06-16T08:43:00.001-04:00

Lunch

2011-06-14T18:07:00.001-04:00

Watermelon and fried fish... The entire family was happy!!

BBQ

2011-06-13T07:32:00.001-04:00

Life

2011-06-11T17:19:00.001-04:00

Oh he has missed so much this year. Karlies first birthday, amelias 5th, her first and last day of school, preschool graduation and princess "ball," her first dance recital, Karlies first words... Too many things to count. But we savor any days we unexpectedly get together and I am thanking God we are halfway finished with this assignment! I keep myself busy with other things and try to appreciate all of my alone & friend time I get... Or so I tell myself!!

My moms house

2011-06-07T07:09:00.001-04:00

Fried fish dinner and fresh veggies from the garden... Yum.

Accessories

2011-06-03T21:49:00.001-04:00

I've lived in this house 10 months... Decided it was finally time to unpack my accessories today!

Fancy

2011-05-30T09:57:00.001-04:00

We enjoyed a little family beach getaway this weekend. I forgot wine glasses so we improvised.

My dinner

2011-05-24T19:11:00.000-04:00

Roasted veggies, split grilled cheese with the girls, mashed purple potatoes and a little wine. Perfect evening meal!!

New Venture

2011-05-23T20:50:00.003-04:00

I've been a little pre-occupied lately... but for a wonderful reason!

After years & years of dreaming of this, I finally decided to start my own photography business. I've been booking friends and families in the area and I am LOVING it. I would LOVE to do this full time and be able to cut down to just one class (instead of the current six I am teaching)... maybe eventually.

For now I'm just having fun and praying that God blesses this new venture!

Pretty

2011-05-22T18:21:00.001-04:00

Taking maternity pics for another military wife tonight... The preserve I'm meeting her at is gorgeous!!

Walkway...

Bday

2011-05-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

I made dinner for a friends birthday tonight... She turned 42! That means she was 12 when I was born! I love having a wide variety of friends... They are so different from me and I never fail to learn something from each one.

GNO

2011-05-12T09:50:00.000-04:00

My moms group does a monthly GNO and I look forward to it so much! Even if H is gone I will splurge for a sitter and enjoy an hour with the girls. It keeps me sane! Last night was a new Mexican restaurant... I was so full- and so silly!!!- from my 3 margaritas that I didn't even get to eat my chicken tortilla soup. Fine with me :)

2011 books so far

2011-05-11T22:40:00.000-04:00

I am obsessed with Goodreads! Is anyone else on there?

Mothers Day

2011-05-08T08:52:00.001-04:00

Happy to be with my two sweet girls and H today!!

Best friends

2011-05-06T14:22:00.001-04:00

Amelias best friend brought her the sweetest little picture to school the other day. I love her sweet relationship with her friends!!!

Broiled green tomatoes

2011-05-06T14:21:00.001-04:00

April

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

Missed a week due to stomach flu raging through my family... But caught up with workouts by the end of the month! Hoping to hit 20 workouts in May.

White chocolate cupcakes

2011-05-03T09:14:00.001-04:00

Sick

2011-04-30T12:09:00.000-04:00

First Amelia got the stomach flu, then karlie got it 3 days later, then Amelia got an awful cold/cough, then karlie got a double ear and throat infection. It's been a long, sick, horrible month. H had the pleasure of missing it all as he has been deployed. He came home to a finally healthy but VERY messy house and piles of laundry... Poor guy.

Easter eggs

2011-04-30T12:04:00.000-04:00

Night out

2011-04-30T12:03:00.000-04:00

Wine & bang bang shrimp & a lovely evening out with my cousin and his wife. Finished with a delicious, gooey hot brownie.

Bunco night

2011-04-23T07:51:00.000-04:00

I think I do it just for the food and wine...

Pinkalicious 5th Birthday!

2011-04-22T19:51:00.002-04:00

Amelia LOVES the stories of Pinkalicious

and

she also LOVES pink cupcakes...

so it was only natural that we do a Pinkalicious themed 5th birthday party for her!

We set up a few canopies in our favorite park,

grilled some burgers & hot dogs,

and

celebrated with about 30 of our friends!

It was WONDERFUL and a perfect, sunny day!

We hit the pool after the park...

and got home FIVE hours after we'd originally left.

That's a GREAT party!!

These were the MOST delicious pink cupcakes I have EVER had.

I ate four.

That is kind of embarrassing.

(I just ate the icing off the last two... really).

Drink set up.

I set up a "candy bar" for the kids to pick and choose from.

HUGE HIT!!

Scrambling at Walmart the night before,

I stumbled across these sweeties.

Awesome!!

Candy galore!

This party felt like a huge accomplishment.

I am VERY intimidated by the perfect party-planning moms around me.

I feel like my parties are hastily thrown together,

kinda haphazardly,

and I usually feel like a great big mess while I'm doing it.

So I was determined to have a relaxed, chill, backyard BBQ pool party event.

I wanted to celebrate my sweet 5 year old

with all of the things SHE loves!

And we did celebrate her! It was a wonderful day.

Coffee with the ladies!

2011-04-18T15:41:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday!

Teeth marks

2011-04-17T10:49:00.001-04:00

Thanks Karlie!

Party prep

2011-04-17T10:42:00.001-04:00

Throwing amelias pinkalicious 5th birthday party today!!! So much fun.

Two jobs...

2011-04-14T22:44:00.001-04:00

Means my house often looks like this. I am so stressed/overwhelmed right now... Hoping to find a good balance soon.

Little things

2011-04-12T22:24:00.001-04:00

Long, torturous week. Feeling exhausted and weirdly insecure about my ability to handle the million stressors in my life right now. Then I took a peek in my fridge and got a huge smile on my face when I saw Amelia & Karlies little cups, side by side. We had a lovely, giggly dance party tonight and these are the things I want to remember about today!!

Lunch

2011-04-11T14:22:00.001-04:00

5 years old

2011-04-08T08:13:00.003-04:00

5 years ago, my life completely changed when I became a mama to this sweet little girl.

It's true.

You DO change when you become a mother.

And I LOVE how my life has changed.

I love that motherhood is an integral part of my identity now.

I love my sassy, hilarious, beautiful, smart, creative, and sensitive little 5 year old.

She loves unicorns & princesses,

starting her day with chocolate milk and Tom & Jerry,

going on "adventures" and riding horses,

strawberries and strawberry ice cream,

the playground and parks,

swimming, splashing in the hose, and going to the beach,

playing games on my phone,

dressing up with pretty jewelry and makeup,

reading Pinkalicious books with me,

snuggling and taking care of her baby sister,

organizing huge playdates with her friends,

my Little Ponies, Barbies, Bendaroos,

ANY art project we can dream up,

going to Target for icees and popcorn,

and

just having FUN!

I love watching her enjoy her happy childhood and I am delighted that she is surrounded by kind, loving friends and can enjoy beautiful sunny Florida days and beaches. She knows all her letters and can write a few words (cat, dog, and names) on her own and many words with slight prompting. She is imaginative and has many pretend worlds she travels to.

This is such a sweet & fleeting time in life.

I love seeing the happiness and innocence in her eyes,

and I will do everything I can to encourage her imagination and sweet spirit.

Happy birthday little one!

My life lately... long & rambly

2011-04-06T13:55:00.005-04:00

(roadside stop in NC last week)

Where to start?!

My life has been CR-AZY lately. Just crazy. I fall into bed exhausted at the end of the night and my calendar is double-booked and filled to the brim (for example, on Saturday I have a soccer game at 9:15, yoga at 10:00, a birthday party 11-1, and another birthday party from 1-4).

TRAVEL:

We did a whirlwind trip to VA last weekend for a family wedding. It was a nightmare traveling with two kids. And the trip ended up costing us SO much money. And then the bride and groom didn't say a word to us at the wedding... a little frustrating. I remember how difficult it was to acknowledge all the people at my own wedding, but I made a special effort to talk to the people who traveled from out of town. Anyway, just a random little irritant. Overall, the trip was rushed and very stressful and I was SO happy to arrive home.

While in VA, my nephew came down with the stomach flu, and after we got home, Karlie started showing the first signs that eventually progressed into a full-blown sickness. She's had a fever and upset stomach for 3 days now and she's been so miserable. I've been up most of the past two nights cuddling and consoling her.

FRIENDS:

My girlfriends here have really been an amazing support. One friend brought us dinner last night (pot roast) and another took Amelia to school for me this morning (then came back over to my house to sit and have coffee and keep me company.) Another picked Amelia up and brought her to the park for a couple hours this afternoon.

It's always been so hard for me to accept help from others... for some reason, I feel like I should be able to do it all, all by myself. But I have to face reality. I work two jobs, my husband is deployed frequently, and I have two young kids. I love to help out my friends, and I'm learning that it is OK for me to accept their help when they offer it! I am even learning to not feel guilty about it.

WORK:

Speaking of working two jobs, I *love* my second job. It's SO challenging (and I have definitely second-guessed myself a few times about taking on this responsibility), but I am happy that I'm challenging myself. It feels GREAT to use my degree and to work hard. And the extra money is helping us reach our goal of paying off all of our credit card debt by 2012 (although this VA trip set us back nearly $1000 in crazy wedding party, travel, gas, hotel and car rental expenses, UGH).

BABY WEANING:

Karlie is 14 months old and we've begun the weaning process. At first, she was constantly begging to nurse and would cry huge, sad tears when I would say no. But she wanted to nurse ALL the time and I was just exhausted from it. We slowly reduced it to three times a day at 12 months, twice a day at 13 months, and now we are making the transition to once every two days. Slowly but surely, she is weaning! I am so happy to have made it so long nursing her, but I'm also filled with sadness at the thought of her being weaned. It just signifies the end of her babyhood and that is sad for me. But we have many exciting times to come and I am happy to almost have my body back.

HEALTH:

I have been a workout fiend for a few months now. Although the scale numbers haven't really budged (maybe 3 lbs), I am feeling good about myself and pretty healthy. I am accepting the fact that I will never look like I did in high school, and I don't want to always be one of those people striving for that unrealistic expectation. Instead, I have changed my goals around my new life and my lifestyle... I want to run races, workout hard, and be strong. I want to eat healthy, brightly colored natural meals and lean protein. I LOVE food and I want to be able to enjoy it with somewhat freedom (so if I eat a little extra some days, I will just work out more on others to balance it all out). This is obviously a learning process and I am always working hard at it!

PERSONAL:

Still ironing out the kinks in my family relationship. I told a girlfriend that I am entering a new era with my family and our relationship. There have been some tough moments and it is still a source of unease and sadness for me. But I am continuing to put myself out there, call them, and invite them to spend time with the girls. I hope to never, ever be cold & closed off to my children like I've felt from them lately. It is heartbreaking but I feel that we are in the beginning of the healing process (well, I am... they refuse to talk about it and want to pretend like nothing is wrong, although it's the white elephant in the room at all times... sigh).

H & I have also had a few rocky moments over the last two months, mainly due to money. He is starting a side business and I got a second job to resolve some of these issues.

RANDOM:

- I've read a few good books lately, and will do a bookworm post soon!

- I bought a pair of shorts for the first time in like EIGHT years (so did Morgan)! Big progress for me because I am very self conscious of my cellulite. C'est la vie!

- I hired a part-time babysitter to watch Karlie 1-2 days/week so I can get my work accomplished. It is AMAZING how much I can get done without constantly being distracted!

- I am on the MOPS steering team with my MOPS group now. I LOVE that group and have met lots of fabulous ladies and appreciate that we are at similar points in our lives.

- I want to do a Q&A post soon... I've been seeing these so much on blogs and a lot of times I can't think of much to write about, so it's fun!

lol... did anyone make it this far? A lot of this is for journaling purposes, but also as a great big catch up, since I've been a blogging slacker lately.

Traveling

2011-04-03T21:39:00.001-04:00

Traveling with two little ones is TOUGH. Hotels and car rides (15 hrs of traveling one day) and more hotels and visiting with TONS of people/family left us all exhausted. I remember the days when traveling was fun and exciting but this just felt torturous. I am anxiously anticipating my fluffy bed and my own bathtub tonight... And hopefully some peace and quiet!!!!

Wednesday night celebration!

2011-03-31T08:38:00.001-04:00

One of my closest friends here, Trace (my workout partner and just a generally amazing and thoughtful friend who goes out of her way to be kind and helpful), wanted to celebrate her husbands 30th birthday yesterday. So we had them and another family over last night for a seafood extravaganza! Stone crab claws, fried lobsters, and mahi tacos along with homemade buttercream cupcakes. It was a delicious meal and I love spoiling my friends like they spoil me!! It seriously makes my heart so happy to feed people. I joked to them that food is my love language... If I love someone, I want to feed them!

Spontaneous beach day

2011-03-29T15:36:00.002-04:00

The other morning,

we found ourselves 10 minutes from a beach we've never been to.

Thankfully, I had some sunscreen in my diaper bag and a box of juice boxes in the back of the car.

We took off our flipflops

and rolled up our jeans,

dug our toes in the sand,

and spent the entire morning at the beach!

Karlie kept flashing the ocean and giggling hysterically.

I think she liked the feel of the breeze on her baby belly!

Amelia kept saying,

"WOW! This is SO MUCH FUN! WOW!"

And the girls both took 2.5 hour naps when we got home.

Love it!

Easy like Sunday morning....

2011-03-27T14:49:00.001-04:00

Best Sunday in ages. Brunch by the water, morning at the beach, grilled cheese for lunch, and a picnic and pond fishing with friends this afternoon. I am positively saturated with sunshine and a happy, peaceful feeling. Thank you, God, for days like today!!

Sigh...

2011-03-23T23:17:00.001-04:00

What Amelia was doing when I told her to "quietly play" while I was on a conference call tonight. She piled every stuffed animal she owns into a giant pile for some reason (she told me they were cozy and snuggling), then ate candy and cookies for dessert (I was desperate for quiet and she knew it! Smartie). Tonight was not my supermom moment.

Little shoes

2011-03-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

Last fall, I hit the jackpot and found a bunch of Disney flip flops on super clearance for less than a dollar apiece. Obviously we live in flip flops (being in FL), so I stocked up. Little did I realize they would double as toys for Karlie! She loves to RIP them off the shelves with amazing vigor and speed and glee, then chuck them across the room giggling hysterically. Not sure where she came up with this game, but it never fails to amuse her!

Messy

2011-03-21T22:30:00.001-04:00

Karlie dumped an entire bin of stickers and every single tiny piece of food on the ground of their toy kitchen. This was after I'd finally cleaned/organized this area. Sometimes, I feel like all I do is clean up after my kids! (cliche but oh so true)

Wheeee!!

2011-03-21T22:26:00.001-04:00

Grill baby!

2011-03-20T20:58:00.001-04:00

Delicious grilled salmon and steamed veggies for dinner last night. Healthy and filling!

Email from awesome friend

2011-03-19T08:42:00.001-04:00

GFF:

What I've decided:

While H is away I will bring you dinner one night a week.

While H is away You will bring me Karlie and/or Amelia once a week so you can have alone time (to do as you wish-grocery shop, soak in the tub, hair cut, go out with friends, whatever)

What you get to decide:)

What night would a cooked meal make your life a little easier (soccer practice night, Monday night, whenever)

Who would you like me to keep and when so you can have some YOU time.

Again, what I've decided has already been decided...so don't even try to change that!! You just fill in the blanks for me. We have come to love your sweet family and would be so blessed if you would allow us to love you with Christ's love in these two small ways while H is away.

Just let me know! And please no sappy "thank yous". It makes me uncomfortable. :-)

Date night!

2011-03-18T10:52:00.000-04:00

Sushi & red curry and wine... It just feels so indulgent to eat without taking care of little ones and being interrupted every 5 minutes.

Random nice-ness

2011-03-17T09:50:00.004-04:00

(size 12 me last week... I am accepting this!)

PS. Ignore shiny, wine-flushed face!

A lady walked up to me as I was leaving the gym a couple days ago.

"I don't know you, and I hope you don't think this is weird, but I just wanted to tell you how amazing you look. I've seen you working out all the time and I remember when your baby was really little, and you've lost SO much weight. You look awesome!"

I was walking on Cloud 9 ALL DAY after that sweet, kind comment. Heck... all week! It came at a perfect time when I was feeling down about my post-baby body.

So I returned the kindness and the compliment to another stranger yesterday at the gym, a sweet woman who has been working hard (she told me she's lost 30 lbs as of this week). I see her all the time and she always has a big smile on her face. I could see her face light up after I told her how much she inspired me, and I hope it made her day like the stranger made mine!

Laundry wins again!

2011-03-16T22:27:00.001-04:00

Morgan posted the other day about enjoying blogs admitting their messy, imperfect homes. Well, here's my nemesis: laundry. I try to do it 3-4 times per week, but really, there's just so much more exciting things on my agenda. Like the 3.5 HOURS we spent enjoying the beautiful sunshine at the park today (the girls were sooo exhausted tonight), or ice cream cones at chic fil a tonight, or a long workout with a friend this morning. It was either folding a million mismatched socks for a family of four or the fun stuff... Obviously I abandoned my laundry pile and hit the door! But now it's waiting for me... And it seems to multiply overnight...

ER visit

2011-03-15T10:05:00.001-04:00

We had our 2nd ER visit with Amelia this weekend. She was soooo excited to go to a birthday party and was dancing around and singing when she slipped and busted her chin on a chair. A little tlc and tissue adhesive and a few pink cupcakes fixed everything. She was so brave!

Clothing Swap

2011-03-12T08:48:00.001-05:00

Went to a cute clothes, shoes and purse swap at a friends house the other night. Everyone brought a dessert and cute clothes. I brought home some adorable Lucky jeans (MK- they are brand new jeans like the ones we had in college, with the slit on the side!) and a D&G purse. Fun!!!!

GNO

2011-03-10T17:22:00.000-05:00

Went to the cutest dockside restaurant last night with 8 ladies. I love being able to enjoy a delicious meal with no kid distractions. I look forward to it for days!

Spring Break!

2011-03-10T07:50:00.002-05:00

I love spring break.

We've been filling the days with FUN!

New parks and playgrounds, a visit to the aquarium,

cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lunch at chic-fil-a,

and

our first beach trip this year!

Karlie LOVED it.

(I had to clean layers of sand out of her diaper!!)

I cannot wait for MANY more beach memories this year!!

Love!!!

2011-03-09T08:58:00.001-05:00

Art project

2011-03-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

We babysat for our pastors 4 kids the other night and it was soooo much fun. H had a soccer game so it was just me and 6 kids! It ended up being a breeze because they were seriously the cutest, most well behaved children ever. Amelia and I had so much fun going shopping for a craft project the day before. We decided to make Noah arks and oceans. The kids were all so creative and had fun!

New church dresses!

2011-03-07T08:38:00.001-05:00

I love marshals and Ross!!

CDs

2011-03-07T08:37:00.001-05:00

I made a bunch of praise CDs for bible study. The theme was nurturing mothers hearts, so we wanted to share something that would nurture their souls! We also brought frappuccinos and muffins.

Date night!!

2011-03-06T16:51:00.001-05:00

My 13 year old neighbor and her friend babysat karlie last night (who was sleeping) and Amelia was with her Grandma. So we enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and just chatted about our future. It was so nice to just hang out and connect.

Little helper

2011-03-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

We painted our dining room this week... Guess who got into the paint? (notice the baby footprints!)

Bunco!

2011-03-04T22:52:00.003-05:00

I hosted my first big party tonight!

17 ladies for Bunco!

(Table numbers)

I only snapped a few shots because I was so busy mingling.

One girl brought pink champagne cupcakes... amazing!!!

We had buffalo chicken dip (made by me!), proschiutto-wrapped figs & mozzarella, spinach dip, deviled eggs, salsa, broccoli salad, and more...

I snapped this pic early in the evening before most of the girls arrived with their dishes.

OK. This was SO MUCH FUN.

We were literally SCREAMING with laughter! H drove up towards the end of the evening (he took the girls out) and said he could hear us laughing all the way up the road!

I am hoping to host every month! SO FUN!!