long over due play dates...

I love where we live, but I miss being closer to friends... especially friends with kids! I feel like Jayme is missing out on valuable socialization and playmates every week. If I could I would drive multiple times a week for playtime (and much needed face time with friends), but that ended when we realized we were spending almost $900/month on gas (obviously the man of the house has to earn a living, so his gas was necessary... which meant by default I needed to make cuts in the mileage). The last couple weeks Ryan's boss compensated his gas for the daily drive to San Diego (thank God!), which meant Jayme and I were able to catch up on some much needed and long over-due play dates (over 3 months!)

Highlights from our visit with Kaycie and Aubrielle-
-playing with someone else's toys might be just as good as going to Disneyland
-Jayme loves Max... we are realizing just how much she loves dogs (the bigger the better... the smaller ones are just too much)
-when in Riverside in triple digit temps, rear-facing car-seats in weak air-conditioning = overheated and screaming child.... thanks to Kaycie, Jayme now enjoys the view air flow facing forward
-El Torito, nap time, Starbucks, and an afternoon dip in the kiddie pool (complete with sticky-shimmery lip gloss) completed our afternoon

Highlights from our visit (and first meeting of baby Jax) with Kristi and Riley-
-We brought Kristi some belated-birthday treats (my version of a cake pop)
-Even after 3 months of not seeing each other (which in toddler time is f-o-r-e-v-e-r) Riley and Jayme enjoyed some much needed playtime
-Meanwhile I made my go-to lunch classic  (tomato basil pizza) while us mommy's played catch-up
-Finally got to hold the newest addition to the Brown Family... Jax is all things cuddly, sweet, and beautiful newborn (best part was that Jayme didn't get jealous... until I held Riley ;-)


Hoping to get out and about a little more often... just not often enough to cost us more in gas than our rent!

family funday sunday...

Our weekend started Friday night @ 10:30 when we picked up Aunt Tay (whom Nugget now calls TC) from the airport and headed out to Riverside for the weekend... I'm too lazy tired to go into the details, so I'll let the mamarazzi show you how awesome our weekend was...

first kid's menu breakfast... full of chocolate chips... white shorts and no bib = blonde mom move!

where we spent the remainder of our day after breakfast

one little girl might have been a bit spoiled with all the attention

apparently the only thing on Aunt Bebba's agenda was R&R

still a kid at heart

the kid making us our 5 o'clock somewhere beverages

typical Smitty's BBQ

snuggling with her aunt tc

an apple a day keeps the doctor away (and doubles as a teether)

10 hours later... ryan's hard work paid off and our plumeria has a new home

we finally got to meet and snuggle lil' Miss Lily

"more"

classic

Sunday Funday

reasons I thoroughly enjoyed our restful Sunday funday....

our resident praying mantis... pretty awesome how it has been camouflaged for nearly a week in the same spot

playing with her "Be-ba" (formerly Uncle Buck)

daddy time

the start of Smittys' Kitchens Connect

best part of her day... and the delight of ours

crawling to dancing and everything in between

I wanted to edit the short video I had of Jayme walking and put it to music (per Uncle Buck's suggestion)... an afternoon later I went a little over board, BUT its for the sake of having precious memories so that justifies time spent right????

Third times a charm... or a rude awakening... and 1000 Gifts

Three times today an incredibly devastating and inconceivable (beyond our narrow scope of all things TV, internet, and newsprint) reality of human suffering has been brought to my attention (Someone upstairs clearly telling me to pay attention beyond my little bubble and get over feeling sorry for myself)… After hearing and reading about the worst drought and famine in over 60 years affecting OVER 12 MILLION people in parts of Africa, I felt convicted and spoiled (even as we try to figure out how we are going to afford our usual groceries and basic bills each month with one shaky income… its embarrassing to admit that I thought we are/were “barely making ends meet” when these people can’t even get basic water- let alone CLEAN water- food, or proper medical attention). I can’t help but think that every door closes for a reason. And before we realize it, another door or even a small window- a glimmer of hope or assurance- opens a new opportunity. I cannot even BEGIN to imagine the pain and suffering these people are enduring. I cannot even BEGIN to imagine what it would be like if I had to trek on foot, with Jayme on my back (hungry for anything that might possibly cross her lips), for days on end in the brutal desert just to possibly find resources at a camp that will provide some minuscule nourishment and maybe some way to prevent widespread measles among other life-threatening diseases (the little provisions that get past the corrupt government who is hoarding the supplies for themselves and the military)… It literally brings tears to my eyes to realize how blessed I am only after seeing the nightmare happening in Africa (my heart strings as a mom are particularly sensitive to those children who depend on the aid of their dying parents)… I have used the line “Well it’s bad, but it could be worse… we could be starving orphans in Ethiopia!” - and now I feel so humbled and lame that the ignorant words that escape my mouth are not just words, but to over 12 million people they are a harsh reality.

I’ve been reading a book that a friend (who has inspired me in more ways than she realizes) gifted me. 1000 Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, has truly touched my heart and has opened my eyes to the countless blessings that surround everyday life and that may have gone unappreciated or unnoticed until now.

This book, coupled with this overwhelming human suffering, has given me a new inspiration for my life and as a result- my blog. (side note* I realize there is tragedy- and possibly even to this scale or worse- in other parts of the world, and I am not ignoring or lessening the severity of those circumstances- I have just been rocked to the core by the awareness this famine has brought me.) I realize updates on our little family (accompanied with pictures of our growing little girl) are entertaining and bring joy to some of you who follow (i.e. Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and Great-Grandparents, etc.), but I feel it is important to appreciate my countless blessings (heck- the fact I have a computer to type on and the freedom to publish my thoughts on the internet are blessings in themselves!)

  1.     As Ryan likes to say, our child “eats regular and has a roof over her head” (a basic need that often gets taken for granted) 

she loves to paint with nutella as much as she enjoys eating it

  2.     In keeping with our child’s eating- baby fat and chubby thighs.
  3.     The infectious laughter that fills our home when Jayme is simply happy (sometimes I wish we could truly re-live and appreciate the innocence of a child as the world around them is full of turmoil and yet they have genuine laughter and happiness)

  4.     Healthcare. Even if it is out-of-this-world inflated and ridiculous, at least it’s available and my child is healthy because of it.
 5.     The smell of clean baby.

6.     Mid-afternoon on a Tuesday dance party with my toddler, simply because WE CAN.

 to be continued....

Time for change....

“Fake it till you make it” “believe it and you’ll achieve it” “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”….. all mantras I have lived, but I’m ready to quit surviving by these and start thriving.  All cheesy quotes aside (let’s face it quotes are just that. Words.) I NEED change. I crave change. And my sister’s favorite quote “Be the change you wish to see”… well those words are the words I am ready to start living. The challenging part is the how to make these words into reality.

Lately I've been feeling restless and discouraged... pretty sure it has to do with the string of challenges that have placed themselves in life's way, but then again I guess that's what makes life life right? Cancer, deaths, economic hardship, job loss, hope lost, hope gained, promises made, promises broken, hope hanging on by a thread, more economic hardship, little miracles, bills piling, good news, sad news, straight up devastating news, more positive news, celebrations, some necessary and some unnecessary drama, isolation, holding on with hope and loads of prayer... the constants in all this???? My faith, my hope for a positive outcome (or at least the ability to look back and consider all this an experience learned from), and an ever growing love like you wouldn't believe for my little family. I love how faith, hope and love are interconnected and all play a critical role in life… great verse- 1 Corinthians 13:13 “and these three remain: faith, hope and love”.

newport dunes day...

our day didn't exactly unfold according to plan, but nonetheless we got to our destination (not necessarily where we intended originally, but it worked out best!) only picture we're missing is the sleepy car ride home :-)

2 little monkeys jumping around in the back (waiting for our friends)

over an hour later... with one stop through del taco, parking, unpacking, and walking forever to the "wrong beach", we got back in the car to head to a more "child friendly beach" and took a detour on the ferry

self-portrait while we are taxied over to balboa island (meanwhile us mom's are frantically deciding on plan c- since a and b didn't pan out well)

precious

"moooommmm! no pictures while i'm getting ready please!"

"wait for me boys!!!"

jordan and preston enjoying the lack of waves so they can actually swim

making sure her boys don't drown

"really sara????" (he's over the mamarazzi)

preston's copy-cat

while the other two take in some r&r... jordan sifted through his sea shells

down to the wire wedding madness...

with 4 hours of sleep in 2 days and a lot of adrenaline (and coffee) anything can be accomplished... even a successful and BEAUTIFUL wedding!!! the quick run-down version... in pictures of course

10:00PM Friday night... the bride unloading her gown from our packed-to-the-roof-with-wedding-stuff-tahoe

what you don't see is the bell boys taking pictures of the most carts they've ever used for one vehicle

11:00PM thank you for the suite upgrade... apparently we needed the space to sprawl out our last minute crafting-to-do's!

sparkles turning "sparkly" and the bride tying up loose ends on her broach bouquet (before the midnight run to Jack in the Box)

trial run of candy bar

4:43AM finally done with the bouquet!

too many hours spent to count... but i think it paid off!

why go to bed now when we can open every pack of lemon heads for the candy table and watch the sun rise from our gorgeous room?!

power breakfast time!

mimosa- check. depuffing power of cucumbers- check. fabulous hair (in process)- check. r&r on the fabulous deck with ocean breeze- check!

wouldn't it be fabulous to have this treatment everyday?!

sparkles' turn to get glammed up!

T- 4 hours to go and she's STILL adding finishing touches to the bouquet!!!

family classic

tasty success!