Thankful For:

I Made It!

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

totally unrelated photo of Ollie's smooshed face at the Kid's Place..

Another post with hardly anything to do about food. But I made it! It's been another nice, long day that started at 7:30 this morning and is ending now..11:35pm. So with 25 minutes left of Day 11, I'm signing in if only to say goodnight! We had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner because, let's face it, that's as creative as Mama could be tonight. But it was great. And Ollie is pretty cute eating meatballs. Easy and cute. Win win.

Goodnight, friends. Thanks for reading. This weekend I have some good stuff to eat so come back. We're talking pizza and chocolate chip cookies. But you didn't hear that from me..

xoxo
Joy

Nothing To Do With Food

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

Ollie feet flailing as he climbed into the submarine through the window!

In honor of my commitment to write every day for 31, I'm here to say goodnight! We had another great day. I just love adventuring with my little nugget. He's my sidekick! We drove down to Olympia to have lunch with my mom and grandma. Since it was stormy outside, we played at the kid place inside the mall. It was perfect! Ollie had a blast and really wore himself out. Mama's pretty tired, too. Thankfully, I'd put a pork tenderloin in the crockpot before we left!! I got home and made up some mashed potatoes (frozen from Trader Joe's!) and peas. Delicious! :)

Night night!
xoxo
Joy

The Best Mess

So..this is what we did today. My little bambino is walking and climbing and digging and carrying and tossing and chewing everything. Naturally, that means that everything is spread across the floor. He'll pick up one thing to hug, kiss, or bite it (sometimes all 3) and then toss it over his shoulder and move on to the next. He's a heartbreaker, that baby! I love him a lot. Like, a lot. But I was really thankful when bedtime came early. Ha!

xo

Joy

A Day At The Park

When you live in Seattle, you've got to take advantage of a sunny day while you can. So Ollie and I packed up the stroller and headed out for an adventure. We ended up parkin' it in a grassy patch at SPU. It's a gorgeous campus only about a half mile from home! 

/\ Probably my new favorite photo of him!! /\

/\ Found one of Paigey's toys in our trunk..oops! But he loves it! /\ 

We crawled around in the grass for about a half an hour, just enough time for class to get out. Aahh, there's a baby! Guess the students don't get a lot of baby guests. Ha! It's okay, Ollie loves the attention ;) 

I'm thankful we live so close to such a pretty spot. Summer will be fun with a waddling one year old!

xoxo

Joy

The Best Parts of This Day

The little fingers that tap on the wall first thing in the morning

And his little voice that talks to Francis the Hippo before Mama gets up

The daddy that snores next to me

The quiet play time before the sun comes all the way up

Snuggles before nap time

The living room to myself for coffee and devotions

The bright sun shining all day

Walking to the field with Uncle Jordy to watch daddy play soccer

Finally being able to spray paint some projects

Dinner with Camillo

Camillo helping with dinner clean up

The daddy rocking the baby to sleep

Lounging on the couch watching the Big Bang Theory

And an early bed time

Happy 2nd Day of Spring

Spring is here, Spring is here!! On its first day we were greeted with torrential downpour. Once the rain subsided, the wind blew in and held us hostage in the comforts of our snuggly home. I love those kinds of days!

Thankfully, we took a family walk the day before the rain came. It was cold but sunny and we made many quick stops to touch the leaves and rocks and flowers and trees. Oliver is so curious and watching him explore is so much fun.

Camillo has been on Spring break this week and we've had a fun few days with Daddy not having to study all the time! Having a full time student in the family is hard on all of us sometimes. I'm just grateful I'm not the one having to study organic chemistry and parasites!! We both knew before we got married that there would have to be many sacrifices made in the name of Camillo's education. He and I have learned a lot about ourselves, each other, and what it means to fully rely on God for grace, patience, humility, and finances...just to name a few! The road isn't always easy but it's a beautiful journey. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

We're a happy family and we're definitely happy that spring is here! 

Did you do anything special this week to welcome spring? 

xoxo

Joy

A Really Long Post About Mold And Being Cheerful

A couple weeks ago, while pulling out a box of diapers from the closet, I found mold. It was black and slimy and nasty and gross and gag me. Right away I pulled out more boxes to find the starting point and thankfully it looked contained to the bottom corner. Bleach and a scrub brush peeled away the slime but the wall was stained black and I couldn't help but still be grossed out. I googled 'is black mold harmful' and, well, let's just say, if you google black mold, limit yourself to reading just two of the articles that pop up. I spent 45 minutes reading page after page while I rocked Ollie as he slept. And freaked myself out. Big time.

I emailed our landlord and, for some reason, started reciting a persuasive argument in my head. You see, we found mold in a previous rental and were told to take care of it ourselves. This was before I ever googled anything. Anyways, my scripted debate wasn't needed after all because my landlord showed up at the door within two hours. Woah, that's cool.

Fast forward a couple days and the mold guy is telling us we'll need to remove everything from the bedroom and that the disinfecting process will be five days. I almost croaked. That room has SO MUCH stuff in there. More than I even knew. I'd spent months organizing everything like puzzle pieces to fit in there...Ollie's clothes - too small and too big, his bed, his dresser, my desk, filing cabinet, art supplies, bedding, boxes of photos, sewing stuff, school books..so much stuff.

Admittedly, I spent a couple hours completely overwhelmed and a little bit grumpy. I didn't want to do all that, I didn't want to be crowded and uncomfortable for a week. Boo hoo hoo.

"Be cheerful no matter what..Thank God no matter what happens.." 

It snuck in with a bit of force and I realized it would be moments like this when I'd have to make the choice. Grouchy? Or cheerful? A lot of times, being grouchy is easier, right? It takes faith and sometimes a swift kick in the pants to be cheerful. I chose to cheer up. It took a big, exasperated sigh, a hug from Camillo, and an under the breath 'we're gonna make it'. And then we started clearing out.

That was a couple days ago and we've made it this far. There is a little path from the kitchen to the living room and then across to our bedroom. And a little spot for Ollie to roll around in. His bedroom is empty except for the big machines that are dehydrating the moisture and the closet has been gutted. Turns out, the mold came from water in the ceiling that seeped down behind the laminate walls of the closet. So there was a lot more than what we could see but thankfully, it somehow didn't get out past the closet.

We've got a couple more days of claustrophobic living conditions but we're cheery about it. On the bright side: We found it before it got out of the closet. Our landlord agreed that it was a serious problem and has been so great about getting it taken care of immediately. The contractors will be cleaning the carpet when they're done - something we've wanted to do for months. None of us got sick. And now that everything we own is in our dining/living room, I can take this opportunity to rearrange the whole house once it's time to put stuff back. I'm actually quite excited about it.

I know it's a little weird to write such a long post about mold. But I wanted to share my first big lesson in being cheerful no matter what. I didn't realize it before but, by choosing 'cheerful' as my word for 2013, I'm inadvertently choosing to be patient. And I'm sure I can use more of that, too.

As this moldy saga continues I'll be sure to fill you in. If I get brave enough I might even be able to snap a photo of the certified mold cleaner upper guys in their plastic bodysuits. Really, I could write a sic-fi about what's going on back there...

xoxo
Joy

One Word For Twenty Thirteen

Since I opted out of making a resolution list this year, I joined Gussy and Ali in their One Word tradition. I love the idea and spent quite a while reading through the comments on both pages. Most people said they chose words that seemed to have 'chosen them'. That's how mine came about, too. I felt it sneaking through my thoughts during middle of the night crib parties, whispered into my heart while waiting impatiently for Camillo to be done studying for the night. Then one week, the word practically fell into my lap while reading my bible. 

Challenge accepted! This year, I want to choose a happy heart over a grumpy one. I want to be cheerful rather than full of worry. I want to give Camillo a smile instead of an irritated side glance. I just want to choose joy!

What would your word be? Tell me in the comments below, I'd love to know!

xoxo

Joy

Donuts, Brioche, and Macarons at the Market

A couple weeks ago, Camillo and I made plans to take Oliver to the pumpkin patch! We were going to go after church and spend the afternoon taking pictures while Ollie had the time of his life. Right? Well, that's how I envisioned it. However, sitting in the parking lot underneath dark grey clouds, we realized it might not be the best idea. My happy thoughts turned to visions of soaking wet, muddy mom and dad, and screaming baby. Okay, so we decided this would be the only year we could skip the pumpkin patch. But we still wanted to do something fun so we drove down town to the Pike Place Market for a stroll through the vendors.

At the Daily Dozen, we waited in line for a variety dozen of donuts. They're made right there, on the spot, and totally worth the wait in line. Plus, they have tiny little apple pies!

It's hard to walk through the market without taking a handful of cliche photos. Ya know, the ones with rows and rows of brightly colored fruit and veggies. But seriously, isn't it beautiful? 

We also stopped in at La Panier, a 'very french bakery', for some croissants and brioche. I think I enjoyed the display of macarons as much as the breads we tasted!

Oh, look who's awake! Of course he slept through the whole thing. I'm glad we didn't go to the P-patch this year. It probably would have been disappointing to realize he might not have cared as much as mama ;)

I love snuggling my little guy in his baby k'tan. It's really comfortable and he can sleep for hours in it. Next year, he'll be just over a year old - the perfect age for pumpkins and corn mazes, yes? Until then, mama doesn't mind a day at the market.

xoxo

Joy

Today I'm thankful

For crockpots. Oh my word, I shouldn't even have to explain why. 

That we live on a busy street because the sound of traffic calms Ollie down.

    (funny fact: when we stay at my parents' house I have to turn the sound machine on to it's 'traffic'

    setting. Otherwise, it's too quiet for him to sleep!!)

For dark chocolate hot cocoa..mmm

On prioritizing and doing my best

Oliver, 7 days new

I've been told by so many people that I must 'sleep when baby sleeps'! In the first couple weeks, there was nothing else I could do - I was exhausted and in a lot of pain and discomfort. He slept, I slept.

Now, almost 3 months later, the honeymoon (you know: mom here cleaning the house, friends bringing meals, sleeping whenever I feel the need, Camillo at my beck and call) is over and it's getting a little harder for me to let myself sleep during the day. After all, who is going to wash the dishes, switch the laundry, plan the meals, cook the meals, write the blog, snuggle the husband, take the shower, read the bible, or clean up the house if I'm napping with Ollie? There's a lot to do but only a few short windows throughout the day that they can be done. This calls for some prioritizing and planning ahead. 

Oliver is a short napper - 45 minutes at a time at most. And there are many occasions where he can't stay asleep unless I'm holding him. (Remember the stages I'm reading about?) Sometimes I fantasize about sleeping all day but I have to remind myself that I'll feel better if my dishes are done or the garbage is taken out. But of my arm's length to-do list, what should I do first?

I'm still working out the kinks to that question but, in the meantime, I've got a couple guidelines that will hopefully help me cross off to-dos and leave some space for flexibility throughout the day.

First, I'd like to get up around 7am each morning. I'll have to give myself a lot of grace on this one without losing my will power. There are mornings when we're up at 4 or 5 for a half hour or more and, let's be real, I can't expect to wake up for the day at 7am. But on the mornings I can, a 7am wake up call gives me a little quiet time to have a cup of coffee, read my bible and map out the day.

Next, I want to do the dishes every night. This will be totally doable as long as I discipline myself. Oh my goodness, if I take 15 minutes to stand at the sink each night, I'll be greeted by a sparkly clean kitchen every morning (at 7am?). What a great way to start the day? So much better than walking in to a pile of dishes and counters so crowded I can't even pull out the coffee maker!!

Hanging up our bags and coats when we first walk through the door will solve the disappearing dining table problem. While I'm at it, I'll sort the junk from the mail and decide what goes where instead of leaving it all in a toppled stack. Imagine - eating dinner at the table?!

These three ideas will alleviate some of the clean up stress and leave the house tidy even if I can't scrub down every day. As for those 'scrub down' chores (toilets, vacuuming, windows, laundry, etc), they'll have to fight their way to the top of the priority list. Getting to them will take some planning on my part.  If I plan to clean the bathroom or write a post during Ollie's first nap, I'll be able to start right when he goes to sleep instead of spending his whole nap trying to decide which thing I should do. I can't do it all. I can only do my best and that's going to have to be enough. 

Here's to longer naps, everyday showering, and a date night or two. Until then, I'm learning that productivity doesn't mean working 10 hour days and completing long lists. Feeding my baby, snuggling my hubby, and getting enough veggies are productive enough.

xoxo
Joy

Anybody got any tips for prioritizing? I'll take all the advice I can get - leave it in the comments below!!

Today I'm thankful
That the elections are over (omg)
For a husband who understands that a messy home and frozen pizza are only for a season
For my new friend, Chelsea

A Birthday Weekend

My mom's birthday weekend began at the Crab Pot in Seattle. We had salmon and ahi, veggies, and hard ciders. We were out on the covered patio and watched the ferries coming and going as we ate. After our meal, our waiter brought complimentary cheesecake to celebrate! 

Hmm..do you see a cute little crab in that pot??

After lunch we went to the Columbia Tower to enjoy a cozy warm beverage and the view!

The night didn't end there! After a day in the city we got dressed up and went to Wicked! It was a great show, super fun! Ollie was home with daddy and did really well. He went to sleep at 9:45 and slept through the night until 7am!! Hmm..How did Camillo do it...??

At the last minute on Saturday, I decided to drive down to Shelton to see Isaac before he left. He's hittin' the road for a couple weeks of adventure before he parks it in Utah for the winter. He got a job at a ski resort!! 

Camillo had to work so Jordan and I took Ollie for the ride. It was a quick, less than 24 hour trip but we managed to squeeze breakfast in with my daddyo on Sunday. Somehow, I got through breakfast with only this photo...

 It's always so great to spend time with my parents and brothers. It was a whirlwind 3 days but it was perfect! Thanks to my aunts for a couple of these photos, we had a blast didn't we?!

Today I'm thankful
For an overcast day that makes it easy to be cozy and relax
For my little brothers who are also some of my favorite friends

xoxo
Joy

Breast Milk and a Mama's Pride

Source: edibleaustin.com via Joy on Pinterest

When my friend told me she cried the first time her little one took a bottle, my first response was to try and encourage her. "Don't worry," I said, "It will be nice to have the option, and nobody is forcing you to give it to her if you don't want to!" In my first couple weeks as a mama, when I was on the couch/bed/rocking chair with an infant on my boob constantly, the idea of a bottle every now and then sounded glorious. 

Well. Now I get it. 

Last night my tiny baby boy drank from his first bottle. He did really well. And mama cried. 

There's just something about knowing he doesn't fully and completely rely on me that makes me feel like a little piece of my heart is broken. I have a nagging voice in my head reminding me this won't be the first milestone that makes me feel like this...Oh my gosh. There's still kindergarten. His first sleep over. A driver's license. College. 

All this is making me search my heart. Am I putting my faith in myself as his mother instead of in God -- his creator? Is my pride taking over and insisting I can raise him and keep him safe in my own strength? Do I accept that Oliver is God's little boy; a precious gift that God chose us to take care of? Parenthood is very humbling. It takes daily reminders, like a bottle of breast milk, to keep me focused on my first purpose: to worship God. All of my other purposes will fall perfectly into place if I keep that one at the top. I can't be everything Ollie needs. And he can't be my everything, either. It's a huge calling to raise children. And while it's a top priority, motherhood isn't the only one on the list. I'm a child of God, Camillo's wife, and Ollie's mama. Isn't that a lot to take in? It can be overwhelming! But I'm thankful that Jesus wants to walk with me and teach me how to live a life that He's proud of. 

As for the bottle: While we plan to breast feed for at least a year, we know there will be occasions where I might be away from Oliver for more than an hour and a half at a time. For instance, this weekend is my mom's birthday and we want to go to see Wicked! I'll be able to enjoy the evening knowing that Camillo and Ollie are doing just fine having a boy's night in. And neither of them will be starving. Note to self: get Camillo something quick and easy to make himself for dinner..

It might take some getting used to but I think we'll all do really well having a second option to feed Ollie when absolutely necessary. Now date nights don't sound so impossible. And, to be honest, I feel better knowing it's okay for me to have a bit of time to myself every once in a while. 

Plus, it's really really sweet to see Camillo feeding Ollie. That man loves his boy. 

Let's hear it, mamas! Do you remember your first bottle experience with your littles? How did you feel?     

xoxo

Joy

Our little family was out and about on Saturday and Fall was definitely in the air. Brr! I'd been wishing we could go to Barnes and Nobles but since Camillo doesn't exactly enjoy scouring over the shelves for too long, I didn't mention it. Imagine my surprise when he asked if we could go! 

It felt so nice to be in the middle of all those books and I just wanted to soak it up. I scanned through the entrepreneurship section (what?!), the crafty books, the travel guides, and the funny non-fiction. Instead of filling a basket with books I'd like to read, I took pictures of each cover so I can look for them at the library. Usually, if I get half way through a book and decide it will be a good one to own, that's when I'll pay for it. Sometimes I wish I could read about 12 books at a time! 

What books have you read recently? Do you have a list of ones you're hoping to read soon?

A Little Reminiscing

Oh my goodness, you guys. Last night I just about went crazy with nostalgia. That seems to be a recurring feeling around this time of year. Am I the only one that this happens to??

I took advantage of Oliver's hour(ish) nap between meals and headed out solo to run a couple errands. My first stop was Starbucks to drop something off for my brother. The peaceful buzz of people visiting and sipping their evening drinks was so comforting under the dim lights. I wanted to stay and sit for hours! My next destination was Trader Joe's but first I had to drive back through town. I took the scenic route and felt so happy to see the 14 different shade of oranges and reds, yellows and browns. Isn't it beautiful? By the time I got back into Ballard, driving past church was another overwhelming sense of 'I've been here before and I remember it fondly'. This time last year I was well underway in my internship and also working at the gym that's right across the street. There were so many early mornings and late nights. With friends, coffee, meetings, projects, and holiday cheer to fill in between. To say the least, this little corner of Ballard holds a lot of sentiment. I was a busy lady but my days were full and my heart was glad.

Some may interpret 'nostalgia' as a longing to go back to a better time. That's not what I want. This season is just so much different than the last. I'm a stay at home mama who gets to raise her baby and build her apartment into a home for her family. These are the things I've always wanted and feel completely overjoyed to be where we are now. And I'm so thankful for the memories we've made. Stay tuned for next Fall when I'm writing a similar post on reminiscing about making apple pies with a baby wrapped to my chest, crisp walks holding Camillo's hand, and cuddling with both my boys while it rains and pours outside. Ah, what a life.

I'm not necessarily a bug person...

But I thought this was pretty freakin' cute.
Josiah's tiny pet cricket, Jiminy!
Little brothers are great, huh?

On another note, yesterday was one of the best days in a long time!
Let me break it down for ya...
630 Rolled myself out of bed
7-8 Met Merina for Spin Class and got my bum kicked!
8-9 Shower, dressed and breakfast smoothie
9-10 Morning devotions with Camillo
10-11 To the social security office to make my name change official (three years later?!)
11-230 At Starbucks with my computer and photos
230-330 Paper Source with Lanissa brainstorming baby shower ideas!!
330-545 With Mandy for a long overdue visit and foil retouch (wait, her foil wasn't long overdue - just our visit!)
545-630 Stuck in traffic over I-90
615 Got home to rush Camillo out the door to get to Stephanie's surprise engagement party before 7!!
7-8 Engagement Party Yahooo!!
8-9 Wind down with pop corn and a show.
Then we went to bed early!

Oh, it was a good day!
Now, I'm wobbling through the house, sore from yesterday's class, and tying up the loose ends for Cody and Danielle's wedding shoot!

What are you guys doing today?
xoxo
Joy

Here I Am...

From I Love Design via Etsy

Wow, I kind of don't know what to say.

But I'm back!

This last week has been pretty full with interning, editing, happy birthday planning, and figuring out how to arrange a schedule that has doubled in the last month.

I had to put things into perspective and prioritize my To-Dos.

Unfortunately, writing to you guys was the last thing I could get to in a day.

We're finding a rhythm and today feels less cattywampus (um, I totally made up the spelling of that word...)
I'm so happy to be here with you again.

Thanks for checking in on me while I was away!

I've got some fun things for you this week..things like a new outfit post, birthday photos, and an iced coffee recipe!

See you tomorrow..pinky promise :)

xoxo

Joy  

Get Happy

Today is gonna be a gooood day.
There's already been a lot to get me happy and it's only 11am.
Thanks, Jesus.

[source]

Sleeping in until 7.
Yeah, I'm kind of an early riser.
But sometimes it's nice to get that extra hour.

[source]

Running 6 miles with Vampire Weekend.

How has it taken so long for me to figure out they're the perfect running partners?!

Oh, and I'm ahead of schedule for my running goal (#12)..yahoo!

[source]

We're going to the zoo!

Camillo was excited when we woke up to a sunny morning.

"Maybe we'll get to pet the giraffes"

Aw, my little cutie husband.

This girl, and this girl, and their Awkward Thursdays.

See?
I'm a happy girl!
Now I need to get off this computer and into the shower.
It's time for the zoo!

xoxo
Joy