blessed.

I was recently blessed with the chance to spend a few precious hours enjoying one of my dearest and most precious friends. My sweet bud Kelly (Turner) Cavin and I became friends when we worked on staff together at the JH Ranch back in 2000/01. We met at a very tender time in both of our lives and have celebrated together in each other's weddings, in having children, and in experiencing life in over the years. She is from Georgia and lives in Alabama, but has family in the Los Angeles area, and comes out for a visit every couple of years. It has been great to catch up and grab a quick coffee, talk mommyhood, and just reminisce during her trips. Just a couple of weeks ago-while Kel was here for a photography seminar, I was blessed to hug my sweet friend, (and her sweet momma)...and be the subject of a photo shoot to test out her newly learned techniques. Of course I jumped at the chance to be photographed by Kelly...she really is one of the most gifted photographers I've seen. (Seriously Kel, you're amazing!!)

Here is one of the photos she captured of me and my sweet girlies:

And here is the link to the sneak peak she has posted on her blog:

http://blog.kalosphoto.com/2011/09/25/meet-elli-charlie/

I can't wait to get them up around my house! Thanks my sweet Kelly! Love you TONS girl!

Pinspiration

 I have decided that I will start posting pictures of my Pinterest inspirations as I complete them…one by one.  Call it my virtual checking off of my to-do’s. I love to cross things off my list!  Here’s what I’ve created so far:

1. I love these yarn letters...so cute!  I made this one for my dearest friend Crystal's little boy Gideon.  I added a button instead of the Etsy creator's idea for a little felt mustache.  But, you could do that too. I got all of my supplies at Joann's, and am finishing up one for each of the girl's rooms.

2. This button monogrammed pillow was for my friend Lana (a friend from Highschool) who recently got married, and coincidentally was my labor/delivery nurse with Charlotte!   I wanted to keep the colors neutral so that it would accompany any decor.  

That's it for now, I have other projects in the works though......until then! 

Birthday Bash-Brown Butter Risotto with Lobster

So....pretend that today is September 7th....
Happy Birthday HUBS!

Today is the 32^nd birthday of the most A-MAAAAAA-ZING hubby/daddy/friend in the world…my bubs…Jon Allen!  Today started as an ordinary day.  Jon went to his second job for a few hours, (thank you hubs), and then he and the girls relaxed for a bit while I got to cooking.  I wanted to do something extra special for him this year since I am at home and have a little more time to think about such things.  So, when I was grocery shopping, I picked up some lobster, and was inspired to create a decadent dish that I’d seen on an episode of Giada at Home on Food Network: Brown Butter Risotto with Lobster on the Food Network and Steamed Asparagus with shaved Parmesan.  Needless to say, it was to DIE for!  I had never attempted Lobster or Risotto, and I was thoroughly impressed with both the dish and my mad cooking skills!  I was so pleased!  Paired with a lovely bottle of Carnival Riesling (nostalgic from our trip to Napa with the Merritts'), it was one of our favorite dishes to date.  Below are a few pics of the food, the fun, and my favorite – Ellie feeding Jon his birthday dessert (as tradition in his family)-Red Velvet Cupcakes…which are NOT homemade this time (I had to cut corners somewhere people).   Notice the lovely, red “You are Special” plate that Jon is eating from.  It’s a family tradition of mine and I was excited to borrow it from my mom.  Every birthday growing up, we would eat a home-cooked meal of our choice on the famed red plate.  Love. It.

On August 16^th, Jon and I also celebrated our 8-year wedding anniversary.  I didn’t have a chance to collect my thoughts that day, so this tribute is a two in one!

-To my amazing hubby-Jon Allen, you are such a catch (inside joke)! I am more in love with you with every year God brings to our lives and marriage.  You are like a fine wine, ripening with age, or a SoCal day in the summer…HOT baby!  Okay, okay, enough of the corny one-liners.  Seriously though, you are my “magnificent strong man”.  I have loved watching you graduate college, play basketball in Germany, sight-see in Paris, journey through Med School and Residency, buy a house, and coach me through the miraculous birth of our two precious girlies!  Your example of selflessness as a father knows no bounds and I love watching God glorifying Himself through such an amazing person as yourself.  You are so gifted, so talented, so loving! I love listening to you laugh and I would do almost anything to hear the giggle you get when I say something really funny without realizing it.  I love you forever, and am so proud to be married to such a Godly man!  Happy Birthday bubs, and a Happy Anniversary too.  Thank you for marrying me 8 years ago. 

You are my champion!

With Love,

Bubbies  

Let's be honest...

Do you ever feel bowled over with inspiration?  Ya know, to the point that you’re stuck with what to pursue and how, and when?  I giggle when I hear people ask “Are you bored being at home all day?”  Are you kidding me?  While it has its definite moments of loneliness and isolation, it’s ANYTHING but boring.  Sometimes, I feel like I’m running from one thing to the next just to get things done in a day.  Sometimes, I spend all day just changing diapers, wiping noses and being the tickle monster – and it just flies by!

So, lately I have been ADDICTED (admission is the first step) to Pinterest.  I get on there and get all excited about the many fun ideas I see, and then my bad habits set in.  I am a chronic perfectionist and a procrastinator (a terrible combo), which often leaves me all pumped up and motivated to the point that I become paralyzed with the thought of having so many ideas, and not knowing what to do first.  This resulting in my making a massive “to-do” list and upon finishing, (realizing, of course, that naptime is over) I’ve made yet ANOTHER list, and I’ve accomplished nothing…again.

So, a few weeks ago, I decided I’d had enough of myself, and I started planning things out. Taking a couple of hours to plan things out for myself has resulted in a much less overwhelmed, still inspired, reading to take on mommyhood/crafting/blogging/cleaning/ya, I could do that too…”me”. 

I have decided that I HAVE to get better about blogging.  When I wait too long, I feel all the pressure (self-inflicted) to update on all the latest, and I become overwhelmed, and another day passes, and I get more discouraged.  So, I am going to approach this differently.  Each week, I am going to set the timer for 20 minutes.  Whatever I can accomplish in twenty minutes will get posted.  At least that way I will blog once a week, and be able to stay up to date.

My problem is that while most people have one or two interests that they really focus on at once, I have a gazillion…yes, that’s right…a gazillion. This year I have really committed to finishing whatever I start.  So, I am trying to start new things slowly, working them into my routine. 

Here’s what I’ve got so far: (over the past couple of months)

A WEEKLY CLEANING SCHEDULE: This way I don’t feel like “the house is always a mess”.  I have a day for each of the main rooms.  That way, I can play with my kids even though I want to vacuum because I know I have already carved out time for it.  This may sound insane or really anal, but when you stay at home, your home is your life.  I just want to feel like I have mine under control.  I’m really not that dedicated to cleaning-but I want to model good habits for my family.  Plus, my hubby an I can enjoy time together when he’s home instead of worrying about the “chores”.

A CRAFTING/BLOGGING/REST time:

I have carved out little opportunities to work on “me” stuff, including resting and relaxing.  I am still figuring out how to work in daily devotionals each day.  Sometimes it’s through praying with my kids, or while running errands, or listening to worship music, or nursing my sweet Charlotte.

A WEEKLY MENU:

So many moms I know (including my mom) operate on a weekly dinner menu.  It really helps in resisting the urge to eat out, plus it saves us money and I feel like I’m providing nourishing meals for my family.  I LOVED when my mom cooked when I was growing up, and I can count on one hand the number of meals we would eat out in a year.  She made the BEST food, and I love that tradition of cooking with your kids.  There’s something so therapeutic about cooking and I can’t wait to grow as a cook, and eventually share that interest with my kids.  Nothing’s better than seeing the smile on Jon’s face when he comes home to a yummy home-cooked meal.  The best reward in the world!  He makes me feel like a professional chef when he comments of my cooking, it’s so affirming!  Plus, Ellie has taking a recent interest in “m’kin dinur” with mommy.  I give her a spoon and a mushroom to “dice” next to me while I’m prepping, and she LOVES it!  Such precious moments with my little one!

TMOMS:

I just joined the mom’s group at Trinity Church, and I am so excited to be a part!  I have always wanted to join and am so grateful to have the chance this “semester”.  Every two weeks, we get together and pray, and eat, and fellowship and I am so blessed to have a “mommy outing” while Ellie enjoys her playgroup.  I am confident this time will nourish both Ellie and I, and will leave us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. 

Now that I have these basic schedules in place, I feel I am much more confident in knowing that “there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven” –Ecclesiastes 3:1.  It really gives me peace knowing that I am doing my best to make time for my God, myself, and my family…in that order too!  I know that I am useless as a mommy without getting filled up by my Heavenly Father each day.