Dear Friday, please.

Dear Weather, please please stop raining so we can spend our long weekend outdoors instead of inside keeping dry. Dear Mom, I love having you up here. It's SO fun hanging out with you all the time and everything you do around the house is beyond words- helpful. You are amazing. Dear CrossFit, you look tough tonight and I really hope you don't make me throw up. Dear Neighbor's, thanks for keeping your lawns looking so nice and trimmed. The snow is coming soon but I've enjoyed the freshly cut grass and well manicure yards this Summer. So, Thanks for that.  Dear To Go Coffee Cup, why do you always drip at the top? Every. single. time. on. my. clothes.  Dear Mason, you are the best. I love you so much and this morning when you woke up and rested your cheek on my face for a few seconds-my heart melted. I love you. I love you. I love you. Dear hubby, I think you are the sexiest man alive. You make me feel safe, loved and complete. Football season is my favorite mostly because of how kid like you get with excitement over every single game/player/analysis/football anything. Dear friends, Thank you for coming by to this little space I love so much. You mean the world to me. Dear Friday, please go by fast so I can get to enjoying this long weekend with my family

 

Check out these lovely ladies with similar Friday posts. one and two!



Hope everyone has the best of weekends!!

Currently.

 

Loving: Almond Butter. Almond butter on toast. Almond butter and apple. Almond butter in my oatmeal. Almond Butter drizzled on popcorn. Almond butter. Almond butter. Almond butter.

Working On: Mason's baby book. It's taking me forever to create a single page because I get so side tracked admiring all his photos but I am determined to have it up to date by the end of the weekend!

Wanting: These boots from Alloy. I need them.

Reading: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Planning: An all-girls shopping trip to Anchorage! I really, really want to start putting actual outfits together instead of my usual jeans and top attire, so I've enlisted the help of one of my most fashionista friends, Julie, to help revamp my wardrobe. The mere thought of our upcoming shopping extravaganza makes me want to jump up and down right now.

Listening To: Need to Breathe and Kenny Chesney. Nice combo huh?

Thinking About: Becoming a family of four. You guys, I am totally having baby fever! Kevin and I go back and forth on when to try for another little one. Part of me wants to enjoy having only Mason for as long as possible and the other part of me wants to have another little one like, yesterday. We'll see.

Looking forward to: The three day weekend coming up. Homer. Bon Fire. BBQ. Projects. Relaxing. SOO looking forward to having an extra day with my family.

What about you? and a thanks to Danielle for inspiring these currently posts! 

8th month old update

My little baby isn't so little anymore.

8 months old today!

wow.

Sitting Up.

Scooting Around.

Late Night Giggles.

Rolling Over.

Wearing T-Shirts.

Discovering New Sounds.

Finding new facial expressions.

Laughing uncontrollably.

Early Morning Snuggles.

 Just a few of my most favorite things.

wow.

8 months old today!

My little baby isn't so little anymore.

 

 

Welcome to my Calm Delight.

 

Hello! Thank you so much for stopping by. Have I told you how much I appreciate you? I do!

You may have noticed the new blog name and design?? let me explain.

 

I'm what you might call.... indecisive. But only on the really important things, like, decorating my living room walls or choosing tan boots or brown, purple nails or pink? like I said, the really important things. So it's no wonder that after a year and half of buying our home, the walls are nearly bare and I have yet to purchase any boots- tan or brown. big. huge. SIGH. 

 

My indecisiveness brings me to my new blog design and name.  I've toyed with creating a new blog for quite some time. One that still documented my life but in a different way- a way that wasn't SOO personal.  For months I  scoured my brain for a new cute, catchy blog name and url. I wanted something that people would find adorable, but one that also captured who I was. I was putting ALOT into this name and what did I come up with??... drum roll..... NOT A THING! I didn't come up with a single good blog name which made me feel so, totally uncreative. big. huge. SIGH.

 

While in Arizona we had a meeting and the topic of The Joy of the Lord came up. One definition of the Joy of the Lord is: calm delight. The instant I heard it, I thought "that's it. that is perfect" Calm Delight captures exactly who I am and what my life is. Perfect.

 

So now the decision of creating an entirely new blog url to "launch" Calm Delight or sticking with  this space that I've already begun plagued my mind. I've gone back and forth on it for weeks and it wasn't until tonight that I actually felt a peace on what to do. 

 

With that, I am so excited to present my new blog title: Calm Delight. Finding joy in everyday moments and capturing them here.  I have some absolutely awesome things to share with you in the up coming months. A 31 gifts giveaway you won't want to miss, guest posts from a couple amazing ladies, healthy recipes, fitness tips, budgeting tools, fashion finds and all things mommyhood. (to name a few!) I can't wait to begin the new chapter on this space and am so happy to have you join me!  I'd really love to keep in touch with each one of you, so don't forget to sign in under my lovely friends!  Have the best night, morning, day!  xo.

Thankful for.

Today I'm thankful for the smell of freshly brewed coffee, Mason's laugh, my hair straightener, football season, meeting new friends, sunny days in August, Mom's cooking, purple nail polish, waking up next to my love, the feeling of accomplishment when mastering double-unders and kipping pull-ups, dental floss, a clean kitchen and grapefruit lotion.

What about you, what are you thankful for today?

On a Budget. On my Desire.

Starting a family is by far the greatest thing Kevin and I have done.  I've often heard friends say, "we're waiting to have a baby until we have enough money" I admire these friends for striving to be as prepared as possible, but let me tell you, you'll never have 'enough' money to have a baby.  You mama's out there- am I right?! Up until this point in our lives, Kevin and I have not lived off of a budget. That doesn't mean to say we've had an excess of money though- quite the contrary, our budget consisted of, paying bills and using our left over money on... whatever  we wanted! yeah, some budget! ha. When life was just US it didn't much matter if we had money in savings or any sort of plan ahead. It was just US. But NOW. We have Mason. We have a family.

It took Kevin and I two years before I got pregnant and I remember thinking at times, how unfair it was that I wasn't pregnant. But the Lord knew. He knew when the timing was right.  The Lord has been tremendously gracious with us in providing for us in ways we could never have imagined.  The Lord placed me in a job with a boss who allowed me to bring my newborn into work with me for the first 4 months. He gave my husband a job that allows him to be home in the Summer (he's a teacher!) and now that both the Mr. and I are back to work full time, The Lord brought my Mom up to Alaska to be with Mason while we work. Talk about providing!  Remember the 'budget' Kevin and I adhered to for all those US years? well it hasn't exactly allowed for either of us to quit our jobs cold turkey  but instead of throwing us under the bus, the Lord continues to bless us in the care of Mason.  Can you say, Thank you Lord?!
While, I know the Lord will always provide for us and always give us a peace and rest in whatever our situation is, my desire is not to work full time.  My desire is to be home with my son (and any future kiddos!) and work part time. Last month I had a heart to heart with myself and realized that if my true desire is to be at home and work only part time then it was time to get to it! It was time to figure out how I can get down to part time work and start the transition! So that, my friends is what I'm doing.
This is largely based on getting into, I won't say 'better' financial position, I'll say different financial position. The reason I'm even sharing all this with you, is because whatever your situation is- kids, no kids, money, no money, debt, no debt I think it's safe to say we all can welcome a few little money managing tips every now and again.
There is so much that goes into the in's and out's of having a budget and actually sticking with it and I have a whole set of tips to share on that, but for now.. here are the 4 basic steps we have taken to start the,  part time working mama transition phase:
1. Create a Budget. Yes, We have a budget now! And it's a zero dollar budget, meaning every single penny of our money is accounted for. Coffee Run? In the Budget. Hair Cut? In the budget. Mason's diapers? In the budget. Movie Rental? In the budget. Savings? In the budget. I'm serious, every single thing that we could think of spending money on is accounted for.  (ps. this is just the way WE have chosen because it works best for us, find a budget that will work for YOU)
2. Adhere to Budget. Simple enough? Takes a lot more dedication than I thought.. but worth it :)
3. Pay off Debt. We don't have a ton of debt, but we do have some misc credit card bills, a car payment-enough to make an impact on our monthly expenses, so we are focusing on paying those items off as quickly as possible.  (like I mentioned before, I have a whole post on how we are doing this and I'll be sharing that at a later date!)
5. Savings. After paying our bills, we put a certain percentage into savings each month.
As you can see, this is not rocket science. There is nothing elaborate about what we're doing.. but we are doing it and that feels good. The LORD is the one who provides for us in ALL ways and HE is the one who blesses us with children, money, jobs, activities, etc. So more than anything we continue to keep our focus on the Lord and have his perfect peace each and every day.

Right Now

* you may remember an almost identical photo I took of myself in this post,

but hey, we all have our 'go-to' outfits right!?

Hi. Good morning and very happy Tuesday to you! I'm taking a quick breather from my already busy morning at work to say, hello. I've SO been enjoying having my Mom here and we've been doing a whole lot of healthy cooking, staring at Mason and working out. Three of my most favorite things. Kevin is back at school with his students today. I am starting on my third cup of coffee and it's shaping up to be a beautiful sunny day up here.  Mason has been waking up at 5:45am lately- strange. He's so darn cute though, I can't help but go in and sit with him before I start my day so the 5:45 wake-up time, I don't mind. I'm seriously contemplating a garage sale this month so that's been on my mind too. Anyone have any good tips for organizing?? Ok, I have to get back to it. Have a fantastic Tuesday!

Thursday.

Hello friends! I've been in a funk the last week and haven't felt much like blogging. Maybe because there hasn't been all that much going on that's blog worthy? I don't know. That's entirely not true because there has been a ton going on.. ALL blog worthy! oh well. I haven't been feeling great lately. Maybe that's it.  Saturday afternoon was bliss though. Kevin, Mason and I had a picnic. We just all sat together, Mason laughed hysterically and buried his head in the blankets. Kevin and I gazed at each other. It was a real, movie type afternoon. you know? Anyways, it was the best. Since then, the only thing I've wanted to do is sit with Mason.  I feel like I just can't soak up enough time with him. Monday I was 30 minutes late to work because I was sitting on the floor playing with Mason, Tuesday I skipped CrossFit and.. sat with Mason. Can you sense the theme of my past few days? The only other thing I've wanted to do besides be with Mason, is decorate my house.  Which I've done and it's made me feel awesome.  BUUTT. it's time to get outta my funk. My mom flies into town tonight! Yes! We have a great weekend planned and I've got some great posts I'll be posting all next week, but for now I'm going to take another blogging break and see you back here on Monday. Have an amazing weekend!

If you really knew me

I've seen this post idea floating around the blog sphere the past few days so thought I'd join in. The topic of real life vs. blog life is a topic talked about often in the blog world.  While most of my readers are friends and family that know me in real life, there are those that actually only know me through this blog. So, for all of you, here's a little bigger sneak into who I am..

you'd know the single best day of my life was on Dec. 10th, 2006 when I was re-baptized.  I was baptized as a child and it did me well during my childhood and into my teen years. But as an adult I made the decision on my own, for myself. The moment I gave my life over to the Lord, completely, is when my life truly began.

you'd know that I don't like the city. The Lights. The Crowds. The Noise. No thanks.  Give me quiet. Give me a few close friends, chatting over hot coffee. Give me small town.

you'd know I can eat some serious Mexican food. Like. It's my favorite. Won't leave the table until I'm stuffed. Love it.

you'd know that I have to physically force myself to sit down and relax. I love, love, love filling my days to the brim with activities, errands, playtime, exercise, projects, etc.. but my hubs likes a far more simple of days. And since my days have gone from single me, to married me, to full time working, mama, wife me, I'm learning how to just stop, and just be.

you'd know my biggest aspiration is to earn a college degree.

you'd know that I leave bobby pins everywhere, I could live off of white tortillas and chocolate, that I feel most confident wearing jeans and a plain T-shirt, how my heart literally melts to pieces when I think of my son, that contrary to what I might say, I actually don't mind the harsh Alaskan Winter and that I l.o.v.e love every inch of my life.

What about you?

Passing by.

Now that I have a baby and stroller, walks are much more fun and much more frequent. I've tried to squeeze in as many as possible during these Summer months since they will be few and far between come November. I love walks. Mason does too. He drifts off to sleep or gazes out into the skyline as the trees pass by. Me on the other hand? I try and capture every bit of each house passing by, taking mental notes of the things I like. The shade of trim. The flowers in the front garden. The paint color. The deck railing. So specific to each house. My mind wanders as I daydream of all the things I want to do on our house. The deck I want to build. The cabinets I want to refinish. The garden I'll someday plant. The paint I'll touch up. The light fixtures I'll change.  All the lovely little additions that will make our house even more, ours. I love walks. Mason does too. We both get lost in the trees and houses as we pass by.

Mommy Bloopers Take 1.

I am so excited to begin this new feature called: The Mommy Bloopers; Confessions of a first time Mommy's Uh Oh's.

We all have them- The Oops. Uh Oh. Oh Crap moments of mommyhood. So I thought, why not start compiling them here for a few laughs?! I mean, if we can't laugh at ourselves then what's the point?  I'd SO love it if you joined in with me! (I'm assuming I'm not the only mama out there with a few Uh Oh moments??) If you do, link back in the comments so I can check out your Mommy Uh Ohs and if you don't have a blog but want to share a funny Oh Uh.. leave a comment :)

Mommy Bloopers Take One...

The night before our first plane ride with Mason we rushed out the door, drove 3 hours to Anchorage and then had a 3am wake-up call to get our nephew and niece to the airport. I hadn't anticipated Mason would actually wake up at 3am. But, He did. Darn. Up at 3am, our flight didn't leave until 7:20am. That's cause for one tired baby. Well, at least the plane takes off around Mason's first feeding, so take off should be a success- I thought.

So there we were. Packed in the airport shuttle starting our long journey of the day.  I felt the tension in my back release as my mind filled with ease as I skimmed through my diaper bag. Food. Check. Toys. Check. Ticket Check.. Diapers... 

me: "Ah..did you grab the diapers from the car?"

hubs: "oh shoot. No I didn't"

me: " WHAATT??"

long pause

followed by

 frantically ripping through my diaper bag.

followed by

long silence

as calmly as I can sound: "We have 1 diaper and 9 hours of travel time."

inhale.

exhale.

me: "nightmare."

So there we were.

And as if on que, Mason pooped precisely as we got settled neatly into our seats on the plane (the wrong seats I might add--a story for another time)  So now I have a fussy baby with a turd in his diaper and zero diapers to change him into. oh crap.  Time to get creative.

me: "this is what we're going to do, we're going to open Mason's diaper, I'll grab the poop nuggets and put them in the plastic bag...and he'll just have to wear the diaper again."

hubs: "uh.. ok"

Yeah. That was my genius idea.

Remove the turds from his diaper.

Shaking Head.

But.

That's exactly what we did.

Wipe in hand, I grabbed each little turd in Mason's diaper and placed them in a plastic bag. And all button backed up he went. I only felt like the WORST mother EVER for having to make my sweet baby wear the same diaper. Sigh.

OK. Made it through the first plane ride. Land in Seattle. 1 hr. lay over. Time for food... oh and another poop by my son.

Sigh.

Luckily this time I was able to remove Mason's turds in the privacy of a bathroom stall and not on an airplane. Yeah, I only felt like the WORST mother EVER for having to make my sweet baby wear the same diaper he had pooped in twice.

OH MY GOSH.

Can you say, Mommy- Uh oh?!

Sigh.

Oh Happy Sunday

Love my Sundays. Church. Friends. Chili. Football. Lounging. What could be better. Maybe Beach? Next Sunday.  Hope everyone had wonderful weekends. I'm shutting down this computer and spending some snuggle time with my boys.  See you back here tomorrow.

CrossFit 101

I've been meaning to write this post for quite some time and when I got a comment from one of my oldest and dearest friends, Tiffany (HI Tiffany!) asking about it, I knew it was time to post about CrossFit. (Added in are misc pics of fierce woman doing fierce CrossFit work-outs..for your enjoyment and motiavation)

So, What is CrossFit?

CrossFit describes its strength and conditioning program as "constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements". They combine movements such as sprinting, rowing, jumping rope, climbing rope, weightlifting, and carrying objects; they use barbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, medicine balls and many body weight exercises. These elements are mixed in numerous combinations to form the work-outs of the day (aka- WOD). Work-outs are intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. 

In other words.. CrossFit is Awesome. Seriously. It is.

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What I love most about the CrossFit program is that it takes the focus off weight  and puts it on strength, conditioning and overall fitness. Don't get me wrong, if you want to lose weight you absolutely will but, it won't be the focus.  You may recall me talking a lot about the bootcamp class I used to go to. I won't say a bad thing about it because I got great results but what I will say is this; I dreaded going. It was not fun.  I knew I'd get the results I wanted (ie. lose weight, thin out) so I kept going. But I really didn't like it.   With CrossFit I seriously cannot wait to do the WOD. Honestly.  The BOX I am a member at posts the WODS online each day so I can sneak a peak at what hard work I'm in for. There have been several days that I've planned on not going to CrossFit for one reason or another but when I saw the WOD it looked so fun I just had to go! Think: Flipping Massive Tires Over, Box Jumps or Rope Climbs Etc. 

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The Wods have so many different fitness dynamics you never, ever get bored.  It's addicting.. in a really good way. 

Do you remember playing sports as a kid? The feeling of no limits?  I call CrossFit the adult sport that everyone can do.  You don't have to already be strong. You don't have to be an athlete. You don't have to be 'in shape' before starting. CrossFit will get you there. It is scalable for every single person. Don't believe me? My Mom and Dad are 61 and CrossFit. I CrossFit along side a guy who can deadlift over 400lbs. Trust me, it is scalable.  You will get results!

Like any fitness program, there are a lot of negative critics talking bad about the program.  Take it all with a grain of salt.  (Just like this post!)  Just know your limits. Work up to heavy lifting.  And don't let any negative talk shy you away from trying CrossFit!

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For me, CrossFit is a program that is not only giving me the weight goals I want, the strenght I desire, but it is new and FUN every single time... And it's something I can do with my hubs which is an extra bonus. I mean, who doesn't like getting sweaty with their hubs?!?

So here's my suggestion if you are a tad curious about the CrossFit Rave...

1. Go for it!

2. Let me know what you think!

I've got loads to share on CrossFit and my 'diet' plan in the upcoming months so stay tuned!

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