Valentines Day

Now with two kiddos I feel like the days, weeks, and months go by faster than ever. There are days when I feel like I just can't keep my head above water and when that happens I try to take a moment to just appreciate all that God has given to me and be grateful for my wonderful life. I really am so blessed and I hope that my joy is evident to those around me and also contagious (unlike this cold I seem to have acquired in the past 24 hour hours). So I hope that you will take a moment this Valentines Day to just breathe and share your love with not only your friends and loved one, but with the world. Happy Valentines Day!

Emergency/Disaster Preparedness

Over the years we've had a few big storms but luckily our home was always spared from damage and our power rarely went out for more than a few hours. That being said we never really prepared ourselves for a major disaster and every time the weather reporter on the local news would start warning of an upcoming storm I would always start to panic and would rush to the store for a few items. After seeing the devastation that Hurricane Sandy caused I decided it was finally time to create and emergency/disaster kit for our family. While indulging in my favorite past-time, browsing Pinterest, I found a link to a emergency kit that was created by a Pediatrician. Being that I have two young children I figured her kit had to cover all the most important things to keep our family healthy and safe. 

http://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/advice/emergency-preparedness/

I set out immediately by getting my husband, the eternal optimist, on board. The author warned that this kit cost upward of $350 which was a little hard for him to swallow. But thankfully he humored me and gave me his blessing. Happy wife, happy life....right?! I got to work that very day because I knew that if I let any time pass I would lose the worry and it wouldn't get done. I compiled a list of all the things we would need, wrote out lists of what to get and where and then headed to the store. I was able to get most of the things I needed at Costco, Target, Sports Authority, and the local grocery store. There are only a few items left on my list that I will have to pick up the next time I go to Home Depot (duct tape, and plastic sheeting).  After unpacking all my loot I started loading everything into plastic totes. 

I made sure to note expiration dates for everything in the kit so I could refresh items as needed. 

I even went as far as to organize my totes so the items that are going to expire first are on top so that I can easily find them and replace them with new items when needed.

It did cause me some anxiety to spend so much time thinking about a worst case scenario, but as items went into the totes, my worry started to melt away. It feels really good knowing that if something terrible did happen, we would be as ready as possible. 

I pray that we will never have to use this kit, but in the event that we do I hope that my planning will not only help our family but may assist others as well. I highly suggest everyone create a kit for their family. Stay safe!

Fall splendor

Fall has finally arrived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and I couldn't be more thrilled. Something about this time of year speaks to my soul. Summertime is beautiful and there is no shortage of fun things to do in this neck of the woods, but I always look forward to Fall. I love the crisp cool air, the amazing array of colorful leaves, how the rain leaves the air smelling so fresh and clean, snuggling up next to the fire with a cup of tea and a good book, and cooking delicious comfort foods for my beautiful family. The slower pace is always a welcome change to the craziness of summer.

As I write this entry my attention is pulled towards our large window where I see trees baring leaves of all shapes and colors dancing gently in the breeze seeming to welcome the light drizzle falling upon them. I am grateful for this quiet moment. Most people think I'm crazy to love the rain, but after a 1 year stay in Arizona I have a new appreciation for how beautiful the Pacific Northwest is and how much I love being able to experience 4 distinct seasons. None of this would be possible without the rain. I hope you all are enjoying this special time of year as much as I am.

Welcome Greyson James!

Seeing as I haven't updated my blog in about 9 months, I have once again proven that I am a horrible blogger. Much has happened since my last blog entry, the most exciting of which was welcoming our baby boy, Greyson James on April 26, 2012. He is an absolute joy and we are so in love with him. Ashlyn has been a great helper and so far she and Greyson absolutely adore one another. Don't get me wrong, we have had our trials as she tested our limits shortly after his arrival. But thankfully I think we are through the worst of it. In the past 5 months we have not only adjusted to life with two kids, but we also decided to rent a bigger house and rent out our home in Redmond. It was quite the task to pack up and move with a two and a half year old and a 3 month old, but we did it and it feels great to have more space. We love being closer to most of our family and friends and I am taking full advantage of having a bigger and nicer kitchen (I will be blogging about my favorite new recipes soon).

As fall starts to set in we look forward to Salmon Days, a trip to Remlinger Farms, and our first ever family trip to San Diego where we will also be visiting Disneyland. My cup runneth over with blessings!

SoulPancake

I purchased this book after seeing Rainn Wilson on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday program. While he is extremely witty, he is also very spiritual, smart, and love's pondering life's little mysteries. This book is full of fantastic questions that make you ponder your own beliefs and why we do the things we do.

I had a fantastic time going through this book and reflecting on my own beliefs but had the most fun sitting down with Jeremy one evening to ask him the same questions. It was a great way to get to know each other better and connect. With questions like, "What's more powerful in a song-the music or the lyrics?", "Is unconditional love a myth?", and "What things in life should always remain a mystery?" you have all the makings for a great conversation.

I highly recommend this book for everyone. Very interesting and full of great activities to go along with different subject matter.

Welcome 2012!!!

For the first time in many years I entered the New Year without any fear or anxiety as to what the future holds. I was a cool as a cucumber when the clock struck midnight which I took as a sign of things to come.


2011 was a good but challenging year in a lot of ways. I struggled with some depression and anxiety for the first half of the year which was hard on so many levels. While it was difficult, so many great things came of it. It made me question a lot of my beliefs about what was important to me and where I wanted to be not only in the present but also in the future. Jeremy and I really reconnected and I feel like I'm much more present for Ashlyn and attune to making sure my own needs are met. I finally had an "Ah-ha" moment when I realized that I am an absolute control freak. I would stress and worry over every little detail in our lives, whether Jeremy's job was going to continue to go well, if we were going to be able to buy a bigger house soon, if the tree behind our house was going to fall into Ashlyn's room during a storm. The list of worries went on and on, and I was a mess. I finally realized  that if I wanted to be happy and at ease I needed to stop swimming against the current of the universe and trust that god has a plan and will care for us along the way. Since this realization my mind is clearer and I feel like the huge weight on my chest has been lifted. I feel extremely optimistic about the future and I'm just so thrilled to be enjoying the present for the first time in a long time.


With 2012 finally upon us I wanted to continue on this path of personal growth so rather than create a list of unrealistic resolutions I decided to create some intentions for continued personal growth and betterment. Here they are in no particular order; 


1. Strive to be more present in every social situation.
2. Step outside my comfort zone and speak to more strangers.
3. Take time for myself once a week.
4. Read 1 book per month.
5. Approach each situation and each person I encounter with love.
6. Share only positive energy with those around me.


We have so much to look forward to this year and I know that this will truly be a year to remember and celebrate. I wish the same for you all!!!

Autumn blessings!

Once again it's been over two months since my last post. I really need to make this more of a routine so I don't have so much to update each time. 


Well, Fall has finally arrived and I couldn't be more excited. Fall is my absolute favorite season and we have been taking full advantage of all that Fall has to offer. 

In September we took a trip to Seabrook, WA and spent a quiet weekend at the beach.

We took this picture on our visit to the beach but had to keep it under wraps until this past week when we finally were comfortable sharing the "big" news with the world.

Ashlyn and I have been trying to take advantage of nice fall days by visiting local parks. Here is Ashlyn trying to turn a toad into a Prince at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens.

During a family outing to the Arboretum we enjoyed the fall foliage and Ashlyn had a great time playing Peek-a-boo.

Neither Ashlyn nor Jeremy had ever been to Salmon Days in Issaquah so we made sure to go this year. We had a great time watching the parade and enjoyed all the yummy street fair food.

And most recently we took a trip to Remlinger Farms. Here is Ashlyn posing amongst the pumpkins.

My sweet little kitty!

Ashlyn's favorite attraction was the hay maze. I think she would have spent the whole day in there if we'd let her.

We have had a great time enjoying all the fun fall activities but have also managed to find some quality down time with friends and family. As things calm down before we head into the busy holiday season we are counting our many blessings and enjoying every moment together.