Hourly Schedule Printable

So…the hourly schedule thing was a huge success today! I ended up having to scratch my last hour’s goal since Caleb is super cranky today and he’d finally fallen asleep – there was no way I was going to wake him up to go to the post office!

Looking forward to doing it again tomorrow. I feel so much more relaxed at the end of the day knowing I achieved my goals. In a fit of celabratory madness, I made a printable so my daily schedule can look pretty too. Feel free to steal, share, and enjoy it :)

click here to access printable

If you’re on Pinterest, would you please Pin this post? Thanks!!!

Dear Caleb: Bath Time!

I just had to share this video of the little monkey in his washPOD. He LOVES it! He likes to sit up by himself, splash around, and hold the wash cloth (he’s extremely tactile!). And, of course, I made the classic faux pas of filming vertically. Oh well, next time.

Since this is probably the most random post ever, it’s perfect for linking up with Carissa @ lowercase letters!

DISCLAIMER: I haven’t been asked to review the washPOD, but we think it’s pretty awesome!

She Is More Precious Than Rubies

You know those days when you can’t help but just admire someone? I’ve had a lot of those lately.

My dad has taken his role as patient very seriously and is spending each of his days and nights reading his bible, praying, and encouraging all of us.

My sister is in her sophomore year of college, studying hard and fulfilling her role on the volleyball team, all the while dealing with the emotional ups and downs of the last few months.

My grandma went home today after spending over a month caring for my parents and making sure the house was a restful place for recuperating.

Keith has been an incredible support. Five years ago, he was the patient, but now he has effortlessly taken up the role of supporter. He has kept me laughing over the last few months and has held me tight in the tear-filled moments of darkness and fear.

But the one person that has left me speechless is my mom. She has no clue this post is in the works, so I may get my wrist slapped, but you need to know how amazing she is.

When dad first got his diagnosis, I think mom struggled more than any of us. She has lost more than her fair share of people to cancer and this seemed like an insurmountable struggle.

And yet she has faced this challenge with humility and strength. [I’m sure she’s either giggling or crying at that last sentence; we’re really good at doing both simultaneously!] What she doesn’t realize is how many gifts she has; God has already prepared her for this difficult season. She is a steadfast source of strength for my dad. In a conversation the other day, I almost started to cry by her love and faithfulness to him.

We were discussing dad’s liposarcoma (an extremely aggressive cancer of the fat cells) and she said something to the effect of her realizing dad has more to accomplish before he goes to heaven and she will do everything she can to help him fight until he has attained his goals.

She has taken her role as wife seriously, but has also made it a priority to care for herself.

It can be so difficult to ask for help, but she has surrounded herself with people who stay up at night to help dad with his medications so she can sleep, do work around the house so she doesn’t have to, bring meals so cooking isn’t a worry, and spend time with her and dad to recharge their batteries.

And somehow she still manages to find the time and energy to encourage my sister and I to stay focused on our own individual challenges. She hasn’t allowed the chaos of recent events to overshadow the excitement of McBaby’s impending arrival.

It may seem totally random for me to blog about this today, but I felt like it was important to share how much I admire my mom and how she challenges me to love and care for the people around me more deeply each day.

Love you, mom.

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linked with Carissa @ lower case letters.

Baby Registry

I was totally that pregnant lady that found out she was expecting and then a week later was thinking, “what the heck do I register for?!” Luckily I have an awesome friend with two young kiddos who came with me. We trekked off to Target and had way too much fun with the little gun.

We ended up creating registries at Target (since they are nation-wide) and Amazon.com (cloth diapers are cheapest there).
I put a little bit of everything on the list, but there were definitely a few must-haves. Once McBaby comes I’ll do a more extensive post on what items were worth it. I also made a wishlist on Etsy for a few fun items.

Here are a few things I’m excited about: (click the image for the source)

I mean seriously, who doesn’t want a baby-sized hammock?!!

I am so excited for this book. It took all I had not to read this book pre-pregnancy.

How cute will McBaby be bathing in this?! Plus, it’s basically a bucket, so it’s multipurpose!

This crib is pretty awesome. It folds flat and can be transformed into a toddler bed as well.

      We made the mistake of pushing a “B.O.B.” stroller and discovering that it folds up with one hand. I’m so excited that my Dad’s family got us one. It doesn’t hurt that it’s named after my father-in-law and the “Ironman” brand is kind of fun :)

Blendtec – our blender is about to bite the dust. I love make soup and smoothies in it and I really want to make baby food, so it’s time to join the blender big leagues!

Loving this diaper bag! I’m thinking I’ll get it with navy blue accents instead of grey. Either way I’m excited to have something a little different and funky. Plus, it’s machine washable!

Since I’ll have my very own newborn model, I’m going to start investing in some more props – like these cheesecloth wraps. He’ll look so cute all swaddled up in a basket :)

I definitely want to get a stacking ring with McBaby’s name and birthday and I love the simplicity of this one. It’s thin enough that I can add one for each kid without being overwhelming.

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So there you have it – my random thoughts on registering for baby stuff. I’m interested to see which things I actually end up using (like the four different kinds of pacifiers!).

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June Questions (and Answers)

1. What’s your favorite free thing to do with your family?

Hike or just be outside.

2. What project in your house are you wanting to get finished or…ahem….start?

The nursery.

3. What are your top 3 favorite phone/iPad apps?

Red Box, IMDb, and Bejeweled.

4. What is your favorite post from last month? {June}

When in Vegas… – it’s always fun to remember the adventures from when family comes to visit!!

5. What is your go-to fast food restaurant?

That’s a tough one…I like Taco Bell, In & Out, and Sonic, for so many reasons, but when I’m on the East Coast and need a hot drink, I run straight to Dunkin’ Donuts!!

6. What clothing style do you love?  Find a picture on-line that describes the clothing style you like best.

Simple and classic with a touch of preppy and glam.

source

7. What attribute of God are you clinging to most these days?

His trustworthiness. For one of the first times in my life I can say I’m truly trusting him and not worrying!!!

8. When you think of junior high, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Big hair, geeky glasses, braces, & no sense of style.

9. What is your favorite summer dessert?

Ice cream! Or strawberry shortcake :)

10. What is your favorite picture from last month? {June}

I had to choose two since there were so many!

I had fun learning to take pictures of fireworks :)

I couldn’t believe that I happened to take a picture right when this little guy swam over and looked at me after doing laps around the pool!

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It’s the beginning of the month, which means I’m linking up with akers of love and

First Monday of “Retirement”

Yup, it’s official. My years with “teacher” as my main title are now over. I am “first-day-of-school” excited/nervous for all the new and wonderful changes that are about to happen. The biggest change for now is that I get to determine my own schedule each day! Here’s all the miscellany things I’m up to today:

.a traveler’s guide to hope.

Saturday night I slept for about 3 hours. I attribute it to the fact that somehow I pinched a nerve in my left shoulder and had shooting pains through my left arm and could feel my hand. By the time I got out of bed I was in no shape to go out in public because even if I could find a comfortable spot to sit in church, I would not have been able to stay awake.

So today I’m listening to the sermon I missed and so thankful for the technology that makes it possible. Curious to hear what Ty preached about? Check it out here.

.hammock.

When Keith asked if I wanted anything from Nicaragua, it was a no-brainer: a hammock and art!! He found some really neat feather art that I’ll show once it’s framed and hung, but I LOVE this hammock! It’s so so soft and I can’t wait to use it. Too bad I’ll have to wait a year until we live in a place where we can hang it!

.projects from last week.

I found these lamps and hung the curtains behind the bed to cover some awkward windows. Now that Keith’s home I’ll get the headboard put up. I love how it all turned out – it’s such a relaxing space (even in poorly lit phone photos :). Next project is to find some real side tables and not the small book shelves I got in college that are falling apart!

I also got books unpacked and shelved and bough end tables for the living room, but they need a little love still.

.breakfast.

Making the most of my first morning with eggs, tater tots, bacon, applesauce, and coffee from Keith’s trip to Nicaragua! Yummers :)

.projects for this week.

I’ve got to get McBaby’s room in order because it’s got a pullout bed for my sister to sleep on when she gets here in 1.5 weeks! Other than that I’ve got to hang the shelves and refinish the end tables. I found the tables at a consignment furniture store and was so excited because they are solid wood and in great condition! The only thing is that they are painted that hunter green color made popular in the 90s, so they’ll get a fresh coat of navy blue to liven them up a bit!

.zoloft.

Back on Zoloft for a week now. I was desperate for the meds. I didn’t want to take it during pregnancy, but my anxiety was really getting out of control. I was turning into the Hulk; I was responding with ridiculous amounts of anger to almost everything. I was being so mean to Keith and it’s like I was living in a haze because I didn’t even realize how I was behaving until it was too late. Stupid brain chemical imbalance.

That said, now that I’m back on the meds, I’m feeling great. The last week of school wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as it would have been otherwise. Definitely a good decision!

.tony awards.

from google.com search

Since I was picking Keith up from the airport last night, I didn’t get a chance to watch the Tony Awards (the only awards show really worth watching). Today I’ll be scouring YouTube for clips of the performances and winners :)

.sleeping in.

I am planning on enjoying every single moment of sleeping in before McBaby determines my sleep schedule. Enough said.

.little boys.

I enjoy every moment spent with these two little boys. They are so smart, funny, and special. Even those moments when they aren’t so perfect make me so excited for when McBaby comes!

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So that’s what we’ve been up to…

*sigh* I hate it when life gets this crazy. So, I figured Miscellany Monday would be the perfect opportunity to give the snapshot version of the last month.

Warning: my brain is way to scrambled to do this in chronological order!!

.skiing.

We got to go skiing in Utah on Easter. A super special memory with my college roomie and her husband. Too bad the rental guys didn’t believe me that I had humongous calf muscles and I had to go back and exchange my boots.

.pride.

Said skiing trip was a huge milestone for me personally. My first skiing trip (in high school) was quite emotionally scarring, so the fact that I gave it another go was a huge win in the pride and anxiety columns. More on that later.

Also, it was pretty awesome to show off a couple times because Keith had a picture in his head of me being a terrible skier, but it helps that dancing muscles and skiing muscles are the same :)

.resident retreats.

We got to hang out with these awesome people on a 2nd Year Resident retreat a few weekends ago. Always good times! And I love the little photo bomber in the background :)

.valley of fire.

The retreat was our first time to Valley of Fire. We had a great time discovering a new place and I had fun trying some night time photography!

And Keith enjoyed some quality time with a flashlight.

.family photos.

I loved taking pictures of these two cuties. I’m so thankful for all the family and friends that have helped me build my portfolio! Huge giveaway coming soon – I think it’ll get posted the last week of school. Be ready!

.moving.

We moved two weekends ago. For some reason this picture is my favorite.

This was my absolute favorite moment of the day – the truck pulled around the corner with the chair precariously balanced right on the edge. Physics at work!

We feed our people well.

.gphltb.

Several weekends ago, our church had Sunday morning service outside in a local park. It was called “Grace Point Has Left The Building”. I was really thankful to take some pictures to document the event.

The worship team rocked it in the great outdoors!

It’s always a huge blessing to serve with so many people. And I get all nerdy excited that we all have matching t-shirts!

A huge spread of food for some time to relax together and enjoy Sunday afternoon.

.baptisms.

I’ve had lots of opportunities lately to take pictures for our church events. I LOVE IT! It’s been a fun little niche and a great way to keep honing my skills. We had baptisms yesterday and I am really happy with how the pictures turned out.

.flowers.

I just love how simple and beautiful these flowers are.

.gluten.

So, at one point I thought my gluten intolerance had cleared up due to pregnancy. Definitely false. My symptoms are not nearly as bad as before I was pregnant, but it still kicks me in the butt. No daily dose of gluten for me, but at least I know I can survive if my only choice for a meal has wheat!

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I guess that’s all for now! Linking up with Carissa at lowercase letters:

 

The Adventures of Becky and Nizmo

I’m dog sitting this weekend, so I get to hang out (and snuggle) with this Super Dog :)

Friday after school I picked him up from doggy Day Camp. It was the cutest thing; he saw me coming through the window, was confused why I wasn’t his mom or dad and then got crazy out of control excited that Auntie Becky came to pick him up! We got outside where he was further confused as to why we weren’t taking his car home, but he decided he’d get in my car anyways.

He’s such a good car-rider, he sat still the whole time!

He even gives dry kisses :)

When we got back to Josh & Ana’s, he looked all over the house for them. He even looked under all the pillows before he gave up.

And then he realized how tired he was from a day of playing hard and just gave in.

Since it’s (finally) spring break, I have given in to snuggling and napping regularly.

On a more random note, I cut my bangs this weekend. Still not quite sure what I think:

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Miscellany Monday: Artichoke Adventures

Let’s just say today was not a great day at school.

When I got home I remembered I had two fresh artichokes in the fridge – day redeemed! As I was about to start preparing them I, *gasp*, remembered I’d forgotten to get a steamer basket for our big pot. I know, we live in the dark ages over here, surviving cooking for two people without a steamer basket for almost 4 years.

We set off to Target on a “wild Monday night adventure date to find a 10 inch steamer basket”. Yup, it was that exciting.

Since Target is awesome, we found exactly what we (I) was looking for. It even has little rubber feet and an extension handle for deep pots.

from google image search

I rushed upstairs, snipped away at the artichokes and set them to boil in some water, lemon juice, garlic, and bay leaf. It’s starting to smell rather tasty in here :)

You’ve got to chop the ends of the artichoke off and trim down the stem to about one inch.

It’s not necessary to cut off the thorny tips, but it sure does look pretty that way :)

People make all sorts of fancy dips for artichoke, but I prefer butter. We’ll see, maybe I’ll find a healthier option I like more.

ADDENDUM: I ended up mixing some mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and sugar. OMG. I’ll never dip in butter again!

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Over at Miscellany Monday Carissa’s having a super cute giveaway. Check it out!

Relaxation Weekend

Can you tell how excited I was to have a weekend of total relaxation?!

And how much more excited I was to see that Keith was already filling up a bath when I got to our Staycation destination?!

It was too cold to take advantage of any of the pools, but we did enjoy the hot tub near the waterfalls. Ahhh…nothing like a little relaxation after the crazy 9 weeks of Keith on inpatient (a.k.a. 90 hours work weeks).

Happy to have 3 whole days TOGETHER and enjoying the cozy robes before getting massages. How did it take us this long to realize how therapeutic massages are? Crazy, I know!

Recipe for relaxation: swimsuit, a book, and lots of water!!

We went for a few long walks around the grounds and enjoyed the sun (even though it was a bit chillier than we had anticipated).

Lots of huge Koi in the pond. I couldn’t help but think of the “Koi Pond” episode from The Office. Haha. I love that episode.

Love this one!

So thankful for this awesome dude and the adventures we have together.

Had some fun with the camera.

*Sigh* Why do I have such a hard time relaxing without greenery?

So thankful to be spoiled this weekend…an incredible breakfast came with our room and Keith’s patient didn’t go into labor!

Oh, the lovely water features! Green things and water, how I’ve missed thee!

What did you do to make the most of three days? Keith may have bribed me with Watermelon Sour Patch candy to go see The Vow with him. It was better than I had anticipated, but I’m still a slapstick kind of girl.

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