Lyndsey's Visit

Lyndsey arrived on Friday morning...first stop: Burgerville! Yum, yum! A Washington native always needs a cheeseburger from that place upon arrival since you can't find one in California.
After lunch we went shopping...check out our new clothes!

Later that evening we met some friends for a few drinks...

We were lucky enough to spend some time with, not just one, but two of the Balholms!

Then Lyndsey started taking pictures...

Here's one on the way to Bonneville Spa where we enjoyed pedicures, and a soothing bath & wrap (there's nothing like a little pampering)...

Here's one of the beautiful Washougal river...

Here's one of my sweet baby boy...


and here's one of the beautiful tree in our front yard.

On Sunday evening Lyndsey cooked a delicious gourmet meal for us...the cooking gene must run in the family!

It was a menu of Caprice salad and apricot marinated pork chops topped with onion, mushroom, leeks, and cranberries...absolutely scrumptious!

We also had a late night visit with Katie who made our bellies ache with laughter!

Bye-bye Auntie Lynney...we miss you already! Come visit us again soon!

Kitchen Renovation

Before

In the middle

After
Over the past five days Jeff and I have been working on our do-it-yourself kitchen renovation. Our home was built in 1972 and the kitchen cabinets, range hood, and light over the sink had not been updated since that era. With tax return money in hand, Jeff and I decided to cut costs and "go green" by painting our kitchen cabinets instead of buying new ones. It was a tedious process of sanding, priming, and painting each cabinet, drawer, and all of the bases. We are so pleased with the results! The kitchen feels more open and airy now. We still have a few things to finish...but it's a huge improvement from our old, dark '70s style kitchen!

Photo Tag

I was tagged by my friend Natalie to post the sixth photo in my sixth photo folder...so here it is! I love this picture of my brother, Brett, holding Nicholas last August. Brett lives in Orlando, Florida so he doesn't get to see Nicholas very often and this was their first time meeting one another. Brett is also Nicholas' godfather so he holds a special place in our hearts.

Love you little bro!

Happy Birthday Lyndsey

Happy 29th birthday bestie!

I love you so very much and I hope you have a wonderful day! I can't wait to see you...I have a fun birthday surprise planned for you that's all about relaxation and rejuvenation and a little bit of luxury.

Enjoy the day that's all about you!

Cute!

I just had to post this adorable picture I found on google today to welcome spring. Nicholas loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle. In fact, you can see him reading it before bed in his 9 month photo (below right). So cute!

Nicholas Turns 10 Months

Today Nicholas is 10 months old...only 2 months away from his first birthday! It seems so incredible that our baby boy is growing up so quickly! I am amazed every morning when I get him dressed and realize that the outfit that fit him yesterday just won't quite fit him anymore.

Also, today is the first day of spring...yay! I am hoping this drippy Pacific Northwest weather will clear up soon and that the sunshine will come out and warm us with its rays.

The last thing that I am so excited about is that in exactly one week my best friend, Lyndsey, is flying in from California to spend a long weekend with us. Friday evening we are going to visit some friends from our days at WHS and Nicholas will have his first sleep over at Gramme & Grandpa's. On Saturday I have a fun birthday surprise planned for her, and Sunday will be a relaxing day at home with yummy food, movies, and such. I can't wait!

Sleeping In

Nicholas and I had a very pleasant morning today. He awoke at his normal time-7:15 a.m.-and had a bottle, burped, then wanted to cuddle with mommy. So I laid him down next to me in our bed and sweet baby feel right back to sleep, which is so unlike him! So since we don't have anywhere to be today, I snuggled up next to him and went back to sleep too...until 10:30 a.m! I cannot remember the last time I slept in past 8:00 a.m, but I am sure it was before Nicholas came along. Now Nicholas' nap schedule will be all wacky today, but I think it was worth it for some time to sleep in with my baby boy!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Nicholas and I wanted to wish everyone a happy Saint Patrick's Day! Put on some green so you don't get pinched, make yourself a traditional Irish dinner of corned beef and cabbage, and wash it all down with with a pint of Guinness. Don't forget to kiss the blarney stone for good luck, and try to see if you can find yourself a four leaf clover. While searching for that clover, if you spot a leprechaun, you'll have to be smart and quick to catch him so he can share his pot o' gold with you!

May the luck of the Irish be with you today!

One More Thing...

I logged off Facebook for lent. I miss it terribly.... and it doesn't help that Oprah was talking about it on her show today. Only 30 more days until I can log on again! Uggg...This is probably the biggest sacrifice I have made for a really long time.

But it's for a good reason right?!

Guess Who Has Teeth?

I know that this is a terrible photo and you cannot really see Nicholas' teeth in it...but they are there! He has had his two bottom middle teeth for over a week now and I wanted to wait and post a good photo of them, but try as I might, my camera just can't capture those cute little things. It doesn't help that Nicholas doesn't really want to leave his mouth open for too long- he doesn't let anyone get a good look at them!

Yay for new teeth!

Red & Pretty

We are finally getting to some of those minor home renovations that we have been talking about for, well, years. Last weekend I purchased some curtains for our sliding glass door which leads to the backyard and Jeff hung them up yesterday afternoon. I think they look so pretty! They are a significant improvement from the old white vertical blinds that have been there since we moved in!

More renovation photos to come...

Beautiful Prayer

The prayer above is one that is very close to my heart. It has provided me strength, courage, and God's love in times of need. As you read the the words you can listen to Sarah McLachlan's song version of this prayer. It has been played many, many times in our home in the recent months and continues to be more beautiful and meaningful each time I hear it.

Boing, Boing!

The jolly jumper arrived yesterday and Nicholas seems to really like it. He doesn't quite get how to bounce himself yet, but loves when mama bounces him! We're sure he will learn what to do soon enough!

Let Us Know You Stopped By

Many people tell us they love looking at the photos on our blog and reading about what we are up to. Many of those people never leave comments to let us know they were here. We just wanted to let all our wonderful readers know that even if you don't have your own blog, you can still leave us a comment. Just type your comment and click on anonymous, then write your name in your message.

C'mon and give us some love!

(We promise to send some back to you)!

Visiting GGma and GGpa

Yesterday evening we went and had a yummy pizza dinner at GGma (Great-Grandma) and GGpa (Great-Grandpa) Smith's house. They just got back from living in Arizona for the winter months and Nicholas was so excited to see them! GGma and GGpa couldn't believe how big Nicholas is now since he was only 4 months old when they left. We very much enjoyed our visit with them, although Nicholas was pretty crabby when I took these photos because his gums started hurting and he was ready to go home and go to bed.

So glad you're back GGma and GGpa!

Reformed Shopaholic

This afternoon I was watching Oprah and her topic was about people who spend money on a daily basis on things they don't need. One woman talked about the importance buying herself a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes for her 40th birthday which have been in her closet for more than 2 years and had never been worn. She spent $495 on them.

At one point Oprah made a comment that struck me:

"Having the best stuff is no substitute for living the best life."

In this economy many people are trying to be creative in ways to save a dollar. Our family is no exception. I clip coupons before I go to the supermarket, we very rarely eat out, we rent movies instead of going to the theatre, and when we purchase clothing we never pay full price. We do these things (and many more) in order to get ourselves out of debt, save money for our child's education, and to allow me to continue working part-time. However, while doing these things we realized that we really don't miss the stuff we used to splurge on anyway. It has actually strengthened our family bond. For example, Jeff and I often make dinner at home together. We open a bottle of wine and he slices and grates while I mix and stir. We have enjoyable conversations. It has helped us grow closer as a couple. We also find that we spend more time with friends and family doing things that are free...playing board games, talking walks around our neighborhood, and just spending time talking to one another.

I have not always been the spendthrift that I am now. Not by a long shot. Before I met Jeff I was what I would call a "shopaholic." I had Coach handbags (yes, more than one), designer jeans, and a closet full of expensive shoes. I would buy whatever I wanted without looking twice at the price tag. I ate out whenever I pleased, filled my home with stuff, and never felt happy. Yep, you read correctly...I had a ton of things but felt empty inside. I tried to fill up my life with stuff. The stuff was suppose to make me feel better about the crappy relationship I was in, the relationship that sucked all my happiness right out of me. All that changed when I met my husband. For the first time in my life (my relationship life) I was happy, truly happy and started not to care about what I wore because it just didn't matter to Jeff. He loves me for who I am-not what kind of purse I carry. It put everything in perspective for me. Then last May when we had our baby boy it further focused us on saving, saving, saving. It cemented the fact that our family is the most important thing in our lives. The time we spend together, the conversations we have, and the memories we make are priceless.

Not having so much "stuff" has simplified our life and made us realize all that we are truly blessed to have.

Rubber Ducky

Rubber Ducky, you're the one...
You make my bath time lots of fun...

Rubber Ducky, I'm awfully fond of you.