Multiply Life By The Power Of Four: September 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014

Hard-Working Hubby's Visit to Alaska

From September 4th-20th, Jeff was working in Wrangell, Alaska.

Kiewit sent him to help with mechanical and welding work on one of their jobs. He worked 15 out of the 16 days he was there, with only one day off, but you will never hear him complain because the pay was good and he loves to keep busy.

He sent me some gorgeous scenic photos...

and a couple of the job site...

The fog beyond the job site is simply magical looking

On Jeff's one Sunday off, he was able to go fishing with some of his co-workers and he caught a 140 lb. halibut!

He brought about 40 lbs. home with him, so we've been enjoying halibut dinners in the last week since he has been home. Tonight's menu consists of fish tacos. Mmmmm.

I was so happy to his face after sixteen days away. I snapped a quick photo immediately when he got into the Suburban.

So, so, so extremely happy to have him home! He enjoyed his time working in Alaska, but we all missed him so much!

Saturday, September 6, 2014

My First Stitch Fix

A few weeks ago, a friend suggested something called Stitch Fix to me. It's an online fashion site where you fill out a style profile and a personal shopper picks five items they think you will love and ships them to you on a preferred date.

I received my first fix last week and I have to say that my stylist did an amazing job. I linked my style board from Pinterest to my preference page and my stylist took time to look through it and choose clothes that really suit me.

I got an ikat scarf, emerald green skinny jeans, a black blouse, a striped sweater, and a denim jacket. I had requested that my stylist send me green jeans and I couldn't have been happier with the ones she picked out. They fit perfectly and are the most beautiful shade of green that will be perfect for fall and winter.

I love the style guide they ship with the clothes for suggestions of how to wear each item. It's super helpful for someone like me who likes to see the potential in various outfits using the same piece.

Ultimately, I only kept the green pants and the striped sweater. I would have kept it all but I already own a denim jacket I love, I have more scarves than I know what to do with, and the black blouse was super cute but also super wrinkly and I hate ironing.

I absolutely cannot wait for my next fix! I think this is one of the best inventions ever. Being a busy part-time working mommy with two young children, I don't often get to higher-end retail places to try on and buy clothing. I usually just throw clothes in my shopping cart at Target on my way to the grocery aisle. It's really nice to have beautiful clothing shipped right to my door that is catered to my style preferences and body type. It feels like my birthday when the package arrives on my doorstep and I love finding out what my stylist has picked for me!

To try Stitch Fix, simply click this link: STITCH FIX, fill out your style profile, and wait for some gorgeous clothes and accessories to arrive to you by mail.

Pub Crawl Date Night

Last weekend Jeff and I got a sitter for the kids and had ourselves a date night. We decided to stay local and do a pub crawl since there are so many new pubs in our area. Our first stop was Mill City Brew Werks. They have delicious food and offer an ever-changing menu of craft beers. I wanted to commemorate this dinner with my husband so he attempted to take a photo of us together...we got some blurry ones and some where I am instructing him on how to angle to camera...

before we ended up with a semi-decent photo (although still somewhat blurry).

Mill City grub

Kris and Jami finished watching a movie at the local theatre and then joined us on the remainder of our pub crawl. I love my sister-in-law, she's so sweet and absolutely gorgeous!

Our next stop was Birch Street Uptown Lounge which has this amazing ambiance and an extensive list of amazing cocktails. Everyone ordered something different: I had a Grasshopper, Jeff had a Manhattan, Kris got an Old Fashioned, and Jami a dirty martini.

They were all delicious, but pretty spendy so we only had one drink there.

Another attempt at a date night photo, no better than the rest as this one is super dark. Ugh, it's tough to get that perfect photo.

Our next stop was A Beer At A Time which recently moved to a new location. They have an extensive beer menu, so I always like to get a sampler when I visit so I can try some new beer flavors. Surprisingly I liked the Porter the best. It was a rich combination and tasted like a coffee drink with vanilla. So yummy!

Our last stop was Adams Bar & Grill where we played pool and Jeff & I kicked butt! Well, mostly Jeff kicked butt, but since I was on his team, I rode his coattails all the way to the (three!) wins.

It was such a fun evening out. I truly enjoy my my time with my husband and when family joins, it's always a bonus!

Afternoon With Gramme

Sweet cousins

Tired Vivi

Ella loves to jump on our ottoman...adventurous Vivi wanted to try it too. But Gramme wanted her to be safe. She kept trying to wriggle out of Gramme's grasp so she could jump like her older cousin.

A couple of weeks ago I had a staff meeting at work so my mom came over to watch the kids and, boy, were they thrilled when they saw she brought Vivien with her. Vivi's parents were hiking Mt. Saint Helens that same day so Gramme had the pleasure of watching all three of her grandchildren. They all love playing together so much!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Pre-K Girl

This week our baby girl started preschool. I sincerely cannot believe she is old enough for school already. The babyhood years seem to move at warp speed and the fact that Ella is in Pre-K already blows my mind! Before school began, Ella was thrilled to receive a letter in the mail from her teacher and loved attending her school's Open House to meet her teacher and her classmates. She had to wear her new butterfly backpack to Open House, which actually worked quite well considering it could hold most of the school supplies that we were required to bring.

Finally after Labor Day, the BIG day arrived. The night before Ella and I picked out her first-day-of-school clothes and carefully laid them at the end of her bed. The next morning upon waking she screamed, "Today I go to school" with such excitement I couldn't help but giggle. I made pancakes for breakfast which are Ella's absolute favorite and then she took a quick bath before getting dressed.

We completed her outfit with a matching flower clip and went outside to snap a couple of photos. I completely forgot to print/order a first day of preschool sign, so I improvised by pulling up a photo on our iPad. With only a hint of glare, I think it worked great and with the tree I saved, I think we can say it was a win-win. Starting Pre-K and going green, that's my babe.

One of Ella's favorite things about starting school was buying a backpack. It's her first backpack ever and she loved searching until she found just the right one. She chose the one with "beautiful pink butterflies" and asked to have her name embroidered on it. It's a perfect fit for our little munchkin and makes her feel "so grown up."

Upon arrival at school, Ella posed in front of the welcome sign before heading inside for her first day.

After dropping Ella off, I cried on my drive home. Not because I wasn't so proud and so excited for her, but because when she went into her classroom, she sat down for circle, started to listen attentively and never looked back to check if I was still there. It made me realize how independent she is and how ready she is to start school and thrive on her own without her mama.

Can I just say how grateful I am for social media?! After Ella arrived home for the day, I was scanning through my facebook feed and noticed her school posted a whole slough of photos of the Pre-K 3's first day! I looked through them and then sat beside Ella to have her tell me about each part of her school day. It was so nice to share that experience with her!