Happiness is...Squirrel Watching

Nick is in New Mexico for a couple days this week, and we definitely miss him around here for many reasons.

Not the least of which is squirrel watching.

Just about every morning before work Daddy opens the blinds and he and Alexa look for squirrels in the open space outside our house.

It's magical.

Love you, Daddy!

Covetousness: The True Christmas Spirit

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am getting caught up in the Christmas spirit this year!

I want...I need...I wish I had...

That's the Christmas spirit, right?

Our financial situation is fine, we're just not going to get that Mercedes and move into that mansion that we've been planning on. Bummer, I know.

Nope, this year Alexa is getting the gifts and our family is headed to Oregon to see Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and Friends! There's definitely challenges to our parents living 5 miles apart, but I'm glad we get to make one trip and see everyone during the holidays!

So, my motto this year for Christmas has been this:

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." -Leonardo Da Vinci

I'm not sure that my heart has caught up with my brain on this quite yet, but there's still time! My mom gave me a lot of wonderful qualities (thanks for those, no thanks for the nose), but my favorite maybe that she and I are both dreamers. I've talked about this before, but at Christmas time it's so easy to get caught up in dreams, and some even decide to elevate their dreams above their finances.

We don't do that. Both Nick and I have had to sacrifice some of our immediate wants this year for something that we really want: financial stability.

Our recipe for a simple Christmas this year is this: we're filling each others' stockings for $20 or less, Alexa is getting new gifts from grandparents, birth-grand-parents, aunts and uncles, and from other gracious admirers. But Santa is playing it cool this year and is giving her second-hand and homemade gifts...and of course some candy. That's it.

I certainly admit to indulging the green-eyed monster of covetousness a few times too many this season, but I am the master of my fate, my happiness, and my finances!

It's going to be a wonderful Christmas season this year! So much to be grateful for and to look forward to and delicious delights to bake and share...more stuff would just clutter it up!

We're getting our tree tomorrow (YAY!) and I'm planning on finishing Alexa's stocking this weekend and will also figure out a stocking to make for The Sneetch as well. Can't forget about our next little character that will be coming into our home when the time is right! Maybe by next Christmas...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a silly and smiley weekend!

Simple Post for Simple Morning

http://pinterest.com/pin/36802921926180896/

#49: Grow a Plant

Late Spring we decided to plant a small garden in our raised garden beds we built on our back patio.

As a quick side note, do you remember what our patio looked like when we moved in? I'm really just proud of how much we've done whether or not anything grew. But I digress...

Our feeling on our garden was that we'll plant it, water it, and let the sun and the dirt do their thing. If something grew, great! If not, we'll try something different next year.

On our first attempt at gardening we have had 8 strawberry plants, 1 bell pepper plant, and 1 watermelon plant that have thrived in our little garden. There was, unfortunately, one casualty: our beloved cantelope didn't make it. Fare thee well our little withered friend.

Our strawberry plants when they produced fruit for the first time!

Nick and Alexa water the garden together practically every morning. It's so cute!

 That HUGE plant Nick is watering is our watermelon plant. It definitely has a Manifest Destiny approach to the garden.

 Alexa and I just after we finished enjoying some delicious strawberries. Yeah, my bangs need trimmed - back off!

We actually were able to grow things! Who knew my science teachers instructing me on photosynthesis were actually right! We will definitely be doing this whole thing again year after year! Go Sun, Dirt, and Us!!

Happiness is...Ice Cream Sandwiches!

I got me one killer instinct sweet tooth.

It would seem I have passed that curse onto my daughter.

It's both a blessing and a curse, Piglet.

A Beautiful View

One thing our little Piglet has always been fascinated with is trees. She loves to look at them when we go on walks or lay in the grass.

The trees are quite beautiful,

but frankly, I think the trees get a much more beautiful view!

We Are Family, I Got All My In-Laws with Me!

Okay, not ALL my in-laws, but many of them.

Anyway, we're in Arizona this week at a reunion with Nick's family and are so excited to be here! We've got Pinewood Derby races, softball games, dancing, eating, talking, playing, and just generally a good time in store!


Have I mentioned recently how much I love my in-laws? Probably not recently enough, so here it is: I love my in-laws! Such wonderful people, every last one of them!

So, this will be the last post you see from me until Sunday or Monday, depending on my mood and availability. We'll be sure to post plenty of pictures once we get back. As a little taste, I helped make my first Pinewood Derby car, and we named it The Yellow Dart.

An extra 5 points to anyone who knows where we got the idea for the name from.

We will leave you with these happy pictures of Alexa being tickled into delirious happiness by her Daddy. See you soon!

Happiness is...Feet in the Grass

  

Music Monday

So in case you didn't know, our little Piglet here is at least 1/8 American Indian, possibly more. Anyway, sometimes when she goes #2 (TMI, I know), she gets a red face, which naturally lead Nick and I to sing her this song:

Is it just me, or is this song and section of the movie extremely not politically correct? Just sayin'. I still love watching it though...I always wanted an awesome fort like the lost boys!

Going and Being "It"

Do you ever find yourself reading about life instead of living it?

My little girl got her first round of vaccinations on Wednesday and has really just wanted to be held for the past two days.

In that time I've been reading some various fashion and family blogs, not to mention this book about a girl graced with the ability to fight (not usually my cup of tea, but I'm not hating it). Ya know what they all are saying to me? "Rachel, you need to live more."

I've filled my stay-at-home-mom days, so far, with literature, hulu, my baby, and excuses (some are justified, but that's besides the point). I'm worried I'm getting lost in others' lives instead of my own. I'm not saying losing myself by learning and serving others is bad, but I also need to remember that my life as a stay-at-home-mom is still evolving, which is okay...who's convincing who here?

So, even though I shouldn't feel guilty about not showering today and spending all day (pretty much) on the couch holding my little irritated one, I do. I do because I see other people posting about their grand adventures, or fabulous style (not just clothes), or reading about sword play and scandals, and there are a couple dozen little messes around the house, and my lunch consisted of Chicken in a Biscuit crackers and chips because I can eat those with one hand...

For me it comes down to if I want a different life, it's my job to make it different. Enough reading (figuratively speaking of course), enough hulu, enough excuses--it's time for results!

In the immortal words of The Avett Brothers: "decide what to be, and go be it."

We have a very ambitious family as you can clearly see!

Because We Chose It

I would like to officially announce my entrance into the honorable ranks of stay-at-home moms! This is a big announcement which I am so thrilled to share with you!

When we have shared this exciting news with others (who can respond) some have said "It is so great that you can do that." I politely agree with them, because it really is great that we're in a financial position to do this. However, I do want to make the following point clear:

we are not wealthy, and we are able to do this because we chose it. My being at home is so important to our family, and it is apparent to us that people make priorities for things that are important to them. This is important, and we've made it a priority, and so we also make sacrifices.

But the sacrifices of prestige and a bit more money pale in comparison to my dream job in my dream location with my dream co-workers. This is a job I have been vying for ever since we decided we wanted to have children...and probably before then. There is nothing else I would rather be doing and no one else I would rather be doing it with. I mean really, look at these faces:

Although, I wouldn't argue if I was offered a raise.

Music Monday

So, I was at work and missing Piglet (what's new?) and came across this song by Taylor Swift, and seriously thought "this is my song for Music Monday."

I've felt this way since day 2 of my little girl's life, but no matter how hard I wish, she still gets bigger, and better...and surprisingly I love her even more! Hope you enjoy this song which I plan on downloading right when I get home!

"Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication"

That is a quote from Leonardo DaVinci. If he is correct, which he must be because he's a scientist, then Nicholas and I live at the peak of sophistication! I think it is one of my new favorite quotes. Here are some more quotes on simplicity from complex minds, and photographs of simple things for some eye candy:

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” -Albert Einstein

This little squirrel is either extremely brave or about to wet his fur.

“The simplest things are often the truest.” -Richard Bach, Author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Thursday Thirteen #20: Movies We Love

These are movies we both love and enjoy, or have enjoyed, watching together. In no particular order:

#1: Hitch

Okay, I lied, this is probably the classic choice for both of us, which is why it was first.

Happiness is...Quaker Cereals

There are only a few things Nicholas gets really excited about, two of which are:

Cereal sales, and 

Quaker Life and Oatmeal Squares.

So this is what happens when the two come together...12 boxes of cereal decorating our fridge. Only 10 are pictured because we've already eaten 2.

The cinnamon ones are for me because I prefer a little extra spice in my life on occasion.

This is not the most boxes of cereal we have had in our house due to sales, however. Nicholas bought 20 boxes of various cereals when we were living in Provo and they were going for $1 per box. "It never goes bad," is always his excuse. I think it's excessive, but very cute!

Happiness is...keeping my sanity

One way I found to avoid absolutely despising painting is to occasionally while painting all those rooms is to setup my camera and do two artsy things at once! This is one where I am watching the paint as it falls into the can, very mesmerizing!




I enjoyed myself, you don't have to do the same.

Happiness is...colorful fire hydrants

Isn't it nice to know that even fire hydrants, on occasion, are a little confused?

Real People Status

A long while back (maybe two years ago) I told Nick that we weren't technically "real people" yet because we did not meet either of the two qualifications: (1) home ownership or (2) children. I am happy to report that today Nick and I made a momentous step in achieving the first goal. We made an offer on a small 2 bedroom townhome about a mile away from our current place. Some of you have been asking for pictures, so here you go (WARNING: she's not much to look at now, but think potential and no teasing the not very careful photography):

This is what you see when you first walk in. No there are no doors on any of the closets, something to do.

This next one is of the front room/dining area. This is my favorite! Look at those floors! We'll be painting the walls a little less cotton candy and a little more...Awesome!

If you make a left in the picture you walk right past our gourmet kitchen. There is another side with more cabinets and a dishwasher, but I thought this was a better pic. Needs some love, and a fridge.

Continuing down the hall you will find on your left lovely bedroom #1. No, that's not shadow on the floor, that's grossness, so new carpeting will need to happen as well.

Linen closet between the two bedrooms. A place specifically for my towels and sheets just makes me happy!

Here's bedroom #2. Did I mention there are also no baseboards? Apparently the last tenants wanted to keep them.

Across the hall from the bedrooms are these two little beauties

Needs a shower head                       Needs some shelving

Keep walking down the hallway and you'll come to our spacious laundry room and then A GARAGE! Both need some wonderful things to fill them up, like our washer/dryer and car! Woo Hoo!

And, one of my favorite parts, if you just exit the sliding glass door in the front room you walk out into this Eden!

Okay, like the rest of it, it needs work, but just think: Summertime. BBQ. Friends. Boo. Ya-ha.

And just beyond the fence is a little common area, which can be accessed through the un-pictured gate in our picket fence! LOVE!

The fence on the left would be ours.

So, what do you think? How much do you love my (hopefully) little heaven on earth? If it works out, we'll let you know!