Goodbye, Twenties...

Yes, it's true. Today is my last day in my twenties... eek! It probably sounds like a bigger deal than it really is. In fact, I know it sounds like a bigger deal than it really is, but sitting here on this side it still feels like a big deal, like I'm just not really ready to cross that line. But alas, one doesn't really have a choice.

It seems appropriate to do a little reflecting on my twenties as they are about to be gone and never to return. What's kind of funny is that when I think back, I was pretty opposed to turning twenty also. That was back when I was young and foolish, haha! Little did I know when I was about to turn twenty all the great things my twenties would bring...

- I visited Europe 

(sadly before I owned a digital camera and I didn't feel like digging up/scanning those photos!)

- Finished college 

- Fulfilled my lifelong dream of becoming a teacher

(I started out teaching 6th grade and those kids just graduated from HS this spring)

- Got my first place on my own

- Started a relationship with an old friend (we met in high school)

- Married that old friend

- Bought our first house

- Started a family

(the most incredible, life-changing experience ever)

- Finished grad school

- Fulfilled another dream of being a stay-at-home mom!

...and of course there are many, many other events, some happy and some sad, that occurred during those ten years. There are so many people who have come and gone from my life, and innumerable smaller events that have all worked together to put me where I am right now. Most of all, during my twenties I grew up. I guess in a way we're always growing up, but I did a lot of important growing in my twenties. Maybe I feel a little sad to say I'm not in my twenties anymore, but I can easily say I'm happy to be where I am now instead of where I was ten years ago. So much of my life was decided in my twenties, all the big things that you just want to know when you're younger like my career, my husband, my home, my family (at least our first child). It has been a fantastic decade of my life. I know I've said it before but only because it's true- I am so thrilled with where my twenties have brought me. Because of that I feel confident about taking that leap into... into my.... um, into the next decade with excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead. Here's to my next decade being the best one yet!

Introducing: Eyeful Photography

Some of you may have noticed a new tab at the top of this blog titled "Eyeful Photography." If you haven't clicked on it yet and gotten the explanation, here it is- I've decided to start doing more "official" photography and sharing it with you and the rest of the internet world. Since I've been getting more requests to do photo shoots from friends-of-friends and beyond, I thought it was time to give myself a title and put some of my work out there on the web. Though I have to admit that the name, Eyeful Photography was not my creation but rather that of my good friend, Jenn. It used to belong to her and she kindly passed it on to me when she renamed her business. Wasn't that darling of her? She is a fantastic girl like that ;)

Originally I thought I would just add a tab to this blog, but after pulling some photos that I planned to post it was clear that it would be easier to use a separate blog entirely. Soooo, I've started a new blog dedicated to photography! I'm really excited about it and hopefully you will visit (click the photo above to check it out) and enjoy it too. Right now there is just an intro post that I wrote a few nights ago, but in the next few days I plan to start posting photos from different sessions I've done. I will continue to add new posts when I do a new shoot, or capture something cool, or learn something new, or get some fun new equipment, or see amazing work elsewhere. It will hopefully end up being a well-rounded mix of all things photography-related.

Don't forget to let me know what you think either here or over on Eyeful!

Memorial Day Weekend

What a weekend! For us it was a weekend full of celebrations- a wedding, Memorial day, and our own six-years-in-love anniversary. Yep, six years ago we woke up one morning and just knew that we were officially "a thing." It was Memorial day weekend also, and we spent the day appropriately wandering around D.C. and Arlington holding hands, snapping pictures, and generally being smitten with each other and this brand new adventure we had just decided to begin. Such a great day with such great memories, not to mention the happiest six years of my life to follow :D So we had lots to celebrate this weekend! Here's the recap in photos...

Saturday afternoon we attended the wedding of our good friends Jon and Beth

J was the officiant, so he is presenting them with their official signed marriage certificate

Sunday we had our usual dinner at Nana's (my mom's), but we did a big cookout and it was amazing... burgers, dogs, corn on the cob, beans, broccoli salad, and it's not officially summer without peach pie (not in this family, anyway ;) Somehow we always end up putting together incredible holiday meals. De-lish!

Ready for fun in the sun with her cousins!

Monday we went to J's parents' house in the morning to hang out, swim, and have some lunch. We could not get over how enthusiastic C was about swimming! She was literally trying to push us off of her so we wouldn't hold on to her (in 3 feet of water, so letting go was not an option). I'm pretty sure if we would have had a vest for her she would have been paddling around on her own. Guess what we'll be trying next time? 

Since Monday was also our 6-years-in-luuurve anniversary, we celebrated that and our amazing men & women in uniform with some yummy cookout food :D

It was a little busy, but such a fun weekend. We are so blessed to have such great friends and family that we get to spend so much time with (isn't that the best way to spend a weekend?), and especially blessed to live in America where there are incredibly brave men and women who defend us so that we can enjoy our lives in peace and in freedom. 

Thank you to every veteran, especially those who have given their lives!

[PS- Tomorrow is a big day around here, so check back to see what we were up to!]

Eli Dropped By

My SIL had a doctor appointment in our area this morning, so we got to hang out with her little guy!

C even did what is known as "goy-goy" with him. This is the act of playing with one's neck skin while she sucks her thumb and says "goy-goy-goy-goy-goy" (really, we have no idea how this habit developed).

And we had a picnic with some wooden food

"Someone needs to tell this girl her food is made of wood. Where are the real loaves of bread?"

Too bad he had to go home though. We had a pretty spirited jam sesh after nap time today...

Eventually it all ends in dancing. She even sang a little but she sang ABCs regardless of the song that was playing on the game, haha :)

It was a fun Thursday. We're looking forward to a nice long weekend including a wedding that J is officiating for some good friends of ours!

"I Step On It"

My toddler just walked up to me and said quietly, "I step on it." As I looked at her hesitant expression and then down at her foot she was holding just slightly off the floor, a feeling of dread came over me. Ohmygosh, what horror did she step in? Did something spill? Did the dog leave a deposit of some kind? About 48 possibilities ran through my mind as I cautiously reached for her foot. Ok, so far I don't see anything... but wait, as I looked closer there it was. A Cheerio. And as I was breathing my sigh of relief, she quickly reached down and swiped the Cheerio right out of my palm. Down the hatch it went. Oh well. At least it was just a Cheerio!

Happy Monday :)

Big Hairplanes

We spent our morning watching airplanes at the park near the airport :)

Wednesday at Nana's

One Blessed Mama

I might call myself The Luckiest, but the truth is I don't attribute anything in my life to luck. The reality is that I am blessed. So very blessed. One of my greatest blessings, of course, is being a mother to my incredible baby girl.. which I certainly couldn't be without my incredible husband. They pretty much make my life. So on Mother's day, I wanted nothing else but to spend the day with them and that was what I got. Usually I like to score some special time with my own super-woman of a mom, but she was traveling home from vacation and we didn't get to see her.

My day started with a yummy breakfast made by J, and my favorite coffee from Starbucks :)  After breakfast we played outside on our deck with C for a little while because it was a beautiful day and she loves to be outside. Then we made our way down to the nearby park and J took some pictures of C and I together...

C was a good sport even though she was begging the whole time to go play with the kids. The playground was just behind J while he was taking the pictures, so if it seems like she's looking just past the camera - she is! 

After the park we came back home for lunch and nap time. I got to do some online shopping at one of my favorite stores thanks to a Mother's day gift card :D  Later we went up to J's parents' house to spend some time with his mom and have dinner. It was overall a really lovely day. Only thing I could have added was a visit with my own mom, but we're having brunch with her Wednesday and will be back to our regular Sunday dinners at her house this weekend after a 2 week hiatus for her vacation :)

Today, due to lots and lots of rain, I got to spend most of the day inside snuggling my sweet bebe girl and having some good old fashioned rainy-day fun. Luckily we had a great big dishwasher box sitting around and we made good use of it. I tossed the pillow and blanket in there and it was all over. I had to pry her out at lunch time. 

She's such a cutie and I am beyond blessed to be her mommy :D Time to get back to snuggling while our lasagna bakes... mmmmm, perfect dinner on a rainy day! I hope all the moms had a fantastic Mother's day!

A Beautiful Day in the Mid-Atlantic

It's picture-perfect weather with temps around 80 and bright blue skies! We're spending some time splashing in the water table and having snacks out on our deck. What a fabulous day to not have any plans :)

Hopefully you're enjoying some beautiful weather and whatever your weekend has in store for you!