Latelys.

Goodness, it's hard to believe the summer is over and we are quickly heading into the colder months.  Daylight Savings Time has rocked ME this year… not so much the boys, but this Mama crashes early every night now, which is annoying since it cuts into my alone time with my hot man.

Summer was a blast and I feel like we did a decent job this year of spending every waking moment outdoors going on bike rides, spending time at the pool, taking the boys to different parks, and of course doing a fair amount of traveling.  Then we blinked, summer was over, and Jaxon was in school.

Tyler's work has slowed down quite a bit recently and he just survived another layoff.  There has been plenty of opportunities for us to simply trust in The Lord and his GOOD and PERFECT timing in our lives.  Last week we were given an anonymous gift that had both of us in tears.  I hate that it took a physical check for me to give over the control and stress, but admittedly it did.  I'm not sure why I continue to waste so much time and energy on worry when He continues to prove himself faithful time and time again.  He really does care about the small details of our lives.

My younger brother plays football for William Jewell College, so most of our Saturdays this fall have been filled with this.  It has been fun seeing my parents so much the last few months as they come to town for his games!

There's not much to say about these two that I haven't already said at least a million times.  My love for them grows by the day, which seems impossible, but it's true.  The more I get to know them, the more I love them.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time alone with Cohen while Jaxon is in school.  It has been SO GOOD and SO FUN!  He really thrives on one-on-one time… so do I.  :)  Quality time is my favorite!

The way Jaxon spends so much time building Legos amazes me.  His teacher recently pulled me aside and told me after 17 years teaching, she thinks Jaxon is the most creative she has seen.  The details he thinks of, she said, are way beyond a typical 4 year old.  That was so good for my Mama heart to hear.  :)  I think we'll be having a Lego & Batman Christmas around here!

Psalm 74 has been rocking my world lately as David talks about how all of his enemies are getting all of these things, while he suffers.  In the middle of the chapter, he stops and says "…BUT THEN I ENTERED THE THRONE ROOM".  His perspective completely changes, the things that mattered before no longer do.  All that matters is intimacy with Christ.

I've thought about that so much lately as I still try to figure out the crappy sequence of events that seem to have happened to us this year.  Nothing horrible and I realize there's so much that could be worse, but if I'm honest, the unanswered questions still linger in my head.  BUT THEN I ENTERED THE THRONE ROOM.  What if bad things happen to good people because Jesus' ultimate goal is intimacy with us.  Yeah, sure, he wants us to be happy and enjoy life… but at the expense of closeness with Him?  Nope.  In HIM we find contentment… in HIM we find joy.



Just because it makes me giggle.  They are twins.

Church has certainly kept me on my toes lately!  Between multiple Women's fellowship events I've planned, PLUS hosting a big Women's conference at our church, I have been a busy lady.  I love ministry and I am still praying that someday an opportunity will open for me to work for a church.  I am so thankful for our church family and the way they genuinely love and walk beside us.  I'll say it once, I'll say it a thousand times… get plugged in to a church and small group.  Right now.  :)

I ordered my 2014 Erin Condren life planner!

This is news, people.

Pictures to come once it finally arrives… the anticipation MIGHT kill me.

I still can't believe my baby turned 3 a couple weeks ago.

I mean, the youngest person in my house is THREE??  We're officially "out" of the baby stage?!  Tyler actually had the guts to bring up selling the crib recently.  The conversation ended pretty quickly when I didn't respond and gave him a nasty look.

We had a super fun birthday party, "Wreck it Ralph Cohen", when we were in Iowa (pictures coming!), and then celebrated the day-of with a small group of friends.

Gahhh… I still can't wrap my head around this.

Oh Charlie.  She's such a great dog.

I wish she was about 10 years older… 10 years more calm.

But she's a great dog.  So protective and LOYAL to the boys!

Have you ever taken a "spinning" class?  DO IT!  It's a lot of fun… if you like feeling like you're going to die.  :)

I've still been faithfully going to the gym 2-4 times a week… usually closer to 2-3… and have maintained the same weight for 10 months now.  Which, by the way, is the lowest weight I've ever been, even through high school!  I've never been able to wear single-digit sized pair of jeans, and size medium shirts.  I'm not saying this to brag, but to simply encourage you to KEEP GOING!  It's so worth it. 

I love this new way of living, this new lifestyle I lead.  I am not going to the gym to lose weight, I am going to the gym to stay healthy.  To stay confident.  To stay happy.

Fall Mini Sessions are keeping me on my toes as well.  I love my job.

I've had this lightbulb moment in the last couple weeks when I've realized how thankful I am that my parents had 4 kids.  These people are no longer just annoying siblings, but really have become my closest friends.

Especially in the last year, they have poured into mine and Tylers lives in ways that we never would have imagined.  They've taken us under their wings, pursued deep friendships, been intentional in our times together, and have faithfully prayed for us.

Not only our siblings, but our parents as well.  19 people gathered in my Sisters home for Cohen's birthday party and just LOVED on him.

I fully realize not everyone has this kind of relationship with their family or with their siblings, and I don't take it for granted.  Thank you, Jesus, for your abundant blessings.

Iowa is really beautiful.  I still pray we get to call it "home" again someday.

I also recently participated in a Freezer Meals Workshop, through Wildtree!  Have any of you done one?  So far we have REALLY enjoyed every meal that we've made, and the math ended up being about $12 a meal, and most of the time we have leftovers.  It took me 2 hours of prep, but for 11 meals, that was really reasonable!  December is always SO busy that I hope to do another one, to prevent us from eating out.  And, now I'm hungry.

If God hadn’t been there for me,
    I never would have made it.
The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,”
    your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
When I was upset and beside myself,
    you calmed me down and cheered me up.

Psalm 94:18-19

I hope you all have enjoyed the beginning of Fall!

I'll be back soon with PARTY pictures…

AND…!

A giveaway for some pretty sweet Christmas cards from my favorite company ever!

Weekend away.

This past weekend, Tyler and I drove 6 hours north to Okoboji, where his best friend from childhood was getting married.

We packed and loaded the car within an hour...
We had peace and quiet and actual CONVERSATIONS (and naps)...
We stayed out late and slept in...
We rode roller coasters...

We didn't have any fun at all.  :)

Have I mentioned how thankful I am for parents that actually WANT to spend time with their grand babies?  As we were walking out the door to leave, I thanked my Mom for staying with them and she replied, "no... thank YOU!"

I love it so much.

Adam (the groom) has been Tyler's best friend since 5th grade, so being back on their old stomping grounds in Okoboji was tons of fun, and I lost count of the hilarious stories they told about the trouble they got in during their summers there.

On top of Tyler being a groomsmen, I was also asked to be their photographer, which was great!  For 6 summers straight, Adam worked the roller coaster at Arnold's Park, so he had this idea for a wedding party shot.  They would stop the roller coaster underneath this sign, and I would stand below to take the picture... sounds easy enough.  What he failed to mention to me, was how I would have to climb the cat walk next to the roller coaster (way up high), then step ACROSS the tracks, in order to get the shot.

It was worth it.  But if you know me at all, you know this was a HUUUGE stretch for me... I am terrified of heights!

It was a very unique wedding... the romantic ceremony on a boat, this roller coaster shot, and a lot of fun details throughout.  Except for this one groomsmen who kept hitting on me throughout the day..... ;)

The weekend went by lightning quick, but we loved every second away, as well as the hugs and kisses we got from the boys as we pulled in the driveway Sunday evening.

"MOMMMMYYYYYY!!!  DADDDDDYYYYY!!!  WE MISSED YOU!"... it never gets old.

My funny Valentine(s).

Keeping up with my tradition of buying Valentines shirts after they go on clearance, and taking some much needed updated pictures of the boys...

Poor guy has NO personality... can't you tell?  :)

Usually Cohen is the better picture-taker, but I was able to catch quite a bit of ... ahem... personality from Jaxon yesterday.  I love it.

(see last years pictures here)

Our teens had a fundraiser at church last night, 3 hours of childcare for $15 for both boys.  We debated for a while what to do and joked that dropping them off and just coming back home for a quiet evening sounded pretty amazing.

We ended up celebrating Valentines in true Kansas City form... Oklahoma Joe's BBQ.  Add trying this restaurant to your bucket list right now... so yum!!

Tyler had some go-carts planned for afterwards, but we changed our mind after seeing the outrageous prices, so then he suggested Target + Starbucks... I wasn't in the mood for either.  I know, really weird.  I told him I didn't care what we did at that point, so he chose Best Buy.

BBQ + Best Buy, Valentines 2013.

From the bottom of my heart, I really didn't care.  It's always good to enjoy some one-on-one time with my Man.  Conversations that aren't fueled by "take a bite and then you can get down", "get your feet off the table", and "STOP teasing your brother".

I love his dimples.

He left about an hour ago to go to Colorado for the weekend.  One of his good buddies from college (that he lived with for a long time) is getting married, and it originally started as a family vacation, but he wasn't able to get as much time off from work as we wanted.  I wasn't about to drive 8 hours with the boys (plus hotel cost, meals, etc) just to spend 1 day there.  Someone tell me you would have made the same decision so I can stop feeling guilty about not going.

Have a happy weekend!  And pray for my sanity, if you think of it.  :)

Hello Monday.

Hello Monday... we had an amazing PRODUCTIVE weekend!  The weather was beautiful on Saturday and Tyler spent the majority of the day outside with the boys while I cleaned and did laundry like a maniac.  Deep cleaned, ladies.  It felt so good, and Sunday I was able to spend the afternoon napping and also watched a movie, guilt free!  Love. 

Hello girls night coming up this weekend, as well as a dinner date (soon, hopefully!) with my BFF!  I just need to squeeze a date night in there as well, and I'll be set.

Hello spontaneous trip to my parents house last week.  It was a quick visit, just a night, but it did my body good!  I love spending time with my Mama... and scoring some wicked shopping deals.  :)

Hello beginning to plan Jaxon's 4th birthday next month!  I've decided to do "big" parties every other year going forward, so this will be a low key pizza and cake get together with family.  I don't know why I feel guilty about not having a big event... I'm trying to just enjoy it instead of spending so much money and time in party details.

Hello losing another 10 pounds since this post... 44 pounds lost.  One of my new years goal is to not lose any more weight, but to lose the body fat.  Right now I'm at 35%, and I need to be between 20-25%.  Don't confuse body fat with BMI percentage, that thing is a joke.  Body fat is simply the fat on your body versus the muscle. 

Hello more sleep issues with Jaxon.  He did *so* good for a couple weeks and I totally chalked it up to cutting out the Red Dye, and yet last night he was up from 1:30am-4am.  Wide awake.  During this time, he managed to turn the tv on, play downstairs, find the iPad that we always hide before bed and watch movies, helped himself to a piece of toast that was left out on the counter (no butter or anything on it..yuck), AND worst of all... let Charlie out of her kennel.  He says "but Mom, I just wanted someone to watch the movie with me."  Ha!!  So of course at this point, we know there's pee somewhere in the house, since he didn't take her outside, and ask him if she peed anywhere.  He says "yes, on the chair... but I cleaned it up with a napkin."  Of course now my recliner is stained (hopefully it will come out with a little elbow grease) and the 'napkin' he used was a single square of toilet paper.  So that's helpful.

Hello feeling downright discouraged about parenting.  I just feel so unequipped and incapable.  While I know those are lies and I'm choosing to not believe them, today has been especially tough.

Hello slloowww photography season.  I'm trying to remember it will start picking up again soon, but it's getting sad.  Anyone need some Valentines Day pictures?  :)

Hello two boys who desperately need haircuts this week. 

Hello another cup of coffee calling my name.  With a night like last night, I need some fuel for the rest of the day!

What are you saying hello to this week?

Updated Family pictures!

I love having photographer friends to swap family pictures with!  Thank you Bekah Bowman :)

It was a tough session with young boys who did NOT want anything to do with taking pictures, but we managed to get a few.

Of course, one of those 3 is our Christmas card photo so you won't be seeing that one for a while.  :)

I spent almost 3 hours last night trying to choose a Christmas card, and then second guessing my decision afterwards.  I am the most indecisive person about the most ridiculous things!

Do you send Christmas cards?

How many do you send out?

I am trying to figure out how to consolidate my list this year... I feel like if I've sent you a card for the last 7 years and NEVER gotten one in exchange, it makes it hard to not cut you from my list.  I know that sounds vain and silly, but c'mon people!

So tell me, how do you do it? 

Preparing for Fall.

It's no secret that Fall is, by far, my favorite season.

I love cardigans and sweatshirts.  I love the cool, crisp, sunny weather.  The beautiful changing colors of the trees, pumpkin flavored everything, and BOOTS!  How I could forget, I love boots season.

Saturday morning Tyler had to work, and instead of pouting and feeling sorry for myself I decided to try and spruce up my front door.  One of the many things that this house needs is a face lift on the outside, so being the happy little renter I am, I decided to channel my inner green thumb and go on a Mum hunt.

I stopped at a couple different places to look, but wasn't thrilled with any of the options.  The colors were a little dull, and they almost looked like they were on their last leg.

And that's when I saw it.  A little parking lot farmers market.  Big, gorgeous, full mums.  And the $20 price tag was too good to be true.

Otherwise our weekend was pretty quiet.  I had a photo shoot on Saturday night with Molly, a sweet blogging friend of mine that I've "known" for years, but finally met.  Her boys reminded me so much of my own, that instead of hiding out at a coffee shop after the photo shoot like originally planned, I couldn't wait to get home and hug them.  Thank you Molly for blessing me in ways you don't even know!

Sunday was a pretty low-key day... I started off with a 3 mile run in my fastest time yet!  We went out for lunch and actually enjoyed it, ran errands in peace, and my husband even treated me to a pedicure.  The sound of football in the background during the afternoon screams Sunday to me, and I love it.

But, back to reality...
time to clean the house
bake Pumpkin Brownies for small group tonight
bake chocolate chip cookies for my hubby who requested them
...and light a Fall candle.

Yes, I love this season indeed.

Tidbits.

- My photography business has been fairly busy lately, mostly networking and hanging out with other local photographers, combined with a few 2nd shooting gigs.  Someone asked me the other day what it felt like to be a 2nd shooter, and while I admit it was a little humbling at first, I actually really enjoy it.  I love not having so much pressure on my shoulders to think of all the posing, and the fact that I hand over my raw images and don't have to edit them is the cherry on top.  I actually hope to continue to 2nd shoot as much as possible... it's great experience, great exposure, and a lot of fun.

- I'm absolutely in love with the fall weather we've had recently... 64 degrees and cloudy today and I feel giddy like a school girl.  I love this season.

- This past week I lost another 1.5 pounds, making my total loss 24.2 pounds.  I was shopping on Saturday, looking for a dress for Sunday, and came across a cute lacey number that I thought would work well with leggings (that I'm required to wear when I'm on stage).  I loved the dress on the rack and actually thought about just walking out with it, knowing it would fit and that I would 'probably' love it, but decided I better just try it on.  I grabbed a Large, which is my normal dress size, and when I tried it on... it just looked super funky.  Didn't do a thing for my body, so naturally I was disappointed.  As I was taking it off, I realized how loose it was and told myself to not even bother with a Medium, thinking it wouldn't fit.  I changed my mind and gave it the medium a shot, and it fit like a glove.  Insert happy dance here....

Ignore the scowl look on my face.  :)
Also, I wore it with a cardigan.  Another requirement for being on stage (no sleeveless).

- Recently, my inlaws gifted us with some old furniture of theirs, so we finally have couches to sit on in the basement.  Our layout is so different down there that I wasn't sure how it would work, but after a few hours of rearranging I am really happy with it, and amazed how much more time we spend down there as a family.  Pictures to come, after my alphabet wall finds a new home.

- Jaxon's sleep schedule is still all over the place and it's been pretty stressful trying to get him figured out.  The easiest answer is to take away his naps, but even on the no-nap days we struggle getting him asleep before 10pm.  And then he's up at 6am.  And then he wants an afternoon nap.  And then he won't fall asleep till midnight.  I really miss our quiet evenings together, just Tyler and I, while we knew the boys were happy in la-la land.  Now every night is a battle, and it has become so frustrating for us both.

- Our worship Pastor and his wife (who are great friends of ours) were gone this past week on vacation, so I lead worship on Sunday, and practice the Wednesday before.  I am fairly comfortable doing this, but usually with a piano in front of me as my security blanket.  This time, I pushed myself to lead without the piano, standing with the worship team. The best part about it was on Sunday morning I didn't even feel nervous.  Anytime those fears hit my mind, I reminded myself it had NOTHING to do with me, and that eased every nerve I had.

- I can't believe my sweet baby (who obviously isn't a baby anymore) will be 2 next month.  I have really been making a conscious effort lately to soak him up, and have realized how big he has become, right before my eyes.

- As much as I can recognize that the house we're living in is definitely not a "forever home", I have felt so content living here recently and I'm grateful for those feelings.  It's not a big house, it's not great for entertaining (which is probably my biggest complaint), it's not "nice", and a lot of times I wish that we could change things about it, but in this present season we can't.  And for now, I feel ok with that.

- The 5k I'm running with my Dad and Sister is coming up in less than a month, and I feel ready for it.  We're doing the Color Run in Des Moines, and I can't wait!

- I really really really want to jump on the colored jeans trend, but just feel like they do nothing for my body, which is so unfortunate because they are stinkin' cute!

Time to brew another cup of coffee, grab my favorite blanket, and catch up on some Army Wives.  My newest nap-time addiction.  :)

Monday brain dump.

Trying to find a balance between my daily responsibilities, exercising, maintaining a home, still speaking to friends, seeing my husband in passing, putting on my photographer hat, AND being a Mom has been a challenge in the last few weeks... unfortunately I feel like I'm barely succeeding at any of them, which is extra frustrating.

I don't like to just give 25% of myself to something.  I want to give all or nothing... and somehow I need to learn to balance these responsibilities better.

This post is sponsored by lack of sleep.

:)

On a positive note, we had a fun weekend.  Friday afternoon Tyler got sent home from work early, so I took off and had a 3 hour coffee date with my best friend.  We don't see each other nearly often enough, but when we do, it's just a matter of picking up where we left off.  It's one of those friendships that no matter how busy we are, our friendship remains.  I'm thankful for that stability.

Saturday I went to a pump class while Tyler took Jaxon to the Home Depot kids workshop.  This boy makes my heart swell with pride each time he goes... he can't wait to come home and show Momma what he made "for me" and I love that he gets one-on-one time with his Daddy as well.  I fully anticipated Cohen being a mess at the gym without his big brother by his side, but he held his own quite well.

We had my nephew + nieces overnight Saturday as well, so it was a full house, but seriously?  These cousins are the best friends ever to my boys.  I love that they get to grow up together and how much fun they have.

Sunday wrapped up our weekend with a church picnic at the lake, followed by a wedding that I photographed in the afternoon.  It was a last minute gig, as they called and booked at 9pm the night before, but I was happy to accept!  With another wedding coming up this weekend, I appreciate all the practice I can get.

Grocery shopping ended our weekend, but not without a trip to Sonic for a diet coke and ice cream cone for Jax, who has self-declared himself "Mommy's buddy."  Of course, this was after the ice cream cone was already finished.

Even when it's busy, life is sweet.

Hello Monday.

Hello weather that is such a tease... with rain clouds looming above, there's not a drop of water coming out of them.  Please please please rain, and soon.

Hello really fun weekend at my parents house.  I needed to get away and recharge, and that's exactly what happened!  I had so much fun with both my Mom and Dad, and it felt good to just be together... laughing, exercising, and playing games (of course!)  Plus, I found the Mama of all garage sales and scored some amazing deals for Jaxon's next size up!

Hello being reunited with my hubby... 

nothing beats just being with him in the evenings after the boys are asleep.

Hello busy week ahead!  4 nights of Backyard Bible Clubs (our church's form of VBS), a photoshoot, and lunch/coffee with Molly.

Hello trying to get over Strep Throat for the last 2 weeks.  I finally went to Urgent Care yesterday and got a new antibiotic along with more medicine, so I'm hoping my throat will finally stop scratching soon.

Hello Olympics!!  We don't have a DVR, so it's hard to watch every event, but I have really enjoyed what I've seen so far.  I get all teary-eyed and beam with pride for our country.  I love it!

Hello preparation for yet another trip to Iowa next weekend... this time to photograph a wedding!  I can't wait.  Which reminds me, I still need to find something to wear.

Hello speech therapist coming to our house tomorrow to meet with Cohen.  She really has her work cut out for her, and I am so excited to hear some suggestions on how I can help him.

Hello feeling so overwhelmed with support from friends and family since announcing my business.  

I feel so grateful.

Hello blessing after blessing with finding good deals on Craigslist.  I just bought a SpeedLite for a fraction of what it costs brand new, and the guy had only taken it out of the bag to test it once.
Thank you, sweet Jesus.

Hello wishing I could scoop up all my girlfriends right now for a chat at Starbucks.  I miss my friends!  

And my Sister... but she's a given. 

Hello bike ride this morning with the boys.  It's been SO LONG since the weather has been cool enough to go, and we enjoyed it so much that I didn't even notice we were gone for over an hour.

Hello reeaaallly wanting a big fountain diet coke right now.

Hello reeeaaallllly wanting a girls weekend away with whoever wants to join me.

What are you saying hello to today?  Hope your weekend was a great one.