Wednesday, November 30, 2016

JORD Wood Watches: The Perfect Gift

I know you all know my love for JORD and my wood watch - it's lightweight, unique and just a really fun accessory!  Every time I get to choose one for a campaign, I'm always tempted to keep it for myself...especially when it's the Frankie, like this one is.  It's my favorite.  But...it's the season of giving, and that's just what we'll do.  JORD has brought about something new to make these watches even more special...engraving!  You can have wood engraving on the box it comes in, watching engraving on a select few models, or both!  
For this, I chose wood engraving.  I wish I had put just a bit more thought into it.  But, it's a Christmas gift for my cousin (surprise!), so I thought this would be perfect.

There are different fonts to choose from and different character limits in terms of which watch you choose.  Next time, I think I'll do a favorite quote.

Here's the beautiful watch...
My cousin is a momma to three little ones, and I feel like this larger face will suit her perfectly.  Just a quick glance down at her wrist, and she'll be reminded if it's nap time, lunch time, play time, or time for the sweet momma to have a break!
My kids always think a JORD watch is theirs when one arrives in the mail.  Some day, maybe.  
Until then, we'll celebrate this Advent and Christmas with little traditions here and there.  From baking Christmas cookies for friends to delivering goodies to some of our favorites, and now gifting my cousin with this beautiful watch, I hope in it all that they'll see the joy of giving during the holidays...and always.

If this is a gift you'd like to give, click here to get $25 towards making it possible!

Merry Christmas!

Monday, November 28, 2016

Turkey and Thankfulness for Being Alive

Just a little Thanksgiving recap...even though we said we weren't going to do much of a Thanksgiving dinner (since we did one for Peter's birthday just a month ago), we did (my mom did really - I made one pie), and as always, it was delicious.
Once again, Peter got his turkey leg.  And, the kids drank some sparkling grape juice - even though Carter was the only one who liked it.

For the first time in my thirty-four years, I tried the cranberry sauce (jello-like stuff?), and I liked it, even with a bite of turkey.

Genevieve enjoyed a bit of everything (look at those curls coming).

Every time one of my sweet parents would sit to eat, the kids would need something else.




Then, John Paul asked if I'd go outside with him while the others watched a bit of football.  He drove round and round in circles, trying to get faster with each go.


 Then, we looked over to see his biggest fan watching the entire time.

And, Sophie decided she needed to come, too.


The kids found this bell in Elley's box of ornaments and decided they needed it as a school bell.  Peter said that I could ring it in the mornings when it was time for school, and "whatever we're doing, we will stop and come to school!"  We'll see how that goes!
Then, they finished the day off with a little episode of Tom and Jerry.
When we got back home and were getting into bed, Jeremy asked the kids to mention one more thing they were thankful for.  One mentioned our family.  Another mentioned the wonderful day.  And, still another was thankful that certain members of the family weren't dead.  Me too, buddy, me too.

Hope your Thanksgiving was special in just the way you needed it to be!

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for...
a healthy family...
a baby on the way...
our freedom... 
our faith... 
a warm meal... 
a home...
the noises, frustrations, cries, and demands of little ones that if in the right frame of mind remind me how blessed I am...
second (and third, and fourth, etc) chances...
a physical closeness to family...
four seasons (I'm excited for the first snow)...
all of the blessings that seem so ordinary but are really more than we deserve...
friends...
forgiveness...
little hands that make some pretty sweet little turkeys...
rest... 
being loved...
 and you!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Mid-week Likes & Links

Sophie just dipping grapes in hummus - no big deal.

Have you seen/heard this?

Here is the recipe for the Texas Sheet Cake Bites I made for Gen's birthday.  They're worth it!

I found this sweater to get me through the last few weeks.

I feel like there are so many cool toys on this site - John Paul desperately wants the carrot peeler, ha!

I love this candle and like it even more during the fall/winter.

I just hired someone/helped with repainting my guest bathroom (a pic to come), and I found these sweet knobs.

I know I mention these podcasts in almost every post like this, but the latest from Father Riccardo and then Father Michael Schmitz "Home" series are incredible!

Peter and John Paul really want these.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

NYC with the Hubs

A little over a week ago, Jeremy and I left the kiddos with my parents and headed to New Jersey to photograph a wedding.  I think it was in April that I received an email from a young lady who was a blog reader, asking if I'd like to photograph her wedding the coming November.  When I first received the email, I didn't think there was any way I could make it happen (thinking I might have been pregnant plus the logistics of leaving the kids, blah blah blah).  But, plans started to unfold, and we made it work.  Our originals plans were to spend an extra 3-4 days in the city and the West Point area (where Jeremy went to undergrad) as a belated 40th birthday celebration.  But, as the dates drew near, a few things came up, and we were only to have 48 hours between coming and going flights.

So, we nixed plans to even go into the city, thinking we'd head south to the wedding site instead. Well, as we were walking off our plane in Newark, we both looked at each other and said, "We have to go into the city!"
So, we did.  For three hours, we packed it in.  Eating pizza at a great restaurant in the theatre district, grabbing a few gifts for the kids, seeing the beginnings of Christmas decorations going up on some of the major storefronts, lighting a few candles in St. Patrick's Cathedral, and grabbing a handful of M&Ms from the giant store, it was so much fun!  We did everything as fast as out little (or big, pregnant, swollen) feet would carry us, and then we left knowing we had made the very most of those few hours.



Jeremy lovingly carried my camera bag everywhere, because I always feel like I'm going to take a million photos, and I end up taking maybe ten, ha!




Fresh ice...



We then went to Montclair, NJ for some amazing Cuban food and only wish we would have shown up earlier - talk about the best little town!  So many fun shops to explore!
The next day was spent photographing the most beautiful, holy wedding (and it was so great to have Jeremy by my side)!  The minute we stepped out of our car to knock on the door of the unknown young lady who had emailed me months before, her family greeted us with the most loving, welcoming hugs, and from that moment on began one of beautiful days we've witnessed...as outsiders who left feeling like family.


The next morning at the crack of dawn, we boarded a plane back to New Mexico and the little ones. Such a quick trip, and so worth it, even as hard as it was leaving them to begin with (Carter started crying and said he would just "pray all weekend that our guardian angels protected us from being hurt" - talk about making it hard to walk away).

NYC/NJ - you were fun.  We'll be back!