The Clutter is Taking Over

Do you ever notice how much other people can accomplish in a day or in their lives and in turn feel inadequate?  I do.  On a regular basis.  I look at friends that can keep their house cleaned up and wonder how they do it.  I look at successful business people, who are rocking their business and appear to be rocking their marriage, as well as parenthood, and wonder how they do it.  I know better than to compare.  That’s not going to get me anywhere.  But, seeing these things makes me aspire to do better in my own life.

Let’s take Joanna Gaines for instance.  Does anybody watch Fixer Upper on HGTV?  I love that show.  Well, this wife and momma (along with her husband), run a success realty business, home restoration business, have a TV show, she blogs, she has a store to sell all the stuff you see her decorate with on their show, she now has a jewelry, she travels to trade shows (apparently, they are going to be at one of our Cleveland home shows in March).  How does she do this?  How many people are helping her?  She’s got to have help, right?  Otherwise, she wouldn’t have enough time to sleep.  Am I right here?

Organizing my life is a big goal for me for 2015.  The creative in me has a difficult time with organization.  I have all these big ideas and get sidetracked with all of the new ideas I’m always thinking of.  You know what I’ve noticed though?  I tend to live in my head.  It’s difficult for me to see how my surroundings have an effect on my life until I’m knee deep in laundry and clutter.  I love to have people over.  That’s not something I can currently do though because I have toys galore in my house and enough paper clutter that if my house caught on fire, it would go up in no time flat.  By the time I take a step out of my head and all my ideas, it’s too late and I’m completely overwhelmed.  Does anybody else do this, or is it just me?

Chaos reins supreme in my house right now.  Luckily, that’s about the only area of my life that’s a mess...my house.  Not my family, not my business, not my car...just my house.  I kind of want to just go somewhere relaxing and not even look at it.  Like back home to this view of the Olympics, or to this beautiful winery here in Ohio.  It doesn’t have to be far or exotic.  Although, that would be wonderful too.

I even took a course recently on time management.  I pray that I’m able to take away the ideas and implement them into my life.  I have started using Passion Planner as well to hopefully help.  Because it’s so much more than just organizing my house.  It’s a matter of organizing my life.  Not in a neurotic, no room for surprises or spur of the moment things way, but rather just to get my dreams down on paper.  To actually write down what I want out of life for me, for my marriage, and for our family.  To plan how I’m going to accomplish all those dreams I have for our life.

2014 Family Summer Fun Memories

I love our yearly summer trip to visit my family in Washington.  The Bub and I have spent at least 3 weeks visiting in the summer for the last couple of years, and I love that we do this.  Scott comes out for about a week before he has to go back to work.  We always miss him when he leaves, but treasure every moment we have with my family.

Of course, this year was no different.  The beginning of our trip was a whirlwind with 4th of July parties, my sister's 30th birthday and fun with our friends that traveled with us from Ohio.  My favorite moments tend to be the ordinary moments though.  The moments we miss out on because we live so far away from everybody.  Like getting to watch my nephew practicing at his Jonathan Stewart football camp or making blackberry jam with my mom.  Getting to float the Deschutes river with everybody and The Bub and my niece getting to have sleepovers.  Going to Lakefair with my sister and the kids.  Little man throwing a football around with my dad.

Little man and I always get lots of quality time too.  I love listening to him read to me and picking apples off mom's tree.  This year, we made a "comic book" out of all the pages we colored and made up stories about the pictures we colored.

Of course, the natural beauty of Washington is something I miss fiercely.  It's funny, I never really noticed how beautiful it was until I left.  I guess it's one of those "you don't realize what you have until it's gone" kind of things.

I adore the moments he spends with his great grandparents and feel so blessed that he can make memories with them.   I can't tell you how many weeks I used to spend with them over the summers as a kid and it brings me so much joy that he can have his own memories of summer moments with them too.

We always make so many memories and I am so grateful that we can have these moments.  Leaving is never easy.  I'm blessed with an amazing family and miss them so much already.  Can't wait for our next visit!

50 Random Facts About Me

Recently, I began watching a lot of YouTube.  More specifically, I stumbled across some British YouTuber's videos, and kind of became fascinated with their lives.  This fascination got me thinking...you readers don't really have a way of getting to know me.  Sure, you can get a feel for who I am by reading my posts, but seeing someone while they talk makes a huge difference in getting to know them I think.  So, I've decided to start vlogging as well.  Can I just preface this and say that it feels really weird to talk to a camera like it's a person.  I can't say I have any idea how often I will be vlogging, but I hope you all enjoy these little snippets of me and my life :)

Blessings,

Good News and Bad News

I have good news and bad news.  Should I give the good news first?  Well…I have brand news shiny website!  Isn't it purdy?  I'll be working to perfect it over the next few weeks, but I'm super excited about it!

You can check it out here.

After a bad experience with a web designer, I decided to put on my big girl pants and get a Show It site.  They are incredible to work with.  Not being a super IT wiz I was nervous, but the software is really user friendly and easy to use.  Their tech team also provides AMAZING serving.  So amazing that I have some bad news.  I thought I would have 24-48 hours to back-up my old site and blog before my new site would be live.  I went over right away to back-up my old site, and it was gone.  Seriously, the Show It team had my new site completely set-up within 5 minutes of me signing up.  Really, how could I possibly complain about such prompt service?

So, for awhile at least, expect this blog to be busy as I work to repost a ton of posts from my old blog.  Don't mind me as I clean up house a little bit.  

Blessings,

Laura

Happy Birthday, Hailey

Today, my niece turns 6!  It’s something I can’t believe.  Her birthday marks a very special time in Scott and my relationship.  You see, she was born 5 days before our wedding.  Because of this, Scott and I got to be there for her birth.  I got to be at her brother’s birth in 2000 before I moved, and living in Ohio I never would have imagined being at her birth, but I am so thankful that I was able to be.  Hailey was the first baby Scott ever held and the only other baby he held before Alexander was born.  I’ll never forget his face the first time he held her.  It was both a mixture of fear and awe.  She even made it to our wedding!

Is that not the most precious “football” my daddy has ever carried? 

Now, she’s 6 and growing beyond belief.  She has her momma’s attitude (good luck, Melinda), but the biggest heart.  Alexander’s adores his cousins and constantly talks about Jamison and Hailey.  They send videos to each other and Face time as often as possible.  They’re his best friends, even though they live so far away.

Even though we live far away, we love you Hailey and hope you have the best birthday a 6 year old could ever have. 

Aunt Laura

My lil Man is Growing Up

This little guy turned 5 on Tuesday.

I don't really know how that's possible.  I don't understand where the time went.  In ways it's like yesterday that I was looking at him for the first time and in other ways it's like he's been a part of me forever. 

Alexander, you inspire me so much.  I marvel at your mind and you amaze me every day.  You challenge me in ways I never would have imagined.  Not just the typical way of being a parent.  The way you love everybody you meet.  The way you are not afraid to meet new people.  Your love for simple and silly things.  Your amazing imagination.

I love you forever and always monster head.  You and daddy are the best gift God could have ever given me.  I know you can't read this yet, but I'll be sure to tell you every day how much I love you. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you, Bub.  Happy 5th birthday!

Change is Good

Today is my first day as a stay at home mom.  It feels a little weird, but also a huge blessing.  A few weeks after coming home from our honeymoon, Scott and I found out we were expecting a little bundle of joy.  Once he came into the world, I knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom.  Everything about  him fascinated me.  His little fingers and toes.  Watching him sleep.  Watching him grow.  He's what lit this fire in me for photography.  It devastated me to have to go back to work and for the past 5 years it's been a dream of mine to stay home with him.  He turns 5 tomorrow and I feel so blessed to have this time with him before he starts kindergarten. 

It's these moments that I will now get to witness.  The little moments of him building amazing things out of Lego's using his imagination.  That little mischievous smile when he knows I'm watching him.  His little look of concentration and the look of joy on his face when he's proud of something he's done. 

Here's to new beginnings and enjoying life's little moments.

Shoes - Why I Love to Hate Them So Much

My shoes get me into trouble.  Remember these?

Remember this?

That awkward moment when you slip on something and fall on the dance floor.  The moment when people either think you're drunk (when you're not), or you have no business wearing such tall heels on the dance floor.  That was me! 

I am notoriously good at embarrassing myself.  Since I'm naturally a shy person, it takes every bit of me to force myself out of my shell.  Moments like these, I think, are just God's way of challenging me outside of myself even more.  I could go and hide or I can choose to get back up and keep on dancing; laugh it off.  These moments help me grow as a person and while they are embarrassing at the time, I find that generally people forget about them 5 minutes later.  These forgettable embarrassing moments, I think, are what encourages me to reach out and try to get to know people better.  If I can survive falling on the dance floor and not being laughed at, I can certainly survive talking to somebody I don't know about something other than the weather. 

I feel like I've talked about shoes too much recently.  People are going to start thinking I have a fetish.  I promise, I will talk about other things next week :)

Date Night Ideas

I find karaoke quite entertaining.  If you have never partaken in singing karaoke, you are definitely missing out.  Scott happens to love 90's rap and hearing him bust out his rhyme is just something you can't forget.  Or maybe listening to friends sing Disney's Aladdin, "A Whole New World".  I mean, how much better can karaoke get?

It's not a very common thing for Scott and me to do karaoke, but over the weekend Scott's parents watched Alexander overnight.  Our church had our annual night of appreciation.  So, we got dressed up for a night of dinner and dancing.  Since it's rare to have a whole night, we decided karaoke was necessary.  I so wish I taken some iPhone pictures of our karaoke escapades.  Oh well.  I just have one really bad iPhone pic, but doesn't everybody just look like they are having such a good time?

Any who...since taking time to have a date night is difficult enough, thinking of new ideas seems to always be an after thought.  I don't know if it's the same for you, but the typical dinner and a movie seems to be our go to date.  Don't get me wrong, it doesn't really matter what you do as a couple.  Just taking the time to spend time together is the most important thing.  I still thought it would be fun to put together some date night ideas.  So, here goes:

1. Instead of dinner and a movie, what about going for drinks and appetizers and just spending time to catch up.
2. Does anybody else remember going on skate dates?  Have a retro date of roller or ice skating.  Maybe even bowling
3. I adore wine.  Go to a local winery or wine tasting
4. Take a cooking or dance class together.  Really, take any class that interests you together.
5. Go to a baseball game.
6. Attend an art gallery showing or go to a museum.
7. Instead of going to dinner, why not go to brunch together.
8. Boys love their toys...be brave and go paint balling.
9. Attend a local concert or other event.  Over the summer, Scott and I went to a wine festival together and a farm in our area does free concerts in the valley over the summer.
10. Be a kid again and take a trip to the zoo or an amusement park.  Cedar Point is really close to us and I love roller coasters.  Definitely one I'm going to have to plan.

These are just a few ideas.  The point is to make time for romance in your relationship and to keep that love alive.  Once marriage comes and the every day mundane stuff sets in, spending time to go on "dates" with your spouse can go on the back burner.  Scott and I always have the intention of scheduling monthly date nights, which doesn't always happen.  When it does happen, there's something about going on a date with him that brings us back focusing on our marriage and each other instead of all the other stuff in our lives.

Lenten Couple's Retreat Thoughts

Over the weekend, Scott and I had the good fortune of being able to go to a retreat for married couples at our parish.  The idea was to prepare us to journey through Lent together as a couple.  Each week of Lent, we reflect on one of the readings and how we can apply the teaching to improve our marriage.  It's an idea that I'm really excited about. 

Being married isn't always easy.  Between busy schedules and work demands, daily life can get in the way of being able to focus on your marriage.  Having this time to reconnect and grow closer to God as a couple is such a blessing. 

Lent begins on Wednesday.  As Scott and I journey through Lent and focus on our relationship, I will also be praying for all my couples getting married this year. 

Hey There, It’s Been Awhile

So, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas have all come and gone with very little on this blog.  It’s a New Year already.  How is that possible?  Since it’s a new year with new beginnings, I’m going to begin again on this blog.

It actually felt really nice to take a break for a couple of months.  Life just goes by too quickly and being able to focus solely on my family was exactly what I needed. 

Over the Christmas season, we were able to spend a couple weeks with my family in Olympia, WA.  We baked cookies and had a whole Clark Griswald family Christmas experience, cut down our tree – “lil sap here” – and decorated, took lots of pictures of all the families over Christmas, Alexander had a sleepover with his cousins, we had lovely dinners with my dad and step-mom, grandparents, my mom and step-dad, and I spent lots of time relaxing.  Get ready for lots of pictures :)

So yes, I’m trying to build a business and taking a break may not be the wisest business decision, but do I regret being silent for a couple of months?  No.  Being able to be there for all of Alexander’s needs has been great and making a surprise visit to Scott at his new job doesn’t make me money, but it builds my marriage.  I know that break was the right thing to do.  I am very excited to get back on the horse though.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mommy’s birthday and I couldn’t have a better mom or best friend.  Even though we are thousands of miles apart, my mom is still my best friend and biggest cheerleader.  Hearing her voice always puts a smile on my face.

The women in our family always seem to spend time in the kitchen together cooking, enjoying a glass of wine, and filling the kitchen with laughter.  I have so many memories of baking cookies and making family recipes with my mom.  She taught me how to be a mom and wife.  She taught me unconditional love and unending patience. 

Thank you for being you mom.  Thank you, Grandma, for bringing her into the world today.  I love you to the moon and hope your birthday is special.

Change is Setting In

As fall sets in here in Northeast Ohio, summer is still trying to hang on.  We have had 80 degree weather for about a week now and the heat hanging on is making me think about change.  Our family is entering into change.  Scott is starting a new job next week, which will bring much change to our lives.  This new job will mean a move for our family within the next year.  Granted, it’s not too far, but moving is a big change regardless. 

I enjoy change; always have.  This move will be my 24^th move in my life.  It does take a lot of work though.  Getting our house ready to sell means deep cleaning and touching up areas of the house that have been LIVED in.  Everything we have to do has been on my mind since Scott accepted the job.

Last night, we got home from church and my 4 year old did something that reminded me to enjoy this moment.  He walked into the back yard and sat underneath our tree.  It made me stop everything that I was about to do and just enjoy spending time with him.  We ate our dinner outside and played Frisbee with Sophie.  It was a perfect summer evening in October.  These are the moments I cherish.  The little moments that I hope he remembers spending with me as an adult.