Silas in Phoenix Part 2

Another quick Phoenix update with some photos! I have so many more (and more interesting) photos on my camera, but these are all from my iPhone which makes updating quick and easy!

Friday night I went down to Tempe and met up with Brianne, Donnie and Gracie. Bri is in the musical Rent and they did a little promotional ditty. Since the show doesn't open until after I leave town, it was great to get to see her perform live. Bri is the second from the end - I could hear her big voice coming out of her tiny body!


We went out to dinner together after the performance! YUM! I can still taste the glorious chocolate & banana cream cake!!! (Rachelle's own personal nightmare! haha!) Here are Gracie (18 months) and Silas (almost 10 months) enjoying a tasty meal of Cheerios together!


Saturday morning Silas and I got up to take a hike together at Dreamy Draw. I think Si's stroller looks like a huge nugget of turquoise found in the desert mountains!


Then we went to the Heard Museum together. I haven't been there in a long time, so it was fun to explore together...there was a Navajo Weaving showcase in the courtyard and I was so tempted to buy something...too bad everything was waaaaaaaay outside of my price range...


Saturday afternoon, Grandpa took Silas for a long walk so that Laurie and I could go get pedicures! The last pedicure I got was with Chris back in August, so this was a very relaxing, needed indulgence! I have a brand-new totally favorite color (at least for the fall)...Lighten Up, You're Too Pence!


On our way up to Jerome, my dad and I stopped at Pappy's for breakfast. Yet another meal of Cheerios for Silas. I thought this was a funny face he's making!


Outside of Pappy's in Cordes Junction. I love the desert!!! It was soooo bright, so Silas turned out dark in this photo...however, I LOVE the way he has his feet crossed and toes spread! It made me laugh!


Near Jerome there is a mine that has become the "burial ground" for just about everything you can imagine. Including all the letters to spell Phoenix! (Ok, so it's really Phcenix)


A donkey on the loose...Silas hadn't seen it yet...


Silas and me with an old machine...


Once Silas and the donkey made eye contact, he started crying!!! (Silas, not the donkey) It was really sad...the donkey was so sweet, they could have been friends!

Hoping for more fun over the next few days...then it's back home to the RAIN AND GREY of Tacoma...booooo....

Silas in Phoenix Part 1

Quickie update -

Learned last night that Silas has the innate know-how to climb stairs when mom's not watching...





He made it up to the 3rd step, but I was too scared he was going to tumble backward that I had to put my camera down. (these were all taken with cell phone, so not the best quality!)

Silas took a WONDERFUL 2.5 hour nap today!!!!!!! It's sooooooo beautiful and warm in Phoenix that Silas gets one more shot at wearing his "summer clothes" despite the fact that it's already November 6!

What a cutie!


It's continually shocking to me that my OWN child is sleeping in my childhood bedroom! We moved to this house when I was just 7 years old, so it holds so many wonderful memories. I'm glad that Si will get to spend some time in this house too. Here he is sleeping in the Pack 'N Play underneath my bedroom window.

More adventures to come. Since Jonathan isn't here with me, I'm trying to document all the little things!

Budda Belly Be Gone!

I'm not at home right now, so I can't post the fancy little pie chart about the goal of losing 10 pounds by my birthday.......BUT.......

I DID IT! I lost 11.6 pounds by my 30th birthday! Not sure if anyone other than myself cares, but I am so glad I exceeded my goal and am going to try to lose another 6 pounds by Christmas. (Let's be honest...another 10 pounds during the holidays is just cruel...But 6 is do-able, right!?!)

Ultimately, I just want to be as healthy as I can (while still enjoying life and food and laziness!) so that I can spend as many wonderful years with my family and friends as possible!

Adios 20s!

There's just 1 hour and 19 minutes left of my 20s! Too bad, because I loved my 20s - so many adventures, laughter, growing, smiling, lessons and loving. I figured I'd say goodbye to my 20s with a list of 20 of my memories from my 20s.

1. Marrying a sensitive, smart, spectacular, sexy, social, sweet man!
2. Growing and nurturing and delivering the best baby in the world!
3. Gaining new family members that feel like they've been my family forever!
4. Spending the first 20 years of my life with my mom - and figuring out the past 9.5 years without her. I truly don't think a day goes by that I don't think about her and wish that she were still alive and getting to share my stories with her and get her thoughts and advice on all that goes on in my life. But she taught me how to be a loving mother, spouse and friend - which will stay with me forever.
5. Building amazing friendships with people with belief systems very similar, and very different, from my own.
6. Graduating from college!
7. Graduating from grad school!
8. Traveling through 17 foreign countries - some alone and some with others!
9. Setting up homes in Arizona, Virginia and Washington.
10. Surviving months and months of bed rest while pregnant with Silas.
11. Learning that while things might not always end up the way you imagined, the alternatives can also be quite wonderful!
12. Even if it's not the ultimate dream job, finding a line of work that is enjoyable, challenging and with lots of room to grow.
13. Having friends and family spread around the country, so that there's always a warm house to visit when traveling.
14. Driving across country from the west coast to east coast...and then back to the west coast again!
15. Raising two insanely cute (yet wild) gargantuan white poodles (well, a labradoodle and a poodle)! Trust me - this is actually a feat worth mentioning...
16. Buying a cozy, wonderful old house and renovating it little-by-little.
17. Being comfortable with letting go of old friendships and really understanding that it's okay for relationships to change.
18. Taking care of others, and letting them take care of me.
19. Saying final goodbyes to my Nana and my Grandmother - and missing them deeply.
20. Building the life I always dreamed of having...and getting excited to see where the next 10 years take me!

It's funny to think that nearly all of the things I dreamed of achieving in my life have already come true - a strong marriage, a healthy child (and hopefully MORE sometime in the future), a warm, safe home, long term friendships, new friendships, health, (at least a bit of) wealth, completing my formal education, etc. I suddenly realized...I don't know what I want in the next 10 years! And more so, I don't even care! Of course, goals are great, but it's very freeing to be in a place in my life where I know that what I have is enough. Enough to make me proud. Enough to make me happy.

And no, 30 doesn't feel old. It does sound old though. I remember a specific thought from when I was a teenager...I remember thinking, "I wonder what I'll look like when I'm like...27 years old!?!?!" That seemed so far into the future, and now that's already feeling far into the past. I know that time is starting to move more quickly, as I see Silas growing up and gray hairs sprouting from my head.

All I can think of wanting in the upcoming years is to be conscious everyday of how much I love my life, soaking in the love that is constantly sprinkled on me, and letting life's lessons continue to teach me, challenge me and remind me that in the end, everything's gonna be alright...

(AH! Now there are only 46 minutes remaining until November 2!!!)

(Side note...did you know that I was born in Oklahoma? Given the time change, I still have 2 hours and 3 minutes left until my ACTUAL 30th birth-moment!)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, from the sweetest pea you ever did see!

Photography: Love Your Body Day 2009

October 21, 2009 was the 12th Annual Love Your Body Day, organized by NOW (National Organization for Women). In their words, the campaign is "a giant shout out to the fashion, beauty, diet and advertising industries: No more fake images! Show us real women, diverse women, strong women, bold women. And to the women and girls who are targeted by messages telling them that the key to success and happiness is manufactured beauty, we say: It's okay to "Be You" -- the true you is beautiful."

I was asked by the Women's Center to take photos of students, faculty and staff for 2009 Love Your Body Day. Within hours of sending out a university-wide e-mail, all spots were filled and they had to extend the photo shoots out for additional days...and there were STILL folks who wanted their photos taken, but there simply wasn't enough time.

This project was such a fantastic break from my day-to-day routine. As much fun as analyzing banking compliance regulations 40 hours a week...seeing beautiful, naked people two days in a row was spectacular! It gave me time to turn inward a bit and think about my own body - and what amazing things it can do (like create a Baby Silas!!!). I was so proud of the people who were willing to come meet a stranger (me), get undressed, and show their peers what real beauty looks like.

Here are a handful of some of my favorites...it was really hard to pick just a few. And you'll see, I really picked more than "just a few." Maybe eventually I will post them all!

Let's start with my absolute favorite! :)

Shrinking Budda

You may have noticed two weeks have gone by since I've updated the shrinking budda belly chart. I admit it - I gained 0.8 pounds the first week and only lost 0.2 pounds last week...but I came back into the game this week...and only have 0.4 pounds to lose this week to meet my goal of losing 10 pounds by my 30th birthday! And I WILL do it!!! Mark my words - this chart will be solid BLUE in one week! :)