Christmas 2014

The holidays this year we're magical. I never believed it when people said Christmas when you're a kid is topped by Christmas when you have a kid but it's so, so true. Even when your child is only 3 months old and prefers staring at the lamp than opening his 20 gifts! 

We started out the festivities by visiting Santa (and spending an absurd amount on an 8x10) where Mark told the big man in red that he wanted golf clubs and diamonds. Smart boy we have right there. He could care less who holds him which is such a blessing so we were able to capture his blank stare in all it's glory. 

We spent Christmas Eve visiting J's dad's house so they could spoil the babe and ended the evening at my mom's like we always do. Can you even stand that little sweater romper? Who says girls are the fun ones to dress up! My sister has been working on a quilt for Mark ever since we announced my pregnancy and it was such an amazing, thoughtful gift we'll have forever.  

J and I started the tradition of opening gifts from each other in the quiet of our own home on Christmas Eve so this year, after we put Mark to bed, we poured ourselves a drink and enjoyed a moment just the two of us. J gifted me a gorgeous sapphire ring to add to my wedding set to symbolize our little babe and I was again blown away by his thoughtfulness. I picked a good man, that's for sure. We spent a while reflecting on the year and boy has it been a good one! Especially since we decided on Christmas Eve last year that we wanted a family and our sweet little man turned 3 months old on Christmas Day. 

Like last year, we hosted Christmas for J's mom's side of the family (and my family too) and it went off without a hitch. We got to relax in our own home which is awesome with a new baby, had tons of yummy food including pork from the smoker and really enjoyed ourselves. Family is so important to both of us and it's such a blessing to have everyone together under one roof making new and continuing old traditions. It was yet again another fabulous holiday season in the books and I'm a bit in denial that it's over already! Until next year...

Tis The Season

The Christmas season has always been my favorite time of year. There's no questioning my love for the twinkling lights, the time spent with family, the joy the season brings. But this year it's been hard. It's been hard to get in the spirit when my spirits have been low. The stress of balancing the end of my third semester of med school with being a mommy and a wife, trying to have a perfectly decorated home and enjoy this time of year as much as possible has often been too much for me to handle. I'm in desperate need of a break and so thankful that I'm in a position to get 2+ weeks off from school to do just that.

Our days are going to be filled with time as a family, seeing those we love the most and soaking in this little boy of mine who I've missed dearly the last few weeks. As I type, he is finishing his nap on my chest and hearing his little breath in my ear makes all the stress from the last month just disappear.

I'm hitting the ground running today for this festive week and I can't wait for what's in store in the coming days. We're headed to meet Santa for the first time after J gets off his conference call followed by an afternoon of baking cookies and wrapping presents while our little boy naps. We're hosting Christmas again this year and I feel like I say this every year but this year is more special than any before. Celebrating Mark's first Christmas is something I've been looking forward to since finding out I was pregnant and to top it all off, he turns 3 months old on Christmas day!

Sometimes life can be hard. And then sometimes it can be so, so good that you forget about the bad. I'm in the good and soaking up every minute. Happy Holidays friends, may your days be merry and bright.

Baby H: His Name

Our son, Mark Jameson.

It still shocks me every now and again that he's our son, that he's here in the world and that we made him. One of the biggest parts about having a child is deciding on a name. His name is his identity. He'll have it for the rest of his life and J and I took choosing his name very seriously.

Before knowing the gender of our first born we had started talking names and it's a good thing Mark is a boy because we were lightyears away from deciding on a girls but came up with a boys relatively easily. We both agreed early on that we didn't want something trendy. We didn't want something that our child would have to spell every time they gave their name. We didn't want something that would continuously be mispronounced. We didn't want something that would fit a child but not carry through to adulthood. We wanted something classic and also something with meaning.

His middle name, Jameson, is a bit of a tribute to our honeymoon in Ireland and a bit "just because we liked it". We had picked his first name and wanted something with more than two syllables (okay maybe that was just me and my a-type personality). Jameson was easy and simple and just fell into place.

It's his first name, Mark, that holds all the meaning. I've written about it many times before but my dad passed away years ago and it's been one of the toughest parts of my life (and continues to be to this day). His name was Mark. And after thinking about it for only a short time we knew our son would be named after his grandpa. It just felt right. It's an honor to an amazing man, something our son can hopefully take pride in and it makes my heart swell each and every time I call him by his first name.

And to make it that much more sweet, I truly believe my dad knows his grandson carries on the memory of him. During my labor with Mark, after settling in with my epidural and beginning the process of delivering our first born, I asked J to turn on some music for me on his phone. My request was the James Taylor station on Pandora. Carolina in My Mind was the first song that played and I cried. It was the song from our wedding. The song I danced with my mom to, the song I would have been dancing with my dad to, THE song that is the epitome of my dad to me. And in that moment, early in the morning on September 25th, just moments before meeting my son, I knew my dad was there welcoming his grandson into the world with us.

Baby H: Baby Shower

It's taken me a while to get this post up about my fabulous baby shower on the 20th because the end of summer seems to be busier than ever but regardless, it was by far one of the best days of the summer. We had a great afternoon chatting about our little bundle of joy, attempting to stay cool in the 95+ degree heat and celebrating our little boy with so many of my favorite ladies all in one place. 

The shower was hosted by the future grandmas and one of the sweet ladies who threw my bridal shower two years ago. We ate delicious Mexican food (at my request, because it seems like the baby is always in the mood for that) and snacked on a candy buffet and cupcakes after lunch. I didn't want things to be too over the top with themes and games and the hostesses did not disappoint. There was plenty of blue decor with touches of yellow and orange in the balloons and the flowers.

The guests signed their names on a calendar to guess the babe's birthday and who ever gets it right will get a sweet surprise in the mail come September (or potentially October but hopefully not). We played a "Price is Right" game where guests had to guess the price of 6 normal baby items like a pack of diapers and a tube of butt paste and the closest to the actual total won a little prize. Everyone filled out little cards with their dreams and wishes for the little man and for us as parents and I can't wait to read what they wrote over the next few weeks.

The best part of the whole day was spending time with everyone who was there and feeling everyone's love for our son. Our little boy's grandmas and other family members, my favorite med school ladies, long-time family friends on both sides of the family, the wives I've grown close to from J's group of guys and my best friend all the way from California even made the trip out. Everyone was so generous to spend not only time with me before I become a momma but also gifted us some seriously awesome items for when he arrives. The nursery is completely ready now, his drawers are filled with adorable mini-clothes, hats and shoes, I have my dream Vera Bradley diaper bag packed and ready for the hospital, and we are all set for cleaning up all the messes this little boy is guaranteed to make.

I couldn't have asked for a better day! I left feeling so blessed, so loved and so ready for his arrival now (and also a bit exhausted too if we're being honest). Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who made the shower as perfect as it was. Now we're just under two months until I can introduce this little boy to everyone who spoils him and loves him already!

Baby H: Gender Reveal

This Mother's Day was without a doubt the most special in my life so far. Not only does it mark being halfway through this pregnancy and being that much closer to being a mom myself but it also served as the perfect time to celebrate with our families about whether the baby in my belly is a boy or a girl.

After our doctors appointment last week we took the beloved sealed envelop with the gender of our babe to Whole Foods for them to make us a reveal cake. I had our ultrasound tech fill out two cards (just incase our cake ended up with orange frosting inside) and it was so tempting all weekend to peak at the results. Thankfully J and I both spent the majority of Sunday with each of our mom's that served as a good distraction.

We invited everyone over for a lasagna dinner and made sure to support both team pink and team blue. After dinner was finished we anxiously took the solid white cake out of it's box, ready to slice in! My sister was able to join in the celebration via FaceTime since she's away for college which might explain some of the goofy comments ("lean me against a cup"). And now without further adieu and some minor cake cutting complications... 

Baby H is a... BOY!

Just to clarify, Whole Foods bakes exclusively with all natural products including dyes which is why our "blue" frosting seems significantly purple and explains J's confusion at first when we finally got the cake cut. I knew boy immediately based solely on the fact that the frosting wasn't pink but I'm very glad we had that extra envelop to open just to verify. 

I still can't believe we finally know that come September, we'll be holding our son, our baby boy! Ever since getting pregnant I've thought there was blue in my belly and it just goes to show you that mother's intuition does mean something after all! J is of course thrilled and can't help but think golf and baseball, watching football this fall with the babe and all things sports already.

Baby H, the excitement we've had for the last 20 weeks is nothing compared to how your dad and I feel now, to know more about who you are and know how fantastic our life is going to be with you in it in a few short months. Sweet, sweet boy, we cannot wait to meet you and introduce the world to our son! xoxo Your Momma

Tough Moments

It's not often that I delve into matters of my heart that are difficult. Unless we're talking medical school I tend to stick to positives, things I can share without feeling vulnerable, parts of my life that are easy and fun. I'm sure it's partly to do with the aspect of life that sometimes it's easier to just not think about things, to not let your mind wander into territory you know it doesn't like. And part of it is the susceptibility and unevenness that it sometimes puts you in. A bridge with no end. A boat without a paddle. 

But there's something that's been on my mind more often than I'd like to admit as of late and enough is enough, sometimes you just have to let it come and delve right in. 

The first day of the month should have been my dad's 61st birthday. And I guess in some sense it still was. But he hasn't been here to celebrate that day in thirteen years and thirteen years later the day passes by and I still feel that hole in my heart, a hole that's gotten smaller with time, a hole that's been somewhat filled by the love from others and the memories of him I'll have forever. But a hole none the less.

This year was quite different than the last twelve though. Because my life is drastically different this April than it's ever been. There's a sweet, little babe in my belly and even just typing those words in the context of my dad sends a pang through my gut I can't explain. 

He won't be here to hold this baby of ours and nuzzle his beard on new soft skin. Our babe will grow up not knowing his voice, his jokes, his stories. Some day J and I will have to explain why there's a missing grandpa in his or her life. I'll spend years potentially finding parts of my dad that show up in our child; his facial features, his hair color, his personality. And part of that is a blessing, being able to remember him and cherish him. But it's also a curse at the same time, I'll never see the two of them together, sporting matching hair lines or grins or whatever it might turn out to be. 

Growing up without my dad around has been hard in more ways that I can probably even pinpoint but some of the hardest are the celebratory moments I wish he was here for. My graduations, milestone birthdays, our wedding, this sweet babe. I've never talked religion here because frankly, I'm still not sure where I stand on the whole idea of it but there's no doubt in my heart that my dad is somewhere. That he's been standing in the back of the room for all these important events in my life, clapping his hands, smiling and laughing or wiping tears from his eyes. 

And I like to think that wherever he is, that somehow he's already met this sweet babe of ours, that he held his grandchild in his arms before I ever did, that he introduced himself to this baby and knows him or her well. Believing this is the case helps me cope just a little easier. 

Baby H: Gender Reveal Planning

For some unknown reason I've always been intrigued by the idea of keeping our future babies' genders a mystery until their birthdays. There's just something about the surprise that is inthralling, in fact there aren't that many moments in life anymore where you can be 100% surprised in my opinion. So when we found out we were expecting my mind immediately thought we wouldn't find out.

However, J was always on the other side of the fence about the issue, wanting to know if this little babe in my belly will be his son or daughter as soon as possible. After many conversations about it, reading other people's opinions who've done it both ways and spending some time thinking myself, I finally caved. I should add that while J always wanted to know he was absolutely supportive of me and told me it was ultimately my decision, I was the one doing the work so I would be the one with the last call. What a great husband I have!

Well now we are a little less than a month from finding out the big pink or blue and I'm starting the planning process on how to spill the beans. Our anatomy ultrasound was originally scheduled for our 20-week appointment and I tentatively looked at the calendar to see if it fell somewhere near a celebration of sorts that could call for a party. Unfortunately it didn't at first but I realized quickly that if I moved the appointment up a week it would fall the Friday before Mother's Day! What a perfect day to find out the gender of our sweet babe.

I quickly called my OB, rescheduled my appointment and hopped on PicMonkey to make an impromptu invite for the festivities. We knew we wanted to share the news with our families in a special way and what better way to share it with the future Grandma's than Mother's Day.

J and I are still deciding if we'll find out just the two of us the day of my appointment or if we'll wait and be surprised with everyone else but regardless, the day is quickly approaching to knowing a bit more about who this little one is going to be. The party is going to be small, just our immediate families, and will be dinner and most likely a dessert used to spill the beans. I don't want to go overboard with gender-reveal themes but have been scouring Pinterest for ways to announce pink or blue. Most likely it'll involve a cake that J and I cut into that's a certain color on the inside but nothing's been decided for sure yet.

I still have a hunch of what the gender is that's been consistent since the beginning but recently, mostly within the time frame of deciding we were going to find out, I've wavered to the other side a couple times. I'm not sure if that's due to actually thinking the opposite way or just imagining our life with either option more often. I also purchased a maternity maxi dress on sale from Old Navy this week that I'm planning on incorporating into my outfit for the day. I want to represent both sides so I'll be paring this coral/pink maxi with lots of blue accessories. And the Grandma's have already said they're coming over decked out in the color that they think the babe is.

GenderRevealOutfit by jaymeeryn featuring a blue jean jacket

As much as I was originally not wanting to know, the fact that we're officially finding out now has me pretty excited. I can't wait to not only peak in at our little one at that appointment but also celebrate that weekend knowing if the babe is a sweet little girl or a bouncing playful boy. And don't worry, I'll be sure to reveal my hunch once we know one way or another. 

Baby H: Starting Our Family

J and I had a conversation this past summer about our little family and the idea of it growing someday. We've both known all along that kids were in our future but unfortunately my dreams of medical school, residency and becoming a physician put in a few extra kinks that needed to be worked out making the process of deciding when not so simple.

So last summer we had two options to consider in terms of when to grow our family... during or after medical school. It wasn't too difficult to come to the decision that we didn't want to wait until school (and everything else that's to come) was over which narrowed it down to sometime in the next 4-ish years. At the time, the demands of school were all just hypothetical since I hadn't actually started classes yet so we agreed to test the waters for a bit and see how we adjusted.

Well school started and was everything I had hoped it wouldn't be in terms of stress, time demands, lack of free time, etc etc. It was the, "Hello medical school, here, take my life away" type of moment. After a few months I felt like I was finding my groove and started thinking about our family again. But I was almost 100% sure there was no way J was on board for it anymore. I was dying to know his opinion but honestly, I avoided the conversation because I didn't want to hear, "no, not right now".

Months went by and there was no conversation about it. Until Christmas. It was Christmas Eve, combine the festive spirit with both of us having a bit or a lot to drink and we ended up talking babies and how we wanted to start growing our family. I was in seventh heaven! But I was worried that it wasn't real, to be honest, worried that we had had too many drinks to even remember the entirety of the conversation the next morning (romantic, right? Ha!). But low and behold, it wasn't just a dream or a drunken conversation.

We agreed that there was no time like the present and that things seemed much more manageable than they did just a few months before. We talked about how some people try to get everything in order before trying to get pregnant but that there's never a perfect opportunity for it. If you wait until everything is perfect, you'll be waiting your entire life. So we decided to welcome the idea of a pregnancy and a baby with open arms.

And as life would have it, we found out we were expecting on January 17th, 2014.

I'm sure you can all do the math but that means that I got pregnant within the first month of us trying. I realize that there are many women who would give anything just to be pregnant, let alone so quickly, and for that I am both sorry to be telling our story to them and also thankful for the luck we had. No matter the time line, thankful doesn't even begin to describe our feelings towards this pregnancy and baby.

Regardless of how quickly things happened for us, the two weeks of waiting to see if there was a bun in our oven seemed to draggggg on! I bounced between moments where I was sure I was pregnant (most of these moments were when I was starving) and moments when I convinced myself there was no way it was that easy. For some unknown reason I had always assumed it would be hard for me to get pregnant so I almost didn't want to believe in the possibility too much so that I wouldn't be let down if I wasn't yet.

Because J and I are both planners, we were aware of my body's timing and aware of when we would know if our efforts had worked. I had been tracking my cycles for months, ever since getting off birth control last summer so there wasn't any mystery behind when to test, etc. Because of this I didn't get to do a sweet surprise, a hidden onesie or a baby-themed dinner for J to tell him the news because we tested together. And to be honest, I'm so glad we shared that moment together. That early morning plus sign is a moment I'll hold close to my heart forever.

Both my estimate as well as our first doctors appointment put Baby H's due date as September 29, 2014 and just thinking about that date still makes my heart flutter. J and I are thrilled to be on this journey together and can't wait for the fall to quickly arrive! 

Photo taken at 8w3d
with a heartbeat of 180 and even some little limb bud wiggles

We can't wait to meet you sweet thing. 

Grow strong in there and know mom and dad love you more than you'll ever know!

Baby H: Weeks 4-12

We are so excited that the news is finally out about our sweet bun in the oven. This blog might be filled to the brim with all things baby in the coming weeks as I play catch up on all that's been happening. 

Sorry I'm not sorry!

To start, here's a look back on weekly updates since we first found out the awesome news! 

4 weeks: That beloved plus sign is as bright as ever!!! We're officially knocked up! Photo taken January 19th, 2014. Baby is a sweet little ball of cells and I think it's making momma is a bit more tired than normal. The tiredness could be from baby or from the cut back on caffeine along with the start of school, I'll never be sure. I've been CHUGGING water as I can't seem to quench my thirst lately and definitely have dry skin and lips too. Starting weight is 125lbs and I'm already a bit anxious about how that's going to quickly start changing. We are SO thrilled to have this little peanut growing away in there and still can't believe that it's really happening. 

5 Weeks: baby is about the size of an orange seed and momma is obsessed with orange juice which might be because I'm getting sick of drinking water but the thirst still continues. This week happened to bring with it sore boobs and complete EXHAUSTION. Seriously, I napped most days this week and still felt run down. I'm definitely missing the ability to chug coffee like I used to. (and I apologize for the sad/not put together photo but that's what happens when you're tired and it's the day before an exam) I'm also missing booze already (yep, not too sure what that says about me) but I think it's because my birthday is coming up as well as football parties and all I want is a glass of wine or a dark beer. Our first doctors visit is set for the end of February right before our trip to Mexico and we are anxiously awaiting a peak at our sweet little thing. Photo taken at 5w0d.

6 Weeks: baby is growing away in there and momma has been feeling pretty good. Nothing too new symptom wise has popped up this week as the thirst, dry skin, sore boobs and need for a nap every afternoon are still in full swing. This week I surprised my best ladies at school with the huge news (complete with cupcakes) and they are all thrilled and excited for Baby H. This week also meant my entire med school class found out about the bun in the oven (more on that to come) which made me a little nervous since it's so early still. I finally got back to the gym over the weekend as exhaustion has kept me away. I took it easy on the treadmill and ended up leaving early because of my first bout with nausea. Thanks for letting momma know you're in there little one! Photo taken at 6w0d.

7 Weeks: baby is the size of blueberry and momma feels like she's on a boat some days. Like clockwork nausea seemed to kick in for real this week and while I never actually got sick (yet, fingers crossed) it's definitely hard to pay attention in class or get too much work done while feeling queasy all day. Thanks to some ginger beer (like ginger ale) or Squirt and small snacks it usually went away easily. Here's to hoping this is as bad as it gets. With some coupons from Target I've officially purchased a few maternity tops (a classic tee and a tank) that I'm sure I'll be using a ton this summer. They've made me excited for the future baby bump that I keep imagining is starting to show up already but is actually just lunch. Here's hoping the two pounds I've gained aren't just extra weight and that bump starts to show up soon! Photo taken at 7w0d.

8 Weeks: baby is growing and momma feels like poo! Hello nausea, nice to see you almost every day. My "morning sickness" isn't always in the morning and sometimes lasts into the late afternoon. It's triggered by hunger, drinking too much water without eating anything, and smells. Ohhh the bloodhound nose I have right now. Somehow the combination of eating frosting combined with J sitting next to me drinking a Pepsi had me smelling espresso? Not sure how that one worked. And I officially threw up for the first time after being woken in the middle of the night thanks to a lovely dog fart that had me gagging. I wish I was joking. Throw in a super long week at school, the presence of exhaustion still and plenty of headaches and it's been a rough week. I already feel bad for J and my crazy emotions/needs/general pregnant state. Hey, at least my boobs are less sore? Trying to find the silver lining where I can. Photo taken at 8w0d.

9 Weeks: baby is either the size of a green olive, kidney bean, southern pecan or gummy bear (depending on which pregnancy app I use) and momma couldn't be happier. This week I had way fewer symptoms, much less nausea, only needing a nap some days, and just a generally more happy self. We also had our very first doctor's visit including an ultrasound and it was such a joy to see our little nugget, it's flickering heart beat measuring at 180 and even some tiny limb bud movement. I didn't want it to end! After getting measurements from the doctor, we realized babe is the same size as a Sour Patch Kid which I've been eating like crazy this week along with anything cheesy (which is totally unlike me). I'm starting to get to the "she must have had too many burritos lately" stage making jeans and tops fit differently but hey, I couldn't be more excited to grow this little one. We're headed to Mexico for a week and this momma cannot wait to relax! Photo taken at 9w0d.

10 Weeks: baby is back in the USA after a fantastic first trip to Mexico for him/her and momma is so thankful that the weeks are flying by. I was a bit nervous traveling outside of the country with our little one and thankfully had no serious symptoms other than needing to get to bed early and having a tendency to get overheated quicker than before. The nausea stayed in the USA! Naps and virgin drinks by the pool were just what this momma needed along with a bit of a tan, of course. Over the last week or so I've started to notice the belly beginning to change and I'm hoping it's more baby-bump than constipation-bloating (TMI, sorry). We surprised the soon-to-be grandmas with our big news the weekend we got back and sharing this with them was so special.  Photo taken at 10w0d.

11 Weeks: baby has very specific taste buds lately and momma has been giving in to those cravings quite often this week. I'm up about 4-5 lbs from my pre-baby weight which is probably due to both the all-inclusive week in Mexico and the cravings I've been giving in to. Mac n Cheese, Sonic Cherry Limeade and Lays chips with onion dip top the list this week. Oops! Whether it's from growing a human or jumping into neuro after a super relaxing spring break, I'm feeling tired in the afternoons and trying to listen to my body about when to rest. Top the week off with some headaches (most likely from not drinking enough water), my pumpkin spice flavored coffee making me gag one morning and all pants starting to be a bit snug and it's been an interesting week. Here's to drinking more water, getting more sleep, buying a bella band and the weeks passing quickly by.  Photo taken at 11w0d.

12 Weeks: baby is starting to make a bit of an appearance and momma is loving it! The truth about second trimester energy-boost seems to be true since even though I'm not quite through the first, my energy has been much better. Compared to the non-pregnant, non-neuro-science state I'm definitely not running marathons with excess energy but I'll take anything I can get especially when school dictates late night studying that would have been impossible six weeks ago. My hormone levels seem to be relaxing a bit as I find myself less up-and-down throughout the week which I'm grateful for. We have our second doctor's appointment at the end of the week and after hopefully a great check-up, Baby H news will become public knowledge!  Photo taken at 12w0d.

Current 13 Week update will be coming soon!

Christmas & NYE 2013

The holiday season is especially busy around these parts. Between Christmas with both families, our anniversary 4 days later and New Years Eve quickly following... not to mention only having 9 days off school... we've been having a fantastic last two weeks. So let's catch up shall we...
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Christmas is by far my favorite holiday of the entire year.
And this year was that much more special since we are now living in CO. 

Christmas Eve spent with my side of the family. 

Appetizers, drinks, festive music, a few card games and opening presents. 

My sister is in town from school and it was so nice to start off the festive holiday with some quality time with my little family. 

J was making 15+ lbs of pork shoulder on his smoker for the next day meaning it had to start cooking by midnight Christmas Eve. After finally getting the meat started we opened presents between the two of us and then it was off to bed for us!

This year, we decided to host Christmas Day for my family and J's mom's side of the family. 

We decorated the house around Thanksgiving and started prepping for the big day a few days before. 

We woke up in our own beds, sipped mimosas with our cinnamon rolls and waited for everyone to arrive. 

We kept with all the usual traditions, homemade gifts and garage sale gifts included. 

We played a silly game from Pinterest where the winner received a bottle of Bailey's, munched on lots of yummy snacks and finally settled into a full meal that was just delicious. This was the biggest group of people we have hosted for a meal and it all went off without a hitch. 

We ended the night by stopping by J's dad's house. I got to snuggled with J's cousin's sweet little girls, attempt to stuff myself with some more dessert and we called it an early night thanks to exhaustion from the day. It was yet again a fabulous holiday season and I cannot believe that it's already over. 

With school starting this fall Christmas seemed to really sneak up on me but it was also that much more special. 

Our presents: I got a fabulous new Keurig machine, spa and nails gift certificates, scrubs, a custom Northface jacket, my very first Broncos jersey, a gorgeous duvet cover and so many other gifts I'm so grateful for. J got new shoes, sports paraphernalia, snow gear, a new front door, booze and a slew of other manly things.

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New Year's Eve was quite around these parts and I wouldn't have had it any other way. We spent part of the evening having dinner with my mom and sister, stuffing our faces with mexican food and enjoying the last few bits of time off. 

Come 8 ish we figured we better figure out the rest of the night. Either join friends in numerous different places of merriment or spend a quiet night inside. It didn't take us long to settle in with two movies from RedBox, mugs of hot chocolate and just our little family celebrating the end to a fabulous year.

_________________________________________________________________________

From our family to yours I hope that the season was filled with memories 

 & sweet moments spent with family and those you love. 

Our first married Christmas was everything I could have wanted 

As was our first full year of marriage and everything that 2013 brought with it. 

We sure are blessed and are looking eagerly into all that 2014 has to offer. 

I bet it will be great!

Christmas Card 2013

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you and yours. 

Love The Hollands

And here's a peak back at the last two years

Thankful v5

Lately I've been thankful… 

[+] for holiday beers and quick but wonderful dinners with family

 [+] for the end of my first semester and a few short days of vacation

[+] for Christmas countdowns, presents under the tree and the chance to surprise my husband

[+] for meal planning and hosting Christmas in our new house

[+] for a home that is ours in a festively decorated neighborhood

[+] for the people I get to call my family, blood related or not

[+] for morning belly-rubs after we wipe the sleep from our eyes

[+] for almost one year of marriage to the man of my dreams

What are you thankful for lately?

Thankful v4

Lately I've been thankful....

 [+] for these two goof-balls who fill my evenings with smiles, tug-of-wars and kisses.

[+] for home cooked meals that I don't have to make

[+] for a fabulous group of girls who fill up my friend-tank on a daily basis & make this journey more bearable. 

[+] for actually enjoying every single topic I'm learning about in school for once. 

[+] for the opportunity to learn, despite the stress, lack of sleep and funny lab smells.

[+] for new fall colored nail polish and my Sunday afternoon ritual of using it.

[+] for fleece-lined leggings when getting dressed is too much work and it's cold outside. 

 [+] for my mom and how amazing it is to have her less than 5 miles away after so many miles before.

[+] for the first signs of festivities and my upcoming favorite holiday.

[+] for sore muscles after finally getting back into the gym this month. 

[+] for over 300+ days of married life and a quickly approaching anniversary. 

What are you thankful for lately?

Hello & Goodbye October

October lived up to what I thought it would be. My left eye has never twitched more in my entire life and I was faced with some lovely middle-school like acne that was just oh, so fun. Ahh the benefits of excess stress. 

Thankfully there have been a few moments that were worth documenting although every single one of them was taken with my iPhone because let's be honest, the real camera isn't coming out much lately. I'm just thankful I captured more than just white board, mind-map, nerves & arteries images because really, school kicked my rear over the last 30 days. 

The Great Pumpkin (aka my mom) made a festive visit // sweet puppy cuddles // my two loves // post-exam Angry Orchard

the first REAL snow of the season // adult bevis in buckets // new, extra healthy green smoothie breakfast

 breaking the rules and studying in bed // the worlds most complicated Bucks order // naps and more naps (he just follows me around as I study)

 study break with chocolate chips // J's newest obsession and a tasty machine // caffeine!!! // an empty, dark locker room because I was at school way too early

my favorite office buddy // yep, more caffeine // scenes from our very first Halloween party on my first free weekend all month 

Here's to the end of hell-month October and getting into a new groove in November.