Woah! Time flies when we're having fun, and I promise-- we are having fun soaking up every last minute of fall in Minnesota. I haven't blogged since Axel was newly born, and now in 4 short days, he will be 3 months old, yikes! And on that same day, Piper will be THREE years old. Wow.
Obviously a lot to catch up on over the last three months, but here's the deal. Three kids, a husband, and a house to manage every day leaves me with little time (or desire) to post a recap of what we are doing day to day on this blog. Because I'm too busy LIVING in those moments. So, this poor little blog has been neglected....But for good reason.
That good reason involves a new website. I've been toying around with the idea of photography for years. Really. This year I decided to go for it. To put myself out there and see where it leads me. I didn't just pick up my camera and decide to do this. I've been practicing, learning, investing, and have ideas/plans far beyond what I'd ever feel comfortable sharing out loud- except for maybe with Max :) Maybe I will follow through with all of those plans, or maybe I will just continue to dabble in this beautiful hobby casually, and that would be okay too. To make it clear: the only person I aim to compete with, is myself. I only want to see my own skills improve and that is what this entire journey is about for me. Challenging me, myself, and I :) It's been a long time since I've been this excited about anything and it feels great. Along with that excitement (of course) comes a lot of fear, and negativity as well but I've chosen to surround myself only with those who I feel supported and inspired by. Anyone who doesn't fall into either of these categories, are welcome to take a hike! (But seriously though, the hiking around here lately is stellar- autumn in Minnesota is a gift from God!) So, all in all, I'm not sure what the future holds yet, but I've had some pretty awesome clients to work with so far, and more upcoming in the next couple weeks that I am so excited about! If you want to see what I've been up to, join me over here!. At the very bottom of the page, you can subscribe with your email address to be sure to get updates of all new postings. :)
Happy fall, ya'll!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
...he's here!
Axel Leo is here!
July 5th, 2014
6:25am
7lb, 1oz, 21.5 inches long
We can't get enough of him :) It took a few days to adjust to life as a family of five, but now I couldn't imagine life without this little honey... He is (so far) a very easy going baby - eats and sleeps great so no complaints here!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
...the year of the mini garden
When Max and I began to think about our garden this spring, we realized it wasn't going to be our year. Between me being 8-9months pregnant for part of the summer and then having a newborn for the rest of the summer, in addition to already having commitments at least 3 nights a week between all of our schedules, we decided our big garden that we have done the last few years is not going to be the best option for us... Immediately, I wanted a large raised garden bed, but the few hundred dollar price tag that went along with it was also not going to work for us this year. Bummer. Then, my handyman husband found some cedar in one of our barns, and repurposed it to make the cutest little garden bed ever. We filled it with some garden soil (on sale at runnings, with a rebate also--score!) and planted our favorites... Carrots, sugar snap peas, lettuce, spinach, beets, etc and waited to see what happened.... 
We are happy with the results so far! There are still a few areas around our house where we have a few other things planted like cherry tomatoes, herbs, and then we still have our raspberry and strawberry patches, which I am so looking forward to! As for anything else we didn't plant this year that we usually do, we will just purchase from the farmers markets nearby :)
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
woah, baby :)
It's been a while since I've posted any updates of #3. Rest assured he is still baking away in this (not so) little oven of mine.... Tomorrow marks 34 weeks of pregnancy which means we are getting close, hallelujah. I really can't complain, I have enjoyed this pregnancy (minus a few setbacks) but of course I am ready to meet this little guy.
Last time I posted about the baby we had just had our gender reveal and discovered he was, in fact, a little "guy". We are still thrilled about having a boy and yes, we do have a name picked out so far-- with a backup in our pocket just in case! Since then, a few things have happened. For one, I was diagnosed again with gestational diabetes. I wasn't totally surprised since I knew once you've had it with one pregnancy, your chances of having it again with another pregnancy were fairly high, but it was still a bummer. I was determined, however, to make it work this time without any meds or insulin but unfortunately that wasn't the case either as my hormones just wouldn't allow my body to properly do what it is supposed to do. About a week or two after finding out my testing results, I was put on insulin. Today I take a fast-acting insulin shot 3 times a day before each meals, and one slow-acting insulin shot before bed. In addition to this, I test my blood sugar on a meter 4 times a day, once right away when I wake up and then an hour after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I follow a 'gestational diabetes' diet where I count carbs at every meal and journal them everyday for my dietician to look over every week/two weeks. I exercise (usually just walking outside, or prenatal yoga/pilates) almost everyday for 30 mins, and try to drink water like it's going out of style. The diet I follow is not hard, but it does take a little effort to learn and get used to. The main thing is that to keep my blood sugar from crashing and going too low, or too high, I have to eat fairly consistently every 2-3 hours. Sometimes life gets in the way and I forget to eat. When that happens, my blood sugar goes too low and I get super fidgety, extremely hot and sweaty, shaky, irritable, and dizzy. I know right away when it starts to go low and I can usually bring myself back up to a normal range by having something with sugar in it right away. Basically, I have to pack an adult diaper bag everywhere I go. I have to have snacks that are within my carb limits, water bottles, and all my testing supplies everywhere I go. Not the end of the world, but certainly something I am ready to be done with. I'm fortunate to be able to know that at the end of this pregnancy, the chances of all this going away within 6-8 weeks after I deliver is in my favor... I know too many people with diabetes who can't say the same so I try not to complain about it too much. With that being said, I also know that my risk of developing type-2 diabetes at some point later in life is up to 60% more likely now since I've had gestational diabetes as compared to someone who hasn't and so those thoughts are usually running around in the back of my mind as well.... All the more motivation to eat clean and keep working out after baby is born I guess! :)
As for everything else, baby is looking great. We had another ultrasound a few weeks back to check on a few things and everything was right on track. Baby was measuring right around the 50th percentile and we got a few really good pics of him. Meeker Memorial now has 3d ultrasound equipment as well so every once in a while we get to get a sneak peak of what this little guy looks like, his features, etc. We think he is quite handsome, of course :) He is a really active baby most of the time and is always wiggling around. Ryder and Piper love to feel his kicks and are both really excited! Our next doctor appointment is next week at 35 weeks and then we will go weekly from that point on which will hopefully make this last month or so go by quickly!
Until then, we are enjoying the last bit of our time as a family of four! We just had the busiest and best memorial day weekend and were able to relax, spend time at the cabin, get some yard work done, and visit with many friends and family at various parties :)
Last time I posted about the baby we had just had our gender reveal and discovered he was, in fact, a little "guy". We are still thrilled about having a boy and yes, we do have a name picked out so far-- with a backup in our pocket just in case! Since then, a few things have happened. For one, I was diagnosed again with gestational diabetes. I wasn't totally surprised since I knew once you've had it with one pregnancy, your chances of having it again with another pregnancy were fairly high, but it was still a bummer. I was determined, however, to make it work this time without any meds or insulin but unfortunately that wasn't the case either as my hormones just wouldn't allow my body to properly do what it is supposed to do. About a week or two after finding out my testing results, I was put on insulin. Today I take a fast-acting insulin shot 3 times a day before each meals, and one slow-acting insulin shot before bed. In addition to this, I test my blood sugar on a meter 4 times a day, once right away when I wake up and then an hour after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I follow a 'gestational diabetes' diet where I count carbs at every meal and journal them everyday for my dietician to look over every week/two weeks. I exercise (usually just walking outside, or prenatal yoga/pilates) almost everyday for 30 mins, and try to drink water like it's going out of style. The diet I follow is not hard, but it does take a little effort to learn and get used to. The main thing is that to keep my blood sugar from crashing and going too low, or too high, I have to eat fairly consistently every 2-3 hours. Sometimes life gets in the way and I forget to eat. When that happens, my blood sugar goes too low and I get super fidgety, extremely hot and sweaty, shaky, irritable, and dizzy. I know right away when it starts to go low and I can usually bring myself back up to a normal range by having something with sugar in it right away. Basically, I have to pack an adult diaper bag everywhere I go. I have to have snacks that are within my carb limits, water bottles, and all my testing supplies everywhere I go. Not the end of the world, but certainly something I am ready to be done with. I'm fortunate to be able to know that at the end of this pregnancy, the chances of all this going away within 6-8 weeks after I deliver is in my favor... I know too many people with diabetes who can't say the same so I try not to complain about it too much. With that being said, I also know that my risk of developing type-2 diabetes at some point later in life is up to 60% more likely now since I've had gestational diabetes as compared to someone who hasn't and so those thoughts are usually running around in the back of my mind as well.... All the more motivation to eat clean and keep working out after baby is born I guess! :)
As for everything else, baby is looking great. We had another ultrasound a few weeks back to check on a few things and everything was right on track. Baby was measuring right around the 50th percentile and we got a few really good pics of him. Meeker Memorial now has 3d ultrasound equipment as well so every once in a while we get to get a sneak peak of what this little guy looks like, his features, etc. We think he is quite handsome, of course :) He is a really active baby most of the time and is always wiggling around. Ryder and Piper love to feel his kicks and are both really excited! Our next doctor appointment is next week at 35 weeks and then we will go weekly from that point on which will hopefully make this last month or so go by quickly!
Until then, we are enjoying the last bit of our time as a family of four! We just had the busiest and best memorial day weekend and were able to relax, spend time at the cabin, get some yard work done, and visit with many friends and family at various parties :)
Friday, May 16, 2014
{my favorite 7yr old}
On April 28th, my (not so little) Ryder Scott turned SEVEN. Yeesh! I feel old, but he feels cool, so it's all good. Seven is a big deal these days, apparently. At least to a first grader it is....
I went back and forth a million times about what to do with his birthday this year. In the end, we decided on a 'kids only' cousins party and he had SO. MUCH. FUN. :) It was by far one of the easiest birthday parties I've ever had to throw because the kids just did their own thing, ate kid-food, and ran around outside and did what kids do. All Ryder wanted for his birthday this year was his very own tree fort, so that is what he got! I am so proud of Max for the work he put into building the tree fort (and our awesome friends for helping out!) and Ryder loves it. I can already tell it's going to be a place where he spends a great deal of his time as he grows older...
I went back and forth a million times about what to do with his birthday this year. In the end, we decided on a 'kids only' cousins party and he had SO. MUCH. FUN. :) It was by far one of the easiest birthday parties I've ever had to throw because the kids just did their own thing, ate kid-food, and ran around outside and did what kids do. All Ryder wanted for his birthday this year was his very own tree fort, so that is what he got! I am so proud of Max for the work he put into building the tree fort (and our awesome friends for helping out!) and Ryder loves it. I can already tell it's going to be a place where he spends a great deal of his time as he grows older...
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| ryder's invite---sent via email, because i'm lazy :) |
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| posing by his favorite feature--the pulley, of course! |
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| mom was in charge of signs.... :) |
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| smokey campfire chatter |
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| cool kids wear face paint. and have missing teeth |
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| waiting on s'mores! |
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| and s'more for later--take home goodies! |
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
the final hawaii post--finally! (Part 3/3)
This was the first full day of no sessions/workshops for Max so we took advantage by waking up early and heading to beat the crowds at the Pearl Harbor Memorial. I was a little stressed because I had wanted to get tickets in advance and we weren't able to, so I wanted to make sure we got there in plenty of time to aboard the Arizona Tour at a decent time. We ended up having plenty of time to walk around and see the other exhibits/museums while waiting for the next available tour to start. As we walked around I remember everyone being fairly quiet...As you can imagine, there wasn't a lot of giggling and running around by anyone. It was a somber place, as it deserves to be with the weight of what happened there and everyone was paying their respects....
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| Waiting in line for our tour to start :) |
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| remains of the ship destroyed by the attack |
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| the entrance of the pearl harbor memorial |
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| beautiful memorial built on top of the remains of the Arizona Ship. |
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| Remnants of the Arizona... Sad to think of how many bodies of US soldiers still lie under those waters |
I am so happy we took the time to visit the memorial and if we ever make it back, I would love to check out the other tours offered there as well.
Once our tour was finished however, we pretty much had the rest of the day free to do as we pleased so we hopped in our rental car and decided to explore more of the island since we were already out and about. It was nice to get out of the city of Honolulu and see what else Hawaii had to offer. We somehow ended up finding our way to Lanikai Beach. We didn't really know much about this beach or the quaint little town it falls in when we got there but we were swept away by the white sandy beaches, bright blue water, and crazy views. (After this trip, we discovered that Lanikai Beach has actually made various rankings of the world's best beaches--and for good reason!!) We found a good place to sit and enjoy the view for quite a while before checking out the rest of the town, Kailua. The shopping was great, they had major stores, along with cute little local shops and the town was kept so beautiful and clean. We asked the locals where to go for lunch and we were pointed in the direction of Crepes No Ka Oi. I had never had a crepe before and was excited to check it out. We were happily surprised to find them being super savory and really delicious! I had a veggie crepe and Max had some meaty/cheesy/herby concoction and we both ate them up pretty quickly!
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| pulling up to the beach...such a beautiful day! |
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| a nice view if you ask me :) |
Following some more shopping , we headed back to the hotel, checked in with the kids via facetime, and then went to a stellar dinner at Duke's right on Waikiki Beach. We were able to enjoy an amazing sunset there for our last full night in Honolulu. The food was great (I finally got scallops, which I had been (and still am) craving throughout my whole pregnancy!!) but the view was even better :)
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| final night sunset at Duke's on Waikiki Beach |
Friday: Nothing too exciting went on other than shopping ALL. DAY. LONG. Now, if you know me, you would not think this would be an issue at all, but spending all day on my feet at 22 weeks pregnant was not exactly ideal. However, since we had to check out at our hotel at 11am and our flight didn't leave until 10pm that evening, we didn't have much of a choice. Had it been nice out, we could have laid out on the beach soaking up the last bit of sunshine before heading back to Minnesota, but it was a cloudy/rainy day so we walked the streets of downtown Honolulu, then made our way to Ala Moana Center, the largest open air shopping center in the world :) We were a little out of our league here since we walked by stores where I wouldn't have been able to afford ANYTHING in, but it was still a fun experience to check it all out. Eventually though the day went on and we did make our way back to the airport to make the long journey back home. It was a long night of flying and we arrived in Minnesota Saturday afternoon tired, but ready to see our kids!! They were also happy to see us (thankfully!!) and once we made our way back to our house, we sadly packed away our summer clothes and said hello to our winter attire once again.
Hawaii was an adventure we will NEVER forget and we are so grateful for the opportunity to have been able to go and have a kids-free getaway before #3 joins the picture :) Thanks to everyone who helped out in any way taking care of our home, our kids, our Mickey dog, and everything else! We couldn't thank you enough!!
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| peace out, honolulu! --until next time!!~ |
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