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October 2013
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December 2013

November 2013

f/8 1/4000 Earlier this month we spent a weekend with friends at their Prescott Valley home, just a couple hours north of the Valley. We hiked in the chilly, pine-scented air, ate our fill at Bill's Pizza, and sat by a fire in the evening. Our babies even synched a couple of their naps and we were able to all relax with our coffee on the back porch and just talk. I now appreciate how glorious it is to have two free hands to wrap around a mug of coffee. I came home from the weekend feeling refreshed and reminded... Read more →


Friends! Happy Thanksgiving if you are celebrating today! I wanted to share my menu earlier but, you know, LIFE. This week has been busy but in good ways and I feel myself settling into a full-on holiday mode. On Tuesday, Chris and I were able to sneak away and see Catching Fire - what?! I took Wednesday off and spent the day getting my car emissions tested, failing(!), buying a new gas cap, passing my emissions test and then cooking away the rest of the day. An early spin class and a second cup of coffee this morning has me... Read more →


{tiny, sleepy, furry Dash} Babies being born. This week I received news of three sweet babies being born. One to someone I follow on Instagram but don't know personally, one to a work colleague and the other to two sweet friends who have been waiting for their baby much longer than the duration of their pregnancy. I teared up thinking of those first moments and hours holding Dashiell and how I marveled that he was finally in my arms. Knowing exactly what that surreal, magical time is like fills me with so much joy for new parents, whether I know... Read more →


Next week, Chris and I will host our first Thanksgiving! I've noticed that at previous Thanksgiving meals we have a good time getting together with family but it seems that there's the great anticipation for the meal, we fill our plates, and eat in about 20 minutes. Then everyone begins drifting towards the football game on television or cleaning up. I would really love to host a memorable meal where we have engaging conversation and linger at the table. So, along with my Thanksgiving menu (which I'll share next week), I've been brainstorming activities and new traditions to liven up... Read more →


Yesterday, I shared my approach to organizing our digital photos, which includes creating two photo books for Dashiell's first year. Here's a look at Dashiell's first photo book! I was becoming overwhelmed at the number of photos I take of Dash on a daily basis and couldn't imagine going through all those photos at the end of the year. So, I decided to split Dashiell's first year across two photo books and I'm so happy that I did; already I flip through the pages and feel nostalgia for life with teeny, new Dashiell. {be still my heart} To create the... Read more →


One of my goals for 2013 was "to organize our digital lives, especially our photos, and make use of the pictures we take." And I'm happy to report that I'm making significant progress! In terms of organizing our digital lives, one challenge we faced is having multiple computers across which our digital pictures and files exist. We also weren't backing any of this up consistently. Eeek! So, earlier this year we invested in an Apple AirPort Time Capsule with 3 terbytes of storage. (One day, likely sooner than I think, I'll look back at this and be astonished that I... Read more →


Just a few notes to remember about Dashiell at seven months: - Sits up tall, straight, and sturdy. Our daycare told us, "He has great posture!" - Has done some tentative crawling! Can also get into a sitting position from laying down. We frequently find him sitting up when we go to get him from his crib. - Wants us to help him pull up all the time. - Still just two little bottom teeth. - Loves to "brush his teeth" and watch us brush our teeth. Dental hygiene is so fun! - Likes to touch things with just his... Read more →


I'm pleased to share a guest post today from Erica on a topic that interests me greatly: encouraging independence in children. I love all of these recommendations and I'm bookmarking this post to reread as Dashiell grows and is ready for more independence. Thank you so much, Erica! Sometimes allowing kids to do things for themselves, especially at very young ages, is nerve wracking for adults. We know the goal of parenting is to eventually raise independent, responsible adults, but it’s hard to know where to start. It might not seem worth the mess, bother, or chaos to allow kids... Read more →