emily o'neal

Looking Back, 9 years ago!

2014-11-20T11:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Scott and I celebrated 9 years of marriage. 9 years! 9 beautiful and hard years. I love to go back and look at our wedding photos every year and reminisce, so I thought it would be fun to share some here. All photos by the amazing Todd Pellowe.

Our wedding was such a fun day. So many of our friends and family together to celebrate what Christ had done in bringing us together. The ceremony was just what we had wanted - a worship service. Celebrating our love and the love of Christ for His church. Our pastor preached an amazing sermon (yes, a sermon at a wedding! one of the best I've ever heard!), and my dad did the actual marrying part - rings, vows, etc.

Stephanie // Senior Photos

2014-11-06T20:18:00.002-05:00

It feels good to be back in the saddle again taking photos for people, after having such a long break. I haven't really done much work since Esther was born almost 3 years ago, and I have definitely missed it.

This is my sister, Stephanie. Or Lady Mary, if you will. :)

(If you'd like to book a photo shoot with me, details can be found in the sidebar - click the "photography" button.)

My Thanksgiving "Mantle"

2014-11-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

Hey friends! Today I'm going to show you one of the ways I decorate my home for the Fall and Thanksgiving season. This is my favorite time of year, so I love to do a little more to spruce up my home as the seasons change.

I have always dreamed of living in a home with a fireplace, because a seasonally decorated mantle just adds that instant cozy factor to me. However, a few months into living in my own home, I realized my fireplace dream may never come true. So I decided to find a different spot in my home to act as my “faux” mantle, and decorate that space as a seasonal focal point.

So first, find the focal point that you would like to decorate. It can be a mantle, the top of a dresser, a bookshelf, a piano (like me), a buffet, or even a section of your kitchen counter. Have you found your spot? Ok, let's go decorate!

Second, start with a blank slate. Remove all the items that usually live on your mantle (or faux mantle). You might be adding some of these items back, but to begin with, it's easiest to start with a blank slate.

Next, add some height. When you're working on a project like this, it's nice to have items of varying height, to add more visual interest. I'm adding a large mirror and a jar filled with branches from one of the trees in my back yard. Large mirrors are always a great option – they will make your space seem larger, and beautifully reflect whatever light you choose to add later.

Now that the space has some height, we're going to add a seasonal print. This can be a verse, a poem, a phrase, whatever seems festive and fun to you. There are numerous shops on Etsy that sell Thanksgiving or Fall themed prints, or you can find many free printables on Pinterest. I love this “Gather Here with Grateful Hearts” print from Brim Papery.

Next step is, bring the outdoors in! The possibilities here are endless - leaves, pumpkins, acorns, pine cones, gourds, squash, vines, bittersweet...you get the idea! Take a nature walk with your kids and have them gather things to add to your mantle. Put branches and acorns in vases, stack pumpkins and gourds, string up leaves to make a garland, wind bittersweet vines around your pumpkins and picture frames.

This next step is my favorite – personalize it! Add some family photos, maybe some seasonal artwork from your kids. I added this acrylic photo block from Tiny Prints, it's a photo of our family in the apple orchard this year.

Another idea for a personal touch is to make a “Thanksgiving tree”. Every day between now and Thanksgiving, Scott, Esther, and I will write down something we are thankful for on little slips of paper, and hang them with string from the branches that we collected. It's a great visual reminder of our blessings in this season leading up to Thanksgiving.

And last, but certainly not least, add some light! Since I have a young daughter who is fascinated with candles right now, I chose to use twinkle lights on my piano “mantle” as a safer alternative to candles. But whether it's candles or twinkle lights, light has a way of really transforming a space – you don't want to skip this step!

Thanks for reading, friends!

Mama Cavie's Flax Seed Focaccia Bread

2014-09-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are! Mid-September, the beginning of my favorite time of year. I am fall and winter girl, through and through. And although it's unlikely central Ohio is done with warm weather for good, I am enjoying the cool days while I can. Last night for dinner I made my mom's Flax Seed Focaccia Bread and the White Chicken Chili from Annie's Eats (with a few modifications - it seems I can't make anything without modifications. I get it from my mom).

This bread is super simple, easy to whip up at the last minute, and all the "frees", if you're into that sort of thing. Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, etc, etc. It's great alongside a hearty soup, or in the morning with some cream cheese and jam.

One disclaimer before the recipe: This bread is simple, and plain (but still delish). Great if you're not used to eating bread often (like us), and want something with very few carbs and no grain and no gluten. But white-flour focaccia, this is not. Just know that going in. :)

Mama Cavie's Flax Seed Focaccia Bread
(gluten free, grain free, dairy free)

2 cups ground GOLDEN flax seed meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil (I use olive, but it's up to you)
5 eggs
poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, oil the parchment liberally.

3. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, set aside. In a medium bowl combine wet ingredients and mix very well. Combine wet & dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

4. Spread the bread mixture on the greased parchment, about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Try to get it as even as possible. Sprinkle the poppy seeds or sesame seeds if you're using them.

5. Bake for 20 minutes at 350º F.

If you don't eat this all within a few days, it's best to cut into squares and freeze.

Happy Summer to you!

2014-08-21T20:49:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are. It's mid-August and I can hardly believe it! This summer has been so nice, really more like fall than summer. Cool mornings and evenings, and just the right amount of sun and heat during the day. We've spent as much time as possible outside. Esther loves it, and would spend the entire day outside if she could.
My hope is to get back to blogging once our days slow down and we're spending more time inside again (but really, who am I kidding...how many times have I said that?), we'll see. For now, here are some photos from the past few weeks.

// can you tell which movie we just watched? //

// breakfast! loving my slow mornings with my girl lately //

// she still loves flowers just as much now as she did when she was little. and constantly asks to have "her bare feets" when we go outside //

// new "coffee bar" on our buffet //

// morning coffee //

// new favorite photo. I'm just going to sit and stare at it all day //

// necklace from The Jones Market, one of my faves //

// 9 month follow up on the thyroid nodule in my neck - still benign, praise the Lord! //

// going through a MAJOR Toy Story phase right now. She just about died from happiness when she found these old McDonalds toys in my mom and dad's basement //

// cake for breakfast, because, why not? //

// BLT time! //

Happy Birthday Esther!

2014-03-29T19:43:00.001-04:00

How can this be? My little girl is now a 2 year old? It's pretty unbelievable when I stop and think about it. I mourn a little for the baby days, wishing she could be tiny and chubby again and I could hold her all day long, but then again, this is such a fun age. Seriously, forget terrible twos, can we call it terriffic twos? Esther is developing such a little personality and is just a seriously fun person to be around.

I'm so glad that we got to have a celebration this year (remember last year? we were in the throes of the worst sickness ever). The Cavies came over and we celebrated with some of Esther's favorite foods - homemade carnitas & rice - gifts, and lots of playing with balloons and bubbles. In lieu of cake we had berries and whipped coconut cream (she is still allergic to dairy and eggs, and berries are her favorite thing ever). This two year old is easily pleased, I am thankful.

Esther, you are so loved! We are so thankful to the Lord for giving you another year with us here on earth.

mom, please, just give me my berries

bubbles!

Make This

2013-08-07T10:45:00.001-04:00

This is not much of a blog post, I will admit. But I've got to ease back into blogging somehow, right?

I just had to share one of my new favorite (EASY) recipes. And I mean easy. Like throw the ingredients in the dish, mix it together and pop it in the oven. The secret to what makes this so good (I think) is the balsamic vinegar drizzle which turns the juice from the tomatoes and the drippings from the sausages into a delectable sauce (rich, acidic, just a little sweet, and maybe spicy, depending on the sausages you use).

This recipe from the beautiful Jamie at Home cookbook, but can also be found here on Jamie Oliver's website.

June, in phone photos

2013-07-25T16:09:00.000-04:00

I feel like a new person!

2013-06-04T12:38:00.000-04:00

Let me explain...

No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

Over the past few months we have really buckled down on our eating habits, changing our diet to a low carb/paleo/whole foods diet. Originally the change was (mainly) to try to lose weight (also to be healthy, but the weight issue was more of a motivater...sadly). After I got past the first week of cravings and low-carb/paleo flu, it was like someone had flipped a switch on my body.

I had energy. Energy I had not felt in years.
I didn't have to nap during the day.
I was having fewer and fewer headaches (I have suffered from chronic migraine-like headaches off and on for years). They are almost completely gone now.
My clothes were fitting again. (I've now lost somewhere around 10lbs...maybe more)
Aches and pains went away.
Mood swings went away.

I was a new person.

About 3 weeks in, I caught a stomach bug. I didn't feel like eating anything but crackers, rice, and homemade whole wheat bread, so that's what I did (that's what you do when you're sick, right?). A week later I was wondering why I was still feeling lousy...I thought it was the sickness still hanging on.

Even though I felt up to eating regular food again, I was still eating rice, bread, etc, because it was easy and they had crept back into my routine. As soon as the weekend was over, I buckled down again and cut out the carbs. The switch flipped again. Energy. No aches and pains. No moodiness. No feeling lousy. It was unbelievable.

I always believed that we were healthy eaters. I still think we were, compared to the majority of those on the typical American diet. We didn't eat out much. Most of our meals I made from scratch, with the occasional box of whole wheat pasta or frozen pizza thrown in. But we were still consuming a lot of carbs. Rice, pasta, homemade bread & baked goods, potatoes, and a good bit of fruit.

[I'm not going to go into the science of low-carb/paleo diets...lots of other people have dedicated their lives to doing that. I will share info that has been helpful to me at the bottom of this post.]

So what does low-carb mean for us? No white sugar, very few grains and beans, very few fruits. We eat lots of nutrient-rich eggs, meat, veggies, cheese, nuts, and raw dairy. Occasional baked treats made with almond or coconut flour.

At first, the change is very difficult. But once the sugar is out, it is surprisingly easy (or was for me) to stick to. You just have to find new normals - new breakfast, new snacks, new treats. Yes, it is more work. Yes, it is (a little) more expensive. Yes, sometimes I just want to go out for Mexican food and eat my fill of chips and salsa (which we do)! We allow occasional "cheats" on date nights, weekends, or special days. But for the most part, our bodies and lifestyle have adjusted quite nicely to this new way of eating.

Some of my favorite resources for learning about low carb, paleo, and whole foods:

Books:
Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes
Wheat Belly, by William Davis

Websites/Blogs:
Diet Doctor
The Weston A. Price Foundation
Maria's Health

Disclaimer -
I know that many of you will not agree with this way of living/eating. I understand. I was there years ago. I didn't think it was right for me. But as I have learned more over the past few years, I have become convinced that this is the best thing for our family right now. It may not be the best thing for you (but of course I would urge you to try it, since it has worked so well for us).
But guess what? Whether you eat low-carb or vegan, grow all your own food or eat everything from the shelves in the grocery store, it doesn't matter to God. You are not defined by what you eat. We are all sinners in need of the Savior. If you are a follower of Christ, that is how He sees you. As His child. This is just me sharing what has been good for our family.

If you have questions or would like to know more, I will try to help!

May, in phone photos

2013-06-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

Goodbye May, you were good to us!

Tweet Tweet Tweet

2013-04-23T12:37:00.000-04:00

This girl can not get enough of being outside!

She cries when it's time to come in.

She sniffs at anything green or flowery (flowers, bushes, trees, grass, herbs, you name it), and wants to go back and sniff the same thing 500 times.

She likes to sit in the grass - not directly in the grass, but on a blanket, where she can put her foot in the grass to feel it, then put it back on the blanket (back and forth, back and forth - again, about 500 times).

She likes her sunglasses and will, surprisingly, keep them on (if the sun is in her eyes).

She loves to take walks.

She loves to watch cars (she would seriously sit outside all day and watch cars if I let her).

She loves to listen for the birds and say "tweet tweet tweet" every time she hears or sees them.

She thinks anything that flies is a bird. This week she mistook a bumble bee and a wasp for a bird (pointing at them and saying "tweet tweet"). Which was pretty sweet.

She loves any animal that lives outside - birds, insects, chickens (her favorite), dogs, cats, squirrels, you name it. She goes absolutely wild when she sees them.

Basically, she is the complete opposite of me when it comes to anything outdoors.

I do not like being hot.

I do not like animals & bugs.

I do not like gardening (though I really wish I did).

I do not like sweating.

I do not like summer.

I would much rather snuggle on the couch with a book or a movie or stay inside and do a craft project (in the middle of a snow storm or thunder storm, please!).

(yes, I am a hermit!)

This could be a long summer, but I'm already seeing an attitude change in myself when it comes to being outside. It's no longer about what I want or what makes me happy - it's about what makes her happy. And I'm ok with that. And you know what? In a weird way being outside now makes me happy - because seeing her full of so much joy makes me full of joy too! Amazing how that works.

So bring on the summer! I'm just praying that it's cooler than last summer. :)

// just chillin with my foot in the air, smelling my flower //

p.s. I am not a total Scrooge, I do like walks and enjoying the fruits of others' labor in the garden...so I think we will be doing a lot of that.

Happy Weekend!

2013-04-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone. Do you have exciting plans for the weekend?

Tonight we're going out for some yummy Greek food (can't wait to put a gyro in my mouth!) and probably some thrifting.

The only thing better than Greek food and thrifting is maybe Mexican food and thrifting.

(just kidding, of course, I know there are better things...those are pretty high on my list of great things, though) :)

Saturday we're getting together with friends from our Sunday school class, and probably doing a lot of around-the-home chores (ahh, home ownership. Such a bittersweet thing.). Sunday is a day full of church things and hopefully rest.

Enjoy these photos of Esther & Scott from our walk the other night.

We are thankful the weather has been nice enough to get some walks in recently.

you are my sunshine

2013-04-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

// Just a few photos of my sweet sunshine. She lights up our life! //

iPhone Age

2013-04-17T09:38:00.000-04:00

Wise words, from my oh so wise sister (I'll let you guess which one) -

"This is the iPhone age: no one cares about photos of events that happened a month ago :)"

And yet here I am, sharing some iPhone/Instagram photos from last month. Somehow it just hit me that we are over halfway through April already. How did that happen?

Anyway, a lot of these may be repeats for those of you who follow me on Instagram, but I know there are some who don't, so, here you go.

Follow me on Instagram here.

10 on 10

2013-04-10T12:46:00.000-04:00

In an effort to work on my very rusty photography skills, I'm participating in the 10 on 10 project (click the link for more info) this month.

1. Memory verse card from The 50 Promises Collection & my new to me vintage glass set.
2. Shoving things in her mouth. all. the. time. anything and everything.
3. Our table now.
4. Newish chalkboard wall (that I love).
5. Eating peas! With no clothes! Because it was SO HOT here. 85 degrees.
6. In the living room - new garland, Christmas lights I still can't bear to take down, dried baby's breath, and a photo of my maternal grandfather (WWII cargo pilot).
7. Things found on the floor.
8. Bacon & coffee - breakfast of champions.
9. I just don't know. Oh, to know what she is thinking.
10. Aprons, valentine's day decor (yes, still waiting to be put away), broom handle, art from friends.

Excuse me while my heart bursts!

2013-04-09T16:59:00.004-04:00

More of our family photos from Easter Sunday.

see some others here

and here

// all photos by me, my husband, and my sister Stephanie //

2013-04-03T12:07:00.000-04:00

Please disregard the mess while I am making some updates to the blog and doing some spring cleaning!

Thanks.

Also, one of my favorite photos from Easter Sunday. :)

February, in (phone) photos

2013-03-02T12:05:00.000-05:00

// this snuggle lasted for like .2 seconds, but it was nice. and I caught it on camera //

// my mom's fridge chalkboard art //

// not so sure about opening her birthday gift //

// my loves //

// watching squirrels with Gran //

// stealing my water, drinking from a straw is one of E's favorite things now //

// #putaneggonit lunch - asparagus, vinagrette, fried egg //

// watching cars out the window - another of her favorites //

// telling me a story - she's so expressive these days! //

// reading with Gran //

// my husband has a problem - he keeps buying cell phones! well, I don't mind, it means I got a fancy (new to me) iPhone 4s //

// drawing with uncle Keith //

// opening birthday gifts //

// fun visit from the Minnesota O's //

// birthday fun with Grandma Nee //

// playing with auntie Katie //

// my mom made E some new bath towels...we think she looks like a little Jedi //

// peas + egg + wild rice + liquid aminos = yummy, easy, fried rice //

I'm thankful, the LORD is faithful.

2013-02-28T16:46:00.000-05:00

Well, there went February.

For some reason, we don't have a good track record with February.

I want to love it - to love Valentine's Day and the winteryness of it all, but we always end up sick.

This year we were had the stomach bug from hell. Yes! I did just say that.

It started with poor little Esther. Her body was racked with sickness...throwing up, fever, diarrhea, dehydration...and we ended up in the hospital for a night. Well, I shouldn't say "we", I should say Scott and my mom, because the night she had to go to the hospital to get fluids, I was in bathroom sick with the same bug. I sobbed and sobbed, thinking this was my first full night away from my girl, who was still nursing and needed me, and I couldn't be there. I wasn't there to hold her, feed her, comfort her, take care of her.

Having a never-ending stomach virus/flu as an adult is awful.
Seeing your child have it is 10 million billion times worse.
Having it at the same time is more difficult than I ever could have imagined.
I'm not joking when I say it was one of the most difficult and scary times of my life. I have been through open heart surgery, and that was nothing compared to this month of sickness. Seriously, if I had the choice between the two, I would choose to have the surgery again.

We were both sick for about a week, then had a few days for our bodies to recover before it hit us again - I spent two full days in bed (the second time), and thank the Lord, Scott was home again to help me with Esther. All in all, we were sick for two weeks straight.

In all this, I kept reading and re-reading and reciting Psalm 4 & Psalm 121.

Trying to remind myself that the Lord is faithful. He promises to keep us. He never forsakes us. He never sleeps so that we can sleep. He is always watching over us. He hears our cries for mercy. He heals us.

I am thankful to serve a God who keeps His promises.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

(Psalm 121 ESV)

Lately, from my phone

2013-01-25T11:12:00.000-05:00

Well, the O'Neals have finally joined the 21st century! And by that, I mean we now have smart phones that take halfway decent photos. Not new smart phones, don't worry, we haven't gone off the deep end (I am married to Scott O'Neal, after all). But they are great for capturing photos when I wouldn't normally have my big camera around. So here we go with some phone photos from this past month...

my happy girl & me in the mirror at my mom & dad's house

watching for squirrels

sleeping. is it just me, or do you love sleeping baby photos? I could watch her sleep all day long.

savoring some delicious coffee ground in my new grinder from hermitudinous

playing in the living room

giant laundry pile on my bed. I put it there so I would have to fold it before I took a nap.

it didn't really work, I just moved the pile over a bit to lay down. oh well.

little "kitchen aide". haha, get it?

serious bedhead.

working on Esther's project life baby album. better late than never!

that profile! it kills me.

I think she's watching a video on the computer here.

each day I let her watch a video or two before her first nap, when she gets unbearably fussy.

her favorites:

hand dancing (she tries to do it with them, it's the sweetest thing)

a song about elmo

feist sings 1, 2, 3, 4

I can't get these songs out of my head now!

I hear "1, 2, 3, 4, chickens come back from the shore..." all day long in my brain.

I guess it could be worse.

late-night cuddles with Scotty 2 Hotty.

my tulips from Sunday that keep growing and growing....

(did you know that tulips continue to grow even after they've been cut?)

also, we are getting so much snow today! I love it!

Christmas Tree Chopping

2012-12-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

This year we went with the Cavies to chop down our Christmas Tree at Timbuck Farms in Grandville, Ohio.

It was fun, and much more festive than The Andersons tree lot that we've used the last few years.

Pretty sister :)

Mom & Abby acting...inappropriate. :)

Love this picture of Esther pointing - it's about all she does these days!

See? More pointing. :)

I love my sweet little family!

I'm thankful, every day, for him, and her :)

2012-11-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I've gotten a little behind in my thankfulness posts.

But, the important thing is that I am and have been so thankful every day, counting my blessings,

even if I haven't had the time to write about them here.

I am SO THANKFUL to the LORD for these two.

They are my world.

And other than my salvation and faith in Jesus Christ, they are the two greatest gifts that have ever been given to me.

Scott and I are celebrating 7 years of marriage tonight,

and we just celebrated 9 months with Esther last Wednesday.

Really, my heart is bursting

with love and thanks for these two.

So ta ta for now, I am going to spend my Thanksgiving vacation loving on these two!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

p.s. how cute is she in these swinging pictures?

I'm thankful, day seven

2012-11-07T10:49:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful for long walks with my sweetheart and my sweet girl.

Really, I can't ever get enough of these two. They are so precious to me.

I'm thankful, day six

2012-11-06T10:42:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful to be an American.

Thankful to have the opportunity to vote.

(photo from the archives, me, circa 2010)

I'm thankful, day five

2012-11-05T10:32:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful for great friends,

and fellowship with our church family.