At Home With The Hansens

{On Loving My Post-Partum Body}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:18:00 +0000

As crazy as it is to believe, this Saturday I will be eight weeks post-partum with our sweet Julia. Truth be told, this is such a hard stage for me, I mean I feel great, life has gone back to business as usual and we're slowly finding our new groove as a family of four. But despite feeling like myself physically, my jeans do not want to button, most of my wardrobe is still snug and I still have almost twenty pounds to lose. I seriously wonder how that is possible, given that I have got to be burning a million calories a day just keeping up with my little ones milk demands! But alas, the scale doesn't lie. Being that this isn't my first rodeo, I know that with time, a good diet and some hard work, I will get back into my old jeans, but in the meantime I am working on loving my body right now, during the process. So I decided to put some of my thoughts in writing, to serve as a reminder to myself on the inevitable hard days ahead when I need a little pep talk.

While getting ready today I hopped on the scale, only to be disappointed at this seemingly slow process of getting back to my pre-baby weight. But as she usually is, my three year old shadow was not far away, serving as a reminder to keep my negative thoughts about my body to myself. It's funny isn't it, how kids make us so aware of the words that come out of our mouths?! Instead of what I wanted to say, which was something about my tummy still being soft, I looked at Claire, who was watching me and delights in the fact that our bodies are so alike, and said, "Isn't Mommy's body beautiful?!" Of course, she excitedly agreed and added, "Mine is, too!". In our short conversation I went on to tell her that not only were our bodies beautiful, but they were strong and capable and that Mommy was so grateful for the way my body had carried and nurtured her and her sister. I believe there is power in the whole "Fake it 'til you make it" because I can honestly say that just that few moments of gratitude toward my body and what it's blessed me with, gave me new grace toward myself in that moment.

This got me thinking about what a little mini-me Claire has become. She is certainly an independent little girl with her own ideas and opinions, yet it amazes me how many times a day I hear her repeat the things I say. All I have to do is watch her play mommy to her baby dolls for a few minutes and it's clear that she's taking her cues from me. Given that I will be one of the most influential people in their lives for the next several years, I am faced with the responsibility to set a positive example of the qualities I desire my daughters to possess. And what I want is to raise strong, confident, gracious young women with a healthy body image.

So going forward, I will be more gracious to myself, remembering that my body allowed me to grow and birth two beautiful baby girls! I will be more patient and not expect to lose all of the baby weight in an unrealistic time frame. It will take time and hard work, but I will get there. I will remember to eat for nourishment and exercise for enjoyment. And lastly, I will continue striving to be a strong, healthy example to my girls, remembering that the scale doesn't give the whole picture.

These sweet babies will my motivation!

{Happy 2nd birthday, Claire Elizabeth!}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:52:00 +0000

{Claire: clear, bright, famous; Elizabeth: the fullness of God}

To my sweet daughter,

Today you are two years old! What an incredibly bright, charming and fiercely independent little girl you have become! Every day with you is an adventure, whether you're surprising us with new phrases or getting into typical toddler mischief. I'm sure I will say this many more times, but this stage might be my favorite yet! You are full of spunk, silliness and are a total chatterbox. If I could bottle up your personality and cherish it forever, I would!

I always knew that having a daughter would be amazing, but you have brought new joy and wonder to our lives that I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams. I adore your tender heart and the way you show compassion when somebody is hurt or crying and it warms my heart to watch you love and nurture your baby dolls (you are going to be an amazing big sister!) You somehow manage to strike the perfect balance of girly and feminine with a wild and adventurous spirit that is simply captivating. I love every single ounce of you!

You are so excitable and always game for an impromptu dance party (and girl, you can groove!) A few of your favorite pastimes include: coloring and painting, playing dress-up, taking walks, playing at the park, "cooking" with Mommy, throwing balls outside with Daddy, reading and your favorite shows to watch are Dora and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. You are also obsessed with Minnie Mouse and all Princesses. And possibly my favorite thing of all is how you long to be just like Mommy and Daddy, mocking everything we say and do. Seeing ourselves through your eyes is a hoot!

For most of your second year, you went through a phase of being really shy with strangers and even family you didn't see very often, but you've come out of your shell as you've gotten older and more comfortable with the idea of people coming and going. We are so blessed to live around so much family and it's amazing to watch how much you are loved by them, as well as our friends! Over the past year you have spent a lot of time with your cousin Anuhea and you two have developed such a sweet bond. You are always telling Daddy and me that Anu is one of your best friends :) You are such a lucky girl!

Claire Elizabeth, you have stretched me in more ways than I can count and I praise God daily for blessing us with you. Being your Mommy is the sweetest joy and my prayer is that you ALWAYS know how deeply you are loved!

Happy Birthday, Princess!

Love, Mommy

2 year stats

Height: 37 in. (100th percentile)

Weight: 30 lbs. (90th percentile)

100% perfection

{Courtesy of Nap Time}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:50:00 +0000

Until about a year ago, a good, solid nap from my child was something that eluded me. We struggled through that transition stage from two naps to one and Claire just didn't want to work with her tired Mama. That is until she turned 14 months and something just clicked. She gave me one, glorious 3-hour nap. And again the next day. And the next. And so it went, like ~~clockwork~~ magic, day after day after day. And sometimes, when she's feeling really nice, she'll sneak in a 4 or 5 hour nap here and there. But on the regular, I get about three hours during the day to catch up on housework, regain my sanity and sometimes, sneak in a nap myself. It is honestly what keeps me energized on crazy days of tantrums and potty training.

We recently went through about two and a half weeks of a nap revolt. Yes, I wanted to pull out my hair on a few of those days, but praise the Lord all is back to normal! Toddlers, they like to keep you on your toes alright!

All that to say that earlier this week, in an attempt to celebrate restored sanity in our house (and because I realize I have no idea how much longer I will have the luxury of these marathon naps) I decided to try a new, ridiculous looking recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Little did I know that I would discover the worlds best chocolate chip cookie! But please, don't take my word for it, make them yourself and you'll see.

I'm not sure exactly how these are sooo amazing, but it seems to me that the method is key, so trust me on this and be sure to follow the recipe to the letter. Got it? Fantastic! But be warned, these cookies are no joke! The only adequate word to describe them would be ginormous [to quote Buddy the Elf.] So get baking, my dears and enjoy!

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies (copycat recipe)
found on Brown eyed Baker

Ingredients
3 cups (13½ ounces) bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
¾ cup + 4 teaspoons (6 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups dark chocolate chips (I used 1 cup dark & 1/2 cup white)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (I substituted pecans)

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it comes together in one cohesive mass, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until all of the sugar has been incorporated into the butter. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until mixed, scraping the sides of bowl once (the batter will appear lumpy). Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture until just a little bit of flour still remains. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts with a rubber spatula.
4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, just grabbing it by the handful and roughly shaping it into a ball (it should not be smooth). Place them (evenly spaced) on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

{On Frugality and Pulled Pork}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 20:22:00 +0000

You could say that the past couple of years has really transformed the way we meal plan around here.
You see, not only are we now feeding an additional mouth, but our budget has changed quite a bit since I no longer work full-time. We've always kept a pretty modest budget, so we've simply tried to add a few helpful practices to make sure we get the most out of each dollar and aren't frivolous spending hard-earned cash we could be saving!

Three very helpful things I've implemented to help us create and stay within our monthly food budget, while still buying high-quality ingredients, have been to spend some time clipping coupons, consciously look for the best deals before going to the store and bringing cash only for groceries. These things alone, while new for us, have been a big help!

I hope to share more in the future about some other things we've done to cut back on expenses and our goal to live completely debt-free, but for now let me to touch briefly on these three ideas.

First of all, let me just say that I am no fanatic couponer (nor do I have any desire to be!) but I do spend five to ten minutes every Monday going through the mailers for good coupons on items I already need to purchase. I am very conscious to only save a coupon if it is something I am already going to purchase, otherwise I end up spending more than I need to anyway!

Secondly, I pay closer attention to store ads and deals. For instance, I have learned that Sprouts typically has some of the best deals on seasonal & organic produce and certain meats (this week I got fresh Ahi fillets for $5.99/lb.!) Just being more aware of sales and such has not only saved us money, but allowed me to buy more pricey items we wouldn't normally spend the money on.

And finally, a brand new practice we've implemented is paying cash for groceries. While not rocket science, it definitely makes me think twice before buying something we don't necessarily need and keeps the budget in check. Since I've got a competitive nature, this is kind of a fun thing for me to see how much I can come in "under budget".

So now you know a bit more about where my head is at lately, I want to share a great recipe I recently tried for Pulled Pork! I should probably tell you that this is not something I would normally cook, but while grocery shopping at Sprouts last week I noticed a really great sale on boneless pork loin, like a REALLY great deal! So I purchased one and started looking for a fresh, new recipe to add to our menu. I quickly came across a simple crock pot recipe on Chow.com that looked promising. Of course, my husband was thrilled as pulled pork BBQ sandwiches are right up his ally. So you see, it was a win/win!

This was such a delicious meal (& made for excellent leftovers!) And sandwiches are just one of many possibilities. I'm thinking tacos or a salad would be equally tasty, and not to mention a great option for company or a party!

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed
2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.
If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

{A Sweet Place to Start}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 18:51:00 +0000

With Fall just around the corner and let's face it, any excuse to bust out my slow cooker, I decided it was time to test out a variation of "overnight oatmeal" I'd been seeing all over the web.

It seemed to me that because oatmeal takes less than ten minutes to cook on the stove top, it was a kind of a waste to go through the hassle of cleaning my crock pot for something that I don't mind cooking the old fashioned way.

That is until my mom pointed me to a recipe for overnight steelcut oats. Ah, now you're talking! I love me some steelcut oats, but am rarely willing to invest the 30+ minutes to cook (what can I say, my toddler is impatient when it comes to her food!). So earlier this week I looked through a few recipes and decided to create my own version based on what I had on hand.

Best part about making oats this way-making a large batch and having lots of leftovers. In fact, I might be enjoying a nice warm bowl as I type :)

It was a heavenly thing to behold Monday morning as I walked downstairs and was greeted with the sweet, warm fragrance of apples and cinnamon and my breakfast already prepared!

This is a perfect go-to breakfast as the weather turns cooler and a sure way to get a good, hearty breakfast, even if your morning is rushed (or as I said, your little one is a week bit impatient).

{Forgive the Instagram photo. I'll have to get back in a habit of using my real camera!}

Overnight Apple Pie Steelcut Oats

1 cup steelcut oats
1 cup almond milk
3 cups water
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp real maple syrup (you could also substitute brown sugar if you like)

Add all ingredients into your crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours

Now that I know how simple this is, I plan to try other variations with different fruit and add-ins (I'm thinking the last of the summer peaches I just bought!)

I hope you try this out, make it your own and share your own versions with me!

Claire Elizabeth {18 Months}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:16:00 +0000

Is it really possibly that my sweet, baby girl is halfway through her second year?! Hands down, this has been the fastest year and a half of my life. Slow down, time...slow down! Though I continue to be amazed at what complete and utter joy Claire has brought to us these past eighteen months!

As far as we're concerned Claire is definitely the funniest toddler ever! She's got personality oozing from every ounce of her and is generally a very happy, loving, independent, goofy and curious little girl. She loves kids and loves getting dirty! One particular change we have seen lately is how bashful she gets around strangers or people she doesn't see very often. She will eventually warm up, but initially, she burrows in to mommy or daddy and plays really coy with people (her Mama was the same way ;). She's got the best smile and flashes her big, cheesy grin when I say, "cheese!"- it's to die for!!

A few of Claire's favorite things right now include: Her Baby Signing Time videos (she is seriously obsessed!), orange juice, her "babies", balls of any kind, bath time, being outside, bubbles, water, swimming, water (you get the idea!), her blankie, all berries, Abby, gardening, being tickled and dance parties with Daddy (girl has got some moves!)

We have been really amazed at how much her vocabulary has exploded these past several weeks! Some of her most common words right now include: Mommy, Daddy, please, thank you, cracker, pool, Abby, baby, cheese, cookie (we're blaming Grandma for that one), juice, no, go, up, down, night night, bath, shoes, though she mimics everything and creates her own versions of words like "blanket", which she calls "kiki" and "water" as "wawa". It's been so fun for us that she can communicate what she wants and needs with us beyond signing (though signing is still a large part of her communication). But it's true what they say, just when you start wondering when kids will start talking - Bam! - they never stop!

At sixteen months we transitioned Claire to a toddler bed, after she scared us half to death with her crib-climbing skills. I was a little nervous it might be too early, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions we've made! The transition was incredibly smooth and for the first time in her life, Claire willingly goes down for naps and bedtime on her own. See, she's always been a great sleeper (once she's down), but it was the getting her to sleep that was so difficult for us. Apparently the freedom that the big girl bed gives her was just what she needed. We have also started potty training after she began expressing a lot of interest in going to the bathroom on the toilet. So we bought her a big girl potty and set it in the bathroom, just to let her become familiar with it. Though she's already had several successful attempts! And she now tells us "poo poo" when she has to go or after she's gone in her diaper, so we're hopeful that means she might be ready for more intentional potty training soon! Hooray!!

Of course, with a toddler comes the unavoidable and occasional tantrums...yeah, those are not so fun. One second she's happy as can be, but tell her "no" and in two seconds flat you might see that sweet little girl face-down on the floor, crying. We have got ourselves an opinionated little girl and it has certainly tested and grown my patience!

We still have an excellent eater and a great sleeper (8 to 6:30-7)! We are officially down to one nap (10 to 12:30-1), wearing 24 month clothes, size 6 shoes, and are still nursing a few times a day, (though they are very short sessions).

Claire Elizabeth, being your mama is the most fun, exhausting, amazing, challenging and yet the most rewarding thing I have ever done! I cannot imagine my life without you and will continue to savor each and every precious drop of each stage you are in, as I'm learning that it all passes too quickly. Happy half-birthday, darling girl! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!!

Official stats

Height: 35 inches (100th percentile)

Weight: 27.4 lbs (90th percentile)

Head circumference: 19.02 inches (91st percentile)

{Dinner Last Night: Thai Chicken Pizza}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Last night was pizza night at the Hansens. But not just your average slice of pie, I tried my hand at a Thai-inspired recipe I found in an old issue of Eating Well! Take that, Pinterest. It was quite a stretch from our typical pizza combos, but delicious nonetheless and certainly one we'll make again. A nice change up and definitely a hit with our little one, who licked the crust clean of its savory peanut sauce!

Thai Chicken Pizza
Recipe from Eating Well Magazine circa 2007

Ingredients
20 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough, (or you could prepare from scratch)
1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Method

Place oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Roll out or stretch dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough 16-inch oval. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl until well combined.
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, scallions and 1 tablespoon of the peanut sauce to the chicken; toss to combine.
Remove the crust from the oven; spread evenly with the remaining peanut sauce. Top with the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Return the pizza to the oven and bake on the bottom rack until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 11 to 13 minutes.
I also added a touch of crushed red pepper and fresh cilantro just before serving. Enjoy!

{Dessert Hummus, You're Welcome}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I saw this recipe on Sprouts Facebook page last week and was determined to give it a try. A lover of hummus and a self-proclaimed sweet tooth, it sounded like a combo made in heaven. Friends, my instincts served me right and I am obliged to pass on the delicious treat with you.

My husband says it reminds him of soft cookie dough. Can't go wrong there, but {shhh} don't tell anyone that it's a much healthier alternative! With plenty of digestive-friendly fiber and healthy fat, this sweet snack has a lot to offer and will leave you satisfied for hours. Definitely a snack the whole family will love!

Oh and Happy March, by the way!

Dessert Hummus
roughly 8-10 servings

1 cup garbonzo beans
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch sea salt
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Blend the first five ingredients in your Vita-Mix or food processor until smooth. Stir in dark chocolate chips and serve with graham crackers, apple slices or better yet, cinnamon-sugar pita chips!

Happy snacking!

{DIY: The $100 Platform Bed, Box Spring Replacement + Refinished Nightstands}

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Kate and I have planned to upgrade to a Cal King bed for a while now. We sold our queen bed and purchased an adjustable bed frame for our mattress and box spring in the interim. The plan was to buy a Cal King mattress, box spring and make a custom wood headboard.

After completing the headboard, we were left with a list for or master refresh that looked like this:

~~Replace ceiling fan~~
Purchase and/or possibly refinish nightstands
Upgrade to a Cal King bed set.
~~Get a full size mirror (like this one)~~
Eventually put up crown molding
~~Build a headboard~~

~~Build/purchase closet organizer~~

A box spring isn’t really a “spring” at all—it’s just a wooden box riser. We realized how silly it was to spend several hundred dollars for what amounts to a couple pieces of wood, some cardboard and matching fabric cover that 99 percent of people are going to cover with a plain sheet. That said—no one wants to put the mattress on the floor.

You don't need to spend the money on a box spring or expensive platform bed to get the benefits.

I went searching for DIY platform bed plans and everything was overly complicated. My method is a simple two-step process that includes building a basic platform followed by wrapping the raw wood with more attractive boards. It's the same basic principle as putting painted and textured drywall over a wall frame when you are building a house.

The best thing about a platform bed is that space isn’t wasted like it would be if you bought a box spring. That means storage! You can never have enough storage space and with this platform bed there is a ton of storage underneath. We haven't even decided what to do with all that space. This is the biggest selling point on a platform bed for most people. Most of the platform beds at a furniture store come with drawers underneath, but for the $900+ I’ll save my back and store things under the bed I don’t use often. You *could* get fancy bins for clothes, etc.

The complete tutorial after the break!

Read more »

{Master Bedroom: The Reveal}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Early last week I shared our fabulous new headboard with you here! And might I say, Thank you so much for your sweet comments and excitement about how it turned out! That project must have really got our juices flowing because that following weekend we managed to find and refinish new nightstands we found on craigslist, upgrade from our old queen mattress to a new cal-king AND build a new platform bed! Our Master bedroom is finally done (well, for now..) and we are absolutely LOVING it!

My husband would really love to share a tutorial for the platform bed he built, as he really couldn't find anything similar to how he built ours. So I'm going to give him the spotlight on Monday to give you a nice, detailed tutorial. But for the rest of you who are just here to see pictures, stay in your seats because that's exactly what I've got for you today!

So without further ado, our Master makeover...

Claire Elizabeth {15 Months}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

These past few months have been such an incredible joy and have undeniably flown by far too quickly! Claire has undoubtedly grown and developed in leaps and bounds since her first birthday a mere three months ago. Just after her birthday those casual steps became full-on walking and she is now on the go all. the. time! To Claire, the world is one giant jungle gym, meant solely for her to explore. Walking has opened up all new possibilities for our little one from where she gets to play at the park (hello, slides!) to discovering every single nook and cranny of our home. We've certainly got ourselves an adventurous and determined little cutie who is vastly aware of her surroundings!

We are still enjoying our weekly gymnastics class and incredibly proud of how she engages with the teacher and other kids in her class and recently, I've really noticed her bringing the things she's learning home with her. Mainly the signs they practice in class. Around 13 months, I noticed Claire suddenly began responding to several signs we'd been practicing, most notably: more, again, help, all done, eat, please and a few specific food signs. Signing is so helpful for her to be able to communicate with us, especially since, as much as she babbles all day long, she really doesn't say many words yet.

Our girl has definitely become my little "helper" in the kitchen and is always leaving me little surprises in the most obscure places. But what mom doesn't love finding a teddy bear in the bath tub or a puppy on her nightstand?! They serve as such sweet reminders of her innocence! Watching our girl learn new things each day is nothing short of a privilege. I am amazed by the fact that she knows each of her stuffed animals by name and will seek each of them out when asked and will lift up her shirt and point when we ask where her bellybutton is located and gets a kick out of pointing ours out as well. She is a wonderful sharer (highly encouraging for our next child) and such a love bug!! My absolute favorite moments are when she leans in to plant a wet kiss right on my lips and when she wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes me tight. Nothing melts my heart quite like those moments and absolutely nothing makes me ever so grateful to be a mommy!

And of course, she is our child so she loves to laugh and make others laugh, too! When she's tired and trying to fight sleep, she will start fake laughing just to hear us laugh, which of course, turns into an all-out giggle fest (nicely played, Claire;). Her obsession with phones is at an all-time high and recently she makes a game out of putting my phone (or anything remotely resembling a phone) up to her ear and saying "hi" over and over and over. Ha, silly, silly girl! And I simply cannot forget Claire's obsession with dancing! Most days include a mini-dance party where little Missy gets her groove on (cutest thing ever!!)

She is still an awesome eater and currently chomping with eleven teeth, including those that have just popped through! Her current favorite foods include: yogurt, waffles, veggie straws, pasta, cheese sticks, edamame, blueberries and pretty much any fruit and vegetable we put in front of her. And she has gotten quite efficient at using a fork and spoon to feed herself. We are still nursing 2-3 times a day and it's not looking like she's ready to give those sessions up any time soon, which is okay with me :) And we're pretty certain that she's going to be a lefty, given the way she primarily eats and favors her left hand for all tasks.

All in all, these past few months have been a blast, especially since they included her first holidays where she was aware of what was going on around her and fully able to take part in the festivities! A few weeks ago both of our families joined us for a day in the snow to celebrate her Daddy's birthday, where Claire got to partake in her first snow sledding experience!

Time is passing far too quickly, but we are savoring each and every day loving on our sweet, amazing girl!!

{Custom Headboard: A Labor of Love}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:28:00 +0000

The last time we chatted about our Master bedroom, it looked a little something like this:

And our list of to-dos still looked like this:

Replace ceiling fan
Purchase and possibly refinish nightstands
Upgrade to a Cal King bed
Get a full size mirror (like this one)
Eventually put up crown molding
Build a headboard

I'm so excited to share that a good chunk of that list has been checked off! This weekend my awesome hubby completed our headboard, which means that our to-do list now looks like this:

~~Replace ceiling fan~~
Purchase and possibly refinish nightstands (Found what we want and ready to purchase)
Upgrade to a Cal King bed (Currently in the market)
~~Get a full size mirror (like this one)~~
Eventually put up crown molding
~~Build a headboard~~
~~Build/purchase closet organizer~~

Obviously we have made other small changes here and there over the course of a year, but this project has definitely been the most drastic improvement to our room so far! We're quite smitten with the turn out and amazed at what a big difference it makes in the overall feel of our bedroom. But before I go on with the details and a brief tutorial, here she is in all her glory:

You might be wondering why we made it so wide and the answer is that we made it to fit a Cal-King bed that we are currently in the market to purchase - Yay!!! With that upgrade, there will be about a foot of headboard on each side. Of course that is our personal preference, but you could certainly cut it down to your desired width.

We really wanted the headboard to be a dominant element in our bedroom as we've chosen to keep our room simple with minimal furniture. I really love the rich tones and masculine/rustic balance this addition gives our space!

All-in-all, this was a fairly simple and inexpensive project. More than anything it required time, which these days is quite precious around here, so I consider this a labor of love from my husband!

I have put together a short step-by-step for this project below if you are interested (I apologize that I don't have any pictures of the process so please feel free to ask if anything is unclear or you have questions!)

Materials:
Eight 8 ft. Pine boards cut to the size you desire $4/each
Three 6 ft support boards $3/each
Sand Paper: 80 & 150 grit Already had
Steel wool: 000 (an alternative would be 220 grit sand paper) $2
Stain: Minwax Wood Finish in Red Oak 215 $7.50 for 1 Qt.
Polyurethane:Satin finish (You could also use a Polycrylic) $15
Pack of disposable sponge brushes $4
3/4 in. brad nails and 2 1/2 in. finish nails Already had

Tools Used:
Palm sander
Nail gun

Step 1: Distressing For multiple reasons, we opted to start with new pine boards and distress them ourselves. Starting with eight 8 ft. boards, my husband went to town using various methods to stress the boards. Some of which included: pounding the boards with a double-thick bag of nails and screws, creating marks with drill bits, burn marks, making grooves with a chisel and screw driver etc. This process requires a lot of experimentation so don't be afraid of a little trial & error. Our goal was for each board to be unique so there was no right or wrong method. Once you have distressed the boards to your liking, you want to sand down all of the corners and any rough edges, first with the 80 grit and then the 150 grit sand paper.

Step 2: Staining Once you have sanded the boards, you will need to wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove any dust and particles. Also make sure that your work space is cleaned up well. You probably want to test a small area that has been sanded down first to make sure you like the stain. After you are sure about the stain color and you have mixed it well, apply one coat to the boards. Because we wanted some variation to our boards, we wiped the stain after applying for a lighter effect on a few boards, while leaving the stain on the other for a darker look. This is really up to you and how dark you want your finish. Allow the stain at least 24 hours to dry.

Step 3: Durability Once the stain is completely dry you are going to apply the polyurethane coats, allowing at least 24 hours in between for each coat to dry. You will want to apply a minimum of 2 coats for durability. Once each coat is dry and before reapplying, sand down the boards with your steel wool or 220 grit sand paper.

Step 4: Assembly After you have decided the order you want to boards to be assembled, you are ready to attach them to your three support boards. You will want to place two of the support boards so they are a few inches smaller than the width of your bed and place the third board in the center of them. When your stained boards are laid out evenly cross-ways on the support boards, begin nailing each board in place using the shorter brad nails. Once they are all attached, position your headboard in place and attach to the wall with the longer finish nails in the bottom of each support board. We also placed a few at the top of the headboard for additional support, using a small spacer board in the gap to account for the baseboard.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back soon for the finishing touches on our Master bedroom makeover!

{Before & After} A Functional Landing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Last week concluded a home project which has been in the works for quite some time. Not only was it a necessary fix due to our ever-growing family and therefore, changing needs, but it was somewhat of a safety concern for us with a little one running around.

One of the most appealing qualities of our home is its open and spacious feel, which really lends to extra spaces that can be transformed as our needs for our home change. In this particular case, what we needed was more storage space for things like my craft/sewing supplies due to my husband now needing a dedicated home office and a little more space for Claire's toys.

Our upstairs landing previously looked like this:

From the upstairs

And from downstairs:

We didn't all-together hate how it looked (with the exception of that awful rolled carpet above!), but it certainly lent itself to a lack of privacy due to the high windows in our family room that come up to the second story. But it also made it near impossible to hide anything (aka:the vacuum you see in the picture above). As for safety, the slats were much too wide for curious little ones.

So we talked through what we could do with Chris' Dad, as he is the family guru for projects such as this. As a Christmas present, he offered his labor and the materials to build what we wanted! Sweet!! For the past two weeks he has been here transforming the above into this!:

We are completely and totally in love with the transformation! And while it certainly added the desired function of more storage, we love how open, yet intimate it made the space feel! We now have the privacy we wanted, a ton of storage space and a bonus, an added space for Claire to play! I didn't capture it very well here, but the far left set of shelves that house my sewing and craft supplies are actually the longest of the three, giving me plenty of needed space:

We moved my desk back into the office and made space for another play area. I especially love this because we now have a designated space for the play kitchen we plan on building for Claire later this year :) And in the future, when our kids are school-aged, we would love to add a built-in desk in the corner.

My father-in-law does superior work (much like my awesome husband!) and really gave us a beautiful gift!

{30 by 30} Updated!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:23:00 +0000

Five months later and I decided to go back over my bucket list. While I was only able to cross off two things as complete, I realized that more than a handful of others are currently in progress, which is encouraging!

How about you? Have you made a bucket list of sorts? How's it coming - I'd love to hear!

1. Add two more kiddos to our family
2. ~~Visit my sister and her sweet family in Florida~~ (October 2012)

3. Read through the entire bible (In progress)
4. Finish our backyard
5. Completely remodel our master bathroom (Started January 2013!!)
6. At least have tentative plans and savings started to visit Europe with my husband
7. Complete a triathlon
8. Go on a cruise (Possible plans in the works for late this year)
9. Take our kids to Disneyland
10. Finally convince my husband to watch The Sound of Music with me
11. Master the art of cocktail making
12. Attend a TSO concert
13. Get a 2nd tattoo with my hubby
14. Take a weekend trip to Santa Barbara
15. Try a new sport (maybe skiing!)
16. ~~Buy a chess board~~ (We had one given to us!)
17. Visit at least one major flea market in the country
18. Get my Etsy shop up and running again
19. Put on a tea party for Claire
20. Host a Halloween party
21. Volunteer more!
22. Go through another Beth Moore study
23. Upgrade to a cal king bed
24. Wake my family up early and watch the sunrise somewhere special
25. Take a weekend to be completely technology free!
26. Read every one of Charlotte Bronte's books (Currently reading Villette)
27. Take a specialty cooking class
28. Go back to the spot we became husband and wife
29. Seriously look into becoming a Bradley birthing instructor
30. Learn to use power tools (inside joke there)

{Adventures of a One-Year Old}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Our sweet girl is growing right before our eyes! What a fun, happy, adventurous little sweetie she has become. Some current favorites of hers include: playing at the park, dancing, getting into Mommy's jewelry and tight hugs around the neck! Here's a little snapshot of the last two months :)

{Instaproof: I DO Still Cook!}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:04:00 +0000

Well, hello! How have you been, friends. Bet you'd about given up on me. Though if you're reading this, you obviously haven't removed me from your blog feed, or you saw this link on Facebook and probably did a double-take. I certainly have much to share (hint: house renovations!), but let's start slow shall we ;)

Today, the girl and I are going on day five of a gnarly cold. And so, I am lying in bed with her, snuggling in and trying to stay as warm and comfortable as possible until we're feeling ourselves one again.

To pass some time, since I can only sleep so much, I began purging my phone of some old pictures and came across more than a few food pictures that I've posted to Instagram. Hello, I'm Kate and I'm an Instagram junkie. But I digress. As I kept scrolling through these pics, two things occured to me:

1) I snap A LOT of food pics! and 2) I really need to start blogging again because otherwise, these great new recipes go forgotten (ahem, Mommy brain...) and I completely lose track of things I've tried, where I found them, etc.

So I suppose this is as good a reason as any to actually fire up these old blogging skills. And to that I say, welcome back Self!

I told you, Instagram junkie...!

Claire Elizabeth {12 Months}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

My Dearest Claire~

One year ago today I held you for the first time and in that moment, I was sure my heart might explode from the joy I felt! The second I first laid eyes on you, it was clear life would never be the same. This past year with you has stretched me, refined me, challenged me and shown me God's goodness in ways I never expected!

Your Daddy and I have had the sweet privilege of watching you blossom from a tiny infant you were a year ago into the sweet little toddler you are today! This month you reached the exciting milestone of walking and you are growing more confident in your new skill everyday. It is so fun to watch your excitement as you become more and more independent!

You are still an excellent eater and are willing to try anything we put in front of you. I love that you are so adventurous when it comes to food! You're still rockin' your four teeth (two top and two bottom), though at least two new top teeth are about to make an appearance.

We are constantly amazed at how quickly you pick things up. Watching you learn new things is one of my favorite parts of parenthood! Your Daddy is most proud of the way you throw your hands up in the air when we say, "Touchdown!". It is too stinkin' cute!! And in general, you love to mock our facial expressions and noises.

We can't go anywhere without making a few new friends thanks to your social graces :) You are our little ham and we wouldn't it change it for a thing!

Little One, you have taught us so much in such a short time and brought us more joy than I thought humanly possible. You have only been a part of our family a year and yet, we can hardly remember life without you! I am blessed and endlessly honored to be your mommy, to watch you grow and learn, to teach you about life, to care for you, to love you and to call you my daughter. Being your mom is the best calling on earth!

Happy Birthday, Claire Elizabeth! May the Lord bless us with many more wonderful years with you!

Official Stats

Height: 31 inches (88th percentile)

Weight: 24 lbs. (96th percentile)

Head Circumference: 18.27 in. (85th percentile)

{Claire's 1st Birthday Party: Apple of Our Eye}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:09:00 +0000

This past Saturday we celebrated Claire's first birthday with our family and friends (her actual birthday is Wednesday)! I cannot believe it's over already, but it was without a doubt a day I will never forget. I am completely overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the sweet people in our lives who helped to not only make the party go off without a hitch and deflect stress from me, but who love us and our daughter so well! We are truly blessed!!

I am positively ecstatic with the way everything turned out, as it somehow managed to exceed all of my expectations! It was a beautiful day and we were surrounded by so many loved ones - what more could we ask for?! I would love to share the details and {lots of} pics, if you would like to see!

Deciding on a theme for her party came pretty easily as I wanted to tie in Fall, yet keep it unique to Claire. From the time I was about 19 weeks pregnant, the song "Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee has been a favorite, so Apple of Our Eye seemed like an appropriate theme.

Being in November, I instantly knew I wanted the party to feel cozy! We decided to do a spread of comfort foods and simple sweets.

Our menu included the following:

Beef & Vegetable Stew

Chicken & Dumplings

Chili

An assortment of Cornbread and Rolls with Honey Butter

And for the sweets:

Mini Sour Cream Apple Pies

Spiced Cupcakes

Chocolate Cake Pops

Coffee

This entire menu was prepared by our awesome moms and Chris' Aunt Kathy (who is known for her sour cream apple pie!)

As for the location I had some trouble initially deciding on a place. The problem was finding a venue large enough to accommodate our large family and close friends, with indoor and outdoor space in case of rain, and not too pricey. But thanks to a wonderful connection, we found the absolute perfect space that fit all of our needs. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better location and a delightful bonus was that we had beautiful weather!

Because there were going to be quite a few kids of various ages we incorporated some fun activities which included, decorate your own cupcake, a craft table with coloring pages and a photo booth. The photo booth was a splurge, but so worth it! Everyone had a blast, plus it gave me peace of mind knowing that if I missed getting a photo of anyone, I would get a copy of all the photo booth pics! We provided a bunch of silly props and got a great response from everyone! I'll be sure to share a few favorites after I go through them this week :)

We provided a table of various pictures of Claire, including a collage featuring one of each of her monthly pics we took this year. And best of all was the INCREDIBLE and detailed scrapbook my Aunt Judy made for Claire. What a special piece for our daughter of the special moments and adventures she experienced her first year of life. It ended up being a really neat way for guests to see how much she's changed since she was born and a great use for the many, many photos I've snapped of our girl! I am forever grateful for the time and effort she put into this keepsake.

So without further ado, here are the pics. Enjoy!

{The Barn}

{With our Birthday Girl}

{Collage of Claire's monthly photos}

{Cupcake decorating station}

{Sweets Table}

{Scattered munchies::Mini cupcakes & Kettle corn}

{Fill Your OWN Goodie Bag-Huge hit with the kids!}

{Favors:Homemade Popcorn Balls}

{Our little walking machine with Grandma}

{Beautiful day to play outside with friends}

{Parris & Whitney}

{After she devoured her beef stew!}

{Note to self: Coloring table is a hit with kids AND teenagers}

{Sweet friends!}

{Grandpa Curtis wins the prize for largest birthday present!}

{Our dear friends, the Hills and Van Unens}

{It's cake time!}

{Dig in, Sweet Girl!}

{YUM!!}

{Birthday smooches!}

{The Hansen Fellas}

{Me & My Girl}

{Birthday love from Mama!}

Thanks for looking :)

{Perfectly Pebbles}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:30:00 +0000

What a crazy week it has been, what with the devastating coverage coming from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. It can be so difficult to remove ourselves from our own little world and realize that while California weather is just peachy, the other side of the country is coming out of a terribly destructive natural disaster! Our thoughts and prayers are with all who have been touched by this.

On a lighter note, I hope you had an enjoyable Halloween! We decided to go big this year and dress up as a family! Claire's fate, err, Halloween costume, was decided just after she turned four months old and I put her hair up like this...

It was that day Chris and I decided there was no better costume for her than Pebbles Flinstone! And over these past 7+ months, she's grown into her Pebbles-likeness even more with her hair getting lighter and that signature "fountain pony" she sports these days! So, as only appropriate, Chris and I dressed up as Wilma and Fred!

Seriously, are they not the best (and cutest) Fred & Pebbles you've ever seen?!?

Before we all headed to the Grandparents for trick-or-treating, we stopped by the Harvest Festival at my Aunt Judy's preschool, where Claire got to walk in the costume parade and even pick out her own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch!

And here we are as the Flinstones! Our costumes are courtesy of Chris' mom who made them for us :)

What a great and memorable first Halloween for our girl! I cannot believe this is one of her last firsts {tear}.

How perfect did those leg warmers go with her costume?! Yaba daba doo!!

We're already scheming for next year's costumes :)

{Winning & Walking}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:00:00 +0000

This weekend was quite an eventful one for the Hansens!

For starters, the Giants swept the Tigers in the World Series!! That makes two World Series Championships in three years :) We are obviously stoked and you wouldn't think that much else could top off that excitement in our sport-loving home, but during the 8th inning of last night's game Claire decided to take her first steps!!!

She definitely made sure we would never forget that milestone! And best of all, Chris and I were both there to see it, not once, but twice. She's amazing and we're so excited to watch as her confidence in walking continues to grow. Way to go, sweet girl :)

It happened so quickly, we weren't able to capture pictures of the moment. Though, I do have these sweet pics of your royal cuteness a few hours before the game. Dang she's cute!

In other news, we took our first family trip to Bishop's Pumpkin Patch on Saturday with the Grandmas and the Grandpas! Baby Girl picked out her first pumpkin, played in the hay and sat on a tracker, so clearly, fun was had by all!

Hope ya'll had amazing weekends!! Did I mention my baby walked this weekend?!! Happy Monday!

{The Journey}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:09:00 +0000

Earlier this week I began to really reflect on these past several months. As I started looking at how many changes we've faced recently, I suddenly became deeply thankful for our journey. I am grateful for the unexpected twists and turns and happy to be where we're at today. I think for the first time in my life I am finally starting to let go of my need to plan out every detail of life.

Four years ago, as newlyweds in our first apartment, Chris and I had a conversation about where we saw ourselves in a few years. I never would have dreamed that today Chris would be working from home and writing about football full-time, that I would have the privilege of being a full-time mommy, that we would own a home and that we would be surviving as a one-car family! The doors that have opened and the opportunities presented to us have brought us to a place I couldn't have imagined. All this to say that where we are today has not come without some major flexibility, trust and letting go of previous expectations and plans we had for our life.

I realize that I haven't shared too much detail about how radically our life has changed over these past several months, so for those who don't already know, here's a little glimpse into our life lately. In the early spring, after working about six weeks as a part-time featured writer for Bleacher Report (in addition to his full-time job at BofA), Chris was offered a full-time position covering the AFC West. While extremely exciting, that was a huge decision for us to make and one we prayed long and hard about. In fact, it took us a few months to actually accept, because while it was the dream opportunity he had been waiting for, there was a lot for our family to consider, both financially and otherwise. We believed the Lord was leading us to accept and took a big leap of faith that He would provide for us.

Shortly after Chris quit his job at Bank of America and started writing full-time, he began looking for other writing opportunities on the side and in the midst of searching, an awesome opportunity presented itself for me! I applied as a local brand ambassador for Happy Family and was offered the position! It is a part-time position where I work from home, on my schedule and I am promoting a brand that I already know and trust with Claire! It's been such a wonderful fit for us and I am really enjoying learning my new responsibilities, as well as the flexibility to be a mom first!

I am amazed at the ways God has provided and excited to see what else He has in store! I can't tell you with complete certainty exactly where we'll live or the jobs we'll have in 5, 10, 20 years and that's okay. I am learning that "knowing" is a bit overrated!

In my reflecting the other day I considered what we could have missed out on if we had let fear of the unknown or our prior plans lead our decisions. To think about the wonderful opportunities we could have missed!

These last few years have been full of great victories and painful trials, yet they have built character and taught us to love one another better. And while we will still make plans for the future, I think we will hold them a bit more loosely. I'm learning that holding too tightly to our plans can limit what the Lord can do through us and I certainly want to experience all He has in store! So here's to the future, to the unknown and to the exciting adventures ahead, whatever they may be!

{Florida Vacation: 2012}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:41:00 +0000

At the beginning of October the three of us, along with my parents, flew to Florida and spent eight glorious days visiting with my step-sister, Theresa, her husband Matt and two wonderful kids, Matthew and Taylor. (and yes, that does check #2 off of my 30 by 30!) It was one of those vacations where so many great memories were made and quality time was spent with people you love. You see, I hadn't seen my sister in 12 years and therefore, had never met my niece and nephew. So in addition to a restful vacation, it was also a long-overdue reunion!

We took in the beach, spent two days at Disney (both Epcot and of course, Magic Kingdom!), shopped at Downtown Disney, ate delicious home cooked meals, hung out in the pool and did a lot of catching up. Plus, the three of us got to spend Sunday afternoon with my dear friend and college roommate, Rebecca, who we haven't seen in 3 years!! Like I said, this was such a special trip, beyond just a lovely vacation!

We spread out the two days at Disney so we could rest up and not feel so overwhelmed. Epcot was our first park and wouldn't you know, we went during the International Food & Wine Festival! As it is, Epcot offers an amazing showcase of eleven countries, where you can feast on cuisine of that region, as well as shops and local experiences you might find there. Some of my favorites include: Germany, France and Morocco (although, they are all phenomenal!) But the festival made it feel as if you were getting a dining experience from all around the world! We had a wonderful day and Claire did fantastic for her first day at an amusement park!

The girls! (Chris sadly couldn't join us at Epcot because of work)

Looking across the beautiful lagoon, beginning our "trip around the world" :)

In China we met Mulan! Claire was quite smitten!

And somewhere around Morocco Jasmine and Aladdin made an appearance!

Hello, lovely!

On Saturday, which was also my parents 22nd anniversary, we introduced Claire to the happiest place on Earth!! I realize that many people have strong opinions as to when you should take kids to Disneyland/World, but I will say that it was such a magical experience for all of us! We got to experience Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, the Teacups, the carousel, the Main Street Parade and Fireworks with our little one, and all without a single complaint from her :) So whether or not she remembers this trip (which she will likely not!), the special memories for us will always be treasured. So maybe her remembering it doesn't matter because we all had an amazing time! Plus, she'll always have the pictures ;)

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

The entire park was completely decorated for Fall, so wonderful!

Mom & I having a Dole Whip, our favorite treat in Hawaii!!

Dad, Mom, Theresa & Taylor

My Sweeties!

Claire loved her first carousel ride!

Happy girl!!

Gorgeous sunset just before the parade

Grandma, Grandpa & the little Princess

Getting ready for the Main Street Electrical Parade!

And finally, some shots from a relaxing and beautiful day at the beach!

Taking her afternoon nap on Mama-melt my heart!

Sweet girl loves the water!

Our last night, shopping at Downtown Disney!

What an awesome week! Now, when can we go back?!?

{Truth Is}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The truth is, I am a terrible blogger. As of recently, anyway. Reality is, between one very active soon-to-be-toddler, our vacation to Florida, Claire's social calender, planning her first birthday party, Chris' newish job and my new job, blogging just hasn't gotten the attention I would love it to get.
You could say I've realized that I can't actually do it all. At least not without going insane. Shocking, right?

Anyway, this is my way of apologizing to this little ole' blog and getting back on track. I am ready to get back to regular posting for two reasons: the first being that I love having so many special memories to look back on and reminiscing over! And the second is that it was such a regular part of my routine for so long and I could really use some more of that in my life. I'll tell ya, being a WAHM can really throw you for a loop when it comes to structure. So let's pick up where we left off, shall we? Starting with our insanely wonderfully vacation we took to Florida in early October! Pop on by tomorrow for the details and pics!

Here's a little teaser, until we talk again~

Happy Monday, friends!

Claire Elizabeth {11 Months}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Happy 11 months, Princess! Somehow we blinked and you have become a beautiful, playful, amazing almost-one-year old! We are grateful and joyfully overwhelmed by these last 11 months, yet it is so bittersweet to realize that your baby-ness is a faint memory. Darling girl, you are such a joyful presence to our family and we cannot imagine life without you!

As we have watched you grow into the sweet little lady that you are today, we have become keenly aware of what we have to look forward to; You are absolutely bursting with personality, charm and humor. You make us laugh and smile daily. You are completely fearless and confident in your abilities (even those you haven't fully mastered yet!) You are a fireball who will likely give us a run for our money this next year (and the many to come). You are the perfect combination of girly princess and care-free tomboy (something I love!) You are happy, curious and so loving!

This past month held many exciting things, including your first trip to Disney World! We traveled with you and your Grandma and Grandpa to Florida where you got to meet your Auntie Theresa, Uncle Matt and cousins, Matthew and Taylor! You also got to meet Mommy and Daddy's college friend, Rebecca!

Disney World was was such an amazing thing to experience with you and see through your eyes! You are so excitable and curious about your surroundings and you love to wave, clap, throw both hands up in the air, all things we saw a lot of while we were there :)

Some of your favorite things these days are phones, glasses and stairs; naturally, all things you shouldn't be playing with! You love to read and welcome getting dirty. You're currently rocking four teeth, which have made your adventurous eating skills even more fun for you! You are not yet a walker, but can cruise around furniture and people like it's nobody's business and are toying with standing independently!

As we embrace this last month of your first year, we continue to pray constantly that we will be parents who raise you with grace, truth and unconditional love. We love you, Claire Elizabeth, all the way up to the moon...and BACK!

All my love,
Mama

Claire Elizabeth {10 Months}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Ten months already? How can it be?! Two months away from your first birthday and I cannot believe how quickly it's gone by. I am truly in awe of the wonderful, independent, capable little person you have become and I'm ready for it to slow down, little one!

My dearest Claire, you have us so wrapped around your finger; we are completely and totally smitten with you! You have become a certified Mama's girl, something I wasn't really expecting, though I'm definitely not complaining! When you wake up in the morning, it melts my heart that the first thing you do is stand up and call out for "Mama". I'm guessing that this will change in a few years and your daddy will be your #1, so I'm soaking it all in for the moment.

One thing is for sure, you are our little wild child! You're sassy and you know what you want. It's been a hoot for us to see which personality traits you've already inherited from Mama and Daddy; definitely my determination and chatty nature and without a doubt, your Daddy's ability to make people laugh. And oh my, do you know how to work your audience! Between your silly faces, goofy antics and your own infectious laugh, it's hard to get anything done around here! (in fact, as I write this you, and your grandma are literally rolling on the floor laughing!)

This past month has given us a chance to see just how wonderful you are with other kids (something I look forward to seeing with your future siblings). Thanks to frequent play dates, we've already seen this, but since starting gymnastics lats month and meeting several new buddies recently, we are convinced you are going to be little miss social in school! You are genuinely friendly and dare I say, a little bit of a flirt. (I have caught you kissing 3 different boys already!) Your social skills make you such a happy presence everywhere, which is a huge blessing!

And aside from climbing on everything and constantly testing your physical limits, you have also been testing Mama's endurance. How you can so quickly go from sitting on the floor to standing on something you shouldn't be is nothing short of magic! You are quick and capable of creating your own little tornadoes if we're not careful! And true to babies nature, you only want things you shouldn't have and have a way of finding the only things that aren't yet Claire-proofed!

Your first cold came and went last week, but you handled it like such a champ. And while it broke my heart to see you so congested and uncomfortable, I'm thankful that it was short-lived. You are also on the brink of getting both of your top teeth! Though thankfully, they haven't seemed to be bothering you either. You are one tough cookie!

This month has brought many fun plans for your first birthday party and we are joyfully looking forward to celebrating YOU with so many who adore you! Baby Girl, you have blossomed so beautifully and we thank God each and every day for allowing us the privilege of parenting you. You are such a precious gift to us!

Happy ten months, Sweet Pea!

All my love,
Mama