Zabie Love.

Update

2019-03-26T20:32:00.001-05:00

Y'all.... I have been asked by so many people to please... pretty please.... with a cherry on top start blogging again. I'm not making any promises that there will be regular blog posts here BUT I am promising that I will try!

The last time I blogged we were living happily in St. Louis where my hubby traveled ALL.THE.TIME. Insert an exhausted emoji here. I started a photography business there, joined a MOPS group, became a part of the steering team of said group, jumped head first into being a dance/gymnastics mom, made friends...so many wonderful friends and did all the social things. It was exhaustingly wonderful and fulfilling. God's plans for our family in St. Louis were perfect. We found an amazing church there and started settling in very comfortably.

Then the phone rang.

I could here the muffled voice on the other end of the phone say to my husband, "How do you feel about Columbus?"

We were giddy with excitement. Columbus was on our "short list". You know, the list of places we'd happily go without little to no conversations. My guy knew exactly how I felt about Columbus. It was close to his cousin whom I adore and it was so centrally located to all the people we love dearly that we couldn't have hand picked a better location. The answer was "YES" without hesitation.

Then we prepped and sold our dream house. Found a little faux farmhouse in the perfect up and coming neighborhood that backed up to a real farm and moved our little family to Ohio. It's seems like such a whirlwind reflecting on it all.

I made a very intentional effort to slow life down once we moved.

Slow down and enjoy every moment. It felt like life was slipping through my finger at a rate that was incomprehensible.

Now we've lived in that little faux farmhouse that has the most incredible sunset views out the back windows for almost two years. It's the longest we've live in one house since our Zabies were born.

We've slowed down A LOT.

Our focus has shifted and now we fill our hours and days with a lot of family time. Bike rides, swimming, gardening, playing outside, games, projects inside of our house and a NON-traveling hubby! I could still shout from the rooftops with joy about that! We still do dance/gymnastics and have social lives but the frequency is far less. We are still finding balance.

So many things have happened and I will do my best to update. In the meantime, email me about what you'd like to see here in this space.

natasha.zabek@gmail.com

Christmas 2016

2017-01-06T08:01:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

I haven't update this space in ages. Today I am organizing pictures and thought I would share some of our precious girls decorating the tree before Christmas.

Christmas this year was by far my favorite. This age is just wonderful at Christmastime. Seeing the joy of the holidays through the eyes of my children is one of my favorite parts of being a mom.

Enjoy some of my favorite tree decorating photos!

Friday Favorites!

2016-09-23T15:17:00.001-05:00

Today I am doing some virtual organizing. Organizing hard drives and computer space as I gear up for a very busy Fall schedule, much like my Summer schedule. While I was perusing my picture folders I found 5 of my favorite days from our Summer. I am over here reminiscing on the wonderful times we had but wishing cooler weather would grace us soon. How did I end up being a cool weather girl? This humidity is killing me, y'all!

1. An impromptu photo session with these sweet girls cuddled on the bed one summer morning while I was "getting ready" for our day.

2. Getting together with these ladies. I've known them all since middle school and have been besties ever since. Stef and I have been best buds since Kindergarten... Whoa... we are knocking on thats 25 years folks!

3. Disney World. Need I say more?

4. Sunflowers in Central New York with the cutest bunch of twins I've ever seen!

5. My precious little ladies turned 3 this Summer and I couldn't be more proud of how amazing they are or how incredibly kind they have become.

Just some random favorites for your Friday since I rarely find myself blogging much these days.

Happy Friday and Happy Fall, Y'all!

Tasty Tuesday|| Turkey Meatball soup

2016-04-12T08:35:00.001-05:00

Happy Tuesday, y'all! Today I am sharing one of my go to meals. When I was on bedrest a sweet neighbor shared this recipe with me and we loved it. I make up batches to eat now and others to freeze for tough days that either I just don't have time to do the chopping and prep that many delicious meals require or my guy has a business dinner and my goal is to keep it simple.

Grocery List/Check your pantry for:

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 Egg

½ Cup Bread Crumbs

2 T Olive Oil

1 Small onion

2 Carrots

2 Celery Stalks

½ tsp Marjoram

Salt to taste

½ tsp Pepper

¼ Cup White Cooking Wine

6 Can Chicken Broth

2 Cups Cooked Penne Pasta

Directions:

Cook Penne pasta according to package while preparing the meal. We like to use whole wheat pasta.

Then in a mixing bowl mix egg, bread crumbs, and turkey meat. Make meatballs about 1 inch in diameter.

Cook in skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Let them rest on a plate.

Wash & chop veggies.

Sauté veggies with remaining oil over low heat until tender.

Add seasonings with about 2 mins remaining in skillet.

NOTE: I used a skillet for the veggie portion during this documentation but I recommend using a small stock pot.

Add chicken broth and meatballs to veggies. Simmer for 15 mins.

Drain pasta and dish ¼ cup of cooked pasta into bowl. Using a ladle, dish a couple scoop fulls over the bowl of pasta.

ENJOY!!

Catch-up

2016-04-11T17:26:00.002-05:00

I don't think I have blogged at all this year. With my daughters and husband occupying all of my time blogging landed dead last on my to do list. I guess in a way it was a 1st quarter break. I focused on getting the necessary daily things done before the girls woke each morning, working out during nap and snuggling up on the couch my sweet husband in the evenings indulging in deep conversation and primetime television.

January came storming in leaving our little town with record breaking flooding and the residents stranded until the waters of the Meramec River receded back within its banks. Otherwise, it wasn't note worthy. My guy and I started on a new journey of eating clean and eating our favorite things ahem chocolate within moderation. Its been a huge learning curve but I am so happy with our successes.

February came and went faster than I could blink my eyes. We were full on back in the routine of dance, gymnastics and started Mom's Day Out. The girls love it and it has been a great break for me during the week. We also vacationed in south Florida on the gulf with my brother-in-love (Josh's brother), his wife and daughters. It was such a nice vacation with two families bonding over cards and ice-cream.

March... wait, we had a March this year? Holy moly. I seriously get lost in the days and months with our sweet girls. All of Josh's family stayed at our house for a weekend, we had lots of date nights, we went to Georgia and ended with everyone being sick.

Oh wait... did I mention that we potty trained? Well we did that in February. Fun times! Can't wait to fill you in on it all.

I hope to keep this little space of internet updated more in the coming months. I have a feeling I will fail miserably as I have started getting busy with doing family photography locally.

This is a serious photo dump in no particular order!

Happy New Year

2016-01-26T20:53:00.000-06:00

Man, it has been a while since I've blogged. In all honesty, life has been crazy. The girls are very active in activities every morning which has us jetting out the door directly after breakfast and not returning until time for a late lunch. We barely make nap time on time these days. I have also been working really hard on new friendships. It's a lot of work but I am so thankful that Josh and I followed our gut instinct about our new town. We love it. It is a small town with a big city at it's fingertips. I can be anywhere in about 20 minutes. I feel so incredibly blessed to be making the friends that I am. They are so super nice and very welcoming.

Although I miss keeping this small space updated with all of our weekly details, it has been so nice to focus on my family, myself and new friends in my spare time.

I've also been on a new adventure with my camera in tow.

I enjoy it and will see where God leads me in this adventure.

Here is some of what I have been working on.

I have a lot to learn and need much more practice but I love every minute of the experience!

A Very Merry Zabek Christmas

2015-12-25T15:17:00.001-06:00

From our family to yours, we are wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Keeping it real!

2015-11-13T08:43:00.001-06:00

This week has flown by. I have no idea where it went and blogging fell to the wayside once again. Honestly, I have been making a conscious effort to stay "unplugged" throughout the day and in the evenings have been focusing on spending uninterrupted time with my guy. Moving 1,000 miles away is really hard on a family and marriage. New job, new house, and trying to make new friends all while learning the new normal for your family. It's hard. So we have been really focusing on what is most important which is the four of us. Josh travels a good bit and doesn't leave a lot of time for quality time together. Of course, we are very calculated in all of our travels trying to get the most bang for our buck so to speak. The girls and I travel while he travels so that there isn't extra un-needed time away but the return is always a game of catch-up and trying to get back into a groove leaving little time for fun. Thus why we have started to really focus on our family. I recently had to remind myself of the pecking order of relationships. I had lost sight of it in the hustle and bustle of moving and just trying to keep up: God, husband, children and so on. I feel like being "unplugged" has really given me more of an opportunity to take time for daily devotion & prayer, my husband and my children. To be honest, I can tell a difference it each of those relationships. I'm feeling calmer, more grounded and balanced throughout the day which is like a domino effect touching each of the relationships most important to me. If you are moving or have recently moved, remember not to lose sight of the important things. The boxes can wait!

I challenge you all to take a week or if your job doesn't allow it, allot a few hours a day to go unplugged and focus on what's important.

Happy Friday y'all! This week my sweet friend Stacy sent me our family pictures. Man, did they put a smile on my face. I can't wait to share the ones for our Christmas card!

Wednesday Weekend Wrap-up

2015-11-04T08:23:00.002-06:00

Well it's Wednesday and I am finding myself just getting around to wrapping up our weekend yet again at our week's midpoint. With two sick kids in tow, I have been working diligently to get into a new groove with this whole time change thing. The girls are waking at 6:30 these days where they were waking at 8:30 pretty regularly. That really puts a damper on me getting things done before they wake.

Here is our Halloween weekend wrap-up!

Friday night we enjoyed some fab family time eating pizza (Mama and Daddy only snacked before a date night), bouncing in the bouncy house and watching a movie. It is kind of our Friday night ritual.

This picture cracks me up!

After the Zabies were in bed asleep, Josh and I went out for a date night. We accidentally stumbled into a Peruvian Cuisine Restaurant thinking it was a Sushi hot spot. We were wrong but, oh man, the food was amazing. They had one of my all-time-favorite dishes, Lomo Saltado, and it was to die for!

Then we went for some awesome adult bowling at a local, old fashioned joint. It had bowling lanes in the back and bar in the front. We bowled three games and called it a night.

On Halloween we kept it pretty low key. We watched Georgia football, had snacks and then ate homemade chili for supper with Grandma and Grandpa. The rain subsided and we decided to get our very cranking girls dressed to trick or treat at a couple of houses in hopes that the fresh air would also helped with Quinn's croupy cough (per doctor recommendations). Their bad moods quickly lifted and we all enjoyed their cuteness!

Here are our last three years of trick or treating.

Happy Hump Day, y'all! This Mama is ready for Friday!

Restaurant Kit

2015-10-30T08:17:00.000-05:00

This week I reached out to a friend in a two year old panic. Josh, the girls and I went to a quick, informal supper with Josh's mom who we call Grandma. Kensington was a total nightmare. Both of the girls are usually well behaved when we go out to dinner but this was the second time in a week that we had attitudes, pushing of plates and refusal to eat. I was beyond mortified. I've taught my children better. Sure they are two (and sick) but they know better.

The friend I reached out to is our Multiple Moms professional sleep trainer and she always has great suggestions when I am at the end of my rope- which was likely due to being in the ER until 4 am.

I digress.

Back to my friend.

Her name is Jen and she has similar expectations of her children so I knew she was the one to reach out to. She went over some really valuable things such as giving the girls choice at dinnertime which I don't do as much when we go out to eat. Then she said, "You bring things for them to do right?"

Umm... Yeah. No.

Mommy fail.

I usually rely on the restaurant to have a coloring sheet and crayons which is usually wadded up somewhere on the ground before we ever place our drink orders, if they even have them.

This particular night we ate at a delicious urban bake and chop house called Crushed Red.

I was unprepared and I expected my kids to sit like little ladies and quietly eat their food.

What was I thinking? Was I delirious? Clearly.

Since we occasionally find ourselves out to supper at a moments notice because our evening plans ran over schedule and we have chanting two year old requesting to, "EAT! EAT! EAT," with an occasional, "peas! (please!)" in there, I decided to create a restaurant kit. Guys, you know I have all the heart eyes for being organized and prepared.

So here it is, my plan to not have another two year old meltdown while out to supper.

Our Restaurant Kit!!

I started with a cosmetic bag from my favorite place, Target.

I chose this one because it has the perfect number and shape of pouches that I need.

Then I filled it.

Coloring books, Lisa Frank stickers, Color Wonder coloring pad with markers, cut blank paper and crayon pouches.

I also enclose some of the necessities.

Baby wipes, bibs, spoons & forks, hand sanitizer, and bendy straws.

I like to have bendy straws on hand for the girls. A straight straw means water in their lap 100% of the time. Adult forks are too big for their little fingers to grip and usually results in them using their fingers. The rest is self explanatory.

Necessities packed in!

Fun packed in!

Super thin design that doesn't take up too much room in a booth, under the table or in the car.

There you have it! I'm thinking I might throw a pack of crackers in there for the long wait times and maybe a couple thin books like the ones you get from Chick-fil-a to give them another option for entertainment. I'm trying my best to refrain from just handing them my phone. I can honestly say that the Zabies do not know how to operate my cell phone other than to press the home button to cancel out a FaceTime chat. Although, I can totally see how it would be way easier to just let them watch a video to have a peaceful dinner.

What do you do to keep your kids occupied when you go out to eat? I'd love to hear your suggestion!

Solo trip to Georgia

2015-10-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of the month I took the Zabies & Harley, our fur baby, on a solo road trip to Georgia. An eight hour road trip turned into 10+ hours with torrential down pouring rain from a hurricane. The trip was relatively easy. The girls are amazing travelers and didn't complain unless they were hungry or needed to stretch their legs (and get their diaper changed).

The trip started off rocky with a dead battery in my car resulting in me having to push my Yukon XL out of our garage since my guy works 45 minutes from home. Thankfully the girls just rolled with the punches of the day and made new friends at every stop!

Notice all of the stuff behind Kensington? I chose to load our stuff on the bench seat so Harley could have all of the back to stretch out and get comfy!

We celebrated my best friend's little boy's birthday while we were in town. I was so thankful that we were able to be there to celebrate him!

We had play dates with the girls' cousins, Emerson and Dylan.

We played at the park.

We got to love on the brand new baby goats in the front pasture at my parent's house.

And climb the same fence that Mommy climbed as a little girl.

The Zabies also helped their Pawpaw master the plumbing in the kitchen remodel.

Quinn has an obsession with Pawpaw's Harley. Dear Lord, help us!!

We had lots of family in and out all week but had a big cookout that was a huge hit with the girls.

One of my other Georgia bestie that I call LJ also came to our family cookout.

It made my heart so happy to see these four together and to just enjoy the day with my sweet friend.

These two! It's like a flash into our future.

Josh joined us on Saturday and we celebrated my cousin's marriage...

Had two year old melt downs...

Found humor in said meltdowns...

and thankfully didn't drop her on her head.

It was a rough evening for these two. Thankfully they were super cute in the process.

WWW|| Wednesday Weekend Wrap-up

2015-10-28T10:50:00.002-05:00

This weekend was full of fun!

We enjoyed several local fall activities including a old town pumpkin glow with old friends that recently relocated to St. Louis also. Too bad it was too dark for any photo ops! We also enjoyed a family day at our local pumpkin patch and trick or treating at Grandma's office! We had a wonderful weekend followed by a not so wonderful Sunday night. Kensington had some difficulty breathing from Croup which landed us in the ER and didn't get home until 4:30 AM.

Here is a photo dump of sorts of our pumpkin picking and trick or treating weekend.

Happy Hump Day!

Top 10 Baby items

2015-10-27T09:53:00.000-05:00

When I say that everyone around me is pregnant, I mean that literally every function we got to whether it be family or friends someone is pregnant. I am frequently asked what my favorite baby items are since I am a baby gear "guru". Well I never considered myself a guru of any sort but I do love good, reliable, long-lasting baby gear. With the growing request of my favorite items I decided to put together a quick must have/can't live without list for all of my first or second time Mommy-to-be ladies in my life.

1. Mountian Buggy Clip-on High Chair

This has to be our most used baby item and our "go to" baby shower gift. There is nothing harder than finding a clean high chair that is in working order when going out to eat whether it be for a weekend family supper or on a road trip. It's even harder to find two! We almost always use these bad boys and likely will until the Zabies outgrow them.

2. Rock and Play sleeper

These were necessary to have somewhere safe to put our sweet girls when we were preparing supper, tending to a sibling or for an afternoon nap in those very sleepy early days.

3. Boppy Lounger

We used the Boppy Lounger until the girls were a year old. Since I was an exclusively-pumping mama, It was easiest to lay my babies in these to keep them slightly elevated while giving them a bottle and simultaneously pumping.

4. 4Moms Mamaroo

We used this in place of the swing. We didn't use it a terribly long time but it was well worth the money. The girls loved the car ride option.

5. Dr. Brown's Bottles

Dr. Brown's Bottles are known for having TONS of parts but we loved them anyway. It was important to me to use a bottle that prevented as much gassiness as possible since the girls already had reflux we didn't want to exacerbate it by using bottles that let in tons of air.

6. Medela Pump In Style Advanced

I had a love/ hate relationship with my pump. I hated it because it took up so much of my time and was extremely painful at times when dealing with mastitis or thrush but I loved it because it made it possible for me to give my girls breastmilk until they were 1 year old. I swore I would use it for target practice when I was finished using it. I didn't and it has a nice home with all the rest of our gear until it's ready to be used again.

7. Baby Jogger's City Select

Love, love, love this stroller. It comes as a single variety and you can purchase the second seat to make it a double. It's genius! Most people have to buy a single stroller and then a double when baby number two comes along. They spend way more that way. It's versatility and easy maneuverability are the key factors in which we chose this stroller. I cannot say enough good things about it. Check out their website to see all of the seating combinations.

8. Chicco Key Fit 30

We chose this infant carrier because of its high weight and length limits since the babies in our family have all be BIG babies. The Zabies hit the height requirement WAY before the weight. They are still only 29 lbs.

9. We also used a boppy pillow for nursing or holding one baby at a time. A twin nursing pillow is recommended if you are tandem nursing infant twins.

10. This is the Double Petunia Pickle Bottom Backpack we used for a diaper bag!

Planning and buying for baby is so much fun! I could totally be a professional registry maker for expectant families! Let me know if you have any questions! Happy Tuesday!

30th Birthday Surprise

2015-10-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

For my 30th birthday my sweet guy flew my bestie from CNY out to St. Louis for some girl time. He arranged child care for most of the days so that we could go out the breakfast, lunch and dinner doing whatever we'd like in between. Can I say that he takes husband of the year for this wonderful gesture.

The first day we spent the day at some of my favorite restaurants and shopping at one of my favorite malls. Stacy was also sweet enough to work in a family photo shoot (notice my new photo) and then she and I went out for sushi and drinks. The weather was perfect for patio sitting and chatting for hours!

The next day we went out to breakfast, I introduced Stacy to my Lululemon obsession and then went out to one of St. Louis' landmark restaurants, Fitz's- home of Fitz's root beer!

We ate like every responsible mom does at lunch, root beer floats and fried pickles.

After lunch we made our way through town to the Four Seasons for an afternoon at the spa.

Can I just say that this was exactly what I needed. It was relaxing and refreshing to have girl time at the spa.

You can't get a much better view than this in St. Louis.

Following our relaxation at the spa we has an amazing dinner at the home of one of the top rate chefs in the city. The food was nothing short of amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

On Stacy's last day in the Lou we spent the day with my duo. We visited the Biergarten, Grant's Farm and Stacy got to experience Chick Fil A for the very first time. She was blown away by the courteous and helpful staff.

We took these two out for ice-cream after naps.

We ended her stay with another amazing dinner at another favorite spot of mine. We chatted, laughed and caught up like friends do.

I miss her being 15 minutes down the road where we can meet up on a whim or sit up until all hours of the night talking over sweets and drinks while one of our spouses is traveling. I am so thankful that I ran into her at Wegmans that Mother's Day afternoon and our friendship blossomed like it has. She has become like a sister to me. I call her when I need a sounding board or if I just want to chat. When we spent the day with Kensington & Quinn it felt like sisters hanging out with daughters/nieces. Nothing felt forced. It was fun. I can't wait to go visit her and see her sweet boys!

Thank you, Josh. You know your wife well.

Five on Friday

2015-10-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, y'all!

Here are my five favorites from my week.

ONE|| The Zabies and I did some shopping at a new favorite interior decorating store yesterday. Honestly, I went back to take a look at a pumpkin door hanger that I had been eyeing. I saw it a few weeks ago and couldn't bare to spend the dollar amount that was listed on the tag. Even though I usually add only one key piece of decor for each season to my collection yearly, it still felt entirely too pricey.

Much to my surprise, all fall decor was 50% off and this beauty has a new home on our front door!

TWO|| Snuggling with these two. Enough said!

THREE|| The weather has been pretty warm here so we get to enjoy Summer weather a little longer this year which means going to the park.

FOUR|| Lunch dates with my sweet girls. This week has been a rough week and Thursday was our only day that we actually got out and it was to run errands. If we run errands we will either have a picnic in the park or go out to lunch. This week we treated ourselves to Five Guys. One of our favorites! It was just what I needed. The girl were well mannered and a pleasure to eat with. I was complimented several times how well behaved they were, how cute they were and how I was admired for doing two at a time out to lunch by myself. It was just what I needed to hear to help me shake the very bad week I had.

FIVE|| The love these two have for one another is undeniable. It melts my heart every single time I see them with each other. I love them BIG!

Happy Friday & Happy Weekending!!!

Family Fun in September

2015-10-21T09:56:00.001-05:00

I mentioned here about how busy we have been lately and blogging just fell through the cracks!

The end of September was super fun with lots of family activities.

My guy celebrated his 10 year college reunion which had us traveling from Missouri to Indiana.

His little bitty college town and alma mater have burrowed a special place into my heart over the years. It was such a special occasion to go back for Homecoming and to cheer on the Fighting Engineers with our little ones.

Clearly the Zabies were totally into the game!

These two little ladies managed to keep themselves entertained without any electronic devices for three hours at supper (with the exception of the last 15 minutes).

These three chatted over coffee (the girls had milk).

Our hotel was all decked out welcoming Rose Hulman alumni.

We took this photo as we were heading out to go back home.

As soon as we got home we celebrate a friend's birthday and a gymnastics center.

Later in the month the Zabies had their 2 year well check.

This was our view when the doctor finished his check-up and left the room.

They screamed and cried because it was over. We enthusiastically told them that the nurse would be in soon to give them a shot and they perked right up. Both girls sat patiently for their shot and even thanked the nurse for giving them a shot but never shed a tear. #mindblown!

We celebrated brave little ones with some Frozen Yogurt!

The next day we went to the BBQ Bash in our neighboring town.

We had a Blast!!!

These two LOVE funnel cakes just as much as their mommy! I mean festivals and fairs are just for funnel cakes, right!?

They had a live band doing awesome covers of some favorite Jazz hits and the Zabies danced their hearts out!

That about covers our September family activities.

Other things that have happened since being away + coming soon:

I turned 30 and totally fabulous!
Josh flew in my bestie from NY for some girl time
First time traveling to Georgia with Zabies + Harley
Prepping for and running our first 5K
Baby Shower for the Palmquists

Thirty

2015-10-20T15:09:00.000-05:00

**This post was written the day after my birthday and never published. Here 'ya go friends!
Last month, On Thursday, September 17th, I hit another milestone birthday. I turned thirty years old. The number thirty always seemed so old and so big. I vividly remember crying when I turned twenty-six because it was that much closer to thirty. In all honesty, I cried because I had always imagined that I would have kids by twenty-six. We were in the depths of fertility treatments with no end in sight and it had me totally bummed about crossing the hump of my twenties, well on my way to thirty.

I have been asked multiple times how it feels to be thirty since my birthday and it feels great! I took care of my babies all day long. I cooked for them, cleaned up after them, fed them snacks, changed their diapers and clothes, snuggled them, kissed their boo boos, and played pretend with them all day! I did exactly what I had prayed for so many years I could do at twenty-six. Although I didn't get to do those things at twenty-six, I did at thirty and it was amazing. I could not have asked for a better thirtieth birthday. A day full of being a mommy and living my dream with the sweetest little girls I could have ever prayed for.

Later that evening my hubby took me to a fancy smancy dinner at a wonderful Italian cuisine restaurant. It was nice to get dressed up, go out with my guy, and have adult conversations. The day couldn't have been more perfect.

To top it off, Josh called me into our dining room as I was doing my hair. There was a large wrapped box and several other small boxes with the smaller ones being numbered. I started by opening the bigger box and it had the sweetest picture with many of my closest family and friends names signed to it with random words about the eighties and my name in the middle. It also said, "30 gifts for 30 years!" Josh and my CNY bestie collaborated (according to Josh, Stacy did all of the work) and had many of my friends and family participate by contributing with a small gift, a card, or a fun memory. Each item was assigned a number 1-30. It was so sweet and humbling to see how many people love and care about me. Honestly, I am still in the middle of transitioning and settling into my new town. Making friends takes work and time. It was a hard reality for me when I realized that I didn't really have anyone to celebrate with other than my family but here it the wonderful thing: I have friends and family all over this country. People who love me, who took time to send me a thoughtful sentiment to celebrate my new decade even from a far and who have left an imprint on my heart and soul, and I on theirs!- and that is pretty awesome! It came at the perfect time and I am so thankful to everyone who participated. I also am so thankful to Josh and Stacy for orchestrating it all.

My sweet Aunt-in-love told me this summer that on every birthday she always thinks about the previous year and thinks about how she can be better her next year. How she can touch more people's lives in a positive way, love more, laugh more, smile more, and just better in all avenues of life. I really liked what she said and this year I am taking to her wise ways and making thirty the best year yet! I'm going to love more, forgive more, smile more, laugh more, be more supportive and encouraging and aim to be better in all avenues of life. -Thanks Aunt Cheri!

New Blog Design + Weekending

2015-10-19T09:41:00.000-05:00

Notice anything different about Zabie Love? I have been working on the new look for quiet some time with an awesome web designer. She was super helpful in making my ideas come to fruition. I honestly can't say enough good things about her and her work. If you are in need of a new blog design check out Jana's work over at Little Web Writing Hood. She is amazing!!

Now on to our weekend wrap-up (and month long catch-up tomorrow). One of the many reasons I haven't been as available to blog over the last couple of months is because Josh and I have been training to run our very first 5k.

Man, do I have so many things to tell you about training- be on the look out for that post too!

Here are some before and after photos of us and our team.

This is the group of gals that I paced with through training and we all crossed the finish line together!

Josh and I napped when the girls napped to regain energy for an afternoon pig roast.

Here are some pictures of our very-difficult-to-photograph-pumpkins!

Happy Monday Y'all.

I hope this week is full of smiles, laughter and snuggles from your little ones!

Toddler Tale|| 24 Months

2015-09-16T08:06:00.000-05:00

24 months, that's how old my sweet daughters are- plus a couple of weeks since this post is late (I just realized I never hit "publish"). I know I have mentioned a million and one times how I just cannot believe that they are two year olds. The last twenty-four months have literally zoomed by. I remember my Daddy telling me just one week after we brought the girls home from the hospital that the song Don't blink by Kenny Chesney was the absolute truth. Although my babies aren't grown and having kids of their own, I have no idea where these two years have gone.

Kensington Rose, my beautiful, confident, spunky, full of attitude, animated social butterfly. Just two short years ago I was praying for God to wrap his arms around you, to heal you and make you strong enough to breath on your own and eventually come home. You have been a fighter since day one. Today I am in awe of how you are not only thriving but you are blossoming into an amazing little girl who sees an obstacle as a challenge and a reason to try harder. You are determined and I know that God's plan for you is a very special one. You have always been the happiest little lady and never really complained about anything, even when you went to the ER for a head laceration or had the stomach bug. You still wanted to play and were overall happy. I love that about you. You are a glass half-full kind of gal. You never meet a stranger which sometimes makes me nervous but I love that you have a kind heart and say, "Hey" to everyone you see.

You have grown leaps and bounds and are blowing my mind daily. You have the best manners I've ever seen in a two year old. You are trying very hard to say, "m 'am" after saying yes or no and are the perfect "Please" to your sister's sweet "Thank you!" You repeat every word everyone says making me extra careful of the things I say when I'm overwhelmed. You pull words spontaneously out of your word library daily leaving me speechless that you knew such a thing. On your second birthday you woke up speaking in sentences saying things like, "Mommy, I need help please" and "More milk please" or " I go to pool, please!" You love your Lambie, drawing, playing with play doh, baby dolls and playing doctor in your high heels while perfectly accessorized. You an frequently be found with ever bracelet and necklace in the house on as well as a princess dress with a doctor coat! You also love to sing and dance your little heart away! You ask to read "Yama Yama" (lama lama) 100 times a day. You have been trying to self potty train for more than three months and I just haven't been ready. You usually bring me big girl panties to wear from nap time to bedtime and do a wonderful job with them. I'm still not ready but will follow your sweet lead.

Quinn Harper, my gorgeous, sweet, thoughtful, empathetic, adventure seeking book worm. God knew exactly what he was doing when he protected you through a very special and scary delivery. You have been an overachiever since day one. The doctors couldn't believe how big you and your sister were for being only 32 weeks gestation and quickly promoted out of the intensive portion of the NICU despite your very premature birth. I find you organizing or lining up your dolls and toys frequently, you are a perfectionist at it's finest! You are such a happy girl and quick to give love at just the right time. Although you love to wave and say, "hey" to random people, you are shy when they approach you or say, "hi" back.

You have the biggest heart of any two year old that I have ever known. You have a heart of gold, my sweet girl. You frequently say, "sorry" even when it isn't your fault. If you see something sad or see your sister cry or hurt you frequently whimper and snuggle up to her, pat her back and give her kisses. You give hugs and kisses for free to your daddy, sister and myself. They are some of the sweetest loving we've ever gotten. You are the "thank you" to your sister's "please!" and also have the most amazing manners of any two year old I know. You love to read and are frequently found amongst a pile of books saying, "read, mommy." So we spend hours a day reading and pointing to pictures. Fancy Nancy books or any book that has animals in it is your favorite. You are very technical and like to construct thing with Legos, blocks or even Mommy's couch cushions and pillows. You love your Lambie, baby dolls, drawing, playing with play doh, playing doctor while dressed like a princess with your favorite pumpkin hat on. Your favorite thing to do with your sister is play chase, you lead with, "ready, set, go!" then you both take off running after one another. You also love to sing and dance. Currently your favorite song is Let it go! Every morning I hear "Yet it go! Yet it go! Yet it go!" I love waking up to your singing. Your passion and love for other makes me want to be an even better person and mommy.

Kensington & Quinn you both compliment each other so well. You are everything I could have ever dreamed of to each other. You love the other unconditionally, chat for what seems like hours in the morning, giggle, play games or dance together, help set the table, help me do everything that needs to be done, snuggle and give hugs like it is no ones business. You make being a Mommy the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I love the memories we are making with you two and how our hearts overflow with joy on a daily basis. So far two has been amazing. You both are sleeping less at nap time which isn't my favorite thing but, honestly, you'd have no idea that either of you only napped 45 mins or an hour on the bad napping days because you both go about your day with the biggest smiles, laughter that echoes through our house and the best attitudes I could ever ask for.

I love you to the moon and back, my sweet girls.

From Changing Table to Toddler Dresser

2015-09-09T13:50:00.003-05:00

Along with moving halfway across the country we also transitioned out of using a changing table. This left me scouring Pinterest for ideas of how to do so. Honestly, I wasn't open to many ideas because I couldn't get the idea of adding another oak tree to this nursery out of my head. So this will do for now until I decide I want to add something new to it...

before.

after.

This basket has been great for holding our bedtime books, sound machine and old iPad that we use for the white noise app. It also keeps their brush out of sight but within reach for me to grab quickly.

Happy Hump Day!

NICUversary

2015-09-08T09:58:00.002-05:00

I woke up without an alarm for my 6 am pumping session. Excitement filled my body and I could barely sit still long enough to pump the 30 minutes I had become accustomed to without babies nearby. This, thankfully, would be the last time I had to pump for my babies who were in the NICU. As soon as I was done pumping, I showered and prepared my bags and such to go and hopefully pick up our sweet baby girls from the NICU. I called for an update on the way there and to let the girls' nurse know we were on our way. They had a great report making me even more giddy with excitement. We arrived just after 8 o'clock in the morning and at 10:08 we were loaded into the car and heading home as a family of four.

This was the first ride home from the hospital that I didn't cry the entire way home, fighting the vomit that crept up my throat every time I thought about leaving my babies behind. Although, I had a lot of complications it was honestly a blessing in disguise. The complications I experienced kept me in the hospital for all but 7 days that the girls were in the NICU. For that, I am thankful. My heart couldn't have taken an extended time of leaving the NICU, day in and day out, without my sweet girls.

September 8, 2013 was one of the top 5 best days of my life.

I cannot believe this was two years ago. It seems like just yesterday that we brought our bitty babies home from the hospital. The joy I experienced that day is indescribable. Thank you Lord for continuing to watching over our babies.

Happy NICUversary to our

sweet, spunky, opinionated, empathetic, full-of-life, two-year old daughters!

Mommy loves you big!

Birthday Traditions

2015-09-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

The morning started bright and early for Mommy and Daddy.

We got up and ready for the day before the girls ever woke up to make sure that the entire day was focused on them.

When we heard the first noises of them being awake we giddily snuck into their room to draw the curtains and turn on the lights all while singing happy birthday to them both.

I had my camera in tow and snapped photos of them both.

Can't you tell that Kensington was thrilled to have her picture taken right off the hitch?

Quinn was much more excited to be woken with singing and picture taking.

Originally we were suppose to be in Colorado for a wedding of Josh's co-worker and his fiancé but life happens and work happens so we ended up being home leaving me in a mad dash the day before to prep a few special things for the birthday girls on their birthday such as streamers!

The girls ran through them and re-ran through them.

I say it's a win!

What's a birthday without balloons?

We blew up one pack of balloons for the birthday girls to enjoy all day long and they loved them!

One of our traditions is to give the girls a few of our gifts on their birthday instead of at their party.

Their favorite was in this package.

Lambie!

They call her "Meme" and just adore her!

They are huge Doc McStuffins fans!

Bedtime, breakfast, snacks, lunch, nap time, and supper are not complete unless Meme is there to share it with them.

After gift opening they politely request to "eat pease!"

We had special muffins waiting for them with another round of happy birthday singing!

Then we got them dressed and ready to head to the Zoo.

It still amazes me how much older they looked when they woke up that day.

It's nuts!

Our Birthday Family Portrait

This photo was taken while looking that the "Ee-Ees" aka Monkeys.

You know... a monkey says, " ee-ee oo-oo ah-ah!"

Monkeys are currently their favorite animal and they absolutely loved seeing them in real life.

The birthday girls got to watch Doc in the car since it was their special day.

Once we got home the girls napped while Josh and I got everything prepped for supper-making.

Of course we sang to them, again, upon waking up!

Last year I did a lot of thinking about a fun tradition and how to make their birthday special even though they have to share the day. I mean I think it's pretty special to share your birthday with your best-friend and womb-mate but wanted to make sure it feels special every year. My mom always makes me feel special by cooking my favorite supper but how on earth would I cook TWO favorite suppers on their actual birthday without someone feeling like they got the short end of the stick?

That's when I had the idea to make homemade pizzas that they could decorate with their favorite toppings but who am I kidding- I will also be cooking favorite suppers the days leading up or following their birthday as they get older!

Back to the pizza!

Last year we made homemade pizza with a family friend's super secret and very special recipe.

It is amazing and probably the best pizza I have ever eaten.

This year the pizza was just as yummy but my yeast was old (or my water temp was wrong) so I had flat dough. This has never happened to me and we made this a lot in New York. Our water here is much different, very hard but overly soft from extreme softening by the city (if that makes any sense). Anyhow, flat dough and an oven that is not my friend doesn't mix well. Thankfully it still tasted great but not the amazing pizza that we are use to.

See flat dough!

The toppings

I prepped one pizza to get it cooking so that when the girls demanded to eat we had a cooked and ready to enjoy pizza.

Despite the flat dough issue they girls enjoyed making their own pizzas.

Every bite of their pizzas were unique. You never knew what you'd get since the toppings were just kind of dumped in one place.

The girls are such big helpers these days, especially in the kitchen.

There were a lot of Mommy demonstrating moments followed by Zabies doing the same thing.

We mixed it up this year and used regular mozzarella for two pizzas and tried provel for the other since it is unique to St. Louis.

Making homemade pizzas is one of my favorite things to do with the girls. I can't wait to see how their preferences change every year for decorating their own pizzas, from toppings to design.

We ended our day with homemade cupcakes, bubble baths, more singing of happy birthday and reading our favorite birthday books- Happy Birthday Mouse and On the Night you were born.

I am giggling at how many times we sang happy birthday to the girls because every morning Kensington wakes up singing, "Happy Happy Happy" over and over again until I make it into their room.

List of Traditions

Bedtime picture of the girls together

Individual pictures of them before the clock strikes midnight while sleeping (see here)

Singing of Happy Birthday to each of them upon waking in the morning and from nap(s)

Special birthday breakfast of muffins

Daddy takes the day off

Family day of just the four of us

Special homemade pizza making

Homemade cupcakes + more happy birthday singing

Reading of Happy Birthday Mouse and On the Night you were born

Linking up with Annie and Natalie.

2nd Birthday Party|| Part 2

2015-09-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

The People

I didn't get around to taking photos of all the guests but managed to get a few.

Here is the "help", the ladies behind the beauty of the party!

The party wouldn't have happened or I would have ran around like a chicken the entire party without them. I am so thankful for my more-than-willing-to-help family.

These two.

I was just tickled pink when they met. I'm pretty sure my Granny's (right) eyes lit up when she saw Josh's Aunt Betty (left) walk through the door. They sat and chatted for the longest time and it was just the cutest. Aunt Betty told me they had a lot in common and really enjoyed getting to know each other! I just swoon over a cute little old lady friends and I think they could be the best of friends if there weren't 8 hours of driving between them! Pen pals? I may plant a seed in my Granny's ear. All the heart eyes y'all!

The Waser ladies with my mother-in-love.

One of the most exciting parts about living in St. Louis is that the Waser crew lives nearby. We have gotten to see them a few times and are so excited about all of the opportunities to celebrate with one another now that we live here.

The Zabies got this adorable table for their birthday from their Daddy and I.

I picked out the wood and Daddy built it with the help of our friend Chris and Pawpaw (my dad).

All the kids loved the table and fought over the chairs.

We improvised using adirondack chairs and drums for seats.

This little peanut is just the sweetest.

Happy Birthday singing time!

Check out that sad face.

She wasn't so sure.

Only seconds before full blown tears.

See that tear? Sweet girl.

Of course I always wish I had gotten more photos but I am thankful I have the ones that we do.

We are so thankful that many of our family members and new friends could join us to celebrate the biggest blessings in our lives.

2nd Birthday Party|| Part 1

2015-08-31T12:53:00.003-05:00

This weekend we celebrated our duo turning TWO!

I cannot believe they are two.

We had family near and far join us for our celebration and it went perfectly.

Thankfully everyone who was in town from Georgia visiting were great sports about helping prep and making my ideas come to fruition.

I've had the theme in my head since their first birthday.

I wanted to use it for their first birthday but didn't feel like it flowed so decided to save it for this year.

Would you believe me if I told you I already have next year's theme?

I'm crazy, I know!

We did a play on the words to James Taylor's song "How sweet it is to be loved by you."

It was the perfect theme for our little ladies.

They are oh-so sweet and I just cannot get enough of them.

The Invite

The Sweets Table

More Decor

Food & Drinks

I wanted to keep it simple in terms of food and beverages.

Josh has what I like to call GEO aka Green Egg Obsession and insists on grilling for every event or get together that we have. I'm not complaining because he is amazing at it and the food is always delicious. We decided to do a burger bar offering beef and turkey sliders with various toppings.

It was a HUGE hit. Everyone raved about the food and gave me a hard time about the number of sliders poor Josh had to grill. Let's just say I am looking for new ways to eat mini burger patties this week. Suggestions?

The Cake

One of the many traditions we have for our girls' birthday is that I make homemade cake and icing.

Hopefully next year I won't have to bug my friend, Molly, to death about the icing and will actually remember that it is okay to ice the cake the night before!

The Menu...

The Quinnsington was AMAZING! All the heart eyes!

The Set-up

Condiments

We had all the condiments- Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup, Spicy Mustard, BBQ & A1 Sauce.

Toppings

We also had plenty of toppings- Lettuce, tomato, avocado, fresh onion, sautéed onions, sautéed peppers, sautéed mushrooms, pickles, jalapeños, bacon and every cheese you can imagine for a burger. All of the sautéed veggies were wrapped in foil and grilled to reduce the use of the kitchen for cooking.

The Sides

We had good ole' fashioned chips and sour cream & onion dip, potato salad, sweet bbq baked beans and veggie cups with homemade ranch and fresh cut veggies.

And let's not forget the birthday girls' own brand of water!

We sang Happy Birthday twice.

I think Quinn would have made it just fine if we had combined their songs but the minute the attention turned to her tears started welling up and her bottom lip gradually increase in quivering until she was in a full-blown cry. Sweet girl.

These photos are after everyone stopped singing and the candles were blown out by me.

She then wanted to blow her own candle out so we re-lit and let the birthday girls blow them out on their own!

We had so much fun celebrating these two with everyone!

They were the life of the party... as long as we weren't singing to them! Ha!

I can't wait to share more photos of these sweeties and their guests!

Do you have any fun themed parties?

I just love to host and brainstorm for things like this!

*A huge shout out to Ckfireboots for customizing the invites, printables & the awesome menu!

*Thanks to Little Dovie for everything glitter!

* Sarah over at The Olive Grove Shop has mad skills when it comes to fabric banners!

*Thank you to Posh Peanut Kids for delivering another year of adorable customized shirts for our birthday sweeties!

* I just love the bloomer shorts from Lovey Lake that completed their outfits & matched their party perfectly!

Linking up with Mommy Moments today!

TWO

2015-08-21T14:27:00.000-05:00

Last night our sweet, sassy, outgoing and happy girls went to bed as one year olds and woke up this morning two full years old. It's crazy. I cannot believe it. Don't worry, I will gush about them more on Monday but for today, Happy Birthday Kensington Rose & Quinn Harper!

Mommy loves you big, sweet girls.

Kensington's last photo on her last day of being one!

Quinn's last photo on her last day of being one!

Flash back one year ago and this is what they looked like on their birthday eve.

Kensington

Quinn

I swear they went to bed looking just like they did a year ago and woke up looking like teenagers!

How did that happen?

HBD Zabies!!!