home[made]

My Kind of Town

2014-04-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

This winter was rough for me. With the combination of brutal cold and snow, being cooped up in a tiny apartment with two kids, and exhaustion from early pregnancy, I wasn't thinking very loving thoughts towards my current residence. Now that we are thawing out and things are starting to bud and bloom, I am once again reminded of why I do love Chicago. This lovely time lapse also helps. Maybe it will inspire some of you to come visit us. Our guest room is always available!

may the force be with you

2014-03-07T14:28:00.000-06:00

Last week, we spent a fun-filled week at Disney World with the entire Edwards' clan. It was everything I hoped it would be for the boys. They loved it all - the rides, characters, music. I have lots of pictures to share, but I'm still catching up on life since returning. Things are a bit crazy around here. But I do have a video of Duncan fighting Darth Vader. At Hollywood Studios, Duncan had the opportunity to train to become a Jedi. It was hilarious watching him get into character and take on big bad Darth without any fear!

Happy Friday friends!

Link Love

2014-01-24T11:18:00.000-06:00

a few things that I've been loving lately:

St. Paul and the Broken Bones

If you like the Alabama Shakes, you will like these guys! And if you haven't heard of the Alabama Shakes take a listen to them too!

Garden & Gun
Kyle gave me a subscription to this magazine for Christmas, but I've been a long time admirer of their online articles. It's full of great food, music, culture, and art from the South. And it makes me miss the South immensely! Even if you aren't a Southern, you will still enjoy this website!

Relish

I first heard about Daphne Oz's cookbook on the Pioneer Woman's site, and immediately added it to my wishlist. I purchased it for Christmas with giftcard money and absolutely love this book! It's more than just a cookbook. She also talks about health and beauty, decorating, style, and travel. The chocolate muffins are delicious and healthy (no, really!), and I love her 10 minute workout suggestion. I highly recommend this book.

What about you friends? What are you loving right now? Any good music or books you want to share?

charlie's new trick

2014-01-10T15:11:00.002-06:00

Charlie has amazing balance. Several times a week, we perform this daring feat for Kyle and Duncan's amusement. I also count this as my arm workout for the day!

{belated} merry christmas and happy new year

2014-01-01T18:31:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. I didn't mean to let the whole month of December slip by without an update, but alas it did. I'll do my best to be a more regular blogger in the new year, but I can't make any guarantees!

To make it up to my faithful readers, here are a few pictures and a video from our holidays.

Morton Arboretum

Christmas Eve

Dapper Daddy

New Year's Eve

Enjoying the snow in the backyard on New Year's Day!

Snow Selfie

Happy New Year my friends!

What does the fox say? (Duncan and Charlie Edition)

2013-11-29T22:36:00.000-06:00

I realize that the majority of my readers probably HATE the song "What does the fox say?", but that is not the case in our house. The boys adore this song and request that I play it at least once a day for them. They just can't resist a viral song. They also loved "Gangnam Style". So, for your viewing pleasure, I present our boys' rendition of "What does the fox say?". You are welcome.

to all the stay at home mommies out there

2013-11-20T16:39:00.001-06:00

This will make you smile (and cry).

3 Queens from Matt Bieler on Vimeo.

flood damage

2013-10-23T06:38:00.000-05:00

A little over a month ago, Kyle and I put the boys down to bed and were about to sit down on the couch and relax when water began pouring into our apartment from the front door, back door, and shower drain. I would love to tell you that I stayed calm and collected while we grab the boys and took them to higher ground (aka our bedroom). No, I lost my mind and was completely useless to Kyle. He left me in charge of the kids in our room while he tried to track down a shop vac and figure out what to do. Since the water was still rising, we took the kids to a friends house, and since I was calm and collected at that point, came back to face the damage. Guys, excluding our bedroom, our whole apartment was full of water. When I stood in the living room, the water reached up to the middle of my shin. It was surreal. Needless to say, we faced a long night of pumping out water, and two weeks of cleaning up, filing claims, calling the landlord, etc. I am so incredibly thankful for our friends here in Chicago who took us in, entertained the boys, and fed us during the tumult! I am also thankful for my family who took the boys for a week so we could get everything back in livable condition! We lost a lot of stuff, but we didn't lose anything that couldn't be replaced and our insurance company was great! A month removed, and we are back in complete working order!

Just for fun, I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the damage from the flood. Forgive my horrible narration and the poor quality of the video. Our nice flip camera was lost in the flood so this was filmed on my poor quality smart phone.

look who's talking

2013-10-21T14:14:00.000-05:00

I realized this weekend, that I have countless videos of Duncan at 18 months old talking, dancing, singing. You name it. However, our little Charlie has no videos of himself doing these things. Thus, I decided to remedy this by trying to capture him talking on camera. Once he got over the initial awe of having the phone pointed at him, he actually gave me some good footage. My next mission, will be to capture him singing and dancing!

We also celebrated Charlie's gotcha day on Friday with a trip to Chick-fil-a in downtown Chicago and a quick stop at Open Books to browse their children's section. And, of course, gotcha day wouldn't be complete without a milkshake for dessert!

Happy Monday friends!

Gotcha Day

2013-10-04T14:28:00.002-05:00

After two weeks of complete upheaval in our apartment from the flood cleanup, I finally have my head above water (pun intended)! I will post more about the flood damage later, but today deserves a special post because it is Duncan's gotcha day! Three years ago today, the judge in Uganda said yes to us adopting our big boy! So we've done a lot of celebrating today (and this week) for his gotcha day. We went out for pancakes this morning - his favorite! We are making cookies this afternoon. And earlier this week, we went to Kuipers Family Farm - an awesome pumpkin patch and orchard with Bebe! Here are a few fun pictures and videos from this week! Happy gotcha day to my biggest boy!

For my fellow Downton fans

2013-09-07T15:23:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the trailer for season 4?

I am going to miss a certain someone this season, but it still looks like it will be as entertaining as ever. What do you think fellow Downton lovers?

Dear Maine

2013-08-28T10:16:00.000-05:00

Usually I don't have a hard time coming home from vacation, but your beautiful mountains and rocky coastline bewitched me. Every time I look at our lobster buoy we found on the beach or the shells we scavenged on your coastline, I long to be with you again.

I miss sitting on the front porch and watching the lobster boats come and go. I miss the 70 degree days and chilly mornings. I miss the colorful lobster buoys that decorate your homes and waterways.

But most of all I miss these people. And your lobsters. But especially these people.

Thank you Maine for showing my family such a wonderful time. I hope that one day I can visit you again.

P.S. Please don't tell Chicago about this letter. She has a lot of great things going for her too. I wouldn't want her to feel jealous.

P.P.S. You can see a few more pictures from our trip here.

water

2013-08-11T15:06:00.003-05:00

Summer is all about water - splash pads, swimming pools, the lake. The only problem is that we haven't actually enjoyed the water quite as much this year since it's been a pretty chilly summer here in Chicago. Thankfully between some warm days here and a trip down south to see family, we've gotten to squeeze in some water fun. Some of my favorite pictures are of the boys enjoying the water. Here are some of the best Kyle and I took from July!

four

2013-07-17T00:32:00.003-05:00

My oldest baby turned four on Thursday. Four! How is that even possible?! He has been looking forward to his special day for months, and even planned out everything he wanted to do for his birthday back in April. And all of his plans revolved around trains of course! Which meant, getting trains as presents, going to a train themed restaurant, and eating a train shaped cake! We are so thankful for this special guy. He makes every day better with his beautiful smile and fun personality!

the four year old posing with his train cake

3rd birthday in Birmingham

2nd birthday with friends in our backyard

1st birthday in Uganda

Link Love

2013-06-22T11:09:00.001-05:00

Here's a few things that I've been especially loving this summer!

Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal - I have made this three times and absolutely love it! I double the recipe for my 9x13 pan. It makes enough to feed my family of four at least 3 times during the week. For me, there is nothing better than waking up with breakfast ready to go!

Iced Coffee - This is another huge time saver for me. I brew a big pitcher every week. It's delicious and quick to prepare in the morning. I don't have as big of a pitcher as her, so I end up using about 1/4 a bag of Starbucks coffee in my 2L pitcher. This recipe is easily tweaked based on the size of your pitcher and how strong you want your coffee. And be sure to get some sweetened condensed milk so you can make Vietnamese Iced Coffee. You won't regret it (but your hips might).

Glimpses of Grace - I've started reading Gloria Furman's new book and am learning so much! It's been a real kick in the pants (in a good way) for me. If you don't feel like you are having a kingdom impact when you spend your day wiping noses, doing dishes, and folding laundry, then this is a book for you!

Have you guys seen this yet? This dad re-enacts conversations he had with his daughter, but another grown man stands in for her. Sounds absurd, but I think it's hilarious! Here is episode one for you.

What are you cooking, reading, watching this summer? Happy Saturday friends!

Happy Father's Day

2013-06-15T19:53:00.001-05:00

A special post to my favorite dads:

Thank you Kyle for always giving 110% to the boys even after a long day of work. We love you dearly.

Thanks Dad for giving me my dry sense of humor, crooked nose, and sway back (or at least thanks for the sense of humor).

Thanks Bopba for teaching me how to use my imagination and play badminton.

Thanks Poppa for putting up with an (occasionally) ornery daughter-in-law so graciously and raising such a wonderful son!

And happy first Father's Day to Luke! Enjoy your day with my sweet nephew!

I dedicate this special video to all of you. I'm sure that you've never done any of these things to your children.

finally, I've got proof!

2013-05-22T12:48:00.002-05:00

Look who's walking! Charlie's been taking steps for a while, but yesterday, he really took off and walked all around the backyard. Today, I grabbed my phone and was able to capture this gem for all of you. Don't you love that he isn't wearing pants and is holding a plastic pirate sword?

pool party

2013-05-20T19:21:00.000-05:00

Today kicked off the first of many pool parties in our backyard. Now that Charlie is big enough to enjoy the pool, Duncan actually has a water buddy. For me, the best part of the afternoon was reading my Martha Stewart Living magazine in a lawn chair nearby - just out of splashing range! Though I must admit, I also enjoyed watching the boys' teeth chatter and lips quiver. That water was cold y'all!

a poor attempt at filming my baby walking

2013-05-11T14:59:00.002-05:00

Charlie still prefers crawling to walking, but he does take several steps on his own throughout the day. I've just been unable to capture them on video. I enlisted Duncan and Kyle's help with my endeavor, but all I got was a baby more interested in the camera than walking and an eldest child sniffing his brother's bottom. Life with boys - never a dull moment!

what's new?

2013-05-07T14:34:00.002-05:00

I've taken an unintentional blogging hiatus. I didn't intend to, but alas a month went by with no update. So let me catch you up with what's new with my clan.

1. We are now the proud owners of a 2005 Honda Odyssey. We traded in our faithful Versa for more legroom. With two car seats and two adults it was getting a bit tight. I LOVE our van. It may be a 2005 but it has all these fancy (at least to me) bells and whistles like heated seats and a sunroof that make it feel luxurious! Duncan's favorite part of our van is the DVD player, though he is only allowed to use it for long road trips.

2. Speaking of road trips, the boys and I flew down to Atlanta to spend a weekend with my sister and her husband and had a lovely time. Atlanta is such a fun city! We enjoyed exploring Centennial Park and ate delicious food at The Varsity and other neighborhood joints near their home. We also spent a week with my family.We loved seeing my grandparents, spending time with Izzy and Pop, and cheering on our family at the Music City Half-Marathon - even if it was pouring rain the entire race. Taylor finished in 1:42. Kyle finished with his best time yet of 1:43, and Luke finished in 1:58. Most exciting of all, my sister and dad both completed their first ever half-marathon in 2:23! Since Kyle drove down for the race, we even got the chance to test out the DVD player in the van for Duncan. He gave it two thumbs up!

Walking around West Haven.

They love bath time in Izzy's big tub.

They survived the race!

Going strong at mile 10.

3. Charlie has started taking a few steps. He still prefers crawling or holding on to something when walking, but it won't be long before he is walking constantly. Not sure if I'm ready for that!

4. If you know me, you know that I only run when trying to catch the bus or train. However, after watching my family run the half together, and listening to Duncan's constant talk about wanting to do a race, I decided it was time for me to do another 5k. This time around, Kyle and the boys are running with me which makes it much more enjoyable. We completed our first 1.4 mile run yesterday, and I managed to run the whole thing without dying!

What's new with you my faithful readers?

Reverend Edwards

2013-04-04T03:42:00.001-05:00

On March 24, Kyle was ordained as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. For those that know us well, getting to this point has been a long process with many twists and turns along the way! We are so thankful for all of our family and friends who came out to support Kyle at his ordination. It was such a special and moving service for us!

Our dear friends who have traveled this long road of ordination with us.

Congregational Vows

Geoff preaching.

Laying on of hands.

College roommates reunited once again!

Argo and Edwards Clans

Birthday Boys

2013-04-01T09:12:00.001-05:00

Today is my biggest and littlest loves birthday. Kyle is now 30 and my baby is 1! With two birthdays, we are celebrating it up today with food made just for the birthday boys: biscuits and gravy, steaks, cake, and Guinness chocolate pudding (for the oldest one). I am so thankful to have these two fellas in my life. They certainly make it a lot more exciting! Happy birthday boys!

Three birthday boys! Luke turned 28 on March 29, and Kyle and Charlie are both 30 and 1 today!

Charlie's Baptism

2013-03-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a busy and exciting one for our family. Both sets of grandparents, siblings, and our nephew traveled north to celebrate one baptism, one ordination, and three birthdays. Five of my family members are running a half marathon in April, and they even completed a 9 mile run through the city.

Taylor, Chelsey, Kyle, Luke, and Dad ready for their run!

We squeezed a lot into three days! Since I have so much to share, I will break this into a few posts.

First up, Charlie's baptism. Our talented friend Jungsun captured these beautiful pictures of the special day for us!

My sister also kindly filmed it for us too. What a joyous morning for our little family!

P. S. You might enjoy checking out this post about Duncan's baptism. Hard to believe he was ever that little!

P. P. S. Doesn't Kyle look amazing in a bow tie?!

Loving Hearts

2013-03-14T15:32:00.003-05:00

I am forever indebted to the wonderful people at Loving Hearts who loved and cared for my sweet Duncan the first 14 months of his life. Check out this clip to learn more about them!

confession

2013-03-12T18:35:00.001-05:00

Now that Duncan is getting older, we've started having family movie nights. This past Sunday we watched The Lion King. Now, I've seen this movie countless times. I can still vividly remember watching it at Cine Theater in Martin with my cousin and sister. I know every word of every song by heart (and\sang along during the entirety of the movie much to my husband's chagrin). Yet in spite of the fact that I've seen it many times and knew exactly what would happen to Mufasa, I cried! Not just a little sniffle either. The tears were streaming. I was completely embarrassed and tried to laugh it off when Kyle looked at me incredulously. Thankfully Duncan didn't seem bothered by his mother's tears. After some soul searching, I've decided that it's my children's fault that I cried during The Lion King. Having kids makes me more sensitive. Which means we probably shouldn't watch Bambi anytime soon. Please tell me I'm not the only one out there!