Okay, so it’s a few more than 8 pictures.  But 91 pictures just didn’t really flow as well.  And I feared it might somehow sound a little excessive.  Either way, here is a bit of a tour through the life that we’ve been enwrapped in for the past many months while I’ve been MIA from the blog…

We spent a fair amount of time just hanging out, trying to relax a bit while squeezing as much family time as possible into always too-short weekends.

We went swimming.  A lot.  We’re a family of water babies, so swimming is a great way for us to reconnect, play, and de-stress all at once.

There were a handful of attempts at taking some semi-decent family pictures, with varying degrees of success. And a couple other photo sessions focusing just on Runt, with slightly higher success rates.

There was much cause for celebration.  Like…

Halloween:

Birthdays for all of us, including Runt’s THIRD!

And Christmas.

The Monday after his birthday, my little man started pre-school. 

With all that fun and excitement, we still managed to fit in a couple of weekend getaways to Lake Tahoe, the first of which was Runt’s first time staying at a hotel. 

Along the way, there was also..

Thanksgiving Day, which was spent at the ER after Runt fell off a chair and bit through his bottom lip.  It took several hours, a few very scary minutes during which he was put under, and four stitches to fix him up.  We learned to be appreciative of our “24-hour town,” which left us with a handful of decent options for dinner since our homemade Thanksgiving had to be postponed.

A make-up Thanksgiving the day after that included the best.damn.turkey I’ve ever eaten… made by ME…and a wildly successful first attempt at the dressing Hubster’s family has been eating by the bowlfuls for several generations.  There were also smashing successes of ham dinner both at Christmas and Easter.

Our introduction to Five Guys.  And a subsequent obsession that has left Hubster stalking the building of the one that’s supposed to be opening in town in hopes that he’ll be able to get his fix a little closer to home.

An excited buzz has filled our home as we’ve talked more and more about our little family’s future.  Plans are being put into motion, and I’m excited to see how it will all pan out over the next many months. 

Life has been a nearly constant blur of busy.  There have been some rough downs along the way.  But we’ve been happy, having a wonderful time sharing this crazy adventure of life with one another.  I’m glad, though, to be finding some time now to come back to my little corner and share bits and pieces of that life here, too.

In other news, I made my first contribution to Reno Moms Blog this past week with a post about the Summer Food Service Program.  Head on over to check it out and get a little glimpse into what I’m doing in my worker-bee life these days. 

A couple weeks ago, a momma on one of the neighborhood Facebook groups that I’m part of posted to share with us about a new blog that is getting ready to launch and that was looking for local moms who were interested in participating with the blog via a role as a monthly contributor. 

This sounds awesome, I thought.  I LOVE the idea of this blog, I thought.  Hmmm…maybe I should check out this contributor thing, I thought. 

That’s how this all began. 

A quick little post on Facebook that left a momma who is desperately missing the blogging world intrigued.  So, I clicked over to the link she had shared, read up on the details, and sent off an email before I could give it any more thought.  Then I clicked over to their Facebook page and scrolled through the various posts that had been made so far about the women who were joining this project.  Women I was completely and totally in awe of.  For a moment, I felt foolish for having even sent in a request for consideration.  Then, I shrugged it off and went back to life, mostly forgetting about the email that I’d sent.  To my dismay, a few day laters my inbox held an email from one of the co-founders and editors.  And the email didn’t say what I’d expected it would…thanks but no thanks. 

Maybe Hubster was right when he told me that I was selling myself short as I explained to him that these other women are AMAZING.  Maybe he knew what he was talking about when he declared to me “you are people, too…whatever that means.”    Or maybe these women, these awesome, amazing women who are putting together this awesome, amazing group of women, are bordering on being completely insane.  Frankly, I’m going with that last option.  And only partly because it’s a real buzzkill to have to admit that Hubster was right.  Okay, fine.  It’s mostly because I don’t want to admit he was right.  But it’s also a little because I’ve now had the opportunity to meet Annie, one of these awesome, amazing women, and I immediately liked her.  Immediately, I felt like I’d known her forever.  I wanted to be able to call her my friend.  And that clearly means that she’s got to be at least a little as unbalanced as I am.  (I’m only joking, Annie.  Kind of.  I seriously do adore you, though.  For real.) 

Whatever the reason, they liked me (they really liked me!).  And I’m SO excited that they did.  I’m honored to have the opportunity to lend my blogging voice to this amazing group of women.  And I hope that you’ll be excited to follow along with all of us as we work to build the blog up to the awesome resource that we all know it can be.  Head on over to the RMB Facebook page, hit like, and add the page to your Newsfeed and/or interest lists.  Then join the excitement on the Reno Moms  Blog in the coming days when it’s officially launched.

And stop back here in the next few days when I just might manage to get my act together and have a post put together that’s been rolling around in my brain for a few days.

Life has been busy.  Chaotic. 

For the past seven months, we’ve been stumbling our way through finding our footing in this new everyday life we now live.  Evenings are a flurry of activity, a desperate attempt to accomplish a day’s worth of living within a couple meager hours of time.  Weekends a tug-of-war between the demands of an ever-growing to-do list and the need for a few blissful moments of down time.

Finally.  That’s all starting to change.

Finally. 

Blissfully. 

Life seems to be finding it’s way to a new sense of normal.  One that feels far more relaxed than the past many months have. 

Even my to-do list is benefiting.  A couple weeks ago, I actually managed to obtain a nearly-spotless living room AND have every.single.dish in my house clean.  It lasted all of 47 minutes.  And it may very well take another six-months before it happens again. 

But just the fact that it did happen…even once…allows me to feel comfortable finally breathing the relaxing sigh of relief that I’ve been craving for quite some time. 

Allows me to even contemplate getting back to some of the other things that life has been missing for the past many months. 

Like writing…blogging. 
Oh how I’ve missed my little corner of the internet. 
So I’m back. 

Did you miss me?

When you were 17, tell us what kind of car you drove, where you worked, and what you were usually up to on the weekends.

I drove a 1977 Malibu Classic that my dad bought for me at an estate auction.  It was bright orange and HUGE.  And I loved it! 

I worked as a waitress at Pizza Hut.  I loved that job.  We had so.much.fun at work!

Weekends were spent hanging out with friends.  My best friend had her own apartment, and I pretty much lived there on the weekends.  We did a whole lot of stuff that I probably shouldn’t confess to online.  Every weekend was an adventure with a great story to tell at the end of it.

Show us a picture of you when you were 17 {roughly}.

I had my Senior pictures done when I was 17. 

I was really excited to have my dad come with me and to take a couple of pictures with him.  I didn’t have a single picture of the two of us together when I was growing up, so it was a big deal.

I cried and cried (and cried!) when we got the proofs for the pictures.  I absolutely hated how my hair looked and swore that I would NEVER show them to anyone because they were so horrendous.

Looking back, I can’t figure out what was so bad about my hair.  These days, I’d be more than content with a hair day like that one.

What I should have been crying about was this hideous sweater.

Either way, my mom was nice enough to give in and agree to letting me do another session with the photographer.

The second time involved more wardrobe choices that should have had me cringing.  But I managed to love the pictures that time around.

When you were 17, tell us what you wanted to be when you "grew up." 
I wanted to be an Drug & Alcohol Counselor.

Playing along with Becky at From Mrs to Mama for the Show & Tell Link Party.

The clock is inching toward ten o’clock.  The minutes tick by, moving us closer to the end of my stint as a stay-at-home-mom.  I’ve spent the day busily prepping lunches, washing and folding laundry, and tidying up the house.

Ever aware of how different it all feels this time.

Last time, I wasn’t ready.  I spent days working to convince myself that I was making the right choice, that the adventure that lay before me was one worth being excited about.  This time, the excitement has bubbled within me since the moment I submitted my resume.

Last time, I stressed over the decision of where to send Runt to daycare while I went off to work.  And my heart broke when he didn’t adjust the way we’d hoped he would.  This time, there is no stress, no fears or worries about how he’s going to do.  This time, we didn’t hunt and search.  This time, there will be no day care.  Instead, Runt will spend his days hanging out with a very good friend who happily treats all of us like members of the family.  He’ll get the one-on-one time that he absolutely needs right now.  I won’t spend a moment worrying about how his days will go because I know he’ll be spending them with someone he loves *almost* as much as Momma and Daddy.  For the record, Runt actually told me earlier today that he loves A more than me.  I’m choosing to ignore that and go with "almost.”  After all, the kid also insists on telling me that he loves Hubster more than me.  Clearly, he isn’t always of sound mind.  And I’ll know that even rough days won’t be anything near as difficult on all of us as they once were, not so long ago.

Last time, it took only days for me to realize that we’d made a terrible mistake.  This time, I know that there was a reason for every moment of pain, strife, and unhappiness then.
Last time was exactly what we needed to get here.

Last time, as I tucked my little man into bed, I fought back tears, terrified of what the next morning would hold in store for both of us.  This time, we happily moved through our bedtime routine with hugs and kisses, while an excited energy buzzed between us.

He can’t wait to head off to the first day of many to be spent with his pal.
And I can’t wait to head off to my first day in a new career.

My alarm is set.  My heart is ready.
This time, I can’t wait for morning to come.

Today, the awesome Michelle from the equally awesome Heartfelt Balance | Handmade Life is featuring me on her blog for her weekly Handmade Crafter post.  I know I’ve been absent for a bit (don’t worry…I’ll spare you the reasons excuses for being MIA) , but this seemed like the perfect time to jump back into posting.

Of course, it would only make sense to share a little peak at some semi-recent craftiness.

I’ve been feeling restless lately.  Antsy over all of the kind-of done and thought-about-but-never-started projects that surround me everywhere I look in my house.  Last week, after accepting a new job offer (one of those previously mentioned excuses for being away), I took a look around my house and realized: I have two weeks before I am going to have what will like amount to zero time to get any of this stuff done.  That same day, my mother-in-law delivered to us the dining room furniture that she was passing down to us.  Including the gorgeous buffet that I’ve swooned over every.single.time I’ve stepped foot in her house.  And just like that, it was like the perfect storm of motivation hit me.

With furniture that I love now placed in the rooms, my kitchen and dining room are screaming for me to finish them.  Pick up a hammer.  Hang a picture.  FINISH ALL THOSE SNAZZY PROJECTS.  And so I have.  Or I’ve started to, anyway…

One of the first things that I really fell in love with when I first joined Pinterest last year was the vast assortment of homemade calendars that people were posting.  Project after project just blew me away with the awesomeness that one could do with a simple piece of glass, a frame, and some dry erase markers.  I knew that I had to make my own.  Eventually.

Finally, I managed to pull my brain together enough to come up with a bit of a plan for where I wanted to put the calendar, and then a vision of the project itself started to form in my mind.

And now that I have that gorgeous buffet, the vision has started to come to life.
But we’ll get to that part.  Eventually.

Right now, I want to show you my answer to those awesome calendars that I’ve been coveting for well over a year…

I started with a bit of bonding time with Paint Shop Pro, designing the overall look for the calendar.  After a quick trip to Costco to pick up my print, I gathered all of my tools and got to work.

My circle puncher and I spent a bit of time getting cozy together.

Then, it was time to start placing all of the circles on my print.  I used foam adhesive to add an extra dimension (and, hopefully, a little extra interest).

It took about a half hour from the moment I started punching circles to the time I was able to stand back and admire my work.

After the calendar was framed, I was so happy with how it turned out that I quickly got to work on a couple coordinating items.

I super loved this project from the  moment that it was finished.  So much so that I often would go just stare at it, sitting in the corner of the guest room, where it waited for me to get my act together in the kitchen.  And now that it’s making its way to the wall?  I love it even more!  And I’m counting on it helping me to keep some level of organization in this crazy, hectic life, as we prepare for things to get even more hectic.

Want to make your own?
GRAB THESE FREE DOWNLOADS:
What’s Happening Calendar | What’s Cooking Menu | Shopping List | Messages

Now it’s your turn to share.
What items have most inspired you on Pinterest? 

Linking up to:

It’s kind of a big week here in the Wheeler house.  One that deserves a bit of recognition.  And maybe even a small celebration. 

It felt like a great time for me to, finally, introduce the man that I love annoying more than any other person on this planet.  I’ve been pestering him for months now to put together a guest post for me.  He has refused.  Can you believe that? 

Finally, though, he relented when I proposed a bit of a compromise.  So, I sat down and wrote out a whole slew of questions, and he has answered each and every one of them.  What a great guy, huh?

And, so, here he is, in his own words.  With just the right of prodding and nagging from me.

{Hubster on Hubster}

What 5 adjectives best describe you?
Sarcastic, sports loving, nerdy
(Just one question in, and we don’t even have a complete answer.  This does not bode well for your ability to follow directions, Mr. Wheeler!)

What is the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?
Asparagus, or as I like to call it ASSparagus

If you could be a female movie star who would you be and why?
Any with big boobs!

If you could be any superhero, which would you be and why?
Subtracting Man.  Because he is listed as the worst superhero ever on this top 100 list.
(For clarification sake, it’s actually a WORST 100 list.  But, you know, whatever.)

What are two things you can’t live without?
Computer and high speed Internet connection.

If you could marry a cartoon character who would it be? Why?
Jessica Rabbit.  She is hot.

If you are not doing anything what are you most likely to think about?
I wonder how I could get someone to bring me a pizza.

If you could be a car which one would it be and why?
The talking car from Roger Rabbit.  Jessica Rabbit was also in that movie, and she is hot!

Alrighty, then.  So, now that we’ve learned that my husband, apparently, has a strange obsession with Jessica Rabbit, maybe we should move along. 

So, what are we celebrating, anyway? 

It’s probably not what you think…

Eight years ago today, Hubster and I were about to embark on a new chapter in the grand adventure that was our love story.  My belongings packed snugly in the car, we were preparing to head off into the horizon, on a cross-country trip that would finally move all of me to the place where my heart had been living for months.  It seemed like the perfect time to take advantage of Hubster’s sappier side and have him profess to the world how amazingly wonderful I am.

{Hubster on Us}
In 25 words or less, tell your version of the story of how we met and fell in love.
I was being a dumbass and you seemed to like that for some reason.  Then I turned on the charm and the rest is history.

When did you know you were head over heels in love with me?
The second or third day after we started talking.  (This one actually got an “awwww” out of me.)

What is your favorite memory of…
…the day we got married?
Being able to say that you were mine :-).

…our wedding?
How beautiful you looked. (Yep, that one gets another “awwww.”  Come on, you know you said it, too!)

…our honeymoon?
Would probably have to be Yankee Stadium.

…the 8 years we’ve been together?
Tie between the week you first visited that May and when you moved out here the next September.

Show me your favorite picture of the two of us.  Why is it your favorite?
The one you have in the hall.  I think that was the happiest we have ever been except for the day Zachary was born, but we don’t really have a picture of that exact moment.

Or maybe it’s exactly what you think…

By the end of the night, Hubster will be completely immersed in his favorite time of year.  You see, the 2012 NFL football season is about to be officially upon us.  And that is cause for great celebration for some, apparently.  So much so that Hubster’s morning started off with posting something on Facebook about how today should have been a work holiday.  Heh.  This year, I’m playing along in Hubster’s fantasy football league, so things should be nice and interesting around here.  I’m not nearly as into sports as he would hope, but every once in a while I try to be a good wife.  And I figured joining in on one of his hobbies is a good way to do that.  Because of that,  I’ve taken it very seriously.  Even spending a few hours engrossed in research, seeking out photos, and ranking the players by level of attractiveness so that I would be fully prepared come draft day.  I think the healthy dose of competition will add some fun to the season.  And of course he agrees.  Or something like that.

{Hubster on Football}

If you could MAKE me follow one piece of advice about our fantasy football league, what would it be?
Just because a guy is ugly doesn’t mean he won’t score some fantasy points for you.

Overall, what are your thoughts about my approach to selecting members for my fantasy football team?
I think it is a crazy idea that will never work.  That being said it probably will and you will win the championship.

It’s your job to write the funniest Super Bowl commercial ever.  And go…
Not completely sure how it would go but I know that it would involve a cucumber, a roll of duct tape, midget, and 200 yards of rope.  If you think about it really writes itself.

You’re forced to pick between the 49ers and the Wolf Pack…which do you pick and why?
I say both because I need my football on Saturdays and Sundays.

Aside from the moment when I beat you in fantasy football, what are you most looking forward to about this football season?
49ers winning the Super Bowl and beating you twice in Fantasy Football.

Either way you look at it, I’m sure you can see why it’s a great day around here.  Here’s hoping you’ve found something worth celebrating, too.

Printable Recipe

My childhood memories are full of a lot of happiness surrounding the Labor Day holiday.  Whether gathered at a park or one of my aunts’ houses with my extended family on my mom’s side or spending the weekend taking part in the annual Corn Feed that my dad and step-mom hosted, the weekend always promised enough fun that it was almost hard to be sad that it meant bidding farewell to Summer.

As with any good party, there was never a shortage of tasty dishes to be passed around and shared among the attendees.  The very best dishes of all were the simple ones that started with fruits or veggies picked fresh from a garden.

Along with the hot and buttery corn that was the star of the annual Corn Feed, these creamy cucumbers are a must-have in this girl’s world.  They are as necessary for a good Labor Day meal as the dressing is on Thanksgiving (yes, I know some of you are thinking that should say turkey…but you’re wrong…Thanksgiving is all about the dressing around here!).

If you’re looking for a quick and easy side dish to add to your Labor Day feast, you simply must give these Creamy Cucumbers a try!

Thinly slice 4-5 medium cucumbers.  Or, in my case, one English cucumber.

Mix the dressing…

1 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup White, Distilled Vinegar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Dried Parsley

Pour the dressing over the cucumbers, give them a good stir, and throw them in the fridge.

Let them hang out in the yummy dressing bath for at least an hour. 

The longer they sit, the better they will be.

And then there’s only one thing left to do…

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Linking up to This Week’s Cravings

Hosted by:
Tina from MOMS CRAZY COOKING
Nicole from The Daily Dish
Kristi from Veggie Converter

Let’s just call a spade a spade, shall we?  The blogging challenge?  Well, I’ve done a pretty great job of failing miserably at it.

I have excuses.  A couple rather decent ones, even.  They involve what I’m pretty sure was a conspiracy between Hubster and Runt, leaving my solo parenting on a week when my always healthy little boy was suddenly down and out with some major Summer cooties all week long.  There was also a horrific accident that has left my cousin badly injured (though, thankfully, certain to recover and heal with time).  And, just for good measure, a healthy dose of unrelated family drama was thrown in there, too.

Still, though, this blogging challenge hasn’t been a complete loss.  From the beginning, I was clear in that my hope in jumping into the challenge was to reclaim my love of writing.  And that, my friends, worked like a charm.  Though I haven’t hit “publish” in several days, I have been able to squeeze in a little time for writing over the past week.  And that is truly a great accomplishment in my goal of creating time for myself.  Even five minutes spent with my thoughts, putting words to paper (er, computer monitor) help me to feel revived.

So, while I’m quite certainly not going to make it to the goal of 31 posts in 31 days, it’s hard for me to feel anything but completely content with where I’ve come in this blogging journey.  It’s exactly where I was hoping to wind up.  And, yet, someplace that I was afraid I’d never be again.  It has been a long, long time since I last felt so passionate and empowered by my love for writing.  A piece of myself that has been lurking in the shadows for far too long has started to emerge.  I’m reminded of just how much I like her.  Realizing just how much I’ve missed her.  And I’m determined to make sure that she sticks around.  Together, we’ve got a lot more stories to share.

We’ve spent our evening getting Hubster ready for a business trip that he leaves on tomorrow.  I really don’t want to drop him off at the airport tomorrow.  But not for the reasons you might be thinking.  Yes.  Sure.  I’m going to miss him and all that sappy kind of gunk.  But the truth is that’s not at all what I spent the evening thinking about while he packed his suitcase.  Instead, with each pair of pants folded, each running through of the list of must-haves, I felt the jealousy build up within myself. 

After the cranky week Runt and I shared with one another last week, I’m a little on edge and feeling cautious about what an entire week where there is no six o’clock to be looked forward to is going to be like. 

I would pretty much give anything right now for a week of quiet evenings spent however I feel like spending them, an expense account in a city full of yummy restaurants, and a cozy hotel with a pool. Seriously. Heaven!

To his credit, Hubster did offer to let me “fill in” for him, operating under the total assumption that 1) I could, apparently, easily pass for a James, and 2) He’d stand any chance of getting this required certification if I was in charge of taking the class and test.  Since that can’t happen, I decided to make myself feel a little better be dreaming up the things that I will look forward to about a week at home while he is away.

So, here we go…

Stuff I get to do while Hubster is away that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to:

1) I  can sleep where ever I damn well feel like and not have to listen to any whining about how I was “hogging” the bed.  Especially when I’ve been particularly restless lately, that is a pretty awesome thing to look forward to.

2) The bed will be even cozier because I’m going to put fresh sheets on tomorrow,and Hubster won’t be here to sweat all over them all week.  Seriously.  It’s like sleeping with a frickin’ oven.

3) Pot roast.  And maybe even Chicken & Dumplings.  Basically, filling our bellies with the yumminess that I love and Hubster doesn’t. 

And that’s it.  Three things.  That is all I could mange to come up with.  And you know what?  I started to think that was actually pretty sweet.  Nearly 8 years of living together, and there are only three things that are a “bonus” to him being away.  Because, actually, I really kind of like him.  Like, a whole bunch.  So, when he goes away, I miss him.  A lot.  So, yeah, I started to get a little sappy.

But then I realized…

I’d have a bed…with fresh linens…all to myself in a hotel, too. 

Pot roast is good.  But a week’s worth of evenings spent lounging in a pool is even better.

Seriously.  I need a vacation.  STAT.