I Bid You Adieu...For Now. ;)

Welp.

This starts my blogging vacay.

Taking a little break for a while.  There's just way too many things happening lately.  Weddings, birthdays, keeping children alive...well, just one...yet sometimes it feels like 12.

Anyways, I figured I'd make it official.

And I'll just leave with a random thing or two.

Like the fact that I have been looking for a new baby carrier that I can carry Jack on my hip.  I found one that seemed super cool buuuut...$115 is not so super cool.  Then I was browsing in Target and the Infantino Mei Tai wrap caught my eye.  The $35 price tag REALLY caught my eye.  So I bought it, tried it, actually really like it, found it on Amazon for $25, returned the Target one, ordered the Amazon one and seriously am stoked that I scored a really awesome baby carrier that works great for $25.  The reviews are really great AND it works for babies as small as 8 pounds so I can use it for any future babes until the little one grows into the Ergo.  P.S.  Supposedly the Ergo works for the hip but it is awful!  Don't even bother trying it haha.  P.P.S.  Extra bonus points because the wrap is pretty cute.  :)

SOURCE

So, see you again in a few weeks...maybe a month. ;)  Summer!

I'm off to stare at my freshly planted flowers.  Jack helped.  By helping perfect my transplanting skills.  He pulled up 3 that I had planted.  So I had to do it again.  Practice makes perfect.  Little stinker.

Jack's 1st Birthday Pow Wow

We just got back from a whirl wind few days down south for a family bridal shower and Jack's FIRST birthday party.  Phew.  I'm exhausted.  Seriously, I just fell asleep at 7:15pm...and dozed for an hour before I realized what I was doing.

We are back though and I thought I'd share with you our little man's first birthday party.  We did a "Pow Wow" theme party.  I worked for quite a while on homemade decorations.  There are a lot more pictures but my mom in law had to email them to me and so this is what I have to post for now.  Figured if I don't do the post now...it will never happen.

This years invite via tinyprints.com.  Highly recommend them.  They turned out so cute and the quality was great.  In the end it was way cheaper then if I had made them myself.  And a lot less time consuming.  :)  And now I will just bombard you with pictures. 

 Our little indian.  So cute.  And he kept that headband on the whole day.  The moccasins ended up coming off (that are in my hand) because they were a little big and he started having trouble walking haha.  At this point we had let him stop wearing his quiver of arrows.  :)

 Cake!  I know I've been known to do some crazy cakes but I kept it really simple this year.  Cupcakes for everyone and a little simple cake for Jack.  I'll bust out the cake decorating "skills" when he's a little older and can appreciate it.  :)

The food table.  It's really hard to see the decorations here...sorta makes it look like I hardly did any buuut...you get the idea.  :)

So I originally wanted to make Jack a little teepee for his birthday.  Then I realized that we live in a cracker jack box of a house and there was no way I wanted it up permanently so I decided to just skip it.  Then my husband busted out his mad teepee making skills right before the party...just for decore sake.  Love that man.  :)  Btw, Jack did not want to take a picture in it, or near it.  This is the best one we've got haha...note the shoes and quiver of arrows.  Adorable.  If I do say so myself.  :)

I obviously thought something was VERY funny here.  

Present time!  Yeah buddy.  Jack was totally into it.  Actually he was just into the FIRST present...and  the cards.  :)

And then there is THIS picture which is basically my favorite picture of Jack yet.  Everyone was circled around watching him open presents and he started being a little ham and all, "Hey look at me, I'm kinda cute."  He decided to show us his "clean hands" skills...which sorta makes him look like he's doing a little jig.  

CAKE!!!!

Jack is a very neat eater.  He really doesn't like food on his face.  He can feel the smallest piece that is stuck to his face and he will try to push it into his mouth.  He ate his cake very neatly...for a baby.  It's always fun to see those babies who make a HUGE mess...not our boy.  :)  He DID love it though.  Oh...and it was straight up full sugar delightfulness.  No depriving our boy of the good stuff.  It WAS made from scratch though so you know...it kinda balances out right? ha.

Such a fun party and celebration of our little boy!

Happy birthday little guy.

You are so very loved.

One Year ago Today

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY JACK!!!

One year ago today...in about 5 hours to be exact...
We were welcoming our sweet little boy into the world.

After 20 hours or so of labor and three hours of pushing our 8 lb. 7 oz Jack Thoren was born on 6/13/2013 at 12:04pm...or was it 12:03pm?  haha.

It's funny to look back and think about what was going through our minds.  The euphoria of having our tiny newborn here in our arms, the emotions that were running a gamut in me.  The unsurity of how God could possibly see us fit to raise this tiny precious human.

Fast forward one year later.

What a year.  Everyone says it...and I will say it too...it went by so FAST.  The sleeplessness and haze of that first 6 weeks, the constant diaper changes, Jason coming home from work on more then one occasion to me in tears holding a screaming newborn who I just couldn't figure out how to make happy (he was hungry by the way...always hungry.  When I ditched the "every 3 hour" feeding rule we were all a LOT happier haha).

And then came the rhythm.  Embracing the new slower pace of life, understanding more and more what our little guy needed, those first smiles, the laughs, rolling over, sitting up, crawling...and yes, even now walking.  All of those "firsts" were so special to witness, to experience with this little guy who calls me Mama.

Sometimes I've had thoughts of insufficiency.  Like how could changing diapers, feeding, rocking to sleep, really be all that important and worth while in a world where there are starving people and wars and violence.  I quit bringing home a paycheck, my role changed completely.  But you know...I wouldn't change anything.  (Well, I wouldn't mind him sleeping a little more between 3-8 months ha).  God has given us a unique opportunity to raise a child.  How many times are we given a span of 18 or so years to delve deeply into someone's mind, heart, and soul?  To invest in a way that will help form them and mold them to who they will become as an adult.  To point them to Jesus and the great hope that lies in Him.  Sometimes mothering feels silly.  The baby talk, the snot, and tushy wiping.  But really it's beautiful, it's valuable, it's irreplaceable.  It's God given and I pray that we will show Jack and hopefully any future babies the joy and hope that is to be found in Christ.

Happy Birthday buddy.  We love you so much.  We can't imagine our life without you in it.  I did not understand the depth of joy and love that we would feel for you...and every day your little hands have a tighter grip on our hearts.  We look SO forward to the years to come with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!

ONE YEAR!

We made it!!!  :)

Crafting Fun and A Kitchen Addition.

So I looooOOOOOoove to craft.
Arts and crafts at camp were my THANG.

I'm totally one of those annoying mom's that will go all out when it comes to anything sewing/crafting...not because I have anything to prove...not because I love my kid...but because I do it for MYSELF!  Ha!  :)  It's an excuse to do a creative project and so I'm all in.

Anywho, Jack is entering this glorious age where he will play quite a bit on his own.  It allows me some time to get my crafting on.

So, here are a few things that I've been working on as of late...

Jack's party is coming up and I have made quite a few decorations.  Can I just say that I have yet to spend ANY money on decore except about $3 worth of felt and $2 on straws.  That's it.  I'll be buying some paper plates and napkins and some balloons but that's it.  I've made everything else.  One of my favorite decore pieces are these dream catchers.  Apparently all that summer camp paid off...I pulled out my dream catcher skills and made these fun little numbers.  The best part of this party is that Jack has a rough outdoor/indian theme in his room so all these decorations are going to be used in his room when I'm done!  (I don't edit my pics...fyi :) ha!)

 I got a pack of plain white onesies from a baby consignment store for $3.  I had some extra iron on stuff from Jack's birthday flag and shirt so I thought I'd try out my hand on some designs for onesies.  This fox one is my fave!  So cute.  And check out those adorable Freshly Picked moccs from his great grandma :)


And this isn't really crafty but my neighbor leaned her head out her backdoor and asked if we wanted her old dresser.  Yes and yes!  I've been wanting one of those long shorter dressers for a while.  We need more space for clothes right now and eventually I would like to use it as a place for our TV when we move into a bigger house.  Anyways, that meant that I needed to find a new home for our current dresser.  It's super old and made of actual wood with the dovetail joints and all...we don't want to get rid of it.  Anyways, we needed a solution for our lack of storage space in the kitchen.  The microwave was also on a rickety little table that kinda freaked me out with Jack.  Sooooo....

There you go!  I would love to get some new fun handles eventually buuuut...we have a dresser in our kitchen area.  And I LOVE it.  So much can be stored in there it's amazing...canned goods, dry goods, utensils.  Anyways.  I'm a fan...even if it is a little unconventional.  And once again...an unedited...unstaged photo.  Welcome to my life.  ;)

Welp.  Happy Tuesday friends!  :)

The Blogging Dilemma

So, let's talk about 'dis here blog.

I'm kinda thinking I might take a one month haitus after Jack's bday party post.
Whatchya think?

First, I really am kinda coming up short on things to say.  I mean...Jack is super interesting and all buuuut...yeah.

Second, I feel like it's really difficult to blog during the day when I am with him.  I could do it during naps, which is probably the best time, but Jack is no 2 hour napper.  He pretty consistently takes 1 hour naps...possibly 1 1/2 if I'm super lucky.  So, an hour goes by really fast.  It almost takes an hour to blog soooo...then I get nothing done.  I refuse to do the dishes after dinner.  Too tired.  So I do them during morning nap.  We have no dishwasher.  So morning nap is always spoken for.  That leaves the afternoon nap.  That's when all the other chores need to happen.

So, I either blog or surf the net and get nothing done in the afternoon...or I do it when Jason comes home and get bugged when I'm trying to blog and he's trying to talk to me about his day.  Yeah.  Stellar wife.  I know.

I think at the end of the day I'm pretty pooped.  Jack is at a really fun...but tiring age.  I am always "on".  He's almost running.  Literally.  My first reaction once the little dude goes to bed is to CHECK.OUT.  No talking, just blaaaah.  I've been using this blog as a means to do that and in turn...kinda blocking out this man that I'm living the rest of my life with...for a blog that is fun...but certainly not important in the scheme of things.

Time investment.
It boils down to what am I investing my time in?
And am I proud of it?

Drowning my smart phone has made me realize how often I picked up my phone...choosing IT over my son who just wanted to play.  It made me realize that I don't have to post a picture to Instagram every day.  I still exist and my life is still important even though it's not posted on social media.  And this blog.  I love sharing our life on here.  But I want it to build me up.  Not tear me down.  And right now I'm having trouble juggling it all.  So in a couple of weeks I'm going to temporarily push it aside.  Honestly we are going to be out of town a lot this summer so it'll be perfect timing.

For now though...I'll be here posting periodically.