The Saddest Story Ever Told

Okay, well that might be a bit of an exaggeration but I called my husband this morning and said "I have the saddest story ever." On my way to work I looked down at my hand and realized that one of the diamonds on my wedding band had fallen out. I am so sad! I know exactly when it happened - I hit my hand pretty hard on the lid of the washer this morning while starting a load of laundry. That diamond is literally down the drain. Luckily Uncommon Husband knows better than to buy into my theatrics. He reminded me to be thankful that it wasn't the big diamond on my engagement ring or even the one of the side stones, this is just a small diamond from the band. It provided a small bit of reassurance but I'm still sad. Every time I look at my finger I see a gap. It feels like I lost a tooth ... on my finger.

Just Peeking In To Say Hi

Hope you're having a great week! My mommy is busy working and packing for our upcoming weekend away!

Cover Girl

I mentioned on Monday that I was headed to a photo shoot for Addison's modeling debut and I had every intention of taking a photo while we were there to commemorate the process. Two things got in the way, I was running around like a crazy woman the entire time, and (more importantly) I think it would have been frowned upon since the photos are technically not my property yet and won't be published for more than a month. I did get a text preview of two of the pics with strict instructions of NO Facebook. I'm thinking that applies to blogs as well :(

Either way, it was really exciting and fun - but exhausting! I was running in and out of the shots making sure Addison didn't climb off of a table, bringing back balls that she had thrown, and moving lights around. I was wearing heels and my work clothes and needless to say, it was crazy. Did I mention my grandmother was there? Yes, she snagged a last minute invitation to the photo shoot. Although I am SO glad she's able to share so many special moments with Addison, it added to my stress level a little bit. Addison was a perfect little model though, smiling and happy the whole time. She fell asleep as soon as we got into the car which was very cute. I can't wait to share the pictures when the issue comes out in early August!

Handbags to Hand Vacs

We bought a hand vac this weekend. As lovely as Addison is, she likes to throw the occasional bite of food over the side of the high chair and say "Uh Oh" just to see what we do. It was cute at first but it has lost it's charm so we try to ignore it now. I am finding I need to do a quick clean-up more and more often these days. I didn't realize that I was excited to buy this until I was talking to a friend on the phone about what we did this weekend and I said "We bought a hand vac!" She thought I said "handbag" and eagerly asked for details.

Oh how things have changed since Miss Addison has come into my life... in the best way possible (although I do miss visiting the LV store, I can't even go in - it's too painful to leave them all there)

So Good

We have so many good weekends these days! Summer is wonderful for many reasons. Work is MUCH slower which really helps with everything. I have time to keep things straight, make to-do lists, and get things done. That results in feeling more relaxed overall - I never realized summer was so great until I added a baby into the mix, now it makes a big difference in my feelings of sanity.

Father's Day was great! We went and saw the A-Team on Saturday night and I was pleasantly surprised that I actually liked it. I had been stressing about gifts. I really love sentimental and meaningful gifts and everything I found online for the first Father's Day was generic or just "stuff". I ended up ordering a hand-stamped divot repair tool (golfer's gear) from Etsy, and these collar stays with special messages. It was perfect! Addison also made her daddy a handkerchief with her little footprints on it.

Today Addison has a photo shoot because she's going to be in the August issue of a local magazine. I can't help but be really excited! I was telling a friend last night and she said "Uh oh, Toddlers & Tiaras here we come!" ... have no fear, I can assure you that will never happen! Have a great Monday :)

A Man Among Men

My husband once referred to my father as "A man among men". I think it's a perfect description. He's strong, loyal, protective and loves God above all else. My mom blogged today about one of the most heroic things he's ever done for me and the truth is, I hardly remember it. My wedding day memories are perfect but don't include the real heroics of the day. It was a fairy tale of a wedding, everything was in its place and looked beautiful. Thankfully I did not have any idea that it was a miracle that it came together in time. My mother and I had handled most of the planning and had hidden most of the details (and costs) from my dad because his ideas of how much a wedding would/should cost were similar to those of Steve Martin in Father of the Bride. He had little to do with things until that day, but at the end of that night, it was truly his event. I think it was a blessing in disguise. Instead of being a guest at his own party, the fact that he had been so instrumental in making it all happen truly made him the host. I'm so glad my mom reminded me of this story today.

Today we are celebrating my hubby's first Father's Day and it's been special. It has included special gifts and all of the stereotypical Father's Day activities - watching golf, sleeping on the recliner, and eating BBQ. I definitely think that my husband is also a "man among men." He is amazing in every sense of the word and Addison and I both are so lucky to have him. What a blessed life we lead!

Summertime and the bloggers are lazy

Well at least this blogger is! I am pretending I am on summer break. The only problem is that there are a few minor details (like work and household chores) that make that difficult. However, my sister came to visit again last weekend and that always makes me feel like I am on vacation a little.

Not too much going on around here this week, just lovely days with my little one (who is on the move more than ever!). She likes to crawl from room to room now and see what she can get into. This morning I followed her into 3 rooms where she made small messes and then went on to the next thing - she might be small but she can leave a path of destruction! I have been working on plans for her birthday. We have made the decision to just have a small family party. It was a ridiculously hard decision for me to make - I LOVE party planning! We decided to be practical though. I cannot do a party on a small scale, even if it is small in numbers, I want to buy coordinating everything, cute favors, a fancy cake, etc. It can get out of hand. My decision was based on practicality. Addison's birthday is in July - hot, hot, hot unless we have it inside somewhere (not in my small house). She won't remember if she had a fancy party, her birthday is the same weekend as a good friend's 30th birthday, another friend's baby shower, and another friend's visit from DC. Plus, if we don't spend a fortune on a party, I can buy more presents! I am desperately trying to hold that in check but there are so many things I want to buy her! So, we'll be celebrating at my parent's house the weekend before her big day. I bought her an ADORABLE outfit (photo shoots!!) and gifts have been ordered. My mom is making the cake and I think it will be perfect. I feel like birthday parties are getting out of hand anyway. Bounce houses and champagne toasts for a one-year old? I prefer parties with imagination and personal touches. What do you think?

Don't Know What You've Got

It's true that sometimes you don't know what you've got till it's (almost) gone. I haven't blogged much about my feelings about the oil spill and the impending doom of our coastline. It makes me feel helpless, sad, angry and desperate. Also, more than ever, I've felt the need to enjoy our beautiful beaches while there's still time. I am embarassed to say that before a few weeks ago, I had not been to the beach in a long time. I took for granted that it would always be there for me. I don't think anyone knows what lies in store, or what impact this will have on our environment. There are predictions that our local beaches will be untouched by the ugly spill but I know there are unseen effects that are inevitable. For today, all I can do is hope, pray and soak up the sun. The water today was crytal clear ...

I Like It

This video is hilarious. I think I am going to start doing daily affirmations in front of the mirror with this enthusiasm.

Another Mommy Blogger

Another mommy blogger ... that's what I've turned into and I'm totally ok with it. Life is a series of phases and this phase is for playdates and sippy cups. Well, at least that's what our weekend entailed.

Playdate #1 with her friend C (I took a pic of them in this chair at only a few months old, I'll have to find it and post the comparison)


Playdate #2 with the twins
I have a couple of better pics but I love how the boys are just looking at Addison with amusement in this pic




I love this one - she looks like she's thinking "How you doin?"

I'd rather be blogging

I unintentionally took a blog-cation this past week. I would rather be blogging but every night I have been editing photos. I have had a ton of photo shoots lately. Lots of beautiful babies and toddlers but at this point the fun part (shooting) is over and I'd rather be blogging. (sadly, I haven't updated my website or photography blog in ages - I need to add that to my to-dos) Tonight I finish my last session and then hopefully I'll be able to start planning for Addison's first birthday. I can't believe it's only a month away! I have so much to do.

In the meantime, here's a couple of (point&shoot/bad) shots from our walk on the bridge on Saturday morning ... (I am praying so hard for the oil to stay away from our beautiful beaches and waterways, it literally hurts my heart when I think about it)

My weekend in pictures

Celebrating B's birthday and with a girl's night out

Aren't best friends wonderful?!?!

Beach day with Addison!

My fabulous siblings

Celebrating my sister's birthday

Dinner at my fav mexican restaurant followed by margaritas and a game of Mexican train! (my husband calls this picture "tourists in our own city")