tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91810166464212404202024-03-19T05:56:28.074-05:00Leslie GThe Diary of a half black womanLeslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-34254688891928686942019-01-26T18:32:00.001-06:002019-01-26T18:37:19.214-06:00Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park Review<div class="MsoNormal">
In the last 10 years or so, we have done a lot of traveling and have been to some very awesome and unique places. Yellowstone National Park is <i>by far</i> my most favorite, unbelievably
wild experience that I’ve had in my life. It is hard to believe that a place like this
really exists- and is in the United States! Is Yellowstone is on your bucket list? Make it your next vacation. If Yellowstone isn’t even on your radar, it needs to be! Yellowstone National Park is the world's first national park and it is a privilege to witness the beauty and history it holds. There is truly nothing like it and trust me when I say that you need to experience it! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m going to divide this
review into 4 different categories: general things to know before you go, when
to go, where we stayed and what we did. We spent most of our time in Yellowstone; but Grand Teton National Park is right next door and I'll talk briefly about that as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Upper Geyser basin area</span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Things to know before you go</span></b></div>
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Getting around:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yellowstone is an extremely
large National Park. It spans 2.2 million acres, most of which is located in
the state of Wyoming. It takes a VERY long time to travel through and around the park. There
are a number of reasons that contribute to this, but it’s mostly due to the
size of the park. On average, we spent 3-5 hours in the car each day. That may
seem like a lot- and it is, but remember that you’ll be traveling through incredible
mountainous terrain and ever changing landscapes thanks to the parks’ 10,000
geothermal features, and you'll have the opportunity to see wildlife around every turn! The
park is a sensory overload in the most amazing way and you will want to stop
frequently. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> I</o:p>f you are looking at a map
and planning to travel to a point of interest that’s 30 miles from where you
are, you should plan for that to take an hour. Another reason that it takes a
lot of time to travel through the park is that the average speed limit is 45
mph, and at times it drops to 35. The low speed limit is entirely for your
safety and the animals safety. Could you imagine hitting a 2,000 lb animal at
50 m.p.h? You’ll also need to account
for slow moving wildlife (read: bison) being
in the road (which you may encounter many times a day), that can often bring
you to a dead stop for 15-20 minutes- sometimes up to an hour in the busy
summer season. Because we visited in the fall, we made it through the “bison
jams” fairly quickly. We truly loved getting to stop for these massive
creatures- it was just amazing to witness them and their behavior so close up!
My advice while you wait in a jam: Roll down your windows, take in the sights and smells, (<i>oh the smells!</i>) and just be present where you are. Yellowstone is truly just a
place of wonder!</div>
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<o:p> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bison jam! One of our very favorite Yellowstone memories.</span></i></o:p></div>
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Another factor in the time it
takes to get around the park is road construction. Again, because we visited
the park in the fall, we did not encounter any of this, but I have heard that
road construction in the summer (it’s the only time of year it can take place) can
cause road closures and slower traffic.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Download the <a href="https://gypsyguide.com/">GyPSy guide</a> for
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park before you go. Having this audible
GPS guide is actually my <b>number one recommendation</b> for visiting the park. It’s
like having a personal tour guide of the park right in the car with you! Since
the tour is run off of GPS, the tour guide tells you exactly what you are
seeing as you see it. He will let you know what’s ahead, tell you what you MUST
see, gives history of the park and the science behind the thermal features. My
kids loved this and I really believed it helped make the long drives fun for
them! It’s 9.99 for the app (for both Grand Teton and Yellowstone) and
honestly, it would be easily be worth $50. Please don’t visit the park without
having this guide! Also: pack an auxillary cord so that you can listen to this guide over the car speakers instead of your phone's speaker. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are essentially connected; when most people talk about a Yellowstone trip, it's likely that they also spent time in Grand Teton. Grand Teton is arguably the more "scenic" of the two- the Teton mountain range is quite majestic and grand. Since the Teton range has no foothills, the mountain range shoots up dramatically, seemingly out of nowhere! When you are trying to decide how to divide your time between these two parks, we found that about 1/4th of the time is a good amount for spending in Grand Teton; 1-2 days is plenty if your trip is about a week. </div>
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We were able to enjoy free admission to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for free because my son is in 4th grade. The National Park Foundation has a <a href="http://everykidinapark.org/">program that gives every 4th grade child free admission</a> to National Parks, some State parks and historic sites during their 4th grade year and for the summer afterward. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">When to go</span></b></div>
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There are likely many reasons
and advantages for every season in Yellowstone. I cannot recommend a fall trip
highly enough. The park has quieted down from its busy summer season (you'll be able to get around quicker), wildlife activity
is incredible (the elk were in rut!) and the fall colors in the Tetons were
beyond words. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Grand Teton N.P., Jenny Lake area</i></span></div>
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We visited the park at the end of September through the first week of October. It’s worth noting, that the park does begin slowly shutting down for winter in the first week of October. A lot of the hotel's last reservations for the year are in October, so if you do
plan a fall trip, be mindful of that. In November, all entrances to the park
close except for the North entrance which remains open all year, and at that point, only a handful of in-park accommodations remain open. </div>
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I realize that
fall trips are not always possible for families because of school being in
session- but if you can take your kids out (our kids missed 4 days) don’t
hesitate! The experience of Yellowstone is a lifetime one and I can say with
certainty that they’ll learn more from an experience here than they would in
the classroom. If a summer trip your only
option, I’d recommend going at the end of May or during the month of June.
Yellowstone Park receives one million visitors in July and August alone. If
July or August is your only option, I’d still recommend it! Yellowstone is just
THAT amazing, but I strongly urge you to consider going outside the busy summer
months. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Because we traveled in the fall, we were able to secure accommodations 4-5 months prior to our departure. If you're planning a summer trip, you'll need to begin looking into accommodations at least a year in advance. </div>
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I think it’s also worth
noting my opinion for a good age for children traveling to the park. My kids
were 7.5 and 9.5 at the time we went. I really thought it was a great age and I
wouldn’t have wanted them to be much younger. My kids travel well (in cars
especially) but you need to consider how much you could see each day and handle
with your kids. There is a lot of driving, a lot of walking, and getting in and
out of the car. This is my personal opinion, but I would not take a child who
is in a stroller, was not potty trained, and who still needs naps. Maybe save
the trip for a few years when they (and YOU) would get a little more enjoyment
out of it!</div>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where we stayed</span></b></div>
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For our entire stay, we
stayed outside the park in West Yellowstone, Montana. Our condo was just 1 minute from the West Yellowstone Park Entrance. From the Jackson Airport (the
closest choice for visiting the park if you’re flying), its about 118 miles, and
that drive took us 3 hours with no traffic jams. We chose to stay in this location because
we thought it would provide us with quick, central access to the park, which it did, but
again: the park is very large and it does take longer than you think to get to where you're going. </div>
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The closest site for us from West Yellowstone was probably Old Faithful,
which was still a 45 minute drive with NO traffic. We also chose this location
because it put us in between the Upper and Lower loops of Yellowstone,
which was where almost everything we wanted to see was located. I really would
recommend West Yellowstone as a location to stay, however, I would also
consider dividing your time between two locations if you can. </div>
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We didn't look much into in-park accommodations (Old Faithful, Canyon Village, Mammoth, etc), but
it would be a good idea to do so if you <i>aren't</i> looking for a condo. Staying inside the park would significantly cut
down on some travel time on a few of your days. These accommodations are historic
and many of them are described as “Park-itecture” (a term for the buildings
that are made to have a rustic appearance and blend in with its surroundings)
so even if you don’t stay in them, go in and explore them! </div>
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Looking back, I
think it would have been wise to better plan an itinerary for each day, and then stay accordingly to the general location of what we were seeing. Having said that, I
don’t regret where we stayed at all. I think just knowing that driving was going
to take up a large part of our sight seeing experience would have been good to
know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Things not to miss</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We were in Yellowstone and
Grand Tetons for 6 days, not including travel days. It was really a great
amount of time to be able to see the main parks attractions, and also enjoy some
really great “off the beaten path” adventures and hikes. We even had two “down”
days, where we didn’t really go far into the park and just sort of relaxed a
bit. Even if you only had ONE day in the park- say, you are just passing
through in route to somewhere else, I highly recommend checking out a few
sites! Here are my top suggestions:</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Upper Geyser Basin Area</span></i></div>
<ul>
<li>They say that Yellowstone is
more than just <b>Old Faithful</b>, and
while that’s true, I would personally suggest putting Old Faithful and the <b>Upper Geyser Basin</b> area (home to
hundreds of other great geysers) on the top of your list, especially if you
were short on time. Plan to spend at least a ½ day here walking around the boardwalks
and checking out all of the amazing thermal features.</li>
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<li><b>The Midway Geyser</b> basin, home to the world’s largest hot spring, The <b>Grand Prismatic,</b> cannot be missed.
You’ll want to see it from the ground (on the boardwalks) but there’s also a short
hike (Fairy Falls) that allows you to see the Grand Prismatic and take incredible
pictures from up above.</li>
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<li><b>Mammoth Hot Springs.</b> This area looks like snow covered mountains, but it’s actually Travertine
formations that are constantly changing! Also located near Mammoth is the
<b>Boiling River</b>- a frigid river that’s met with hot springs run off. You can get in
the water here (we did!), and there are areas where the two extreme temperatures
collide and provide excellent little “pools” to relax and soak in. </li>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mammoth Hot Springs terraces</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">It is wild to experience the Boiling River- where one foot can be in a current that will literally scald your skin, and the other foot in a current that's so cold it feels like a thousand knives. Here I stand where I found a happy medium! </span></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>If you stay in West
Yellowstone, you’ll pass through <b>Madison
Valley</b> every day on your venture into the park. Madison Valley is a hot
spot for bald eagles, bison, elk and moose! The <b>Madison River</b> runs through here
which draws so much wildlife. If you don’t stay in West Yellowstone, a
drive through this area is worth it. Pack a picnic lunch, and find one of the many pull outs in the area along the river to enjoy some time watching fly fisherman and surrounding nature. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone </b>truly illustrates the parks grandeur, and its two main
parts, the Upper Falls and Lower Falls are a beautiful site to behold. One of my favorite viewpoints in all of Yellowstone, <b>Artist Point</b>, was the very spot where a painter named Thomas Moran painted the Falls and with his painted image, convinced Congress and President Ulysses Grant to establish Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872. Also in
this area, <b>Canyon Village,</b> has
lodging, food and a <i>wonderful</i> Education Center that is definitely worth a stop
in!</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Norris Geyser Basin </b>is home to the world’s tallest geyser, Steamboat geyser.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Grand Teton National Park.</b> If you’re flying into Jackson, Wy, you’ll actually land inside the park boundaries of Grand Teton. If you are able, sit on the <i>right</i> side of the airplane coming into Jackson for an epic view of the Teton range! There are so many wonderful things to explore in the Tetons and I think
a day, two if you have it, is sufficient time to take it all in. <b>Oxbow Bend</b> is an iconic overlook and is a great place to spot wildlife on the Snake River. The Teton
range is quite magnificent, and there are many hikes that put it in your view. Perhaps the most popular, <b>Jenny Lake</b>,
is a great hiking area, and you can take a boat tour there in the summer season. We
ended up hiking around the entire lake to Hidden Falls (10 miles) but you can
take the water taxi (summer season only) and cut the hike to just one mile (round trip) if you're looking for a short hike with great views. </li>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcR83smjzXJcpnEYOkwFeKntddZ3AZOh5zmF9wRtX_gSvFQHpKKZuNKA2VbKDyfkPytc-vfj7Hbqz7qsKzEpsGu6qjrfyn0_9VwPm7_A6t_LiVX-wB0olshBPWD7PPK-hG7Sh5lR94_A/s640/DSC_0673.JPG" width="426" /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jenny Lake: We found a very friendly single hiker from The Netherlands to hike with. We liked her because she had bear spray (which we did not have) and a fun accent; she liked us because we had loud children to potentially eliminate a surprise bear encounter.</span></i></div>
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Our 10 mile hike wiped us out
for any more sight seeing that particular day, but I have heard that a drive to
<b>Signal mountain</b> should not be
missed: it's the highest road in the park and gives wonderful views of Jackson Hole and the surrounding mountains. </div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Jackson, WY. </b>The town of Jackson is just a 20 or so minute drive from the Jackson Airport, and its a quintessential little mountain town with lots of galleries, restaurants and souvenir shops. We enjoyed the <b>Persephone Bakery</b> for ridiculously great pastries and coffee, and also Healthy Being (right next door to Persephone) for cold pressed juices, smoothies and healthy <b>snacks. </b></li>
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Well, that's it! I think I've covered most everything that we did. If you have any specific questions I'd love to answer them. Please free to email me directly at jhawks482@gmail.com, as I'm more likely to see your question there versus the comments on this blog post. </div>
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-28191430109197404642014-08-13T13:59:00.002-05:002014-08-13T13:59:27.576-05:00Kindergarten!We officially have a school boy on our hands- Cameron started his first day of Kindergarten yesterday! He has been ready to go to Kindergarten for so long and now the time has come!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmxuieRDtQm2qp8PH0iNFARNfYKq6eEMylmivu_JD7IyvUMBE6SCWubUfEu0wTh6VdgUvWeCr3BISJ5w3AghGPjC2zJUjQr_Y0IecfoMtYeT0DTLDtvSMgq-ywOQQEyFVFUwYZZNfQ0U/s1600/CameronKinder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmxuieRDtQm2qp8PH0iNFARNfYKq6eEMylmivu_JD7IyvUMBE6SCWubUfEu0wTh6VdgUvWeCr3BISJ5w3AghGPjC2zJUjQr_Y0IecfoMtYeT0DTLDtvSMgq-ywOQQEyFVFUwYZZNfQ0U/s1600/CameronKinder.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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Although I <i>love</i> having him at home with me, I love that he gets to go to school too. And, for another year I get the best of both worlds since he's just doing half day K.<br />
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This summer, while we had SO much fun, I often struggled organizing things for him to do. Because of the daily crafts he got to do in Pre-K, he pretty much expected a daily craft at home too. Even though I browsed Pinterest for the latest and greatest crafts and experiments, I came up short toward the end of summer- and Cameron told me I was a "bad craft mom", ha! That sure gave me a good laugh, but it was then that I realized it was time for him to be in school again!<br />
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The first day went great- and he says he wants to go to school every day except Sundays. I am anxious for him to make new friends and learn new things!Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-37125992900026588162014-08-04T21:43:00.001-05:002014-08-13T13:24:07.135-05:00Farewell, Summer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Believe it or not, I used to despise summer. For starters, I <i>really</i> hate the intense, never ending heat. And when my kids were younger, it was such a chore to get them out of the house only to sweat through whatever it was that we decided to do. And swimming with two young toddlers who didn't know how to swim was far more trouble than it was worth.<br />
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This summer has been a <i>complete</i> game changer for me. Since we were so busy last year with school, Bible Study and other commitments, a laid back summer has been such a welcome change. We have spent a lot of time swimming and both kids have become pretty darn good swimmers. We've been busy, we've been lazy. We traveled across the United States and yet there were a few days we didn't even step foot outside the house.<br />
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With Cameron headed to Kindergarten I am realizing that the summer season truly does have a beginning and an end date- making these fun, carefree months seem incredibly short, and I'm coming to realize, incredibly special. My days at home with them are definitely numbered! Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to this summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq-B6tWmf0Wc9r8PnY1rULR71FuLco_xuX-18vIkLfxc4TCYzBQeu8IBAljA4CpuDJuJ8nOkePX7xPHpZCq2O7A7lmMrcgnC9wXVX5gdlRBKUq4MrxhNFFj450aVNEx3KC3nnN4wCbZ4/s1600/DSC_1231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq-B6tWmf0Wc9r8PnY1rULR71FuLco_xuX-18vIkLfxc4TCYzBQeu8IBAljA4CpuDJuJ8nOkePX7xPHpZCq2O7A7lmMrcgnC9wXVX5gdlRBKUq4MrxhNFFj450aVNEx3KC3nnN4wCbZ4/s1600/DSC_1231.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbj3x5z92Jya_IRpUj7qj3k6GD035ERBqnECW_0_482_JVW1kG2H2QLJ6N1uLo803bv51E5ZpbzbzrS-snfM5fOGgKZfVjGuGN_-HvQiyKe575wwrm0tsvrreZUEW9cl9TfaJ4r0fWh_U/s1600/DSC_1228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbj3x5z92Jya_IRpUj7qj3k6GD035ERBqnECW_0_482_JVW1kG2H2QLJ6N1uLo803bv51E5ZpbzbzrS-snfM5fOGgKZfVjGuGN_-HvQiyKe575wwrm0tsvrreZUEW9cl9TfaJ4r0fWh_U/s1600/DSC_1228.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of our first memorable adventures this summer was picking strawberries at the strawberry patch. The kids loved this so much. We came home with about 5 quarts (some with little Kylie sized bites out of them) that we have used all summer. Its important to me to teach my kids exactly where food comes from (how and where it grows) so they don't assume it just all magically comes from the grocery store! They have asked to go back many times so I'm pretty sure this will become an annual tradition.<br />
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The kids both had a session of swim lessons (Kylie's first) this summer too. It is amazing to me how far they have come! Both can swim independently on their own now. Kylie has no fear in the water and has much more skill at 3 years old than Cameron did at that age. We will definitely keep swimming over the fall and winter. </div>
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An evening of Riverfest fireworks, a Wingnuts baseball game, and WAY too many food court concessions. I love this picture- even though it's just a quick cell phone shot! </div>
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Father's Day!</div>
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Summer shenanigans... I'm not quite sure what Kylie is doing here! Silly kid.</div>
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Cameron and Jon have done quite a bit of fishing this summer. Cameron has caught some impressive fish right from our backyard, and even caught sharks on vacation! We went on a shark fishing excursion and collectively we caught 22 sharks. </div>
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And speaking of our vacation, we went to Hilton Head Island, SC. We had so much fun there two years ago that we decided to go again. We were there over 4th of July and had a blast!<br />
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We went on boat rides, kayaked, the kids rode horses, ate ice cream (nightly), rode bikes, and of course, spent a ton of time at the beach.<br />
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It has been an incredible summer and if I'm honest, I'm not ready for it to end! I always look forward to fall but I'm absolutely savoring the last 7 days of summer before we send Cameron off to school. </div>
Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-39931787175545075312014-04-30T20:18:00.001-05:002014-04-30T20:18:50.786-05:00Life Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello! I suppose it's about time for an update, huh? It's so hard to believe that it's May already! Now that I have school aged kids, time seems to go even faster. Cameron has 2 weeks left of school and then he is done with Pre-Kindergarden. And then, in just 3 and a half months, he'll start kindergarden! Schools around here start in the middle of August and I know that it will be here in no time at all. Typically I dread summer (the heat, mostly) but this year I'm looking forward to it making the most fun memories with my kids! We have lots of swimming ahead, a beach vacation, and other fun things planned that are sure to make summer fly. </div>
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Easter Sunday</div>
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We've been having a great time this spring, spending as much time as we can outdoors. We visited the Tanganyika Wildlife park in town a few weeks ago, and its such a special treat to be up close and personal with all the animals. It's also a great learning experience as every area has a knowledgeable staff member telling you all about the unique animals.<br />
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The kangaroos- probably my favorite. It's so neat to see the little joeys nursing or sleeping in their mommas pouches. </div>
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One of the things keeping us busy outdoors at home is our new vegetable beds we built. We've had some onions and carrots in the ground for some time, and we'll soon get several varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers and broccoli in. Cameron has been helping me water almost daily but we are ready to see the fruits of our labor!<br />
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Random: I've mastered french braiding Kylie's hair! </div>
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My niece got married and Kylie was the flower girl. She did perfect and looked so cute!</div>
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Seriously, is he not the most handsome boy?!</div>
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Cameron had his Pre-K singing program the other evening and it was a western theme. All the kids sure were cute! I am so proud of the kind, sweet boy he is. It really makes me so happy when all of his teachers tell me what a joy he is! I still can't believe I'll be walking him to his Kindergarden class in about 3 months.<br />
Thanks for reading, and I'll be back before too long. =)<br />
<br />Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-5532641524784099472014-02-28T14:55:00.001-06:002014-02-28T14:56:33.463-06:00Kitchen Updates (and new flooring)!A couple of weeks ago, we completed a few long awaited updates to our home! We have always wanted a home with hardwood flooring. It was a desire of ours even while living at our old home (and knowing that it wasn't the place to do it) so when we started looking for new homes, we knew that hardwoods would definitely be a part of it. Our current home was very much everything we were looking for, it just needed some changes to make it less cookie cutter and more "ours". We've been at our home how for 2 1/2 years, and have lived with the tile floor and basic carpeting it came with up until this point, knowing that we had other priorities to take care of first (namely, basement finishing). The time finally came and we are so happy with how it turned out!<br />
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<b>The After:</b><br />
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We chose a 5" hand scraped maple, and while you cannot see it in the above photo, the planks are fairly distressed have quite a bit of natural wood dimpling. Having that characteristic in wood was really important to me so I didn't freak out every time Cameron dropped a hot wheel on the floor or came into the house with dirt covered roller blades. Jon actually dropped a wrench from a ladder the day we got the new floors in, and we couldn't even find the indention from the fall.<br />
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We also chose to change out our countertops to granite, and change the old backsplash (old pictures below). I've never been a big fan of granite as I generally tend to gravitate toward more "subtle" stone countertop patterns. Jon never really has much of an opinion when it comes to home decor, but really expressed his desire for granite in the kitchen. I ended up finding a beautiful granite slab I liked- not too busy or loud- and it looks incredible with our existing cabinets. </div>
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We were able to use our old sink, and undermount it which has been awesome!</div>
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<b>The Before</b> (from move in day, hence the mess): Our kitchen came with laminate counters, and a tile backsplash and floor (also the same tile on the bar top there).<br />
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Another view of the "before"</div>
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I also had the chance to paint the entire living room and kitchen (what a project in itself!). Previously (see: The before) it was the paint color the builder had chosen, which was a beige with yellow-green undertones. I knew I wanted to lighten it up a bit (especially since we were bringing in dark flooring) so I chose 'Chocolate Froth' by Behr (a creamy white) for the majority of the main level and 'Mocha Accent' by Behr for the accent wall you can see above. LOVE those choices. I probably went through 15 paint samples before I landed on these.</div>
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Previously, the microwave had its home above the stove, but its been down for weeks and I LOVE not having it (and all its bulkiness) there. The plan is to tile up a bit further, and install a hood. A smaller microwave will go inside the pantry. Also, the floor reads pretty red in this picture, even though it's not. </div>
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The dining nook. Oh, this table set has seen better days. It is really beat up but the size is so perfect for our family and the nook that it's in. I have been looking for a different table for many, many months, one that's the same size but has the capability of extending to seat more people. I have come up empty handed (bar height tables are hard to find!) so Ive decided to build a new table top with a leaf, and use the existing table base and install an extender. I scored some really sweet (and ridiculously cheap) new chairs from Restoration Hardware right before Christmas that will be a part of the new "set" once I'm done.<br />
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That's about it! The living room is pretty bare bones and I hope to share more later as I find a rug and some artwork to hang on the walls (that have largely remained blank!). Hope you enjoyed a tour of our updates! =) </div>
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<br />Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-38938889001205267422014-01-28T12:53:00.000-06:002014-01-28T12:56:58.463-06:00Kylie turns 3!Kylie is officially 3! I'm a little late with her birthday update (she turned 3 on the 10th) so I thought I'd better update before January was actually over! We had such a fun time spoiling her on her special day. On the evening before her birthday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese for a little fun with the family, and on her actual birthday we celebrated at one of our favorite hibachi restaurants for dinner.<br />
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Kylie is a little bit sassy and and is definitely more independent of the two. She doesn't crave or give affection quite like Cameron does, but she still shows her sweetness from time to time. She is much more adventurous than her brother, so open to trying new foods and other things. She is a coffee lover, and most mornings will ask for her own (little) cup of coffee. Last month when we were in Kansas City at The Great Wolf Lodge, we were doing a bit of shopping and Kylie was tired and on a short fuse. While we were inside a store Cameron was harassing her (as he often does) and she wasn't having it. All of a sudden she bursts into tears and screams "I JUST WANT COFFEE!! <i>I JUST. WANT. COFFEE</i>!!" It was a hilariously epic meltdown witnessed by many, and within seconds of exiting the store, she was asleep on my shoulder. Poor girl just wanted some coffee!<br />
She is into everything girly- princesses, bows, jewelry... you name it! I love having a girl so much. <br />
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Kylie is definitely a daddy's girl, these two are just so sweet to each other. Jon even got her a bouquet of flowers for her birthday to put in her room. He's such a great dad and the relationship they have is so special!<br />
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I made Kylie an Ariel cake for her birthday and it turned out OK, especially for piping it all on (instead of cutting out shapes out of fondant). It took me forever though and I probably won't ever do anything quite that fancy ever again, ha! </div>
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I don't think I will ever get over how incredibly blessed I feel to be her mom. Sometimes I look at her and can't believe that this life we live is indeed real, not just a dream. I just love her to death! </div>
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-87035394553237906982014-01-04T20:16:00.002-06:002014-01-04T20:16:29.756-06:00Gone DecemberHello dear friends and family! I hope that you all have had a wonderful holiday season! For us, it seems like the weeks that surround Christmas are just one, giant celebration- with Cameron's birthday, my birthday, and Kylie's birthday all crammed into a few weeks. It really is such a special time of year!<br />
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We started off December with Cameron's birthday. We had a party with a few of his cousins on his actual birthday, and a sleepover with some of his boy cousins that weekend.<br />
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We also took our annual trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. The kids had a great time as they always do. It's hard to believe that the first time we came, Kylie was a fresh little newborn- now, she's almost 3!<br />
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Carriage ride on the Kansas City Plaza. The lights were so pretty!<br />
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We take advantage of EACH and EVERY nice day there is in the winter time.<br />
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We crafted and made ornaments all month long! </div>
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One of my sweet nieces, Brittney, got engaged right before Christmas! I had the incredible opportunity to be able to take pictures for them on such a beautiful, snowy day. In fact, the snow was falling as we were out taking pictures- it was so much fun. And the timing was perfect- the very next day it was so sunny and the snow melted instantly. I am so, so happy for her!</div>
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Christmas was truly wonderful. With the kids birthdays being so close to Christmas, we really scale down the amount of gifts we buy. Also, I don't ever want my kids to feel entitled to a bunch of gifts at Christmas. When we would talk about Christmas it was about the true Christmas story in Matthew (or Luke) and about the birth of a Savior. In our Bible study (BSF) that the kids and I attend, we have been studying Matthew so I think that really hit home with them. <br />
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I am so excited to share soon, some big updates to our house! We are in the process of selecting new floors on the main level and countertops in our kitchen. It's all happening so quick and hopefully it will be done over the next month. Until then! =)<br />
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-23666313855779852812013-12-05T20:04:00.000-06:002013-12-05T20:04:46.492-06:00Five on the fifth.My sweet baby boy Cameron turns five today! It's absolutely mind blowing how fast time seems to go these days. I mean, I remember when he was a baby, thinking about things like him being in school and playing sports- and thinking that those things were so far away. Well, here we are! The days are long but the years are short, my friends.<br />
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I am completely honored and humbled that God has allowed me to be the mother to this boy. Through Cameron He has taught me patience, mercy, and kindness. To be loving when it's the hardest. To strive (though I fail) to be as Christ like as possible in my everyday life. And to teach this precious boy all of these things to the best of my ability.<br />
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People always comment on his great behavior and for that I am so proud of him. For the most part, he gets along and plays really well with his sister (they have their moments, though!). He is very much a typical boy- loud and obnoxious, etc... but he is very sweet, caring and loving. </div>
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I am not good at writing things down that my kids say, but the other day Cameron and Kylie were building some "weapons/shooters" from a set of straws and connecters that Cam has. They came to attack me with these weapons that they made while I was doing some things in the kitchen and I pretended to fall on the ground. They piled on top of me and continued to strike me. As I pretended to cry, I asked them "do you guys not love me anymore? DO YOU GUYS WANT A NEW MOM?" </div>
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Kylie yelled "YESSSS!" but Cameron said (feeling sad) "No, Mom! We love you JUST the way you are. You are as beautiful as an angel!" </div>
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I feel like that is a true picture of his caring and loving personality- he is just such a sweet boy. These past five years have been so great and I can't wait to see what the next five bring! Happy Birthday, Cameron!</div>
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-14810015462620692002013-11-01T22:58:00.001-05:002013-11-01T23:01:55.909-05:00Colorado VacationThis last weekend, we went on a road trip to Colorado! To say we had the best time is easily an understatement- I'm currently waiting for my husband to give me the green light to search for real estate there. =) I'm kidding, sort of, but man... I'd love to have a little vacation home in the mountains. I don't know what it is, but being in the mountains does something for me that I can't explain and I'm already thinking ahead to the next time we go!<br />
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So, back to the trip: we stayed in a small town called Fraser, just outside Winter Park at a little Bed & Breakfast called the Wild Horse Inn (which was amazing- more on that in a sec). We've traveled with the kids a number of times through the years, but have never taken a trip in the car longer than 4-5 hours so this 9-10 hour stuff had me a little scared. To my surprise, the kids ROCKED in the car (both ways) and it couldn't have gone better.<br />
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This was the first time our kids got to see mountains (we went to Washington when Cam was 9 months, so he doesn't remember) and they were giddy with excitement as soon as we hit the Denver area. It was so snowy on the Pass between Denver and Winter Park, the kids couldn't wait to get out and play in it!<br />
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The Wild Horse Inn Bed and Breakfast we stayed at was so neat. The main lodge (above) had several rooms, a dining room for their daily <b>amazing</b> breakfasts, and a large living room with cozy couches and a giant fireplace. There were also 3 private cabins, one of which we stayed in. It was so perfect and I'd love to stay there again!<br />
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The first few minutes of the sunrise was quietly breathtaking- spiritual almost. This was also the view we had from our cabin every morning! </div>
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Our first morning there we decided to do a bit of hiking. We found ourselves somewhere outside Winter Park in the National Forest- driving up into the mountains until our 4-wheel drive said "stop", and began hiking for about a mile and a half. Other than the sound of snow crunching beneath our boots, it was eerily quiet up there- there were no cars passing and no hikers that we saw. I knew that we'd end up in a bit of backcountry (knowing my husband) so I took along my tripod for a few photo ops. We were hoping to see some wildlife and even though we didn't, the hike was gorgeous and rewarding. </div>
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One of the original reasons we went to Colorado was to attend the wedding of a longtime friend of Jon's. I don't have pictures of the ceremony (which was at the B&B we stayed at) but it was gorgeous, sunny, and warm(ish)- couldn't have been more perfect!<br />
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Sunday (our last day) we drove to Georgetown (about an hour from WP) to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Back before we had kids (I was pregnant with Cameron, actually) <a href="http://jhawks482.blogspot.com/2008/05/weekend-fun-in-durango-colorado.html">we did the Narrow Gauge train ride</a> that takes you from Durango to Silverton. It was one of the best experiences and we knew our kids would love to do it someday, so we thought the Georgetown ride would be perfect. <br />
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Since it only covers 3 miles (an hour train ride) it was perfect for the kids- it was cold, <i>and</i> we sat in an open car. The kids loved it and I hope Cameron will have lasting memories of it!<br />
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After the train ride we just drove- the kids were champions in the car and we were able to experience so much by just driving. We stopped near Silverthorne because Jon spotted water and thought it would be fun to get out and check it out.<br />
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My husband grew up in the Pacific northwest and is a "mountain man" (his words, not mine), so needless to say, he is far more adventurous than I. The hike down to this reservoir was so incredibly narrow and steep I had to scoot down the path on my hands and feet (picture a crab here) to get there while he flawlessly and effortlessly carried the kids. But the pay-off, well... you can see just how beautiful it is. Had it been up to me we would not have attempted it. But here we played, looked for gold shiny rocks, and just explored like we were on a private island with no one else around for miles.<br />
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Mountains do something good for my soul in a way that beaches cannot.<br />
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In a lot of my photos I relied heavily on the self-timer, but I handed Cameron my camera for many shots and he does quite well! But once I give it to him, it's a fight to get it back. </div>
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Since we've been back all I can think about is getting back there. I love making such precious memories with my crew and hope that we can continue to do so for many years to come! </div>
Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-45007807847533684352013-10-21T21:35:00.000-05:002013-10-21T21:35:45.685-05:00Fall HappeningsIt's hard to believe that the month of October is pretty much gone. Maybe it's from all my years working retail, but for me, after Halloween is over, it's Christmastime. I can remember working at the mall the week of Halloween and the back rooms of the stores I worked out were unboxing Christmas trees and all the trimmings to transform the store into a Christmas wonderland. For the record, I'm not one of those people who completely ignores the holiday in between, but I do tend to get panicky if I haven't started my Christmas shopping and preparations by the first few weeks in November.<br />
My favorite time of year (Oct-Dec) goes by so fast and all I want to do is just savor the days. Here is a little peak at what we've been up to this fall!<br />
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Right before Cameron started school, we took a family vacation to Orlando. We had a great time, but BOY was it <i>so</i> hot- someday when we go back, we will pick a month other than August!<br />
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Jon and I are lucky to be able to go out on regular date nights, but it's also such a treat to be able to go on "family" dates. It may be just going to the pizza joint down the road, but the kids think it's so fun to come on "dates" with us. </div>
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"Street art" by Cameron</div>
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I'm not sure what it is, but 99% of the time I pull out my camera to take a picture of my kids, they look directly AWAY from the camera the second I tell them to smile. Drives. me. batty. </div>
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Our annual trek to the Kansas State Fair!</div>
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My bestie from college just got married and I was honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. It was such a beautiful wedding and amazing day!</div>
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Cameron has been absolutely loving school this year. A few weeks ago, he was star-of-the-week and among special privileges, he got to take his class pet, "mousie" home for the weekend. Behind him, you can see a snippet of a project we did- installing a flagstone path on the side of our house. I don't have a great picture of it now, but will share one soon! </div>
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We love spending our Saturday mornings with Grandma. Here Cameron was trying to get her to ride scooters with him!<br />
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One of the reasons I love the holidays so much is that there are so many fun crafts to be made. In lieu of a fall wreath this year, Cameron and I made a little paper garland for the front door!<br />
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Yesterday we (along with about 25 people from our family) went to the pumpkin patch! Afterward, we hosted them all at our house for a chili feed, s'mores, and lots of fall treats. </div>
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This picture needs a bit of work, but I love it. </div>
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Kylie. And all her blonde hair. </div>
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Also, she is so, so tall. Per our growth chart, she is already 3 inches taller than Cameron was on his 3rd birthday, and she doesn't turn 3 until January! </div>
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I love my little family so much. </div>
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Thanks for reading- I hope everyone is enjoying the fall season!</div>
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<br />Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-90894626635649263432013-09-06T13:58:00.000-05:002013-09-06T14:05:47.762-05:00Cameron goes to school! Not long after I started this blog, I found out I was pregnant with Cameron. It quickly became a place to document my pregnancy, life and adventures as a new mom. Also? I blogged a lot. Like several times a week. I took my camera everywhere and blogged about <i>everything</i>. Five years and 2 kids later looks a bit different here- I've gone from a weekly blogger to a monthly blogger, and as of late, a seasonal blogger. I'm not ready to give up my little piece of the web yet- the archives of this blog are such a treasure to me and I want to keep adding to it whether it's 4 times a year or 4 times a month.<br />
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This last week, we had a pretty big milestone in our house- Cameron started school! He's had a great first week and I love hearing exactly what he did each day.<br />
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Yesterday, he came home and asked if we had baking soda in the house. I was puzzled by that question, but then he asked if we had "some water that <i>wasn't</i> water, but smelled like pickles".<br />
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"Vinegar?" I asked.<br />
"YES!! Binegar!!" he said. "Do we have some?"<br />
"We do."<br />
"Ok, I need a tray, 2 cups, baking soda and binegar." (he pronounces his "v's" like "b's")<br />
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He then showed us all at the dinner table the experiment they did in class that day, after reading a book about a mouse and a volcanic explosion. He was so proud. And honestly? That moment was the best part of my day. I don't want to forget about stuff like that.<br />
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The last time I blogged I mentioned the bed I finished building him last year. I have always loved this <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/camp-bed-and-trundle/?pkey=cbeds-mattresses&group=1&sku=4879433">Pottery Barn Kids bed</a> and when it came to choosing a design, I knew this is the bed I wanted to build. Typically I get my plans from <a href="http://ana-white.com/">Ana White</a>, but she didn't have these plans. I felt that since I had quite a bit of experience that I could draw up my own plans, and that's exactly what I did. I spent a bit of time drawing and measuring, studying the PBK version. I took measurements for a standard twin bed, and went from there. This bed is a result of some intensive thinking and math (which I am NOT good at) and I could not be happier with the end result- an identical bed to the one I loved from PBK.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIEFopyuYJwM3EGBY1RuXE4BgS_XMGUbO21oYrWNumR2Q-WrFhSl35OgeC9N0wCI2LNsX2Vxxpp8mP1fYSU325XPpqOC_tLYG7-3Rs1xyC6RW6S3Y9KAFT2hKUO2lcjxJ0nC0RyZ3m0Q/s1600/cambed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIEFopyuYJwM3EGBY1RuXE4BgS_XMGUbO21oYrWNumR2Q-WrFhSl35OgeC9N0wCI2LNsX2Vxxpp8mP1fYSU325XPpqOC_tLYG7-3Rs1xyC6RW6S3Y9KAFT2hKUO2lcjxJ0nC0RyZ3m0Q/s640/cambed.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I still need to build a pull out trundle (basically, a box on wheels) and I'll probably get to that this fall.<br />
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A lot of times when I build something, I save a bit of money (as opposed to buying a retail item) but that wasn't the case for this bed. It's solid oak which is one of the more pricier woods out there. I don't regret that decision because the grain on this bed is so gorgeous! And since it's oak, it will stand up to a few generations (hopefully!) of use.<br />
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I stained the bed myself but had it professionally finished (lacquered). When I picked up the bed from being finished, it took my breath away. It looked so amazing I could have cried. I honestly couldn't believe that it was something that I built!<br />
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Anyway, I have so much more to say after a summer of silence here, and maybe I will get to that, maybe not. =) Thanks to all who still read!Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-30016079528660237272013-04-29T21:08:00.000-05:002013-04-29T21:11:45.997-05:00A weekend getaway.Hello, there! It has been quite awhile!<br />
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Well friends, nearly <i>two whole months</i> have passed since I've sat down and typed a few words on the dusty ol' blog. Rather than rewinding and playing catch up, I'll just start by sharing a little weekend-vacation we just got back from. Before I do that though, I will mention that I finished a big project on my list a few weeks ago- Cameron's twin bed- and <i>it. is. awesome. </i>I will be blogging about that in the coming days because it's way too good not to share (and show off!). </div>
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So anyway, our vacation- we escaped to the beautiful, quiet, small town of Nebraska City. My Grandpa, Aunt and Uncle live there, so we took over their house for a few days and really had a great time. Internet was spotty- so I was completely unplugged from my fifth appendage (aka my iPad) and all my social network addictions. I needed that! </div>
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While there, we drove up to Omaha to visit the Zoo. I've been there several times and of course, it did not disappoint! </div>
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We spent Saturday in Nebraska City, and they had a lot of events going on for Arbor Day that weekend. Arbor Day was actually founded in Nebraska City, so it's no surprise that the city is covered in giant, beautiful trees. It's also home to the Arbor Day Farm, which is a totally rad nature/adventure park. </div>
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There were so many fun things for the kids to do and play with! My one and only complaint was that I wished we had had more time (we were pushing through quickly to get to a parade) to do more of the nature walks and adventure ride. We also got a free tree (seedling) to take home with us. Jon and I are quite geeky about trees (we planted 11 trees at our old house and we've planted 12 at our current) and the outdoors so needless to say we enjoyed the Farm very much! I can't wait to go back.<br />
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We were able to catch the parade just in time. The parade had such a small-town "vibe" and the kids really loved it (and came home with a bag full of candy and little toys!). </div>
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We also went to the Arbor Lodge State Park, of which I have many many memories from my teenage years.<br />
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We all had the best time- a little vacation is just what our family needed! </div>
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-1502704801432328142013-03-05T13:05:00.000-06:002013-03-05T13:09:11.455-06:00Snippets.Last week, we had a monster snowstorm roll through town (well, two actually). We got 20 inches of snow in under a week and we LOVED it! We've gone through the last few winters with just a dusting here and there, so it was awesome to be able to get out and play in it for several days! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6POvevgiaLrdRx9_LVQyhWhTLDAv2bn8iXdSfsqSwK6V8R8n3WseIRh2kAe6vFyXJB84Rj89QcFfsPWXiMRUrXibmw-8tysHSItScjuMPyLGoXue9GWlZqextk1Jc91Yze_63iYONLc/s1600/snow2crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6POvevgiaLrdRx9_LVQyhWhTLDAv2bn8iXdSfsqSwK6V8R8n3WseIRh2kAe6vFyXJB84Rj89QcFfsPWXiMRUrXibmw-8tysHSItScjuMPyLGoXue9GWlZqextk1Jc91Yze_63iYONLc/s640/snow2crop.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Kylie with our favorite neighbor-dog, Sadie</span></div>
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Cameron is officially enrolled in Pre-K! As excited as I am for him to start school, I really feel that my time at home with him is slipping away too quickly- and that makes me truly sad. I've made it a goal to really take advantage of my time with him by planning more activities, crafts, going more places, cooking more together- basically just having more fun and using our time together with more purpose.<br />
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Kylie has been quite the sassy pants lately. She is the queen of hilariously odd facial expressions- sometimes I look at her and think "She's a real person! A real, live, little person!" like I wonder how there's so much personality in a tiny little body. Any other moms ever think that about their kids?<br />
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I cannot believe it's March already. To me in feels like we were <i>just</i> opening presents at Christmas time, but here we are on the verge of Spring (yay!) and longer days (double yay!). As excited as I am about that, spring isn't here <i>right now </i>and I need some fresh green plants in my life already. I've gone to Lowe's a few times in the last week, getting a few potted houseplants and some herb and vegetable seeds to plant now. Several of them are sprouting and it's just enough to hold me over until things sprout outside. Spring come quickly!<br />
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-85407784241836489662013-02-04T14:09:00.002-06:002013-02-04T22:47:51.285-06:00A bed for Kylie & a finished basement tour!Just days after I posted Kylie's 2 year update, she was climbing in and out of her crib like a pro. Nothing would stop her- not discipline and not even turning her crib around (so the highest part was in the front), so I knew it was time to get her a big girl bed.<br />
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When I posted the <a href="http://www.jhawks482.blogspot.com/2012/10/kylies-room.html">finished pictures of her room</a>, I mentioned that I wanted to get her a white iron daybed when the day would come, so I've casually been keeping my eye open for the perfect one for her. Well, I found it, and she loves it! She has transitioned <i>really</i> well (only getting out of bed the very first night a few times) and thinks it's great that she's got a big bed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQ-AXIymGLzbJzr-SuNshXaD0y2012P4lfLhyphenhyphenKkzd7zPseEzH75-WCdk6ywSNtL5ISD2_OenR6a1QTbSq6xHnx50-i6m2iFhGmrEGe5Xdd7euqOUr9y_QoxMOcrP-8bl_CTIsW5aUA6g/s1600/DSC_1112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQ-AXIymGLzbJzr-SuNshXaD0y2012P4lfLhyphenhyphenKkzd7zPseEzH75-WCdk6ywSNtL5ISD2_OenR6a1QTbSq6xHnx50-i6m2iFhGmrEGe5Xdd7euqOUr9y_QoxMOcrP-8bl_CTIsW5aUA6g/s640/DSC_1112.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I found her sheets at PB Teen and the comforter at Target. I think they are such a perfect match to her existing colors and decor! I love this room so much- it's easily my favorite in the house. </div>
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Now, onto the basement! We finished it up right after Thanksgiving, and I honestly can't remember what it was like <i>not </i>to have this space finished. We hang out so much down here. </div>
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When you come down the stairs, to the left is the bar area. It's really nice to have this space for secondary kitchen storage- things like off season dinnerware, wine glasses and serving platters all have a home here.</div>
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This undermount sink is a <i>dream.</i> If and when we replace countertops in our kitchen my sink WILL be an undermount! (hear that, <a href="http://corinnegrace.blogspot.com/">Jen</a>?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTBqHBP3HGoaNvtXqVEsP9Rm-PtGMQ2GOp4ruNRRQAEHinVevXBPpRAbzoqgtos4joPW3J7l3Ozn-g3FcuHfT-p8MscnnYAtjKCVHToWx_tziyUr3d1rkdD0WJX8AzWcY0_yTAGotPmk/s1600/DSC_1132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTBqHBP3HGoaNvtXqVEsP9Rm-PtGMQ2GOp4ruNRRQAEHinVevXBPpRAbzoqgtos4joPW3J7l3Ozn-g3FcuHfT-p8MscnnYAtjKCVHToWx_tziyUr3d1rkdD0WJX8AzWcY0_yTAGotPmk/s640/DSC_1132.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">{Floors: Crossville Buenos Aires Tango (polished); Counters: Travertine (durango, honed); Lights: Lowe's Allen + Roth; Cabinets: Local (not sure of brand), Cabinet pulls: Lowe's.}</span></div>
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The living room is the view from the bar. If the TV looks crooked, your eyes do not deceive you. I've mentioned it to the husband a few hundred times, but alas, it's still crooked. </div>
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The space to the left of the bar will probably house a pinball machine or foosball table someday soon. (maybe even a dartboard?) </div>
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The kids love having the train table here. To the right you can see part of my craft closet, and the kids play area is underneath the stairs there. </div>
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I haven't done much with my craft room (in terms of organizing) but I'm glad to have all my stuff out of the linen closets upstairs! I can walk into the closet a bit (to the right) so I've got my wrapping paper, gift bags and fabric remnants on shelving there. </div>
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The kids love having their own, designated (small) play place! It's also nice to have an area to throw toys into for a quick basement clean-up. </div>
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In this hallway are the two bedrooms and bathroom.</div>
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I have plans for this room but for now, it's just functional enough for sitters who stay the night. </div>
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The office.</div>
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This year my goal is to inject some personality and color into the basement! I have a giant <a href="http://www.zgallerie.com/p-9611-agave.aspx">abstract canvas print</a> on backorder from Zgallerie for over the couch, but aside from that I'll probably start finding pictures I've taken over the years to hang down here (since they're essentially free!). I hope you enjoyed the tour- if you have any questions, feel free to ask! =)</div>
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-59000272274167089492013-01-10T14:03:00.001-06:002013-01-10T14:03:26.755-06:00Kylie is 2! <div>
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My sweet baby girl is 2 today! There has been a lot of building excitement around the house this week- because when it's someone's birthday, it's a week-long celebration. Kylie is still a little young to understand what exactly is taking place, but she is certainly playing along getting a bit of royal treatment!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">We tried to take pictures of her this week and it was an absolute fail! No smiles, and in over half of the pictures she was not even facing my camera. This was the best we could do! </span></div>
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Kylie is a much more independent version of her brother. She's definitely sassier and has a bit more attitude. I definitely try to soak up the quiet, gentle spirit in her when it shows- those are rare moments for her! I do believe that I may have created a monster in her early on, because she wants lotion, bows, and nail polish every day. I love that, though- my hope is that I can be the one to show her beauty from the inside and out. She's still rocking golden curls and has bright blue eyes- something I never would have thought to have come from me! She is pretty smart and has become quite good at counting from Cameron's love of numbers. </div>
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I love this girl so much- I can't imagine her not being a part of this family! </div>
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Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-39781187218187003582012-12-18T18:16:00.001-06:002012-12-18T18:20:32.928-06:00A little bit of Christmas!Its crazy to me how fast Christmas day is approaching. When I was younger, the period from when I started school in the fall until we were out for Christmas break always seemed like lightyears- and now, I feel like I hardly have time to catch my breath in the same amount of time. I have always loved Christmas so much, and I'm getting a little giddy over a nice possibility that we will see some snow on Christmas!<br />
Today I want to share with you a bit of our Christmas decor. I've always been pretty minimalist when it comes to decorating and its no different when I break out my holiday gear. This has become even more true in recent years, as I find the less I have out, the less I have to say "NO DON'T TOUCH THAT!"<br />
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The wall shelves I built when we moved in got holiday treatment with a few live pine sprigs and some ball ornaments. As a side note, I get so, <i>so</i> many compliments on these custom wall shelves- and people are always impressed that they were made for so little money and time. If you have an empty wall in your house I highly recommend taking a few hours and whipping a few out!<br />
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The little bird that we brought back from Hilton Head even got a santa hat!<br />
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Cameron and I have been busy little bees the past few weeks, baking and crafting our afternoons away.</div>
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The other day I cut some Christmas trees out of foam, glued them onto some wood blocks I had in the garage, and instantly we had ourselves a stamp. </div>
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Originally I wanted them so we could stamp on brown craft paper to wrap gifts, but we've found many other ways to use these! I can definitely see us making stamps like this all year. Those foam stickers/letters they sell everywhere? Those would make perfect stamps.</div>
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Cameron stamped up his Christmas countdown! </div>
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I have never in my life had a real Christmas tree, but this year I made a real wreath and got live garland for the mantle. While I LOVE the real pine on the mantle, I don't know if I could do a real tree. It has made SUCH a mess dropping needles everywhere.<br />
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And finally, our Christmas tree. It actually started off pretty bare but Cameron has been producing ornaments left and right!</div>
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My shopping is done (but the wrapping is not), so we're just enjoying a quiet week together before the holiday! I hope you all have a merry Christmas! </div>
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<br />Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-18199477540364115802012-12-05T07:30:00.000-06:002012-12-05T12:04:50.314-06:00Four.<a href="http://www.jhawks482.blogspot.com/2009/12/cameron-one-year.html">One.</a> <a href="http://www.jhawks482.blogspot.com/2010/11/weekend-snippets-pictures.html">Two.</a> <a href="http://www.jhawks482.blogspot.com/2011/12/three.html">Three.</a><br />
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Today, my baby turns four years old! I hear and read a lot of the time, that parents "can't believe" that their kid is turning a year older when their birthday rolls around. That would certainly be the case for Kylie, who turns 2 in January. But not so for this guy, who is CONSTANTLY talking about being 4, 5, 10, etc, that to me, it didn't seem possible that was still 3 until today. After all, when asked his age by a stranger, it's not uncommon for him to answer "64!", a response guaranteed with a giggle from the stranger.<br />
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In some ways, it seems like SO long ago that we brought Cameron home, a 9lb, 8oz baby who was two weeks late. Yet certain memories while in labor (watching the 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion show, <b>two weeks late</b>, contracting while making no progress can make you feel like stabbing someone) seem quite fresh as if it were only yesterday.<br />
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This boy, so smart and so sweet is equally a mama's boy and a daddy's boy. He has become my favorite shopping partner, but would do anything to go riding on the four-wheeler with his dad. I love to spoil him, not (just) with gifts but with love, ultimately teaching him the unconditional love that Christ has for us. He loves spiderman, our 10 year old neighbor-girl Morgan (eeek!), and helping me cook and wash dishes (though he does not like to clean his room). I can't express into words how awesome and silly he is, he's just such a joy and I'm so happy he is my son!<br />
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<br />Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-50080002244028684432012-11-08T12:56:00.001-06:002012-11-08T14:31:04.731-06:00Snippets<div style="text-align: left;">
Almost a month ago, Jon and I were able to sneak in a little vacation, just ourselves, to Las Vegas. It was a much needed relaxing trip for both of us! We both enjoy Las Vegas because we're able to pack in a lot of activity in 3 days. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvccL2ExGZZ0c7ZU1L5IAVNyRQ8MPSme7tdBCTBoGfj9YgGXdaUVBWyG9AluZK2MuJ9PP02E2S-UaFZe_UqA3w3-Gnvsg9Nc41nMOeszJkku9EDzSs18URizKcG5jvXVnatIMio7beSc/s1600/DSCN0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvccL2ExGZZ0c7ZU1L5IAVNyRQ8MPSme7tdBCTBoGfj9YgGXdaUVBWyG9AluZK2MuJ9PP02E2S-UaFZe_UqA3w3-Gnvsg9Nc41nMOeszJkku9EDzSs18URizKcG5jvXVnatIMio7beSc/s640/DSCN0098.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div>
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We stayed at the Aria this time, and while it was nice, I personally loved The Encore much more. We had <i>such</i> a great time, but it's so nice to come home to our kids. </div>
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Cameron has been a major sweetheart lately. We had a rough couple of weeks dealing with disobedience at the end of summer- and that wasn't fun for anyone. It makes all the difference when he's loving and kind to his sister. They even ask me to take their picture when they are being sweet and affectionate towards each other. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdazTOphBHnFK8QMcikle3LSsltKGnidoQ1eqo1F6owjJ0lEp-wr8FAowbdIyzoGGhUOq3uaVC4Nuqqm7mRRhHIEjJeo-v75N4J8e4kZZaZFN5ZnDsoU0HhXgWL1L9DDJ7_nb-8WBtho4/s1600/DSC_0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdazTOphBHnFK8QMcikle3LSsltKGnidoQ1eqo1F6owjJ0lEp-wr8FAowbdIyzoGGhUOq3uaVC4Nuqqm7mRRhHIEjJeo-v75N4J8e4kZZaZFN5ZnDsoU0HhXgWL1L9DDJ7_nb-8WBtho4/s640/DSC_0377.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am fighting a major, major urge to put up the Christmas tree. Last year, I had it up a few days before Thanksgiving- and I will likely wait at least until then this year too. Partly, because its still pretty warm here- tomorrow is supposed to be almost 80 degrees!</div>
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And on that note, I will be royally ticked if we don't get any snow this year. We didn't get any last year, at all. In all my years of living in Kansas, I can't remember a winter where we didn't get any snow. Cameron was pretty sad to get snow boots and not be able to use them. This year, all Im asking for is one, giant snowstorm that brings several feet of snow. </div>
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We are just a couple of weeks away from having our basement completely, totally finished (for real this time!). Last weekend, we had someone come build shelves (something I am completely and totally capable of doing myself, but I digress) in all of the closets and this weekend, we have someone coming to stain all the shelves, the bar top, and all of the trim. The carpet has been ordered and is ready when the stain and finish are done. We already have a movie line-up going for movie nights in the basement! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLqkJNJaX9J6Sj9shsldhnZegaL2VRi5an3mE2vgvsOr3inangxSsx3PQ1wRgt6SpSe7qCVpaacZqKJVYeJZhPWoPQ3F0BD2Syy4b4q7BWJ6RKJApxd12KeEpa4V2k55hHQvb00u5xls/s1600/DSC_0634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLqkJNJaX9J6Sj9shsldhnZegaL2VRi5an3mE2vgvsOr3inangxSsx3PQ1wRgt6SpSe7qCVpaacZqKJVYeJZhPWoPQ3F0BD2Syy4b4q7BWJ6RKJApxd12KeEpa4V2k55hHQvb00u5xls/s640/DSC_0634.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="424" /></a></div>
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I cannot wait for this space- my own little craft closet/office. Plenty of shelves, and a little desk for my sewing machine and laptop. My craft supplies have been taking over the linen closets for far too long! </div>
Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-34943776790843303262012-10-19T20:58:00.002-05:002012-10-19T20:59:42.327-05:00Kylie's RoomWe've been at our new house a little over a year now, and I'm starting to make a little progress decorating it. All the blank walls used to bother me- especially after living here for quite some time- but I'm someone who has difficulty going shopping for things just to fill a void. I really have to stumble on a piece, unexpectedly almost. I'm finally at the point where I'm ok not having a beautifully, fully decorated house just yet. In other words: I'm content with slow progress. =)<br />
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That's been the case with Kylie's (now finished!) room. Our kids <a href="http://www.jhawks482.blogspot.com/2011/01/kids-room-current-state.html">shared a room</a> at our old house, so the only thing Kylie started out with in her own space was her crib and rocking chair. I shopped quite a bit right off the bat for necessities like curtains and a dresser, but the decor and wall hangings have been slowly added in as I have made or come across them. As a result, I think her room looks "collected", a look that I love.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItAhCoKY4cy0WSqIahkyPB9YzkvhH7YlVQVazzImSTR1ZM1kTtq_29NQKf33Xsc_X2pXF5crppqa9vJGocI3ihSZsEo59-zgNQYTr0m8OpsHVpqGSX3mO-AaqfPyDx94h_kYdMPhq_JA/s1600/DSC_0393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItAhCoKY4cy0WSqIahkyPB9YzkvhH7YlVQVazzImSTR1ZM1kTtq_29NQKf33Xsc_X2pXF5crppqa9vJGocI3ihSZsEo59-zgNQYTr0m8OpsHVpqGSX3mO-AaqfPyDx94h_kYdMPhq_JA/s640/DSC_0393.jpg" width="425" /></a> <br />
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Without a doubt, my most favorite piece would be the bookshelf that I almost gave up on. I'm going to be honest here and say, that if I were to do it again, I'd rather <strike>just gouge my eyes out</strike> buy the $400 <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/dollhouse-bookcase/?pkey=e%7Cdollhouse%2Bbookcase%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH%7C%7CNoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-">Pottery Barn kids version</a>. All that to say how proud I feel to have built <i>and</i> finished it, as long as it took. I hope that someday I have grandchildren that will enjoy this!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvbReGFZq1kBr6pS_9smDCySxtMlO64AtzWcWaYl5hKwa6XPPh3X3gco0RDQnl07YZMBJ6EjPoramzKKi2fzFPh1703KngNYnyuI8r1tg3KMCsqpcksql2pavjw_d73Gx-2Ab1r0Y2CA/s1600/DSC_0395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvbReGFZq1kBr6pS_9smDCySxtMlO64AtzWcWaYl5hKwa6XPPh3X3gco0RDQnl07YZMBJ6EjPoramzKKi2fzFPh1703KngNYnyuI8r1tg3KMCsqpcksql2pavjw_d73Gx-2Ab1r0Y2CA/s640/DSC_0395.jpg" width="425" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbhoFR2HARR6Tj-7RUD1wsOArCmVvrZALrJ7lyHJl2jUp6EvsFtrn_t_AVdzZp7L5mJTWa5WhrR6vxo_HDtdJvA5De913SNg40T3HRaAxUqFF8Q1W6r1VNROFCJ5vptjsu1UjI9UVuSo/s1600/DSC_0396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbhoFR2HARR6Tj-7RUD1wsOArCmVvrZALrJ7lyHJl2jUp6EvsFtrn_t_AVdzZp7L5mJTWa5WhrR6vxo_HDtdJvA5De913SNg40T3HRaAxUqFF8Q1W6r1VNROFCJ5vptjsu1UjI9UVuSo/s640/DSC_0396.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I love how the framed gallery has taken shape over the dresser. I've switched out the artwork inside the frames quite a bit- and I'm still not 100% sure I'm set on what's there, but I'm happy with the arrangement. Most of the artwork is mine, even the yellow flower picture (on the window wall) that I painted in High school that i dug out of my parents basement. (thanks for saving that, mom!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PX21-qYDbshvRf0Dh-frS3HzmTw-7TvqiL6lkD526SI_saknemRrB8DpbBrWdkOKFTQiTlqZNyHHnLVWREQ2hyphenhyphenLB6u8tHYd6Zyq8GJKFyB7Wb3W_qI6ChYbTGLWHmcgNrDHoty-BPHI/s1600/DSC_0394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PX21-qYDbshvRf0Dh-frS3HzmTw-7TvqiL6lkD526SI_saknemRrB8DpbBrWdkOKFTQiTlqZNyHHnLVWREQ2hyphenhyphenLB6u8tHYd6Zyq8GJKFyB7Wb3W_qI6ChYbTGLWHmcgNrDHoty-BPHI/s640/DSC_0394.jpg" width="425" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULOZ5xzsfACo1_4Jukg4faJXuV9cSUW80KlelmYL2QX0zHr7mhiiztDhQTGyCZ2ibdB4iUGFviSAfzEsee9JkBhmrYNWeu2zN36JCVqQw8QhqR5fRaCIadZcGrVeJorpN_DBhxE66B2g/s1600/DSC_0409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULOZ5xzsfACo1_4Jukg4faJXuV9cSUW80KlelmYL2QX0zHr7mhiiztDhQTGyCZ2ibdB4iUGFviSAfzEsee9JkBhmrYNWeu2zN36JCVqQw8QhqR5fRaCIadZcGrVeJorpN_DBhxE66B2g/s640/DSC_0409.jpg" width="424" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXej_sc_5XWHGNiT-bT7nkijdUE_wUXpZZ37WIEv5MOy8P0dqRKjzk-pW_27QUd8AXVAUDN5wmZFb9UqNfLs4DxMaNHGkVx3EJlBU9Ye0d16bBT5Er_uXhzk4JHQsr5_7WIaKx4saww0/s1600/DSC_0403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXej_sc_5XWHGNiT-bT7nkijdUE_wUXpZZ37WIEv5MOy8P0dqRKjzk-pW_27QUd8AXVAUDN5wmZFb9UqNfLs4DxMaNHGkVx3EJlBU9Ye0d16bBT5Er_uXhzk4JHQsr5_7WIaKx4saww0/s640/DSC_0403.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
I splurged big time on the curtains for her room. Since she has a west facing room, and the window is over 10 feet tall, you can imagine how hot it gets in there in the summer (and, how cold in the winter months). I went with white panels from PBK with blackout lining- which helps quiet street noise and keeps the outside temperature from taking over her room. I searched a long time for curtains for her room (I even had cheap Target ones up for a bit- but they didn't keep intense heat out) and I'm really happy with the quality of these ones.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dvw8YkAgsH7u7X0cu3pFLApgjEWoNvDzR4GPxCcKaI1C6KIE6Fl8UQlbhC7pZQYN_3YdW2xxx26I5peeR6vQLn6Qdci3KpKVIYg2VP6tXmZXwre47cQVEKmrq0P1cdsyzo74chPXFFE/s1600/DSC_0397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dvw8YkAgsH7u7X0cu3pFLApgjEWoNvDzR4GPxCcKaI1C6KIE6Fl8UQlbhC7pZQYN_3YdW2xxx26I5peeR6vQLn6Qdci3KpKVIYg2VP6tXmZXwre47cQVEKmrq0P1cdsyzo74chPXFFE/s640/DSC_0397.jpg" width="425" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVg1SkKr2xRJm3e6LBWRYkKj01WNaL7lSD-AHFyoDF_iVpdvnC2H8EHhkW4JqiJqOm-2Pfq-w9TXJrtIFdB-6L8gmtQrcboHheI99OERfUf0CrHuAHAnqsXVjzT3mWcuzo03jAKLTF12E/s1600/DSC_0399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVg1SkKr2xRJm3e6LBWRYkKj01WNaL7lSD-AHFyoDF_iVpdvnC2H8EHhkW4JqiJqOm-2Pfq-w9TXJrtIFdB-6L8gmtQrcboHheI99OERfUf0CrHuAHAnqsXVjzT3mWcuzo03jAKLTF12E/s640/DSC_0399.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I drew the artwork over her crib after seeing this <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/54119248/flamingo-friend-screenprint-new?ref=sr_list_2&ga_search_query=pink+screen+print&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fart%2Fprint">Etsy</a> version (which was no longer available) and it's also one of my favorite pieces in her room. I think it's so cute! Kylie loves flamingos- one of her favorite stuffed toys is a flamingo named "Squawk".<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-EOzB6aYeqy5KWoMJjQ9XLNA2j83t-KXQpLPcsHpMvoxDCjVbbiAhZ28Mw1SE66nEXRVAMp-tNfuFMdqtd0sHi7uqz3lZCkxVcsThQllEZKV35j_hJocqkRyYRqIDclZhqx0RHuAjPs/s1600/DSC_0400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-EOzB6aYeqy5KWoMJjQ9XLNA2j83t-KXQpLPcsHpMvoxDCjVbbiAhZ28Mw1SE66nEXRVAMp-tNfuFMdqtd0sHi7uqz3lZCkxVcsThQllEZKV35j_hJocqkRyYRqIDclZhqx0RHuAjPs/s640/DSC_0400.jpg" width="424" /></a> <br />
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In the coming months, we'll switch Kylie out of her crib and into a twin bed. No fancy crib bedding here- just a plain ol' crib sheet. I'm currently searching for the perfect white iron daybed for her. I think it will go great in there, and a daybed is truly the option that makes the most sense in her tiny bedroom.<br />
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Lastly, we picked up this sweet chandelier at Lowe's the other day, and I feel that it really just completes the room! Jon totally agrees. It's funny how my husband who, being so "manly" and all is the one who often initiates purchases that involve pink, sparkle and princess. =) I love how special this room feels, and I think it's just right for her to grow into over the next several years!<br />
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I hope you enjoyed her room as much as we do! =) Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-36960917713801442572012-09-17T21:48:00.000-05:002012-09-17T22:01:26.426-05:00Prayer seeking (once again).Today I had set out to post all about our basement progress, to show pictures of our amazing tile we installed this weekend. I started writing the first sentence of the post probably a half dozen times, and each time deleted it. None of it seemed the slightest bit important or necessary in light of a tragic event that struck our family for the second time in months.
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Yesterday, our oldest nephew Ben was killed in a hiking accident in Washington State. He and another boy (he was hiking with 3 others) were climbing a rock near a waterfall in the Snoqualmie National Forest (east of Seattle) when they both slipped and fell 100 feet. Both boys died. Of the two that survived, one stayed while the other ran over 5 miles for help- and once he reached help, he had to drive down the mountain to get into cell phone service range. Their bodies were recovered this morning.
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I cannot begin to fathom the pain of losing a child. Ben had just graduated high school- he was only 18! My heart is breaking for Jon's sister and family, and also the family of the other boy, who was just 16 years old. It's amazing and sad at the same time to read their Facebook pages and see the impact they had on others. Please if you would, keep Jon's family in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve the loss of Ben. I'll definitely be back soon with some happier notes! Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-10698787600649684682012-08-20T14:16:00.002-05:002012-09-04T20:15:33.175-05:00Back from vacation!Hey everyone! We are back from a great vacation in Hilton Head Island! And, um... I'm back from a blogging vacation I never intended to take. It has been a great summer and it was awesome to end it on the beaches on South Carolina. I'm already ready to reserve the same condo for next year- it was <i>that </i>wonderful.<br />
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So, our condo- it was HUGE. Four large bedrooms, four bathrooms, a giant kitchen, dining and living area. I didn't really take any pictures of the condo but here's the fabulous ocean view that we saw right from every room in the condo. We had considered other places (that weren't beach front properties) but I'm so glad we splurged for this one, because when the kids were napping we lounged on our balcony and enjoyed the sound of the waves. We stayed in the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort area of Hilton Head, in the Wyndham Court Condos.<br />
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View of part of the property from our balcony</div>
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The beaches, while not crystal clear or turquoise waters, were beautiful. We found all sorts of little critters washed up during the low tides.<br />
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Brother/sister picture FAIL. I could compose an entire album of these photos. </div>
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Cameron had his first horse ride at the Stables in Sea pines. He loved it even though he wasn't thrilled to pose for a picture! </div>
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Cousins picture at sunrise.</div>
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The sunrise- it was so pretty.</div>
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Jon and I went parasailing- a first for both of us! </div>
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We had such a great time relaxing and catching up with Jon's sister and husband, and their 2 girls. It's nice to go on vacation with family- the kids had so much fun getting to know their cousins that they rarely see! We were also able to go for walks and bike rides after the kids went to bed almost every evening, since we all stayed in the same condo.<br />
Hilton Head Island is SUCH a great place for families- but not so much that you couldn't enjoy a relaxing vacation with just a spouse. I could definitely own a bit of real estate there and spend every summer at the beach with my family. Maybe someday!Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-18655340117034692552012-07-12T21:06:00.001-05:002012-09-04T20:33:23.530-05:00Kylie-18 months.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Im not gonna lie here, but typing "Kylie" and "18 months" in the same sentence is totally trippy. I'm not even sure how we got to this point. With Cameron, people would ask how old he was and I never even had to think about it- I always knew, every month. With Kylie, I find myself counting her months on my fingers (let's see, January, February, March...) and then being unsure of what I just calculated (wait... 18 months? Jon- is that right?). Life seems to fly by us so quickly, right before my own eyes. </div>
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Kylie has quite the spunky personality, and is pretty ornery as well. Right now, she's a total girly girl (which I love). She is constantly bringing me her hairbrush, stacking colorful bracelets on her arms and loving her dolls. She thinks it's so fun to steal my make-up brushes from my drawer and brush them against her little face. She grabs like 10 bows and clips and wants ALL of them in her hair. </div>
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And speaking of hair- I still can't get over the blonde! In the sun, it is sparkling gold. Had I not carried her for 9 months I might question that she is my daughter! And her blue eyes- she clearly didn't get those beauties from me. </div>
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At her 18 month appointment, she weighed 29 lbs (90th percentile) and was just over 36 inches- which was completely off the charts (edit: measured her at home and she was 34 inches- I think my measurement is more accurate!) In other words, it doesn't get any bigger! She looks like a giant baby compared to other kids her age, for sure. </div>
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Though her and Cameron have a lot of similarities, I think she might be, how do I put it... the more "emotional" of the two. Cameron is a pretty laid back kid. He is easy to reason with and I can stop a rare meltdown with him fairly easily with carefully chosen choices and words. I think Kylie might be a diffent story, though. She can be feisty when things don't go her way or when she doesn't like something. Occasionally she will throw the most hilarious and dramatic fits, throwing her arms up in the air and (carefully) plopping herself on the floor like "I give up! it's just too hard being little me, wahhhhhhhhh!!!!" It will be interesting to see how that all pans out, but I do believe she is going to throw us a curveball. </div>
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I made her a fabric scrap tutu for the 4th of July- it turned out really cute!</div>
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She is becoming so fun- it's awesome to see her learn new words everyday and interact with her big brother. I cannot even fathom the possibility of her being 2 years old. It's funny, I'm anxious to see Cameron at 7, 8, even 12. But her- not the slightest bit. I want her to stay my little squishy 18 month old baby forever.</div>
Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-45837433694177934812012-06-29T13:25:00.001-05:002012-06-29T15:48:42.202-05:00This and that.<br />
Hey everyone! I hope you guys are having a good summer out there! We certainly are- and even though it's been about 600 degrees here (with no end in sight) we are still managing to enjoy it. This post is a bit long, but here are a few updates on what we've been up to! <br />
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We booked a family vacation to Hilton Head, SC! I'm super pumped about it, and even though the trip is still a little ways off, I'm already mentally packing my bags and taking advantage of some end-of-season clothing sales since my summer wardrobe is lacking. We got a great condo on the ocean that we'll be sharing with Jon's sister (who'll be coming from North Carolina) and her family. I cannot wait to take the kids to the beach and make some great memories.<br />
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I got my first photo yearbook completed and printed (it was one of my <a href="http://www.jhawks482.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-resolutions.html">summer resolutions</a>) and it was delivered to the house today! It's just over 100 pages and so, so beautiful. When I was completing my order, I had a bit of sticker shock over the price, which was around 90 dollars. Thankfully, I had a coupon that brought it down to about 60 dollars. I do think however, for what it is, it's completely worth that price- I've got about 400 photos over 100 pages, the paper is great quality and it's hard bound. I'd easily spend 30 dollars (or more) for an album that large and still have to print all those photos out. I'm all about presentation and I think these will look great on a shelf, as I add a book to the collection each year.<br />
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My cousin Amber continues the fight for her life in Intensive Care after her terrible jet ski accident. She is still on breathing ventilators, but has been able to speak fairly clearly and cohesively with the help of a trach valve- which is fantastic news because its apparent that her brain is well and working! She has her good days and bad days, but right now her biggest battle is sleep deprivation- as this prevents her from making forward progress across the board. She has had a bit of ICU delirium, nightmares and much fear over what has happened- and unfortunately it will get worse before it gets better since she still does not know that she won't walk again. Despite everything, she continues to fight and do well under the circumstances- and that's definitely attributed to all the prayer for her. If anyone is interested, there is a <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amberschlabs/journal">Caring Bridge site</a> set up for her and her sister updates her progress on a daily basis.<br />
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If you remember a few months back (Easter, to be exact) we got our kids a few ducklings. Our neighbors also got ducks at the same time, so all 8 of the ducks hang out together all day, never straying from the "pack". Though they rely on us for food, they dont really "crave" our attention like a lot of domestic animals. Except for our duck Howard. He was the one who, early on, got part of his upper bill torn off by a turtle. He has healed well and re-learned how to eat since then.<br />
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I'm not sure if it's because we "nursed" him back to good health, but he will abandon his pack to follow us wherever we go- down the street to the mailbox, in the garage, on walks, etc. He would be the happiest duck ever to come into our house, sit at the table, and watch TV with us- if only he were potty trained! He is like a dog, for sure, and the kids certainly enjoy such a loyal little pet.<br />
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That's all for now!Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-46847268075728083132012-06-12T21:47:00.002-05:002012-09-04T20:34:19.747-05:00Prayer seekingIn my last post, I mentioned that summer was my least favorite season. Truthfully, I crave the quietness of fall, and the holidays that surround the colder months. But just last week I was thinking how great this summer is shaping up to be- we've been swimming a number of times, taken zoo trips, and we eat our meals on our patio more often than not (our neighbors probably wonder if we even have a dining table indoors!). The summer is early- but I feel it's going to be a great one. <br />
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But then, summer took a big hit. Last Saturday, my (Jon's) cousin Amber was involved in a very serious accident. Her and her husband James were riding on a jet ski and were struck by a boat. James has suffered many broken bones (including his ribs), but Amber is currently fighting for her life. On her third surgery in the 24 hours following the accident, the doctors found her spine to be completely severed and is unable to be repaired. She also has suffered heavy organ damage from her lungs, liver and brain. She is still on life support and without a miracle from God, she will never walk again. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCvMeSYVjig/T9f-aMKrHGI/AAAAAAAAB3s/xrFQ8bFGhoE/s1600/DSC_1062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCvMeSYVjig/T9f-aMKrHGI/AAAAAAAAB3s/xrFQ8bFGhoE/s640/DSC_1062.JPG" width="640" /> </a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">See me in the blue striped shirt? Amber is just left, in the black shirt and her husband James below her- (taken last summer)</span></i><br />
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I hesitated posting this, because it is very hard for me to dwell on what has happened. My eyes are full to the brim with tears as I write this- and at times I feel like I cannot breath- like I am having a panic attack. Days later I am still in disbelief as to what has happened. I consider Amber MY cousin- not one that I gained simply through marriage. She is beautiful and kind- and even that is an understatement made clear from the unbelievable outpouring of love on her and her sister's facebook walls. <br />
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If you would, take a few seconds and send a thought or prayer for my cousin and her husband as they begin a long healing process and new way of life, and also for their family as they are making decisions and dealing with Amber's trauma.Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181016646421240420.post-82140761377562070732012-05-21T21:18:00.003-05:002012-09-04T20:34:47.770-05:00Summer Resolutions.Ah, summer. My <i>least</i> favorite season, hands down. I know that I'm in the minority on this, seeing as how I've seen so many blogs & facebook statuses lately that have been all about a love of summer. I think what I despise the most is the scorching temps we seem to get in July and August- yuck. It just doesn't seem to end! Despite that fact, I am determined to have a great one, and I've even made a list of goals- a set of resolutions if you will, to get me through. In no particular order:<br />
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<b>Take more pictures.</b> Over the past year, I've really neglected my camera and the amount of pictures I have (or, don't have) really reflects that. I need to get my camera out every day, and start taking it with when we go fun places. Even if it's just with my smaller point & shoot camera, I can't risk missing sweet and unexpected shots like this one:<br />
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<b>Make yearbooks.</b> This is sort of an extension of the last one, but I've got several memory cards full of pictures that have never been printed. In 10 years from now, I'd love to have a shelf full beautiful picture books that we can look back on- not a drawer full of memory cards. I started creating a book on Blurb for 2011, so my goal is to finish that one and get up to date on 2012. I don't have a lot of time to make every page look custom or fancy, but Blurb has great layout options and I cant wait to get it in print!<br />
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<b>Book 2 vacations</b>. Jon and I are just weeks away from celebrating our 5 year anniversary, so the plan is to book a (short) vacation to Las Vegas for the early fall. I am also dying to book a beach vacation (it's been, oh... 5 years!) for our family sometime next spring. <br />
<b><br />Play tennis at least once a week</b>. I've been hitting the tennis court for several weeks now with my friend Kathy, and I really enjoy it! It's not much, but it's nice to get sweaty on a regular basis and I really don't have the desire to join a gym to work out right now. <br />
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<b>Build a twin bed for Cameron.</b> Building a bed has been on my to-do list for quite some time, but I (not surprisingly) have experienced a bit of burn out after building Kylie her <a href="http://www.jhawks482.blogspot.com/2012/03/very-fine-house.html">bookshelf.</a><br />
<b><br />Go on 6 dates</b>, seeing 3 new movies and going to 3 new restaurants. 6 dates is the easy part- but we tend to get stuck in a rut of the same restaurants or doing the same thing every time we go out. Some of the wait staff at PF Changs is starting to recognize us by name when we come in! <br />
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<b>Finish the basement.</b> The darn basement. We were going full steam in the months after we moved in, but cant seem to wrap things up down there. The bar tile is in and the countertops are on order. We're so close, but there's still a fair amount of work to be done. <br />
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<b>Go to the dentist.</b> Not particularly excited about this one, but I haven't been since I was pregnant with Cameron. So yeah, 4 years ago. Eeek. I've got to book an appointment and book one for Cameron too! <br />
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A fairly lengthy list but I feel it can be accomplished in 3 months time. Anyone else have any summer goals or resolutions? Or hate summer like I do? =)Leslie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329990956548966638noreply@blogger.com4