For the love of Freshly Picked

Freshly picked is doing an amazingly generous giveaway. And seeing as how I've won a giveaway via Instagram, I'm now a believer! (And supporting a small business owner mama is something I back)!

Shelby & I love these moccs. Not only are they adorable, but they fit and wear wonderfully! Other moccs simply dont compare **cough cough her minnetonkas that refuse to fit right & stay zipped**
Shelbs even picks them out and brings them to me saying "shoes!". Not to mention the loads of compliments we get when she wears them! So my answer to Freshly Picked's question is D). All of the above! To say we like them would be an understatement. My only regret is that I waited until she was 18mo. to get her some ;)

Since when

Shelby is 18 months. A real life, talking, walking, opinionated at times toddler. I'm not sure when she decided it was ok to grow up on me. She seems to be changing daily! A new word, a new gesture, a new trick...naughty or nice, just depends on the day. Since when did i say "hey Shelbs, why don't you go ahead and start to be a legit little person, ok?"

Just last night we started a new bedtime routine. Since The bottle has been given the boot, we replaced it with a bedtime book & prayer. Yup. Reading and praying. What?! Yup, my child is old enough to recognize these actions and participate. It's baffling and fantastic all in one.

Of course, having a husband helps ease the blow of the life changes taking place daily. It's great to have a partner in life. Someone I can text that silly picture of her hair in piggy tails who will admire the cuteness with me. Someone who can hear her new words and be just as excited as me at her growth. Husbands are good for that. It's good to be in on the common goals of someone else's development and happiness, and worry less about yourselves. I'm coming to see that that's what kids really do. Help us parents grow up.

The Petersons & Andersons Take NYC

It was a trip that had been a year in the making. 

Tickets had been bought, hotels & flights booked, emails a plenty exchanged with ideas and plans, many a facebook status posted about the anticipation of it, and for us gals, shopping had been done for proper 'winter wear' (which, lets be honest, has very little purpose here in So Cal). 

Then Sandy hit. 

Oh hurricane Sandy. 

She reeked havoc on the east coast. 

And on our vacation plans.

But with the wonderfully nice help of the Jetblue customer service lady, we postponed. We gave NYC a few days to "heal" a little, and we were off. We had a great time. Sandy, nor'easter and all. Dave and I were lucky enough to attend the Election Night party in Boston mid-week, then return to NYC, finally, after that nice nor'easter stranded us in an Amtrak somewhere near New Haven for 2 hours. 

We saw Top of the Rock, St. John of the Divine, the wonderful 9/11 Memorial, stopped by Magnolia Bakery more than once, and introduced Chrissy to the subway system and white pizza (you're welcome. For the white pizza that is). We nearly froze to death on the downtown bus tour (if you will), and saw the uptown sights via bus the next day. Ate our weight in pastrami and had delicious matzo ball soup at Carnegie Deli. Kicked off the season with the Rockettes. (see what i did there?) and most of us fell asleep somewhere on the Hudson to the humming of the engines on an evening harbor cruise.  

It was the first time my side of the family has done a vacation together, and I'm so glad we did. My Aunt Chrissy rocks my socks. She made it all possible, and I'm very grateful for such a memorable time! Maybe we should do a family trip again? (i'm just sayin...) 

I know...

It's been a long time. A really long time actually. I guess between the blur called
July, a whirlwind of August, September being filled with "life" and October spent wishfully ushering in fall (which only brought us a 90 degree November), it's suddenly now.

But now, Dave and I are on vacation. On a train from Boston and returning to NYC for my family vacation. Boston was a quick 24 hr. trip, one that included the Romney/Ryan 2012 election night party. A wonderful experience with not so wonderful results. And we'll leave it at that. As we roll thru the east coast it's started to snow outside, the fall trees are shedding their leaves and Dave is quietly snoring next to me. Shelby is at home with her Grandmas, being wonderfully pampered I'm sure. We've gotten to hear her babbles on the phone each day, and I sure miss her chubby little self.

So while I have some uninterrupted time on my hands, ill share our lives from the last, well, months!

And I promise, if only for my personal record, I'll post more soon!

July is a wonderful blur

I may or may not have mentioned that July just may have been the busiest month of our lives thus far. Everything came in multiples. Two weddings, two rehearsal dinners, two receptions, three sealings, three birthdays, two out of town vacations, two baby showers...shall I go on?! sheesh. Just typing this makes me tired.
So naturally, since July (into August) was so busy, blogging took a back seat. I'm sure you three readers are besides yourselves that I've returned. I'm going to re-live July/August with phone photos, because honestly, who uses anything else these days.

Kevin & Nicolettes wedding.

Mike & Jennas wedding!








Utah for Aunt Chrissys sealing.














The lake with the Walters & Jackmans. Never-mind that it was 122 degrees. What?! Yes. Cross my heart.

















Phew. My phone is hot to the touch now from all these uploads. August (or the later part) will have to wait!