31.

p & s

   This isn't an exciting photo, but today wasn't an exciting day.  All 3 of us have felt under the weather this week.  Baby J and I have tried to stay home as much as possible, "resting" our way back to health.  If you also live with a 15 month old you will understand there is no real resting going on here, except for nap time.  Oh glorious nap time, when this sickly momma has been trying to nap too.

   Ok, back to the photo, it shows a quirk of mine.  Which is that I LOVE to be the first one to open a jar containing smooth food.  Examples include, but are not limited to: peanut butter, tub butter, nutella, and yogurt.  I get excited about it, I gaze at it's smoothness, and I delight in being the one to mess it up.  On a small scale I compare it to being the first one outside after a good snow, before foot prints or tire tracks have spoiled the winter beauty.  Don't you love that?!  I do, very much! 
   This quirk has been passed on to my husband.  [Is this what happens after living with someone for a number of years?]  We both want to be the first to open a jar.  But it's all luck of timing, because there is an unspoken rule that does not allow for opening jars before they are needed.  Otherwise there would be 3 jars of peanut butter open in this house right now.  The opener of the jar also earns teasing rights to the poor schmuck who lost out on the smooth fun.    And as I type this I am realizing how nutty we sound, but part of the joy in great relationships is having those small inside connections that only you 2 share.  One of ours happens to be smooth food in jars. 

30.

I explained to him that I thought Rob Lowe's autobiography was a little too mature for him, but he insisted on spending his afternoon learning all about Rob's life.  I'm hoping he skipped any stories containing drugs and/or racy women. 

29.

10 mile run this afternoon with MM down at the Augusta canal trail.  Clear blue skies without a cloud in sight and 55 degrees.  This will be our last long run before the St. Petersburg 1/2 marathon.  Coincidentally this photo was taken from the Petersburg dock on the canal.  On the other side of the tree line is the trail and on the other side of the trail is the Savannah river. 

28.

Oh the blackmail opportunities we will have if/when Jase turns into a rotten teenager.  Hahaha
We try to distract him with other fun bathroom items while we get ready for the day... such as playing music with the toothbrush holders (view facebook video) or throwing his stacking cups into the big tub.  But without fail he always finds his way back to the drawer-o-tampons.

27. homemade date night

 

With our baby sleeping upstairs we treated ourselves to an at home date.  Cheesy, you say?  Well yes, we did have some smoked gouda with our wine.  And speaking of the wine, this was our VERY LAST bottle of Novello from Villa Sceriman.  Our Italy friends will understand how heartbreakingly bittersweet it was to drink this bottle of wine.  But with candles flickering and music playing we were able to enjoy adult conversation as husband & wife instead of as momma & daddy.  Splendid night!  

26.

Any time we run errands on post we always try to fit in a visit with Daddy.  Sometimes we go inside the hospital and hang out in his office for a little while, other times we (or he, mostly he) is busy and can only spare a few minutes.  Like today when Daddy came out to the car to see Baby J and I during morning milk time.  These small moments make the whole family's day a little nicer.

25. Augusta State University

 

After a meeting at ASU, I decided to take Baby J for a walk around the campus.  It was 76 degrees and sunny today.  Perfect walking about weather.  

Other January 25th mentionables, all birthday related I might add:

• Lila was born at 2:58pm!!!  Congratulations to one of my closest and oldest friends Kerry and her husband Brant! 

• In celebration of other birthdays (2 of MM's co-workers) there was a hog roast out near the lake.  We ate delicious smoked pork, visited with the ER crew, and kept Baby J up past his bedtime. 

• Happy Birthday Uncle Mark - you are loved and missed everyday.

24.

 

Nothing takes care of a female biology induced craving like chocolate.  Although the type may vary month to month, chocolate is always my consistent.  Tonight an Oreo craving got the best of me and I made a special store run just for these double-stuffed bits of heaven. 

23.

Playdate at Ivy's house!  Playdates are great for children, but let's be honest they are a chance for stay-at-home-parents to get to have conversations that contain complete sentences!

22.

Jase is moving on up in the world of big boy eating.  Here he is eating the potatoes and carrots out of my slow-cooker pot roast.  We learned that he is a big gravy fan (but really, who isn't?!), chowing down the bits faster than I could cut them up. 

21.

Baby J thought he would get out of helping move some friends across town with the whole "I'm only 15 months old" card, but everyone has to do their part.  So he pitched in; such a good little boy. 

20.

This is our oven AFTER the fire.  Yep, that's right, we had a fire.  Our oven was really dirty and I had tried to clean it, but without much luck.  So, I thought I would try the auto clean option for the first time in my life.  I almost wasn't home during this whole event, but at the last minute decided against leaving the house while the clean cycle was running.  Jase and I were playing when the house was started to smell funky, but I have been told that auto clean doesn't smell too good.  Then the funky smell turned into a smokey smell and then the house started getting hazy.  I walked into the kitchen to see big flames inside my oven.  I didn't know what to do.  I couldn't open the oven because as a safety measure it locks during auto clean and won't open until the oven is completely cooled down.  I frantically tried calling MM and when I couldn't get a hold of him and the flames were not subsiding I called 911.  The operator told me to leave the oven alone and wait outside for the fire department.   Of course as I stand in my driveway, holding my son, praying the flames don't exit our oven, and with fire truck sirens in the distance MM calls me back.

Him: "What's going on?"
Me: "Oh, I tried calling you, but now the fire department is on their way to our house"
Him: "What?!"
Me: "Our oven is on fire, but don't worry the firefighters are pulling up.  Gotta go"

The firemen pulled the oven out from the wall.  They too, could not get into the oven because of the safety lock, so we stood around watching the fire slowly die down.  Once the flames were out we opened up the house to air it out.  There wasn't a real need for the fire department, but I was happy to have them here anyway.  I am thankful the fire stayed contained and didn't do any real damage.  One fireman confessed that the one time he attempted to use auto clean on his oven it caught on fire too.  That made me feel better. 

I spent many hours bent over in the oven cleaning and scraping and wiping and spraying.

 

Here is our oven after my cleaning efforts.  The black spot on the bottom right hand side is where the fire was burning and I think it will be staying as a permanent reminder to never use auto clean again.  

19.

shout out to Justin and his iphone for the photo

18.

15 month old Baby J is always ready to help.  Like when he found these small scented disposable bags inside an unzipped pocket of his diaper bag.  He instantly noticed that they were inconveniently rolled into a little plastic holding wheel.  He didn't want his momma to have to go through all the work of turning the wheel to simply retrieve a bag, so the sweet thing went ahead and took all the bags out the wheel for me.  Like I said, always ready (willing) to help.  ;)

In other Baby J news: today was his 15 month check-up appointment at the doctor.  He now weighs 21 lbs and is 31 inches long.  Currently he has 7 teeth (4 on top and 3 on bottom).  His favorite foods are bananas and cheese.  He is still a big fan of pureed sweet potatoes, they have been a steady favorite since he began eating solids.  He can point to his toes and eyes.  And sometimes his nose and ears.  He is a great stacker of blocks and rings.  Loves his pups, and is especially fascinated by their tails.  He wants so badly to get a hold of one, but the dogs are too quick and their tails are too tiny for him to have a chance.  He is the best moochie giver.  He is also in a wonderful sleeping phase right now.
[I call it a phase because I am learning that baby sleep patterns shift a lot and as soon as we think our routine is solid something will come along and mess it up.  But on the flip side, when we are going through a rough sleep time, it always passes and we get back on track.] 
So all in all we have ourselves a very healthy and very happy 15 month old baby boy, and that makes us very blessed and very happy parents.  

17.

The lone shaker of salt. 
This beautiful Italian ceramic shaker came from... well, yes... Italy. 
It was bought in a small town famous for pottery and ceramics called Nove. 
Ever heard of a little brand called Lenox or, how about Tiffany?  Both of those companies have their ceramics produced in Nove, Italy. 
This shaker had a mate.  A pretty little partner to hold pepper.  The pepper shaker has died. 

looking for additional web reading?

Best Blogs of 2011 - as according to TIME
This list has a little of everything on it.  Some of the blogs I already follow, others I have never even heard of, but now have a sparked interest in checking out, and still there are a few that I am confident I will never ever read.  This is a full list of the Top 25, each a link to a short blurb describing the blog.  Happy online reading!

16. who needs a pool?!

It may not be a pool in our backyard, but Jase thinks bathing in the big (master bath) tub is pretty cool.  Especially if someone gets in to play with him! 



Unrelated note: MM & I ran 8 miles on the canal trail today while our friends The Reeves played with Jase at our house.  Only 4 weeks til the St. Pete half.

15.

Our baby's first almost black eye.  Momma and him were playing on the chaise lounge when he rolled off more quickly than Momma could grab him, hitting his eye on the side table.  There were a few tears, but he is a tough guy.  Momma on the other hand, felt bad for awhile.  Good thing he is quick to forgive! 

14. this wasn't the photo I wanted

We ended today with a hot, richly flavored, and comforting meal of homemade tomato sauce poured over spinach and cheese tortellini.  This sauce is simple to make and so satisfying.  We are hooked on it.  I haven't purchased jarred spaghetti sauce in months. 
Tomatoes + Onions  + Butter and a good hour to simmer on the stove. 

This morning when I awoke I thought it would be a pretty lazy day, a stay indoors all day kind of day.  It's cold here this weekend, or at least cold according to our Georgia living standards.  Probably not cold to my blizzard braving, 6+ month long winters surviving, Minnesota living best friend.  But still to us wimps, pretty cold.

Instead we hit the gym, pounding out 3, fairly fast paced, treadmill miles.  Patting ourselves on the back for this Saturday morning accomplishment!  Then we cleaned up while Baby J took his nap and as soon as he awoke we headed over to The Hall's (good friends here) house.  They planned an impromptu get together.  There was grilling, bean bag tossing, s'moring, overly cute baby & dog interactions watching, and good quality conversations between 10 friends.  This portion of the day is what I had planned to photograph.  I remembered to bring my camera along, knowing this gathering would provide me with the perfect 'photo of the day' shot.  But a glass of sangria later and I forgot all about my picture taking plans... hence the tomato sauce photo. 

13. sentimental not scary Friday the 13th

Our friends Matt & Angie Chase gave birth to a little girl in Lawton, OK  a year and half ago.  We remember visiting them and meeting their daughter.  Seeing their baby gave us even more excitement to meet our little bundle of joy, who was due a few months later.  Then Baby J was born and they came to meet him.  Addy & J became fast friends.  Then the Army moved us to Georgia and we said goodbye. 
Well low and behold a few months later the Army moved the Chase family to Georgia too!  These 2 have enjoyed playing together for the last 7 months and their parents have enjoyed exchanging babysitting services for date nights.  But again we have to say goodbye (story of the military life), so on their last night in Augusta they came over for dinner (steak, baked asparagus, and onion potatoes- yum!) and little more baby play time. 

We hope El Paso treats y'all well and we look forward to seeing you again someday! 

12.

One month from today is the St. Petersburg 1/2 marathon, in which, Marshall & I will be running, along side Matt & Sheila Jordan (brother and sister-in-law).
Due to holidays, sickness, colder temps, and a trip to Jamaica (love that one!) I haven't been training like I should be.  Ok, I'll be honest, I haven't been running, period.
But today I'm starting back up, still wearing my DS trainers that carried me 26.2 miles in the Savannah marathon.  It's probably time to invest in some new sneakers.

too good not to steal... [articles]

This blog entry is mostly for my own benefit.  My dear friend Martha H. has a wonderful blog called this is our gypsy camp (visit it here)  and she not only writes funny, intelligent, and honest pieces herself, she also posts really good articles that she finds around the web. 
Her latest collection had a couple of thought provoking and emotion confirming articles.  I want to be able to come back to these articles so I am adding them to my blog for easy reference, but I want her to get the credit of finder.

Article 1.  You never marry the right person  A christian based article on the unrealistic standards our society puts on spouses or potential spouses and how God really intended marriage to work.

Article 2.  Don't Carpe Diem  A honest look into motherhood and knowing that it is perfectly ok to not enjoy every single second.  But also reminding us that all the hard work is MORE than worth it.

Article 3.  Italian shopkeepers say, 'No, Grazie' to more hours  I would actually be a little sad to see 24 hour shops in Italy, except perhaps on that rare occasion when I am in sickly, desperate need of medicine at 2am.

11. tootsie toes

Of all adorable baby parts, these toes probably get the most attention.  Which would explain why this is the first body part Baby J was able to locate when prompted.  I could just eat 'em up!

10. ta-da!

 
Our genius son building towers without any guidance or direction. 

9.

A sick baby requires a lot of TLC.  Momma & Daddy were eager to give him all the cuddles he could handle.  Doctor says Baby J has conjunctivo pharyngitis; a virus that affects his throat and under his eyelids with associated fever.  The name makes it sound really bad, but he should be back to his playful self in a day or 2. 

8.

A bottle of milk while surrounded by tons of toys... a baby's dream come true!

7.

Van Gogh & Vino
girl date: 
An afternoon spent painting and sipping Villa Sceriman Marzemino with my friend Meghan.

6. SFC

Pinning my hard working husband, who was being promoted to Sergeant First Class.

5.

Savoring the last hours of Caribbean sunshine. 
With an early evening flight back to the USA scheduled we were able to sip coffee outside, lay out in the sand, and swim in the ocean all morning before having to pack, shower, and head back to reality.

4.

Love.

3.

All dressed up in celebration of our 3rd wedding anniversary!  Fancy dinner at Eleanor's, complete with white-gloved servers.
I ordered the beef filet with red wine sauce and vegetables; MM ordered the red snapper.

2.

Welcome to Paradise!  After much mystery and some very early morning traveling we arrived to our Anniversary trip destination of JAMAICA!  MM did all the planning; I did not find out where I was going until we walked to the Montego Bay departure gate in Miami International Airport. 
*This is the view from our room's balcony, lovely way to wake up each day!

1. Mia famiglia

The most important things in life, aren't things at all.

2012!

I want to make 2012 a fabulous year!  One with less selfishness, less worry, less heartache and more giving, more joy, and more purpose.  

Amber's personal goals for the year...
365 day photo challenge
Continue to improve in my role as wife & momma
Pay off ALL debt
Be more present and intentional
Grow stronger and more mature in my faith