Family Photos- Fall 2013

Apparently, since I can't do anything legitimate to keep my children small, I've decided to quell my urge to stop time by taking a rather unnecessary and grossly inappropriate number of photos of them. 

Enter our Fall 2013 photo shoot with my wonderful long-time friend, Michelle from Michelle C Photography. 

Michelle and I went to high school and college together and were even in the same sorority. She is an absolute gem and we loved the time we got to spend with her in this beautiful Florida park over Thanksgiving.

No, I cannot believe how big my crazies look in these pictures. But I love them. I especially love that she so accurately captured who they are right now. 

This smirk is so Davis. Always giving us a little attitude but in the most adorable way. 

And I cannot even take Madelyn in those boots.

This is what they are like 1/3 of the time- loving and sweet. But the rest of the time they're more like this- perfecting the fine art of snuggle wrestling...

I'm so grateful for this little reminder of where we are right now and I cannot wait to fill our house with these beautiful images!

Heart Change

A few years ago, one year ago even, I would have sworn all I wanted was to move to a new house. I (we) really needed more space, a bigger kitchen, the better school, something newer than this 1982 house that was merely a place I was stuck in as a side effect of the housing market crisis.

It was unnerving. We had our house listed for two years with only a handful of showings. We knew where we wanted to move- we even had a floor plan picked out for our new build. I had a plan. 

I had a plan, and I could not understand why things weren't going my way.

Here we are now and I've spent the last year praying, really praying, about God's will for our family. And somehow, somewhere along the way, something changed. My heart changed.

We got more involved in our church and started to build a community. We put Madelyn in soccer and made new friends. We continued to work on the house with not one room left untouched. I started to notice the charm in this small town- the little farmer's market on the corner, the way they decorate the town square every holiday, the lake with the walking path and huge playground. The quiet. Our big yard with gorgeous old trees that literally rain leaves in the fall. And suddenly, I feel like this is exactly where we're supposed to be. Where we were supposed to be all along. And I'm grateful my plan didn't work out. 

I don't think it was financially the right time for us to move, but we would have done it anyway. I don't think the place we were moving to was right for us, but we would have built that new house with no hesitation. Because I was so convinced I knew what was right for our family.

I'm grateful for heart change. I'm grateful that I was wrong, and we were saved from a string of poor decisions. It's been humbling, for sure. But the way I feel content, settled, and happy here, is an incredible blessing that far outweighs the damage to my ego. 

This house is all we need. And honestly, the older I get, somehow the less I want. Would I like a larger kitchen? Absolutely. And seriously, I'd pay ten fold for an extra guest bedroom. But I know we'll have those things one day. When it's the right time, and we know it's the right thing for our family, we will.

And when we do, it will be all the much sweeter. 

My Lazy Mama's Guide to Couponing

My recipe binder, and where the week begins

Meal planning is one of those things that seems really overwhelming to a lot of people. For me, it's like a comfortable anchor in my week that I've come to look forward to. A few months ago I added some subtle couponing to the mix and have been really surprised at the difference it has made.

Once a week I put on my comfy pants, make a cup of coffee, and go to town. It makes the daily hustle a little less painful and avoids the 5 p.m. dance of screaming hungry children. (Note: it's less of a dance and more of an unbridled meltdown, just in the essence of full disclosure).

Here's my method.

1. First I go to this website and see what is on sale at Publix, our local grocery store, for that given week. We only shop at Publix and Costco. While I'd love (LOVE) to have a closer Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, it's just too difficult for me to get there right now. I base my list fully off of what's on sale that week. And here's the real shocker- I only do printable coupons. I don't get the newspaper and spend hours cutting and storing them. I print what I need for the week and that is it. This site makes it incredibly easy, and I always save at least $25.

2. After making a list of what's on sale that I'd like to buy, I take a look in my freezer/pantry and see what else we need to make meals for the week. I browse Pinterest, my cookbooks (favorites: 1,2,3,4), and a list I keep in my recipe binder of our favorite go-to meals. I try to cook really simple things with few ingredients and I always take our schedule into account. Wednesdays and Fridays are busy for us, so these days are always leftovers or a crock pot meal.

3. I try to buy the majority of our produce at the farmer's market either on Friday or Monday. I find the cost just slightly lower than at the store, but since we eat very few processed foods I like knowing the produce we consume isn't coated in waxes and nasty chemicals.

4. I also check these sites for coupons. One offers a good variety of natural and organic options and the other focuses on Amazon, which I love so much I would marry if given the chance.
http://thegreenbacksgal.com/
http://jungledealsandsteals.com/

5. I also check Costco's coupons. Our goal is to make one trip there a month and stock up on gluten-free granola, organic chicken, organic eggs, cheese, frozen organic berries, fish, and other dry goods (paper towels, Lara bars, stuff like that).

I then post our menu both in a weekly calendar on the fridge and in my planner.

For me, it's worth the hour of work in cost savings. But as you know, my time is incredibly important to me and if it took any more than that, I'd likely stop. I'm never going to be the person that can only spend $60 a week at the store. I have to growing children who both eat more than I do, and eating organic is extremely important to me. But, any little bit I can save is a win for us.

I am far from perfecting this process, but I've definitely found what works for us. We still eat out once a week, and there is always one night a month that gets too crazy and we wind up eating pizza, and that's ok. It's about Grace Not Perfection, ladies.

My Thoughts on Children's Birthday Parties

I think it's time we address how completely out of control we've all gotten with children's birthday parties.

At what point did ordering pizza, having cake and celebrating with your immediate family become totally unacceptable? Here we are, us moms, complaining that we have too much on our plates, and all we do is continue to add to them.

I did not grow up having a big to do on my birthday, and thus, I am perfectly content with a very small acknowledgement and perhaps a solo trip to Target.

My husband on the other hand, comes from the land of big birthdays. His birthday is his personal equivalent to Hanukkah and requires a minimum of seven day of celebratory activities and fan fare.

For our kids, we've had moderately-sized, casual, and fairly easy birthday parties. Family and closest friends, some coordinated decor and fun food, and always, always cupcakes.

But the more I put it all together, the more it stresses me out. I want our kids to feel special on that day, but they don't need a big party feel that. I want them to know that there are a lot of people who love and pray for them, and that their birthday is as much for us to celebrate as parents as it is for them as growing kids. They certainly do not need a buffet of fancy food made from scratch and 50 presents to open. That is so not the message I want to send.

Yesterday, we celebrated our little miracle boy turning two. We had a small group of people to the house, ate hot dogs and fruit skewers, and the only thing I did to decorate was put out some pretty fall flowers and nice ribbon on the utensils and vases. When anyone asked them what to bring him I said nothing, and I meant it. I wanted everyone to celebrate him, and what a blessing he is to us. And honestly, it was the best birthday yet.

We spent a whopping $30 on decor, we ate easy, simple food, and we spent the afternoon talking and visiting and it was wonderful.

And you know what I was doing two hours before everyone arrived?

This.

I wasn't prepping food, or hand stamping thank you cards. I was smelling his sweet breath and rubbing his soft little head while he napped. It was my favorite memory of the day. I was relaxed, and had I been a manic party planning mess, I would have missed it.

I think going forward, and as they get older, I'd like to let our kids pick an activity to do as a family on their big day, and get back to the special family meal and small celebration. In my quest to simplify every other area of my life, this seems like an easy next step.

Here are a few pictures from our day. This first one makes me melt into a puddle on the floor.

Clearly, he enjoyed himself :)

He had his eye on cupcakes. I don't blame him. 

The lazy mom's decor. Take that, Pinterest. 

No Davis, you may not play football. But please pick any other non-combative sport you'd wish. Preferably, golf of swimming. Love, your mommy.

Moms- let's give ourselves a break here. If you want to do the big party, if you enjoy it, then by all means please take joy in that. But if you find it stressful, borderline excessive, and if you spend the day running around like a crazy person, take a step back. I've seen the other side, and it is nice :)

GameDay, Baby

In marriage, we all make compromises.

We compromise our tastes in food, decorating, vehicle preference, to better suit the one we're with. We go to Nascar races, camp in the woods, and watch the kids so our husbands can attend their fantasy draft party. 

I'm like to think I'm a pretty accommodating wife, but one area where I will not compromise is College Football.

Anyone who's known me for more than four minutes probably knows that I went to the University of Florida, that I am a true and true Gator fan, and that I fully intend to brainwash both of my children into sharing my love of this beautiful establishment.

But my husband, bless his heart, has been a Georgia fan since he was in utero. He grew up in Athens where the school is located, his grandfather worked at the dairy factory on campus, and he shames our family by barking at the TV every time they do that God-forsaken cheer. 

So what are two people who share a love of conference rivals to do? 

They choose a neutral ground, a safe place so to speak. For us, this place is Clemson.

I have cousins who went to Clemson, they are an ACC school, they have a beautiful campus, and we've been season ticket holders for the past five years along with a group of our friends who love this school the same way I love Florida. 

This past Saturday we left the kiddos with the grandparents and spent the entire day tailgating and watching the game with a big group of friends. It was an insanely long day, I am still (still) exhausted, but it was an great day. 

Here are a few pictures of our adventures. 

We hung out in front of the stadium to watch the players run in onto the field from the buses. This is a Clemson-specific tradition and one I'm glad I got to see/Matt and I at the tailgate (did I mention Clemson played Georgia? And they won? I was trying to contain myself but I was pretty excited)/Our group in front of GameDay

A few of us heard that there were nice (read: non porta potty) bathrooms at the baseball stadium and walked right into the press box which I'm confident was supposed to be locked. It felt very collegiate and sneaky and fun. Here are the boys calling directions down the dugout, naturally./ Matt and his brother Luke. Brothers can still dress alike when they're grown up. It's cool. 

It was a super fun day. Not one I'll be dying to replicate anytime soon seeing as how we didn't get home until 3 a.m. but fun nonetheless :)

Five on Friday!

Since I can't seem to get it together enough to actually write a legitimate blog post, I thought I'd link up with adorable Darci for her Five on Friday series. I can handle a post in bullets. In fact I swear that's how my brain is organized most of the time.

1. Ya'll, I started making my own coffee creamer. I feel like such a Martha. I used this recipe and can vouch that it's easy, cheap, and delicious. I only did this because I couldn't ever find a yummy flavor that didn't have tons of artificial flavors and chemicals and it's been a very welcome change to our morning. 

2. Madelyn started soccer this week. Watching someone try to teach four year olds soccer is like watching them try to herd cats but it's freaking adorable. And I'm so proud of her. She worked really hard and did so so well.

3. I realize I'm late to the party here (just like I was with chevron prints and twitter) but I am Ob-Sessed with the Mindy Project. It's funny. Watch it.

4. Three words: PUMPKIN FLAVORED COFFEE.

5. And last (but certainly not least), I got to celebrate six years of marriage to this guy a few weeks ago. We went to an amazing restaurant that serves Krispy Kreme bread pudding for dessert, which means it got an instant approval from me. I of course had a cold and couldn't taste said amazing food, but can assure you we'll be returning for round two. 

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day/first-college-football weekend! Gooooooo Gators!!!

...and then my heart exploded

While on vacation in South Carolina earlier this month (more on that later) we hired a sweet photographer to attempt to capture family pictures. My mom and sister were in town and it's rare that we're all together since we live in three different states, so we took advantage.

I had low expectations. I mean, low. The only way I can get Davis to sit still is if I'm feeding him and I wasn't dying to have his lunch included as the fifth family member. It was unusually windy outside,  so much so that we had to change locations at the last minute. I was wearing white jeans, a questionable choice, and I hadn't even had a glass of wine yet (#FAIL).

And then the pictures came back.

And my heart exploded.

I'll spare you from having to look through everysingleone and force myself to just include the favorites. But really, I could have shown them all. For your sake, I'm trying not to be that mom.

Gigi and her girls

I die. I am literally dead.

 

I swear she gets prettier every day

Love his little expression

Daddy's girl

Few things will make a girl feel just plain lucky like looking through pictures of the beautiful family you helped create. This world would never be complete without those two little smiles and I dare you to convince me otherwise.

When I was younger and dreamed about having children I could have never imagined this joy and I'm so so grateful to have it documented.

If you are ever in the Charleston area I highly recommend using Amy for your photos. She was an absolute doll to work with and as you can see, knows her way around a camera :)

Adventure

I am having a mad mad love affair with an app. You may think it's Instagram, my usual drug of choice, but there is a new girl in town whom I can't help but think may be aptly named after my life.

Please do yourself a favor and go download BeautifulMess right.this.minute.

And when you're done, come back and enjoy the above picture taken in a field of wildflowers on Sullivans Island, South Carolina- where sounds of the ocean filter in from just beyond the trees and where my crazies found great joy. Thanks to Bob Goff I'm learning to embrace adventure at every opportunity and this little spot provided the perfect backdrop :)

Little Miss turns four

Last weekend we celebrated the fourth birthday of our sweet baby girl.

 And let me tell you folks, four feels old. 

It is uncharted territory- parenting this little person with strong opinions that she can articulate

 in long detailed sentences.

Beware- sassy girls on the loose

One minute you're stressed over sleep training your infant and the next your baby can get themselves fully ready for bed and put them self to sleep without much more than a hug from you. 

It's bittersweet to say the least.

Oh, but how she just light us up with joy everyday. 

She loves pink. She wants to be a Disney Princess. She insists on wearing dresses as often as possible and will scowl should I suggest she don anything other than a glittery shoe on her foot. 

A princess pinata. Naturally.

She loves to take care of her baby dolls and knows just how to turn her daddy to mush. She likes to tell him he's handsome and say the prayer every night before dinner. And she's just dying for her little brother to get a little bit bigger so he can stop pestering her, though I tell her that's not likely to happen soon. 

If what they say is true- that God lets us pick our parents- consider me forever indebted to her. 

Special thanks to Heidi and Beverly from Sweet Birdie's Nest for the insanely cute invites and door decor. 

What I've been up to

We've been busy here at the Marden house.


We've had visits from grandparents and birthday parties with friends. We've nursed stomach viruses, ear infections, and every other typical ailment that tends to arrive in the Winter. Spring---come on over whenever you're ready--we'll be eagerly greeting you with open arms and runny noses.

We've been working on the house- painting our master bedroom, experimenting with Annie Sloan chalk paint (the rumors are true. It's a-mazing), and adding some decorative touches to our favorite spaces.

We've tried a few new recipes, started buying things for our first ever family vacation planned for this May at Isle of Palms in South Carolina, and just enjoyed all the fun that comes with having two little crazies running around.

Life is good. It's non-stop, exhausting, happy chaos, and I couldn't love it more :)

My boys

I'm sorry, but can we please just stop and die over this picture for a minute??

Seriously. I can't even take it.

Five things I'm doing for ME

Let's be honest.

We all know I'm not one for only showing the "pretty" side of parenthood. Being a parent to two kids is extremely demanding and the incredible rewards of joy, love, and sheer delight are often matched with exhaustion, emotional duress, and goldfish crumbs.

Like, everywhere.

There is nothing I love more than mothering Madelyn and Davis. But I have let it take a toll on loving myself and I'm hoping to put a stop to that in 2013.

So I started doing five things that don't benefit anyone but me. They are selfish, time consuming, and for the most part not at all productive. But I think they are important, so here they are.

1. Exercising. I'm setting aside 20 minutes at least three times a week to exercise. I have Matt watch Davis and Madelyn comes and does the workout with me. Usually she just twirls around in her tutu but sometimes she tries the moves. It's fun, and I think it's important for her to learn that we need to take care of our bodies so that we can be "strong and healthy" as she likes to say.

2. My mom's group. For years I have wanted to join some sort of mom's community but as a working mother there just are not many opportunities available that don't take place during the daytime. Our church has blessed me beyond measure with a mom's bible study every other Wednesday night. It's an amazing group of sweet, smart, and hilarious Christian moms and joining has been invaluable for me, especially since most of my best friends don't just live down the road.

3. Personal care. This will sound ridiculous (because it is), but sometimes I don't even take the time to put on lipstick because I'm running around like a crazy person (exhibit a: the above picture). And really, it's amazing what doing this one things will do for your confidence. Aside from that I'm making time to do my nails, lighting a candle at night while I do my face/teeth routine to make it a bit more enjoyable, and instituting a once-weekly bubble bath night. Oh, and I got a haircut. I'm calling it my chic mom do.

4. Making the spaces where I spend the most time pretty. I used some birthday money I received to buy some pretties for our kitchen that I had been lusting after for way too long and they make me happy every time I see them. Money well spent.

5. I schedule our cleaning people on the same day I get paid. It's a bit Pavlovian but it develops a very conscious work/reward mental connection.

Life lately

Life lately has taken precedence over blogging, and at this point it's all I can do to keep my head above water so apologies for the lack of posts (I'm talking to you Mom and Aunt Sue).

As the transition into daycare has eased from an emotional standpoint, Davis' poor immune system is still adjusting to the onslaught of daily germs and has been pretty sick with strep throat since this past Thursday, running as high as a 103.8 fever (and greying his mother's hair by the second.) His mother, apparently still still also adjusting to a toddler-like immune system has a double ear infection. We visited four doctors in three days because then I had a skin reaction to the antibiotics. I'm totally fine, D is on the mend, and I'm somewhat grateful I can't take any more meds because it was making me feel negligent when I'd take them with a glass of red. Now I can enjoy my wine guilt free.

We also received amazing news from his cardiologist today that we can drop another one of his meds which leaves just ONE that he has to take daily. His heart looks fantastic, function is great, and we are overjoyed.

My work is particularly demanding right now as I prepare for a trip to Barcelona to help with a very large and very difficult five day meeting. I'm basically working every night once the kids are down until I go to sleep....and I wonder why I'm sick...

I am excited for Thanksgiving, but even more excited for Christmas because I am planning to really unplug. I joked with my boss that for those last two weeks of the year I was going "off the grid" and that I wouldn't be reachable by cell or otherwise. I said it jokingly, but it's awfully tempting.

I have tons of fun projects I hope I get around to sharing eventually- lately I've found comfort in crafting and organizing and while I've successfully convinced my sister I have a serious disorder, I'm ok with that. She's probably right.

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and healthy holiday!!!

Please keep those families in your prayers who may be spending theirs in the hospital. I never stop thinking about them.

Is it Friday yet?

This has been a week. And it's only been 5 days since I started counting. Here is a brief recap of what's been going on at casa Marden.

**I had a bad neck spasm (I am secretly 67 years old)- spent a day in bed and the past four in a neck brace


**Madelyn fought a four day stomach bug, including her first several bouts with vomiting which is just terrible. This same virus also prompted a visit to the doctor as she became limp and listless from dehydration. We're going through a lot of Gatorade and crackers up in here.

**I had to move the trash can from the kitchen out to the garage because my insatiable son opens it and eats food out of it every time I turn my back.

**The kids pulled the drapes down from Davis' wall. Apparently they were in the way of their chase game.

**I woke up at 2:15 in the morning with a ROACH ON MY FACE. I swear I could have handled a python on my face better than that. I now sleep with the sheet pulled up right under my nose. Seriously. ON.MY.FACE.

In these times, when we don't feel well, and are literally in survival mode:

**I'm grateful for amazing health insurance and the fact that I don't have to worry about how I'm going to take care of my family when we aren't well

**I'm grateful for a son who is getting so big and is so healthy he literally cannot eat enough, and for a husband who effortlessly takes care of everything when I need to rest

**I'm grateful that Madelyn and Davis love to chase either. Their giggles and shrieks are my favorite sounds of the day.

**And in regards to the roach, there isn't really any redeeming factor there, except for the nice young pest control man who thoroughly treated our home yesterday and I'm quite sure is forever scarred by my story. As am I. Eww.

Finally

Fall is finally here! My favorite season for so many reasons and I can't wait to enjoy it this year since we missed 2012's version.

Given the state of my brain these days, I find our life can best be explained in bullets, so here goes:

• I got to spend the weekend with all of my favorite girls which does more good for my soul than almost anything. There is just something about unfiltered girl talk and senseless laughing that fills me with joy.



note: one very important BFF missing here but this is the only pic I have.

• Said weekend was followed up by a THREE HOUR cardiologist appointment for Davis which I of course attended alone with both children. After texting Matt that I surrendered and to please send reinforcements, he came home with these trusty allies. Yet another reason why I love that man. And yet another reason why I love AP and her posts like this.

• Davis is starting daycare on November 6. For the past year he's either been home with me while on maternity leave or home with our nanny, and now I have to send him out into the big bad germy world. I have a feeling I'm going to be relying on the above a lot that month. It's too bad day drinking is so frowned upon. Darn you, societal norms.
• I am dying to go to the pumpkin patch but I refuse to go this weekend when it is projected to be 77 degrees outside. (note: it was 45 last night I'll be in shorts this weekend. What the heck)
• Madelyn's new saying is "your mommy is so silly, Davis"--um, I'm your mommy too, kid. Three and a half and she's already ditched me. Nice.

Davis' first birthday

Davis' first birthday was not just a party. It was not just a chance to see friends and family and open presents and dress up the kids and have yummy food. It was a day to reflect on this past year and to be grateful for every.single.moment we've had with our sweet little miracle boy.

It's hard to believe what has transpired over the past year and I am beyond thankful for where we are. There is nothing I'd rather do than celebrate than my healthy little boy, and so we did just that. It was a wonderful, happy day.

Menu card (and other details) by Sweet Birdie's Nest

 

Yo

 

Aunt Lacie, Uncle Luke, and cousin Logan (your future BFF)

 

 

Dear Davis,

You have changed me, and our life, in a way I could have never anticipated. You make every one of my days better and I cry happy tears over you more than I'll ever publicly admit. Thank you for every smile, every snuggle, and every little slobbery kiss. I treasure them.

Love,

Your mommy