i'm still here!

 

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I'm still here! I'm still here! I haven't forgotten about this dear blog of mine. This last month has just been the craziest month of my life yet so fulfilling. My amount of sleep has been cut in half and exercising has never been so sparse but soon it will all get adjusted. You see, I'm working very hard on starting my wedding planning business (Bon Wed) which has been terribly exciting since event planning has been a dream of mine since... well, forever. I plan to still update and I can't wait to start launching soon! As for now, check out my guest post on Nicole's blog over here!

p.s. when did a pokey cacti ever become so soothing?

p.s.s you can always find me at my personal instagram but you can also find me at @bon_wed !

flying a kite... or trying to.

All week I had planned to fly a kite on Sunday as a family since our month of April has pretty much been the busiest month of our lives. no joke. At night Cameron and I just look at each other not knowing how we are going to get everything done. This is the time in my life where I truly feel that the saying "there aren't enough hours in the day" has been more real and true to us. Or maybe it has turned into "there aren't enough hours in the day so I'll just sacrifice my sleep." That's more like it. But it's all a good busy-- just a bit overwhelming. and sleep depriving.
So we tried this little kite but it just didn't want to stay up in the air. It made us feel better when the super-into-kites-people next to us could barely get their 6 footer kite to stay up. Krew was a bit bummed but we tried to make up with a little scooter ride.
It was still a pleasant day where we could enjoy each other and do nothing. Maybe the wind will cooperate for us next time. I'm feeling like this little kite, just trying to keep up in the air, keep ahead of my never ending to-do list. But good things will come in the wind when we work hard. I'm sure they will!

 

Kite fails and camera focusing fails ^  hahaha

family photos with Two if by Sea Photography

^ That last photo just makes me melt. I still can feel everything in that moment of this shot.

The morning before our photos with Kaitlyn, we were rushing around being terribly late, trying to get little Krew ready and happy, and my hair wasn't settling the way I wanted it to. bah! And when it comes to family pictures, I don't think it comes super naturally to us. As soon as we got there, it was easy, it was real, and it was us. And that is what is most important. Kaitlyn was great to work with and is always easy to talk to. Thank you for making us feel at home! And real!! See for yourself in the photos! Getting these in the mail was like a holiday, seeing all this family love bottled up in these photos--such a true treasure. I couldn't help but fall in love with how she captures the beauty of nature as well as the subjects in her photos. Everything in her photos was so real and fresh. (And I always love the photos she does for Nat the fat Rat blog!) Click here to see more of her work!

Kaitlyn, Two if by Sea Photography, is offering a special spring deal, HALF off (50% off folks!) any session if you book from now until May!
And folks, she's coming to Southern CA specifically in May and stay tuned for hot deals to come! (and of course 20% off anytime to my readers!)
You should book her!

date night

 

^ the handsome face of stop taking pictures we are on a date. :)

 On Friday night, we were in great need of a date. I have figured out that if we go too long without one, we start feeling it. We need some time where it's just the two of us on a night out even if it's not for very long. Cameron surprised me with planning a date to get burgers near the beach and then after we looked in a few art galleries for fun. It was refreshing. Yay for dates and perfect spring nights! Thanks hun!

three things that were really awesome this week

Three things that were really awesome this week:
1. Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray- Holy moly I love this stuff. I swear it makes my dry shampoo last 2 days longer. I have always loved the feeling of having salty hair from the ocean and man does this stuff hit the spot. And the nice thing, only $4-$5 at CVS. awesome.
2. The Any.do app- Not only am I a lover of salty hair but a lover of to-do lists! I love lists of all kinds and this (free) app makes me so happy. p.s. turn your phone side ways while using this app and see the magic! Does anyone else have any other awesome list or organizational apps that they love? I would love to know!
3. This kid. You are my little ray of sunshine. xox

 

Have an awesome weekend!

And hopefully I can find time to fix this dumb header of mine. bah.

tea for 10

 A few weeks ago, I held a very special birthday Tea Party for my very lovely 10-year-old sister. I enjoyed decorating and doing the flowers so that the tea party would feel elegant. I forgot what an enjoyable age 10 is-- they don't think they are too cool for everything yet they are smart and fun. The second these little ladies put on their pair of gloves that were placed at each setting, they lifted pinkies and were extremely proper. They made party hats for their dolls they brought and then later decorated cupcakes. The little ladies nibbled on tiny treats and filled their teacups with sparkling juices. Fifteen years ago, I had my 10-year-old birthday party here in this very house where all my friends arrived in dresses and hats. It was wonderful to relive this little memory again and hear giggles all around the same table as my grandma Cordy would have loved and wished for.

up and running

So recently I have had the hardest time to get myself up and running-- literally running. It seems that if I don't have a race ahead of me, I can't seem to find to put it as a priority! So many other things can get in the way and seem so much more important! Right?! Somehow it always slips to the bottom of my to do list. So this month I have decided to run 26 miles. Not a full marathon in one day but 26 miles in total over the whole month in hopes that it will get me back into a running habit (that's a gym sesh 3 times per week, each gym sesh including running 2 miles plus weights/squats/abs/rowing/etc.). And I'm writing it here so that I am accountable. Oh, and these are just random pics of how I as a mother manages in the dressing room. note: stroller taking 1/2 of dressing room space and child behind me on the right watching Peter Pan on his ipod. That's how we do.

day of love and orange juice

This year Krew passed out his first valentines! We went to a little gathering with our playgroup at my friend's house and the kids loved it. Not sure if krew really understood what valentines day was about but hey, we had fun and I had fun making his valentines.

 

 And Cameron and I went out that night. Cameron had something planned and I complained that it was cold outside so we stayed inside and dined at a sushi place, Ogata's. And later I wished I didn't mess up his original plans .... but we still had fun. :) I love my valentine so much. And next year I promise not to ruin your plans.

topped off with sunshine

Last week was a rough week for us. For Krew, he fell in a toilet in a public restroom and fell down a hill at the zoo and had a really bad crash (like blood running down his head and face-it was really awful). He has a few bandaids and a big goose egg on his head but he is doing fine. Although I didn't fall in any toilets, I did manage to have my wallet stolen and boy has that been the pits! The wallet that Cameron got me for Christmas is sadly gone but it has taken so much time to replace everything that was in there. Sooo much time. And I keep realizing that more and more is missing.

But then I was visited with beautiful sunny skies and warm air by the end of the week and that was beautiful. A little happy ending to our crazy week. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of other good events that happened this last week as well but that sunshine plus my fam just made everything right.

Our picnic in the garden

Last Monday while we were driving to the zoo, Cameron said, "We never take picnics on Sundays anymore." I responded, "Well, it's been a little chilly and we usually go out for a picnic in the warmer months of the year (for San Diego) so that's why." But my response didn't stop Cameron from packing up our dinner (left-over homemade pizza from the night before) and sending us out the door on Sunday afternoon. He had a place in mind and he was determined to have a picnic. We had a lovely little dinner out on the grass without anyone around. We sat amongst the rose gardens that were recently pruned that looked sad and dead. But I found a little rose that decided to bud on it's own. And just like us, despite the chilly weather, it had come out to play. So thank you, Cameron, for setting us up on our little outing. Krew was fantastic with his baseball skills, hitting the baseball (and the tee!) and Cameron was the best coach to him. And once our toes and fingers were getting too cold to move, we decided it was best to pack up.