List Girl

It is no secret that I am the queen of lists. I love them. Grocery lists. To do lists. House project lists. Gift idea lists. Books I want to read lists. Places I want to visit lists. Names I love lists. I have a couple dozen of them, at least, tucked on various pages of my planner. And then there is the weekly "Stuff to do" list I carry around as well.

It should be no surprise, then, that my daughter also likes lists. She carries a pad of paper tucked in her backpack and writes "lists" often, leaving them random places throughout the house.

And so I just had to document this little stage by posting a picture of one such list a found this morning. I'm finding them everywhere these days.

On Thirty

As of this past week, I have officially completed three decades of life. And I will no longer say my age starting with two as the first digit. I keep waiting for a woah moment, but nothing seems to be happening. Either I haven't been giving adequate time and space for processing this landmark, or I'm just not going to come to any dramatic conclusion.

Here are my thoughts about thirty:

First of all, the only thing that feels the strange about it is the way I used to think about thirty when I was, say, fifteen years old. Thirty was really old back then. And I distinctly remember being in elementary school and saying my mom's age as thirty-something. So maybe it is a little bit weird to reach thirty with those distant recollections surfacing.

But in practicality, it turns out there is nothing that weird about the feeling of thirty. Besides getting dizzy when swinging, peeing my pants when attempting to jump on a trampoline, and recovering less quickly from injury, I feel physically about the same as twenty. Well, maybe not entirely. At twenty I was playing volleyball at the collegiate level. But I'd actually say that I enjoy fitness more now - or at least in a different way - than I did back then. I certainly didn't anticipate running would be part of my weekly routine (ever!). Or training for my second half marathon at the age of thirty. So I'm thankful that the bodily feeling of old hasn't arrived quite yet, at least not entirely. ;)

At twenty I was months away from getting married (craziness), in school to become a teacher, just beginning the journey that would become finishing school, moving, starting my career & putting Jono through graduate school, moving more, traveling abroad, settling back in Spokane and starting a family. Whew.

At thirty I find myself approaching our ten year anniversary, with two little kids, having pressed the pause button on teaching/coaching/career for a pretty sweet life doing what I really have always wanted to do most: be a full-time mom. The days are long and there are plenty of challenging moments (plenty!!!), but I feel so incredibly blessed to be in this exact spot right now. So thirty is pretty sweet, I'd say.

As a dear friend has articulated so well, at thirty she felt comfortable in her own skin. Confident in her role as a mom and wife. Thankful for the opportunities she has with her kids. And more at peace with her strengths and gifts - as well as her weaknesses, than she did in her twenties. I want to say that the same is true for me. I know it will be a lifelong journey - letting Christ & what he says about me - be the place I find my identity. But I do feel much more okay with the ways God has made me unique than I did ten years ago. For that I am also thankful.

There is not much more to say, really. Except share a few pictures from a thirtieth birthday party a few friends threw for me a week or so ago. If I say I've been blessed as a wife and mother, I must also include that I'm blessed beyond measure in the area of friendship. I think I knew a few things about friendship at twenty, but I'm pretty sure that friendship gets even sweeter with age. 

My dear friends reserved a room for the party at a local restaurant, decorated it beautifully, made the most delicious chocolate peanut butter cake known to mankind (two of them, actually), and proceeded to surprise me by going in for a joint gift for me (an Ipad. Ridiculous and awesome, I know). I am one blessed woman.

The one behind all the planning, Carly!

So decade #4, here we go! I am sure there are all kinds a wild and wonderful, challenging and joyous things in store. 

Happy St. Paddy's

I've been inspired by friends to try and make the most of minor holidays. I love the idea of creating traditions around just about anything (as long as it doesn't create to much stress keeping them, of course). This year we did something new because we have never really done much for St. Paddy's, except for maybe wear green. 

This year we ate a green breakfast to start the day (thanks to a sneaky little leprechaun), watched the St. Paddy's parade downtown and made an irish dinner of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and Irish soda bread. The kids loved all of it. Of course I ended up with just three photos on my phone, so here they are, folks...

Here's to hoping I can keep this up next year ;).

"Surprise" 30th Trip

You may remember two years ago when Jono turned the big 3-0. I pulled off the biggest surprise of my lifetime. It involved waking him at 3am for our 5am flight to Oakland - and eventually three nights in Yosemite with friends. And he had no idea it was coming.

Let's just be honest. There is no way in the civilized world to surprise me like that. I have way too much control over our schedule - and as the mama, it will kill me to leave my kids behind after zero/no preparation. So my husband is a smart man. He gave me warning. In early January he told me some dates (March 5-8) and said we were going somewhere together for my 30th.

Despite being a bit hesitant to leave the kids (mostly Caleb, whom we'd never left), I was beyond excited. We had not been on a trip together just the two of us (without a baby - a real one or an en utero one) since Australia. That was five years ago. And that is just too long, folks.

So on Tuesday March 5th, we boarded our plane to Denver, Colorado for a four day/three night adventure, just the two of us.

We were without diapers, binkies, or crayons. It was amazing.

Our first stop in town was the the historic Patterson Inn near our old neighborhood. We checked in with enough time to relax for a bit and get ready for dinner. We met our friends Ed & Hayley (who were also experiencing a first - leaving their 3 month old son also named Caleb - with her sister for a date night out) at one of our very favorite Denver restaurants. It was restaurant week in Denver and they were offering an amazing three course meal special. It doesn't get much better than legit family-style Italian.

The worst picture on the planet, but you get the idea

The four of us

Wednesday morning we woke way too early (I am sad to say we were both wide awake each morning around 6am, even on vacation -we are old and lame, I guess) and went for a run around capitol hill. Let me tell you, just waking up with the opportunity of taking a run together without packing seventy pounds along in the jogging stroller was a gift. Then we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the Inn before hitting the road. Here are some pictures of our bed & breakfast. It was awesome (nice work, Jono!)...

Where exactly did we head from there, you wonder? Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's true. A six hour-ish drive south from Denver, it's a perfect hub of beauty meets history meets food meets art meets weather meets far from home. And it was the perfect combination for us this weekend.

We basically spent two days eating well, hiking, exploring the town, and doing exactly what we wanted to do, right when we wanted to do it. Like rolling over in bed for an extra few minutes of sleep, taking long showers and losing track of all time and schedule. It was glorious.

But the best part, by far, was being together. As much as I love being a mom and watching Jonathan be a dad, it was so great to take a break from the parenting role and just enjoy being the two of us. I'm pretty sure we laughed more, had more random conversation, and just enjoyed more quiet than we have in the past few months/years combined. It's not like I really forget, but it's great to be reminded so overwhelmingly that we have a pretty good thing going.

Here is our time together, in and around Santa Fe:

Some cool old buildings near the plaza

Adobe reins supreme in Santa Fe

St. Francis Cathedral

La Casa de Amy & Jono for two nights

Delicious "New Mexican" food (it tastes just
like Mexican food). Go figure!

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks hike...here we go

Amazing slot canyons

All this beauty calls for some posed PT Associates shots, of course

My hot hiking buddy

More poses. "If It's Physical, It's Therapy", folks. :)

More delicious New Mexican cuisine

And a finale historical landmark: San Francisco Asis Mission

It was a lovely trip, as you can see. I am so thankful that I have a husband who would plan such a fun getaway and I want to remember that it is always worth it to make time together a priority (not just Colorado/New Mexican trips but the little things, of course). Even when we miss our kids - and they miss us - I hope they always know that mom and dad love spending time together. And in the end, it's a triple win, right? Win for the both of us and a win for them.

And just in case you're wondering, it's true, "dreams come true, yes they do in Santa Fe". If you have no idea what I'm talking about (and missed Christian Bale in all his seventeen year old glory), I'm sorry. Google Newsies. ;)