un fin de semana de diversión con las casablancas

photo 4 photo 3 photo 2 photo 1

this was a great weekend.  we had lots of sunshine and a lovely breeze.

and we kicked things off with big bowls of spicy goodness from good ol’ chipotle.  that place is just so darn good.  spice and flavor.  and meat.  oh, you tasty barbacoa, you.

and then, we wrapped up the weekend {and celebrated cinco de mayo} with a little fiesta with ben’s family.  with refreshing homemade sorbet and everything!  i’m talking mango + lime sorbet with a sprinkling of ancho chile powder to add some warmth.  increíblemente deliciosa.  what a relaxing day.  street tacos and fresh salsas…oh yes, and hanging out with our baby girl.  a baby girl who is looking older and older and less baby-ish each day.  sigh.

oh! well, hello there.

photo

total blogging slacker, here.  sorry folks.  whew!  things have been busy-busy.  elinor and i spent most of last week in-and-out {mmmm…kinda gives me a hankering for a double-double.  you know what i’m saying}  of the car on wedding coordinating adventures.  have i mentioned that my little sister tied the knot this past weekend?!?!  yes, yes.  a married lady now.  it was a big ol’ party on sunday.  lots of cowboy boots and big hair and pretty makeup and burly men wearing billy ball boutineers and two stepping and bbq and sweet preserves and scrumptious pie…oh, the pie.  it was really something.  and now, now we get to take a breath.  AND, i can devote some time to my poor little neglected blog.

stay tuned for a belated five month update for our little peanut {feel free to review past posts here and here and here and here so that miss elinor’s cutie pie-ness is fresh in your mind}, some wedding-y stuff, perhaps some mama musings, and bits and pieces that i have been collecting.

happy monday ladies and gents!

he is risen {he is risen indeed}

happy {belated} resurrection sunday!  i hope that you enjoyed a lovely day of celebration with friends and family.  we most definitely did.  it was such a sweet time as our little family of three.  relaxing and playing and fancy sunday-best wearing and a joyful church service and a patio brunch.  and then we added to the fun by spending some hours with even more family in the afternoon and evening.

here are just a few snaps from the day.  how was your easter?  any family traditions to share?  we have some ideas for next year once miss elinor can engage in the festivities a bit more.  won’t it be the cutest?

photo 2 photo 1 photo 1 (2) photo 5 photo 3 photo 4 photo 2 (2)

wahoo!

yesterday was a good day.  a very good day.  after months of studying and preparing, my hubby passed his series 7 exam.  he is now officially a licensed and certified smarty pants.  wahoo!  and what a load off!  no more study sessions.  no more stress.  he did it.  he is in the club now. 

and may i just say how proud i am of him?  i would like to mention that i am married to a very smart and capable person.  there is a lot of brainpower there.  and he is sickeningly good at test taking.  you know those people who can cram and ace the test?  that’s him.  but instead of just stuffing info into his brain and regurgitating it, he took this very seriously.  he learned.  he practiced.  he tested himself and taught himself.  he actually comprehends it and can carry on a conversation about the intricacies instead of just listing words and copying definitions.  what a great example.  and you know what?  he aced it.  like, 90% aced it.  and he did it half the time alloted.  now that’s just showing off.  yup, he is one of those.  i hated those guys in college.  the ones that seemed to effortlessly breeze through the exam while i was still over-thinking the third question.  it is so funny how different we are.  i take it slow and dissect.  and ben has such confidence and can just pick an answer.  and his gut answer is the right one.  he earned this.  big time.  he should have been confident – he knew his stuff.  and now, he can bask in the glow of a well-deserved victory.

what am i getting at here?  my man gave us a super excuse to celebrate with brats and duck fat fries and some gelato.  thanks hubby!  i knew all the weird finance facts in that phonebook you studied would pay off…

photo 12 photo 3 photo 11

elinor had her own little party in her bugaboo.  she propped her feet up and sucked her thumb.  even mozart the monkey got into the fun.  he did backbends and everything!

photo 1

and would you please look at these two?  just too cool.photo 2

and oh my heart-melting cuteness. this might be my new favorite picture.  look at that handsome man and his little girl.  also, how deliciously nibble-licious are elinor’s cheeks?  and look how fixated she is on the gelato bowl…  soon, little one.

bowl of food, i mean foot.

photo 1so superbowl.  apparently there is some kind of sporting event happening?  i dunno.  i have always thought it was about the food, fun, halftime show, and commercials.  we had big plans for a joint family hoopla at ben’s family’s place but they have been zapped by the plague* {darn those nasty flu bugs!} so we had to do a little switcheroo since no one was too keen on passing tummy troubles to the wee one.

*don’t fret, they are bouncing back.

but, a change in venue doesn’t cramp our style.  my parents volunteered to host and provide the “dip vessels” – we brought over roasted onion dip, spinach and artichoke dip, some popcorn, and some manly, meaty chili.  it was quite the scene.  such a cozy and fabulous evening.

and now onto the important stuff…

what did you think of the commercials this year?  there were a few good ones, in my book:

this one and this one and this one and this one.

what were your favs?

were you as grossed out by the godaddy commercial as we were?  yuck.  i felt like we were coming down with that flu.

now blow the candle out my dear and make your wish come true. a very merry unbirthday to you!

today is the official anniversary of my hubby’s birth.  but we kicked things off early with some celebrations this past weekend.  i am talking a family outing for brunch, a trip to the movies, and a dinner date at our very favorite spot.  and then, bonus!  since it was a long weekend {hurray for the market being closed} we got to spend an extra day together.  and we scheduled a leisurely day at home together.  after being out and about this weekend, we played homebodies and cuddled on the couch with movies and british telly.  it was a splendid day of doing a whole lot of nothing in particular.  just munching and chatting and laughing {and enjoying the many sounds and faces of miss elinor}  perfection.

here are some of my favorite shots from our weekend of birthday excursions.  very merry wishes to my hubby. i am so blessed to get to experience this life with him.  and the little miss thinks her papa is simply grand.  we sure do love him.  he is the best and we always have such fun together.

IMG_5946 IMG_5975 IMG_5949 IMG_5974 photo 1 IMG_5951 photo 2 photo 3 IMG_5980 photo 4 IMG_5978 IMG_5981 IMG_5979 IMG_5977 IMG_5982 IMG_5983

snaps & snippets & blurbs

that’s right!  another baby shower weekend.  and yes, that is my sweet hubby with his violin.  they surprised me at the shower with a serenade.  he played his own original arrangement of johannes brahms “lullaby” for me & e.  it was beyond sweet.  and yes, there were tears.  but the tiny cupcakes cleared those up in a jiffy.

on saturday, my mom’s dear gal pals threw us a delightful shower.  the room was filled with sweet women who have prayed, shared wisdom, encouraged, learned beside, and giggled with my mom for years in bible study and fellowship.  this was quite the gathering, let me tell you.  i was humbled and honored.  the years of knowledge, experience, faith, and love represented was staggering.  these women have sustained marriages, struggled, rejoiced, endured, raised children, mentored, and guided grandchildren.  generations of God’s grace and goodness.  generations of faithfulness.

and let me tell you…they love my mom.  and i am so excited that she [finally] gets to experience this next season of life as a grandmama.  she is in the club now and couldn’t have better company.

thank you “auntie” adele for coordinating this shower for us.  the attention to detail, the sweets, the “peanut” references.  it was truly the perfect afternoon of relaxation, celebration, and just soaking it all in.  God is good.  thank you to all the women who love my mom, who have encouraged her in her walk with jesus, who have pointed her to the cross, who have bolstered her, who have prayed, who have spoken words of wisdom, who have sharpened her, who have served as examples, and who have extended grace and love.  i am a beneficiary of your generosity of spirit.

may this legacy of faith continue for generations.

deuteronomy 6:4-10

hear, o israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  and these words that i command you today shall be on your heart.  you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

snaps & snippets & blurbs

oh, this was a good weekend.  any weekend that kicks off with a blinking-finger-nibbling-swishing-party viewing of our baby girl is sure to be a good one.  and then, to follow it up with dates with my man at brat haus and citizen public house.  yup, we are living it up big time ’round here before our sweet little girl arrives.  we are so eager to meet her…but we are also trying to savor our last little moments together as just us.  life is going to change in a major way!

and speaking of changes…we did a little bit of redecorating around our house this weekend.  please welcome the newest addition to our home decor…a stroller.  and, a fabulously chic and sleek stroller, at that.  oh yes, we have a stroller here.  talk about changing the design aesthetic.  the view from our living room has suddenly been altogether altered.  another reminder that there will be a tiny one living in our house very soon.

so happy monday to you all!

we have a stroller.

{teeheehee}

a happy hubby with some crazy eyes and a mug of brew in early celebration of oktoberfest + duck fat fries with various dips + brat with the works + a smooch from my man + our favorite spot + farewell summer menu…can’t wait for the fall food release! + a cph meal staple.  the bubbling pot of fondue + as if there weren’t enough cheese…check out that sandwich

a happy sprinkling of joy and generosity

elinor’s aunt bree and honorary aunt hallie threw us a little party last weekend. well, them plus a gaggle of gals who came together to help with ideas and execution. we are so blessed to have so many creative people in our lives who wanted to share in this day. and of course, these girls went above and beyond and everything was darling.

the fête was hosted by a family friend and she let us hang out on her super-soft couches while we nibbled and noshed on tasty treats [thank you mom for making that to die for quiche and perfect fruit salad and tart lemon squares].

the shower had a bookworm theme which was seen in every detail of the day. we took home many, many books that have filled miss elinor’s bookshelves. she is going to have quite the enviable library.

it was so special to have a bunch of wonderful friends around for a morning of giggling, story-sharing, and brunch-munching. baby and i feel so special. i know that elinor is already so loved and prayed for…and spoiled!

thank you, thank you!

snaps & snippets & blurbs – double birthday edition

whew!  happy monday, folks.  time is just ticking away.  this weekend was over in a flash!  but at least it was chock full of fun moments.  we celebrated two birthdays…we enjoyed yummy food…we had a leisurely afternoon “brunch” with my mom while dad is out of town [sorry to party without you dad...but don't worry, you wouldn't have liked the menu much].  all in all.  a great time.

i have a feeling that the next few weekends are going to be similarly stuffed full of activities.  it is going to be crazy but good.

enjoy some snaps from our birthday celebration for the dynamic duo of ben’s mama and his sister rach.  happy happy!

skewers and kabobs for the grill + an assortment of dips and sauces + homemade cheese straws + honey for the marinade…complete with a cute little smiley face on the lid! + beverages galore + scenes of coke sipping, goofy faces, mingling, chatting, and snacking