1st Birthday Party

Our little wild thing turned one and we celebrated with a wild, backyard rumpus!  Here's how it all went down... LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!

Guests were greeted with this sign.

My sisters helped me create the 'wild thing' cupcakes. I also made Max's boat out of paper and toothpicks and placed those on the gluten-free cupcakes. Then we sprayed [edible] gold paint in the shape of Max's crown on the "leftovers".  We actually made way too many so there were tons of leftovers. Cupcakes at our house for dayzzzz.  

Guests signed his personal copy of Where the Wild Things Are and munched on veggies, humus, olive tapenade, and chips and salsa.  He wore a white romper which I sewed a tail onto and ironed a scene from the book onto the front.  I also made him his own crown so he would be king of all wild things for the day!

 BB got his own mini wild thing cake!  At first, he didnt even want to touch it.  I smushed his hand into it and he didn't like that either... so I picked him up... then he liked it after he tasted it.

He ate A LOT of cake and then... we put him in the bath.

He came back out in his jammies to eat some healthy food and then open presents.

Guests took home a CD of songs from Where the Wilds Things Are, the movie.  BB got lots of books and clothes and a few toys as well.  He loved the attention, too!  What a lucky boy!  We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!  Thank you to everyone who came.

Tomorrow I'll show you the photobooth!

Photos by Lindsy, Charitie Meyers, and Kolin Quick-Gunther.

The Dirty 30

I turned 30 yesterday!  We celebrated with sushi and a night in.  It was wonderful.  Dan got me a fancy lady watch.  The kind of watch that I can wear for years and years and I'm in love with it.  It rained all day and I'm still upset about it.  (Stupid Washington).  Hoping for sunny skies on Saturday for my 30th Birthday Pool Party  Extravaganza!

I'm not a fashion blogger but I did like this outfit so Dan snapped a few shots before we headed out to eat. The dress is not flattering at all.  I might get rid of it.  It's a little too short to be comfortable but I like the pattern and as a pattern-shy-dresser I feel obligated to keep it to give my wardrobe the pizzaz that it often lacks. The photo shoot was quick because: RAIN & also...BB was OVERRR IIIIT.

Dress: Forever 21, Love21. Cardigan: Old Navy. Shoes: Minnetonka Moccasins. Bag: Kaboo. Watch: Marc Jacobs. On the BeeBs:  Shirt: Carters. Pants: thrifted. Shoes: Target.

So, let's get down to brass tacks.  I didn't exactly complete my 30 before 30 list.  Here are my excuses....

1. Sew something using a pattern - My sewing machine has been tricky so I didn't even try this one.
2. Make my own sushi - Nope.  Never got around to it.
3. Visit Canada - I lost my passport!
4. Visit Nashville - We went in November to visit my sister and it was awesome!
5. Run another half marathon - August 3rd with my BFF!
6. Take the train somewhere new - We rode the train to the half marathon.  It was...an experience.
7. Go snowboarding somewhere other than France this winter - Mt. Hood with my mom.
8. Do some local mission work - I didnt do as much as I had hoped but I am signed up to volunteer with the YWCA and I'm helping start a non-profit.
9. Hike in a rain forest - I'm not sure if the area of the Olympia Peninsula that we hiked 7 miles in is the part that counts as the rain forest but I'm gonna say that it counts. 
10. Save $XX,000 for a down-payment on a house - Yep.  This was mostly Dan's work but I guess I helped by not spending it ;)
11. Get my camera cleaned - Haven't done this one yet but I did buy a new lens.  A clean one! :)
12. Write letters to my husband while he's on tour - A few.
13. Take some real piano or bass lessons - Ugh.
14. Make a homemade alphabet book for BB - Nope.  
15. Watch every movie that stars Marilyn Monroe - I loved it!  I learned so much.  You could tell when she really put forth her best efforts in a role, when she liked a role.  She was something else!
16. Re-read The Great Gatsby before the movie comes out - Did it. Loved it.
17. Go to a midnight showing of a movie - I went to Gatsby with my lady friends. It was one of the best nights of my year!
18. Renew my wedding vows - Nailed it.
19. Buy a pair of ridiculously expensive shoes - I did it but I dont even really like them that much.
20. Visit the capital of anything - Nashville is the Capital of Tennessee!
21. Make an informed vote this November - Yep.
22. Buy a fish or a lobster from Seattle's Pike Place Market and cook it myself - I went to Pikes SO MANY TIMES this year and never bought any seafood.  Fail.
23. Take a dip in some hot springs - While visiting family in Wisconsin, I swam in an amusement park called "Hot Springs".  Count it.
24. Create a good, artistic film - still in the works so I cant show it yet.
25. Go to a sold-out mega-concert - I wish I had gone to Paul McCartney at Safeco Field but I did see Smashing Pumpkins and Anberlin / Kings of Leon.  So, it counts.
26. Buy some stock(s) - Didnt even try.
27. Go thrift-store shopping regularly - I wouldn't say "regularly" but "often".
28. Visit all of Tacoma's museums - 5 outta 5!  Nailed it!
29. Go on a backpacking trip / an overnight hike - Had one planned and I got sick and then never planned it again.  Boo.
30. Make people laugh - Obvi.

As a perfectionist I'm pretty bummed.  21 out of 30 isn't bad considering how lofty and expensive and time-consuming some of these goals are were. But that's like a D- or something.  So, to focus on the good things that I did this past year, I've made a new list of accomplishments:  We threw BB an awesome 1st birthday party in the theme of our favorite book:  Where the Wild Things Are. I got an amazing tattoo.  (Which is probably where all the money that I was supposed to invest in stocks went). We went on a ton of hikes.  I got over my new-mom-fitness-schlump and got back into yoga and running.  Not as often as I'd like.  But, I did train for and complete a half marathon! So....BOOM.

I'm not going to be too hard on myself.  I'm content with 30 because I love my life. Let's do this, 30!

Reflection

I have been struggling with aging for a few years now.  The summer in which I was 25, turning 26, was super fun.  I spent that summer skateboarding, river floating, high-fiving, and kickin ass.  Then, things got really stressful and I didn't want to be a grown up.  So, I started doing some really wild things.  I joined a punk-rock band and pretty much stopped being an adult.  Then, turning 27 was the worst day of my life.  Okay, the actual DAY was fun.  Here are some photos so you can see just how fun it was.  But, I  hated the idea of being 27.

Now I'm 28.  I have wrinkles.  I don't have the energy for the 2-hours-a-day-everyday workouts that I did in college.  I'm getting kind-of fat and my body aches more often than I think it should.  However, every cloud has silver lining.  For starters, I am more confident than I have ever been in my life!  I'm becoming a mother to a child who really needs a good mom.  Suddenly, the things that mattered before... just... don't.  I'd rather save up to buy this kid a high chair than buy myself a new pair of boots.  I want to be the best person I can be for this little one.  I look forward to becoming more wise and more confident in who I am, flaws and all.  [And I look forward to not referring to my flaws as "flaws"!]  So, I think I'm okay with aging.  At least, for today.  Bring it on, 2012.

A totally unedited photo of myself.

A huge part of moving forward is looking back.  Reflecting on the past year will help me appreciate where I was and where I am now.  Most importantly, who I am.  2010 was the worst year EVER.  2011, just as I'd hoped, ended up being a great year of healing and happiness.  Here are some of my favorite moments, month by month.

• JANUARY

My mom came to visit and I also had a fun night at a new coffee shop in town with some really great friends.

•  FEBRUARY

I got into hot yoga and taking pictures of street art.  It was the first month that we hadn't gone back to France since we lived there so I remember being sad about that.  I also got into a pretty bad snowboarding accident which ended my snowboarding season early.

•  MARCH

My darling husband rang in his 30th birthday!  And, I went wine tasting with my best friend, Sara, in Oregon!

•  APRIL

Wewent out to Sequim, WA for Easter Weekend and we had a blast!

•  MAY

May is always a strange month here in Washington.  You're anticipating summer but it's usually cloudy.  I spent May hiking and going on adventures.

•  JUNE

Dan travels a lot in the summer because his band plays a lot of festivals.  This June we had enough sunny weather for me to get on the longboard a bunch of times.  I also helped my friend, Ben, plan GO SKATE TACOMA on June 21st, International Go Skateboarding Day.

•  JULY

In July, I said goodbye to my best friend here in Tacoma.  We moved her halfway across the country.  The trip was horrible and fun at the same time.  Then, we stayed in the midwest and celebrated 4th of July in Chicago with Dan's side of the family.

•  AUGUST

Dan played a huge festival and I was so proud of him!  I turned 28 and we celebrated our 8 year anniversary!

•  SEPTEMBER

We took a little vacation to Kelowna, BC and learned to golf.

•  OCTOBER

I flew to Arizona to celebrate Brit's Golden Birthday!  I got a tattoo and climbed a mountain.  When I got back, we moved into our new place!  Good month.

•  NOVEMBER

We had our home study which was the last step in becoming registered parents!  The baby's room is ready. We also had an eventful Thanksgiving and hung out at the Washington/Oregon coast.

•  DECEMBER

Dan has been home a lot this month.  Our community found out about two local families that were really struggling this Christmas so we got together and spent $1000 on them!  We chose presents for their kids and got them Visa gift cards to help pay their bills.  It was amazing.  I  had an eventful Christmas and hoping to have a fun New Years Eve.

Goodbye, 2011.  You were decent.  Happy New Year to all!  Bring it on, 2012!
also.... BIG BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Birthday

Someone has a birthday coming up!  Check out the [censored, internet version of the] invitation I created for our little guy's first birthday party.  [Side note:  I am longing for the day to stop calling him "BB" online].  We love Where the Wild Things Are.  It's our fave.  BB is fascinated when I read/recite "the wild things ROARED their terrible ROARS".  That's my favorite part.  I looove this book and I loooove this boy!  I cant wait for this party to happen! I cant believe he's already one year old! 

Liam's 3rd Birthday

Liam's 1st birthday party was in our backyard. It was a hot day. The theme was Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. He had only been in our home for 7 months but he felt like ours. He wasn't walking or talking yet. He was scared of his cake until I smashed his hand in it. He still had that amazing smile that just gets bigger and better with each year. 

His 2nd birthdays were fun, too. He had a backyard party at my sister's house, complete with an amazing cake that I never got to show off because it had his name on it. The internet only knew him as "BB" back then. He also had a balloon themed pizza party at our favorite place in Tacoma with all his best friends. 

This year, we invited over two friends. We ate Shipley Donuts. The mommas, Blair and Liz, sipped iced coffee. It was low-key and just what we all needed. Then, we had a little Labor Day shindig with our only blood relative in town: Aunt Karli! Karli and her boyfriend got Liam a Hot Wheels race track. It was awesome.

The grand finale was dinner at the Aquarium restaurant, just us. We pass this place almost everytime we go to the mall and Liam always begs to go in. It was a wonderful surprise for him to finally get to eat there.

At the end of the night, we were all tired and happy. It was such a good night. We are so blessed by this boy every day.

Happy birthday, Liam! A lifetime of balloons and dancing awaits you!

1st Birthday Party Photobooth

There's not much to do at a first birthday party besides take pictures and you know I love a photobooth!

I painted the backdrop myself.  It's supposed to be the forest from the book [Where the Wild Things Are].  It took a lot longer than I thought it would and we love how it turned out so we're going to find a way to hang it in BB's room as a wall tapestry.  For the party, we couldn't find a place in our yard or under our covered patio with even light so we ended up nailing the backdrop to our house and took the photos in FULL sunlight.  Thus, the shadows and squinty eyes.  But I love them, still!  Without further adooooo.... Here are some of the photobooth pictures from his party!