whoosh for the weekend & ostrich faces

whoosh for the weekend & ostrich faces

This weekend was crazy full of Christmas awesome.

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We entered the world of fakery when we decided on a rainy Saturday.  We budgeted for the tree we thought we were going to get, found one we liked better in person for about half the cost….got the last one, which was a floor model, so we got a discount.  Grabbed a tree bag to bring it home and store it in, given it had no box (display one), but the bag was clearly used and returned…complete with a hole and a broken zipper, so that came along with our tree for tree.

Harlow posed with the forest behind her, so we’d always this tree-fetching remember the moment.  She’s of course doing her best ostrich face. 

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Then Jones got all dressed up for a birthday party that afternoon for our sweet friends JoJo and baby Marion-berry.  Do you remember this squishy babe?  She’s turning one.  HOW.

And yes, you can say it, Jones’s onesie is about the cutest thing you ever did see.

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Then we got Thai take out, put on Elf for the first time this year — Harlow loved it — and decorated the tree.  We have the cutest spot of ornaments all about to fall off of the 2 needles they are each somehow perched upon, but Harlow was so proud and so into decorating the tree.

I thought two was a magical Christmas year….but I think it just keeps getting better.

Then we all slept in (past 6:30 that is….) and it was glorious. 

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After church, Jones modeled the mega-pom hat design that was in my head for a while, but needed to become a reality.  I had to keep asking him to quit rolling over.

Yes. ROLLING.  He started the day he turned two months, and hasn’t stopped since.  I want to cry.

Not ready yet, Jonesy.

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Oh! And I finally got my act together and created the instagram account I’ll use for flash sales — think hats and boots and diaper rags and who knows what else.

I promise to try and keep the awesome factor high. Well that and the pompom size awesome, too.

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Then we got all fancy for the Reindeer Ball, and we wrangled Jeff, our neighbor, into taking our photo.  He got some really great ones of us smiling and looking fancy-schmancy….but

the ostrich face one wins.

Harlow is obsessed with her pink princess dress and couldn’t stop telling Andy how handsome he was.

I totally agree, Harls.  I totally agree.

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Then Harlow awesomely photobombed our red light selfie.  And we all got a case of the giggles.

That guy is pretty handsome, isn’t he?

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And then we arrived and we all had a blast.  Harlow and her friend Charlotte tore up the dance floor, met Santa (and his 20 year old wife ;) and I don’t think either of them lost their smile for more than it took to beg for more ice cream.

Thank you, Kate, Brian and Charlotte for inviting us to join you this year at the Reindeer Ball — we love you guys!

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And then we came home to a house with Christmas tree lights shining through front windows, and I couldn’t help but smile.  I told Andy that I want to start putting the Christmas tree up the minute the temperature starts to get cold, because it puts me in such an amazing mood seeing it standing in our living room sparkling away.

Cheesy, I know, but true.  And now that we have a fake tree, I can leave it up forever!  I kid. I kid.

But this guy is serious.

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Happy Monday!

xo
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The sentence structure and grammar in this post is downright awful, but I’m leaving it. xo!

oh! and get your Christmas decorations ready!

Sharing Christmas2014

#SleepiJonesy

#SleepiJonesy

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It all started with this photo.  I was getting ready one morning and plopped a few days old swaddled Jones into his Sleepi bassinet.  He just was so calm and peaceful, and when I went to take a photo, I loved how the oval bassinet looked — like a little ray of baby sunshine.

I’m so cheesy.  I know.

I love this bassinet and sleep system so much, because Stokke has truly thought of just about everything.  The bassinet is trim and well made — it has lockable wheels, so it can be moved around or kept in place.  It is an investment up front, but then this bassinet converts into a full size crib… toddler bed…and then a desk!  It’s not something you have to retire when your child turns 2 or 3! That’s for sure.

So until he fits no more….(And then I’ll have to figure out a way to continue with his fullsize crib!)… #SleepiJonesy

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xo
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doing one thing right

doing one thing right

We joke that our family doesn’t have a lot of traditions.  Due to my dad’s job, we often celebrated Christmas a few days late or early and other holidays were the same.  It wasn’t as much about the actual day the holiday fell on, but the day we spent together.

The truth is we do have traditions, we just like to joke about it, the most long standing one being Northern Pines.

When people ask my parents about parenting advice or specific things they would do again, I’ve heard them tell multiple people that committing to Northern Pines was one thing they did right.  I happen to think they did about a million things right — Northern Pines was just one of those things.  

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Yesterday, a friend posted an article on Facebook yesterday titled “My husband was the perfect Dad – and it almost killed our marriage”  I turned around and shared it with the following statement:

This past summer at Northern Pines, I heard one of the most simple, yet profound statements from one of the speakers.

“You can be an amazing father and a terrible husband, but I have yet to meet an amazing husband who failed to be an amazing father.”

This article is such a perfect example of how powerful this statement is and also such a good reminder.

When I talk about Northern Pines to friends or hear my parents tell others about it, I’m reminded constantly about why it is set apart from so many other camps, retreats and family camps.  Northern Pines is about the family unit, but even more about your marriage.

They don’t simply talk about ways to focus on your marriage when you get home (they do that too), but during the entire week, they create space to be together as a couple.  For example, if you have kids in third grade and under, you are assigned a Child Care Assistant (CCA).  These are students that have actually paid to come to camp to watch your kids!  They come to your room or house on campus and watch your kids until 11pm for free.  Every night.  During this time, the evening speaker session and other activities are available for you to attend.  A few mornings throughout the week, you are given about 2 hours as a break before you need to go pick up your young kids from their daily Bible school — again, just another moment to spend time with your spouse, talk about the week’s speakers, goals for when you return home, or just go take a nap!

Even more time is available to spend as a family — afternoon freetime, family day, etc. — but I am so thankful for Northern Pines’s focus on the marital unit in conjunction to the family unit.


Another aspect of Northern Pines that I am so thankful for, is the generations represented.  We are blessed to attend with both of my sisters, my parents and Andy’s parents as well.  Harlow is in Bible class with kids of friends I grew up going to Northern Pines with!

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And I should make a note…..when I say camp?  It’s not really camp.  Andy laughed so hard the first year he came and saw our air conditioned room, private bathroom and amazing food — with unlimited ice cream at every meal. :)  If you enjoy camping, there are campsites and cabins available as well!

But back to the generations in attendance.  Northern Pines sees the importance of families spending this time together so much so that an anonymous donor is giving money to fulfill what they are calling Project Generations

If three generations attend this next year, the grandparents go free.  Both sets of grandparents, great grandparents.

I’m so excited about this gift because it makes Northern Pines more attainable for the family!  If you are already attending as a family with kids, you can gift the week to both sets of grandparents — or more if you have them!  If you are wanting to try Northern Pines, you can split the cost with the grandparents making a week of camp half of the standard price….or even LESS if you’re splitting between your family and multiple sets of grandparents!

And then to add to that: all kids under 3 are free in 2015 as well!  

There are also many opportunities for discounts and scholarships!  First time guests will receive 10% off, ministry discounts and even discounts for families with a lot of children!  

If it’s not obvious yet, let me just say it now:  I love Northern Pines.  I attribute a lot my spiritual growth to the weeks I spent at camp — through conversations with my counselors, time with my family, and a week spent away from the daily grind of home.  

Northern Pines‘s tagline is Vacation with a Purpose, and they truly show that in every aspect of the week.  Each speaker is chosen carefully along with each program director.  And to read more about what kids of all ages do throughout the week — go here.

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I hope it’s obvious how much I love Northern Pines — and how much I believe in its vision and focus.  We drive about 11 hours each year to get there….and we are not the attendees who drive the farthest!  We’ve made it a priority to get there every year, and I am so thankful that we do.

I’d love to see you there this year — and to take advantage of Project Generations you must have your deposit submitted before January 1, 2015.  

I’m so thankful my parents invested in doing this “one thing right” for our family — I can’t wait to see you there! :)

xo
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Jones Lauritzen // Newborn Photos Part 1

Jones Lauritzen // Newborn Photos Part 1

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banner made by Jacquie // 

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I have been so excited to share these photos with you — Rachel came over a few days after Jones was born to capture these moments.  I just keep staring at them.

…especially now that my scrawny little baby just weighed in at 12 el-bees at his 6 week appointment.

Yup.  Twelvers.

I decided to break up these photos into a few posts, because I couldn’t post them all today.  I honestly don’t think my hormonal postpartum self could take that.  So I’ll apologize in advance for the new-baby-Jonesy you’ll be seeing in multiples posts. :)

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This moment was so special, because Harlow couldn’t wait to feed Jones his first bottle.  She asked about it all morning until Rachel arrived.  It’s not like her face shows how proud she is or anything.

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I know.  Jones is the spitting image of his daddy in those glasses!

xo
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the Doc and the cute baby

the Doc and the cute baby

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This year we went all out for halloween.

And by all out I mean not at all.

In the years past, I’ve had so much fun making costumes for Harlow.  She was a lamb at 5 months.  She was a bear at a year and a half.  And last year, she was the cutest pink fox I ever did see.

Yes, there is a theme of animals and no, that wasn’t really intentional.  (Kind of like our last-names-as-first-names for our kiddos… now I belabor over keeping that up!)  So anyways, this year I had plans of making a costume for Harlow as well.  She kept changing her mind: a bunny, a princess, a piggie, and the last request was a wolf.

Perfect, I thought.  A wolf goes along beautifully with this accidental animal tradition….now how on earth do I make this costume.  I thought about it a bit, and then things like the need for sleep, a newborn, preschool, friends and walks to the park invaded, and I woke up halloween morning.

No costume made.

Welp.  So we ran to our happy place where Harlow picked out the cheapest — and by cheapest I do not mean the most inexpensive…I mean wow-are-costumes-overpriced-and-really-cheaply-made.  

It was almost like Harlow loved it. ;) Ya think?

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I then proceeded to dress Jonesy up as a cute baby.  Nailed it.  

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It was a win-win for all.  Well, except the tradition of Pittsburgh + rain + cold = Halloween.  I am so tired of that. 

So we went down two blocks and up two blocks….Harlow was so cold by the end that Andy was holding her and she waved at the houses — completely uninterested in walking over to grab candy and brave the cold.

We ventured home, bundled up a bit more and enjoyed our favorite part of the night: handing out candy!

I sat behind her with Jonesy as she yelled to everyone walking by “TRIT OR TREATS!!!!”  My favorite was when she yelled at a guy waiting for the bus across the street…and then mumbled about how silly it was that he wasn’t walking over for candy.  I mean, seriously! ha.

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Hope you all had a fun evening — hopefully warmer and dryer than ours! And cheers to store bought costumes! ;)

xo
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// sling //

 

 

the bump // 40 weeks

the bump // 40 weeks

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I realized I never finished my little bump photo series….Jones jumped the gun!  When I was pregnant with Harlow, we attempted the weekly-stand-against-the-same-wall-and-take-a-profile-bump-photo thing….but it ended up being our weekly argument time.  Ha.  I was traveling every week for work until I was about 6.5 months pregnant, so it was crammed into a weekend…when typically I just wanted to lounge around sans make-up or clean hair.

In other words: I never really wanted my photo taken.

I had so much fun documenting my growing bump this time around!  It has been so fun looking back at the moments that defined each week — weather changing, toes becoming hidden, Harlow starting school.  I’m so happy that I accidentally fell into a weekly documentation in this way….because I honestly kept forgetting which week I was at, so these photos helped me remember. ;)

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I still can’t believe just weeks ago I was sporting a bump and now Jonesy is here.  Beyond thankful and still totally smitten.

xo
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