Twelve

What a difference a year makes!  

If there is anything I have learned over the past twelve months it is that there's nothing we can't conquer if we do it together.  

Here's to taking a chance.  To chasing a dream.  To walking the road less traveled in order to experience the beauty on the other side.  

Life isn't nearly as scary with you beside me holding my hand.  And I promise I won't ever let go.

Happy Twelfth Anniversary Babe.  

Father's Day

It's already been three weeks since Father's Day came and went, but it's never too late to give a shout out to the most important men in your life.

For the first time in I don't know how long, I got to spend Father's Day with my father.  Although, I sure never imagined it would be due to the fact I was living in his basement!  Here I am 36-years old and he's still coming to my rescue.

Of course, the other most important father in my world is the father of my son.  And what am amazing father he is.  All you have to do is read Jack's very own words to know what a special bond these guys have.

After all, they're best friends.  And football buddies.  And absolute spitting images of each other.

Nothing makes my heart swell quite like watching the two of them together or hearing their squeals and giggles as they play.

Happy Father's Day (a few weeks late) to two of the good ones very best.

Eleven

I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

Those were the vows we made shortly after this picture was taken.  When it was just you and me against the world.  Before the mortgage, the careers and the responsibility that comes with them.  Before we were parents and our whole world shifted.

Here we are eleven years later.  The decisions are bigger these days.  And the consequences much greater. But the joys are so much more than I ever imagined they could be.  And dreams I never even knew have been realized.

We are better together.  And there is no one else on earth I want by my side as we walk through this life.

So I tell you again, from the bottom of my (older and wiser) heart:

I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. 
I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

Happy Anniversary, Babe.

Home Alone

For the first time since Jackson was born, Drew & I spent last weekend at home - alone - while the little guy spent the weekend with his Gram. 

We've had overnight trips before (like when we went to DC and Palm Springs) but we've never stayed home sans kiddo.

It. Was. Fantastic.

I don't think it makes me less of a parent (at least I hope) by admitting that I loved every minute.  Of course, it didn't hurt that I knew he was having the time of life with his Gram all to himself.

Sure, it was great to have no schedule.  And as much as Jack cracks me up, I relished the silence for a change.  But what surprised me most was how much I was able to accomplish without a preschooler in tow.  I had forgotten what that was like.

Over the course of 2 days we:

• Went out to dinner in an actual restaurant.  And I wore a dress!
• Had cocktails downtown.
• I spent an entire day with my best friend (nice timing that Cortney happened to be in town).  We went to the farmer's market, visited several fabric stores, picked out 6 different shades of paint to test in various spots in the house, bought the supplies to make a cornice board and then built a cornice board.  All before dinner time. 
• Grilled steaks and drank beer on the patio.
• Cleaned the entire house.
• Hung a new light fixture.
• Finished painting the last section of cabinetry in the kitchen and put it all back together.
• Washed all of the bedding.
• Planned this week's menu and bought groceries.

We didn't watch a single cartoon, wipe a single butt, trip on a single toy or censor our language.

We did sleep extra late, take uninterrupted showers (who knew that would one day be a luxury!), say cuss words out loud and, well, other stuff that you do when your kid is out of the house.

Yeah.  It was fantastic.

By Sunday evening we were ready to reunite with the little guy.  Regardless of how much we enjoyed the break, it doesn't change the fact that everything feels slightly off kilter when we're missing a member of our little threesome.  We're just better together, I guess.  And the monster hug I got in the parking lot where we met up with Gram & Jack confirmed it.

Deb, we can't thank you enough for the opportunity for some grown up time.  I hope he behaved himself and the two of you made some good memories.  Jackson is still talking about "last day at Gram's house".

And talking...and talking...and talking...

Renewed

I've been in a rut lately.  Just going through the motions of the day to day when suddenly days, then weeks, then months have slipped by and I'm not really sure where they went.  Or, more importantly, what I've accomplished - other than the daily routine of work, school, dinner, dishes, family time, bath, bed, rinse & repeat.  Not in a bad way.  Just...status quo.  More days than not it feels like Drew & I are walking parallel paths instead of intersecting.  And that's not where I want to be.

Somehow, over the past week, things seemed to realign themselves.

I have two somewhat last-minute business trips coming up in the next month.  As much as I dread being away from the boys, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the alone time, too.  My best friend is coming home for a visit and I've missed her terribly.  But most importantly, Drew & I have finally scheduled some time just for us.

It started small and gradually got bigger.  A day off to play golf together, a few lunch dates, actually staying awake to have a conversation after Jackson finally turns in for the night.  Then, on a total whim, we looked at a new house south of town on 20 acres of land - which resulted in all sorts of conversations about our goals and plans for the future.  We decided not to buy it, but it was a fun exercise to go through nonetheless.  And it gets even better.  Thanks to Drew's Mom we will soon get an entire weekend to ourselves while Jackson spends some one-on-one time with his Gram.  Would you believe we have never had a weekend alone in our own house since Jack was born?  We've been kid free in Denver, Washington DC and Palm Springs, but never once at home.  On top of that, we decided to take a short vacation to Colorado and will be spending one night of our trip in the mountains while Jack stays in the city with his Nana & Papa.  How dreamy does this look:

And the fact that Jackson will get to spend quality time with his grandparents means I don't even feel guilty about taking the time just for us - something I often struggle with as a working mom.  In fact, I couldn't be more excited.

I guess the lesson I'm learning is that not only is it okay to take time for yourself and your relationship - it's important to.  It's of no fault of anyone, but despite the fact that I live with Drew and sleep beside him every night, I think I've missed him.  It didn't take much to get back on track, but it's enough to make me feel whole again. 

And that's a much better place to be.

Father's Day

Technically, this post should come from Drew.  I'm not a father, so I'm not really qualified to say whether or not it was a successful Father's Day.  But I am qualified to write about what we did to mark the occasion.  And from where I sat, it seemed like a pretty okay day.

It started with an early morning tee time and a scorecard that showed Drew's best round of golf ever.

So there's that.

And he came home to a little boy so excited for his Dad to open his presents that he blurted out, before Drew even made it to the top of the stairs, "It's a Star Wars book!  And Jayhawk shorts!  Just like mine!  So we can be twins!"

Jackson also presented Drew with a card that he picked out and wrote on all by himself.

Never mind that the dog on the front of the card is holding a beer and the inside offers wishes for a "Wienerful Father's Day".  I kind of overlooked those details in Target when Jack insisted it was the perfect card because it sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" upon opening.  But you know, he's probably right.  It was the perfect card.

The rest of the day consisted of steaks on the grill, golf on TV and cupcakes for dessert.  Daddy's favorite of course (surprise cupcakes without frosting), with a little embellishment to mark the occasion (thanks Mary Russell for the find!)

Nothing too over the top, but I hope Drew enjoyed his day.  And I hope he knows how much we love him and how much we appreciate him, not just on Father's Day but every day.

If there's one thing I know unequivocally it is that Jackson adores his father.

And I think the feeling might be mutual.

Regulars

Years ago (as in, when Jackson was nothing more than a twinkle in our eyes) Drew & I would frequent a local bar & grill on our side of town every Friday night for Date Night.  In fact, we went so often we got to know the bartender (Stacy) and before long she had our beers of choice on the counter before our butts were even on the bar stools.  I think I speak for both of us when I say those Date Nights are some of our favorite memories.  We would reflect on the week, make plans for the future and talk about everything...or sometimes nothing.  And we were "regulars"!  Which felt kind of cool.

Fast forward a few years, add a three-year-old and a seemingly much busier life and those Date Nights have turned into Lunch Dates.  And while it's not exactly as hip as a Friday night out, our standing appointment at Mr. Goodcents Sub Shop at 11:30 am on Wednesday is often the highlight of our week. 

This Wednesday we were the only customers in the store when we arrived.  The owner (note to self:  learn his name) was behind the counter.  He greeted us and called out our order before we even said a word.

While we ate our sandwiches Drew & I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.  A few years ago we were "regulars" at a Sports Bar where we would eat and drink late into the night.  Now we are "regulars" at a Sub Shop where we meet at 11:30 am in the middle of the week...in order to beat the lunch rush.

My how times change.

Yet the really important part hasn't changed at all.

We still reflect on the week, make plans for the future and talk about everything...or sometimes nothing.

And it's still the highlight of our week.

Saturday

Without fail (and weather permitting), at some point every weekend a game of football erupts in our backyard.  Today I thought to grab my camera and I'm so glad I did.  These pictures capture my boys perfectly.  I can't help but smile every time I see them.  Because at my house, this is what a Saturday looks like.

Are you ready for some football?

A warm up game of catch.



The huddle.

Kick off.

Daddy gives the stiff arm.



Jack makes a cut.



Not an athletic bone in his body, huh.  Oh yeah - and I think he's having fun.  :)

Thankful

It's Thanksgiving season.  Naturally, this time of year gives us pause to think about all of the blessings in our lives and the many, many reasons we have to be thankful.  It's certainly been on my mind.  Of course my family, our health, our home and our jobs are high on my "I'm Thankful For" list.  Today; however, I'm thankful for something a little less significant.

I'm thankful for lunch dates with my hubby.

We got into this routine a month or so ago.  Once a week we meet for lunch.  Nowhere fancy - in fact, usually here.  Because it's not about the food.  It's about an uninterrupted 30 minutes - 1 hour together.  We can get in sync with our schedules, plans and activities for the coming days.  We can talk about anything we want - or nothing at all - without having to do so over the chatter of our almost three-year-old (though, I will concede that almost three-year-old is often a topic of our conversations).  There's no multi-tasking involved.  We have each other's full attention.  We can just be Heidi & Drew.

Without fail, it ends up being my favorite day of the week.

And I'm thankful for that.

Ten

Ten years. 

A decade. 

It doesn't seem possible.  Yet, at the same time, I can barely remember life without you in it.

Ten years later...

You're still the one I can't wait to call when there is news to share.  You're still the one I hurry home to every night.  You're still the one that makes the highs higher and the lows not so low.  You're still the one that gives me butterflies when you walk in the room.  You're still the one I can't imagine my life without.  You're still the one I don't think I could possibly love any more. 

And then I do.

Happy Anniversary Drew. 

Keep Pushing Play

Well...one of us did.

This is the one where I give a shout out to my husband who has the work ethic of a horse and willpower I can only dream of.

You may remember that back in March the two of us started the P90X exercise program together.  I hesitated to write about it because I was afraid it would put the big jinx on my progress to that point.  Well, it did.

I made it through a little more than 45 days of the 90 day program.  Then I traveled a couple of times, Jack started waking up in the middle of the night, Drew started doing the workouts over his lunch break instead of at 5:00 am and I could go on and on but the fact is it's all just a bunch of excuses.  I quit.  Drew didn't.

He is now officially done with the program and oh my gosh does it work.  Like, for real.  And my husband (who, in my eyes, is the epitome of sexy at any shape or size) just went from hot to smokin' hot!

Drew followed the workouts as written.  He did not alter his diet at all but did make portion adjustments.  I think it's fair to say the quantity of food he eats in one sitting has substantially decreased.  The result:  20 pounds lost (putting him right smack into his goal range) and serious muscle definition.  In the past 3 weeks we have purchased 3 pair of pants and 4 pair of shorts because his old clothes literally fell off of him.  Drew will be the first to say it's hard.  Hard to commit, hard to make it through each routine and hard to stick with it.  But if you do, you will succeed.

He plans to start up again after a week of rest.  This time, focusing on core strength and building more ab and back definition.  I'm going to try to join him.  Partly because I feel like such a loser for quitting.  Partly because I've seen firsthand that it works.   Mostly because I miss how I felt while I was doing it - the extra energy and sense of accomplishment that comes with exercising every day.

But this isn't about me.

Way to go, babe.  I'm proud of you.  And you totally inspire me.

xoxo

Day Thirty

Drew and I have been up to something.  Something that I haven't mentioned here on the blog yet.  Maybe because I was afraid.  Afraid that I would tell you all about it and talk a big game, but not really follow through.  Afraid that the results wouldn't turn out to be what I so badly hope for.  Afraid of failure.

But today is day thirty.

Day thirty of a commitment we made to each other.  Day thirty of 5 am wake-up calls.  Day thirty of pain, sweat and soreness I'm not sure I've ever felt before. 

Day thirty of P90X.

For those of you that don't know, P90X is a home fitness program. A 90 day, 12-disk program of targeted workouts.  And it is HARD. 

Drew & I first entertained the idea of starting P90X last Fall.  Aware of our desire to try the program, my parents bought it for us as a joint birthday gift.  Schedules, fears and excuses led us to February when we made the commitment, took the plunge and started the program.  We took it very seriously complete with a fitness test (for benchmarking purposes so we can see our progress at the end of the program), measurements and before photos (that will likely never see the light of day)!

The workouts are intense.  So intense that even after 30 days there are still things we are not strong enough to do.  5 am wake up calls are not fun.  It's not easy.  But the best things in life rarely are.

The good news is, we love it!  We both feel so much stronger.  More flexible.  We have more energy.  We sleep better.  We start every day with a sense of accomplishment for taking on this challenge.

I really think doing it together is key.  We motivate each other, hold each other accountable and are each other's biggest cheerleader.  (With Jack as a close second.  He's been known to holler "Good job, guys!" on the mornings when he's awake during our workout and watching sleepy-eyed from the sofa.)  I certainly wouldn't have made it this long without Drew (thanks, Babe!), and I like to think I've kept him in the game once or twice as well.

We are already seeing results.  I think it is more noticeable in Drew who clearly has new muscle definition.  He insists he sees a difference in me, too.  Neither of us have lost many pounds yet, likely because of the amount of muscle we have gained.  But it's not about the numbers.  It's about feeling better, being healthy and setting a good example for our son. 

As creator Tony Horton says...Decide. Commit. Succeed.

We did, we are, and we will! 

Thirty days down, sixty to go.

He Went To Jared!

I'll admit it, I'm a snoop at Christmastime. 

Was as a kid and still am as an adult.  There are always a few surprises, but most of the time I have a pretty good idea what's under the tree before actually ripping into the paper.

Until this year.

Turns out all those early December business trips gave my hubs plenty of free time to ponder, research and shop under the radar. 

Drew will be joining me for a little get-away in West Palm Beach, FL in February where I'll be on business. We had agreed that the trip would be our primary gift to each other and that we would keep Christmas gifts to a minimum.  I kept my end of the bargain.  Drew didn't.

And I can say with 100% honesty that I didn't see this one coming from a million miles away.

So what was in the box?

I'm still shocked. 

You got me, Drew.  And I couldn't love them (or you) more.

A Milk & Cookies Birthday

I'm pretty sure our house still smells like sugar from yesterday's festivities.  5 batches of homemade cookies, 1 birthday cake, 3 flavors of ice cream and chocolate milk (both hot and cold) will do that, I guess.

Once the decision was made to hold an Elser Family birthday party, the theme fell right into place.  My husband is a cookie-holic, my son's only request from Santa this year was milk (no kidding...he told me he wanted Santa to bring him milk) and my strength in the kitchen is baking.  So a Milk & Cookies birthday party was born.

Without further adieu...

The food table was cookies, cookies and more cookies.  Chocolate Chip.  Snickerdoodle.  Peanut Butter.  Mint Chocolate.  Sugar.

And cake.  Oh my goodness, the cake.  Not only was it stunning, but seriously the best cake I've ever eaten.

To drink we had hot chocolate (with the option of doctoring it up for the grown ups) and white and chocolate milk.

Decorations were easy.  A birthday banner, polka dot balloons, ribbon and napkins and some paper lanterns I had laying around were the bulk of it. 

I also filled an apothecary jar I had on hand with some Cookie Crisp cereal.  Cheap, easy and a perfect fit with our theme and colors.

Then there was the garland.  A last minute surprise from my uber-crafty and talented sister-in-law.  She made this by hand.  I'm not kidding.  Does it get any cuter?

Our guests were encouraged to fill a bag with cookies to take home.

The presents were wrapped to match the theme.

Of course, the littlest birthday boy and his momma had a coordinating look as well.  (I totally forgot to have someone snap a picture of all 3 of us...darn!)

Here's a source list for anyone who's dying to do their own version of a milk & cookies party.

Invitations, Banner and Printables:  Dimpleprints
Cake:  Just Sweets, which happens to be the side business of a colleague of mine
Plates, Napkins, Balloons:  Party America
Ribbon:  Hobby Lobby
Polka Dot Apron:  Etsy vendor, nikigirl
Two T-Shirt:  Acme T-Shirts in downtown Lawrence

And of course, rarely do I have a 100% original idea.  I got lots of inspiration from my favorite party websites (see blogroll on the right) and a good old-fashioned google search.

And there you have it.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go run off some of this sugar!

Family Pictures 2010

Thank you Kami at OrangePeel Photography.  We had such a great time at our family photo shoot and couldn't be happier with the results.  It's nearly impossible to choose, but here are some of my favorites.

Nine

And I thought I loved you then...

Happy Anniversary, Babe.

Who Needs Toys?

When there are things like rolls of toilet paper and paper towels in the house?