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.  

Busy Making Memories

While browsing one of my favorite blogs recently, Adventures in Babywearing, something Stephanie wrote really struck a cord with me.  

She said, "I think in the past what I've written was true, but writing about it shined up my life, what really happened. At the time it made me feel better, less crazy, happier. Saved me. I don't know how long this will last, but it seems I've arrived at a spot of time where the days move easier without the need to write myself a lifeline."

I totally get it.  And I think I've reached a similar spot in my own blogging.  At least for the time being.  There was a time when writing was therapeutic for me.  Then it became more like a journal - simply a place to record the memories.  I absolutely cherish the annual books I've printed from this blog and I know their importance to me will only grow as the years go by.  For that reason alone I will not give up on it.  But recently blogging has taken a backseat to...well, living.

This is my view as I sit at my computer.

I know you can't read all the entries on the calendar, but you can see that nearly every day has something.  And this is our household activities only - work commitments are elsewhere.  Our lives are so full - in more ways than one - that I'm doing my very best to just take it all in and enjoy the ride.

By no means is this goodbye to The Elser 411.  There are still many stories to tell and memories to capture.  But my focus has shifted.  

To making memories instead of writing about them. 

The Internet

The thing about the Internet is...people read it.

I know, I know.  That's kind of the point. But it has also given me pause lately before I hit publish and bare my soul for all of the inter webs to read.

I've tried to stay true to life here on The Elser 411.   I do my best to share the good, the bad and the ugly. Not just the gratuitous pictures of our kid and the love is perfect and life is grand stories. Because the truth is no one is perfect and sometimes life is just plain hard.  But no matter how cathartic it may be on a personal level to write about anything and everything, some things are better kept to yourself.

I mean, writing about a confidential work issue that's been weighing on your mind wouldn't be a good idea (since its confidential and all). Neither would sharing a particular frustration about a friend or family member (that's just mean).  And sometimes talking about something you've been struggling with, big or small, just results in unnecessary worrying or unsolicited advice that you're just not up for.

And so I've been quiet.

There's no need to read between the lines.  We're all fine. Great, actually. But we've been doing some soul searching in our house. Perhaps the fact that Drew & I will officially be closer to 40 than 30 soon has something to do with that.  Ugh.

I imagine some day when we get it all figured out I'll write about it.

It's just not ready for the Internet yet.

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.

Couch to 5K - Color Run 2012

It started on a whim on September 5.  I'd been meaning to get back into a regular exercise routine for weeks, but a myriad of excuses were winning.  When I heard The Color Run was making a stop in Lawrence it was just the motivation I needed.  If I participated, not only was I making a financial commitment, but my pride was not going to let me make a fool of myself.  So I signed up.

Then I panicked.

I mean, I don't run.  At all.  Ever.  But The Color Run isn't just for runners.  In fact, it's not even a timed event.  They call it "The Happiest 5K on the Planet" for goodness sake.  Surely I could do that.  So I downloaded an app on my phone (MapMyWalk - highly recommend it), recruited a partner (Jackson) and started walking.  4 weeks and 20 walks later, we were ready for race day.

Team Elser

My very first race number...ever.

Guys, if you ever have a chance to participate in a Color Run, DO IT!  It was so much fun.  I mean...look at all these people!

I heard estimates of 7,000.  Literally lined up as far as you can see.

Drew joined us and served as cheerleader and photographer for Team Elser so we were able to get lots of great pics.



Our view at the starting line.



After the first color zone.  Jack got covered in yellow...and LOVED it!  You can see the yellow cloud behind us.

Coming out of the orange zone.

Almost done.  Jack and his stroller absorbed most of the color so I ended up staying relatively white.

Approaching the finish line!

Woo Hoo!  We did it!

The party zone at the finish line.  Color throws occur every 15 minutes.

Resulting in a rainbow clous of dust.

I'm so glad we did it.  I got to spend some quality time with Jackson leading up to the race as we walked every evening in preparation (the little guy rarely stops talking so I learned all sorts of things about his day), I finally got moving again after an inexcusably long hiatus, I tried something WAY outside of my comfort zone and had an absolute blast on race day.  As icing on the cake, I even finished the race at my quickest pace yet - despite having to maneuver all the traffic and slow to a near crawl through each color zone.

Such a fun day.  And now that I have my first 5K under my belt, it might not be my last!

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...

Back on Track

It took me a long time to push the publish button on this one.  But here goes...

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you're mediocre at a whole bunch of things but great at nothing? 

That was me yesterday.

The house is picked up, but far from clean.  We were fed, but it consisted of leftovers and cereal.  It happens from time to time, no big deal, but for some reason I was really bothered by it last night.

I slept on it and I think it's just the culmination of a stressful few weeks that has me a little off kilter.  Not to get all psychoanalytical, but I think I have a tendency to be so consumed with being everything for everybody...that I forget about me.

Drew ended up in the hospital a few weeks ago and has since had a myriad of tests to try to get to the bottom of things - and we're not done yet.  He's good now.  It's nothing serious and the scary stuff has been ruled out.  I put on a super brave face, but goddammit if I wasn't pretty freaked out when the nurse asked about living wills and the doctor mentioned blood transfusions.  And why is it that every time someone is sick, and you're not quite sure why, that damn cancer word keeps popping into your mind? 

Jack is the absolute light of my life but gosh darn if the kid doesn't wear me out.  He needs something every. single. minute.  He talks constantly.  And bedtime?  The success story from last week is already ancient history.  Little bugger played us like a fiddle.  He cashed in his reward and hasn't had a successful bedtime routine since.  We're right back to either falling asleep in bed with him and losing the entire evening or fighting with him until 10:00 when we all give up and crash.  I know this too shall pass, but sometime soon would be nice. 

And then there's me.  You guys already know about my fertility struggles and PCOS.  As a result, my hormones are unpredictable to say the least.  Strangely, birth control pills can be helpful in leveling things out.  However, after struggling so many years to have Jackson and knowing that we want more children, taking birth control is kind of counter-productive.  Instead, I just deal with the unpredictable (which usually means nonexistent) monthly cycles that are a textbook symptom of PCOS.  Until February when my body did a complete 180 and is now pretty much living in a constant state of "cycle".  Not cool.  And annoying.  To say the least.  So there's that.

And that, my friends, is why I've felt a bit out of sorts around here.  And now I've aired my dirty laundry for the inter webs to read.

Blogging is such a strange thing.  I started this blog to journal about my pregnancy.  I kept it going to record the milestones of my son's life and share them with our long-distance family and friends.  Somewhere along the way it became my own personal journal of sorts.  A place to dump my thoughts and clear my head.  Not to mention an amazing record of this time in our lives that I know I will cherish one day. 

The problem is, I'm not the only one who reads it.  And I'd be lying if I said that wasn't on my mind every time I write.  Which is why this post in particular was such an internal struggle for me.

I've tried hard not to make The Elser 411 just a superficial look at all that's wonderful in our lives.  After all, that wouldn't be reality.  But I'm also not as brave as some of my other favorite bloggers, like this one who doesn't hesitate to bash her in-laws or talk about sex.  I can't help but worry about the ramifications of my words.  Will Drew misunderstand me if I mention feeling under appreciated?  Maybe he'd prefer I kept his medical information private.  Do my frustrations with our three-year-old make me sound ungrateful?  If I write about being stressed out will my Mom worry unnecessarily?  Despite how much it's been on my mind lately, will I ever be brave enough to actually write about our sex life?  And oh my gawd I just told you about my period!  *GASP*

I apologize for over sharing.  But I have to say, I think writing this all down - putting it somewhere other than just in my head - is more therapeutic than I give it credit for.  I really do feel better.  And I'm looking forward to this weekend.  We have no plans which means I have 2 full days to get myself organized and create some order in my life.  It's no secret that I'm at my best when I have order! 

If nothing else, this exercise reminded me that I don't have to be everything to everybody all the time. 

Sometimes just being me is enough.

And sometimes a message from someone you love is all it takes to get back on track.

Goodbye, April

I'm not gonna lie, April has been a pretty stressful month.  I'll write about it one of these days.  But for now, I'm relishing in an absolutely lovely weekend as the month comes to a close.

It started Friday.  Jackson had a late afternoon hair cut so the two of us got an early start to our weekend.  Then we hit the library before heading home to meet Drew for a family date night.  We grabbed a quick dinner (just Runza, nothing fancy) and then raced to the theatre for our first 3D movie experience as a family.

We saw The Pirates! Band of Misfits.  Honestly, it was just okay.  We got a chuckle out of it here and there and Jack seemed to like it, but I'm pretty sure most of the movie went right over his head.  And the whole 3D thing, while totally cool, was completely unnecessary as far as Jack was concerned.  The glasses were big and awkward (even for our sunglasses loving little guy) and he wore them for a total of 2 minutes max.

The popcorn; however, was a hit as always.

The movie was much less important than hanging out as a family, though.  We were looking forward to it for days and our family night out didn't disappoint.

At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, I have to say...holy crap movies are expensive!  We ate fast food for dinner, cashed in $8 worth of coupons for the movie tickets and bought a modest amount of snacks (popcorn, bottled water and 1 bag of candy) and still spent $75.  I don't consider myself particularly cheap, but man that seemed like a lot of money!

Saturday was just as lovely.  While Drew hit the golf course in the morning Jack and I made our first trip to the Farmer's Market.  We stuck with tradition and ate massive cinnamon rolls for breakfast before browsing the market and eventually coming home with some purple asparagus and radishes.  Then we were off to the Wohletz Farm to pick strawberries.  We just love the Wohletz family.  Jerry & Jane have been supplying us with tomatoes for salsa canning for years and when they added the u-pick strawberry patch to their farm 3 years ago we were thrilled.  We've gone every year since.  We have plans to go picking with Gram, Aunt Kate and Cousin Attia on Mother's Day weekend, but Jack & I decided to sneak in an extra trip.  So glad we did!

The rest of Saturday included a quick batch of strawberry sauce, trip to the park for the boys, grocery shopping, lots of backyard play time and a delicious dinner on the grill.  A perfect spring day.

That brings us to today.  First on the agenda was a trip to Target.  Jackson earned a special treat this week - something that deserves a post all to itself so stay tuned for that story - so we had to make good on that promise first thing.  It's a rainy day, so we did what we always do on inclement weather days.  Bake!

We made monster cookies from here and they are delish!

Jackson is napping as I write this - a miracle in and of itself as he's managed to phase out weekend naps over the past several weeks.  Drew headed out to the golf course to sneak in a few holes while there's a break in the weather.  Which leaves me in a peaceful house and a few minutes to steal on the blog.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the day too - finishing up laundry, maybe cuddles and a movie on the couch, kabobs on the grill (if the rain cooperates) and Mad Men after little man is out for the night. 

Goodbye, April.  You threw a few rough days at us this month, but you're closing on a high note.  I guess you're forgiven.

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.

Home Improvements - The Little Ones

For some reason, when it comes to home improvements, I tend to go for the gusto and ignore the little stuff.  Paint the house - sure!  Install a patio - let's do it! 

Yet, I remember having to fix a small drain issue in the master bathroom shower as part of the contractual agreement when selling our first house.  It turned out to be a cheap and easy fix, but one that Drew & I never took the time to pursue - until selling the house required it.  We even commented, as we enjoyed the properly functioning drain for one whole week, that it was a shame we hadn't done that years earlier.

I guess in the hustle and bustle that is daily life, the little things are easy to overlook.  Get used to.  Live with.

We've been in our current house 4 1/2 years now (man, that doesn't seem possible) and I've finally taken the time to do some of those little things.

Like take down the ugly, dusty, cobweb-filled sheer curtain that used to cover the window above our front door.

 I always hated it, but hesitated to take it down because I was afraid it would allow too much direct sun exposure into the living room which would in turn fade the furniture.  That, and I couldn't reach it.

Now that it's down, the difference is amazing.  It looks (and is) much cleaner, of course, but it also lets in some fantastic natural light, opens up the room, and doesn't threaten the furniture at all. 

Jokes on me for waiting 4 1/2 years to discover that!

Which leads us to the door. 

Pardon the poor photo quality, but see how the door is just plain ole white?  It's actually primer.  We installed the new door back in 2008 when we repainted the exterior of the house and never got around to painting the interior side.  Can you say lazy?

Well, it's done now.  Finally painted to match the living room walls inside.

To keep up the momentum, we (and by we I mean Drew) also pulled down a brass light fixture that screamed 1990's and replaced it with something a bit more our style.

It's like a whole new entry!

And then there are these strange finials/loops/curtain holder things that have been mounted above the living room windows since we moved in. 

Again, I never liked them and never intended on using them.  I have no real reason for leaving them up for 4 1/2 years, but I did.  Until now.

With the exception of the light fixture, none of these projects took much time or money, but the subtle changes sure do make a big impact.  Talk about a win-win!

Here's to taking the time to tackle the little things.  And please tell me I'm not the only person who waited 4 1/2 years to take down a curtain!

Juggling

Sometimes it comes easily.  Without even realizing it you're able to keep all the balls in the air that being a working mom parent requires.  You go to work, you parent your child, you enjoy your spouse, you keep in touch with family and friends, you clean, cook, launder, chauffeur, budget and shop.  If you're really lucky you even find time to do things you love.  Like read, watch a favorite show, exercise, blog or entertain.

Most of the time that's how it works for me.

Mind you, it's not without effort.  I'm uber organized, have a fantastic partner in Drew and stick to a pretty rigid routine to make it all work.  And most of the time it does.

Then there are stretches that feel like an epic fail.

We've been busy lately.  I could go on and on about all the stuff we've been doing but none of it is all that monumental.  Just regular stuff that, as the song says, "sounds like life to me".  But it's thrown me off my game and suddenly I feel like the balls I can normally juggle somewhat effortlessly are falling down all around me.  The house is messy.  I haven't cooked a good meal in days.  I have dirty dry cleaning in my front seat that has been there for 2 weeks.  I have 2 pair of pants I've been meaning to take to the seamstress for hemming for over a month now.  Obviously, I've neglected the blog.  You get the drift.

Despite a to-do list a mile long, when I finally sit down around 8:30 pm after work, dinner, play time, bath time and bedtime I have only enough energy left to collapse on the sofa and watch mindless television.  I suppose it doesn't help that our normally fantastic sleeper has regressed and now makes 1-4 appearances in our room through the night.  In short, Mommy's tired!

It's times like these where I wish I could press a pause button.  I don't want to rush time - it goes fast enough the way it is.  I just want everything around me to freeze for a couple of hours while I catch up.  Or better yet, rest!

I'm pretty sure no such button exists.  So in the meantime, I'll just keep practicing my juggling skills and see if I can't get all these balls back in the air.

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In totally unrelated news, I chopped my hair this week.  Like, shorter than it's ever been...ever.  It was totally unplanned and I'm still not sure that it's my most favorite style of all time, but it's a fun summer cut and I'm learning to love it.

Pardon the poor quality iphone photo taken in the bathroom at my office!


So...what do you think?

Busy, Busy, Busy and an Unexpected Feature

Is it really Thursday already? 

I knew it was going to be a busy week.  Things are quite hectic at work (good stuff...just busy) and there's lots of activity on the homefront with Easter this weekend and all of my in-laws headed our way.  Again, good stuff...just busy.  Then I found out Drew was needed at a job site in Texas all week leaving me flying solo at home.  I guess it's true that when it rains it pours.

Jack and I have had a great week, complete with a (very successful) shopping trip to the GAP, lots of cars, trucks and coloring, dinner at Runza (boy does he love the corn dogs), cookie baking for his school Easter party and a visit to my office to name a few.  I just haven't exactly been productive when it comes to my to-do list.  I still need to grocery shop, prep some food, figure out the centerpiece, add some last minute decor and clean, clean, clean.  Lord do I need to clean!

In the midst of all the busyness, I got some exciting news (to me at least) last night.  Our Cookies & Milk Birthday party back in December has been featured on one of my favorite party vendor's blogs!

I've worked with Dimpleprints for a couple of years now.  Carli designed printables for Jack's 1st and 2nd birthdays as well as our 2009 and 2010 Christmas cards.  She is a joy to work with and I absolutely love her designs.  I'm so excited that she is sharing our party with her followers!

Take a peek at the Dimpleprints site.  I promise you'll find inspiration galore!

Now...back to work!

Just For Me

As every mother, or parent for that mater, would likely say, once your kids come along it's not very often that you do things just for you.  Suddenly your children and the everyday necessities of your household require the time and money that was once not nearly so scarce.  Shopping trips to The Loft are replaced by splurges at The Children's Place.  New furniture becomes backyard play sets.  Date nights are now family pizza parties.  And I wouldn't change it for anything.

However, being a parent doesn't mean losing sight of yourself.  And having a hobby or taking a break to do something just for you (Drew, for example, plays golf) is not selfish; rather, it's essential.  As of last night I'm doing just that.

This ball was put in motion at Christmastime when my parents pulled off the ultimate surprise and gave me a Canon Digital SLR Camera.  One I had drooled over and admired from afar but never expected to own. 

My first step was accessorizing.  I immediately purchased this gorgeous camera bag and camera strap for my new prized possession.  I still didn't know how to use the thing, but darn it if I wouldn't look the part!

The next thing I did was sign up for Beginning Digital Photography at the Lawrence Arts Center.  Here I was with this expensive piece of equipment and high hopes for learning just enough to take quality pictures without having to pay a professional as each of Jack's milestones came and went.  Yet I was completely intimidated by the camera and all of it's features.  I decided I owe it to myself (and my parents) to take this seriously and learn to use my camera to it's full potential.

It was the best move I could have made.

Last night was the first class in an 8-week session and I absolutely loved it.  Our instructor is kind and funny and patient and unassuming.  Our class is small, just 12 of us in the digital media lab.  Where we each have our own Mac with a massive monitor and the room is on total lock down due to the crazy amount of valuable equipment inside. 

It's an eclectic group. There is Richard who is recently retired and looking for a hobby.  The guy (oops...forgot his name) who's an insurance adjuster and takes tons of photos (think Hurricane Katrina, Greensboro, KS, etc.) and wants to hone his skills.  There's Helga who already has her own photography business but no formal training.  A freshman at KU who wants to go into PR and "is always the girl with the camera who takes tons of pictures of her friends and stuff".  And several other moms like me, who just want to learn to take better pictures.

There will be lectures, assignments, and photo sharing every week.  In fact, I'll do my best to chronicle this journey here as well.  Hopefully, in time, you too will notice an improvement in the images I post.

Thank you Mom & Dad for putting this ball in motion.  Thank you Drew for holding down the fort at home for these 8 weeks.  I know it's no big deal to you, but I appreciate it none the less.

It feels really good to do something just for me.

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.