Expression trumps perfection. Always.

If there's one thing I'd absolutely love to get the hang of it's taking photos.  Now that we have a baby and as our family grows, capturing life's precious moments is something I don't want to miss.

The photographer we've used for a few special occasions recently wrote an article about the importance of emotion in photography and how it should always trump the image.

"Over the years I have been surprised several times over when a client will choose a less than perfect image as their absolute favorite. The biggest reason for their choice--the image was the embodiment of the subject's personality. "

Someday when these fleeting moments have come and gone, I want to be able to look back and remember it all. The good. The bad. The details. The day to day. The realness. Right in the moment.

The photos I take certainly aren't great images, but the emotion is priceless. They're us.

"...when push comes to shove, I will take a great expression over a perfect image any day!"

 What a great reminder: a great photo doesn't necessarily equal great image. You can check out the rest of Laura's article here for some great tips.

Cheesy Bacon Chicken Pasta

Ever have one of those weeks where you just can't seem to get your act together? The house is pretty messy. I'm behind on laundry. And we don't really have any food.

Whoops.

I'm a planner, and every week I plan out meals a week ahead of time and make a corresponding grocery list. Just didn't happen last week, and as a result, this week we're suffering.

Rather than ordering take-outs or running to the store for food, I decided to scrounge and pull together items we already had.

Bacon.
Chicken.
Pasta.
Cheese.

I'm not a great cook by any stretch of the imagination, however, each of these foods is pretty tasty on it's own, so why not combine them?

Here's what I used:

3-4 Chicken breasts
1 16 oz. Pasta (Whatever kind you have. In my case it was Penne)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Mild Cheddar)
Bacon (I used about 8 strips that I had leftover from a breakfast casserole I made over the weekend. More probably would have been ideal)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
Cream of Chicken Soup. (I guessed here and used about 2 cans)
1 tsp. Cayenne Peper (Because everything can benefit from a little kick)

Cook and cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. Cook the pasta. Combine all ingredients and mix together well. Add to casserole dish and bake for approximately 20 minutes at 350 or until cheese is melted.

Tada!

This was really easy, pretty good given the short list of ingredients, and I was pretty proud of myself for being so resourceful.

Enjoy!

8th month

I'm the worst at posting these on time.

Oh well! Happy 8 months, Evie!

It wasn't long after you turned 7 months old that you started to learn new things- again! Here's a brief summary of all the exciting things that went on during your 8th month of life.

You were dedicated. 

You were dedicated at our church on Father's Day. We feel so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful church body that is committed to helping us raise you up to know and love the Lord. You are also very fortunate to have very loving grandparents and aunts and an uncle who made it for the dedication as well.

We missed you Aunt Amanda

I just want to call out that I am super impressed with everyone's color coordination (except for Uncle Matt).  

Fathers Day

This month we also celebrated your daddy's first of many Father's Days.  He sure does love you and I am here to tell you that you are a lucky little girl to have him as your dad. He adores you Evelyn and can't wait to learn with you, play with you and create special memories with you.

Right after you turned 7 months old you decided you would learn to do a lot all at once.

Crawling. You've got it down! No more wounded soldier for you. Now you're are up on all fours and crawling like a pro! While this is super exciting and fun, it is also really tiring on your mommy who finds that most of the day is spent chasing you around the house so you don't hurt yourself.

Pulling up. Oh the excitement on your mommy's face when she creeped into your room to find you standing at your crib with the biggest grin on your face.  You hadn't been 7 months old for a week when you figured out how to pull yourself up in the crib.  I'm pretty sure I squealed like a little girl when I saw you.  Little did I know that this wasn't necessarily a good thing since now you are climbing all over! Up the baby gate, up my lap, up your toys!

"Come on, Evie. Will you please go to bed for Daddy?"

Solids. You've shown a bit more enthusiasm for certain foods this past month, and I knew you'd like peas like your momma! We haven't pushed it a ton as you still aren't super interested, but we are working on picking up our foods like blueberries and peas to feed ourself. They usually just end up smashed on the floor or in your shirt.

"DA-DA." You did say "ma-ma" first, but the "da-da's" are coming out pretty much all day long. I like to tell daddy that you talked about him all day while he was at work. You don't know that you're saying our "names" yet, but hearing those sweet sounds roll off your tongue sure do tug at our heartstrings.

Knock knock. Your new thing this month is knocking. You knock on my head, toys, the wall, doors. I think it is your way of testing out new things.

More teeth. Well, almost. Your two bottom teeth are especially noticeable now, and we are definitely about to cut the top two (says your less than chipper behavior these last few weeks). Those gums look nice and puffy, and I'm thinking any day now Ill see them poking through.

Weight gain.  You've always been on the teeny tiny side for weight. But after 6 months you just started gaining faster. At 6 months you were almost 15 pounds. Still on the smaller side, but healthy and growing nonetheless. Had to take you to the doc a few weeks back and they weighed you-- 17 pounds! I knew your little legs were looking chunkier than usual. Looks like all those nursing sessions have paid off after all.

Can we say temper tantrum? So, Im pretty sure you've figured out how to whine and grunt when you don't get your way. You get frustrated when you can't do something, such as pick up a piece of fruit or reach a toy. You definitely get your impatience from me.

Sleep.  I'm living proof that a person doesn't need a ton of sleep to get by. Naps during day are pretty good for the most part. Nighttime is usually still such a battle though, and you are still waking up about 2-3 times each night.

Games.
Lately you enjoy knocking over blocks when I stack them, peek-a-boo, watching daddy bounce a ball, pulling a blanket off of your face, singing and mirrors, to name a few. You are becoming quite the little tease and love playing games with mommy and daddy.

You are such a joy Evelyn, and we love you beyond words- yes even on those nights when you are crying and won't go to bed.  But one thing, can you do me a favor and stop growing up so quickly?

6 Things Im Lovin' This Summer

I'll admit, summer isn't my favorite time of the year. Don't get me wrong, it's a hundred times better than winter, but I'd happily embrace fall-like weather all year-round and skip the scorching heat. But since there's nothing I can do about it (except move), I'm trying to make the best of this hot and humid (and recently very rainy) season with our little one.

After all, there are some good things about summer. And in my case, there's 6....

1. BOB Jogging Stroller

I'm so glad Ryan and I took advantage of REI's awesome sale last summer and bought this jogger. It has taken me way longer than I ever expected to get back into running after having Evelyn, but this is definitely a great stroller for it, nonetheless. Evie and I have enjoyed many morning runs recently right in our neighborhood. Our friend Holly and her baby girl have a jogging stroller too, so now we can cruise together at nearby parks!

Back to the stroller: It's pretty heavy duty; like a hummer of strollers. I'd never want to have to use it at the mall or the grocery store--it's way too large and I imagine it being a bit tricky navigating narrow aisles and large crowds. But for an outdoor outing or anywhere we'd need to be "off road," the BOB is unbeatable!

2. Starbucks Green Iced Tea {sweetened}

Yes, I recently wrote a post about how I have cut back on my trips to Starbucks by making iced coffee at home. BUT, that doesn't mean a momma doesn't deserve a refreshing beverage every now and again. I love their Tazo iced green tea with some sugar while Evie enjoys a nice nap in the back seat- perfect combo!

3. Ault Park

One thing we've really come to love about Cincinnati is all of its great parks. Ault is definitely one of my favorites thanks to its beautiful gardens and amazing views. Funny story, when we first moved here, I would see signs for "Ault" around town, and for the first few months I didn't visit because I thought it was strange that Cincinnati had an Adult Park. "How odd," I remember thinking to myself.

Turns out it's actually very family friendly, and we usually meet with friends here for a walk or some play time on the swings. We also recently had our first family photos taken here.

Here's the Evster swinging at Ault, one of our favorite summertime activities. (OK, we've only done it a few times, but I think she likes it!)

4. Suave Moroccan Shampoo and Conditioner
Moroccan oil is so good for your hair, quickly repairing any hair that is weak, damaged or color-treated. The problem is that pure moroccan oil isn't something I'm willing to pay for; especially someone who rarely does their hair. My solution: Suave Professional Moroccan Infusion.  This stuff leaves my hair super soft and tangle free, plus it's pretty cheap! I absolutely love how my hair feels once it dries and it seems to help tame my frizzies in the summer heat. LOVE, love, love.

5. Maxi Dresses

If I was OK with looking/feeling like a dirt ball all the time I'd just live in my workout shorts and an old t-shirt. But since I want to look presentable at least some days, a simple Maxi dress is my outfit of choice. They are sooo comfy, flattering and most importantly, cover my pale legs. I recently purchased a few from Nordstrom and my new favorite (and affordable) online boutique, Mint Julep.

{Sorry, I only take selfies of the little one}

6. Rompers (baby rompers, that is)

Personally, rompers aren't for ME. But on the babe, they are so so wonderful! Not only are these one-pieces absolutely adorable, but they are so perfect for summer time. Evie has a handful of rompers that I find myself rotating through on a regular basis now that the summer heat is in full force. The ease in which I can change a diaper when she is sporting one of these is also an added perk!

Below she's wearing one of my favorite Baby Gap rompers.

There you have it, 6 things I do indeed enjoy about the summer!

Family Photos & A Day At The Park

Our wonderful wedding photographer met us at one of our favorite Cincy parks a few weeks ago to snap a few photos of our family.

She did such a wonderful job capturing Evelyn's personality! Here are a few from the day.

I'm in love....