Here's To... My Mobile Camera

Here's To... My Mobile Camera

A big shout out here to my mobile camera (as if my phone cares), which I love for moments like these:

1.  My sweet boy and I at the park on Friday.  It was beautiful, and since I'm up before the sun on M,W,F these days to work out, 9:30 didn't seem so early to get a little running around in.  Dekker is so big, he showed himself all around the park, and particularly enjoyed the stairs on the jungle gym.  He got so far up that he just went right down a slide, for the first time, and all by himself.  He landed in a puddle of water and I rushed off the jungle gym and ran around just in time to "catch" him, which he didn't need anyway.  He also enjoyed the swings much more than he has in the past, thank goodness.

2.  My sweet dog Josie at the park.  She is a much (much, much, much) better "family dog" than I ever envisioned and loves walks.  So Dekker and I took her with us to the park, where I just dropped the leash and let her explore around.  She is fantastic, and comes running every time I call her name.  She never got too far away from us and had a fun morning, too. 

3.  The Shellac manicure I am loving.  I love it so much that I could create an entire post just to it.  Finally, a tasteful manicure on my real nails, that looks great and doesn't chip, doesn't damage the nail or nail bed and lasts for at least 14 days.  I feel professional and put together!  I get mine at Blonde Salon, in case you're wondering, and it comes in several colors including the "neutral" that I got.

Welp, that's enough for a random Saturday night.  My lover-boy just got home with sushi so I am signing off!!

On the journey,
Mae

Here's To...My New Sunglasses

Here's to... my new sunglasses.
(I'm not posting this on fb, this is a special little "extra" to my "regulars.")
They are prescription.  This means I can see when I drive, and when I'm out on a walk.
They are stylish.  If you disagree keep your opinion to yourself.
They were $60 bucks.  Can you hear the angels singing?  Suz and I found a steal of a deal at Eye Masters, two pair for $99 (and you could combine two different prescriptions).  My frames were $10 more than the special, so I paid the difference. 

So far, I have been loving them.

Less than flattering picture, just focus on the shades, okay!

I have been wearing them on my way home from... bootcamp.  It's so stinking early that the sun is just coming up.  More on that after I have at least a week under my belt :)

On the Journey,
Mae

Here's To... Road trips

Here's to... Road trips.

I love road trips.  I think they are one of the most fun things we can do with friends, spouses, family, etc.  Now, clearly I understand that road trips with the wrong people can be a disaster (hello being stuck in a car with someone you can't stand)... but with the right people they are a great distraction from the demands of everyday life, and a great time to squeeze in a little "windshield time" with the people you love.  I love road trips with Dave because we get to talk and talk... and talk.  And read each other facebook and twitter updates.  And dream about owning a business or our next house or expanding my counseling practice.  We recently took a rather lengthy road trip to Colorado.  We went about 90 miles past Denver to our family reunion.  That's 9 hours driving, plus stops.

Our first stop was in Lincoln to drop some stuff off for the JDRF garage sale.  We got there about 9:45AM.  We left about 11.   Hahaha.  The morning was almost over and we were 60 miles outside of town. But what's the hurry!?!?  We might have been earlier had we not stopped for donuts and coffee on the way out of town (another reason I love road trips!).  Then, we stopped outside Grand Island to eat.  By the time we left there it was easily 1:00 and we weren't even 120 miles from home.  Seriously, we were enjoying one anothers company so much we knew it was all good.

 This is me, at the rest stop in GI.  I was so relaxed, so thrilled to get away and go to the reunion.  If I had a third hand it would have been patting myself on the back for getting this lunch packed and not eating fast food, which I love, but makes me feel awful when it sits in my stomach for the next 12 hours.

 

These are pictures of my sweet boy, eating like such a big boy at the rest stop.  "Normal" food that wouldn't cause gastro issues for him, either :)  Then stretching his legs before the next "stretch."

I love playing with Dekker on road trips.  He is adorable.  I love how much fun he is!  He giggles at anything and totally occupies himself.  (Last year on this trip he occupied himself by crying for 13 hours and we took the wrong interstate outside of Denver, but we don't talk about that.)  This year was a different story...

 

 

We made it to the reunion in great time.  We cut the drive home up by stopping in Denver for a night.  On our way home Tuesday we had another great day... starting it the right way...

With Coffee....

And a little local produce shopping (don't worry, we shared)...

And we finished the trip with more dreaming out-loud, playing with Dekker, long stops to stretch 

our legs and make memories.  

 

For some reason at this stop, Dekker could not stop trying to get something out of Dave's pocket.  

We're still not sure what?!?

I have always wanted to open a monument store--  Dave just listened to me dream and dream, asking me question after question, even encouraging me at one time to start writing stuff down.  We talked about software that needs making :) and our sweet boy, who we can't believe is growing up so fast.  We talked about if he needs a brother or sister (and no, we're not pregnant, not trying, but considering).  I don't know how many times we turned to one another and said, "How did he get so big?"

 

 

 

And instead of continual crying... this year our little boy even slept a little...  

How adorable is he?!?

Though I love road trips, and all they are to my life, I must admit that they make me very tired.  Here is what I looked like by the end of the trip!

Thankfully, this little sign kept me laughing the last several hours home!

(It was a lie, by the way.)

On the Journey,

Mae

Here's To... Family Camp

Here's to the 39th annual Soden Family Camp.  Basically, family camp is a family reunion hosted by my dad and his seven siblings at a place we love named Camp Colorado.  It has been going on for so long that it is one of the most beloved traditions in my life.  All growing up, I have spent nearly every Labor Day with these wonderful people-- talking, making memories, spoiling one another's kids, eating waaaay too much.

Here's to the amazing amount of food that we have at Camp Colorado.  It is delish.  Everyone brings their own treats, then each family takes over the kitchen for one meal. 

One of the three coolers full of food and ingredients.

Thanks Marcy Rowe for your fantastic recipe.  They were a hit.

One of the very special meals at camp is Chicken and Noodles.  This recipe makes me think of my Grandma and I miss her so much!  This is Dekker's first Chicken and Noodles meal.  I think he liked it!

Here's to relaxing days in the gazebo.  And horse shoe tournaments.  And volleyball games.  And nature hikes.  Here's to a nature hike where you get to show your son "Dino Rock" for the first time-- the same rock that you and your family and cousins used to walk up to every year.  Here's to the "Chapel."  I love that place-- an outdoor chapel with a big log for a podium.  My grandpa used to take my cousin and I up there to "play church."  (That memory makes me smile so much.)

I took this picture to memorialize that Dave and I did in fact get past the first round in horse-shoes!

Do you think Dave is napping here?!?

"Dino Rock."  Can you see how it has a painted face?

 

Here's to bathing your son in the same sink you were bathed.

 Here's to cousins.  And fun aunts and uncles.  And grandparents who love their kids and grand-kids so much.  Here's to my cousins, who love my husband and son so much.  Here's to the fact that our saying is "there are no in-laws, we're just family."  (Though Dave likes to call himself an "outlaw.")  Here's to my cousin, Lindsay, who devoured my son and loved me up with encouragement all weekend. 

Cousins in matching Husker shirts!  Dekker was on the verge of such a pout here!

Aunt Amy and Dekker having some fun!

Dekker and Grandpa playing.  Check out those shoes!

There are 78 Soden's, and 63 made it.  Another great weekend of family, no TV's, no cell phones, no internet, no alcohol, and lots of great people.  Here's to an incredible, healthy, wonderful tradition.

 On the Journey,

Mae