Dedicated to Stephen...Happy (late) Vday Baby!

Stephen and I met about six years ago. We were actually set up through some mutual friends who were convinced that we would fall in love, get married, and make lots of babies together...smart friends, huh?! (Not that we're to the "lots of babies" part quite yet, but we think that a kid with as much energy as Syd should qualify as more than one.)

Anyway, Stephen was nothing like the other guys I had ever dated, so it took me a while to trust that he was for real. Once I learned that with him, what you see is what you get, I was desperately in love. By the time we'd been dating for a year, I was close-to-begging him to marry me. Sounds sad, I know, but I couldn't stop thinking about how sad I would be if I ever lost him. It took him two years longer to do it, but he did eventually ask me to marry him on December 25, 2007. Yay!! I was (and still am) the most happy girl on the planet.

For those of you who have met my husband, you know that he is not quite as much of the tell-all, make-friends-with-everyone-at-all-times type of a person as I am. It takes a while to get to know him, and he does not open up to everyone. I am proud to say I know him well. Here are a few reasons why I love Stephen John Camera...

He makes me coffee every morning. It's waiting for me in the kitchen when I wake up so that I never have to wait more than 30 seconds after rolling out of bed to get a cup. And if he's still home, he makes a point to pour me a cup in one of the mugs that I actually like (which, for all of you mug people out there, you know makes a HUGE difference.)

He "tucks me in"...I hate rumpled covers, so when I get in bed he fluffs and smooths the sheets and comforter over me so they're just right.

He is the most amazing daddy on the planet. I love that he plays with her constantly. She squeals and says, "dadda, dadda" when he comes home from work, anticipating lots of wrestling and chasing time. Most of all though, I love that I can be confident he will protect her at all times to the best of his ability.

I love that he is extra conservative about certain things, especially when it comes to raising Sydney.

I love that he loves my family. He'll ask me often, "have you talked to your mom lately? dad? brother? sister?" He's just as excited to see them as I am when we make trips up to Washington.

I love that he has a different, less emotional perspective on things than I do. He can speak a word of wisdom into a situation I'm stressing over that makes it seem so much less of an issue.

I love that I have never had to worry about him flirting (not even kinda flirting) with other women. It is clear that he is a one-woman man.

I love that he has no concept of time (don't push my buttons and take this too far babe!) It does drive me nuts that he never knows what time it is, or how long we have to get ready before we have to leave to go somewhere, but I love that it has made me a bit more relaxed and less time-oriented. Stephen is great at living in the moment.

I love that he is the most patient person I know. He is even patient with my impatience :)

I love that he always wants to be with me, whether it's a ride to the grocery store, a special date, or just sitting around on the couch. I have never doubted that he wants me around!

I love that he tells me he loves me at least 10x a day.

I love that he cannot tell a lie. A man with integrity is the most attractive thing on the planet!!!



I could go on and on, but I've been trying to get this post out for the past four days, so I'm going to quit now :)

To my sweet husband...I love you more than peanut butter, and dark chocolate, and Grey's Anatomy, and Hawaii, and red wine.


xoxo,

Shmoe

Evy's Tree

Hi Friends!!

I just wanted to stop by and share Evy's Tree with you all. Evy's Tree is a company my good friend Amy Miraflor started just over a year ago. She sells embellished hoodies and t-shirts. Her stuff is so unique, comfy, and cute! I have four of her hoodies and wear them often.

Anyway, her spring line is being previewed on her blog right now. AND she's having a giveaway (which I'm obviously trying to win!!) Go check it out!!

 http://evystree.blogspot.com/2011/02/spring-tees.html

155 Burpees later...

I just did 100 Kettlebell Swings and 155 Burpees. Am I bragging?? Yes. Give it a try. Then you'll fully understand where the bragging rights come from.

Let this be a shadowing of the brutal workouts to come in 2011. And me saying it in public will help me to fend off the excuses that I know will come my way throughout the year :)

For me, my fitness has a huge spiritual connection. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I became addicted to exercise about the same time that a lot of things started to change in my relationship with God. As the fear and manipulation that had held me so tightly started to fade into a better understanding of the Love and Grace of God, so did my fear of working hard physically.

So I've been thinking a lot about fear lately...that pesky little monster that doesn't always seem so little. What am I afraid of?

rejection
true intimacy
loss of pride
being viewed as prideful
being fully known
being mistaken for someone or something I am not
being right
being wrong
being heard
not being heard

It's funny how so many of these fears are exact opposites of each other. The truth is that we are so often captive to our own thoughts...thoughts that often don't hold any truth at all. We waste our time being afraid of something, and then when things change, we develop a new fear.

What's the worst that can happen if we let go of all of our fears and "what if's" and simply live our dreams?

we could lose a friend
or offend someone
or fail and have to start over.

But likely we will

gain a friend
encourage someone else to live out their dreams
and succeed.

I decided that I'm willing to take some chances. There's something burning in me. It's a trust that no matter how many times I fail, letting go of fear and pressing towards that mark (getting some courage from my good buddy Paul), that I will gain more by taking chances than I ever would by doing nothing.

Happy 1st Birthday Little Squid

My Dear Little Princess,


I never thought I'd call you "Princess" - it's just not my style (or so I thought), but it's the nickname that keeps slipping out of my mouth lately. I can't help it!


You are 1 year old today. As I reminded your Daddy of this this morning I started to cry. You are more fun and more beautiful than ever before, and I love this stage in your life. It's just that it's going so fast, and we cannot get yesterday back.


In your short life so far you have taught me to slow down a little, because the laundry piled up on the couch, or the toilet that needs scrubbing, or the bed that needs making will be there tomorrow...but you are changing daily. Momma and Dadda are reminded to pay attention to every detail, because you will be on to some new, exciting trick tomorrow. Here are some of those tricks you've been up to lately...


You discovered that you can in fact get to those toys that live in the bath tub if you get on your tippy-toes and reach until you fall head-first into the tub. You were pretty proud of that one. 

You figured out how to give Daddy a real good workout by having him push you around the apartment for hours on your new Harley Davidson (yes, I said a Harley) that Grandpa Steve got you for Christmas.


Your vocabulary is growing by the minute it seems and you are soaking everything up just like a sponge. I guess this means no more Keeping up with the Kardashians and 16 and Pregnant for Mommy while you're awake. So far you say "Momma" (when you're tired or upset), "Dadda" (when you're excited), "more" (when you're hungry), "meow" (when you see a kitty), and "whoa" (when you're impressed with something). 


There are a few things we know about you for sure, and one of them is that you do not have a shy bone in your body...


New people are often your favorite people, and we have had to restrain you from jumping into strangers' arms. We took you to your Grammie and Pa's house in Washington for your first Christmas. On the plane ride there, we were sitting next to an older man you decided was the most interesting person alive (probably due to the hand-held game he was playing...what's with you and electronics??) Anyway, you pushed me away and and fussed until I let him hold you...and you did not want to come back to Mommy. I have to admit I was pretty embarrassed!  Needless to say the guy fell in love with you and kept trying to convince me to let him take you home to his wife (not so sure what he thought about you trying to poor his Sprite all over his lap though.) 


You point, screech, babble, and smile at people wherever we are. When someone pays you lots of attention, you get extra excited and shake your head back and forth like a rock star (not sure where you learned this...Uncle Jesse??) What is so amazing is that wherever we go, I see you brightening up the days of over-worked, over-tired, and over-stressed people. 


I took you to the park for the first time this week. You were so overwhelmed with excitement that you didn't know what to do with yourself. For a while you just stood, studying the other children with a curious, sly smile. 

Then you discovered the slide. Oh how I wish I could have gotten a video of this, but it was impossible to hold on to such a bouncy, excited baby while taking video at the same time. You would squeal, pant, and shake your head back and forth (the rock star move) each time I set you at the top of the slide...and you cried big elephant tears when slide-time was over. There are no words to describe how happy it made me to see you so happy to discover a new joy in life, and how once again you reminded me to take advantage of those little things that are so often the best things in life. 


You loved climbing the stairs too. What you didn't appreciate was the Mommy insisting she hold onto you so you didn't fall. You are the most independent 1-year-old I have ever encountered!

You should know that your Mommy and Daddy are completely in love with you. Our hearts are full. Learning to take care of you and discovering how much we love you has made us love each other more. The other night I asked your Daddy what he thought of when he thought of you becoming a teenager some day and having boys knocking at your door. Daddy got real serious and tense and said he couldn't talk about it. My advice to you is that you don't grow up, because Daddy might just put you in a bubble! 


He has, after all, put you in a bag...

The truth is that we all know that you will grow up, and I am excited to see who you will become. We are doing our best to trust God in leading us to raise you the way He has intended. Things aren't perfect, and they never will be, but more than anything we pray that you understand what true Love really is, and that you find the confidence you need through a relationship with your Creator to live life without fear.


Love never gives up. 
Love cares more for others than for self. 
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. 
Love doesn't strut, 
Doesn't have a swelled head, 
Doesn't force itself on others, 
Isn't always "me first," 
Doesn't fly off the handle, 
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, 
Doesn't revel when others grovel, 
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 
Puts up with anything, 
Trusts God always, 
Always looks for the best, 
Never looks back, 
But keeps going to the end

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (The Message)




Love,


Momma

Dad holding you for the first time...

You were about 5 1/2 lbs here...soooo tiny!

First bath at home...you let us know right away that you loved the water!

Relaxing with Mom...

And some recent photos of the whole fam...