Tag Archives: Emma

In the Swing of Things

9 Nov

One of the hardest things about moving back to Minnesota was the ‘stalling’ of normal life. We spent 3 months living in a town an hour away from where we knew we were moving, so it was very impractical to get involved in anything, in either place. Our lives were essentially on hold – especially, it felt, for me. I was a stay-at-home mom for the first time since being on maternity leave. I didn’t have a house to manage, decorate or organize. I didn’t have any activities or obligations. I was floundering.

God used that season to test my faith, and stretch me beyond my comfort zone. I was reminded that growth never comes from doing what’s easy or comfortable – only from being pushed beyond what we think we can handle. That said, I’m glad that season is coming to a close!

Emma and I finally have some semblance of a ‘normal’ weekly schedule. (With Travis’ crazy work schedule, our family’s schedule still isn’t normal, but hopefully it will be more so by the beginning of next year.)

I joined MOPS, which meets about 2 Mondays a month (some months only 1).

I enrolled Emma in an Early Childhood and Family Education class, which I attend with her, called Time Together on Thursdays. We do crafts; learn animals, songs and sign language; and play with other kids.

We have been going to the same church for the past month or so. We’re not ready to commit to being members yet, but we like what we’ve seen and heard so far. And we’ve met a lot of great people, which has been so nice.

I’m in a book study with 3 other ladies on Thursday nights. We’ve been reading The Home Experience by Devi Titus and while she’s very southern and some of her suggestions are impractical for mothers of preschoolers, it has been a great encouragement in this season of staying home to study how being a wife and mother is a valuable, worthwhile calling, and how I can bless those around me by taking it seriously.

And finally, starting next week, Emma will be going to daycare one day a week on Tuesdays – so that Mommy can have a break and pursue her dream of writing a book!

It is very nice to have life starting to look more ‘normal’ again. I’m glad, though, that it has taken as long as it has, because we have been able to be intentional about what we’re filling up our weeks with, instead of just adding stuff for the sake of being busy.

Now if my husband were just able to stop working so much, we’d be set!

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Halloween 2014

8 Nov

Even though we don’t get into Halloween very much, we did take Emma trick or treating around our neighborhood for about an hour this year. But to be honest, it was just as much about us getting to meet more of our neighbors as it was about Emma getting to show off being the most adorable ladybug. (The candy was a nice bonus too.)

We went out around 6:30 and got back around 7:30 – and man, was it dark outside! Our neighborhood doesn’t have any streetlights so the only light we had was a little lantern we brought with us. It was also in the low 30s, so we were bundled up in our winter gear (Emma had several layers on, plus her ladybug costume).

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A few weeks before Halloween, we went to a fall festival fundraiser at the Pillager school. Emma dressed up in her costume, played some games (her favorite was picking rubber ducks out of a bucket of water and matching them for a prize), squealed in delight when she saw the Husky mascot, and even jumped in the bouncy house with Daddy. Some of our new friends were there too, so it was fun to see them.

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And that was our Halloween this year!

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Emma Grace: 18 Months

28 Oct

Oh man, this post is SO overdue. But whatevs.

Emma is so fun these days! And I know every parent thinks this, but she is the cutest little kid in the world. I keep telling her that if her sibling is as cute as she is, we’re going to die from cuteness overload. I mean, seriously.

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At her 18-month appointment, Emma was 23 lbs 14 oz and 32 inches long with a head circumference still in the 90th percentile. So still growing well.

She still doesn’t have any consistently used words though, so we’re getting her ‘evaluated’ by a child psychologist and speech clinician. Our pediatrician recommended it, it’s free through the school district and they come to our house, so even though we’re not that concerned, we figured what the heck. Emma understands what we say to her – we can say “Where are Emma’s socks?” or “Where is Emma’s nose?” and she’ll go get socks, or point to her nose. But then we’ll say things like “Can Emma say dada?” or ask Emma to come, and she will act like she doesn’t have a clue what we’re asking. So we’ll see. She’s kept pace in all other areas of development though.

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At 18 months, Emma loves playing with:

  • Makeup and barrettes
  • Dishes (real and play)
  • Balls (she can kick!)
  • Dog leashes (never gets old)
  • Dirt
  • Paint/yogurt/food
  • Water

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Emma also enjoys:

  • Playing in the car (but she figured out how to open the doors!)
  • Pushing buttons on remotes, coffee makers, phones, etc.
  • Drawing in her notebook (we usually give her a pencil because she is dangerous with a pen – hello walls – and still eats crayons)
  • Playing outside
  • Doggies (we went to a school festival and she squealed in delight upon seeing their Husky mascot)
  • Chocolate (girl asks for it – by waving – all.the.time.)
  • Feeding herself with a spoon or fork
  • Drinking bottles of milk before naptime and bedtime (we’re not ready for the battle yet)
  • “Brushing” her teeth herself (I think she just likes the taste of the toothpaste)
  • Putting things in her mouth (just recently realized that if I want her to not do this when we’re not at home, I can’t let her do it here either… aye.)
  • Bathtime! (this is one of the things that Emma consistently understands – when we say “Let’s take a bath,” she goes to her bathroom.)
  • People watching and playing with other kids (she’s a very social kid!)
  • Figuring out how things work

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Emma does not like:

  • Being thrown into the air
  • Mommy leaving the room
  • Loud noises, like a pressure washer, vacuum, electric drill, etc.
  • Cartoons or books (she will not pay attention to them at all! Mommy likes cartoons though)
  • Shirts getting stuck on her head
  • Wearing shoes or socks (she takes them off in the car all the time!)
  • Things in her hair (she will not leave barrettes, headbands or rubber bands in at all)E

Emma’s favorite foods are:

  • Pickles
  • Fruit snacks
  • Mac & Cheese / noodles
  • Clementines
  • Grapes
  • Pineapple
  • M&M’s
  • Cheese
  • Graham crackers
  • Licorice
  • Yogurt
  • Applesauce
  • Trail mix (we don’t give her the big nuts)

She loves water during the day, but is very attached to her bottles of milk before naps and bedtime.

We installed Emma’s big girl carseat shortly after our San Francisco trip. It hasn’t made a huge difference in her enjoyment of the car (she was fairly content before) but it is easier to pass her toys and snacks now that she’s facing forward. And I like that it has a cup holder – Emma gets pretty cranky when she’s thirsty.

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Forever Changed

15 Sep

IMG_0126bw (Large)The thing I still struggle with the most about motherhood is the loss of freedom. I look at people without kids and think, “They have no idea how easy they have it. They only have to worry about themselves. They can do anything they want!” And I kick myself for having taken that freedom for granted while I had it. How many times did I complain about being stressed out and spread too thin before we had Emma? I had no idea.

It’s that lack of freedom that most often makes me question my choice to be a mom. When we were in San Francisco for my brother’s wedding, Travis and I had to leave early, dip out for a time or chase a toddler around the whole time, which severely limited how much we could enjoy the festivities. Most of the time, I can roll with the punches (or the tantrums). But sometimes, I just wish I could go back to the way life was before we had Emma.

Elk hunting in Colorado is coming up in a month. Since we camp in the mountains in a wall tent, elk hunting is pretty much the least baby-friendly activity next to swimming with sharks. A wood stove, dirt floor, knives, guns – yeah, pretty much a nightmare with an 18-month-old. So Emma is going to stay with my parents for the 4 nights, 5 days I’ll be gone. Part of me is very excited for the break. I get to fly and read a magazine instead of entertain a child! I get to read a book during the day! I don’t have to feed anyone else lunch except myself!

The other part of me is panicking. I have only been away from Emma for one single night since she was born. This will be 4 nights, and we’ll be up in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception, so I can’t Skype or call several times a day to check on her. And I won’t see her for 5 days. In a row. How can I last that long without hearing her giggle, or seeing her smile, or getting a hug and open-mouthed kiss?

As I think these thoughts, it hits me. I can never go back to the way life was. Not only because Emma is now a human being that exists and that I’m responsible for taking care of, but also because Emma is a part of me. She has forever changed my identity and I can’t turn off being her mom and this impulse to do anything possible to protect or care for her, any more than I can turn off being a woman.

So even when I do get a taste of that glorious freedom again, it won’t be the same. It’ll never be the same. That might be hard for me to accept at times, but in the end, the experience of having this kind of deep, inexplicable, unconditional, no-holds-barred love for a child is priceless. In my more selfless moments, I can see motherhood for the gift that it truly is. And it’s those moments that make me thankful for being forever changed.

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Emma Grace: 17 Months

10 Sep

I’m not quite sure what to write in this update, because things in Emma’s world are pretty similar to what I wrote in her 16-month post. She still loves playing with rocks and water. Loves being outside. Doesn’t say any words, except maybe daddy and doggies. Loves making messes, especially with towels (?!?) and tearing paper apart.

20140810_141754 20140810_141838 20140810_144025Emma wouldn’t let a little rain deter her from playing outside.

20140810_145533But she was a little unhappy about it.

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She has started to show more personality quirks by tilting her head and looking at me sideways, or looking back and forth between something and me several times (most likely deciding whether to obey…). When she gets excited, she also swings her arms back while she squats and then “jumps” up (she doesn’t actually jump) with her hands above her head. It’s really cute. She’s started carrying buckets around in the crook of her arm like a purse.

She hasn’t fully recovered sleep-wise from our San Francisco trip a week ago. She’s been falling asleep in her highchair during snacks or lunch (even when it’s an hour before naptime), and can stay awake for only about 4-4.5 hours between naps instead of her usual 5.

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Poor girl. Yesterday she took a 3.5 hour nap and was still ready for bed early. While it was fairly easy for her to adjust to Pacific time (because we just kept her up later), she’s having a hard time getting back to Central Time – though I kind of like it. She’s been waking up more around 7:30-8:00 and going to bed around that time too, which I feel is a lot more normal schedule for her than waking up and going to bed at 6:30. I’d still like to get up around then, though, to do some stuff before she gets up. Hasn’t happened yet, but I’m trying…

I’ve kind of decided that I’m not going to rush Emma to wean off her nighttime bottle. I don’t mind the work of bottles (they really aren’t that much more work than sippy cups) and she loves her bottle. We brush her teeth before putting her down and I just don’t think it’s that big of an issue. 

Something that did happen this month is that Emma got her first and second haircuts! Travis and I trimmed her bangs one night, but since Emma was going to be in a wedding, I figured she should have a professional haircut. Well, I was very underwhelmed by the pro haircut (we went to Great Clips), but Emma did great sitting in the chair. 

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Emma had been playing with a wrapped granola bar in the car on the way to the store, but apparently chewed through the wrapper, because when I got to the store, there was granola and chocolate everywhere.

And I’ll close with some pictures from our San Francisco trip, since that was a main highlight of this month:

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Emma throwing a tantrum in the airport on the way home from San Francisco.

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She just wanted to play with the camera.

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A ledge just her size!

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Gimme that!

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In the engine room of the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a WWII ship

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At Fisherman’s Wharf

IMG_5947Checking out the flowers at the Conservatory in Golden Gate Park with cousin Jensen

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Emma Grace: 16 Months

9 Aug

We’ve had a very fun month! 

We went down to my parents’ cabin for a day and enjoyed the lake (and the kiddie pool, since they don’t really have a beach).

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We went to the Safari North zoo in Brainerd, where we fed farm animals and parakeets. We saw turkeys, grizzly bears, giraffes, deer, monkeys — all kinds of animals! After some stroller time, Emma enjoyed walking around on her own (no pictures because we were keeping track of her!)

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We also went to the Antique Tractor Show in Park Rapids. Emma liked sitting on the tractor and trying to play with all the knobs and levers. There was also a small petting zoo there and she liked seeing the animals more than she ever has.

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We’ve had a couple of playdates with my good friend from college and her daughter, and another couple with people we’ve met in Brainerd. Emma and I also went to our first MOPS meetup last Monday, which was really great. The ladies were super welcoming and friendly, and I think we’ll enjoy getting to know that group. Emma was the youngest (seems like she always is!) but that’s ok. I’m looking forward to when Emma can play on a playground more independently though.

Emma is officially down to one nap a day except for the rare day she wakes up early and needs 2. She usually goes to bed at 6:30 and wakes up around 6:15/6:30. She takes her one nap at 11 am and usually wakes up between 12:30 and 1. 

With the 3 new teeth that she got this month, Emma now has all of her teeth (minus her 2-year molars)! Happy to be almost done with that stage. 

Most days, Emma only drinks one bottle right before bed. She gets milk in a sippy cup for breakfast and a morning snack before her nap. Every once in a while, I’ll crack and give her a bottle during the day, but the transition has gone pretty well for the most part. I think I was holding on to it more than she was! I’m hoping to wean her off the nighttime bottle by 18 months.

Emma still loves fruit, most notably grapes, clementines and peaches. She still doesn’t like meat and likes only a handful of vegetables. She will eat stirfry veggies so we eat stirfry fairly often. She also loves pizza, and I’ve started making dough from scratch, so we eat pizza a lot too. And she loves green smoothies.

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Emma still doesn’t have any words. There are times when it seems like she definitely understands what we’re saying (like if I ask her to put a toy in a bin and she does), but there are other times when it seems like she doesn’t have a clue (like if I ask her to do patty cake and she does peekaboo, or nothing at all). She still doesn’t like books at all, except for chewing on and occasionally paging through.

I think she got her daddy’s engineering brain because she LOVES figuring out how things work, and is extremely detail-oriented. She has learned how to screw and unscrew water bottle caps, turn lights and fans on and off, unplug power cords (not something we want her to know!), open fingernail clippers, and replace the bathtub drain stopper. She also knows that the dog leashes get hooked to the dogs’ collars, and that socks and shoes go on her feet.

Things Emma enjoys:

  • Playing with rocks, and carrying them around in various containers
  • Playing in water with cups (and using them to drink it!)
  • Moving things from here to there, and back again – especially towels, tupperware and office supplies
  • Emptying wallets
  • Hugs and kisses – I love it!!
  • The dogs – she absolutely LOVES Katy and will try to cuddle with her all the time 
  • Climbing onto our couches via her Baby Einstein table
  • Being outside

20140724_184435 (Large)Emma is still in her rear-facing infant carseat but we are going to make the switch in the next week or two. I had said that I was going to wait until she started walking, and then it just seemed so sad to give up the ability to bring her into the house while sleeping. But I think she’ll enjoy being in the car more when she’s facing forward. I don’t know – I keep waffling. We’ll see if/when I get ambitious.

I also got some really good deals on toddler stuff at garage sales this month. I bought a little outdoor slide, a small table with 2 chairs, a potty, a toddler bed, a kitchen playset (sans food) and a Little Tikes trike for a grand total of $15. LOVE finding good deals! 

Well, that’s about it for this month!

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Emma Grace: 15 Months

2 Jul

I had this post all typed out yesterday, and then my computer froze before I could save it. Poo! 

Anyway, the big news this month is that Emma is finally walking! After cruising around on furniture and walls for several months and taking a few hesitant steps here and there, she just decided to start walking the Monday after we closed on our house. She already had been climbing stairs and other things, so she’s really not that much more mobile than before. I actually prefer her walking because it’s so much easier to be outside.

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Emma had her 15-month appointment yesterday afternoon. She is now 24 lb 8 oz (88%) and 30 inches long (44%). Her head circumference is in the 96th percentile! It’s funny – we don’t notice her head is that big until we see her next to other kids. She does have quite the noggin on her.

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She was not a fan of the cone of shame.

Emma got a few new teeth this month, so she now has almost all of her baby teeth on top except for her 2-year molars. On the bottom, she has 3 in the middle and both 1-year molars, with another tooth looking like it’s getting ready to poke through. Teething doesn’t bother her as much as it used to, though we do still give her Advil regularly (when she seems to be teething).

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Emma’s latest thing is waving at people (and dogs, and trees, and whatever else) and is not shy at all. One night when my parents were at our new house in Brainerd, we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant. Emma spent pretty much the whole meal watching, waving, giggling and talking to the people behind us.

One of her new favorite things to do is move things from one place to another and back again, and as we discovered this past weekend, she LOVES throwing rocks in the lake. She couldn’t be outside without wanting to go down to the lake and throw rocks in.

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She loves stacking landscaping rocks on our solar walkway lights.

Other non-toy things Emma loves playing with:

  • Towels & washcloths
  • Pens & highlighters
  • Rocks
  • Silverware & tupperware
  • Anything dirty (dirt, sand, dog dishes and leashes)
  • Socks
  • Remotes and phones
  • My wallet
  • Tubes of makeup and toothpaste
  • Cords

Travis and I don’t really limit what Emma plays with unless it’s dangerous (breakable, chokable, stabbable), really disgusting or something we don’t want ruined (like a phone charger or phone). Our reasoning being: 1) It makes her happy. 2) She gets acquainted with everyday things. 3) It’s just a phase. 

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We have pretty much transitioned Emma down to just one nap. I would prefer that she still takes 2 but it is getting so hard to get her to fall asleep for them. She took only 1 nap each day over the 4th of July weekend and went right down both for the nap and bedtime. I am mourning the loss of my morning ‘me time’… Now I just might have the motivation I need to get up before Emma. 

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I talked to our pediatrician about our bottle situation (Emma is still drinking 3-4 bottles a day) and she said that because Emma’s weight was fine, she was still eating plenty of solids and falling asleep on her own without a bottle, it wasn’t a huge deal. She also suggested that I could switch out the whole milk for 2%. I do plan on starting to wean Emma from her bottles before her next appointment at 18 months, but it’s nice to know that it’s not a huge rush.

New foods that Emma tried this month (and liked) were pineapple, pickles, watermelon and Boca chicken patties. 

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Help Me Readers!

2 Jul

I have some dilemmas and I’m looking to you readers for advice. Here they are:

– Emma is stuck between needing 1 and 2 naps. If I keep her up long enough to just take 1, she gets overtired and won’t go to sleep without me rocking her. If I put her down for 2 and she actually falls asleep, her bedtime ends up being around 9 / 9:30, which is too late. I want it around 7 / 7:30 – 8 at the very latest. Lately, she has a hard time falling asleep early enough for 2 naps. She used to be awake for 3.5 hours between naps; now it seems like she can go between 4 – 4.5 hours before needing one. Any ideas? If you’ve made the transition, what did you do?

– We’ve stopped using cloth diapers because Emma soaks through them in about an hour. Putting 2 inserts in helps but makes the diapers so bulky. I’ve thought about buying new inserts but just haven’t taken the time to research. I’d like to keep using them because we have them, but I don’t want to change Emma’s outfits 5 times a day. Thoughts?

– Our new house has almost 2 acres but there’s no fence. We don’t want our dogs harrassing the neighbors so we have been taking them out on a leash all the time. We don’t like the extra work and the dogs are going stir crazy now, since they’re used to running around like idiots in Nevis. We’re thinking about/planning to get an in-ground fence. Anyone have ideas or experience with that? Brands to recommend? Did you trench it in yourself or hire it done? Are there other alternatives we’re not thinking of? (We’ve tried leaving them on long cables but they hate it.)

– Northern Minnesota has TONS of bugs. Our house is on the river and in the woods, so bugs are everywhere. Emma gets bit by mosquitoes every time we go outside. I know it’s pretty much a fact of life here but I would like to find some way to prevent her from getting so many bites. Not going outside is not an option because Emma loves being outside. Does anyone know of a baby-friendly bug spray or have any other ideas? I plan to ask our pediatrician next Monday too. If she has ideas, I’ll let you know!

Thanks for any and all help!

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Chairs, New House and Favorite Workouts {Randomness}

19 Jun

Between the thoughts about moving, decorating, family reunions, furniture refinishing, book writing, grocery budgeting, eating healthy and working out, this poor blog has fallen down on the priority list. So I’m here with another list of random thoughts for ya.

1. We have 2 chairs out of 6 for our kitchen table officially refinished. The table and 1 other chair are just waiting for wax (we ran out). The other 3 chairs are in various stages because we ran out of the white milk paint and bonding agent. We ordered more, so hopefully we’ll be able to finish the rest next week. I can’t wait to show you the finished product! Here’s a sneak peek:

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2. After my premature Father’s Day celebration, the real Father’s Day was pretty lowkey. We went out to dinner in Nevis at the Iron Horse on Saturday night. Sunday, I let Travis sleep in, we went to church, worked on our chairs during Emma’s nap and then just bummed out at the house. We grilled chicken and veggies for dinner, and watched Catching Fire after Emma went to bed.

FathersDay 0033. There’s something I find very satisfying about mowing the lawn. I think it’s because you can clearly see the progress you’re making, and the grass looks so good afterward. And with a push mower, it’s a decent workout too. I was exhausted yesterday after mowing Travis’ parents’ yard!

4. Emma can totally walk but chooses not to. Yesterday, she walked across her room several times, and once from the stairs to the couch while carrying my shoes. She’s just being timid I think, so she still resorts to crawling 97% of the time. Apparently, she wants to prove everyone wrong who says “One of these days, she’s just going to take off!” by increasing her steps by just a few each day.

5. For our “Superheroes” family reunion, the 3 of us have decided to dress up as Incredible Hulk, and call ourselves The Incredible Hulks. Now I just need to find purple shorts! Who knew that could be so difficult?

6. I’ve finally gotten into a routine with doing my workout and quiet time during Emma’s first nap… just in time for us to move.

7. Speaking of which, we close on our new house tomorrow! We’re driving down to Brainerd first thing. My dad will watch Emma while we close and then we’ll spend the rest of the weekend painting and doing other random house projects. My mom is planning to drive up tomorrow night.

8. I took last week off from my Tone It Up workouts since I was in Rochester with my parents. I’d rather hang out than work out. 😉 But we did go on a few nice walks up a big hill so I wasn’t a total bum. I got back at it this week and have really enjoyed them. Two of my favorite workouts so far were this HIIT tabata workout and this beach yoga routine. They’re free and only 20 minutes long! (I tell you this only because I really enjoyed them, not because I am compensated in any way.) I was pretty sore after the tabata routine.

And that’s all I got! Have a great weekend. I’ll be back next week with pics of our new house! Yay!

P.S. Bonus points to whoever noticed that even the way I label my posts about randomness are random.

 

 

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Beach Day

17 Jun

After almost nonstop rain for days, today was gorgeous. So Emma and I went to the beach in Nevis – her first time at any beach! I think she enjoyed it.

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The water wasn’t incredibly warm but Emma was brave and waded in up to her waist. She also enjoyed splashing her feet in the water as I held her on my lap.

It still amazes me what a difference humidity makes. It is only about 80 degrees today but it feels much warmer. In Colorado, 80 would feel a little too cool for the beach!

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