Grable Getaway: Oregon Coast

Back in January, Sam proposed heading to the coast for a few days to relax & discuss our plans for the upcoming year. As someone who loves to travel (near or far), I was immediately on board! The thought of getting away with my boys without the distraction of regular life was very appealing.

Fast forward to last week.

Prior to our trip, I prepared my heart and body for cold winter weather by packing rain jackets & scarves, but those items remained in our bags as we soaked up some (rare) February sun. With a rental just steps from the sand & some of the mildest weather I've ever experienced on the Oregon coast, we entered this trip with hopeful hearts.

As you can gather, we played AND rested hard!

In a matter of just a few days, we explored several different areas along the beautiful coastline, spent hours dreaming + discussing what the next year(s) might hold for us, and experienced a handful of firsts with our little guy. It wasn't elaborate, but it was memorable, and that was exactly what we needed!

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

Flying with a Baby

Last week, we - my husband, myself, and our six week old son - took our first family vacation. Across the country. On an airplane.

Were we crazy? A little bit. But this trip was important because it meant introducing Calvin to grandparents, uncles, and extended family who weren't able to come out in April. However, as much as I was excited for our trip, I was equally as nervous about the flights.

I generally enjoy flying, but never traveling with a baby before was throwing me off my game. So I turned to friends, Twitter, and Pinterest for any & all tips on what to expect when flying with a baby. Some of the information was gold and some didn't apply to us, but the wealth of knowledge I found was reassuring to this new mama and I thought I'd share what ended up working for us.
















1. Carry-on

I used to be the person who ONLY brought a carry-on when I went on a trip, but after this trip, I'm convinced that the less you need to carry on the plane, the better. My husband & I still carried on multiple bags each, but I chalk that up to thinking we needed to bring everything with us.

My advice: only carry on the essentials - diapers, wipes, a change of clothes. With Calvin being six weeks old, he didn't require much and I found that I only ended up using said essentials.

2. Wear your baby

I've become a big fan of baby wearing since we brought Calvin home. And when it came to navigating the busy airport and crowded plane, my love for wearing my baby multiplied.

We went with the Ergo carrier with the infant insert so either my husband or I could wear the baby. Not only did this free up our hands to hold our carry-ons, but within minutes of putting Calvin in the carrier, he fell fast asleep. Another plus? We could carry him through security without taking him out of the carrier.
















3. Window seat

Pre-baby, I tended to prefer the aisle. After researching 'flying with a baby', one of the popular pieces of advice was to get a window seat and without hesitation I changed my seating assignment.

As the advice noted, sitting by the window brought several positive features: more privacy to nursing, kept people from ogling & touching Calvin, and gave me something to look at.

As an added bonus, our flight back east was not completely booked and we scored a full row to ourselves. This made our flight so much better than the return flight (without the extra room) because we could ALL spread out a bit.

4. Feed the baby during take-off & landing

Of all the advice we received, this was at the top. Due to the change in air pressure, I was advised to feed specifically during take-off & landing to force my baby's ears to unplug, so I did. Someone else told me to nurse whenever the baby wanted, so I did that as well. Thankfully, we didn't notice any discomfort in Calvin's ears on either flight.











5. Relax

Flying can be stressful, but add a baby into the mix and it seems to multiply. There were several times when Calvin began to cry and I instantly began to worry about disrupting those around us. I know we weren't the first to fly with a baby (or the last), so by remembering that fact & turning my full attention to the baby, I was able to re-focus & relax a little.

One last thing to note:

Jet lag is a thing. Alternate title: being up until 4am is rough after traveling all day.


Have you flown with a baby? Any advice you have to share?

Peace

Last weekend, Sam & I got away.

We didn't go far (just an hour west of us), but we went with one thing in mind: we just wanted to get away, to take a break from our normal routine, even if only for a couple of days.

With no agenda, the whole weekend felt pretty low key.  We ate at some of favorite places and spent a little time talking about our goals & dreams, but ultimately we were just quiet with our thoughts as we walked along the beautiful coastline.

As much as I didn't want to return to reality, I knew we had no choice.  Thankfully, I not only came home feeling refreshed and relaxed, but I also returned with a sense of peace that I haven't felt in almost a year now.

And that makes the whole trip worth it in my opinion!



"Please I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."  John 14:27

Austin Again

Almost two years to the date, I returned to Austin to see my favorite little Texas family!

We partied {Hello Kitty style}, built lots of Legos, and visited as many parks as we could.  Since my last visit was all about new baby Selah, this time they wanted to make sure they got to show me some of their Austin favorites, including the state capitol, the famous Salt Lick, and the quaint Georgetown square.

Knowing that this was one of my big vacations this year, I was asked a number of times if I was getting to do & see everything I wanted to, but honestly, just spending time with these kiddos + their parents was more than enough for me!

Thank you Heater family for your love & hospitality!  Now, I just hope it doesn't take me two years to get back down there to see you all again.

Friday Thoughts

It never ceases to amaze me how fast the months fly by with each passing year.

This year, it feels like I blinked and we’re already half way through March. 

I’m just going to blame it on getting older.

Regardless, we’re already half way through March and we’re not looking back!

Last weekend, we escaped to the Oregon coast with my in-laws.  They have a family friend who lends them their beach house every couple years and we get to tag along.  The last time we went, our sweet little niece was still in her mama’s tummy, so it was definitely fun to experience the new surroundings through her eyes.  We didn't have any set plans, but we managed to walk along the coast (several times), play a couple games of Settlers of Catan, share thoughts & conversations by the fire, and take a spin on the carousel, to name a few things.  And even though we got back pretty  late on Sunday, I still felt rested & ready for the week ahead.

Other than our weekend away, this week has been pretty quiet.

However, I’ve been feeling pretty inspired by my Internet “friends” (I haven’t met many of them in person, but certainly feel blessed by them on a daily basis).  Not only are their comments uplifting, but their posts on their own blog leave me feeling like they are writing just for me!

• This first one should come as no surprise (I find it hard to go a week without mentioning the Influence Network to someone, which means they must be doing their job :)).  This week, Heather Boersma wrote about the process of pruning on the Influence Network blog and for obvious reasons, this post was just what I needed to hear as I continue to struggle with why God has led us where we are.
• On a similar note, Kim (from oh, sweet joy!) also shared her heart this week on being good enough in a world that feels like it’s constantly tearing you down.  It was nice reminder that I plan to return to whenever I start to second guess myself.
• Lastly, I really enjoyed reading Jessi from Naptime Diaries’ post about being more than just a mom.  While I don’t have little ones at home, I have thought about being a stay-at-home mom when we do and wondered a lot about if that will be enough.  I loved Jessi’s idea that every mom is a mom plus, which is something I think many people need to hear.

So that’s what I’m thinking about this week.  What's grabbed your attention this week?

Friday Bullets

• Happy Friday!
• All week, I've been thinking it's one day and it's really another. 
• Like on Tuesday, I was convinced it was Monday and was pleasantly surprised when I was wrong.
• Maybe my little getaway to see my mom last weekend had something to do with it.
• But honestly, I seriously think that trip carried me through this week.
• We shopped, we ate, we shopped some more, and we pampered ourselves --- all so needed!

• But the goodbye part is never fun and before I got on the plane, we were already planning my next visit.
• In other news, have you heard about the Influence Network?
• I first heard about it after their first conference last September, when my Twitter feed was all abuzz with the amazing things that were happening there.  
• Well, this week, the Influence Network announced their annual conference information and I haven't stopped thinking about it all week.
• I've never been to a conference and to be honest, the idea of going by myself makes me beyond nervous, yet something in my heart is telling me to go-go-go!
• Tickets don't go on sale until next month, so my plan is to spend the month praying about whether I should attend or not.
• Any words of encouragement for those who have attended conferences like this one would be very welcome :)
• Lately, my Google Reader has been full of posts I feel like have been written just for me.
• A couple from this week include:
• Lindsey from The Kubly Girl's posts are something I look forward to each week because I really feel like we have a lot in common.  This week, she wrote about being an introvert and it hit home for me.  She's hosting an online class this month on this topic and I can't wait to hear what she has to say!
• Rhi from Rhi in Pink (the one I got 'Friday Bullets' from in the first place) posted recently about trusting your instincts when it comes to parenting and while I don't have a child at home at this time, I felt like it was good information for any aspect of life.  I'm a firm believer that your first instincts are usually correct.

•  And in case you missed it, I posted a slideshow of some pictures taken of our beautiful baby girl's short life this week.
• You might cry - you've been warned!

So, how's your week been?

Farewell 2012...

Well, another year has come & gone again, but for some reason this one feels much different from the past.  Maybe it's because we experienced both the most exciting joy & deepest sorrow we have ever felt before.  Or maybe it's because the future we thought we were planning for in the early months, has been flipped upside down now and we are no longer sure what's ahead for us.  Regardless, I wanted to be sure to recap this year for my own benefit - to remember the good, the bad, and the ugly and more importantly, to hopefully one day see God's plan & reason behind what happened to us this year:

January - I started the year off with some hope & goals for the new, as well as a photo-a-day project that {I didn't know at the time} would continue throughout the rest of the year.  As with previous years, I also continued posting about some book reviews and shared more of my outfits through "What I Wore Wednesday".  I also shared my Leap List on the blog and completed my first item.

February - WIWW continued and I even started creating outfits from my Pinterest board.  I shared Sam + I's love story and a rare moment where we got to babysit my adorable niece for the day.  My photo-a-day's also continued with weekly posts.

March - More reviews, outfit posts, and photo-a-day posts this month, but I also completed another Leap List item {my first massage!} and we started on a big house project - installing laminate flooring throughout our house.  We also found out we were pregnant this month, although no one knew yet :)

April - This month didn't have a lot going on except trying to keep our baby news a secret, so I kept myself busy by seeing Wicked for the first time and hosting a Stella & Dot giveaway {which was a lot of fun & I'd love to host more in the future}.  I also continued my photo-a-day project.

May - Another relatively quiet month {mainly due to the unknown pregnancy - sensing a theme?} with the exception of my weekly photo-a-day recap posts, but we also had some fun this month.  Our niece turned one!  And we got away to Bend, OR for a little vacation between working on our floors some more.  Our families learned of our upcoming bundle of joy, although we continued to keep the blog world in the dark for another month.

June - The big baby news month!  Our niece helped share the news and in addition to sharing some pregnancy details, I also began my weekly posts about the pregnancy at 14 weeks.  I also posted a special shout-out to the fathers in our life because a new one {my husband!} would be becoming on in December.  Other notable posts from June - I updated my Leap List, continued photo-a-day recaps, and Sam & I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary!

July - We started out this month with a trip to Nova Scotia {at 16 weeks pregnant} to see my dad and ended it with multiple doctor visits when they discovered a problem at our gender ultrasound.  I filled the month with photo-a-day recaps, reviews, and a Pinterest project, but this month sort of seems like a blur when I think back on it.

August - I took a break posting about the pregnancy for weeks 19 & 20 of the pregnancy due to the news we received in July, but shared some medical details around 21 weeks when we decided to put our trust and baby girl in God's hands and her name around 22 weeks {Charlotte}.  Due to the state of our pregnancy, we became labeled as "high risk" and began seeing a specialist every couple weeks for monitoring, measurements, and tests.  Through all of this, I clung to whatever normalcy I could find and continued my photo-a-day project to find some appreciation of the little things in life.

September - If I was to describe my feelings this month in one word, I would probably say it was "hopeful".  We had met with a few different doctors concerning our little girl's condition and while we knew it was serious, we also hoped that God would fix her little body if that was His plan.  Notable happenings for this month include: sharing a little bit about what was going through my head at the moment; participating in a scarf swap; posting my photo-a-day recaps; and attending two baby showers out of town for Charlotte + I {posted about in December}.

October - Another somewhat quiet month on the blog, with the exception of photo-a-day posts, pregancy updates, and reviews.  One exception was where I felt more hopeful in September, the feeling of hopelessness surrounding the pregnancy overcame my thoughts in October, which I shared about around 32 weeks.  To take my mind off worrying, I started a weekly post called Friday Favorites {I featured Lisa Leonard & HelloBee this month}, which share some blogs & sites that have become must-reads for me throughout the years.

November - More pregnancy updates, reviews, Friday Favorites {iHeart Organizing, Influenster, I Love You More Than Carrots, Jonathan David Photography, and The Four Gift Rule}, and photo-a-day recaps this month.  We also shared Charlotte's scheduled birthday - 12.12.12 - around 36 weeks, after we were transferred up to Legacy Emanuel in Portland, OR for the remainder of our pregnancy.  And due to the nature of the month, I also shared why I was most thankful this year...

December - Also known as the month we've been waiting for!  I started out the month posting about the amazing baby showers that were thrown for us over the last couple months, as well as a Friday Favorite {The Dough Will Rise Again} and finishing out my year-long photo-a-day project.  Then before we knew it, we had made it to 39 weeks & the day finally came that we would finally be meeting our precious baby girl.  Charlotte René Grable was born on 12.12.12 at 2:35pm, but sadly, we had to say goodbye to her far too soon on 12.21.12 at around 11:30am, only 9 short days after we met her.  I tried to put our feelings into words and find meaning for why this all happened, but a lot of if is still in my heart, which is, honestly, where it might stay for the unforeseeable future...  However, I did want to document Charlotte's short, but love-filled life, so you can read about her here & here.

This year was tough.  As I mentioned above, we experienced such a range of emotions this year that I'm not sure how many I have left {except for indescribable sadness and desire to hold Charlotte in my arms again}.  As 2012 comes to an end, I pray that I never forget this year and what it brought us, but that I am also able to move forward and see Charlotte in everything beautiful ahead of us.

May Catch-Up

I've had several posts drafted up for various things have have been going on in May, but seeing as it'll be June by the end of the week, I thought a bulleted post would be the best way to cover some big events that have happened.

*May is a popular month for birthdays in our family - my mom, Sam, and our niece Linnea all turned another year older this month.  Linnea's birthday was particularly special seeing as it was her first!  The last year has been so much fun mainly because we've gotten the chance to watch this little one grow & learn.  Every new little "wow" is like experiencing it for the first time yourself.  So fun!  For her birthday, we all showered her with love & gifts and watched her take in another first for her.

*May was also the month of our much anticipated family vacation!  Sam's family went in together & a condo in Sunriver for the weekend. It was something we've all talked about doing, but was made possible thanks to a killer deal from Sharing Spree.  We walked & biked the trails. Explored the touristy town. And enjoyed a delicious dinner out as a family. The only complaint that I heard was that everyone wished we had longer to stay, which I took as a sign of a good time.  I'm already crossing my fingers we can return again next year!

*We got a lot done in terms of flooring in May - about 90% done! In only a couple months, we have managed to tear out all the carpet + padding, prep the subfloor, and lay over 1,000 sq. feet of laminate flooring.  It hasn't been easy, but the outcome has definitely been worth it!  The look, the feel, the overall cleaner look - we love it!  Only the stairs to go...

Other details from the month can be found through my photo of the day posts {the one consistent here on this blog :)}.  Hopefully future happenings will be updated more timely, fingers crossed!

Farewell 2011!

Well, it's that time again! Time to bid another year adieu and look forward to what the new year has in store for us. But before we do that, let's look back at how 2011 treated us:

January - What I Wore Wednesday, a.k.a. WIWW, continued into 2011 {a fun way to look back and see how my style has evolved}; all of the kids in Sam's family treated his parents to a Portland Trailblazer game for Christmas, which we attended in January; and we spent quality time with family & friends.

February - I bragged about my brother's accomplishments; some Valentine's baking occurred; and more WIWW posts.

March - You got to know me a little better; we celebrated our SIL & MIL's birthday and a baby shower for our niece; I fell in love with the cute town of Seaside, OR; neither of us get Spring Break off, but we still enjoyed the weather with friends + family; and, of course, Kristi kept us well fed.

April - Sam built us {+ the Weathers} raised beds for our garden, which turned into a complete backyard makeover; Lily got a new Molly Mutt bed; my SIL's church through her a beautiful baby shower; and we spent Easter down in Eugene so we could listen to our SIL sing one last time at her church down there.

May - Kristi & I went to see Something Borrowed after reading the book a couple years back; Sam turned 29 & we celebrated both his birthday + Mothers Day in Sandy; and Linnea Elizabeth finally made her appearance {a little over a week late} & we all fell in love instantly!

June - I hoped on a plane to see one of my best friends in TX; there was some quality time spent with my college roommate; my brother graduated from college; I continued to read more books thanks to the BlogHer Book Club; we moved my BIL & SIL up to Portland; and Sam & I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary!

July - 4th of July was spent with friends + sparklers; I saw Sara Bareilles in concert with friends; and Sam & I went to the east coast {his first time + I haven't been back in 5+ years} to visit my dad, attend my cousin's wedding, + celebrate my 26th birthday.

August - thanks to Kristi & Sherlai, I attended my second concert this year - Gabe Dixon {+ we got to meet him!}; Sam's family came down for a 'staycation' at our house; and Sam built himself a backdrop for my WIWW photos.

September - I shared how I was feeling lately; we remembered 9/11 - 10th anniversary; and I participated in a scarf swap.

October - Sam & I visited the Oregon Garden for the first time {and are already looking forward to using the membership we purchased}; I played catch up - hair color change, breakfast date with Sam, exploring Portland with Kelly, family photos, and a trip to Redmond to see Michelle + the kids; and we all got together for the 4th annual pumpkin carving party.

November - Sam created a moving picture of our adorable niece that I had to share; I bragged about my talented friends - Jon & Rachel; another 'about me' post; we took Lily to her first dog park; Thanksgiving was spent with Sam's family this year + I shared what I was most thankful for!

December - lots of highlights - more dog park visits, fun with friends, watching my BIL do what he loves, seeing family, & selling my car; I participated in another swap - this time gloves; went to the theatre for a holiday performance; Christmas cards were sent out + the house was decorated; and we managed to see both families this Christmas season.

Overall, I would say this year was a good one for us. We traveled, spent some good time with family + friends, and welcomed our first niece. Even with 2011 being so good, I'm still excited to welcome 2012 and see what it has in store for us. So until next year... :)

Thankful

While this post isn't going to be terribly unique {my Google Reader has been full of "thankful" posts all week!}, it's still important to me to share some of the most important things I am thankful for this year:

My brother graduating {with honors} from college
+ the time we all spent together this year.

The Grable family's constant love for each other.

And this beautiful baby who has changed all of our lives!

Our opportunity to go see my dad, step-mom, & brothers back East
and the positive changes that came after the visit.

Friends who have become some of the most important people in my life!

Lily, our crazy pup that appears calm, but definitely keeps us on our toes.

And this man, who has never made me feel anything
but loved since the day I met him!

Lastly, I'm thankful for all that God has shown me this year. It hasn't been easy to trust in Him, but the outcomes have been better than I ever imagined!

I hope you all can take a moment to reflect on all the blessings you have to be thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Catching Up

I might be the only one who cares, but I have been slacking when it comes to this blog. I've been posting my WIWW's regularly, but when it comes to other life happenings, the blog posts are sparse. I apologize for that! Please take this post as a quick catch up to our life:

*With the help of Kristi, I did my first at-home hair dye. I didn't do anything too drastic, just a shade darker and I'm really enjoying it!


*Due to the economy, Sam & I both have a handful of furlough days throughout the year. While most aren't on the same days, a couple are and we've welcomed the extra day off together {like with breakfast at one of our local favorites - Word of Mouth}.


*Since graduating college, my college roommate, Kelly, & I have been trying to get together at least once every couple months and even though life has been busy, we've been mostly successful. Our last visit was earlier this month and we took full advantage of the new season and indulged in apple cider & pumpkin cupcakes - both so good!


*Last weekend, Sam's family got together for a family photo shoot. The last time we had pictures all together was for Matt & Krista's wedding, so these were much overdue. We had Jonathan David Photography do them {they did our couple pictures last year} and I can't wait to see how the professional ones turned out!


*This little pumpkin is growing so fast and I just want to keep her little forever! I anticipate lots of fun this holiday season with her around :)


*Last Wednesday, I took the day off work to go to central Oregon to visit my friend, Michelle, from Texas! She and her kids were visiting family and she kindly made time for me to come visit. I forgot how tiring a high-energy 2 year old & a teething 5 month old can be, but boy are they too cute!


And that brings us up-to-date! Hopefully my future updates won't be so far in between...

Scenes from New Hampshire

Last week, Sam & I hopped on a plane and flew across the country to the beautiful state of New Hampshire to visit family & attend my cousin's wedding. Here are a few of the {photographed} highlights from our visit:

{The one I couldn't have traveled without!}

{A couple of nights at a beautiful bed & breakfast,
courtesy of my dad & step-mom}

{The bride + groom and the main reason for our trip}

{2 out of 3 of my brothers on my dad's side}

{My step-mom & step-brother tearing up the dance floor}

{Sierra & I first met back at my wedding - 3 years ago -
but we seemed to pick up right where we left off :)}

{A long overdue picture of my dad + I}

{Me + my swim buddy}

{Wilson, the pup, finally warmed up to me}

{On the way home after a long day of travel}

Other highlights not pictured:
*Finding an job I'd love to work in someday - wedding planning!
*Enjoying the old feel to the New England towns
*Learning to play the Wii
*An Italian birthday meal with the whole family
*Spending hours just talking with family I haven't seen in 3 years!

While I spent many summers back east when I was growing up, this time felt different {in a good way}. I can't wait to go back and sincerely hope it's not as long between visits until the next time!

Scenes from Austin, TX

I imagine this wasn't what you thought you'd see after reading the title of this post, but these were the scenes from my recent trip to Austin, TX and I loved every minute of it!

See, one of my best friends recently moved to TX to chase a dream her & her husband had and while I was very excited for her, my heart was sad because I wouldn't get to see her as often. However, when I got the call that said best friend was pregnant {with baby #2}, the best excuse to visit her had now appeared.

So that's what I did, I boarded a plane over Memorial Day weekend and arrived just days after baby Selah's arrival! Simply put, my days were mainly spent running errands, playing in a band with a 2 year old rock star {who's "Auntie Meaghan" sounded more like "Handy Manny" :)}, and holding the baby whenever I possibly could. If you ask me, it was {honestly} my kind of vacation!

Thank you James & Michelle for opening your home to me, espcially during this huge change in your lives, and I can't wait to come back! Maybe I'll see some of the real scenes of Austin next time...