at the lake

This whole week I've been meaning to write of our splendid weekend. Here's what happens though, perhaps you can relate:

I head toward the couch where the laptop casually resides, with the best intentions to pen a post. I spot a water glass on the side table, so I bring it to the kitchen. Wouldn't you know it. There are dishes that need to be washed, might as well do that while I'm in here? The dishwasher is...clean. Of course it is, which means I need to empty it before I stack these dirties. Phew, I finished the kitchen and wiped the counters and this rag needs to go to the hamper in the bedroom. The bed's unmade! And my pj's are on the floor! Well, I'm in here, might as well take care of that. How did Jordan's shoes get under the bed? I'll put those away now... Oh yeah, I forgot about that pile of Weston's clothes I was going to put away but it's actually just sitting here in Jordan's room. So I'll do that and then finally head back to what I was originally going to do. Which was... ??? I don't know, but now it's time to feed Weston.

But a glimpse at my ADD. And the reason that even if I HAVE something I want to put down, I haven't been getting around to it.

First off, our weekend bears someone background explanation. Sean got a new job!
!!!!!!!!!!
He got it a couple weeks ago, but then had to put two weeks in at his old job, so it didn't feel very celebratory to say anything until he actually started. Which was yesterday. I'm super stoked. It pays better, and just from the looks of his first day, it sounds like he'll be learning a lot at this new place. All this to say, when Sean put in his two weeks at the old place, he made it so his last day was last Thursday, and his first day at the new place was yesterday. A mini vacation! Woop woop.

Therefore, we trekked to my parents' cabin in Lake Arrowhead. It's truly lovely and rustic and woodsy and wonderful. It's much more fall in the mountains than it is back at our place; it's actually crisp, in the temperature-y sense of the word, and in the leaves-y sense of the word. We took walks with hot cider, traversed about the lake, and dipped our toes in at the Village's Oktoberfest. I drank beer with hints of orange, I did.

This was just before Jordan and I took stage left and danced our buns off to the authentic German music. It's on video and everything.

We met up with my mom, sister and brother later in the weekend and did our due diligence at this "puckin" patch that had a huge blow-up bouncy "puckin" which was, y'know, super fun. We also window shopped a few of the high end stores in the Village.

Here we are at Coach. Sean, oh so adorably and ridiculously naively scoping out a "purse as a surprise for Jess" (I assume for our anniversary) and beelining away as if the purse was a hand grenade. That dinky one he's holding was $450 ("I thought it was gonna be like $50...") *smirks in a saccharine manner and rolls eyes condescendingly* Oh but they were having a 50% off event, so I picked up a beautiful, yet unassuming, emerald green wallet out of the $50 box. $25 for a Coach wallet? Yeah sure! As I was standing in line to pay, this very young couple in front of me was being rung up and their total was over $4000. You read that right. I just, can't. And turns out my gorgeous wallet was misfiled and was originally $150 and ain't no way I was paying $75 for that thing. We're talking I'm a committed Target enthusiast here.

Anyway one of the definite highlights of the weekend was this moment:

Oh I'm sorry, you can't tell that I'm standing one foot away from Gwen Stefani? Well, I did. Embarrassingly enough, I wouldn't have even noticed her appropriately incognito person had I not recognized her son Kingston, who she's watching race my daughter on the go-karts. I know. I'm that person that recognizes the offspring of celebrities... Anyway Sean Googled to confirm that yes, Gwen was weekending in Lake Arrowhead. I literally could have put my arm around her like we were best buds, but I'm sure she had security lurking about somewhere. Kudos for me for being the absolute worst paparazzi of all time? Yes. She turned toward me several times and I have way to much pride to just snap a shot right in her face. But here's Sean doing his best impression of a celebrity dad as he and Jordan exit the attraction:

the stud in the $8 shades

The point of all this murky recapping: it was a thoroughly successful vacation for Sean and I, rife with Kodak moments and margaritas at the local Mexican place and the discovery that Jordan's delicate constitution is completely intolerant of swervy car rides (the puke smell lingering about the family vehicle that infiltrates the nostrils nearly a week later testifies to that fact) and cuddles on the couch with our little minions sandwiched between us. It got us to thinking that weekends should always be four days, and the work week but three. 

In a perfect world. But we'll take the perfect pieces where we can.

weekending

Look at this dump. Can you believe we were forced to spend our weekend here? The horror and injustice.

We just came back from our annual family gathering up in Lake Arrowhead, in which we celebrate the July and August birthdays in the family. Sean, Jordan and I slept at my parents' homey cabin nestled among pines and redwoods, which is heavy on rustic cabin charm, but rather light on space. Therefore the majority of activities and hang time occurs at my aunt's sprawling cabinmansion (the two top photos) that too, has mountainy appeal (*see mounted albino buffalo and antelope heads), but also comes with lake view, extraordinary deck space and - best of all - dock privileges and boat rides!

lakeside bathing beaut - unstaged

a most feminine little lifejacket. you should see the shark on the front.

fun for days with the aunts on the island. Jordan loved this thing.

The kid kept trying to plunge herself over the side of the raft because apparently she's attempting to will herself into buoyancy. (Ask me how swim lessons are going sometime.) Although, I'm not totally sure her non-swimfriendly diaper wouldn't just keep her afloat with how much that puppy expanded when submerged. Between her aunts, uncles, great-aunts and grandparents, and all the spoiling and attention that accompanies that crowd, Jordan's weekend was lakeside luxury with a side of boating bliss:

Jordan as Captain - a mistake of titanic proportions

her dock kicks echo sweet Justin Timberlake-esque loafers. in neon pink.

Aunt Mary and Jordan are boating partners for life. Check this one from last year:

(with boyfriend James who was in Norway this year so couldn't make the trip)

My lovely longtime friend Christina, who has come with us to Arrowhead most years since I was in high school, was able to come up with her charming new English husband. Christina's been living in New Zealand the last year and a half (where she met and married said husband) so it was so great to catch up and carry on old traditions - like the sisters + Christina late-late-night lake plunge. (or in my much-too-pregnant case, lake wade via dock ladder as opposed to dramatic cannonball. Jessie's belly: making waves on the east, west and southernmost shores.) 

Plus, I forgot how many compulsions Christina and I share:

Christina and I spent an hour and a half after Jordan went to bed putting away her crayons in color gradient order. It was a project that drew concerned glances and murmurs from uneasy family members, along with more than a few "you know Jordan is just going to dump all those out tomorrow morning"s, but...worth it. My nesting proclivities were satiated and my OCD reveled in its like company. Shhhhh.

I always have the best time on these weekends. My sisters are so wonderful about stealing Jordan away for novel activities or little swimming sessions so I can finish a conversation and a Mike's Hard Lemonade in peace. And experiencing the enjoyment and beauty of the lake through Jordan's newer eyes is something else. Every splash is accompanied by a shriek and every dunk by a giggle. She just goes, goes, goes, goes and goes in a seemingly tireless fashion until that face hits the portacrib mattress, and I realize that maybe the Energizer bunny was running on delirium for the last couple hours. 

And so it was homeward bound last night but not without a forty minute put-the-car-in-park traffic delay due to a semi being sprawled across the only two lanes of the mountain highway. No worries though: we just pumped the Fleetwood Mac with my sisters, while my dad and remaining siblings in the van a couple cars back from us just walked back and forth exchanging anecdotes and traffic updates:

the faces of sane, well-rested individs

Have a good Monday. Let the "last week of work before Jessie's maternity leave" countdown begin in your minds and hearts, as it has in mine. Friday is lightyears away.

day of the dads

Alright, I'm late, I know. Having read just the sweetest blog posts yesterday the blogging world over about dads and husbands, I feel totally guilty that I didn't prepare one in advance. But isn't it also kind of a good thing that we were having too fun-filled a day for me to get around to blogging?

 

I'm so glad I was able to waddle down to the shoreline with my camera in time to catch these when I spotted this happening from my sandy perch. Here we have: slighlty-mulleted Sean-Father (who tried to get a nice Father's Day haircut yesterday but "the only woman who knows how to cut my hair" had a line of four people before the shop even opened) and well-tanned Greg-Grandfather (that'd be my dad) doting on this very fortunate daughter/granddaughter.

Jordan and I indeed are very lucky ladies to have these guys. So very lucky. We live in a world where much, much too often fathers are absent and/or disengaged. My dad has only ever been the most present and the most engaged with each and every one of his eight kids. All eight! What a feat. I wish I had had the presence of mind to snap some pics out of our old albums when I was at my parents' house last. There are pages upon pages of bike rides, backpacking trips, surf lessons, evening hide-and-go-seek sessions with the neighborhood kids, the more recent, raging Vegas trips, and countless other activities all hosted by my pop. And all with an enthusiasm and energy that was contagious. I hold my dad in awe; he seems nearly tireless.

Then there's that newer, mulleted father. I remember the very first night we spent with Jordan. She had to be taken to the ICU because of an alarmingly low white blood platelet count. We were up allll night long, tired and worried and anxious, and Sean, with heavy blackish circles under each eye, said something like "I've never experienced this type of worry. How can you love someone that you just met a few hours ago so intensely? I feel like all my happiness is tied to her." To me, sounds like a father's love. And this completely inexperienced, slightly awkward first-time father grew into the most natural, most dedicated, most enamored dad I've ever seen.

Yikes, sorry for the slew of sappy, I got a little carried away. What I mean to say is, I hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating the most important men in your life. As I look down at my belly, currently bouncing with a serious case of in utero hiccups, I know that this kiddo will be blessed with excellent examples of manhood that he may aspire to.

This was Jordan's present to her dad. She was a little upset that her handprint didn't quite fit in the shadow box that she bought, but she's over it now.

Happy Father's Day, friends.

California Dreamin'

on such a winter's day

Last Friday we received torrential downpours - which I happen to love - but what's nice about storms is the day you wake up to after they pass. Saturday was completely gorgeous and deserving of a famous Sean-Jessie-spur-of-the-mo' day trip in the old family Yaris. Sean and I have been doing mini roadtrips such as this since we were dating; we explore old roads and find new favorite spots. We made our way down to the beach eventually, after a stint of meandering on Mulholland Drive.

As you can see, Jordan doesn't share her parents' love of adventure or of natural beauty. She finds it all very mundane and would rather feast upon her animal crackers while verbosely backseat driving.

Jordan does appreciate a good beach picnic though, and my new uterus passenger requires sustenance approximately every 18 minutes, so we picked up an exorbitantly priced snackfest of crackers, brie and orange juice at some uppity Malibu market then parked our bottoms sea-side to enjoy some free sunshine.

feed the birds. tuppins a bag.

The water was predictably nippy - I'd venture a 56° guess - but Jordan and I toe- and calf-dipped like the bold and brassy women we are. Sean lounged about reading his book on the beach towel like the pansy-bum that he is. They got their quality time in later though, when they simulated a little Baywatch

look at those heroes.

So basically this was a big fat photo dump of our weekend but sometimes that's just what Wednesday calls for. 

whoops, that one slipped. wink.

2012 in 12 Photos

I kinda really loved Dwija's link-up idea which was spawned from Laura's sweet post and would really love to play along. Please Dweej? Can I come?

MANUFACTURER'S WARNING: all but one of these pics feature Jordan. What? Don't look at me like that. She was kind of the star of 2012.

My baby sister with my baby baby.

Clone Wars.

Russian hat twinsies.

Dad, she put sand on my sock. Get it off get it off get it off.

Grandpa and I both heartily disapprove of your outfit Jordan.

Booty Pop Tutorial. Girl, I didn't know you could get down like that.

 

New Year's Resolution: get one other photo aside from this where we're all looking.

With no back arching or crying *Jessie*.

The Big 1.

But only two dork tooths to show for it.

Vegas on a whim. Shout-out to the 'rents for taking the girl on 30 minutes notice.

*Interesting note: no photo editing here. Crazy lighting on Fremont Street.

 Mom, seriously. What are we doing here.

Dressed to impress for Thanksgiving stuff-fest and listening to her favorite jams by The Floorboards.

 Jordan humoring her parents as they obsess over Christmas.

I tried to avoid Insta-peats for any of you followers but a couple may have slipped in. Sorry... 

So HOW awesome is this link-up idea? It is really incredible to see what a year does to your used-to-be-tiny-infant but now-she's-like-a-kid kid. It was really fun/really hard going through my archives to try and find a favorite in each month, or just something that semi-represented that month for us. All those pics, they're all that's left of 2012. But I am excited for this new year with my family. One new year, hundreds of new experiences and thousands of new pictures. Sounds like a plan.

A happy and blessed 2013 to you all.

And the Kitchen Sink too

Today I join my fellow red-blooded Americans (or blue-blooded, if you're feeling regal. your call) in counting my blessings. I do have so, so many that it's too bad it takes a holiday to remind me to think of them every once in awhile. For my own benefit - and I'm sure your reading pleasure - I'm going to take a quick sec to list a few.

Jessie is thankful for

 Dr. Sheldon Cooper. We commiserate about string theory. You wouldn't understand...

Nestle's. My body just wouldn't be the same without you.

My Gap card (not this Nolly person's, this is just your visual aid via the ever-giving Google). Jordan keeps asking to hit the sales at Old Navy so this has been a life saver. She really needs to curb her enthusiasm or we're going to have to stage an intervention.

 Chuck. This hardly needs captioning.

That's it for now. Until next year.

Wait.

Alright...I am thankful to Grace for her invitation to my first linkup ever. I'm scared and excited and don't know what I'm doing. I took twelve self-portraits (oh, that's another thing I'm thankful for: that my husband was in class while I was making an idiot of myself). I took off my cowl (trust me on that decision. Or don't.). I put in earrings. I have electric blue mascara on.

We'll be traveling today to a cozy family gathering in the mountains, so I took these pictures last night. Therefore this is entitled

What I [Intend to Wear] to Thanksgiving Dinner

Sorry we're so uncomfortably close in that second one. Had to snag a shot of the lobes. And I'm not pissed at you in the first pic. That really was best of twelve. So I might be black, gray and boring all over but I DID it! And I'm also going to give you my outfit details because that's what you do in linkups right?

Blacktastic Shirt: Gap (ihhhh, I really don't want to tell you this but it's actually Gap*Maternity*. blush&shiver.)

My Absolute Staple Gray Pleated: Dockers from ages and ages ago. I wear this all.the.time.

Tights: who knows? They're black tights.

Boots: wayyy too comfy via Cathy Jean.

Sash: vintage from m'Grandma.

Earrings: my very lovely sister mailed these to me from India while on her travels around the world last year. I had just had Jordan, and along with the super cute outfit my sister sent for her, she put these and a note in the package saying "because a mother deserves to have nice things too."

Speaking of the Bug....

What Jordan [Will Wear] to Thanksgiving Dinner

Jordan's Details:

Whispering Warmth Cloak (<-----trying to Anthropologize the title because Jordan's coat is really just): Target

Screw it: Jordan is head to toe Target. From her pibsqueak bow to her faux Uggs. And she owns it too. Incidentally we both had a camera-shy moment

 in which our boots became extremely interesting to us.

That's it. Happy Thanksgiving.

Wait.

Ok one more callback. Best for last and all that. These two

along with my incredible siblings, parents and friends - I don't deserve them but God gave me them anyway. I'm a lucky duck. 

So for these I give thanks. Today, everyday.