more birthday photos

These are especially for Em, who was wondering about cake. (Not surprising since E is something of a cake expert – hers are masterpieces!) Indeed there was cake. I opted for easy cupcakes, but the chocolate cake and chocolate frosting were delicious and showed up nicely in our little blondie’s hair. We think Miss Anna was wondering why we’ve been holding out on her so long…

And one shot from what we hope will be an annual tradition – my parents always took a photo of us on our birthdays (from 1-18) and it’s really fun to look back on the years. Anna is sitting in a chair that belonged to her Grandpa Hartwell when he was little.

happy birthday, anna justine!

How quickly she went from this…

… to this!

Last year at this time:

And this year!

Happy birthday to our sweet, silly daughter. We love you to bits!

back in the saddle

Today is my very first day working in the new decade. I have been thinking a lot about how far we’ve come in the past ten years. Ten years ago I was 22, working here (and not liking it all that much), and dating somebody else (whom some of my readers remember fondly, I’m sure). Fast forward a decade: I’ve gained a husband and a daughter; lost my brother, three grandparents, and a dear friend; am starting my fourth year working as an attorney. And I’ve gained innumerable other things: cherished friendships, a few pounds, and, I like to think, more inner strength and confidence. My thirties have certainly been wonderful so far. It’s funny to think that I thought I should have things all figured out by age 22! I don’t have them figured out now either, but at least I am wise enough now to realize that I’m still learning.

We spent New Year’s in Tempe, Arizona, where Seth cheered Iowa State to victory in the Insight Bowl and I went to IKEA. Funnily enough, we each thought we got the better end of the deal! It was a wonderful little getaway. Though I prefer the four seasons and winters that feel like winter, I have to admit there is something very alluring about palm trees in January! Photos to come…

and some christmas day photos!

This ball is actually a cat toy – ahem.

Poor kitty – we took the tree down, so his safe refuge is now gone.

Many more photos are here. Merry [fifth day of] Christmas!

pretty freaky

I came across this old picture of Seth today. Does it remind you of anyone??

How about now?

the fourth day of christmas

(At least that’s how I’m choosing to see it – it’s still Christmas even if I am back at work!)

Anna thoroughly enjoyed her first Christmas! And we certainly enjoyed sharing it with her. Here are some photos from Christmas Eve (I haven’t uploaded pics from Chr. Day yet):

Inspecting her new tea set:

And her new doll:

And resting on a nearby panda bear (it was way past her bedtime!):

thirty-two for 32

I got this idea from my friend Emilie (though other friends have followed suit) and, since tomorrow is my 32nd birthday (!!!), I thought I’d share my goals (big and small) for the coming year with you all:

1. Knit a scarf
2. Sew a simple project—pillow cover, drapes, apron, etc.
3. Learn how to roast a chicken (I am told this is easy; for some reason it intimidates me)
4. Lose 20 more pounds. (I’ve lost 47 pounds since last year. Of course, I was 36 weeks pregnant on my last birthday so it sounds a lot more impressive than it really is! I can’t say I recommend labor & delivery as a weight loss strategy. It’s fast, but it’s kind of hard.)
5. Start a college fund for Anna
6. Do our wills & health care directives
7. Finish the wills & health care directives I was working on for my parents the day before Anna was born (sorry, Mom & Dad)
8. Get really comfortable shooting in manual mode on our camera
9. Watch the Oscar Best Picture nominees
10. Join a CSA and/or buy more local produce
11. Read Seth’s favorite book, Watership Down
12. Make a photo book of Anna’s first year
13. Floss my teeth every day
14. Send birthday cards on time
15. Have date nights with Seth once a week, even if they are at home!
16. Do something special for our five-year anniversary
17. Throw Anna’s first birthday party
18. Update all our life insurance policies
19. Really clean out my closet and give away clothes that don’t fit or that I no longer wear (I am moderately good about this, but could always be better)
20. Actually try yoga (I have a DVD that came highly recommended, but apparently just having the DVD doesn’t count as doing yoga)
21. Dip my baby toe into the stock market
22. Start doing guardian ad litem work
23. Run a 5K (Ha! Hahaha! But I thought I should challenge myself… ‘cause the knitting and sewing weren’t enough, I guess.)
24. Dust off my cello and re-learn some of the Bach cello suites
25. Organize my photos
26. Get frames for the miscellaneous artwork lying around
27. Keep a gratefulness journal
28. Find a signature dessert that I can learn to bake really well
29. Learn more about wine
30. Finish bottles of things (shampoo, cleaning products, etc.) before buying new ones
31. Read Crime and Punishment and Anna Karenina, two books I own but have never finished
32. Figure out what I want to do with my life (actually I think this is a lifelong pursuit, but I’ll include it here anyway, mostly for the sake of finishing this list!)

Whew! Now wish me luck!