Home Sweet Home

We have been in our house for 3 years this month!  In a way it seems like yesterday that we came over to see it and put in an offer the next day, in others it seems like so long ago since we lived anywhere else.  Since we moved into this house we have had our wedding, several vacations, a PR at the Boston Marathon, Brian has had 2 jobs at Nike, I had 3 (almost), we got pregnant, we had a baby, we've done some kind of work on nearly every room and every inch of the yard. 

We haven't painted anything, we haven't done any remodeling, we took out linoleum and put hardwoods in the kitchen, we got all new appliances, we installed shutters and new blinds, we replaced the lovely blue carpet. We have replaced the fixtures on the kitchen cabinets and many other little upgrades. We put in a new fence and a raised bed garden.  We have planted nearly everything you see. 

 This is our first house, it will always be a very special place for us. I came across some photos of what the house looked like when we saw it before we bought it.  It just shows that if you can look past the cosmetic details, you can really make a house your own without a total remodel!  This house had great bones and continues to make our little family very happy. 

Front Porch Before/After:

Dining Room Before/After:

Living Room Before/After:

Kitchen Before/After:

Family Room Before/After: 

Guest Bathroom Before/After: 

Guest Bedroom Before/After: 

Upstairs Bedroom Before/After: 

Master Bedroom Before/After: 

Master Bathroom Before/After: 

Backyard Deck Before/After: 

Backyard Before/After: 

Backyard Patio Before/After: 

A Week of Dinners

I can go to the grocery store anytime now, but I still plan all of our meals for the week over the weekend and shop on Saturday or Sunday.  There are usually one or two things I have to pick up so it is fresh during the week, but for the most part we are all set.  I decided last Sunday that I was going to take a picture of our dinner every night for a week.  I don't cook a lot of "recipes", it would be very easy to miss an ingredient or two when chasing after a baby.  Everything we eat is simple.  Grilling in the Summer is healthy, delicious, and leaves the kitchen clean too!  We always have breakfast for dinner one night, usually Thursdays, but we mixed it up this week.  Tacos are a staple around here. For a special treat on Saturday we got to go on a date while my parents stayed at our house with little Jakey while he was snoozing!  We checked out a new restaurant in NW Portland called Fireside.  We sat on the sidewalk, which I always love for the people watching.  Brian mentioned how there were so many people out,  we laughed how we forgot how many people don't have to stay at home from 7pm on a Saturday because their little dude is in bed! Anyway, I love food, so this was fun to do!

Jake Month 9

The 9th month in pictures.  From a visit from Ti Ti Boom, a Fourth of July Parade, a playdate with 8 other babies, "search and destroy" missions around the house, fun by the pool, general silliness, new tricks, growing hands and feet, helping Mama, playdates with his girlfriends and family fun. If this collection of pictures doesn't make you smile, then nothing will. Oh Jake, sweet little Jake.