Reading List!

As part of my 2011 goals, I am posting a reading list here. As I said, I’d like to do a review of the books as I read them. Hopefully I’ll be able to read what I list here…but as the list changes, grows, or some books get bumped, I’ll post updates!

In no particular order:
Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks

Black Heels to Track Wheels – Ree Drummond

Freedom – Jonathon Frazen

Lucky One – Nicholas Sparks

Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

Charlotte's Web - E.B. White (I've read this one a thousand times, but it still is one of my favorite children's chapter books!)

More to come…as I said another one of my goals is to hit the library weekly. So I’m hoping some of those trips I can do a little book perusing for myself as well. So I’m sure things will pop out at me during our visits. I’ve been intrigued by a blog I read…and she’s inspired me to look more into some children’s literature that I might enjoy.  So I have a little investigating to do on that front!  For now, stay tuned.  My first review/book report is up and coming on Safe Haven. I finished it in a WEEK!!

Takin' on the Science Center!

This past Sunday Steff made the perfect mid-winter suggestion! We met for breakfast at Frank’s…delish…and then packed up and headed over to the Science Center. I think we lucked out on the perfect day. It just so happened to snow a couple inches and we were some of the few yay-hoo birds who thought driving 45 minutes to St. Louis to burn off some pent up winter energy was a GREAT plan!

We had a wonderful time exploring, seeing a few free exhibits and also scoring a free parking pass! It was a great snowy afternoon!

Here are some of the pics I took. Since I took the photo class the day prior, I realized that I couldn’t break the rules I was given…so the photos at the Science Center, while they are not the best, still managed to turn out pretty decent…or at least I think so! Enjoy…and thanks in advance for bearing with my photo quality while I learn to not revert back to the auto settings and push myself to take manual photos in every situation!

Learning Somethin' New

There is something empowering learning about something new and gaining skills in an area in which I thought I might never fully understand.  But I am proud to say that I can now take my camera in hand, turn that little dial to M, fire it up and take photos. Real photos! Open the apeture, adjust the shutter speed, let real light in and take photos! Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all confident with what I'm doing, but the more photos I take, the more I am beginning to grasp the concepts I learned!

Where did this come from?  Well last Saturday I took a class where I learned all about my camera. After this class I realized the only setting I thought I was using off auto was really a semi-automatic setting AND I didn't have a clue what I was doing with it anyway.  Insert picture of someone rolling on the floor laughing at me and my silly naivete.  I did that on Saturday at myself...so you can do it too...it's kind of funny.

Okay...enough laughing everyone.  I get it!

In all seriousness, I am inspired and motivated to take my photos to another level.  I do not aspire to be a professional photographer.  I am simply excited to take beautiful photos of my family and friends and our memories. 

This class could not have been more fun b/c this lady joined me! 

She's actually how I found out about it...and I also have a new blog to follow.  Check out one of Fresh Art's latest posts on what we did that day! Yep...a few photos down..that's me in the background! Too cool!

We had an amazing day learning lots and lots (did I mention lots?) about our cameras.

Some takes-aways for me from the day:
Practice practice practice.
Go buy a prime lense...I'll post a photo of the difference between the two when I get mine purchased.
Use your camera everyday...so practice practice practice!
Do NOT from this day forward, put your camera on auto again!
Work on the technical stuff...ISO, apeture, shutter speed, light metering...then worry about the composition (what the shot looks like) later.
and most importantly...practice practice practice!

Here's some shots of my photos.  A link to Steff's blog with her latest practice shots...AND a few of my practice shots at home that night! I think my photo of Deci is the best shot I got at home!

And The Linley 3 Become The Linley 4…

All the baby talk of our new niece made me realize that I needed to take a moment to make an official announcement of our own!

You read that title right! On August 7th, we will no longer be the Linley trio we are now. Another little Linley will be joining our crew. Jer and I are over the moon about our new addition! It means lots of changes and lots of excitement around the Linley household as we get ready for another baby!

On January 11, we had our first doctor’s appointment. We got to listen to the heartbeat….a lovely whirring 166…and talk about our birth plan (already!). I’m happy to say that Dr. Talsky will be caring for and delivering this baby as well. Our due date as I said is August 7. And depending on how it all goes Dr. Talsky said we would talk about c-section at 39 weeks. It’s all quite a long ways off…but all things to think about!

For now we’re anticipating our second appointment, and our third. At our third…which will be in around 8 weeks, we will find out what we are having. After having Owen be a surprise, we decided we would like to have an idea before the baby is here. Especially b/c a brother for Owen means bunk beds and camping in the backyard. And a sister could still mean camping in the backyard…but not necessarily bunk beds :)

**As an aside, I cannot express how glad I am that I have our blog to look back at all of this when it was Owen. To read what I wrote at that time in our lives. I’m so very glad we captured it! And it’s coming full circle as I continue to capture not only our current family, but the appointments and pregnancy of our second child. If you have ever thought about starting a blog or a journal, don’t wait any longer! Jump in feet first and do it!! Trust me…you’ll be so glad you chronicled the bits and pieces of life that we sometimes forget! Like what Owen’s heartbeat was the first time we heard it. So like I said…don’t wait! Start your blog, your journal, your scrapbook. Do it now! Don’t let the memories pass you by!**

And my heart was stolen…

I couldn't post adorable pictures of the newest baby in our lives without mentioning...

That this little face...

This cheesy grin...

These chubby little cheeks and arms and legs..and let's face it...the crazy face...

They get me every time. Every single time!

P.S. He’s had a haircut since these photos. Crazy hair has left the building!

What a Wonderful World!

The lyrics to the song What a Wonderful World certainly came to mind when thinking about what a fabulous Monday morning we had!  Why?

Because on Monday morning at 8:03am we got our NIECE!!!

Everyone, I'd like you to meet our niece, Isabel Elizabeth Linley!

9.8lbs 21inches long...I think she looks like her Momma!

A little Aunt Jessie lovin'!

A little Uncle Jer lovin'!

Sleepy baby!

And these two crazy boys were more interested in jumping on the chair, pulling on the curtains and staring at each other!  Boys!

Congrats to my amazingly strong sis-in-law April and to Jonnie who stayed strong, calm and amazingly collected through the whole thing :)  I'm so proud and happy for you both!  It was a wonderful experience to be there to support you and wait for Isabel's arrival.  We love you all and are so excited!  She is just awesome and we can't wait to watch her grow!!

We'll see you Sunday for dinner...and Aunt Jessie can't wait for some serious snuggles with Lil' Miss! 

Oh the Snowy Days of Winter

Goals for 2011

I often start out the year with this refreshing feeling. Goals not met the year before are often easier to let go or they can be renewed with some gumption put behind them, (f they are worth achieving that is.) Last year we had a little boy turn one. I graduated college and we survived (and are still surviving) the on-slaught of emotions and worries a parent with cancer can bring. Even so, we still managed to make many memories and enjoy many great times together. We also accomplished a few goals along the way. Like remodeling our breezeway and creating a play and family space for Owen in our backyard. All that being said…I’ve decided on a few things I’d like to do this year.

Take a photography class (I am very excited b/c I have one scheduled on the 22nd with Steff and I can’t wait! I know we’ll both have lots to post about this!)

Take a cooking class

Go on more dates with Jer – even if it’s a Thursday night.
Start back to church on Sunday mornings. I’ve been struggling for lots of reasons in this area of my life, but I want to find my way back.

Read…a lot more. Make time for this…even if it means skipping a house chore on a Friday once in awhile.

Make a reading list and post it here. Start using that list to post reviews when I’m done!

Get better at meal planning and revamp my menu! I found a cool online tool I will share once I figure out if and how it's gonna work for me!

Be the most thoughtful person I can be. Whether it’s a hello email, or making a meal for someone after a surgery or buying someone’s order in the drive through line behind me. Just put myself out there and share kindness with everyone!!

Get back to my scrapbooks! I made a few purchases for some organizational tools I found in an Archivers flyer. First I’m going to work on my pictures. Then I’m going to work on my list of pages to complete. Finally, I’m going to get them in order. My ultimate goal is to have a single location for my photos, paper and other page ideas that I can come back to each time I sit down with my things. I’d also like to post the organization process and my successes and lessons learned here for those who might be interested!

Plant a garden in the spring. A big one…with lots of fun vegetables, fruits and flowers for cutting. Also plant an herb garden in our small raised bed garden from last year!

Find fun things to do with Owen and our friends and family and do them! For example…take Owen back to the Botanical Gardens, the Butterfly House and show him the fountains downtown St. Louis at the Sculpture Park. Also take that nature hike Jer and I have been saying we’re going to take at the Nature Institute by our house!  (I have the grand plan to make a chart and list all the places we want to go with Owen this year and post it on his bulletin board.  I'm hoping it'll serve as a reminder to put fun things on the calendar and also help us track when we did things!  When I get it posted, I'll blog about it!)

Institute Library nights one evening a week – As another Owen related goal, I’d like to start taking Owen more regularly to the Library. It’s a habit I’ve mentioned wanting to do several times, but haven’t gotten quite right. Our mall has a great children’s area and I wouldn’t mind finding some new authors to enjoy…and maybe some fun shows on DVD too! (as mentioned in the goal above, I'd like to make a similar chart to track the books and authors we read, as we check them out...maybe include some stickers and stars that Owen could help me put on as a way to help him be involved in the charting process!)
Visit Alton’s Farmer’s Market this spring and look into the Alton Amphitheatre to see if we can find a fun show to go to this summer!

Bottom line? Enjoy enjoy enjoy this life I’ve been given. Do not let the things I cannot control change what’s in my heart or dampen my spirit.

I think this is more than enough for one year and hope this gives me great blogging material and wonderful motivation to make 2011 the best year possible!!

Getting Excited!!

I just popped over to my sister-in-law's blog and saw some very exciting news!!! 

We are extremely excited to meet our niece/nephew and hope it's any day now! :)

Go April Go!!  You're almost there!!

Reflections on 2010

Wow. What a year it was. To keep it short and sweet, 2010 was interesting and also one of our more difficult years. Jeremy and I have said several times how it’s been the hardest year of our lives so far. But one thing that I took from it was that it was also a year of lessons. A year of learning about myself, my family, my husband, my marriage. What’s important, what’s worth fighting for, and who you can really count on when life gets difficult.

That being said…I wanted to say the year wrapped up with some fun holidays gatherings with family. And they felt more special than ever this year because if we learned nothing else about life…it’s that it’s short. So short. So I don’t want to dismiss 2010 as a year to shove away from my memories. If nothing else, I want to keep those memories and lessons near to me. To always remember to appreciate what I’ve learned. And never forget it!

Here’s to a confidently-faced 2011. May we feel stronger; find motivation and head into the year excited for what lies ahead!

Celebrating the Christmas Holiday!

I am back, renergized and remotivated to jump back into my blog!  Though I'm nearly a month overdue, before moving on, I wanted to share this holiday recap, so I have it to look back on next year!

This year's holiday flew right on by...as it usually does! 

The day before Christmas, Mom and I put our hand to making some of my Pap's old fashion fudge. Everything went super well until the fudge failed to set up...big bummer!  So we decided to give it a try again next year...and this time we'll enlist Pap's help ;)  We did manage to make peanut butter cookies and a few other fun holiday treats though...so it wasn't a complete bust!

Christmas Eve kicked off a 3 day weekend for us.  We lazily got ourselves ready for our annual gathering at Aunt Jenni and Uncle Doug's.  Owen had a blast running around and playing with Uncle Doug's drums.  He even got a lesson or two from Pap and Uncle Doug.  We opened gifts...did rob your neighbor...always fun!  Grandma opened a lamp that looks like lingerie and Pap opened an exercise vinyl by Jack LaLanne.  Devon helped me know who he was by saying the Power Juicer guy.  It was a fun evening and good times were had by all!  We stayed way too late.  Owen ate way too much chocolate and we had way too much fun!!

Christmas Day we started the day with a little family gift opening.  Owen and Purcey had fun in the tunnel we got him.  Jer stuffed my stocking full of some great items such as the new Nicholas Sparks novel and Eclipse on Blu Ray. Yay!  Then we headed for an awesome breakfast at Mom and Dad's where we no doubt were all spoiled with gifts :) 

We took Owen home for a nap and actually deemed the afternoon family nap time.  I put in my new copy of Beauty and the Beast on Blu Ray...and dozed on an off until Owen's nap was over.  That evening we headed to dinner at Mike and Stacey's.  It was a great chance for us to get together and enjoy each other's company.  We once again were spoiled and brought home a haul for the O man!

It was a wonderful two days of celebrating and relaxing with our families.

We spent the New Year's weekend capping off our celebration by gathering with our family from Walnut and Wisconsin.  We were excited to see everyone and celebrate together :) 

As always we are blessed for the people and wonderful things in our lives...and each year as Christmas is upon us, we are reminded even more just how blessed we are!

Waiting for the Snow

I know I have lots of other posts that need to go up.  There’s the whole holiday recap and many other great ones I’m working on at the moment. But I couldn’t let today go by without posting something about this!

Our region is about to get hit with several inches of snow.  And I LOVE snow storms. I love hearing about them and anticipating their arrival. I love how freakishly over-excited the news casters get. I love it when school closings start popping up on the TV screen throughout the evening. I love the promise of a good solid 3 to 5 inches hitting the area.  I love all of it!  And this time it’s perfectly timed!  I made a huge grocery shopping trip on Saturday and we had a fresh load of firewood delivered. So we are pretty much loaded up and ready to hunker down this evening and watch the snow come down.

For this and many other reasons, I truly do love the winter months that we get around here.  I know by March I’ll be completely over the cold weather, but for now, I’m loving the warm fires in the fire place.  Home-cooked foods done in the oven like meatloaf and lasagna. And the promise of old man winter, paying us a visit J

Happy Snow Days Everyone!

Making Marshmallows

Thanks to a blog I read...I was inspired to do the homemade marshmallow and hot chocolate gifts mentioned here...and luckily enough my best friend agreed to join me in this adventure!  We also made the Cinnamon Honey Butter which was easy and pretty yummy too!

Yes you can make homemade marshmallows and yes...they did actually turn out!!  I used this recipe...and the pictures below are the process and the results!

A little catch up....

Obviously I didn't do so well with not letting the holiday haze take over my blogging habits...in an attempt to catch myself up and start fresh in 2011...I'm gonna do a quick catch up post on a few things mentioned here.

So way back in October we had Jackie and Paul's wedding.  It was an awesome day, celebrated well!  I edited a bunch of photos on Flickr and am not sure how to get them back over here.  Once I do I'll share them!

In November, we celebrated Jonnie and April's baby shower!  It was a smashing success and we are getting very close to meeting the newest member of the Linley clan!  I personally cannot wait to meet my neice or nephew.  It's Jer and I's first run at being an Aunt and Uncle...and I hope we do the job justice :)

Thanksgiving weekend we took our little family to hunt down a real Christmas tree.  Our adventure took us about 45 minutes from our house.  The website promised tractor rides and a lot of great trees to choose from.  It was not a disappointment!!  We took lots of pics and cannot wait to go back next year!!!

I think that about does it for catching up...stay tuned for a holiday re-cap!