Fresno Magazine Photo Shoot

I mentioned that I had the opportunity to be a part of a photo shoot for Fresno Magazine on October 20th (Lauren's Birthday).  The Junior League of Fresno was featured in the December edition of Fresno Magazine.  It was an absolute blast.  I got a call from the fabulous Liz Kern, Fresno Magazine Associate Editor and fellow Junior Leaguer on Tuesday for the Thursday photo shoot.  Thankfully, I already had a (much over due) hair appointment scheduled.

Here are a few of the results if you are interested (and I promised my dad the link to the online magazine).  CLICK HERE Our spread starts on page 34 and my pic is on page 38.

Makeup (um, airbrushing?!?!  yes please!): Julia Cantu, Iron Bird Beauty Bar
Hair: David Carona, Hungry Hair Salon
Photos: the fantastic and talented Michael L'Heureux

Shortcuts: TFTP

5 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 13.03 miles
Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:36

Running on Christmas Eve... in the country...  My two biggest fears about running in the country are the big dogs (that I can't outrun) and the big fast trucks (that I can't see coming around the bend).  I zigzagged my way through the country roads. 

As I ran I was tempted and my logical senses were tested.  I am the kind of person who likes to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible.  As you know, that is almost always a straight line.  My run was mostly North/South (up one long country road and down another), so when I passed streets running East/West that would quickly take me back to my parents' house and a hot shower, I had to fight the urge to take a shortcut.  Of course, not running 13 miles wasn't an option so the shortcuts were really empty temptations but your head doesn't always make sense after running for an hour.  

The easy and efficient option was the shortcut, but it was cheating.  My path was longer and harder... and in the end surprisingly more fulfilling.  A person like me who speeds through life needs this lesson.  God's path for us isn't always the easy path but the journey is what makes the destination worthwhile.  We put aside comfort and efficiency for the greater gift, completing the journey, surviving, and succeeding. 

My journey over the last year has very much been like the longer run.  Putting work on the back burner has made a lot of things crystal clear.   I can see the shortcuts but most of the time I can't afford them.  So I will happily journey on with three little kids and a husband with a heavy career.  Grateful for the long run that I can't cheat. 

Callahan Christmas Card 2011

Our Family Name Christmas Card

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Christmas Theology

Here are a few tidbits from the mouths of my babes.

1) Patrick: Mom, God has his hand on us.
2) Keith: Jesus is the light.  That's Jesus, there's Jesus, and there he is up there.  (pointing at the street lights, car lights and the moon)
3) Patrick: My favorite part of Christmas is the presents.  I love it because it is like unwrapping the gift of God's love! (throws arms wide open).
4) Keith: KING HEROD WANTS TO KILL ALL THE BABIES!

We've got the Holy Spirit.

Crying it out.

I may have told you that Lauren is not the best at sleeping through the night.  We were doing really well before her birthday and now we have a forced co-sleeping arrangement. 

http://crappypictures.typepad.com

It's cute and great.  She likes to sleep on my neck.  So if I'm not laying on my back she pulls my hair and smacks me to get me to roll over.  She also likes to sleep horizontally in between us.  Usually this means kicking Kevin in the face.  Another favorite is burying her head in between the mattress and head board (fun.).  And did I mention that she refuses to have any blankets on her?  brr.

I know you think we are weak parents but the whole point of this post is to tell you that we aren't weak, she's just stronger.  Crying it out was the option for both boys.  Usually this had more to do with going to sleep, not staying asleep.  We've tried to let her cry it out.  We get vomit as our reward each time.  Lauren cries so seldom that when crying happens in her world it is worth throwing up.  Great.

So we go to bed a little bit earlier every night, hoping for more than an hour of sleep.  Sometimes we're lucky, other times not so much. 

When this passes (hopefully prior to her 15th birthday) I won't miss it.  I will sneak in her room and wonder at the sweetness of a child sleeping in her own bed.

Elf fail

 We have a new addition at our house.  Buddy the Elf!  Santa's helper dropped him off on our doorstep Thanksgiving weekend. 

 If you've never met an Elf on the Shelf, here's a little info.  Basically, the elves are how Santa knows if the kids are being naughty or nice.  The elves return to the North Pole each evening to report to Santa.  Then they come back to the house and hide in a different spot.

 The boys named our elf Buddy (duh.).  He's helpful at finding missing things: Keith's glasses.

 He's super silly.

And he knows how to get into strange spots.

After hearing a lot of moms rave about the power of the Elf, I thought Buddy's arrival would be a huge hit.  The boys love him and they search for him the minute they are up in the morning.  But we have a four year old who is less than convinced.  "Buddy is just a toy!" 

Buddy's feelings are hurt and I'm sure he is in the process of writing a little note to Keith.  I'm also sure that there will be bigger and better pranks in the week leading up to Christmas.  Until then.... status quo.

A destination in mind: TFTP

8 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 4.11 miles
Time: 37:11 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile:9:03

Today I passed 100 miles.  So far, yet...not.

After 100 miles on the same routes around my neighborhood, I am now struck by my desire for a destination.  As I run, I wish I could have run to Starbucks for a salted caramel mocha.  I probably would have run much faster for a salted caramel mocha.

Running in a circle is sort of annoying. I've started changing my circles to limit my back tracking.  For some reason I can make myself believe that I'm going somewhere.  I need a destination, I need a place to end up.... which is why the last half mile is the best.  I'm heading home.  Home to smiles, chocolate, a hot shower, wine, and my couch.  I love running home.

Keith: Halloween 2011 

Last night Keith and I were snuggling on the coach playing his Leapster and I had a realization, he FINALLY knows his letters!  He's on the tip of the reading iceberg!  He's identifying letters more and more.  Unlike Patrick, he can also memorize books.  His most recent book is Go, Dog, Go.  "Do you like my hat?" 

267 Days and 22 Hours until Kindergarten!

Plateau:TFTP

9 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 9.99 miles
Time: 1 Hour 40 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile:10:03

Plateau... that's my positive spin.  I'm letting you know that running has totally sucked for the last week and a half.  It all started with a short run to pick Patrick up from school.  Three miles seemed like 20 miles pushing Keith and Lauren in the double jogging stroller.  Then there was the run that can only be described with two words: Robin Quivers.  Most of you don't know what I'm talking about but those of you who do, please note that her story is a cautionary tale and I know when to turn back.  There have been other runs in between that have been less dramatic but still not so great.

Reasons not to run:
Kevin has been working a lot of overtime and I want to see him
It's too dang cold
I'm too busy with the kids and the house
I ate too much
I'm dehydrated
I have to grade papers
I have Pinning to do
I have nothing to wear

Reasons to run:
...............

Sunday after church, Kevin gave me a pep talk and I set out to run.  I ran farther than I have ever run in my life.  It was a beautiful day and a really hard run.  I don't know what is going on with me but that run convinced me that I have to kick it.  Sometime after Mile 6 I realized that I could kick IT, hard, right in IT's you know what.  Could I have run 3.11 more miles?  I'm going to go with quite possibly yes.

A Grateful Heart- Day 20, 21,22, 23

Oops.  Running behind.

Day 20: Today we took pictures and the rainy weather that we woke up to tapered off in time.  The world after rain always seems so nice and fresh.

Day 21: A whole week at home with the kids started with all three kids playing in Patrick's room.  I could hear screams and giggles all the way in the kitchen.  We never have time for these shenanigans after breakfast and Lauren is never allowed in Patrick's room (Legos etc.). 

Day 22:  Anticipation.  My kids are so excited for the holidays.  I think the days leading up to the holidays are so fun.  Advent calendars, school Christmas programs, holiday parties, baking.... it is like a month of Christmas.

Day 23: A warm bed and time to sleep in.  My kids slept in, I played around on Pinterest and ate crock pot oatmeal in the quiet of the morning. 

A Grateful Heart- Day 17, 18, and 19

Day 17: WOW Fresno isn't known for Fall weather but this day is absolutely perfect.  So perfect that I forced myself to take a break from my agenda and get the kids outside to play.  Gorgeous days, loud music, warm cookies and a big glass of wine....the good life.

Day 18: Opportunities to give a little and take a lot.  My membership to the Junior League of Fresno buys a lot of things.  One of the most cherished is connecting and giving back to the people in the community.  One of our projects is called Girl Power.  We work with a group of foster girls throughout the year.  Once a month there is a special theme that focuses on empowerment, self-esteem, health/nutrition, etc.  I finally got the chance to participate and it was really such a great event. 

Day 19: Positive and encouraging women.  I will tell you more about the party itself when I get my pictures uploaded.  Until then, today was a reminder that I am blessed to have sweet, smart, and talented women in my life.  Women who aren't afraid to laugh out loud and can actually make me laugh on a regular basis.

A Grateful Heart- Day 15 and 16

Yesterday was a weird day.  Sort of a Mr. Bean day only Mommy Style.  I won't go on and on about my antics but I will share this: I almost burned the house down.  Remember how much I love to multitask?  Well, I was trying to make dinner and shower..... cut to me (naked) trying to deal with the burning pot, crying baby, and screaming smoke detector all at once.
I'm grateful for smoke detectors.  Go check your batteries people.

Today is a better day.  And today I am grateful for Bar Keepers Friend for saving my cherished Calphalon pot.  From my husband, in reference to the burned pot, "I've never seen anything like it.  You are lucky you didn't burn down the whole house."

A Grateful Heart- Day 13 and 14

Doubling down seems appropriate for these thanks.  I am thankful for multitasking and my Crock Pot.  See how they are coordinated like that?  Now I have to get back to stirring my beans and doing 4 other things at once.

A Grateful Heart- Day 12 AND Tales from the Pavement

11 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 5.40 miles
Time: 53:07 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:50

Today you get a two-fer *gratitude and running.  I am grateful for the pebble in my running shoe.   On the final half of my run today I picked up a pebble in my shoe.  I was running to my parents house and there aren't any sidewalks out there!  This meant running on the pavement and dodging cars in the gravel.  It was fun, until the pebble. 
Here is today's submission in the running as a metaphor for life files.  The pebble is an annoying distraction that can completely mess with your focus.  I've heard that running is a mental sport and I believe it.  I was pacing at under 9:00 minutes before the pebble and suddenly I was running an 11:00 minute mile. 
Last night at Bible study we talked at length about doing all things for the Lord.  We discussed how we can get distracted by our own agendas and forget that we are supposed to first be serving the Lord. Our worries are like the pebbles, tiny bits in the grand scheme of God's glory.  However, it is almost impossible to not focus on the pebble.  Only with God's help can we overcome the tiny pebbles that distract us from the bigger picture.
For me today, focusing on the run and not the pebble in my shoe was so hard.  The same way that mean and lame people, financial worries, annoying politicians and other daily pebbles are so distracting.  I didn't stop and take my shoe off.  I said a prayer and kept going.  I ran faster and prayed harder and soon the pebble lodged itself behind my pinky toe. 
Thanks Pebble.

Lauren's First Birthday Party part 3 of 3

All the goodies!  If you want to see my inspiration board you can click here.  I couldn't get everything I was dreaming of done on time with a limited budget but here is what I was able to pull off....

First things first, the theme.  Real talk. I've been planning this party for a year.  I picked this theme to coordinate with the pettiskirt Santa found for Lauren on Zulily last Christmas.

 

Amy Durham at Morgan James Photography took Lauren's pictures.  She's done lots for us, including the maternity pics.  Michelle Lowe at Exclusive Creations created the bright and beautiful cards.  Two of my favorite people to work with, very talented!  On a side note, Amy and I went to Dry Creek together and Michelle and I went to Clark!  

All of the party day photos are the artwork of Alice Addington.    Everything turned out so bright and beautiful.  ** Alice and I were the best of friends in elementary school.  :)

Every little girl needs a pink car.  Lauren loves her Cozy Coupe!  Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!

The outfit!  Kelley Menzes (my niece's Kindergarten Teacher)- Obnoxiously Cute made the shirt.  She also made a cute bow that Lauren didn't want to wear.  The custom skirt I found on etsy.  Unfortunately it looks like the shop isn't open any longer: Bella Creations if you want to try.  I just wanted something a bit different.  I absolutely love this skirt.  She's already worn it again.  The shoes (not pictured here) are from Old Navy.

My outfit (I have to brag): The jeans and the pink flats were from my closet.  The flowers on the necklace were recycled from Lauren's first birthday photo shoot (see above).  And she was none too happy about me borrowing her flower clips.  The tank top I found at Old Navy for $2.18 (lipstick stain meet OxyClean!).  Hair by David Carona.

Now the decorations:

Cute and simple gift bags from brown paper bags.  Scalloped by Martha Stewart

 Pink Manzanita branches with pictures of Lauren.  I love the Manzanitas.  I'm painting them to use every season!  Find them here at Blooms and Branches.  I should have trusted my instincts and bought a sturdier base for the trees.  Lesson learned.

 Pink Velvet Cupcakes by DADDY.  Except I helped with the icing and totally messed it up!  Kevin saved it and I went about my business.

 Smash Cake by Daddy of course.    I made the monogrammed sun cupcake toppers  and the smash cake "L" with the Silhouette.

 

Favors: I went back and forth and around again about favors.  I finally settled on Sunshine Wands (more on that in a minute).  I figured that the boys wouldn't want wands so I put together gift bags for the boys...Mistake.  The boys all wanted a wand.  They are so cute and easy to make if I had known that I would have made enough for the boys!  The Ribbon Wand Tutorial is at the Ribbon Wand Shop.  She uses real ribbon, I used the curling ribbon I already had for the balloons.  Everything else was the same.  Also, I found all of the supplies at OSH.

 The poem is a Lindsay Original:
Sunshine Wands

Take a wand and you will see

Just one wave will bring you glee

Wave it here and wave it there

Now you can spread some birthday cheer

Thank you for making my birthday bright

You are a sweet friend and that is right

 In the process of designing all of this stuff I was trying to figure out how to move my plain stuff to pretty on Publisher, with no patience.  I came across a post from Ink Spot Workshop and I didn't even read the entire thing before I was able to churn out these puppies.  CD Favors for the adults!

Then I was on a role and made food signs, the Sunshine Wand poem and these cute wishes.  Even the kids filled them out!  The notes were really sweet and I'm going to make her a little book with the pictures of her guests and their wishes.

But really I was most proud of my sign....

It's yours!  You can take it and print it.  Just don't do color correction if you have it printed at Costco, the pink turns brown.  If you want me to email it to you I will, or any of the other designs for that matter. 

 Most of the remaining decorations were pictures from around the house!

The food I kept simple and yummy.  BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Coleslaw, Fruit Salad and Sun Chips.  It's not a party without the crock pot!

Thank you to everyone who helped us make Lauren's party so fantastic.  Especially my dad and my mom, my brother Robby and his girlfriend Destiny, my sisters Rachel and Katie, and my Costco partner Jonathon... and everyone else who pitched in to help. 

We have a VERY happy one year old!

XOXO

A Grateful Heart- Day 11

Today I am grateful for the men and women who have served and serve this country.   I am thankful for our fathers, our cousins, our neighbors, our friends and the quietly nameless servicemen and women who we will never know.  I am proud to be closely connected to people brave enough to  stand up and protect the precious freedoms of our country. 

I am especially touched by the families of the men and women who are deployed.  We often go hours and days without seeing Kevin.  It is really hard. I cannot imagine saying goodbye and not seeing him for months or longer.  That being said, I know that my husband would take up arms and join the ranks if he was needed.  And I would sadly and proudly support him.

God bless our troops and our country.

A Grateful Heart- Day 9 and 10

Day 9:  A Gorgeous Day!
My dear friend Ang has been dealing with sick kids (of varying degrees) for a couple of weeks.  I pray for her daily and hope her kids are better soon.  I think it is really easy for us to get caught up in what we don't have  and what our kids aren't doing right.   We forget the important blessing of good health.  Log onto Facebook this time of the year and the posts are peppered with stories of ER trips and antibiotics.  You will even hear about the really sick kids who will only survive by the grace of God.  So today on this sunny Wednesday I am so grateful that my boys are healthy enough to run and skip and jump the entire walk home from school. 

Day 10: Baby Nap
Lauren is a true third child.  Her nap schedule tells that tale so clearly.  She rarely gets more than one nap per day but her little body demands a long morning nap.  Sometimes three hours or more.  9:00 am until her body is hungry for lunch (sometimes as late as 1:00!).   This is my time to work, clean, make phone calls, pin (As in Pinterest, don't cha know), blog, work, pick up dog poop, watch some Housewives (next gen All My Children), and of course drink coffee (these are things that are actually on my to-do list.).  I am so grateful for naptime!

Lauren's First Birthday Party part 2 of 3

My favorites parts of a first birthday party?  The cake smash and the present opening.  Lauren was totally into both.    Here's the cake smash! 

I love her cake!  I want the giant L on my cake next year!

So excited that everyone is singing to her!

Time to blow out the candle!  So much for all of our practicing, I had to blow it out for her.

Let's get down to the business of eating this cake!

 

 

So fun!  Don't you just love it?
She won't remember it but we will never forget it.

A Grateful Heart- Days 2-8

I conveniently missed the last seven days of gratitude.  I already knew that Day 2 was going to be dedicated to Kevin.  As it turns out, he's getting the entire week.  Seven reasons I'm grateful for Kevin:

• When he fills in for me, I have confidence that the kids are not only loved and fed but on their schedule too!
• He's sentimental. He loves dreaming as much as he loves
• He is my biggest fan. Especially now that I am a runner (haha.). He coaches me and cheers for me.  I look forward to sharing my accomplishments with him.  I run for him.
• He happily helps me cook and clean.  And although I've gotten better at asking for help, he's awesome at reading my mind.
• My kids adore him.  He's their superhero.
• He fixes my tire at 6:00 am.
• He gets up early and works hard for us.  Sometimes this means little sleep and no time off. Then he turns around and puts a Halloween costume together.

Lauren's First Birthday Party part 1 of 3

This (mostly) wordless posts is just Lauren and a few shots of her entourage.  Enjoy!

 

Lauren and Linkin (LaurKin)

LoLo and Grandma

Los with Aunt Rachel and Cousin Abby

Love this one with Grandpa

Girl Cousins- Taleen, Tylee, Los, Tayler and Abby

Best Aunties!

Chase: "My LoLo!"