Baby Sullivan | Week Twenty Six (6 months!)

I should have posted this blog days ago but this week has been a crazy one. I cannot quite fathom that it's already Saturday and the week starts over already tomorrow. Sunday will come swiftly, of that I am sure. This past week was the beginning of a new year. New goals, new dreams, new hopes. I am a true sucker for resolutions or goal making. I'll be posting a One Little Word for 2018 sometime soon as soon as I solidly land on my word for the new year. 

At work, we always take the last Sunday of the year off. I am so grateful for that time to just breathe, refocus, and rest. We spent quite a few days in our pajamas, slowly taking down Christmas decorations and trying to put our house back to some sort of normal. 

Wednesday was my first official work day back in the office. I actually had to put make up on and look somewhat presentable. Wednesday was also the day that Sully turned 6 months old. 6 months! We are half way through his first year and I feel like in the past few days, he has grown leaps and bounds. We started to slowly introduce solids with some purees and some baby lead weaning finger foods. I was only doing this once a day or so but lately he is so into it and seems hungry so we have been experimenting with some different foods lately. Little dude is getting so big, so fast! He loves food so far just as much as he has loved breastfeeding. I am super thankful for that and hope to carry on through this year with a good eater. 

Sullivan has his 6 month appointment on Monday and as always, I'm curious about how much he weighs. I know he's still growing but he seems to be leaning out a bit and growing taller. He's still larger for his age and I love it. 

Marin goes back to preschool next week and our lives will continue as usual. I started the Whole30 again a few days ago and as long as I plan and prep well, it isn't super difficult. I'm working on my goals and word for the year. I'm ready to get our house in order once more and go through every closet and cranny. I love the fresh start of a new year. I love where we are at with Sully and how everyday is so new and fun. 

Marin hated this nutcracker but now won't let me put it away. Goober. 

Week Twenty Six. 

Here's Marin at Week Twenty Six. 

32 Things Before 32

Every year for the past few years, I've written a list around my birthday. This list consists of many things that I want to accomplish in the new year in front of me. Last year, I didn't do very well on checking items off of my list. I found out I was pregnant in October and many items on the list ended up never being completed. I was a little preoccupied with growing a human. But, now I have begun my 32nd year, Sullivan was born in July and I have created a new, fresh list, just waiting to completed.

Here is my list from last year.....

1. Read 31 books. (I read 20)

2. Start blogging again.

3. Get pregnant with #2.

4. Paint the outside of our house.

5. Embrace a side hustle.

6. Play a show.

7. See the ocean.

8. Make a big purchase with cash.  (We roofed our house and paid cash for it!) 

9. Get another tattoo. (Can't get inked when you are pregnant) 

10. Get a facial.

11. Grow Hollen Photography.

12. Get a deep tissue massage.

13. Redo our basement: paint everything, new flooring, doors, etc. 

14. Finish a song. 

15. Go to a drive-in movie. 

16. Start writing a book. 

17. Thrift more. 

18. Increase our curb appeal.

19. Travel somewhere new. 

20. Build up an emergency fund. (About half way there...) 

21. Meal plan and decrease our grocery budget. 

22. Purge the entire house, every room!

23. Develop a product or new venture.  

24. Get family pictures taken. 

25. Complete another Jazzercise attendance challenge. 

26. Have a No-Spend Month. 

27. Read the Dark Tower Series, Harry Potter Series, and Anne of Green Gables Series. (I made it about half way through two of these series) 

28. Take a class. 

29. Seasonal Fun: pumpkin patch, picking strawberries, the zoo, parades, the fair, etc. 

30. See a show at Red Rocks. 

31. Splurge on the perfect pair of jeans. 

Here is my list for this new year....

1. Read 32 books. (I read 23 this year....) 

2. Learn how to use my pressure cooker & air fryer. 

3. Re-do our basement. 

4. Paint the outside of our home. 

5. Landscape our yard and rebuild back porch. 

6. Replace all interior doors. 

7. Create a plan to become debt free by 2020 (including student loans....) 

8. Rejoin Weight Watchers meetings (I go back and forth on this ALL OF THE TIME.)  

9. Get another tattoo

10. Get family photos taken & print some photo books. 

11. Finish writing a song. 

12. Go to the dentist and the doctor for exams. 

13. Get a massage. 

14. Family walks. 

15. Take a family vacation. 

16. Have time away with my hubby. 

17. Embrace a side hustle. 

18. Breastfeed Sullivan for one year. (He stopped at just shy of 11 months.) 

19. Reset up the practice space and actually play our music gear. 

20. Design a product. 

21. Go to the drive-in. 

22. Blog consistently and revamp blog layout. 

23. Finish reading the Bible In a Year. 

24. Go to a concert. 

25. 12 date nights. (Maybe we hit this?) 

26. Take a Barre Method Class

27. Finish the Dark Tower/Harry Potter Series. (I am at book #4 for HP...) 

28. Get a facial. 

29. Take one self-portrait a month. 

30. Grow something. 

31. Start a new family tradition. 

32. Start saving money for our 10 year anniversary trip. 

I am ready to dive head first into this new year. I feel like I'm just beginning the journey once more of re-learning how to be myself after having a baby. I'm excited for what this year holds. Hello thirty two. 

A List | 31 Things Before 31

I entered into a new decade on Wednesday. I am no longer in my twenties and I still haven't quite grasped that. A lot happened in my twenties. Heartbreak. Living in the northwest. Going to college. Playing lots of music. Moving home. Meeting Ryan. Marrying Ryan. A few different jobs: coffee houses, churches, a dental office. Playing more music. We bought our first home. We had our first kid. 

Many things can happen in the span of a decade. Now I find myself in a fresh one, untouched and totally unknown. The idea of being in my thirties is actually pretty appealing. I'm ready for a fresh start, a clean slate. In some ways, I feel like I need to be a real adult now. In other ways I feel like I never will be and that's totally alright. 

Every year for the past few years, I've written a list around my birthday. This list consists of many things that I want to accomplish in the new year in front of me. Last year, I did alright with my list but didn't accomplish quite a few of them. You can see the list here....30 Things Before 30.  It's no secret that I love making lists and I love making this list every single year. I'm excited for what 30 holds. So many things in our lives feel like they are currently in transition. I'm sure I will move into 31 in a totally different place. 

Below is my brand new list. Fresh and new. 31 things before I turn 31.....

1. Read 31 books.

2. Start blogging again.

3. Get pregnant with #2.

4. Paint the outside of our house.

5. Embrace a side hustle.

6. Play a show.

7. See the ocean.

8. Make a big purchase with cash.

9. Get another tattoo.

10. Get a facial.

11. Grow Hollen Photography.

12. Get a deep tissue massage.

13. Redo our basement: paint everything, new flooring, doors, etc. 

14. Finish a song. 

15. Go to a drive-in movie. 

16. Start writing a book. 

17. Thrift more. 

18. Increase our curb appeal.

19. Travel somewhere new. 

20. Build up an emergency fund. 

21. Meal plan and decrease our grocery budget. 

22. Purge the entire house, every room!

23. Develop a product or new venture.  

24. Get family pictures taken. 

25. Complete another Jazzercise attendance challenge. 

26. Have a No-Spend Month. 

27. Read the Dark Tower Series, Harry Potter Series, and Anne of Green Gables Series. 

28. Take a class. 

29. Seasonal Fun: pumpkin patch, picking strawberries, the zoo, parades, the fair, etc. 

30. See a show at Red Rocks. 

31. Splurge on the perfect pair of jeans. 

ONE LITTLE WORD 2016 | RESTORE

I woke up this morning and felt a bit more determined than the day before. A new light, a more articulated reason for striving and thriving. The end of one year and the beginning of another always causes me to reflect and seek out new, fresh determination. I realize it’s just a moment in time, influenced by the world making new resolutions and diving head first into a new calendar year. I love this time though just the same. A clean slate is what I live for..unknown and fresh like a newly fallen snow that hasn’t been touched yet and walked through. 

I am the kind of person that secretly longs for change and hopes for life that isn't just a mundane cycle of adulthood but something extraordinary. Full of hope, destiny, and a thirst for the things and journeys in our lives that we have yet to experience. For some reason, 2016 feels like it will be a year of great change, determination, and of renewal in my life and in the lives of those around me. I feel the low rumble right now, the build up, the grand entrance of things I cannot quite see. 

2014 was the year I became a mom and everything shifted. I spent most of that year trying to keep my head above water and make sure our daughter was growing and thriving. 2015 was really the year of me diving head first into a new job (at the end of 2014) and finding my footing again. Getting out of healthcare was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. 2015 was also the year though that I let so many of the creative pieces of my very existence start to fall away. One by one, minute by minute. Aside from church, I haven’t played any music. Long gone are the days of playing shows at dive bars at 12am. I haven't really allowed myself to sit down and write. I always knew the day would come when we started a family and life would shift in many ways but I feel like I haven’t even properly morned my creative loss. 

2016 is new. 2016 is fresh and open and unknown. I have never been more ready to dive in. The past few years I have decided on One Little Word for the year. Last year my word was LESS. That couldn’t have been more true. 

My word came to me this year a few weeks before the end of 2015. It has been resonating and soaking for a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited to embrace it. 

My little word for 2016 is RESTORE. 

re·store

rəˈstôr/

verb

verb: restore; 3rd person present: restores; past tense: restored; past participle: restored; gerund or present participle: restoring

• bring back (a previous right, practice, custom, or situation)
•  reinstate. reinstate, bring back, reinstitute, reimpose, reinstall, reestablish "the aim to restore democracy"

▪ return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position.

▪ repair or renovate (a building, work of art, vehicle, etc.) so as to return it to its original condition.

▪ repair, fix, mend, refurbish, recondition, rehabilitate, rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, overhaul, redevelop, renovate; More

I have a lot of things I wish to restore in my life this year. I feel like I have lost so many pieces of myself over the last few years. 

I want to restore my confidence and self-worth. I’ve set some pretty intense goals to meet before my 30th birthday this August. I want to take care of myself again and restore that which I feel like I have lost as the pounds have been packed on over the last few years. I will feel good in my own skin. 

I just started a new lifestyle, not diet plan. It feels good. It feels like home. I also just joined Jazzercise (I know how that sounds) but it is amazing and I can’t wait to go back! I will make time for my health. 

I want to restore my creative endeavors. I don’t need to play a show every weekend anymore. Those days are gone for now. I want to just get new strings and pick up my guitar again. I want to make time to write music for no one other than myself. Maybe I will book a show or two, probably without a band, but that’s a start for now and that must be enough. 

I want to restore quiet mornings and focus on getting up early enough to read the Word, journal my thoughts, and just breathe for a moment in the morning. 

I want to restore our financial freedom and have plans to destroy our debt and gain financial peace. Things will be tight. We will have to go without some things we desire, but it will be worth it. 

I want to restore or repair our home to make it the best that it can be. I truly believe that we aren’t supposed to sell our home until we are out of debt. I want to make the most out of the home we have and embrace it all. I want to get rid of so many things that we don't need. 

This has been a long winded post but I am so excited to see what this year brings. 

Start over with me, and create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you.  May there never be even a shadow of darkness between us! May you never deprive me of your Sacred Spirit! Let my passion for life be RESTORED tasting joy in every breakthrough you bring to me.  Give me more of your Holy Spirit-Wind so that I may stand strong and true to you! 

Psalm 51:10-12 Passion Translation

One Little Word | 2015

I've been trying to write this post for about two weeks now. It just hasn't seemed to grow into something of worth and I have just journaled about it just about every morning. The words I've scribbled on the pages in those early morning hours just haven't clicked until this morning. 

Many people I know pick one little word for their new year. This one little word becomes their mantra for the year. Sometimes the word finds them, sometimes they seek out the words. I had a word last year but didn't blog about it. My word for 2014 was BRAVE. This was fitting because within the course of 2014, we became parents. Childbirth was a daunting task. I knew I needed to be BRAVE. I knew there was no looking back once we reached that point. Being BRAVE as a parent is at the forefront of everything I have experienced in the past year. I also needed to be BRAVE when it came to quitting my job, the job I had for almost 6 years, and jump blindly into something new. BRAVE was a fitting word. I needed it. 

As I mentioned earlier, my word for 2015 just wasn't coming to me even though I was seeking it out. I wanted something positive but not cheesy. I wanted something that could be used in all areas of my life. I wanted something new. 

My word for 2015 might not seem like a very positive word when you look at the definition of it, but I think it carries a lot of power for this new year. 

My word for 2015 is.........

Less. 

LESS STUFF |  I want to go through everything we own and get rid of a lot of it. I'm sick of feeling like we are growing out of a house that should be just fine for now. 

LESS NEED |  I don't really need a new car, even if I want one. I don't really need 3 pairs of boots that are almost exactly the same. 

LESS WEIGHT |  I want to feel confident in my skin once more after having a baby. It will be a journey, of that I am sure. 

LESS MONEY |  We are moving into a season where I am not making the amount of money I once did. Frugality will need to be common place in our little home. 

LESS STRESS |  I want to wake up every morning and keep journaling. I want to know what is to not say "yes" to everything. I want more time spent with my kid and less time worrying about stupid things. 

LESS OF ME, MORE OF HIM | 

"He must become great and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30

LESS WASTING TIME | I want to make every moment count, especially when it comes to my family.  

Are you interested in finding your one little word? Check out this podcast and this blog. 

A New List: 27 Things Before 27

It's that time again. I have been working on this list for a while now and can't wait to get it out there and start checking things off. Some things you will see here are big, like having a kid or getting out of debt. Some things are fun and simple, like wine tasting or finishing a nerdy book series. I need a combination of both in order to be successful with this list. I'm ready. Let's do this.

 

1.      Finish writing 5 songs. That’s a big deal.

2.      Rock a two piece swimming suit with confidence.

3.      Treat myself to a massage

4.      Camp in a tent

5.      Get another tattoo

6.      Learn to knit (I will put this on my lists until I do it!)

7.      Record another music project

8.      Work through a few e-courses that have piled up.

9.      Gain financial peace. Get out of debt once and for all.

10.   Get pregnant.

11.   Paint some walls

12.   Not kill my garden

13.   Have a picnic

14.   Sew something. Anything.

15.   Fly in a plane

16.   Repurpose a piece of furniture

17.   See a concert at Red Rocks

18.   Go on a wine or beer tasting tour

19.   Eat at 5 places we have never tried before.

20.   Bake often. 

21.   Have a girls night

22.   Make breakfast for dinner

23.   Finish reading the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King (This was my man’s idea)

24.   Have a dinner party

25.   Read 12 novels

26.   Re-grow out my hair (Again. I just trimmed a bunch off. I miss it.)

27.   Take a road trip.

New Year, New Goals...

It has taken me a couple of days to sit down and write out my goals for this new year. Many of them, I've found, are based off of my 25 Things Before 25 list, which will continue on until I turn 25 in August. 

.....get out of debt......buy a car.....buy a camera.......record a new album......record an album with my  husband.......have a garden.....love my husband.........prepare us for having a baby (hopefully we will start trying in 2012!!! )...........lose the rest of the weight, only 20 lbs more to go........run a 5k........go on a trip or two......have more quiet time......make our house a home.......read "What to Expect Before You're Expecting".........Book Club.....Do more yoga.....become a vegetarian.........cook more.......bake more..... advance at my work ........learn to love my job more than I do.......map out a business plan for some of my dreams jobs............go to Mexico with my work.....actually write a song to/for/about my husband...... continue working through the Artist's Way......try something new........take a class...........buy local and organic.........stay organized........take a real vacation......learn to brew beer with my dad.....take more photographs just for fun........paint some walls........blog more......actually use my typewriter and sewing machine.......

This list is massive, but I am overwhelmed with excitement for this new, fresh year. Looking back at 2010, we actually accomplished a lot of what we set out to do, with a few unexpected turns as well. We bought a house, played a lot of good music with many wonderful people, took lots of photos, grew closer to each other,  released a new album with my band, got a cat (who is a pain in the butt most of the time), took a trip back to the northwest,  I lost 30 lbs!!!!!, had a family get together at our new home, etc, etc, etc. 

Happy 2011. I'm ready for the best year yet.