birthday

it was a good day.

October 7, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Thank you everyone for all of the birthday wishes Monday. I ended up being rather sick and only sleeping for 2 hours the night before, but I made the most of it. Lack of sleep and getting sick all night sure made for an interesting morning… Buuuut I got my butt outta bed and got a couple of things done before being swept away for a morning breakfast sandwich with a dear friend.

Post-breakfast, Chad + I took Moosh to the pumpkin patch to let him explore and get out some of that toddler energy. Maize Valley Farm + Winery in Hartville was just the place!

The place was empty, with the exception of a few other moms & tots. Moosh definitely needed someone who could keep up with him. And I definitely was not that person. So Chad chased the little stinker here, there, and everywhere.

First, he played on the playground, the hay bales, and the tractors.

He was so adventurous. It was amazing to witness this little boy explore, bravely stepping out a few feet further than normal from mommy & daddy. So much different to where we were just a short year ago.

After watching the boys run around (I did zero running. Ha. I just waddled and snapped some pictures), we caught the wagon for the hayride! Moosh loved it!

There were a couple of stops on our hayride tour of Maize Valley, the first being to pick our own pumpkins. Last year Moosh managed to pick a rotting pumpkin and the farm refused to even sell it; they just gave it to us – ha! This year my only rule for Moosh was to pick a pumpkin that wasn’t on it’s way to rotten already.

He wandered and wandered until the found the perfect [tiny] pumpkin! Sigh. There’s something adorable about watching your kid find the ‘perfect’ [for him] pumpkin!

And then it was off to watch the pumpkin chucker! Yep – a compressed-air pumpkin cannon. Chad was in heaven! Moosh was at first… but he grew tired of the chuckin’ pretty quickly! One day, kid, you’ll be super excited to see this.

Ya know what did hold his interest? Racing pigs. Yep. Racing. Pigs.

Sigh. Such a boy! After watching pigs run in a big circle, Moosh insisted on riding in the barrel cars with daddy… Thank goodness he didn’t ask me to go with him, because I wouldn’t have been able to get out! Ha!

By the end of our trip, we were all ready for a nap. Moosh actually said “I need a nap,” when we got home. And everyone napped… except me… the pregnant girl who only got 2 hours of sleep the night before. Ugh.

But I woke everyone up early because I really wanted to eat dinner. I decided I wanted Mexican food, so we checked out a (new to us) restaurant. The food was just okay. And Moosh was totally, totally, cray the whole time we were there. NEVER have I wished for a margarita so badly in my life. Ha! I’m glad Chad was able to enjoy one in my place. 🙂

Our last stop was a quick ice cream cone at Handels. I couldn’t even finish mine because I started to feel sick again. But Moosh had no probably double-fisting my cone with his.

We then put Moosh to bed and watched a movie… which is when I proceeded to get incredibly ill yet again. Regardless, I wouldn’t have changed the day. At all. It certainly wasn’t glamorous. But it was perfect in every way I needed it to be.

I am so grateful for my husband — for his love and his understanding of what exactly makes a perfect birthday when you’re wife is pregnant and sick and (mostly) miserable. ♥

{ weekly mantra }

October 5, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

This week I’ll be celebrating a new chapter — a new year of my life! And what better way to ring in a new year than with Chad + Moosh by my side! Yep – Chad took today off. And if we do nothing more than all hang out together at home, I’ll be happy.

I believe in family movie days. All of us snuggled up in one [giant] bed. We pretty much had a weekend full of that. It was lovely. It was perfect. And everything we needed. ♥

I’m addicted to soup. And flaky, doughy, pastries still. What pairs more perfectly than pastries + soup? Nothing!

I wish I could go a day without throwing up. Seriously. My body could use a break.

I’m happy it’s Fall. Oh so happy!

Weekly Mantra:

I need to remember this as we head into a new week. Not everyone is going to understand. The good news is, they don’t have to. It’s not theirs.

reflections on 30 //

October 4, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

I would be lying if I said that this past year was anything but rough. Sure, it had plenty of good times; but it also had quite a few rough patches. I’ve been sick a lot. Like, a LOT. Yes, with this pregnancy, but also before that. It’s been an odd year of ups and downs as far as my health is concerned. Lucky for me, Moosh has been pretty healthy (minus one small childrens’ hospital scare).

In an effort to remind myself of what happy times happened in my 30th year of life, I went through my pictures. It turns out, YES, amongst the craziness of the last 365 days, we found reason to smile. Reasons for hope. And reasons for love.

That being said, I’m really and truly looking forward to 31. Bring on the craziness. Bring on the roller coaster. Bring it all. I know it won’t be easy. We’ll be welcoming baby number 2 into our house in just a few, short months. That alone is sure to stir things up. But I’m changing my expectations. I’m planning on just rolling with the punches. Easier said than done, am I right?

That’s my goal for the next year — to just roll with the punches. And to remember what matters in this world — my itty bitty (growing) family. ♥

So if you need me, I’m going to be spending the last day of my 30th year in comfy clothes, eating soup on the couch, while watching movies with the husband + Moosh.

And thank you to everyone who hung in there for thirty. XO

PS. Let this serve as a friendly reminder that both Homeland AND the Leftovers start back on HBO tonight — HAPPY (almost) BIRTHDAY TO ME from HBO! 🙂

life lately // a wrap up

May 15, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

Life has been crazy pants over the last month or so. But isn’t that kind of always the case when you’re working and raising a toddler and taking care of family responsibilities and training for races and trying to actually fit in some fun, too?

Moosh started a new session of tumbling at the YMCA. The class is PACKED, which makes me mega anxious. But it turns out his ‘girlfriend’ we met on Valentine’s Day at Café O’Play — Veronique — is in his tumbling class. These two are SO cute! They are a week apart in age; plus they are both pretty much exactly the same size (aka — tiny).

We took a short trip to Louisville, Kentucky to visit with Mimi and Poppy. And we jam-packed it with fun and adventures! The first of which was to the Zoo. Here is my review of the zoo in Louisville: dirty; packed; but we still had fun. Moosh wanted to walk everywhere, which was exhausting for us, but we were hoping it would wear him out so he would take a nap (newsflash: he didn’t.)

The zoo did have some cool Lego thing going on though. Moosh wasn’t nearly as interested in the Legos as we were. Ha! Some day, kid, you’ll realize how freaking cool it was.

Chad, my parents, Moosh, and I went to the Louisville version of the Cleveland Flea — which is appropriately named The Flea Off Market. It was like an early version of the Cleveland Flea. It was cute and crowded and full of local finds, foods and brews — which is pretty much my paradise. So while I was sad we were out of town for the Cleveland Flea, it was exciting to experience something similar as an out-of-towner!

I had the chicken and waffles from something that is not considered a food truck — it was a food wagon. And it was DELICIOUS. And I tried a (new-to-me) brew from Bluegrass Brewing Company — a red IPA! Perfection.

And Moosh ate the crap out of some plantains. This kid loves the most random fruits and veggies! My dad had this delicious cuban food. He loved it; I thought it was spicy-ish. I’ll stick to my chicken and waffles.

We took a family-friendly betting trip to Churchill Downs — just one week after the Kentucky Derby. My thoughts? Churchill Downs is huge; there were a ton of people (even for an “off” day); the horses are beautiful; and betting has never been my thang. It was still cool to experience all of it. Moosh ‘bet’ on the “orange horse,” aka the horse with the rider who was wearing orange.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6No4I_CHZY]It’s a good thing the chicken and waffles were small because we had a date night at an Ethiopian Restaurant, Queen of Sheba, — a first for us! I would be lying if I didn’t say I was skeptical. Sure, it sounded great; but my dad referred to it as a “hole in the wall.” Then recanted and said “Well, it’s not a hole in the wall…” and I was like…. Yay [sarcasm]. But when we showed up I immediately felt at ease.

The food was incredible. I mean that in the most serious way. I told Chad that I wish we had eaten at this restaurant for every meal while we were there. The meals come “family style” on the same big plate… really it’s a platter, not a plate. And there isn’t any silverware. You eat with your hands and the injera, the Ethiopian bread, serves as your utensil. Mine was the Shifta Chicken (the meal on the bottom) and Chad had the Gored-Gored (the spicy beef dish on top).

Moosh played HARD at the playgrounds in Kentucky. And he came back with the bruises to prove it. I seriously wonder if our sitter thinks we beat him. (PS. We did not. Dude just doesn’t know how small and fragile he is. Ha!)

Mother’s Day consisted of a long drive home. Which was accompanied by Moosh sleeping — HOORAY! The perfect gift. 🙂

But we did at least watch some Monsters Inc before we hit the road… <3 Chad happened to snap this photo of us. Too cute!

I took another canvas painting class! I’ve taken several (ie. SEVEN) Wine + Canvas classes. This time I used Paint Nite in Akron. I have to say, it seemed to be a bit more lively and fun; but the teaching of technique was severely lacking. However, I still love the outcome!

We celebrated Chad’s birthday with a low-key night. A quick trip to Café O’Play, then dinner at Aladdin’s new space in Portage Crossings, followed by cake and presents at home.

I think we try not to get each other “things” because if we needed something (or wanted something) we would get it. We try to celebrate with experiences that last a lifetime. So I got Chad tickets to see Joe Machi at Hilarities at Pickwick and Frolic. If you’re not familiar with Joe Machi, he was on Last Comic Standing and placed 4th. The dude is funny in just our sort of way — dry humor. However, he is not attractive like my boy Tommy Jonaghin. Sigh. I love that man (sorry Chad). Regardless of his level of attractiveness, it’s going to be fun. Too bad we have to wait until July to see the show!

I cooked another Blue Apron meal. I feel like this needs to be documented every time. Because it doesn’t happen often. Technically, I cooked the meal pictured on the top — Baked Empanadas de Picadillo with Arugula, Queso Fresco, & Pickled Onion Salad! Chad made the meal on the bottom — Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple and Avocado salsa.

Basically, life has been busy, but perfectly lovely. When I look at this blog post and all of our pictures, it fills my heart up completely!

our love story // and a happy birthday, to my love.

May 13, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Today’s originally scheduled blog post has been put on hold until tomorrow. Because today is an incredibly special day. Today is Chad’s 40th birthday. And I have been able to spend 7 of those amazing years by his side.

And I realize that I’ve only been a part of Chad’s life for a portion of it, but I’d like to think that the time we’ve spent together has been the most rewarding.

My husband? He has accomplished to much. Prior to us dating, he was already a homeowner and well-established in his career. But he’s so much more than “well-established.” He is a man. A man like I had never met or known before. I met a gentle, a kind, a funny, and a caring man. And I fell in love.

I’m not certain if I have ever shared the story of how I fell in love with Chad, but I think it’s about time.

Chad + I grew up in the same hometown. We graduated from the same high school — just several years apart (cough-cough — ten). We met briefly after I graduated (I graduated with his middle sister). We laughed and had fun at a party and went our separate ways. He had a girlfriend (also a friend and fellow classmate of mine) at the time and I went back to college. We reconnected many years later, thanks to the wonders of Facebook reconnecting people (this was in the “old days” of FB! Ha!).

He swept me off my feet. Before we went on our first, after many calls, texts, and emails, I proclaimed to a co-worker/friend “I’m going to marry this guy.” I knew I had met my match. And we’ve been together ever since. We’ve had so many adventures together. After lots of travelling we finally settled into a family of three.

Life Lately + A Week In Review //

October 20, 2014 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Life since my little sisters wedding a couple of weeks ago (and my 30th birthday the day after) have been craaaa-zeeeee! I’ve had several blog posts about her wedding festivities half-written in draft form. But I just haven’t had the energy to finish them.

Life over the last week alone has been exhausting! Illness after illness after illness has hit our family in one way, shape, or form. If it isn’t us, it’s our sitters family. But this week I really took things in stride. There are things that happen that are beyond our control (ie: everything).

For instance, Moosh started coughing like crazy late Sunday afternoon. It came out of nowhere. Like, really, no where. He was fine. And then he wasn’t. He was coughing up a storm and screaming bloody murder. He was so inconsolable and I was so worried that I called my neighbor to come check on us. Chad wasn’t home and I didn’t know if I was freaking out for nothing. It turns out they did think there was reason for concern, but nothing that couldn’t wait until the morning. So first thing Monday morning our pediatrician got a call. And we had an immediate appointment. Followed up by a nebulizer for daily breathing treatments. 🙁 Bummer? Yes. But it totally helped him. Even if we did spend 2.5 plus hours waiting for the nebulizer prescription to be filled. (PS. Cranky, sick baby + 2.5 hours in a waiting room full of old people and medical equipment = almost my worst nightmare — it could have been worse, y’all. He could have been throwing up.).

The rest of the week was just normal. Prepping for Ari’s big 2nd birthday, which was Thursday. And then, like clockwork, I got a call while getting ready for work Thursday morning. Our sitters 2 year old son was throwing up. 🙁 Bummer? Yes. But? That meant that I spent his whole birthday with him!

By the time the mister got home from work, the presents were wrapped and the festivities were set to begin! He loved his cake and his presents, but I’m not 100% certain he knew what was going on. But he DID know what to do with wrapped presents!! Finally!!

The next day was my normal day off from work. So Moosh and I slept in and then went to a local pumpkin patch for a hayride and pumpkin picking. It was hard to get him away from the other activities to actually pick out a pumpkin.

And when we finally did, he picked out a pumpkin that the dude decided not to even charge us for — he said it would rot within a week. Ha!

Oh well. We had fun.

Other notes from the weekend include a Moosh & Mommy hike at our local Metroparks. He was super excited to pick out lots of acorns and rocks to bring home to show daddy (yep – definitely a boy).

Oh – and a notable 8-mile run. My first long run since the half marathon. It was rough. But I made it! The beautiful fall morning scenery definitely helped (and so did my running partner!).

And right after I completed my run, I registered for the Pittsburgh Marathon 2015!! A FULL marathon! AM I INSANE!?! I guess so!

So yeah. It’s been a heck of a week! Ups, downs, and craziness for sure. But such is life, am I right!?