The Dreamy Lumberjack

I have never known my husband with a beard, although I had seen pictures of him with one in college. When we went on Vacation this Summer I told him to try going a week without shaving and this was the result. Dreamy in a very George-Michael-Faith-Video way, right?

Now it has been 5 weeks without shaving and he is rocking it! He is going to trim it a bit today so I snapped this photo yesterday at the longest beardiness we will experience.

I mean, I am biased, but he is HOT!!! 

And my husband being a "beard" guy makes me feel like we're adults or something.

Next stop?  This business...

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Random Thought Thursday

I visited the PA Fabric Outlet today. 

Holy cow. I'm in love.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bianca likes to stand with her back 

against a wall or a cupboard

and then rub her bum back and forth

across the surface.

Hilarious.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I feel like my old self today.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New Girl is the best new show

of the Fall 2011 season.

Watch it people.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I got a digital converter and rabbit ears

for my birthday.

Having just 5 channels is perfect.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I have the best blog
readers in the entire world.

you guys rock.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Do you know what nobody tells you about

slapping some else's face?

It really really hurts your hand.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I steal my Random Thought Thursday posts
from Emily. Right down to the right hand
spacing.  Because she's cool.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Seriously.
How is it possible that
I have never read
1984 by George Orwell yet?

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Truth

Oh, if you could only see the body attached
 to my cute little face in the sidebar....

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thank you

my eyes are wet.

my heart is full.

thank you so much.

for your thoughts. prayers. and encouragement.

i fought the fight.

and won.

here comes the sun.

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What I Needed - When I Needed It

This past week was a hard one. Very hard.

On Saturday my planned birthday bar-b-q was rained out and instead we had a small dinner. However, by the end of the day I was exhausted and opted out of attending the General Relief Society Meeting of my church (the LDS church). I felt guilty. Oh, so guilty. But did not feel I would get anything out of it in my then current state of mind.

The new week dawned. A week I have been dreading because I face a HUGE challenge.

There is a very private battle I have been fighting for all of 2011. It is taking all of my energy and zapping all of my usually hearty self-esteem, leaving me flailing for my footing.  I will not be sharing it here, but suffice it to say that I have shed many tears and felt helpless and hopeless about it.

This morning I was reminded of the power of that Relief Socitey meeting by my friend, Liz, and my daily blog read NieNie.  I decided to halt my morning routine (covered in a cloudy sadness at the battle to come) and watch this meeting online.

And my heart was filled.

"...Wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love."   

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

These words give me some peace.  They give me the strength to move forward and face my demons.  God has not forgotten me.  In fact, He loves me with an infinite love.

Please send prayers my way on Tuesday morning.  

I really really need them.

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Quote of the Day

( img src )

At a girls lunch out last week with a group of women who are all happily married.

Friend: Sometimes I just wish my husband was more supportive. I look at other couples and think their lives seem so much easier than mine.

Me: Oh sweetie, all of our husbands are doofuses in their own way. Let's be honest, that's just a part of marriage.

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Musical Proposition A:

Weezer's Blue Album = best debut album of all time.

Discuss.

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Wanna Know....

Just ONE of the reasons Emily Foley is my best friend?

She writes blog posts like this one...

The Pretense of Autumn

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Way Late Emmy Fashion Wrap-Up 2011

Well, I didn't watch so I wasn't going to write this post this year. But 10 emails and two Facebook pleas later I am going to wrap the fashion from the 2011 Emmys. Thanks to all who requested this post. (read: you like me! you really like me!)

 The Glam

 

Nina Dobrev looks A-MAZE-ING in her red dress.  Sexy without being Smutty. - Minka Kelly's look was fabulous. I loved the lace, the color and the styling. - Kate Winslet = always gorgeous.

Cobie Smulders (what a name!) looks so chic. I adore this color! - Sarah Hyland actually looks her age (which is 21 years old) and looks beautiful and sultry. - Christine Baranski has never been a huge favorite of mine, but I thought she was glowing, elegant and age appropriate in her dress with gorgeous styling to match.

Dude. No.

 Heid Klum? Really? You're the host of the greatest TV show ever and it's about fashion and you wore this? - Gwyneth Paltrow is usually right on point, but not here.  The mid-driff has a shelf life of exactly 29 years...no matter how slammin' your body is. - Julianna Margulies showed up in an overly-startched napkin with the napkin rings still attached. Sad.

Drew Barrymore has been doing really well, style-wise, lately. But I cannot figure this outfit out.  Nor the styling. It's just crazy-town.-  Okay, I would KILL to look like Padma Lakshmi. And if I did, you can bet I wouldn't rub myself down with crisco before an awards show. - Olivia Munn = Ho! Ho! Ho! Green Giant!

Made for Each Other

 Jon Hamm and his wife. John Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blundt.

the Funny Lady curse
We see the curse in full force each time Tina Fey shows up at an awards show.  And now these two hilarious comedians are following suit.

Amy Pohler looked truly terrible in her too-tight, shiny blue, wonder-woman, spandex number. I love Melissa McCarthy and her dress is alright, but it looks like it is made out of t-shirt material. Much too informal.

Ta-Ta Troubles

Ariel Winter is actually 13 years old in real life. 13. As in Junior High. As in...no, you-can't-dress-with-a-keyhole-cut-out-that-shows-your-ta-tas Junior High. Is her mom Dina Lohan?

Dear Christina Hendricks, I know what it's like to have a large chest.  I'm right there with you. But hoisting them to your neckline is NOT a good look.  Rock those curves, but also rock a bra....please?


Alright. You asked for it and you got it.
Now weigh-in.

9

birthday gladness

it was a great day overall!

so many of you gave me facebook birthday wishes and i loved it.

i really needed the extra love this year.

i also got fantastic, warm and loving phone calls from those who love me most.

I even got a phone call from a crazy, angry,
black woman called and accused me of sleeping with her boyfriend. 

birthday gold. at least she called. (full story to be in another post)

we had a family dinner and i was surrounded on all sides by love.

3

thirty-four years

thirty-three things that made me 
HAPPY in my thirty-third year...

(1) gave birth to baby no. three (2) holiday photos (3) swing re-cover (4) grandma & grandpa's visit (5) christmas morning (6) caroling at the nursing home on christmas day (7) playing dreidel with my kids (8) quitting nail biting (9) artisan bread in 5 minutes a day obsession (10) sold items at a craft fair (11) survived ella's birthday party (12) manicures with each of my girls (13) survived eva's birthday party (14) our visit to washington d.c. for the cherry blossom festival (15) sewing the girls easter dresses...successfully (16) tea party for the royal wedding (17) my favorite craft of the year...birdie wings (18) winning 1 Month 2 Win It (19) dutch wonderland with the kids (20) sewed 4ht of july dresses (21) our wonderful 4th of july party (22) summer swimming with christie (23) geo-caching for the first time (24) a much-needed visit to the dentist (25) national s'mores day with friends (26) matt's sexy beard (27) vacation to north carolina (28) summer of fun (29) visit to the national zoo (30) my kindle (31) the stitch six quilting bee (32) completing the a to z reading challenge (33) reunited with cafe rio.

happy birthday to me...

and here's to another year of the charmed life!

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good things

I think most of you know, this year has been a toughie so far.

I guess I have yet to mention that I feel very strongly that this refining that I am going through is at God's hands. And I mean that in a very good way. Yes, it is painful to be shown your weaknesses. Yes, it is a difficult process to work to correct them and grow. But I feel hopeful and thankful for these teaching moments between my Heavenly Father and myself.

I have always felt like a good Mommy. And I think I got very comfortable in that groove I was in. But I was not progressing. I was staying on a constant plane that was good, but not climbing upwards to better myself. That's why I feel God is urging me and pushing me (sometimes forcefully) upward. So I can become more than just good. I can become great.

So it's time to mention some really good things that have come out of this process so far.

- I have changed the way I track our family's dates, appointments and commitments. It is working MUCH more efficiently than previously.

- I have typed up and hung a weekly family schedule to keep our regular activities consistent.

  - I have been improving our bedtime. Bedtime is now 30 minutes earlier and includes more routine and rhythm.

- I have finally hung a cork board in our kitchen with schedules, important papers and calendars in plain sight. Much better.

- I now clean the car regularly so it never gets to be a "Mormon Assault Vehicle" with McDonald's french fries in every seat crease and melted crayons on the floor. Every two weeks it gets completely cleaned.
- And much more.

This past weekend while in DC we stayed with friends and my kids were beyond wonderful. Extremely polite, considerate and sweet. I was so proud. It made me feel a gentle reassurance that in some ways, maybe even in many ways, I am doing an excellent job.  And as I work to improve my weaknesses and add them to my strengths I hope to be a force for good that will bless the lives of my family and myself.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."  (Ether 12:27)

I'm counting on it.

3

wise words

“The battle for self-discipline may leave you a bit bruised and battered but always a better person. Self-discipline is a rigorous process at best; too many of us want it to be effortless and painless. Should temporary setbacks afflict us, a very significant part of our struggle for self-discipline is the determination and the courage to try again....Eternal life in the kingdom of our Father is your goal, and self-discipline will surely be required if you are to achieve it.”

(  Thomas S. Monson  )

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

THIS is exactly what I have been trying to work on this year.

I would say this is my greatest weakness.

I am glad to hear it is supposed to be a difficult process.

Because it has been a very rough road for me in my quest for more self discipline this year.

3

{ eleven }

it's finally happening...

i'm tearing up while writing this post.

because she's almost one year old.

weight:

20 lbs. 0 oz.

likes:

playing with her sisters

dislikes:

being strapped into her carseat

quirks:

expresses her dislike with "jive lips" and heavy breathing

clicks her tongue
got a sweet tan at the beach...mommy was jealous.

the past month's milestones:

 her first teeth appeared

standing on he own for a few seconds

climbing the stairs

says...mama, dada, ella, baba (bottle), no-no

a favorite memory:

going to the beach and watching baby girl eat fistfuls of sand...

there was no stopping her.

3

shattering eternal truths

Here, in the Ahern household, we like to shatter eternal truths. 

Truths like...babies hate things on their heads.

Exhibit A:

Bianca WILL NOT allow us to take off her new winter hat.

Even though it is 72 degrees outside.

1

Something's missing. Me.

SO SO SO much has been going on in the past few months that this blog has become more snippets than purely me and what's going on. I realized it was time to go a bit deeper.  This wistfulness is probably prompted by recently reading Nie Nie. Her posts are so soul-driven and personal that it makes me reflective.

Life, recently, has seemed very much like a series of frazzled days and obligations strung together. I have come to realize that the transition, for me, from 2 children to 3 has not been an easy one. I am an interesting blend of control freak and lazy slob and the past year has added a dash of forgetfulness, stress and motherly guilt.

I am blessed. Of that I am certain. My children are wonderful. My husband, amazing. My life is charmed. But this past year I feel inadequate like I have never felt before. In the past, when things get crazy I have taken a day to catch up on laundry. Or catch up on household duties. But, for now, I never catch up. I feel perpetually late, tired, stressed, unfinished, scattered, disorganized, lost, behind, unreliable and most of all guilty. Ick.

Please tell me that I will some how assimilate? 

And transition? 

And get my self together?

In happy news: 

-   I will be eating Cafe Rio within the next 48 hours. I can barely contain myself. This is the result of our trip to DC for a photo session of the most adorable Archie and his family.

- I got an issue of Martha Stewart Living in the mail today.

- I finally got a Kindle case.

- My birthday next week may not be a disaster after all.  Might the Birthday Curse lift? 

- I found this picture in my camera today...made black and white to hide my badly sunburned face. :)

10

you will never forget my birthday

are you someone who loves emilie ahern,

but can't ever remember her birthday?

just sing this little tune...
(mute my playlist first)

first line = "do you remember the 21st night of september".

there you have it.

P.S. "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire.
Covered by Pomplamoose.

0

Pre-K

Tuesday was her first day.

She chose the outfit herself.

She insisted on the gold glitter shoes.

And headed off to school.
With a smile and 
a pink lady-bug backpack.

She had a fabulous time!

She is one happy girl.
And that makes me one happy mommy.

3

Freeze Happy has moved!

I'm lame.

I accidentally let the freeze happy dot com expire and now 

Go Daddy is trying to charge me $3,000 to get it back. 

Ummm....nope.

But, it's all still there...just at this address:

http://freeze-happy.blogspot.com

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