2016.

some thoughts...on things...I'd like to see happen in 2016:)

get on a damn schedule!
we've been adjusting to having a baby back in our bed and up late at night and sometimes early in the morning and a few times throughout the night...but I need to get back to waking-up before the kids wake up!
Nothing feels better than having dishes done and laundry going and the day planned and coffee hot before 830AM:) 

health/fitness/be semi-okay at yoga
stop eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's at 1127 in the afternoon anddddd 1127 in the night;)
And just having had a baby 8 weeks ago...this is the perfect time to start getting back to running and trying to start a-new:)

continue reading
our monthly reading club is still going strong! 
My pick for January is: Mindy Kaling. Why Not Me?
And also to take time to read to the kiddos EVERY NIGHT. That's something we've definitely been slacking on and goes hand-in-hand with that pesky (see: shitty) schedule we're currently on;)

spend MUCH less. Want less.
try this capsule wardrobe thing cause we allllll know that I have too much shit and I leave the house in one of 3 shirts every damn time. Or yoga pants all the other damn times:/
SO that's the specific item I need to want less: clothing/shoes/bags, etc.
But I need to just work on being happy with what we have. Not worry about the kitchen not being done. Not spend every last dime we have this week on thin white frames to create a gallery wall around the TV in the living-room - for example;)

 finding balance between being happy with things as they are and still feeling okay about 'wanting more' for us and our family, is something I'm hoping to work on this year. And not wanting more: material things (like a new coat or shiny new kitchen) but wanting more time together, Date Days, adventures and travel!!!

purchase new yoga pants
i spend a stupid amount of time (happy time;) in black-tighty-pants. This year I'd like to invest in a new 'work-out/walking/loungey' wardrobe!

lets get rid of some debt
my biggest goal this year is to sell a damn house. Our 2nd mortgage needs to go and could help change a lot for us, financially! We are sooooo so close to being Debt-Free and tax returns + selling that house could finally get us there!

purchase THIS amazing van. My spirit van.

i know you're chuckling...wondering if this bitch is serious...I'm d.e.a.d  serious!!!;) This van is like $900. $900 over our budget. BUT this is where we're at in our lives...and I'm totally okay with that:)

cook. Make some meals.

drop everything and go to _____.
the beach, back yard, splash pad/pool, garden, flea/farmer's market, free zoo. 
Find inexpensive/free activities to do this summer!!!:)


and there you have it! I'm sometimes in disbelief of the last few years! We've been a pretty busy family...wedding, honeymoon, baby, baby, babyyyyy. And here we are, in 2016!!!

a few things that I'm looking forward to in this coming year:
BIRTHDAYS
I turn 33, 3/23
Theo turns 2, 3/30
Homer turns 4, 5/8
Jacob turns 33, 7/24 
Rocky turns 1, 11/12
MONEY
Hopefully, selling our rental property and just making good decisions financially, overall!:)
TRAVEL
Dells Weekend, 1/22
Oregon 9/20
hoping to add some small trips in-between!!:)

i believe 2016 is going to be very good to us:)


"of this be sure: you do not find the happy life, you make it." 
- Thomas S. Monson

be the 8%:)

"a year from now you will wish you had started today" - Karen Lamb

okay people. Here it is. My goals for myself...my family...for 2015!

as I've said in the past. I like making lists in general, so this isn't a do or die list. It's just me taking too much time to set-up text - mostly finding cute fonts;) - in PhotoShop:)

i will say that this year feels really different to me. I want it to be special. I want to make a LOT of this happen and enjoy our year and just...stay positive and not stress out and just be happy:) And all the things on this list...they're SO doable. All within my control.

hi. My name's Casey and I have no self-control. I'm irrational when hungry, tired or sad. And am very emotional...about everything. - so basically, my husband's worst nightmare;)

2015 should be a blast;)

daily routine: not all of this needs to happen everyday but I know that I feel my best when I get a workout in and get out of bed before the kids do. And I want to stay motivated to get out of the house. I want to get those pesky chores done before the kids get up so that we can be outside when the weather's nice and hitting up Story Time at the Library or taking a drive to the Free Zoo:)

food: I remember this oneeeee time in 2014, where I made dinner and it was all ready before Jacob got home from work and you should have seen the look on his face when he got home and realized he didn't have to doooo anything. Just sit and eat.

I know Jacob loves to cook. For real, he does. BUT I need to make his face look that way more often:)

home: Jacob and I have decided that we need/want to sell our rental property - know of anyone looking for a cute little house, see HERE. For where we are financially and where we want to be in the next year or so...this house just doesn't fit our plan. I would LOVE to hang on to it for the long haul but unfortunately, the house is only holding us back from doing the things we really want to be doing right now.

*crap...spelled penmAnship incorrectly. Forgive me for not going back and correcting that;)

for me: If 2014 has taught me anything...it's to ask for help. To take a break. Being home - practically full-time - with 2 kids, is a LOT of freaking work! BUT the best work I've ever done:) Like I mentioned, I joined a gym, which has been amazing. My sister and I also opened a little shop called, Shop Fair Haven, to sell our lightly/awesome used clothing, shoes, and accessories. It's definitely been paying off and we've made a bit of money to put away for a rainy/shopping day:) 

Even with all that...I'd like to do more. Improve on some things and add some new skills. My mom and I are even talking about maybeeeee creating a few things and maybe going to a couple Craft Fairs this summer!:)

my goals seem to be pretty familiar from year to year...which probably isn't a good thing...does that mean I haven't crossed anything off the list? Or accomplished what I set out to do? Not entirely. I feel like I've met a lot of goals...some all the way...some only a wee bit...a lot, not at all:)

LIKE my goal to expand our family. Have you met Theo Daisy!?!?;):) 

and I reallyyyyy wanted to run a mile. I'm currently able to run 1.25 miles on the treadmill at our local gym...which I am a member. Boom. 

i wanted to get us 'Debt-Free' - which to us means NO debt, except for our mortgages. At this point we've reached Step1 in saving our Emergency Fund and cutting up all credit cards - we were lucky enough not to start with more than a few hundred dollars on our credit cards but it feels good (and frightening:/) to not be able to rely on those anymore. BUT - full disclosure, in hopes that putting it out there will help me hold myself accountable - we do have a few larger loans and those payments add up and so that's our goal for the next year or more:)

SIDE NOTE does anyone else want to shop the most they've ever wanted to shop in their lives?! EVER!???;)

below is a short video with pointers on how to stay the course!!:)

happy, happy New Year to you all:) I hope you were able to celebrate/welcome the New Year in your own special way last night! Jacob and I spent some time with family and then home to get the kids to bed and watch movies:) It was very low key but very nice...until 1AM when the kids decided to get up in 40 minute shifts through 5AM:/ I had to work at 6AM...little rascals;)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

2014 Goals - HERE

2013 Goals - HERE

PS. just so you know...I almost went back and deleted ALL of this ramble because I was exhausted of my own mouth by the end of the day. BUT. Gonna leave it and lose no sleep wondering if anyone read it:)

and a couple photos below of our New Years...cause photos are more fun than life goals:)

the babies manning the drink station:) 

celebrating Tayt's birthday!! 8 on 12/31:)

Telephone Pictionary is my new fav game. Ever:) Thanks for bringing this into my life, Friend:)

my favorites in the world! I may not reach all my goals but they're the reason I'm going to give it my all:)

i hope.

i am a goal-setter. a list-maker. a hoper. I make resolutions prettyyyyy often. It's called Monday;) SO it only felt natural to set some resolutions for 2014:)

there's nothing complicated listed here. All things I know I can handle. I feel confident and excited about the few changes I want to make in my life and my families in 2014:)

i pretty much want this to happen. It must. It's a disgusting habit that I've had for years - I blame my mother...she didn't breast feed me long enough;) AND I love love love to paint my nasty nails! Just think of how much more I'll love painting them when they actually exist!!!!;)

i just want to cuddle the shit out of Homer and this baby and Jacobbbbbb this year! I guess maybe this has more to do with just slowing down than the actual act of cuddling. Although, I'll take the cuddles when I can:) But I want to just stop and stare at them. And smile. And take it all in:) 

we have 3 dogs. One big dog and 2 little dogs. We are very lucky to have such well behaved dogs. When they're not behaving...they're peeing on shit and pooping on shit and making our lives miserable. But yet...here we are with 3 dogs!!;) This year I want to make more of an effort to take them for walks. Not yell at them...especially in front of Homer:/ Pet them. Love them. Show Homer and the baby how to treat our family pets with love!:)

i don't make food. I buy it at MD's:/ This is one goal that I know will make a huge difference for our entire family. I NEED this to happen and I'm excited to take on the challenge of cooking!!!:) 

i work part-time. Jacob works full-time...and then some...allowing me to work part-time. But someday...somedayyyyyy we hope that I can stay home with our babies:) I also love shopping. It's kindaaaaa my thing! And we have 2 houses. One we live in and that needs to be remodeled and one that we just recently (as in tonight!!!!) decided that we're going to hold onto for a while. Which is exciting and scary at the same time! With all this going on...and a growing family...we need to get it right with our money. Budget. Budget. Budget.

there was a time I read. A lot. It makes me sad to think I spend more time staring at my phone before bed than anything else. I'm hoping to settle into bed (at a decent time...we're normally 1130PM or later bed bugs...but that needs to move up to 9PM!!!) and give 20 minutes to a book, every night! 

courts and I made it through Week1 of the Couch to 5K before finding out we were pregnant. And then quickly started eating instead of doing any physical activity!!!!;) After this baby...I'm so ready to put some time into my health and my body. I want to run ONE single mile (all at one time...no breaks;) by the end of the summer:)

yoga. Ah...I think I'm most excited about this form of physical activity! Something I get to do for myself! Quiet. Calm. I'm anxious to find time in my day to do just a bit of it and maybe someday...be good at it:)


there's so much to come in 2014. Besides these goals...Jacob and I will both be turning 31:) We'll be welcoming a new baby into our family!! We hope to take a family vacation...any traveling is a must! We have so much hope for this coming year. And mostly...we just hope that we're able to take our time with it and not feel like it's gone by too incredibly fast at the end of it.

we're a very lucky bunch and the last few years have been insanely good to us. We hope the same for ourselves and our family and friends in 2014 too!

two.thousand.thirteen.

Neil Gaiman

2013. Really?!?!?! When did that happen?! And how is it that New Years is tomorrow night?! I mean...I seriously, seriouslyyyyyyyyy almost forgot about it.

i work till 9PM New Years Eve. Boo:( And we didn't think ahead for a babysitter for Homer. SO we'll be staying close to home. I'm hoping to come up with something semi-cute in the next 24hrs. to help make Jacob, Homer and I's first New Years together a teeny bit special:)

we hope you ring in the new year with those you love and have a very happy 2013:)

well elllloooo 2012:)

UP seeing as I missed out on a 2012 New Year's photo...I thought I'd give you one from last year...also, a great year:)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! Ready or not...2012 is here!:) I'm so excited because 2011 was such a fantastic year. It's going to be nearly impossible to beat our wedding festivities, finding out we had a baby on the way AND our amazing honeymoon to Portugal/Spain. But we intend to try:)

some things we look forward to in 2012:

- march -

a baby showerrrrrrrrr:) (usually not fun for anyone...but hopefully this one will be different...I'm sure that's what they all say;)

- march 23rd -

my 29th Birthday. Pregnant or not..I've been looking forward to 29...not because I enjoy aging. But because I love birthday's and 29 has always been way more exciting to me than 30:) Jacob's planning a day...a WHOLE day. Can.Not.Wait:)

- may -

a baby. Not so much the part where it comes out of me. But the part right after...where I see the little guy and fall in love...hard:)

- july 24th -

a 29th Birthday for Jacob:)

- august -

our first family road trip out West. What will be the beginning of our own family tradition:)

- august 18th -

a family wedding! LOVE those!!!

- and about a million other firsts with a baby in our home!!!

and these are only the things happening for US! I can't imagine what 2012 will hold for the rest of our family. Good things...I know this to be true:)

SO on this New Year's Eve, Jacob and I went out to dinner. All by our lonesome. It was a great meal and since I enjoy ANY alone time I get with Jacob...this was a great night for us and much needed. Sadly, I didn't get any photos of us together that night. FRICK! And we were all cute and shit. Next time:)

regardless of the fact that it's a new year and a time to 'reflect'...I continue to consider myself quite lucky. A healthy, happy family and I have Jacob. What better way to start this year:)

things that sparkle.

i was just thinking about how gorgeous and PERFECT these would be and how much I wish we had big BIG plans for New Years. I realize I'd have a bit of a baby bump by then...but still. I'd love to be doing something amazing when we ring in 2012...me, Jacob and baby (last New Year without child:).

and I'd like to be wearing something closely resembling EITHER of these dresses...and rockin' my baby bump like no one's biz.nas!:)

both dresses courtesy of Pinterest...thank you for existing Pinterest. I heart you:)

bring on the new year:)

is it New Years yet?! Do we have any amazing plans!? Can I make us have amazing plans where either of these dresses will come in handy!?

modcloth is BLOWINGGGG my mind - dress-wise.

something to look forward to:)

2oII:)

here is my official 2011 post! I can't believe it's actually 2011!!!!!! I can't believe we have a honeymoon booked!? I can't believeeeee we're finally within the year that we'll be getting married!!!??? Things are really getting rolling now!

the following is a little bit of what we were up to on Friday, December 31st!! It was an amazing night, a great wedding, fantastic friends and great photo ops...

cheers to another fun/friend/family/birthday/healthy/baby/wedding/vacation/food/drink/travel FILLED year! So much more to come:)

new year preview.

here we are a year ago today. Holy CRAP!!! Hard to believe that at that time we were 20-ish months away from the wedding and here we are celebrating ANOTHER New Year's wedding and even more anxious cause our own wedding is nearing 8 months away!!!!

PS. Happy 1 Year Anniversary to our good friends, Erin and Cat (nickname:). We were lucky enough to spend the New Year lassttttt year, celebrating their wedding:)

besides the holidays and the birthdays AND the weddings, we decided to throw in some more good news. This is probably not as great of news for you as it is for US...but we've booked our Honeyyymooonnnnnnnn!!!!! We went back and forth about prices and what flights would be best and finally decided to just take a leap of faith and go for it. NO turning back now:)

Spain...here come the Smiths:)

(be afraid...be veryyyyy afraid;)

wish us luck...Nos desea suerte:)