Jackson Luke

Jackson loves to shake is head vigorously while eating baby food. It makes dinnertime very challenging and MESSY! Actually the squeeze pouches have been a better option. But he's still cute in that high chair. 

 I love to buy chicken in bulk and then prep it for future meals in freezer bags. I make a few bags of bite sized pieces, I butterfly a few breasts, and then make tenders. I HATE raw chicken, so it's nice to get it done all at once while my hands are messy.

 I had a great birthday this year. 32 years old! Some friends took me to lunch at Panera. It was delicious and crowded. Then Jackson had a blowout diaper. Thanks Jack.

 Oh the love!

 Pete had one of his co-workers babysit for us on Friday night so we could go out to dinner. We went to Baker's Crust and it was delicious. The boys loved having George and his gf Lauren come over. Mostly because they got to play video games.

 Matchy matchy... don't need a daughter to match. Sorry Jackson.

 I made myself a b'day cake for Sunday dinner. We had a big group of Pete's co-workers over for lasagna. It was fun and yummy.

 George and Jackson. George thinks Jackson loves him because he met him when he was only 1 day old. Probably true :)

 The group... such great people.

 Snow baby. It's freezing lately... It got down to 13 degrees and we've had a few snow flurries. Brrr....

 Found this quote and loved it.

Cute boys

Children's Museum

We absolutely love the Children's Museum here. It has the perfect balance of fun dramatic play and science-y simulations. The boys love the grocery store. 

 And the BIG reading chair.

 These two are the best buddies... I tear up when I think how lucky they are to have each other. Jackson will be joining the ranks in no time.

No clever title...

How cute is Jackson? 6 months of darling right here...

 We don't often get family photos... so here ya go:)

 Mr. Bow Tie

 Pete's pic was on the US Navy JAG facebook page. Usually the page features pics of higher ups or members in more unique locations, but imagine my surprise as I was scrolling through... hey, that's my husband! He was leading a will workshop last month. So handsome:)

This is what dreams are made of

About two months ago, I had an idea. To start a podcast. I didn't know how to start a podcast, so I googled it. And then I got to work. I made a list of awesome moms I knew with interesting/inspiring stories. I listed moms who were passionate and deliberate. I listed moms that made me want to be better. And then I asked them if I could interview them. And because I started off with an abundance of flattery (:)) they all said yes. So I set off interviewing and it felt good. I had so much learn in terms of the technical stuff and as an interviewer I learned the importance of getting to the point and focusing on an angle. And then I launched on January 12. 4 episodes (3 interviews) and the interviewees were nice enough to help me promote on social media (including my best friend Alison who has quite the following)... and I watched complete strangers find the podcast. 

And my project became the little podcast that could...

 Emily's interview on autism was extremely popular, and I got numerous comments from people who were inspired and touched by her message. Such a wonderful episode.

And Jackie's episode... ahhhh... tears! Such a message of hope from such a tragic event in their family. I love that people all over the world have now heard Mathis' story. I'm glad his legacy is living on in this way. 

And then Alison. People rarely get to hear her talk about motherhood, so I think this really resonated with her fan-base. Such a fun, vulnerable conversation. I just love her. 

And today's episode with Autumn. She gives great practical fitness tips for moms. I especially love her message about loving your body after baby because you've proven to yourself what you are capable of. Love it! 

On Tuesday I started on iTunes at #59 in the Kids and Family section. I was shocked to even be ranked. How did anyone know about it? 

Then within an hour, we were at #40, then #35. By 2:00 we were at #19. What the?????

And thanks to a final social media push by Alison that evening... we hit #4 in the Kids and Family Section and also found ourselves in the overall New and Noteworthy Section. 

I am crying just thinking about it. Sometimes as a mom, you feel like your goals are put to the side as you raise your children. You kind of feeling like your time is not your own for a season... it can be hard. But I felt like I needed something to put my name on... I needed something to work on and someway to contribute. So I started this podcast and I saw the potential it could have to inspire other people through the stories of mothers. Imagine... a whole audience of listeners CELEBRATING and VALUING motherhood! Whoop whoop! I had a personal goal of 1,000 downloads for the first month. I didn't know if that would be possible, but I was going to try. Oh my gosh... I reached the goal just after midnight on that first day. Now I'm at 2,500+ downloads from all over the world. I don't give the numbers to brag... I give the numbers to give some context to the number of people that are hearing these stories of amazing moms. It's thrilling!

So if you listened, shared, rated the show... thanks! It means more than you know. This has been so much fun and I have some great guests coming up. Can't wait to see where this goes. The Extraordinary Moms Podcast is legit!

New Year's Week

I never posted this. Whoops. 

Nauticus Museum

Love my holiday mantles... mantles over the fireplace are now a must in my houses.

Pizza making on New Year's Eve