{The Journey}

Earlier this week I began to really reflect on these past several months. As I started looking at how many changes we've faced recently, I suddenly became deeply thankful for our journey. I am grateful for the unexpected twists and turns and happy to be where we're at today. I think for the first time in my life I am finally starting to let go of my need to plan out every detail of life.

Four years ago, as newlyweds in our first apartment, Chris and I had a conversation about where we saw ourselves in a few years. I never would have dreamed that today Chris would be working from home and writing about football full-time, that I would have the privilege of being a full-time mommy, that we would own a home and that we would be surviving as a one-car family! The doors that have opened and the opportunities presented to us have brought us to a place I couldn't have imagined. All this to say that where we are today has not come without some major flexibility, trust and letting go of previous expectations and plans we had for our life.

I realize that I haven't shared too much detail about how radically our life has changed over these past several months, so for those who don't already know, here's a little glimpse into our life lately. In the early spring, after working about six weeks as a part-time featured writer for Bleacher Report (in addition to his full-time job at BofA), Chris was offered a full-time position covering the AFC West. While extremely exciting, that was a huge decision for us to make and one we prayed long and hard about. In fact, it took us a few months to actually accept, because while it was the dream opportunity he had been waiting for, there was a lot for our family to consider, both financially and otherwise. We believed the Lord was leading us to accept and took a big leap of faith that He would provide for us.

Shortly after Chris quit his job at Bank of America and started writing full-time, he began looking for other writing opportunities on the side and in the midst of searching, an awesome opportunity presented itself for me! I applied as a local brand ambassador for Happy Family and was offered the position! It is a part-time position where I work from home, on my schedule and I am promoting a brand that I already know and trust with Claire! It's been such a wonderful fit for us and I am really enjoying learning my new responsibilities, as well as the flexibility to be a mom first!

I am amazed at the ways God has provided and excited to see what else He has in store! I can't tell you with complete certainty exactly where we'll live or the jobs we'll have in 5, 10, 20 years and that's okay. I am learning that "knowing" is a bit overrated!

In my reflecting the other day I considered what we could have missed out on if we had let fear of the unknown or our prior plans lead our decisions. To think about the wonderful opportunities we could have missed!

These last few years have been full of great victories and painful trials, yet they have built character and taught us to love one another better. And while we will still make plans for the future, I think we will hold them a bit more loosely. I'm learning that holding too tightly to our plans can limit what the Lord can do through us and I certainly want to experience all He has in store! So here's to the future, to the unknown and to the exciting adventures ahead, whatever they may be!

{Truth Is}

The truth is, I am a terrible blogger. As of recently, anyway. Reality is, between one very active soon-to-be-toddler, our vacation to Florida, Claire's social calender, planning her first birthday party, Chris' newish job and my new job, blogging just hasn't gotten the attention I would love it to get.
You could say I've realized that I can't actually do it all. At least not without going insane. Shocking, right?

Anyway, this is my way of apologizing to this little ole' blog and getting back on track. I am ready to get back to regular posting for two reasons: the first being that I love having so many special memories to look back on and reminiscing over! And the second is that it was such a regular part of my routine for so long and I could really use some more of that in my life. I'll tell ya, being a WAHM can really throw you for a loop when it comes to structure. So let's pick up where we left off, shall we? Starting with our insanely wonderfully vacation we took to Florida in early October! Pop on by tomorrow for the details and pics!

Here's a little teaser, until we talk again~

 Happy Monday, friends!

{30 by 30}

I've been seeing these lists all over blog land and decided it was time to make my own; thirty things I would like to accomplish before I turn thirty. That's 3 years and 8 months to pair down this list.

Surprisingly, this came together much quicker than I expected. Apparently I've had a lot of things mulling around in my head for awhile. It's about time I put them to paper :)

I'm excited! Here goes...

1. Add two more kiddos to our family
2. Visit my sister and her sweet family in Florida

3. Read through the entire bible
4. Finish our backyard
5. Completely remodel our master bathroom
6. At least have tentative plans and savings started to visit Europe with my husband
7. Complete a triathlon
8. Go on a cruise
9. Take our kids to Disneyland
10. Finally convince my husband to watch The Sound of Music with me
11. Master the art of cocktail making
12. Attend a TSO concert
13. Get a 2nd tattoo with my hubby
14. Take a weekend trip to Santa Barbara
15. Try a new sport (maybe skiing!)
16. Buy a chess board
17. Visit at least one major flea market in the country
18. Get my Etsy shop up and running again
19. Put on a tea party for Claire
20. Host a Halloween party
21. Volunteer more!
22. Go through another Beth Moore study
23. Upgrade to a cal king bed
24. Wake my family up early and watch the sunrise somewhere special
25. Take a weekend to be completely technology free!
26. Read every one of Charlotte Bronte's books
27. Take a specialty cooking class
28. Go back to the spot we became husband and wife
29. Seriously look into becoming a Bradley birthing instructor
30. Learn to use power tools (inside joke there)

Contrary to feeling overwhelmed, I'm feeling so inspired! After all, what's life without a few goals, right?

Anyone else have a bucket list of sorts? I would love to hear some of your aspirations!

Week In An Instagram

My favorite thing about the iPhone is how easy it is to capture everyday, sweet moments like these! Here's a look at the past week in a simple collage of Instagram photos. 

p.s.- Instagram is probably my favorite app of all time!

Clockwise from  top left:

1. Lunch and shopping date with daddy!
2.Waking up from a nap after a long and fun day with new friends!

3. Claire's 11 week birthday

4. Tutu love!

1. Happy February!
2. Lunch break

3. Hubby surprised me with flowers

4. Only a sweet baby's bottom could pull this off!

{California Girl}

Yesterday we made the most of the sunshine and lunched in the backyard. There's nothing quite like a picnic in January! 

 

Worth A Thousand Words

I've had a few followers request that I post some recent pictures of Claire (beside her monthly photos)! So I thought I would take one or two Wednesdays a month to share some recent pics. Here are a few of my Love Bug last week:) 

Enjoy and Happy Wednesday!

P.S. I've got some great posts and updates coming soon!

I Have a Confession...

I swore up and down I would never be that mom with a "Baby on Board" plaque on my car.

Pretty much since the day I found out I was expecting, my dislike for bad drivers has quadrupled. I have admittedly become the hyper-anxious mom who explains to you (as if you can hear me) that I am carrying my most precious cargo in this vehicle so please slow down/use your blinker/stop texting and driving etc.! What can I say, being a mom changes you in ways you can't explain.

This is my car today. Moral of the story: never say never...

{2012}

Happy New Year, friends!

What an incredibly sweet year 2011 was for our family! We were blessed beyond words as we experienced a healthy pregnancy, we welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world, Chris switched jobs, I quit my full-time job to focus on growing my personal training business and throughout the joys, triumphs and struggles over the past year, our marriage has grown to be stronger than ever! We are indeed blessed!

I am so thrilled to see what new adventures and opportunities 2012 has to offer!

 Here's to a healthy and happy year ahead,

Kate

Love Bug

Apparently, Abby is very fond of my belly! Poor girl doesn't know what's coming...or maybe she does! We're still trying to figure out if she can sense that a big change is coming. Though one thing is for sure, she LOVES having her very own pillow (even if it does occasionally kick her in the face:)!

Happy Friday!

A Welcome Distraction

First I would just like to say thank you for all of your kind words, condolences and understanding about our sweet Max! Somehow knowing that others have been here eases some of the blow. But the feeling that a special piece of our family is missing will likely be there for some time. Even Abby is aware that something just isn't right and has responded with highly increased affection.

Given what a sad note the weekend started on, we welcomed the distractions this weekend provided. Some of which included my monthly preggo massage, attending a friend's wedding, brunch with some dear girlfriends and finally, putting some finishing touches on the nursery. Hoping distractions like these continue, as we're missing our pup big time!

Here's to a better week, friends!

Saying Goodbye to Max

 
Goodbyes are never easy, especially when they are to a beloved canine member of the family. Last night we made the heart-wrenching decision to put down our one-year-old Border Collie, Max. To say that we were torn up about the decision would be an understatement and many tears were shed as we let him go.

You just don't expect to face this decision when your dogs are young and seemingly healthy and I'm not sure that anything can really prepare you. However, we learned about seven weeks ago that Max had a very rare hereditary blood disorder called hemophilia, which means he had a deficiency in his ability to clot blood. Basically, any bump or bruise could lead to him bleeding out into major organs, which is ultimately what happened to him.

We were told by our vet that while it was incurable, it would be a condition we would need to manage by keeping him fairly inactive anytime he got injured. And because we had only ever seen very minor affects of it, we were hopeful he could live a fairly normal life. But from the week we found out, his health seemed to take a fast decline and these past two weeks have been full of almost daily episodes of brain swelling, seizure-like incidents, chronic nose bleeds and ultimately, bleeding into his stomach and lungs. The final decision came yesterday when Chris and I were woken up in the middle of the night to him gasping for air and finding a pool of blood in his kennel, followed by him throwing up blood.

Couple that with two expensive emergency visits to the vet where we were told there was nothing that could be done and realizing that his quality of life was rapidly deteriorating and we couldn't put off the inevitable any longer. I think what made the decision even harder for us is that even through his obvious discomfort, he was always happy. Even yesterday as he was coughing up clots of blood, all he wanted to do was play fetch!

While my words barely do his precious little life justice, he will live on in our memories for the exceptional dog he was; sweet, loyal, energetic and insanely well-behaved. Our time with him was simply too short and we will miss him terribly.

An Eternal Optimist

In case you haven't heard, California has produced some extremely unseasonable weather these past weeks. We're talking rain, hail and thunder storms...in June! And yes I'll admit, it's not ideal and I too, am ready for the gloriously hot days of summer. But honestly, we Californians are such wimps when it comes to any weather varying beyond 75-90 degrees. I dont really mind it so much as I am well aware the heat will return soon and we'll be enjoying margaritas by the pool in no time {virgin for me, of course!}.

Looking on the bright side, here'e why I haven't been cursing the rain:

• It's kept our lawn from turning completely brown as my husband has spent the past four weekends trying to correct our faulty sprinkler system! We're extremely thankful, as we don't want to be "those" neighbors with the unsightly lawn. Praise the Lord he got them working properly last weekend!

• Cooler weather has allowed me to continue wearing layers as I make my way through this awkward stage of pregnancy. For me it's a huge blessing because having a cardigan makes me feel a little less vulnerable as I work through the changes of a wider waist:)

• I never complain when the weather gives me an excuse to bring more soup to our menu! This week alone we've had chili, tortilla soup and our favorite, chicken cassoulet!

So there you have it, my annoyingly optimistic outlook! Have a happy Thursday!

image/via

My Happy Place

With a two hour break in my afternoon yesterday, I lounged in my cozzies and enjoyed some of my favorite things. You could say I was in my happy place!

With a craving for some hearty pasta lately, I referenced my copy of America's Test Kitchen Light & Healthy. A gift from one of my dearest friends when I graduated college.

While savoring a few of these tasty treats...

And delighting in the sweet aroma of these...

And of course, enjoying the company of this pretty girl!

Then while flipping through my cookbook, I came across these thoughtful recipe notes my friend included in the book. Oh, how I miss that girl!

Sometimes it's just good to escape from the hustle and bustle for a few hours.

The End!

On Beauty Sleep...

I'm not entirely sure my dogs appreciate me being home during the day. It seems to interrupt their beauty sleep:

The huge pile of laundry didn't deter Abby.

Nor did the made bed bother Max, he just tucked himself right in.

Happy Thursday!

A Tornado in Cali?

Last night we kind of decided last minute to go out to dinner with our parents. We hadn't been home yet, but reluctantly decided to do dinner before going home to let the pups out...

A) Probably not our best judgment call since, even though Max is potty trained, he can't hold it all day like Abby.

B) We've never left him alone that long so keeping him in the bathroom (where he can reach things) probably isn't the best plan of action long term.

Now, this is what our bathroom usually looks like: clean and always company ready!

And this is what it looked like after tornado Max destroyed it:

We've got towels taken from the open shelf, toilet paper roll shredded to bits, water bowl dumped over, carpet chewed and the gate haphazardly up and I didn't take a picture, but he also managed to pull down my Sonicare and Chris' electric shaver from the counter...

Oy vey! Thank you husband, for taking care of this ginormous mess!!

Hansen Happenings

It seems we've had a lot going on lately. Just thought I would update you on some of our latest happenings:)

Pups ~ While we had a slow go there for the first week or so, Abby has warmed up to Max quite nicely. In fact, they often play like it's going out of style and Max follows Abby everywhere, which we find so cute! We are thoroughly enjoying having two pups around, except when it comes to potty training...I think we forgot how much work it is. And it doesn't help that Max drinks his weight in water and therefore, pees every ten minutes-no exaggeration! But praise the Lord because last weekend it finally clicked for him to bark/jump at the door for us to let him out. Let's hope it sticks!

Chris ~ Since this post about my husband being a guest on ESPN 1420, he was invited back that very week and has had four seperate offers from sports websites asking to link his blog to their site. One of these being Yardbarker! Like I said before, he is amazing! Check it out here! He is Raidersblog:)

Yoga ~ My classes are going really well, though because I am responsible to drum up all of my participants, my class sizes vary. But because of much interest, I have decided to add a Saturday morning class, which will take place right after bootcamp (great strategy, I think!). I'm looking forward to the opportunity to bring in new people!

Schedules ~ Starting next week I am finally going part-time at my job in order to train more! Very exciting news since it will give me a much needed relief from the hectic schedule I've had the past several months. And hopefully more time to market myself, too. As for Chris, he is now working the same schedule as me (6-3). Not easy for my night owl of a husband, but he has adjusted well.

Cars ~ Some recent car trouble has caused us to temporarily be a one car family (thus the reason for Chris changing his work schedule so we can carpool). We knew it was inevitable that our cars would start giving us trouble, but we aren't quite ready to buy a new one yet. So we're holding out as long as possible. Hopefully in the next few months I'll be driving something a little more reliable (and grown up:)

Craftiness ~ This past weekend I went crazy buying fabric and making tons of coffee cozzies! All to get ready to open my Etsy shop and start selling my creations! Though I hadn't realized how much thought I would need to give to things such as my shop name, return policy, shipping, etc. It will probably be a few weeks to get everything in order and a decent supply of my little creations put together!

Fall ~ With football in full swing and the weather sort of cooperating, I am bursting at the seams for Fall to finally be here! Less than a week and I will be making my first pumpkin pie of the season!

So there it is, our lives as of late. Hope you have a lovely Wednesday!

Beauty In The Ordinary

Well, it's Monday. And not just any Monday, but the day we can officially declare the holidays over. At first thought, I didn't know how to feel about this. Should I be sad that traffic will be horrendous today? Or that the gym will be much too crowded with those attempting to make real their New Year's resolutions? Or just the general post-Christmas depression that plagues some?

But if I'm being honest, there is a certain sense of relief that comes along with it. While I am perfectly content with the hectic sort of nature the holidays bring, I gladly welcome the quiet that comes after it is all said and done.

With all the special events that take place over the last few weeks of the year, it seems inevitable that our normal routine gets debunked. But truthfully, I find comfort in routine and am looking forward to getting back on track!

Even as I sit here this morning eating my good ole' oatmeal and grapefruit, thinking all this over, I am joyous at the thought of getting back on my regular workout schedule tonight and weekly meal planning! Because in all honesty, I tend to get a little lax on these things during the holiday season.

So here we are, back to reality, back to the ordinary and back to life as we know it!

Merry Monday!

Some pics from the weekend!