How's your weekend going? We've already been rather busy, yet able to enjoy life as a family of 3, too! Here's a glimpse!

The first picture there of Cai and the guitars...well, I asked Hart to grab Cai some pants and he came back with camo ones....He was already wearing a green tractor shirt....he looked SO redneck! And he pooped on our guest bed this weekend (RIGHT NEXT TO ME!) It was pretty hilarious and thankfully only on a throw blanket that was easily washed.... lesson learned!

Going across the row left to right: We have almost completed our adoption paperwork! Hooray! 

Cai and Abe played outside a lot and on our hammock! We set up our fingerprinting and have that this coming week! Another hooray!

I attended a Ladies' Brunch at church and loved my friend, Elizabeth's shoes...they were from India! Her parents are missionaries there! Aren't they fun?

I also made a new friend (Laura!). Hart showed her and her husband houses this past week and I got to meet her at the brunch! We like them lots!

Hart teased me with that new look up there. He told me he was leaving his side burns that long. YUCK!!!

I worked on some hand embroidery in my free time...lol...what's that!

Then, we went to Buy Buy Baby and bought a portable fold up potty for the diaper bag and a potty book for Cai. And let me go ahead and mention here that I did NOT mean to rock the boat as far as early potty training goes! Cai is not telling me he has to go yet, but I am trying a little bit each day to get him to go on the potty. My hope is that he will catch on sooner than later. He normally pees in his potty (for an M&M) about 2 times a day right now, but sometimes more. I will let him run around naked for an hour or two at a time, but also put a diaper on him. We talk a lot about going potty and that as soon as he recognizes the "potty feeling" he needs to tell mommy, but I know he doesn't understand me right now or get it. I say things like "Poop goes in the POTTY" a whole lot right now. I'm trying not to pressure him, but I do know he is more aware of his body than I give him credit. He will get quiet when he has to pee or poop and I have to be ready to "catch" him when he does!

Lastly, we ate at mi favorito...Casa Linda for dinner tonight! Fue muy bueno! I love Casa Linda and Hart found me a coupon on living social for $10 for $20...they ended up giving us our entire meal free, which has happened two times there now. Maybe it is a little secret that they don't know how to work their own coupons? Yes, I think it is true.

And we "ran around" everywhere looking for Hart some new running shoes.... he's interested in the Vibram Five Fingers, but isn't completely convinced if they are a fad or whatnot.

I also figured out some camera dslr secrets, which led me to practicing my dslr skills like mad...wanna know what they are?

Lenses have sweet spots...usually 1 or 2 stops higher than the lowest aperture. So instead of shooting wide open all the time, try shooting a couple fstops smaller (larger aperture number) than the lowest one.

I use my Canon 50mm all the time now, but was a little frustrated with why some of my pictures will turn out kind of blurred just a smidge and after I started shooting in my "sweet spot", I could really tell the difference. The other little secret is that apparently there are rules for your shutter speed and what number you should not go below according to each lens you use. With the 50 mm, you shouldn't have a shutter speed lower than a 60 or else your images may not be as sharp. This means you have to play with the ISO a bit and figure out the right lighting, but overall both of these little things made a huge difference in my photo quality this weekend!

So that's it. Hoping tomorrow is a lazy Sunday where we can all rest!

If you had come over....

If you had come over, this is what you would experience around the Traylor house! Exploring pumpkins...

That's about as much "Halloween" decorating as I do. That and a plastic pumpkin right inside the door for candy. I don't really "DO" Halloween.

Stay awhile... You might see...

Or...

Because all fathers enjoy jumping over their babies, right? Mothers enjoy acting crazy, too.

Oh, wow, I love that photo more than words. Micaiah is like...what the heck!

Then, we can be seriously precious, too.

And then there is always Abe around to chew on a stick.

So, come over, next weekend. Let's have some fun!

Pringles with a dose of Spaghetti

We were busy this past weekend! We did a date night swap this past weekend with our good friends, Paul and Merideth! They came over and watched Micaiah and their son Thatcher on Friday night, so Hart and I could go out to Miyo's and see the movie Courageous and then I kept the babies on Saturday, while they all (together, but separately) went to the USC game! Hart enjoyed the win over Kentucky 54 - 3! And I enjoyed some pretty cute babies! (hilarious video to come AFTER we get upgraded internet tomorrow)

Micaiah also got into and enjoyed his share of Pringles!

Is that face not a...."uh...you caught me mom!" He also took a bath in his spaghetti tonight at dinner!

A REAL bath was in order....he wasn't so sure...

Micaiah loved riding on top of Hart's shoulders.

He's so gangsta. I love those two men up there! Sooo handsome!

And if you are wondering what I am up to during the week, I generally blog over at my Designs by Sessa blog. I am {this} close to getting my etsy store up and running with things I sew to help people's adoptions! Besides keeping my house clean and going to the gym, I like to craft, sew, and design stuff. Subscribe over there to see things I make like our new oven chalkboard in place of some yucky plexi glass!

 Especially stay tuned this week as I am about to dive head first into my first sewing challenge! Come root me on and be my chearleader as I sew daily 1 hour a day for 7 days! I have a whole project list ready, so come join the fun! 

Weekend Together

This weekend was a really beautiful one! God blessed us with some very pretty weather, despite Hurricane Irene's threats! Hart headed off to a church Men's Retreat, while I stayed home with this 80's workout instructor that likes to do the "fast crawl" everywhere...

"Don't mess with me while I "fast crawl!"

I started on refinished a sewing desk that my MIL found on the side of the road! Hart got home and helped me do the rest. You can read all about that transformation over here. It was sewing related, so I put it on the other blog.

We didn't end up going to church on Sunday, because we still weren't sure if Cai was completely healed, even though he is acting FINE! So, we ended up having breakfast out at Sonic and got Starbucks! It was a nice break that Hart didn't have music to do on Sunday morning! Later in the day, our Community Group Bible Study met out at the Lake Murray Dam Beach to grill out and enjoy the beauty of the day. We headed out, because Cai seemed well and enjoyed this scene...

Sweet friend, Kristin, holding Cai for me. He just wanted Mama.

And we went swimming...
Carla's husband and Charlie walking down to the water

That's our group out there in la agua.

Cai His mama enjoyed making a sunscreen mohawk. We finally have enough on top!

We got home, washed up, and got the baby in bed. I wandered outside to our hammock and spent some time praying while gazing at the stars. This was my view from the hammock of our homey porch.

Do you know what I realized while laying in our hammock, in the dark, looking at the sky, listening to the wind blow, and looking at our home God has so richly given? We are truly, abundantly blessed by God, our Father, in Heaven. I've been struggling with wanting MORE, MORE, MORE lately always. NICER, NICER, NICER. I've lacked contentment with the beauty of what God has given already and it's about time that I start being gracious for the peaceful place the Lord has so richly handed to us.

I'm thankful for our healthy bodies, for our sweet little family, for the home that is always too messy, and never picture perfect. This one-life is here and I want to spend it satisfied in Christ, not yearning for stuff that will never fulfill. God is all and is in all and "in him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28) 

How was your weekend!?

Weekend Together

This past weekend was a sweet time for our family! I really cherished it more than usual, because it was "just us". Hart took me out on a date to show me how much he appreciated all that I had done this past week! He knew I was more stressed and tired from having a higher baby load than usual! He's such a great husband! I love him!

We went to Miyo's and ordered our two most favorite appetizers... Chicken Lettuce Wraps and the Godzilla Sushi Roll! They are both DELICIOUS! Even though I worked 5 days a week at Miyos while in college at USC, I still LOVE to eat there! It spoiled me and chinese just isn't chinese unless it is Miyos.

I'm so thankful to be married to this man for a little over 2.5 years now! He's the greatest! Can I sing his praises?

Another reason I love him, is that he is a fantastic daddy! He let Micaiah play his Hammered Dulcimer at church this past Sunday and he thought it was the greatest thing EVER!