Uptown Living & Visitors

I had promised myself to keep up with this blog like I used to when we were in med school, as I feel is the best family "diary" I have. But of course, days get busy and Nolan is turning out to be a little energizer bunny, and just keeps going, and going, and going! Which leaves me with very little time to write or do anything extra. Still, I adore his tiny face, so I'm soaking it all up before he turns into a full fledged toddler! Which, he is turning into, an is making me so saddd! but that's for another post. 

A week ago our friends from Dallas came to visit! It's always so fun to have family and friends from Dallas come down for the first time to New Orleans, I love getting their reaction to this city! New Orleans is CHARMING, but it's OLD, and broken down! It's definitely not shiny and new, but to me, it has really captured my heart! There's something really amazing about such a historic rich city! In fact, I never understood people when they would talk about how much they love "their city" whatever city that was, usually New York or California, I just never got the whole "love the city you live in" thing because to me, Dallas was just a city that I love because the people I love live there, the city could have been any city really. And then, I met New Orleans! 

New Orleans is unique to say the least. It's like a mix of the store Anthropologie mashed up with a dumpster = New Orleans. Truly. I love that it's not perfectly manicured, and I love how each cafe or park looks like they could belong in a movie. The architecture and little shops and bakeries make it feel like I could easily be in Europe.. the homes are dreamy and it feels like you are stuck in another time period in the past but not really. We love living in Uptown for those reasons and because I feel Uptown is the heart and soul of New Orleans.

Anyway, back to our friends visiting! We went to the 'Lafayette Cemetery' with the Moreno's a and we took too many pictures! But these are the ones that I thought were creepiest! 

Open grave! ^ :O

All over New Orleans you will find gorgeous trees like these! I don't know why, but I just love taking pictures of them, I have too many pictures of trees on my phone, so here is another one of a tree outside of the kids school.

Alison and I in Jackson Square! We loved the music and magic shows street performers put on!

Lots of Art in the French Quarter!

yummy beignets! 

French Quarter! The verdict was in! The Moreno's enjoyed their trip here! They ate a ton of food, good food, so it was OK, but we pigged out!  

OK, how creepy cool is this pic?! ^ we woke up to the thickest fog the other day, and again, it feels like i could easily be in a vampire movie! New Orleans is definitely a cool backdrop for my stupid day dreams.... 

So, yeah, NOLA is cool, we are loving the city living here and are currently open to more visitors! I think as far as NOW, we plan on living here for the next 10-15 years... thank goodness we like it this much! 

Jazmin

Headed to NEW ORLEANS!

Following our NOLA

I can't believe we are actually moving to NEW ORLEANS! I have to put down in writing all my feelings about this, as this whole New Orleans job/opportunity came out of nowhere almost. It was REALLY weird, and I feel like it was inspired and we are meant to be headed there.

So, as some may know, Steve is 3 weeks away from finishing up his Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship here in Denver, and we had been looking for our first post training job for a few months now. As you can imagine, there is a long process for a surgeon to find a position. The interviews are long, and the  job doesn't come as easy as applying to MONSTER.COM. I mean, its hard to figure things out! After being in school for 10 years, you have a plan for your career, but that doesn't always mean its going to materialize when its finally time to look for employment. For example, where we were hoping to go, isn't hiring right now, so we were left looking for other options. The biggest thing with our job search was definitely location. We wanted to go back to Dallas, or Texas and we knew that Steve wanted to work in a University/Academic setting and not in private practice. There are MANY reasons for this, but it comes down to preference.  Steve just really likes teaching and research, in fact he presented at a conference in Indiana a few months ago, as his paper was chosen to be published recently. Very proud of his hard work. :)

Ok, so back to the NOLA job. So, when looking for work, we knew we wanted to be in Texas or at least close to Dallas. We knew we could do neighboring states,  just as long as we were within a 5-7 hour drive from home. We were thinking, Oklahoma and Arkansas as options. NEVER DID WE THINK LOUISIANA.... until we went to Disney World! 

And this is how the New Orleans thing came about. Bare with me as this will sound pretty stupid/cheesy but it really all started from there. 

When we went to disney world, I reserved a hotel called Port Orleans Riverside. It's a newer resort, and it's all modeled after New Orleans/Princess and the Frog theme. I loved all the details of the hotel, even though we stayed in the SWAMP part of the hotel and not the French Quarter! haha, we are cheap! Anyway, while at the hotel I remembered that after hurricane Katrina, Steve went with our church to help clean up the city, so, while at the hotel, I began to ask Steve about what he remembers of New Orleans. At the time of the hurricane, Matthew was a baby so, I didn't really ask or knew too much about that mission trip, other than he and other members of our church went to help out one weekend. We started to talk about Louisiana, and Steve started to tell me about how hot and humid it was, and how it was total devastation. And that was that.

Days after getting back from Disney, there was a job posting in Lafayette, LA. Having been charmed by the hotel, I told Steve to apply to that job, as I thought it would be cool to live in a place with so much character and rich culture. Steve did apply for the job, but apparently the job posting was outdated and the job post was closed but had not been taken down. For some reason, I felt kind of bummed about that. I don't know why, but I did. So, that was that. 

But then a week or so later, there was a new job opening at Tulane University in NOLA, and Steve asked me if we should apply. I was thrilled! I really felt like I wanted him to apply to that job!

Steve was also interviewing in other places, but for some reason, I really, really wanted him to go to New Orleans and like it (mind you, I had never been, and I had no clue if I would even like the city) but one day as I was walking Riley (our dog), and with the stress of the job interviews, and my pregnancy hormones, I prayed about clarity in knowing where to go. For some reason, I always wanted New Orleans.

Steve was invited to interview, and he went, and liked the program, the city, and it just felt right.

Now, we just had to wait to see if we got a job offer. I wish I could say that I wasn't nervous, but I was. Job searching, interviewing, and where to go post training is no walk in the park. For us is a bigger deal, as we kind of don't have the luxury to move much anymore. Our kids are older, and they need stability. There were SO many decisions to make! I wish that I had been more patient, and in tune with what Heavenly Father was trying to tell us, because looking back, I could see so many signs that pointed to us going to New Orleans. Perhaps this won't be our forever home. Maybe we will be there a year or three, but i know that we are supposed to be there for now.

Also, when i talk about signs that lead us to New Orleans, there were MANY.  For example, Olivia started watching this movie called 'Invisible Sister' I remember she really wanted me to watch it, and when I finally sat down to watch, I realized it was set in New Orleans!

Then more signs!

Months after our Disney trip, we got an invitation to go back to the 'Bayou' in the mail, from our resort at Disney! Total disney marketing fluke, but I still think it was a sign to comfort my nervous heart at that time. Then, there was the nurse named 'Nolan' when I delivered Nolan! (we had accepted the job offer by then, but you never know, contracts can fall through etc.) She walked in, and said: "your baby and I are name twins!" She also had a fleur de lis necklace on, and I asked her if she was from New Orleans, and she said: "I'm from Mississippi, but I just got married in New Orleans 3 months ago, and my husband gifted me this necklace as a wedding present. But we both (her and her husband) go to New Orleans all the time! so weird! And finally, our baby's name sounds like NOLA. Crazy thing is, I always said, that if I had another kid and  it was a boy, I would name him Aaron, but then we actually got pregnant, and I remembered watching the movie 'Inception', and loving Christopher Nolan as the director, and I thought, I like that a lot! And now, we are moving to NOLA with a little boy named Nolan.

A few weeks ago when we went to look for a rental we really liked the vibe! This was the first time I had been to NOLA, and sure it was HELLA hot (didn't like that, much) but the hanging trees, the architecture, the FOOD! <--- the FOOD YALL! and the people (we have met some people from church and medical field already!) and it just feels good! We just need a REALLY good AC!


I forgot to mention, we watched Princess and the Frog a few days before going to New Orleans, and Olivia says: "let me get my frog prince!" I had forgotten that Olivia's crib bedding was 'Princess & the Frog' themed and she still kept her frog stuffed animal! and Princess and the Frog is set in New Orleans!... OK, that may be pushing it, but I still think it counts as a sign ;)

Proof below!

Here are some pictures we took of New Orleans when we went. I was so BLOWN away, and excited for our new city!

St Louis Cathedral was so pretty! And it felt like Mexico!

We enjoyed a 2 hour ride aboard the Natchez Steam boat! Even Nolan enjoyed it!

The French Quarter architecture is so dreamy, it felt like traveling abroad!

I love those cute hanging trees! ^ Don't even know what they are called, but I like them!

We ate po boys, chargrilled oysters, gumbo, and beignets! Olivia gladly tried it all!

^The street cars! They are just so cool! 

I want to ride a street car so I can feel like Tiana! ^

Can you tell I'm excited?!

So, what started as a random thought from a Disney hotel, has turned into a real place that we will call home soon! Some come August, visit us at the swamp! 

Jazmin

'Blues Clues'

Based on this post title, I wish I was referring to the kids show with the blue dog, but sadly I'm referring to my current emotional state. This pregnancy has been really tough. Tonight I spoke to a friend about third trimester depression and she totally understood what I was going through. Being pregnant is a blessing, and one that I didn't think I would get to experience again. I know that if you know me in person you know, I tend to be happy, and bit sarcastic on the regular, but lately I keep seeing shades of blue in my daily life and it's not because I have a baby boy on the brain. Some of you know that this pregnancy wasn't necessarily planned. Truth be told, I had been thinking of a having one more baby for awhile,  since the only reason we stopped having babies was because of circumstance not desire.  Being on a resident salary, and our kids growing, we just could not afford having another kid, it would have been super irresponsible of us to have added another kid when we started residency because we BARELY scrapped by with a new house, and kids activities and school costs that kept going up as the kids got older. So, for 5 years we put it on the back burner, and then we just felt like it would never happen again. Then, we finished residency and thought it would be a good idea to maybe add one more baby. But then we moved to Colorado, we started to do hikes, and go on adventures with the kids, and we decided that we didn't want to add a baby. Of course, four weeks after moving here, I find out we got pregnant. I should have been super happy, except I wasn't. I felt like we were in a groove with the kids, and this was going to be hard. I knew I was going to get morning sickness that lasts for awhile. And six weeks into it, it happened. Morning sickness hit me like a ton of bricks and it lated until 25 weeks. I was miserable, and was trying REALLY hard to just go with it, which went well for a bit, but now, as I count down to my due date, the fog has come back to haunt me. I'm depressed and anxious. So many things are contributing to this. For one, we are getting close to finishing fellowship, which has been hard for me, as things have not gone as expected. I have anemia, and I'm exhausted 24/7. To top it all off, this pregnancy has given me pains and aches that I didn't even know were possible while being pregnant. At least I didn't experience these types of pains with the other kids. Throw a good dose of anxiety to the mix, and I can totally be  the poster girl in a depression meds commercial.

Depression ruins things for you. It really does. I mean, I have great friends here! Seriously, I got SO LUCKY with finding friends the first Sunday we attended church here! Not to mention, we already had some friends that lived here, and were super welcoming and helpful with our transition. And yet, I have days where I look out the window, and feel so alone. That's how I know its baby blues. When you look around and instead of seeing your blessings you can't help but to look at the world with warped lenses. 

I know this is something that is hard for me. I was wired with some sort of brain chemistry that is prone to anxiety, so when you add hormones, and life circumstances that have a hefty dose of stress, this is bound to happen. It's a trial for me. I don't know why, but I know that I was meant to go through this. Perhaps is to help me appreciate the happy that is to come once the baby gets here? or appreciate my blessings even more? I just hope by the grace of God to be able to give my kids the mom they deserve, because currently, I'm just trying to survive the day. And I guess I'm writing this because I have friends back at home texting me, or calling me asking me how I'm doing, and I realize it's because I have been putting up this front like things are OK, but maybe they sense it's not? And the one thing that I don't like, is to be is fake or pretend like my life is all rosy, because I just don't roll like that. I rather put some of my things out there, even if I get judged, than to act like life is perfect. Currently, it's not, but I guess that's OK, and part of life. And It's nice to write down your trials, and not just when things are good, right? I mean part of our human experience is to go through trials, so that you can grow from them, and maybe even look back and see how far you've come. So here is mine. I have antenatal depression and anxiety. 

 I hope that I can look at this post with fresh eyes at another time, but for now, this is me. Blue, and waiting for things to pass. All I can do is wait, pray, and hope for the rain to cease. I hope to feel uplifted this Easter Sunday. I know Jesus knows how I feel, and is lifting me up, even when it feels like I walk alone, I know he's there. 

“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” ― Percy Bysshe Shelley

Jazmin

Our 1st Disney World Experience! Part 1

We are BACK from Disney World, and I can honestly say, it was the BEST family vacation of our lives! 

Well, considering, we don't really do many of those, but of the few vacations we've done, this is the BEST one, and we hope to repeat it in the future! 

I wanted to do a blog post about it, simply because I felt so overwhelmed planning it, that I wanted to share what I learned on this trip. We absolutely went the 'EASY' route, and not the 'save money' route. I say this because I now see and know that you could probably do Disney World on a better budget, but since this was our first time coming, and doing this big vacation, we went ahead and booked through the Disney World website, and decided to buy a package deal to make it easy on us. I will say, it was TOTALLY  worth the money for sure! And maybe next time we will tweak a few things, to save a few bucks, but in all honesty, Disney World KNOWS how to do family vacations WELL!

When we booked our vacation, we received their "MAGIC BANDS" in the mail which is basically a wrist band, that has all of your hotel, park, and credit card linked to it, so that you don't have to carry anything with you! This magic band opens your hotel room, pays for your meals, and has all of your reservation info in it to enter the park! When you buy a Disney World package deal, you have an option of also purchasing their 'Memory Maker' pass which basically is taking pictures at the park by photographers that are strategically placed all over the park, so you can get iconic shots at the right spots, like in front of Cinderella's castle for example. This was something I purchased, not knowing too much about it, but so glad I did, and it's one way to save money, as you don't have to get it. Getting the memory maker photo pass does guarantee all the shots from the rides though, so that's fun!

*So we booked a Disney Resort Hotel, Park Hopper tickets (you can visit more than one of their 4 parks), Dining plan (Deluxe Plan) and the Memory Maker photo pass.

OK lets talk our resort. We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside Disney Resort, and it's themed after New Orleans/Princess and the Frog, Bayou sort of situation. It's subtle though, so it feels nice, and not over the top Disney. We loved the scenery, and the rooms! We stayed at one of their deluxe rooms and it was simple, cute, and had just a bit of whimsy for Olivia and Matthew. We had two queen beds, and a pull out bed that had the character 'Louie' from Princess & the Frog on it. We could have gotten a more "theme-y" room, but you don't really stay at the room much, so we opted for their more basic rooms. Another little thing, was since this was our first time at Disney, they gave us some buttons to wear at the hotel that say "1st Time Here!" and tons of people at the park help you answer questions, give you a ton of info, and are just super nice and ask you how your visit is going. It's just little things like that, that made us really comfortable asking questions.

Little details in the room made this stay special. Like the Mickey towels being folded like this! When we showed up at the hotel, our check in time was at 3PM but because Steve was already in FL for the conference  and our tickets for the park started the day of check in, we called to see if we could check in at 7am instead of 3pm. Now we were told this was not a guarantee, but the moment we showed up, our room was READY! They got our room together so fast, and made it really easy on us to get ready for our first day at the park! Staying at a Disney Resort is super nice, because they have free transportation to the park each day! There are buses that run every 10 min to and from the park all day, so we just got ready, and went to the bus stop! This is also a great convenience because PARKING LOOKED LIKE A NIGHTMARE!

OK, this was the 'Memory Maker' thing I was talking about, or "photo pass" when we showed up at Magic Kingdom, we saw a bunch of photographers taking pics, so I asked if we could jump in, and they asked me if I had the "photo pass" so I said, 'yes' and then they told us, that the pictures will appear on our online account, and we had a month to download. After they take your photo, they scan your wristband, and two minutes later, you can see your photos online! The online thing also has an app, called 'My Disney Experience'  that allows you to view it, and has all of your dining reservations logged, so you have your itinerary handy. Also the app tells you how long the wait is in certain rides so you can plan your day. It includes maps, and descriptions of things, so you know how to navigate around the park. It makes your day SO EASY! Again, very well organized, and easy to follow! 

Oh, and having the photo pass also gave you access to getting photos with your favorite characters! This was Olivia after our late lunch at 'Be our Guest' restaurant! She loved all the character encounters!

The Disney Dining Plan was pricey and probably the best spent money in our opinion! You could totally go the cheap route, and take your food with you like sandwiches and sodas, but by buying a dining plan, you can eat at their sit down restaurants, and buying a Deluxe Dining plan gives you 3 meals a day, and two snacks. Each sit down meal includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert! We ate like KINGS! The food is not average by any means, in fact we ate at 'Be our Guest' Restaurant (probably the best restaurant at Magic Kingdom) and had an AMAZING 5 star meal! Steve could not believe how good the food was! This restaurant is themed after Beauty & the Beast, and it looks just like the Beast's castle. From the decor, you think it's all about atmosphere, but when you get your food, you realize they actually put thought into their menu! I had the BEST onion soup I've ever had in my life at that place! And then ate the BEST steak, followed by a delicious cheesecake/cupcake type thing. Matthew and Olivia were so impressed too! Matthew just kept eating, and eating. This is the restaurant that is ALWAYS booked! in fact, it was booked until the day we showed to the park! but by using my phone Disney app, I was able to book a dining reservation on a cancellation! It was the perfect situation, because it was the best place to eat.

Another place that we liked that was not super exciting as far as decor and atmosphere, was Tony's restaurant. It's Italian food themed after the Lady & the Tramp. Anyway, this is where we did dinner on our first day, and after having lunch at 'Be our Guest' we thought the food would go WAY downhill, but it didn't! this restaurant had amazing pizza, and great dessert too! I had some chocolate cake that was so good, I forced my full self to eat it, because it was so creamy and sweet! The only negative of the dining plan, is that it does NOT include gratuity  so you do spend on average about 15-25 dls tipping. But the dinner themselves are amazing!

The snacks that you get with the Deluxe Plan are 2 a day. This can be anything from a soda, fruit, to a pretzel, ice cream, or smoothie. The kids LOVED this! Matthew ate too many Mickey shaped ice cream sandwiches! No tipping is involved, and you just scan your magic band to get them! Easy!

Extras: 

I mean there are so MANY things NOT included with your Disney vacation package. These are all optional, and you can save by simply not doing them. Since Olivia's bday is in January, I wanted to do something special for her, so I booked a Fairy 'makeover' at the Bibbidi Bobbidy Boutique. This was totally separate from our package, and it was $60 dls. the crazy thing, is that it was the CHEAPEST package available! But well worth it! She got her hair, makeup, and nails done at the boutique, and got a sash, and a little backpack filled with make up stuff for her to keep. The boutique is inside Cinderella's castle, and she had a "fairy godmother" assigned to her. They also took tons of pictures that I now have from the Memory Maker pass. She REALLY felt special, as each person there is in character, and make the little girls feel like a million bucks. She was really appreciative of this experience, and that made it the more worth it to me.

So, our first day at Magic Kingdom was MAGICAL. Even Matthew who can care LESS about Princesses or anything girly, LOVED the lighting of Cinderella castle! They did a performance where Elsa from Frozen lights up the castle with her powers, and it's like a mini show, then the whole castle lights up, and there are fireworks!

The castle turns ice blue, and then all the "icicles" appear and it's really special. 

This is Steve and Matthew before the lighting of the castle. They bought lights because they got all excited. I'm sure they regret spending cash on those things! Again, for this park being so girly, the boys had a ton of fun! They did 'Splash Mountain', and several other boyish rides, that filled their cup for manly entertainment. 

Magic Kingdom was simply AMAZING. I could have spent the entire 3 day stay there! The next day we did Disney Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom on our last day. I will write about those two parks later, but in all honesty, the magic of Disney is in this park for sure!

So, just to review on how to save: 

-Book your tickets through a travel agent or look for discounts on websites for park tickets (that's if you aren't doing a resort) just keep in mind that you will probably have to rent a car, and pay for parking.

-If you are doing a resort, you can save by not getting the photo pass, and not doing a dining plan! But the dining plan is worth it to me!

Jazmin

Call us WILLAGIRLS!

Olivia & I signed up to be WillaGIRLS! 

So, if you know me, you know that I'm not into selling stuff. I just don't feel like I'm good at it, and it doesn't come natural to me. BUT if you know me, you know that I'm passionate about products that can replace what you already use and are gentle on the environment. I feel that as I mature, I care more and more about the part I play in the world and what I can do to make a change for the better. 

When I had Matthew & Olivia I started to care about how I could make this world a better place for my kids. Before my kids I never cared about recycling or anything having to do with conservation. I didn't care about anything or anyone but myself, and if you are a parent, you know that life changes the moment you have a family. All of the sudden I wanted to do better! I wanted to be gentler, I wanted to teach my kids to love the earth, and to do their best in caring for it. It's crazy how having children changes the way you see the world. When Matthew was a toddler, he would always point out balloons out to me,  I remember thinking: "WOW, there are a LOT of balloons in the world!" I have never seen so many balloons in my life! The reality is that there are still MANY balloons in the world, we just don't take the time to see them. Life with a little one changes your perspective. All of the sudden, I cared to recycle, to not overuse things, I cared about the diapers my kids wore and the impact they caused on the environment. I tried to change, and I succeeded in some areas and failed in others. But we all try our best each day, and now, we do it together. 

Matthew during his: "look, balloon!" phase.

Olivia wearing flushable "g" diapers. They were pricey but gentle on the enviroment.

Crazy how pets affect you in a similar manner. Before we adopted Riley our dog, I never cared about animal rights. When we lived in San Antonio we went to Sea World, and enjoyed the water shows with the killer whales. It never occurred to me, that maybe those whales are not thriving in this unnatural environment. I never cared to know if animals at the zoo where being properly taken care of. Of course, we need Sea World and the Zoo for our children to get to see and learn about these magnificent animals that we are blessed to have in the world, but I just didn't care. Ignorance is bliss indeed. After we adopted Riley, we found out about how many dogs, rabbits, monkeys, and other animals are used for testing out cosmetics, medications, etc. I know that we are blessed with modern day medicine and cures to many diseases thanks to the sacrifice of these animals, but when it comes to the use of animals for testing something that is not really that important or necessary, such as make- up, I have a hard time justifying the torture of these innocent creatures. Did you know they blind many animals during tests for cosmetics by measuring how long chemicals burn through a rabbits cornea? Did you also know you don't need to do that, as you can now drop that same chemical into 3D tissues structures produced by human cells? But what can you do? Simple, don't purchase any product that utilizes animal testing. This also goes for household products.  After 3 years with Riley I see how animals have feelings. Feelings like you and me. They care, they hurt, they love. 

As my kids get older and approach the tween years, I now face another stage where facial cleansers and acne prevention are thing I have to start thinking about. I have looked and looked and I couldn't find gentle, natural, ethical products that I was OK with Matthew or Olivia using on their face. There are products out there that state on the label that said product is not tested on animals, BUT that doesn't mean that the company putting them out doesn't have another product line that does test on animals. So, when a friend of mine started to sell Willa products I was intrigued. What caught my eye was they claimed to NEVER test on animals, and to be gentle, using only necessary chemicals in their product to be effective, but nothing else. With more research I have found this company to do as they claim. I went as far as to calling them and asking detailed questions about their process. 

You can read about their ingredients and about the company here.

After a few doubts, and thoughts, I decided to sell the product simply to make it more accessible to others that, like me, care about the environment, want the best for their family, and care about animal rights. Will I make money? Maybe, maybe not. But in all honesty, that's not why I want to do this. I really want to make a product available to a younger generation of girls that care about their appearance far more than our generation did, and instill good values while doing it. That you don't have to sacrifice inner beauty for outer beauty. That the best way to shine, is by doing it in an honest, conscious, and ethical way. In doing this, Olivia is participating in every step. She is using the lip gloss, and trying out the lotions and really learning about the product. And Matthew is already really loving the gentle skin cleanser, because dudes need skin solutions too! 

Want to learn more about these awesome skin products? 

Head over to Olivia & my webpage here:

Willa

They have an awesome, awesome deal this month that we are already using!!!

Buy one of their 3 step kit (valued at $68 & $58 dollars) for $35! 

Choose between their 3 step daily routine or the acne 3 step! 

And guess what? Although the target market for these great products are the tweens & teens, you too can use them! Especially their tinted SPF face sunscreen! I just put that on and the lip gloss and I look put together in seconds. 

Best part?! No added chemicals only the ingredients used to make this product effective and that's it!

 This ^ sits on our entry table, I like having it ready so I can apply and go.

Be sure to check out our page to order!
www.willa.com/wg/jazmin-and-olivia

I hope you stop by our page and learn more!

Jazmin 

Denver Apartment Pics

Denver Digs. 

Here are so pictures of our little apt here. I love it so much mainly because it gets a TON of light! I will do a "tour" once it's all done, I feel like the living room and the kids room is in progress, but for the most part we feel pretty settled. 

We ended up getting a storage unit because we had so much stuff! We went through our storage the other day and took several boxes to Goodwill making me feel a little better. 

Anyway, I have bought a few things here and there, and I wish I could get some rug and other accessories, but then I remember that this is a very temporary situation, so I don't think I'm going to add much more. 

Anyway, here are some pics. 

This is what you see when you first come in^ The apt is super open and airy.

If you turn around you will see our dining room/ "flex space" which has some shelves and I don't know what other things you would use that for. 

The apt has a to of little nooks that are useful, like this desk/entry table. We use it for keys, mail, and to put sunscreen and lip balm on. That's a ritual now, because this sun really dries our skin. 

The kitchen is kick butt! It's pretty big, and has great new appliances and granite countertops, which is really nice. We use this island as a breakfast space for the kids, and the dinner table for dinners or just to work on. 

This half wall is off of the kitchen taking you into our bedroom, but I needed some extra shelves for work stuff, so I found this shelf at Ross and it's working perfect! I didn't even measured but it works and keeps our office stuff in one place.

Our bedroom has awesome floor to ceiling windows! It gets the most light and I really like to spend time there.

This is in the kids room...and I'm still trying to figure out how to arrange it all. It's bigger, but has big windows, and we just got another dresser for Olivia because we didn't have enough storage, so once I get that room organized i'll take pics. 

Anyway, we like it here, and the neighbors are really nice! We already used the s'more pit and invited friends over, and the kids really like the park across the street, which is nice. 

Overall I'm happy we went for this place even though is a bit higher in price that we wanted. The central location makes it so nice for the kids and for Steve's job. Did I mention there is a Target within walking distance? Yeah, Steve should of thought of that detail before moving me here!

Jazmin

Denver Digs & Summertime Sadness

It's been over a week since we arrived to Denver, and already I have been hard at work hanging, unloading, and making sure the apt looks like our home. 

We've had a lot of fun since the moment we got here. We have enjoyed great weather, and today we got to hang out with my sister in law & kiddos as they came from Dallas to play in a soccer tournament here. 

Good times all around. After the tournament, Steve, the kids and I went to see all these model homes in our area! <-----that is literally the most fun for me. I just love to get ideas from model homes, and imagine myself living in them. Also, decorating model homes is the ultimate dream job for me! 

Anyway, all was well and then...I got really down. 

Like, I want to just break down and sob, type of down. WHY?! I couldn't understand! 

And then, it hit me. I want to be settled in a home so bad, and I just have never had that in my life. 

The most settled I have ever been was in our little home in Dallas. I know this all sounds very #firstworldproblems but the reality is, that my childhood was anything but stable, and all I ever dreamed of was having my own room, which happened for a very short period, before my mother and I had to move again. I also wanted a family so bad. My mother & dad had a complicated relationship to say the least, so the happy family home never happened.

Interior Design is absolutely my passion. As soon as Steve is done with fellowship, I will pursue that as my career. I think I have an eye for it, but I realized today, that it's more than just designing and making things  look "pretty". I truly long for a permanent house that I can make a home. A home where I can just settle down, and know that this is where I will be for many years. I want that for the kids too! I want a home where the kids have memories of growing up! We have moved for med school, residency, and now fellowship, and while the kids are seriously loving Denver (so much, that it's impressing me) I just can't help but to feel like I owe them some stability.  Decorating a home is just part of that equation. 

I knew the moment we arrived to this apt, that I was going to break out the boxes and hang stuff. I feel that our summer has been consumed by selling the house, prepping for the move, and finally moving that the kids haven't really been enjoying their time off.  I want to be settled asap, so that they get to enjoy some part of it.

So, I gave myself 2 days to hang pictures, mirrors, and unpack. 

I slaved for 2 nights making sure all was unpacked and hung in the right places. I even convinced Steve to make an Ikea trip with me on the 4th of July, because I had a list of very specific things we needed, and I needed his help to get said stuff in the car.

I knew I wanted lamps, we needed a small tv stand, and rolling carts for my craft stuff. He looked at me like I was on crack, but the apt looks pretty much done. Just have to tweak some stuff.

 I recreated our little gallery wall that I had back at home, here. It reminds me of Dallas. 

Anyway, I think I have to accept the fact that we still have one or two more moves after this fellowship, and I think I will have to settle for decorating other peoples houses instead of mine. Will I ever get my forever home? By the time we can or will, I think the kids will be too old to enjoy it, so no memories there! <---- I realize that there are many people in the world that don't have a roof over their heads, and that this attitude is very childish, but I just can't help but to feel like I have a hole that needs to be filled, and perhaps it never will be filled. Perhaps, I need to get over that dream? Maybe, I should let God re-direct those thoughts to something constructive... Anyway, I guess, I was just feeling so down today, that I just needed to vent. Maybe it has to do with my unstable childhood that I now feel like I have to make up for it?! Ugh! I need a shrink... or a different dream. 

Jazmin