Baby Bellamy is Here!

Babies, babies everywhere!

Jenn and Jon welcomed their precious baby girl, Bellamy Ruth Sommer, into the world this morning. Bellamy was born at 8:01am, weighed 7lbs 14 oz, and is 21 inches long! Everyone is happy and healthy!

I know Jenn and Jon appreciated every one's thoughts, prayers, and support throughout their entire pregnancy and especially in the last few days. Congratulations to the new parents as they begin this amazing new chapter in their lives!

Happy Birthday Bellamy!

Beth

It's A BOY!!

It's A BOY!!

Beth & Tim welcomed 3rd third bundle of joy

into the world early this morning!!

Samuel Paul

was born at 12:40am

Wednesday June 15, 2011

Beth & Samuel are doing great!!

He looks just like Grant & Lilly!!

Samuel shares this very special birthday with his BIG sister Lilly who turned 2 today!!

Happy Birth Day Samuel &

Happy 2nd Birthday Lilly!!

Congratulations

Beth, Tim,

Grant, Lilly ...and Indy!!

Tick! Tick! Tick!

Beth is due today with baby #3!!

Sending thoughts and prayers to Beth and her family today

that baby #3 wants to come out and celebrate their birthday soon

and that they have a safe and quick delivery!!

Love ya Beth!

It's been so much fun being pregnant with you these past 9 months!!

Jenn @ 27 Weeks & Beth @ 32 Weeks

Pelotonia - Riding to Fight Cancer!

My husband Patrick is very excited to be participating in Pelotonia this year.

What is Pelotonia you ask?

The Story:

Despite the fact that the groundbreaking cancer research performed at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James) is beating cancer every day, there remains a desperate need for additional resources to fund the research that will change lives.

Moreover, due to ever-dwindling federal funding, it is becoming harder for great hospitals like OSUCCC-James to attract the talented doctors and scientists whose research will make the difference.

Facing these obstacles in 2008, Dr. Michael Caligiuri, Director of the OSUCCC and CEO of The James, began exploring ways to fill the voids. From his colleagues at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Dr. Caligiuri learned about The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), an extraordinary cycling event that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research at Dana-Farber.

Dr. Caligiuri was excited about the way the Boston community had come together to support the Dana-Farber through PMC and he knew that, given the amazing generosity and tenacious spirit of the Columbus community, a similar Ohio-based cycling experience would go a long way toward generating the additional funding that the OSUCCC-James needs to save lives.

Fortunately, Dr. Caligiuri quickly found gracious and enthusiastic support throughout the Columbus community. Thanks to that support, 100% of every dollar raised by Pelotonia and its riders is directed to essential and innovative cancer research at the OSUCCC-James.

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I'm sure everyone out there has been touched by Cancer in some way.  My husband lost his Uncle John to Cancer over 20 years ago and is dedicating his ride to him.  He is also riding for his Aunt Betsy and Uncle Larry who are both survivors and for my Grandfather and Uncle John who lost the battle with Cancer several years go. 

I am so proud of my husband for commiting to this type of event.  He really wanted to participate last year but decided to hold back and volunteer.  This year he couldn't sign up fast enough!!!

A Little More Info:

Patrick will be riding from Columbus to Groveport for a total of 20 miles.

He needs to raise $1200 but hopes to raise more!

If you would like to donate please visit his "Rider Profile Page."

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at talesofourjourney@gmail.com

Patrick and I both thank you for taking the time to concider donating!!!

~Erin

Blogger's Day Of Silence For Japan

We are participating in the blogger's day of silence for Japan. We are well aware of the fact that having a blogging day of silence doesn't help Japan, but we also know that it brings awareness and realization to how extreme this truly is. Take a moment to pray for those in Japan, donate here if you are able to.

We love you Japan and we are praying for you.

Babymoon Day Getaway

This mama and daddy need a little getaway from it all before Bellamy arrives!!

We can’t afford to take a vacation right now,
as we have to save every penny we can because my maternity leave is unpaid.

We thought it was a good plan to stay within the state since
I will in my 3^rd trimester the weekend we are going to get away.

Whats a soon to be set of parents to do on a tiny budget and only a weekend to do?
Well, leaving this decision up to the pregnant woman made things easy!!

The trip has to include good food and having just watched one of our favorite shows on the DVR last night…

Diners, Drive-In’s, & Dives

I thought it was a good idea to see if I couldn’t find a list of some of the places in
Ohio that have been on the show.

You ask, where might you find that info?

Well, all you have to do is go to Flavor Town!! Duh!!

All of the restaurants that Guy visited were in Cleveland except one, which was in Natty, so

Cleveland here we come!

We are going to make the 2 hour trip north

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And have a little breakfast at the Lucky's Café

Lucky's Cafe

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Then we are going to the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame

For the afternoon

Rock-N-Roll Hall Of Fame

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Then Dinner at Melt

Melt

Gourmet Grilled Cheese At Melt

OMG!! I cannot wait to eat one of their gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches!!

Then we will be heading home with full bellies and hopefully relaxed from our little day trip!

Quit It!!

Not much gets to me that bad. Really, I swear. Except when I'm pregnant, maybe. Thankfully I'm married to man that is very, very laid back and brings me down to earth when I get super annoyed. But, I still have my pet peeves...you know - like people snapping their gum, bad drivers, people who litter, pessimism...

But, if there's a pet peeve of mine that drives me nuttso it's the gym. Yes, the gym. Pretty much the whole place. From the smell to the dirty carpet. As a couple, we pay $34 a month...I'm seriously not expecting that much.

You know I'm not a mean person, right, but this crap gets to me. I kinda think about my time at the gym as a little getaway - no phone, no kids, no work, etc. It's definitely a miracle I make it there 3 or 4 times a week with this top 10 list of things that put me close to the edge when I'm on the treadmill:

10. The chatty Kathy's...I get it that it's fun to work out with a buddy, but quit talking so dang loud the ENTIRE time you work out together.

9. The smell...ewww, totally ewwwwwwwww.

8. Those that probably think "I'm important and yes, I absolutely need to take this phone call on my Bluetooth while I'm out of breath on the eliptical."

7. Squeakers...that's what I like to call those that drag their feet while running or walking on the treadmill...pick up your feet people!

6. The rats...total gym rats that need to get a life. Wow...this is sounding mean :)

5. The smell...yeah, I hate it that much.

4. Fashion police...the gals that clearly spend WAY too much time getting ready to come to the gym! Perfect example - yesterday a girl wearing a zebra print push up bra, low, low cut tank, hat, tight black pants, lots of makeup...yep the whole deal. That's too much work on top of the workout if you ask me!

3. Germies. I hate germs and if you've just spent 45 minutes dripping salty sweat from your pores, please be considerate and clean the stupid machine!

2. What's that smell?? Ewwww again. Those that think they can get away with letting 'er rip and not taking the blame. Nothing is nastier than having to take deep breaths of that crap as my heart is pounding. Yuck!

1. The grunters. I know what it sounds like to give birth drug free. It's crazy...there are way too many men in the gym trying to imitate labor sounds as they morph into the beefcakes they desire to be.

Ahhhh, that feels better. Off to the gym I go!

5 Must Haves For Spring!

I’ll be honest; I’m probably one of the few women out there that can’t stand to go shopping.  When I have t o pick up a gift for a bridal or baby shower I cringe at the fact of having to head to the mall.

The mall is just not for me.

However, I love, love, love to surf the web and if everything could be bought online with no worries of it not fitting or if shipping were free, I’d be in heaven!

With Spring being just around the corner (no joke, it actually is!) I wanted to share with you some of the fun finds I’ve found that I would love to indulge myself with.

Some are pricey but that’s what makes “window” shopping fun. 

A girl can dream can’t she?

And when I’m making the big bucks as a nurse (Ha!), maybe I will get the chance to enjoy some of these items! 

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I fell in love with these boots the moment I laid eyes on them (the color as well).  They would be perfect for tromping around in the garden and for a casual dinner out with some cute jeans!

Multi-functional!

But at $125 I think I'm going to have to stick with my pair from Target. 

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How about a nice raincoat to go with the new boots?

This one is a bit more reasonable at $69!

I just love the neck line and the fact that it's not that shiny plastic stuff from my childhood!

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Do you plant veggies?  Well Spring is the perfect time to start thinking about what you're going to plant.  If you plant seeds like me March is when you should start them inside.

This book, at only $11, is perfect for learning what plants thrive in Ohio temps. and when to plant each type of plant.

(Did you know you can grow beets when it's cold?) 

Not from Ohio, well there are plently of books out there for all states!

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And how about this bag?

I would love to sport this bag around for Spring but at $1250 I think I'm going to have to keep dreaming!

Isn't it just delicious though?

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Okay, let's be a little more realistic!

This cute bag comes from one of my favorite Etsy shops, TippyThai.

I purchased a bag from her last fall and let me tell you I'm about to order this one for Spring/Summer!

It's only $32!

Can't beat that!!!

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I love this one too...

$39!

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Finally another Etsy find.

I've recently fallen in love (man I love a lot of things) with hair clips.  My hair is rather short so some say I can pull it off.

This one just screams Spring!!!

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So what are eyeing for Spring???

It's Friday!!! Lets make a cake!!!

If you read the “about me” section you would have learned that I love to cook, key word cook!  If you were to ask me bake something you would find me cowering in the corner. 

I’ve never been one to bake.  In the past I’ve managed to do ruin everything, cakes, brownies, cookies (even the ones that come in a tube), etc.  I just learned to avoid the whole baking experience and leave it up to my baking sister (who, mind you can cook but I’m better!).

But recently I’ve gotten the baking bug.  Who the heck knows where that came from but I’ve been making muffins, cookies and just recently a Red Velvet Cake.

Oh yeah, Red Velvet Cake!

Not one of the easiest cakes to ease your way into the baking world. 

But I did it, with a little advice from my favorite cake lady Alice, and now I would love to share this tasty cake recipe and share my journey of this daunting cake making task with you!

The recipe for this Red Velvet Cake came from one of my favorite blogs, Bakerella.

She can whip up some yummy stuff!!! 

So here's the recipe. 

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
• Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.
• Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.
• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.
• Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Using a toothpick is key!  With the amount of oil that is in the cake might make it look "wet" and I learned some people have a tendency to over bake because of this.  Keep an eye on it and test, test, test!)   
• After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.
• Then make the frosting.

So I mixed!

And I poured!

And I baked!

The oven, yes the oven, managed to burn a little spot.  I just cut it off and then gave my oven a good talking too!!!

I made frosting too, and I learned that you have to beat the living day lights out of it in order to get the right consistancy!  (See, I'm learning!!!)

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

• Sift sugar and set aside.
• Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.
• Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.   
• And frost away.

And I attempted to frost...

And then I had P take over. 

We both learned it's not easy to frost a cake!

(Sorry my photos are dark and yellow.  I was anti-flash at the time for some reason!)

And the finished product, ready for a trip to Cleveland and a family dinner this weekend!

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So that's my frist attempt at a cake.  I think it turned out okay! 

Now on to the next project!

Proud? Sort of the Opposite...

Ever been really proud of yourself? Someone been proud really of you? Easy to remember those moments, right? But, what about those that we'd rather forget...

So back in my younger days (which seem farther and farther away all the time) I attended a yearly sailing school during the summer in Annapolis, MD. Sailing capital of the world. Outside all day for two weeks straight. Nothing but sailing. With a bunch of teenage boys. Pretty sweet deal as a 15 year old girl, right?

By the end of the two weeks, the instructors and leaders of the camp handed out awards to all the campers. Some for winning races, tying a series of knots the fastest - you know...sailing stuff. Not only were all the campers in attendance, all of our parents, siblings, and friends came too. Pretty fun deal!

Well, the last year I attended, I won three different awards - two of which I was excited about and the third, not so much. I was crowned Ms. MRSA (Magothy River Sailing Association) - basically the queen of the camp. Score! Second was an award for being undefeated in the races we held for our age group. Bigger score!! Third, and this pains me to admit (but at least you'll laugh), was...drum roll...the worst Sailor's Mouth award. I was given a bar of soap. A bar of Irish Spring. I'll never forget it. Getting on the water did something to me. I was competing against 10 guys...and I wasn't about to lose. Little, innocent, 15 year old, me...

Mr. and Ms. MRSA 1996 - we were cool!

Reluctantly accepting my, ahem, award. Ahhhh, my parents have probably never been more proud!

It's Someone's Birthday At Life After Sorority!!

Happy Birthday Beth!!

...and happy 4 year wedding anniversary

tomorrow to you and Tim!!

We hope you have a wonderful day!!

XOXO

Jenn & Erin

The Nesting Instinct

The Nesting Instinct:

Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the "nesting" instinct can set in.

This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world.

So I understand that every pregnant woman goes through some form of "nesting" before the baby arrives. I thought my time was starting in early January when I made goals to organize every room in the house.

Some where between the working full time and running a small business out of the house, the place fell apart! It looked like we just moved in again! Boxes, trash, clothes, and random mail was everywhere. This put me into a constant stage of stress and panic. I worked so hard in the beginning of January to get things in order. I had the energy, time, and somewhat smaller belly to work with. I just couldn't believe it was all destroyed and there was no way this baby could come into a house like this! My Mom and Jon, said that they would help me and somehow I would be organized.

Well, the “nesting” officially set in this past weekend!

All day Sunday and Monday, and about an hour or two each night I have been cleaning and organizing a room in the house.

Sometimes, our house seems so BIG and overwhelming and it just sucks me in, and I have no idea where to begin. I still didn't think it would get done, but by some act of God (or just plain luck) this past weekend, between my mom, Jon, and I we finished the baby’s room, organized & cleaned the loft, formal living room, living room, and I steam vacuumed the carpets!

Now, I still have the kitchen, dinning room, guest room, laundry room, master bedroom, 2 bathrooms, the 1/2 bath, and the basement to clean & organize, but I honestly feel like I will be able to finish them within the next few weeks!! Then its, installing a fence for the dogs and a new back door!!

So much to do in the next 20 weeks!!

You can see the nursery progress... HERE!!

The Good Old Days!

I came across some old pictures from our BG days!

I cannot beleive that some of these are over 10 years ago!

Man, does time fly by!

Summer 2002 -Heidi's 21st Birthday!
Jenn wearing glasses with a blue cup & Beth in the front with a pink shirt!

Spring 2000 Pledge Class

Fall 2000 Bid Day!!

@ Steph's Wedding
Beth is in the 2nd row on the left, pregnant with her first baby (Grant)!!
Jenn is in the front row in the middle ...I miss my long hair!!

Finding My Balance

Like many, I struggle with finding a balance in my life. I have spent the last year trying t find it among working full time as a caseworker, family time, growing my wine light business, struggling through infertility (and concurring it!!), maintaining friendships and giving back to others and the community. As many of you know it isn’t easy! Even when trying to focus on one task you are less then 100% because you are concerned about dropping one of the other balls you are trying to juggle. We all do it in one way or another.

While trying to organize and get the house ready for baby girl Sommer who arrives in just 21 weeks (OMG!!), I realized that in the past year or so, I completely let my house go! It was a mess, nothing was where it is suppose to be! So, now with the help of my mom and husband we are slowly going through every room, closet,  drawer, nook and cranny and donating what we don’t use anymore, organizing, simplifying, and putting some items aside for a garage sale in May. It is a huge task, but I think once it is completed our home life will be balanced!

If any of you have found the secret to finding balance, please share! The only answer that seems to come to me, is ‘forgiveness’. Forgiving yourself for not being perfect and for not being able to do it all seems to me to be the only way to survive the balance struggle.

What are your thoughts on finding balance?

Let's Talk New Years Resolutions!

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It’s mid-February and I have a feeling that most people’s New Years Resolutions have been put the way-side.

Am I right?

Come on, be honest!

I’ll admit that I’m not 100% on track either, or have ever been 100% on track.  My New Year just so happened to started out with having a horrible case of the stomach/intestinal flu.  Seriously, I got it on New Years Eve and it lasted till the first week of 2011.  By the time I got better classes had started and my motivation to start new goals had been thrown out the window. 

Some of my goals were to lose the 10 pounds I gained over the fall/winter, volunteer more and to not get so stressed out (basically work on controlling my stress in a more positive way). 

Well with the flu I lost 5 pounds but managed to gain those back within a week. 

Wonderful right!?

I don’t seem to have any time to volunteer since school gets in the way all the time! 

Stupid school!

And my stress level has been heightened since I recently quit my job to go to school part-time and take on a nurse’s aid position at a local hospital working twelve’s!

Even though the first month and a half of 2011 has kicked my butt I’ve decided to kick it back.  I mean there are so many changes going on in my life right now that eventually they all have to work themselves out and adding a couple more things to the mix won’t hurt right?

So for the 10 pounds I want to lose I’ve decided to join Weight Watchers.  So far I’ve lost 5 pounds and have learned a lot about eating right.  But WW has its challenges like tracking, trying to find healthy snacks that fill you up, etc.  In time I will be sharing some of the recipes I’ve tried, some are phenomenal!  You would never guess they were WW.

Oh, and we bought an elliptical.  That should help out too right?!?  Just need to get my butt on the thing!

Now the volunteering thing is going to have to be put aside until I can see if I can work it into my schedule. 

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And for my stress level I’ve turned to yoga!  I can’t say enough great things about yoga.  It relaxes me and it’s a great workout.  My arms are starting to look great! 

So how have your New Years Resolutions gone?  Are you still on track?  What keeps you motivated?  I’d love to know!!!