Condensing Fall into the Size of an Acorn

Before the holidays consume grace us with their presence, I need to give a proper acknowledgement to all we have had going on in recent weeks.  In a nutshell, there was a mini home improvement project, a few date nights (hello, babysitter!), new foods for Elisa, an uneventful Halloween (hence no post) and the sobering realization that along with the holidays comes my baby girl's first birthday.  That means that a year ago at this time, I had not met her, and I did not yet know of her brightly dimpled grin or her deep brown eyes.

People have been trying to define, characterize, and understand "time" since, well, the beginning of it!  It goes by fast and slow all at once.  Some moments in time are blurred and some stand out for no reason other than a brief detail that helps you cling to the memory.  With respect to the last year (and I'll likely reflect on this again when Elisa turns 1 on the 14th of December), I think back on what has gone by fast and what has gone by slowly.   Overall, it has gone by in the blink of an eye.  The nights of discomfort caused by teething or a nasty virus seemed to take far too long to pass, and the happier moments of wagon rides, learning to crawl, and snuggles with Luna are over too quickly for me to even snatch a photo.  Of course, I have thousands of photos of these great times, but I do notice that the number of pictures I have taken has dwindled as the months have gone by.  I like to think it is because I'm busy living and enjoying the moments and not spending it behind the lens, but I would be kidding myself if I said I didn't want more of these moments frozen in time, at least on paper.  Enter lifetime professional photographer to accompany us wherever we go!  (Anyone...?)

Isn't that just what time does, though, as we get older... much like sand, it becomes harder to hold onto the harder we squeeze.  I'll pause from my nostalgic interlude with some photos to get us all up to speed!

Proof that we got out on a date night - celebrating our anniversary at the Beer Pairing Farm Dinner at McCollum Orchards in Lockport to support the Field and Fork Network. 

 Since the day we moved into our 50s ranch, I have really disliked the wood panel feature wall in the living room.  We had other priorities, though, and while I think Diego got along fine with it, I still had visions of painting it or complete wall demolition.  Somewhere amidst work, taking care of Elisa, and some tennis thrown in, I mustered up the energy to take on the project of revamping this area of our home.  After a few weeks of being patient with the right steps (cleaning, drying, sanding, prepping, priming...) I give you the finished product.  The wall hanging above the fireplace is a placeholder for something a touch more modern and sizable.  Gone are the black grout, brass fireplace insert, unsavory paneling, remaining lemon meringue built-ins...and in place of them is what you see below.

 Taken in the evening, though this doesn't do justice to the lovely and crisp Benjamin Moore White Dove I chose.  

 Reading our books = creating a book avalanche.

Pots and pans on the floor.