home

Home – NaBloPoMo

Posted on November 24, 2015 Written by Tonya

I have had 30 different homes.

I’ve lived with my mom and dad, my sister, dogs, cats, fish, roommates that became friends, boyfriends that became husbands, husbands that became fathers and two adorable children.

It doesn’t matter how many addresses I’ve had, they say home is where the heart is and they’re right.

Home is also where I can drink cereal milk straight from the bowl, remove my bra, pile my hair in a messy bun on top of my head, stay in jammies all day on Sunday’s and collapse into a bed where I know I’ll get a good night sleep.

Home is where every sound is familiar and comforting; my husband’s keys in the front door, Lola talking quietly in her crib, airplanes flying overhead starting at 7AM.

Home is shelter, a safe haven and a soft place to land, relax, live, eat, laugh and enjoy a glass of Cabernet.

I asked Lucas what home meant to him and he said, “my blanket, my room, and the people in it.” Perfect.

Today is the second anniversary of our family living in our current home, a house we patiently waited to be built. Lucas and I drove by it so many times leading up to our move-in date and just stared, both of us imagining our lives within its walls and under its roof. I took pictures of the progress and we talked about the life we’d make here.

Our house. October 24, 2013. One month before we moved in.

Our house on October 24, 2013, one month before we moved in.

Two years and so many memories.

Our home today, November 24, 2015.

I love my house but it’s the people I share it with that make it my home.

Dorothy was spot-on: There’s no place like it. As we journey through life―dodging the occasional wicked witch―it’s comforting to know that a cozy bed, loving arms, and perhaps even a Munchkin or two await, just across the threshold. – Real Simple

The Kitchen – NaBloPoMo

Posted on November 13, 2015 Written by Tonya

The first thing in the morning, it’s chilly, quiet, dark and spotless, but before long it comes to life and it gets crazy!

In my house, everything happens in the kitchen. It is the epicenter of the house, the heartbeat of our home.

Designed for preparing and cooking meals, the 4′ x 7′ granite island in the middle of our kitchen is the main focal point, not to mention the most used. Throughout the day, it serves as a dumping ground for mail, permission slips, library books, and receipts; it becomes a workstation, a place to do homework, take spelling tests, practice letters, complete puzzles, wrap presents, pay bills, write, arrange flowers, fold laundry and make arts and crafts.

My kitchen this morning.

With outlets on each side, a waffle maker, mixer, blender, handheld vacuum, phone charger or computer are always plugged in.

Our kitchen is our family’s home base, our favorite place to congregate, surrounded by our children’s artwork, the family calendar and our favorite foods. Most nights the island is our dining table too.

Two little people sit perched in bar stool sized chairs on one side of the island making requests for additional servings, more milk, a cup of yogurt, and umpteen other items, while my husband and I stand on the opposite side stealing bites of food from our own plates as we tag team the requests, shoo the dog away, clean as we go and attempt to connect as a family.

Whether three dozen cookies are cooling, a lasagna is being assembled, book reports are being written, holiday cards are being stuffed into envelopes, or dried paint dots are still visible from the last finger painting session, it’s always a vicious cycle of mess making and mess cleaning. My kitchen is both my favorite and least favorite room in the house.

The kitchen is where we come to laugh, play, learn, experiment, share, create, eat and love.

The kitchen is where we live.

Is your kitchen the heart of your home?

One Year Ago

Posted on November 20, 2014 Written by Tonya

It was the week of Thanksgiving.

I was 30 weeks pregnant.

We were surrounded by boxes. So many boxes!

We were beyond grateful to bid farewell to the small apartment we had lived in for nine months.

Our search for a new home had finally come to an end.

A year ago, as we fell into bed exhausted we listened to the sounds we are now accustomed to coming from our house and neighborhood and dreamed of filling cupboards and closets, covering the walls with our favorite art and photographs, furnishing a nursery and making family memories.

My belly was big and round and my back ached but I was happy. I was anxious to be settled, decorate for the holidays and mail our Christmas cards, which included our new address.

I can’t believe we have been in this house for a year. It seems so much smaller now and there are things we still want to (and need to) do. I guess that happens once you grow comfortable in your space.

In many ways our lives are the same as they were a year ago, but in the best ways, they have changed.

Yes, we really do have a white picket fence.

Complete

Posted on May 5, 2014 Written by Tonya

Flowers have started to bloom in the front yard and the trees have grown in the back.

We know which rooms get the most sunlight during the hottest part of the day.

The furniture in the living room has been rearranged for better flow. Twice.

Our belongings fill every cupboard and closet.

In the middle of the night the sounds aren’t so foreign.

We’ve met our neighbors, mailman and trash collectors.

We’ve learned the quickest route to the freeway and have a favorite restaurant within walking distance.

We are settling in.

Our new house isn’t so new anymore.

We have been here since mid-November and at the time, it was all about getting ready for Thanksgiving and then rushing to put up Christmas decorations and host the holiday (which sounds way more dramatic than it was… It was just my in laws, sister and her boyfriend for a couple of days) and then we were eager to take down decorations and focus wait for the baby.

Lola arrived the end of January and our house suddenly felt more like a home.

My husband put her crib together last weekend and her room is slowly starting to come together.

But it was only once we started putting pictures up on the walls recently that we started to feel more comfortable, like this was home, the right purchase for our family and a place where we could stay a while and make beautiful memories.

It’s a lovely process, making a house a home and truly feeling like your house is home.

Or maybe I’m just starting to feel more complete than I have in a long while.

Dear Baby Girl

Posted on December 31, 2013 Written by Tonya

My first Letters For Lucas post was Dear Baby Boy, a letter I wrote to Lucas before he was born. I wrote this letter when my heart was light and my cares were few. I was bursting in anticipation to meet our son and loved every minute of being pregnant with him. Looking back, I took my entire pregnancy for granted. I was native. I didn’t realize at the time what a miracle getting pregnant and staying pregnant was. A long hard three and half year battle with secondary infertility would teach me what a gift bringing a child into this world truly is.

Our baby girl will be here very soon and I know her arrival is going to be something I will have a hard time putting into words. It’s hard for my brain to go there even now as I feel her slowly move and adjust inside my belly. I can’t wait to meet her and hold her and kiss her and be her mother.

I wrote the following letter on Sunday, December 22 at 3:53 AM, I was 35 weeks pregnant:

Dear Baby Girl,

In just a few short weeks you will be here and I’m feeling surreal, scared and overwhelmingly happy. Finally, after years of trying, years of hoping and wishing and praying for you, you will be here.

My daughter. I never thought I would be the mother of a daughter, but now I can’t wait! It is such a wonderful time to be a woman in this world and I already know what a fighter you are.

You aren’t even here yet and I have fallen madly and completely in love with you and you will never know how much I have dreamt about the day we meet, in fact just thinking about it makes my heart twinge and eyes fill with tears. You are so very wanted and we have been waiting for you for so very long.

This is an exciting time for our family, we just moved into a beautiful new house but I know it won’t be until after your arrival that it starts to feel like a home; that it feels complete.

Your brother is anxious to meet you too and is already very protective of you. I hope the two of you will be the best of friends and that you protect him as well. He is an amazing boy and I know he will be a good big brother to you. Some day when your father and I are gone, he will be all you have left of us. Be there for one another and always be strengthening your relationship.

I know that you and I will have our ups and downs but we are forever bonded as mother and daughter and I will cherish you and our relationship always. May you never ever doubt my love.

Anxiously awaiting your arrival.

With all my love,
your mother

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I’ll love you for a thousand more.

– A Thousand Years, Christina Perri

(This was my “go to” song so many times throughout this journey to have you and I love the lyrics.)

How I Beat The Post-Holiday Blues

Posted on December 28, 2013 Written by Tonya

Our first Christmas in our new house was a memorable one and the 75+ degree temperatures have been weird and wonderful. I loved having my in-laws, sister and her boyfriend staying with us and still can’t believe all of my recipes turned out exactly the way they were suppose to. I think spent more time in the kitchen over the last week than I have all year (more on this in another post)! And nothing can compare to a child’s excitement over Santa’s arrival. Lucas was a ball of energy all week!

But now it’s over.

Just like that.

For me the worst part of Christmas is the aftermath: the tree has been taken down, most of the gifts have either been exchanged, returned for the correct size or put away, the last of the pie has been eaten, family and friends have gone home, the mailbox is no longer bursting with greetings and thank you cards have been started.

It’s sad.

So much excitement and anticipation goes into prepping for the holidays and then all at once, it’s over and the warm fuzzy feelings disappear.

Here are some ways I like to combat the post-holiday blues:

Create a scrapbook or fun collage to commemorate holiday memories.

Begin (or in my case, resume) an exercise program. I went for a walk this morning and it was mind clearing and felt great.

Daydream about summer and our next family vacation. We’re thinking Mexico and yes, with a new baby!

Do something productive… as if I haven’t been productive the last few months, making a baby and moving, etc., but I spent some time getting Lucas signed up for swim lessons, soccer and researched karate classes. I also packed a bag for the hospital and renewed my domain name. All of these tasks have been on my To Do list for weeks and I’m glad to have them behind me.

Treat myself. Like me, chances are you have been cooking and baking for family and friends and buying for others, so now is the time to schedule a massage or hair appointment, or some quiet time alone to curl up with a good book (or my brand new Kindle Paperwhite!!).

I know I’m not the only one that feels this way, so I reached out to a friend and we had a great phone call recapping the last few days and planning for the upcoming weeks.

How do you avoid the post holiday blues?

Whatever you do to get through this time, know that these feelings will soon pass and more good times are in store!

‘Twas The Week Before Christmas

Posted on December 17, 2013 Written by Tonya

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house
There were piles and messes and somewhere a spouse.
With all the shopping, decorating, cards and baking,
‘Tis the season, there was no mistaking.

With family on their way and a new home to set up,
The pressure inside my head is about to make me erupt!
With my to do, to buy, to return and to wrap list long,
I couldn’t help wondering where I’d done wrong.

I’m an organized person, I should be more on the ball,
But with a busy four year old on top of being 34 weeks pregnant, I’m afraid I can’t do it all!
Carrying a heavy load and wanting everything to be perfect,
Is not only stupid, it’s highly unrealistic!

With visions of a new baby girl swirling around my head,
It dawned on me that I need to take a step back in order to avoid all the dread.
It’ll all get done, one way or another.
I’m not a super hero, just another busy mother.

So with only seven days left to prepare
For only one of the biggest holidays of the year,
I’m raising my red flag and asking for HELP,
Seriously. Anyone will do, just yelp!

It’s taken me a while to learn that the holidays are meant for making memories and having fun,
Not crossing stuff off a list that you’ve done.
So instead of being busy, stressed out and uptight,
I’ve decided to light a fire, sit in front of the tree and put up my feet tonight.

I hope your week goes according to plan,
But if not, take after me and ask for a helping hand,
And above all else, please make time to enjoy,
Surround yourself with smiles, laughter, love, cookies and joy!

A Week Of Milestones

Posted on December 16, 2013 Written by Tonya

Hello friends, it has been a while. Almost an entire month in fact and in that time, we moved, decorated for Christmas, surpassed the critical 32 week point of my pregnancy (!) and were without Internet access for almost three weeks. It has been busy and we are anything but settled into our new home, but have already had guests, are hosting family and friends for Christmas and are enjoying making our house a home.

I’m currently sitting at the island in my beautiful new kitchen listening to holiday music, avoiding my very lengthy To Do list and thinking back on a week of some pretty big milestones for Lucas:

Milestone #1 For the first time EVER, Lucas ate what we ate for dinner!

Before becoming a parent I always said I would never be a short order cook, serving up a separate meal for my child, but having such a picky eater that was not the case in the least bit and until last Tuesday, that’s just what we did.

Tuesday he enjoyed pesto pasta with chicken and broccoli.

This is huge!

No separate meal.

I know it won’t happen every night, but we are headed in the right (and way more convenient) direction.

Milestone #2 While out to dinner on Saturday evening, Lucas asked to use the men’s restroom (gulp), which led to me sending this tweet while I waited (and worries):

I don’t know what the appropriate age is to let your son use the restroom by himself, but I know that I won’t be doing it again unless it is a another single stall situation.

Milestone #3 There are very few things in my life that I have had to have. These shoes purchased long before Lucas was even born were one of those things.

I completely fell in love with this New Balance sneaker, size 12(!) decked out with Oscar the Grouch, complete with several pesky flies. On the bottom of the sole, it says: “Have a yucky day!”. Having grown up watching Sesame Street, I just had to get them!

We bought them while in Old Town Pasadena in the Spring of 2009 and never thought our little boy would ever be able to wear them.

At 4 1/2 years old, Lucas’s tiny feet grew and grew are finally big enough to wear them!

Be still my heart, my little boy is no longer so little.

California Love

Posted on November 6, 2013 Written by Tonya

California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

I’ve lived in Southern California for almost 18 years and I love it! I wish the cost of living wasn’t so high and there were fewer people on the freeways, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else in country. Here are 8 reasons I love California:

1. 840 miles of breathtaking coastline.

2. California has to be one of the few places where you never have to leave to experience every other culture. San Francisco, Vallejo-Fairfield and Stockton are the top three most diverse cities in the country and Los Angeles is home to the largest Thai Town, Little Tokyo, Little Ethiopia, and San Francisco has the biggest China Town.

3. According to The Wine Institute, there are nearly 4000 wineries in California and Californian wines out-rank all other wine-making places. Rich and full-bodied, light and fruity, deep red to crystal white, the wines produced here are outstanding!

4. Disneyland. Enough said.

5. One day you can be snowboarding, the next laying on a beautiful beach working on your tan and the day after that enjoying the desert. Depending on your mood and desired activity, you can have any setting imaginable.

6. The weather! Southern California averages 35 days a year with measurable rain. The rest of the time? Nothing but sunshine!! It’s November 6 and while some people are seeing first snow falls and using their heaters, it was 80 degrees here today.

Enjoying a Fall day at one of our favorite parks in San Diego – November 6, 2013

7. Hollywood, the epicenter American film.

8. My husband was born and raised here and I am glad that my son was and will be too!

Not that I need more reasons to love Cali, but if you do, these are some gorgeous photos of my state: 32 Reasons California Is The Most Beautiful State In The Country.

This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, Prompt 4.) List 8 best reasons you love living in your state.

______________________________________________________

Day 6: I’m thankful for doggie day care places like The Bone Adventure that put up with our pooch er, I mean, look after our beloved pet while Lucas and I have a fun outing! #30daysofgratitude

Almost Ours

Posted on November 4, 2013 Written by Tonya

I had an amazing childhood. My parents worked in American International schools and I got to live in many different parts of the world. I loved moving from country to country, meeting interesting people, experiencing unique cultures, customs and foods, but there was always a part of me that wished we could have stayed put for a while, built roots and had a home base.

And this house?

This is the house I wish I had grown up in.

This is the house that my husband and I will raise our family in.

This house is almost ours.

After eight l o n g months, our days of apartment living are finally coming to an end!!

Our new home has four bedrooms, including an in-law suite (!), three bathrooms, one of which is a Jack and Jill bathroom that I have always dreamed of, a gorgeous walk-in closet, a custom dog run for Charlie Pasta, a nice size yard and is back in the neighborhood we want to be in. Time for us to payback on play dates, dinners and holiday gatherings!

We are so excited, grateful and relieved we found something just in time for baby girl’s arrival.

The next few weeks are going to be crazy busy with packing, unpacking, decorating for the holidays, gearing up for baby and making this house our home. I can’t wait!!

Day 4: There are many, many things I won’t miss about apartment life, but topping the list is not having an assigned parking spot. I will not miss circling our complex after a late night event, holding my breath and cursing to myself trying to find a spot, or having to park half a mile away. I can’t wait to have a driveway and a garage again! Seriously, it’s the little things. #30daysofgratitude

Home – NaBloPoMo

Related Posts:

The Kitchen – NaBloPoMo

Related Posts:

One Year Ago

Related Posts:

Complete

Related Posts:

Dear Baby Girl

Related Posts:

‘Twas The Week Before Christmas

Related Posts:

A Week Of Milestones

Related Posts:

Almost Ours

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

Related Posts:

What I Write About