Huz-been HACKED

Ever since I bought Natalie her sweet DSLR, I've been known to take some absolutely amazing pictures. These pictures are of extreme artistic quality, but sadly Natalie refuses to post them on the blog for your viewing pleasure. Without further delay, please enjoy some of the most artistically moving photos you'll ever see. You're welcome. 

A Pot WITHIN a Pot

Lonely Pig

The next few photos are a series I've aptly titled "A Picture OF a Picture" (emphasis added)

Lonely Flower

Caution

And my personal favorite...

Angry Dood

Avocado Face

Nothing like a little avocado face for this boy. Noah has been eating us out of the house- endless hunger. It's amazing how much can fit in that santa belly. He goes to bed with his belly totally popped and wakes up a skinny mini. I think his metabolism never stops- I'm not surprised- he never stops right now. He is wild and crazy- like all little boys are supposed to be. I cherish the snuggle moments, but right now, you will more often than not find me trying to keep up with him. We "gogogogogo" as Noah likes to say.

With tax season upon me, this  blog has and will be neglected for a while. I've been taking mental notes about the 17 month post coming this week. This month Noah has grown so much- both mentally and physically. It blows my mind- something new everyday.  I also have some really cute pictures from this weekend where we did a Bike/Baby wash! I'll post soon.

Happy Monday!

Birthday

With my birthday falling on a Monday in the middle of tax season, we decided to do the family celebration last Saturday. My family's tradition is the birthday girl/boy can pick any restaurant . Matt's idea was that we try a new place- I chose Fonda San Miguel and it was quite the treat. Noah loved the atmosphere and devoured the food. My dad and mom sat between Noah and entertained him the whole time- happy birthday to me! I was able to actually enjoy my food and not bat away the grubby hands trying to eat from my plate.  It was a an awesome birthday. Here are a couple pictures from the night!

The group shot

I don't think I knew I'd be in this picture- I thought it was a cake solo. Tres Leches = delicious.

The dood and my dad liked it too

Organic

I had always wondered what all the hype was about going "organic". It seemed like a label the grocery store would put on food to charge more money. I was very skeptical that it could taste better or stay fresh longer, but I have to admit- I was wrong. Matt and I did "organic" for a whole month in February and for the most part, we liked what we saw-besides the grocery bill at the end of the month.

Meat- The first thing we noticed is how much better grass fed meat tastes. My oh my! It makes a world of difference. Although I miss buying the $3.85 pound of ground beef from our local grocer HEB, this is something we have decided to switch over to permanently.

Juice- Matt and I considered buying a juicer, but with a small kitchen we decided it's best just to buy the pre-made Odwalla, Naked, or Bolthouse juices. This has become a part of our everyday routine. Noah even loves them. Our favorite is one made by Boathouse that has spinach, broccoli, kiwi, banana, and lots of other good stuff. It doesn't look very appetizing but it's a nice way to get your fruits and vegetables in for the day.

Eggs- I can't really tell a difference in the taste of the eggs at all, but it isn't that much more expensive to buy organic so this will stick as well. Costco sells them really cheap- SCORE!

Fruits/Vegetables- I'll admit- the flavor is better with organic. Avocados, bananas, apples, and berries- they all taste sweeter.  Broccoli, squash, and zucchini - all taste much crisp and cleaner. However, Matt and I have tweaked this organic purchase plan for our family. Because the pesticides don't really mess with the fruits and vegetables with shells, we have decided to do a mixture of organic and non-organic. If you are interested in the ones that you don't need to buy organic, you can just Google it. There is a list out there.

Milk- It really does taste better. We exclusively buy organic milk and purchase it in bulk because it lasts forever. I love organic milk (yes, even the whole milk). I have added some of it to my diet and noticed that the fat in the whole milk makes me feel fuller longer. Although there are extra calories, it tastes delicious and keeps me satisfied longer.

Greek yogurt- I finally got Matt on this train. He was anti it for so long because of the cost, but we both notice a huge difference in our appetite with including Greek yogurt in our lunches. We actually feel full. With Yoplait, it was just sugar. It had some protein but not the 14g that Greek yogurt has to offer. Costco also sells this in bulk- YIPPPPEEE!

Sweets- There really any worthwhile organic sweets out there. I mean sure there are, but IMO (in my opinion-Matt had to teach me this blogger lingo) it's not worth buying an $8 dollar quarter gallon of soy organic ice cream that tastes like sour milk. I still stick to the Blue Bell and have no shame. DONE.

I think that's all for now. I will end this post with some cute pictures of the DOOD.  

He's BEARY cute!

Beary snuggled!

AND BEARY MUCH GOING TO HATE US FOR THESE PHOTOS IN ABOUT 10 YEARS! 

Dallas Trip

Two weeks ago, Matt and I headed to Dallas to visit a Clinical Psychology program at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Matt is looking at two schools- one in Austin and one in Dallas. It’s been such an amazing journey to figure out where the Clem's will be for the next four to five years. I’m very proud of Matt and all that he has accomplished scholastically. My overall take away from this year long experience is this: it’s amazing how God works out all the small details of life even when we least expect it.

The same weekend of the school visit also happened to be Kaleb’s first birthday, so we were able to celebrate with the cute birthday boy! 

We stayed with my very best college friend/MOH and her husband both nights in Carrolton. It was a complete blast. They have newly remodeled their house and done such an amazing job. Noah thought John and Leeann were awesome. Let me just say this- Noah had the ultimate meltdown at dinner that Friday night and John took him outside to cruise for chicks/chips. It blessed us so much. John took some pictures to prove it. 

Photo John sent me that Friday night when he had to take the crying baby out of the restaurant-
cruising for chicks

Noah did not want to leave them. He loved going on walks with John and watching Shaun the Sheep with Leeann. They will be the best parents.

We are still praying over where Matt and I will be next fall. God has been so gracious, and we are excited to see what He has in store. Enjoy the pictures from that weekend- didn't take many. These are really from one day and Ashley sent me Kaleb's birthday one. #photographerfail We also were able to see Alli and Justin one night. I'm kicking myself for not bringing the new camera. 

Zilker Kite Festival

This week I plan on blogging about our last weekend in Dallas and how the organic challenge went for the month of February. I haven't really said much about either of those, so it's time.

But tonight……

I want to post the pictures from the Kite Festival (the largest in the nation held out our very own Zilker Park). I was exhausted from working Saturday and entertaining the dood afterwards, but Matt convinced me that in order to "live Austin" we had to go. So dragging my feet (a little bit), I agreed and made sure that we could just go straight from church. We packed snacks, milk, and our walking shoes. I'm so glad we did- it was a complete blast and a gorgeous day to be outside.

How did we do Austin this afternoon ? Well, I'll tell you. First, we went to a smoothie place right off the trail called JuiceLand that I have been dying to go to for like three years. I picked out the HoneyBear with blueberries (banana, peanut butter, honey, rice milk, and blueberries!) and Matt got some kind of mystery. We still aren't sure. He thought he ordered Orange Kush but it definitely was bright green and nothing orange about it. All he could taste was the peanut butter. Would I go there again? Yes! Was it expensive? Yes! Did I love it? Yes!

Anyways, onto the kite festival. It was the perfect day to fly kites and Noah had a blast. He kept calling them "gaga's" (birds) and chasing them. Let me just say I have kite flying skills- Matt not so much. Next time, we will practice before hand ! It seriously was the perfect windy weather. I highly recommend  going next year it if you can find a place to park. We stayed on the outskirts and didn't venture into the heart of the festival where there was a mob of Austinites. It was great to get out and walk. We walked over 5 miles just getting around there. 

I hate crowds and this isn't even the most packed part...

Small glimpse of the kite sky!

Happy Sunday!