a backyard concert...

Hoefer House Band 7.13.13 from Leah Rife on Vimeo.

On Saturday, we had the privilege of enjoying a wonderful outdoor concert in my sister's backyard.  Landon's brother, Daniel, and a bunch of his friends are an incredibly talented group of musicians, and they played and sang for us for two hours under the sky.  It was such a relaxing and fun evening, as family and friends gathered to listen, eat, and fellowship.  Hannah put together a delicious S'mores bar, and there was a cotton candy machine that Landon's other brother, Benjamin, brought.  Finn absolutely loved it, and sang and danced along with the music.  It brought me so much happiness to see so many people together just appreciating the simple things in life on a warm summer night.

farm fresh...

We have been enjoying checking out the farmers markets around here this season.  It feels so good to get up on a Saturday morning and head out to buy veggies, fruits, and eggs from the local vendors.  If the weather is nice, we try to bike or walk on the Monon and get a little activity in as a family.

This past Saturday my mom came with us, and we walked a little ways up to Carmel to the market and had a wonderful morning.  We bought these delicious free-range eggs and have been savoring them ever since.  I also tried a walking waffle for the first time, and it was mouth-watering.  It's a dense waffle with sugar cubes mixed into the batter, and it is heaven in your mouth, pretty much. :)

We hope to have many more Saturday mornings together as a family, trying new treats, buying fresh food, and supporting our local farmers.

P.S.  Happy July!!

a wonderful weekend...

Landon and I got a special treat of having an entire weekend to ourselves this past weekend.  Finn went to Landon's parents' house, and we got three glorious days of kid-free fun.  It was bliss, (although an hour after Finn was gone, I was looking at pictures of him and watching videos of him on the ipad....)  Gosh, I missed that little guy.

Anyway, we had a beautiful time just relaxing, staying up late, making lots of noise when we went downstairs after 8pm since there wasn't a baby to wake up, drinking a bit, eating a lot, and just enjoying uninterrupted attention on one-another.

Some highlights...

*Indianapolis Indians baseball game complete with hot brats and large beers.  We got to sit right behind home plate, which, I found out, is where all the scouts sit.  So instead of sitting with screaming 4th graders, we got to enjoy a calm group of old guys constantly writing things down, using stop watches, and holding speed guns.  It was pretty awesome.

*Heading to the farmer's market on saturday morning for fresh produce and breakfast.  We loved running into our old birthing class instructor and checking out all the vendors.  It was a gorgeous day for a market.

*Checking out a ton of garage sales in our neighborhood and snagging some great deals.  And by great deals, I mean a potty training chair for 5 bucks?!?! (Perspectives change so much after kids...)
At one point I joked with Landon that we were in a romantic comedy with all the cliché little activities we were doing. :)

*Taking a long bike ride.  We picked up a nice used bike for me on Friday and I love it.  It is so much faster than my old college bike, so I'm sure we'll be out a lot more now.

*Watched a movie.  In a real theater.  Like, for real!  It's been so long since we've seen a movie in the theaters, and it was so nice.  We saw the new Star Trek movie and we both really enjoyed it.

*Hanging out with two of our friends downtown Carmel on Saturday night.  We looked at some local art galleries, and then went to Union Brewing Co. and enjoyed some great drinks and delicious fries from a food truck.  These friends are hilarious and genuine, and we always have great conversation when we're with them.

Needless to say we had a wonderful weekend together, and felt a bit like our old dating selves for a few days.  Every couple (especially with kids) needs to take a mini vacation like this periodically 'cause it's awesome. :)

hello friday...

Well it's Friday, again.  We have had a busy week.  Last Friday, Finn had surgery on his thumb to release what's called "trigger thumb."  He was such a champ, and I was more concerned than he was.  He didn't cry when the nurse took him away, he bounced back pretty quickly afterwards, and he got a balloon, so he was happy the whole time. :)  They had to put him all the way under, and I was nervous about it, but he did great and his thumb is on it's way to being healed.

I've also been working on finishing a wedding job this week.  It's not just any wedding though, it is my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's wedding.  It's been so fun to look through all the photos of their day again and remember how fun (and hot) that day was.  It is so amazing to me how photos don't necessarily show the temperature of the day.  It was very hot the day they got married, but you wouldn't know it from looking through the photos.  Same with our wedding.  It was super cold that day, but it looks like the perfect fall weather when you flip through our album.

Gearing up for a nice weekend at home with my guys.  I've got a roast in the slow cooker, we're taking it easy tomorrow, and Sunday we are doing worship team at church.  We love being a part of the band on Sundays and I love getting to play my violin regularly.

I read this really good quote today in a parenting book I'm reading through.  It stuck out to me and I want to meditate on it all weekend, and beyond.  I feel like the concept is so true and yet so often overlooked.

"Love breeds happiness.  You really cannot have happiness without love." 

You and Your Child

I hope this weekend is great for you all.  Enjoy each moment.

hello friday...

Wow this week flew. by.  The funniest part is that nothing really profound happened...just a quiet week at home with the boys.

But I do have a few favs from this week....

*Favorite moment with friends:  Having an Oscars Party with my sister Hannah, her husband Jon, and our niece Emery.  We had appetizers, made these cookies, and watched Seth McFarlane make inappropriate jokes.  Also, Jennifer Lawrence is so cool...I once fell off the stage during a wedding, so she made me feel better when she tripped on the stairs.

*Favorite physical activity: At my boss's yearly color party on Saturday, we all made a Harlem Shake video.  Probably the best party moment ever.  It was a party, so no judgements please.  :)



*Favorite Pin: I have to post it because it's so funny.

Source: julia.blogg.se via Leah on Pinterest

I mean, come on.

*Favorite quote: "You cannot love someone you do not know." - You And Your Child

*Favorite song from the week: Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

*Favorite meal of the week:  Breakfast for dinner at small group!  Delicious casseroles, monkey bread, and fruit.  Ahhh.  Loved it.

*Favorite movie watched: Coco Avant Chanel.  If you've never seen this, you totally should!  It's a beautiful and artistic French film about the humble beginnings of  a fashion designer.  One of my favorites.

*Favorite design project:  Currently, I have none, but I do have two weddings I'm editing for work...and they are beautiful!  I love getting to work on wedding photos for my job!

*Favorite realization:  I don't have to worry about my future.  My God is in control, and He wants what's best for me.  My job is to embrace each moment of each day, and live them in love for Him and for other people.

*Favorite moment with Finn: The other night after an early supper, Landon and I just hung out with Finn in our living room.  He was crazy funny that night, rocking in our chair, screaming, playing, and just having a wonderful time.  I love that kid more than I can say.

Have a fantastic weekend, friends!  I am heading out for some girl time with my pal Ballard and a couple other girls.  Then, Landon and I are having a quiet weekend at home.  Looking forward to some great time as a family.

our weekend...or, "some of the best eateries in Louisville..."

Landon and I had a really wonderful time in Louisville this past weekend.  After dropping Finn off at my aunt and uncle's house, we checked into our beautiful hotel, then grabbed a cab and headed out for dinner.

My uncle recommended a place called Garage Bar on Market street.  He said it was a foodie type place with a young chef and fabulous food.  Think hipster pizza, servers wearing street clothes, lots of exposed wood, craft beer, and Matt and Kim playing in the background.  We loved it.  For an appetizer, we got boiled peanuts...a new experience for us.  They were really good and salty.  I had a Canadian beer, and Landon had a Gimlet, and we each tried one of the wood-baked pizzas.

Afterwards, we walked the streets back to our hotel and ordered a dessert of derby pie with a berry compote.  It topped the evening off perfectly.

The next day we slept in, I repeat, slept in.  We tried to go out for a brunch, but ended up in Bardstown road area for lunch at Tom + Chee which was the best thing ever.  They had basically any combination of grilled cheese you could ever think of, along with delicious soups.  I had a roast beef and cheddar sandwich with creamy tomato basil soup.  Perfect for the chilly day.

We ended our food tour of Louisville at the Java Brewing Company for hot drinks and a nutella crepe.

Needless to say, we are back to our slow-carb diet this week (after eating monkey bread last night.)  We had the best time exploring the restaurants of Louisville and spending some quality time with each other.  We actually sat down and talked about serious things, dreams for the future, and plans for the upcoming year.  We treasure these times away from Finn as we know our marriage benefits from these intentional times together.  While it's not often we can make the time (or money) to get away for a weekend like this, it's so good when we do.

In case you were wondering if Finn had any fun without us, here's a little peek:

weekend...

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I am looking forward to a lovely weekend at home.  It's finally fall, and though a bit warmer here, the mornings are cool and the days are bright.

Tomorrow at 8am, we are running in a 5k race at a church nearby.  Running that color me rad race really got us pumped up, and we just want to keep up our momentum.  Finn especially loves our runs, as he gets to be outside in the woods.  He loves the dogs, birds, and squirrels we see.  The other day we saw a snake and tried to get him to get excited, but he really wasn't interested.

In the afternoon, we're checking out a fall festival at the same church as the race.  Hopefully there will be apple cider and/or pumpkin flavored goodies.

We are driving downtown to pick up some tickets for a Jim Gaffigan show in November that we are going to with my sister and her husband.  We might have time to check out Mass Avenue, which is a really neat artsy neighborhood in Indy and has a lot of great restaurants and shops.

Sundays are always my favorite.  We aren't on worship team at church this weekend, so we can sleep in, get there a few hours later than normal, and just enjoy the community and the message.  We usually take a nap or rest, then grocery shop and maybe go to our favorite local coffee house.

We loved the butternut squash risotto we had last week, so I'm making it again...perfect for a fall weekend.

(Our weekends are far from perfect, though.  There will be plenty of laundry, cleaning, changing icky diapers, calming a fussy baby, and dishes.  But, such is life, and we are living in it every day.)

a fall breakfast...

Well it sure feels like fall around here with the cool weather, bright skies, and the sun setting earlier.  Fall is for sure my favorite season, and I'm excited to experience it with our son this year.  We'll try to go to a pumpkin patch, the Renaissance Faire, have apple cider from back home, and try some great recipes.

Two nights ago, I made a Butternut Squash Risotto that was pretty tasty, and today I made pumpkin muffins for my breakfast.  They are the perfect pairing with my cup of coffee.

Here's the recipe I adapted from a few sites:

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 c. natural sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. baking powder (we've cut out traditional baking powder from the house and make this substitute.)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. natural applesauce
1/2 c. cold water
1 c. pure pumpkin

Mix everything together in one bowl.  Place in greased muffin tins.  Bake at 325° for about 40 minutes.

I am getting really excited because tomorrow, Landon's brother and his wife are coming to watch Finn overnight so Landon and I can go to a bed and breakfast to celebrate an early anniversary.  Ben and Casey got us a gift certificate for this adorable place a few hours away, and we are really really looking forward to a whole 24 hours without a baby.  We'll check out some hiking, I'm taking this new book to read, and just do a lot of relaxing.

This will be the first time away from Finn overnight, so hopefully I can just forget about him and enjoy the time with my husband.

What about you, what are your plans for this weekend?

Have a great one!

color me rad...

On Saturday, Landon and I were able to run in the Color Me Rad 5k that was here in town.  My parents came to watch and take care of Finn while we ran.  What a fun race!  First off, it wasn't timed, so no pressure there, secondly...color thrown at you while you run!  :)  There were thousands of people out running and walking, and it was probably the most fun race we've ever done.

If you ever get a chance to do this kind of race, do it!  It's a blast, light-hearted, and just fun to participate in.  There were so many different people running or walking, whole families came out together.  Loved it!  Also, I've got the itch now to run, so we're signing up for another 5k soon.

Thanks to my Dad for taking all of the photos, and thanks to my Mom for strolling Finn around!

family...

Over the weekend, we had family time at my parents' place.  They recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, so all of us kids and our significant others came back home to help them celebrate.  We were all there except my youngest brother, who lives in Denver and works all the time.  It's hard for him to get away, but he was there with us in spirit.

Going home was so good.  We did a lot of relaxing, a lot of laughing, and ate some really good food.  What more do I need, right? :)  It was also a pleasure to meet my brother Jonah's girlfriend, Anna.  We have decided that she is perfect for him, makes him the best version of himself, and she should just go ahead and plan on staying around for a long time.  Seriously, my brother gave me a kiss on the cheek when we said goodbye and he never does that!

Saturday morning we started out by watching our college football team, Notre Dame, soundly defeat Navy over in Ireland!  What a great start to the season, and how exciting to watch it play out on the Emerald Isle.  Of course, we had to get all the grandkids in their team garb in a picture with Gramps.  They don't even know it yet, but they are die-hard fans. :)

We spent the afternoon relaxing, then headed to a place nearby called Ghyslain, a french style chocolate bistro.  Can not even believe how delicious my peanut butter cheesecake was, and how smooth and mellow the french press coffee to go along was too.

There were lots of games played, some outdoor "olympics," and then labor day with the Rife family.  A lot of things crammed into one weekend...I have so many pictures, I'll probably have to do a second blog another time.

This was such a great weekend all together.  The older we get, it seems it's harder to get together all at once.  I treasure these times so much.

P.S. I took portraits of everyone, but completely forgot my poor husband Landon. :( Also, some of these photos were taken by my brother, and maybe someone else too.