My Weekend Waddle

Peter had a training in San Francisco this past week. We spent the week on our babymoon, our last hurrah before baby girl joins us. We got to explore an amazing city, eat great food, and see some old friends. We had such a fun week and fell in love with this city! Baby girl and I got to do some exploring of our own while Peter was in training. We did a LOT of walking and hiking, it was so worth it but my feet and back let me know I am definitely pregnant. Some of the looks people gave me while I huffed and puffed on my hike were priceless!  :) 

Baby girl and I on our seaside adventure! There were ruins from an old hotel bath house that was built in the 1800's and burned down. It has an East Coast feel, the weather was foggy and cool and I was so content! After hiking around and seeing the ruins, the forest and the Golden Gate Bridge I ate at a little mom and pop restaurant (that was cash only) read a book and then went and  sat on the edge of a cliff and watched some surfers... what a perfect day!

On Saturday we went to do some tourist stuff ... so did the rest of the West Coast. America's Cup was going on and so was Ghirardelli's chocolate festival. After driving around for over a hour looking for parking we were so happy to park and also SO hungry! We ate and then walked around the harbor, it was a beautiful day and we saw Alcatraz, lots of weird people, some very steep hills, lazy sea lions (which I loved!) and we topped it off with some chocolate at Ghirardelli Square. After our full day we went and met a friend for dinner. We had such a great time and feel so blessed for the time we were able to spend as a family of 2 but we can't wait to meet baby girl and have her join our adventures! Only a few weeks left till she arrives and she is as active as ever, we get so excited when her little feet come out the side of my belly and her hiccups make me look like I am doing a belly dance. Sometime Peter gets a huge smile on his face out of no where and when I ask what he's doing he just says "I can't wait to meet her!" Come soon little one!

3 Year Recap

After a long absence from blogging and being yelled at by my sister. I decided to recap life over the past 3 years by going through my tweets. Here's what I came up with.



2011: Got married. Moved into our first apartment together. Got a dog. Dog was crazy (we loved him anyways). We both changed jobs. We moved closer to DC. Dog got attacked by a crazy person's wild dog (he almost died and cost us thousand, the lady yelled at us ... clearly it was our fault that she owned a vicious animal ...). I nannied (one of the best years of my life, loved the family I nannied for, so thankful for them). Met my Chinese sister - in - law for the first time.


2012: Worked at a respite care center for kids with multiple disabilities. Started taking classes again. Shot a lot of weddings. Started working in Special Ed again at an elementary school. Moved again. Had a LOT of visitors (which we loved). Spent a lot of time in DC. Went to a LOT of Nats games. Dreamt about the future. 



2013: Got pregnant (didn't know it.) Found out why I was acting so crazy. Peter worked in Texas M-F. I grew. Found out it's a girl. Peter came home on weekends. I grew. Found out we were moving to California, really soon. Packed up while Peter was in Texas. Lost our minds a little. I grew. Said some goodbyes. Left D.C. Vacationed with family in Maine. Moved from the East  Coast to West Coast. Currently settling in Cali and getting ready for Baby to join this crazy, never boring life! 


2/4/11 I want a dog...I've been told no. I have since named and become hopelessly attached to my someday dog

3/18/11 Its officially puppy day!!!! Oh and my parents are coming to visit! What a weekend!!!

3/30/11 Elbie is somehow finding ways to poop across the room while locked in his crate...

4/15/11 My mother: I'm so happy, enjoy marriage while you can, then there are kids...Me: um hello?

4/17/11 Walking in DC a mother yells:"kids, you be careful! Squirrels can be aggressive!!" Who knew?

4/19/11 At the vet...waiting for Elbies induced vomiting to start so he can rid himself of THE chicken wing

6/1/11 Took Elbie to the lake, found he's pretty good at swimming, Really good at pooping in the canoe

6/11/11 Just got hit twice. The car hit us from behind and then the guy forgot to put hi car in park when he got out to talk to us ... Yep

6/15/11 Watching the Bruins game ... Online in French, there are certain times I really wish we had TV haha

6/16/11 Dear mouse: consider this your eviction notice, thanks

8/18/11 Last night I hear peter mumbling in his sleep "he needs his helmet!" ... Um who? "The dog .. He's on a very short leash" sleep talk much?

12/5/11 Someone just stole my license plate..... That was mean!

12/14/11 You know you've asked your husband for too many back massages when he starts giving you one in his sleep 

12/20/11 Just met my new Chinese sister in law over skype, I cant wait to meet her in person in a week! 

1/8/12 Best year of my life! Happy anniversary! 

3/21/12 Tonight we are in dc sitting under the cherry blossoms ... Just because we can :)


3/5/12 Dear A&P Prof... There are too many bones in the body ... How about I just learn 50 of the 206 and we call it even? 

3/27/12 You know your life is too busy when you are searching for your phone and finally find it in the trash...

5/31/12 Nothing like having a party on Penn. Ave in DC :)

7/30/12 Today the 4 yr old feels the way we all do sometimes "I want the wind to blow me free!"

1/1/13 Sometimes I put clothes on that I've only worn once and wonder why they are so dirty, then I remember my students often use me as a napkin.

5/1/13 Heard the beautiful sound of my child's heartbeat again today

5/26/13 Peter is done for. We're having a girl and she already has him wrapped around her little finger

6/5/13 Just felt the baby move for the first time... Oh my goodness what a crazy, weird, wonderful feeling!!! She's having a party in there!

6/7/13 "Wow Ms Rachael!!! You have eyebrows on today!! ... I mean eyelashes ..." Do you mean makeup? "... Oh Yeah that's what I mean"

6/19/13 Feeling so loved and blessed, baby gifts and goodbyes from my SPED teachers

6/27/13 Our latest adventure had Peter working in Texas M-F. Our new adventure is packing up and moving to California.

7/7/13 Tired of saying goodbye!! Ready to live in the same state as my husband!

7/28/13 27 weeks pregnant. Packing, moving, go!

8/2/13 Goodbye DC, next stop Maine and then on to Cali!

Sneak Peek Cassie and Kris

Here's a little preview just a couple favorites from Cassie and Kris' Savannah wedding. So grateful I was able to be a part of this wonderful wedding!

My Tuesdays with Morrie Moment

      The first weekend in July Peter and I attended a wedding, the first of many, and I met a dear woman named Sarah. The wedding took place at Rockwood Manor, a beautiful bed and breakfast in Dublin, VA. The house on the property could be compared to what you picture when reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It has 17 fireplaces, a huge front porch with rocking chairs, a swing hanging from a tree on the side of the house ... dreamy, magnificent, timeless ...
      Anyways back to my original point. I went in to use the restroom and nosily wandered around lost in thought as the house transported me back hundreds of years. As would happen in some well planned out movie scene I stuck my head into the front parlor and a white haired woman smiled and said, "come in, look around." As I rambled about how magnificent this place was, the floors, the lights fixtures, the molding ... she smiled and said I'm glad you like my home ... She then proceeded to make room, moving papers and books and invited me to join her on the couch.  
     This is Sarah. In the next 30 plus minutes I learned about the house, her family, farming, her history and how she thought changes needed to be made in Washington and she would like to make those changes herself! And then "gasp, oh the poor dear ... he's fallen. I feel so badly for him ... come on son get up and finish" ... in all the excitement and beauty of the place I hadn't even realized that the T.V. was on. Sarah was watching strangers run in the Olympic trials but had genuine heartache for this man who had tripped during his race. This is Sarah.
      As I was telling Sarah it was time for me to get back to the reception, as I was sure that Peter and all our friends were wondering what had taken me 30 minutes in the restroom, Sarah leaned over and gently touched my arm. "Dear, God had me doing a lot of things in my life that led me to where I am now, all preparing me ... things I didn't understand. You watch out! Sometimes God makes you wait until you're old and antique, but he will always have his purpose come to pass ... you watch!" This is Sarah.
     Little did Sarah know that I was struggling with that in life. What am I doing, where am I going ... who am I?! Call her Sarah, call her an Angel ... I call her my Tuesdays with Morrie Moment.

Claire and Zach's Preview!!!

I was able to shoot this wonderful, amazing wedding with a dear friend Sonja Lyon. Sonja shot the wedding and brought me along to second shoot with her. It was not only a blast shooting with her but also learning from her! She is a wonderful creative mind and has a beautiful eye for capturing life in her photos. Here are just a few of the the shots I captured during this wedding in Canada! 

Claire's beautiful Aunt owns this lovely country home where the wedding took place. 

Claire's grandpa passed away a few months ago. He was dearly loved, as the family made very clear throughout the day. Here his cane and shoes are on a chair next to Claire's shoes. 

Every detail was perfect!

The groom and groomsmen got ready for the wedding in the barn ... could not have been more fun! 

 So the bride and groom didn't see each other until she walked down the isle... but that didn't stop us from seeing them both and capturing some excitement!

Trying to sneak a peek of her groom.

Yes, they were married outside on a rug! 

"You may kiss your bride" .... Her face gives me goose bumps! Oh yeah and her father married them ... beautiful right?!

                                                                                 They had games: Canadians vs Americans ... they didn't have to play, they just got to laugh at everyone playing. Such a great idea!

She's Canadian ... He's American

This is the face of a bride ... while her new husband sings her a song he wrote just for her. 

Such a perfect, beautiful day.