Stay Tuned...

Things have been slow around here.

For that I apologize. 

I am in the process of changing my blog over to WordPress.

As early as next week my blog and shop will be combined at www.chasingzoie.com

Stayed tuned and you will see some big changes around here!

Don't go away...

Shooting Manual

My husband got me a new DSLR Nikon for Christmas.

When I found out how much he paid for it, I figured I owed it to him (and myself) to learn how to properly use it. 

I just took a class with my good friend, Emily, 

of Emily Piper Photography.

You NEED to go check out her work.

She takes BEAUTIFUL pictures.

And if you are ever on the island of Oahu, 

do yourself a favor and book a session!

 

Emily was so patient in teaching me what I needed to know to switch from shooting 'auto' to 'manual'. 

I can't be more thankful to her. 

I am just starting out... and I know I need more practice.

But here's my first "OK" shot of the day.

Aside from needing more practice shooting, I need to also learn how to edit properly.

Anyone have any suggestions on editing software?

There are so many to choose from, I'm currently using the free version of Picassa, but I know there is WAY better out there.

How do you shoot?

I'd love some tips.

50 Dates in 2015 - Date 1

Not only are we two weeks behind on starting our #50datesin2015

but...

We've been so busy that I didn't plan a single thing.

So last night,

because Zoie wanted to hang out with her Yaya,

and because I finally had an afternoon that wasn't packed full, 

and because I talked Zach into taking the afternoon off,

We went to dinner and a movie.

Our usually stand-by.

We did manage go to a different restaurant than our normal.

Here in Spokane we have this great Italian place called Tomato Street.

It is the only place I know of where I can quite literally stuff my face for 15 full minutes and still have a heaping plate of food.

Amazing Pasta!

I always have lots left over to take home.

Which is perfect, because good italian food is always better the next day.

I also have to give props to my husband for sitting through Into the Woods.

I thought it was spectacular...

he just heard singing.

I do already have some things up my sleeve for our next few dates.

Do you date your husband?
What kind of things do you like to do together?

Or are you stuck in a "Dinner and a Movie" rut like us?

I'd love to hear your ideas.

2015 Bucket List

Not only am I going to work toward living up to my WORD this year, but I have also created the perfect buckets list for myself. 

This isn't something I usually do. I often have ideas of how things should go, but rarely do I write them down. I hope that this year, by writing these things down, and throwing them out there for all the internet to read, it will give me something to strive for. Someone and something to hold me accountable. 

So here it is.

My 2015 Bucket List

1.Go on AT LEAST 50 dates with my husband.

2. Two weekend trips without kids.

3. See the Grand Canyon.

4. Visit Kristine in Utah!

5. Run/Walk a 5K.

6. Take Zoie to swim in the warm Ocean.

7. 8 Year Anniversary Trip with my Husband.

8. Complete at least 26 crafts or DIYs.

9. Make my garden bigger and better.

10. Start a compost bin.

11. Start a yoga regimin.

12. Once a week have a dinner and game night with the kids.

13. Spend more time with my grandparents.

14. 21st Birthday trip for Ariana.

Wow!
2015 is going to be the best year yet!
(Lots of wishing and hoping included)

Now that this is all written out for people to see, I might create a list for the seasons and for certain times of the year. Just little goals to set for myself and my family. This list includes lots of travel which means lots of work at home to get prepared. 

What are your plans?

Do you have a bucket list?
If so, I'd love to hear or read about what your plans are.

One Little Word - 2015

One of my dearest friends, Kristine, from The Foley Fam taught me something today without even knowing it. 

For years she's been choosing a word for herself to live up to. For a whole year she strives to be what this word is and let it teach her. Kristine's word for 2015 is 'Nurture'. You can read all about her word and what it means to her HERE.

I've never particiated in having "One Little Word" before. Though my life has recently showed me that I need a word for the year. 

I am SO THANKFUL to Kristine for reminding me.

You see, I haven't been the best I can be lately. I think part of it comes with depression, something that has been a great struggle in my life for many years. 

Lately, I seem to have lost my Happy.

So for 2015 I chose a word that spoke to me.

A word that will get me through the good times and the bad.

My word is SMILE.

I seem to have lost my smile lately.
I don't know when or where,

but it's been harder and harder to find.

Several years ago, I needed this same word to be a reminder to me. I even went so far as to tattoo it on my arm. If anyone else has ever dealt with depression or feeling sad, this is a word that I often need to be reminded of.

It seems lately, that I need the reminder now, more than ever.

I need to remember to be happier.

I need to remember to go with the flow.

I need to remember to be more nurturing and less harsh.

This word is all of those things for me.

It's easy to remember to smile when life is going well. When things are going your way and you think, "Life doesn't get much better than this."

It's easy to smile when you are so blissfully happy.

It's not so easy to smile when life feels hard.

When you feel sad.

When things just don't seem to be happy. 

Even when things are going really well, and something just doesn't feel right.

via

I am going to do my best to live up to my word this year.

Through everything life throws at me.

No matter what!

Like Nat King Cole sang to us:

"You'll find life is still worthwhile,

If you just smile."

So I am going to remember to:

Just smile!

With this little reminder, 2015 is going to be better than ever!

You can link up here.

First Snow of the Year

Technically this wasn't the first snow fall of the year.

We did get a skiff about two weeks ago.

But it rained within an hour and shortly after was gone.

Boo!

This last Saturday however, was the first significant snow fall of the year.

The girls had a BLAST!

And so did Ziva dog.

Especially Zoie.

She LOVES LOVES LOVES snow!

Eating Snow

Making Snow Angels

Making footprints in the snow

She gets it from her dad...

who loves to drive doughnuts in the snow.

We are a snow loving family.

How do you feel about snow?

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve.

The presents are wrapped.

The fridge is stocked.

We're tracking Santa on Norad.

The cookies are baked (read: purchased) and ready for Santa.

The Hot Buttered Rum is calling my name.

Santa has been visited, and our wishes told in secret.

Tonight we'll open our annual Christmas Eve gift of pajamas.

We'll eat our annual Christmas Eve dinner of 

Steak and Baked Potatoes.

We'll snuggle up with something warm to drink and watch White Christmas.

We're hoping for even a skiff of snow tonight.

Our Family is ready for Christmas 2014.

Merry Christmas from our big happy family to yours.

Christmas Eve Memories

When I was a kid, every year on Christmas Eve we would go to the North Pole and visit Santa.

We always waited until Christmas Eve.
Waiting was important to my parents and we learned to love the anticipation.

So on Christmas Eve we would all pile into the car and drive to Deer Park. There in the woods, on Antler Road was a beautiful set up of Santa's Village. Entering the driveway was like driving through the North Pole; lights everywhere. We'd all pile out of the car in our Sunday best and walk up the lighted pathway to Santa's Workshop.

Once inside we were greeted by Santa's Elves and led to Santa. It smelled like fresh cut wood and roaring fire with just a hint of chocolate and magic. It was wonderful. I don't remember there ever being a line. We'd all walk up and take our turn to sit on Santa's lap and excitedly tell him of our Christmas Wishes. 

Once the pictures were taken the candy canes taken we we'd be shuffled off to choose a toy. Every child that went to see Santa got a toy when they left. The hand carved wooden toys were stacked on what seemed like shelf after shelf. Choosing was always easy for the boys; rubberband pistols and rifles were their go-to gift every year. For us girls, it was always a little harder to choose. Wooden dolls, doll house accessories, trinkets, and ornaments... I do remember choosing a rubberband rifle once or twice.

After saying our goodbyes and choosing our toys, we would head back home and get ready for bed. Too excited to sleep, I would usually stay up late reading or playing in my room. I remember watching out the window to see if Santa woud fly by. Grasping at my last bit of belief that he might show himself. 

Sadly, Santa's workshop in Deer Park is no longer operating; though I have driven by there every year just to check. I will always have those precious memories to hold tight to when Christmas rolls around every year. 

I am working towards making these types of memories for my kids.
For this year, Zoie is waiting until Christmas Eve to visit Santa and the anticiation is killing her.

I love it!

Instagram: Snapshot of 2014

Do you all use Instagram?

I do! And if you want, you can follow me at ChasingZoie!!

I love posting to Instagram, I don't know why, but it seems so much more personal than Facebook. Although, most of my Instagram photos end up on my Facebook anyway.

Here are some of my pics from the last few weeks.

(Numbered Left to Right)

1. Zoie, Maci, and Ryleigh on the way to Nana's for Thanksgiving.

2. Zoie and Daddy.

3. Jocelyn doing Uncle JC's hair at Thanksgiving.

4. My handsome hubby showing off his No Shave November growth.

5. Ryleigh showing Zoie a "Silent Night"

6. Zoie making tracks in the snow with her bike... in her jammies.

7. Getting my hairs done.

8. Celebrating Ryleigh turning 15!

9. Driving back from Montana.

Have you heard of Iconosquare?

Have you gotten their email about your Snapshot?

Its amaze-balls!! 

They will create for you a video of your most liked photos from the year.

It's a beautiful way to look back.

This is my video for 2014

I encourage you to check out your 2014 video.

You won't regret it!

Have a great weekend.

I think we'll make some cookies :)

Christmas is just around the corner!

Quick Taco Soup

I was Cah-Raving Tacos last night!

 

But alas...

I didn't have any taco shells or tortillas. 

That never happens!

We are a bulk buying family.

Chicken Torilla Soup?

Nope! No thawed chicken.

Hamburger?

Check

Taco Seaoning?
Check

My pantry always has a costco box of diced tomotoes, black beans, and every kind of stock or broth you can think of.

Idea?
Taco Soup ... just improvise a little.

Here is my tutorial on a super quick Taco Soup.

I started by browning about a pound of hamburger with a diced yellow onion.

Then drained a can of corn and a can of black beans.

Once the hamburger is fully cooked; drain the fat then add in the corn and beans.

Followed by two cans of diced tomatos and can of Diced Green Chilis.

(I didn't have any diced green chilis on hand so I substituted a can of Rotel for one of the cans of diced tomotoes and a can of Chilis.)

Let that cook down for a few minutes.

Then throw in a packet of Ranch Seasoning

and a 1/4 cup of Taco Seasoning.

And

a box of Vegetable Stock.

(You can also use Beef Stock)

Let it cook for 30 minutes or so.

Mine looked like this.

Enjoy with a dollop of Sour Cream and/or some Shredded Cheddar.

You can also crumble and top with Tortilla Chips.

So Good.

Next time you need a quick 30 minute meal,

this is definitely one you can turn to.

Enjoy!

Taco Soup

1 Pound Hamburger

1 Diced Yellow Onion

1 14 oz Can Corn

1 14oz Can Black Beans

2 14 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

1 6 oz Can Diced Green Chilis

1 Packet Ranch Seasoning

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

32 oz Box Beef or Vegetable Stock

Brown hamburger and onion in a soup pot. Drain fat. Drain corn and black beans in a strainer, then add to the cooked beef and onion. 

Stir in tomatoes, green chilis, and stock.

Stir in Ranch Seasoning and Taco Seasoning.

Add more to taste if necessary.

Let cook for 30 minutes.
Serve with topping of choice.

Looking Back to Christmas 2004

Oh my aching heart.

Our second Christmas as a family.

Way back in 2004.

The kids were so young.

We were so young. 

I still remember it as though it was just last year.

But it wasn't, it was SO long ago!

Twelve Christmas's celebrated as a family.

The thirteenth one will be celebrated this year.

I love my family.

Awe... I love looking back.

K

On The Road Again - Weekend in Review

We just had another weekend of traveling.

It's a wonder our home remembers who we are.

Sometimes I feel like we are away far more often than we are home. 

Good thing I like to travel.

Or that would make me sad.

This weekend we drove to Montana to spend some time with my step-daughter, Ryleigh and celebrate her 15th birthday. You can read about why we are visiting her in Montana here.

How can she be 15 already?
I honestly have no earthly idea where the time has gone. 

We celebrated by opening gifts at the hotel 

during continental breakfast.

Then had a delicious birthday dinner at

 ScottiBellis Ristorante Italiano in Kalispell.

It was delicious and we stuffed ourselves.

We spend most of Saturday shopping some local shops in Kalispell while braving the unfortunate rain we encountered. It would have been lovely to have had some snow for our Northern Montana visit, but it just didn't work out. 

On Saturday, we also took the girls to see Penguins of Madagascar.

The girls really enjoyed it.

If you decide to see it this winter, all of you adults will enjoy hearing the hilarious way they use famous names in regular sentences. 

We laughed out loud! 

Sunday we made a short stop in Whitefish, Montana to walk through all of the beautiful small town shops. The view of the ski hill was absolutely gorgeous. 

Then we enjoyed a beautiful drive home.

Actually taking some time to stop and enjoy some of the view,

throw rocks in the river,

and listen to our echos off the resevoir walls by the Libby Damn.

A great weekend spent on the road with family.

I think we're well rested and ready for what Monday brings.

K

Throwback Thursday - December 4

It's another throwback kind of Thursday!

#ThrowbackThursday #TBT

Cathey is my Mama's best friend.

That's her handsome husband, Brian, looking on.

And my sweet Zoie, who loves Cathey as much as I do.

Cathey has been a big part of my life since I was 12.

I used to babysit her kids.

Her kids are like my younger siblings.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE her and her family!

She lives in California so we don't get to see her as much as we want.

In fact, I haven't seen her since 2012.

I need a visit!

I miss her!

I need a hug from her!

I also need a sandwich from her. 

Cathey makes THE BEST sandwiches.

I think I need to plan another road trip.

Let the planning begin.

Cathey and Brian we are coming to see you!
Hopefully sooner rather than later!

K

Wordless Wednesday

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday

This is my Grandma, Kay

She is Zoie's great grandma

And Zoie LOVES her!

 

K

November: The month of Facial Hair

Have all of you heard of this No Shave November 

or Movember? 

or NoShember?

How many have husbands or boyfriends participating?

(Insert raised hand here!)

The rules are simple, you go the entire month without shaving. Girls can even participate by refraining from shaving their legs for the entire month. 

All in the name of charity.

My husband was a little late jumping on the band wagon and didn't get started til around the 10th. But as far as I'm concerned that's still too early. 

I am not the biggest fan of facial hair. 

Don't get me wrong, I am all about raising awareness for men's prostate health, and even yesterday donated to the American Cancer Society.

You too can donate HERE!

My husband is a really handsome guy. (At least in my opinion) 

I've always had a soft spot for him. Wink Wink

At his current stage of hair growth, I'm sitting here on the fence, trying to decide if I should jump off on the 'like' or 'dislike' side. 

I really don't like the hair, but he still looks so handsome. 

More distinguished maybe? 

or maybe not?

I mean really, he keeps touching it like it's his baby blankie.

I want to like it because it looks good, but goodness those prickly hair kisses are aweful.

It's like kissing the wrong end of a pin cushion. 

Heck, it's like being a pin cushion.

I for one, can't wait for this month to be over.

Where do you sit with facial hair?

I'm stuck in a love/hate relationship.

You can read all about Noshember at the

 Home of No Shave November.

AND

There is a list of charities you can donate to HERE.

K

Thanksgiving Tradition and a Pumpkin Soup

There are so many things to love about Thanksgiving.

The time spent with family

The food

The desserts

The pie

The tradition

My favorite of all of those comes down to a tie between the time spend with family and the food. Or maybe it's the desserts and the pie? Or maybe its the tradition. Okay, okay, it's all of it.

My favorite tradition started 12 years ago when I celebrated my first Thanksgiving with my now husband. We woke up early and went to Starbucks for a warm beverage. My favorite is a Caramel Macchiato with extra caramel, and Zach's is a Mocha Velencia. (Seriously Starbucks, bring back the Valencia.)

With our hot coffees in hand, we drove down to Riverside State Park and walked along the Spokane River. The best morning! 

To this day, I still love doing this and want to send THANK YOU shout out to the lovely employees at Starbucks that work on Thanksgiving Morning. 
You make my day!

One tradition that my mom started several years ago, is to make a soup to start off our always wonderful Thanksgiving meal. 

Cause why not add one more delicious something to our already big menu of delicious somethings? 

Since we clearly don't have enough pumpkin in our menu with the pumpkin pie and the pumpkin bread, and the pumpkin seeds we snack on; we now enjoy a nice cup of pumpkin soup as well.

It is a beautiful soup from Rachael Ray.

This soup is savory, creamy and delicious, with a little spice kick at the start and a sweet finish from the cran-berry, apple relish. The perfect addition to any Thanksgiving meal. 

It's my turn to make it this year and I'm going to make it ahead of time and put it in the crockpot for the big day. Yum!

You can find the recipe HERE.

Photo Courtesy of The Food Network

What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

I'd love to hear about it!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

K

Meeting a Beautiful Baby and the Perfect Baby Blanket

One of my dearest friends, Jackie, recently welcomed a beautiful baby girl to her growing family of four.

Everyone say hello to Teagan Rose.

Isn't she perfect?!?
I finally made it out to see them the other day.
Her mama let me snuggle this sweetie for our entire visit.

It was so nice to sit and visit.

We spend hours just talking and catching up on our past adventures and sharing our future plans. Life has been crazy and it's been a while since we got to visit.

I wanted to give her a special gift.
Something homemade.
Something she can keep forever.

I worked up this simple crocheted blanket and attached a super soft blankie to one side. It turned out just perfect for this perfect angel. 

I have several more babies on the way that need a blanket like this. I better get to work.

Looking forward to another visit with them soon.

K