Fast Lane Slow Lane

We have been home, no trips for over a month. We love our nomad life but I'm glad we've been around as my sis and I went into business together. It has been a labor of love, fitting it all in between everything else, squeezing tasks into naptimes, sneaking outside to make a business call, and staying up way too late. Life has seemed in the fast lane with my head going more directions. I have enjoyed it but need a little more focus!

Yesterday was our fruition day! We launched our products with a party at my gracious dad's awesome house! We set up the house so guests could snack, sip, and shop. It was a total blast and I believe our final head count was over 50. We were working very quickly at one point, we had many shoppers there ready to check out. So blessed to have so much support.

The next step is the move to the website and shipping. Jac has been working tirelessly on the website with our friend and web designer as a guide. It is almost ready! Then the major unknowns start! Just in time for the holidays.

Today was a respite. We had a slow morning on the couch, lots of coffee, and played on the property and road dirt bikes. So much effort went into the day yesterday, the creation of the products, advertising, setting up, getting food, babysitters, etc. And it was SO MUCH FUN! We even sold out of a few handmade items, yay!!

Our shop name is Copper Two, and the website is www.coppertwo.com. Open soon!

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Other news, Chris has recently started online school to get his bachelors and he is working 5-15 hours per week on that. He breezed through biochem and is now (NOT) enjoying STATS. I already took it twice so I am no help to him. The second time was worse than the first but at least I passed!

We have some fun trips coming up. I will update here for sure.

Arabelle turns three this week, my sweet girl is such a wild card, so loving and then such a sourpuss a minute later. Owen is just the kindest soul, walks to school with his hands clasped, saying he is so happy to be in kindergarten.


Here's to moving forward with the business and learning to create more boundaries with my time! So many lessons I'm learning.... like tonight getting take out sushi was pretty much my smartest move yet! ;)

August: birthday month and summer celebrations

August was very full and very fun. I celebrated my 33rd birthday about 33 different times! It was so fun, and I seriously recommend it. It literally took all month to spend time with almost all family members and a few friends.

School has started, we camped another trip, Owen can ride a bike without training wheels, we went to our first baseball game as a family, and Ara hasn't worn a diaper since July. We have been living it up!

The month flew by and I know that September is going to as well. I've jumped into business with my adopted sister Jaclyn and we are launching our product in a month. And our FIRST product arrives tomorrow!!!! We are both giddy with excitement.

I never want to blog because I feel like I have to. I know I have neglected this sweet page for a while, because, let's face it, something has to give! A few things have been giving as some hours have been re-directed towards the new venture. And I'm fine with it. I'm not taking any less photos or creating any less memories, don't you worry! Weekly updates used to work well for me but the other business is also linked to a mom blog so there is other writing going on at times. You can find me there under the pseudonym "Zin" after Zinfandel~ my "happy place" drink. If you're a mom and want to check it out, www.ginandzin.com is where you go! We post a new mom interview every Friday...You could be next!

We started the mom blog first as a way to bring women together and share their stories (so not really for the male crowd, but we do have a some Dad readers!). Since we were working together so often already we decided to create a new partnership, a collection of products that would bring us joy, with our target market being chicks like us! Coffee cups, wine glasses, totes, towels, etc.... Those fun little useful splurges we make that brighten our day, so why not create our own and share those as well?! Our website is in the construction phase, but I will happily send you there in the future!

I'm going to share a few photos this month, lots of fun!

me and michelle, friends for 21 years, also birthdays 5 days apart. We sang "happy birthday to us" that night!

 a concert in the park is one of our favorite summer events, photo taken before the music started.

 camping up at cisco grove we all rode our bikes 3/4 of a mile to the camp store for a sweet treat. Riding that far and back with my little family was no small feat and I am thrilled to be entering into this new phase!

He ditched the training wheels!

We went to a restaurant in Truckee that I used to go to with my family on our vacations growing up. Full circle.

 Lots of this going on.

 Special birthday lunch and movie date with one of my faves at one of the yummiest restaurants, Totem. Then we went to see BAD MOMS with Jac and laughed our booties off!

 Papa had a fiesta, enchiladas and even mango margaritas! YUM! The kids made up games and played hide and go seek while the adults caught up.

 We went wine tasting for Chris's bday about 5 years ago and ever since I've wanted to go again. With the help of 4 sitters (!!!) we were able to steal away for 4ish hours together!
Findleton winery- yummmmmmm

 Divitorrio had lots of port and chocolate to sample~ (not pictured, Dan)

 We had a fantastic lunch on the patio at Grace Patriot. What a hilarious happy day~

 Mom and Wynt spoiled me and went to Magpie in Sac. We waited at the bar and then had a fantastic dinner on the patio- ahi, salad, and pasta..... MMMM!!!! SPOILED!!!!

The Brittons came over here and brought all the fixins for a yummy taco night dinner for yet another birthday dinner! It was so tasty and fun to entertain but not cook anything! Thank you gals!

This party was not for me~ but for my niece baby Kenzi! She will be here in 4-5 weeks and we are all SO EXCITED!!!!

Austin was in town and Kim and I had planned a date to go to the Argonaut, we all ate grubbing food, walked along the river, and laughed at ourselves.

  This past Friday night we went to our first family baseball game! We got there early and Owen had a total ball checking out the stadium. Arabelle was really interested in Digger (Dinger, the mascot), and really enjoyed the music. She would dance for the short snippet and then be moody when it stopped.

Owen would cheer on the players by their full names! It was a total riot. Ara was melting down the last hour or so, and would alternate between awake and pretend asleep. I didn't mind too much, the snuggles aren't going to last forever.

The next few weeks we are home, less travel, less packing, less heat, less moving, less on the go, more grounded.

The next few weeks mean more babies (for my sister in law and close friend), more business growing, and a shift in to-do lists. 

The next few weeks is fall... Just in time for lots of change!

Our Boy is 6!

Yup. You read that right! O turned 6 this month.

He had his best friend over and two of his cousins for a party!

He invited 2 other boys from school but they couldn't come. He was such a big help making the pinata bags.

We cut out pictures that he colored of dinosaurs and taped them around the house as decoration.

The rats were a total hit! Yes we now have two rats named Smokey and Salty.

An hour before the gathering, Owen and Arabelle helped color the dinosaur. We played pin the spike on the Stegosaurus.

DIY pizza station was also very fun and easy for a small group.

 

 

Zoey had quite the getup on playing in the dress up bin.

5 happy kids eating pizza

I really enjoy decorating without decorations. Since Owen is so into dinos this was easy. See the parasaurolaphus holding the sharpie?

   

More "free" decorations

Owen requested Jaxartosaurus and the Eupocephalus as the two dinosaurs for me to paint for the head hole pictures.

  

Water balloons were literally a HIT!

The morning of Owen's real birthday we did puzzles and games and then went to Sky High with cousins!

We used to go a lot before kids but this was our first time in years. It was a sweaty blast!

Then we went home for some quiet time before we returned to Wynt's for a family swim dinner.

A reluctant Grammy came.

Aunt Amanda made Owen an awesome dino cake that was tasty as well as spiky!

Polaroid of the women on the Leins side - Court was able to be there as well, she had just had surgery the day before and had come home for some pampering.

 

 

Chris gave us all laughs with the noodle and the slackline.

Thanks Wynt for hosting!

The kids drew pictures in chalk and were so creative to lay down and make them appear real.

Owen with hair- the girls got a kick out of that one.

Well that sums up his birthday weekend of fun! He is a joy, unique, and of course all parents say their kid is smart, right!? He is still working on his speech but he remembers EVERYTHING you say, and can name at least 50 dinosaurs plus what they eat, or some other fact about them. He is very interested in nature, science, and the world we live in. He is an avid reader now, and is drawn to nature books or stories.