2012 In Review

2012 was a HUGE year for us. In good ways and bad ways...

January 2012 - We bought a house in Wentzville, MO. Luke began working as a Production Supervisor and I began a new job as a Project Manager in IT. Sadly, my sweet Granny passed away that month as well.

February 2012 - Major renovation on the "new" house. We did most of the work ourselves and found we really loved making this "forever" home our dream home (obviously we didn't know we would be moving in a few months).

March 2012 - Not planning to start a family anytime soon (again we didn't know how different our lives were soon to be) we decided to get a gold retriever. Luke wanted one. I wanted two. You need them in pairs so they have someone to play with, right? Enter Chip & Scout:

April 2012 - After falling in love with our fuzzy children we found out we will be having a human child! Due date: 12/5/12!

May 2012 - Renovations on the house are finally winding down. We love our church home, the acreage we live on, and the baby is getting bigger every day. We have planned a July trip to Alaska! I was accepted to St. Louis University Law School and plan to attend evening classes until the baby is born and then transition to full time.

June 2012 - A lot of work at the jobs, a lot of work on the house...

July 2012 - Cruise to Alaska and salmon fishing on Luke's birthday. Luke drops the "I want to interview for a job in Arizona" bombshell. Haley freaks out. I really think that is the most accurate summary. If you don't understand why please scroll up and read about how WE JUST MOVED TO MISSOURI, OWN a house, I was pregnant, we have two large dogs, oh and Arizona is the desert.

August 2012 - Luke interviews for the job, wants it, and begrudgingly I move to Arizona... alone. I started law school in August, but Luke wouldn't start his job until October. We always felt the baby was a boy and only picked out a boy's name... Liam... we had the gender ultrasound on August 1... Liam is indeed a boy!!

September 2012 - Living in separate locations (isn't that the one thing we never wanted to do again?); Liam getting bigger; housing acquired in Arizona now falls through and we must scramble to find a new house in a few days... yay. I travel to Missouri twice and Minnesota once (to visit Kacie who took this picture):

October 2012 - Luke, Chip, Scout, and our stuff all move to Arizona finally! As you can see, Chip & Scout did most of the driving. Luke's parents came to visit (his brother, sister-in-law and their children live in the same city).

November 2012 - Luke was adjusting to his new job, I was overwhelmed with law school and getting bigger every day. I really loved being pregnant though. Over Thanksgiving break we did some hiking (baby Liam was 38 weeks and I was pretty sure he was going to arrive after the hike. He didn't. He waited until 40.5 weeks).

December 2012 - Finals... BABY LIAM arrives! Look at that little punkin'! He is the biggest blessing EVER. I love him more and more every day. My Dad and Step Mom came to visit after Liam was born. Luke's parents came down for Christmas and to meet Liam. Luke traveled to Texas for a friend's wedding over New Years Weekend.

I told you 2012 was a BiG bIg BIG year! 

2011 in Review

Since we have a lot of catching up to do let's start with 2011...

Luke deployed to Afghanistan October 20, 2010. That also happens to be the day we got married. Woohoo! It was a 'just the two of us' ceremony in Watertown, NY. It was perfect for us and we have never regretted the private, intimate nature of our ceremony. Easily the best $50 we have ever spent. I stayed in Texas and worked while Luke was overseas...

April 2011 - Honeymoon in Europe! Truly amazing. The posts with pictures can be found below

October 2011 - I quit my job, took the LSAT, and moved to NY waiting for Luke to arrive... which he did...

This was one of the best days ever! 

November 2011 - Luke and I traveled to Austin, TX for him to participate in a career fair of sorts for military personnel transitioning into a civilian career. Luke then went to Nebraska to hunt. 

December 2011 - Luke and I traveled to Natchitoches, LA where my family had a wedding reception for us (the beautiful photos below were taken by my cousin Lyne). Luke decided to accept a job offer in Wentzville, MO. We began packing and made an offer on a house in Missouri. We left NY on December 23, dropped our household goods in the driveway of our new home in Missouri and booked it out to Nebraska for Christmas

In 2012 we will move again, change jobs again, find out I'm pregnant, start law school, and welcome an amazing baby boy... whew, I'm tired looking at the last few years!

For a really long time I have wanted to restart my blog, but something kept holding me back… I have always REALLY wanted to call it “Schmidts and giggles” because I think that’s hilarious and it captures my personality. However, I was really worried about how that would be taken. Great news… I don’t care anymore. My awesome husband gave me the last name, so any use or abuse of it can be traced back to his gifting ;)

On a more serious note… it is so liberating to just be who we are isn’t it? I like, no, I LOVE a good laugh. Even though, at times, it may seem bordering inappropriate. There is a certain value in pushing boundaries. More importantly, learning who you really are and accepting that (while acknowledging ‘areas of opportunity’) can be glorifying to God! I like to think He snickered at the clever new blog title. Maybe not. Maybe He is considering taking an eraser to the Book of Life, but I really doubt it.  

So, this blog is about out family… written in my own special way… loaded with laughter and a dash of scathing sarcasm… but in the end, hopefully, glorifying to the One who has blessed me so much… with all the Schmidts and giggles we have.

((I have preloaded the posts from the old blog so only read on if you care to re-read that stuff))… and since the last post was our honeymoon… we’ve moved three times, changed jobs twice and had a child since then I think we have some catching up to do!

Honeymoon, Part 2

I have a thing for sailboats... and boy did we see some sailboats!!! This pictures makes me happy (even if it is crooked):

Our cruise started in Barcelona, Spain and we did two back-to-back cruises for a total of 9 days. Cruising is our new preferred method of travel. If there is a way to get somewhere on a boat - I'm in! It is all inclusive, there is always something going on, I don't have to plan a lot - love it, love it, love it! 

I had booked an interior room since we planned on spending most of our time actually doing and seeing stuff. Upon check in we were upgraded to a balcony room and we thoroughly enjoyed it!! Every morning and every night sailing in or out of a port sitting on your private balcony was definitely a vacation highlight! 

From Barcelona, Spain we went to Villefranche Sur Mer, France: 

This region is also known as the Azur Coast because of its beautiful water. Since it was April it was still a little chilly, but overall the weather was amazing! 

We hopped the train from Villefranche to Monte Carlo, Monaco!! Woo hoo!! We were so excited to see the Grand Casino: 

This *tiny* country did NOT disappoint. 

But before I get to that, I have to admit that I was extremely proud of my English-as-a-first-and-only-language husband for getting us from Villefranche to Monaco! 

It was LOVELY outside that day and we strolled the streets, ate gellato, and relaxed! It was such a blessing to get to spend time alone. Just the two of us... no skype, no email, no phone, no nothin', just us!  Here we are, looking dapper I might add, enjoying Monaco:

***it should be noted that if you squint hard enough and stand far enough back from your monitor we actually look like Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier here*** If you can't see the resemblance, keep squinting and moving back... 

As it turns out, the day we visited Monaco was Good Friday and a few things were closed - most notably - the actual Casino.

After southern France we had a day at sea (laying by the pool and eating our body weight in food) then sailed to Palma de Mallorca, a tiny island south of Spain (and owned by Spain). Luke and I took several more sailboat pictures from our balcony as we cruised into port. 

One thing that we really enjoyed in every port was hoping off the ship and walking around the boats. Some of the boats in Monaco were AMAZING. These aren't "boats" so much as yachts. Several of the yachts were so large, most of them in fact, that they carried several smaller boats and numerous jet skis. This is the only picture I have of some of the yachts, and they are definitely small by Mediterranean standards, but I'm sure we scoped out each one nevertheless. 

***it should also be noted that copious amounts of gelatto were consumed on each of these "boat tours"***

Palma de Mallorca is a big German hotspot. The Germans like to vacation down here and the Spaniards love them! It is sort of the party city on the island, so what what better way to celebrate than going to a Spanish - German brew house?? Well, we didn't know either, but we went. We had a great time and because we're smart we never photo document these events ;) haha

There was a formal night on the cruise as well. In lieu of pictures from our brewhouse outing I will share those instead: 

It was windy and we aren't great self photographers but you get the idea. And now for the one that makes all the ladies swoon and the gentlemen gag: 

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

After Mallorca we went back to Barcelona for other people to exit the ship and new ones to board. We stayed on -- and ate and drank and laid by the pool -- ahhhh, honeymoons! 

On this cruise we went back to Southern France but this time we stopped in Nice. We hiked around the area. Took one more self portrait -- discussed how we are getting better at them -- hoped back on the boat for more lounging poolside. 

Our next stop was Florence / Pisa, Italy. Here we are happily (and strangly orange in this photo) pulling into port:

Yes, I am sans makeup... it's my vacation... don't judge :P 

We actually paid for an excursion. Not something the TX/NY/Deployed Schmidts really do but the guide was worth it. He was amazing! An Aussie who loved the Italian culture so much he moved here and started opening his own B&Bs about 10 years ago. He knew all the best places to go and was just amazing!!! First stop, Pisa, known for its leaning tower... as you may have heard... 

Look, we're a married couple!! As my husband would say, that's "cool". 

The tower leans A LOT: 

Next we went to Florence. I did take more pictures but I don't believe in overwhelming people with them. Less is more is my motto. You don't need to see every piece of a building I thought might have been cool in the moment but you look at in 6 months and think "wow I don't even care about this picture why would anyone else". So, this is the overall broad view of Florence, enjoy: 

 On our last cruise day we went to Rome. We have both been before, but who in the world can be SO close to SO much history and not visit again. I've heard people say Rome is very romantic. Well, I'm not one of those people who cares about stuff like that. When Luke and I strolled the streets I love being with him, but no more or less than watching Swamp People on the sofa. What I enjoy about Rome isn't the "rome-ance" (tehehe) it is the history. You get to walk where gladiators and emperors and pontiffs have strolled... the very foundations of civilization. A-MAZ-ING. Luke was the perfect companion, but like I said, I didn't swoon more because of Rome -- I love him 24/7. 

*** for anyone who has seen the movie Elizabethtown, which I recommend, I feel for Luke like Chuck & Cindy (the couple getting married in the movie)... we are lovin' life 24/7... haha***

 My self portrait skills may have declined again here, but this is an awesome picture... maybe I can photoshop it into something I can frame... ;) 

After the cruise we toured the Spanish coast... and did not take a single picture. Partially because some of the beaches surprised us by being nude beaches and no one wants that image captured forever. Mostly though we just enjoyed being together, hanging out, being married!!! 

I miss my best buddy and look forward to the Fall and his return. God has blessed us beyond measure... with our families and friends, our lives, our salvation, and each other. Every day I learn something new and wonderful about this man (or have something reinforced). He's my best friend, I love hanging out with him and genuinely enjoy his company, and I SO look forward to actually living together as a married couple for the first time in a few months!!! 

You know if I went on this vacation it wasn't all canned tours and self portraits... no, no, no. For you my loyal friends and family I present the photo I took. One of MY favorites: 

Luke's camera has various settings for borders, etc. I tried to line us up and do a self portrait. I would say the faces say it all: 

Luke "I married her so I'll be a good sport, but I don't think this is as funny as she does"

Me "Wow this is funny! I sure do enjoy torturing my husband"

Luke "She's going to put this on a blog somewhere I just know it..." 

Honeymoon, Part 1

This post has been far too long in the making! I'm breaking up the Honeymoon / R&R trip in sections by locations... we met in Barcelona, Spain so that's where today's adventure begins! 

Luke and I had the good fortune (blessing!) to meet at the BCN airport within an hour of each other! It was so good to see his handsome face again. It was even better that he hurried over to give me a BIG hug! It is so nice to feel loved and wanted isn't it?? We were too early to check in our hotel so we wandered the city. We were close to Sagrada Familia the church designed by Gaudi:

Look at the detail: 

This is our first picture together in 6 months!!! Not bad for two people who had been up for two days straight! I think it has a lot to do with genuinely liking each other.

The first day we walked a little and then slept... for almost 20 hours. Which was pure bliss in and of itself. It was so strange, in a wonderful way, to be able to talk to him whenever I wanted!! And it is always fun to share adventures with your best friend. 

The second day we wandered the city and ate a lot (since we slept most of this day away it was short - ha!)

Day three proved much more productive as we walked the length of the entire city up to Gaudi's park. Amazing architectural elements in one central location. If you ever get the chance to go - do it! We also ate lunch here and had the best time watching the panhandlers scatter when the police would show up. It was so entertaining to us! Also their methods for carrying their merchandise. We had both seen the rugs full of stuff that can be rolled up easily in other countries but these people took a step further... several had jewelry pinned to umbrellas... when it was open you could "shop" all the items easily but it could be quickly closed to conceal the items from the police. Ingenious! 

So, this is the entrance to the park: 

On our trek from one of the city to the other we passed Gaudi's apartment (admittedly by mistake): 

This is also another cool building Gaudi designed. Once again, a serendipitous discovery on our way for even more food and shopping at La Rambla. With that said it should be noted that in the entire two weeks we were in Europe we didn't purchase a single item. I didn't realize it until I got home. We were just SO happy to be together!! 

On the fourth day we checked out of our hotel and onto our cruise!! We were upgraded to a balcony room - blessings abound! This is the view of the harbor in Barcelona. I'll post more on the cruise in Part 2! 

Jelly

This blog is LONG over due! Around Christmas I asked my aunt, Fran, to teach me how to make jelly from start to finish. She was allllll too happy to help me. So I headed to Louisiana back in January. Where I was greeted by a bucket of frozen blackberries and a skeptical look from my grandmother. First I had to thaw the berries... then I had to clean the berries... then I had to boil the berries: 

Once the berries were so hot they were boiling you pour them into a chinois to have the deliciousness squished out of them (all technical terms here):

Once they bleed deliciousness into the pot... by the way did I mention you do some squeezing through a cheese cloth and the berries are boiling hot?? Because I could have done without blackberry shaped scald marks on my hand... either way, if the pioneers could do it, by George so can I.... so here we have the delicious juice of many berries:

...then you add a congealing powder and TONS of sugar... and you boil again... only you don't have to touch it this time, so it's ok...

While your sugar coma is coming to a boil you have to steam (or boil) the jars and lids to make them so hot they will seal (so your jelly doesn't ruin)...

If you're thinking to yourself, "Self, these look like they're boiling hot." You are correct! Other people might try to use tongs or something to work this out, but not us... which is why every single person involved in this process was burned no less than once. BUT at long last...

PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Year, New You...

That seems to be the theme of every January doesn't it? I kinda like me already though. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of room to grow.

How? 

Oh it's so good of you to ask! My friend Bahar and I had a discussion about how it takes 3 weeks to break or establish a new habit. We're complaining less.

So, I'm going to blog the Haley Experiment... in which I will tell you if I complained and you will in turn agree to fine me $5.00**. I am extremely skeptical that it only requires 21 days to break a habit. I have read that it is easier to substitute one habit for another.

Example, please?

Oh gosh, you're good with the questions today, blog junkies! Suppose when you are under stress you typically eat junk food. Instead of just going "cold turkey" on junk food eating it is easier to replace it with exercise. Eventually you will train your body to associate stress with a desire to exercise instead of eat.

Today is day 1 of "Whine = no. Wine = yes" j/k... Whine = No. Wine = No. Which leads me to the following....

Do you know what this picture is of?

Now your gut reaction might be "a faucet" but if you look really closely you will notice it is a faucet without running water. Did I mention it's cold in Texas? Since I'm not whining I guess that means you know the pipes froze and burst in my apartment today, huh?

I'm just stating the facts, folks. Either way, I'm counting this as a whine-free day!


**for those who don't know Chris LeDoux actually wrote and sang a song titled Five Dollar Fine about whining. I will not pay you anything.