East End Boy Meets West End Girl

The Tea Party

2012-02-04T09:32:00.002-05:00

Byron: "A tea party?! Aw, man! So that means we need to find something for all the boys to do, then?"

Mom: "You can, but I'm pretty sure you are going to want to come to my tea party. Trust me."

We slaved all day making cranberry scones, walnut apple, cucumber, and ham and cranberry bread sandwiches, chocolate mousse and banana pudding. Mom even scoured the cityscape for an antique silver teapot. She scored big at an estate sale just streets away. Byron and Dad kept wandering into the kitchen saying "what? this looks awesome!" as mom slapped their snitching hands away.

Everyone was required to come well dressed and accessorized. I failed the ladies by forgetting my gloves and hats at home, but Dad had enough hats to outfit the men. Just look at that perfectly slicked hair. So handsome!

Luckily Mom knows her daughter and had back up strings of beads for all the ladies, which Ali absolutely LOVED and Sadie indulged for long enough to snap this shot.

Right-o, then. Come along chaps. It's tea time!

With real china tea cups and saucers, dressed to the nines (at least from the waist up), and proper pinkie out instructions (Jozsef looked it up online and apparently the Queen is the only one left pinkieing her tea as it is considered snobbish these days. But it makes everything oh so much more fun, so we stuck to it), we were ready to go. My walnut apple cream cheese sandwiches were the biggest hit (thank you very much) and of course the chocolate mousse.

Chris: "Man, if this is what a tea party is like, I could definitely get used to this. Let's do it every day!"

This was a tea even the Queen would have enjoyed!

Texas State Fair

2012-02-04T00:52:00.001-05:00

As you all well know, everything is bigger and better in Texas. This is not just a bumper sticker, it is proven fact. The State Fair of Texas offers ample proof to sustain such a comment. It IS the biggest state fair in the country - and you could probably say for the whole world... And it is a beast to be reckoned with. To do it all you would need a few days. But really, the best parts are the dogs that herd ducks, the corny dogs and funnel cake, (my dad would say the auto show), and the live entertainment. Of course we never do the midway because it is just so stinking expensive. But this year - it's all we did!!

As the state fair is always in early October (one year I will take my Hungarian husband and baby girl to see it) and Thanksgiving is in late November... mom made up our own. And she did a bang up job! She had the kids making pinatas for 3 days straight, erin painting clown faces, me searching 4 different grocery stores for funnel cake mix, and dad practicing his best arm-waving Big Tex "Howdy Y'all! Welcome to the State Fair of Texas!" Mom - you really outdid yourself this time. Everyone had SUCH a great time. Complete with real state fair corny dogs and funnel cake, which funnel cake almost burned down the church because we forgot we were heating the oil. for 20 minutes. the kitchen was FULL of smoke. A little more excitement than we all bargained for.

Here goes the midway - Ring toss. Surprisingly difficult!

Clown nerf gun shoot the nose game. Doesn't every midway have this one? Carter was the champ. He figured it out within minutes and was even better than Byron at it!

Ping pong ball toss. Sadie actually made it in! Also, surprisingly difficult. More often than not the kids did better at the games than the adults!

Balloon darts. Dad had amazing form...if he were bowling. I thought he might throw himself off balance a few times with his exuberant arm swing. But it made for some GREAT laughs.

Donuts on a string. Everyone loved this one - Dad especially got into it. Somehow he was magically transformed into a snarling pit bull as he attacked the donuts. Tyler couldn't get enough. He joined right in with the crazy leopard growling.

Sadie waited patiently for the chocolate donuts (now she asks for "dooooonuts" on a regular basis). Have I mentioned sadie's unabashed love for chocolate. Mmm. I was pleasantly surprised when she got he rules of the game and didn't even try to use her hands. I am blown away at how observant she is!

Twister. Oh, you didn't know that twister is a State Fair of Texas staple. Well, it is. Watching all the stiff men try and jostle about at Twister was hilarious! They only lasted 4 spins before they dominoed.

Sadie was a champ. After a few spins she decided sitting on the corner and watching everyone else struggle was a better idea.

The pinatas were everyone's favorites. I asked Tyler what is fav was and he said in a maniacal voice "Making my turkey BLEED candy!" After kissing the pinata, Sadie got a good whack in. It took a few minutes, but she finally caught on to picking the candy off the floor. Much like Halloween, she'd fill her little hands and cling to them for dear life. Still working on letting go.

Mom - well done! everyone had a blast. Sadie loved it. I'm sad I missed the corny dogs and that the funnel cake didn't work out...but I think you might have started a new tradition.

What? It's Feb? I'm still on Thanksgiving!

2012-02-03T23:21:00.001-05:00

And I can't gloss over it, because it was a trip to remember! Mom absolutely outdid herself this time. Every day was packed with fun - Our very own State Fair of Texas, Pollan Chapter. A tea party complete with pinkies out and scones in. Pinata making parties. Swimming (only the kids and only in Texas!). Family photo shoot. Trips to the mall to visit Santa and Scrooge. Oh, and Thanksgiving dinner, lest we forget.

Luckily, the whole family was able to make it. It was a houseful, but a HAPPY houseful.

Swimming, no matter what time of year, is an absolute must at Nana's house. And these kids braved the frigid temps! Ali and Ty were in a war to see who could tough it the longest. When Ali finally succumbed to the cold, Ty was only a second behind her. These kids never cease to amaze me. I wouldn't stick my pinkie toe in!

Sadie is MAD for her cousins. Especially Carter. She would wake up and the first words out of her mouth were "Carter? sleeping? Carter?" She called for him every other minute and tailed him like a puppy dog. He was so sweet to oblige, and i'm pretty sure he didn't mind too much. Being wanted is such a satisfying feeling. :) She loved playing dolls with Ali (who gave her Pinkie, which lamb can be seen tucked under Sadie's arm at all hours of the day and night. Do NOT leave home without her) and chasing Carter and Ty. When they left for Utah, she spent days wandering the house aimlessly calling out in a pitiful voice "Cousins! Come back!! Carter! Come back!" or "Carter? Sleeping? Plane? Utah?" or "*sigh* Carter. House. Utah." Every book that has a boy and a girl in it has now turned into Sadie and Carter. She really LOVES her cousins. And they love her just as much.

There is something wonderfully comfortable about tradition. About eating the same thing EVERY year for Thanksgiving. It almost seems wrong if you don't. One of the reasons I love coming home - things are wonderfully comfortable and mom makes the best corn bread stuffing and sweet potato casserole I've ever eaten. As a complete shock to my understanding of everything that is good and true in this world, she almost didn't make said sweet potato casserole. I took it upon myself to right this unforgivable wrong and good thing- it was the first thing to go. :) Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without those sweet potatoes in that casserole. Or all of my family laughing and clinking around the table. It is so good to be home. and SO GOOD when EVERYONE is home.

Sadie's first Thanksgiving was terribly anticlimactic. She pushed around a few macs and cheese, munched a few bites of roll, loved the turkey and olives and refused to try anything else. That is, until we pulled out the pie. Then baby girl licked her plate CLEAN. Sadly the trend continues. Chocolate is always the meal of choice and she never gives up trying to ask for it every morning. Tenacious little bugger.

Oh, the ever important family photo shoot. Note to self: Never be the photographer and the subject at the same time. It absolutely does not work as exhibited below. It is impossible to see the photo and be in it at the same time, so when people move around, you can't see you are creating a human totem pole! La sigh. Lessons learned - hire a photographer OR look at the pictures after Uncle Hank takes them. Novel thought. We are in the 21st century here where such nonsense is actually possible and should be taken advantage of. Well, now I know. Next time I'll just hire a photographer.

Sadie was wonderful for the first 5 snaps, and then she turned into the tiny terror. Luckily, Erin, my sister-in-law, is wise beyond her years and brought along a bag of skittles. Though her smiles were green, yellow and blue, she was smiling! Heaven bless you, Erin!

We found a gorgeous pond and park in Highland Park (the sheeshee part of town as demonstrated by our run in with Troy Aikman. Apparently I have his ear in one of our family photos - I was so busy/stressed about taking photos I never saw him, but I did manage to photograph his ear. Everyone was satisfied with that). And why not have GIANT statues of bears at said park? Because every park needs enormous granite statues of teddy bears...

You have GOT to be kidding. Look at those beautiful faces. The Pollans know how to make 'em right. :)

And because the Pollan family is made up of 4/6ths boys, of course the trees were climbed. Sadie was so desperate to join in on the fun she threw an absolute fit until jozsef pulled her up so she could cling to a branch for dear life. She wants so badly to be one of the big kids...

I love my family. I really do thank Heavenly Father on a nightly basis for growing up in such a loving environment. With all the craziness in this world, I am EVER grateful to have 2 parents who love each other eternally and love their children fiercely, which children also love each other with loyalty and concern. I have never doubted a day in my life whether there was love in my home, and I think it has made all the difference in my life now that I have a home of my own. As promised, my cup runneth over.

Mom took Sadie and I to Northpark Mall to see Santa, Scrooge, and the trains. Santa was so-so. I'm not sure she quite got it. As we were leaving his station I told her to say goodbye, but she didn't. Not the first time she hasn't obeyed me... when we were about 6 stores away, she turned around and yelled "BYE BYE SANTA!!!" for the next 6 stores. Smiling faces all around. This is the prefect pic of Sadie watching the Scrooge puppet. He badgers the audience and then squirts all the kids with water in the end. HILARIOUS. But she was quite concerned the entire time, often yelling "no! no! no!" yet absolutely glued to the set.

Northpark is famous for it's high end shops and fine art from Mr. Nasher's personal collection scattered about the corridors. One atrium is filled with 5 giant steel silhouettes that look like men hammering. When we came upon it on our way to the ducks and turtle pond (where I thought she would be most interested) she gasped and screamed "DINOSAURS!!!!" (we are currently obsessed with them since visiting the Natural History Museum) "Big Dinosaurs!!" She didn't want to be among them, she didn't want to walk up to them, she wanted me to hold her, but she didn't want to leave them either. As I was dragging her away she kept crying "Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs!" reaching out for them. I still don't get it. I'm sure she would have stayed there the whole day had I let her. I think the "dinosaurs", the impounded puppies, and the string orchestra were her favorite. Forget Santa, forget the puppets, the ducks and turtles were ok, but any music - she was stuck like glue.

Because the day we chose to go to the park was cold and drizzly, Dad thought we should walk to the nearby Whole Foods for hot chocolate. As Sadie is NEVER ready to leave a park, I told her "Sadie, do you want to have some chocolate?" of course I said the magic word and her ears perked right up. "yes! yes!" jumping up and down and running in circles. "Then go as Papa if you can have some chocolate". Dad had of course wandered off somewhere where we couldn't find him, but Sadie never stopped looking. By the time we finally made it over to where he was I had completely forgotten what I said to her until I heard her little voice say (while jumping up and down) "Papa! Chocolate? Papa! Papa! Chocolate?" She was a baba on a mission. Whole Foods disappointed, so we promised her chocolate when we got home. After 20 minutes of walking, do you know the first thing she said when we walked through the door? "Mama! chocolate?" She's brilliant. I can't hold a thought for 20 minutes. but my laser beam focus on chocolate daughter is a master.

Oh my - all our favorite things in one photo! Pinkie, blanket (blankekek), and "book". She takes book to bed with her. Pinkie, I understand. She's snuggly. Book? not so much....

On the very last day of our 2 week vacation, Sadie decided that Nana was no longer a threat and is was ok to play with her and let her hold her and give her snuggles. The little stinker stiff-armed mom the ENTIRE time we were there. I hardly have any photos of the 2 of them because mom would have to bribe her with skittles just to hold her for a few minutes. When we were at the mall, I would ask her to hold Nana's hand and she would yell a firm "no!" and hide her hand behind her back. The little rascal! Here's to hoping it's just a phase.

I will say that Sadie has picked up a darling habit I know she learned from her Nana, which is to lick her finger every time she goes to turn the page of a big girl book. It is SO DARLING. So at least they did have a few nights of QT reading (while I held her, of course).

This post and the next 2 that will follow has made me realize that I have a sickness. I have an utter sickness for photos. Do I really write in my blogs? No. Do I share my deepest feelings and say things how they really are? No. I post a bunch of photos. A million. Many more than anyone would ever really want to look at. I can never choose! And I just had to buy a MEGA MEGA external hard drive, because the MEGA one I already had filled up just on last year's photos. Every time I whip out the camera now, Sadie looks straight at it and yells "cheese!" (which I think she picked up from our family photo shoot). That says something. So, this is me, over sharing again. Stay tuned for our Pollan Family State Fair of Texas and The Tea Party (a real one, not the one my dad wishes he belonged too...)

oh my word it has been a decade

2012-01-25T21:36:00.000-05:00

Seems that I pretty much dropped off the face of the earth from November to January. For good reason - we had a beautiful baby born and friend sleepover for sadie, my best friend and her family in town, thanksgiving in dallas, christmas parties, christmas shopping, and getting ready for christmas guests, then 13 wonderful christmas guests (all of Jozsef's family made it out!), christmas day and dinner, christmas activities, in-laws for 3 glorious weeks, another beautiful baby born and friend sleepover for sadie, and the new year. WHEW!

We are just now recovering. I find myself with tiny pockets of time and think - what is this? I can't even remember what this feels like!

So let's start from the very beginning: Welcome Baby Bridgette!!!

Can I just say how much I love sleep overs? I love them. I think it's so fun to have babies in the bathtub together, and wake up to hearing them pillow talk in the morning, watching them share food across the high chair and make each other laugh and scream with delight (yes there is also Sadie being ridiculously possessive of her toys, but I try to over look the bad in favor of the good). It kills me how one will make a face or do something that will send the other into uncontrollable laughter. Really? It's that funny, huh? Love it.

Thanks, Noelle, for having Bridgette so we could have a sleep over!

Here's the little lady

Oh, those luscious lips...

Sadie update

2011-11-21T21:44:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to post some ridiculously adorable photos of my darling baby girl.

She LOVES to eat peanut butter and jelly - just the peanut butter and jelly, not the sandwich. She just sucks the good stuff right off and leaves the bread for not.

sometimes she rides her stuffed animals. I mean, who doesn't?

And she LOVES to help mama sweep - It's impossible to sweep up anything when sadie is around. She grabs that broom and there goes the dust pile.

No explanation needed...

I could not love her more.

Visiting the cousins

2011-11-20T22:49:00.000-05:00

Even though we were in Utah MONTHS ago, I still wanted to share these pics, mainly because I think my niece and nephews will love them! We were lucky to hit Utah for 4 days this September and Sadie hasn't been the same since. She is jumping everywhere we go...which started with the cousins trampoline. If we weren't jumping, we were eating or sleeping. Because all she wanted to do was jump jump jump. Since we don't have a trampoline, it has translated to either her bed or mine. Probably the first time I've jumped on a bed in YEARS. It's pretty fun. :)

We scootered down to the neighborhood after school one day and defied death more than once. Here are the pics to prove it!

Sadie LOVES her cousins, and is desperate to be one of the big kids. As you can see, Ali has quite the influence on her. :)

And the full body slam - it looks like we have finally overcome our phobia of sand that plagued us so over our Memorial Day Beach Vacation. Thank HEAVEN.

Thanksgiving come quickly - Sadie misses her ridiculously awesome cousins!!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-06T22:25:00.001-05:00

WHAT? I say "trick or treat" in a really cute outfit and you give me CANDY?! I LOVE this game!

And what a CUTE outfit it was!!! Her Uncle Jason bought her the boots and hat for Christmas last year. I have been counting down the days since she could wear them. And why not wear them for Halloween?! And now I boast - I made the shirt myself. Well, sewed fringe and fabric onto a boy's button down, but I consider that making the whole thing myself. :) I lost 2 days of my life and a few pints of blood to that shirt, but it was worth it. Why 2 days, you ask. It seems simple enough...and then I sewed the back to the front twice and the sleeve shut twice. sigh. I stabbed 2 different fingers and cut another with the scissors, then subsequently bled all over the shirt. Nice. I'm only now healing from the wounds...This sewing thing is no joke. But it was all worth it when I put the shirt on Sadie and she touched the fringe and said "Oooooooooooo!"

After the first few houses, there was no stopping this girl. She LOVES trick or treating. "Tick o Teeeeeet!" She never actually said it at a door, only when we were leaving to go home, or when she saw her basket, or her bag of candy. She still asks for "tick o teet", which she apparently thinks is the word for candy. She did however, bust out the yee-haw we had been working on all week. She yells that "Haw!" with real texan pride.

At one house, she shoved her little hand in the candy bowl and came out with 5 pieces of candy. As a good mother should, I immediately told her "just one!" The giver then said "hey, that is the best of the night! if those little hands can hold that much candy, she can have it!" Awesome. My child is apparently greedier than all the other children on the block. So greedy, she could hardly let go of her candy to put it in her basket. No, she had to death grip it the whole time.

We headed down to Lee Street (They close it down to traffic and HUNDREDS of people come out - best costume of the night was the hot air balloon) in Old Town for our first Halloween (we were in Europe last year) with our best friends. Julia was a dog, Sabrina was a mermaid, and Millie was a BYU cheerleader. Can you even get cuter than these kids?!

Sadie was a sheriff (that ended up looking more like a rodeo queen since she wouldn't let me put on her badge), Jozsef was a bandit complete with real belt buckle and spurs, and I was a damsel-in-distress. Maybe If I had tied a railroad to my back people would have understood my costume better...And Jason rocked the Disco Satan/Bad Elvis as only Jason can. Suckers seemed to be the big hitter. I think we had 3 before we hit the second street. Sadie had a blast.

You know, Halloween has always been my least favorite holiday. All the ghosts and zombies and scary awful things hanging from the trees in people's front yards are not for me. Coming up with a costume EVERY YEAR was the worst, and then making sure you were at a cool party, or being forced to watch ridiculously scary movies. Count me OUT. But now that I have a perma-date and a darling little girl to dress up, this is FUN! I'm pretty sure we'll do it again next year. :)

Like father, like daughter

2011-11-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

And it starts so young...

Western Family Picnic

2011-11-03T14:13:00.000-04:00

Yee-HAW! Howdy Y'all and welcome to the Annual Marriot Western Family Picnic! Thanks to Uncle Jason's christmas present last year (yes, the boots and hat are Texan!), Sadie was dressed to kill. And the scenery never disappoints. We love heading out 66 to western VA every year to eat some chili, mingle with some ambassadors, ride ponies, watch the Living Legends (why do I get teary every time they dance? seriously?) and BYU Folk Dancers, and see a ton of our friends. We didn't make it to the cow roping or butter churning this year. We were the first to ride the ponies, and that was the end of that.

Sadie L-O-V-E-D the ponies. We probably rode that little wagon 15 times over. We were at the ponies so long that the Pratt's invited us to their Christmas Eve party! Where the ponies are, there we will be also. If we were anywhere more than 15 feet away she would look around panicked and scream "NEIGH! NEIGH!" Only second to the ponies, the popcorn stand was a major hit. I'm pretty sure we had 3 bags (as far as I know - it could have been more). If Sadie wasn't neighing at the ponies and crying when other children had a turn, she was standing infront of the popcorn machine just waiting for someone to notice her. She loved every minute.

Ever since I helped teach the Virginia Reel a few years ago, I'm expected to be up there dancing away. You don't have to ask me twice. I've loved Square Dancing since the 4th grade. And I love whooping out my Yee-haw whenever the mood strikes (which is more often than not. I just can't help myself!)

Mom - these were the much worried over table decorations I made. Thanks to Jocelyn's hat and boots (man, everyone bailed me out this year!) and a few sneaky flower snipping trips around the neighborhood pond, they turned out awesome!

*Sigh*. I love you Virginia.

I remember doing this very thing at the dairy farm growing up. Climbing on the gate to get a better look. Curiosity is ever universal and timeless.

My baby bug, I will cry the day you grow out of those boots.

Peach Picking

2011-11-02T23:29:00.000-04:00

I have a not so secret love of "picking my own". If I could ever get my tomato plants to actually produce more fruit than the squirrels can eat, maybe this passion would be quieted, but until then, apples, blueberries, strawberries, green beans, you name it; I love to pick it! It makes me feel like I'm getting something healthy and fresh. If they hadn't all gone half rotten the next day (note to self, never let peaches touch each other overnight) I would have actually gotten something healthy and fresh...

Sadie loved picking peaches off of Nagyi's tree so I thought she would love a whole orchard full. I was right. :) Once we got over picking the rotten ones off the ground, we made some great progress. I could hardly keep her off the branches. And that little red wagon is magic. Picking peaches AND a bright red chariot? Heaven.

We timed it just right. We missed the rain my minutes. I count it a highly successful family adventure.

The sweet man who owned this dog dubbed sadie "The Peach Queen". And with all those bags of peaches (you have to make the trek worth it, right?), Yes. She. Was.

Ah, nothing beats fresh fruits and veggies... especially when it provides the perfect opportunity for a photo shoot.

Bad Hair Day

2011-11-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you just have a bad hair day...

And you are still the cutest baby on the block!

Just another day hanging at home

2011-11-02T22:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, I like to kick it in my baby stroller. My bum's a little too big, but I try anyway.

And sometimes I like to balance things on my head. Look Mom, no hands!!

Even my baby. Which didn't work out so well...

My advice? Don't let a big bum keep you from doing what you love.

The Gappmayers

2011-10-12T22:17:00.000-04:00

My darling niece (Ali) has a best friend (Gabby) that I have heard about for years. And this past trip to Utah I finally got to meet her! I was lucky enough to shoot the incredibly gorgeous Gappmayer family and get to know the infamous Gabby (and baby sister Kate) once and for all. Now I can put a face to a very frequently mentioned name. Nikki and Brett - watch out, those ladies are going to be heart breakers!!

noelle's maternity shoot

2011-10-12T21:32:00.001-04:00

Ah, Noelle the beautiful. You are so photogenic! And stunningly pregnant. There isn't a day of your life where you could ever look bad. sigh. Some people have all the luck. I love you and LOVED taking pics of your darling little fam. That Sebrina. I have decided she needs to live every day of her toddler life in leggings. I just want to squish that toosh!

Moses + Noah

2011-10-11T23:47:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think it's not so fair for one family to have the good looks. This one has them in spades. I mean, really. How can everyone be gorgeous?! From dark and darling to red-headed and RIDICULOUSLY adorable. Marianne, if some day you come home and Moses is missing, I may or may not have stolen him.

Little Lovely Lillie

2011-10-11T23:11:00.000-04:00

Lillie - I love you. I love your SWATH of gorgeous hair, your chubby chubby cheeks, your little baby babe smile, and those tiny curly toes. And I love how much Sadie LOVES you. "baby? baby? baby?" Sorry about the full body slams that were meant to be sweet tender kisses...

and what would a photo shoot be without my favorite Juwawa? I just can't keep my camera off of you.

Seb's baptism

2011-10-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

oh my, am I behind! I have been dying to post this shoot. It was my first Catholic baptism. I felt honored to be included in such an intimate event. And Seb, as usual, did not disappoint. :)

Ooooo Wasabi!

2011-10-03T22:39:00.000-04:00

To all the "terrible" uncles out there...

Buda Buda Budapest

2011-09-30T10:08:00.000-04:00

After Greece, we hurried home to see the babe. We missed her so much! Our luggage could not come fast enough. When we rounded the corner and swung into view, she sat there on Nagyapa's hip and smiled. I was hoping for the greeting she gives Sarah, or Joc, or Noelle when they open the door = "AAAAAHHHHH" at the top of her lungs, fists clenched and shaking with excitement and arms reached out for a giant hug. Nope. Just a pleasant smile. Apparently she didn't miss us AT ALL. With a swing in the back yard, endless amounts of frozen peas and fresh watermelon, a bottle full of bubbles and ducks in the neighborhood pond, what is there to miss? We've decided to take a baby-less vacation every year - total win win. We get to reconnect and focus on each other (and lay by the pool and read for hours) and the grandparents get quality time with the cutest baby on the planet. Genius.

The weather was GORGEOUS in Budapest, so we headed straight to the park after breakfast. Sadie (and I) had a blast. Everything was on giant springs - no more crashing into the ground when your brother decides to jump off the see saw without notice.

Lucky for us there was a fair just across the street with a brass band and darling booths. We came away with 2 ceramic birds, the most ADORABLE doll for Sadie (it's little red riding hood and when you flip it upside down and pull the skirt down it turns into the wolf!), and a butterfly clapper which she HAD to push even while in the stroller.

My favorite memory of the trip: one morning (when Sadie had woken up at 3 am for an hour and a half) the grandparents were letting us sleep in. I heard the door open and felt someone walk into the room. I thought "who ever it is can see we are asleep and I'm not waking up". I could still feel him/her watching us. Just standing there. So finally I turned around and opened my eyes to see Sadie standing at the edge of the bed in a pirate hat holding a stuffed animal under each arm and a lunch box in one hand with the BIGGEST smile I have ever seen. One of those "Look how adorable I am right now!" ones. I wish I had my camera right then. She makes a pretty cute pirate.

My not so secret reason for wanting to stay in Budapest revolves around a few of our favorite friends. We met Lazar and Melinda a few years ago when Lazar was here working as the chef of the Hungarian embassy. We went to see them for "a light summer lunch" which was in fact an amazingly delicious 15 course feast. I wish I could have put it all in my pocket and saved it for later. He made this boar casserole bake incredibleness thing that I could eat every day of my life.

Sadie jumped into Lazar's arms the second we arrived and was happy to stay there the whole time. She would only eat for him. He is such a great dad, I wasn't surprised. For example: He punished Lazinko (7 yrs) for something he had done (couldn't remember what it was) by banning him from iphone games for 5 months. He didn't mean to say 5 months, but had to stick to what he'd said, so 5 months it was. well done!

Sadie cried when we left. She didn't want him to put her down.

We got to meet their 5 month old beautiful baby, Nandi, who I think looks like he could be Liv Tyler's. Those lips?! you've got to be kidding!

The view of Pest from their balcony. You can see the castle and parliament. I would live on their balcony if I could.

Melinda and Lazar - we miss you! 3 hours is never enough. It always flies by too quickly. Thank you so much for having us over and treating us to the most incredible meal ever. Please come visit us in DC soon!!!

We finished our last night there with Gerbaud's - a famous pastry/sweets shop in Buda. DELICIOUS!

and a little serenade for the bug. She so cute when she's mesmerized.

I heart family vacations.

3rd anniversary

2011-09-24T00:18:00.002-04:00

I could blog more about Hungary, but I've decided I'm so far behind and Sadie is being SO CUTE right now - I want to get to those photos! So I'll cut to the chase.

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life. 3 years?! It seems like I have never lived without you, that we have always been together. What is 3 years? Our souls have always known each other. You are forever my one and only. 3 years! They have been the happiest of my life.

GREECE!

Happy anniversary to us!

do it. It is SO incredible. I highly recommend Santorini. We spent 4 nights there and loved every single second. I have grown a new appreciation for the relaxed vacation. We wandered the city, took a million pictures (thank you jozsef for indulging me), ate lots of greek salad, and sat by the pool and read. Glorious!

We stayed at the most incredible hotel while there. We had our own private hot tub, an unobstructed view of the caldera and cliffside, a steam room, a tempurpedic bed, a bathroom the size of my dining and living room put together, and breakfast catered to our veranda every morning. Not to mention the gorgeous anniversary flowers and yogurt with rose petal syrup that greeted us upon arrival. We spent our mornings running the teeny tiny streets before the cruise ships descended, enjoying our view while eating greek omelete, then popping down to relax and read by the pool while sipping sparkling water. HEAVEN. Take me back. now.

the view from our hot tub. nice, eh?

where we ate our anniversary dinner.

the view from our veranda

Random wanderings. We took a day and got lost in the streets. Surprisingly not hard to do, even though there are only 4 of them. I had so many, but pared it down to just a few - you're welcome. :) I won't bore you with my million door shots, but I did include some favorites. Doors and stairs going nowhere. Apparently that's a thing too.

this was the shot we ran around all day looking for. Thank you Jozsef for being much smarter than I am and finding my post card moment!

Apparently the thing to do in Oia, the city where we stayed, is watch the sun set. You have never seen so many people... and brides. It must be a thing to get married there too. It was incredible. But I'll say the sunset we saw on our catamaran the next night was much better than the crowded 2 hour wait cant get anywhere afterward because everyone is being herded like cows down the teeny tiny streets.

When we weren't wandering the streets, laying by the pool, taking pictures, or eating greek salad, we filled out time with a chartered catamaran. We loved everyone on the boat except the greasy old greek man (married with kids!) with the practically teenage russian girlfriend. disgusting. Apparently that is also a thing in Greece.

We sailed to the red beach. RED. how cool is that? The water was so salty I hardly had to swim. I mostly bobbed my way to the shore.

And the "hot" (more like extremely tepid-if-that springs - I thought volcanoes were supposed to be hot) where a hermit named Savior has built his home and a church.

We snorkeled and ate more greek salad. Well, at least I ate greek salad, because the other offerings were just a bit too adventurous for me...

And then we watched the most beautiful sunset of my life. So beautiful we were too busy watching and enjoying to take a picture.

Mmmmm. And the food. I'm not kidding when I said we ate Greek salad for every meal. And yogurt with honey. The rest is a blur...but so delicious!

our restaurant practically ON the ocean. This is when I would have had a heart attack if sadie were with us. And I almost lost the salt and a fork to the fishies. Luckily I have jedi-like reflexes.

Sad day. We had to leave. But on to Athens. I've ALWAYS wanted to see the Parthenon - the art historian in me was giddy beyond belief. And I was not disappointed...mostly. The PArthenon was under renovations, so scaffolding thwarted all my grand photographic plans. but it was still a sight to see. (Note to self: never wear a flounsy skirt to the acropolis, which is a giant rock high above the city. I had to fight my Marilyn Monroe the whole time. Less than graceful.)

Jozsef and his Banana Republic photo shoot. HOT.

Jozsef as Poseidon. Convincing, no? He's so good to indulge me.

This is my new business adventure idea. Greek yogurt with any number of toppings, all kinds of honey and nuts and fruit. Delish!

Loved Athens. Loved Santorini more... but loved Athens. Wandering the ruins, discovering all sorts of antiquity, contemplating the life of the ancient Greek, eating lamb on a balcony while Greek music floats through the air and the sun sets behind the ruins, seeing iconic art pieces I've studied since high school, shopping for baklava (YUM) and enjoying just being with the love of my life made Athens great. And since there has been unrest, no one was there! We practically had the city to ourselves. Top move.

Go to Santorini. Go to Athens (maybe Athens before Santorini). I highly recommend it.

to market to market to buy a fat pig

2011-09-16T00:35:00.001-04:00

To market to market to buy a fat pig, home again home again jiggity-jig.

This time the market wasn't just fruits and veggies. It was ducks, geese, puppies, birds, chickens, pigs, horses, sheep, cows, sausage, cheese, dried fruits, candies, clothes, antiques, lawn mowers, toilets, sheep skins, crafts, chinese plastic toys, and everyone's garage sale rejects. They had it ALL. You know how we have Old McDonald and his farm? Hungarians have the market and it's animals. Sadie loves it when Jozsef "goes to the market to buy her a.....duck! hap hap hap".

My favorites were all the puppies in boxes (sadie was quite taken with them too, trying to kiss them all), the ducks in boxes (never in my life have I seen a duck sticking up out of a box) and the old hungarian mama just chillin' with a live chicken in her hand. Sadie was so excited she hardly knew where to look. We didn't even get to see the cows and horses because we spent so much time on the baby animals.

Really? who puts a live baby chick in a plastic bag?!

Then on to the commodities. No one wanted to go near the dried fruit stands, since it seemed to be the popular hang out for the entire country's bee population. But we did get some famous mangalica pig sausage. It's the famous hairy Hungarian pig and is rumored to be lower cholesterol. Show me a sausage that is low cholesterol and I'll show you a law suit for false advertising. Lower. it's lowER cholesterol (everyone kept talking like it was void of any fat at all). Whatever it is, it's ridiculously good. And salty sheep's cheese. The first cheese I have ever encountered that isn't kept in the fridge. hm. but delicious! even a little squeaky.

Sadie loved the random Hungarian-boy-scoutesque clarinet player - she even did a little shimmy and shake for us. But her favorite thing (besides the puppies) was the basket Nagyi bought for her. Her very own basket she can take to the market. She thought she needed four, but we wrestled her down to two - one for her and one for cousin Zoe.

Everything was so exciting that she just had to conk out. Ah, the sweet peace...

And of course we had the traditional market food. Hungary's funnel cake is Langos - a fried bread with sour cream and cheese on top (if you want, and yes I did!) I could have had 2 more of those. And then the nostalgic candy. We passed a stand and I heard Jozsef whispering to himself "oh! I remember this from when I was a kid! This one was my favorite!" So we bought some. Coconut and chocolate, which meant Jozsef ate it all by himself. :)

And what is a country market without some GREAT people watching? I don't even have words for this one...

After combing the whole market over, stuffing ourselves silly with langos and candy, and popping a few eyes at the passersby, we headed out to my favorite restaurant just outside of Miskolc where we had all of my favorite foods! Bean soup (oh. my. word. you have never tasted a bean soup as good as the one Iren makes, but this one was pretty good too. Sadie ate 3 bowls full. It's a personal all time fav), turos teszta- farm cheese egg noodles. HOLD THE PHONE. Those things are so stinking good I can't stand it! And anything with sauteed peppers, onions, and tomatoes. I'm telling you, Hungarians do it right.

A day well spent. Who doesn't love trips to tiny towns in the country that have huge markets where you can buy a fat pig to take home again home again jiggity jig.

Nagyi's house

2011-09-12T21:38:00.000-04:00

I would spend every summer at Nagyi's house if I could. And I think Sadie would agree with me!

We picked peaches and tomatoes almost every day (you have NEVER tasted such good peaches). Sad was the moment when Sadie realized she had picked all the peaches... then she turned on the tomatoes, and is still picking them at our house, greener than green.

We ate lots of watermelon. Lots. Sadie has never been happier.

We blew bubbles, and more bubbles, and even more bubbles.

Every time we went out the front door or got out of the car, we played in the plastic house, on the slide, on the baby swing, and in the electric car. Every time. :)

And we went to the park. But this is not just any park. At the bottom of Nagyi's street is the most beautiful and incredible park I have ever seen. They have flowers, ponds, streams, ducks and geese and swans, 3 playgrounds, a Alpine Slide, and the world's coolest kiddie pool and cave baths - all within walking distance.

The cave baths are naturally warm water inside a extensive network of caves - absolutely gorgeous and so much fun. They even have a lazy river and bubbly hot tub. The air was so warm it fogged up our lens!

We played long and hard every day. Between the peaches and watermelon, swings and slides, ponds and pools, we couldn't have been happier.

Nagyi - get ready, we're coming back next year!

This little piggy went to market

2011-09-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

There is something about that European food - it just tastes better. The peaches, the sausage, the cheese, the tomatoes and peppers and bread. That's probably why I gained 10 pounds in 3 weeks...but it was all worth it!

I don't even know what this vegetable is, but breaded and fried I think it's my favorite.

Nagy sent us to the market (with real wicker baskets!!!) one of our first days in Hungary. LOVE! Once Sadie was free from her stroller prison, she loved it too. She quickly and deftly won the hearts of every passerby. We're talking free plums and flowers and bananas and cucumbers. She seriously raked it in.

With flower and banana in one hand and helping apa with the other, she practically floated back to the car. I love that girl so much it hurts.

Luxembourg

2011-09-01T10:43:00.005-04:00

The train from Paris to Luxembourg was a hoot. We ran, laden with bags, luggage, and a car seat strapped to my back from our hotel to the train station. Jozsef's pile-o-luggage kept tipping over, the car seat knocked out a few passers by, but Sadie seemed to enjoy the ride. Apparently a cab can refuse you if you are too close to the station. Ridiculous!!

We made it with minutes to spare, jumped onto the very first car of the train just in the nick, and proceeded to "excuse us, pardon, sorry, oops, um...pardon monsieur, excuse us, oh I'm so sorry" our way through the tiny aisles to the LAST CAR OF THE TRAIN where our seats were. After 13 cars, hundreds of "dumb Americans" under French breath and being completely traumatized, we finally made it.

Of course Sadie wanted her own seat, and decided she would snuggle up next to Jean. The nicest French grandpa you have ever met. He even played peek-a-boo.

Sadie is quite gregarious - whether on planes or trains, her favorite past time is going from seat to seat (sometimes touching a knee) saying "Hello! Hello! Hello!" until acknowledged. Only then can she move on to the next lucky passenger. We walked into a car (I'm sure we lapped the train at least 3 times) with a crying baby. Sadie sprung into action. She gasped, looked at me concerned and ran to the damsel in distress. She tried kissing, she tried patting, she tried talking. She even tried climbing up the seat to get a better vantage point. It's not at all awkward when your baby tries to kiss a stranger's to death. Not at all.

Lonely Planet's travel tips for Luxembourg: Wander around the city.

So that's what we did.

It's gorgeous! The main city is surrounded by a deep ravine, which contains "the old city", think buildings built into the stone cliffs, old churches, tiny streets, a little mote, and a massive park. I was DYING for our running stroller! While Jozsef worked, we hit the streets, we played, we ate, we napped. It's such a low stress tourist stop - you can see it all in about a day. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Really, as long as Sadie has a flight of stairs and the occasional swing (gelato never hurts either), we're golden.

And when Jozsef could break away, we played some more. They had darling parks, the cutest kiddie train, and lots of green space to run around.

I'm pretty sure I could live there.

The City of Love

2011-08-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

Paris. Sigh. The City of Loooooove.

We only had a day and a half before training to Luxembourg, but every minute (besides bedtime) was heavenly. By sheer genius Jozsef booked a hotel across the street from a playground. After only 2 hours of sleep on the plane (thank you Sadie!), one very whiney, tired and clingy baby and 2 jet lagged parents, the park was our saving grace. After 3.2 minutes Sadie decided the "baby playground" was for the birds and could not be consoled until she was running with the big kids (which big kids almost ran her over).

Sadie's fav's: chasing pigeons (she chased this same poor pigeon around the entire park!) Those trixy little birds will tease you to the end - staying close enough to think you are in range, but far enough to never catch. Stalwart, Sadie was never discouraged.

Riding the Metro like a big girl

and the food (me too!)

(best gelato outside of Italy!!)

Sadie never met a croissant she didn't love

Apparently this little ratatouille loves french food too! The grocer jumped back 3 feet and almost fell over when we pointed out his little moocher.

We found a darling open air french cafe but soon realized it to be an unwise choice. Not only did no restaurant in the entire city ever have a highchair, but now sadie could now leap into the street with one excited bound. We tag teamed eating and chasing. At that moment a realization crystalized within me: traveling with kids is tough... but oh so worth it. :)

My highlights: Sadie's 3 hour nap so we could visit the opera house

playing with sadie at the eiffel tower

wandering the streets and eating macaroons

discovering incredible gelato and the lock bridge behind Notre Dame-Hungary's lock bring is much cleaner, but I loved how the colorful bits of plastic bag, ribbon, and random trash flapped in the wind

Montmartre

and my meal after we trekked all the way to the Rodin Museum to find it closed. THE most delicious sea bass I have ever had.

2 days into the trip, and it's already a smashing success.

Prayers are answered

2011-08-29T21:11:00.001-04:00

Although she's already 6 weeks old and chunking up, I HAVE to post about the day Lillie Ann Mickelsen came into this blessed world.

I was bound and determined baby Lillie would be born before I left for our family vacation in Europe. 3 weeks is a terribly long time when you are talking newborns! Prayers were said every night, but taking matters into my own hands I planned to walk that baby right out (unbeknownst to Sarah). Our first walk was scheduled for Monday, July 19 at 2:00 pm.

1:00 pm - Sarah: "Hollie. I think I'm in labor. It might be fake labor. I'm not sure. But I think it's real. How do you know? I don't think we'll make it for the walk. It's probably fake." (WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!! keep me posted!)
2:00 pm - Sarah: "Yeah, I think it's real. I might need you to take me to the hospital. Paul is an hour away in court!" (Bucket list CHECK - I've always wanted to drive a pregnant lady to the hospital alla Hollywood)
2:30 pm - Sarah: "Um, can you take me to the hospital?!" (This is sooooooo exciting!!!!!)

yee-haw! I scooped up Sadie, grabbed some toys and snacks for the kids just in case we got there before Paul and hurried over (luckily she lives 2.3 minutes from my house). It was great. I am making sandwiches, she is grabbing her bag and keys. I am running around, she is running around. I try to put in Julia's car seat-- I wrestle that darling thing for a good 5 minutes trying to safety clip it into the seat, get 3 days worth of a work out, sweat 3 pounds and then finally had to turn it over to the PREGNANT LADY IN LABOR to try and figure it out. We finally give up and just buckle it with the seatbelt. duh. so easy. On the way I excitedly ask a million questions. She breaths through it (don't kid yourself. I was breathing through it too!). I speed. This is soooooo exciting!

3:30 - Paul meets us at the hospital door, and they're off. My prayers had been answered.

Not only did I get to see Lillie the day after she was born, but I got to have 2 whole days and nights of Julia bliss (my secret inner desire)! And I got to turn my camera on Lillie.

When Paul came to pick up Julia for good :( much sooner than anyone of us wanted, she didn't want to leave! Mission accomplished, hehehe. Sadie, who thinks she can be possessive of other people's dads actually threw a fit when he picked up Julia instead of her. these kids...

Sadie walked aimlessly around the house for 2 days saying "Juwawa? Juwawa? where go?!" Julia - you can come stay with us anytime! (Don't tell your mom, but Uncle Jozsef makes sure that we always have chocolate).

Lillie- thanks for making all my wildest dreams come true. I love you! (more baby pics to come...stay posted!)

Jump jump jump

2011-08-29T13:43:00.000-04:00

One of Sadie's new favorite things to do is jump on our bed. "dump dump dump!!!" She loves to jump and fling herself down. I may have gone a little overboard with out little photo shoot (300 photos later...don't you just love digital?!) but she was so cute I couldn't stop. After about 15 good minutes of jumping her heart out she flopped down and said "all done?" in the most exhausted tone a 1 year old can muster. Yes, I'm sure I got at least ONE good picture. All done. :)

4th of July

2011-08-29T13:27:00.000-04:00

HA! how long has it been since the 4th of July? Under normal circumstances I would just cut my losses and start from where I am, but in making my 2009 (yes, how long ago was THAT?) photo book I have found my blog to be a priceless source of information. And as such am newly recommitted to recording important events.

As the 4th of July is our nation's birthday, it only seemed appropriate to throw a mass July birthday party - seems that quite a few parents were getting busy back in September... because man, they came out in masses. And this is just our neighborhood.

What would a 4th of July be without food, friends, and fun in the sun? Our neighborhood pool has been our 4th party spot for the past few years running and didn't disappoint this year. However, the hit of the pool was Sadie's baby stroller. Every kid, even the 3 year old boys, took a couple spins around the pool.

As a firework fanatic, we mooched of the Black's total parking hook-up and got seats in front at the Botanical Gardens. I've never done the mall before, and if I were to do it again, I think I would just bite the big one and go in for the middle of the pack so I could have that picture with the bursts of color behind the washington monument. I have yet to convince Jozsef of it, but someday... Fearing complete mosquito attack I begged/bartered half of the botanical gardens for bug spray. I can't believe no one wanted my milk duds or salt and pepper pistachios (those things are AMAZING). A kind couple took pity on us when I mentioned "it's for the babies" and let us borrow free of charge. Half a bottle and half of the botanical gardens later I tried to pay for the spray, but they were just too christian. Heaven bless their souls.

FINALLY - the big moment. I couldn't wait to see Sadie's reaction. On firework. nothing. Two fireworks. She became restless and wanted to run all over the lawn. Crestfallen I tried to wrestle her into loving them as much as I did. No such luck. Until she finally kicked and wriggled her way into Zack's lap where she sat contentedly and even let out the gasps and ooooo's and aaaaaa's I had been waiting for. Sigh. What can I say? She loves her uncle "Ack".

But nothing is better than spending an entire day with your nearest and dearest. xoxoxoxox

The Whites

2011-07-12T12:28:00.000-04:00

My latest shoot:
1) GREAT family - Sebastian could not keep his eyes off the camera. Baby Gap, here he comes! And Jon serves as an officer in the army. Many thanks to the whole family for that sacrifice.
2) Love shooting at the Capitol. You just can't go wrong.
3) absolutely got a ticket in the mail yesterday from when I was (apparently) speeding to the shoot since I was ridiculously lost in the wrong cardinal direction of town. And in what country is 25 mph the speed limit for a 4 lane road anyway?!
4) excited to shoot Seb's baptism, because I know he already loves me. :)

May I never move from my house

2011-07-05T23:09:00.000-04:00

1) because all my dear dear friends live within walking distance
2) all of our babies will be in kindergarten together
3) I can call any number of them at 5:30 in the morning to borrow a thermometer because mine is broken
4) my lack of dinner preparation is always mitigated by other's abundant pantries
5) I LOVE MY NEW KITCHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The much anticipated (well, only if you were me and maybe my mom) before and after pictures:

I refinished a nickel chandelier to replace our 1990 brass special in the foyer. It is just so satisfying to get a great deal and turn it into something beautiful.

If anyone is looking for a great contractor, I happen to know one. :)

Baby Duck

2011-07-04T01:34:00.000-04:00

Baby Duck!!! It started as Duck, then Married Duck, now Baby Duck. We've been "Ducking" with the Parks and Mickelsens (of course they weren't the Parks and Mickelsens then...) for 4 years. I hope we continue for another 40. A whole entire weekend of unadulterated best friend time is my idea of a grand vacation. Throw in some beach, and you've got a real winner. I particularly enjoyed watching the girls play together, love on each other, feed each other, steal each other's toys, share each other's toys...and parents. Sadie would go home with the Parks or Mickelsens any day of the week. She especially loves to ride high with Uncle Paul. It's like being in an SUV - you can see the whole world.

The run down:

Sadie's beach face 9 out of 10 times. She wouldn't walk around without shoes. She wouldn't let me put her down "no, no, no, no". She wouldn't go anywhere near the water, and would only play in the sand once she realized after 2 hours that the situation wasn't changing.

Millie (Mimi as sadie calls her) sympathized with Sadie

Look at that strut!! Julia (Juwawa according to Sadie) "The Fearless", attacked that beach with gusto. She ran belly first and laughing into the freezing ocean!

Family fun time at the beach!!

Sadie is mad for the claymation show "Shaun the Sheep". Here is her performance of Shaun's dance. She's pretty much a professional.

Jonathan Stewart was uncle for the weekend. He's got the magic touch.

The cuteness that is the Bug

look at those curls! I'm in love.

you have got to be kidding me. I DIE! She absolutely loves to wear sunglasses.

mmmmmmm....watermelon

Look at that hip action!

wait a minute... where is this towel headed?!

Sadie is a lover not a fighter. She kisses anything in her path. Luckily Julia likes to kiss just as much. Sometimes they knock each other over. It warms my heart every time.

The grab

the kiss

the recovery

Once she got the hang of it, playing in the sand was actually fun!

(is it bad that I secretly LOVE the face Sadie is making in this photo?)

I love all of our girlies playing together.

Happy Birthday Millie!!!

Julia was excited to help Millie eat the cake. Sadie was a little shy. Julia tried to help her get excited about it too. It didn't quite work out. :)

Sometimes men think they need to run into large bodies of freezing water to prove their manhood. As I am not a man, I have never needed to run into freezing water to prove anything and will never understand it. But I will root you on from the beach every time. Go Jozsef!

Goodbye Sea Senorita. You were wonderful. Can we do it again soon? Pretty Please?!

My birthday...2 whole months ago

2011-06-26T23:44:00.000-04:00

Usually I would apologize about my absence, but whatever. I've just accepted the fact that I'm a terrible blogger. Life happens, right? Better late than never!

My birthday was so fabulous I couldn't skip it over. Jozsef took me on surprise (I love surprises!!!!) trip to Charlottesville VA. Don't tell anyone, but I could absolutely live out the remainder of my life there in complete happiness. Gorgeous green, mountains of flowers, rolling hills, quaint restaurants, darling downtown. Love it. Does it get any better than a cheese plate, flowers and chocolate covered strawberries awaiting you at your fabulous hotel? Not if you're me.

We went to an incredible restaurant for dinner - they even had "Happy Birthday Hollie" printed on my menu! It was such a nice restaurant that they didn't even have a high chair - obviously the kind of place no one in their right mind would bring their child, except for us. Fortunate for us, the waiters were incredible and watched sadie while we ate. She had more crayons, strawberries, ice cream, and trips to see the restaurant dog than any one girl could ever imagine. She loved it! and so did her mom and dad. :)

Since we were 15 minutes away, we took Sadie to see Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Sadie didn't make it past the first room on the tour, but smelled almost every flower she passed outside. Darling!

Who knew 32 would be so grand? Every day I'm increasingly grateful for a thoughtful, generous, loving husband who knows that all I really want for my birthday (and every day) is time with him. The cheese plates and flowers and chocolate covered strawberries and fancy dinners and and massages and surprises are WONDERFUL, but what I love most is 2 quality days with my husband; no work, no chores, no plans, nothing to take away time from each other. Baby, I'm mad for you. You are what I love most.

just when I thought I couldn't love her any more than I already did...

2011-06-13T17:07:00.000-04:00

Baby Jack

2011-05-22T23:21:00.000-04:00

An absolute dream to photograph. I fell in love with the family right away - And that little Peruvian hat KILLS me. They picked it up on vacation right when they found out the good news. Congrats on a beautiful baby boy!!

Sadie the Silly

2011-05-22T22:59:00.000-04:00

My new favorite things about The Bug:
*Anytime anyone mentions the word "go", She runs to the top of the stairs and yells "GO!" with all the energy her little body can muster
*She hums along with our bedtime song when the mode hits her just right
*She has recently decided she is the funniest thing on the planet. A few days ago I was making lunch with my back turned to sadie and heard the most darling forced/fake laugh. I turned to find her teeth clinched with a grape sticking out between them - as if it were the funniest thing she had ever thought of. How can you not LOVE that? I die over her. Since then, she's become a regular comedian.

Sadie, I heart you.

The Easter Bunny strikes again

2011-05-22T22:31:00.000-04:00

The Easter Bunny has done it again... He somehow evaded Byron's fool proof trap by seconds. But don't worry, Mr. Bunny, we will get you next time!

Easter was a blast - Sadie's first easter egg hunt. She was given a 3 minute head start by the cousins (so kind). She didn't quite get it. We showed her the egg. She picked it up. She shook it. She put it back down.

But there was no mistaking her love for Quack Quack when she saw him on the rocks. Be line. kiss. grab. hug. inseparable. unbelievably ADORABLE.

gorgeous weather, gorgeous flowers, darling kids, lots of chocolate and candy. It was a good day.

Uncle Byron was a personal favorite. She would get excited when he walked into the room and jump into his arms from anyone else's (including mine). He thinks it's his good looks. I think it's because he always took her right to the dogs...

raiding the cousin's candy stashes...

what is easter without a little yummy chocolate and some darling bunny ears?

We made a BYU egg and a U of U egg - we were going to smash them together and see which one won. I didn't see the fight, but I'm pretty sure the True Blue came out on top.

Sadie found her hat and put it on all by herself.

my favorite moment of the day, when sadie came running around the corner with the giant easter baskets slung about her like a purse. I don't think I can love her more than I do right now.

Staying with the cousins was a complete success - Sadie LOVES her cousins, LOVES Chewy and Jesse (chewy a little more because she's baby sized), and LOVES her Quack Quack. She never leaves home without him. BJP's, we love you! Thanks for a fantastic week and Easter holiday. we miss you!!

Why babies are expensive

2011-05-22T21:58:00.000-04:00

And all this time I thought it was diapers...

Coco Penny

2011-03-31T22:28:00.000-04:00

My latest shoot was for the ever incredibly ladies who have invented Coco Penny- seriously the most fantastic hair bows on the planet. Congratulations!!! I'm pretty sure Sadie and I have single handedly kept them in business (I'm always stealing her bows). They have just launched their website so that the rest of the world can benefit for their awesomeness. Now when people ask me "Where did she get that adorable flower?!", I'll have something to tell them. :)

Check it out. I'm pretty much famous now. I've finally fulfilled my lifelong dream of being a model. :)

Here are a few of the bows we love to wear. I'm pretty sure we own one of each that is for sale right now!

Cherry Blossoms 2011

2011-03-30T21:40:00.001-04:00

It was a little nostalgic walking around the cherry blossoms this year. Sadie was only 3 weeks old the last time we were there. I was one of those adoring mothers holding my new born babe up to the blossoms for her photo shoot. Since then, nothing has changed (except the abundance of Sadie's hair). They (both Sadie and the blossoms) are as gorgeous as ever. Last time Nagy came with us. This time it was Uncle Jason who has just moved out here!!!

For the Grandparents

2011-03-27T23:09:00.000-04:00

Here is an update of pics I have been hoarding for the past few months... or just haven't actually gone threw until this second. Enjoy!

Bath time!

Sometimes Apa rubs his scruff all over baba's feet. She LOVES it.

Walking ever so gingerly, with the pinkie out.

Just plain beautiful. I die over that face.

Story time with Apa!!

did you see all that curly hair? maybe we have a chance!

Test shots at Penn Camera for the new lens I just bought. It's all fun and games until someone chomps a crayon... (and if you're wondering, she spilled apple sauce ALL over her pants right before we arrived. I'm not really a bad mother)

Maybe someday I'll send you actual copies of photos instead of consoling myself with the thought that blogging is actually enough. Love you and Szeretlek!!

Utah and the cousins

2011-03-27T22:52:00.001-04:00

We recently visited Utah for our nephew Max's baptism - It is amazing how fast 8 years can sneak up on you! I am once again reminded how eternally wonderful family can be, and how much i love having little cousins for Sadie. She LOVED Zoe. I am almost 95% sure she even said her name, with a twist of course - "Zozo". Sadie's favorite game was to touch Zoe's nose. Zoe, however, has strong feelings about personal space. You can guess how that ended.

Can you ever love someone too much? I think Zoe would say... Yes.

For March Madness (we have 8 birthdays to celebrate between both our families), we went bowling and to Five Guys for burgers. I have come to the realization that Five Guys really is the best burger out there...sorry In and Out. I came in DEAD last - even among nieces and nephews - with a whopping 53 (and that was my better score of the 2 games). In my defense, I did let sadie bowl a couple gutters for me. I bowl a couple for myself too... while Byron bowled his best ever 180 something- a spare and 5 STRIKES in a row. 5!!! Ali had just as much fun chasing Sadie as bowling. I just love that little redhead.

Don't look at my score...or my misspelled name

Sometimes I just think my baby girl is gorgeous. Can you blame me?

We LOVE visiting all our family in Utah. Can't wait to be back next month for the 3 CITY TOUR!!!

The Big One

2011-03-09T11:08:00.012-05:00

Dear Sadie (Sades, Sadie-baba, Sadie-Bug, Bug, Baba, Bugaboo, Baby bear, Baby girl, Bab, Babsie)

This weekend you turned one year old. I can hardly believe 12 months have passed in such a flash. I feel as though my love for you has always been a part of my life, but that you joined our little family just months ago. You have grown from a 6 lbs 9.5 oz bleary-eyed newborn into a 18 lbs 4 oz bright-eyed toddler. TODDLER. Where was I when this happened? Sometimes I hold you close, close my eyes and try to freeze moments in time forever. I always say "don't ever get any bigger", but then somehow I love you even more when you do.

Everything about you fills me with indescribable joy: the way you hold up your forefinger and thumb as if you are ready to shoot anyone who trys to take your food when you eat; when you hold toys (most often your giant puzzle pieces) between your teeth, catch my attention, then laugh as though it's the funniest thing you have ever done; when you peak your head around a corner with that giant full-face smile of yours and say BOO!; the way you walk, ever so gingerly so as not to fall - you lead a little with your left leg and let your right try to catch up; how you snuggle into me when we are reading books, you point and talk to the pages as though you are reading to me; when you reach out for me and open and close your little hands when Apa brings you into bed in the morning; when you laugh and smile while nursing; when you dive between Apa and me snuggled in bed so you can be between us, or rather so you can snuggle Apa!; when I find you emptying apa's sock drawer onto the floor with GUSTO and sheer joy; when you give me kisses and head bumps - I especially love the head bumps. They melt me; when you crawl up to me in the kitchen, pull yourself up on my legs, and beg to be picked up so you can see what we're making for dinner; how you carry around any stuffed animal (always upside down and by the leg) snuggled tight against your neck with the smile of contentment on your beautiful face; the nose scrunch smile. It is my all-time favorite; when you dance - you always dance- while eating, while standing, while sitting, even while laying down (this we call the belly dance, because that is what it is). Your newest move is to swing your hips from side to side, so much so you can't help from getting your shoulders and head involved; how you always share your food. Sometimes you get a sneaky look in your eyes and pull your hand away right before we can chomp down. You die laughing. I die laughing; and the way you get the "oh my, I am SO CUTE" smile on your face when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Priceless.

Right now your only words are: Apa (which you say to him), Mama (which you say only when you are upset), baba (which I think is an accident/babble), uh-oh (which you use incredibly well and always in context), boo (as in peek-a-boo and the sound for cow which has now become the sound for every animal except lion), roar (for lion, of course. my favorite - you whisper it with such intensity). Yesterday I swear I heard you say "WOW!" as you were playing with the remote control car your Aunt Sarah bought you for your birthday. You repeatedly make the sounds "dis", "egy", "oda". Daddy is so proud you are already speaking hungarian. :)

Your favorite toys are: magnets, anything you can put in and take out of a box, the finger puppets Apa brought back from South Africa, your stuffed lamb Nana gave you for christmas, keys (my keys, not your keys) and of course anything electronic or with buttons: remote controls, phones, computer keyboards. You especially love to read books and to turn the pages. Whenever you are upset it does the trick every time.

You L.O.V.E. to be tickled, mostly under the arms, neck and on your thighs. You're pretty ticklish on your feet too, especially when Apa rubs his scruffy face on them. I crave that tickle squeal. It starts off high and then crumbles in a cantatian of guttural laughter. Music to my ears. You also love playing piggies with your toes - you'll even grab them and wiggle them yourself.

You are always trying to get into the toilet, my makeup, the cupboards, the trash, everyone's purse and other people's food. You never keep in your hair bows or pigtails (much to my eternal distress). You climb on the table, and you never let me wipe your hands or face. I love you anyway..and maybe more because of it. :)

Sadie, I bless the day you entered our lives. We are a better couple and better individuals because you have taught us so much about love, trust, selflessness and pure, heavenly joy. I cannot help but smile when I see your beautiful face, when you snuggle me right before nap/bedtime, when you give head bumps, when I see you sleeping in your crib with your foot slung up on the slats and one hand hanging out between them or your tiny bum sticking straight in the air, when you jump with uncontianable excitement in your high chair as I bring over peas or blueberries, or when I come home after being away for any amount of time. You are the sun that brightens my days and warms my soul. Your fiercely independent spirit reminds me of the great responsibility I have to raise you in the light of the Lord. You are strong for a reason. Please be patient with me as I learn and grow with you. And Apa too. He doesn't mean to put your dresses on backwards. There is just so much to understand....

I love you so incredibly much. I feel immensely loved by you. And that is all I need....

Christmas: Part 2

2011-02-17T15:44:00.004-05:00

So, I lost steam with the second part of christmas, but just had to post this.

Christmas: part 1

2011-02-03T20:34:00.005-05:00

A month late according to EST (Eastern Standard time), right on time according to HST (Hollie Standard Time).

As we were headed to The Great State for Christmas, we had our own little family present opening on the 22nd.

Baba didn't quite get it - she wasn't into the ripping of the paper like I thought she would be having seen how she has demolished my magazines. Everyone was spoiled rotten and all wildest dreams came true. Could the day get better? I'm not sure...but it did. because we boarded the plane to TEXAS!!

God Bless you Texas/ And keep you brave and strong/ That you may grow in power and strength/ Throughout the ages long.

I do love that Lone Star State, with its warmish winter weather, close proximity to family and life-long friends, and abundance of Bluebell ice cream. :) Being in Texas is like breathing a deep sigh of relief. It's therapeutic. Especially when your child can wreak havoc on someone else's house, and it's unfailingly cute.

Sadie is SUCH A good little helper, sharp stabby objects and all...

Highlights of the trip:

Visiting her best friend Lauren who is GORGEOUS. Did you see those eyes? and that luscious black hair? They loved each other, which was to be expected.

Visiting the GREATGRANDparents:

Granny and Grady Clark

Sadie loved Dolly, the dog, as long as she was far away or in her kennel. Once she got a little too close or snitched a lick, Sadie was a sight to see. She would act like a school girl who was forced to come nose to nose with a toad. On the last day, the last hour, the last minute, she decided Dolly was not carnivorous. I just L-O-V-E that expression on her face!

Nanny and Papa Pollan

Sadie at her best Haramia (Bandit in Hungarian) - could not keep her away from that phone

Double trouble - the phone AND Papa's clicker. Too many buttons. Too much fun.

My favorite part of visiting the Greatgrand Pollans was seeing Papa (not known for his warmth toward children) absolutely dote on Sadie. He couldn't stop watching her eat, feeding her crackers, tickling her feet, and march up and down the couch. I have never seen him so tender and he didn't complain once about "the pterodactyl" as we like to call Sadie's oh-so-lovely screech. And it paid off - oh, the smiles she would flash just for Papa. She loved him instantly.

We Love You GreatGrands!!!!!

CHRISTMAS MORNING!

Have you ever seen so many stockings in your life? Don't kid yourself. I sewed three of those myself. Be amazed. Sades, of course, woke up before everyone, so we just cruised around looking at all the pretty packages enjoying the stillness and peace of the moment.

The star toy was from Uncle Hank - a glow worm. When we turned it on, she immediately stopped whatever she was doing and started DANCING. I considered it Sadie's "new trick" and showed it to everyone who came over. It was a no fail. Every time we got a shimmy and shake out of her. I think it was my favorite toy too.

We skyped with the BJP's (Byron Jess Pollans) and opened our gifts for each other online. How much do I heart skyping? We skyped when we were at the greatgrands and Nanny kept tapping the screen on someones face as if she could really touch them. She could not believe her eyes. It was so funny to see them lean into the computer and shout - well, the shouting could also be an age thing... :)

Being with family: Best Christmas present ever. Watching them love my child fiercely: a dangerously close second. nope - it's a tie.

More to come when I figure out what happend to the other photos I downloaded. :)

The flip side

2011-01-07T21:17:00.007-05:00

Being the photographer you rarely end up on the flip side of the lens. Good thing I love modeling as much as photography. :) And in the spirit of Christmas card frenzy ...family photos for the Szamosfalvis!!! Of course I couldn't let our 30 min session pass without asking a million photography questions. I def got my money's worth. Thanks to jon and melissa. Its fun to be on the flip side for a change.

Istanbul was Constantinople

2011-01-02T23:28:00.007-05:00

ISTANBUUUUUUUUUUUUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While in Prague, J had a 2 day trip (more like 1.5) to Istanbul, and lucky us we got to go along!!! I have a list a mile long of things to see (and buy) when we go back. 1.5 days (which is really just 1) is not long enough.

We stayed at the Grand Kempenski - AMAZING - which was a refurbished Sultan's palace on the Bosporus. Check out the view from our balcony. Just gorgeous.

First we visited the Sultan's palace

and the Harem. I thought the HArem was the group of women, but apparently it is also the buildings that housed them. We were bombarded with color, hand painted tiles, stained glass (who knew the Ottoman empire had stained glass?), soaring domes and gold filigreed everything. Breathtaking.

ooooooooooooooooooo!

Hello stranger. I will make you love me in less than a second. Ah, so easy.

Then off to the Hagia Sophia (the 2nd largest church in the world behind St. Peters) before J had to run to meetings

Sadie conked out, I took this adorable pic with Hagia Sophia in the background, and then my camera broke. Unbelievable. I still had not been to the spice market, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, or the underground cisterns. Panic ensued. Despair followed. I practically attacked other people with SLRs to ask how to fix it. Defeat was accepted. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the day...cameraless. Well, I did have my iphone. Better than nothing.

Sadie and the Blue Mosque which went to twice, but never got to see - dang prayer time. We only had to time to hit the spice market before Jozsef was done with meetings and ready for dinner. My favorite thing? no questions - the Baklava. I made the taxi stop on the way to the airport so we could get some "for the road". smart move. Day one was over in the blink of an eye. I love you, Istanbul.

For our .5 day, we decided to enjoy our phenomenal hotel and slept in, went for a run in the hilliest park you have ever seen, enjoyed brunch on the Bosporus - Sadie could hardly see over the tray of her highchair! and went swimming in the outdoor heated pool and hot tub. Now THAT is pure bliss. I consider it a .5 day WELL spent.