Little Miss and her Photo Shoot!

So this past month I was able to book McKinley's 6 month pictures. We were a little bit behind the times since she was 7 months old, but I think it worked out perfectly! So to give you all an idea of the preparation that went into this I will begin with where it all started...PINTEREST.
I knew I wanted to get pictures done, but I had just decided to put it off until her first birthday. Her newborn pictures were phenomenal, but spendy, so I just couldn't justify spending more moolah on pictures. However, I just kept pinning new ideas, one after another. Until one day I broke down and decided to contact Brooke Mack and just ask about her pricing. She did the photography at a friends wedding and did a beautiful job, so I figured asking couldn't hurt. Well, obviously I booked her and I am so glad I did. :)
Once the pictures were booked, the outfit search was on! Zulily, and Etsy were my two best friends. My mom helped a lot with keeping her eyes open for the perfect outfits and I was like a mad woman on Etsy looking for the perfect headbands and accessories. Jonathan and I worked on making the tutu she wore and I almost caved and bought one on Etsy, but I had a budget! All in all the outfits came out perfectly as you will see.

So, the day of the photo shoot was finally here. All the outfits and props ready to go :) It took about an hour and a half to get what we needed and McKinley did her thing. She was as cute as ever and she even pulled herself up and stood for the longest she had ever done. Once we had taken all the pictures we could we called it a day. Then the waiting began...
Brooke got us the photos in about a week! I was so thrilled!! The end product was INCREDIBLE! I know I have an adorable little girl, but WOW...they were all so fabulous! So here they are, enjoy :)

running for hope

Hello my dear friends and family! I have been so busy with LIFE that I have not had a chance to really organize my thoughts so that my blog would even make sense. So, with that said, here is what has been happening around the Hoffman home :)
McKinley is crawling...enough said. LOL I have been running all over the house trying to catch her and make sure she doesn't get into anything she shouldn't. We have been slowly but surely baby proofing the house...any of you who have children may know this, but for those of you who don't, you don't realize certain things should be baby proofed until the baby finds them! Nooks and crannies I didn't even know existed the little miss finds and puts whatever is in there in her mouth! Good thing she is so dang cute!!

We took a little family road trip to Walla Walla Washington a week or so ago. McKinley did amazingly well and we had a wonderful time with Jonathan's Aunt Kari and Uncle Steve. They are some incredible individuals who are so giving and hospitable, we will be coming back soon Auntie Kari, I promise! Plus Jonathan's cousin Amber was there to give us the GRAND tour of downtown Walla Walla. It's pretty dang cute and you can conquer it all within an hour or so :)
I began training for my very first marathon. *gasp* No literally I'm gasping for air just thinking about it. It's tough, especially since my butt is so out of shape. I am working hard to get to where I need to be in order to run 26.2 miles...that's right 26.2 miles. On our road trip I kept looking over at the mileage and tracking exactly how far that is. In a car it takes a while to get 26 miles, even going 80 miles an hour, I'm SLOW...it may take me days to complete this. HAHA I will FINISH...I am determined. So, why run a marathon you ask? Oh, I'm so glad you asked! I am running with the Team in Training to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to find a CURE for cancer. This is an AMAZING organization and I am so excited to be apart of it. I know you all LOVE me so very much and most of you will be receiving a letter from me very soon, but please donate to this amazing organization and sponsor me on my running journey. I have committed to raising $1,500 and could use all the help I can get. You can follow my progress as I work towards my marathon on May 19 at my webpage listed below, plus you can donate there too!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/idaho12/bhoffman

So, that's what is new since the beginning of January! I told you I've been busy! :) Until next time...

happy new year!

Well, here we are, the first day in 2012! I can't believe how the year has flown by and how much has truly happened this past year. AMAZING that this time last year I was about 14 weeks pregnant and just beginning to feel somewhat normal again. BUT, I'm not going to recap our year week by week day by day...we would be here for the rest of 2012. So, let me hit the high (and low) points of our roller coaster 2011.

Jon+Bri+Baby = 3

• We found out we were having a GIRL!
• Jonathan was offered a job in San Diego
• We found a new home and then decided to move to San Diego instead
• San Diego fell apart...not literally, but for us it did
• We moved in with my folks during the transition
• My best friend Brynn got married!! 
• Jonathan left his current job due to ethical issues...what a nightmare that was
• Waited, waited, and waited for our baby to arrive
• 4th of July came and went, no baby
• She's HERE! McKinley Sophia Hoffman born July 7, 2011 8 lbs 6 oz 21.5 in long arrived via C-Section 
• He's HERE! Peyton James Beckett was born July 9, 2011! Amber and I had hoped to have the kids close together and who would have thought we would end up in the hospital together. What an incredible experience!
• Jonathan started an amazing internship with Eagle Fire Department 
• Rose and Brandon tied the knot and McKinley attended her first wedding
• Then the week before I was supposed to head back to work Jonathan was offered a position with Ada Boi
• I gave my two weeks notice! My dream of being a full time mommy was coming TRUE!
• NEW HOME! We found our new home and moved in just a week later!
• McKinley's first Halloween, she dressed up like a skeleton princess (that sounds so morbid, but it was hot pink and glowed in the dark...super cute) and we went down Harrison Boulevard
• He's HERE! Grant Michael Dismuke was born December 9, 2011!! Autumn and Daniel (my cousins) welcomed their first baby! The kids are hardly 5 months apart, so fun!
• CHRISTMAS! I hosted my first Christmas breakfast at my house :) SO FUN!
• Lastly we ring in the new year quietly at home!

What an incredible year and I can not wait for all that 2012 has to bring. The Lord has been so good to Jonathan and I! He is always faithful and blesses us beyond measure. I pray that we continue to seek his will in our lives and in McKinley's life as well! :)

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well, the holidays have commenced and I couldn't be more thrilled. It's McKinley's first Christmas, plus it is my absolute FAVORITE time of year. All the lights, singing, candy, family, merriment, you get the picture. So to begin the holiday season off with a bang, we attended the tree lighting at the Grove Hotel here in downtown Boise. It was a little chilly for our sweet baby girl, but Daddy made sure to keep her all bundled up safe and warm. It was a really neat atmosphere and I think we will go back next year to enjoy it again. They had candles lit, carolers, cocoa, roasted nuts, and of course the tree. It was really beautiful! I'm so excited to see what this season has in store for our little family and can't wait for Christmas Day!

camo bandades rock!

McKinley had her 4 month check up today and she did AMAZING! She weighed in at 17 lbs 7 oz, 25 1/2 in long, and her head is 17 in around. Our girl is getting so big! She had to get 2 shots and her oral vaccine and she was a trooper, cried just for a second and was smiling at the nurse in no time. Plus, she got an awesome pink camo bandade :) We don't go back for another check up until after the first of the year now...which is nuts! The doctor told us Christmas will be a ton of fun because at this age they are very observant, so the lights really excite them. Woo hoo! Looking forward to all the fun and exciting times we are going to have this holiday season with our baby girl!

Great job McKinley, mommy is so proud of you!

sweet sweet baby

Well, McKinley is now 4 months old and I can hardly believe it!!! She is getting so big and learning so much. Everyday she has something new that she does and it has been a lot of fun. The latest and greatest is she tries to "razz" (the sound you make when you give a raspberry) and she just spits everywhere. It is the cutest spitting act I've ever seen.
We recently started giving her solid foods and she LOVES it! I was bound and determined to make my own food when I talked with a lady who has twins who told me to forget it. She told me about the Plum Organic baby food and told me to look into it before spending money on buying a baby food steamer and puree system.  I was highly impressed and went and bought some :) Who would have thought McKinley would love it so much?!
Well, anyway, I took pictures to share, not only how cute she is, but how much she enjoys eating (just like her momma)!

the best is yet to come

Well, we finally have internet so I am hoping to blog WAY more. Not that I am not busy enough being a wife, mom, chef, house cleaner, etc...but this will allow for some much needed ME time. I need to pull out my camera, dust it off, and take more pictures and post them for all to see! Hopefully this is much more exciting now that I am getting the hang of this whole blogging bit. I thought at first I needed to make it long and drawn out, but as I look at everyone else's blogs, I realize how wrong I was. So, all that to say, stay tuned because there is much more to come :)

patience is a virtue

Well, it's about that time...this little girl should be here any day now! McKinley Sophia is growing rapidly and seems to already have a diva attitude. If she is anything like Jonathan or me she is going to do what she darn well pleases. At this point in my pregnancy I am exhausted and ready to be done. It feels like I have been pregnant forever...the doctor reminded me that no one has ever stayed pregnant forever. Yes, I'm a drama queen :)

The nesting is setting in, not only at home, but work as well. I have rearranged the changing table at least 6 times, hung up and categorized all of her clothes, and inventoried in a Word document all of her clothes. At work I have sent out links, quizzes, and handouts, attempting to prepare them for while I am out on maternity leave. I've e-mailed customers letting them know I will be out of the office and all the information of who to contact. I've called HR (twice), the insurance company, and the company who deals with the short term disability (aka maternity leave) to ensure things are properly in place so I do not have to worry. I feel like a crazy person!

I am nervous about having this baby, because I don't quite know what to expect. I constantly wonder if I have done everything I could have possibly done in order to make her as healthy as possible. Jonathan has been such a wonderful voice of reason and peace through this entire period. He reminds me daily of how beautiful I am and what a great job I'm doing caring for our baby. I could not have done this without him. The look on his face will be worth everything when he sees miss McKinley.

I'm sure posting will be few and far between (more than it already is) after the baby arrives, but I will do my best to post plenty of pictures. Wish me luck <3

perfectly pregnant

The end of my pregnancy is so close! We have about 10 weeks left and it is coming so fast. I thought in the beginning that the weeks would drag on and on and on...but here we are just weeks away from our sweet baby arriving. I'm becoming increasingly excited and nervous for the big day. I've talked with enough of the girls to know, labor ain't easy, but the end result is worth every minute of it. My doctor says everything is looking good, the baby isn't too big and not too small. We will have to see when she decides to arrive what size she really is! I'm seriously hoping she shows up on July 4th! Fireworks and fun every year on her birthday would be so much fun! The only concern would be whether or not the doctor would even be there...they said they haven't done the schedule that far ahead yet so there is no telling who might deliver this baby. This is an exciting adventure!

The baby shower is May 7th and I can hardly wait! I'm a sucker for any kind of party, but especially ones with adorable little clothes and the wonderful women who are apart of my life. The girls (Lexi and Brynn) went with a cute birdie theme to go with our nursery. Believe it or not I am terrified of birds, but these are so adorable I could hardly resist. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends to plan such an event! You girls mean more to me than I can even express!

I have tried to get prepared as much as I possibly can, but my kind of prepared is making headbands, buying clothes, and getting cute nursery bedding. The necessities! They say birthing classes, books, and research get you prepared...well it doesn't help when you forget to sign up and miss the class completely!! Yes, we've missed it. Thankfully, these classes are not required because this child is coming whether we've gone to classes or not.

Now that we are in the home stretch and my belly seems to be getting larger by the minute I have been amazed to see my body change. I can sit and watch my amazing belly completely shift and move without even trying. She seems to move most in the evenings, but settles when it's time for me to sleep. I can only hope this is a trend she continues after she makes her big debut.

Well, McKinley Sophia Hoffman should arrived in just 10 short weeks and we can hardly wait! Jonathan makes sure to talk with her everyday and tell her he loves her and can't wait for her to be here with Mommy and Daddy! We can't wait to be parents and for our sweet baby girl to arrive!!

baby Hoffman

Well, it's been WAY too long since I have blogged, but 2011 will be full of exciting things to blog about. Our sweet baby is due June 30, 2011 and we can hardly wait! We found out on October 17, 2010 and it was SO hard keeping it from everyone. Telling our parents was one of the best things we've ever done. Since it was around Halloween we carved out the inside of a pumpkin and placed a cute little card inside that said, "Jon + Bri+ Baby=3." Of course both sets of parents were ecstatic!!

As far as this pregnancy, things have been amazingly wonderful. I've had some nausea, but nothing that I can't handle. The first trimester I actually lost 11 pounds :) I HATE mayonnaise and have sworn not to ever eat it again! I have been craving FRUIT like crazy, which is nice that I am wanting healthy food.

Jonathan and I haven't fully decided on names yet, but we find out in about 4 weeks what we are having. The anticipation is killing me...I'm on pins and needles waiting to find out whether we will be buying pink or blue.

As, I read my last blog it amazes me how faithful my God is. How, could I have I ever doubted His mighty power? He always takes care of his children and I'm so amazed by his grace. Praise GOD!

I will keep you all posted on Baby Hoffman watch 2011!!

Baby Fever

Watching a movie with the greatest man on the planet, thinking about work, life, and where we really want to be. My thoughts, at this point in our lives, are basically directed towards our career goals and, the popular topic among the two of us, children. So, as I thought about having some babies of our own, I realized how many people I know, either, already have kids or are pregnant. HOLY MOSES there are a lot! I began to feel depressed and jealous...not a great way to feel, especially when your supposed to be happy for these wonderful women. I started dissecting the reasons behind this unhealthy jealousy and it definitely roots from our miscarriage 2 years ago.

A little background...I found out I was pregnant right after Father's Day in 2008. I was ecstatic! We were approaching our first anniversary, we had just purchased a home, and Jonathan and I were doing well in our career ventures. We immediately told everyone, as any excited couple would do. 3 and a half weeks later, the fourth of July, Jonathan's grandfather passed away. We were devastated by this loss and it was almost too much to handle. The same day I began spotting and realized I was losing our baby. To add to an already difficult situation, try realizing you were going to have to tell your grieving family. Not an easy situation, making it go from bad to worse. After visiting the doctor she made me feel that much worse by explaining to me that they call this a "sporadic abortion". WHAT? I felt guilty, like I had done something wrong. Why can EVERYONE else carry a baby, BUT me. What is going on? Why would God let this happen? I had failed. I was defeated, and depressed, beyond anything that can be placed in words.

2 years later with the help of some counseling, and prayer, I have begun to heal from the loss, but now I've got something new to overcome. Jealousy. I seriously feel crazy, when thinking about having a baby. The problem is, it comes and goes....when I find out someone is pregnant I think about becoming a mom non-stop. Obsessive. Then when I realize where I'm at with my career and what Jonathan and I want to accomplish, it subsides and I'm fine. Welcome to my crazy mind....

So, I'm thinking about my jealous and unhealthy behavior and I began to pray. Father God, rid me of my jealous psychotic thoughts. (He's got a sense of humor) I need you to guide me, lead me, and comfort me. I pray you give me a sense of peace that passes all understanding and calm me down. Lord, I'm open to any and all suggestions...seriously. I have nothing else to hold on to. I'm at the end of a struggle to control the situation. You and You alone are in control. Praise you Father for your love and wisdom...Wow, amazing how even typing it allows me to just be in the "prayer zone". A place I LOVE to be.

So, what came from my prayer? My God told me, your time is coming. My child blessed are those who seek Me and express the desires of their heart. He loves me that much. He understands and acknowledges the desires of my heart. The thing I realized is that my timing has nothing to do with it. His timing is perfect, never too early, never late. That in itself comforts me, knowing I don't have to worry about it. Thank you Lord for allowing me to relax...focusing on the more important things like my relationship with you. Allowing me to build my faith so when His perfect timing arrives, I can teach them that our Heavenly Father adores us and gives us the desires of our hearts when we're seeking His will.

goals

I couldn't wait to grow up...I always wanted MORE responsibility and more privileges, but with that comes something that no kid expects. It's called life. Where the unexpected, unknown, and sometimes unwelcome events, people, and things somehow interrupt your current bliss. Whether that "bliss" is coffee, a moment to yourself, or just a breath of fresh air, life seems to have a way of disrupting this. Now, not always is life bad. These unexpected, unknown, and sometimes unwelcome events, people, and things turn into some of the best moments in life. I was always told that you can plan all you want, but things will change. So, you make plans anyway, create goals and ideas, and life either cooperates or doesn't. For ALL of my married life, at least, I have been so set in my ways of planning that I have forgotten to be spontaneous. How in the world am I supposed to make something out of this life with so many unknowns even with my so-called plans? The answer hit me like a Greyhound Bus tonight as I was writing out a 6 month plan for my life...it is so simple and I don't know how I have seemed to overlook this simple solution. Pray. That's it, all I have to do is let it ALL go and leave it in the hands of the ULTIMATE planner. I have spent the last 3 years of my marriage attempting to be a good wife and make plans for our future and I've neglected to take into account His plan. I have used my own planning skills against myself, and in turn causing life to turn on me and have in the mean time allowed Him to redirect me right to where we started. My plans now have failed, defeated I now am faced with yet another choice...but with the life experience behind me, I make an educated decision to just let go. Give everything over to my Father in Heaven and allow him to direct my decisions. Why would I do it alone when I have the Ultimate Planner right by my side? He allows for relaxation, those moments you need every now and then, He allows for spontaneity, but in the same sense allows for your grief, and frustration. As I realize this, I still am shocked it took me this long to take it all in. It is 2 weeks before my 22nd birthday and I constantly think I feel older, because of my "life experience" and suddenly I feel like I am almost 22 and very young and not as smart as I thought. This is something I didn't even think was going to be my conclusion at the end of this 6 month plan I had just created. Amazing how He works in the most mysterious ways. Now, for my goal...LET GO and give it ALL to Him! Any concern, question, want, need, hope, desire, dream...all of it. This is the ONLY way to walk through this life. It's not easy, but this is life it's a game. Cheaters will win, and those who are honest will win, but at the end, it's not about winning, it's about the journey of how you got there that truly matters.