Pogue-N-Around

Birthday Time!!

2009-07-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

Our precious lil man turned 1 on July 11th and we had a raging party with bounce houses, pony rides, Matsamoto's Shaved Ice flew in from North Shore... ok, so really we just swam and did burgers, but it was a blast!

I've always heard how fast it goes by and it's more than true. I am beyond in love with our son... he is quick to laugh, throw the ball with Bryan, "quacks" at anything that looks like a duck, and brings more joy than I know what to do with.

One of the most precious gifts was a frame from my folks. The words perfectly describe our thoughts as parents to Tanner Drew:

'Before you were conceived, I wanted you. Before you were born, I loved you. Before you were here an hour, I would die for you. This is the power of love.'

~Maureen Hawkins

Here he is with his newest hat from Don and Cathie... golf anyone?

With Papa... look at those eyes, the lil trooper was beyond tired from a long day!

Auntie Rondi, Netti, Megan... we felt so blessed to be surrounded by close friends and family!
Cousin Abby sharing in the cupcake craziness!
He couldn't shove it in his face fast enough!
Still goin!
Cupcake decoratin' time! It was funny to watch each kid's personality come out. Some were perfectionists, some mixed their frosting... look at Skylar's face as she inspects her dessert!
Looking at his friend, Ciana~ 'I want to walk to!'

Shelley and Corrine made the trek from Atascadero for the day~ we had so much fun having them as part of the fam!
The Williams family~ complete with their newest, 2 week-old addition, Levi!

Megs, Clara and Drew~ they also made the trek from A-town and surprised us!! See how lucky we are? Miss them already!

Summer Fun

2009-07-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

It's the perfect summer evening: warm outside, Bry is grilling mahi mahi and veggies in the back, Colby Calbeit is wafting through the room and Tanner is "singing" to his musical Pooh book, which sounds way better than the lame sing-along lyrics!

We have decided to stay with my folks until the end of summer, being that we will be gone so much with youth group stuff. Hopefully, come September, the perfect home will be waiting for the Pogues! We are trusting God every day and I'm learning that I'm not a fabulous "process person." I much rather like having all my ducks in a row and packages neatly arranged, preferably with sassy polka dot ribbons! But faith is forcing itself upon us, so I'm learning not to fight it, but sit back and watch God work :)

As you know, our favorite place in the world is the beach, so for Dad's Day, we took Bryan and my dad to Balboa beach where we played in the sand and watched the other gazillion families that thought it would be a great day at the beach too!

At first he wasn't quite sure what to do with the sand... 'do I eat it or play with it? Hmmmm...'

Please notice the cute feet pose... i'm obsessed with his feet!

3 generations!

Playing with Dad
Our lil fam

After lunch at El Ranchito we shared our suckers with one another (fab Mexican food on PCH)

Mimi and Pops were trying to show him how to color~ his favorite thing was to throw the crayons. Go figure!

This is one of of my faves~ since T is notorious for making pirate voices, as well as every animal sound in a pirate-y voice, this is priceless!

Celebrating moments

2009-06-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

I'm an optimistic person typically, but in this season of ups and downs and frustrations and questions, I haven't been the best form of myself. But I'd rather acknowledge that it's a growing season while I'm in the midst of it, instead of telling people, ' a couple months ago really sucked, but I'm great now!' I'm learning every moment that it's about choosing to see the good, the beauty, to celebrate circumstances despite the fact that I want to crawl into a warm cave and stop talking to anyone.

I know God is good and big and is teaching us something right now that I have yet to be enlightened about, and I'm sure one day it will be very obvious, but for now, I'm taking one baby step at a time, and for me, that means calling someone when I'm feeling down and admitting that I need some encouragement, taking Tanner on a long walk to clear my thoughts, revisiting the park my grandparents took me to as a little girl, and pausing to pray and ask God to give me grace for being confused with life.

Through this season, I have especially been thankful for friends, the heart connection friends that I can whine and cry to and be totally vulnerable with. I'm reading an amazing book, Cold Tangerines, (thank you Stacie) and have blessed by the author's words. One chapter, entitled Basement, describes the freedom I feel when I can just be myself with a friend~

"My basement is all the things that I don't want you to know, that I want to keep covered and out of your sight. I want you to see my living room and my dining room, my best selves, my most charming and evolved selves. But down there, down in the musty, smelly basement are the parts of me that make me embarrassed and sad....And I want to keep it hidden, and have kept it hidden quite successfully. Until this year. Until people I love wanted to help me, and I realized in a panic-stricken moment that if I allowed them to help me, they would see my basement...The idea that my smart, successful friend has seen my basement floors positively floors me. And I think when you let someone into your life far enough to get a glimpse of it, at first you thing you're going to pass out, and that person is going to ruin your reputation as a good person. But a second after that, I think you're going to realize that that person is your friend. Like really and truly, from Jesus, your friend...That makes me feel both honest, like she's seen the very worst and there's nothing else to be exposed; and safe, like she's not going to leave or make fun of me. When you find those things coexisting peacefully in one friendship, I think you've got a good thing going there, and you should let them see your basement."

I couldn't say it better! Thank you precious friends, for seeing my basement and still loving me!

Irvine Spectrum & Palm Springs Getaway!

2009-05-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Recently Bry, Tanner and I went to the Irvine Spectrum. We hadn't been there in years, probably not since before we moved up to SLO, so almost 4 years ago! The place is hoppin' now and we strolled around for the afternoon, went to Cheesecake Factory for a late lunch (compliment of an anniversary gift card- thank you!), and enjoyed the beautiful day.

Tanner loves drinking out of a straw... when he sees us with our own cups and straws, he grunts until we share. So far he loves ice tea the most! Don't judge us~ every 10 month old kid drinks ice tea! Ha!

His signature move~ 'Touchdown!!'

Tanner checkin' out the spouting turtle fountain~ we were both soaked after this adventure!

Last week, my mom-n-law, mom and Amber and Blake took off to Palm Springs for a girl getaway (boy babes don't count!) and had a BLAST! The inspiration for the trip was this fabulous kitchen store called... surprise, surprise~ Kitchen Kitchen! They have random kitchen gadgets to common, everyday utensils. Our favorite find was a square hard boiled egg press- it literally shapes a hard-boiled egg into a square shape, and the manager said if peppercorns are pressed into the sides, they can look like dice! Uh-mazing! Every person needs a square hard boiled egg press. I'll let you know how it works when I try it out!

When we weren't shopping Kitchen Kitchen, we were enjoying the perfect weather, eating out, and staying up late fixated on the Bachelorette premiere! It was the perfect getaway! Thanks gals for a fun Palm Springs trip... I'm ready for the next outing!

Below are moments from our pool adventure with the boys...

Future swimmer~ Tanner LOVES the pool!

And I love him!
Tanner and I & Amber and Blake playin' in the Palm Springs Pool. The boys entertained the elderly guests that were laying out, or shall I say 'baking' in the sun! I think that's the most action they've seen all spring!
Priceless moment!

Insert foot in mouth!

2009-05-24T21:49:00.001-07:00

I knew when I woke up this morning (or more so was woken up by my hubby) that I shouldn't have gone to church. My eyes were literally swollen shut from bawling last night during Benjamin Button and I was beyond tired! Beyond.

And I could have cried at the drop of a hat. Probably cuz I was overtired, but also because the last couple of months have finally caught up with me. The stress of paying a mortgage on an empty house. The fact that we are living with my fabulous parents who are great, but still living with my parents. The fact that I've been lonely lately. And that sometimes I feel guilty that I don't just want to be a stay-at-home, but I also don't want to miss time with Tanner. The fact that I miss having a creative outlet in decorating a home. Because I feel like I've been in a rut. And during all this, I've tried to be positive and know that there is a reason for this "season." But bottom line, it had caught up with me.

So I went to church... exhausted. But at least I'd managed to get dressed, put on lipgloss and eat cereal on the way in the car. And Tanner had managed to entertain me with monkey noises that Bryan had taught him this morning. Ooh, ooh, ooh , oooooooh!!!

After dropping the lil man off in the nursery, I slipped into a pew, with an empty seat that happened to be next to the guy that is applying to be the Jr. High Lead. Next to him is an older lady who he began to introduce me to before I said, "Oh, is this your grandma?" After an awkward pause that seemed to last a year, she said, "No, I'm his MOM!!!"

Inner gasp! To say that I wanted to crawl under a rock is an understatement. No apology or backpedaling would help, so I did apologize but then just sat there. And I thought that I definitely should have stayed in bed and not gone to church!

It was 11pm

2009-05-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

and I couldn't sleep for the life of me! So what did I do? I tiptoed into my son's room and watched him sleep. His little chest going up and down, his rosy cheeks (oh those cheeks) and little mouth shaped in its notorious "O"... he makes me melt.

I scooped him up and held in my arms for what seemed like forever, just watching him sleep. During the day, the lil guy is all over the place~ his newest being the closest chair that he conquers by climbing under, over, and all the while chucking blocks at it! So I rarely have time to just snuggle him cuz the kid won't sit still! Not last night though! Nope, I just snuggled him to my heart's content. I prayed for him! I played with his curly hair. I imagined what life is going to be like around the corner when he starts to walk and talk and give me sass! But most of all, I just took him all in, and thanked God for him. I am so blessed and so thankful. And with tears falling down my cheeks, Tanner gave me a huge smile while he slept. It was the perfect moment. I think he was dreaming of throwing blocks :)

A Day in the Life at the Harris Household

2009-05-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

It is comedy living with my folks and my brother~ take yesterday for example...

After running to Target for a wedding card and baby food, where Tanner waved at EVERY person in the store and proceeded to grunt loudly at them if EACH person did not respond, we hung out with Andrew, who Tanner is obsessed with -partly because he's a cool uncle, but also because he has a large shnoz which Tanner likes to grab with all his might and try to stand up with!

That night, Bryan and I went to watch the Grease musical with my folks at the OC Performing Arts Center, where the highlight was Taylor Hicks singing "Beauty School Dropout." It wasn't the highlight for us, but for both rows behind of us made up of jr. high SCREAMING girls! Come on people, the man has gray hair! But the best part of the night was receiving this text from my brother, who was babysitting Tanner while we were out:

'We walked around the lake for an hour, he drank almost the whole bottle and is now asleep with pjs and froggy. Boo ya!' ~ oh, i love my brother and can just picture him cruising the neighborhood w/ the lil man in his Bob!

The night gets even better when we get home as Drew, Bryan and I help my folks dress as 'gang -bangerish' as possible for their school assembly the next day in which to show their jr. high students 'what not to wear!' Please imagine my mom w/ a bandana around her head, off- the- shoulder huge baggy sweatshirt, black bra strap hangin out, Bryan's sweats on and huge hoop earrings. And my dad? A temporary barbed wire tattoo on his neck, beanie, 3 XL shirt, size 60' waist jeans, Bryan's orange basketball shorts underneath and Drew's basketball shoes? Yes, the role model parents. So here we were dressing them up at midnight while laughing our heads off!

AND, during this entire wardrobe makeover, Bruiser is running around smelling horrible, because for some reason, our dog decided to roll around in rabbit poop all night! So after my parents were succesfully dressed like Tupoc gone bad, Bry got to give Bruiser a bath at midnight.

Yep, just a day in the life at the Harris household!!

Perspective

2009-04-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

It's been two months since we moved and so much has happened... here's just a bit...

our dear friend, Clayton McDonald passed away and we were able to celebrate his life with 1600 other people. Talk about a reality check in holding our son with our hands open, and the reminder that he doesn't belong to us. The clique "live each day like it's your last" has never before held such meaning for us. At his service, many of his friends shared funny memories with Clayton and I was inspired to start sharing 'living eulogies' with those I love. I mean, why do we always wait until people pass away to say loving things? I want to be intentional about telling people how they've made an impact while they are still here...

Our close friends at RCC, Drew and Jen, found out two weeks ago that their 2 1/2 year old, Brayden, has leukemia! Within 2 hrs. from the diagnosis, they started chemo and are currently in the hospital undergoing treatment. Their faith has been inspiring and another reminder that we have no control over what happens to our children, but that God is sovereign... their words are better spoken~ to check out their amazing journey thus far go to: http://caringbridge.org/visit/babybrayden

Tanner turned 9 months and got his first tooth, pulled himself up on the couch and took a couple steps while holding on, got a double ear-infection (not fun!), learned how to growl (thanks Grandpa!), is obsessed with jumping in his doorway jumper, grabs his junk when I change his diaper (ha!), and has the best giggle in the whole world. I absolutely love this stage!! On Monday night, Bryan and I started a fun family tradition~ Pogue Picnic Monday, in which we'll go to a different park every Monday night to have a family picnic... this weeks pick was Tri City Park... the same one I used to go to with my grandparents. Fun memories!

Been a while...

2009-03-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

I've gotten in trouble with a couple of people for slacking on my blogging, so for those that have asked, here's an update of the last month's adventures (can't believe it's already been a month).

Our new church, RCC, gave our family Disneyland passes as a welcome gift and so far we've been twice. It's fun to go for a couple of hours, walk around, go on some rides and head home. Bry and I were joking that it doesn't hold the same magic we felt as kids, but it'll be fun to view it through Tanner's eyes from here on out.
Drew and Jen are new friends and Bryan actually took Drew's position at the church so that Drew can transition into overseeing adult ministries. We had a blast w/ them at D-land and their lil guy, Brayden is the sweetest, most energetic kid. He's so great with Tanner, probably preparing for being a big bro this June/July.
Hangin' out w/ one of my favorite men in Palm Springs before Bry started his new job. We spent all day by the pool... it was heaven!
Tanner wasn't sure about the pool for a bit, but after Bryan showed him how to hit the water, he loved splashing!

Last week some close APU friends and I got together for a girl reunion... we met at Amber's house in Menifee and Karen won the award for traveling the farthest- from France! Not everyone was able to make it out, but for 5 of us and our 5 kids, it was non-stop fun, craziness, lack of sleep and great memories.

Here is Karen's lil girl, Kayden playing with Tanner. Can you handle the bow?
We attempted a photo shoot and here is the meltdown that ensued...
From the left: Heather and Maddie, us, Amber and Blake, and Karen and Kayden... can't wait to watch these kids grow up!
All of the kids ready to roll for our Target outing. We got the craziest looks from people as we walked one stroller behind another through the store..."what, you've never seen a mommy brigade in Target before?"

The Big M-O-V-E

2009-02-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

We made the Orange County move on Valentine's Day and arrived in Yorba Linda on

Saturday night. We were welcomed by my family with a huge pot of spaghetti and hugs all around! The next day, several staff from our new church family helped us move everything we own from the U-Haul into our temporary storage unit. Below are the three of us at Corona Del Mar enjoying a walk on the beach at sunset. Aughhhh, this is the life!

Tanner giggling during a diaper change :)
Bryan took one last picture of the beautiful San Luis Obispo hills as we drove away. Sadness!
Tanner absolutely loved sitting on my lap and "steering" the big U-Haul
I'm afraid for this kid to drive one day...

Tanner with his "Godmother Corrine." We are trying to bribe her into moving in with us as a full-time nanny/ shopping partner for me!
Our last family moment in Templeton before trecking down South
Goodbye to our first home- what wonderful memories we will have of this place!
Tanner playing amidst the boxes and chaos. Bless his lil heart- he had a fever and bad cold during the move and was a trooper during all of it.

Precious moments

2009-01-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

Tanner is almost 7 months and continues to grow into his personality! I think we're in for quite a fun adventure:)

Bath time... he's sittin' up like a big kid!

Carrot dinner... oh, he loves his food!

It's True...

2009-01-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

I don't have the natural gift of knowing how to raise a baby. Most of Tanner's 6 month life, I've gleamed wisdom from friends, grandma's, books, and a bit of Bekah instinct sprinkled in. But if I'm honest, at times I wish there were a detailed manual on when to do feedings, naps, diaper changes, playtime, when to let him cry, etc. I realize I'm much better with kids when they are two or three... you know, when they play hide-n-seek, give sass, beg to "watch me!" as they build forts, etc. That's when I feel at my prime.

Last night was a defining moment for me as a mom, though. After his lunch of peas and cereal, Tanner got a bit of the flu... puking adult portions of liquid all over himself and me! After his three hour nap, he proceeded to puke seven more times within a half hour, in between crying the most pitiful cry, complete with bottom lip quiver and red eyes. As I held him over the sink so he could throw up and diaharrea all over both of us, I didn't even think twice about it. Off to the bath to hose the little man off, get him in fresh pjs and after a snuggle session before bed, he was back to his smiley, silly self.

As I climbed into bed that night, after checking on him three times, or was is four?, Bryan looked at me and with tears in his eyes, said, "You are the best mom ever. The way you take care of Tanner makes me love you even more!" To say those words made my year is an understatement, but they also gave me confidence. Sure, I can't wait to take the lil guy to the zoo, and smear paint all over ourselves when we do art projects, and at this stage, perhaps I don't have the inner knowledge of when to introduce pears and cheerios without consulting my pediatrician, but I realized, maybe that's okay, and even if I make mistakes along the way, I'll figure it out eventually. I don't need a manual to tell me how to love my son with tickles, Bruiser licks or talking to him in silly songs all day!

Ode to San Luis Obispo County

2009-01-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

For all you foodies, here are the Pogues favorite places we've discovered and loved over the past 3 1/2 years...

San Luis Obispo

*Del Monte Cafe- it's an adorable restaurant near the railroad tracks that has the appearance of being converted from a quaint old home. Their breakfasts are out-of-this world. Fab french toast. A bit on the pricey side, but worth it!

*Buena Tavola (next to the Fremont Theater)- please for the optimum experience, request a cute table in the back patio, preferably under a heat lamp during the cold months. Think tiny white twinkle lights, fountain, very french- romantic! Their pumpkin tortellini is lifechanging! This is our favorite special occasion dinner place.

*Novo on the creek. Ahhh, love the global varieties, tapas and ambience. Wonderful calamari and their Sunday brunch is amazing. Highly recommend their pomegranate mimosas :)

*Splash Cafe- everything on the menu is wonderful but for fellow sweet tooth junkies, their cookies/pastries are $1 after 7pm. Many a evenings I've begged Bryan to drive me there to stock up on everything they have left and we have a sweet sampling party!

Atascadero

*Margaritas- our first restaurant we ate at when we moved here! To this day, we still love it and our favorite waiter! Their gigante burrito is big enough for Bryan and I to split. Quite the colorful decor too!

*Hush Harbor Artisan Bakery- nestled in the corner of the center w/ Fattes Pizza and truly a hidden gem. They have huge portions and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Highly recommend their Turkey Grinder and cookies. Their chicken caesar salad is beyond yum too!

*Colby Jack- a quaint coffee shop/ cafe at the south end of town. Perfect place to grab coffee and scone in the morning with a girlfriend. Very impressed with the staff's attention to detail and presentation of the food. Surprisingly foofy for A-town!

Templeton

*Joe's Place- good ol' mom n pop breakfast joint with the locals sittin' at the bar. Yummy pancakes and Bry loves their breakfast burritos. Typically a worthwhile wait on the weekends. I'll miss Joes.... sigh...

*Burger Station- on Main Street (near Joe's), literally a tiny place that does burgers and fries. During the summer when Templeton does their concerts in the park, we'd grab dinner here and eat at the park. Try the swiss cheese burger. Mouth-watering!

*Market- this deli has the best and cheapest chicken fingers that always sounded good when i was pregnant. Smothered in ranch, you can't go wrong.

*McPhees- truly a special occasion place, but the chef, Ian is brilliant and each meal is a work of art. Highly recommend their grilled swordfish tostada w/ mango salsa. Easter Brunch is out of control reasonable and all -you-can-eat. I would consider driving up from the OC next Easter just to enjoy Ian's food!

Paso Robles

*Berry Hill Bistro- my favorite cafe in town. In the summer it's relaxing to sit outside under the misters and look at the park and people-watch! My fav. item is their raspberry chicken chipotle panini with an order of sweet potato fritas and an ice tea. My mouth is watering thinking about it. I must have this before we leave:)

*Powells Candy Shop- across the street from the movie theater. We often dash in here before catching a flick because they have my all-time favorite~ chocolate covered gummy bears and cinnamon bears. Yum! Good gelato too (that's from someone who lived in Spain for a summer too!)

*Two Little Birds Bakery- off Pine Street across from Yanagi's Sushi. Cute ambience and delicious raspberry scones. She's open late too, so if you want somethin' sweet after dinner, try a cookie or cupcake.

*Cafe Vio- near Cool Hand Luke's. This eclectic coffee shop is a favorite hang out on Saturday morns... Bry loves their coffee (that's coming from Mr.Coffee Snob Himself!). It's just a fun escape place to bring a book and plop down with a book in one of their many overstuffed chairs.

Morro Bay

*Bayview Cafe- near the golf course and right on the harbor by the boats. Grab a seat on the patio and order their salmon sandwich and finish with their Mud Pie. A perfect lunch or dinner place!

*Taco Temple- perfect for a night out even if you are low on cash. And cash you must bring, cuz it's all they take! Their portions are huge! I order one grilled fish taco for $4 and it fills my belly. Of course we finish with their carrot cake, which oftentimes sells out! Best guacamole we've had on the central coast. Hands down!!

That's enough damage for now, but hopefully our adventures encourage you to try some of our favorites! I will say that the Central Coast could use more places with desserts, so if we ever move back, I'm going to open up a cute place and call it Strictly Desserts, which of course will be full of, well.... DESSERTS ONLY! :)

Fathers Everywhere... Beware!!

2009-01-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

There is nothing left to say... Tanner says it all!

Life update...

2008-12-16T16:15:00.000-08:00

Big changes are comin' up for us... Bryan was offered the Student Ministries Pastor position at Richfield Community Church (RCC) in Yorba Linda and this means that come mid-February, we are moving to Orange County, taking a new job and starting a new adventure. We are excited, but at the moment, it is very bittersweet, as we are leaving amazing friends, our church family and what has come to mean 'home' to us for the last 4 years.

We know this is where God is leading us, but our biggest prayer request currently is that we can sell our home and find something down south. We are learning that faith is easy to have when it paves an obvious path, but the unknown is scary. It will be a faith-builder to look back a year from now and see how God works all the details out.

Our goal for the remaining time here is to make intentional memories with our friends and enjoy this beautiful area... stay tuned for our 'Ode to San Luis County' complete with our favorite hangouts and eateries we discovered over the last four years.

Stuffing, Santa and Sirens!

2008-12-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was spent with my family. Every year we rotate families, but it was extra- special because Bryan's folks and sister came over too.... which, I'm so thankful that the in-laws actually enjoy each other!

Highlights of the week: cooking, eating, a lil' Speed Scrabble (watch Dad- he makes up words!), seeing Santa at Fashion Island, playing the 'singing game' with Drew, "that's what she said"- we got mom saying it!, and visiting Drew while he was working as an Ambulance Operator at Huntington Beach Fire. Mimi and Papa watched the Lil Man so we could go on a date to Market City Cafe- pumpkin ravioli's, yum! and saw Four Christmas' (hilarious)! ... it cracks me up every time my dad says, "Tanner has to go to bed now?"

It was a great time spent with family, and to think that 2 weeks before, my folks almost lost their home in the fire, put a whole new twist on 'being thankful.' It was a good reminder that everything we have is just 'stuff' and we can't take it with us!

Happy 4 months!

2008-11-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Our little man is 4 months old today and is looking more like a little boy every day. He coos and babbles all the time and is grabbing anything he can get his hands on... and gets a bit frustrated when the object he is trying to cram in his mouth is too big! He sucks his left thumb (future lefty?) and smiles like crazy when Bryan laughs at him. Getting his diaper changed is the highlight of his day- we're talkin' legs in the air, hips up, mouth open and giggles galore. Watching Sunday night football with Dad is his favorite, he likes to pull his binky out and put it back in, and the latest... he gets beyond distracted when he's eating- patterns, noises, you name it... he looks around and then back at me, and breaks out in his huge grin, dimples and all! I guess you could say we are always entertained and so thankful for this opportunity to be his parents.

One of the hugest blessings during this parenting adventure has been our friends, who have been our family away from family. My mornings are spent going on walks, having coffee or going to one of their homes to hang out. Before having kids I always wondered what stay-at-home moms did with their days and now I know... at times, I feel like my life is lived in 3 hour chunks- starting at 8:30am, Tanner eats, plays, naps, and starts the whole pattern over...I was a bit worried I'd go stir crazy, but that's why I try to get out, see people, and thank God for each day that I get to see Tanner grow. My friends have been there to listen, encourage and advise me when I've been exhausted, confused about why 'Tanner just wouldn't stop crying', or laugh with me about my recent discovery of the toys Bruiser had stolen from Tanner and hid under our bed! They've even babysat so Bry and I could go on dates- which we just did on Friday night! Splittin' a dinner at Tahoe Joe's and walking around downtown SLO had never been so fun. Yeah! Thank you to each friend who has contributed your wisdom or listening ear :)

Playdate with Maddie!

2008-11-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

My precious friend Heather came down the other week with her daughter Maddie, who is a couple weeks younger. We laughed at our attempts to have a photo op with these two. It looks like Tanner was trying to push her, but I assure you they already love one another :) So fun to enjoy the next adventure with our friends as parents together. Happy 28th Birthday Heath. Muuahh!

Froggie alert

2008-11-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

Pogue Family Beach Day

2008-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hangin' out at Cayucos Beach... can you handle him? :)

Tanner's 3 months!

2008-10-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

I feel like we just brought him home from the hospital and he's already 3 months old! It really is true that it flies by. Good thing we're loving him more every day and have decided to keep him :)

Give me my bottle!

2008-10-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

One of Bryan's favorite times with Tan Man is when he gives him a bottle. I was busy making chocolate chip cookies when Bryan yelled for me to come see what Tanner was doing... guess the lil guy decided he could do it on his own! Hilarious. He never ceases to make us smile.

Bekah's book reviews!

2008-10-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am an avid reader and have plenty of time to give into my indulgences while Tanner is sleeping. For all of you who love to read as well, here are some recent reads that I'm a bit obsessed with:

*The Shack~ probably one of my top 5 reads ever! About a guy who spends a weekend with God in a shack. It's the most amazing depiction of the Trinity that I've ever read and completely changed my perception of how I view God. One minute i was laughing, the next bawling. Definitely one of those books I should have read simultaneously with a good friend so I could bounce my thoughts off of them over a cup of hot tea.

*Twilight, by Stephanie Mey~ the first book in a series of 4. My friend Jen lent it to me and I couldn't put it down. 450 somethin' pages later i was hooked and thankfully my other friend Tami had the second so I could continue without going into a frenzy and overnighting the next book to my doorstep! It's about a love story between a human and a vampire. They are actually making a movie about it, but I shouldn't have watched the trailor because the characters I was imagining in my mind were so different than the actors looked. An easy read, but warning- you won't be able to put it down. Many nights i was up til 11:30pm reading and was beyond tired in the mornin'. Friends would ask if Tanner wasn't sleeping... 'oh, no, he is, I just stay up way too late and can't put my book down!'

*A Severe Mercy~ a true story about a couple's search for God and their love story. The husband corresponds with C.S. Lewis and questions him about Christianity, which eventually leads to a close friendship, and more importantly, the salvation of this couple. An authentic look at life, marriage and our faith. I could read this book over and over and always come away inspired and wanting to know God better and love my husband more.

Sushi anyone?

2008-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Jake and Amber were up last weekend with their lil guy, Blake, who is 4 days younger than Tan Man. We had a blast hangin' out, playing with the boys, going to SLO and of course, eating. We're all sushi fans so we took them to Yanagi's, our favorite sushi place in Paso. By the way, my hubby was not always a sushi fan, but bless his heart, he now loves it and that makes me love him more!

So we're sitting at dinner enjoying raw scallops, salmon, spider rolls and each other's company and are almost done with our meal when the waitress comes over and in her best english says, "Music in a bit, is loud for babies... " uh, what? Not two seconds later, the entire Japanese staff comes out with tambourines, lights flashing, music blaring and proceed to sing to some poor soul, "Happy Berfday... "in the best japanese accents ever! Needless to say our boys woke up in a sheer panic from the rockin' festivites and we made a beeline outside, where we were on the ground laughing from what had just happened. Ahhh, never a dull moment!

Evolution of Thumb Sucking

2008-10-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

TANNER ROLLS OVER!!

2008-10-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of our little guy! He now rolls over. He more goes on his side, but we have classified it as rolling over.

Always add sugar!

2008-09-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

So Bryan is doing his Jr. High sermon this evening on identity crisis' and using the analogy of God's love being the essential ingredient in our life, just as sugar is necessary in chocolate chip cookies. In the students small groups we're expanding on this notion for them to really grasp the idea, and so I made a batch of cookies with sugar and a batch without for their tasting pleasure (wasting perfectly good chocolate chips just about killed me.)

Let me just warn all the dessert fiends out there, like myself, DON'T EVER EAT A COOKIE WITHOUT SUGAR. This might be my greatest discipline tool for Tanner when he's misbehavin'... "If you don't listen to your mama, I'm gonna make you eat a cookie without sugar!"

Manly Bonding

2008-09-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

So my precious friend Ber (college roomie) and I finally got together to introduce our little men. Blake was born 4 days after Tanner and has this crazy red hair... adorable! Amber is the best mom ever and it was so refreshing to catch up and do the mom thing together. Can't wait 'til these two are running around like crazy... oh wait, maybe I can.

Bryan's Graduation Par-tay!!!

2008-09-17T19:19:00.002-07:00

Bry completed his Masters Degree 5 days before Tanner was born.. the official title? A Masters in Arts and Religion with a Christian Leadership Emphasis. Needless to say, I am one proud wife, so we did what we love to do... throw a party!! We had a blast celebrating with family (all grandparents, and both great-grandmas came!) and friends. The actual BBQ celebration was at the park and we didn't have our camera, so the pictures below are the after-party at our house, doing smores over our bonfire and hangin' out!

8 WEEKS

2008-09-17T19:19:00.001-07:00

The lil' man turned 8 weeks already! It really is true that it flies by. He'll be 20 before I know it, so we try to soak up every moment with him possible, even at 3am :)

Great FREE Music!

2008-08-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to pass along some great FREE Music!

Our Sunriver, Oregon Vacation

2008-08-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Grandma Snyder (Bryan's mom's mom) blessed the entire family and took all the cousins, aunts and uncles to Sunriver, Oregon for a family reunion for a week. Sunriver is located about 20 minutes south of Bend and is a piece of heaven, with 60 miles of bike baths, a river to float down and a fabulous ice cream shop named Goody's! We had a wonderful time hanging out with family and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

It was also our first vacation since Tan Man was born and a dose of reality for Bryan and I. Being used to going on adventures for hours, we now had a little one to get back and feed every three hours. We are enjoying learning as a family, and we were even able to get away for an evening on a hot date... a must:)

Enjoy the pictures.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!

2008-07-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Look who found his thumb!!

Tanner's Pictorial Debut, Take 2

2008-07-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, here is a sample of Tanner's photo shoot from last Friday. All I have to say is that Allyson did an amazing job! She truly is one of the most talented photographers I have ever seen! All of the pictures are as good or better than the one below. We are glad to call her and her husband Dan our friends. Thank you Allyson!! Now, Bekah and I have the hard decision of of picking what pictures we like the most. This decision is like if we were to win a contest, and the contest director told us we had to pick between a week long vacation in Fiji or week long vacation in Tahiti. They are both amazing places, but we can only choose one. But, I have a feeling that all of the pictures will end up at our house on some wall. Here we come Fiji and Tahiti! If you want to see some more of these amazing pictures, click on the link below to check out our handsome son, Mr. T.

http://www.allysonmagda.com/blog/

Isn't he the cutest!!

Tanner's Pictorial Debut

2008-07-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today, was a grand day for Mr.T, he got his first baby pictures taken! Our good friend, Allyson Magda (whose work is absolutely amazing) performed the photo shoot. She had so many fun and creative ideas. The best part of the whole shoot was when we stripped Tanner down until he was buck-naked. As he was posing for pictures with his mom and dad, he decided to show-off his water fountain. I've never seen Allyson move so fast, because Tanner's fountain was aimed right at her! All Bekah and I could do was laugh and think about the day when we get to tell him about this funny experience.

This is one of Allyson's creative ideas-Tanner is sitting in the middle of this awesome wooden bowl. It took him long time to get settled down so that she could get capture this moment, and we actually had to turn on the heater to get him nice and warm.

Bekah cannot get enough of those cheeks!!

Check back later next week as we will be posting the pictures from this fun-filled day!!

Tanner Slideshow Update

2008-07-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

Here is an update of the last couple of days. As you can see, Tanner and his dad have been doing a lot of hanging out. Our favorite picture is the one where Tanner is sporting the milk mustache! Mom also decided to start stylin his hair, she thought the faux-hawk suited him well.

Our First Family Outing

2008-07-15T16:49:00.001-07:00

Well, today was our first "Family Outing". We decided to go to lunch at this little coffee shop called Cafe Vino, in Paso Robles. Originally, we thought that we would go for breakfast, but Bekah was kind and let me sleep in. It was so much fun! Cafe Vino is this eclectic coffee shop, that has sofas and comfy chairs spread throughout the restaurant that gives it a real homy and comfortable feel. Plus their food and and chocolate chip cookies are amazing!! (If you are ever in town we would love to take you) The best part of our outing was when all of the sudden we looked around and 6 people had gathered around us admiring Mr. T. Each person had this look on their face like Tanner was the first baby they had ever seen. I thought for sure someone was going to reach down, pry him out of Bekah's arms, and start kissing him all over. Luckily that did not happen! Of course, Bekah and I were humbled by their comments and looks, and as we looked at each other we thought to ourselves the same exact thing, "We did good".

The Pogue fam. enjoying their outing.

Tanner Goes to the Park!

2008-07-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Monday, Bekah and I were feeling a little cooped up so we decided to take Tanner, and his best friends Roxy and Bruiser, on a walk down the street to our local park. From what I could tell both Mr. T and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I have to admit that it is one thing keeping Tanner indoors, another thing taking him outside. Bekah seemed to be cool and calm the whole time, while I on the other hand was checking the stroller every other minute to make sure Tanner was OK. I can't help it, I love our little Mr. T! Here are some pictures that document our grand adventure.

Bekah enjoying every minute with her baby boy! She is just glowing with pride and joy.

The entire Pogue Family! Bryan, Bekah, Tanner, Bruiser and Roxy (not pictured).

The Birth Experience

2008-07-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say that every aspect of the birth experience was truly LIFE-CHANGING! Bryan and I had so much fun with each step of the delivery process that we can truly describe it as a huge celebration. Thanks to an epideral (yea drugs!) I had a pain-free delivery and was literally joking with our Dr. in-between contractions about all the food I wanted to eat once Tanner was out! When they put him on my stomach seconds after coming into this world, I told Bryan I would do it all again in a second. Bryan and I prayed specifically for great nurses and were blessed with the most amazing ladies. We will forever have the best memories of Tanner's birth.

Since coming home, we've had a blast working together as a team: I feed Mr. T, and Bryan burps and changes him. We trade off on naps and even took Tanner to the park today for his first outing :)

Having a child is the most intimate act any husband-wife can do and I couldn't be more thankful to do this with my best friend. We are reminded every time we look at our little muncher what a gift he truly is and that he doesn't belong to us, but to God.

Tanner Says Hello

2008-07-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Here is Tanner moments after his arrival, he has a great set of pipes!!

Tanner's Arrival

2008-07-13T19:59:00.000-07:00