Pepper Design Blog

Guest Posting on BLW over at Milk-Friendly

If you had a chance to read about our introduction of solid foods to Liv earlier this summer, you’ll remember that we skipped pureed foods and opted to share our meals with her right off the bat. But we’re not crazy parents, promise. We’re actually using a method called Baby Led Weaning. Read more about it over at Milk-Friendly where I’m sharing our adventure with her readers.

We did give handmade pureed foods a try for a few days… I also cover that over at my guest post. *Hint* the only successful recipe was my basic cinnamon applesauce!

 Liv digs it. For everything else, she prefers the solid version however spiced, roasted or textured it may be.

We love that she gets to participate in our meals and enjoys a good steak, fish fillet or pork tenderloin just as much as us! Read about our first intro to it all here.

Weekend Fun: July & August

I’m meandering from the usual topics today to update our virtual family album (which this blog in so many ways is) with the latest summer installment. July and August were full of busy adventures… including biking across Iowa with RAGBRAI, relaxing by the creek in Sedona, Arizona and several weekend trips full of family and friends in San Diego or nearby.

First up, a week in Sedona, Arizona enjoying red rock country with Kevin’s family:

Liv is getting so big! While in Sedona, we spent plenty of time swimming in the cool creek and wandering around the little downtown boutiques and ice cream shops.

Towards the beginning of summer I had mentioned that we were preparing for a big trip biking across Iowa! Those crazy Iowans invite over 10,000 people to the state in the sweltering heat and humidity of late July, but it sounded like loads of fun for our family so Kevin signed us up!

Kevin and I both have family from Iowa so it was a great opportunity to see grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, great aunts twice removed… from both sides. It was so neat to see everyone.

And as for the biking?

What a blast we had!

My brother took a series of still images throughout a single day’s ride, and then we sped it up super fast for an ultimate Day of RABGRAI tour:

Every town we passed through warmly opened their doors to the oncoming visitors, offering up delicious homemade pie, freshly brewed beer and sweet roasted corn as far as the eye could see. I spent a fair amount of time in the air conditioned transport vehicle with Olivia but my time on the road was awesome – even in the crazy heat.

I’m happy to report that my in-laws and parents – and all of our brothers – left the trip unscathed after spending seven days in an RV all together. We might just have to do it again!

In other wonderful news, we welcomed two new babies in our little group of San Diego friends! Exciting, so exciting. How glowing are these moms.

Beautiful showers were hosted for both of these adorable babes – but believe it or not I lost the camera card for one and completely forgot to take pictures from the other. So. frustrating.

But these cute photos celebrating the 1st birthday of two handsome fellas might make up for it:

Plus the 2nd birthday of this little princess!

Earlier in the summer we met my parents half way between Santa Cruz and San Diego to enjoy some sun and pool time! They needed a ‘Liv fix’ and it’s really nice that we’re each about a four hour drive away from a meet-up point.

In August, Liv and I visited my old collage roommates, and while in the city made a detour to the infamous Rose Bowl Swap Meet. Pure bliss.

And there you have it, a round up of our summer. One day I’ll have to create a large coffee table book out of all of our digital family album updates so that we (and Liv + future siblings) have something neat to check out in future years. Hope your summer was as equally special.

In Honor of a Special Grandma

Hi friends & family, some sad news over here at the blog today. My Grandma passed away this week and, because this blog has turned into such an important journal of our lives, we thought it would be appropriate to share a few of her memories.

Grandma Rita was a generous and kind woman – someone who has left a mark on many many hearts. While her passing has been incredibly difficult, her life was abundantly blessed! Here are some photos that make me smile:

I love the photo with her family, Grandma is the last on the right in the bottom row (oh those glasses! and that hair! so trendy).

She was born in 1935 in a little farm in Earling, Iowa – a teeny tiny town of maybe 300. We still visit when we’re in that neck of the woods and we still have plenty of family there. Grandma married her high school sweetheart (to none other than that handsome Julius in her high school class picture) and had three children of her own.

Here’s the entire brood:

That’s my mom there in the middle in the left photo, and that ornery (Grandma’s favorite word) one in pink overalls who’s refusing to play along on the right is me.

Grandma married again about 10 years ago. She was so so happy in this photo on the left. In February, just after Liv was born, she came to visit Kevin and I, and we took the opportunity to take a photo of the four generations:

So special.

I found all of these great photos while helping to sort through binders at her home in Omaha and I’ll cherish the memories they bring. We’ve had our chance to say goodbye – but it’s consoling to know that now she’s looking down on us from heaven, and will continue to watch her family grow and flourish.

Grandma, we love you.

xo,
Morgan, Kevin & Liv