Bree Hester » wes

back to school dinner.

Bree — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 04:11:25 +0000

Back to School dinner at our house is a big deal. We celebrate going back to school. Will’s favorite dinner, real napkins, and a cake. We blow out candles and wish for a year of learning, new books, imagination, and good times. I remember my mom making a big deal out of back to school dinner, and the tradition continues at my house. I think that it makes the new school year even more special. Looking back, my mom did such a good job of making small occasions big ones. The fancy dinners, and all of the details that she included. I don’t think that I have ever thanked her for that, but I need to. Thank you mom. You made so many amazing memories for us growing up. We probably did not tell you then, so I am telling you now, we appreciated and loved all of them. And because of that, you made me the mother that I am, doing the same things for my children. I love you, thank you for teaching me.Something must have been very funny. I just want to eat her sometimes. She is so cute and giggly.Don’t judge because I bought a cake. However, you can judge the girl at the bakery at Wal-Mart. Really? 1rst? Make a wish for a wonderful new school year. That’s my girl. Eat a piece of cake just like her momma.

© Bree for Bree Hester, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: back to school dinner, back to school traditions, family dinners, family traditions

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bowling balls.

Bree — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:20:37 +0000

What do you do when you have been cooped up in the house for days because if you go outside you start to melt? You go bowling of course. Clay is the best bowler in the Hester family for sure. He beat all of us, both games. It says something about our bowling skills doesn’t it?

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ambient yellow

Bree — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 05:22:21 +0000

Picture Color – Day 21

I am way behind on Picture Color, but I will finish it. I am just not feeling very creative right now. I get like this sometimes, when the camera just doesn’t feel right in my hands, and the inspiration does not come easily. I am not myself, and I know this. I know that this too shall pass, but for now, I just need to push through. This move has been hard for me. I feel like a fish out of water. I miss my old life, my friends, and my California family. The kids are loving it here, and so is Wes, and that makes me feel bad too. I don’t want to ruin this experience for them because I am not there yet. I am sure that I will come around, but for now, I think that it needs to be one day at a time.

We are attempting to potty train Clay. He needs to be potty trained before he can start preschool. It is not going very well. He will sit on the potty, but he just doesn’t get it. I am not pushing him, I know that he will not go to college in a diaper, he might just not start preschool with the rest of his class. At least the school is willing to hold his spot for awhile. I was cooking dinner the other night, and I looked up from the sink and saw this scene. I had to capture it, yellow, crappy lighting and all.

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the color of comfort.

Bree — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:42:35 +0000

Picture Color – Day 5

I cheated a little and took these pictures today. I had other ones, but they did not fit as well as these do. We are in Estes Park, Colorado. We had planned on being in Boulder today, but once we drove around here a little, we knew that it was the perfect place to stop, regroup, run around, and relax. My friend Alison gave us some perfect recommendations and we have loved every minute. We were lucky enough to find a little cabin to rent that is right on the river, with a nice deck, and a little fireplace. I could stay here awhile. The little town is adorable and reminds me a lot of Truckee, near Lake Tahoe. The weather is cool and crispy, perfect sweatshirt weather. After a nice dinner, we came back and the kids played in the hot tub, we relaxed by a fire and played. A perfect day.

I love came outside of the cabin to find Wes and Clay in the hammock, the picture of comfort. I could not have planned it better if I tried.

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clay date.

Bree — Tue, 24 May 2011 23:54:09 +0000

I was cleaning out my hard drive the other night and I found these little gems. I took this on a rare night, a night when we only had Clay at home. William and Ava were at a sleepover (their first. eek!) and we found ourselves alone with our baby. He loved having all of the attention and we loved having him all to ourselves. We took him out on a clay date. He even held the door open for me.

We went to Big Spoon and he got to pick out his toppings all by himself. He even managed to get some into the cup.

I think that gummies in ice cream is really gross, but my children can not be swayed. They love them all frozen and crunchy. I think that they are a choking hazard.

Clay and Daddy played monster. They never tire of that game. Ever.

Ever.

Is this run not the funniest thing you have ever seen? I love how his little arms swing back and forth.

It was a good night.

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productivity down.

Bree — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:11:08 +0000

Clay up.

Once or twice a week, my husband works overnight. On these days, he is home with us in the morning. He and Clay head to the gym, and leave me be to work. And then they come home, usually after a trip to Family Donut. (Kind of defeats the purpose of working out, no?) Working from home has its perks, but it is filled with distractions. Especially when your “office” is in the middle of the living room. How can one concentrate when playing a mean game of Clay-a-vator? Or momma-can’t-see-me? You can’t. Productivity down, fun up.

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snapshots from sonoma.

Bree — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:24:28 +0000

This weekend marked our last weekend in California without trips, parties, obligations, moving, etc. Even though we are not leaving for another 6 weeks, those weeks are jammed. packed. We decided that we would wake up today, be lazy, and then decide how we wanted to spend our day. The only caveat, we had to spend it together. I saw a write up about The Fremont Diner (I think that it is interesting that they took my order with an iPad, but do not a website) in Sunset Magazine recently, and decided that was what we were going to do. We gave everyone a snack and hopped into the car around lunchtime. We made a pit stop (needed to hit up the Carter’s outlet) on the way and got the The Fremont Diner around 2. This meal was worth the drive. I had fried chicken. I don’t even really like fried chicken, but I wanted the pickles that came with it, so I thought that I would give it a go. Maybe the problem was that I never had good fried chicken before? It was crispy, just the right amount of spice, and juicy on the inside. And the pickles. Sweet, crispy, and ice cold.

Wes had the pulled pork sandwich. I didn’t try it, but he loved it, but those baked beans. My word, who knew that baked beans could be so wonderful?

I love this picture. Ava looks so grossed out by her dad scarfing down the best hot dog ever made. For reals, a beef hot dog, with a spicy grainy mustard, pickled onions, on a poppy seed roll. Good is not even a word to describe this. This was hands down the best meal out that I have had in a very long time. And it was cheap! Like really cheap. Plus, a restaurant that entertains your children with Mr. Potato Head while you wait? I wish that we lived closer.

From there we headed into the town of Sonoma. We had never been there before. We have been to Napa plenty of times, but never Sonoma. It was adorable. Cute shops, lots of places to taste some wine, cafes and restaurants galore, and a beautiful park. And a fun purple door. With a super cute little blond girl just hanging out.

Walls like this everywhere. Are his eyes not the most beautiful things that you have ever laid eyes on? I swear, I did nothing to them.

It was a perfect day to explore and adventure. California, I sure am going to miss you.

© Bree for Bree Hester, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: adventures, leaviing california, sonoma california, the fremont diner sonoma

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five people twelve times – february 2011

Bree — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:20:23 +0000

First of all, I want to thank you for all of the sweet comments and emails about my last post. It is nice to know that I am not alone and that I have people like you to support and love me. It means a lot to me and I truly appreciate it.

February came and went. Last weekend was the first weekend where we had no obligations, yet I cannot remember a thing that we did. What I do remember involves snuggling with my babies, laughing, playing, and making some yummy eats. We are all tired. Basketball ended last weekend and even Will was glad to have our Saturdays back. Having kids in sports put a screaming halt to our weekend adventures. We used to spend our weekends exploring San Fran, now they are exploring gyms all over the Sacramento area. I guess that is where we are now. Parents of big kids.

I had to buy William some new uniform pants around Christmastime because he had holes in the knees. We were walking home from school today and they looked like capri pants. He is getting so tall. It seems like I tuck him in at night and he wakes a few inches taller. Unfortunately for him, he has inherited my sweet tooth. He cannot control himself when it comes to sweets. I leave cakes out overnight to cool and will put a piece of bread on it to keep it from getting stale. I will wake up in the morning and there will be little pieces missing from the edges. A few nights ago, I sent Will out in the garage to get something out of the fridge and after awhile Wes and I noticed that he had been out there a little too long. I knew exactly what he was doing. I had left a peanut butter mousse in the fridge. I opened the door and he had literally climbed into the fridge and was eating the mousse out of the bowl. He didn’t notice me, and when he did, he just looked at me and said, “I just couldn’t help myself.”

He’s a mess, but I love him.

This little monkey read me a story the other day and it melted me. I know that she memorized it, but to see her sitting on the couch with her book open on her lap was just about the cutest thing that I have ever seen in my whole life. She is also starting to outgrow everything. This morning I handed her a jumper to wear to school, and it was almost too short. I think that there is something in the water in this house. She loves school and adores her teacher. She tells me quite often when I come pick her up that she was not ready to go home. Every week she comes home with a new alpha friend and Mondays are the highlight of the week when the new one has been introduced. Her PeeWee penguin dance today was just too much.

Oh Clay-Clay. This morning we dropped Will and Ava off at school. We grabbed a snack and drove back home. We pulled into the driveway and he took my hand, and said “cuggle in mama bed”. Done and done. We snuggled and laughed and played and reluctantly had to face the day. Our days are filled with Buzz and Woody, Kix, and a lot of getting in and out the car. We go to the grocery store and run errands together. We make up songs and laugh a lot. His favorite part of the day is when we go pick Ava up from school. He loves having her home. They eat their little lunch together and spend the afternoon playing and coloring and angling for Pirates Booty.

This is us. In all of our kooky glory.

These were taken on a tripod with the camera on timer. Edited with Fusion from MCP Actions.

© Bree for Bree Hester, 2011. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: five people twelve times, photography blog, sacramento mommy blogger

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thank you pioneer woman.

Bree — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:22:26 +0000

I know that you read The Pioneer Woman, because frankly, is there anyone out there than doesn’t? Ree, aka Pioneer Woman, is funny, smart, a talented photographer, and she doesn’t know this, but she is my fantasy BFF. I spend days out at the ranch making delicious man meals for all of the cowboys and taking pictures of their cows and the Oklahoma sunset. That doesn’t really happen, but in my mind it does. So my BFF, Ree, wrote a book called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. Is a sweet love story about her and Marlboro Man’s courtship, wedding, and first year of marriage. I started reading the excerpt on my beloved Kindle a few weeks ago before the rest of the book was released. Bad idea. I read it quickly and wanted more. It was getting really good, even though I know how the story ends, (they live happily ever after and have 4 beautiful children together) I needed to hear the steamy details. I ignored my childrens cries for more juice and burnt my dinner, but I was hooked.

Not only did I love the romantic story of two unlikely people who fall in love and have an old-fashioned love affair, but it reminded me that I also had my own romantic story of two unlikely people to fall in love. We all have a love story to tell. Years have gone by, watching movies on the couch for hours have been replaced with shuffling three kids to and fro. Long home cooked meals that we lingered over for hours have become family meals full of chatter and laughter and a very messy floor. We have grown up and changed, but we started out just like Ree and Marlboro Man. Young, so madly in love with each other that we could not breathe, and unable to spend a moment apart. I need to thank her for reminding me of that. We still are madly in love with each other, but it is harder now to go back to that place. I think that we should all write down the story of US. I think that it would be a very good read.

In a marriage, you fall in love again over and over again. Sometimes the love comes easy and sometimes it takes a little more work and effort. But the good always outweighs the bad and at the end of the day we are there for each other. There are moments that are permanently etched in my mind, places that have a bookmark in my memories. I will never forget how I fell in love with my husband all over again when I saw him holding our newborn baby in his arms. I was lucky and got to bookmark that one three times. There have been many, many things through the years that have made my heart full. But sometimes we need to be reminded. Life is busy and life is fast. So thank you Ree for making me remember. Thank you for making me go back to that place and relive those moments through your story.

© Bree for Bree Hester, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: kindle, love stories, the pioneer woman, wes

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five people twelve times – january 2011

Bree — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 17:43:48 +0000

I have been inspired by my friend Tara to take a picture of the five of us once a month for the year. I spend so much time behind the camera that it can look like I am not a part of my own family. I took these images at the Crocker Museum the day before everyone had to go back to work and school after the long holiday break. It had been raining for what seemed like forever and we needed to get out. We got into the car and this is where we ended up.

I have been quiet. I stopped doing Picture Winter because I just felt tapped out and devoid of any creativity whatsoever. I hate that feeling. I can get like that sometimes. I have done some of the assignments here and there, but not the way that I usually do.

The weird thing is that usually a new year motivates me. It motivates me to set new goals for myself and to dream bigger than I did the year before. This year, this did not happen. I still have big dreams, but setting them into action has been harder. I feel heavy and weighed down. Stress usually doesn’t get to me so much and this winter it is taking over. We are trying to sell our house and have a big and short move on the horizon. I have a lot of commitments this time of year that are keeping my mind in other places, when really all I want to do is sit on the couch and get lost in a good book. Or be inspired to take my camera out.

But with the winter that I am dealing with now there are also some bright spots. My children. They are growing up to be people that I am proud of and like being around.

I set my camera on an exhibit and used the self-timer for a family shots.

William turned 7 this month. I really think that I blinked and he became a kid. No longer a little kid, he has crossed the threshold of little kid/big kid. William is a sensitive little soul who is navigating his way through friends and teachers and school and with the joy that it brings me, it also brings me sadness. I am not ready for some of the challenges that a big kid brings. I was not prepared for some of the questions that he would ask me and I was not prepared for the some of the trials he would face. Being a kid these days is hard. Children are exposed to so much and sometimes they can be just plain ol’ mean. One of the greatest moments of my day is hearing him read to me. As a lover of reading and books, it is thrilling to listen to my son read me a story. I hope that he learns to love books as much as I do. I hope that he continues to be the person that he is right now. Kind, sensitive, funny, and thoughtful.

Ava is a handful. One moment she is the sweetest thing around and the next she is mean as a snake. She is very bright and things come easy to her. In that way, she reminds me of her daddy. She gets things that I do not expect a 5 year old to understand. She is such a mother to Clay. She hugs him and comforts him just like I do. She is also very sensitive and had her first taste of what a mean comment can do to a girls self-esteem. It broke my heart to hear my baby girl feel bad about herself because of an insensitive comment made by another. I really thought that I would be dealing with these issues in middle school, not pre-Kindergarten. I guess that is me being naive. Ava reminds me of myself in a lot of ways. She is not into sports or activities, she just wants to be alone with her crayons and colored pencils and that is where she is happiest. Her drawings are colorful, full of life, and just like her.

This picture of Clay and this statue will forever make me laugh. He was so confused by the naked boy and what he was doing. He asked me if he was getting into the tubby and could not understand why he was nakey. He stood there for a very long time trying to figure out what exactly was going on. “Go potty, momma?” “Get in tubby?” It was so fun to take a 2 year old to an art museum and listen to his commentary on the art. We had a really great afternoon and I had no idea that the kids would like the art museum so much. It amazes me to think that a year ago, Clay did not talk at all. He had a speech delay and has worked very hard with an amazing speech pathologist named Annie. I am not sure what she did to him, but all I know is that she got my baby to talk. Now we know what is going on in that little head of his. He is sweetest thing and I am so sad that his baby-like qualities are disappearing so fast. No matter how hard I try, my baby is also crossing the threshold, from baby to little kid.

From here on out, we are going to savor our last days in California. June will be here faster than we know it and I want to spend our last days here filled with love, laughter, and adventure.

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getting out.

Bree — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 06:06:04 +0000

Picture Winter – Day 2

It feels like it has been raining forever. We had a relaxing break with lots of cuddle time and laziness. Today was one of those days when Wes and I looked at each other and said that we needed to get out. The thing is, there are not a ton of things to do with 3 children. For Will and Ava, yes, but for Clay, well, he is still a little dude. We decided to check out the new and improved Crocker Art Museum. It exceeded my expectations. They have a great cafe and we had a really good lunch. The kids loved the art being able to get up close and walk around all of the pieces. It was really good day.

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a toast.

Bree — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:23:47 +0000

Picture Holiday – Day 29

This is without a doubt one my favorite pictures of my family. I love it so. My friend Tara did a project last year called six people twelve times and took a picture of her family every month throughout the year. This picture has inspired me to do the same.

We cracked open a bottle of Martinellis and said goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011.

I love New Years. I love the promise of a fresh start. I love the shiny newness of a brand spankin’ new calendar year. I love that you can leave behind all of the negativity and badness that one year held and start a new one with a brand new outlook. Every year that I am on this Earth, I learn so much more about myself. I have learned that change is good and that nothing lasts forever. Times will change and I will change with it. I am not the same person that I was this time last year, and I know that I will not be the same person this time next year. Finally getting to the point to accept and love myself and to welcome new opportunities did not always come easy to me. Now I welcome it with open arms. And saying goodbye to the past and welcoming the future has gotten me there.

I hope that all of your dreams come true in 2011.

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sleepy boys.

Bree — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:16:07 +0000

Picture Holidays – Day 22

I was looking for the men in my life to help me with something and this is how I found them. If you were wondering, no, it never did get done.

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a place of gratitude.

Bree — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:54:05 +0000

Picture Holidays – Day 1

I am so happy to be starting Picture Holiday today. I love the daily prompts and being forced to get out my camera and shoot for myself. I love stepping out of my comfort zone and having to think in new and creative ways. I will be doing this for the next 60 days. I am doing Picture Holiday and Picture Winter. Want to join me?

So today Tracey asked us to start this journey from a place of gratitude. To capture something that we are thankful for.

I am thankful for my husband. I do not tell him enough how much I love him and how lucky I am to have in my life. He deals with my massive mood swings, bizarre ideas, and random thoughts. He goes along on my crazy adventures. He gets me Diet Cokes whenever I ask and eats what I put in front of him. He wakes up before me and feeds the kids so that I can sleep a few extra minutes. He does the laundry and mops with the best of them. He makes me laugh all the time and he even laughs at my jokes. He is an amazing father and together we have a beautiful life. I am very thankful today for him.

He also let me take his picture twice today because apparently I forgot how to focus. Thank you for also being patient with me.

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thankful.

Bree — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:46:23 +0000

Picture Fall – Day 31

I am thankful that I actually finished Picture Fall. I start a lot of projects and sometimes have a hard time with follow through. I love doing these exercises and think that it is a wonderful way to jump start your creativity.

Today I will give you 31 things that I am thankful for, in no particular order:

31. Today we are celebrating our Thanksgiving because my husband will deployed for the actual holiday. I am thankful that this will be the last holiday that he misses for a very long time.
30. I am thankful for my husband who let me take a 3 hour nap on the couch the other day and when I woke up he had dinner made. And it was delicious.
29. For William. I am so proud of you. You are sweet and kind and you are very compassionate.
28. For Ava. You are funny, quick-witted and a very creative little girl. You are wise beyond your years and are going to give your father and I a run for our money for sure.
29. For Clay. For being my baby and letting me hold on to every second left in your babyhood. For your little giggle and eating everything that I put in front of you.
28. For my family. Even though we do not live near each other, I am lucky to have you in my life. I love the phone calls and text messages that remind me of home.
27. For Kathyrn Jean Beauty Queen. You are the best listener and my biggest cheerleader. I miss you every day and hope that someday we will be in the same city again.
26. For Corey. You are the best partner in crime a girl could ever ask for. You are amazing and make a mean ass latte.
25. For my friends. I love you and thank you for keeping me laughing.
24. For my Baked Bree readers. I am shocked every single day that people read my little blog and actually cook my recipes in their home. Amazing.
23. For my children’s school. I love that little school and wish that I could take it with me when we leave. You have embraced us and treat us like family.
22. For my camera. Without my camera, my life would be empty and colorless. I see the world differently because of it and am grateful every single day that I can capture the little things in my life.
21. For my Kitchen-Aid. I know that I make almost everything by hand, but I am thankful that I do not have to.
20. I am thankful that my mother taught me how to entertain and have it not be a big deal. I am in the middle of making Thaksigiving dinner as I type this and all I am waiting for are my guests.
19. My Kindle. The best present I have ever been given. I love to read, and since this little love came into my life, I read that much more.
18. For Brenda, who gave me my beloved Kindle. You have been an amazing friend to me and I have learned so much from you.
17. For the adventures that we will be on this year. Hello Kansas.
16. When I make bread and it actually turns out the way that I want it to. Nothing makes me feel more powerful.
15. Well, maybe when I ran my first 3 miles without stopping. Then I got pneumonia. I am not very thankful for pneumonia.
14. For being able to do what I love.
13. For living in so many amazing places and having friends all over the world.
12. Diet Coke. You rock my world.
11. For marrying my best friend. He drives me crazy, but I love him, and am thankful for the life that we have together.
10. My iphone. You really make my life easier despite getting sucked into Angry Birds.
9. To William’s teacher. Nothing makes me melt more than listening to my son read me a story.
8. For a holiday that is all about spending the day with the people that you love and food. Lots of food.
7. For Annie. Clay loves you so much. His face lights up when he sees you. And you got him to tell us what is going on inside his little head.
6. For California. I have loved living here and the last 3.5 years have been full of ups and downs, but I loved what Cali has to offer.
5. For my blogging friends. We might not see each other behind a computer screen very often, but you have enriched my life in ways that you will never know.
4. For being able to spend my days home with my children. I would be very sad to miss any of it.
3. For my children. They are healthy and growing. That is all that I could ask for.
2. For the roof over my head and the house that I love so much.
1. For the 5 people in this room right now. They have no idea how much I love them and how much I love these lazy days watching movies, coloring pictures and snuggling under a blanket.

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