Birds of Autumn

Since I was a little girl I have always enjoyed watching birds going about their day. Black-capped Chickadees were frequent visitors to our backyard. I loved their tiny round appearance

 I also learned to identify them by their chirps as a child and would get so excited to hear them!

  My in-laws have several bird feeders in their backyard and I have been enjoying bird watching again. Our apartment has no trees on the property so I don't get to see birds by our place much.

 I will sit on their deck with my camera and just patiently wait for the birds to stop by. 

 The House Finches are the bravest and are not bothered by my presence at all, so all my best photos are of them. 

Sometimes I have Nessa with me and they don't even care. She is a great bird-watching companion. 

 I actually thought these were originally Purple Finches at first but after reading up more on them I definitely think these are House Finches that I saw

 White-breasted Nuthatch at the feeder. I used to call these "Nut-thatches" for the longest time. 

 They don't stop by the feeder for long. Just grab a seed and go.

 I have spotted them in the trees after hearing them tapping for bugs.

 One of the cutest birds I have seen are also the skittish. 

The Tufted Titmouse birds are regular visitors but the slightest movements startle them.

 I have to be super patient trying to photograph them.

This photo didn't turn out great but I thought it looked too cute

I'm proud of this photo. My patience finally paid off and I got a really nice photo

 This photo however is more accurate to what I got from these little guys. I would slowly lift my camera, peer through the lens and snap a photo only to discover I was too late. 

I have seen a few other birds but haven't gotten good photos of them yet. This is a screenshot from a video I took. That was the only time I've seen a Downy Woodpecker at the feeder. I have also seen a yellow-bellied Woodpecker one time but I didn't even have my camera that day.

I am enjoying spending time outside watching for birds and hanging out with Nessa is pretty awesome too. She is one cool puppy!

Do you enjoy bird watching? What bird are you excited to see?

Love, Rebecca

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Finding Hope

One of the benefits of blogging for me is the ability to look at my older posts I've written throughout the years. It's like a little snapshot of who I was at the time, what issues I was struggling with, and what things made me smile. It also helps me see how far I've come and

what things I still need to change. 

I was browsing through the archives on this blog for memory's sake. I saw my posts about my nephew's birth, family events, and fun trips. Seeing photos of my siblings so young are bittersweet- but it's exciting to see how much they have grown!

Some posts though tugged at my heart strings. Especially the ones back in 2014. I was in the darkest, blackest, most suffocating hole of depression at that time. I was trying to adapt to my new situation with a horrible back injury and it wasn't going well. Everything felt hopeless. I remember it far too well. 

Four years have passed and some things have changed. The most obvious change is the severity of the pain. I still struggle with pain but its not destroying-my-life levels of pain like it used to be. I've learned my physical limits, I've learned how to be more careful and I've learned to accept the injury. I'm also getting help for my depression now. 

I feel really bad for past me. That was such a dark time in my life and looking back on it, I feel sad. Just genuinely sad. 

I don't know what else to say. “Life gets better,” I guess? It's not how I would prefer things to be, but it did get better. It's hard when you are in the thick of it to see that there is a way out, that there is hope. Sometimes it just takes a while to find it. Don't give up 💗

Love, Rebecca

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Meet Nessa

After the passing of Mason back in March my in-law's were heartbroken. They decided to wait on getting another dog until the perfect one came along.

 When they heard about the chocolate Labrador puppy that was born missing her left paw my in-laws felt that this pup was meant to be in our family.

This adorable little girl joined the family in May. She was tiny, spunky and was busy exploring her new world.

My in-laws gave her the name "Nessa" although I like to call her Nessa-bit.

 I don't know why it just sounds right for some reason to me!

Her paw deformity does slow her down a bit. She can run and play but limps a bit.

I enjoyed experiencing playing with a young puppy again. 

I did not enjoy puppy teeth again though. So sharp!

Nessa enjoying being a big baby and being held 😂

Nessa has really pretty golden eyes with a bit of green on the edges. As she has grown her fur has become slightly wavy on her back. 

She is kinda terrified of her fur brush though so it's a task to comb her. 

She is my father-in-law's partner in crime. She absolutely adores him. 

Here she is just a few days ago at about 6 months old. She is starting to look like an adult Lab. She loves rope toys and destroying her rope toys. She is pretty good with"Sit" but still a bit stubborn about "Nessa, Come" 

Sometimes while my in-laws are at work I go over and take her outside and we watch for birds and play. Now that it is autumn I throw leaves up into the air and she tries to catch them. 

Nessa is a wonderful dog and I am glad she found her way to our family. I hope she has a long and happy life! 

Love, Rebecca

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Jessica and Gerald's Wedding

We had a great time at Jess and Gerald's wedding last Saturday.

The church was decorated with dried snowball flowers and grain sprays. There were mason jars with tiny lights lining the aisle. The back drop was rustic style reclaimed wood with more lights. 

Jessica looked gorgeous. Her wedding dress was a fitted/mermaid style with a vintage themed lace overlay. She had a rhinestone clip in her hair that looked like a feather holding the veil. The bouquet was mostly roses with black-eyed Susan's. 

Jessica walked down the aisle to a piano cover of "Million Dreams" from the Greatest Showman musical.

The bridesmaids wore dusty pink gowns. Justin and Jessica's cousin Leah was the maid of honor. 

A detail shot of Jessica's train. Look at that gorgeous lace!  😍

Jessica and Gerald read vows they had written themselves. It was cute to hear them talk about their love for one another. 

The kiss! This is a screenshot from a video I took. It was a very romantic moment.

 Mr. and Mrs. officially!

The wedding favors were honey from my in-law's hives. 

My very happy and teary-eyed mother and father-in-law. 

I loved how Jessica's hair was done up.

 Photo time! Jessica and Gerald shared their wedding date with her Grandparents date!

 Jessica and Gerald with Jess's parents.

Justin and I with the newlyweds  

Look at these lovebirds. So cute. 

I am so happy for these two. They are so perfect together.

Justin helping me over a bridge at the reception

 The reception hall was stunning. So many beautiful decorations and lights. Jessica wanted an outdoor reception but the rain made the plans change. This same venue had a gorgeous outdoor garden. It's a shame we couldn't be outside but the inside was a good compromise.

The grandparent's who have passed on. 

Inside the reception hall. The lighting was much more soft than this photo makes it look.  

The centerpieces. The food was scrumptious. I was pretty hungry and it was very satisfying. We sat with some of Justin's cousins. It was nice to catch up. He has such an interesting family. 

 Making their grand entrance on the grand staircase.

They had their first dance to the cutest song 

A magical moment. 💕

 The cake was made by Jenn, one of Jessica's since-childhood friends.

 It was as delicious as it was gorgeous. Each layer had a different filling. I chose a canolli filled one.

A Spiderman kiss cake topper! Jessica and Gerald are big Marvel fans. 

Jessica and Gerald dedicated their wedding toast to Grandma and Poppa in honor of their 62nd wedding anniversary. I thought it was so sweet.

A great big congrats to my sister-in-law and her new husband. 

Thanks for my first brother-in-law Jessica!! 😂 I love you guys

Love, Rebecca

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