Another new year...welcome 2013 (and the rest of Jan.)

I've never been one to make big new years goals...but there is something about a fresh new calendar. 

A time of newness, starting over, gearing back up.  And it can be good to stop and reflect on how your moving forward.  I want to be more intentional overall and am setting goals to do so. 

This pic has nothing to do with that...just thought this cup was a hoot (wait...who even uses that word - not me in real life)!  Yes, this is what my hubby makes coffee for me in on our way to a busy birthday party.

But for real, who's complaining about Beach's mad skills...if I can get up early enough to make it to the best coffee in town...you know I'm stopping by.

Nothing better to start your day off with and being reminded of the love.

 We got to go to a fun couple of birthday parties.  Love this of Zoe and her bud, Maya. 

She quiet enjoyed being in charge of her own shopping cart all by herself at Edventure.

This little cautious spirit took awhile to try the bar at a little gym party, but once she did....headed back to it every time she could!  I love to see her grow and challenge herself!  The mom in me, also, loves that she is cautious and wants to be safe.

Although, when this thing blew up, she crawled to me as fast as she could!

A couple of days after the party, Zoe demonstrated her new somersault skill.  She loves it and is so proud of herself, doing them down the hallway. 

So my little is scooting around really well now!  I don't think she will craw, as her own method is proving to be quiet successful for her!  It is hilarious to watch and she is so happy to be getting around and trying to keep up with her big sister!

Shiloh can be a very intense child.  I have no idea where she gets that from ;-)~ She is so funny the way that she balls her fist up and shakes her whole body.  It's as if she can't stand all the energy the she has that it just has to go somewhere.  She loves to give me these big sloppy kisses with her mouth open.  The other day she did it so intensively that she actually left a little hickey on my chin.  Crazy girl.

Have you read this amazing book yet.  It is awesome and a part of our nightly routine.  Zoe has been captivated by it for over a year now.  She has a great attention span!

Zoe has really been into test every boundary lately, encouraging mom to work on her sanctification process.  She has pushed me to find new creative ways to try to get her to listen.  A great reminder that, yes, she is only two.

Family Christmas time with Beach's family - somebody please remind me to take better pictures during family get togethers!

Any time that it is warm outside in the winter I try to take advantage of it and soak it up.

This day was especially nice, as it fell on a Sunday and Daddy was home!

Zoe's first water color paintings!  I think she enjoyed it!!

Since she got sick in December, Shiloh pretty much won't go to sleep unless I'm right there beside her. This has made things pretty rough for her momma in getting anything done.  Her nap time use to mean my work time....it's been a hard month in that regards.  But the huge bonus is I get to stair at this amazing creature!  

Zoe, on the other hand, enjoys pretend sleeping.  She is a nut, and I love it!

As I have mentioned, money has been tight, as well as Beach and I's time together.  When he heard me mention that I had never been to the Mellow Mushroom, he saved up all his "good behavior points" (OK that is clearly not what they call them but that is basically what they are) and turned them in when he left work so that he could take me there.  He is such a sweet man.

It was a special night indeed with this amazing love. 

Yep, I would say we are starting this year off right!

The Coffee is Brewing

So it has been about a month since the kiosk has been open!  A month of trying to feel our own new grove and be able to pay back some of the money loaned to get this party started.  We have had a pretty good response and are really working on getting the word out.  There are things that need to be tweaked, like our hours and how Beach and I work as a team...but we are getting there.

This is a new space, owning your own business...having to depend on sales coming in to support your livelihood   Well, sort of.  

What brings me hope, and back from my fears is the remembrance of God's faithfulness.  There are times I question, "Is this really going to work?"  Times I think, "I really don't like this.  It is so MUCH work!  I wish the hubby could just work a normal 8-5 job, like he used to and we could have so much time back together as a family (and I could also have help with keeping up the house)."  But then I remember how much he HATED his job and how down he was while working there, as if the life had been sucked out of him.  Not a place you want to live.  I remember all that the Lord has shown us to provide and get this adventure going.  I remember that there is NO PLACE I rather be than in the middle of God's peace and trusting in him, despite how hard it is!  

So I suppose I'm not depending on the daily sales at all but on the creator of the universe....that feels much better!

We have been blessed by a lot of IG and Facebook support.  You can follow me on IG at Bjessa and Beach at lovelandcoffee.  It's also nice to know that people are enjoying the goods!  It is such a blessing for us to be able to reach others in this way, as we just don't have the funds to pay for different advertisements at this point.  And we have been on the news a few times!  What, what....truly how awesome is our God.  Check out these stories:

Loveland Coffee receiving the Gold Spatula award! 

Explaining about our kickstarter funds!

USC did a special for the school 

Oh, and a friend did this funny Commercial that is great and another did a blog giveaway with an amazing Espresso Cookie recipe!  

Up next....Beach is working on putting together a cold brew packaging for the spring (this stuff is amazing!) and some espresso bar wedding catering.  Did I mention we were busy, but in the best kind of way!

Tis the season!

I felt like "Tis the season to get sick!"  What a downer it has been struggling with this flu for almost a month, as we all seemed to get it a week apart.  There is something so heartbreaking as holding your little ones with fevers of almost 104 for days. We missed almost all of the holiday parties, actives and Christmas things I wanted to do with Zoe now that she can understand what is going on a bit more. Much of the month was just snuggling the littles.

 It also set us back awhile in opening the kiosk....so close yet so far, and the bills kept coming. Yikes...it was a struggle with it being Christmas time, knowing that we really didn't have any money for gifts or giving to others.  It's an uncomfortable place...a humbling place....a place of growth. 

 But what a joy now that the kiosk is open!!!  We had no energy left to do a grand opening (not to mention funds) but just so thankful that it is running now!

 Zoe loves to go visit and get her own coffee (don't worry it is just steamed milk) - which she usually has us refill several times!

Shi, also, likes to represent the Loveland Coffee.

These are the happy faces of those that got to sneak out on a date night to celebrate our opening (and to use a gift card before it expired).

 If I did mention that we had the flu to anyone they would usually mention something about the flu shot and how they needed it or were glad that they got it.  I have to say that I'm glad that we didn't get it, even with getting the flu and how hard it was, I'm glad that we all now have natural immunity to it for life and didn't have to put any nasty chemicals in our body.  I try to talk to others about it, sometimes when I get up the nerve, but most look at me like I'm crazy.  How brainwashed our country has become and I wish others would do some serious research on this themselves.

Zoe is still constantly asking me if I am happy.  Oh, Zo.

My little controlling 2 year old likes to boss me around after I put her to bed.  She always wants to tell me what room I am to go in after leaving her, "Go in mommy's room."  Recently she told Beach, "Go in the wiving room and sleep on the couch!"  I have no idea why, he has never slept there better than what she said the other night, "Go in the dog's room to sleep!"

We did make it to a couple of pre-Christmas events!  One at our small group.

And another at a night out to have dinner and see the lights at the zoo!

This was the girls first night out together for dinner as a family and they did really well!  Thankful to have some old groupons to use!

Another sweet package came from my grandmother with a children's Bible and a cat, named "Happy". My grandmother named her such after hearing the story of how Zo asks about me being happy all the time. (Don't mind her still sick face.)

One of the fun things about owning your own business is you get many packages.  One day when daddy was at work we got to play!

He doesn't appreciate the mess this can cause (I have no idea why  :-)  Zoe was nice to wait her turn. 

Most Wonderful time of the Year

I always think of good times with family (and awesome food) when I think of Christmas.  A time to slow down and think of our Savior entering the world and the impact that has on all of our lives!  We have never NEVER been in South Carolina for such an occasion and this year marked the first time.  Due to the start of the business and now having two littles, traveling was out of the picture.  

Since we have been married we have alternated between Beach and I as far as who's family we get to spend Christmas with and it was Beach's year.  How blessed were we, though, that Beach's parents came down form Michigan to spend the week with us.  That trip is no joke and it was the best present they could have given us!  

They hadn't seen Shi since she was a newborn (besides Skype), so it was very special.

Zoe is still really into taking pictures (I'm not sure sarcasm translates as strong as I would like it to here) and Shiloh enjoys the lights for our Church dresses picture.

I learned the art of bribery this year.  Zoe responded well when offered a "special treat" in exchange for  a nice picture.  Love this pretty dress that I won from a blog giveaway. 

We served Christmas Eve dinner at our house. 

Beach was proud to cut the turkey.

 I made an amazing raw cranberry sauce with essential oils.  Zoe referred to it as "jelly" and it was her fav by far.  It was so good for you that I didn't mind her eating it by the spoonfuls. 

Of corse we had many other yummy goodies too!

"Special treat!"

Nothing like having both your grandmas!  This is one loved kid!

 Here are some more formal shots.  It is pretty crazy if you could see what is going on behind the camera to try to make the girls look amused.

   Happy baby.  We get comments about her eyes and smile everywhere we go.  I can't imagine why.

 

 Grandma brought mint brownies all the way from Michigan. 

I stayed up late finishing painting this on Christmas Eve in my closet for my MIL. 

And then the big day was here.  When I think of Christmas mornings in the Loveland house...this always comes to mind.  Donna's from scratch cinnamon rolls.  She even brought her skills to our house.

They were so huge and yummy but I limited myself to a half to spare myself a headache. 

The Loveland grands came bearing many gifts, including this huge castle for Zoe.  It was so fun having it all set out for her to wake up to Christmas morning!

We could take the morning slow, as Zoe doesn't associate Christmas with her getting gifts, which was nice.  So after breakfast and reading the Christmas story we moved on to the goodies.

Money is so tight this year (as in we had none from starting the business) that I was truly humbled when the girls had things to open from our family (who money is also tight for) and from strangers that blessed up.  HUMBLED.  It was really hard knowing that I just couldn't get anything for them.  So tears filled my eyes when I saw how the Lord truly looked out for us in amazing ways with this!

I think she liked her gift!
That night we got together with my family as well.  

Zoe got to wear her new dress from Grandma from MI!

And Shi got to wear a cute outfit I won from another blog giveaway!

Shiloh = 9 months & Adalyn = 10 months
Yes, my kid has very long legs and feet.

This picture cracks me up.  Because we can rarely get a cute cousin shot....they are mostly just craziness in front of and behind the camera.  

A lot of gifts when we had so many people together!

How awesome is this from my sis and bro-in-law...it got hung up right away.  (Which is really not like us, as it typically takes us years - shameful but true.)

Beach made his amazing cheese cake again...I think this may just be a yearly tradition.  I can't say that I mind!

We had a few days to play with the grands after the holidays, which of course included shopping.  They are amazing at finding a good deal!  AMAZING!

And a trip to visit Daddy to get coffee (he still had to work some days - yahhh for the kiosk being open).

Zoe was all set in her Harley jacket from the grands.

I loved these drooly girl shots that I couldn't pick just one. 

Grandma was a good sport with the girls.

Later Zoe showed Grandpa that she was almost big enough to ride the Harley that he got her 2 years ago.

And she also got a special time with just grandma making cupcakes (another grandma Christmas present).  Zoe loves to cook - I think I know just where she got it from. 

The only consolation for having to say good-bye to these two blessings of parents was to know that they would be back in the spring!