Andrea and I might have started a tradition - Papworth/Williams annual camping extravaganza. We'll see. Now that we live in the same state, we determined that our husbands and children need to be friends and what better way to kick off this friendship then a little camping trip?

I went with a great attitude. Jeff even thanked me for it. Jeff and Brian were in their element with mountain biking and dirt. I was not in my element with the freezing cold night. But the Williams are great company, for sure!

Poor Row feel out of the car and banged up her face right when we got to our camping sight (Dogwood Campground in Lake Arrowhead) - luckily that was our only trip to the E.R. She is sporting a pretty good goose egg and black eye. So incredible sad, but she is a trooper and even smiled for the camera when I was trying to document it. 

We cut our camping trip a night short, but we had fun. Grey loved every single second.

*I should note that neither Andrea or I brought warm enough shoes for our little girls, so we hit up Famous Footwear. We went with the boy hightop converse for Row and Brian insisted on the white Nikes for Jo Jo. Such a great decision.

we made it: week 1

We have arrived! After so many months of anticipation, packing, searching for a place, and being in holding pattern, we are finally here and ready to start our life in South Pasadena. So far so good!

Last Wednesday night we packed up the truck and headed out here on Thursday afternoon. We pulled in at around 1:30am, got a couple hours of sleep and started unpacking the Budget truck on Friday. So grateful for the fellow dental students who came to help us unload and so thankful that my parents were here to help. I love my mom for ordering me around and keeping me on task - I was completely overwhelmed with the idea of fitting everything we had in a 2 bedroom/ 1 bathroom apartment. It's like a huge puzzle trying to find a place for everything. But, we did it and it's working (so far).

we made it, but some of our Ikea furniture didn't

Luckily the people who rented our place before we did absolutely destroyed it, so we ended up getting new carpet and new paint throughout. Rowan is now a crawler, so the new carpet makes me happy. Here's just a little glimpse at the apartment. It's coming together and I am trying to make it feel homey. I don't want to move for a very long time! I will post more pictures when it's a little further along.

 dining room

working on stenciling a wall in the dining room 

Jeff started orientation on Monday and is getting to know his classmates. He is really excited about USC and feels confident that this is the right school for him. I am grateful he is finally doing what he wants to be doing, even if it took him 7 years to get here :) 

My dad left Saturday and my mom left last night. It was extremely hard for me to say goodbye and even worse watching them say goodbye to Grey and Rowan. I know I am only 6 hours away, but having them down the street for so long was priceless. Even though I know we are supposed to be here and that our little family needs this, it's still difficult sometimes when I actually process what is going on and what we are doing. But, I know I will make great friends and am looking forward to settling down here for the next 4 years. 

That's our last week in a nutshell. Now off to organize, organize & organize!

Ruby Jane

Meet Ruby Jane. She is the daughter of one of my sweet friends Ani. Ruby and Rowan were born just a week apart. Rowan can't wait to meet her :) Ruby was diagnosed with liver failure at 3 month old (this past March). She is currently waiting on a donor liver and getting treatment from the best doctors at UCLA medical center. With all that is happening, you can imagine all of the hospital bills that are adding up quickly!

I think of Ruby everyday. I think about how difficult Ani and Matt's trial is and how much they would just love to be at home living with their 2 cute daughters, not worrying about just making it through the day at the hospital. I cry as I hold my own baby. And all we can do it pray... and donate what we can.

Julie from Stella and Dot is  having a week long fundraiser in honor of Ruby. She needs our help!

click to enlarge

Because USC dental school has sucked every last penny from my bank account :) this is what I can offer:

a PHOTO SESSION for RUBY JANE

Cost: 

$250

You get:

:: 30-45 minute session

(your kiddos for Father's Day? 3 friends go in on it together to get some fun snapshots of their kiddos?)

:: Location in Gilbert, AZ

:: 20-25 edited image on CD (with copyright release)

Email me if you are interested: megan@meganpapworth.com

Let's help Rubes together!

Ani is an amazing writer. Get updates on Ruby on her blog HERE

and make donations HERE

The Thirteenth

Sarah (Papworth) and I started a new blog in hopes to provide inspiration on a daily basis. It's a goal of ours to learn and share new things - all things creative, useful and inspirational.  We hope you'll follow along and visit often!

Click here to check it out. Welcome to the Thirteenth...

Have a great weekend my friends!

Big Girl Adventures

Big Girl Adventures

I am starting fresh. I am needing something new. So here it is!

We are starting a new chapter together as a family and I feel like it's a much needed adventure as we move from AZ to LA. I kind of feel like a country girl moving to the big city - so much anticipation and change. It's going to be good and it's going to be hard, but that is what life is all about. I am going to embrace it and take it all in.

I just turned 26 and celebrated our 6th year wedding anniversary. As I celebrated Mother's Day yesterday, I felt like such "a big girl" (but somehow still feel like I am 20 at the same time). I have 2 children that call me "mom" and depend on me for their lives. I think about everything my own mother has done for me, and I am that woman to my little Grey and Rowan. The realization of this over the last couple of months has really humbled me. This responsibility and gift is extremely overwhelming yet simply amazing. I feel like I am growing up and doing it fast. I feel like I am finding myself. I feel like I have never been happier in my entire life.

I want to document our lives during our time in California the best that I can. These next four years will be some for the books (at least everyone who's done it tells me so). It will be a growing experience and an adventure that I think I will cherish my entire life.

So here's to a much needed new beginning...

march (and april) madness

in case you didn't hear, we are moving to Los Angeles - USC for dental school (GO TROJANS). over spring break we took a trip down to california to look around the pasadena area. we made a stop at disneyland, of course!

grey just had his 3rd birthday and is finally potty trained! 

rowan is 3 months - sleeping through the night and is seriously my angel from heaven

i am running ragnar this weekend in california - so excited

i have to get my gallbladder removed next week - kind of an emergency surgery and i am totally thrilled (not)! my family is in europe so my sweet mother-in-law is going to save the day and come help since i can't even lift my baby up for 2 weeks. so sad!

jeff is finishing up his last science classes at ASU and his plugging along with work. he's such an awesome dad!

i have anxiety about packing and moving and finding a place to live but so excited about a new adventure for our little family

just got back from utah to take the bff's engagements pictures. can't wait for courtney's wedding in june!

oh, and i turned 26 this month. who am i??? i feel so old

do you love instagram? i love instagram!

Rowan's Blessing

Rowan was blessed on February 6th, 2011 - it was such an amazing blessing and a special day! It was a little last minute because we decided to do it when Jeff's mom came into town. I got this dress from a friend and had it altered. It was so cute on her. Loved the shoes that matched the stitching in the dress. I realized right before that I didn't have anything for her  hair, so I made this little bow! Here she is in all her glory :)

For my records, people that participated in the blessing:

Jeff

Dave Terry

Bishop Bill Guttery

Micah Slade

Kelly Shepherd

Jared Greer

Scott Fish