Slow down sissy...

I'm sure I've mentioned before that Laurelei is pretty much five going on fifteen, but it's never been more apparent to us than lately. Where do I even begin?

Perhaps I'll start with the scary part of her growing up, boys. Ah, preschool love. Matt and Laurelei had a detailed conversation on the way home from school about it the other day, and they were both excited to fill me in on the details over dinner. From what I gathered I imagine the initial conversation went something like this...

"How was school today?"

"Good. I need to pick a boyfriend."

"Excuse me?"

"There are three boys at school who love me and want to be my boyfriend. I have to pick one to be my boyfriend."

(Stunned silence, a few stifled giggles...yes I'm sure it was giggles)

"I think I'm going to pick soandso. He loves me so much."

"How do you know soandso loves you so much?"

"He tells me I'm beautiful. He thinks I'm really pretty."

Don't worry. As any good mom would do I squashed the whole idea of preschool love real quick.  I was sure to tell her that only big people get to have boyfriends and girlfriends, so she would just have to pretend until she was of a more appropriate age, like 20.

To my surprise her preschool whims have come with a fair amount of wisdom. The other day I was making my very first fabric doll and getting incredibly frustrated. I may have mentioned to Matt that I was about to quit-and-throw-my-sewing-machine-out-the-window and L overheard me. As she scooted up the table she shared her five year old words of encouragement with me.

"Don't quit mommy. You can do it. You can change your story"

"What do you mean?"

"You know mommy, like in Super Why? The duck wanted to swim but he couldn't so he quit. Then Super Why came and changed duck's story and made him not scared and he learned to swim. You can do that too mommy. You can change you story."

I kid you not. I felt about two feet tall. I had been told. By my five year old. I'd like to thank Super Why and the PBS community for teaching my child more important lessons that she has apparently learned from her parents example at home. 

How do they grow so fast? You turn around and your tiny five pound baby is five years old. She is beautiful and smart and ready for the whole wide world. And you pretty much know you had nothing to do with her growing older and you just want to tell her to slow down.

Christmas 2013

I had thought about back tracking all the way to Halloween, but I've decided it's an insurmountable effort. So, I'll just start with something slightly more recent. Christmas!

This year we made the usual rounds for Christmas...my family, Matt's family, more of my family, and some more of Matt's family.

We spread out the celebrating this year, and cut down on our traveling to and from, and it made for a nice relaxing few days with family. It was nearly perfect.

We've really struggled recently with the awareness that mostly our celebrations of things have become more 'us-centered' and less 'Christ-centered.' I think this year our hearts were much more full this season with more constant reminders to ourselves and to Abbott and Laurelei about the true importance of Christmas. Our church shared the book, The Sparkle Box, this year and I love the idea behind it.

Giving a gift back to God each Christmas through selfless acts and the way that you treat those around you. I hope that as a family we can follow the model this book gives throughout this year for next Christmas. I think that giving a gift like that would just be icing on the cake, and make for a truly perfect celebration next year!

Vacation 2013

Just last week we returned from our annual family trip to the Outer Banks, NC. We've been going there with my family for several years now, and we always look forward to it. It marks one of the only times a year that my entire family is under the same roof for a week, parents, brothers, sisters, hubby and kids! This always makes for a rowdy time!

No matter how excited I was about the trip, I was still a little nervous going into it. You see, we haven't had the best track record with children who enjoy the beach. I was a little worried that Abbott might follow in Laurelei's 18 months footsteps! Much to my surprise and delight, it couldn't have been better! We packed up the first day, baby pool and wagon in tow, and both kids LOVED it! At first I was pretty sure that day one would be the 'honeymoon period' and that on day two all hell would break loose, but I was wrong! We had a nearly perfect week, making it to the beach every single day!

Matt was awesome, playing with both kids in the ocean and sand the entire time. He rarely got a break, but never even complained. How did I get so lucky? Looking back, I feel a little diva-ish, realizing that while he did all that, I did this...

Oh well, we can't all be perfect, so I'll just leave the super dad stuff to him! :) Plus, quality time with family was what this trip was all about!

It really was an amazing week. Breakfasts on the porch, dinners at our favorite local spots, and ice cream on the pier sealed the deal. I am already longing for next year!

Hoping you get a little summer relaxation too, no matter what form it takes!

Happy Friday!

Dear Abbott on my lap...

You probably won't remember this, but we are sitting here on the beach, and you are asleep on my lap. For a long time I sat just memorizing everything about you at this very moment. The way your hair smells of a mixture of baby shampoo, sunscreen, and salt water. All of the little scars on your face, the way you are wearing your favorite hat. How you sat up wide awake from a dead sleep just to retrieve your bucket, worried you were missing out on play time, only to grab the bucket tight and fall immediately back to sleep. 

This vacation has been close to perfect. You and your sister are having so much fun! And while I've loved every second of it,  I can't help but admit that it is a little terrifying too. 

Have you ever heard that sappy country song, 'You're gonna miss this?' Well I have, and I'm terrified that its true. These times are so sweet and precious. Your chubby little cheeks and sandy feet. The way you run around in circles until your dizzy and then fall down on the floor, the result of which was most of your scars. If I could just freeze you and Laurelei right where you are, raising the eternal toddler forever I would do it.

But I can't, and I'm left here holding your realizing that you will grow and explore and have a family of your own someday. You'll hold your own children and watch them grow, just like I am holding you. I guess all I can do is soak up every moment of this sleeping baby you are right now. Take lots of pictures and write down lots of memories. All the while, praying you become a wonderful man, just like your daddy. And somehow, hoping we figure out how to do this whole parenting thing right along the way.

Love you to the moon and back little one.

Xo,

Mommy

 

Easter 2013

Happy Spring! While I might have been crazy enough to believe that time would slow down this spring, I was sorely wrong. It has been full of lots of fun things, but also lots of not-so-fun-things. In the interest of reader enjoyment, as well as my sanity, I'll stick to the fun things.

So, Easter. We had a lovely Easter, even considering Matt's gall stones. I hate to make this short and sweet, but I desperately want to share some Easter-related pictures, even with just a tiny bit of time to type tonight! So here we go...

We hunted eggs,

decorated eggs,

found treats left by the Easter bunny,

and celebrated together as a family. Oh how I love them so!

Happy Spring!

Recent sweet things...

Awhile back we traveled to Michigan to meet one of my new favorite people, Emma-Kate, and see two of my other favorite people...

 Cuddling with my own growing-too-fast-not-so-little ones...

Playing school, reading, dancing, and generally just trying to keep up with this tiny fashionista...

Taking pictures for a great friend and stealing kisses from a brand new baby...

 

Saying yes to some exciting news from one of the best people I know...

 

And because life just wasn't crazy enough, meet Harriet Potter...

Life is full, happy Monday!

five for friday

Whew, it's been a while to say the least! I don't know what happened, but somewhere between winter illnesses, careers, grad school, side jobs, and crazy kids, we have lost all track of time. That doesn't mean that we aren't painfully aware of time flying by, and the kids growing up too fast as always. I keep wanting to come back and post, and then feeling so overwhelmed by how far behind I am! I'm going to take a little tip from Tiffany today and steal her five for friday, it feels like the best way to catch up on the most important (or maybe just my favorite) things from the past couple of months. Thanks for the inspiration today, Tiffany!

{one}

Many holidays have come and gone since my last post. I always love Valentine's day, spoiling my kids and ordering in food. We sent these little pictures out to our family, and I loved the way they turned out! What's not to love about these two little cuties on Valentine's Day?

{two}

We have been battling illness, after illness, after illness around here. That has made for lots of indoor playing and lounging around. Not to mention, I may or may not have severed a little one's finger in the door back in January, yikes! Poor Laurelei, she had her very first emergency trip to the hospital, and it was a scene! Luckily, we are all in a state of recupperating and very, very happy to be there. Fingers crossed (poor choice of words, maybe?), we'll stay there!

{three}

I did it again. I redid another room... Laurelei's! I can't take all the credit though, as I rarely can, because Matt came up with and built the most exciting part of the room. I will have to come back and share more details of this sweet space soon, but for now, here is a quick iphone picture of the space! Did I mention that I want to live in this room now? It's way cooler than mine!

{four}

Our babies are changing. As Laurelei continues down the path of 4 years old, she has mellowed out just a tad. She spends more time engaged in one activity. Whether it is drawing, coloring, or playing with her LeapPad, she gets engrossed in an activity like never before.

Abbott on the other hand, has developed a little attitude to go along with his 16 months! He loves food. He can't get enough of it! He has mastered a few words now, but by far I think 'MORE!' is the clearest. He plays his little heart out all day everyday. Lucky, this has come with some good solid sleeping through the night too, so yay for that!

Oh how I love these little ones so!

{five}

On a completely unrelated, or somewhat related I guess, note...I have a new favorite thing. Laurelei and Abbott is always saying or doing new things and I think, "I will rememeber this forever!" Um, wrong. I tell a few people, maybe write it down in some obscure place, and then forget about it eventually. Well, not anymore!! I finally got myself a 'One Line a Day' journal, and I am so excited to use it. You can use it for five years, and just keep adding too it. I think it will be a great memory keeper if I can remember to use it. I am really excited about it! It doesn't hurt that it's one of my favorite shades of blue, tiny, and leather bound. Win, win, win!

Happy Friday all!

Christmas

If I had one picture to sum up our Christmas this year, it would be this...

 Each year we begin our Christmas season nailing down plans. With two very close families and lots of extended relatives, we have so many loved ones we want to see and celebrate the season with. Often times it ends of being a compromise for Matt, me, or both of us, and we don't always get to see everyone. This year, for many reasons, we decided we would try and do it all! That meant 4 Christmases on Christmas Eve, and 3 Christmases on Christmas day. I know, right? I think that as much as we knew it was going to be too much for us all, the universe did too. And what was about to be our busiest Christmas ever just ended up being our sickiest Christmas to date.

Between Laurelei, Abbott, and myself, we spent 7 days with at least one high fever in the house. Both Laurelei and I were out of it on Christmas day. It has been a long time since I have had a fever of 103, and it knocked me out! I think the saddest part of the experience was when Laurelei decided she felt to poorly to open presents.

Despite all the yuck, we still had a great time. We cut back on our travels, and got to nap at home on Christmas day for the first time in years. I didn't even have to change out of my pj's all day, which was a total win!

The kids were so grateful and loved everything they opened. Laurelei is particularly fond of her new 'ipad' as she calls it. Really, it's just a Leap Pad, but having her very own tablet is like the coolest thing ever to her! It was money well spent.

 Abbott mostly enjoyed the food and chocolate. He was a sticky mess all day!

Matt and I are so blessed to have such wonderful families. We got to celebrate with all of our immediate family, and they were so helpful and understanding through all of the sickness! We are spoiled to say the least! Here is a peak at the fun we had with each of our families!

While we will certainly remember this Christmas for many not so great reasons, I am so thankful for another wonderful year with our families. And most importantly, another beautiful winter day to remember God's love for us!

Happy Christmas!