cabin

we went to my most favorite place over the 4th of july.  the cabin.  quiet and peaceful. relaxing. a place i want lilly to know and love and appreciate as she grows up.

she loves to slowly back up and sit on things - it's pretty darn cute.  and there was an abundance of rocks and stumps to reverse into this weekend. (and pick up and gather and relocate!)

ed and liz we there and brought up their tree tent.  pretty cool.  an above ground pack-n-play :)

there are so many more pictures i wanted to take and i just need to keep the camera out and available all the time.  so many cute and fun memories to capture - but hard to capture them when you are living in them.

father's day

oh how a year flies by.  this little girl and her daddy are my whole world.  i am blessed to be able be a part of this family and witness the love between these two.

making a card for daddy.

happy father's day to a most loving daddy who would do anything for his daughter!

baby girl #2

 here is baby girl #2 at 21 weeks.  she is growing perfectly.  now we need to just decide on a name!

camping

we love camping.  the wind in the trees, the sound of rushing water, the campfire, the quiet, the relaxation and game playing.  all of those things are a little less peaceful with a one year old! 

it was fun to see dirt and rocks and sticks through her eyes and this little one loves being outside.  but we might have to stick to the cabin the next few years - more land to roam, no streams to fall in to, hills to roll down. less impending danger around and plenty of outside to enjoy.

they both tuckered themselves out and slept the whole way home!

love and lilly

if there is one thing that melts my heart every time i see it - it is this little girl and her daddy. 

how can my heart have room for this much love for another little girl when it overflows with love for these two.  love is a curious thing - you can't have too much, it can multiply over and over again and there is always more to give.  i suppose when you consider the source, a loving and gracious God, you realize there is an infinite amount that is given to us - and an infinite amount for us to give.

lilly with her grand-daddy.  what fun they have together.  

the girly is a ham.  laughing with a crowd, or just slightly after.  putting on a good show for an audience and always keeping us on our toes.

 she will be 15 months in a couple of days.  she is walking, trying to run, eating a lot of foods on her own, cutting new molars, giving hugs and kisses, makes multiple animals sounds, and loves her teddy, pacifier and blanket...and bagels!

thirty

you turned thirty this year.  no big deal.  but your husband went all out and COMPLETELY surprised you with a overnight getaway!  he planned the whole thing, baby sitter and all without me knowing.  what a wonderful man you have.  he knew exactly what you needed.

ate and stayed at the Blue Boar Inn in Midway.  AH-mazing food and a quaint little room.

you also celebrated with both sides of the family and jana made a delicious lemon cake with raspberry filling. yum!

here we go again

it has been one year, nine months and five days since your last post.  where have you been?!

you became a mom...

...and life was full.  busy.  wild.  (and still is!)

the husband got a new job and you moved.  new city.  new house.  new adventure.  new church.  new friends.  you have a history of loving change and needing change - but this is the first time change has been lonely or sad.  not always, not mostly, but it does creep in sometimes.

and then, you are pregnant again.  SURPRISE!  new baby coming your way in october. what an unexpected blessing this little one is! you are still working on accepting that this is a reality.  and trying to convince yourself that you are capable of having two, and working from home, and keeping a home, and being a wife and friend.

so why start blogging again?  do you really have time?

the husband text you a couple weeks ago and said he was looking at the blog - good memories, happier times. (not necessarily happier, just less sleep deprived and easier.)  so you took a look.  and remembered that it is a good way to keep accountable of the everyday.  the good, bad, ugly and great.  an honest and simple account to look back on one day.  hopefully an encouragement, or fellowship or refreshment for someone else (like a friend's blog is for you).

...it's only been two weeks since you decided this and are just now getting around to posting...good thing there is no grade or expectation.  here and there and all over the place, just like any good diary!

creating

• you are pregnant! (11.5 weeks)  yes, you.  emotions abound and words are not sufficient for how you feel.  you easily forget and then it all comes flooding back with a wave of excitement as you think about the little arm you saw, swinging back and forth and the flickering heartbeat.  yes, this is real.  and all of the sudden, you see your Creator in a whole new light as He creates life in you.  amazing.
• today was the first productive day in a long time.  well, without the mr.'s help.  bathroom, check, kitchen, check, vacuum, check.  dinner, check. one load of laundry...in the works.
• you discovered the piano guys.  piano and cello.  can it get much better?
• the bed of weeds in the front yard gets bigger every time you look out the window.  ugh.  you will weed it when it gets cooler...therefore, it may not get done until december ;)
• the creative gene is kicking back into gear - small things for the baby (and maybe not so small), vinyl lettering for mom's classroom and decorating ideas for others.  

in case you haven't heard...

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!

i am currently 9 weeks and 5 days.  i am hungry all the time, and if i don't eat, i feel awful.  but i am not complaining...just sharing :)

this is an incredible blessing and i am thankful for every minute.

baby m is due february 23rd!

st. george weekend

• one: love hanging out with your sister and brother in law
• two: love taking vacations with them
• three: st. george was hot!
• four: we all had a blast

we drove through zion's on the way down to st. george

we saw between 15 and 20 big horn sheep

we waited for the wrong bus...yeah, my fault

got on the right bus

oops...i posted the wrong picture, but this one makes me laugh :)

the men golfed two days, the women shopped and went to the spa and we also swam, played some games and ate great food. (but all those pictures are on my phone!)