tradition

It has become our tradition to get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We like to do it the Clark Griswold way, complete with the hike and everything. Well, it's not that intense of a hike, but I am always bartering for just one more foot of tree. This year, my hubby gave in and we actually got 2 trees. So I have a downstairs tree and an upstairs tree.



Here are my babes getting the royal treatment from Poppa, with some g-forces.




The "this is our Christmas tree" shot. It's kind of silly, I know, but it marks another year, doesn't it?

thanksgiving.

this was about all i got from thanksgiving day. two thanksgiving dinners, two sick kiddos, two forfeited naps....you know how it is. i'm just thankful that my husband got home from Dubai safely and that we were all together as a family for thanksgiving day.

10 1/2 months

parrot chair

Silly. And serious. We had a great time in Boca Grande. It was nice to be in the warm weather and to sweat a little bit, but it was also good to get back to the cold. I am definitely a girl who loves 4 distinct seasons. B, thank you so much for everything! Here's a tribute to your awesome parrot chairs.

lulu

hunts

i'll fly away

i know. it was torture.

sunset

We finally made it to the beach this afternoon. With nap schedules and grouchy kiddos and all, the timing of things is sometimes tricky. B got these bath toys for the babes and Lucy has latched onto the orange puffer fish. She's totally having a love affair with it. Can't go anywhere without it.

traveling through

So we did it. We made it to Florida as a group of three: two kiddos and one adult. This one was great. All she needed was a Charlie and Lola dvd and she was set.



This one, however, took a bit more work. She’s a tummy sleeper, so it’s kind of tricky for her to fall asleep on her back. But when I discovered that Ami was of some solace to her, I let her pull out Ami’s stuffing to her heart’s content. She fell asleep with that stuffing all over her.





The truth is that today my heart feels a lot like Ami’s face. It’s a big, open wound in need of mending. It’s disjointed, disheveled, exposed and spilling out all over the place. Today my brother got divorced, and even though I flew several hundred miles south away from everything, I haven’t escaped how my heart feels. Josh is flying to China while we’re gone and even if I flew those thousands of miles there with him, drove to the northernmost edge of Mongolia, dug a 52,403-foot hole and crawled down into it, I still could look down to see this dull blade sticking out of my chest. What has happened has pained me deeply, more than my words can convey, and the healing process is a long and uphill journey. I can only imagine that his former wife feels much the same way, yet even more so. Please pray for her. Nothing, save the coming of the Lion of Judah, will be able to restore my heart in this area until I go home to be with Jesus. I am grateful to the Lord for my children, who have brought me such immense joy throughout this time of pain. Watching them grow next to one another has given me much light in a time of deep darkness. And laughter with them has been the best salve for my heart. I covet your prayers, if you are the praying kind.

saturday afternoon

So yes. These are the types of things I do when I'm ignoring my house and its disheveled state. It is so worth it.  I get a kick out of myself.  

Pho Grand

We had a little belated celebration with some friends who love Hunts oh-so-much. You can't go wrong with Pho Grand. Thanks Woitas and Hesses for loving our girls in a big way. We're excited to do some new "projeks."



Miss Kim and Karri with Lulu


Spring roll contemplation


the thinking face


looking at Audrey while we sang yet another birthday song to her

watermelon on a cold day

just for B

While I was making dinner the other night, Huntleigh declared that she was drawing a picture of B, so here it is, B. I captured a picture for you. We are going to the beach with B on Monday and Huntleigh cannot wait. It's really complicated to try to explain time to a 3 year old. It's not really sinking in. So every time she wakes up, either from a nap or from bedtime, she asks, "Are we going to Boca Grande now?" I think I've heard that question probably 60 times.


I just think this picture of Huntleigh looks so much like the picture of B from when she was a little girl. I love that B is in the background of this picture from her birthday. How sweet.

more gardens

We went to the gardens with the Lucy, Will and" Miss Shanna" this week and it was actually the first time I've been in the Climatron with the kiddos. It's funny....I'm not sure why I don't go in there more. Oh yeah. Because it's humid in there and I hate humidity. They were so sweet together all morning, holding hands and all...except for when all three of them were wrestling and beating each other up at the Children's Garden. I guess that's just par for the course. Little Lucy was always somewhere just out of the picture.

it's typical.

fall!

The changing of the leaves seemed so late in the season this year and then all the leaves on the tree in our yard fell off in one day. But the maples in our neighborhood have just been incredible. Oh, how I love fall! It's such a gorgeous season.

happy birthday Huntleigh.

My first babe turned three. Where has all that time gone? I love this girl so much. She is amazing. She is super full of energy and much of my day is spent directing that energy in a positive direction, but she is so full of life and every day is a new adventure.

We had a painting party with a few friends and family at Oak Knoll Park, which has become my park of choice for a birthday party.

a fresh canvas with a bouquet of new paint brushes


tower of cupcakes: strawberry with vanilla icing and sprinkles


little painter

Carter sans shirt

Lucy with her "pupcake" apron

the birthday girl, as her birthday song swelled around her.  

sweet Daddy love

babe #2, who has not been in the limelight of the camera lately, but as important as babe #1

the painted canvases.  good work, little painters.