Summer has arrived.

The little one has been sleeping for forty-five minutes already and it is only 6:45. We have sticky sunlotioned fingers, red shoulders and sunkissed cheeks, and bags of wet towels and suits that may or may not be taken care of this evening.

Summer. is. here.

And so are the juiciest watermelons you've ever tasted...



I'm not sure what it is about kids eating watermelon, but I love it. I love how they soak up every last bite, right down to the rind, and don't mind one bit that they get covered in all the juicy droppings.



It's tasty, Momma, he kept saying as Phil and I kept looking at each other bursting out laughing wondering where he picked up that word.







Saturday morning we headed down to Arkansas to visit some of Phil's family. I learned something very valuable after the first six hours of driving: It is not fair to ask your two-year-old to pose for a picture when he needs to wiggle and stretch his legs.



But this kid has moves...



And loves trains. And it's not just a one day phase, he wants to play with them the minute he wakes and build the set one last time before bedtime. You can imagine his excitement when I introduced him to the Thomas and Friends DVD for the trip down there.







You know your child is getting ready for baby sister when he wants to do anything and everything possible to get his little hands on one.



And how do you like the fact that the four month old is the only one smiling?



The greatest, most fantastic part about summer is that you are absolutely never at a loss of things to do. When all else fails, head outdoors and the possibilities are positively endless....









Not to mention the fact that after a good chunk of outdoor play, they can take the most fantastic three hour nap on the drive home.



Love seeing these little cousins together, the way they are so timid when they first see each other after months of not being around each other, and then can't stop hugging and loving on each other when it's time to say goodbye.



And after fifteen hours of driving, of which I had to drive absolutely none of them (thanks to my amazing husband), we returned home. Home to the start of summer, the start of late pool days and early morning walks, and the start of some equally lazy and busy filled happy moments.







Life. is. wonderful.



Happy Memorial Day!

Happiness.

It's been a busy few weeks... with twenty-nine sessions in April and in the midst of thirty sessions in May, we've been on the move. But I'd be lying if I said if I wasn't finding time to enjoy the very best moments of every day. Am I proud of the fact that I've had to hire cleaners because it just didn't fit our (my) schedule to get down and dirty in the house when we could be out enjoying the day? Well, my husband certainly isn't (although the first day he came home and thought I cleaned that well, he was so very impressed with what he thought was my cleaning skills - even saying "I can't believe you aren't more tired after all of this cleaning" - and it was so very funny). But if you ask me, I'd tell you there a million and one better things I'd rather be doing.

Happiness comes in so many forms...

The delivery of the news that it was indeed time to think pink.



A baby girl.



There are many things I have wanted in my life but for my family, I always dreamed about having a boy and a girl. And on this day, we learned that our new addition this fall would complete that picture.



Happiness comes in shopping with my own momma for all things pink, for Phil laughing at the growing pile and shrugging his head, but secretly loving the thought of having a daughter that already has him wrapped on her finger.



It comes from my little one telling us he wants to name his baby sister "hot dog."



And for Cinco De Mayo celebrations with friends.



Perhaps we underestimated the strength needed to actually break a pinata. But they did indeed give it their best effort.





Now seriously dude, you have to get it this time. Love them.





And when the hitting wasn't successful, we just let them start tearing it right apart.



Unfortunately, this resulted in just a few of the treats trickling out, rather than the big expected boom of candy we were hoping.



Not that they minded.





Happiness comes from sugary treats.





And from allowing the double lollipops.



Happiness comes from family, of course. For picturing the sight of these two cuddling another cousin come fall.







And from another successful Kick for Cancer Night at the soccer field.



Check out that determination.



Happiness comes from hearing my husband ask Jacob what his favorite sport is and hearing Jacob say "hoops," and watching my Philip take it in, confident that this answer will change over time.





The sun is out and we have many things on our to-do list today.

Happiness. It's impossible to not feel it around here these days.



Happy Sunday to you!

Happy Momma's Day.

From one of my favorite books...

When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.
[mitch albom, For One More Day]

It's been a fine day. Still a bit tired from a full day of shooting an awesome wedding, I awoke early to a little one talking to his toys through the monitor, a husband with sleepy eyes, and some tiny one giving me some precious good morning kicks.

Love. As if we don't feel it every day we walk this earth, something about mother's day just makes you feel it more.

To a child.



To your mom.



It's hard to completely express the gratitude I feel to my mom. And since I have some little one on my lap watching my every move as I attempt to put this together while he patiently awaits water and bubble play outdoors, I must move quickly.

We are born to love, yes, but we learn to love - to nurture, to show affection, to be compassionate, to hug, to kiss, to embrace - through others. It is an understatement to say that my mother knows how to love.



And I love my little one, I am a mother to my little one, because of the way I was loved.



And while I don't think I ever take for granted these moments we are blessed with, I know I can't possibly have thanked my mother enough for teaching me how to love this well.







I always knew I was going to love being a mother. I knew it was something I wanted when I was very young, playing house with my little sister day in and out of our childhood days.

But I don't think I could have ever fathomed how much I was going to enjoy it and all the crazy good moments that come with it.

Like a trip to Grant's Farm...



And watching my little one being attacked by baby goats...



With his daddy right there to rescue him.



Yes, he was brave enough to try it "just one more time"....



...until they attacked once more, this time going for the clothes.



And it's really quite a silly sight... to see this area that is supposed to be all for the kids and feeding baby goats when in actuality, these goats are so terribly aggressive for those milk bottles that they just traumatize these kids into their parent's arms and we are the ones that are left feeding the baby goats.



Correction. The daddys are left to feed the goats... pregnant mommas were not allowed in the gates.



And while the little one could have left content after our outing with the goats, more magical parts of Grant's Farm were waiting. Like the elephant show...



And the carousel rides...



And the camels.



Which, I should mention, Jacob wanted nothing to do with. Didn't want to feed them, be near them, or see them.



But of course, after leaving them, it's all he could talk about for the rest of the day.





It's funny asking other people to take our picture. They look at me like I'm crazy when I put my big camera in their hands, think I'm even crazier when they think I expect them to snap a shot, and the best look comes when I then put the camera strap over their neck just to be safe. But alas... we get a family shot.





And if momma and daddy couldn't top that outing, we ended it with a cherry snow cone.





World's best parents to this little man.



And that's the way we like it.

To all of the amazing mommas out there... happy mother's day. I hope you have found little moments today to relax and celebrate you.

And to my own momma.... thank you for loving me... for giving me the absolute greatest pure love there is....and for teaching me to love that much.

xoxox,
Stephanie