Goodbye, Baby's Second Home.

Yesterday, we said goodbye to our house.... a place where, in just less than two short years, we witnessed first steps, first tastes of homemade momma food, a big first year birthday party, handfuls of gatherings with family and friends, and a million other memories and special moments. It was never going to be our forever home and we are more than happy that, even with the shape of our housing market, we are able to move, but I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness when we pulled away from the house. Combined that with the fact that moving is an entirely stressful experience, moving at six-and-a-half months pregnant is even more stressful, and that we've had a sick little one on our hands for the past four days and the emotions really started flowing. On top of that big mess, momma forgot to bring the camera on goodbye-house day. And it's not that images of us in a big empty house is that exciting, but you can imagine how I felt when I reached into the back seat to grab it and realized that I had left in at the new location.

So instead... I leave you with the last memories of baby's second home....

Finger painting on our deck.



I love how curious little ones are. The look that he gives me right before he wants to attempt something, waiting to see if I will react with the go-ahead look or the don't-you-dare-even-think-about-that one. Painting yourself? Why not.



Painting in your undies? Much less messy.



With your toes? Absolutely.



Leaping over your paints? If you must.







Water play in the front yard.



Observe how excited this little one when he is planning his water attack on daddy.



Until daddy attacks him unexpectedly.





He's become quite the fan of the golf ladder game made especially for him from his Papa (one of his great-grandfathers). And the crazy thing is? He's actually quite good at it.





And late night summer ice cream treats. I went from being the momma that rarely allowed anything sweet to enter this child's mouth to making time for these special treats every evening. Besides, it is summer. And he really likes it.



Always insisting to say "cheers" with a fellow ice cream cone.







And if you thought I was stressed out from moving and packing up all the many, many boxes we had, I wasn't. My job was really to take care of the clothes, the organization of where everything was going, and the little one. I can't possibly give enough credit to my husband for packing up and getting us moved out in a timely fashion. {and a BIG thank you to our family members and friends that helped us out during the past few weeks... you all ROCK!}





And now, while we adjust the little one back into our normal day-to-day activities, continue our search for baby's third home, and try to remember where in the world all of our belongings are stored, we will always the remember the house that did become a home to us for a few short years.



Not that we think we will have any problems creating new memories, a new place of love and good things, in the ones to come....



Happy Weekend to you. We're taking a week off and couldn't be more excited about the empty schedule of relaxation and family time we have in front of us....

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!