26 November 2014

Happy 36th Sean!

You know you are 36 when there is only one photo documenting your birthday and it's not even of you....
but of your kids' picture to you.
 
I can't believe he is 36.
Seems like just yesterday that we were flirting and exchanging phone numbers at a college house party over a few too many PBR's on his 23rd birthday. I was 19 and a sophomore. He was a few weeks from graduating. A few days after that party, we went on our first official date.
And quite literally, we've been together ever since.

On his 23rd birthday, I thought he was cute and funny and I really liked him.
On his 36th birthday, I still think he is cute and funny but oh how I love him.
We have come a long way since celebrating birthdays over a keg at house parties.
Okay maybe not that far.
We now celebrate birthdays at the Outback eating bloomin' onions and coloring the kids' menu with the girls.
And you know what.. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Happy to still be spending birthdays with this guy. 36 looks great on him.
Looking forward to so many more.
 

P.s. We were so happy Kennedy chose to write "Kennedy M"... we may not have known who she was otherwise :)

My Husband... the Hunter.

Sean went on another hunting trip this fall with his dad.
They had a great time and it marked the very first time they have ever taken a trip together, just the two of them. I think it was special for both of them and I know they look forward to many hunting trips together in the coming years.

 On a side note, I am somewhat impressed by this photo and somewhat grossed out.
It's a real toss-up.

Last years deer head is now mounted and hanging in our garage.
HUGELY thankful it is not hanging in our living room.
 

Mara's New Do

I got a wild hair (pun intended) to chop of Mara's hair a few days ago.
She has been blessed with crazy cowlicks and varying lengths of hair all over her head.
In an effort to help this situation, I cut her hair up to the shortest layer so it can grow out all one length. I think she thought I was a little nuts (and I may have been given that I have NO experience cutting hair).
Fortunately, it turned out great and it looks adorable on her.
 
Besides... the beauty of hair is... it always grows back, right? ;)
 
 


Orcas Island Girls Weekend

A few weeks ago I went to Orcas Island for the night with my mom, Aunt Jeanie and Rachael to check it out as a possible wedding venue location for my mom and Dave this spring. The San Juan's are just incredible - every time I visit one of the Islands, I feel so fortunate to live so close to such beauty!
 
Though we loved the hotel and little town on Orcas Island, mom decided that a wedding of 60 people just wasn't for her. After a few weeks of pondering a guest list of 60, catering, flowers, etc... she looked at me and said "you know, I am just too old for this shit." LOL! I am supportive of her either way - truly, I am just happy to see her happy with Dave. So, in the end, it was decided that they would get married at the courthouse this spring and then we will go out for a nice, small family dinner. Perfect!
 
Despite deciding not to have her wedding there, we had a great time enjoying a little girls weekend!
Love my mom and my aunt and my little sis... beyond blessed to call these three mine.
 

 

01 November 2014

Halloween 2014

Halloween 2014 brought about Strawberry Shortcake and a little Witch.
This is the third year I have done photos of the girls in their costumes on our front porch.
They always turn out so cute - I think it will be a fun string of pictures to look back on!
As I snapped these and laughed with my two cute girls, I simultaneously felt a huge wave of sadness.
It's impossible for me not to think about the fact that Lexie was supposed to be in these photos too this year.
She should have been right there next to them ... maybe in a little bouncy seat or maybe Kennedy could have held her. Like so many times before, I could almost see it.
And like so many other times, reality hit me and for a second,
 it took my breath away. For a second, it was almost like it all just happened and that five months haven't passed. But as quickly as that deep sadness washed over me, I had to make it go because my girls needed me to be present and excited for Halloween.
And that is how life goes....rolling forward moving us along with it.
 I took these pictures with tears in my eyes but I smile at them now - at these two little goofballs.
While we were out trick or treating, I told my mom how it  was hard to take these photos this year and she said "Honey, I think you will always feel a hole in your picture frames now.
You will always think about her, always feel her."
 
I thought about it later... "a hole in your picture frames..." yep, that pretty much sums it up.
Our pictures will continue and our family will hopefully someday grow again but there will always, always be a hole now. Always missing that third little one because it doesn't matter if you have one baby or ten. Each one is special and each one is unique and when one of them isn't there, you feel it.
While it's sad, it's also lovely. Because every time I think about that missing part of my photos and I feel sad, I will also get to think about her and what a gift she was and feel happy she was mine...
even if only for a bit.
 

Fall Fun

The past two weekends have been full of fall activities including our preschool Harvest Party, our annual trip to Spooner's Pumpkin Patch and a night of family pumpkin carving!
 I've been lazy... I haven't been taking a ton of photos and when I do, I am mostly just snapping away with my new phone camera. :)
 
Northpoint Harvest Party
 Spooner's Pumpkin Patch

Miscellaneous trip to Trader Joes and
a beautiful rainbow that made me think of the lovely Claudia Brynn. 

Pumpkin Carving