7.29.2011

well loved.

I think I mentioned that Naomi was dedicated at church last Sunday. It's not a day just to dress sweet and have family come, but it is truly a day where we share our commitment to raise Naomi (and Audrey) up in the Lord. It's not a job that we take lightly. But with God's grace, we pray that we do our best.

And I tell you what, these girls are so very loved. Just between our immediate family and Andrew's grandparents this is how many people came to Naomi's dedication.

(I'm one of six kids and Andrew is one of eight!
All of our siblings weren't even able to make it and we still had a very full house!
The left is mainly my side and the right is Andrew's.)


It was a lovely day--and Naomi wore the sweetest dress made by her Gamma. It was made from Naomi's great-grandma's (Nana's) honeymoon dress! Naomi was named after her Nana, they share the middle name Fae.

7.28.2011

small style.

What do you get when you mix summer rompers and dresses that are vintage and thrifted with some little girls?

Well, a couple of cuties, if I do say so myself!



Audrey is wearing:
White tank- gifted
Red dress- Jacadi (made in France), thrifted
Shoes- Chuches, 6pm.com

Naomi is wearing:
Pink shirt- target
Yellow Romper, thrifted, vintage
Pink shoes- Robeez

Linking up with Morgan over at Mama Loves Papa!

7.26.2011

right now {in a nutshell}.

Ten days have passed since I last blogged. At this point, the only thing I have left in me is to share with bulletin points. Lame-o, but it's an update and a hey, I'm alive.
  • I officially started a part-time job at the beginning of July. I'm the Elementary Director at our church. It was a position that sort of fell into my lap by the grace of God. It is totally awesome and I'm so thankful for a job that allows me to work from home 90% of it. But, I'm definitely learning how to juggle being a stay-at-home-part-time-working mama. It's not as easy I thought. So part of my m.i.a. is due to that.
  • Last week I spent a good deal of time freaking out because I had 50 people coming to my 1200 square foot home for Andrew's 30th birthday bash and the weather was suppose to be bad. You know how it goes, right--it doesn't rain for fifteen days straight and the one day you don't want it to, it does. Yeah, it totally went that way. We made due, and it was fun, and I learned what type of perfume and cologne everyone wears because we were that close to each other inside my house. [Actually, it stopped raining for about an hour or so, so we managed some outside relief. Whew.] Also, the theme was Dirty Thirty, we had muddy water (root beer floats), dirt mounds (brownie bites on a stick), dirt pudding, "dirty" veggies and fruits, and wings and meatballs to get messy with. It was a fun little theme, if I do say so myself.
  • The same day as Andrew's party, we had Naomi dedicated at church. Between both of our families we took up three rows. We feel so blessed to have family willing to travel for such an important day.
  • Audrey took her first trip to an amusement park with my sister. She LOVED the kiddie roller coasters. And I loved the day to recover from the big party with just one baby at home.
  • We randomly looked at a house for sale, and I now can't stop thinking about it. So, I think our house is going to go on the market here in the next couple of weeks. Lots and lots of packing and staging going to be happening over here.
  • I woke up this morning with pink eye. Made a quick trip to the doc for anti-biotics, and praying no one else in the fam gets it.
  • We hit up our local fair tonight. And all I bought was a pineapple whipped ice cream cone. I must go back for an elephant ear and corn on the cob.
  • Oh, I almost forgot. Naomi is officially crawling as of last Tuesday. Which has made my life a tad more challenging. But boy, do I love seeing her little tush go everywhere. She is still really into walking by holding our hands. I think walking may come early!
I think that sums up my little life right now. Please, tell me something going on with you! I was going to post pictures with all these bulletins, but in all honesty, it's almost midnight and I still have pictures I want to edit for a friend. So, I'm hoping to catch up with the photos later on this week. [Thanks for understanding, pals].

Oh, one more thing--I have a big sale going on in my Etsy shop--40% off everything with coupon code "MOVINGSALE", quick go check out the fun vintage and handmade items!

7.16.2011

we celebrated {80 years}.

She is beautiful inside and out.
Her memory is astounding, and can tell you stories like no one else.
She loves the color pink.
She would give her shirt off her back to any stranger.
She has a heart for the Lord.
She is Andrew's Nana.
And we celebrated her turning 80 years old this week.



I'm thankful for the impact she has had in Andrew's life. And I'm thankful to call her Nana too.

Happy 80th, Nana!


[Have I mentioned how much I adore old people? Seriously. Adore. They have the most beautiful life stories. And I think their aged skin tells so much about them and what they have been through. And they get life and what is truly important. And if there are ever two old people holding hands, I pretty much die right there.]

7.15.2011

coloring outside the lines.

Sometimes it's about coloring outside the lines.
Feeling the urge and going for it.
Putting together mismatched pieces.
Dancing like no one is watching.
Letting your true colors shine.
Making mistakes.
Trying something without knowing the outcome.
Living for the now.

[Those words were interwoven in my hands and heart while
 making this dress for Audrey the other night.]



Made from old tshirts and a vintage apron.

7.14.2011

small style {park style}.

Everyday I try to take the kids somewhere to get them worn out so they take a nice afternoon nap at the same time. [Yes, I look forward to naptime.] And 95% of the time it works, I get quietness for two hours. [Unless Naomi poops in her sleep and it wakes her up prematurely. Just sayin.] Yesterday after lunch, right before nap time I took the girls to the park. It was the first day in a while that you could walk outside without hitting a dense wall of humidity. It was still really hot, but doable for a half an hour. Naomi is getting to the point where she likes to be involved and going right with her sister. She is starting to pull herself up on things, but still not secure enough to not fall over, which practically gives me a heart attack everytime. She also wants to walk e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. by holding my hands. She will search for my fingers to grab onto and just go. Which results in back ache by the end of the day. Good thing she is so cute, or I wouldn't let her run all over me and take charge.


Naomi is wearing:
Shirt- hand-me-down from Audrey, Target
Pants- Baby Gap, I just scored these adorable linen comfy pants for $5 on crazy clearance. I wish they were in my size!
Shoes- Robeez
(Her booty isn't naturally that large, she has on a BumGenius cloth diaper.)

[By the way, Naomi is fully recovered from being sick last week. It was definitely one of my toughest weeks yet. She is usually such an easy baby, that when she got sick I wasn't used to handling fussiness. Whew. She is still teething, which is affecting her sleep and mine too! Eek! I'm ready for her chompers to be in!]



Audrey is wearing:
Dress: Handmade in Germany, my sister just brought it back--one for each of the girls, it has the sweetest embroidered kitties on them.
Shorts: Target
Shoes: Umi


Be sure to check out the other Small Style cuties over at Mama Loves Papa!

7.13.2011

happy birthday to my man.

We are entering a whole new stage of life. The hubster turns 30 today. I'm actually quite excited about this. I think thirties are the new twenties. [Right? Or at least I'm telling myself this because I have just a year and three months till I enter the zone.]

And you wanna know something? I just realized I have been with Andrew his entire twenties. Whoa. I think that is saying something. And so are these pictures of my handsome thirty year old husband.

Andrew and Audrey August 2010

Naomi's Birth Date, October 5, 2010

Father's Day, June 2011

Happy birthday, love!

7.08.2011

about princesses or something like that.

We went to the park the other night at 8. Bedtime usually, but hey, it's summer. I sat on the sidelines holding a sick Naomi and watched with amazement as my two-year old just does her thing. She's pretty reserved when it comes to what-could-be-dangerous things, you know, like slides, and ladders. [ha.] I call her my little safety patrol.* [She's going to be one of those students in school, the rule-followers, yeah that was me too.] But this particular night she was loving the slides and look at me mama, I can climb all by myself because I'm a big girl. But my favorite part about the evening was listening to her sweet talk with another little girl, I think around four years of age. Audrey approaches her Oooooh, I like your dress. I have a Snow White dress at home. Do you like Snow White? If you are wearing a dress and around Audrey she will approach you.

I'm not one big on princess stuff and all that commercialism. In fact, I told myself, before I was a mom, that I wouldn't give in to the princess craze. [I also told myself I would never drive a mini-van. Now there's a Honda Odyssey sitting in our driveway.] But you know what? She's two and thinks princesses are cool. I mean, hello, Kate Middleton is one, I think she is pretty awesome myself. So I let Audrey wear the dresses and put flowers in her hair to be just like Rapunzel, and wear boots on hot summer days like Flynn Rider. [This is what she tells me, for real.] And I will especially let her call her daddy her prince. Is my prince home yet?

*Just for the record, Audrey likes to ride four-wheelers and horses too.
A girly-girl with a hidden wild-side. This could be trouble when she gets older.

7.07.2011

small style {floppy hat}.

Poor little N is still sick. She hasn't let me put her down unless she is asleep. She is being such a trooper, but I'm ready to have my smiley baby back. I thought it was teething related, but now I'm thinking she has the stomach flu. Which is utterly pitiful. Praying it doesn't travel through our house like it did back in February. Also, I didn't think sickness like this happened in the summer?!

In related news, Audrey has been a great big sister while I am spending extra time tending to Naomi. And of course, she has been asking for extra cuddles as well.

one of my all time favorite pictures of Audrey...caught in the moment...definitely going to be a canvas print soon

Audrey is wearing:
Hat: Target
Tank: Kids Headquarters, Second-Hand Children's Store
Shorts: Target
Shoes: TOMS

Linking up with the lovely, Morgan, over at Mama Loves Papa for Small Style Thursday.

7.05.2011

9 months in. 9 months out.

She's nine months today. She woke up with a slight fever and then proceeded to get sick about three hours later. I think it's teething related. Her two top teeth are acomin', one is already popped and her gums are super swollen. She has been a little fussy today, which is very rare for her, so I know something is up. But that also includes a lot of snuggling and falling asleep on me, which I love.

Before she went down for a third nap (and it's only three o'clock), I quickly snapped some pictures. She's such a good sport, I was able to get a smile out of her even though she wasn't feeling well.

{I read a trick somewhere--when taking pictures just pin up a cute blanket, curtain, or sheet that you have laying around for the backdrop. So that's what I did.}

Here she is nine months out.



The night before she was born, I took my last pregnancy shot. Here she is nine months in.


I can't remember what life before her was like. She has always just been apart of our family.
Audrey's little sister. My second sweet born. And definitely a daddy's girl.

7.03.2011

fireworks {not so much} and firsts.

I wasn't going to blog today, because, really there hasn't been anytime. But then our firework show was rained out and we came home early. No biggie though, because today has been jammed packed full of fun. We spent lots of time splashing away in a pool and celebrating my nephew's third birthday. Then headed to what was suppose to be an awesome fireworks show, where Audrey did a very first.

She rode a horse.

Without hesitation. With much enthusiasm. Like I don't want to get off. Look at me Mama! This is saying a lot for our little reserved, safety patrol. I was so, so proud of her.

Daddy stood next to her for just a very short bit and then she just wanted to go by herself.
I love Andrew' face here, you can see what a proud daddy he was!

And now, I shall buy her a pony for her birthday. [Kidding. But wouldn't that be totally sweet?] Naomi wanted in on the fun. She was mesmerized by it. She loves animals and squealed with delight at the dogs that were there. I'm pretty sure she said her first word tonight-- dog. Except it sounded like "dolh dolh." And I died of cuteness right then.


And you know we all sported the red, white, and blue.

9pm, folks.

Now it's time to make some fruit pizza for tomorrow. And you know it's totally going to look like a flag. 



7.02.2011

to the market.

Holiday weekends are the best, aren't they? I love having the excuse to do absolutely nothing except spend time with the people you care most about. That's exactly what we have been doing. Including one of my most favorite things--go the farmer's market on Saturday mornings. It's becoming our little family tradition. Audrey knows she can expect some delicious kettle corn and go dance with the bird man. Heck, Naomi has been going since she was just four days old. And now, she is almost nine months. {whoa}


Today I picked up the biggest zucchini I have ever seen, tomatoes, cucumbers, wild red plum jelly, the most amazing peaches I have ever tasted, and some free flowers given to us because my girls are just so darn cute. [I'm not a proud mama or anything.] Then I tried to snap some pictures of the girls with a beautiful brick background at the market. I managed two shots, because they were more interested in the brick then looking at me.



One of my all time favorite pictures I captured today has nothing to do with the market.
But I cannot resist sharing this most adorable bum picture.

The rolls are as scrumptious as they look. 

7.01.2011

pondering.

Last night [Or was it the night before that? Yeah, two nights ago.] I watched The Business of Being Born. It's exactly what it sounds like. It's all about birth. You are probably thinking whoa nelly, why in the world would you want to watch births?! This may sound weird, but birth is really intriguing to me. I'm interested in how other cultures perceive it and do it and in our own nation. Before kids, was I interested? Not so much, but being that I experienced two completely different births, it really intrigues me. So, I watched. And it made me want another one like right.this.instance. (Of course, I have been saying that since the day Naomi was born.) Then I remembered how sick I get while pregnant for the first seventeen weeks, and I thought I don't think I'm ready for that part of it yet.

I'm not sure what God has planned for us, but I know I was made to be a mother. It's tough, but I love it. Everyday the relationship between Audrey and Naomi grows and grows and my heart does the same. And I begin to think what would three...four...and maybe, just maybe five look like? Then I go back to three and four.

For now. Two is beautiful. And I'm taking in every moment of it.


How's that for a pre-holiday weekend thought? Birthing and babies. Happy July, folks.








[Another reason I was intrigued to watch The Business of Being Born is because the thought of a home birth has crossed my mind. With my first birth, I would have said heck no. But now, the idea is weighing in...hmm.....]