New House, Same Stuff

On Wednesday we moved into our new house! It was very exciting to see the big truck, and watch all the stuff being packed up. We loved our old house, and have many, many wonderful memories there, especially bringing Peter home! We are very excited to have a new home, in our same great neighborhood, with a little more space that we can make new fantastic memories in. The great thing about Lizzy and Peter is they go with the flow and love adventure. They are already settled in and enjoying the "newness" of their new home, and exploring all around. The "play-room" is a great new feature of the new house. We bought a little table and already the kids are back to their old "color-mania" habits. I guess where ever we go, our kids will be happy as long as we have crayons and coloring books:)

Slam Dunk!

We were at a neighbor's birthday party over the weekend, and Peter could not get enough of basketball! It was so darling to see the excitement on his face when he would do a slam-dunk. He loved bouncing and throwing the ball, and really loved making baskets. Clearly we have a future basketball star on our hands!

Happy Mother's Day

I feel so lucky that I get to spend time with my mother and sister, and share so much of my life with them. Once you become a mother and experience the incredible depth of love for your child, it is instantly clear how much your own mother has loved you, how much she has sacrificed for you, and how she has dedicated so much of her heart for your well-being and happiness. I am beyond blessed to have two amazing "mother" role-models. My mother has spent her life loving me and treasuring my spirit. She has cared for my needs, but also made me feel so special and valued by being present in the moments of my life. I love to sit in my sister's backyard, watch her four beautiful children playing with each other, and see all the love that comes from nurturing a family, from dedicating your heart to the well-being of your children, and allowing them to develop into the amazing individuals they are. Thank God for mothers and all the blessings they bring into our lives, and thank God for my own mother and sister, who I have the privilege of sharing this journey with!

New Clothes?

"Peter, you HAVE to take your dress off so you can take a bath!" Words I never expected to say to my son...

The Farm

Could there be anything more darling than spending the morning with a class of three and four year olds at the farm? For me, probably not. I was so excited that I got to be one of the chaperones for Lizzy's first field trip. I drove Lizzy and Sophie, and it was so darling to hear them chatting in the back seat, wondering what we might see, and getting so excited for the farm. We had a lovely time wandering around the farm and seeing all the animals. We saw sheep and goats. We got "pig kisses" on our palms, and Elizabeth swears a sheep kissed her arm. We looked for eggs in the hen-house, and even got to touch the (relatively) new baby chicks. I loved getting to walk around the gorgeous grounds, explore some of the back trails, and feel like we were so "back to nature." The kids saw tadpoles in a small pond, and even walked over a wishing-bridge and made their own wishes to send over the bridge. I had so many flashbacks of when I was a little girl, playing outside, feeling so far-away and adventurous, enjoying the breathtaking "green-ness" of the world around me. I loved getting to spend the morning with just Elizabeth, to feel her tiny hand grabbing mine as we walked along the trails, and to see the excitement in her eyes as she visited the different animals. What a treat to enjoy the beautiful farm with my special girl.

That Little Face

There is something truly miraculous that happens to your heart when you become a mother. Surely, every woman, every person for that matter, has known love and joy, but once you are a mother, you can feel your heart growing just by looking at your child. Sometimes, and it's often at the most random of times, no specific event or important interaction, I can literally feel joy coursing through me, and I'm humbled by the wonder of this little person before me. It's the curve of their face, their chubby cheeks and soft, soft skin. The shape of their eyes and gorgeous bow of their mouths. The way the light strikes their hair, and the little wisps that blow in the wind. The dimples in their fingers, and the way their legs just look so dang cute in shorts. It's their wonder at the simplest of things: leaves blowing in trees, or dandelions growing in a field, or a train rushing by. It's nothing particular, and at the same time every fiber of them. A mother's love is all-encompassing, almost addicting in it's infectious joy. If you are fortunate enough in your life to feel that love, you know to treasure it and be humbled by it because in the true circular nature of life, you are the giver and recipient of that rarest of loves. The gift of our children reveals it's magnitude.

Great Books!

I love this picture because it totally captures what's so awesome about books! It's wonderful to see children so absorbed in a book, and I love how Elizabeth is so seriously looking through her book, and Peter is full of "oohs" and "awes" over his book. Wonderful!