She's cute and I'm definitely in love

Everly and I were getting some rare daddy-daughter time the other day and, boy, was it fun!

So we cheesed it up...

and goofed around...

and, well, goofed around some more...

what a gorgeous smile!

what a doll!

Not quite done napping

Owen is a complex little boy.  At one moment, headstrong and stubborn, the next - sensitive, sweet and affectionate.  He's also not very fond of being by himself... ever.

So, the other day, Owen comes down after I left him upstairs napping so I could get some work done.  It was a short nap and I could tell he wasn't quite ready to be awake.  But I also wasn't quite done with what I needed to get done.

So what did we do?  Compromise!

The angle from my computer...

(notice the couch fort in the background)

And one from Emily...

We got another 45 mins out of him... and I didn't mind the extra quality time myself.

Merry Christmas

A perfect day to send our love
To our family near and far
And our friends around the globe

J, E, O, & E

Mac and cheese

Does this look gross? I think that because I've eaten it (and love it) my perspective is a little skewed. The photos also confirm that I'm not a food photographer. But...maybe if I just Instagram those shots...?

Anyway...

I cooked up a pumpkin recently and was locked in a staring match with the leftovers when I remembered how much I love putting a couple tablespoons of the purée (or any squash purée actually) into store bought macaroni and cheese (we're partial to the white cheddar Trader Joe's box, fyi).

The pumpkin gives the sauce that slightly neon orange glow that feels so familiar and the taste is so subtle that no one notices. I think it actually gives it a nice rich flavor.

Anyway...my plan is to freeze up some ice cube trays full of leftover pumpkin so that I can just throw a few cubes in whenever I make pasta. Sneaky and delicious.

Actually not so sneaky since the kids help me cook and I also put in three pounds of frozen vegetables...but they're too young to know any better so I'm taking advantage of this window of time by defining 'normal' for them.

And normal is pumpkin purée. :)

Littles

Helping each other choose pet rocks in the woods.

Love

Not the easiest way to walk
But certainly the cutest.

Hikes

After a balmy weekend the weather snapped back to chilly 

and I spent two days working up the courage to brave being cold.  

And it's not even that cold 

but somehow 40 degrees seemed intimidating.  

The only logical thing to do with such temperatures is stay inside and bake cookies.  And drink tea and read books.  

Unfortunately too much indoors plus too much pumpkin-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookie dough isn't a good combination for our clan.  And drinking tea and reading books (quietly to yourself) doesn't appeal to the dominent demographic.  And, honestly, I can only read "Llama Llama Learns to Share" patiently so many times.  

So today, in a fit of desperation (too dramatic?), Jon loaded us all in the car, drove up the road, dropped us off, and left for work.  

We had one of the best hikes ever.  I'm so thankful to live near long, meandering trails that can leave you feeling miles from neighborhoods, cars, piles of toys, unwashed dishes, bad attitudes.  It was what we needed.

How silly of me then, to reach a natural pausing point, a playground of logs and mini bridges and feel...rushed.  

Where   else   did   I   have   to   be?  

I had to fight the urge to hurry my little companions along.  The urge to say, "ok...only one more jump.  only one more restaurant hot-dog order.  only one more race across the bridge." 

Why? Was I trying to bring the grumpy back?  Did the four off-white walls of home seem suddenly super appealing?  

This is when I rely on the Holy Spirit to illuminate sanity.  To whisper "chill out for five minutes and let those children play forcryingoutloud." 

So we played.  And the longer we stayed the easier it was to   stay.

Complimentary

Our two breakfasts.

Having breakfast with Jon is a treat. Usually our sleeping schedules aren't synchronized or one of us isn't hungry. But when we both sit down together with our tea/coffee and eggs/jelly toast my whole day feels brighter and more purposefully.

He is definitely the sweet to my savory.

Thirteen Twelve

 Twelve hours.  Thirteen photos.  Normal Life (filtered). 

9:12 am.  Each of us in our corner.  Quiet morning wake-up.

10:12 am.  Quick snack before pre-school hour at the library.

11:12 am.  The Discovery Room at the library.  Our first time.

12:12 pm.  Just checked out our books!

1:12 pm.  Kids napping, candles freshly lit, chai tea on, pumpkin roasting in the oven.

2:12 pm.  Typing a little about Owen and Ever in my journal.  

 3:12 pm.  Ever is just up.  Looking through some photos on daddy phone while she snuggles.

4:12 pm.  Making pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

5:12 pm.  Reading books together.

6:12 pm.  Dinner time.

7:12 pm.  Out for a walk to see the Christmas lights.

8:12 pm.  Starting the last book with Owen.  

9:12 pm.  Dishes.

sneaking in a little second breakfast.

Two

Two. 

Honestly...I don't know if time is actually legitimate.  It seems far to fluid to be a concrete, measurable entity.  Everly has been in my life for ever.  There is no way that this smiling, mischievous, excitable, funny, cuddly bundle of human honey hasn't been here, just as she is now, for much longer than 730 days.  

But apparently it's only been two years.  (Calling your bluff, time.) 

It was a very low key birthday for our low key girl.  Plenty of big squeezes and sappy mama eyes following her around all day.  More than required repetitions of Happy Birthday (which she insisted on singing to everyone except for herself).

A cheesecake (she doesn't like regular cake?  or chocolate??) from daddy with strawberries (her choice).  A few plastic animals are now her favorite toys.  She takes her (small) private zoo everywhere now.  A new coloring book.  Just a few simple things that I knew would make her smile without overwhelming.  That smiles means everything to me.  

Oh, and balloons, of course.  The best present.

Speaking of best presents...Everly got a special skype call with her best birthday buddy.  

Nana and Ever blew out their candles together and we all sang to two of the most important, and loved, ladies in our lives.  

It's so wonderful that these two have such a unique birthday bond.  

Oh, Ever.  You are loved beyond measure.  

And even if you've only been here two years 

there was never a time 

when my heart didn't hold you close.