New arrival!
30 Apr 2012 3 Comments
in children, family Tags: Violet
My poor blog has taken a backseat once again, but this time for good reason!
Our sweet princess, Violet, decided to make an early arrival on April 6th, much to our surprise and delight. I’ll post a bit of the birth story when I have the entire thing typed (which at this rate, may be close to Violet’s first birthday!), but I wanted to at least post something about the baby before her birth month has passed us by ;o)
And of course, what’s a baby announcement without a photo or two? :o)
Baby prep!
01 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in children, family, parenting
It’s hard to believe that I can count the time to baby’s arrival in not only single-digit weeks (roughly three weeks!) but also in days if I want!
Time seems to have sped up during this pregnancy. I feel like we just confirmed the pregnancy last week when in reality, it was back in the fall. Baby’s first kick seems like it was only last month, even though it happened months ago. Now I have to sit with my laptop pushed near my knees since my belly is taking over the first inches that make up my lap.
Want to see something crazy?
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Spring!
26 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in children, family, photography
Spring is becoming my favorite season. After a strange, barely-there winter (which involved a lot of cold and not much snow), I found myself constantly wishing for open windows, walks that didn’t involve heavy layers, and enjoying tea from the comfort of my patio while the girls play in the sunshine.
Valentine’s Day
14 Feb 2012 2 Comments
in family, love Tags: Valentine's Day
Each year, my stance on celebrating Valentine’s Day seems to change and I like it less and less. Overall, I think it’s an overpriced Hallmark holiday in which I’m obligated to give tokens of my love to my husband and children.
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wordless wednesday: little helper
08 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in family, parenting, wordless wednesday Tags: wordless wednesday
baby update
05 Feb 2012 2 Comments
in children, family Tags: baby 3
I’m rounding the final bend in this pregnancy and I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed… when I think about it, it’s the same feeling as “how are my kids already 2 and 4?!”. I’m down to the last 10 or so weeks until we are a family of 5. The girls can’t wait to meet their baby brother or sister, who is due to arrive right around Harper’s 3rd birthday.
I’ve never really been one to take “baby bump” or “belly” photos, but I realized there are very few pictures during pregnancy- partly because I’m usually the one holding the camera, partly because I’m self-conscious about having my picture taken. To appease some of my dear friends who’ve asked, I took a few pictures using my iPhone and decided to share them on here as well.
birthday
04 Feb 2012 6 Comments
in family, food, photography Tags: birthdays, homemade cheese
Today is my birthday! I’m celebrating 25 years young and looking forward to many lovely birthdays ahead of me.


Terry surprised me with a little sheep & bird knick-knack that I saw in the store the other day. He was pretty sneaky & managed to buy it before we left the store without me knowing! And of course, he found me a pink gift tag out of our large collection. Such a sweetheart! Oh the Meercat & Moose nicknames? Long, silly story falling back to when we were dating in college… and they’ve never gotten old :o)
My sweet daughters have made the day enjoyable, as they do every day! And in the spirit of my birthday, they have been a little less off-the-walls than usual. I’ll take it.
I’m cooking homemade spaghetti sauce in the crockpot for my special birthday meal of spaghetti and sausage. The house smells delicious.
I’m also making ricotta cheese out of the leftover whey that we have from making mozzarella cheese yesterday. If you ever have the time/ opportunity to make (or at least try!) homemade mozzarella, it is delicious and surprisingly easy to make as long as you are patient. The ricotta is even easier, as you simply warm the whey, let it sit and scoop the curds out. Yummy! I’ll be posting actual recipes for our cheeses later (as long as I remember!).
I am excited for this afternoon, when the girls will help me make a whole wheat chocolate cake and maple buttercream icing! I can’t wait for Terry to get home to share it with us.
Thanks for reading and sharing my birthday with me :o)
four
25 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in children, family Tags: Ariana, birthdays, photos
Our sweet diva turned four yesterday.

The above photo is at exactly 4 years old (she’s sleeping, as she was born in the middle of the night!)
Where have the years gone?

(this is the outfit she chose to wear in the morning, but she changed soon after since the straps kept slipping)
When she was first born, I held her in my arms, with so many hopes and dreams for a bright future.
Her intelligence constantly amazes me, her jokes keep me smiling, her creativity astounds me (in a good way!).
Happy 4th birthday, Princess :)

(Ariana told me that this picture “has to be there because my hair is silly!” Can’t argue with that!)
the best parts of waking up
16 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
(and no, Folgers is not, nor will it ever be, the best part of waking up for me)
big girl bed
13 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in children, family, parenting Tags: Ariana, twin bed
Watching my littles grow up is both an amazing and sad experience. I can remember the newborn snuggles so vividly, it’s hard to believe that there are years between those moments and now.
Ariana’s months in the bassinet seemed to suddenly give way to a pack-n-play, crib & eventually a toddler bed. I knew that her time in the toddler bed would be limited, but it was still too soon that we bought her a twin mattress and box spring.










