The Things We Love {October & November}

Can anyone say "old news?"

Regardless of the ancient history these photos are, I had fun looking back at last fall, which feels like yesterday and an eternity ago all at the same time.

Can anyone say "I will blog more regularly. I will blog more regularly. I will blog more regularly."?

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The baby's firsts are coming much quicker than the twins'. First campfire, first hotel stay, first hike etc - all before 3 months old. We loved the few campfires we had last fall. And I'm loving being about 8 pounds lighter than what I am in this photo.  Can anyone say "stubborn baby weight?"

I don't have a sister. Three sisters-in-law and 2 others that should be sisters-in-law, but no sisters of my own.  So I am so happy these girls have each other - even though I have a feeling they are gonna be quite different. Can you say "Come on! Get their eyes in focus!"

Every girl in this world should have an older brother like Jack-Hammer. I know I would given everything I had for an older brother like him. Tender, protective, and good for a smile or laugh no matter how crabby we are. Oh, and he's brilliant. I think he's like his daddy. Can you say "tender warrior?"

Our baby doesn't really sit still or cuddle very often. Often times when I just want to sit and rock her into peaceful sleeping oblivion, she does this weird twitching thing which I've come to know is her way of saying, "I just want to lay in my bed and go to sleep."  So we adore when she does allow herself to be snuggled to sleep.  Can you say "Daddy's girl?"

Watching a baby see and learn and discover new things just simply never.gets.old. I could watch her all day and then eat her for dessert.

We're loving bright eyes...

 

...and bushy tails.

Can you say "What color are her eyes, anyway?"

Autumn is a beautiful season. Way better than winter, not quite as good as summer, and marginally better than spring.

Shorts, sandals, jackets, and gloves. Yep. I was likely feeding the baby when these two got dressed for the day.  Can anyone say "Why are outdoor fall exposures so hard to get right?" (I am referring to how in the world to meter the light to get good color in fall photos not to the amount of exposed skin on my kids.)

 

I always have so much hope for our family photo ops.  Only to have those hopes dashed against sharp, jagged rocks. Stiff smiles, poor arrangement, and crappy light.  Can anyone say "She married batman?"

 

Traditions are so, so, so important to me. I think I'm overcompensating with traditions around here because my artistic mother was never one for adhering to consistent, reliable traditions - there was always something new to try.  Can anyone say "six weeks of holiday calories is enough for one year?"

The end.

 

The Things We Love {September}

Daddy and his girls on quiet Saturday mornings.

 

Getting out of the house a bit more - mom, 2 preschoolers, and an infant.

Chillin' in the Boppy

Little girls

Pumpkins!

 

 

And gourds!

Fall Hikes

I Miss Them

We've arrived on the other side of the initial rough patch. You know, that first six to eight weeks or so with a newborn that feels like you are a crawling through a tunnel. You do your best to soak up the rareness of each moment with that tiny little new person but everyone's reeling from the change of having a baby - you, the baby, the older kids, the husband... the dog (I'm not even being sarcastic about the dog. I'm not even being sarcastic about not being sarcastic. Which is rare for me. Dramatic females seem to be the norm around here - even in the canine world.)

Jack and Ava seem to have adjusted to a new baby in the house for the most part. But that adjustment period was not without tears, though, mostly on my part. The stress of life changing so much all of sudden was written all over their faces, and it hurt both them and me.

 

But then, one day, they were fine. I looked out the window to see them playing in their fence together and realized they were fine. They had fallen into a new normal quicker than I had, and even more importantly, they still had each other. They didn't need me as much anymore.

 

And this time the feeling that washed over me was that I missed them.

I missed the adventures we would go on.

{Brainerd, MN Spring 2012}

{Gull Lake Spring 2012}

I missed it just being the three of us.

{Maplewood State Park Fall 2011}

 

Even a good change can be hard. And the past has a tendency to seem more perfect than the present at times. Even when the new present is good......but harder.



 

 



Just another reminder that nothing is permanent. Another reminder to not wish anything away because one day you will miss it.



The Games We Play

You stick out your tongue.

 

I'll stick out mine.

Because it is so funny!

Do it again! Do it again...

The Things We Love {August}

I don't really remember August....

but these photos remind me we really did experience the last month of summer to some degree.


And here's what I love ~


Canning peaches (with help from mom). (Also loving the canning my mother-in-law did for me - green beans and tomatoes. Such a blessing.)

 {ugh. Floating fruit is not a sign of an excellent canner. I cannot seem to rememdy this.}

Giant baby yawns

Fun at the County Fair

Playing with baby dolls

Swaddling

Sisters

Silly Faces

The end of long, challenging work weeks - Daddy comforting baby or baby comforting Daddy?

A sleeping baby

And now apparently September is almost over, too?