Cookies

Cookie love for Santa.

Christmas Eve

I am really not sure there is anything cuter than watching your child sprinkle reindeer food all over the front yard.

Christmas Love

Nativity

We went on a walk to look at the neighborhood Christmas lights. She walked past this nativity and yells, "baby, baby" then she continued to say, "oh no, my baby". Little mama want to scoop baby Jesus up in her arms, take him home, and give him a bottle as she shushed him I'm sure. #marysgotthisonekid #hesingoodhands

When December Fun Catches Up With You

Never Too Young

I am surprised this year that she can feel the "magic" as much as she does. She loves to find the elf in the morning and yell, "elf" when she does. She loves to say "ho, ho, ho". She loves to see pictures of santa and giggle. She loves to take the ornaments off the tree and put them back on. She laughs when we sing Christmas songs and rocks back and forth. I love watching them get so excited about this time of year. It doesn't seem to matter what age they are. I hope this stage lasts for many years to come.

Christmas Movies & Elf Love

Caught him watching Christmas movies like this.

Christmas Lights

We have a house a couple houses down from us that represents the Grizwalds, I'm sure it is pretty darn awesome in kid world.

Santa

She walks up to them and says, "Santa, Santa, Santa" then bends down and giggles. Love watching that love for Christmas grow.

Decorating

 Ornaments on the tree, off the tree, on the tree, off the tree... and repeat 867 times a day.

The Age Gap

They don't always get along and they don't always play together but they do have a patience and closeness that I really wasn't sure was possible. The age gap. It's there and I think it's so funny when I say their ages and people think it is an open conversation to talk about why I decided to wait so long to have my second. Because this is why. I knew that what would be best for my family would not maybe be best for yours, but for ours it is perfection. Those five years I had with my son to grow that bond was irreplaceable time. His personality needed it, mine did too. When she came along it was the right time for us. God knew what he was doing. He knew we needed that gap, and I couldn't imagine any better plan.

Tree Hunting

On the search to find the perfect tree. <3 

Sweet Love

Thankful for Cousins

Grandma has been begging for normal outfits and a new cousin picture for her walls. So very thankful for older cousins. They are so much older but always seem to know how to make time to play with Ryder and make him feel like they love doing it. Kati and Cole you are good people, thank you for treating my small kiddos like they are the coolest. :)) 

Family

Thankful for my husbands side of the family. They are seriously good people. <3

Sweet Sweet Girl

Family Pictures 2017

It was so unbelievably cold, and so windy. It was miserable. The whole session lasted like ten minutes but I am very thankful for friends who offer to take us out and try to take a few pictures of my family. Love my crazy bunch.

Little World

Today you were loving this book. You were taking it with you as you walked to different rooms. You were feeling the bugs on the book and turning the pages. You would walk to a room find somewhere to sit and then "read" it. As you walked from room to room sometimes you just couldn't seem to lay the book down. You are so funny little girl.

Little Girl

Oh sweet little girl, you love being in your brother's room. When I can't find you, you are usually trying to crawl on his bed or you are sitting right here in this chair and looking out the window at your "geese". You love to hang out with your brother and feel like you are part of his "in crowd". When he plays ninjas and is running around and kicking and yelling "hi-ya" you are right behind him laughing and doing the same thing. I know one day you two will annoy each other, but for right now I am loving how sweet you are to each other.

:)

"Mom, take a picture and see if it looks like I am a wolf sleeping".

Sick Days

We haven't been feeling to good over here, in fact it has been a rough week.  Little man you seem to catch things and hang on to them for quite awhile. Wish I could help you feel better, hate seeing you not feeling well.

Pumpkin Patch Love

Lashes For Days

Oh sweet little girl, I could stare at your perfections all day long. Those lashes. That long whispy hair strand in the front of your forehead. That sweet little button nose. The way your upper lip curves up over your mouth. The small dimples you get when you smile. <3 Love you little miss.

Toys

 You hate toys -- you will play for an hour with a toilet paper roll but when your toys are put in front of you, you want nothing to do with them. However there is one small exception to this -- you do love legos. I have a sneaky suspicion that you only like them because your brother is so crazy about them but it is kind of funny that you can over look all the lighted "baby" things and go straight towards this little things.

Fall Fun

Brown Eyes

Because those eyes are everything.

Nice Days

Wasn't much of a fall this year -- it has been hot and I have a sneaky suspicion we will go straight to freezing cold. Today was a beautiful day and it was so nice to get outside and enjoy the time. You love to be outside, you don't do much but just love to walk around back and forth and stack a few rocks. It is so much fun to watch you wobble back and forth as you walk.

One Day

Because one day I will be working on your senior board and I want to remember this picture. :))

Go Together

Dinos and dolls -- they go together like peanut butter and Nutella.

i am because you are my story.

I remember driving three years ago on the way to get our tattoo and we called our dad to “ask permission”. He did not approve of it and we informed him we weren’t technically “asking” but simply “preparing”. Growing up we had one giant rule — no tattoos. Fast forward a year  to the last six months of my dad’s life. He was sick — we all knew how sick. He always talked to us about being scared and sad that he would not be in our lives forever. We wanted something to show him that he in fact would always be in our lives, monthly, daily, every minute of everyday. We wanted him to write a tattoo for us, we weren’t sure on how we would sell him the idea, but in fact it didn’t take long to do. He sat down to write it for us — he was frustrated at how shaky his hand was that he continued to write it ten times to try to perfect it. We all just kind of sat there watching him — sad that we all knew where this story was headed and quite frankly shocked he was writing this for us. Fast forward two more years to this past weekend — we were able to walk into a tattoo parlor together with his words in hand. We all added our own word to the end to describe how we carry him with us. It was such a perfect day sitting and perfecting this and watching each other go through it. About an hour after our tattoos we walked outside to the most beautiful rainbow that faded shortly after we saw it. We just stared and watched it — say what you will but he was there and he was proud of us and the proof was in the sky right above our heads. We watched that rainbow dissapear with tears in our eyes and ended the day with margaritas to celebrate him and remind him that in fact we will always carry him with us. 

I am because you are my story. 

I am because you are my strength. 

I am because you are my journey. 

I am because you are my existence. 

I am because you are my haven.