Holy smokes...

is tomorrow really Friday?

and are we really leaving for 5 nights?! to a sunny, 86 degree, relaxing destination?

This week has been a blur getting ready for our longest stint away from miss squish. Getting the laundry washed, folded, put away...getting instructions and tips written up for Grammie and Teta...getting ourselves packed...trying to fit in runs...getting spray tanned (I WILL still make this happen before I get on a plane tomorrow. There is no WAY I am exposing Floridians to my white Northwest skin)...getting a certain almost one-year-olds birthday invitations in the mail...planning for said birthday...spending every extra second with little squish knowing I won't get to kiss her cheeks for a few days (oh yeeks, how will I survive?!)...whew. It's been a busy week.

Which followed a previously busy weekend.

We enjoyed a wonderful, quick Walla Walla weekend with the Loviks. It is always such a treat to share my town with friends for the first time. And yes...I do still call it my town. I think I always will. Part of me belongs there.

Sadly I forgot my camera, but thankfully Amy had her iphone with her. We tasted some delicious wine while Charlotte got some QT with Grammie.

My favorite stop of the trip was to a winery I hadn't been to before: Slight of Hand. Much different than many of the gorgeous, picturesque wineries of the little valley. This one was more edgy, a bit rocker-ish, and all the wine labels looked like old magic show posters. We enjoyed dancing around to vinyl records of Fleetwood Mac and Def Leopard.

Consequently, my old "Vault" Def Leopard album has been on repeat in my car this week. It has paired quite nicely with our sunshine.

In other news...

Our little girl is growing up. Even just in these past two weeks it seems she has changed so much. I can hardly believe she will be one in just a few short weeks. People say it all the time, but literally time flies. At warp speed in fact.

It's getting increasingly difficult to take her monthly pictures with her calendar...

She's a girl on the move!

Her latest favorite spot in the house is the front window that she pulls herself up to and looks out at the world.

I wonder where she learned it from?

Closets and it's contents are no longer safe.

Our explorer has discovered that many the treasure hides behind those closet doors.

Don't worry honey...you don't need to worry about those for a looooooong time!

Next week she's moving from the Ark Room to the Garden Room at school. And even though it's just across the hall, and many of her teachers will be the same, it was a tangible reminder that she is becoming a big girl.

My big sweet girl...who owns my heart.