"Texas Forever!"

...said in my best Tim Riggins Southern accent.

We did this Thanksgiving Texas style.

And it was wonderful. While the Northwest was being hit with Artic Blast 2010, we were enjoying milder temps and afternoon runs in tank tops. We explored my aunt and uncles vast property on what Nick called "grown up toys"... I think he left wishing he lived on a piece of land that had 5 deer blinds in the back yard.

We stuffed ourselves silly with all the delicious food, including two different kinds of stuffing: Texas style and Louisiana style.

We napped...

Caught up and chatted...

And little birdie finally got to meet my grandparents...

It was a week of family time. Some more of that re-charging stuff that is oh-so-good for us.




A time to be so thankful for what we have, but also a time to be thankful for what we had. It's impossible to spend time with my dad's family and not feel a bit of an emptiness. With all of the happiness, along with that there is the missing.
He should be there with us. Celebrating with us. And it saddens me that he doesn't get to snuggle this sweet face...
Because he would have been such an awesome grandpa.

So we reflect. We reflect on our many blessings and hold on tight to each other because that's what it's about. The togetherness of it all.


And for this little one? My thankfulness cup overfloweth.

Doing it all.

Whew. Is it really only Wednesday?

I know that means that tomorrow is Thursday, which is almost Friday, and then before you know it, it's the sweet weekend again...but it's just been one of those weeks.

Racing weeks. A week where I can't quite seem to get everything done, be everywhere I'm supposed to or would like to be...a week where I can't possibly do it all.
And that's hard for me.

I'd like to think that I can juggle the multiple balls of the different aspects of my life, but sometimes it just feels like there are too many. Something's gotta give. And I just never want that something that's gotta give to be precious time with my girl.

So I've been asking myself tough questions...what activities can I continue and what do I need to bow out of? What is manageable and what is too much? How do I find that balance?

I'm certain these feelings are not something new. I'm certain working mom's and stay at home mom's alike ask themselves these same questions every day, and on some level that gives me peace...to know that I'm not alone in these questions, these feelings and these challenges.

Because ultimately...it doesn't matter if I can't do it all.

I CAN do many things...and of those many things, the most important is being a mama. Her mama. And I pledge with every inch of my being do do it well...to be present and engaged and make sure that she knows...with every inch of her being that she is the number one priority in our lives.

If I can do that, I am doing it all.

Your little hands wrapped around my finger
and it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyes flutter cause you're dreaming
so I tuck you in
turn on your favorite night light.

To you, everything is funny
you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I had honey
if you could stay like that.

Oh, darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
It can stay this simple.

I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up.
-Taylor Swift

Okay...so not really. Of course I am so happy and blessed that our squish is healthy and thriving and growing, but these last few weeks really feel like her "tiny baby" days are slipping away from us. She is changing and learning new things every day and it is amazing to be a witness to all the newness around her. I was reading in one of my books the other night and it was talking about your 5 month old baby and that they were in the large infant stage now. Say whaaaaat? I'm not ready to leave
little infant stage! I find myself holding on to her and repeating to myself: remember this. hold on to this.
she'll never be this little again. I am so in love with being her mama.

Yahoooooo. It's the weekend. Make it a good one friends!

Laying, reading, laughing, playing, tickling, loving.

With you.

The best part of my day. Every day.

Halloween Part II

As I mentioned in my previous post...we love our holidays around here. So we didn't just have one Halloween celebration, we had two.

And the second one wasn't just about Halloween, it was about a birthday too. Double the celebrations!

We enjoyed the most gorgeous fall meal prepared by Diggy and Ryan...complete with a
witches brew!

And with the ending of Halloween...November begins, brining with it all the lovely

warm-and-fuzzy holiday feelings that I wait all year for. And I can't wait to share it with our girl this year. Let the fun begin!

Halloween munchkins.

Question: What is cuter than one little halloween munchkin who is none too pleased with her outfit situation?

Answer: 7 other little halloween munchkins doing the same thing!

And though there were more than a few meltdowns at this week's PEPS gathering, seeing all the babes in their halloween garb was priceless. Those squishy little bodies who kept looking up at each of us with these eyes wondering, "Why are you dressing me like this and why is everyone laughing and taking pictures?!"

And to that I say: because it is your first halloween baby girl! And around here, we love our holidays!

Happy Halloween weekend everyone!

Birthday Week

Have I mentioned how much I love birthdays?

If not, I'm sayin' so now...I love them! Another year of memories and celebrations. I was so touched by all the calls, emails, texts, messages and love this year for my birthday- thank you to everyone for making it so special.

This year was filled with a frenchy dinner made by my talented husband (in our new Le Creuset pot! it is so gorgeous- can a pot be gorgeous?!), delicious Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine, dinner and drinks with my gals, a fun night out to see "Rainn Wilson and Friends" (a.k.a. Dwight from The Office) with Dave and Amy and lots of kisses from my sweet girl.

I was a happy birthday girl.

Fall

Here it is.
My post on fall.
I will now join the dozens of bloggers out there and throw my hat in the ring, proclaiming my love for this season. Because I do. I really love fall. I love the smells, the food, the colors (oh my the colors!), the coziness and the comfort that this season brings.

This past weekend we got to enjoy fall in all it's glory at one of my favorite locations...Klicker's of Walla Walla. Much like my sweet home town, this place seems to get cuter each time I visit.


This adorable farmer's market that provides for every season...pumpkins and haystack pyramids in fall, Christmas trees in winter, just about every delicious type of produce you can imagine all summer long, an antique shop, ice cream treats...it is darling.


Our babes first trip to a pumpkin patch...and the fact that it was Klicker's seemed, well, just perfect to me.


I love these pics of her, exploring yet another something new. A new season for her and for all of us. And I love her runny nose. Not because having colds is fun (because it's not!), but because it showcases the day as it really was. I want to document and remember it just as it was. Perfectly imperfect.



Our perfect fall weekend.

"Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling, give me juicy autumnal frust ripe and red from the orchard."- Walt Whitman

Some days

Some days are better than other days.
Some weeks sparkle, and others more lacking in their luster.

This week has been one of the latter weeks.

And for no one reason in particular, it's just been a little bleh. Probably mostly due to the fact that Charlotte and I both have colds (our second for the month! am I in for a long year?!), but couple that with life, traffic, stresses at work, the economy....well, I've just been left feeling a little not my usual self self this week.

But then I look at this face. This sweet, goofy, smiling face and I know that everything is just fine.




And today is Friday. A Friday that will take us to Walla Walla for some grammie time, rest and recharging. And we can't wait.

Yes, everything is fine. Scratch that. Everything is perfect...just as it is. Thank you baby for helping me remember that every day.

You say goodbye and I say hello.

Ahhhh. Goodbye week. Hello weekend.

With fall officially settling in here in Seattle, we spent our Friday night getting Pho and hunkering down for a night in. A perfect fall evening. Oh, and we were in bed by about 10 p.m. Wild party animals I tell ya.



Saturday Charlotte and I hopped in the car and headed down to Longview to celebrate another new baby in our lives. Baby Griffin is the just the sweetest, most mellow babe. Except maybe when we wake him up for a picture with other kids he's just met.

As a circle of friends gathered and cozied up around the living room, amidst the pillows and gifts and tasty treats...we celebrated this little man.

*Charlotte and the dudes.

Oh, and when I say we had tasty treats... I'm talking JOAT chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting. Yes. They might be the best things I've ever tasted.






We enjoyed our girl time. Special time together that prompted us to turn a day trip into an impromptu overnight stay. Because before even reaching the end of the road, the car was turned around...I could tell Charlotte was wondering why we were leaving the warm comfort of good conversation and great friends to drive in the dark rain home? (not that we didn't miss Daddy, but he was happy having guys night)
So just as quickly as we had said our goodbyes, we were walking back in the front door with our hellos. And there were cheers for our return. Because that's what kind of friends these gals are.


*We've moved on lately from the thumb to the middle two fingers. Rock on Miss C.

We chatted, snacked, gossiped, sipped wine and loved on babies. Perfection. And for the record, I think I made it up until 11:30 p.m.

*Our version of a college home-town favorite, Basillio's Best!

It was a weekend of lounging. The kind of weekend where exceptions are made that cupcakes are okay for breakfast (I mean, you saw that picture...)



Where we now sipped coffee, checked out the Sunday ads, and made plans for the next gathering.


Because even though there are goodbyes...the next hello is always just around the corner.

What I've been loving...

As of lately...

::Loving kissing for Charlotte from her Poppie and Tata (tay-tuh)

::Game time

::Family time (which is always accompanied by delicious food time...)

::The Bumbo chair (we're teaching her young about our love for the beautiful giants...look how much she's checking that guy out!)

::Brand new babies

::and brand new mamas

::little froggy kicking legs

::and those same little legs in tights. Because is there anything cuter than baby tights?!

::birthday puppies (yes of course he gets to eat his puppy "ice cream" treat from the red You Are Special Today plate!)

::morning goodbye kisses (okay, so I don't really love the goodbye's as much as the kisses...)

::and this face. always this sweet face.