Sunday, June 12, 2016

I left my heart in Walla Walla.

 
Gosh darn you Walla Walla.
You seriously make a girl want to pack up her bags and never look back, running straight into your gorgeous, slow paced, nostalgic, welcoming arms.
 
What a treat you are.
Every single time.
 
A night our at Abeja for our belated anniversary celebration!
















Park time with Grammie! 












75th Anniversary Gala Auction.

Until this year, Nick and I hadn't been auction goers.
Until this year, I'd never co-hosted the décor for a gala of nearly 300 people.
But it was a year of new beginnings for all of us...and through it all we had SO much fun! After months and months of planning, brainstorming, meeting, executing...it was so incredibly rewarding to see everything come together for the 75th Anniversary Gala Night for our St. Catherine's school!
It truly takes an army of people to pull off our biggest fund raiser of the year...and my heart was touched many times during the process, seeing everyone come together.
 
It's all for the kids...but it sure is fun to have a grown up night, celebrating them and the future of our school!
Family Night on Cinco de Mayo!


Future kindergarten class of 2018-2019!
 
Helpful 8th graders...the set up begins! 




 
We did it!! 



 
My auction gals!

 

Friday, June 3, 2016

Like sand through the hourglass...

...these are the days of our lives.
 
And at the risk of sounding incredibly cliché, that sand is slipping through the hourglass at an alarming rate these days. I want to yank it and turn it back over...to make the sand start over.
To hold my little babies again, cradled in my arms and rock them to sleep.
 
But then again...I don't.
 
It's such a funny thing, watching your kiddos start to grow up.
In a mama's eyes, I think we always see that tiny baby gazing up at us to some extent. We do a double take every morning as they crawl out of bed and come barreling over to hug us, no longer little legs- but long legs, wrapping all the way around our waist.
 
"Did you grow again last night?!" I often as the girls.
They giggle with excitement at the idea of getting bigger. Stronger.
And I stare at them in wonder, and hold them a bit tighter.
 
While it can certainly pull on the heart strings to say goodbye to certain phases...it is also so much fun to explore, and participate, and grow right along with these two. Three and five (almost 6) are such special ages, and I just find myself daily so thankful for this current phase (even with it's challenges).
 
Three Is:
Independent. Confident. Sometimes shy. Sassy. Easily frustrated. Quick to cry. Quick to recover. Animated story teller. Amazing interpretive dancer. Particularly in the kitchen. Snuggler. Beautiful singer. Baby doll lover. Big sister obsessed. Opinionated dresser. A girl who loves "her whole flamily".
 
Five (almost Six) Is:
Kind. Smart. A lover of learning. A lover of friends. A lover of her puppy. Sensitive. Talker. Helper. A bit dramatic. Extremes. Tiny toy collector. Artistic. T-Ball fanatic. Little sister's leader. A listener. An observer. Hair goals. A reader. Huge heart.
 

 
 
My girls. It is such an incredible honor and privilege to be your mama.
You are my greatest adventures...and I love you more through each phase of this journey together.

But if we could just slow down that sand a bit, that would be nice too.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Daddy Daughter Dance, Round II

 She's waited with me for two years now.
Patiently, and sometimes not so patiently, waiting for her time to be old enough for the
Daddy Daughter Dance.
This year it was her turn, and since Charlotte's school has their own now- she got to have a one on one date with her best friend at the Ballard dance.
Precedence has been set, and so the tradition continued with a proper pick up at the front door with flowers and pictures by the fireplace.
 
And two really happy and darling cuties.
 





 
Big kiddo and I checked out 3D version of the Jungle Book (wow. beautiful. a bit scary. loved it.) and finished the night up with chocolate milkshakes. 

 
I so love this little family of mine.