I love family...

I do.  I mean I love my family...all sides, but also I love family....the feel of family.  The togetherness.  I do know, unfortunately, that not everyone is blessed by having wonderful family all around.  Or one part is fabulous but other branches are horrifying, etc etc...I am blessed to have wonderful family on all sides.  Oh, obviously there are those few nuts or those who drive you crazy...every family has those.  But I love the feel of family, and the doing of things together.  It's this love of family that makes me somewhat reluctant to stop at only two kids (despite a deep hatred for pregnancy). 

I love when kids are younger...the chaos of it...obviously some of it can drive you batty, but I like the feel of all the kids playing together, weaving in and out of their day sometimes playing all together, sometimes doing their own thing but always having the option of one another.  
And then when you get to be adults and even if there are great distances between each of you, you still are a part of each other's lives in the best way's you know how...you are involved...you stay friends, you have love for each other, you want to offer support and encouragement, and when you all come together...it's so much fun....there's laughter and joy and so much love.  I was thinking about all this as I was rocking Abby tonight.  I was thinking about how busy and somewhat chaotic the next few weeks are going to be...including an upcoming family reunion on Adam's side.  But I am so looking forward to it.  In family there are mistakes made and always an issue or two, or five... or someone you don't feel like getting along with, but at the end of the day you (hopefully) can all come together. 
I am looking forward to the family we don't get to see and chat with all that often, other than moments like these.  Looking forward to the girls and their busy days, off-schedule from their normal routines, going, going, going, collapsing in a snoring slumber at night, so tired from running and playing with cousins and distant family members, exhausted from imagine and play.  Looking forward to sitting around and talking with various cousins, and aunts, uncles, and Gramma over wine and good food...  Enjoying a 4th of July, which is one of my most favorite holidays, with family.  With togetherness.  With love and joy.  It's one of my favorite things, family.  It fuels me, gives me joy and energy.  I love when we get to spend time with my parents or when we have a chance to visit with the Washington folks, or any of our siblings.  It is always such a joy family....

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

I love me some Hannah G.  :)

...Also, on a completely random note... I really love and enjoy collaborative cooking nights.  Usually it's once the kiddos are in bed because it's more relaxed and Adam and I go all out on a dinner...each of us adding something here and there, coming in and out of the kitchen...each contributing something...chatting in between and enjoying a little vino tasting as we cook...I like that way of cooking. 

Way better than the hurried this is what the plan is, O quick the kids are melting fast let's get it going and done!!!...kind of cooking I normally encounter.  :)  So tonight we are whipping up a most delicious steak salad, with fresh greens and veggies from the produce stand we all just walked to together...avocado...tomato...sauteed onion, mushroom and walnuts...homemade dressing...Mmmm. All this after a day of gardening, laying in the sun, splashing in the kiddie pool and a leisurely family walk. I ♥ me some summer!

Some Favorite Moments

I think one of my favorite moments of the day is first thing in the morning.  Sometimes it's at 5:00am, sometimes it's at 6am...but always when Hannah gets up first thing she comes in to our room to snuggle.  She has done this for quite sometime now.  She crawls up in bed and usually has some hilarious or totally adorable take on the world or some dream she had, and she lays there and whispers and giggles with you.  She gives these gianormous hugs and smooches that melt you and she is so sweet and untouched by the day and any grumpiness or four year old attitude that may float our way at some point.  We just lay there and listen to the birds outside and watch the sun and the treess and talk about whatever comes to mind.  I love it...and if I'm ever not fully awake she brings in some books and just keeps herself a-readin until she sees enough of my eyes to decide we're ready for conversation.  But it is by far my favorite time of day with her.

Another of my favorite moments is at night with Abby.  She is always so sweet and cuddly and is smiling...and when I sing t her she nods her head at me like she wants me to keep going.  And when I walk out the door she looks up at me and blows me a kiss and has a gigantic smile on her face.  That girl melts me.  I just want to scoop her back up and keep rocking her. 

I do so love my kids...

From Hannah's Lips to God's Ears

Dear Jesus, Thank you for the flowers. I sure hope you have enough rain and sun up there to keep them alive...Please keep the whole world healthy and thank you for my family that I love more than the whole entired world...and thank you that we can play games, like...ummm..well you know like the Ashes Ashes game and stuff like that. Ya. Amen.
-Hannah Grace ♥

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my dad who is one of the most incredible men that I know.  He took the time every Saturday morning to make us pancakes with special ingredients, make up silly songs with us and read us books.  Who let us create things out of scraps in his shop, who built playhouses, and swing sets etc...who taught me so much about life that I hope with all my heart to pass on to my own kids.  Thank you for teaching me to be responsible and hard-working and for letting me make my own decisions even if you didn't agree with them.  Thank you now for the incredible Popsie you are to your grandgirls.  For being willing to build anything they or we can dream up, for giving of your time and being so willing to drop anything to spend time with them and love on them...and me. 

To my Husband, who first, has given me two beautiful girls, and is tremendous in helping me raise these two lovelies.  The things you do with and for these two girls is amazing.  You can see how very much they love you in the way their eyes shine and their faces light up whenever you are even merely mentioned.  The excitement over your presence when you come through the door each evening...their adoration of you speaks volumes to the kind of daddy you are to them.  From how you whip up culinary connoctions for them, even if you're not sure it will be eaten, to how you are willing to play 20 rounds of Cinderella or Rapunzel and act as if you'd rather be nowhere else when it really isn't your cup of tea...you are amazing.  I love you even more than when we started our journey. 

And to my father-in-law, who has raised a son with the love and heart that he has, and entrusted him to me.  Thank you for being accessible to the four of us, and for being Papa to these girls.  They adore you, and we all four love you so.

Story Time

This book is so beautiful! I seriously almost teared up. And the bear is so cute I just wanna squeeeeeze him! ♥

Today's Happiness...

Things from today:

*After crawling in bed with me early this morning, Hannah asked if I would read her a book.  So I did.  We get done and she says: Well!  That was a delightful little book!  :)

*This morning, first thing after breakfast we went on a long bike ride/walk.  Hannah rode all over the neighborhood searching for small treasures and Abby and I walked along just chatting.  I think, because it was one of the first few days off of school everyone was sleeping in or off doing other things so it was wonderfully peaceful and still out and sunny.  A great way to start the day.

*After naps I decided it would be fun to go swimming, so we packed everything up and headed to the Kroc Center down in Salem.  I was pleasantly surprised.  And we will be returning again!  The only bummer was that someone had a major accident in the pool and they had to evacuate the pool for atleast 30 minutes while they handled the situation....we ended up leaving an hour earlier than planned because I was not about to #1. Wait that long with two young kiddos and #2. Get back into the seriously contaminated water...I felt bad enough for the poor lifeguard who was on bodily fluid duty. 

*The quietness of tonight...even though Hannah has popped out of her room about 4 times tonight for various reasons when her tired self should be sleeping, Adam is off doing guy things and I am sitting here reading a little and enjoying quietness.

Recent Things That Make Me Smile

Here are three of Abby's absolute favorite sit and read 100 times books:

We had her well check visit yesterday and aside from being when inconsolable the nurse or doctor acted like they were going to take her away from me she did good.  She is 33.5 inches tall and in the 99th % for her height.  Her weight has stayed about the same.  She's only gained a couple pounds which is normal.  She is growing like a weed and understanding more and more every day.  She loves to say "Wattie Wattie" for water or all things liquid.  She's extremely friendly and lovey and is always giving her big sister hugs and kisses.  She's great at imitating what you're doing and wants to be wherever Hannah is.  You can find her most often in Hannah's room up on her bed reading or hanging out playing somewhere in a corner in sister's room.  She has a great infectious smile and laugh.  She loves being out in the dirt or hanging out in the yard on a blanket in the sun or swinging.  She is extremely good at saying "Dank you" at all the appropraite times and for anything she's given.  She's always loved books but recently has really started loving them.  I love watching her discover new things every day, and finding Joy in the small things.  :)

Lil Conversations

Hannah: I am wonderful! And don't I look beautiful!


Mama: You sure do....if anyone ever tries to tell you, you are not wonderful or beautiful you tell them you KNOW you are and you don't need their opinion.

Hannah: Well why would anyone say that!?

Mama: Sometimes people can be mean.

Hannah: Aw, well I think if they say that to me I will just give them a hug and then they'll be better. ♥

Abby Joy

Oh Abby.  This girl is a hoot.  She turned 16 months on the 21st and in the last week I've seen so many changes in her.  Not to mention that the differences in her personality vs. Hannah's are becoming clearer and clearer.  She has such a good snugly heart but man this girl is tough.  She is almost always sporting a major bruise or war wound from some adventure she's been on.  And the thing is she doesn't hesitate.  It's like she figures the pain is worth it as long as she got to try something. 
She's got all kinds of words she says now, including pancake, animal noises (including dinosaur)...It's funny how different things are with her then with Hannah.  I'd forgotten how cute toddler words are...especially since Hannah's been talkin like a 30 year old for quite some time now. :) 
The other day while in the grocery store just me and her she pointed to the apples and called them by name.  I love seeing the little connections being made.  She's a lot more go-get-em than Hannah was.  She's been attempting to climb out of her crib for awhile now and this morning she did it.  Only we have hardwood floors and so the landing didn't pan out as she'd hoped.  Scared me that's for sure!  We moved Hannah to her toddler bed at about 18 months...it went well for the first few months and then...it didn't.  Then it was nights of her standing at her door screaming or banging until someone came to get her...there were nights that between Adam and I we counted at least 50 straight times where we'd get her and put her in bed only to start all over again.  I don't think I'm ready for that yet...
Abby's definitely a climber.  I can't count the number of times I've turned around only to find her standing on top of something or on her way up to the highest place possible.  This happens in public places as well.  The library most especially.  I'll turn around to say something to Hannah, and turn back around to find Miss Abby standing on top of the coloring table!  What the!?
One thing that's been weird...or different, or whatever you want to call it is that it's possible Abby is the baby.  Honestly, we don't know yet.  We thought we'd know and be sure, but neither Adam or I can close the door on having one more or move forward with a definite yes let's add another.  We are really praying about it, and right now neither of us knows.  So only time will tell.  But we do know we sure are enjoying lil Abby.  She is such a loving, bright spot in our lives.  She loves her big sister so much.  She's so lost when Hannah is gone.   And she is always ready to give you a hug and a kiss.  I cannot get enough of this girl and her personality (or her cheeks!).