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Auntie L’s fruit.

my sweet, sweet 
college roommate, Auntie L 
came to town for the weekend
to celebrate my birthday.

we haven’t seen each other 
for either of our birthdays
in nine years.


we have both been through a lot more 
than we would have imagined back in those school days.
and although our trials have been very different, 
we have been in awe at how God has allowed us 
to understand what each has gone through 
on a very deep level. 


i am so very grateful for my sister in Christ.

Auntie L has her own 
wonderfully, adorable 
hand-made baby goods 
business called
be sure to check it out.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

1186. lovely ladies
1187. the hot sun
1188. not wearing a watch
1189. a fabulous new book
1190. Auntie L’s strength in the Lord

happy birthday to L + me.

oh, little L.
you have officially stolen my heart.


you are the very best gift that i have ever received.


you are one of my biggest blessings.


and i praise God for you
each and every day.


and i’m thrilled that you don’t love cake.
just like me.


happy, happy 2nd birthday
sweet boy.

1181. sharing a birthday
1182. L’s joy
1183. ice cream
1184. knowing what’s important
1185. his curls

ten on ten.june


1. D’s hard boiled egg for breakfast
2. my new favorite photo
3. amongst in D’s painting palette
4. looking at a sweet new book
5. his pasta masterpiece
6. the rare coffee and pizza lunch combo
7. sprinkles
8. her gift to L
9. the sign that birthdays are approaching
10. D entertaining L while dinner is prepared

1176. the reminder of how sweet kids can be
1177. super fast doctor’s appointments
1178. a stay-in-your-pajamas kind of day
1179. quickly scheduled new doc appointments
1180. big kids who roll with the punches

camping out.

the kids camped out with B.
they camped outside.
in our backyard.
it was the perfect way to do it.
L and i got to stay inside in our own lovely beds.


there was a lot of build-up for their first s’more experience.
they loved it.
B is not a fan.
isn’t that crazy?
Auntie B is probably shaking her head right now.
if it had more of a peanut butter presence, he said he’d like it.
perhaps, nutella?
worth a try.


they looked sleepy but don’t be confused.
the excitement of sleeping outside didn’t wear off 
until it was 9:30pm.
two hours after they normally go to bed.

1171. D’s prayers
1172. my children being exposed 
to other special needs kids
1173. this
1174. a cleaned up house 
thanks to my three littles
1175. a night of fun on the to-do list

yummy yum yum.

K and i just made
the most incredible cupcakes.


and i’m serious, folks.
these are scrumptious! 


but these cupcakes
were unreal.
and the frosting… wow.
you must, must, must make them.
you must.
even after explaining to K 
that we work hard first and then get a taste
(i love the three little pigs for helping me illustrate that), 
i caught her with a huge mouthful of the dough. 
so full that she nearly couldn’t close her mouth.


of course, in typical fashion
i didn’t read the recipe in its entirety before
making them.
i thought i’d do it all in one sitting
(or would it be more accurate to say “standing?”)
when in fact, i needed to freeze the cookie dough
o        v        e        r        n        i        g        h        t.
yes, you read that right.
overnight.
so what did i do?
i got up early-ish and finished making them.


1166. kitchen helpers
1167. snuggling up in a blanket in the afternoon
1168. knowing that bedtime for the littles is imminent
1169. a K date
1170. baking with my girl

just two girls.

a few weeks ago, 
we headed north to be with B’s family
because our nephew had his first communion.


i think it was clear to everyone around 
that our children were not from a Catholic family.
let’s just say that there were a couple bathroom trips 
and a lot of snacks given.
because, there were.


we loved spending so much time with all of them.


you see, there have been a lot of 
babies born between our family and theirs.

2003 (their family)
2004 (their family)
2005 (our family)
2006 (their family)
2007 (our family)
2008 (their family)
2009 (our family)
2010 – nobody
2011 (their family) baby due in the fall

and so far, there are only two girls. 
one for us and 
one for them.
which makes for some fun 
and wild times.


i think one of these girls wants a little sister
and one of these girls wants a big sister.
it does help that they have matching curly hair.
and thanks to their Grammy, 
a lot of matching clothes.


B’s sweet sister and her family,
along with Grammy.

1181. waffles for dinner
1182. sitting at our red table
1183. fresh flowers
1184. laughing hard at memories
1185. a husband who deals with 
the number of visits from 
children after they’ve been put to bed.

last week.

last friday was a 
rough, 
draining day. 

not for any big reasons 
but for a million little things 
that were happening all week long.
which finally culminated on friday.

i have been having to fight for some of L’s services
which only leaves me angry and exhausted.
especially because the decisions being made 
are completely illogical.
completely.

L has been really, really fussy lately.
and that is really not L at all.
on wednesday, B and i devoted the day to prayer
and that afternoon we discovered 
(thanks to God)
that L’s incision was slightly infected.
so we started him on antibiotics
and he is back to his normal self, yet again.
K’s been extra clingy 
because of L’s extreme fussiness
and has been requesting 
to sleep in a crib and 
has been eating all of her meals in his high chair.
i know it’s just a phase, 
but having two babies in the house 
is more than i am used to.


and then things got worse…
at the end of the week, 
i heard a knock on the door 
and it was our beloved mailman, Barry.

but he didn’t have any packages that i needed to sign for.
he instead told me that it was his last day, 
that he was retiring.
he didn’t want to leave us 
wondering what had happened to him.
and you know what? 
that was the thing that pushed me over the edge.
every single day, when the mail is delivered, 
my children yell “thank you, barry!” 
and every single day, 
Barry replies, “you’re welcome!”
we will surely miss him.

i’m so grateful that it’s a new week
and a new, fresh start.
so very grateful.

1176. a baby who is not normally fussy
1177. L’s sass
1178. overcast in the am 
which makes for some nice lighting for photos
1179. a family filled weekend
1180. buttercream icing

sea fans and keyholes.

Auntie B recently got back 
from a fun trip where she visited 
deserted islands and beaches.
yep, she’s that cool.
look what she found…


don’t you think that naturally made 
keyhole is just awesome?
i sure do.


and this sea fan?
have you ever seen such an incredible thing?
nope, me neither.

And God said, 
“Let the water teem with living creatures, 
and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”
So God created the great creatures of the sea
and every living thing with which the water teems 
and that moves about in it, 
according to their kinds, 
and every winged bird according to its kind. 
And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:20-21

1171. D teaching L how to do art
1172. napping children
1173. the hum of the dishwasher
1174. family time
1175. a fun weekend planned
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