just some time

Several times tonight before we went upstairs to bed Evaleigh told me, "Mom, I just want to spend some time with you."  It was the sweetest request that I couldn't wait to fulfill. 

So we went upstairs after family prayer, which was the usual struggle of Avett whining that he wanted to pray as soon as Evie started to pray.  I am glad they love to pray so I suppose it's a good problem to have.  John put Avett to bed while and Evie and I laughed and snuggled and played and read books for a good 45 minutes.  I sat her on my lap and told her NOT to laugh, which of course was impossible.  She would say it to me and then we would bust out laughing.  

I loved every second of it.  It's easy to hurry through the last parts of the day, especially on the days when bed time is a welcomed time.  I know I tend to do that often but tonight was different and I loved it.  

She loves to say, "Mom can I tell you a whisper?" Then she leans up close and whispers in my ear, "I love you, you are the best mom ever you silly pot."  There's just nothing in the world like having a daughter.

❤️

This man with our children.  Wiping little noses, bounding up to their rooms after I've put them to bed to comfort them when they are crying, changing diapers willingly. I am so inspired by his kindness, selflessness, and sensitivity to them.  I am grateful we get to raise these two precious souls side by side.  The way Avett is looking at him in this picture is just how I feel too; safe, cared for, lucky, intrigued, enamored.  I don't know how I did it but I am certain I am living the life I always hoped I would.

      

      

     

that felt good

Oh I love opera! I love it I love it I love it.  And I miss it.  

My mind races back to my college days quite often.  I loved learning and walking the streets of a busy city surrounded by tall buildings.  I loved learning how to manage my time and coping with the stress of long to do lists.  I was so excited and envigorated being surrounded by music in rehearsals, lessons, classes, and all of the concerts I attended.  

Music was one of my first great loves.  It is something that no matter what stage of life I'm in I want to be doing it in some capacity.  I have to.  Whenever I go long periods of time with out and then I come back I can't believe how starved I was for it.  

This weekend I got the opportunity to sing at a talent show.  Oh how it filled my heart with joy.  It was a simple low pressure situation and yet it felt so familiar and comfortable.  Although it took me a minute to settle down in to it.  Right around "felice mi fa" I let loose and just let it all soar right out of my mouth.  I've been singing this song since I was 12, which should not have happened but that is a story for another day! So it was nice to say hello to an "old friend".  I'm so grateful for a talent I hope to use for good all of my life. 

another day

There was nothing really special about today. 

I think that's what made it special to me.  It was just another day.  A day full of giggles and tears and requests and wardrobe changes and messes.

I pulled Avett in to bed to nurse around 6:30.  About 10 minutes later after dozing back off we awoke to Evaleigh crying for her daddy.  John sleepily got out of bed and pulled on some sweat pants in the dark.  I love hearing him tell her good morning on the monitor.  A few minutes later he returned to let me know she had soaked through her jammies and that we needed dry clothes for her.  I drifted back off to sleep and Avett and I woke back up around 7:45.  We got to snuggle and smile at each other in the morning light and a diaper change is in order.  I go to join John and Evaleigh and I find them curled up on the couch and Parker is also snuggled up under Johns other arm while they all watch Frozen.

I take my chance and start lunch prep while the kids are occupied and Avett is happy.  Boil vegetable pulp.  Chop carrots and celery.  Grill chicken.  

Meanwhile Evie wants milk.  

Bekah and I get ready to go to excersize and I realize I have a huge hole in my leggings so I have to change and put on 3 sports bras.  I realize the sports bras were all a bit premature because I have to feed Avett before we go.  He eats and then his eyes get heavy and there is a successful transfer to the pack and play. Thank goodness.

Off we go.  Zumba was fun.  I felt silly but it was fun.   When we get back home I am excited to see the kids and John is bouncing Avett on the ball.  I finish throwing the soup together for lunch and I put it on to boil.  

I shower and it's time to nurse Avett again. He is so ready to eat and squeals with impatience.  It's pretty cute.  Meanwhile Evaleigh is falling asleep drinking her milk on the couch while tugging on her ear like she always does.  I text John for help in the other room, as he has gone back to work after so sweetly watching the kids all morning.  He scoops her up and takes her back for a nap.  She cries as he carries her down the hall and after a few minutes he tries to leave the room but the creaky wooden floors wakes her. So it takes another attempt and then she is out. 

We all eat lunch.  The soup is good. I finally get Avett down for his second nap and just as I do Evie is up from her nap.  She is clearly not ready and asks to lay back down.  So I sit in the rocking chair in the room and she keeps closing and opening her eyes to peek at me.  5 minutes pass and she is ready to come out.  I feed her chicken and carrots and she wants me to feed a stuffed animal puppy too. 

While the boys are asleep Rebekah, Kate, Evie, and I all share a sweet girls moment.  She keeps saying "I miss you Kate, I love you Kate."  Kate smiles at all of us crowed around her on the ottoman.  Evaleigh says phrases and sentences I've never heard her day before,  "did ya ek-er-size yet?"  She has a long conversation with Bekah about the boo-boo on her finger and she shows a lot of concern.  She asks her all sorts of questions and I just sit there in amazement learning about my girl and bewildered at all of the things she knows.  There is nothing but bright eyes and a smile on my face.

Avett wakes and he burrows in to my neck and he feels so right right there.  Ashlyn comes over and she and Bek stay inside while I play with the toddlers on the trampoline outside.   Evaleigh is not interested in sharing the trampoline with Parker and we battle that on and off for at least 30 minutes.  At some point John comes running outside and jumps on the trampoline and we get so excited that he is finally done with work for the day!  Evaleigh asks him to get off.  Ashlyn eats some of my soup and she says it's the best soup she's ever had, it makes me feel like a million bucks.

Some time passes and it's yet again nursing time for the boy.  We go back in to the guest room and I prop myself up on a pile of pillows.  The fan is blowing hard and it pushes an unruly curl across my forehead over and over.  Evaleigh comes in to join us and spies a dress I have packed for her.  She wants to wear it so bad so I try to change her one handed while I keep nursing Avett.  I look down at him and know that this moment is simple and mundane but that someday I'll think of it and it will be one of my favorites.

More playing.   Dragging Evie around the hard wood floors on a towel and she loves it.   Dinner time.  Egg salad wraps, Evaleigh helps me put in the pepper and salt while sitting up on the island.  Bed time.  Family prayer by her bedside, it's my turn tonight. 

And here I am, at the end of another normal day. Oh so tired and oh so happy.

a little stroll

I'm just so grateful to be where I am in my life. I've never been busier but it's all very worth it.  Today I took the children outside in the beautiful weather.  I packed them up in the double stroller and down the long winding driveway we went.  First Avett drifted off to sleep after some whimpering and then Evaleigh.  I couldn't help but just close my eyes and smile at the moment.  They are everything to me and I can't imagine the day when they are grown and don't rely on me for everything.  I take so much pride in doing the little things for them.  Getting milk, picking boogers,  finding socks so their little feet won't be cold, feeding a dolly along side Evie just so dinner will go smoothly and the list could go on forever.  

Sunday after church my heart was so full.  The lesson was on families and we talked a lot about children.  I just sat there and cried thinking about the big responsibility I have upon me.  There is so much I want to teach my children. I want so badly for them to grow up and make good choices and be happy people.  My job is the best and most important thing in the world.  

Merry Christmas

As I sit here on this Christmas night bouncing my baby to sleep with my toddler tucked away safe in bed while I listen to the sound of my husband chopping firewood I feel so grateful.  This year Christmas was so full of babies and memories.  Every year at the end of Christmas Day I like to wonder what the next year will hold.  Last year I had no idea I would have the privaledge of having a son.  Next year I wonder if there will be more babies, or maybe some perhaps on the way.  I wonder if I will still have all of the special people I have in my life near me.  I wonder where we will be living and I wonder what the next year will bring.  This year was so full and so happy and I just want to sit here perfectly content and full of grattitude.  I have all of these things because my savior Jesus Christ was born and atoned for me.  

Merry Christmas.

collecting years

Yesterday John and I celebrated 3 years of marriage.  I'll never forget that special day.  I thought that it couldn't get any better than that day.  I was so wrong. 3 years, one darling baby girl, a little boy on the way, and a lot of late musical nights later it is so much better than I could have dreamed.   

We have a happy marriage and I think that one of the biggest things that keeps it that way is not holding on to the little things.  It's easy to get offended quickly and want to teach the other person a lesson by giving them the silent treatment or being rude in return. But that is one of the things that I can say we do well.  We are quick to forgive and don't hold little grudges or try and punish the other person.  We rarely stay upset for more than a few minutes because he will have me laughing or I'll make him hug me or kiss me before it gets too awkward.  We know  that we will eventually forgive each other or work it out so why not take those steps sooner rather than later.  I am grateful for that.

I love collecting the years with him.  I am proud of our three little years.  I love looking back on the things we've done and being proud of what we have created together. I think more than anything we have a really great friendship.

I love you John Murphy, thanks for being a really cool husband and always bringing home the perfect treats.  Thanks for keeping our house a fun place and being a great dad to Evaleigh.  Thanks for loving me when I'm crazy. 

boy

Thanks for all of the love and excitement about baby #2!  We are so excited to bring a Murphy BOY in to this world.  Saturday was probably one of the happiest days in John Murphy's life.  I don't know that I've ever seen a smile on his face that big, not even on our wedding day...honestly.

  

Our appointment was at Stork Vision, which I highly recommend   They do gender ultrasounds as early as 16 weeks for a super affordable price, which is awesome for impatient people like me and Mr. Murphy.  We used them for finding out what Evaleigh was and I will keep using them for every baby after!

Our appointment was at 1pm that day, which was torture!!  Especially when your one year old wakes you up at 7:30 and you are counting down the hours and minutes until you can jump in the shower and go! When we got there they took us back almost immediately.  Evaleigh has an intense fear of doctors so she started crying horribly loud and dramatic.  I'm pretty sure she thought the ultrasound tech was going to hurt me.  John handed her to me and she laid her body across my chest, started patting my shoulder, and didn't move the entire time.

The tech started the ultrasound and John had his face 2 inches from the big screen tv where we could see it all.  The anticipation on his face was priceless.  When the goods popped up on the screen for just a minute he jumped back with a huge smile.  They came on again as clear as could be and before the tech could even get anything out of her mouth he said, "ITS A BOY!" and put his hands over his head as if he had just made the winning basket!  The ultrasound tech confirmed it and said, "That certainly is a boy.  I will literally quit my job if that isn't a boy, there is no mistaking it."  John was fist pumping and smiling and all sorts of crazy body movements that I don't think I've ever seen.

Every once in a while now he will pat my tummy and say, "My boy."  I can't wait to see him with our little guy.

If you missed it, our little video reveal is here.

verona

Last night my love sat me down in our living room and took me on a little journey.  He started clicking through a folder of pictures on his computer.  

This is Juliette's balcony in Verona, Italy.  Next to it is a statue of Juliette and a large gate.  On this gate are thousands of locks.  Lovers come from all over the world to seal their love with a lock on this gate.

John found an Italian man in Verona to put a lock for us on the gate.  He is sending us the keys to our lock and someday Mr. Murphy promises me we will go to Verona and find our lock.

Maybe then we will open it and put another lock on ours with all of the names of our children.  I can't wait for that.  I love him so much.

Vintage First Birthday Tea Party for Evaleigh

This past weekend we celebrated one whole year of Evaleigh Joy's life.  We had a Vintage Tea Party for her at our little townhouse in Atlanta.  So many people helped to make this day special.  (A special thanks to Karen and CJ for helping me learn how to frost a ruffle cake!)  EJ was a perfect birthday girl.  She walked around so proud of her new dress and smiled and was happy the whole time (except when she almost inhaled all of the frosting off of the top of her cupcake).  We loved watching her with all of her family and friends who came.  It was a tight squeeze in our little space but thankfully the weather was kind and we made it work.  We had all of EJ's monthly videos playing in the living room for everyone to watch.  Thank you to everyone who made her First Birthday so special!

Happy Birthday darling girl, we can't wait to see what this next year is like with you!

Cupcake: Sweet Dee's Bakeshop

Hairbow: Bow to the Queen and King

Tea cups and mugs: Anthropologie-similar

Striped Paper Straws : Target

Big Round Balloons: Balloonsfast.com

Felt Balls: Tadaa Studio Felt

happy birthday evaleigh joy

Today, Evaleigh is one.

It has been such an honor to be her parents for a whole year.  It has been the happiest and most full year of our lives.  Watching her grow and make us laugh while we take in every minute of her has been simply the best.

I just don't even know how to take in the fact that we have had her for a whole year.  I remember a year ago today so perfectly. This time last year I had just woken up and we were getting ready to go to the hospital for the c-section.  That was the best day of my life.

Today Evaleigh is bringing me stuffed animals and giving them huge hugs.  Everytime we go down the stairs I'll sit down at the top steps and wait til I feel two little arms hug around my neck and then I give EJ a piggy back ride all the way down, she loves it.

This morning she woke up at 7am and John and I went in to her room together to get her while singing Happy Birthday.  She probably thought it was pretty weird.  She gave us an uneasy look, we are already embarrassing her.  

I can't wait to celebrate her life all day.