four years ago

Four years ago my sweet Evie was just over a year old and i was brand new pregnant with Avett.  I came across these pictures today and showed them to the kids.  They loved looking at the old photographs and OOO'd and AHHH'd over baby Evie.

good days

During the day I find myself in the middle of doing some sort of mundane task.  

It could be loading the dishwasher and watching Avett smile at Evaleigh while she plays with playdough in her highchair.  

It could be playing outside and watching Evaleigh dunk her feet in the fountain with her socks still on.  

It could be a moment when I get distracted by something on my phone for a few minutes and then I look down to see Avett staring at me with bright eyes and a smile on his face watching my every move.  

It could be that long-awaited moment when John finally is done with work for the day and Evaleigh squeals for him to chase her around the living room, we all feel that same excitement, "Yay!  He is finally ours for the rest of the evening!"  

It could be the look John and I share when Evaleigh says something off the wall or makes a face we've never seen.

It could be laying in my bed and nursing our boy to sleep while I hear Evaleigh in the distance say "Ahhh" as she opens her mouth for John to brush her teeth and then I hear his heavy footsteps on the stairs as their voices fade softer and he carries her up to bed.  

It could be holding hands and falling on to the couch with John as we both let out a sigh once the babies are both asleep for the night.

These moments, however simple they may be, are the makings of good days.  I look around me and I know I am in them, the days I will look back on with warmth.  They are filled with so much love.  

I was having one of these moments last week when I had the children outside one afternoon. John was trying to fix our car for the 5th week in a row.  Evaleigh was in the big swing and I had Avett kicking on a blanket on the ground.  She was going as high as I could swing her and laughing and I just knew I wanted to remember that moment.  Sometimes when I'm having moments like that I close my eyes and say a quick prayer to God and ask him to help me to always remember that moment.  

Yesterday I was driving in the car by myself to get groceries.  My mother kept the children for me.  I rarely ever have time to myself where I can be quiet and think and just really talk to God like a friend.  So I just drove and prayed out loud.   I thanked Him for where we are in our lives right now.  I am so happy with my babies and my husband and our life together.  We are just where we should be and even though we are living somewhat of a penniless life right now, we are happier than we've ever been.  I wouldn't trade any wealth in the world for what we share.  I know these are the good days and I know there are many more to come.

letter to evie

Dear Evie,  

Tonight on our way home from visiting family in Atlanta you were so sleepy.  We kept you up later than we normally do and when we finally got in the car you had trouble falling asleep.  So I reached my hand to the back seat and I held your bare foot.  It took me back to the days when my mother would do that for me on long family car trips.  There was something so sweet and comforting about it for me as a little kid and even later as a teenager. After a minute or so I let go and brought my hand back to my lap and then I heard a little whine and you said in a tired voice, "feet....mama."  So I reached around again and held on tight.  Your warm little naked foot felt so good in my hand (despite your sharp toenails that I can't convince you to let me clip.) We are like puzzle pieces, you and me.  I think about that a lot these days.  You like to play 'baby' with me and lay in my lap and pretend to cry like a baby and you want me to calm you down.  I love holding you like that because it's been a while since you used to let me cuddle you and rock you.  I have such fond memories of those times with you on Bayshore Drive waking up in the middle of the night to feed you and put you back to sleep under the light of daddy rose light in Colonel Chitty's old blue lazy boy. 

These pictures of you in the pasture are some of my favorite.  We walked around the property for a long time that day while your brother slept on my chest in the Bjorn.  We marched around the edge of the fence singing The Iron Rod. You insisted on wearing a purple princess dress and gold fur boots from Momomee.  Your curiosity and love for the outside world makes me proud.

I sure love you and everything you are becoming.

Mama

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.  

getting behind

Avett, 

I am sorry for getting behind on these! Here is your two month video.  You turned 3 months on Saturday so I better get cracking on that one too.  My life is pretty busy and full trying to take care of you and your sassy sister. You two are the most precious things in my life.  I adore you and your most perfect smiles you give me throughout the day.

the party that never happened

Whew, this past week has been a blur.  Friday was Evaleigh's 2nd Birthday.  I decided to be all "I'm a cool pinterest mom" and put balloons in Evies room the night before her birthday so they would be a fun surprise for her when she woke up in the morning.  John and I crept up to her room after we heard her start to stir and I began recording a video to see her reaction.  Well, it went something like this...

HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAYYY!  

AH!  

Oh woops.

Oh thats throw up. 

Yeah.  

You ok?  

Ok. 

It was horribly sad...and graphic.

Evie spent all of her birthday wrapped in sheets with a nasty stomach bug.  Since we didn't want to plauge our whole family with the sickness we had to cancel her party.  I was pretty sad about it.  Her Auntie flew in from Colorado and John's Dad and step-mom came up from Florida. We are hoping they didn't all go home with the bug.

So here it is, the party that never happened. It was supposed to be a sewing theme party with a vintage Holly Hobby sewing machine, old wooden thread spool garland, a spool cake topper, and a hand made sewn bday banner.

I have a 5 layer confetti cake sitting in my refrigerator that I have no clue what to do with. 

The good news is that by that night she was running around saying, "I two I two I two."  The bad news is, John and Avett and I all caught the bug too.  Hopefully we will all be back to normal by tomorrow. 

Happy 2nd Birthday darling, sorry you spent your special day trying to keep down bites of pedialyte popsicles.

happy birthday Evie

I can't believe you will be two tomorrow.  You have brought a spirit and joy to my life that I never knew could be so great.  I always hoped becoming a mother would be wonderful but you came in to the world and made it possible for me to feel heart bursting love multiple times a day every day.  I can't believe that I'm lucky enough to love this much.  You make your dad and I laugh every single day.  The things you come up with sometimes are unreal.

You have an obsession with your own toes.  You must be afraid that someone is going to steal them because often times when someone gets close to you you exclaim, "my toes!"  and back away.  

You love to say your cousin Kate's name with a British accent and you call her Cake.

You give mommy back rubs a lot.  I can tell that you are a compassionate little soul.  You are often concerned about my back after I've been doing a lot of chores and you will sit beside me and rub my back ever so softly.

You are obsessed with stealing your brothers socks right off of his feet.  What's up with that?

You love polishing your nails.  

You love closing doors.  The phrase "When one door closes, another one opens." does not apply in our house.  You won't allow it.  One time you shut me inside of our very very tiny closet while I was trying to hang clothes.

You call the temple pimple.  You tell me ,"No prophet" when I try to read to you from Gordon B Hinckleys book.

When you cry you tell us "I'm crying".  It's so sad and so cute.

You are very much a daddy's girl and you love when he is done with work so he can chase you around the living room.  He gets you up every morning.  You love him so much.

You are learning new words and things everyday. You love to color, play with Besty, kiss your brother, sit with mommy, I love everything about this age you are now.  Watching you grow is bittersweet but I feel so lucky I get to do it.