blueberry pickin' at bush n' vine

bush n' vine. we will definitely be heading back over in the near future. it was such a beautiful piece of land. we picked blueberries, tasted all sorts of melons, played in the sand box, the pipe slide, smelled sunflowers, and checked out an active bee hive. the property was covered with zinnias which just so happen to be one of my favorite flowers. it was awesome.

thursday thoughts

{woo hoo! all five of us may 2013} 

we are really really enjoying summer. really for the first time together. we love having matthew home this summer.

i took a nap today.  i fell asleep to grey turning the pages of his fourth book for the week. he is racking up his points on his summer reading chart. and then the boys woke me up. oops. it was raining and chore day. what can i say?

i have hit such a creative lull. in a major way. i need some inspiration. in a major way. i haven't pulled out the ol' big daddy camera in quite some time and it's sad. i haven't written in far too long. i am struggling to see beauty around me and capture it in words and images. i NEED to get on this pronto. it's crucial.

i get to run with my husband in the morning. i can't wait.

again, it was chore day which meant wrangling three little boys to complete some tasks around here. as long as i make it fun they really are such incredible helpers. even will man. though he takes a little more coaxing.

nothing about our week has gone as planned. although that has worked out just perfectly and left us relaxed and flexible. we have had the opportunity to enjoy dinner with friends, family walks, hit the pool when the sun was actually out, and we are here for the entire weekend. hip hip! 

i turn 30 in 9 days. wowzies. 

i set the boys up in the living room this morning while i finished up the chores they couldn't help with and turned on yoga on youtube. that made for a good laugh. grey was working it, tuck was trying his hardest to get the right form, and will was just rolling around like a beached whale whilst occasionally reaching his hands up. i'll be pulling that one out every now and again just for fun.

pillow fighting is by far one of my favorite things to do with the boys. it's so rewarding. i get to throw pillows at them, they don't get hurt, they aren't tackling me, and i get to hear them giggle over and over and over!

this time next week i'll be livin' it up with matthew at the weston resort in hilton head. just an awesome celebration of turning 30!!! i can hardly contain myself. i am going to ride and bike and read and eat. it's going to be awesome.

we are rocking whole30 which should really be whole10 for us. we're doing 10 days this time and both of us are feeling fantastic. oh man it feels so good to feel so good.

i love july.

home and life

home.

it's the walls and the paint and the couch, yes. but little did i realize what home actually means to me. 

i realize i'm just a tad over-sentimental, but regardless, leaving that true first place we really made home was something tough i never anticipated. honestly now, when do i really ever anticipate anything but this, this was too much.

everywhere i turned i could feel the life that happened there. i could smell it and touch it and taste it and hear it. all of it. 

as the wife and mother the home is truly where my heart is as cheesy as that may be. my heart is in the meals i prepare, the words that are spoken, the hugs that are given. the beds that are made and are slept in, the toilets that are cleaned, the walls that we painted, the pictures i took and hung. the grass we planted and nurtured, the flowers my mom picked and planned and created lovely for us. the weeding, the watering, the laughing, the listening, the crying, the loving. 

the life in that home so abundant. 

we brought two babies home here. we came as three and left as five. 

we danced and sang and learned together here. we grew and grew and grew some more. we cried and yelled and fought together here. we dreamed and prayed and stretched ourselves here. 

life happened here. in our home. 

it's full of intentional time, intentional conversation, and intentional love. it's part of my heart investment in the boys of ours. 

and the same life will happen in homes to come. because we will be together making it a home, living life. 

the Lord is ever faithful in His abundant gifts He continuously gives. our next home will be full before we know it because of the life that is there. we are so grateful for our time on doves road and it will always be cherished by each of us. 

insta-june

i am realizing more and more that our months are just full. full of a lot of different things and some are full of more busy than others. just by the nature of life. but all in all our lives are full. and there are so many blessings that i wish i could hold onto forever. so i take a lot of pictures. and i am so thankful for this phone that can capture all the little things that make up this full life.

we seemed to have found ourselves at the pool lots in june. which has led to grey and tuck swimming like fish and will just floating around the pool singing. we have gotten to spend quality time with some good friends around the pool.

we had VBS the beginning of june. all the boys had a blast!!!! 

some last adventures in our backyard before moving.

the weather has really just been gorgeous. i spent some really good time those last few days on our back deck sipping coffee, reading, watching birds, and listening to the boys play. grey joined me for sipping coffee one afternoon.

grey bear the grill master.

this little william is such a snuggle bug. he loves to curl up right next to me on the couch in the morning. it's by far one of the most precious things.

feet! 

dance moves choreographed by grey and performed by he and his father.

my handsome date to a wedding recently. 

our last night in our house all together. we decided to celebrate with friends and ice cream. and fireflies and sparklers. 

 one morning i found these two in wills bed "reading" together. it really was so sweet. they were getting along for heavens sake! 

then this happened. 

this boy had about a day at home with matthew and i by himself and just came to life in a whole new way. it was so fun to spend time with just him and he loved 100% attention.

we shipped the boys off for the week so i could pack our entire house. grey and tuck got to go to mega-camp with gigi and papa and their cousins, and will stayed with marmie and poppie for some more 100% attention. all three had a MUCH better week than i had at home. i packed and cried and packed and cried and remembered all of beautiful memories those walls encompassed. all on my lonesome. i did get to go on quite a few dates with my husband and spend time with others for the week. and i got the house packed! i'm just glad that's over. 

we had about 25 people come to help us move!!! which means we were moved out and in in just under 3 hours. pretty amazing day. we are so so grateful for all the helpful hands and felt very loved.

i don't think i could have been more ready for these two to get home on saturday. they made our new "home" feel so much more like home for now. 

i snapped this picture the next morning. in the mornings in our old house, the sun would shine right through the window and hit their little faces while eating breakfast. it was something i was really going to miss and lo and behold the next morning the sun was still hitting their faces while they ate breakfast in a totally different home! 

legos.

summer storms provide the best puddles. especially in the road in front of our rental house! 

this house has a living room FULL of furniture. there is a gigantic sectional couch with a huge leather ottoman. it's a playground for the boys. and a stage for singing and dancing. 

 we had a trip to the dentist last week. tucker absolutely loved it and asked to go back a few days after. he made himself at home just like he does everywhere he goes! 

grey bear loves to lay in bed and talk about our day. this is another time i wouldn't trade.

we spent saturday at my mom and dad's. matthew helped my dad rip up my grandma's old deck and start building the new one while i hung out with the boys and my mom. we spent the morning in her garden drinking coffee and talking. it was really special actually. all the boys were content. tuck and will were frog hunting and grey was supervising the deck deconstruction. we both really enjoy gardening and i learn so much from her. 

abby and her husband  just so happened to be having a 30th birthday party that evening that the boys and i got to go to! it was so great to see her.

middle little man wrapped himself up in a hand towel.

summer nights are the best. they are made for impromptu dinner with friends followed by ice cream and firefly hunts. these are the things they are really going to remember.

 apparently this summer night was meant  for one little boy to dress up and dance like a little girl. fake hair and all. he's so secure in his masculinity. 

all the late nights mean for good naps for all of us. even the grey bear!

july is here!