Snaggle Tooth

Last week when I picked Carter up from school she couldn't wait to flash me her grin...

Bum, Bum, Bum...Another one bites the dust!!  

I couldn't stop staring at my little toothless wonder...I didn't realize one little tooth would make such a difference in her grin...

She got a some love from her littlest fan...

And then they spent some time posin' for me, which I'm always a fan of...

Some days it seems nearly impossible to get a picture of the two of them together, but occasionally the stars align...

Later that night Carter gave Emme a little lesson in Tooth Fairy 101.  First you wiggle the tooth until it comes out...

Then you put it under your pillow and she comes to leave you a little money...

Emme thought this all sounded like a fabulous idea and got right to work wiggling her own front tooth...

I didn't have the heart to tell her it would be quite a while before she was sleeping with a tooth under her pillow.  Carter on the other hand will be having plenty of visits from the Tooth Fairy in her near future...

I love that little snaggle tooth grin...

And the sassy girl that goes along with it...

Change

Change your diapers

change your clothes

do the laundry

wipe your nose

Down for a nap

work still to do

wash the dishes 

fix your food

Feed you lunch

go for a walk

Swinging so high

sweet baby talk

Some changes big

Some changes small

But the change in my heart

is the greatest of all

I ran across this poem I had written while I was cleaning out our garage today.  I think I wrote it when Carter was around 10 months old.  I realize it is very simple and may even seem a little silly...but as I read it this afternoon it still described so perfectly how I feel.  

Being a stay-at-home mom is sometimes an exercise spent in daily rituals that seemingly never end.  Finishing a task only to realize it almost always needs to be repeated.  I'd be lying if I said that part of it doesn't get a little old.  

But, you know what doesn't?  My current favorite five seconds of the day.  It's the few moments I spend each evening after I wrap Emme up tightly in her hooded towel.  She is fresh from the bath and I sweep her into my arms.  It takes just about five seconds to walk from the bathroom, down the hall, and to her room.  But for those sweet seconds she gets so still and we gaze adoringly into each others eyes.  It's brief and, if I'm being honest, ends with her trying to kick the tar out of me as I attempt to dry her off and get her jammie's on.  Definitely a daily ritual that doesn't get old.  Wanna' hear another one? It's that moment right before Carter drifts off to sleep, when she is almost to drowsy to make out her words and she mumbles, "I love you mommy," under her breath.  She hardly ever calls me mommy anymore and I'd wash a thousand dishes just to hear her say it.  

I'm kinda' loving all the ways my world got rocked when I became a mom.  And I'm thankful for a simple little poem stuck in a box that reminded me of how much I really love my day job.

Green Acres...

Is the place to be.  And after spending the day in the country I'm thinking farm living might really be the life for me.  With all the daily "noise" and commotion of life there is something beyond refreshing about the peace and quiet of wide open spaces (all photos courtesy of my super talented "sister" Jenny)...

It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful day celebrating our Mama and all that she means to us...

Which is a lot (and that is putting it mildly)...

My favorite five year old was soaking up all the love and fun that the country had to offer...

And I was grateful for the opportunity to have a few photos of she and I snapped together, it was Mother's Day after all and being a mom is my dream come true (Emme wasn't in a "picture taking mood" hence her absence)...

Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us Jenny...I couldn't have asked for a better gift...

The Love's of my life...

Some days are just a little happier than others...

And this was just one of those days...

Land spreadin' out so far and wide...darlin' I love ya' but give me that countryside...

P.S. When your sister (who just so happens to be in kick ass shape) suggests that you do some run/jump shots just go with it...

Realizing of course that you'll look like a total idiot.  


You are wearing a maxi dress, you are wearing your most un-athletic sandals, and you are not exactly in "kick ass" shape...

But you'll laugh so hard you almost pee your pants...which makes it totally worth it.

Happy Birthday Momma'

This is my Momma', she is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world...

The older I get the easier it is to see what an amazing person she is.  I have to admit I must have been awfully near sighted as a kid.  I couldn't see past her "mom" hat.  But as an adult I can see her for who she really is...I am overwhelmed by her many talents and the personality that I'm sure I took for granted when I was young.  She is beautiful inside and out and I could not be more thankful that my girls get to call her "Roxi"...

Happy Birthday Momma', I love you with all my heart.

Happy Tears

I love a good surprise.


This past Sunday (Mother's Day to be exact) my sister, my brother and I put our heads together and decided that the perfect gift for our momma' would be...us!  


You see, we don't all get to be in one place at the same time very often and we knew that would be the thing that would mean the most to her.  Of course we also knew it would be a whole lot of fun if she didn't know we were coming...so we surprised her!  She had no idea as my dad lead her into a brunch that was supposed to be "just the two of them" she would instead round the corner and find all of us...

It was fabulous!  She cried happy tears (just like we knew she would) and we got to show her just how much we love her.  She makes all of us so very happy (you can read more about the day from her point of view HERE)...

After breakfast we headed out to spend a little time in the country.  We hung out at the fabulous little farmhouse my parents are staying in while they transition to Temple...

It was peaceful, quite, and I suddenly had a craving for country life...

Ahhhh...fresh air does a body good (just for the record Kim was joking around in this shot, I personally think she looks fabulous)...

The beauty inspired a fun impromptu photo shoot in the cornfield (lucky for us Jenny just happens to be a budding photographer and gifted us by taking pictures)...

Considering these are all the "I-Phone" outtakes I can't wait to see what she got with her professional camera...

No rush Jenny...we know you're just a little busy with law school, your photography biz, not to mention Clint and two sweet dogs (she is the girl who does it all).  We're just glad we could steal you away from all the craziness for a little while, you made the day that much sweeter...

It was a Mother's Day I won't soon forget.  Made all the sweeter by the fact that I get to "mother" my own tiny munchkin's.  Speaking of I just have to say that there is nothing better than the excitement a certain five year old in our family has when it comes to gift giving.  She must have asked at least 10 times on Saturday if she could give me my Mother's Day card.  When Nate finally gave her the go ahead she could hardly contain herself.  As she ran up to me about to burst and handed me a very fat envelope (which I've learned means you've hit the "momma jackpot" and are receiving gift cards).  As I started to flip it over she was going a mile a minute and telling me, "It's a SPA!!  IT'S A SPA!!  And guess what else!??" she said excitedly..."WE GET TO GO TOGETHER!!"  Her excitement literally brought tears to my eyes.  The fact that she went cuckoo for cocoa puffs over the opportunity for she and I to get a pedicure together was the real gift.  She had labeled each of the gift cards (one for me and one for her)...

Melt my heart.  It was one of those really happy moments.  Oh yeah, and this is how she signed my card...

the "and Kim" in her sweet little writing is what got me.  I love that kid.


Hope your Mother's Day was lovely in every way.  

If there ever comes a day...

Today has me thinking about these three little letters that changed my life forever...




M - O - M




These little faces that represent my greatest achievement...

My heart can't even remember what it was like without them in it.  I can only hope that as they grow into beautiful young women they will keep a little bit of their momma's love tucked away in their own sweet hearts...for those rainy day moments when nothing else will do.  


I know I have my own little spot to draw from...

Happy Mother's Day...there's nothing like it.

Joy Like an Ocean

Somedays I watch my girls and am seriously taken back by the joy.  I wonder when was the last time I felt that kind of happiness...the kind that just bubbles up with reckless abandon?  


We've been living in the land of no rain lately and have been watering daily to keep our newly planted flowers alive and well.  The other day the girls were hanging out on the front porch when Emme suddenly decided she needed to take a closer look at this sprinkler business...

She looked back at us as if to say, "Is this okay??"...

Which was quickly followed by the moment the water hit her...

And as she headed back for the safety of the porch...

There is was...

That pure joy thing...

It was a pretty entertaining show for her audience of three (Carter was playing spectator on this day, but she's had plenty of joy filled sprinkler moments too)...

And just in case you needed a little more joy in your ocean, I'm not sure there is anything sweeter than the face on this chick the moment she lays eyes on her daddy (but you don't have to take my word for it) her little legs couldn't get her to him fast enough...

Yes little Emme you are the cutest thing I have ever laid eyes on...

Thanks for the joy baby girl.