Messy Love

Yogurt + Emme = Messy Love.

The End.

Merit Badge

I think Kindergarten is going to agree with us quite nicely.  Carter had a great first day and even happily did a video about it (Emme was pretty cute in the co-star role)...





Day two was great as well and she came home with one very loose tooth.  Her daddy (who is the professional tooth puller around these parts) just so happened to be out of town so the responsibility shifted to me (Lord help us).  Let's just say that it took us 2 very agonizing hours to manage to get that stubborn little booger out.  OH MY GOSH.  It was not fun.  But once it was gone I had one very happy little lady...

In other news it is now virtually impossible for her to say the letter "S" as she is now missing all 4 of her front teeth.  So she has a newly acquired (adorable) lisp.  As she read to me last night she said, "Do you hear that??  My voice sounds soooo different!"  Love that kid.

I also have my first official "tooth pull" under my belt.  If motherhood earned merit badges I would proudly sew that one on my vest!  Everyday is a new adventure.

All I Really Need To Know

And just like that she's gone.  Our house is a lot quieter this morning minus one smiling five year old face...

She brings a certain energy and her absence is going to take a little getting used to...

Her little sister is doing her best to keep me busy though...

A little time for just the two of us is already proving to be quite entertaining...

This morning we woke up before the sun and while Nate and I were getting ready Carter came in completely dressed which I think translates into, "I'm VERY excited for my first day of Kindergarten!"  Waffles were on the menu for breakfast...

And then it was time for me to document (a job we all know I take very seriously *smile*).  I took this photo last year on C's first day of Pre-K...

And I've decided it will be a fun one to duplicate year to year.  This year she is rockin' some Toms instead of Keds...

Ready to learn all she needs to know (poem by Robert Fulghum)...

A sparkly backpack will be her trusty sidekick for the year (once we saw this all other backpacks were dead to her)...

And then it was time...And she was ready...And I wasn't sure I was...but there was no turning back now...

So we walked her in.  Emme was along for the ride...

And flashing her "pretty" smile (which isn't very pretty at all)...

But that's okay, because she is beautiful...

We finally made our way to the door...

Once inside Carter found all the right spots for all her little things.  then she went to find her chair.  But right before she sat down she remembered her dad standing near the door and whispered, "I want to go tell daddy bye".  Then she confidently took her seat...

And then just like that it was over...and we left...and I wasn't sure I would cry (but of course I did).  How did this happen?  Suddenly she's so stinkin' grown up.  My mind is filled with a million little moments that we have shared over the past five almost six years of spending most of our waking minutes together.  I couldn't be prouder...really...I just wasn't quite ready to walk away.  Then again I don't know if I ever will be...

Kindergarten Eve

Sassy new haircut...

Check!

Shiny new school supplies...Check!

First day "outfit" all picked out...Check!

Lunch packed and ready to go...Check!

Anxious anticipation...Check, CHECK!!

Kindergarten here we come...Let's do this thing!!

Tickle Monster

I love this video.  I mean LOVE it...

This is dedicated to the one I love.

9 years ago on one very hot evening our friends and family gathered in a little army chapel in the middle of no where.  It was charming, quaint and exactly what I had always envisioned my "wedding" would be.  


Oh, and did I mention there was no air conditioning?  Ahhhhhhh yes, 100 degree temps also meant it was a very sweaty evening.  Lucky for us we were surrounded by good sports.  They say love is blind and it must be true, I can hardly remember the heat.  I was marrying the man of my dreams and was the happiest girl in the world...

I was also very young (21 to be exact)...

And while I'm not longer such a spring chicken (let's just say 2 kid's have a way of changing things up a bit) he still makes me the happiest girl in the world...

We've been through a lot the past 9 years.  I would say very heavy on happiness with a little heartache thrown in for good measure.  Definitely a love worth celebrating and a couple of weekends ago we did just that.  We headed to one of our favorite places...

And stayed at one of my favorite hotels...

Nate got us the hook up and we landed in a cool corner suite...

I could happily live there and survive on room service and the mini bar for the rest of my life...

It was a lovely weekend.  We ate at Sandra Bullock's Bess Bistro...

And spent plenty of time relaxing...

 Knowing our girls were in good hands hanging with their sweet Roxi gave us the freedom to enjoy ourselves (thanks so much mom, you're the bomb.com)...

We were feeling a little nostalgic so we headed over the the Capitol...

We actually rode a petty cab which was fun and not something we do everyday.  Then we held hands and walked around, just like we did so many times 9+ years ago...

This place will always be special...

It is after all where a certain guy got down on one knee and told me I'd made him the happiest man on earth and he wanted to spend the rest of his life trying to do the same for me...

In case your wondering he's doing an excellent job.  Happy Anniversary Nate...I love you with all my heart.

Let's Fall In Love

I was honored to attend a wedding in Midland a couple of weeks ago.  It was intimate and sweet and they also just so happened to have overlooked having someone to snap a few photos of the day.  I had so much fun taking pictures and putting this little slide show together for them.  Here's to happily ever after (you may want to pause the music at the bottom before watching)...

All good things must come to an end.

Let me start off by saying...


My name is Beth and I'm an Instagram-aholic.


Whew, I'm glad to get that off my chest.  I realized the other day that I haven't busted out my "good" camera in quite a while.  What can I say the Iphone wins.  It's easy, durable and with me at all times.  Not that I'm giving up on "real" photographs, but for the everyday activities Instagram takes the cake.


While I'm in a confessing mood I'll go ahead and admit that I'm also totally in denial over the fact that school is just one short week around the corner.  The oh so elusive Kindergarten that has always seemed to loom so far ahead is finally upon us.  It feels like a new chapter of life is beginning...my heart recognizes that familiar twinge that comes with having to let go just a little bit more.


We're hanging on though.  Making the most of our last few days of summer.  I know all good things must come to an end but we can do our best to go out with a bang.  So I find myself making pancakes for little girls in pajamas and heading to the Kiddie Park (we are BIG fans) for a morning with friends...  

Emme was not satisfied with sitting this one out and so she strapped in for her first "big girl" ride...

She totally loved it...

Miss Independent should be her middle name right now...

She is pretty convinced she doesn't need me around to help her do anything...

She was crazy about the "horsey"...

I loved her tight little grip on the reigns...

I am digging her sense of adventure...

I'm also digging my last few days with this girl before school steals her away (she loved getting spend her morning with a sweet friend)...

Oh darn, just like that I'm teary eyed...

Just knowing that the next time summer rolls around she'll be another year older...

Another year wiser...

Another year closer to being all grown up...

Okay I know I'm being a total sap...but I can't help myself.  She is an amazing big sister, a precious little person, and it has been a joy to have her constant chatter fill the minutes in my days for the past almost 6 years.  What a joy and a privilege to be her mom...

The only thing keeping me from losing my cool is knowing this little angel isn't going anywhere...

Being their Mama is the best thing that has ever happened to me.