as we speak…

she-

1.is still loving school. she’s very serious about it. she has to do her homework ON MONDAY!! even though it’s not due until friday. she won’t let us walk her in her school…she doesn’t mess around with this school stuff,ha!

2.is dressed up as rapunzel when she’s not in school clothes

3.loves writing stories in a little composition book she has at home. she illustrates them as well. so cute.

4.is VERY into all types of music. she is the child that knows all the words to every song she hears.

5.is having a hard time after school each day. we leave at 7:40 and get home at 4 pm…that makes for a LONG day. she’s tired and it’s causing her to get very grumpy,bless her heart. hoping she’ll adjust soon.

 

she-

1.gets herself dressed every morning as soon as she wakes up and before she comes downstairs. she used to choose dresses but now has moved on to separates which can be…um…interesting? don’t you DARE tell her that that striped tunic does not match that floral skirt. don’t you DARE.

2.tries to pick up the babies and carry them around all day long. responds to SADIE NO!!! with a smirk.

3.loves the fresh beat band, always wants to watch it and sing and dance along.

4.is loving taking showers “ALL BY MYSELF”!!!

5.could do puzzles all day long. she is patient, serious,and VERY good at them.

she (lucy)-

1.smiles all.day.long. this is not an exaggeration. she is the happiest baby i’ve ever known.

2.splashes like a MANIAC in the bath and scares me half to death. she lunges, bounces, tries to stick her mouth in the water…terrifying.

3.puts everything in her mouth

4.loves to give me big open mouthed kisses (more like slobbery licks, but i’ll take ’em)

5.says DADADADADADADADA all day long ever since j came home. hmmph. i only hear MAMAMAMAMAMAMA when she’s hungry. 🙂

 

she (cate)-

1.has taken to making this LOVELY face constantly. this is the “bulldog” face. all of our children have a period from about 9-11 months where they do this face obsessively.

2.snatches and grabs at everything. especially faces.

3.loves baby mum mums and gerber puffs. i buy them in bulk mainly because of her.

4.doesn’t want to be held. there’s too much CRAWLING and EXPLORING and PULLING UP to be done!

5.screams really loud and sooooo high pitched at me if i take something away from her!

he:

1.is always holding at least one of his daughters. i cannot find a photo of him without at least one girl in his arms since he’s been home.

2.may or may not have called 911 (his first time alone with more than 2 of the children) 10 minutes after i left b/c sadie swallowed a nickel. you decide whether this is fact or fiction.

3.has been helping me do some crossFit work outs. he is in amazing shape. me? i almost died. but i didn’t throw up and i didn’t quit. i consider this progress.

4.is very very jealous of the iPad he gave me.

5.made us the best hamburgers this weekend. one of the best hamburgers i’ve ever had,actually.

 

she-

1.is certifiably obsessed with her iPad2. she could spend all day on stumbleupon and flipboard if she let herself. it’s a serious addiction.

2.is in a slump at the gym. still loving zumba and strength/cardio classes, but HATING step. also not loving turbokick or kickboxing. burned out. reevaluating how many classes per week to attend and how many crossFit workouts to subsitute.evolving.

3.is wanting to do a blog redesign BADLY.it is consuming her thoughts !:)

4.has been getting ocular/silent migraines lately. think the aura that comes with a migraine without the actual migraine. it’s been a lifelong thing, but they are never fun.

5.has lots of fun craft projects in mind. MUST get hands on twinkle lights asap.

 

and we?

are loving being a we.

happy tuesday y’all!

xxo

s

first of all, thank you all SO much for your “welcome homes”,your “happy birthdays” and your sweet words of encouragement and love. i’ve said it once, i’ll continue to say it a million times…y ‘all are the best. the absolute best.

we’ve had a great week. it’s nice not having to WORRY. i can’t explain it. i sleep better. i smile more.

j is back at work (gotta love the army, no rest for the weary) and both of the bigs are now in school. i spend most of the day driving. both girls are in different schools on different sides of town. sadie is half day, harper is full day. so…yep, i drive. 🙂

this week in the howell house:

our very first ENTIRE family dinner. the babies were too small to do this before he left. this one’s blurry, but please look at j gulping his wine. hahahahah! makes me giggle every time.

 

barbies…can you see lucy and cate? love.

     

sadie’s first day of preschool. this was the one day j had off so it was perfect. he got to walk her in (she was SO excited) and then after we took her out for mac&cheese and hot chocolate (her  two absolute favorite things).

 

 

 

 

 

family date at the splash park in ellis square- these pictures might possibly be the best photos EVER. especially the bottom one. hahahahhahahahhaha! oh my gosh, i’m laughing out loud. i swear. classic.

 

more harper back to school fashion. she makes me take a picture of her every.single.day. it’s so funny. i’m thinking it will make an awesome scrapbook page…

 

carpool line…i had to share this b/c this is one of my all time favorite photos of sadie. that nose!!!

 

          

birthday date night, i got to wear my new ann taylor loft dress (i worried i might never get to!) and dress up. we went to dinner at vic’s on the river and j surprised me with a new iPad. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! it might be the first time in 11 years together that he completely, utterly surprised me. no idea.

and now? i’m OBSESSED. big time.

 

so that’s the week in photos. free of worry. 🙂 lots of smiles,blessings,and sheer relief.

 

happy friday, y’all!

xxo

s 

   

patterned papers, thickers, dream big accent,goodness accent- amy tangerine for american crafts

chipboard flower accents-crate paper

tags and doilies-martha stewart

ribbon-craft supply

pinking shears

 

may she always have the same enthusiasm,eagerness,positivity,joy that she has at 5. may she always have these bright eyes.

note: the heart is part of the patterned paper. you can see it here. i simply cut the left edge with an exacto so that i could slip the photo underneath.

xoxo

s

random photo taken at 3 am before i went to get j the other day. haha! please note all of his laundry washed and folded in the closet…so funny. 🙂

sooo…today i turn 34. it’s funny. i’ve never really felt that panic at getting older. not at 30, not this year at 34. in all honesty all i feel is profound gratitude.

at the gift of another year with my family.

and this year? i get to add together to that sentence.

yep. gratitude describes this feeling best.

here are a few things i’d like to do in the next year. no pressure. no HAVE TOs. just WANT TOs.

1.continue to exercise daily

2.try yoga

3.use my sewing machine

4.go on more dates with jimmy

5.get frustrated less

6.relax more

7.volunteer

8.do more “just for fun layouts”

9.take a spinning class

10.see a movie in the theater

11.allow myself to ask for help. and accept it when it is offered.

12.call old friends. see them.

13. make a new friend

14. join a bible study

15. get better at talking about things that are bothering me instead of burying them

16.bake

17.go to 3 new cities

18.go to cha

19.be more assertive

20.re design my blog

21.PLAY more with the girls

22.teach an online scrapbooking class

23.get a manicure

24.donate

25.be okay with saying “no”

26.say thank you more

27.go on a walking tour of savannah

28.re-read to kill a mockingbird

29.go to a concert

30.hand write a love letter

31.run

32.regularly tell the people i love how much they mean to me

33.try a new haircut

34.have a girls night out.

it’s funny to see my heart’s desires written out like that.

but mostly…i just want to be.

be happy. be together. be grateful. be healthy.

here’s to the gift of another amazing year!

happy happy wednesday, friends!

xxo

s

that i won’t be around much for the next couple of days.

i’ve got a handsome soldier sleeping upstairs. 🙂

see you soon!

xxo

p.s. if you notice bedhead in this photo it’s because we got up at 4 am to go get him. well, i never slept, but the big girls were TROOPERS. life’s always an adventure w/ him. love it.