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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

um are you guys good luck or something?

i think that admitting my weaknesses to the interwebs has some advantages.

1. no headache today

2.I FOUND US A HOME!
that's right. right after i blogged yesterday i found us a home in RI! and it is my dream house. it will be the perfect place to spend a year together.

the porch (es) scream "sit in rocking chairs and drink wine after the kids go to sleep".

the front door is perfect for j to walk in EVERY SINGLE DAY!

the yard is a dream yard for the girls.

and the public elementary school? is amazing.

the homeowners are kind,helpful,and encouraging. and they have a college aged daughter in the area who babysits!!

it is going to be a year long vacation for us. i mean that. that is how i am looking at it. this year is going to be a gift!

New

now wish me luck getting anything else done for the next few months. this is not going to help my daydreaming problems!

thanks to all of you for listening to me…i really do think y'all are good luck!!!

please forgive the overabundance of capital letters and exclamation points in this post. i'm a tad over-excited if you can't tell.

now who's coming to visit?? 🙂

xoxo

the BEST.

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18 months old is the best age in the WORLD. Hands down. I forget every time and I fall in love with this age all over again.

Chubby legs running, slobbery kisses,snugggles,chattering,laughing.The BEST.

On another note,yes I'm around and okay. I've been out of town 2 weekends in a row…finding a house in RI (having bad luck there),finishing the school year,preparing for a visit from BB,etc etc.

I am just fine but I've started having ocular migraines again. This tells me I'm pushing myself…and I know that. I'm taking the necessary measures to make sure I take care of my girls and me, and that means not blogging as much. I simply can't do it ALL and I have to accept that. So I hope you will excuse my intermittent presence here.

Thanks for those of you who have checked on me. I swear I have the most compassionate blog readers and friends in the world.

xoxo

s

 

 

juxtaposition

from this:

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to this:

pretty much sums up everyday life right now.and i wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

xo

the power of a photo

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photo taken outside the olde pink house on harper's sixth birthday

This photo terrifies me.

Because she's six…but I see glimpses of sixteen. I can see what she will look like as a woman,and it makes my heart hurt.

The funny thing is,I can see myself looking back on this photo when she is sixteen and treasuring how little she was.

She is so beautiful.

Do you ever have moments like this with your children? Where you look at a captured image and see glimpses of the future?

It simultaneously thrills and terrifies me.

And when things like this happen,my heart says a quick prayer and it always sounds a little something like this..

Please Lord. Let me be there to see the real thing.

Every day I watch her grow is a privilege.

I think every mother gets scared. Scared that it will be hard. Scared that she won't know what to do. Scared that something will happen and she won't get to witness it at all.

How does one photo have the power do that? It's actually quite amazing. And one of the many,many reasons I love photographs.

I hope you all have a beautiful day!

xoxo

S

joy and satisfaction

it’s a joy to be able to witness 2 almost 18 months old feel the sand under their toes for the first time.

Catewalk

Lucysand

it’s a treat to watch the sand move under their legs as the tide comes in and to see the complete and utter confusion on their little faces.

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Catesitting

there is nothing…and i mean NOTHING cuter than chubby baby legs and swimsuits.

Clwalking
Lucydancing

watching a baby accidentally eat sand for the very first time is hilarious.

Lucyeatsand

cate found it hilarious too.

Catesmile
this one kind of grosses me out b/c it looks strangely real. but that is a beach toy:

Categator

and i have to tell you…there is major satisfaction to be found in the simple act of taking your four children to the beach without your husband’s help.

it was a major i CAN do it moment! yes…the bigs were there, but i didn’t get any photos because they were frolicking in the ocean and i couldn’t leave the babies for a second. 🙂

hope your monday is beautiful,blessed,and productive.

xoxo