Stephanie Howell

journaling: it’s the life we were born to lead. princess dresses, boas, tea parties, bows, tutus and tiaras. one day it will be boys, proms, shopping. so when i tell you we have 2 more girls on the way, don’t tell me you are sorry. we wouldn’t trade this for the world.

supplies:

patterned papers: hambly (doily), girls paperie (roses)

vellum butterflies, labels, pearl buttons– JBS

chipboard alphabet– american crafts

happy happy thursday!

xxo

* enjoying the look on people’s faces when they ask how pregnant i am. when i say 23 weeks, i kind of like not mentioning the {twins} part. it’s funny seeing people try to cover up the fact that they thought i was like..oh say….8 months pregnant. ha!

* craving chocolate milk and cheeseburgers(still)

* starting to panic a teensy bit when i think about j coming home+packing+moving+unpacking+having the babies and DOUBLING the amount of children we have! i haven’t even thought about how to do it all, i have just been concentrating on staying healthy and *getting there*. breaaaaaaaathe stephanie.

* loving mixing maternity and non-maternity pieces. thank heavens for the empire waist trend! the gray top above is not maternity (ann taylor loft) but the coral dress is.

*already at the point where i can see my belly jump.

*was surprised that having twins in there feels TOTALLY different. one is always on my bladder or up in my ribs. not the delicate butterfly flutters/thumps i felt with my other pregnancies…already feels like there is a herd of elephants in there! 

*hating the indigestion (booooo).

*but loving the excuse to take naps. 🙂

happy sunday, sweet friends!xxo

miss harper went to pre-k. and she loved it!

i got her up bright and early this morning and made her a special breakfast (with sprinkles!!!).

we got her all dolled up in her new dress, keds, and lacy socks.

 

painstakingly braided her hair and added bows to each braid.

of course, this was all at her own request…she was VERY sad that she couldn’t wear her pearl necklace and did not understand why school didn’t allow ‘cessories.

i gave her her brand new backpack and she had to put it on immediately.

we talked about how much fun she was going to have, how big she was getting, and i taught her one of my favorite things that i’ve learned at church lately:

courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s doing something in spite of that fear.

i read her the kissing hand, kissed her palm and told her my kiss would be there all day, if she got scared or worried.

of course, sadie wanted to get in on the act.

and she gave me yet ANOTHER of her prize winning facial expressions.

HAHAHAHAHHAHA! she is such a character.

 

they apparently had some secrets to tell each other???

i think harper was telling sadie not to dare to have to much fun without her when she was gone.
 

 

then we were off!

 

we dropped sadie off at hourly care, i wanted this to be a special thing that harper and i did together.

when we got there, we were early so harper moved up to the front seat so we could talk some more.

she started to get a little bit unsure, a bit nervous. she talked about “maaaayyybe just coming home with you mama???”.

 

 

i said “no way sister!!! you are going to have so so so much fun. and make new friends, and have adventures, and you will love your teacher!!! and besides….

remember the kissing hand???”.

she did.

 

and just like that, she was over it. not worried one bit. ready to GO!

she left me in the dust.
 

and i thought of all the times i will have to let her go.

i’ll watch her drive off in a car for the first time

i’ll watch her go on her first date

off to college

down the aisle.

she’ll make decisions that i don’t agree with. do things that scare me. we won’t always get along perfectly. i will embarrass her. we will frustrate each other.

we will have our ups and downs.

but i will always, always be as proud of her as i was today. she is my heart.

who knew pre-k could teach a mommy so much?

xoxo

s

a lift of the fabulous amytangerine for a challenge at studio calico.

patterned paper- crate paper (pink floral), basicgrey (brown die cut), my mind’s eye (teal polka dot)

pearl flowers, butterfly- jenni bowlin

jeweled floral center (on butterfly)- prima

“this is my favorite”- dear lizzy/american crafts

twine- studio calico

stitch rubons- hambly

envelope- maya road

journaling card- collage press

punches- martha stewart doily border punch, stampin’ up! scallop border

pen- american crafts precision pen (.01 tip)

happy wednesday!

xxo

 

as we approach the end of august, i’ve got reunions on my mind. i find myself daydreaming constantly about being together again as a family.

i bet that you have probably seen one of the you tube videos circulating. you know the ones…the soldier reunions. they are the best. i ugly cry every.single.time.

the one i watched most recently made me dig up my copy of this video and watch again:

daddy surprise from stephanie howell on Vimeo.

there is nothing in the world like reuniting with someone you love. especially someone who has been somewhere dangerous and really far away for a long period of time.

i just can’t explain it. i live for those moments. the in between, the horrible parts? well those reunions make it all worthwhile.

you know when you were sixteen? and you had a massive crush on that cute boy at school??? and every time you saw him or he talked to you, your pulse sped up?

butterflies in your tummy, talking a million miles a minute, in heaven..

that’s what it’s like.

first kiss good. heart drop to your toes good.

we’ve been having reunions ever since there was an “us”.

j went to west point (in NY) and i went to baylor (in TX). for over ten years now, we’ve been having tearful goodbyes and hellos.

West Point…and oh, i thought these were the WORST goodbyes. I remember dropping J off at the Dallas airport and crying so hard I couldn’t see straight. I simply couldn’t imagine anything harder than that. Oh, young love. HEEE! There were much harder goodbyes just down the road.

Ranger School

Afghanistan

Iraq, Iraq again

Afghanistan again

Afghanistan again

our most recent goodbye.

Big goodbyes and reunions. Little ones sprinkled in between. Training, Traveling, R&R etc.

And I can just imagine it now.

That sweet, excruciating anticipation. Waiting, and waiting some more…Feeling sick to your stomach and thinking you just can’t stand it for one more second.

 

 

and then finally seeing his face for the first time. drinking it in. thinking you just might be that crazy woman. the one who runs right into the middle of the ceremony and hugs him. because you just can’t wait.

 

But waiting. and then holding him and just burying my face in his neck. Smelling his smell. Which after a deployment is totally that army/infantrymen smell.

Combat boots, dusty desert smell…with minty fresh toothpaste b/c he always brushes his teeth just before he lands.

Oh, it’s beautiful.

Just clinging to him, and feeling his heart beat against mine. Holding on to him as tight as I can.

Watching him hold his children again. And seeing that smile he has…the one that looks like it will split his face clear in half.

Seeing the looks on my girls faces. The love and disbelief written all over them. The high-pitched, little girl voices saying “DADDYYYYY!!!!”.

And the funny part? Already thinking of the next time you have to say goodbye. That’s the heart of a military wife.

That’s what’s on my mind right now.

Waiting for my next “moment”. I can see it, taste it. Clear as day.

And I’m ready. So ready.

xoxo

s