River and I today

He is such a joy...seriously, very different from our baby Paige who perhaps just seemed tough....or maybe what I was experiencing at the time was what was really tough(Justin being away for 4 months)...who knows? I feel so blessed to have him, and I love/hate how he changes everyday. He truly is the sunshine in our life.

Uncle Ray

Justin's Uncle Ray passed away this last week....and it has been really tough. We had seen him in July when we were home, and I am so glad we had that time with him. He will be missed so much by all of us, and I am so grateful for all the fun memories we shared together. We love you!

A typical night

Paige has been all about being a Princess lately, and so she must wear her "princess" shoes whenever possible. They are especially fun to wear in the kitchen because of the clacking noises she can create...of course! And in case you are wondering..Paige is picking out her clothes these days...

Then she loves to stand at the fridge and play with her little fridge toys...and dance to the music they each play....and by dancing I mean twirling until she is dizzy and therefore an accident waiting to happen..


All the while River posts up in his mad scientist chair and watches the circus unfold around him. Good thing he is such a cheerful baby...

The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!

Ok, Misty has me addicted to this blog now...and I need this coat....It just ooozes Ariel, so I am posting this link to have a chance at winning it!
The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

I would soooo love one of these for Miss P...but maybe, just maybe I could try making one. It couldn't be that hard, right?! :)
Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Our Tiny Bit of Sun

It has been raining here, as I know it has been for most of you....but snow is on the way again, so we savored our tiny bit of sun today. Thanks to the rain, we are having fun discovering all these "treasures" a.k.a. "junk" that has been hidden in the snow at our new house. The old tenants have amazed me at their ability to have the most random items on their lawn...and then to leave them there....long enough to get snowed over. Let's just say we have some work cut out for ourselves this Spring.

She fell in the snow....her hands were so frozen at that point, so it probably did hurt as much as her face is showing...poor Paigie!

Oh, and some of you have asked about my new camera...which is amazing....I got a Nikon D60 from COSTCO....great deal for what we bought, and I LOVE IT! I am slowly learning, and driving my kids crazy as I shove this big black thing in their faces all the time, but it is soooo much fun!

Our Weekend

This was our first "normal" weekend since forever, so we took full advantage and got out of the house with the kids. It has been so nice to have Justin back, and to be settled in the new house. I even got some sewing done....

Purple Monster

"Purple" is by far her favorite possession....I caught her during her morning snuggle. I love my new camera....sigh!

Randoms

So, I am taking bets on what color River's eyes will end up being.....they are still pretty blue, nowhere near as blue as Paige's.....but we will see???

I got a "real" table and chairs for my birthday! Our friends got a new dining set, so we bought their old one. For those of you who didn't know, our old table was an accident waiting to happen....a really adorable and cool looking table, but not stable at all. I am sure I will change the fabric on the chairs soon, but for now it is perfect for us.

Paige and I made funfetti cupcakes at 10 am for my birthday...why not, right?!

People say you can tell a lot about a person by what their fridge looks like....what does mine say about me??? And this is really what is on my fridge....minus the occasional painting or drawing from Miss P.

Morning!

On our way out this morning I snapped a few of the dynamic duo... they sure are sweet! They have been so patient with Justin and I during this last week of packing/moving/unpacking....

My Loves

So I kind of missed the opportunity to do this before V-Day due to the move and all....but I still wanted to make this a post.

I am so blessed to have the most amazing family, who is supportive, funny, loving and understanding...



Justin- I love you because you are everything I struggle to be...you amaze me.

Paige- I love you because you challenge me and help me to grow, and remind me what
is important

River- I love you because you are love....you make me feel so special, keep up the
good work buddy :)

Daddy Dave- I love you because you love life, and you love Noelle and I...no matter what. I have learned so much from you...and I really appreciate the person you are..Josie is lucky to have you as a Dad too

Mom- I love you because you understand me and love me unconditionally...you help me
be a better Mom through your example

Noelle- I love you because you were my first and best friend, and because you are
always there to talk to and have fun with....I really miss you

Miles- I love you because you have so much integrity and loyalty...you are a
wonderful man, and I can't wait for the days when we get to spend more time
together

Samantha- How could I not love you...you were like my first baby, and you always
make me smile....I am so proud of who you are growing up to be.

Obviously I love so many more people...like my cousins, Aunties, Uncles, etc. This whole experience of being up here in Washington has really given us the perspective of how important our family and true friends are, and how much we miss all of you.
22 months left up here....woo hoo!

Baby Comparison

Here they are...same week, 2 yrs apart....it's fun to see what is similar and what is different!

My budding artist

Paige ran out of paper on her easel this afternoon, so I put aside my OCD issues about her and "markers" and let her use a dry erase marker for the first time on it...after all it is a white board. She loved it, and got very creative immediately drawing our family, and then on to different kinds of "suns", i.e. baby sun, grandma sun, etc. Finally she drew some flowers and then added two snakes which in turn scared her so badly, she hid under the table until I erased them for her. She is too much! I love that she loves to draw and create...we totally bond over these moments, probably the only real quiet time we share besides story time. I love my big girl :)


She wasn't thrilled I stopped her drawing time to snap a picture...


Showing her creations


Our family


Three different suns


Flowers with 2 snakes....I drew the one flower, in case you were wondering :)

River...4 months

Because there a literally hundreds of photos of Paige...I am trying to do a better job of getting just as many of Mr. River. I may fall short, but I am trying! Here he is...4 months old, and growing so fast....16 lbs. of pure drooling love!