The first time

Last week we decided would be a good week to put 1500+ miles on our car. (before we sell it-more on that another time)

Early saturday morning we left home headed for my parents house. The first stop on a long road trip resulting in canada. The three days before we had planned to leave were slightly crazy with the girls alternating nap times and having too much on the calendar and I ended up forgetting our passports, we were only an hour away from home when I remembered so we turned around to fetch them. We made it a little late but we got to go to Pumpkin fest. 

Sunday we went to my nephew's football game and got to visit with my oldest brothers family a bit. Monday we headed to Jared's parents' house and the following day we left both girls for the first time and headed to Niagara falls for our 5th anniversary. I only had a minor freak out as we pulled out of the driveway but this trip was much needed!

Jared has been to the falls a few times and was excited to switch rolls with me and play tour guide for a change! We were both bummed that this was our falls view the evening we arrived.



This was our view on our last day! Crazy how different!




This is where the falls under tide evens out and there is a constant whirlpool. It turns the water a beautiful color and the fall trees made the scenery breathtaking! This picture doesn't do it justice!

Here we are in front of the American falls. 

Thanks random Irish guy for taking our photo!

When we got back to Jared's parents' house the girls were both excited to see us. Addiston turned into super hyper 2 year old and ran around in circles for about an hour! 

Friday afternoon we headed back to my parents house, where Isabella decided to stop being lazy and roll over. She's super strong and I kid you not has held her head up since she was 2 days old! She's just super happy all the time and loves being on her side so usually she gets to that position and chills. I just don't think she's seen the need but something must have changed because she decided to show off and roll over both ways several times last weekend and has since become a rolling machine!

the popular side position

showing off on her tummy

Saturday was our actual anniversary and my parents took us out to one of my favorite restaurants. Brio, it's at newport on the levee where coincidently Jared and I had our first official date. 

And Addiston was obsessed with the jumping fountain!

It was a great trip but we are so glad to be home and getting caught up on laundry. At one point Addiston said "hey mom, remember my pink bed." Yeah I said, "I like that big girl bed." she replied We knew she was ready to be home! But we are so thankful for a chance to see family and have some couple time! 

Happy Anniversary Jared-sorry you didn't get your donatos! 

Pumpkin fest

Please excuse any typos or crazy formatting in this post as it is being written from my phone as Jared and I drive to Canada!

This past weekend was the pumpkin fest!


It delivered the usual pumpkin fest charm! Junk food, junk to buy and family fun!

The girls adorned their pumpkin outfits even though the littlest was strapped to the daddy, hiding her jack-o-lantern romper.

Addiston proclaimed her favorite thing was the food after a failed hand painting experience that ended with a temporary tattoo and a pumpkin cookie to top off the festivities!

Our village

I'm a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child and so far we need two villages because we've been blessed with two girls. Our village is wide! Spanning many states and cultures, some started right around the corner and have moved away, still asking for updates on out girls, offering prayers for them and their future. Many in our village started far away and have offered more support than is possible through voicemail, text message and telephone lines.



You might not know how very much it means to us when you chase our kids down for hugs before you leave our house. That my kid is the backround on your phone. And that when I'm getting Addiston out of the bath and ask her who her best friend is she shouts your name! (I'm not jealous-promise)



We love how when you play with our girls, you get right down on the floor with them even though your back will hurt the next day. 



Don’t think we didn’t notice when we came over your house that Isabella's birth announcement is taped to your fridge next to Addiston's birthday invitation.



When you come over for dinner, you probably don’t know that we talk about you when you leave. We noticed how you turned down a comfy seat in exchange for squeezing in on the bench so you could sit by Addy. We saw your back arch a few times from lack of support and the appetized look on your face when food was thrown your way, but we also saw how radiant Addiston's smile beamed because you chose to share your dinner with her. You didn’t have to eat the macaroni, but you did.



That you have a special way of communicating with our girls that's just your own. Your unique relationship with them, and how you love them. That you let Addiston boss you around and show you her big girl bed for the 27th time.



You pretend that picking shoes out is the most fun you’ve ever had. We smile when you grimace through Addiston's hair brushing, and we love how you let her put your hair into fourteen ponytails, each with a corresponding hair bow. We think it's even funnier when you forget to take them out. You dodge basketballs from their heads in the church gym. You showed up at the hospital to hold them both while they were still fresh from the oven. 




You jump in at meal time, rallying behind us with ice cream bribes for finishing veggies, or hanging onto the littlest so we can use two hands to eat some chicken! We love the way you pick our kids up and squeeze them—how you’ve pulled them right from our own arms without even asking, since the day they were born, because you know we don’t care. You know we want them to love you and we’re thrilled to see them in your arms. 




We see those notes you write for our kids on the chalkboard walls of the toy room. Even if we don't notice them until a week after you were here-meaning we haven't cleaned that room very well!



And when we're scared for the future of our kids in this fallen world or hesistant of the "what if," truly you have no idea how loved we feel when you tell us that you're scared right along with us and will be there. That our kids will be okay. That no matter what we face in the coming years, we're not alone.



how fiercely you love our girls and how excited you get to see them!



it takes a village and I'm so glad to be a part of yours!

where does the time go?

Wow it's been nearly a month since my last post and so much has happened! Sorry I tend to drop off the face of the earth from time to time but Having two kids close together in age as a VERY type A person has rocked my world. I've been focusing on keeping up with the house and I refuse to eat junk food so I've been cooking up a storm! Our schedules seem to pick up this time of year and woah does our laundry reflect that!

Readers digest version of our lives...Go!

Grandma turned 90!




Someone had her first big girl bath...




Doing dishes is now a favorite past time of one of these two people, I'll let you decide which.



We got a date night



These are RARE!! We went to our favorite restaurant. It's a  little international restaurant in a strip mall of all places but the food is some of the best in Nashville. It's called Cafe Bosna and if you live in the are you MUST try it!

The civic's windows were smashed in



but nothing was stolen!

This chicky is LOVING school!



I've also decided that the garage is officially the weirdest place to take pictures!

Sister love is growing!



The daddy had a work trip to NYC...and brought us home presents!



And while he was gone Addiston wanted our "nail toes" to matchy



Speaking of matching...this was sheer coincidence!



And Elmo apparently needs to come to church!



Ok there's the basics. I wish I had time to go over everything that's going on right now but I will try and do more frequent updates! However since Isabella is still napping a few things that I am loving right now:

We have pajama day at home every monday! It's the only day of the week that we don't have to be anywhere so we wear pajamas all day, bake, clean, do laundry-stuff that is suitable for rocking a tattered t-shirt and spit-up stained sweats!

I've discovered the show downton abby and love it. I caught up on the first two seasons and can't wait for the third to start.

Unlike most girls who play dress-up and say they are going to a ball or want to be pretty like a princess, Addiston proudly declares, I go to church! Every time the girl is shown a dress she states "thats pretty for church" I love that she gets so excited to go to church-it's her favorite place-well maybe it's tied with chick-fil-a, but her best friends are there, and I love that!

Isabella is such an amazing sleeper. Since we brought her home from the hospital she has slept through the night all but maybe a handful of times! It's such a blessing after her light sleeping big sister!

I've been baking pumpkin anything and everything! Tis the season and I'm running with it. I love Pumpkin.

A few of our friends are on a mission trip to peru right now. If you are the sort please say a prayer for them.

ok I hear crying, I promise I'll be back sooner!