{ pink ballet slippers and sparkly mouse tales }

spark·ly  (spärkl)

adj. spark·li·er, spark·li·est

1. a. Giving off tiny flashes of light; glittery: a dress with sparkly sequins.

b. Lively; vivacious: a sparkly personality.

2. Effervescent.
 

  At 7 how well that describes our Anniebelle girl! We just wrapped up year # two of ballet for her with a recital this past weekend. She delights in all of it and that is our delight. But what girl wouldn't with gilttery mouse tails tied in pink satin bows and frilly tutus! She is so lovely and the pictures at the end with her Daddy make me cry. 

{ Proof of Play }

{ Celebrating the first day of spring,

with a picnic and egg hunt at the park. }

{the perfect antidote to the craziness that has been our life, was just to be together and do something just the four of us, just for the fun of it}

{ Topping off 2009 }

{ this is what Christmas looks like in our cozy little rental house }

Tonight is for being together, just the four of us.

To eat pizza.

To have a tea party with tiny cups of hot cocoa +

towers of whipped cream and crushed candy cane sprinkles on top...

To do crazy things. Annabelle just ran outside to make snow angels in her swimsuit...

after Daddy dared her.

To snuggle in front of the fireplace.

Isn't he cute grinning from ear to ear like that?

Still to come:

Tom + Jerry

A game of Operation

Popcorn + ice cold sparking cider

Pot and pan banging ( even if we ring in the new year a few hours early )

With a whole lot of giggles in between.

After the happy flurry of family and coming + going over the holidays, this is just perfect.

I don't have words to tell you how thankful I am for all the grace and blessings and love that have been poured into our lives in the last year. But it hit us hard today, out of the blue David and I just had to sit down and cry, as we were in that moment overwhelmed by God's goodness to us. May the New Year bring us each days of growth, joy, gratitude. And most of all, more of you, Lord Jesus.

{ Blog Guilt + Giddiness + Birthday Girls }

I get into this silly little cycle of guilt when I haven't blogged for a while. I feel bad about all the things that I have not recorded...and in the back of my mind there is this little tug, over all the sweet times my kids won't be able to read back on, because I did not write them down. And I always plan + hope to "catch up " on them eventually while the weeks fly by and in the meantime I've failed to jot down today's joys, because I still haven't " made up " for two weeks ago. Like I said, so silly. Great if ( and highly unlikely ) I ever get back to filling in the blanks of the last month, but for now I am going to pick up where I left of and even skip over some unwritten posts in my head and start fresh list of joys for today:

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying and inspired by these two amazing friends who are blogging daily in the month of November. It's called 30 days of Gratefulness. Or how excited I am to tell you about another beautiful friend of mine...meet Nikki ( who rather prefers being called Mrs. Mike ) one of my dearest, since we were little girls with long braids and dramatic pen names, our heads in the clouds and the like friends. She's started a lovely little blog. Pop in and tell her hello. . you'll come away with your heart warmed, I promise. That and a good giggle.

Jack's had is half birthday Nov. 1st. And Annabelle and I celebrated by making a big batch of cinnamon rolls ( most of which David took to work to share with the guys on his crew, as a final, farewell from us treat ) complete with cream cheese frosting which we let Jack have generous licks of. Me oh my, do we ever adore the boy. He really has the best grin. We gush over it. And these stout legs, complete with chunky thighs. Which we tickle. And the kissiest cheeks. Which we squish up and smooch away on, all day long. And his funny baby antics ( growls, squawks, chuckles, chortles and coos ) are hilarious . I can already tell he loves making people laugh. Just last night he had me cracking up so hard. He would start laughing when I would stop, just get me going again. We are all also a little in awe of him...He's weighs, and I am not kidding...18 1/2 lbs...and I have to squeeze him into size 12 mo clothes. Just ask his Dad, and he'll tell you, " the kid already eats like a horse." And to think that Annabelle only weighed 18 lbs when she turned one. He's crawling all over the place and is making many attempts to pull him self up on things. Oh and he snuggles right into you, when you hold him. That melts me. Annabelle was never like that. She has always been too on the go, for that sort of thing.

The back and forth of giggles coming from the couch tonight where Daddy + daughter are cuddled up watching old cartoons together.

Reading out loud + loving all of E.B White's books. First Charlotte's Web, then Stuart Little, and now we are half way through Trumpet of the Swan. And I am reading + loving A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , for the very first time.
Playing together outside. And Annabelle's pleading, " oh Mommy, can we go outside and throw leaves at each other, again...please? "

All of the things we are doing for the last time this week. After which, I may or may not sit in the car and cry a little. As Granniebelle told me last night..."honey, moving is a very emotional experience. "

Saturday we move. In just two days. And I am giddy. It feels so surreal. As we take off on what is certain to be a grand adventure, I anticipate and welcome all that the future holds for us, especially knowing Who holds both it + us, in His perfect love. Excited to enter this new season, as I pray it's one that brings great growth to my life and soul and a deeper knowing of Love. One that will make my heart more like His. So I can love better as a wife, mommy, sister, daughter, neighbor + friend.

Celebrating this dear friend ( and wishing so badly it could have been in-person ) today as she joins ranks with the rest of us who as David so bluntly put it on my birthday, are only two years shy of no longer being in our twenties. Many, many good things could be said about this birthday girl, for she is truly + in every way amazing. She is a giver not a taker. She is as strong ( or what you'll hear her refer to as feisty )as she is sweet. And she is sunshine for every square inch. She is a lovely, lovely, wife + mama + friend + example. Leslie, I want to be just like you when I grow up. Oh wait, I am older than you. Darn.
Wishing that your birthday + the year to follow, will be your best yet. Or in the words of C.S. Lewis:
" There are better things ahead, than any we leave behind."

{ Warning }

{ David was so thoughtful to bring me these flowers from the yard of our Spokane house... }

We are back online.
With some heavy duty picture posts to come.
So far our connection is hit and miss so it could take me a while to get posts up.
But I have so much I cannot wait to tell you about our summer so far.
And you won't believe how much Jack has grown.

For now here is a little sneak peek preview of this seriously darling little duo.