{ A letter to my Grandpa }

{ Grandpa Roland + Lucy, Summer 2011 }

Grandpa Dear,
  
  I am so sorry and sad to have missed out on your 90th birthday and getting to celebrate and hug you, in person. What a special, special time it sounds like you all had together. Such a blessing! You are one loved and admired man. If there is any way David and the littles and I can, we’d love to come visit you this fall or winter. 

  I know your biopsy was today and I want you to know that we were praying for you throughout the day and will continue to in the days to come. For peace and for relief, as you fight this thing like I know you will.

 We are doing well with our quickly growing little family of almost 6. Annabelle is about to start first grade and has lost two teeth over the summer and is such a beautiful little soul and really good big sister. Jack is a character! He turned 3 in may and wants to be “ a soldier who grows peas when he grows up. “ He keeps us in stitches and is 100%all-boy. Lucy is our little sunshine girl. She started walking a couple months ago and doesn’t say much at 15 months, but boy does she know how to smile and cuddle and give love. Our third little girl will be here somewhere around September 21st. And we are all quite tickled about meeting her.

  David bought another house at the auction last month. The plan is to remodel it and flip it as soon as possible but he is working long hours paving right now as it is there busy season. And by long I mean really long. Today was a 16 ½ hour work day for him and he has to get up at 5am and start all over again tomorrow. I am so thankful for him and the amazing husband/daddy/provider he is. So many things about him remind me of you. And I mean that as a compliment of course.
  I love you Grandpa Roland. So much! Thank you for building such an wonderful legacy and for being a man of God. And for only growing dearer and wiser with the years. Thank you for loving my sweet Grandma so much and for raising your dear + beautiful daughter to be my dearest ever Mama.

xo, Michelle ( for all of us )

{ I can't hear this beautiful song without thinking of you, Grandpa }

 

{ List No. 5 - Sweet Summer Fun }

   Back in October I turned thirty and challenged my self to thirty lists of thirty things for my thirtieth year. You can see what a slacker I am, this list being a measly numero 5.  I have been incredibly blessed to be surrounded by some close friends who are amazing about being intentional in how they parent and do life. And it's an area I really want to grow in as a mother. With all the pinterest inspiration out there, none of these things are my original idea but even so I still wanted to take the time to sit down together and plan some fun into our summer. Summer for us means daddy is gone to work the most hours, hence we have the least amount of time together as a family, it's the nature of having a husband who works in road construction. And knowing me, it just won't happen unless it's easy to do on a weekend or week night, inexpensive, and relatively easy to pull off without too much prep work. So with all of these things in mind,  we sat around the table last night at dinnertime and each put in 6 votes for our top 6 fun things to do together this summer. Because, as the saying goes...   

 ( source )

1. meet daddy after work for a picnic ( mommy )
2. blow big bubbles, and here's a how-to, so you can too( Annabelle )
3. lemonade stand( Annabelle )
4. backyard bbq with the neighbors
5. water fight ( daddy )
6. finger paint
7. frozen yogurt run ( Jack )
8. nature hike ( daddy )
9. sleep under the stars ( Annabelle )
10. splash park
11. badmitton ( daddy )
12. day at the lake  
13. outdoor movie night ( Annabelle )
14. fireworks
15. bike riding ( Jack )
16. Saturday morning yard-sale shopping ( Annabelle )
17. baseball in the backyard (fun variation,use water balloons)
18. slip and slide ( Jack )
19. pillow fight ( daddy )
20. aquatic park fun (daddy )
21. pick berries ( mommy )
22. water balloons + squirt gun war ( Jack )
23. concert in the park
24. Vacation Bible School ( Annabelle )
25. ice cream sundaes + Madagascar 3 (Annabelle didn't forget that you promised Poppy :)
26. build a campfire
27. jump rope
28. read, read, read and read some more ( mommy )
29. pick a big bouquet of wild flowers ( mommy )
30. make a living room race track ( Jack )

And a few extras because I couldn't keep it at an even thirty: 
  
a ding dong ditch ( mommy )
glow in the dark bowling ( we are going to put stick glow sticks in clear plastic water bottles and use our glow in the dark soccer ball to knock our pins down ) ( Jack )
cloud watching ( mommy )
make mud pies ( Annabelle )
pintrest craft/art project day
watch the sun set

make jello + fruit salad

bake cherry pie
hot date- patio seating ( daddy )

 

 

( source )

But now I am ever so curious? Tell me, what are your favorite summer traditions? 

Now I better run before I miss out on the first pitch of tonight's back yard baseball game!

smiles all around

  There are a lot of sweet things to catch you up on over here at the dear little home sweet blog. Big things like, Lucy turning 1 and Jack turning 3 and baby # 4on the way in September, and Annabelle's first ballet recital and last day of kindergarten on Tuesday. A lot to smile about and be oh so thankful to Jesus for...Life is a big beautiful blur right now and I am trying to keep up, take it all in and cherish these crazy days of being a happy, growing, on the go little family. Even Especially the days, to borrow a phrase from the book I am reading right now where my house looks " like the bottom of a toaster," and the kids are sticky and grumpy and I feel like everything is so out of control. Praying daily that I'll look for ways to graciously navigate through normal, messy every day sort of days like that, to master them like an art and squeeze as much fun + sweet happy memories in that I can for my little ones. Now for some pictures to fill in the gaps of the last several months.

 Excited for all that September 2012  holds for our growing family, 

a picture I meant to post back at Easter time.

Our sweet + darling one year old Lucy Wren.

Happy 3, to our sweet Jack boy.

Mommy with her girls.

Daddy with his.

 And our sweet Jack boy.

So proud of our pretty little ballerina.

Flowers + kisses from Daddy after Annabelle's very first ballet recital.

Our ever so precious toddler.

 

This sweet daily reminder that we are about to become a family of 6!

{ March 10 on 10 }

My parents swooped in and spoiled us rotten for the weekend. It just happened to be ten on ten that day, so we have pictures to prove it:

 1. On a date with Poppy + Nana at White Elephant ( my kids favorite toy store )
 2. The new six year old of the family and her little brother, picking out a special birthday gift.
 3. They wanted to bring home a puppy, mercifully they came home with two fish instead.
 4. Jack tuckered out from a busy afternoon of being spoiled. ( Photo Credit 1-4 goes to my Mom )
 5. Playing with new toys
 6. A welcome sign for Poppy + Nana.
 7. Our new fencing.
 8. Lucy and Nana watching out the window
 9. Praying together + fish tacos.
10. Cup of tea + a nice long chat with my Mama.

Not pictured: The amazing date my Dad sent David and I on, for some of the best pasta ever. Truly one of Spokane's best kept secrets. A really special breakfast date my Dad and I had together at Chaps. Boys night out at the movies. Now, that's a lot of spoiling if I do say so myself. Loved our time together Mom and Dad. Thank you. Love you. Come back soon. xo

{ 6 }

 When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever. 

A.A. Milne from Now We are Six

For Annabelle's 6th birthday party we threw a pretty all-girls brunch.
Annabelle and I spent a good deal of time pouring over ideas on Pintrest and day dreaming up just the right birthday party for her. In the end I had to give up our idea of making party hats as I ran out of time after the big number six pinata that David had built for her took several hours longer than I had imagined it would to embellish.
The little girls were too giddy to eat much breakfast and I am sad that I forgot to take any pictures of food which, but thankfully we Mama's and Aunties were thoroughly able to enjoy ourselves over brunch. And my was it delicious if I do say so myself.
The little girls did lots of shrieking and twirling. And then came the ear-piercing screams when they all discovered a teeny tiny spider hanging from the ceiling. And they were fierce about getting that pinata to break. It was darling and hilarious and even a little bit scary at times, to watch them. Annabelle truly enjoyed every single second of her girly party and loved getting to wear her fancy new dress, a present from her Poppy, whack the pinata, open up gifts, eat cake topped with pink frosting and berries per her request, and giggle the morning away with her darling little friends. And now she's all about planning a oarty for Lucy's first birthday which is in just a little over a month. Not sure that I am ready for that. In more ways than one.
Is it just me or do the years just seem to be picking up speed and flying away faster than ever?
Lord Jesus, I ask that you'd help me to daily cherish and not take for granted this beautiful blue eyed daughter you've given me,  in all her six year old spunk + glory.

Feb 10 on 10

I took my ten pictures on the tenth last month but then never posted. Until today, that is.
It's the motivation I needed obviously, seeing I am already late for this months 10 on 10.

 1. breakfast smoothie
 2. daffodils in the window
 3. potty Training Jack
 4. practicing those steps
 5. afternoon lefreshment
 6. this pretty dish towel makes me so happy ( get your own here )
 7. baby baths in the kitchen sink are my favorite + as are those two bottom teeth of hers.
 8. new paper cutting project.
 9. waking up to balloons
10. working on birthday party decorations

{ Recap }

Of February...because it was a really full and fun month for us here.
Obviously I was too preoccupied to blog, so I am going to play catch up now with a bunch of pictures posts that represent the month for us. Here's a little look at our happy heart festivities, topped off by this sweet and happy news of my very dear friend.

 { My first ever batch of sugar cookies }

 { sugar and sprinkles with friends }

  { baby feet }

{ homemade valentines }

 { pretty coffee from the Mr. }

 { pretty in pink }

 { happy baby sister to you! }