Packing Up

Somebody wants to make sure we don't leave her behind.


Moving is a HUGE change, for anybody and everybody, and sometimes things can get a little tense. We've known we were moving for 3 months almost, so until now, the hardest part of of the move was the waiting.

We've talked about it ALOT with the kids, in fact, 97% of the conversations Madee strikes up lead into a new house song from her heart.

(She's a singer!)

Anyhoo, now we are down to the next hard part, them watching things disassemble and disappear as we move it all to the new place. Which, of course we aren't doing in just one day, so they have time to really freak out.

And so do I.

So I am trying to remain super calm. And flexible. And supportive.

So I just keep looking at the pictures so I know exactly what I am looking forward to.




My new happy place.


What are YOU looking forward to lately? Got vacation plans? Family Reunion? Any weddings to celebrate?

***May is a special month for mothers, and I have teamed up with 29 or so of them online for a "May Mom Blog Hop". As such, I would like to introduce you to The Animated Woman whose blog is the next step on this AWESOME mommyblog tour.

She isn't just a cartoon, people, she's a bacon lover. Need I say more? Go visit her now. HURRY!

Weekend Moments and Details

When we moved into this house, there was an established organic garden spitting out cabbages and tomatoes for our gastric pleasure.

It was SO COOL to eat something so fresh and clean and locally grown. But it isn't like I grew it.

But this guy? This guy I can totally claim as mine!

Meet Mr. Eggplant!

He's tiny so I will have to make a tampenade or some sort of bruschetta so that we can all share it!

Also? We got a little baby swing at a garage sale for $1 this weekend. (SCORE!)

So Eden can swing on our own playset now. Madee went first, and I waled her in the air because she's all, "higher! HIGHER!"

And then she threw up.

The cuteness we come home to.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!

I love love LOVE taking the girls to church. They have so much fun, meet new FWENDS, and I have been trying to make some friends there, too.

Our church is totally cazh, but yesterday, Madee wore the Easter dress I bought her that she hadn't even put on yet. It was freezing in Duluth for Easter, so it has been sitting back in the closet.

She's quite the head turner. Especially in a pretty dress. I mean, dress a little girl up and walk around town, in a store take her to a restaurant. You wouldn't believe how many people have to stop and stare and say something and tear up and soak in that moent when they see her.

She is a vision.

A vision of hope for the future, of faith in humanity, of kindness of strangers. She brings smiles to the surliest of faces.

She changes the world a face at a time.

Oh, Ammo. What a dude. He is still quite the lover. Also? A lover of the cat food. He has gotten so big he can no longer fit under the gate for the backyard fence. Yet still too young/naive/dumb to climb over. So if he finds himself in the back yard, he just meeeeaaaaaaaaaooooows until somebody opens the gate for him.

Goodness.
Oh. Goodness again.

Highlights of the weekend?

Friday - Hanging with sister Emily and then meeting the rest of the family for some yummy Sweet Tomatoes. I love love LOVE getting to spend so much time with them.

Also, Friday? Boom Boom got to surf.

Have you seen his new surfboard? It's almost as HAWT as he is in the water.


Saturday?

MORE surfing for Dad.
Garage sales for me, Mom and Em.
things I found:
a "D" for the alphabet wall.
a killer basket for the zen bathroom
Shrek DVD (SCORE!)
organizer cube storage bench for Madee's room to organize toys
Fisher Price infant to toddler outdoor swing

Also, I rented a 15mm 2:8 fisheye lens for my best friend's birthday shoot.
I used it alot.
I cried when I saw the pictures.
So I can only imagine what she will do when she sees them.
Here's a sneakity preview.

Pretty Settled In

Most of the boxes are unpacked now. We still have a small pile of "what do we do with this?" and we will be adding a few more pieces of furniture and rearranging what we already have, but we are settled in to our new home and we are all very comfortable here.

I love love love the floor to ceiling windows. It keeps everything lofty and light and makes me feel like I am walking through the pages of a decorating magazine.

I am home.
Eden is also home. She is very happy and over-adorable. Seriously, she could tone it down.

Every room in this house is my favorite room. I love the Florida Room. What's Florida without a Florida Room, anyway?

And the terrazzo floors are amazing. They help keep everything light and cool and other than being super hard floors on impact, they are (any guesses?) MY FAVORITE!


And I love this kitchen. I could do a cooking show in this kitchen. In fact, I pretend a cooking show on the daily right here in this kitchen.

What a great window.

Please, bring me your dirty dishes. I can handle anything while gazing out of this window.

Did I mention "HAPPY" ?


What about "adorable"?
Need more milk Mom.

And here is the big picture of our main living space.

I am hoping to find a big farm table for our dinners.

And did you see my ABC wall?

I love it.
Still gathering letters, but I am sure you can see where I am going with this...


And no house would be complete without a little feline love.


There are actually 2 of them and they are about 12 weeks old. BOYS. Outside eeeows as soon as they are old enough. Until then, they stay in the bathroom, and if Madee wants to play with them she has to go into the bathroom, tell them to "go potty" and go potty herself.

So far, there is a rising interest in pottying.

I know, stupid and genius rolled into one.