30 {A Recap}

Sleepin' late with my girl.  Yummy brunch.  Cuddled up in bed reading book after book together while she kicked and cooed and smiled.  A gorgeous arrangement of hydrangeas from a sweet friend.  Calls and texts and birthday wishes the day long.  Sunset patio dinner with my love, our tiny sleeping girl nearby.

A perfect day.

If 29 was about restoration and healing, the process...

... then 30 is about redemption, experiencing it in full.

Long awaited dreams fulfilled.  Visions come to fruition.  The time is now, it's here.

Sweet anticipation is tangible.  

On the one hand I'm savoring every moment, and on the other, let's do this.

What Makes an Escape Even Better

Waves, salty breeze, long talks about what matters.  Rockin' newborns on the balcony, blue-green sea stretched to the horizon.  Devouring homemade salsa and fresh pinapple to the tune of challenging conversation, the kind that provokes change and fulfillment of dreams.  Laughing endlessly, lounging on the beach, praying together thru fears, hard questions, tangible excitement about the future...

Did I mention our escape to the sea included these guys??

No, I didn't.  It was too much goodness for a single post.

(the babies were clearly so over photo taking ;-)

12 years of amazing friendship, the kind only God could have orchestrated.

I also failed to mention that Josh and I celebrated 10 years of marriage on the 25th!  And Ryan and Ivana 9 years on the 31st.  We both welcomed new babies in recent weeks as well, so meeting half way between Texas and South Carolina seemed the perfect way to celebrate!

We made it a point to savor our days... Laughing a lot.  Cooking a lot.  We even cried a little.  (the good kind ;-)

We held each other's babies and marveled at how perfect they are, how much we love them.

Sweet Vera Joy.  

Her Moma's newest love.  She's #3 for Ryan and Ivana.  3 little girls. Bliss.

(And no she isn't named after me, although I secretly pretend she is.  ;-)  Ivana and I share a middle name among a million other things.)

And she may literally be the new kid on the block at only 4 weeks, but she's a smart one, that Vera.  Ev is so much more mature, ya know.  (as evidenced by her much chunkier thighs)  She's a whole 10 weeks old.  So Vera was a tiny bit nervous upon meeting for the first time that Ev might not want to play with her or think she's just a silly baby, so she told her a joke right off the bat to break the ice.

  Win 'em over with humor.  Smart move,  Vera.  Smart move.

And that was that.  Their bff fate was sealed.

But hey, given their moma's forever friendship they didn't have much choice in the matter anyway.

And then of course there's these two...

...leave them alone together for long and they start plotting how to take over the world.  I'm not kidding.

Guns blazin', babies-in-hand, do not underestimate their powers.  No, seriously.

As is always the case when we get together, we all left refreshed, challenged, inspired, grateful for the kind of friends who not only see you through it all, but walk with you through it all.  They're the kind of friendships you know innately God ordained with purpose.  You know because of the fruit they bear, the way they celebrate you right where you are while simultaneously provoking you to more.  They're the kind of friendships that won't let you settle for good when they know you're called to great.  They're the kind of friendships where the Holy Spirit is always present, always welcome, never requiring a formal invitation.

We openely thanked God for one another, as is also always the case, and we left different than we arrived.  We left changed, knowing full well we'll all look back someday and say, "Remember that amazing weekend at the Gulf..."

Aren't you so thankful for life-giving relationships??

Escape to the Sea

Forever memories.

Those legs.  Irresistible.

I thought it might scare her, the roar of the waves.  Nah.  She was fearless.

In fact, she loved it.

Oh man, she slays me.  Some days I think I just might die from joy.

I'm pretty sure if we lived on the coast someday, she'd be totally cool with that.  She rocks the beach look. ;-)

I used to always take photos of my toes in the sand.  I have shots from beaches literally all over the world.  Those days may be gone...

...I like hers so much better.

Every night I fall asleep thinking I couldn't possibly love this tiny girl any more...

...and every morning I wake up realizing I do.

(love her more, that is)

I can't explain it.  But if you're a moma,  you know.  Even when your heart feels full to capacity, you somehow manage to squeeze in a bit more love for them each and every day.

Our little family.

No doubt, this tiny girl has loads of travels in her future.  She is our daughter after all!  But we're easing her into it.  First long road trip? Check!  She did great.  Next month we'll trial run air travel when we fly to Colorado for a week in the Rockies.  Pending how that goes we have a number of trips lined up over the next several months... just taking it slow.  With a lifetime of adventures in our future, I'm in no hurry.  As long as I'm with these two, no matter where I'm at,I'm one happy girl ;-)

 What did you do for Memorial Day weekend??

Treasures Revealed

I mentioned in my last post that our recent hunt did, in fact, turn up a few new treasures despite the detour from our original plan to hit up the flea market.  So with no further adieu, meet my new darlings:

Sooo, seems I've begun a new collection.  (I know!  Why does this keep happening to me?!)  *sigh*  Whatever.  Anyway, it's vintage handkerchiefs.  I decided, um, well, this past weekend in fact, that I love them.  And there ya have it.  New collection.  They simply have so many fantastic uses I can't help myself!  Particularly when it comes to photo-taking, a little pop of color or pattern really does wonders.  Cup of coffee on the table top?  Nice.  Cup of coffee atop a corner of darling fabric on the table top?  Greatness.

side note:  What do these patterns and colors remind you of??  I'll tell you:  Anthropologie.  Yep.  Except these guys were all of a buck a piece and at Anthro they'd be $432.  Each.  You know it's true.

And you know I had to have a few creamy whites given my obsession with all things ivory and lace.  And look, how sweet are these??  I love them.

Doilies serve similar purposes.  Loved this one:

But my heart skipped a beat when I stumbled upon these:

Vintage baby bonnets!!!  I've been searching for bonnets everywhere to no avail (except Etsy where they range from $30-$120!  PLUS shipping.  What?!)  So when I saw these dangling in a dark corner with a mere $8 price tag, I snatched them up immediately!  Just wait until you see Ev in them.  Oh man.  Stupid adorable.

But my absolute favorite find of the day was this beauty:

Isn't she lovely?  Hand-made, vintage table cloth.  It had my name written all over it.  I could see it beautifully draped over our cottage kitchen table with a vase of peonies, morning sunlight streaming in, cups of coffee scattered about...  Josh even loved it, a bit to my surprise.

So there ya have it!  All my new treasures.  Except there might have been, well, okay fine.  There was also this:

Yeah.  No explanation necessary.  You know I had to have it.  I DID manage to actually walk away and leave it on the shelf, but Josh picked it up and carried it around going, "Do you really want me to put it back??  Or do you want me to but not want me to?  I don't think you really want me to.  Am I right?"  He finally concluded that I needed it.  I didn't argue.

So that's really all my new treasures.  Promise this time.  

P.S.--I have a *very* exciting hunt coming up in a few days!  *Very* exciting.  Very promising.  But I'll have to tell you all about that once I've felt it out a bit more... 

Have you discovered any fun treasures lately??

Weekend Bliss

Our weekend couldn't have been more perfect in my book.  It was so restful and lovely, full of beautiful moments cherished with my little family.  

We started the day bright and early at the McKinney Farmer's Market.  Have to say, of all the farmer's markets we've been to over this years this one may very well be the most darling.  It sets up every Saturday morning at Chestnut Square Historic Village.  Meandering pathways, loads of gorgeous foliage and greenery, it's absolutely charming.

Those three little guys chomping on peaches made my day.  Sweet juices dripping from their little chins, they could not have been happier.

We picked up several pounds of grass-fed beef and organic, hand-picked blueberries.  We chatted up the farmers, sampled delicious pecan toffee, and answered the "Ohhh, how old is your baby??" question about a dozen times.  

We had intended to spend the rest of the morning and afternoon browsing the flea market a couple of miles away, but we decided it was a bit too hot and opted to check out main street instead.  

The historic downtown square is a destination all it's own, lined with delightful shops and cafes that beckon for your attention.  We spent over 3 hours on one street alone!

Patina Green is a dream.  Stunning in every way.  The food, the decor, the ambiance.  It's a cross between Anthropologie, Restoration Hardware, and an antique shop, but with the addition of a decadent coffee bar and coolers full of local, organic fare.

Stunning, I tell you.

It took me a bit to drag myself away, but Josh happily promised to bring us back soon.  He's a sucker for their coffee and treats.

We stopped in at an adorable baby boutique, an old fashion candy and popcorn store (I have a bit of an on-going love affair with salt water taffy), and a number of antique stores along the way.

Did we find any treasures??  You know we did!  But I'll have to share those in another post.

We rounded out our weekend with sharing Everyn's birth story with fellow Bradley students, an impromptu visit with a dear friend over delicious Sunday brunch, and news that the seller had finally accepted our offer on the gorgeous little cottage we've been eyeing.  Yay!

A lovely weekend indeed.

So how was your weekend??  Anything fun planned for Memorial Day?

Extraordinary Moments

Joy.

Sudsy feet.  Her first laughs.  Morning stretches.  Hymn singing with the family.  Joy.

So content cuddled tight to her Moma.  Music with Kristen, a tiny first lesson.  Soothed by her Pappy.  Cuddling with her Daddy.  Joy.

~

The first days are sacred, and they're not to be missed.  They're to be witnessed, captured, savored.  Everything else can wait, because right now these moments are the only ones that matter.  They're the only ones that count.  And I assure you, they'll count for eternity.  

They slay me, these moments.  They overtake me, silence me, provoke me to seek out truth.  I want to love her the way she is meant to be loved, they way God would have me to love her, the way that He loves her.  And that isn't panning out the way I'd always envisioned.  It's requiring more.  More and more and more of me.  Being her Moma has already begun to refine me in ways I cannot yet fully express.  In 2 short months, she's already made me better.  And this is just the beginning...

So the phone can ring.  And ring.  And ring.  Emails can go unanswered.  Laundry and dishes can linger longer than normal.  Because I refuse to miss them, these moments.  In missing them I would miss her.  And she is my calling.  She is my purpose in this hour.  Loving her, teaching her, caring for her every need.  Right now, save God and my husband, she is all that matters.

She was meant for me.  I was meant for her.  She is my heart.  And it would be a profound tragedy to miss even a moment,of that.

Extraordinary.  Extraordinary moments.  Don't miss them.