another check off our fall family bucket list! the Z O O !

as some of you may know, we put together a little list of fun things we'd like to do or experience this fall! one activity on our list was the zoo! we were particularly excited to go because abel hadn't been yet. we went an hour before the zoo closed, which was two hours before the grounds closed and we couldn't have planned that better if we had tried to! it was a ghost town. downside? going that late, a lot of the animals were inside instead of out which doesn't make for great lighting as far as pictures go (a note from the photographer in me). upside? abel could run free instead of ride in the stroller, which he currently has a HUGE aversion to. it was PERFECT. my mom came along and i'm so glad she did. she helped chase abel around & push lucy in the stroller, and was all around great company. it's not common to get her all to yourself when there are 5 siblings wanting time & attention, plus 3 grandbabies now, not to mention she works full time. she is such a special person & i just came home feeling full of life... she makes people feel that way. abel loved the zoo, a little for the animals, a lot for the running free for two hours in a new place, and we loved our time together. check! now on to the next activity on our list... i'm thinking making a homemade pie is sounding like a good option. do you know any good recipes??

^^^ not sure i could ever get sick of these two together, or capturing it in photos :) 

^^^ same story...

forever + ever, amen

when all my dreams came true...

okay, so not ALLLL my dreams, but definitely one of the little bitty ones! fort collins just got a dunkin' donuts... whaaaaat?! may not seem like a big deal to some, but remember some of our little dates to our beloved dunkin' that was right up the street from us in NC? well here in foco, it's all about shopping local & supporting the little guy (which i am alllll about) but we miss out on some of the big chains & there's just no one that makes a warm vanilla chai like dunkin (believe me, i've sipped around) & the chocolate munchkins?? pshhh. not to mention, it just gets me all reminiscent of those days with "the fam" in charlotte, when you could plan a little surprise birthday breakfast gathering for your husband the night before & all your friends lived within arms reach & could be there with you to celebrate. i miss them. life is so good in colorado. we are near our family & we have a little family of our own now! there's nothing like having your sisters to hang with every single day, but there is also nothing like having a community like the one we were apart of there too! our friends that we made during our time in charlotte are irreplaceable. i still talk daily or atleast weekly-ish with most of them and you can bet your booty we try visiting or having them visit any chance we get! seasons of life can be so wonderful & our season in charlotte with those people, our people, was a great one. here's to our current season here with our littles in colorado, complete with a dunkin' donuts right down the road... forever + ever, amen.

** this was from the "soft opening" TODAY is opening day!! head over & getcha some!! 

my little lemon.

I love lucy so much. Like, feel it in my bones love her. I remember crying a lot in my first weeks with abel, overwhelmed with how much love had entered my heart for this tiny human that I had made from scratch. 

my first weeks with Lucy were obviously a little different, as I was juggling two babies & didn't have as much time to sit around focused solely on her, crying like a big old baby. I loved her instantly, in the same incredible way I had loved him, but the weight of JUST how much I loved her hadn't hit me until these past couple weeks. I imagine it's because the dust has settled now & I've soaked in her sweetness, and the love between her & abel, and all of life's pleasures as a mom of two, and so on. so, now here I am, crying like a baby over that girl.

she's sooooo sweet. I love every sound & grumble. I love how she burrows her head into my chest & just passes out, face buried. her hands are the sweetest little things, i'm obsessed with them, much like i was obsessed with abel's little feet. she still smells so new + delicious. she's completely kissable + squeezable and I love just listening to her breathe. she coos + smiles, her eyes are SO blue. I would let her sleep on my chest or in my arms twenty four stinkin' seven if life allowed. she's growing too fast. does that ever get better the more kids you have? doubt it. 

I'm so thankful to have a daughter. there is so much responsibility in raising a child. I want to raise her up & teach her well. I want her to love herself always. I want her to love others well & put jesus first. she's incredibly beautiful & her smile gives her away already for being a sweet spirit. thank you lord for this happy girl. i can't wait to know her better with each passing day. 

i love you my little lemon.