S P E C I A L

Lucy is so special you guys.
I wish you could all know her like we do. She is fun + hysterical, feisty + sweet. She loves harrrddd + is smarter than any two year old should be. Can't believe I have a daughter, and now TWO of them. Lucky lucky me.

F O U R

Why is four stopping me dead in my tracks?
Abel's birthday is more than just his birthday to me. His birthday is the day I became a mother. For nine months prior to January 25, 2013 I had shared my body, shared my thoughts, constantly thought of another life that wasn't my own + cared deeply about my responsibility in helping to sustain it... but on that day, that Friday night, my life would change forever. 
I remember everything like it was yesterday, from talking on the phone with my father in law the day before while i hung our last little gallery of wedding photos in our new home, to the first words i said when i saw his sweet little face... to chris, "he has your eyes!" There is nothing like becoming a parent. Nothing will stretch you more, teach you more, or force you to rely on the grace + forgiveness that's been freely given to you by Jesus on the cross. new mercies every day, every hour sometimes. 
four years of sacrifice + fulfillment + joy + heartache. four years of maple syrup inducing nostalgia + little fingers on my neck. four years of cottontop hair, morning snuggles, sleepless nights + noticing the little things that normally might get looked over. four years of all the best things + all the hardest things. four is breaking my heart you guys.
abel, you're special. you're kind + curious, gentle + wild. you are the very best son i could ask for + an even better brother to your sisters. we are thankful for your life + all the ways it's changed ours. thank you for being the epitome of breaking the mold when it comes to little boys. we love you so much. here's to F O U R!
& a walk down memory lane:   three  -  two  -  one

THE ROAD TO HANA + THE LAST OF OUR BEACH PHOTOS!

The Road to Hana was both gorgeous + terrifying. Chris took us on this adventure, and though I was my usual panicky, back seat driver self, I'm so glad he did. It was so incredibly beautiful. I got mostly video footage over still captures, but made sure we got a family shot when there was a safe spot to pull over :) 
This concludes our Maui photo posts! Until next time!

On the way back, Abel wanted a shave ice, and who could say no to that face...
^^^Maui Sunsets
^^^Abel will still tell you he didn't have fun paddleboarding (because he was scared at first) but by the end of it, he was telling Chris how much fun it was.
^^^everyyyyy day, an oceanside tuna nap

HERE + THERE, HAWAII STYLE

One of the things we really had to commit to before diving into this trip was pacing ourselves. We wanted to be sure that the kids were well rested + enjoying their time, and not feeling like we were going 100mph + they were just there for it, so we made sure to spend time each day just hanging at our hotel. We'd enjoy slow mornings + always come back to home base midday, in hopes for naps + rest to finish out the rest of the day with little to no stress. Kids are not always predictable, but this worked for us a good percentage of the time. Staying flexible with how the days unfolded differently, and choosing what was best for our family, even if it meant having to do things separately from the group sometimes was the best thing we could have done to ensure a positive trip for all of us. 
This post is made up of the little in between moments, captured here + there.
^^^The free roaming chicken who lived near the Fry's room! Tay named her "Clementine" - the kids renamed her "Chickeletta"
^^^who is that big kid?
^^^One of the kid's favorite parts of the trip was feeding the fish every morning at our hotel.
^^^lucy napped nearly every day at the beach :)
^^^sand angels

^^^getting comfortable at our hotel

^^^three sleeping kiddos on the flight, serious win.
^^^canoe whale watch... HOW BLUE IS THAT WATER?!
^^^breakfast is still my favorite meal of the day, even in hawaii. 
^^^cabana life.