Front Yard Party

Ever since we landscaped our backyard last year, the backyard is where we reside majority of the daylight hours. It's dreamy + beautiful + I am SO grateful for the hard work put into it... but if you remember, befoooore the backyard was landscaped, it was a lot of dirt + rock and the front yard, "on the green grass" was where it was AT. Now that summer is coming to a close, we've pretty much worn out all of the backyard activities + i feel like the kids have been asking for TV + snacks more than usual this time of year. SO, to the front yard we go! The "green grass" is where the chalk is at, the bikes are at, the races are at, AND it's the best place to be when Chris comes home from work! It's a nice shake up from our regularly scheduled programming + the kids have LOVED it. I love how easily kids can change perspective for me, to just look in another direction + find a whole new adventure.  Truly truly thankful for this family of mine, and for this little house on the corner. 

^^^action shots... basically the only photos I can get of abel these days!

^^^Lucy loves so hard. I love her so much for this.

^^^photo by lucy :)

^^^daddy's home, chalk hugs + my sweet mail crew

a quick message brought to you by simultaneous napping by not two but THREE of my children.

this morning i was overwhelmed, and got down on myself feeling like i'd never again have time for myself to do the things i enjoy or write or edit photos or just be silent and still. 
as i sit writing this, i have three sleeping children (in the middle of the day- at the same time), it feels like fall out, and i'm enjoying a cup of coffee all by myself during this miracle of rarely occurring silence. thank you Jesus. 
being a mother has been the very most rewarding thing i've experienced EVER, ever, ever, ever... it's also drained me + i've lost myself in ways that i wish i hadn't. i take full responsibility for it, but almost 4 years is my breaking point. i need change. i need to start prioritizing myself regularly, because i can't be the insanely awesome + loving mom that God designed me to be + that i truly am deep inside, when often times i find myself feeling exhausted + worn out + don't know who i am or which way is up. in saying all of this, God knows what we need, and i'm giving him full credit for this moment brought to you by simultaneous naps. thank you God for loving me anyway + taking care of me always, and for choosing me for this ever so wonderful + challenging role. amen.
...now, how bout those faces + that glorious sunset!

a recipe for happy lately

a recipe for happy lately

• • • 

isla jane

the changing season

sisters, always

mornings with lucy

coffee with whipped cream in a favorite mug

planned visits from faraway friends + family

estes park in only three weeks!

pumpkins + christmas in my heart 

the blooms 

conversations with abel

burning pumpkin spice candles

c h r i s  s a l v a g g i o n e

snuggles

this little platform that God has provided me with to reach so many tiny screens + encourage the lives of those behind them! 

summertime, and the living's easy

when it comes to kiddos + mom-ing... what is there not to love about summertime? so long as there's sunscreen, sunshine + plenty of popsicles for everyone, we are pretty happy at our house. 

the tv is officially collecting dust, and outside is where it's at + where our kiddos choose to be 98% of the time! I remember different summers when the kids were too young for too much sun, or  daylight savings totally threw our groove + bedtime was like, "what bedtime?" and just the thought of that daunting task was enough to make me crazy + already be wishing for fall, but not this summer so far. days are longer, that's for sure, and when bedtime does actually roll around boy am I tired + ready! however, the kids are at prime ages this year for late nights on the porch or in the grass, and no one is typically melting down unless we've suuuuper pushed it past an acceptable sleep hour (+ our limits), and for right now that's working for us!

just another reminder of how quickly things change + how nothing lasts forever (good or bad) with most things in life, but especially with kids! ...keep this in mind whatever phase YOU are in :))

I love + welcome this little window of time, especially because I know in a few short weeks it will be different... I feel most days like I have two, three year olds. they're the sweetest little love story of all time, are filthy from head to toe by bed time, drive me nuts, make me smile + all around keep life funnier + constantly moving. thankful for dirty summer feet at the end of each day, the lingering scent of sunscreen + the guaranteed sticky, somewhere, left over from popsicles and fun had. 

welcome june! welcome summer(almost)! we are ready! 

^^^those little chalk booties are everything!

thank you L'ovedbaby for the precious play clothes! i love them, the kids love them... signed + sealed! 

You can find both of the kids outfits on  lovedbaby.com + also be sure to follow along on Instagram... a little birdie told me there is a giveaway happening over there THIS Saturday (June 4th)... @lovedbaby

him + them

i've never loved three people more.

^^^that black eye, and this was after the swelling had gone wayyyyyy down.

^^^yes, she's still here haha!

evenings on the green grass

our summer days end here.

our front yard, on the "green grass" (abel)

i couldn't ask for a better ending to, or better days than this.

thank you Jesus.

^^^no filtering, just God's beautiful masterpiece. (#salvaggionecorner on IG)

m a g i c

magic. a word I've found to be pretty accurate when describing the love + goodness of my little family. it's freezing out + dads blowing the leaves? let's join him! 

abel's love for outside has not been hindered by the cold, so we all bundle up and spend reasonable amounts of time out there if he asks us. these twenty or so minutes from sunday were just sweet. sure, by the end lucy was tired + abel kept trying to run down the hill after being told not to do so a handful(billion) times, but it was still sweet time to me that i cling to and cherish like its gold, because if there's anything I've learned in this life? it's that it goes by all too quickly and I'll never feel like we had enough days together, enough time, enough freezing cold-playing in the leaves moments, enough holding of my babies + snuggling at night, kisses from chris + staying up too late catching up on nashville because it's our only opportunity... or other nights, unintentionally falling asleep while putting the babies down. 

life is sweet, sometimes bitter too, but mostly sweet i think... either way, I want to spend it soaking up every last drop.

^^^I love everything about this. I love the finger in the ear + the smile on husbands face, the fact that it's so totally off center that I don't even want to fix it or crop it in to hide my sweatshirt and sweatpants get up that I tried hiding beneath my cute sweater, how flattering (embarrassed monkey emoji here). I love the chaos that comes with having a family + I love a self timer for capturing this magic.