b a c k y a r d

for the past three months, every waking hour that chris has been home has mostly been spent in our back yard. during our build, we had no sprinklers so we lost what little grass we had back there + so the whole thing has basically been a dirt field + terrible on my floors + laundry duties + so on. the kids don't mind it a bit, and kids are supposed to play in the dirt, so we have. not to mention, if we wanted to see chris... that's where he'd be! BLESS HIM. he has learned how to do SO many things since being a home owner + i am so proud of + thankful for all the work he (+ brother in laws!) have put in! ALSO, i am SO happy to report, that after rock removal, and tilling, and sod laying, and sprinkler system putting in + reputting in, and deck building, + swingset placing, and on and on and on... the other night, we hung our cantina lights + porch swing, and are officially DONE working in the backyard for a while. as homeowners, and creative people, there will always be new ideas + things to be done, but we set a stopping point for ourselves + decided that it was time to just enjoy + sit for a while, and we are SO excited! i plan to "camp" as abel says, AKA roast + eat s'mores as many nights as we can, chase my kiddos around in the beautiful new grass, enjoy nights with chris on the porch + praise the Lord for the continued blessings in our lives!

UPDATED:

Before + After Pics!

block party.

last week chris had his family block party at work + the kids had the best time ever.

we shared ice cream + they had their faces painted (by someone other than me or themselves) for the very first time + bounced the bounce house until we had to go in and physically retrieve them (the last two kids in there) so that they could be deflated. it was so good.

i love nights like that. easy + wonderful, and a whole lot of my little family.

^^^never knowing when our last photo as a family of only FOUR will be, i'd surely take this one as it. so sweet, i could cry looking at it! 

slow mornings, jammies + things

i'm just going to go ahead and confess that we stay in jammies a lot. probably too much. maybe it's because once upon a time i taught dance every day and loungewear was work wear + it never seemed like that big of a deal to me to basically live in it. i'm trying to make it more of a regular thing to get us all dressed for the day earlier than say 1pm, but pregnant + slow mornings with these two... my confession stands. we love jammies + especially these cute l'oved baby ones. we love waking up + taking it easy around here... breakfast + outside + popsicles by noon... summer days are it right now + with the clock ticking to baby number three's arrival, i am trying to savor it the best i can, while also wishing to meet her sweet face like yesterday! 

i can't believe that we are only a few short days away from our due date + that life as we know it will change. there's really no way to prep for that sort of thing, i've always found it better to just charge through when it happens + see where you end up. so far that's worked for us! these two are my best little company + the way they love and interact with eachother is everythinggggg. i truly am so so excited to see them love another + to have one more sweet member added to our morning crew. amen!

summer nights

we went to the food truck rally last night + it felt just how every summer night should feel in my opinion. family, food, kids playing in the grass... slow + easy. I took a million pictures + am posting most of them because me and the narrowing...

^^^abel is a dream

^^^can someone please pick my heart up off the floor for me?!

^^^that chris... he sure is a good one! & look how good he looks with three! 

another girl...

i remember praaaayyyying when i was pregnant with lucy, that she be just like abel. he was the best in every way + it's all i'd known + i loved it. why wouldn't i want an exact replica of his personality only in girl form?!

...well, she's not.

& MAN would i be missing out if she weren't exactly the way that SHE is. she is hysterical + hammy, and girly + sassy + sweet + soooo many things that only she embodies + our sweet guy does not (and vice versa).

aside from adoring abel + all that he was/is, i think i was concerned that i'd compare them negatively or that if she wasn't like him she might not be as wonderful (so ridiculous). like most of my worries, i was wrong. he and she are the two most incredible little humans i could have ever dreamt of, i love them individually + love to celebrate their differences... and now we are having another, another girl!

i can't wait for her to get here + to get to know her + love all of her unique qualities the same way i love my other two. i am so curious if she will look like any of us or have any of the same tendencies! God is so good + so much more creative than we are, He has got something so special for us in her, and i really am just bursting at the seams (in more ways than one haha) ready to hold her + love her + see her life unfold.

it's incredible to me that the three best things i've been a part of creating, have really not had much to do with me at all. thank you, thank you jesus.