4th of July Parade, 2017!

Happy fifth of July! I hope you had a loooong weekend + a wonderful 4th of July full of celebration + fireworks + traditions + thankfulness because we get to freely call this beautiful country home! We started our morning at the Old Town parade (guh-prayed as Abel used to say). The kids were most excited to collect candy as it was thrown, the cuuutest little face painter girl painted their faces + Chris, the cutest dad, toted the three of them around in our happy red wagon. It was a good morning. It makes me happy when we make the effort to get out + go, to experience different things no matter the possible chaos that may be involved, especially when it would be easier to skip it. It's so worth it to me. Thankful for the life we are building for our kids. My biggest wish is for it to be a life they love to be a part of, and a life that they will hopefully remember when they are adults + will want to share + pass on to their own children!

isla jane, one year.

Isla jane, my sweet third child of dreams is one. 

What the actual hey?! 

Abel cried real tears going to bed tonight, saying how he didn't want her to turn one, he wanted her to be his baby forever +  that she's cuter when she's tiny... as if tomorrow she will wake + be an entirely different baby. She was hugging him, consoling him while his sweet tears fell. It was the most heartbreakingly sweet moment, and I hope I never forget it. These are the moments I couldn't have dreamed up if I'd tried. I saw Chris + I... probably some kids when we were "like 30"  ...I had no idea how full my future life was... the love my heart would hold, the feeling of my own newborn's smallness in my arms, the grubby toddler hands on my face, the snuggles + giggles + early morning smiles, the love they have for Chris or the way they care for each other... moments like these. I'm so thankful that God is bigger than what I can see. 

Thank you Jesus for Isla, and for the two before her.

I've never known a better third baby than her. She's happy + silly + independent + willful. She has always had her own voice, has the sweetest spirit, loves her family, + is breezing by all the milestones early like the rest of 'em. She nods, and waves her hands to say no, stands on the coffee table like it ain't no thang + knowwwws she shouldn't. We swear she is saying iiiiislaaaa, + mimics me calling aaaabel too. Her favorite thing to do currently, is pick up the dogs. Harlow is her favorite because she is more her size, but she will give Charlie a try too. She also kisses them + shares her food... and theirs.

Isla Jane, Bitty J, Janebug + Chris's favorite (to which I always give a HUGE eye roll) Ijjy Azalea...

Forever the third child of my dreams, Isla. I love you more than you know. Thank you for your spirit + all that you are. You're my angel. I love you, Happy Birthday!

Photos from the hospital, when she was born HERE, and some of my favorite photos from the year below! 

On Tuesday.

 Some Tuesdays we stay home, others we visit fire stations with the best pink walls in the history of fire stations with pink walls. We may be inclined to head to the park afterward + enjoy watermelon smoothies, or even fill our bellies at the Food Truck Rally to end the day. 

We have been knee deep in a kitchen renovation + not taken much time for anything other than that, so while laying in bed last night, Chris and I decided that on Tuesday we would get out and live some life. We are so glad we did. 

I hope you had a happy Tuesday however it was spent :) Here are a few iphone photos from the day!

Our Favorite Children's Books || Currently

It's no secret that we LOVE books at our house. I will probably still be buying children's books when my children are no longer children. They're truly my favorite thing to buy the kids. We read before bed nearly every night + often times during the day while we are waiting for Chris to come home from work too! The kids will bring a whole pile to the coffee table, we'll dive in + won't stop until everyone's picks have been read. Here are a few of our current favorites!

1. The Pout Pout Fish
We love this book, it rhymes nice + the kids love to do the blub, blub, blub part. I often times find them "reading" this one on their own!

2. Lines that Wiggle
We got this book at Christmas. It's bright + the illustrations are fun. The kids love to follow the lines with their fingers + love pointing out all the lines they see around the house or when we are driving afterward!

3. Sleep Like a Tiger
This book was given to us as a gift + when I read it through to myself the first time, I wasn't sold. I loved the illustrations, but it isn't a rhyming book + I'm a big fan of cute rhyming. I am SO glad we gave it another shot though, because it is now one of our favorites to read at bedtime. The kids have literally sunk down into their covers as I'm reading it, like the girl in the story, and I'm a bigger fan of stress free bed time.

4. The Complete Adventures of Curious George
Truth: This is not my favorite in any way... It is however, Chris' childhood book + has his cute little name inside the cover, and Abel LOVES it. His attention span for reading has lengthened so much + he loves a longer story now. I get weirded out by Curious George smoking a pipe + other strange things that would not be in children's books now ha! Again though, Abel likes it so it made the list.

5. Tickle Monster
This book is it. This has been a favorite in our house since before Lucy was born! We started reading it with Abel when he was just beginning to sit long enough for books at bedtime. The kids laugh + laugh, and we as parents could read it with our eyes closed.

6. Monster Trouble
Cute illustrations, cute little story... Have I mentioned I could buy and read children's books all day?