Oh Little Bill…you never fail to surprise me.  My dramatic princess has been whimpering and whining at the idea of going to school all week.  She has literally wept when I have told her that I won’t be staying in the class with her while she’s there.  I was preparing for the worst.  And yet this morning, she sassed right through the door like she owned the place.  Wouldn’t even meet my lips for a goodbye kiss.  I had to settle for a bigfat cheek.   Gotta love a girl who keeps you on your toes.  I just hope her teachers feel the same way.

I love you, my special girl.

A girl of many (many!) faces.

Twirl, girl.

Is she not just the most precious thing?  Caroline very carefully picked this spot for our last photos of the afternoon.  And then proceeded to knock my socks off with her adorableness.

Miss Caroline, my chatty little friend, you were a delight!  Thank you for the infinite artistic direction you gave me during our session, as well as the lessons on dinosaurs, insects, and life in general.  You will be an AWESOME 4-year-old big sister.  I hope to see you again soon!

It’s SCHOOL TIME!

A quick pep-talk to a little sister who was pretty darn sure she should be going on that school bus, too…

♥ Goodbye sister kisses. ♥

Goodbye Mom squeezes!

(and kisses and pats and hugs and rubs and tickles and one really good butt-pinch)

At long last…here it comes!

Pure Boy Joy.

And off he went.

I was a little disappointed to see that the bus windows were heavily tinted… I wasn’t able to see him once he rounded that corner.

But – just as the bus began to pull away, and the weight of the moment settled into my butterfly-filled stomach, I saw that precious little head pop up in one of the back windows.  I will never ever forget the excitement and wonder on Parker’s face in that moment.  He waved frantically, caught the kiss that I blew his way with all of my heart, and was gone.

I am so proud of you, Parker.  I love my school boy.

But sometimes, when the pool is full, the beer in your hand is icy-cold, and the children frolicking in front of you are (for the most part) squealing with joy and convulsing in giggles – the day just doesn’t seem long enough.

Long-live summer.

Long-live inflatable plastic pools.

Long-live moments like these.

Kindergarten.  Less than a month.  Wow.

“I am NOT a baby.  I wear princess panties.”

Clever defense.

It’s all fun and games until…well, until Bailey says so.

Pool time-out so Parker can flex some mad airbending skills.

Impressive, I know.

But a kid can only resist the splash-fest for so long…

I have a wonderful, close family, and my children are blessed to have not one, but two great-grandmothers that live close enough to visit often. They also have a THIRD (another Mimi!) who lives a few hours away. Very rarely, however, do we get to visit two at the same time! Today was a special day. We picked up Mimi on one side of town and trekked over to Granny’s place for a little visit.

These lovely ladies had some catching up to do.

My Mimi is my Dad’s mother. She’s more than a little bit spunky, vivacious, and quite the social butterfly. Mimi single-handedly took my brothers and me to Disney World not once, but twice growing up. I’ve taken many-a-trip to the mall with this lady…she knows how to shop! (much to the delight of her only granddaughter)

My Granny is my mom’s mom. She is the quintessential kind-hearted (yet no-nonsense!) granny that every kid should be lucky enough to have. She’s a MARVEL in the kitchen, but don’t ever think she can tell you a recipe…everything comes in pinches and dashes and simply can’t be recreated. Granny also has a mischievous streak. Don’t turn your back when there are locust shells around!

Though these awesome women are very, very different, they certainly have at least one thing in common. They love their great-grandkids!

But I’ll admit…they ARE quite lovable.

Since my parents have been divorced for almost 20 years, Mimi and Granny don’t see each other very often. But regardless of how much time passes, they share a special bond. And it shows. ♥

Don’t you remember having special toys and treasures to play with just at your grandparent’s house? Parker and Bailey were thrilled when Granny brought out these dominoes. I’m sure they will ask for them straight away on our next visit.

Bonus find for Bailey. HA!

Family life can be complicated, confusing, and at times, downright exasperating! But at the end of the day, I am so thankful for the special people that make up my family.

I didn’t pick ‘em, but I sure do love ‘em!

Happy Birthday, Matt Boles.

My Brianne has been in my life for almost 25 years now…25 years!  We have been blessed with the kind of friendship that simply ENDURES.  She is a precious part of so many of my childhood memories, and I was thrilled that we finally bit the bullet and made arrangements to get our little families together for a few days.

The kiddos were quite the crew.

Are these girls beautiful, or what?

Addison is spunky, smart, and so much fun to be around.  (she had Parker and Bailey fighting for her attention!)

And sweet Temperance is truly the most laid-back baby that I’ve ever witnessed.  She gives out grins and giggles like it is going out of style.

Bailey was in princess HEAVEN.  She was overwhelmed by Addie’s impressive collection of pink paraphernalia, and wasted no time in making herself at home.  (don’t be fooled by Parker’s furrowed brow…the kid loves the ladies!)

Oh Bri, it’s almost too much.

Hot ride.  Hot date.

Angel, the wonder pup.  (seriously, if you only knew what all this dog has been through!)

And since nothing screams “BFFs!” quite like an out-of-focus, under-exposed shot from an iPhone…

I love you so much, my friend.  Thank you (and your fantastic Ed) for hosting us for a few days.  Nothing says heaven like wine on a back porch with four little ones sleeping soundly inside.  (followed by donuts the next morning – score!)

Can’t wait until next time.

It has barely been six weeks since I first met this sweet boy.

But what can I say, I just can’t get enough of this smiley little man and his gorgeous mama, Jennifer.

Have you ever seen such big, beautiful eyes?  No, really.

Love you two.

You gotta love those new baby eyes that work so hard to focus…

Can’t.  Stay.  Awake…

Baby #2 for this beautiful mom and proud dad.  They’re pros.

Big sister Audrey!

Tea time

♥ Sisters ♥

Leyla, Bryan, and Audrey, what a pleasure it was to visit with you again!   Natalie Rose is an awesome addition to your sweet family.  Enjoy each other!

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