SIX

per pinterest's suggestion, i started a little tradition with ruby when she turned three of asking her twenty questions that we would repeat for each birthday after that. well, being the stellar mom that i am, i've already forgotten a year and am picking back up with six.

here are videos from three and four followed by year six. i love this tradition. it really shows just hoooow much difference a year (or two. ha!) makes.

THREE

FOUR

SIX

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my dear ruby, the thought of you and your siblings looking back on this blog someday is one of only a couple reasons that keep me coming here to write. i know every parent says this, but i literally can't believe the way time is passing by and how quickly you're growing right before my eyes. you, my dear, are my mirror. we are so much alike, so it's a constant joy and struggle to see both the good and bad in myself walking around in front of me every day. you keep me on my toes and make me want to know more about jesus so i can share him with you. you make me proud and less fearful of the future because i know you're just getting better with time. i know that your strong will and outspoken nature, although two of my greatest challenges, are also two of god's greatest gifts to me because i will never have to worry about anyone ever taking advantage of you. you will be quick to stand up for yourself and tell me if you're ever being mistreated, and that's an assurance i need more than anything. i know that i'll never be a perfect mama, but my daily hope and prayer is that i will be the perfect mama for you. i love you, ruby girl. you are one of my greatest gifts. -mommy

OILIN'

so, it's happening people. i'm in month three of my ride on the oily bandwagon. except, it's not a bandwagon at all. it's a wagon that's been around for hundreds of years that's finally getting the attention it so deserves. 

oils are lit-ra-lee nature's medicine. i've had some *a-ha* moments over the past couple of weeks as to both why and how much i love this oiling journey. so naturally, i wanted to get them out in writing here for my own reference and also because i just love sharing what i love. 

so, here goes:

-i love the positive changes that these oils have brought to some of our daily routines. not all of the oil uses are for health.. you can simply apply because you like the scent and smelling it lifts your spirits. i've gotten in the habit of putting a dab of joy or stress away on ruby's wrists and over her heart when there's time in the morning before school. it's something simple i can do that brings us a moment of calm before we say goodbye and her busy day starts. i truly believe that there's something therapeutic in the oils that helps ground her but, even if i'm crazy and there isn't, there's something undeniably valuable about taking that extra moment to connect with her before she walks out the door. the same goes for our nighttime routine. i have a "sleep" roller bottle that's a mixture of cedarwood, lavender, and fractionated (always liquid) coconut oil. i bring that with me when i go in for stories and prayer with the girls, and i take a second to roll and rub a bit onto the bottoms of their feet before i leave their room for the night. i've genuinely seen a difference in the way they all (ruby especially) fall asleep at night since doing this. i trust that the oils are helping them, but i also value the extra care and attention that applying them gives.

-i love knowing that everything i'm using on myself and my family is verified and safe. young living's processes are so trustworthy, and i value that as a wife and mom. if i'm going to go the extra step and do the work to make natural changes for my family, i'm darn well going to make sure that the products i'm using to do so are legit. young living owns the entire process that their oils go through.. all the way from the "seed" to the "seal". they aren't just bottling oils that they bought from someone else. they own the seeds and the fields, they distill the oils, and then they bottle and ship them. they are the only company who does all of this, and you reap the benefits. you can have confidence that you are using oils that aren't adulterated in any way, and that means so much to me.. especially because i'm spending time and money making these oils a part of our life. 

-although i understand how people may get jaded by the "fad-ish" feeling of oils popping up lately, i've been surprised at some of the hatin' going on when it comes to the use and rising popularity of essential oils. the fact of the matter is, we are all going to need to medicate ourselves in some way at some point in our lives.  if someone told you they had a way for you to get the same results as a modern medication without the use of synthetic and man-made ingredients, wouldn't you be all for it? i know that i 100% would be. enter essential oils. so much relief can be found from something extremely potent and all-natural. i understand that "hater's gonna hate" and all that jazz, but more and more there's a burning desire inside of me to help people understand that they don't have to be chained to their pill bottles. even in the few months of using oils, i have had success at battling and beating many ailments and illnesses for myself and my kiddos. i won't go into specifics here for "fda" related reasons, but i would be oh so happy to share with you privately over a cup of coffee or through email.

-since beginning my research about essential oils around nine months ago, i started noticing just how many "mainstream" products have scents or traces of essential oils in them. i realize that it may be a difficult transition for someone who isn't used to alternative medicine to suddenly take that plunge, but in terms of things like lotions, soaps, and other products it wouldn't be that farfetched of change. i've inexpensively made cleaning, skin, and haircare products using my oils and, on top of the low cost, i also have the confidence that nothing in them is artificial or harmful.  

-i'm excited by the opportunity that young living gives to make one's use and passion for essential oils into a personal business. i totally get people's hesitation when it comes to mlm (multi-level marketing) companies, but i truly believe that people are sharing about their use of oils because they are genuinely seeing a difference in their lives because of them. as one can easily tell from my over 4,000 instagram posts, i thoroughly enjoy sharing about things that i love and am excited about, and oiling has quickly become one of those things. the words of a fellow oiler rang so true for me today.. she said that even if no one ever bought oils and supported the business side of things for her, she would still continue to use and benefit from oils. that is completely my heart behind this! i'm daily seeing both big and small ways that essential oils are improving my family's quality of life, so of course i'll continue to use them regardless of how quickly or slowly the business part of it happens. if i can share those successes and help others experience that same goodness along the way, that's just icing on the cake for me. 

-lastly, i have hope that the changes we're making to our health and well-being will be lasting ones for my family. one of my clearest memories from growing up is of my mom wearing patchouli oil as her perfume. we used to think nothing of it and would only occasionally call her a hippy :), but now it's something that i always connect fondly with her and my childhood. i'd love for our family's use of oils for both health and pleasure to be something that sticks with my kiddos for years to come.

so for now, those are some of my thoughts behind why i oil. if you have any questions, please comment below or reach out to me through social media. i would love to talk with you more about this oily world and help you learn about essential oils in whatever way i can. it really is an interesting and exciting new world for me.

five minute friday : REAL

well fancy that, even after being severely neglected, my blog still exists. the writing bug is always biting, but when i finally get a second to myself i usually prefer zoning out to saying anything.. be it out loud or in written form. on the other hand, sometimes these ramblings are some of the only ways i can express myself completely and it feels good to do that from time to time. 

i just discovered the "five minute friday" writing prompt and loved the idea behind it. take five minutes and write your heart about. this week's prompt is "REAL"; which seemed like the perfect week to start. i love few things more than being real and getting the same from others, so i thought i'd take a bit of naptime to write down some real words and then move on with my day. 

if i were being real, i'd tell you that as grateful as i am for so so many things in my life, sometimes i feel like the days just spin in circles around me. these 1200 square feet in this apartment with four faces that i see every day asking for three meals and ten snacks washing the same clothes today that i washed yesterday because someone threw up on them or wiped peanut butter on the sleeve.. it all just starts to blur together. i started #ayearofthanksgiving2015 on my instagram account because i felt this attitude creeping in right when we moved to fayetteville. this is the one place i never wanted to live and then, here we were. 

why is it so much easier to concentrate on the things that make us feel discontent than to revel in the blessings? i hate that part of my flesh. i love the part of myself that wants to tell my story to be an encouragement, and despise the parts that want to tell it for pride's sake. i love the part of myself that trusts in Him to be my supply, but despise the parts that can't seem to think of Him without doubts creeping in. i love the part of myself that wants to connect with community, and hate the parts that allow comparison to be the thief of my joy. 

so, if i were being real today, i'd tell you that my picture isn't always perfect. i'm selfish and whiny, cynical and entitled, but in the depths of myself, i do trust that His grace is sufficient for me. i do have at least a few minutes everyday when i look around and know that the seemingly ordinary moments are actually extraordinary and oh so fleeting. i do feel grateful and also unworthy of my calling as a wife and mom. i really wouldn't trade it for anything.

FEAR LESS

as 2015 is inching its way to us, i've found myself reflecting back on and looking forward to how i feel about new years. i've realized that, as a worrier, each year i look to january 1st with a good bit of trepidation. i say "as a worrier" not in a "this is who i am and plan to always be" kind of way, but rather because i recognize this about myself in hopes of not always living beneath it. 

i've struggled with worry for as long as i can remember. i think a lot of it comes from a need and desire to control, but also in many ways from a mostly unstable past. i just want to know what's going to happen and i worry that at any given moment the rug is going to be pulled from under me. 

daniel and i often have discussions where i look at him with complete confusion as he tells me that no, in fact, he does not lie in bed at night and wonder if i'll die. or worry that one of our kids will get sick or what life will look like when our parents pass away. i just can't believe these things don't overtake his mind on the regular.. because a day does not go by when i don't think these thoughts. i'm the girl who can't reach you for too long (read: 30 minutes) by phone and assumes you've been in a head-on collision and died. it seems irrational when i type it out so plainly, but when i'm in the midst of one of my worrying spirals it all makes so much sense. 

but the thing i'm seeing as i look forward to this new year is that i'm right. 

these things will happen. 

people i love are going to die. and get sick. and have really really hard things happen to them. 

and i know this because it's already happening. 

i have friends whose babies have died, whose husbands have died. i love people who are experiencing infertility and loss and divorce. 

this knowledge, the one that at any given moment the thing you fear the most could happen, is what keeps me from being fearless. i don't know how to do that. i trust the Lord for good things, but i also know that doesn't mean bad and hard things won't happen. 

because they will, and i still fear what will happen when they do. 

but recently, the harsh reality that they're coming whether i fear them or not has been helping me, not to become fearless but, to fear LESS. 

because living in that state of fear isn't going to change anything. 

but what will change everything is living each moment in a way that soaks up the goodness that's here right now. 

to live like all of those hard things are right around the corner can either be crippling or the biggest breath of fresh air we can stand. 

so for 2015, this mama's got no resolutions to speak of, but what i do have is a plan to fear LESS and live MORE. to relax my clenched jaw and squeeze my little girls instead. to loosen my tense shoulders and put my arms around my family and friends more often so they know i love them and am so. grateful. for every day i get to be beside them. i don't want to live in fear, but i don't want to put the pressure on myself to be fearless either.. that's an unattainable goal for me, but fearing less is not.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, 

but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

THE MOMENTS

i feel like i literally need to dust off this ole blog to put some words here again. we have done more than a lap around the sun since i last put some thoughts to cyber paper, but it's quiet in our apartment so, of course, that means my mind is loud. today was one of those days that was full of the normal highs and lows that come with homemakership (you're welcome for adding that word to your repertoire). here's a glimpse into my stream of consciousness that i offered for my instapeeps this evening.. 

"they are so sweet we're having the best night omg why won't they stop fighting I can't wait for them to go to bed aw they are doing so well playing together they're so funny what in the world are they yelling about now..."

luckily, this day actually included some of those sweeter, fonder thoughts because, honestly, many days do not. many days these girls wear me thin and raw and bring out the literal worst in their mama. i love them more than anything while simultaneously wanting to pull my hair our from frustration and sheer exhaustion. but those taxing moments turn into tender ones and by and by we always end up at bedtime and then the morning brings new mercies. when i melt into my pillow every night i never cease to feel grateful.. because even in the hard moments, i know that's all they are. moments. just like the good ones, they will pass and a new joy or hurtle will be around the corner. it's all fleeting; a truth that becomes more apparent by the second. so, in the midst of the crazy, i'm working to remind myself that the moments are all i have.. are all they have. these girls are with me for a moment, and even the hard ones are worth soaking up. 

F O U R.

i loved taking this video of ruby last year when she turned three and, amazingly enough, my mama brain remembered to do it again for four! (also, how is she four?)

throwback to THREE:

FOUR:


i realize on a daily basis that my girl is growing and changing, but things like this really make the strides she takes in just one short year standout like crazy. even just seeing how her answers to some of the questions were things she actually likes and not just nonsense like liking "mexican" for lunch. what a nut.

happy FOURTH, rubes. i hope you read these posts someday and see that we really did our best to cherish your little years. i'll be honest with you, some days with you are straight out of a nightmare, but then there are times when you surprise me with your sweetness. or i remember challenging things that seemed unending that you don't even struggle with anymore, and i realize that you really are growing and changing everyday. you have such a strong little spirit, and i pray very often that daddy and i would be able to steer all of that feistiness and spunk into characteristics that help you to grow into a gracious girl who is kind and strong in all the right ways. we are doing our best to tell you about the Jesus we love so much in ways that you can understand; while also allowing you to ask questions and grasp whatever you can in your tiny mind. i pray that we're doing this as genuinely and gracefully as we know how. you're a great big sister, and i think you'll have a lot to offer sadie as she grows.. let's hope that those offerings stay on the safe and loving side, for the most part.
ruby, you're a beautiful little mess, and i love figuring out life as your mama. here's to making this year even better than the last.

a big (girl) day..

just the other day this peanut surprised me by looking at the earrings i was wearing and saying, "i want to get my ears pierced like you so i can go out of the house." no sure where that thought process came from, but i told her that if she still wanted to on daddy's next day off we could go to the mall and get it done. we talked to her about how it would hurt and her only response was, "that's ok, i'm brave!" 

she was still asking about it today, and didn't even come inside after getting picked up from preschool.. she just yelled at me from the driveway, "you're coming with us to get my ears pierced, right mom?!"

we got to the mall and finally tracked down the piercing pagoda (only after asking the mall security guard who was roaming around.. i'm sure that made him feel really confident in the usefulness of his job). the clerk, kris, was helpful and encouraging of ruby's earring choice - pink hearts, as you would imagine. after she made the marks on ruby's ears and i compulsively checked them for evenness, kris made the first punch. i saw an immediate look of shock and pain on ruby's face and waited for her to cry out and stop the madness before kris could do the other side, but she only tightened her legs' grip around me and sat perfectly still until kris had finished the other ear. i asked her a few times if she was okay, and she nodded but kept quiet and looked up from my shoulder just long enough to accept her red lollipop on our way out the door. i tried to overlook her initial reaction of, "i don't want these anymore", and kept telling her how proud i was of her bravery and follow through on something she decided herself she wanted to do. within the five minute walk to the Disney store, homegirl was jabbering away about what had just happened and saying how excited she was to have earrings. we talked about it for the rest of the night, and i'm still in shock that there were more tears in my eyes than hers. 

this little girl surprises me constantly.. from her positive and fun attitude to her willingness to try new things. she's a gem and is growing and changing before my eyes. i'm trying not to blink, because i know these little years will be over before i know it.

i'm so proud of you, my brave girl. i can't wait for you to read this story when you're older so i can laugh with you and tell you again how surprising you are.

this (not so) glamorous life..

daniel left for work on a rather hectic morning a couple days ago.. ruby zooming around the house, sadie attached to my chest, me still in pajamas with sleep in my eyes, suitcases and the like strewn about the house from us just getting back in town. he gave me a kiss on his way out the door and said, "oh what a life we lead." his statement stuck with me, and i've been mulling it over ever since. you know it was a ground-breaker for me since it has me blogging for the first time since the end of august.. uh hum.

we do not live, as fergie would say, the life of the "glamorous" or the "flossy flossy" (but if you'd like a glimpse of what that supposedly looks like, here's a sneak peek).

i can't tell you much about what's current in fashion right now, how to keep yourself looking youthful and ageless, or even how to keep from getting poop on your hands less than once a day, for that matter. i'm lucky if i get to shower on the daily, and even luckier if anything other than stretchy pants graces my body. my dream car used to be a mini cooper or grand wagoneer, and now it's a honda odyssey. i  get excited over things like ruby making it into the "clean your plate club", and my favorite "perfume" is pink johnson & johnson baby lotion. i spend most days inside my house cooking and cleaning in an overlapping round, and date nights are few and far between and usually end before 8 pm. it doesn't phase me anymore to say things like "yes you have to wear pants outside" "no you can't have a waffle for lunch and dinner too" and "stop wiping your boogers everywhere". i have every cartoon channel memorized, and watching "ellen" is sometimes my only adult "interaction" during the day. 

this is not a glamorous life, but it's a glorious one.

it's a life that i know for certain many people long for, and one some will never have. i know these people... and even if i haven't met them, i know they're out there. women who would long to have a baby cry for milk only they can offer; even if it happened so many times a day that it started to get exhausting. women who hope for the day when they have a husband; even if having him included bickering now and then and cooking him dinner at 10 at night when they're dog tired. ladies who'd give anything to add "mom" to the list of things they're called.. who wish they could know for certain that that would happen for them. people who'd be over the moon to own the house that i often begrudge having to keep tidy, and who wish for the clothes i grumble about having to wash, fold, and put away. families who would enjoy every bite of the food that i tire of having to shop for, unpack, and cook day in and day out. 

this is not a glamorous life, but it's one that i'm so blessed to have. 

and, frankly, if i can't remember that often enough to be overwhelming thankful for it, then i pray that He'd do something now and then to shake me back into the reality of all i've been given. that's kind of a scary thought to have, but one that i do always hope is in me somewhere. 

this is not a glamorous life, but it's one that i don't want to take for granted.

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

for you.

1 thessalonians 5:18

beachy..

we finally ventured out to the indiana dunes on d's day off this week.. and going kind of made me want to kick myself that we didn't discover it long ago and spend a lot more of our summer there. it's so neat to be beside a body of water that's so huge it looks like an ocean, but actually isn't one. although i liked referring to it as "the ocean" while we were there because it annoyed d so much.. oh, marriage. :)

i recently started keeping one of our friend's daughters a few days a week since she has gone back to work part-time. charlotte's a sweet little one, and it's fun for ruby to have a playmate. i would be lying if i said that having another tiny person around doesn't sometimes add a level of stress to our days, but it's not overwhelming and a lot of it comes from having to teach and correct ruby when it comes to how she treats charlotte. i'm actually really thankful for the timing because i think she's learning a lot and getting a feel for having it not be "just her" around the house with me all the time. i know it's going to be completely different once sadie is here since she won't be a playmate for ruby like charlotte can be, but i'm still positive that it's benefiting her to have charlotte around. charlotte's mom and dad have both commented on already seeing a change in her personality since she's been spending time with us. i'm thankful that they appreciate ruby's spunk and that her outgoing ways are rubbing off on charlotte in a good way.

c cracked me up with her fearlessness in the water. i was thankful that it wasn't actually an ocean because she would have been pummeled by waves more times than i'd like to count just darting out there like she did.

this was the best beach trip we've ever had with ruby. she loved playing in the sand and kept herself entertained for three straight hours. she was super giddy even from the moment we got out of the car because we parked on a little patch of sand. "there's sand right here, mom!" then she trotted down to the shore raving about how good it was to be at the beach. i love that enthusiastic and thankful girl.

my main man. he stood watch like this the entire time we were there.

he actually did this.

there were a couple of older girls who played with ruby and charlotte too.. it was cute because they kept calling her "sweetie" and then telling her to do things. "sweetie, can you do me a favor and fill this water bottle up and bring it back here?" "sweetie, we're trying to take the sand out of the hole, not put it in." little mamas.

i promise ruby isn't torturing charlotte.. it was just impossible to get a picture with both of them looking/open-eyed.

i told stacey, charlotte's mom, that she was like a seagull at the beach. once i fed her some food she wouldn't go away and do anything else. cutie.

beauty beauty.

handsome, bearded man. i'm glad charlotte likes him too.

daintily eating the graham cracker she bummed off of a nearby family.. ok, they offered, but i think it had a lot to do with her pleading eyes.

sadie, you were there too. 

and, yes, i'm one of those bikini wearing pregnant women.. say what you will, but i've yet to find a "mama suit" that covers up the belly anyway.

daddy joining in on the hole filling.

beach baby.

we finally got in the water and the lifeguards announced that the beach was closing about ten minutes later. bumma. but we'll be back, dunes, don't you worry.

a day..

disclaimer: this is in no way a typical day for us. especially when it comes to the amount of stuff done.an average day starts with ruby having a pre-breakfast snack and watching PBS after she wakes up at the butt-crack of dawn. then breakfast, maybe some time at the pool or playing while mama does some stuff around the house. it's really not a glamorous or event-filled life we lead, but this day i happened to have my camera and we happened to do quite a few things.

grams and aunt tine, shield your eyes. we started out our day with a little trim. after daniel referred to ruby's 'do as a "shaggy beatles style" the other day, i knew she needed a little snip. i went to the place where i get mine cut and they informed me that they don't do cuts for kids younger than seven. way to discriminate, ladies. they did refer me to the daughter of one of the ladies there, so we headed to the hair cuttery and she did a great job.. for only $10. i used to cut ruby's hair myself, but as the curls keep coming in i won't dare put a scissor near there. she kept giving shy smiles and listened intently to everything the girl had her do. the lady beside us was getting her hair foiled, and ruby asked if she could have her hair painted like she was. too soon, my child.

the finished product. i love it.. her curls spring up so much more after a little trim. and you're welcome for the classy shot in front of our car.

then we had a big girl lunch date at panera.. i emphasize the "big girl" part because i have to make that very clear to ensure that madness is kept to a minimum. also, a recently discovered tactic of mine is to sit at their really tall bistro tables to keep the wiggly worm from getting in and out of her seat constantly. give it a try for your little rascal.
the first face is a reaction to hearing that daddy was going to a baseball game with some of his friends that night and not taking her with him. oh the humanity. and the second is just cute because she's blowing on her food like a little lay-dee.

then we headed to the library because i've been telling her for a week that we'd go. also, i wanted to see if they had this book that i'm starting to read with my little cyber book clurb. can't wait to start that loveliness. 

this is ruby seconds before talking in an i-have-headphones-on-and-i-can't-tell-how-loud-i'm-being voice. and then i went and paid $6 in late fees.

they are building a humungo new library in our town that will open in october, but i like the one we have now a lot too. they have this super cool tree and treehouse in the middle of the kid's section that ruby always spends most of her time in. there's also a telephone in the treehouse ('cause why wouldn't there be?) that i think talks when they pick it up, but r likes to use it to pretend like she's a secret agent. there's a video at the end of this post to show you what i'm talking about.

 eyeless treehouse shot. i think she likes sadie more than me.

and because i'll never pass up an instance where she'll take a picture with me.. (she always requests a funny face).

then home for a little rest time (which i needed much more than she did) and an apple snack (i had the rest of a  bag of white powdered donuts). 

this sweet linen dress was mine and vally's when we were little. my mom cleaned it up and passed it on to my girls. i love it so much.

the little chef helped make these biscuit pizzas for dinner (yes it's another recipe from the nato's blog. we already talked about how i'm obsessed). they were delicious. and super easy. give it a try, and freeze a few for later.

her's was boring-ville sauce and cheese, but i topped mine with garlic, olive oil, spinach, feta, mushroom and mozzarella. mm. i wish i were eating one right now. 

just an attempt to make you drool a little more.

and then this happened. what other reaction would you expect from being told that you can't rip your matching game instructions in half? you know you've hit rock bottom when senseless things like, "i just want my sister sadie to be here!!" and "i don't want my feet to be on me anymore!" start a-flowin'. but then i showed her a picture of how crazy she looked and she burst out laughing. score one for team mom. 

we ended the night playing outside in the courtyard with this gaggle of childrens. our apartment is quite the melting pot ethnically, so there were a lot of languages being shouted back and forth. i'm looking forward to fall, but not so much to winter when there will be a lot less outside action happening. soaking it in while we can.

well, there's a day in the life. as much as i know i'll like going back and reading about deep thoughts and milestones on our blog someday, i think things like this will be a big part of why i'm thankful i kept this record for us. i'm motivated lately to do a good job of keeping our memories and stories written down here.. i know it will be something we'll cherish.

and here's that video. as you can tell, we're still working on the "library voice".

story time with rubes: the monster at the end of this book..

in case you've ever wondered what it's like to hear a three year old "read" a book from memory, here's a little video for you to feast your eyes upon. wacky, random, and shirtless.



my camera died at the very end. the last page is a little picture of grover saying, "i'm so embarassed." this is probably the cutest part of the book to see her read, but you'll just have to use your imagination.

dear ruby, you are a nut.

k & v..

as my sister so lovingly reminded me tonight (wait, it wasn't loving. is went something like, "when are you gonna post about the rest of your time in nc? you do such a good job writing about yourself, but what about the rest of us?" ha what is sisterhood without sassy banter?) i have yet to share about the other fun shower we had while i was in north carolina like i said i would in this post.

i'm not sure that i've mentioned it yet, but my sister and her fiance are being rude and getting married when i'll be a very rotund thirty-six weeks pregnant. i mean, how dare they plan a wedding before i even got pregnant and make it so close to my future due date? psht. anywho, i love them so i'm still acting excited and rolling with the punches. seriously though, i can't wait for this day, and have made sure to remind myself of it daily by putting their sweet a invitation on my fridge.

the party was so fun and sweet. vally and kyle's friends kristen and quinten offered to host at their house, and i was in town to be able to help out with some of the details which made me really thankful. being hours away during fun seasons like this is not the funnest thing, but i'm so glad that i can be a part of days like this for them.

the soon to be b and g.. i read somewhere that you should take pictures from behind because that's where all the love is. i agree.

doing my matron of honor-y duties and writing down names at the gifts table. they picked out cute stuff, and i was covetous of those burlap "mr." and "mrs." pillows on the right.

some panorama action during gift opening.

just look at 'em. toats adorbs.

rubes got dirty and sweaty, and kept showing everyone her underwares. i loved being able to just let her run around in the backyard and enjoy all the kids at the shower. and we all know that sparklers make the world go round, and every parent's blood pressure go up, so that was fun too.

sisterly love. and sadie girl, stay in there until at least after october 13th, capeesh?

we three. it's blowing my mind that in just two short months we'll be three married old ladies. it makes me very thankful for the years that we just had each other, and even more thankful for where we've ended up.

the men folk. this is going to be a beardtastic wedding once d gets in town to round out the threesome.

uncle getting in a superb photobomb.

they're cute. kind of crazy to think that just a few hours after this a tree fell on the house.

look, i don't like to use my flash. just pretend like this is in focus. also, i can't wait for the wedding weekend so we can take pictures that include daniel. that's gonna be frame-worthy for sure.

what a fun time celebrating. two more families becoming one. God's really good, and we are all incredibly good looking.