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.

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.

fairing..

we moved here just a little too late to be able to go to the county fair last year. we kept hearing how much fun it was, so it was a treat to be able to go twice. the first time with our fun friends mya, josh, and grace, and the second while d was off work and charlotte was over for the day.

little friends. they equally adore and drive each other crazy.

cautiously caressing the sleeping pig. i loved being able to expose them to all of these different animals.. even from afar. sometimes i wish we could live on a farm! but then i'd hate how early i'd have to wake up everyday. darn those rooster's crows.

peeking at the mama sow and her litter of piglets. they were fun to watch.

baby cow.

on our second trip with baby charlotte. not sure why ruby is making that evil-ish smile and holding that fork like a pitch fork. i was mainly impressed that i got them both to look.

d doing the hunch walk to hold little charlotte's hand. makes me excited to see him as a daddy to a tiny girl again. he kept holding ruby and charlotte at the same time and saying, "this is what it's going to be like. me with my two girls." sweetest.

this guy's horn span was outta control.

all up in his piggy grill.

i had never seen a brown pig before. this guy looking rather pathetic. but he gave us a few oinks, so i think he was hanging in there.

snuggly. even that one from the connected cage was trying to get in on the cuddle action with a little snout touch.

a sheep saying hello. "mom, these are goats, trust me." this is her new phase.. "trust me." don't though.. because she usually doesn't know what she's talking about. she's cute while she's saying whatever wrong fact it is, so we just go with it.

not a life i envy. you go, mama pig. 

i love how all the babies have that white stripe on their back, just like mom.

crazy hair and oogley eyes. we make quite a pair.

look at that precious babe soaking up the light.

rockin' that pony.

she was rather excited to pose in all of these animal cutouts.

"moooo."

gangsta spelling on the farm. behind me, as i took this picture, was a 12-ish year old girl lit-ra-lee cuddled up beside a cow sleeping with it in the hay. d asked me to get a picture of her, but i was too embarrassed on her behalf to snap one. i have a feeling that friendships outside of the animal kingdom may be few and far between for that little nugget. 

loved this old milk machine.

look at that sky. look at my love muffins.

don't worry, charlotte was still hanging in there. look at those pretty lashes.

this fella was a trip.. he looked like a stuffed animal with his puffy head.

of course our fearless lady wanted to touch every animal. nothing lunged at her or bit any fingertips off. when we were approaching the llama, i asked, "don't these things spit?" his reply, "yea, but not ours." hmm.. i took his word for it.

and then her bravery and my chicken-ish ways collided. the only thing she asked to ride was the ferris wheel. only one of us was going on with her because it was $5 a person to ride.. even for a one year old.. what? she asked for mommy to go. of course she did. because i'm terrified of ferris wheels and it was the windiest day we've had in weeks.

so we handed our tickets to this nice south african accented guy who assured me that he would bet his life that nothing would happen to this ride. ok, sir.

and then we got to the tippy top.. and i saw this face.

not afraid of a thing. 

so i sucked it up and let her lack of fear remind me to have fun and relish.

so that's just what we did. 

me and my girl on top of the world.

see you next year, bud.

and then rubes played daddy's "jump over the stick game" and looked like a flying squirrel.

we love the fair!