August at the Farmhouse

Over the last three days the weather has been lovely. It was such a hot miserable week. Thursday I took the kids for a walk up the street (less than 200 feet) and they were both flushed and crying by the end. It was just so hot.

But back to the fact that it cooled. It cooled, and it was the best weather we've had since June.

Not only was it cloudy with a breeze, but it was cool enough to actually enjoy being outside.

It was also a special occasion due to the fact that Chelsea and Joe had brought Emilia to enjoy the farmhouse for the very first time. Farmhouse first trips are a big deal. This home has been in E's family for 250 years, and one day it will be James, Juliet, Emilia and any other cousins that will own it. (See James's first farmhouse trip and Juliet's first farmhouse visit too!)

We took a mid day walk to the ice cream shop and picked flowers all along the way.

We take the wagon out daily back at home, but because it is just me, I don't have many photos of what it looks like pulling two heavy kids.

I love love love this one. James's face kills me.

The ice cream shop is a short walk, and not only does it serve ice cream, but traditional Hawaiian shaved ice too. It's amazing.

On the way back home James and E made up a hilarious game. It involves E pretending to be asleep while James steered. Of course they bumped into fences, rocks, and me.

All the silliness meant I got some awesome genuine big smiles from James. This photo below is my new all time favorite of these two.

Not only was Chelsea and Joe with us, E's entire family joined us. We did a lot of playing on the lawn and relaxing.

Baby Emilia is four months old and as darling as ever.

James was seriously in love. Giving lots of nice touches, smiles and kisses.

And just in case you think our family is perfect and we never have meltdowns, I assure you, we are far from perfect, and meltdowns are part of life.

Then & Now {farmhouse}

I love Then & Now posts. I love taking photos in the same spot or in the same outfit over time and watch how so many things change, and so many things stay the same.

One of my favorite Then & Now spots is down near E's family's farmhouse. I've been having my photo taken in the same spot since I was pregnant the first time.

Oh what a difference a few years makes.

October 2009. Nine months pregnant with James.

July 2010. James is seven months old.

January 2012, James is two and I am nine months pregnant with Juliet.

October 2012, James is almost three and Juliet is 9 months.

Today. August 2013. James is three a half and Juliet is one and a half. 

More farmhouse photos to come. I'm off to bed, I'm exhausted. 

xoxo

Summertime IG style

Summer has been treating us kindly. We've been up to the mountains for dinner more times than I can count, have been continuing our weekly hiking tradition, and have been playing hard in the sun all day every day. 

Here are a few favorite moments captured in Instagram. 

And not that I want to dwell on our 24 hour hospital stay, but the fact that I had Instagram as a lifeline, people hoping and praying for Juliet all day and night (as well updates throughout the day) was really so wonderful. Here are four photos that showed on IG that never made it to my blog. Scary stuff, but as you remember, the doctors believe no pills were ingested and she was totally fine (which of course it the best news possible).

Dog days of August

Day to day life in the summer looks much the same. I always have the slide and the wading pool ready to go in the backyard incase a cool-down is needed. Many days we play and play and play until we are tired of the sun and the water and retreat to the cool house.

Many many days look like this. I seem to capture a lot of them with my cellphone (and Instagram) but hardly ever with my big camera.

These day to day moments, with two little people that love and adore each other, they've got to be remembered. And summer, oh I love you.

Suddenly this kid seems huge. Everything baby like is long gone. He's long and lean without an ounce of baby fat. And he's started to stand with his hands on his hips, which is just such an adult-like stance to me.

 Luckily her baby fat isn't fading too quickly. She's round and perfect.

 Our favorite activity is to set of the wading pool, slide, and sprinkler all at once. Dang good fun.

This baby is turning into a big girl faster than a speeding bullet. Now she can climb the slide and slide down without help. Yelp! Too big!

 Summer fun is so utterly simple.

Remember these vintage swim shorts that were E's?! They look even better on this long lean boy than the rolly baby he once was. So handsome.

One day this boy will grow into a handsome man. Love him. (Don't mind the baby bum in the background. She loves climbing up the slide and sliding down on her tummy. Rule breaker.)

Juliet loves to go over to the sprinkler and dip her head into it. Each time she acts surprised when she gets a face full of water.

Happens again and again.

Once we are all tired of getting soaked we retreat to the shade for a popsicle. That ringlet behind her ear kills me. So cute.

Blue eyes and hazel.

Happy summer!

PS - We ended up staying outside all evening. Eating burgers and corn on the patio and playing in the wading pool until bedtime. Finally E and I decided to ditch bath, bring the soap outside and scrub them down. The kids thought it was the best idea ever and even realized that soapy bums made for extra fast sliding, therefore, extra large splashes. Best way to spend a summer night yet.

PPS - Want to read about playing in the backyard with these two last summer? How about the summer before (in the same swimsuit!)? And even James's first summer!

Sometimes it is so very very hard to be three

I am raising a three year old. A son. He is loving and gentle and sweet.

But he's also dominate, strong and aggressive.

He had a rough go of it right around when he turned three, and it seems like we are in a rough patch again.

When it's just us, just the family he's great. Better than great. But he doesn't feel threatened. He's the bigger brother and he's amazing with his baby sister.

But playdates have been awful. Horrific. And it really sucks. He's a bully.

Today was especially bad. We drove across town to see a friend James has had since he was 16 months. And he was terrible. I apologized to my friend and took him home screaming, ending the playdate after only twenty minutes.

When we got home he went right into his bedroom for timeout.

And I found him fast asleep twenty minutes later.

It gets easier right? Please say it does. Because friends don't want to play when you hit and shove and yell. I wouldn't.

Red Butte Garden on a Sunday

Sunday mornings are our favorite at Red Butte Garden because we feel like we have the entire garden to ourselves. While others enjoy time inside their churches, E and I enjoy time with our kids in a place that is so dear to us.

Not a lot to say, other than it was a lovely hot weekend. Red Butte this time of year is out of this world. We love going early and heading home before the heat of the day sets it.

The yellow black eyed susans were amazing along this hillside. Too bad James wouldn't come sit for a photo.

Hot, bright and dreamy.

Happy weekend.