Thanksgiving Point {autumn splendor}

After a very cold and very dreary week, the beautiful sun returned on Saturday. I was so thankful. I was not ready for winter clothes yet, and winter activities with two little active people sucks. One can only go to Chuck E Cheese so often. ;)

Going to Thanksgiving Point Gardens both in the spring and the fall each year are among my favorite days ever. We make a day of it, going out to dinner on the way home and wear our cutest clothes in hopes of fantastic photos.

Late September is an amazing time to see the garden. The roses are in full bloom again and everything is at their peak. Plus, walking abound in the warm September sun ranks #2 on what I love best in life (my family is number one of course).

Plus, the slanted September light makes everything extra spectacular.

She loves to model for me. I ask her to sit in a specific spot and she happily agrees.

Plus, now she's got her "cheese" face down pat. The more neck she's showing, the more excited she is. Some photos you can't even see her face, just her kissable neck. Ha!

The secret garden is always among my favorite place. The walled garden brimming with flowers makes the most perfect backdrop for every type of photo.

I wanted to get a photo of the kiddos in the same spot I had such good luck last year. I promised them candy if they could stay sitting, and James says "I know! Take a picture of me hugging the sweet gurla". My heart melted. Look at his face, looking at her with such pride and love.

And, with Daddy behind the lens and Mommy doing some amazing comedics, we got this gem.

His cheese face is almost as good as his sister's. Instead of the "show neck" angle he decided for the "show ear" angle. I can't get over how silly and sweet he is.

I really adore these kids. Really really.

And how much they've changed? Of course. Always love a good Then & Now.

2013

2012

And way way back, in the same spot as above, 2010!

Today it is chilly

I love warm weather clothes. Sundresses and rompers and cheerful tees for James. But I also love when the season's shift and we pull out new clothes from our drawers that have never been worn. I love shopping for my kids. I hate shopping in stores, but I'm a great online shopper and spend hours perusing what I'd like for next season's styles.

Wouldn't it be so awesome to need new clothes every single season? These kiddos are growing so fast that it is rare if they still fit into something from the year before (but it's happening more and more with James, thank goodness).

While buying a new season's wardrobe is expensive each year, seeing new items come out of the closet really does make me happy.

Today was chilly. We've worn long sleeves and pants a few times, but today was cold enough for sweaters and tights.

Oh autumn, I adore you. Last forever, okay?

Running away from Mama and the camera.

I love the little strut to her step.

Told him grumpy boys don't look at the camera and smile. He wasn't being grumpy, but he can't help but peek up and grin.

Her shoes are two sizes too big in length but seem to fit because she has chubby little feet. I so wish they made shoes like this for adults, they are my absolute favorite.

James has been saving his "allowance" to buy this special robot claw. It arrived from UPS while we were out on our walk and he was in heaven! Notice he was passing rocks to Juliet, who has one in each hand.

Lots of rocks to pick up. I love this picture because it is so them. If one is interested in something, the other has to be right in the think of it too. They always seem to have something to look at, work on, or fight over. They are pretty inseparable.

This dress of Juliet's is my all time favorite  item of clothing she's ever owned. It was my sister's when she was a baby, and was a gift from friends when they lived in London for a year. It's been gently tucked away for twenty years, and then for eighteen more months until the day Juliet finally fit into. Today was the day. You'll see a lot more of this dress, seriously, it is my very fave.

Outfit details - 

James:

Coat - Costco

Sweater - Old Navy (I find a lot of James's clothes at Old Navy)

Pants - Target

Shoes - Keen

Juliet - 

Dress - Vintage

Tights - Old Navy

Shoes - Target (I know!!!)

The voices of my children

Two videos, so you can hear the voices that will change all too quickly:

We are on day five of James not napping. He goes through these stages sometimes. Right when he turned three and a half he didn't nap for an entire month. It was rough, because he still needs to nap. He gets so cranky as the afternoon wears on.

But I realize that I don't post nearly enough videos of these sweet kids of mine. Their voices, their expressions, all change in a blink.

So here is James, telling me about his non-napping.

And one more, taken a few weeks ago of my two children looking at one of our photo books. They were being so sweet and darling, I'm glad I caught it on video.

State Fair

I got the wild idea that I'd like to go to the state fair with my family. Wild because I've been to the fair before and I am not a fan. It's expensive and hot and crowded and crazy. And today was all of those things. So hot, so crowded, so crazy.

While I wasn't loving it, James was. Seeing him so excited started to rub off a bit. Crowds full of amazingly weird folks, food full of an unreal amount of calories, and rides that look a little too rickety to be trusted. Ah, the fair. It's insane.

Taking in all there is to see. Rides taller than he can imagine, crowds bigger than he's ever seen and so many colors and lights.

James spotted the Farris Wheel first thing and said he wanted to go on it. I was unsure after seeing the line (long) and the price ($8.00 for two of us to ride), but we decided to go for it anyway. 

James asked for me to join him, and I was pretty happy that E had to stay with Juliet. She was totally overwhelmed and not having any of it.

This boy however was in love.

We even splurged on got a lemonade!

We tried the fun house, the pony rides and a spinny-vomit-inducing ride, but the favorite of all was the Fun Slide.

No line and fast pace, it was all of our favorites. I joined James on it twice and E took him down it once.

This face of Juliet's sums up her thoughts of the fair perfectly. The crowds and the heat and the fact that she couldn't ride a single ride was not that great in her opinion. At least the lemonade was divine.

Don't barf. ;)

Juliet is 19 months!

Juliet is now 19 months. Not today, or even yesterday did she turn the grand 19. No, instead I completely forgot about her monthly photo shoot this weekend, sorry about that 'sweet gurla".

James has been calling Juliet "sweet gurla" (because he can't say "girl") for over six months now. It is so endearing and sweet that the name kinda stuck, so in addition to baby girl, babe, sweetie, love bug and a million other variations, our new favorite nickname for Juliet is sweet gurla.

Juliet can talk. Like tons and tons of words. She uses words correctly that I don't remember teaching her, and has started to put two words together. She says "please" and "thank you" at the right times (I know?!!!) and still throws an epic fit when she's not getting her way.

She goes to bed like a CHAMP and wakes up happy (which is new for us, up until this point she'd wake from both her naps and night is such a bad mood). She is generally pretty easy and fun to be with, as long as you don't strap her in the car seat and expect her to behave longer than 30 seconds.

Her favorite color is yellow and points it out all the time. It may be the only color she knows, but she'll gladly point it out any time she sees it.

Food sometimes is great, other days is a huge fight. One day she'll gobble something and the next day not touch it, turning her nose up at the very idea. Berries are still this gurla's favorite, and she'd eat berries and grapes all day and night if I let her.

She's never had much one-on-one time with either parent, so James starting preschool leaves some much needed time for Juliet and I go bond without a three year old intruder. So far we've been to parks, fabric stores and drown our sorrows about James's first day in an entire case of raspberries at the farmer's market.

Sweet baby girl, I adore you. More and more each day. I can't get over that you are mine, and I am yours. Happy 19 months (a few days late!).

I decided to take the camera on our walk up the street today. This girl decided to show off her modeling, she is experienced, you remember. Oh those lips, those lashes, that pose! ;)

"Oh, modeling is so hard... must rest..." This girl cracks me up with her fake sleeping. She breaks it out all the time.

And an update on this boy? Dropping him off at preschool today was brutal. He screamed and clung to me and begged me to let him go home. His teachers took him in while he bawled for me. But picking him up he was all smiles. Teachers said he cried for a few minutes and then joined the class. We are making progress! Later he only had good things to say about his day, and has been so happy for the rest of the afternoon. 

Finally, from 1 month until now:




















Outfit details -
Fox dress - Target
Hairbow - Etsy
Sandals - Saltwater