window

This little girl could spend hours looking out our living room window.  Lately, she has been obsessed with watching the little boys across the street play soccer.  "Daddur ball!" she says over and over. She watches the mailman deliver the mail, the old man down the street ride his bike slowly back and forth, and of course all of the dogs going for their daily walks...especially the two dachshunds Sam and Sally.

The past few afternoons have brought string after string of thunderstorms.  I love thunderstorms and the slow rumbling off in the distance. They're so comforting to me. I close my eyes and breathe in the rain filled breeze...for some reason rainy evenings always make me feel like everything is okay...maybe it's symbolic for washing away the parts of the day that weren't that great and starting fresh again the next day with clean air that smells just like summer.

The neighbors don't know they're secretly being watched by a little toddler.  Everything they do is interesting to her. She is quietly soaking it all in.  It is her own hello, goodbye window.

Have you read the story The Hello, Goodbye Window?  It's the sweetest story and one of my favorites read a louds :)

{21/52}

"a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Everdeen Kate: Watching the neighborhood pass you by 

 Linking up with Jodi :)

{20/52}

"a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Everdeen Kate: Spaghetti is one of your all time favorite foods...that's my girl, I knew you had some of my Italian genes in you! 

 Linking up with Jodi :)

5 1/2 days (but who's counting?)

5 1/2 days until I get to spend 10 summer filled weeks with my sweet girl! Eeek! I'm so excited I can barely stand it! 

Life Lately

I was so excited that my older sister and her little boys came up for Mother's day weekend...we camped out at my parent's house, watched the snow fall, and I enjoyed extra snuggles with my new nephew, Oliver.  

The snow only lasted a day or so and spring has graced us with her presence once more with vibrant green grass and the birds' chirping echoing at dawn. I decided that's the best alarm clock to have...even if I roll over a few times before actually getting up.  

Everdeen continues to blossom and we are beginning to see little snippets of true two year old behavior...tantrums anyone? She makes us laugh everyday and my husband still looks at me in disbelief wondering how we got so lucky.  We've even gone a few nights this week with our little tot sleeping through the whole night...which is total bliss.

I'm getting so excited for summer vacation...8 1/2 more days!! I have so many things planned and have a small list of home improvements I want to do myself.  We had my dad come over this weekend and hang our new chandelier.  I'm having so much fun making our home ours...even if it's taking a very long time :) 

Hope these warm spring days are treating you well, friends! 

{19/52}

"a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Everdeen Kate: Saturday mornings are our favorite!

 Linking up with Jodi :)

hello evening walks...it's nice to see you again

I have been waiting and waiting for the weather to warm up so we can begin our evening walks again through the prairie. The edge of the prairie is lined with massive houses, that undoubtedly have an incredible view of the vast plains and the foothills, and one of the busy roads runs right through it...but we can imagine we are in the middle of nowhere. It is still surprisingly calming and we love hearing the birds call back and forth.

What a difference a year makes!

We walked and watched the sun set behind the foothills...it would have been the perfect moment had it not been for our toddler throwing the world's largest tantrum.  Apparently strollers are for babies and Everdeen wanted nothing to do with being pushed in it...we scared away every single bird within a ten mile radius and even a few joggers. 

It looks like our walks this summer will be spent following around a very independent little girl. 

{18/52}

"a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Everdeen Kate: I think you're really loving this warm spring weather and listening to all of the happy birds chirping :)

 Linking up with Jodi :)

pink blossoms

We took Everdeen for a walk this evening to search for some pink flowering trees.  Standing under branches filled with fragrant, perfectly pink blossoms is divine. Secretly though, I wanted an excuse to hold my almost two year old close to me for a little while longer.  I keep thinking that one of these days it will be the last time she's in my sling and I won't have known it was our last time...

These days leading up to summer make me feel nostalgic and put an ache inside of me that I can only understand now that I'm a mother.  Watching your little one grow is filled with such bittersweet emotion. I long for time to stop so I can hold those chubby little cheeks in my hands for just a while longer...sometimes I get lost in trying to hold onto moments that cannot be held.

The wind, that won't seem to go, caused the delicate little petals to rain around us as we walked along the ditch lined with trees. Everdeen patted my back, as she always does.  I can't wait for more evenings like this...no work tomorrow, my little tot nestled close to me and my husband, and a sweet flowery breeze blowing the curtains.