a surprise visit

As we were finishing up cooking and baking on Mother’s Day, there was a mysterious knock at the door… and when we opened it, Kaya’s favorite stuffed bear from Grandma Gina’s house, Blue Bonnet, was sitting there on the landing. Then Grandma Gina and Grandpa Skip appeared!!! We had no idea there were coming, so it was a wonderful surprise for all of us!

Grandpa was right in time for cake!(And silly faces!)No cake for Evie until her birthday, but Grandma Gina had her laughing!Michael ended up taking the next day (Monday) off, so it really all felt like one big special occasion. I was also extra grateful to have this family day, since Michael spent the rest of the week on a business trip in Nebraska.

We all decided to go bowling! (Nella in motion!)This is really becoming one of our favorite things!
There’s an arcade in the bowling alley, and the girls were so excited when Grandma and Grandpa said they could play some games! Nella was content with just sitting on the rides without actually turning them on.This car was her favorite.
Kaya and Kaelyn earned enough tickets for candy necklaces and bracelets! We came home to let Eve nap, and the rest of us worked outside for a bit. Kaya and Kaelyn climbed trees, and Nella made chalk paint with me. Michael took Scout to the vet that evening, and the rest of us took a walk! We enjoyed some time on the playground. Kaya was flying so high! Grandpa cuddles!I can’t believe it, but Nella is big enough for the regular swing now! She loves it.I’m so grateful for how much my girls’ grandparents love them. There’s nothing like it.They left to go home on Tuesday morning. We were sad to see them leave, but I’m already counting down the days until they come back!

pumpkin picking 2018

Right after all of Nella’s birthday festivities, we headed out to a local farm for some pumpkin picking. It was a little chillier outside than it had typically been, but the sun was shining down so intensely that it felt wonderful to be outside.While we waited in line for the hayride, we each took a turn pretending to be a farmer! Even Michael and I got in on it this year. Why not? šŸ™‚ We climbed into the wagon and rode to the pumpkin field! We went through the corn maze! Or really, we got lost in it. We wandered around and around for probably 20 minutes, and still had no idea which way we were supposed to go. The mazes here have ranged from very easy to very difficult, depending on the year, and I’d say this was definitely one of the harder ones. We ended up going out the same way we came in!Nella thought theĀ plants were pretty cool. Somehow, Daddy would get her laughing just by yelling “CORN!”They all loved the scarecrow in the middle of the maze!Michael wanted documentation of him “being the shade” for the previous photo. Oh, the things he has to do because he’s married to a photographer.This was our sixth year out at this farm (which also sells Christmas trees), but I’ll never cease to be awed by the beauty of those rolling Virginia hills.I wore Evie in the Ergo carrier, and she was asleep for the entire outing. Sweet sweet baby girl.Nella got tired, and Grandma carried her down the dirt road and back to the main shop. Confession: we ended up not choosing a pumpkin from the field, because once we got out there, we realized we had no way to carry one back (our arms were already full of KIDS)! Plus, all the ones out there were extra large this year, so we chose some smaller ones from the little shop up front.The girls did a little ring toss game and milked a wooden cow.
We couldn’t leave without picking out an ornament for our Christmas tree (Grandma got the girls their own ornaments, too), some fudge, and kettle corn. These really are the best days. I love this little family of mine.(Also, I love how this picture reminds me so much of this one from 2016!)

five on friday (07/27)

What’s this? A Five on Friday post?! I haven’t written one since Eve was born! I’ve been trying to keep up with only the most essential tasks these days, so blogging has taken a bit of a back seat to real life, but I’m back, for today at least, and that feels good. This is going to be one giant catch-up post, so I might end up with more than five things…

ONE. Michael was given official paternity leave this time around, and so we enjoyed a full 2.5 weeks of having him home with us. It was really amazing to have that time to bond as a new family of 6 (!!!), and also to have the extra help while I recovered from delivery. I’m so grateful that he could take care of the older girls while I only had to tend to the baby. Those early weeks of just baby snuggles were blissful.Ā He’s back to work, now, although he has been taking it slow in the mornings and going in a little later than usual.

I’d say we’ve been doing really well on our own- the day feels full and life is busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. On our first “official” day without Daddy, Nella ended up with an upset stomach and threw up for an hour and a half… I felt just awful for her, but the fact that we had such chaos as soon as we were on our own was almost laughable. Almost.TWO. We’ve had a lot of fun with grandparents this past month! Grandma Gina selflessly came up to stay with us while we awaited Eve’s arrival. We tried to have some fun outings (since Eve took a little more time than we all expected), and one of those days, we went to the mall to play at the indoor playground.This little bunny is always Kaya’s favorite!Nella is getting a little too good at climbing…This week, Grandma and Grandpa were able to come back for a day visit! Of course, there had to be a family date to Sweet Frog (Kaya and Kaelyn’s current favorite place). I stayed home with Eve, but Michael brought some back for me (covered in Nutella)!Grandma Debbie also came up for a few days this past weekend! We enjoyed her homemade spaghetti sauce, some long walks, and time at the playground!And a million baby cuddles, of course.THREE. With all of Michael’s time off, he tried to get some projects done around the house. The tasks have ranged from small things like hanging photos and new ceiling fans, to ripping up the entire attic floor so we could have some guys come and seal it (that way, we’ll hopefully lose less heat/AC and be a little more energy efficient).

We were able to borrow a laser level to help with our photo gallery, which made things so much easier!Ta-da! I still need another large frame on the end for a photo of Eve, but I’m really happy with how this turned out. (And I took this before Michael replaced the ceiling fan!)My brother-in-law, Jeff, custom-made the wooden Virginia sign for me. I love it! I also got those watercolor printables from this Etsy shop.Michael has installed three ceiling fans so far. I really love how much brighter the rooms seem with these white fans and light fixtures. We have a few more to replace before the whole house is done, but these little things add up fast, so we’re just doing a little at a time.FOUR. We’ve been blessed with great neighbors and a wonderful church family who have brought us meals and gifts for the baby these past couple of weeks. We are so so grateful for everyone’s generosity.

Kaya and Kaelyn have been pretty big helpers, too. They’ve been holding Eve, soothing her when she’s sad, and have even helped out with chores. Kaya is actually getting really good at mopping!Kaelyn is great at vacuuming the stairs!FIVE. The girls are great at coming up with their own games and ideas, which is really useful since we’ve been at home a whole lot lately. Kaya has been building blanket forts, which provide hours of entertainment for everyone.Even Nella likes hanging out in the fort!We’ve been playing on the deck (and practicing spelling, which both Kaya and Kaelyn think is a lot of fun)…… and spinning around and around in the office chair. We have plenty of entertainment around here!SIX.Ā (Whoops, I knew I’d have more than five things!) Kaya and Kaelyn have been making so much beautiful art lately that I just had to share some here. I love how nearly everything Kaya does incorporates rainbows:“Our Family During the Daytime”:Kaelyn always draws me and her together. In this one, we were taking a walk! I love the giant hearts.And because there was just not enough baby sweetness in this post… Those chubby cheeks and pouty lips get me every time.Happy Friday!

Linking up here,Ā here, and here today!

five favorites (07/02)

Whew! Although I thought maybe we’d have a busy week because we’d have a baby… The littlest lady is still comfy-cozy in there, so we’ve been filling up our time with a lot of other fun activities. Here are my favorites from this past week and weekend!

ONE. We’ve had a few visitors this week! The girls were really looking forward to having both grandmas here, and they were counting down the days until their arrival. Grandma Debbie was able to spend the weekend with us for Kaelyn’s birthday party, and Grandma Gina has been here all week, waiting for baby!My mom cooked up a huge batch of homemade chicken nuggets for us to enjoy (instead of our usual fallbacks of sandwiches and cereal) because I haven’t been able to cook for most of this pregnancy, so we enjoyed those for a few days. She also spent a lot of time coloring with the girls and helped clean a bit.My Mom-in-law and I have cleaned/nested just about everywhere else in the house this week (so now it’s time for the baby to come, right?)! It’s been so nice not to be alone during the day, too. Not carrying Nella all around is also a big plus!Grandpa Skip came up just for this past weekend! Kaya and Kaelyn were so excited to see him. They snuggled a lot and watched some “Shaun the Sheep” together, which is something they look forward to doing every time they see Grandpa!Nella took a while to warm up to him this time, so I don’t have any snuggly pictures of them together, but I do have one of him wearing her hat… Who couldn’t love this goofy guy?TWO. Kaya had her first-ever piano lesson from Grandma! She wrote out all the notes to “Once There Was a Snowman” so Kaya could practice something fun that she recognizes. She’s not reading music yet, but I am impressed with how quickly she’s memorizing songs and picking up on everything.She practiced hard all week long so she could surprise Grandpa Skip when he arrived!
Of course, the little sisters like to have a turn, too.THREE. We took Kaelyn out for her special birthday dinner this week (not-so-coincidentally on the same day that Red Robin was handing out free milkshakes)! She was the happiest girl in the world when the waiters sang to her and she got her birthday sundae at the end. This is a genuine-Kaelyn smile!We might be the silliest people in Red Robin any time we go…Kaya hopped from one side of the table to the other to be in both pictures. Yay!FOUR. Kaya’s been saving her allowance from helping out around the house, and we told her that once she paid tithing at church, she could spend some of it on something she wanted. It took her a while to be willing to pay her tithing, but she finally made her own decision to do it last weekend.

She’s been asking for her own camera for a really long time, so I found a deal on this little Canon Powershot for her for $29. It’s definitely a decent starter camera! She’s been bringing it just about everywhere, making videos, and trying to take the sharpest photos she can. It’s been really cool to see life from her point of view, and it’s also fun to have another little photographer around.“Let’s take a picture of each other taking a picture!” It was all her idea.FIVE. It’s been hot outside, so Michael picked up a little sprinkler to surprise the girls with on Saturday night. They liked running through it for a few minutes, but ultimately, they really wanted to play with the kiddie pool and the slide.

And yeah, I’m married to a total goofball (but I love it)! They always make the funniest faces once they hit the water!Nella really wanted a turn, so Grandma helped her out. She kept saying “WHOA!” anytime someone splashed!These little girls with big smiles… melting my heart.Simple evenings are my favorites. I never wanted to go inside.

Happy Monday!

five favorites (05/20)

I couldn’t let the weekend go by without getting my Five posted! I’ve actually been sick (a cold plus pregnancy nausea), and even went home from church early because I really needed to sleep. So, while I’m resting, what better thing to do than blog?

ONE. We have had SO much rain this week! It’s incredible how much precipitation the ground can take without completely becoming a swampland (although, the path I usually run on does tend to flood pretty easily). We’ve spent a lot of time inside this week, but it’s been nice to take things a little slower and enjoy listening to the booming storms. The girls are afraid of thunder, but if it’s just rain, they love to tell me, “It sounds like music!” They ate their snacks on the edge of the porch one afternoon and watched the rain fall.To keep it real, here’s the view from the opposite side… Goldfish crackers spilled all over the deck and all! They liked tossing those into the yard “for the birds to have for dinner!”Nella always looks like she’s up to something…

TWO. We did enjoy some time outside when the storms broke. I love how they all always want to go down the slide together!We also had a church picnic this weekend, which included many outdoor activities that the girls loved: tug of war, an egg toss, a water race, and these giant bubbles!It wouldn’t be a normal week without some time in the hammock. Kaya and Kaelyn love rocking each other in it, like a gentle swing. They also love playing “babies” a lot lately, where Nella is the big sister, Kaelyn is the “daddy who goes to work”, and Kaya births and takes care of the baby. I love how “work” involves pretending to type on a toy laptop!THREE. We picked Daddy up from work a little early one day this week after my 32-week appointment, and we headed to the library. Honestly, I kind of need his help to go to the library these days- we always come home with a GIANT box of books, and between carrying those and Nella and the baby bump… it’s challenging! I was grateful for his help, and the girls were excited to build giant block towers with him!
Nella was excited to (noisily) knock them down…FOUR. Snails… they’re everywhere! As in, Kaya only drew snails for a day this week… and I love them. You might not think snails can be cute, but then you haven’t seen Kaya’s rendition of them. First she made one……then two (a mommy and a baby, of course)……and just when I thought it couldn’t get any cuter, she drew some in color and hid them under my pillow. And check out those butterflies!FIVE. This crazy smile of hers keeps me going on my sickest days. I just love her so much. Also, the humidity has done great things for her hair… look at those ringlets!She’s still “our baby” in the family, and sometimes it’s hard to imagine things changing, but I know she’s just going to be a great big sister.Happy weekend!

monument avenue 10k (2018)

I can’t believe this was a whole month ago already… it actually feels like a lot longer than that! We put another Monument Avenue in the books, and this might have just been my favorite one yet.

We drove down to stay with my parents on Friday night, and I woke up at 4:30 am on race morning. We didn’t need to leave home until around 7 am, but I’m always a little too excited to sleep before a race, so I got up and started getting things ready. I was less nervous than I usually am for these types of events, but I definitely still had some pre-race jitters.

Kaya had been talking about “running a kid race” for months, so I had signed her up for the Virginia529 Kids Run, which started about an hour and twenty minutes before my wave. We drove into Richmond, pinned our bibs on, loaded the two littlest girls in the stroller, and hustled from the parking garage to the start line.

At the last possible moment, we decided to register Michael as a “companion runner” for Kaya, since there were so many more people than I had even imagined, and I didn’t feel comfortable sending her out on her own (despite the security measures they have in place). I’m so glad they did this together.

I wasn’t sure how long it would take her to finish, but Kaya shocked us all by running the mile in about 13 minutes, which I think is really great for a 5.5-year old! The look of pure joy (and the hug she gave her dad) as she crossed the finish line was so memorable and sweet. Her excitement was contagious, and actually brought me to tears because of how much joy and pride I felt seeing my baby want to do something that I love doing. I also love knowing that she likes running because she knows it keeps her body healthy and strong.She smiled all day long! Did I mention how proud I am?She now has her medal hanging from her bunk bed!We had three of the four grandparents at the race this year! My mom had never been before, so she rode down with us, but seeing my in-laws was a complete surprise. They met up with us right before Kaya started, and I am so grateful for all the support and love these three (plus my Dad, who stayed home to watch the dogs), give us.I had enough time before my wave started to sunscreen up, use the bathroom, put on my pregnancy support belt and find Lelia! Do you see us in the starting corral?We started off in a slower wave, because when we signed up (back in December), we had predicted that by this point in my pregnancy, I wouldn’t be moving so fast. Surprisingly, I haven’t been as slow as I thought I’d be, so we ended up passing a lot of people, but we really got into a great rhythm.

Lelia and I are great running partners- we just match each other so well as far as pace and stride. Look how synced up we are here! This race was a little extra special, because at Christmastime, I told Lelia we were pregnant by saying that we’d have another “Monument baby” (Nella and Bryce both did this in utero!), and she was instantly willing to run with me. I was super grateful to have her as a buddy/bodyguard.I knew the miles with Lelia would just fly right on by, and they did! It was a gorgeous day, but a little warmer than I’m used to running as of late, so I definitely appreciated all the water stops, and Lelia pouring the rest of her drink down my back at one point. I started to feel tired around halfway through, but I honestly couldn’t believe the splits we were getting, so I didn’t want to slow down. We finished with an official time of 59:52, which put us at a 9:38 min/mile average. My goal going into this was an average pace between 10-10:15, so I was ecstatic!Sweaty hugs all around! We did it! I think I cry every time I see the finish line in a race.Finishers with our “Monument babies”! I can’t believe two years ago I ran this with Nella in my belly, last year Lelia did it with Bryce, and now our newest princess has done it, too. I hope they’ll all look back on these pictures one day and think it’s as cool as I do.27-week bump!When Lelia did this last year at 30 weeks pregnant, she had said she wished she had a sign on her back so that people wouldn’t get too close (this is a busy race, and some people are absolutely crazy when trying to pass you)! I printed out this little sign, laminated it, and brought it to wear on race day. I was so glad I did, because I felt like I had a little extra security with this on.Another one done!Of course, there had to be donuts afterward! We headed to “The Treat Shop” in Richmond for these.And because Kaelyn was at the race, but didn’t want to be in any pictures, here’s one of how she eats a donut. Frosting first!Adorable even when she’s a total mess…I’m so thankful for all the family time we got to have that weekend, as well as the love and support I feel from all of them. Completing a race wouldn’t mean half as much to me without having family waiting at the finish (or running alongside me)! This is it as far as racing goes until after the baby comes, but I’m already looking forward to a postpartum comeback!

easter 2018

A month later, and I’m finally blogging about Easter! We kept it super simple this year, partly because of how nauseous I’ve still been, and partly because I really wanted to keep Easter focused on Christ.

We put together our own little Easter egg hunt on Saturday. I usually try to support community events and go to the town egg hunt, but it was a little chilly that morning, and I thought that our kids might have more fun if we just did one in the backyard. The weather turned out to be absolutely beautiful by mid-afternoon.Egg hunting is serious business!We filled 61 (mostly miniature) eggs, each with just a few jelly beans, Cadbury eggs, or marshmallows. We dutifully counted at the end to be sure none were forgotten.Kaya and Kaelyn were so excited, and had the best time gathering them all up. I scattered most of the eggs in the grass instead of actually finding hiding places, because I didn’t want it to be too difficult for them. Turns out, they were so much better at spotting the eggs than I expected, so I think I’ll have to make it harder next year!Each girl had one “special” egg with a baby Calico Critter in it. They were completely shocked when they opened these! A hedgehog for Kaya, and a puppy for Kaelyn.I just love these genuine smiles.Our littlest bunny napped all through the egg hunt, so when she woke up, I just had to take a few photos of her with the silly ears on.Cutest Easter bunny! Seriously. She makes my heart burst. My little marshmallow fanatic wasted no time finding out that there were some hidden inside the eggs…Michael’s parents had come up to stay with us for the weekend, so on Sunday morning, Mom Irwin made cinnamon rolls! Mmmmmm.Nella and Dad cuddled up on the couch……while the older girls got busy making their Peeps birdhouses. We did these a couple years ago, and they always ask to do them again. There is so much sugar involved in this process… but they love it so much, so I think we might do this forever now.I think the houses become more elaborate every year! Ta-da! Kaelyn even made a folding door on hers! We had a wonderful time visiting with family (don’t let Kaya’s face fool you here), relaxing, and listening to General Conference. This is what dream weekends are made of!

five on friday (04/06)

Happy Friday!!! It’s been a low-key week, but we still had some fun and sweet moments.

ONE. Happy (belated) Easter from these little bunnies! I saw these Easter hat printables and just knew Kaya and Kaelyn would love to make them. Of course, Kaya made hers a rainbow!Kaelyn has been hopping absolutely everywhere this week!Scout was a little too interested in licking this pretend bunny…They’ve been wearing their hats to do almost everything: helping with vacuuming, doing schoolwork, and playing out on the deck!TWO. The most exciting part of the week was our kid-free DATE!!! You know we love our kids, but we really don’t go out enough as just the two of us. My in-laws were here, so they watched the girls. I had looked forward to this all week long!We tried a new Greek place (my favorite type of food), which was amazing. Seriously though, I can’t wait until I can take this guy to Greece for real and show him what the rest of Greek cuisine is like.We walked around Target for a little bit, which weirdly felt so fun with just us. Somehow he convinced me to go to Coldstone, too. I’ve been trying to reduce/almost eliminate ice cream from my diet because it seems like it messes with my stomach too much during pregnancy… but this was WORTH IT!THREE. I’ve been sick a lot this week, and when Kaya and Kaelyn see me lying on the couch, they like to make me these special little notes. I’m so grateful for their thoughtfulness; these mean so much to me. (Also, please notice the beautiful blanket my mom-in-law made me for my birthday!)(by Kaya)FOUR. Nellbells turned 18 months on Wednesday, and I can’t believe it, but she’s still not walking solo! She will take up to 6 steps on her own before she crashes to the floor, otherwise she needs to be holding onto someone or something. This little smile though… melt my heart!FIVE. Every afternoon before nap time, Kaya loves to read her sisters a book… and she’s really reading! She gathers everyone together and will read as many books as time allows. I love seeing her use the knowledge we’ve worked so hard for this past year.And just because I’m a super-proud parent, here’s a video of her reading. I know at least her Grandmas will love this!

Happy weekend!

Linking up here and here today!

five on friday (03/30)

Happy Friday!!! This has felt like a really long week, but I’m excited for Easter weekend and spending some time with my in-laws!

ONE. Are you tired of seeing snow pictures yet? We have had literally every type of weather this week: winter snow, March’s “in like a lion” winds, April’s showers, and then just plain glorious spring. Phew. I kind of can’t believe that’s all happened in the past few days!

We had the biggest snowfall of the year thus far on Saturday night, so when we woke up on Sunday, everything looked like this:I have never seen so much snow on the trees. Lots of limbs around the neighborhood came down.Church was cancelled, so naturally, Michael asked the girls if they wanted to help him make waffles. They love baking!Mmmmm.TWO. As soon as the snow melted (which was thankfully pretty quickly), we were eager to get outside and get some exercise. Kaya learned to do the monkey bars all by herself!We had another day where we spent the entire morning outside, and the sunshine felt so invigorating. Nella had her very first (albeit slow) ride on the merry-go-round!After all the precipitation we’ve been having, all the streams were full, which just fascinated Kaya and Kaelyn. They tracked the water’s path throughout our entire walk, and when we stopped to play, they were excited to “wash sticks” in it.My only child who didn’t get covered in mud…THREE. Who remembers Polly Pockets? Playing with these is one of the best memories of my childhood, and I’m so lucky that my parents saved them, because now I get to share them with my girls!

It’s been all about Polly Pockets, day in and day out, for the past couple of weeks for these two. I love seeing them enjoy them.I have to say, I am really impressed with how well these have held up. Most of these are around 25 years old! I only allow them to take one out at a time, and so far, that’s been working really well. There are just so many small pieces.FOUR. The girls’ costume parades have continued! The newest theme is “Pets”, which includes a cat, a Dalmatian puppy, and a baby tiger.Also, didn’t Kaya just wear that Dalmatian costume for Halloween yesterday?FIVE. Just because I love these four so dang much (and I love how much they love their Daddy)!Linking up here, here, and here today!

pumpkin picking 2017

I know, this was practically 5,000 years ago… (or really, two months), but I’m determined to be completely caught up on here by Christmas. So, to the pumpkin patch we go… again!

We went to our local pumpkin farm the very first weekend they were open this season. Michael would be heading to Copenhagen the following Saturday, so we wanted to get some quality family time in before he had to leave.

Now, with three kids, I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’ve almost given up on wearing matching or festive clothing on outings like this. Hey, if they’re clothed and have had their hair and teeth brushed for the day, I consider it winning. However, I did pull Nella’s pumpkin onesie out from storage, and that got Kaya and Kaelyn asking about their Halloween shirts from last year. In fact, they insisted on me getting them out just minutes before we left home. Thankfully, they still fit, and I’m so glad these girls of mine are adament about holiday apparel, because they look so dang cute all together in orange, don’t they?Daddy photo-bomb!We had some overzealous sister hugs, too.Kaya always loves to get behind this tractor cutout!We headed over to the real tractor for a hayride, which is where we switched to taking phone photos, since it was drizzling on and off, and I didn’t want to take a chance that we’d get stuck out in the rainy field with my DSLR.All the sporadic rain made a beautiful rainbow!We had the hayride all to ourselves on the way out. This was the least busy we’ve ever seen the place (including the one year that was unexpectedly freezing). It was great to have space and time to just be together as us five. After disembarking from the wagon, the girls found a big model tractor they could climb up on.There may have been dance moves involved.We picked a few small pumpkins, and one large one. The girls were really looking forward to painting theirs!It’s been so much fun this holiday season to have Nella aware of what’s going on! She was such a little peanut last year that this all feels new, and in a way, like her “first” time doing it. She contentedly rode in the Ergo and loved watching everything.The corn maze was even better this year than last. Honestly, I think it was a lot easier, but that’s exactly what I hope for when we go through with three little kids and allow them to choose what route we take.Seriously, the scenery out there is so beautiful.We took the hayride back to the main shop to pay for our pumpkins, where we also got some fudge and a new handmade ornament for our Christmas tree, which has become a tradition for us the past few years.We headed home at sunset with happy hearts, a trunk full of pumpkins, and the taste of grasshopper fudge on our lips. These simple family outings are my very favorites.