happy birthday...

...to me!

yep, today i turn 28 

this past year has been unlike any other

(i suppose that's technically true for all years, but you know what i mean...)

it was nothing like what i had imagined or expected,

but it was still good

i've gotten older, 

and hopefully a bit wiser

i've learned a lot about myself

and the people closest to me

i've watched our babies grow and change so much
i've watched myself change as i mother two little people
who i love so much, but who still drive me so crazy sometimes

i've started a business

i've been over-the-moon happy, 

unbelievably frustrated and angry, 

deeply hurt and saddened

i've faced things i didn't want to face

i've learned that i'm braver than i thought

i've realized that i don't need to be as strong as i would like

that i can and should lean more on the Lord and those who He's placed in my life

i've built new habits,

i've fallen off some bandwagons
i've surprised myself

...a lot can happen over a year!

all of these things are pretty typical to experience over such a span of time

(i think...or maybe it's just me?)

but i've realized something, 

being a stay at home mom (of twins, at that!)
has caused me to reflect and process this kind stuff much more

because i'm more often than not "stuck" at home

instead of out and about, distracting myself with business

and it's a good thing, I think

it helps me to be thankful for my experiences, even the not so good ones

so today, i am thankful for this past year

and i look forward to the experiences my next year will hold

i pray that i not only continue to reflect on my life and experiences, 

but that i would live them intentionally

that i would savor the important things

let go of the not-so-important things

allow every moment i'm given to be redeemed

and hold "my plan" loosely

so that i can embrace and enjoy whatever unfolds

as things continue to turn out completely different than what i expected

as a perfectionist and an idealist, these are some difficult resolutions to make

but i think they'll be good for me

29, bring it on!

(p.s. this was my "recap" for my 26th birthday - what i didn't mention was that i took a pregnancy test when we got home from our date on my actual birthday and it came back positive.  i still call that the best birthday gift i've ever gotten, and i can't help but relive it in my head every birthday since - so much happy packed into this day!)

friday favorites

it's friday - hooray!

our family had a bad sleeping week

but hopefully the kidsies will remember how nice it is to sleep through the night soon

and get back to it

at least with the weekend coming up, us tired parents can split up baby-duty so it's a little easier to manage

plus, we each usually get a sleep-in day, while the other takes the girlies downstairs

so in celebration of friday, i thought i'd share some recent favorites around here:

- we've been enjoying (and occasionally even dancing to) this playlist lately:

- melty goat brie and pepper jelly sandwiches

(don't knock it till ya try it - it's soooooo good!)

- the bunny we spotted in the backyard yesterday morning...a HUGE hit with the girls

- lots of extra time spent with my sister this week

(including one day when she watched the kiddos and straightened my hair while i got some work done...yes, i am blessed)

- discovering a new coffee shop in town with the most AMAZING drinks

- working through more pictures from my newborn session last weekend...so many favorites from this session!

- my wonderful husband, who went to the grocery store at 9:30 last night so that i could stay home and work out then reward myself with the watermelon he brought home for me

- my instagram friends, even the ones i've never met...it may be superficial, but it's really nice to flip through pretty pictures, read about others' ups and downs, be inspired, encourage and be encouraged

- introducing the girlies to french toast...easy enough to whip up on a weekday, "fancy" enough to get the girls excited for breakfast.  cut it into strips and it makes a great finger food!

easiest french toast

2 slices whole grain bread

1 egg

a couple dashes cinnamon

a squirt (1 tsp?) agave nectar

a smidge coconut oil (to grease pan)

- heat coconut oil in pan on medium / medium high heat

- beat egg and add cinnamon and agave nectar

(these can also be added as toppings at the end, once the french toast is done - i just decided to throw them in the batter so they'd cook on and make the meal a little less messy)

- dip both sides of your first bread slice into egg batter

- place bread on frying pan.  once first side cooks up, flip it and cook the other side.  this doesn't take long, but it depends on how much egg your bread soaked up.

- remove from pan and repeat with next slice

- cut french toast into strips and serve with fruit and yogurt for dipping (optional, but a big hit with the littles)

and that's a wrap - happy weekend, everybody! 

busy bee + a baby

hello friends!

sorry i haven't been around as much lately

like i mentioned in my last post, life has been busy

we enjoyed lots of family time over the long weekend

including a day of fishng (for the guys) / the beach (for the mamas and babies)

the sun never came out to play, but it didn't rain and we got to catch up with good friends, 

so i'd call it a success!

i also got to take pictures of a super sweet newborn yesterday

i met this little guy's parents about twelve years ago

when we all went to the same high school

and now, here we are all married and with kids!

it was so nice to meet their little bundle, 

have some "mom talk" 

and just catch up

anyway, here are a few of my favorites

(i figure the cuteness factor should earn me some forgiveness points

for the lack of posts around here!)

a post mother's day post

yesterday was mother's day

and i missed the "get online tell your mother how much you love her" boat

not because i have anything against doing that

or against my mother 

(i love you, mom...and i've totally done the online declaration of love before here and here!)

i just missed the boat this year, that's all

you know what else i missed doing?  

taking a picture with my kids

maybe i was too caught up in the day itself

maybe because it's hard to remember to step in front of the camera from time to time

maybe i was still recovering from this past week which had way too much going on

but what i do have is a recent picture with me and one of my girlies

from the weekend before mother's day weekend, actually

that i meant to share with you last week, 

but didn't get a chance to in the middle of all the "busy"

it was a super hot day (especially for May!)

but we didn't have enough time to head out to the beach

so we slipped the girls into their swimsuits

and introduced them to the sprinkler

try it with your own littles!

you're guaranteed to have a blast 

AND getting them down for a nap afterwards will be a breeze (double bonus!!)

growing...

hey folks!

we've been on a house / dog sitting adventure for the past week

which means less time on the computer 

and more time getting settled into the space we've been calling home

it's a lot quieter here

and i've been keeping busier

with the dogs and the dishes (no dishwasher here!)

and meal-prepping without my usual staples kicking around

with staring out at the ocean from the kitchen table / living room 

(i sometimes catch myself looking out, lost in thought and wonder how long i've been standing there)

and with trying to keep all the beautiful plants in this place alive, despite my black thumb

it seems that every windowsill has something growing or blooming on it

i just couldn't help but take a couple of pictures to share my view with you

you know what else has been growing around here?  

these two...growing into big girls in SO many ways

every day we see more of their personalities coming out
they've gotten way more interactive in this past week alone
and while mustering up the patience to keep up with them can be sometimes be a challenge
i've been reminded lately just how blessed we are to have them in our lives

thank you, Jesus

for ocean views

and pretty flowers

and growing girlies!