summer wishes

 summer wishes...

about a month ago trying to fall asleep

i started thinking about summer wishes for the girls and I

{not excluding Bobby...but you all know he travels a lot by now}

so it's just mainly us

I started thinking...and dreaming

what i wanted out of summer

what would be good for the girls

what would be good for our family

and i came up with a few summer wishes...

summer wish #1

traveling more...

we all love to travel and since we are all going in all different directions

with different schedules

it has been on my heart to travel together

i was hoping for a trip for Bobby and I...just us

as well as a trip with all four of us

we hardly have much family time together with him home only a day and a half a week

and we all need some fun time together

time to relax and just go with the flow

our schedules are so jam packed each week

that we all need to take time away

where we don't have to plan

and can just wake up and figure it out each day for a week

ironically this summer wish is coming true

next post i'll tell you about the road trip Bobby and I took together

{it was absolutely the most relaxing trip we've had}

next month

with Bobby's rewards of traveling

the girls and i are going to tag along with him for a little over a week

to Cali

{we've never been to Cali so we are super excited about that}

and this project he is working on is so close to the beach

and you know our fondness for the beach

so we are super excited

and with what i do

i earned a trip to Atlantis in August

I still am in disbelief about how this all fell right into place

traveling more with my family has been on my heart for so long

and i'm so excited to have made it happen this summer

summer wish #2 

to continue to enjoy the small moments with the girls

right now...they are putting on a fashion show for me

in my high heels

 Madison just lined up my shoes for me because

she said and I quote

"your closet was a mess mama"

geez I have a hard time staying organized lately

I used to be organized

but now I call myself an organized disorganized person right now

and it is 9:30 in the evening and yes the girls are still up

i'm a morning girl so if they sleep in a bit later in the morning

happy dance for me

because that means an extra glass of coffee and more stuff I can get done before they wake up

small moment for the day

some of our blueberries are ripe

and the girls looooved being able to pick them

right from our yard

summer wish #3

to take deep breathes

many of them when i need them

summer wish #4

when I'm not working

to have a lot of fun with my family and friends

endless days at the pool

summer wish #5

to finally organize and clean out our closets

they are driving me crazy

summer wish #6

to find days where i use and cook with every single one of my herbs in one day

i swear it's the little things with me

i was doing a happy dance one evening when i realized

all in one day

i used my chives, parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil, and thyme

all fresh right off my front porch

{not all in one meal mind you}

but it was fun

and the roasted cauliflower with thyme on it was fabulous by the way

summer wish #7

to enjoy lunches a couple times during the month with friends

 it is an absolute necessity especially when I'm so blessed with the friends that I have

they are a treasure to me

lunches with my mom

we don't get to do much fun things together since my parents are always helping watch the girls when i have work

so it would be nice to enjoy lunch and dinner with them more often

summer wish #8

going to see the kids movies with the girls that come out this summer

we all love going to the movies and just don't do it enough

summer wish #9

being able to give all that I can with work and those i'm training right now

there is nothing that makes you feel better than to help others meet their goals

and become successful themselves

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I'm certainly ready for a great summer

and to make a conscious effort to making all my summer wishes become reality

xoxo

and thank you again for all your input with the photos from last post...

I am definitely going to be using your suggestions and top picks for my next order for business cards

i'm back:)

I know, I know

it's been almost a month since I have probably visited you

or even written on my blog

but a couple of things before I begin...

thank you
all of you that so kindly reminded me to get with it

and come back

and get back to normal
and do a stinkin' post

and write again

i'll be honest though

it's just been a little rough for me with a few things

and these past three months

{this is where I take a deep breathe}

have been the roughest
when things like that happen
I stop writing
because you don't need to hear it all

the verse that has lifted my spirits this past month

"Cast all your care upon Him; for He cares for you"
I Peter 5:7

and then I have focused on many many great things in my life
and I tell you what
even though these past months have been difficult

they have also been so very wonderful
I have close family and friends that are always there for me
my business has been very exciting

and this past month I finished earning my business incentive trip
 I'm going to Atlantis in August
{happy dance}
{happy dance}
{happy dance again}

so just so I honestly have been focusing on those good things

depositing into those

{not that this blog isn't good}

but I had to get away from a few things to really focus on some other things

I'm thankful for an amazing business, family,
and

amazing friends that live here and afar

friends threw the absolute best suprise weekend for me for my birthday

all you {my blog readers] have meant the world to me

and that's why I felt so badly about being away

the reason why it has taken so long to get back into sharing our life
is because I wondered...

 if it was too late to continue this blog

by being away so long
if i lost you all...

so i have a few things to share

of what good things we have been up too...

wonderful, fun times with friends and family

Madison graduated preschool

I cried, of course

because i was excited for her

but it always makes me feel like time goes by waaaaay too fast already

we are enjoying pool time
well just three days of it so far

 it's summertime

and this is my happy time during summer

I'm so happy that my hydrangeas are about to start blooming

and the rest of my flowers are filling out

 I do have something to ask your help with

 I would really love from you is your help and/or opinion

my friend is a fantastic photographer

and i needed to update my business pictures for

my business website

business cards

and any other marketing i needed pictures for

so she put together a fantastic business package for me

I wanted to do colorful

outdoor pics

to liven up my look and to also go with what i do

out of the pictures she took

i chose some of them to use on my blog

and some for my business

we also snuck in a family picture or two because we haven't had one in a bit

so what i would love, love your help with

is helping me decide

what photos should i use for my business website?

what are your favorites for my business cards?

I would love outside feedback

I like to have a couple of different business cards

using different pictures

so please choose your top 2 or 3 for business cards

so if you would be willing to choose your top three

i would be so appreciative:)

And by the way

Kristen was fabulously fabulously patient with me

if you know me well

you know i get nervous with photos

especially by myself

if i'm in a picture with family, friends, etc.

i'm okay

because I'm not the only one

i really struggled at times

and Kristen couldn't have done a better job of helping me through that

and being patient with me

If you live within an hour or so of me

and need family photos or business photos

I would definitely consider Kristen

so just to show you our family photos first

because of course that was the easier part for me

and yes...

 I really did wear color in these photos

no gray or brown:)

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I think Kristen did a wonderful job

so her information is already on my sidebar

but click here to visit her website

if you are interested in her business packages just shoot her an e-mail

via her website

thanks in advance for your help

xoxo

next time i'll share with you a few of my summer wishes

for my fam and I

five on april tenth

five years ago with an up and down not so fun delivery

we finally met our beautiful butterfly

Madison Ella

you arrived
with some of the strongest lungs they've heard
they said
but you had the longest eye lashes i had ever seen

i was completely in love with you

you had such beautiful petite features

and a full head of dark hair

that i just loved, loved!

after an hour or so after your birth
I was finally able to hold you

I didn't want to let you go

for anyone

even family

I wanted to cherish every single moment and study every single part on you

I think family had to remind me that they wanted to hold you too

there grew a special bond between both you and I
and Hayley and I...

with each pregnancy

 i had to have ultrasounds every 3-4 weeks

for various reasons

so the bond we had before you even arrived was so special

I wouldn't change our journey for you and hayley at all

it was all for a reason

but i still remember seeing you just 8 cells big

I was laying in the hospital room

just praying that this time was "the time" it was going to happen

Madison you are our miracle

you are such a blessing that we are so very thankful for

and when i woke up this past Sunday morning
~ your birthday ~

tears just welled up in my eyes

and i literally just cried

tears of happiness

joy

  thankfulness

and tears of just knowing i am always proud of you

i remember our journey for you so well

and I've tucked that back for many years

because when we were blessed with you

we just wanted to move forward

it became the past

and our present and future was with you

 the pain is just a distant memory

all thankfully behind us now

 yesterday you were five

and as daddy and I tucked you into bed last night

i remembered you were born about one hour and 20 minutes
before 8:45 pm

I cannot believe how quickly these past 5 years have gone by

I want to hold on tight and freeze time right now 

because i know it is going to fly by even faster

I'm so proud of you

for all that you are

and all that I see in you

for all that you have grown in just these past couple of months

with believing in yourself
having fun
and showing the "you" that we know well

as I'm typing right now

I'm thinking of the day when we found out
that we were pregnant

they warned us carefully that we were not out of the clear yet

but after three years

of things not working

I really knew you would and had to be okay

when my phone rang with them calling to give us the news
either way news

I was shaking

standing in our hallway

of our first home

 I had Bobby answer the phone because I couldn't...

 I may have been already crying with just the rush of feelings

daddy's eyes immediately welled up and a smile came across his face

 I immediately smiled after looking at him

Madison, we are so grateful for you

and so grateful that because of you

we were able to be blessed with Hayley twenty-three months later

five years later on April 10th

our little butterfly has grown up into a little girl

ready for kindergarten next year

{sigh}

you have always been so determined

focused

with every single thing you do

you have one of the biggest hearts i have ever known

kindness that is as sweet as can be

and a passion that radiates from your soul

you are the first to always offer me help

with anything and everything

and you do it with so much love

not too long ago...

Hayley was so tired and i was helping her brush her teeth

and I had just taken her sheets out of the dryer before her bedtime

and hadn't made her bed yet

i mentioned to hayley I would make her bed as soon as I was done helping her

I walked into hayley's bedroom

and you had already put her pillow and laid a blanket on Hayley's bed
for your sister

just because you wanted to help me
and do something nice for her

my heart just swelled with so much love and thankfulness

because Madison... you have such a joy when helping others

and helping your sister was the sweetest...

Madison

you 

inspire me to be better

every single day

your love language...

is definitely affirmation

and acts of service could be a close second

you are our butterfly that...

loves chocolate cupcakes/cake like her daddy

loves strawberries, oranges, and blackberries

fairy trees {broccoli and cauliflower}

"cacongos"
 {cacongos are coconut m &m's...but you call them "cacongos"}

 you love eating el fresco

 you love...

mahi mahi

gnocchi

{which you and Hayley call "p~nocchi"}

you love to help me decorate

and snuggle with me right before your bedtime

you love...

"Wednesday night" movie night

your family

friends

Jesus

Cadence

puzzles and games

you don't like to loose

especially when you and I race Daddy and Hayley into stores

{we usually always win...chuckle}
except when we lost "once"
you were not happy about that:)
neither was I:)

you are way too hard on yourself

very sensitive

loveable

stubborn

and super organized

you love to be a "fashionista"

{picking out/designing clothes}

you even dressed me for saturday before both of your birthday parties

you picked out my shoes and all my accessories

I think you could be my personal shopper 

you love white

your vintage chandelier in your bedroom

and vibrant colors

I always knew you would be a color girl

you love your sister

Hayley and you seem like long lost twins

as you two sometimes talk in your own language

you love, love the beach as much as we do

and you love to help me cook

 you usually have your foot stool by the counter

ready to help me

i love how silly you are in the car

and how you love to sing and dance to super fun songs with me

you are head over heals for Taylor Swift

and i cannot wait to surprise you this fall with her concert

I am so proud of you my sweet one

you are one of a kind

a little girl with such a big heart

Happy 5th Birthday

Madison Ella

we love you so much

xo

color intervention

okay maybe this could be called

"a color and pattern intervention"

perhaps...

my good friend Julie came to stay with us during spring break

and that oh so nice to have her around all day

it's wonderful to have great friendships in my life
and I've known her since my junior year in high school
and she's a bestie!

I really think the girls wanted to trade me for her by the end of her stay

they had a blast

so we took it upon us to do some girl things

since Madison pointed out there was 5 girls in the house all at once

{including Cadence}

and that's pretty exciting to her

so Julie knew I was motivated this spring and summer to bring more

"color"

and

"patterns"

into my wardrobe...
and she's a color girl
so she happily helped

I honesty don't really buy much for myself very often

just a few things here and there

so I really did need to add a few things to my wardrobe

for work reasons

and just plain "feel good" reasons 

so I'm on a mission to buy more than gray, purple, blue, and brown

and if I do...

at least a buy it in a pattern...

not just solids

so now I'm wearing a bit more color

I found some of the best things

 at H&M

and Target

even though we didn't go to Target to buy clothes

we both ended up doing so:)

not a single thing was expensive that I purchased

which makes an anthro trip sometime this month all the more possible

according to Bobby

{ahem}

maybe 2 1/2 weeks possible I'm hoping

{wink, wink to the hubs on that one}

{hope he's actually paying attention to this post}

so anyway...

I thought I'd show you what we got

it's always more fun to shop with a girl friend anyway

especially if you are as indecisive as I am

getting yes/no responses is just so nice

compared to

thinking

"hmmm...

should I or shouldn't I?

what if I don't like it in a month?"

yada yada yada

okay so here are some things purchased

some of the colors scare me

but I am going to get back to color

and no I'm not showing them all on me

just this one:)

because if we are talking about wardrobe...

 it makes sense to actually show something worn, I guess...

which really isn't new

but anyway...

I was going to show this picture instead...

so I didn't have to show all of my face

but then I realized...

geez...

kind of shows my messy bedroom

I'm awful, awful at putting clothes away

the rest of the house is okay

it's my bedroom

{and the closet}

that is like a war zone

except for the bed

I always get the bed made

there's something about climbing into a bed

with cool sheets at night that is always nice

keeping up with laundry...

not so much

so just don't look too close to the clothes on the floor

k?

I found Miss Cadence snuggled up in her bed

she usually likes to pose for pictures

this one...

she wasn't so happy about

okay before I get sidetracked again

I'll show you what I have...

we have marigold yellow

yikes!

this dress was ordered

my heart literally raced when I clicked purchase

{not because of price but because of the color}

 I do have a pretty flower belt to go with the marigold dress

just forgot to put it around the dress for you all to see

so above we have prints, coral, vintage scarf,

and even a skirt

haven't bought a skirt in years

since I've been on the dress kick

so it's something new and fun for me

already had the belt

found the cutest shoes at H&M not pictured

so it was an easy outfit to create

it feels good to finally have some new additions to the closet

courtesy of a little intervention

{...ahem...help}

of a friend, mind you

but I'm following through with this mission

I want to do better at dressing how I feel 

which is a little bit more color

even though I love me some white and blues for my house and wardrobe

color just makes you feel good 

Madison was even so excited for me in the dressing room

she started getting into it

{because she is my color girl}

"mama...those shoes you are wearing today would match that dress"

as she brought them over to me so I could see in the mirror

I swear she could be my personal shopper!

it was a fun couple of days

we made it to the butterfly house

and absolutely loved it
had some wonderful food
enjoyed some wine together
and just plain relaxed too!

Hayley got a bick freaked out because of the amount of butterflies

especially after we told her one was on her back for quite some time

but it was beautiful inside with all the flowers and greenery

it has me looking forward to green grass, warm weather, and lots of outdoor enjoyment

thanks Julie for a great visit

I'm off tonight for a fun event tonight

and then spending the weekend with some wonderful girls at a retreat

I feel so thankful for all my great friendships

happy weekend to you all

xo

three...

today is a sunshine day...

my baby is three today

should I repeat that

my baby girl is three today

and today is also the day I register my oldest baby girl

for kindergarten

and Bobby is away

I'm also in full party planning mode for this weekend

and I just want to cry about it all

because it is hard

it was really hard packing up her toddler bed

and converting her to a big girl bed over the weekend

a bedroom redo I'll hopefully show you soon

about a month ago

Hayley asked for a big girl bed

and I said maybe....just *maybe* for your birthday sweetie

and before we knew it

it was all happening before we even planned
when it would happen

so I'm getting my tears out now so I can be bright and shiny for two little girls

that will come walking down stairs this morning

happy as can be that one will be registered for kindergarten and the other will now be three

we had hoped and prayed for another child when you came along, Hayley

the month before we conceived you

was a very difficult month for us ...we decided it was our last and final failed cycle
we were going to do

but when we found out about you

you gave us hope and belief that it was still possible

it was happiness and excitement

just like what we experienced with Madison
after 3 years of trying with her

from the moment we found out we were pregnant with you

I told Bobby...

"boy or girl"...

*she* is a sunshine baby

and I bet him you'd have

light brown hair and blue eyes

just like daddy

and what'd ya know...

I was right

{chuckle}

as I carried you I always called you my sunshine

and we painted your nursery pale yellow

you still love your yellow walls

{even though your walls have been yellow since you were born}

you tell us weekly how much you love them

you also love the colors purple and pink

Hayley Elisabeth, you are....

our dragonfly

a bright smiling sunshine girl with every ounce of your being

you are a lover of love

and a snuggler

physical touch I'd say is your top love language

you love to hug

cuddle

and just be close to me

all.the.time

{smile}

when you sleep

I just look at you sometimes and remember seeing you
as you looked
the night you were born

and how your features were so tiny and small then

and they still are now

I see those beautiful, long eye lashes

{sigh}
and those lips you purse

with you...

you always ask to read one more book mama

as you love to read and color

 every night you say to me...

let's bunk together

which most nights I answer no, not tonight...Hayley

but you never give up asking me
because you ask me again every single night thereafter

you are a "cover stealer" and "cover kicker-off-er" when we do bunk together

and as a matter of fact you are all over the place when you sleep
nudging and often kicking someone in the side
all accidental of course

you love vanilla and strawberry
over chocolate anyday

{just like your mama}

I give you the option

and you almost always will answer

vanilla or strawberry

 

you are as outgoing as outgoing can get

but you also have a shyness come about

if you aren't ready to show you to someone

it's all about timing with you

as with you
there is also no time but "Hayley time"

when you are done taking pictures
it means you are done
and not "one more"
even when I say pretty please to you


that is...unless I bribe you
{smile}
and the day I took these
you wanted a strawberry milkshake
I said "you got it!"

i.e...see the "no smile" in this one...

well actually this is the face you give
right before you smile when you are trying to hold a smile in

 Hayley you are a carefree little girl

every.single.time we visit Grandpa

it is really hard leaving
but when both you and Madison are with me
you two always make Grandpa and I laugh

it has me feeling grateful and so happy
about our visit with him

before we are out of the parking lot

you sometimes ask to go see him again...

or when will we see him again
at the "hosbul"

you are my non-stop talker

to almost anyone you meet

about anything on your mind....

the dentist

the repair guy you offered a valentine to

you definitely are a charmer

a lover of wearing dresses

and your precious cowgirl boots

every day...your boots are the shoes
you have to wear

no ifs, ands, or buts about it
as a matter of fact...

I think they are adorable on you

and fit you and your personality quite well

you love to run and play outside

and dine al fresco in warmer weather

you are a lover of pigtails, ponytails

pizza, macoroni, mahi mahi, strawberries, yogurt, protein shakes, bars from tj's, and cookies

it's sooo hard to say "no" to those big blues of yours
and I often find myself laughing when I'm supposed to be putting you in timeout

you are as stubborn as stubborn can get

but you had no chance with that

as both your daddy and mama are stubborn

you make us laugh with your silliness

and like to sing and dance with Madison and I in the car

you love your strawberry shortcake friends,

princess and the frog, and rapunzel characters

you are so witty and have the best comebacks

that just make us laugh and smile

you love to call people

"tootie" and "stinky pants"

and love to tease daddy by calling him"Robby"
when he is Bobby

you are so sweet and thoughtful

always thinking of others whether it's an

"I love you"

 hug

or your artwork gifts you present to us from school

you are a sensitive little soul that gets her feelings hurt easily

you look up to your big sis so much
I'll catch you just studying and watching Madison's every move

and repeating what she says

because you love to be a part of what she is doing

you two are so close

two peas in a pod

and inseparable

we really have been blessed with two very special girls

and you are such an important and beautiful part of our family

I love you my sunshine girl

you're our little dragonfly

you love life with all of your heart and soul

happiness is just all around you

I'm so ready to spend the day with you

and celebrate with family this evening

thank you for all your love and all you do even at age three
that inspires me to be better

Happy Birthday Hayley Elisabeth

many hugs and kisses to you sweetie

xo