home tour

i rarely take pictures with my phone.  i've had my phone about 6 months and can probably count on one hand the number of times i have used the camera function.  which is why when i looked at the gallery the other day and noticed 527 photos i was a bit confused.

i had no idea i had a sneaky little photographer living with me.

well, i had some idea...the girls love them some angry birds and meddle with my phone to play.  i have heard clicks from the camera but just didn't realize the mass amounts that had been taken.  at least 10 shots of the same thing was commonplace.

as i scrolled through the hundreds i got a pretty good laugh at what kinsley thought warranted a photo.   i realized she was able to achieve something i have wanted to do for awhile--show friends and family where we live.

however, to those who are stopping by to see fabulous photos of a clean home with non-green walls this is not the place for you.

someday, when the walls are no longer green; when the wallpaper is peeled off; when there are window treatments and rugs--i will post better pics.  no breath holding.

the phone tour/home tour

(in no particular order...some date back to when we 1st moved in so i have an excuse for the boxes and mess....others are more recent and i have no excuse at all)

she captured our kitchen nook during a visit from ben's parents.

green.

the office...another work in progress.

my favorite room...i have big hopes for it and we are all drawn here..  One day kinsley offhandedly called the couch her "thinking couch" and the name stuck.   we cuddle up there all the time to read, hang out, chat, interrogate.

i like how she lined up the books.

kinsley and hallie share a room.

green walls. green wallpaper.

this is excellence in parenting.

great vantage point.

this is directly across the street...her little friend lives there... much much back and forth all day long.

the girl's bathroom...i only include this because i love her reflection.

important members of the family...girls can't sleep without them.

a rare shot of me---thanks, kinsley--i love it!

bits of happy

my girl.  (she took her first steps tonight...ben and i both saw it happen) *smile*  

facetime may be the best invention of all time.  as of this week, we have become avid users and have talked to MN cousins, CO cousins, my sisters and my parents--all the way in mongolia.  this afternoon the girls chatted with CO cousins.   it is such a sweet way to stay close.

channeling bozo

this was the least frightening picture of bozo i could find.

time. it flies.

when i pulled hallie aside this morning to tell her that she was mere hours from being done with her paci forever i expected more backlash.  maybe i even wanted it.  i wanted her to recognize this milestone and how in a blink she will shift from little to big.  she was totally fine with it and used words like; fun, good, i'm big.   how can she be so nonchalant about this?

by all accounts we are YEARS overdue in this transition.  i ignored.  i delayed.  i made excuses.  she loves that darn paci and has not slept one night or taken one nap without it.  ever.  

but when i was reviewing my pics the other day and saw this one i knew it was time.  my little gal looks ready.

so off we went to build-a-bear.

she picked out her new buddy.

she placed her paci inside and watched the salesgirl stitch it up.

so far so good.  well done, hallie.  well done.  

in a nutshell

Our new digs.  Our little family of 5 is trying to adjust to a new life in a new place.   i feel like i have so much to say but no idea where to start.  so many changes and so much to process.   

our neighborhood:  it is full of families.   playsets are found in nearly every backyard.  kids are running through our house constantly which has been my dream for years.  i entice them to be here with cookies and more cookies.  our doorbell is always ringing.  it has been great.  really great.   

church search:  after being part of Hillside (a church that rents space in a school) we strongly desired to find a church home with an actual building.  that was pretty much a non-negotiable as we talked about specific things we were looking for in a new church.  

and we've tried some services in actual buildings.  with big permanent screens, stages, lights, etc.  pretty much all the bells and whistles.   we still may return but we have some question marks.   

then this past week we visited a church in.......

a movie theater.  and it felt like........home.   we loved it.  we need to find out more before we sign up for the set-up crew (i'm already tempted) but we are very excited about it.  

we have another month before school starts.  on one hand, i love it but on the other i yearn for a schedule.  

in the meantime we will be seen in groups of 3:

or we will be chasing frogs 

or taking pictures of the little critters

or watching the big kids play outside

or going to chuck e cheese for the first time.  (chuck e cheese may want to invest in a 5 point harness for the clifford car...she seems slightly concerned about the safety value of this seatbelt) 

or maybe time will fly as i watch this one practice her waves, clapping, and vocabulary.   my heart melts with every smile, giggle and growl.  it also has a tendency to melt when nothing noteworthy is even happening....just for the simplest fact that she is my baby.