Penelope to Our Aid

True to his word, my dad sent my mom to us. I'm grateful for her visit because she really did help in the transition from Nita to Gig.  She helped me get organized and ready for Gig. Plus, we always have fun with her.

I took my mom to H&pizza for lunch and we loved it.

We had to get the dessert pizza with strawberries, nutella, ricotta and pecans. We approved.

My mom got the Farmer's Daughter pizza with spinach, sausage, two eggs, and chili oil. It looked great. 

I had the multgrain crust with roasted peppers, caramelized onions, spinach, broccolini, goat cheese and olives. 

After lunch we picked the boys up from preschool.

They were exhausted. My mom too--she took a red eye to us.

I like it when family and friends visit. I also like it when they get to engage in our daily activities like preschool drop-offs and even grocery shopping. It's fun to have company for the regular parts of our lives. I also like the trips and adventures that are part of family visits.

'Stached Cuties

The other night Jamie trimmed his beard and left behind a big, bushy mustache. At first I didn't notice (he does have red facial hair) and then I shook my head and laughed heartily. Jamie with a mustache was hilarious. I absolutely could NOT take him seriously. I tried to take a photo but he did not want that on his permanent record.

It's cool though because the very next day Asher and Soren discovered the unused mustaches from their party goody bag.

We laughed non-stop.

Asher was especially comical with his mustachioed persona. He's a funny kid. Fun too.

It's hard not to laugh when you have handlebars tickling your cheeks.

I've already been startled at how grown up the boys are looking and these mustaches kind of freaked me out.

Even Asher's skeleton mask could not escape the fun.

Pig Tails and Skinnys: Maeve at 22 Months

Can you even stand this baby Maeve cuteness? Can you even stand that I still call her baby Maeve? The baby will always be the baby, right? 

I forgot to give an update for Maeve's 22nd month so here goes, nearly a month late. Maeve is not just talking all day but she sings songs too! She sings, 'you are my sunshine,' 'the itsy bitsy spider,' 'I am a child of God,' 'la la la la Elmo's world,' and 'in the leafy tree tops the birds sing good morning.' She is also learning a Thai song about elephants and I about die when she whips that one out. Her Thai vocabulary is growing too. She knows nose, eye, and elephant.

She says, "I yuv you mommy!" all day long and I swoon every single time she says it. She also tells Asher, Soren, daddy, grandma and Gig that she loves them. I am astonished at her verbal generosity. When I greet her in the morning or after a nap she'll say, "How are you? Good to see you! I found you!" 

Maeve is sweet. The other day Asher was crying about something and she said kindly, "It's okay Asher." I loved my life SO much in that moment. She is quick to give tender pats on the back and likes to greet her friends with said pats. She adores her friends and calls our neighbor Leo, "My Yeo." She replaces her l's with y's, which is absolutely endearing.

Maeve can also be super sassy. If I make her unhappy she'll say, "Bad mommy!" and even hit me. She has also been known to give Jamie a Rick James slap to the face on occasion and one time she followed her slap with a coy, "I yuv you." When she does act naughty I put her in time out and she gives me a frustrated face for about two seconds then lunges at me with a hug and says, "Mommy! I yuv you!"

Maeve had her first primary sacrament meeting performance last week. She sang as part of the nursery choir and did a rousing rendition of  'The Wise Man Built His House Upon A Rock.' When we practiced the week before she cried and wanted nothing to do with standing at the podium. On the day of the show, y'all, she was turbo. When the song ended she declared loudly, and several times, "I did it mommy! I did it!"

I love her so much and love that she is my baby girl.

Pumpkin Man

A day or two after we got back from the beach I surprised the kids with their own mini pumpkins! You'd think they had just won a million bucks. I love their enthusiasm for simple pleasures. Well, the other day I surprised Asher and Soren with BIG pumpkins that Maeve had picked out for them. They were pretty stinking excited about them! We love this time of year so much.

Asher has a pre-school girlfriend. Her name is Ayah. Jamie asked Asher and Soren what they liked about preschool. Soren said he liked the toys. Asher said he liked it when he made his girl smile when she was sad. Asher and Ayah sitting in a tree...

Sunday Serenity

The night before Asher and Soren's birthday Nita told us that she had gotten married and was quitting. I almost died.

I didn't know she was dating anyone or had a boyfriend or was even considering marriage. She was supposed to continue working until January. We were happy with her and were hoping she would stay another year. I wasn't prepared for this alteration in our lives. Jamie was leaving at the end of the week for a week's worth of training and then there's his big departure looming. Her news left me feeling like I had been kicked in the stomach and punched in the throat. I was sick.

I cried a lot, worried about how we would cobble together child care for my precious little ones. It's not just finding someone to watch my children, but finding someone we can trust to love our children and live with us. Jamie gave me a blessing and the sacred promises he bestowed upon me have truly comforted me.

My parents love me and my children. My dad offered to send my mom if only to give me a hug. I pounced on his offer.

 Miraculously, we found a Thai Au Pair, Gig, who was in a difficult family situation here in Virginia. We met and liked each other and she is now our new Au Pair. She was relieved of an unwanted situation and we were too.

This year has taught us that even when we seem to be flogged unceasingly with harsh blows, we are graced by the goodness of a loving God. We have family and friends who love us and want to help us. Life is good and looking up.

My heart still feels a little tender about all of this. I'm still hurt about what happened but above all, I am humbled by how quickly our lives changed in good and noble ways.

Life After the Beach

September has been a busy, beautiful, and surprising month. It has been one of those months where everything is changing, some of it unexpected. Even when our experiences are harsh and unwanted, at least we can find solace in the joy of our family and the joy in knowing that fall is here! We met friends at River Farm last week and it was great to be back at one of my favorite places. It had been a year since our last visit so it was a long time coming. The greens and colors of the end of summer were most generous at River Farm. The kids had a ball playing with friends and bumming food off of everyone. I just loved being outside with my favorite people. 

Boogie Boarding

Boogie boarding was my favorite beach activity. I loved wandering into the ocean to float, enjoy the views of the beach and skyline and wait for the perfect wave. Thanks to my kind friends for watching my children while I selfishly spent hours (cumulative) trying to catch that perfect wave. 

Boogie boarding was also the perfect activity for recreating with friends. I had such a blast with Noelle and we laughed so hard every time we missed a wave, caught a wave, and nearly lost our clothing.

Those waves tore me up! I was slammed against the beach a few times and came away with nasty scrapes on my arm, legs, and feet. Totally worth it...until my tender feet were trampled daily by the kids and their sandy feet.

Is that a boogie boarder or a beached whale?

Soren was quite cozy playing with his snake in this pool of brownish sea water.

Jamberries! Hollie and I had the chevron stripes, Sarah and Joc the black and white stripes and Noelle had the argyle. Mine lasted only a few days because my application skills were terrible. Cute while they lasted! One of the many benefits of sharing a beach house with friends was the luxury of hanging out after the kids were in bed. We talked, laughed, played games, did our nails, painted onesies, and enjoyed adult company. We also busted out the adult treats. Ahh yeah. 

Thank you Hollie for taking these stellar photographs!