Easter brunch. (photo overload)

 

 

We had our families over for a potluck brunch to celebrate Easter and spring all together.  It was so fun to be together and give thanks.  The kids hunted for eggs, we celebrated our dear cousin Teal's 12th birthday and the girls were loved on all day long.  We all crashed at the end of the day and are just now, a week later recouping.  But it was so fun and we love having space to host in our new home.  We are nearing one year at the start of June.  It's really hard to believe it's been a year.  And at the same time it really feels like home.  We hope you all had a Happy Easter and shared the day with those you love.

Easter at home.

Home-brewed morning coffee, a lemon tart and scrambled eggs.  Just us four, Easter baskets being shared and memories in the making.  Continuing traditions our families started and creating new ones.  These are some of my favorite moments.  And I was so excited about matching Easter dresses for my Remy's first Easter.  Chloe was equally excited because she loves the idea of sharing everything with her little sister.  I'm sure that one won't be a constant.  But for no I'm loving the ease of their new relationship.    

Day by day.

 

And some days success is measured in ways that aren't easy to describe.  Content moments sitting in the trunk while mommy cleans the garage(ha!), smiles after lunch and gifts brought home from the park.  Some days the days are long, I feel restless with my inability to complete tasks but really when the day comes to an end the unfinished projects that stack and pile in little corners of my check list and closet mean nothing.  These little hearts and minds are the true importance.  If only I could always keep perspective.  Ha!  Isn't that truly what we all are working toward?  Oh perspective.

I constantly miss my grandmothers phone calls.  In the last couple years, they were daily sometimes a few a day.  She had perspective by the minute.  Living 82 years, 5 children, a lot of heartache, a lot of love will fix perspective close to your heart.  A meticulous housekeeper in her young days, she often reminded me that she never missed a single day of cleaning, but would give anything for a moment more of playing with her so loved children.

To perspective and her dear influence in my life.

Love you, Mana.

A little garden snail.

It already feels like summer some days.  We've been setting up our homemade water table and a big bucket for cooling off when the days get warm until mama gets up the courage to take both littles to the pool.  I see summer swim lessons for Chloe in our future.  She was so smitten with our garden snail whom she adored all afternoon and named Wiggly.

Daddy.

When daddy comes home it's the best time of day.  We wait on the front lawn most late afternoons, we make chalk drawings, run circles on the grass or sit and feel the afternoon breeze until his car pulls up.  A few moments to shake the the day off, get wiggles out and welcome the evening and dinner together.  We are so lucky he is ours.

A thing called weather.

On occasion we get have a rainy day, and in Southern California it's nearly a license to stay home and do nothing but watch the drops fall all day.  And I need very little coaxing to be down for that.  A few months back we celebrated much needed wetness with a day spent in pajamas with the fireplace a blaze.  I sure hope more weather of the sort comes before summer hits.  Either way, I'm a huge fan of sunshine.  Vitmain D does my spirit a lot of good.

At home.

I wish I was getting better at this.  At making time for myself.  At choosing to skip laundry and sit down and actually write and document little family moments that we are sharing.  So, I'm just gonna skip the guilt and write when I can.  Because the laundry is done, both babies are asleep and I'm gonna take a quick breather and a glass of wine and write...even for a minute.

I recently read this quote and can't stop pondering it's loveliness.

One day
I heard god's voice.
It sounded like
the kindest,
most generously loving
version
of myself. 
-Annie Flavin

Life here at home is so good.  Each day filled with new milestones lately, Remy began sitting last month and with each new day she is crawling more and trying to pull up to standing on nearly everything in sight.  I have a feeling walking is right around the corner.  I'm so not ready.  So I ordered a baby gate for the stairs and rearranged a little furniture just until she gets a little more coordinated.  In the meantime the spills are keeping me on my toes.  Oh how to give them freedom and protection at the same time...every mama's challenge.

Chloe is enjoying Preschool and is learning so many new things.  Our first parent/teacher conference is tomorrow and as cheesy as it sounds, I'm so excited.  I'm so curious to hear how our little one is in class time away from her parents and baby sister.  It's a set into a whole new world for me as a mama.  Her little school has been such a blessing to our family and a great place for our vibrant little to be herself and grow.  She loves the independence.

Kevin is busy at work, learning the trade and all that is involved in the family business.  He is excited about the new venture and making connections with clients.  It's a refreshing new start.  He is a great daddy and thoughtful husband.  I'm so happy we have each other.

I'm still trying to get my feet on the ground after welcoming our littlest into the world.  We've had so many big changes this year and I'm trying to learn to take it more slowly.  We keep very little plans during the week so we can just keep everyone fed and rested.  We aren't sleeping much throughout the night, so I'm functioning on low these days.  It's so worth it, but WOW I forgot how tired one can be.  I day dream about naptime for most of the morning.  Ha!  Thank heavens for darling baby faces and sweet snuggles, they are the best reminders of what is really important.

It's the simple life around here lately.  But, I kind of love it.  Let's just say busy is overrated.