firecracker

Who are you looking at?

Dress: H&M (gift)

Pants: Carter's (pack of two for $10.00)

boom

I'm a little late with this post that features photos from the Fourth of July, but that doesn't make the sentiment any less true ...

This summer has truly been wonderful so far.

While some days are full of activities, and some are lazy and uneventful, I am finding myself falling deeper and deeper in love ...

With my husband.

With my children.

With the ultimate job that is motherhood.

With this season of our lives.

Right now, there is nothing better than my little family of four ... 

Even though it is still somewhat new to us (Pearl will be four months old in about a week) it feels like we've been this way forever.

And that is a good feeling.

So, like fireworks that light up the night sky, my heart is exploding with happiness and unable to contain all the good it holds inside.

Corny? 

Yes, unbelievably. 

But one hundred percent true nonetheless.

(more) yard maintenance with malcolm

Any chance he gets, he wants to "help" his Dad in the yard.

"Are you going to mow the grass?"  I ask, as he sets off down the driveway with his bubble lawnmower.

"No, Mom," he sighs, as if I just insulted his vast intelligence.  "I mow the street!"

And off he goes ...

Up and down the driveway.

Again and again.

Mowing the street.

Until he makes a U-turn and tries to run my feet over.

"Crash!"  he exclaims, between giggles.

How is it even possible that he'll be turning three in a couple of months?!

Tee-shirt: Garanimals (gift)

Jean shorts: Jumping Beans (hand-me-down)

Socks: Unknown brand (hand-me-down)

Shoes: Cherokee (thrifted for $1.50)

lessons learned on our first family trip

At the end of last week, my husband and I packed up the kids for a long weekend in Erie, Pennsylvania.  It was only a two hour drive, and, since we've been there many times before, it was easy to come up with inexpensive activities to occupy ourselves ...  Among them were visits to the Erie Zoo and Waldameer Park.

Although I would consider the trip a success, we learned a couple important lessons that we'll certainly keep in mind whenever we decide to round up our kiddos and take to the road ...

Lesson #1: Hotels with pools provide lots of warm-weather entertainment at little cost.

Lesson #2: Some family portraits are actually fun to take ... All you need is a camera with a self-timer.

Lesson #3: Getting the two-year-old to ride on one (non-kiddie) ride should be considered an achievement.

Lesson #4: Just because he enjoys the local zoo, doesn't mean he likes all zoos ...

Lesson #5: You can't really call it a "vacation" when there are two kids involved, but that doesn't make it any less fun!

poolside

It's a rough job being a baby ...

But someone's got to do it!