Favorite Five: June

Summer is finally here...officially. 

It has felt like summer for months, 

but now school is out and the calendar tells us it is officially the season for 

fun, sun, sleeping in (ha ha), camps, lazy backyard days, and summer trips.

June has been lovely. 

Here are some highlights...

Silly sisters.

Happy Father's Day to our amazing Daddy.

 A baby shower for a very special summer baby.

This non-crafty person got crafty…and I'm not even on Pinterest.

 Cousins enjoying the Secret Garden.

 The beach.

Sister visit. Nashville cousins do San Diego.

Jenny and I had babies around the same time in 2012, so we didn't get to do our normal "new baby" visits to each other's homes because we were up to our eyeballs in feedings and diapers and toddlers. We have seen each other many times over the past couple years, but not here in San Diego, so it was SUPER fun and special to have them visit us on our home turf.

We had a blast just being together, and all 9 of us slept at our house. Even with 5 kids ages 7 and under, we got out a lot and had some great adventures.

Highlights included…

2 beach days

"bring your brother-in-law to work day" (bet you didn't know that was a thing)

splash park

birthday party for a little friend at a great park

more parks :)

cousin movie and sleepover in the tent

double date with Jenny and John

simply living life with them for 6 days

and the grand finale, California Adventure

We loved having you Leiningers! Hope you will be back soon! 

Favorite Five: May

How I miss writing. That was the point of this blog, afterall.

I still can't seem to find the time or mental bandwidth. 3 kids has officially humbled me.

Hopefully I will write again soon. Maybe when Hannah goes to Kindergarten.

In the meantime, I do enjoy the discipline of finding my favorite 5 pictures to post each month.  

It is a great practice of gratitude to highlight a few moments that capture the loveliness of life. 

There are plenty of not-so-lovely moments around here, but I choose to focus on times like these...

First time away as a couple since Hannah was born. So needed. Such an amazing trip.

 The two Grandmas watched the girls while we were away, and they had a blast.

Then, once we were back home, my Dad also flew in for some CA fun with his grand-daughters.

Here are Papa and Sam doing surgery in the Secret Garden.

 Homemade water park in the backyard during our heatwave.

 She's getting so big and so independent. I love the concentration here.

 Teepee time for my silly "big" and "little".

Happy Mother's Day!

Motherhood.

What a gift, what a challenge.

I'm SO thankful for my mom today.
I'm SO thankful to be a mom.
I'm thankful for ALL moms today.

In honor of Mother's Day here are a few of my favorite pictures of me with my girls from this year.

Thank you Stacy for capturing authentic moments of motherhood for me to cherish forever.

 

And here are a couple great things about motherhood that really struck a chord in me this past year...

CLICK HERE for the full post from Momastery, but below is my favorite excerpt. This sums up most of my days beautifully…

How was my day? Today has been a lifetime. It was the best of times and the worst of times. There were moments when my heart was so full I thought I might explode, and there were other moments when my senses were under such intense assault that I was CERTAIN I’d explode. I was both lonely and absolutely desperate to be alone. I was saturated- just BOMBARDED with touch and then the second I put down this baby I yearned to smell her sweet skin again. I was simultaneously bored out of my skull and completely overwhelmed with so much to do. Today was too much and not enough. It was loud and silent. It was brutal and beautiful. I was at my very best today and then, just a moment later, at my very worst. At 3:30 today I decided that we should adopt four more children, and then at 3:35 I decided that we should give up the kids we already have for adoption. Husband – when your day is completely and totally dependent upon the moods and needs and schedules of tiny, messy, beautiful rug rats your day is ALL OF THE THINGS and NONE OF THE THINGS, sometimes within the same three minute period. But I’m not complaining. This is not a complaint, so don’t try to FIX IT. I wouldn’t have my day Any.Other.Way. I’m just saying- it’s a hell of a hard thing to explain- an entire day with lots of babies.

And if you haven't seen this genius video, here you go...

An Adventure Girl Birthday

We don't do birthday parties every year (we celebrate in other ways), but this year was a year that we told Sam she could have a party. We asked her what she wanted. Carte blanche.

She said she wanted an "adventure girl party"…and then later revised it to an "adventure princess party." She said she only wanted two friends (and Abby, of course). Well, that sounded fun! After I stopped being amazed at how AWESOME my daughter is, Chris and I started dreaming up a sort of "amazing race for 7 year old girls." And here is what we came up with…

Phase 1: The girls made "adventure girl wristbands" and then searched for junk treasures on the hill.

Phase 2: We drove to a local park for rock climbing, creek walking, and picnic dinner.

Phase 3 (my favorite): We drove to another local park and the girls were released to hike up to an overlook tower where they found birthday treats waiting for them. They then decided to keep hiking to the next two towers in the park and discovered this amazing bridge!

Our time concluded with a little frolicking, with wings and bubbles of course. 

The weather was lovely (after a windy/rainy start to the day). 

A good time was most definitely had by all!

 

Happy birthday Samantha Joy, our little adventure girl!

Hannah is not pictured because we made the VERY wise decision to leave her with a babysitter. 
Next year, baby.

Favorite Five…or Ten: April

April. Whew. What a month.

2 birthdays, Easter, a 2-week Spring Break.

We are all a little tired. A happy tired.

Here is a glimpse of a big month in 10 pictures.

Spring Break was mostly a stay-cation and I love how these simple shots sum up regular life around here.

Disneyland for Abby's 4th birthday.

We were so happy to have Grandma and Grandpa join us from Santa Barbara.
We were not thrilled about 90 degrees and Spring Break crowds, but we still had a great time.

Lots of dress up and playing at the house and in the yard.
This would be a wedding…to invisible princes.

Triple dentist visits. (Hannah is not pictured, because SHOCKER, she did not cooperate at all.)

They are watching Frozen on screens above them. 

I'm pretty sure they could have had a root canal and not noticed.

Friends from Colorado came through town.

5 little girls on a hammock.

 Lots of park time.

A visit to a local drop-in art studio for kids.

This was right before they did an amazing rendition of "Let It Go".

The only way I can do Target with all three. Popcorn!

A very special beach baptism for a very special 2nd grade friend.

We had a wonderful Easter celebrating our Risen Lord with family in LA this year!
Here are the big cousins decorating Easter cupcakes.