{Moving} Right Along...Elizabeth is 10 Months!

yep...it's official...
...little e's officially ten months today...
...and officially mobile...time to start baby-proofing again!

She literally started crawling over night!  That must have been why she hasn't been sleeping so well...she finally figured it out and she wanted out of that crib asap so she could get moving!

{she's being a little more cautious in the video because she knows I'm watching...}

Here's what she was really after...

{busted!}

I have picked this bucket of pencils up too many times to count already!

She has four teeth in on the top of her mouth...and lately she loves eating crackers for her snack...

{I love when she scrunches up her face when she's being silly!}

This is almost the only way to keep her still to give me a few minutes to catch up on things!  But then it takes me just as long to clean her up!

She is very vocal and loves to let everyone {and everything} know it!

{she was even yelling at the gourd!}

There are very few times when she will stop long enough to snuggle her head on my shoulder these days...

...before she's off again...

{c-ya...gotta go!}

...nothing is safe!

It will never cease to amaze me how quickly our babies grow up and how much they learn in such a short time!  I won't be surprised if she will be up walking by next month... but let's just take it one step crawl at a time!

{only two more months until little e is a big one-year old!  ...sigh...}

{...say wha?!...}

What's {Up}?

Stack {Up}
There isn't much that Emily misses out on...she is an eager, social and competitive one for sure! 
So Friday found us here after school...

Every year their school has a cup-stacking tournament...and the kids love it!  {remember when they participated in it last year?  They look so young just a short year ago!  ...sigh...} 
Alex didn't choose to do it this year though...so Emily and a friend were partners for the doubles races...

I love Emily's expressions...she is really concentrating!  And I think Emily is about one of the smallest kids in second grade...while her friend may be one of the tallest!  They are a great team!

Emily and Alex won a medal for third place doubles last year...but this year these two weren't able to place in the top three this time...Emily was upset...but that will only make her more determined next year!  Awesome job girls!

Emily's classroom is right outside the gym and I couldn't help but take a picture of her class... 
{she has 31 students in her class this year... whew!} 

I love the picture the teacher captured of Emily!

{...sigh...  and it's hard to imagine that little miss Ellie will be here before I know it!}

Tune {Up}

This morning found Ellie and I at the car dealership.  We've had the car since May already and she{he?} was due for a 5000 mile service already.  The great news is that routine maintenance is free for the first year...{well...I'm sure it's in the fine print somewhere that we've already paid for it...but it's free today!}

...and Ellie got a balloon for her time...

...but we didn't have to wait long at all...and the mom-mobile can continue to purr until the next tune-up!

Wise {Up}

It makes me so happy that Alex and Emily enjoy school and it makes me proud when I hear that Alex got several green cards in class for answering questions and helping out {...but has been in some minor trouble with the 'rents for a few yellow cards along the way...sigh...} and that he has met his first AR goal for the year!  His favorite books to read right now are The Magic Tree House series.

And that Emily has also met her first AR goal and is only a few books away from her second goal!

She proudly told us that she is currently the top AR student in her class!  

{and she loves apples!}

Her favorite books to read right now are the Nancy Drew series and The Baby Sitters Club books! 

I know they may not always be the best in their class...and I certainly don't expect them to...only that they do their very best!

I can learn so much from each of them...and my heart is full with pride...

...and now I'm done bragging... carry on...  ha! 

{By the way...Emily did come home with a fun website from the movie Dolphin Tale where you can actually watch the dolphin from the story...Winter...swimming live at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  She wants to check on it every second!  And we can't wait to see the movie!  http://www.seewinter.com/}

Hurry {Up}

That's really all I have to say about this...

...we've needed the rain...and I know it's just what happens this time of year...

...but it's done nothing but rain ever since this project started...

...I know...I feel the same way... 

...ugh... what a muddy mess!

Hush {Up}

But if one of our major problems right now only consists of having mud in our backyard because we chose to have a pool... and not that we are dealing with health issues or homelessness or being hungry...

...I have nothing to complain about!  {...and sadly... I find myself complaining far too often about nothing...}

Continue to say your prayers of thanksgiving and count your blessings.

I am so thankful for my family, friends, health and home.  And I want to cherish each day that I get to hug my kids and tuck them in at night while going over the day and closing it with prayers and a kiss. 

The days don't always run smoothly...and I really try to keep this in mind...

What's {Up} with you?

Happy {Fall}!

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this before...but I absolutely love Fall...love it! 
{Oh...I already have?  Well...I think it's worth mentioning again!}

I am slowly getting my Fall decor out...I feel like I'm really behind this year...but I have a little someone competing for my time these days...

...y'know...when she's not busy checking her Facebook!  ha!  {I seriously left the room for a second and when I came back she was checking her status updates!}

We're also busy getting outside to enjoy the cool temperatures that I love this time of year!  We look forward to our daily evening walks.  It's become a great routine after dinner...unless it's raining...and even then, sometimes we walk in the light rain!

Alex and Emily are usually on wheels...{and Ellie too, of course}...but they wait for Dan and I to catch up! 

And on the weekends we are splitting our time between movie nights and s'mores by the campfire...

Yes...I can't say it enough about how much this time of year makes me happy! 

{Even my feet are happy on those cool rainy days too!}

{thank you Missoni for Target for making my feet fashionable for Fall!}

How do you celebrate Fall?

{happy fall to y'all too!}

{ps...sorry for the teeny pics...I updated instagram on my ipod...and now it doesn't seem to transfer my pics from my ipod to my computer unless I email them.  Any tips?}

This Little Ellie Went to the Market...

I love this time of year...the weather...the leaves...the decorations...the clothes...everything about Fall...love!

I almost always buy mums this time of year at a local farm market...but I cheated this year and got them at Menards instead because I couldn't wait!  But I still love going to the farm market to get some little pumpkins and gourds to decorate with...and always pumpkin butter and locally made honey!  mmmm!

I  miss taking Alex and Emily here after preschool to pick out flavored popcorn, and candy and little pumpkins...

{Emily- 2006}

...but look forward to the same tradition with this little pumpkin!

After the farm market...we headed to a little flea market to shop for hidden junk treasure!  I can usually find something fun and rustic...and I love searching for old things that I can use in a different way!

I really liked these old Mason jars...and the blue ones I loved!

I liked that they had different sizes and still had the rusty lids...love that!  {I promise I will keep them away from Ellie!}

I grabbed a handful of them in all sizes and can't wait to find a way to display them!  Maybe on our bookshelves in the family room with shells or fill them with fun things according to the season and holidays!  I love that the ideas can be endless... 
{anyone have any great inspirations?!}

I also picked up these when I was there a couple weeks ago...
...I like the fun orange color of this basket and is currently holding catalogues and magazines in our living room...{Whiskers is keeping an eye on it for me!}

This is just a fun little rustic box and right now I have it on the kitchen table...but I think it could be fun with candles or pumpkins or ornaments depending on the holiday!

It was a fun day at the market and I have a feeling we'll be back again soon!

Do you love going to the farm markets or scouring the flea markets for treasures?
What kinds of things do you love to buy at the market?

I ♥ Faces {A Touch of Sun}

I ♥ Faces is a weekly photo challenge open to photographers of all experience...I'm a mom...so that makes me pretty experienced behind the camera...right?  ha!

This week's challenge is A Touch of Sun...and luckily we happend to have just a touch of that sun this weekend in between all the rainy gloomy days we've been having...and luckily I just happened to capture little Ellie enjoying some of that sunshine on her face!

It's another gloomy gray day here...but it's a good excuse to stay in my jammies!

Now head on over to iheartfaces to see some amazing entries and to enjoy all of that sunshine! 

{Enjoy}

Most people know that I'm an anxious person by nature...about trying new things, meeting new people, going someplace I've never been... ...but Friday I decided to take a risk and host a Willow House party.  It sounds fun right?  Getting to have your friends over and oohing and aahing over pretty home decor!  I'm not one to host parties unless it's for our family for the kids' birthdays...and even then I get those nervous butterflies in my stomach about the planning and having people over.  So the Willow House consultant and I set a date and I planned the party...but turns out...everyone else had other plans...or let's be honest...alot of people don't really want to sit and look at...um...let's be honest... kinda expensive home decor {and if we're really being honest..I am one of those people too!  But let's be honest some more...hosting your own party means free stuff...you can't lose there!}  Anyway...no one came to the party except the consultant... and Dan and the kids...ha!  But we still had fun!  I got to order some pretty things {my birthday is coming up!} and I {enjoyed} the time to sit and chat and get to know a new friend!  And if anything...hosting a party means the house is clean {for a short time} and I have an excuse to make some yummy food!  {Dan appreciates that aspect of party planning!}

{I didn't get a pic of the whole spread...but we have some delicious left-overs!}

...these are so good...and so dangerous...I can eat all of them!

{...if you like pumpkin pie...then you'd love the orange Pumpkin Spice Hershey's kisses...yumm-y!  they really taste just like pumpkin pie!}

Anyway...I had so many different things I wanted to express in this post, but I can't really put them into words...

I learned of two families this weekend who are going through some very scary, devastating and uncertain health circumstances right now...one who has been battling cancer for several months...and one who underwent a very unexpected surprising heart surgery.  I sometimes take for granted how quickly things can change in a flash...and when you hear of these things happening to those who are close to you...it really helps you appreciate what you have...right now!  Because you might not have it tomorrow!

So I just want to remember and be thankful and {enjoy} all the moments that I can spend with my family.

I mean...I like pretty things and surrounding myself with pretty home decor...but the important things are those that you can't buy...like the laughter {and sometimes tears} you get to share with your kids...

...getting to hug them any time you want...getting through those sleepless nights, because really they will pass way. too. quickly...

...and getting the chance to savor the moments when they are asleep...

...getting excited when the Tooth Fairy visits...{for the seventh time!}

...enjoying the sunshine on your face...

...{or fur}...

...roasting marshmallows and hot dogs around a campfire...

...taking a hike through our favorite park...{again!}...

I sometimes...{unfortunately too often}... have to stop and remind myself about what's important.  Not if the floors are always clean and the toys are picked up...or if I get a shower today...

It's important to give...{and recieve}... hugs and kisses...tell your friends and family that you love them...say your prayers...encourage your kids and tell them what a great job they did today {even if they got another yellow for talking in class...ahem...}...remember to be silly...

...and stop to admire God's work everywhere...

I really dislike that it sometimes takes someone else's heartache or tragedy to remind myself to appreciate what I have.  We had a wonderful weekend enjoying this beautiful weather and spending time together...and every time I looked at my family...I just couldn't imagine anything happening to any one of them or myself. 

{Enjoy} every second!  Be anxious for nothing!  Thank God for all your blessings...and even for your hardships to help bring us closer to Him and know that through  Him we can endure all things!  {Hugs!}