One of the Best....

One of the best things about living in Florida is the chance to run away to the beach for just a few short hours... (even on a school - night) -- which is exactly what we did tonight.  An evening stroll in the sand and a great beach burger at my in-laws favorite beach-side joint.    Perfection.

  she is getting so so big...

 **I know this is an odd picture, but this totally feels like my life right now... lol

Oh... lastly... check out these two - tell me they aren't sisters! 

                                   Ailey                                   Etta

These were taken within two days of each other in their respective years...   Funny eh?

Something Missed...

I meant to post this a while ago, but didn't remember to.....


In celebration of 8years for Andrew and I... these are my thoughts...


Almost a decade and two children later I can truly say I'm learning that marriage is a commitment of super glue proportions. And it’s the commitment that sticks even when the feelings ebb and flow. That’s the beauty and courage of marriage.

Penny-pinching so you can move across the country with each other and still hopefully manage to make a life together all the while still attending long-distance graduations, birthdays, and weddings?
Your people will be my people.

Strange accents, foods, pizza toppings, and television preferences?
Your people will be my people.

Death, miscarriage, pain and heartache.
Your people will be my people.

Finding out your crazy wife wants to be a professional photographer and supporting her without wavering...
Your people will be my people.

Because, after all, marriage is the ultimate parable, isn’t it? It’s the living picture of a God who looked at us in all our silly, selfish ways and then loved on us regardless, so that He could make Us. His. People.

Amazing, crazy love.
And all we have to say is, “I do.”


So to this new chapter with my handsome hubby I continue to pull out the super glue... and continue to say I do.


I love you babe.

My Kindergarten Girl...

Add us to the list of blubbering Kindergarten parents this year.... 

But as you can see below little was nothing but excited to finally head to school--

The creepy picture below on the right was caught mid laugh as Ailey pronounced for like the 200th time in the last two days about how excited she was to finally go to school!  

Love it - and love her.

There's No Place Like....

Yep... home.  

And while it doesn't quite feel like home yet, I imagine it will someday...

I wanted to share a few pics of our new place with you... PLEASE IGNORE the mess. (I'm feeling insecure about even showing you these... but that's how it goes when you move in :))  

Bedroom pics to come - I didn't have time to take them....

That being said... 

Welcome to our house :)

Front entry.....

(looking at the picture--) 

If you look to the left - there's a small hallway that leads to 

Ailey's room, the guest bath, and Bethany's room :)

To the right is the laundry/mud room with an entrance to the garage...

If you walk in the front door this is your view...

This will be our family/play room... sitting space --

LOVE having a couch in a space without the tv! 

Imagine a cute graphic long navy blue throw pillow 

on the couch instead of the brown ones...

In the same room as the family room is our dining space... 

Our table and chairs arrive on Tuesday :)

I'll take a new pic once it's all together...

Not sure the white table is staying there, but for now it works

Same room, wider view... 

(that door way leads you into the kitchen)

This small 'hallway' leads into the living room/kitchen... we'll be putting stools at the counter there......

This is looking from the door in the dining room back into the kitchen...

The curtain (although really nice) is a little formal for us so will be coming down...

We need a new computer monitor - that sucker is ancient - but it still works so 

prob not till it bites the dust :)

A look into our kitchen... as you can tell - it's a mess... still...

ALSO - the wallpaper is coming down.  

The landlord is actually going to help me take it down and paint this fall.

Although it looks okay in the pic, you can tell in person it's aging and needs something new...  

Lastly - this is the view into the living room where the tv is from over the kitchen counter...

I know you can't really see the whole room - I'll have to take a better pic later...

I'll add bedrooms and pics of my cute little backyard soon... I just haven't had a chance to take any!

Love to you all...

oh, and I owe you some pictures of a sea world trip too--

Downtown Disney...

One of the perks of living in Orlando is the ability 

to take advantage of the spots others spend a whole lot of money and effort getting to... 

one of which is Downtown Disney - really a tourist trap of shops and restaurants... 

but free to just walk around when you want a little of 'the mouse' 

without paying to see his kingdom! :)

So this past Saturday night - we did just that.

Andrew and Ailey were checking out the local Alligators..... 

And all was well - until he tried to bite!!! :)

Ailey took this one of the three of us!

(that girl's got some decent skill with the camera if I do say so myself)

Ailey and her dad made a car together at LEGO world... 

And they raced it on the track at the store -- although it didn't win... Ailey had a blast

Anyway - it was  truly a great escape over the weekend and chance 

for us to spend time together...

Do You Live Here?

We decided fairly last minute to head to the beach last Weds afternoon... 

I was craving the salty air and some sand between my toes.

And more so - the chance to feel like this place with all it's beautiful beaches 

might be a place I could start to call home...

It did not disappoint.

Coco Beach is a pretty touristy place, and while it was the perfect place to take our first

trip to the beach I am super excited to try out many beaches

to try to find one that might become the family fav.

I so am craving that place for us to slip away to on a Saturday afternoon... 

(or Weds... you know, whichever works...)

but a place where we can just relax 

and feel like we're on vacation from life for a few hours at a time... 

We'll find it.  I'm sure of it.

For now though... Coco was more than great.

I'm pretty sure my girl was meant to be a beach bum...  
after all...

being at the beach means jumping waves till your legs hurt, 

building sandcastles,
giggles upon giggles,

silly sun hats,

dodging sunburns... 

eating sloppy cheeseburgers from local restaurants served over the pier

with grandparents who are cool enough to drive out just for dinner... 

and falling asleep hard on the way home -- 

content with all that had gone before 

and the rhythmic sound of the ocean waves still in your head.

If I close my eyes... I think I can still hear them...

While we are on the beach, a family asked us - "Do you live here?"

Why "yes," we said...  "yes we do"

What a strange realization... but days like today make me start to not only believe it,
but embrace it in the way that makes you know this might just be the best kind of life...
one of adventure, less worry, and some sand between my toes...
For now it's a call to contentment... and it's one I'm embracing with open arms.
(or as open as they can be with a three month old snuggling up in them) :)

PS---

on a totally separate note... meet Benen (my cute nephew!)