CELEBRATING SLOANE AND LOLA'S BIRTHDAY IN OHIO

Karen and Bernard's wedding was also a great opportunity for a sort of family reunion and I got to see Ken's cousins and family who I hadn't seen in a while. Since so many of us have summer birthdays, there was pie to celebrate, and Ken's family was so sweet about getting presents for Sloane and Logan's birthdays (their birthdays are in July and August). The girls loved their gifts, being surrounded by family, and I know they felt loved. Here are some photos from us hanging out Wednesday evening for dinner, pie, and presents. 

Ken's cousins! Sloane and Lola had so many names to learn but they amazingly got the hang of it after a couple of days and miss them all already. 

Lola loves singing happy birthday.

KAREN'S WEDDING

We are back! It was a really great trip. Ken and I both feel refreshed. It was so nice to be able to spend time with each other, the girls, and with Ken's family. I'll share more from our trip during the next couple of weeks but I wanted to first share some photos from the wedding. Karen was a beautiful bride and the wedding ceremony and reception was so sweet; you could really tell how much Karen and Bernard are loved by their family and friends. Sloane was the flower girl and she did her best; even though she got really nervous right before she walked down the aisle, she had a great time wearing her dress and flower crown, taking pictures with everyone and playing with her partner-in-crime, Elijah the ring bearer.  We are so glad we got to be a part of this celebration; congratulations Karen and Bernard!

LIFE A FEW MONTHS AGO

 

We're still in Ohio! It feels nice and long, which is a good thing, and I'm even having time to get some reading in here and there, which feels like a dream. While we are away, I wanted to catch up on an old draft that I discovered on this blog that I hadn't posted. This one is from around Mother's Day weekend, May 14, so it's been about a full two months (!).  All these photos from my iPhone, gathered here for posterity, enjoyment, reflection.




We are always in the mood for bowls of yogurt topped with granola, fruit, mint and whatever else I find to throw on there. I've been meaning to up my smoothie game, but haven't had the chance. The past couple of months in terms of food has just been pure survival mode.



That one time (when Lola still had her cast!) when she insisted that she wear her boots and no pants.

A really happy-making photo of a group of us at the Capeheart's going away party. Not happy about the going away, but very happy about the group of these people that have grown together these many years.

I really love these ladies and I really miss Meghan already. 

And then I think it was a few days later, we all danced our little hearts out for Ashley's birthday party at Black Iris. Got sweaty, and felt good about it. 

This one was before we left for daycare and work: Sloane wanted to be responsible for a bag of diapers that she wanted to drop off for Lola. 

We are always so glad when my MIL is able to come visit us for the weekend to help us out or just to hang out together. We love having her with us. 

I will never get tired of seeing the girls playing, cuddling and loving on Rusty. 

Mother's Day! The husbands had this great idea to get together and cook a really delicious meal for the moms. The ladies kicked up their feet and got to have good conversations while the men cooked, brought us food and drinks, and managed the children.

Mignon brought and frosted a chocolate cake for the event; Lola was impressed. 

Here it is, torched! 

Ian made all the moms these beautiful bouquets. Awkwardly captured here, but captured nonetheless.

The littlest of the Mother's Day crowd.  It was a good day; it made me wish it was Mother's Day every weekend!

FAMILY TIME

If you were wondering...we are away on vacation this week! Ken's cousin, Karen, is getting married this weekend in Columbus, OH, and we decided to make a long stay of it and call it vacation. We spent all day Tuesday driving over here, which was surprisingly easy (even Ken thought so!!) and spent the day today at the Columbus Zoo, which was really fun.

I'm still feeling the effects of my sickness from last week, believe it or not, but the worst seems to be over, and I'm just really loving this constant access I have to Ken and the girls without the distraction of to-do lists. Even just the distance away feels like a breather from regular life

I wanted to check in and share what we are up to right now and also share these photos from weeks ago when the girls and I went up to Silver Spring for the day to visit my sister. My other sister and her husband met us there that day, and even though the time was brief, it was a much needed time of catching up with my sisters.

WHAT I'M READING V. 25

This week has been rough! The whole house is sick (again so soon it seems!) but most especially me, and I am doing all that I can to recover as soon as possible. Rest is high on my agenda these days. Rest includes reading books, right?


Epitaph, A Novel of The O.K. Corral, by Mary Doria Russell 

This book astounded me. I can't remember how I came upon this recommendation, but it was high praise and so even though I know nothing of what happened at the O.K. Corral and have little interest in the wild, wild west, I gave it a chance. I am so glad I did. It is a long book, about 600 pages, but it was worth every page. The author does such a wonderful job rendering everything in vivid detail and I found myself googling all the things about this real life event that I had previously known nothing about.

The Emperor's Soul, by Brandon Sanderson 

This is more a novella than a full-length novel, but I wanted to include it here because it is a great fantasy novella if you're in the market for one, or if you want a soft introduction into the world of fantasy novels. A co-worker recommended it to me (as a favorite!) and I enjoyed it immensely. It's really fun.

At Home in the World, by Tsh Oxenreider

I really loved this one. It is my favorite of her books, partly because of the subject matter and partly because I think it was her best written one yet. She describes her family's one year travel of the world, with her three children in tow, and I was with her the whole way. This is one of those books that I really didn't want to end; I especially loved her description of each country she visited. She made me feel like I was there - both the joys and exhaustion of travel - and it felt realistic and dreamy at the same time.

The Dollhouse, by Fiona Davis

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It is set in New York and it goes back and forth between 1952 and 2016, telling the story of Darby McLaughlin arriving at the Barbizon Hotel, famously also called the Dollhouse, and Rose Lewin who lives in the same building almost 60 years later. I love learning more about the history of a big city like New York City, and I was immersed as I read an engaging tale of two women's lives that converged at the end.

SUMMER FACES: A VIDEO

Happy summer! We had a summer kick off party at our house this past weekend. Mexican food potluck, margaritas and pool time in the evening. Summer, never leave please.

And the video from last year's kick off!