April Showers

It's almost like a childhood right of passage to go puddle jumping when you get new rain boots. I originally wanted to put Harper's first rain boots in her Easter basket, but I needed her to try them on first. She was in love with them the moment she put her foot in. Luckily we had a thunderstorm last night and she was able to splash in a small puddle right outside the house. There's nothing like watching a toddler experience a rain puddle for the first time. The jumping and stomping only lasted a few minutes before she was laying and rolling around in the water. Sis loved it and has been begging ever since to go back outside.

Snow Globe Living

I am done with winter. While the snow and snuggles have been fun, I am ready for sunshine, warm breeze, and pretty flowers. The reality of that happening early for our little Midwestern town is slim to none. But a girl can dream, right? The kids have been loving the snow storms! Last weekend we ended up with 10 inches on Friday night. The next morning I could barely get them to eat breakfast because they were just so excited to get outside and play. After an hour of getting snow gear on we enjoyed a few minutes of snow play before our fingers and toes were icicles and we were back inside. By the time I had the wet snow clothes mess cleaned up it was time for lunch. It's a lot of work to have an active snow day. But it is so worth it just to see their smiles.

At the beginning of winter Harper hated the snow. She wanted nothing to do with it. Now that she can run and jump in the snow she loved it! Toddlers running around bundled in snow pants and big coats and hats are one of the cutest things to watch. She now gets mad if I put her snow boots on and we get in the car instead of going straight into the yard.

This weekend we were expecting a big ice storm named Harper (very fitting) but the storm ended up traveling farther north. While I was happy we didn't get the snow and ice, the kids were very disappointed as the rain ended up melting most of the previous snow and the storm left us with strong winds and close to zero degree temperatures. Turns out those are the best days to get caught up on laundry, bake cookies, and have a Jurassic Park movie marathon. It's totally normal for a toddler to request Jurassic Park movies all day every day, right?

New Year, New Goals

Hello! I am Melissa and I am really bad at updating this space lately. December and Christmas flew by my as if I blinked and it was over. I took an unintentional break from social media over the month and I didn't regret it one bit. We were all under the weather on Christmas and the day was just kind of a snotty, sleepy blur. It was still magical, but it just didn't feel the same as years before. We woke up and the kids hardly wanted to open their presents and then didn't really have the energy to even play with new toys. We spent the day with family, but went home and instantly went to bed. 

I only took a few photos on Christmas day. In fact, I hardly took any photos on my "real" camera the entire month! And that brings me to my goals for 2019. I have a few things that I am adamant about doing through the year. For starters, I am limiting all of our time behind screens and making sure we get outside more often. As for my other goals:

Goals For 2019

- Eat most meals together at the table.

- Take one photo of the kids together every month.

- Get in front of the camera with my kids at least once every month.

- Practice more peaceful parenting techniques.

- Make more time for my own self care!!

If I'm being honest most of our meals have been in front of our tv lately. I use to have a rule that all meals needed to be eaten together at the table. Then Harper came along and I would eat when she did and it was just easier to eat our meals in front of the tv so that Ryder wouldn't have to sit at the table bored. But I am starting over and we will be eating at the table for most meals. I say "most" because there will be days where we don't eat at the table or together and that's okay too.

Last year after Salmonella swept through our house I stopped taking monthly photos of the kids together. I miss it. They loved it and I love seeing how much they change. So I am making it a fun challenge for myself to not only take a photo each month of them but to also get in front of the camera with them! Who wants to join? I love looking through family photos from my childhood and seeing my parents in the photos with me. I want to be sure that my kids don't only have photos of themselves to look at when they grow old. Even if this means a candid moment when I haven't brushed my hair let alone changed out of my pajamas. Because let's be honest, that's what I wear most days and what they will remember most.

As for self care, I'm not exactly sure what I will do for myself just yet. I haven't had a hair cut in almost one year and I never make time for myself to relax. I am always very stressed out and I never find time to just breathe. So my goal for this year is to find time to do something for me.

Before I end this post I want to share a few of the images that I did manage to get at the end of 2018.

Hello December

We are officially counting down the days until Christmas and trying to fit in as many festive activities as we can. I got all of my gift shopping done early so that I could focus on making memories with the kids. The first things we crossed off of our Christmas bucket list was decorating and zoo lights at the Saint Louis Zoo. I had never taken the kids to see the lights and I hadn't been in years. We had an unusually warm day on Saturday and decided to head to the zoo with friends. Our original plan was to leave after lunch, but severe storms started rolling in near our hometown (we live about an hour from the zoo). We decided that since the zoo was not in the storm's path that would would just stay for the lights. After we got home that evening we learned that 27 tornadoes ripped through our hometown area. One town was nearly completely flattened. So scary and so sad.

The kids had such a good time at the zoo and were troopers after such a long day! Harper fell head over heels for Kali the polar bear, which just so happens to be my favorite! She fell so hard in fact that she cried every time we went by the exhibit without stopping. Luckily the lights and music came on, there were s'mores and hot cocoa everywhere to keep her distracted! If you ever have the chance to visit Saint Louis Zoo in December I highly recommend staying for the zoo lights! They are so fun!

You'd Better Not Pout

Harper was definitely not a fan of Santa...at first. After he asked Ryder what he wanted for Christmas she decided he wasn't terrible but she was completely over the experience. Ryder asked for a LEGO table for his room and then he asked Santa for a bike for Harper.

We set up our tree over the weekend after Thanksgiving and started to decorate our home. I don't have many photos of it because I've been so busy with last minute photo sessions for families.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...Thanksgiving?

We woke up to the most gorgeous winter wonderland this morning! The weather channel predicted six to eight inches for our little area here in the Midwest. Normally we get a few inches shy of the forecast so yesterday when I put Ryder to bed I told him not to get too excited about it. Well, I had one happy boy when we woke this morning. We woke up to seven inches of bright, beautiful snow! After breakfast, which was french toast covered in sugar snow of course, we bundled up and headed outside. This is Harper's first snow. Last winter she was only a few weeks old when we got snow and it was hardly even an inch. I had just ordered the kid's new snow gear the night before so naturally we were bundled in random layers and old hats and mittens. Harper enjoyed the snow as long as we were pulling her around in the float. Once she was exposed the the snow she absolutely hated it! She would much rather watch her brother run, jump, and throw the snow from the window while snacking on blueberries.

Harper || ONE year

Harper Noel

{ one year }

twenty four pounds

thirty two inches

eight teeth

{favorite foods} spaghetti, blueberries, bananas, grilled cheese, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, french toast, ice cream, and peas

{favorite things} mama, brother, bath time, puppies, music, and dinosaurs

{least favorite things} loud voices, ground beef, and sleeping without mama

{words} mama, "bubba" for brother, dada, nana and papa, dog, no, all done

{milestones} eight teeth and three more on the way and walking