A Growing Family: Emilia Kate @ 34 Weeks

I didn't take maternity pictures when I was pregnant with Avery.  I didn't think it would matter, but I regretted it. I only have a few dim snapshots from the entire pregnancy and wish that I had documented it a little better, mostly for Avery's sake in the future.  So this time around we booked with Shari for maternity pictures.  I was nervous.  So nervous. Any woman cares what she looks like when taking pictures.  What do I wear?  How to do my hair? Do I even want to see them after they're taken?

Add 20 pounds, an ever growing belly, and a few (okay a lot) of hormones in the mix and I personally ended up feeling like I didn't even want my picture taken anymore.  I'm thankful for a wonderful friend like Shari who listened to my foolish complaining, didn't make me feel bad for worrying, and reminded me how glad I'd be that we took them anyway.  Also thankful for her camera and wonderful eye:)  It's like magic, people.  

We got the pictures back and I teared up.  Partly knowing how superficial it was to be worried about how I was going to look, and partly because I loved how they turned out.  They have captured such a special and exciting time in our lives so perfectly.  

It's mind boggling to look at this picture of the three of us knowing that in a few weeks we will be taking pictures as a family of four...

Avery says, "Hi, Baby Emmie."  That is, when/if she's interested at all in the creature that she is starting to understand will be living with us at some point in the near future.  What is going on in her little head when we bring up baby sister? She's a sharp girl, but she's also two, so I in turn wonder if she thinks Mommy and Daddy have some weird imaginary friend they've been talking about for the past few months.

I look at her all the time and try to figure out how we could have made something so beautiful, so precious.  And then the answer comes- we didn't make her at all.  She is a creation of our Heavenly Father.  We ask her, "Avery, who made you?"  We've taught her to reply, "Dod (God) made me."  

She continues to insist, however, that she made the birdies and the horses...

Even though you don't always feel beautiful when your belly is 10 times its normal size, you really do have to take a step back and marvel at the beauty of pregnancy.  The mystery and miracle of it.  I think this is why strangers are so freakishly attracted to pregnant women.  But that's another discussion altogether...

I swing back and forth between joyful anticipation and worry at introducing Avery to her new little baby sister.  I have a sister and she is my best friend.  I adore her and can't imagine my life without her. I pray for that kind of relationship between Avery and Emilia Kate.  

I keep picturing the moment we introduce them, and that's when I begin to worry.  Will she be excited? Will she cry? Will she feel like we've betrayed her?  I know that these are normal Mommy fears, and also that she will be just fine.  I can tend to put a lot of pressure on moments like these, thinking about them for weeks in advance, imagining every possible scenario, even romanticizing the event.  That's when I have to trust God and his plan for our family.  Feel secure in His love.  Pray for patience.  Remind myself of what He has done already.

This is probably my favorite picture from the entire shoot.  It captures Avery's silliness, as well as the absolute joy Taylor derives from it.  I think it is absolutely perfect. This picture captures completely those moments when Avery does something or says something that just has Taylor and I looking at each other, laughing, shaking our heads, and silently asking each other, "How can she be so awesome?".

I take Taylor for granted sometimes- his strength, his care, his help, and his love.  It's easy to just expect those things from the people who are supposed to give them.  When I really reflect on how much he does for us, thinks of us, and cares for us it is overwhelming.  I am so thankful for him and I don't deserve his patience.  In marriage, especially with children, it can be so easy to forget those special things about your spouse and feel like you can be as unthankful and ugly as you want to be.  We realize more all the time that without God's grace and forgiveness which shows us our own sin, it's impossible to love each other they way we are intended to.

So I didn't cringe when I saw pictures of myself, especially this one.  Here I look exactly like the late twenty-something pictures I've seen of my mother and I think that's special.  It's funny the moments that take you off guard when you see something like that. 

I am learning all the time that my mom really rocked (most recently with the issue of potty- training). I mean, I've been doing this motherhood thing for a couple of years now, reading, researching, making decisions about what to feed her, how to discipline her, when to potty train, etc. and then something my mom or Taylor's mom says makes me feel infinitely better about what I'm doing or not doing.  I'm a huge proponent for finding what works for you individually when you become a mother, but there really is so much value in talking to those more experienced mothers about things you are struggling with.

I am thankful for a mother and mother-in-law that love Avery as much as we do, that can listen to my fears when I voice them and can reassure me that all will be well when we bring another one home from the hospital.  They have been there, done that.  They didn't fall apart and neither will we.  They can offer funny stories of our first sibling encounters, be sincerely reassuring, and thankfully baby-sit or feed us when we need them most in the upcoming weeks:)

I am thankful for those friends who have just so newly been through this and have already figured out  the rough waters of adjusting to life with more than one child.  Of a nursing schedule for a newborn while simultaneously keeping their toddler alive.  Of being okay with throwing their hands in the air, shedding a few tears, and drinking a glass of wine.  Those who have lent me their maternity clothes so I can "mix it up".  Those who have gone right ahead of me that I can text in the middle of the night because I know they will be up to nurse soon and they can listen to my complaints about being so hot that I can't sleep, or help me determine if my water has broken or not.  

I am thankful also for those friends expecting their first babies- that I can experience it again right alongside them.  That I can answer their questions and calm their fears and pray for them and their little ones.  

And I am thankful for those friends of mine with no children, who are not expecting.  The ones who love my children and anticipate Emilia Kate's arrival with as much love and excitement as I do.  They don't have the experience of motherhood, but they are just as valuable because of their encouragement, their support, and their help getting physically ready for this time.

I am thankful for the life growing inside me.  I look at my belly and then try to imagine what she looks like and of course that is fruitless, but the mystery of it all is just so cool.  Life is such a miracle.  God is so amazing in how He brings it about.  Even through the pain and fatigue and worry, He can create such beauty and love and blessing.  And as I get older I'm learning at every turn, in every kind of situation large or small, that's just what He does best.  From The Fall to The Resurrection, His story is reflected in everything...

This third trimester has been a lot different than with Avery.  More aches and pains.  More emotions.  More hormones.  More worry.  I am thankful more than ever for a husband, family, and friends that remind me seemingly everyday how wonderful this time is, how precious of a gift we've been given, and how insignificant my fears are compared to what's really going on.  

If the house isn't completely ready, or if Avery isn't potty- trained, or if I go into labor early, it will be okay.  Really, it will.  At the end of this time, we will have another little girl.  We will be a family of four.  We will be sleep- deprived and stressed and we will be okay.  We will get chances to look up and look around at the love we are blessed to have from our family, our neighbors, and our church community.  We will eat good food and figure out what the heck we are doing, and although it will be hard, it will be beautiful.

Peach Pickin'

Early morning, coffee, beautiful rural Oklahoma drive, chats with friends, lots of 'lil cuties, a peach orchard, and a picnic.  Sounds like an awesome day, right? It was. FANTASTIC way to spend our morning.

And who knew that Oklahoma had a peach orchard???  Needless to say this needs to become an annual event for our family.  Thanks, Emily, for inviting us to come along!

All I know is that Emily was rockin' it this morning with two kiddos in a hot orchard.

My peach with a little bruise of her own...

 Pretty good for nine kiddos if you ask me.

A bushel or a peck or a 1/2 peck.  Couldn't ever figure it out...

Had such a wonderful morning with you, my love.  You pick the BEST peaches!

 Those eyes...

Wish I could've spent more time snapping pictures in the little marketplace, but sometimes you just need to sit down and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Feeling Inspired By...

I heart Pinterest.  I love being able to collect images, tips, recipes, sources, and quotes that inspire me.  I really do think it helps our home, as well as our bellies:) Here are some pins that have inspired me the most lately....

interior | quote | fashion | rug | muffins | bedroom | coast | lighting | plates | camera | photo

I've been drawn to anything blue and white, anything baby, and images of the sea/coast.  And I'm always scouring Pinterest for home, DIY, and quotes/scripture.

Tried the double chocolate chip muffins.  I made them last week for some friends who just brought home a new baby and I accidentally added twice the amount of butter the recipe called for.  Turns out it's pretty easy to mess up the ounce to cup conversion...  They were still really good, so I can only imagine how tasty and moist they would be without the extra stick of butter!  Yes, I still gave them to my friends, and yes I told them about the butter problem. 

I've been relying on little tutorials for my camera like the one above.  This one in particular helped me understand aperture and to fix a little problem I was having with the darkness of my pictures. I'm very curious about my camera and have been practicing with it quite a bit.  I don't have time to read through the entire manual or sign up for a workshop, so quick little posts like this one are just perfect for me to keep understanding my camera and improving my pictures!

Follow along with me on Pinterest if you like @ http://pinterest.com/kaceyjg/boards/.

Our Weekend: Nescautunga

1/ Nescautunga.  One of my favorite weekends of the year spend in my hometown and centered around the Nescautunga Golf Tournament.  Always in July, always golf, always relaxation, always family and always lots of food:)  Here you have the boys practicing their swing the night before the start of the tournament.  We mostly spend our time cooking, talking, napping, eating, laughing, drinking, swimming, shopping... add on anything you can think of that sounds wonderful and you've pretty much described it.  The house is packed, it's always windy (that's Northwest Oklahoma for you), and we always have a good time!

2/ Green Thumb.  My mother can seriously grow anything she wants to.  Her flower beds and pots are always glorious!  I know she spends lots of time caring for them, but I'm always amazed at what she can do in the windy, hot, and often dry conditions.  I aspire to create the same sort of beauty in my own yard someday.  What's more welcoming than beautiful flora?

3/ Happy Girl.  Whether it's Taylor's family or mine, Avery is always so happy when all of her family is together.  Her energy level and overall goofiness goes way up, and she plays and runs around so hard that she is exhausted halfway through the first day!  Here she is watching Nana and Aunt Jo put her new slide together.  I'd have to say she was pretty patient for a two-year-old, but she sure did watch them like a hawk until it was done.

4/ Carnage.  If you've been reading this blog long at all you've read my references to our favorite hometown "Mexican food" restaurant.  In true family form, Avery loves it just as much as my sister and I do!  We ate lunch there on Saturday while the boys were still at the golf course and what you see here is the pile of napkins that Avery amassed while eating the "chips and cheese".  It was a "runny cheese day" (which only hometown folk understand), and she finally resorted to sipping the cheese from the styrofoam cup they serve it in.  Biggest mess I've ever seen anyone make.  Ever.  I was proud and a little disgusted at the same time.  I snapped a pic of her making a mess of drinking the cheese, but trust me, you don't want to see it...

5/ Paradise.  Baby Emilia woke me up at 4 am on Saturday morning.  I was pretty peeved at first because as the morning drew on it was clear I wasn't going back to sleep.  I tried, but after Taylor and the boys were up and gone for the golf course, I finally got up a little before 6 am.  Everyone else was sleeping and I had the entire, silent house to myself.  I begrudgingly realized that this was a good thing.  You see, my mom had offered to let me sleep in, and I just couldn't get over the fact that I was missing out on the opportunity.  So, I made myself a cup of coffee, slipped on my mom's sweater, grabbed my camera and a stack of magazines, and headed to the back patio.  As I sat there listening to birds chatter and neighbors mowing in the distance, I felt the breeze and even shivered a little bit (big deal for mid-July in Oklahoma).  I glanced through magazines about gardens and then prayed for my girls.  The sun was still behind the tree-line when I sat down and about thirty minutes later the glorious morning was alive.  I tell you it was beautiful. In that moment I was so thankful that Emilia's kicking made me get up and start my day.  I was thankful because I got some peaceful alone time.  I was thankful because it's probably the best way to enjoy coming home and spend time where I grew up.  I was thankful because I got some clear, restful time in my own head and heart.  I was thankful because I felt blessed and alive.

6/ Practice.  While I was up so early, I took advantage of the good light and snapped a few pics around the back yard.  Still learning my Canon Rebel Taylor's parents got me for Christmas.  My mom has a little succulent garden started, and this one is my favorite. I get some true enjoyment from this camera!

7/ Girl Time.  My Granny lives across the street, which is great because we get to visit every time we come see my parents.  It rained all day on Sunday and we got a little stir-crazy by late afternoon.  When you get stir- crazy in a small town on a Sunday, you really only have about three options: take a drive, get something to eat, or go to Wal-Mart.  Since we had already accomplished number three about four times that day, we all hopped in the car and headed out for ice cream at the local drug store.  Yes they have a good 'ole fashioned fountain, and yes I used to eat a lot of ice cream here in the summer.  Pictured here we have four generations...special.

8/ Penelope.  This is my sister's dog.  There are a lot of wonderful dogs out there, but you've probably never met one as different/cool as Penny.  Not only does she look entirely unique, her personality is something I've never really come across before.  She is half Boston Terrier, half French Bulldog and was a total impulse purchase on my sister's part.  Every time I've ever been in public with this gal, almost everyone we encounter has a ton of questions about her!  Her many talents include jumping shoulder-height to my sister's fiancé, running as about as fast as any dog I've ever seen, playing fetch for as long as you possibly let her, destroying children's toys, and loving.  She is also very fun to photograph.  By the end of the weekend I had more pictures of her than Avery!  Oops.

9/ Daddy's bike.  This is Taylor on dad's bike.  I had to include it because it was hilarious!  My parents have a huge yard and he drove for a while around trying to pop wheelies.  Avery loved it.  I guess it entertained me, too!  These are the types of things we do when we go home... jealous?

Linked up today with Annapolis & Company

Snapshots: June 2013

{1}  Thrifting. The hunting and gathering continues for things around the house.  I've been exceptionally lucky lately with random stops at some of my favorite places.  .99 frames and blue and whites for under $2 make me extremely happy:)  Also looking for brass accents for Avery and Emilia's rooms!  Now that our weekend extravaganzas are over, I'm hoping to score even better at garage sales. I just love the hunt, and I especially love a good bargain!

{2}  Family.  Got to spend time with my family at a friend's wedding.  For the first time since Taylor and I were married, my hometown and some of our OSU crowd collided for the celebration.  It. Was. So. Much. Fun.  I danced the night away and was extremely sore the next day.  Even though I took my shoes off, my body made it clear that 26 weeks and dancing DO NOT mix.  We'll consider it my last hurrah until Emilia comes:)

{3}  Summer Nights.  Snapped this pic of the little one at Utica 5th Night Concert Series.  We love summer nights.  Concerts, walks, eating outside, playing in the yard...  This summer especially has been special.  It feels like Avery is growing up before our very eyes.  I guess that is part of being a parent.  You turn around and your kids are older, taller, smarter.  Something about summer brings this out even more.  I'm cherishing the moments that we play and talk.  Mostly I cherish the moments watching her dance, learn, play, run free.  She has no idea the joy those moments bring me and probably isn't even aware I'm watching.  She definitely has no idea that every night before we go to sleep, her daddy and I recount everything she said and everything she did that day.  Gosh, I love her.

{4}  Daddy.  We celebrated the best daddy in the world!  Avery and I are so lucky to have Taylor.  I couldn't ask for a better father for my children.  We took him to lunch at one of our favorite spots and ate outside.  She adores him and I wouldn't have it any other way.  He makes everything more fun and lately we've noticed that it makes her really happy when we are all three together.  Makes me happy, too, bunny.  Me too.

{5}  26 Weeks.  While this pregnancy is taking a bit more of a toll than the last one, I'm very thankful for a healthy one filled with energy.  I loved being pregnant with Avery and Emilia has been no different.  I love her movements.  I love thinking about her, imagining her, and praying for her.  We try to talk to Avery about her baby sister-  sometimes she is receptive and sometimes she is not;)  One of the most wonderful things in my life is being a sister and I pray that my girls know and experience that same gift.  We're so excited to introduce them in a few short months!

{6}  Blooms.  The hydrangeas in the back yard are still going strong.  Freshly picked ones last for at least two weeks!  They literally brighten my day.  I have them sprinkled throughout the house, but my favorite is the arrangement I keep on the dining room table.  Sadly, the demand is taking over the supply...

{7}  Play.  Avery enjoyed the pool last year but she doesn't remember it.  I've had a blast with her at the pool this summer!  Every morning she wakes up saying something to the effect of, "I swim in pool like a fishy!"  Pictured here are some neighborhood buds.  We've had a blast getting to know our neighbors this spring and summer.  Some are veterans in the neighborhood, while others are new like us.  Good neighbors are a huge blessing and we look forward to growing in the new relationships we've formed here.

{8}  Five Years.  We celebrated five years of marriage at the end of the month! Can't hardly believe it.  We ate a really nice dinner at a new restaurant downtown and then went to Utica to sit outside for dessert. It was fun to recount the last five years, but mostly we talked about all that we are anticipating in the coming few months.   I sure do love life with him.  We ended the night with a West Wing marathon.  Yes, you read that right.  We are currently HOOKED on The West Wing and are still in Season 1 on Netflix.  I've never been more excited for 154 episodes in my life!  The only pic we have to commemorate our anniversary this year is a selfie we took in a store front window... I guess that's better than nothing!

{9}  Surprise!  We hosted a girl's weekend and surprise baby shower in Tulsa to finish out our incredibly busy and fun month.  Some of my very best friends of life from college came for the weekend (pictured: Becky, Emily, Laura, Kailey, me).  We spent the weekend eating, talking, watching YouTube videos, strolling at Utica, and just enjoying being together.  Not much has changed:)  The highlight of the weekend was the surprise baby shower Emily hosted at her house for Laura.  Friends and family were already at the house waiting when we pulled up and she was so surprised.  It was a blast to celebrate Laura and Baby Caroline.We planned it months ago when we decided on a weekend for our girl's trip and I just can't believe we pulled it off without a hitch!  I've spent the last week being even more thankful to have these friends in my life than I was before.  Special shout-out to Taylor for being the primary care taker of Avery while us girls played all weekend:)

A Big Girl Room

It's about time to get started on Avery's big girl room. I. am. so. excited.  The room we will be moving her to has two twin beds with stark white Ikea bedding and dark wood cut-out headboards with a matching set of furniture.  Oh and let's not forget the chocolate-brown walls I will not be sad to part with.

I've see-sawed a few times between color schemes for the new look, but have finally landed on light pink/white/royal blue/brass.  Below are some images I put together from which I'm drawing inspiration...

1/ Amie Corley's design for this little girl's room is a big inspiration for me.  The layout will be almost identical, as Avery's room will have matching twin bed and headboard sets on each side of the window.  I also adore her gallery wall here.   Already got and "A" for Avery:)  

{Style Me Pretty}

2/ So, so happy "brass is back"!  Almost all of the original fixtures are still in this house.  And guess what? They are brass!!! Door knobs, switch plates, hardware in the bathrooms.  You name it.  We are going to keep it.  Partly in tribute to the house, and partly because I just love the look.  I've been scrounging thrift stores for good brass items, and let me tell you, it's everywhere!  {RecyleBuyVintage}

3/ We will need a chair, but because space will be an issue, an overstuffed glider like what we have in the nursery is just not going to work!  I want something pretty and interesting.  Comfort does not have to be the deciding factor here since I figure we will do most of our reading at night in her big girl bed.  I almost scored one on Craiglist this morning for $20 that looked very similar to this one, but I was about 30 minutes too late...  {Wisteria}

4/ Gallery wall!!! Don't you just love a good gallery wall?  Especially in a kid's room, I think.  I've been collecting frames for quite a while now, so I just cannot wait to get the wall painted and start arranging/hanging.  A little bit eclectic like the one pictured here is a must!  This big girl room by Nicole is so precious...

{Me Oh My}

5/ Blue and white.   These colors are trailing through my house, and I would be remiss to leave Avery's room out!  I think the royal blue tones will pair very nicely with the light pink and stark white bedding. {via Pinterest}

6/ I've chosen Verbena by Sherwin Williams for the walls.  We will sample it before painting, of course, but we will end up doing something very similar to this shade if not this one itself.  Now that we know we are having another girl, I'm not afraid to go all out girly!

Of course, Emily is a genius and will be helping me pull this altogether in style and under budget.  Did you know she's open for business? 

Snapshots: May 2013

1/  Dining. I got crafty this month.  Second trimester has been good to me, and motivation and energy levels have increased!  I completed a big project for the wall, and laid out a new centerpiece for the table.  Now if I could only transfer that motivation to the still ongoing backsplash project...

2/ Lake Weekend.  Got to go with friends to Tablerock Lake for a very relaxing weekend. Lots of rest, lots of food, great shopping, and heart-to-hearts.  What would a girl do without girlfriends?

3/ Peonies.  We have peonies, people!  Never imagined they would be this beautiful.  This spring has been so much fun watching all of the blooms in our yard.  We moved in last September, and as we are NOT experienced gardeners we had no idea what would come in the spring.  So far: azaleas in every color, pink & white hydrangeas, and white peonies.

4/ Sister's House.  Emily and I went to Dallas to visit my sister and while there helped pull her living room together!  She already had her amazing Crate & Barrel couch, as well as the rugs and coffee table.  We were able to have so much fun finding great deals on end tables, lamps, coffee table books and tray, etc.  P.S.  Emily just went into business as Emily Davis Interiors.  You must check it out:)

5/ Girl's Weekend.  Although May was post- tax season for Taylor, I have gotten lots of me/fun time (love you, honey:).  Emily and I spent a long, fun weekend in Dallas, one of my favorite cities (mostly because my sis lives there).  Terelli's, Hattie's in Bishop Arts District, antique shopping, and plenty of patio time relaxing!

6/ 22 weeks.  We're just a blowin' and a growin' over here.

7/ Antique District.  Although I've been to Dallas countless times, we've never ventured over to this part of town, and let me tell you, I'm in love.  These shops are filled to the brim with some really great, really inspiring things.

8/ Zushing.  Lots of zushing going on around here, especially with flowers from the backyard.

9/ Heirloom.   I took an old family photo of Taylor's great-great-grandfather on the family's original Northwest Oklahoma homestead, blew it up to a 36 x 45 and mounted it to foam board.  I first saw this project on Little Green Notebook and have been wanting to do it ever since.  Like most things, I wonder why I didn't do it a long time ago because it only took me two quick errands and 45 minutes before I had the final product.  Oh, and it was extremely inexpensive.  We hung it in our entryway (kind of symbolic, me thinks).  More on that later.

Restoration Bulletin Board

We've had this puppy sitting in our garage for a few months.  I originally wanted to purchase one of these from our church's garage sale last summer, but when I went to get it, it just wouldn't fit in my jeep:(  So when Emily offered up her unused one that was being stored by my neighbor-friend Mary Beth, I couldn't be happier! We only live two blocks from them, so Taylor and I very comically drove from their house to ours with this hanging out of the side of our jeep.  I drove very slowly while Taylor held onto it out of the passenger side window...

Didn't take me long to decide I wanted to convert it into a giant chalkboard for our not-so-formal, formal dining room, but it did take me a long time to get the energy to start the project.  Thank you, second trimester!!!

I didn't really do any prep.  Just primed it with spray primer, and painted two quick coats of chalkboard paint that I had leftover from other projects.

Don't worry! No babies were harmed during the completion of this project. I did this in my perfectly ventilated garage.  The best part?  I started and finished this before Avery even woke up from her afternoon nap!!!

Another wonderful aspect of this project? It was made using things we already had on hand, making it totally FREE.  

Here is the restored bulletin board's final resting place in our dining room...

Might I add that I'm loving our decision to keep all of the original brass fixtures in here?  Brass is back, people.

The table arrangement got a little "zushing", as well.  I'm loving the way our minimalistic, not-so-formal dining room is coming together.  Now I've got to figure out what to write on this thing...

Any ideas for quotes or art are fully appreciated:)

Apples + Arboretum

This past weekend we took a three day weekend to head to Dallas for some warm weather and family time with my sister and her fiancé.  My favorite part of the weekend was by far the time we spent at The Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.  We picnicked, suntanned, talked, explored, and played to our hearts' content!  I took TONS of pictures, but will share this little sneak peak of Avery eating an apple.  It's not terribly exciting, but there is something so adorable about a toddler eating (well, depending on the situation of course).

Just had to throw the last one in of my friend (more like a sister), Kailey.  She was the one who so graciously shared her apple with Miss A:)

Linked up with Annapolis & Company...

April Showers + Red Rain Boots Reprise

It's been raining here the past couple of days and we decided on a lazy day today.  There is something about rainy, cloudy weather that just takes the pressure off.  Yesterday I was a scrooge about the weather, but all of the beautiful buds are creating a more thankful heart in me today.

I do enjoy these kinds of days once in a while.  The kind of sweatpants/light housework/cuddle up and read during nap time/enjoy your kids (Avery + Jake)/go nowhere because it's raining days...

So I snapped 296 photos this morning for more practice with my Canon, and here's what I came up with...

Mommy's essential rainy day drink.

Light misting = rain boot tromping and a breath of fresh air.

Hello tiny hydrangea bloom. I sure am excited about you.

I tried to get Avery to touch it, but she just wasn't having it.

I like this shot showing dead leaves from the winter amid new growth of the spring.  There is just something so magical about the changing of seasons.

What is a rainy day without a good book to read? Nothing, I tell you.  Obviously trying to influence Avery with a love for the classics early on in life.  Aren't these counting/color primers amazing?

 Also, what is a rainy day without a good nap? Nothing, I tell you.

Now I'm off to read while the little love naps.  I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.  Really, I can't.