valentine's day

To get ready for Valentine's Day we made some valentines for all of Ethan and Eloise's friends. Ethan was especially prolific.

Eloise got to try out finger paint for the first time. This is her valentine creation - mostly created in her attempt to try and "pick up" the paper from the table. I thought it was a very creative painting technique!

On Valentine's Day itself we attempted a photo shoot. Things started off okay. Sort of.

But then this happened.

Which led to this.

And this.

And this.

We tried to regroup.

But it just didn't work.

Seriously though, I have the two cutest little Valentines out there.

My big Valentine was off to work that day so he didn't get in on our Valentine celebration but he's my favorite too. :)

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day!

eloise at 8 months

January 28th was a big day for Eloise and for me - she turned 8 months old and I turned the big 3-0. I feel like Eloise has started to really show some of her sweet personality this month. Finally, we seem to be out of the "hysterical, high-pitched screaming" that seemed to be such a normal part of her first 6 months of life when she wasn't being held or didn't get what she wanted. She has the most beautiful smile and those blue eyes of hers are so stinkin' pretty! This month she started trying table food and yogurt and loves to eat.

At 8 months she was really starting to get active. Wanting to play with different toys, reaching for things that perked her interest. When she sits down she often reaches for my hands to help her stand up (no surprise of course, this girl has been a stander for her whole life!) I can't even express how much she loves her brother and her daddy, and of course she remains a mama's girl - but the way she beams at the boys in her life is such a delight to see. She love, love loves her brother and daddy.

The girl flew through 12 month clothing and is mostly wearing 18 month clothing now. We moved her on up to size 4 diapers and she has been working on 2 new teeth (this time on top) that are too slowly making their way through.

A few of her 8 month chair pictures!

february?

Somehow it's the middle of February. The days have been flying, hence the lack of posts. Between getting our old house ready to put on the market, and taking care of some problems in our new house it seems like all I have been doing is talking with contractors. The handyman and painter, the plumber, the realtors, the squirrel guy, the home warranty people, the other plumber, the hvac guy. In between all of that we've had community group and sunday dinners, celebrated our 30th birthdays, hosted a big superbowl party, hosted a couple of celebrations for my sister and her baby boy, and been involved in everything else that is normally a part of our calendars and been raising our two sweet kids along the way. It has been absolutely crazy and I am absolutely tired.

Lately I have been reminded of the necessity to rest, the command to rest by God. To remember the sabbath. To rest in our work knowing that God is ultimately our provider and true source of comfort. It's a conversation and reminder that is often difficult for Pete and I to engage in simply because we are just moving from one thing to the next to the next, and trying check things off of our massive checklist.

The season of lent started this week and I am hopeful that with the Holy Spirit's guidance I can enter in to this season of preparing for Easter learning how to rest. Resting from my work. Resting from the daily grind. Resting in who God is and what he has done for me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.  
Psalm 116:7

miss eloise at 7 months (december)

Way back at the end of December our sweet girl officially turned 7 months old. It was a big month for her as her first 2 teeth started poking through! We learned that our sweet Eloise makes it very well known that she is in pain and she does NOT like it! While her two precious teeth were making their way through she started waking up screaming (screaming!) at 1am for about 2 weeks and would only settle down if she got a bottle. So, that's what we did and once her teeth were through things settled down a bit.

At 7 months Eloise was really starting to gain stability in sitting up and of course still growing like a weed. She was wearing 12 month clothes (but really growing toward 18 month fast). The girl is such a delight.

Her 7 months pictures were taken at Grandma and Grandpa's house since we were just finishing up our Christmas vacation. What a beauty!