Building Summer Memories

Winter used to be my favorite season. There's something so cozy about the snowfall. I love Christmas for a million reasons, and my birthday also falls on the Winter Solstice, which I also love to celebrate (my birthday, that is!) But I've grown to love summer. I love the sunshine, and the flowers in bloom. This Irish gal is used to bathing in sunscreen anyway (I'd rather have my porcelain complexion than skin cancer!) and I don't mind the bugs... to much ;)

But most of all summer means celebrating the birth of my babies, who were born just 2 days apart! My favorite summer memories now include snuggling my newborns on the couch, and taking them outside to play in the shade on our lawn. My favorite summer memories are going for walks with them, watching them take their first steps (both took them around their first birthdays), and explore their new world! And so the summer also means some awesome birthday celebrations!

This year we're having 2 parties for the kids. At the beginning of the month we'll have a backyard BBQ with our nearest and dearest friends to celebrate the children together. Princess will be 5, Tobes will be 2, and most of the friends that they have right now are family friends - Hubbyman and I are friends with their parents, and all the kids are friends with each other. It's going to be one big celebration of my babies, and all those who have been a part of our lives for the past 5 years. I've pinned an insane number of food ideas, drink ideas, and the activities will revolve around the backyard and summertime.

But this year will also be slightly different. This year Princess is helping to plan her own, second party - a tea party with a bunch of her little girl friends (and a few brothers here and there ;)). We are doing scones, raspberry butter, and Devonshire cream (if I can find a good duplicate recipe - I'm open to suggestions by the way!) as well as pink lemonade and strawberry iced tea. We'll have cookies and cupcakes, play games and have a few activities as well :) It'll be something that Princess can have on her own (Tobes isn't yet old enough to care) with her own specific friends, doing her own activities.

I can't wait!

Spring in the New House

Tulips! So very pretty! And a very pleasant surprise :)

Our pear tree blossomed overnight! I love it so much :)

Every new house has it's surprises. No matter how new, no matter how good your home-inspection, there's always surprises in the first year in your new home. Ours has been no different (so far). But thankfully the good surprises have FAR outweighed the bad!!

Our "bad" surprises were pretty nominal, especially considering the age of our house. We found a few cold spots around the house that we'll need to check out this summer, and maybe boost the insulation, but we certainly didn't freeze over the winter, especially with the fireplace! ;) The other issue was plumbing. We had a great home inspection, and the issue was mostly with our sink in the basement, which is in my craft room. Being able to use a sink while crafting was a great idea (especially with stamping, or painting with the kids), but loss of use was no big deal either.

The good surprises have been pretty great, and have mostly been in the last few weeks as spring has sprung around the house!

• The trees in our yard are alive and well, minus one. We thought that tree was completely dead, but are thrilled to see half of it budding leaves. 
• Our pear tree is blossoming. We got to enjoy some of the pears last year, but this year I have plans - canning, pies, and just letting the kids nom on them while they play because hey - it's less work for me ;)
• Flowers! We have flowers! The red ones I posted above (I *think* are tulips!) and we had no idea they were there! :) We also have chives, and a rose bush that is budding leaves too. We're also have a Japanese peony that's starting to bud which is awesome because it's a cut from our old house, originally from a plant that Greg's grandfather owned (he used to run a greenhouse), so it's kind of important that we keep it going! ;) We want to go to a few greenhouses soon and get some more flowers for both gardens in the front and back as well. We never really had this space before.
• Sunshine. Oh my goodness, the sunshine! The windows give us an amazing amount of light, especially in our kitchen. We're considering putting a skylight or similar into the front room just to help with the light there, but we're not 100% sold on that yet. We've got the name of a few companies, and will keep in on our 5-year to-do list ;)
• The breeze. There's something about the placements of the windows and doors that 
• Our "go outside" yard!! This was not a surprise to us, we bought the house partially based on it. But the surprise has been the extent of it's awesomeness!! We've got a beautiful backyard right off the kitchen, and the kids can happily come and go as they please while I get stuff done in the kitchen, whether it be cleaning, cooking, or (let's be realistic) crafting! It's awesome!! 
• Our cedar deck! Our deck in the old house was composite - a plastic-based deck material that was awesome! No staining, no splinters, no hassle. Truth be told, we thought about replacing the deck here with it, even though the deck was in pretty good repair. But this deck is cedar, and NOTHING beats the smell of it after the rain!! Oh my goodness! It's amazing!!!

I loved our new home when we bought it, but every day this spring has brought more and more joy to my family through it. It's beautiful!!

Happy Mother's Day

:glomp:

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there - either those who are currently, or soon-to-be! In just a few weeks, I celebrate my 5th anniversary of motherhood - the birth of my firstborn, my Princess (my little prince, Tobes, came 3 years and 2 days later!)

Last year (well, last June) I reflected on my first 4 years of mommyhood- what I have learned, and the mommy I have become. I had gone through some major changes in my life in the years prior, both by choice and by force, but all of it made me a stronger woman, mother, and brought my family even closer together. This year has been far less dramatic, thankfully, but I continue to evolve as my babies do as well. I'm no longer the mom to an infant, or a toddler and a newborn. Princess starts school in just 4 months (*sob*) and Tobes stopped being an infant a year ago! I read that post again, and it all still holds true.

This year, I look to the future. These are the exciting adventures my family will face in the upcoming months.

• School for Princess means that time at home with her is just that much more precious, and can still be spent playing with friends, but also giving her time to just play with her brother, and with me and Daddy as well.
• School for Princess will give Tobes a chance to be an only child for a few hours every afternoon. I am the oldest of 3, and was 5 before I had a sibling, giving me alone time with my parents for all those years. I'm excited to give Tobes that opportunity as well. I am excited to spend 1-on-1 time with my son, especially in these early years. I'm excited to get to know him in this way.
• Tobes is a little person now in a way he's never been before. He wants to get dressed on his own. He wants be independent. He has favorite TV shows (we're still working on cutting down screen time in our home, but it'll be easier now that summer's here), he has favorite books, favorite songs, and favorite games. His ability to talk now allows him to express all his favorites, and it's awesome to watch him grow in this regard. But his independence also means that we have to negotiate allowing him to have some of his favorite choices, but also keeping with what's appropriate for him and our family, which also means respectfully guiding his behavior and actions as needed.
• School also means the true test of our family values in regards to education. A large number of my mom friends homeschool. We have chosen not to for a variety of reasons (which I can give later, in a different post), but one thing we strongly believe as a family is that learning does not start, or end in the classroom. We believe that our children can get exposed to a variety of ideas in the classroom that they might not otherwise, but it is up to Hubbyman and I as parents to shape their morals and values. At the end of the day, Princess's education is our responsibility, and no one else's.
• My work is taking off (I have a half-written post on that as well), which is taking me out of the home more than I imagined (though still no more than once or twice a week). The kids get Grammie-time, and love it, but it's not what my family initially intended for me to do (what a complaint - I'm too popular at work!) so it's something we'll be navigating and keeping in the back of our minds in the upcoming months as our family goes through these next milestones!

I love being a mom. I've always wanted to be one. But beyond just being "a" mom, I love being their mom. I am so blessed to have Princess and Tobes in my life. I am so fortunate to call them mine, and I am so honored to be entrusted with them. I can't believe that in just a few short weeks, I'll be celebrating the birth of my 2 amazing babies. Last year I said

Motherhood is, at the end of the day, about raising a person. Someday Princess and Tobes will be contributing members of society, and I hope that my family's values and beliefs are instilled in them. I hope they are happy, productive people. I hope they never question God's love for them, and I hope they never question our love for them. 

And even in just this last year, I can see the progress we've made. They both make me so proud in so many ways on a daily basis, despite the frustration I feel sometimes that comes along with raising 2 spirited, passionate, independent, awesome children. I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Happy Mother's Day, dear friends!