With All of My Heart

 

The past few nights, Peyton has selected a handful of books for us to read to her before bed. The selection has included Guess How Much I Love You {of course}, The Mare on the Hill {another one of my childhood favorites}, The Kissing Hand, and I Love You with All My Heart.

It is one of my most favorite things to do with her; to snuggle up right before bedtime and share these stories with her that I grew up reading. It makes me so happy to be a momma. Especially her momma. The first time we read I Love You with All My Heart, I cried. Then again, I cry during commercials and when certain songs play on the radio. I am just an emotional momma. And I just love her so gosh-dang much. Actually, now that I think about it, I cried the first time I read all of those books, ha.

 

 

So, anyways, last night when she handed me I Love You with All My Heart she looked at me and said "Here momma... are you gonna cry again?" I responded with "No baby, I don't think so." And then she came back with "Oh, I bet you will!" ...ha! That stinker.

 

Another bonus to story time right before bedtime? She almost always slips into dreamland towards the end of the last story. Then I get to just snuggle next to her peaceful little self and relish in the fact that I am lucky enough to be her mother and that I get the chance to watch her grow up.

 

I don't know what I would do without her. I love you, Peyton, with all of my heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS- I did not, in fact, cry while I read I Love You with All My Heart... but I certainly did when I read the next one ;)

 

The Good, The Bad, and The Funny

The good:
+ we will be waking up on this beautiful island in just one week!
+ I bought Peyton the most adorable suitcase set yesterday from Kohl's for our trip. See here.
+ no doctor at the office this morning means I get to go in late. Which means more time I get to snuggle my baby girl this morning. Which means I'm one happy momma!
+ I have been passing out early with Peyton the past few nights, and I am not upset about it one bit. I actually feel rested for once this morning. I even woke up early without an alarm {or Peyton yelling for me to wake up because she's awake, haha.}
+ I inherited my sister's VS bikini yesterday. This one. It's beautiful.
+ we are enjoying some deliciously tropical mango smoothies this morning {in preparation for our upcoming tropical vacay, of course!}



{the perfect combination for a morning together!}

The bad:
+ the fact that we are leaving in six days means we have to pack. Which also means that I need to do laundry. Those who know me know that me & laundry do not get along well. I almost always end up with a pile of {clean} clothes on the floor because I just can't stand to put them away. And the dirty laundry also piles up in the laundry room. It's not good my friends.
+ we have a zoo here in our apartment. We have two bearded dragons, one day gecko, one vietnamese mossy frog, a freshwater tank, saltwater tank, and our dog, Rory. The lizards and frog all eat crickets. Nick normally buys his crickets in bulk. The last box of 1,000 crickets that he bought must have had a hole in it. He hadn't put them away in their designated tank yet... Monday we came home to crickets every-freakin-where. We spent a good hour scouring the apartment for them on the floors. So gross. Anyways, I thought we got rid of the lot of them.... I was wrong. I woke up yesterday to more in our bedroom, bathroom, and living room. Gah. I hope they're all either dead or gone now.

The funny:
+ I may or may not have broken off part of a wooden spoon in the blender this morning while making those smoothies. A little extra wood pulp protein never hurt anyone though, right? ha.
+ This weekend I watched some relatives dance to Gangam Style and the Peanut Butter Jelly dance. Hilarious I tell you!
+ I may or may not have anything else funny to mention. I'll work on that.

*post idea totally stolen from Danielle! I'd love to see this as a link-up!

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Summer Bucket List

So we did it! We finally made our Summer 2013 Bucket List! Complete with Peyton's amazing drawings {she did the strawberry, airplane, and sno-ball with a cherry on the top/side}. We sat around on our living room floor and just scrawled down some ideas. Here's what we came up with:

Pick strawberries: There's a local farm near our house that we drive by nearly every day... and every. single. time. that we drive by, Peyton asks "Are they open, Momma? Can we go?!" Even if it's 7:30am, haha. So, I have resolved that, at some point this summer, we will pick strawberries there goshdarnit.

Learn to write our ABC's: Peyton can belt out the ABC song letter for letter - with the exception of saying " H, I, K, K, L, M, N, O, P" {apparently there is no "J"} haha. She can write all of the letters of her name if she really tries, although they may be out of order sometimes. So we shall work on that.

Peyton's first ride in an airplane!: I am so excited for this! In just one week we will be accomplishing this. The moment I'm waiting for? Watching her when we break through the clouds. When she can see what they look like from above. sigh.

Get sno-balls {with marshmallow}:Well, duh! This one is a no-brainer. A summer must-do!

Go on a safari: This one is gonna be so fun! Living Social was offering a deal on this local wildlife park called Lake Tobias. They had two-for-one admission tickets, so that'll save us some money, yay! Their main attraction there is a safari tour that takes you across their 150 acres where you can see herds of their wild and exotic animals from around the world! They also have zoo-like wildlife exhibits as well as a reptile building and a petting zoo. Peyton is going to be in HEAVEN. We have to use our tickets by October, so hopefully we can find a weekend day to check this one off of the list!

See a shooting star: I hope that one evening we can all just lay outside of my parent's house, bundled up in blankets, and stare at the stars {like me and my parent's did when I was little} until we Peyton gets to see one with her very own eyes.

Visit a playground: I would just love to spend an afternoon at a park, watching Peyton play on the swings or slide down the slide a few hundred times. Maybe take a picnic and make a day out of it? Doesn't that just sound like the perfect, relaxing summer afternoon to you? I think so.

Get a fish for our saltwater tank: So, Nick and Peyton started up a saltwater tank a month or so ago. Nick has been hard at work trying to keep the salinity and the nitrates and everything else perfect. I think we are finally to the point now where the tank is stable enough to sustain a fish {insert excited face here} but we are going to have to wait to do that until we come back from vacation!

Go to the beach!: Hallelujah. This is just 7 days away. I CANNOT WAIT! ahhhh!

Go fish: This is one that we'll be able to check off on our vacation. Nick and I have a half-day bonefishing trip planned for while we're on the island. I am for sure gonna load up on sunscreen and hope that I can at least catch just one fish! It would be nice if we could take an evening later in the summer and go fishing close to home with Peyton and my family in tow. We did that last year and it was just so relaxing. Plus, Peyton caught some fishies!

Go to the Zoo OR to the Aquarium: Obvious summer fun activities. One or the other would be lovely. It's just finding time to get to either one is the issue.

Bake a peach pie: I made an amazingggg one last year, courtesy of Paula Deen. Recipe here. So, naturally, there has to be another one made this summer!

Have an at home movie night: Disney movie. Popcorn. Forts made out of blankets, chairs, and pillows. Dance parties. Movie-themed treats. Yes, please!

Hersheypark!: I hope we can find time {and we can afford} to go again this year! That place is just getting so darn expensive. And it is just not worth going when Peyton does not for one minute enjoy riding any rides. However, she claims that she is going to ride this year. We'll see how that one turns out!

{our last attempt at Hersheypark... she was clearly not a fan.}

Eat a funnel cake: Nick and I can not pass this one up. We are funnel cake junkies, if such a thing even exists. The carnivals in our area are this week and the next, so I see a checkmark coming in the near future!

Peyton snorkels: I really, sincerely hope that we can check this one off this summer. We tried, and we tried hard, to get her to practice snorkeling in the pool... it didn't happen. She cried and claimed that she was hungy and just wanted to go get food. She is super efficient at evading anything that she doesn't want to do, {i.e: brushing her teeth, eating dinner, getting a shower, etc.} It would make me so sad if she didn't get to actually use her mask to look under the water on vacation and actually SEE the fish and the coral and the whole world beneath the water.

Become a certified open water scuba diver!: This is all set to be checked off! We {me and my sister} have our classes/bookwork complete, and just finished our two pool dives this weekend. Now, all that's left to do is our two 2-tank dives on vacation!

And that is all {that could fit on the list anyways}. And probably all of the ones that we can feasibly check off within this short 3-month time span that is Summer. But we'll try! And we'll have fun doing so, I'm sure.

 

 

 

Father's Day {yet another belated post from Yours Truly}

 Y'all, I seriously need to work on my procrastination...

It is terrible. Like, super duper terrible.

 

I can guarantee you that I will be packing for our upcoming trip into the wee hours of the morning right before we leave. Oy vey. I also bought a journal back before Peyton's birthday (in March, mind you) to begin to write down little notes to her everyday for her to have when she's older.... well, I haven't written down one thing yet. Actually, that's a lie. I wrote down the date back in April, hoping that it would force me to get that thing started that day. Yeah, that didn't happen. Sorry, Peyton! Momma will get to it. Promise.

 

I can also guarantee that this post is all pictures of our Father's Day brunch we had this year. My mom and I both had to work the night of Father's Day, so dinner wasn't an option. So, the Papa Ron decided on breakfast at a local restaurant (that I actually used to work at when I was 15/16 years old!).

 

The food wasn't exactly the best, and our waitress may have been a little slow and shared one-too-many life stories with us, but the company was wonderful. (Of course.)

 



{some pre-food coloring}



{love, love, love the look on babygirl's face!}

{Papa Ron and his girls.}

{Someone was being Mrs. Grumpy Gills and not wanting to take a picture. Papa Ron was trying to make her laugh.}

{love.}

{there's a smile!}

{"Daddy Nick" and Papa Ron.}

{The Dadda and me.}

{GiGi and "Aunt Nenna".}

{The card Peyton made for "Daddy Nick".}

To my Dad, aka Papa Ron: I love you. I love you. I love you. I can not stress that enough. And I know that Peyton love, love, loves you as well. I have so many fond memories of you and they just keep multiplying. I honestly do not know where I would be without you. It's cliché, but it's the honest truth. You are such a wonderful motivator, supporter, teacher, and father. Thank you for everything.

To my love, aka "Daddy Nick": Peyton is so lucky to have you as a father figure. I know she looks up to you. I know she loves you. She is going to go so very far in life, and one of the reasons for that is because I know that you are going to be one of her biggest driving forces. You help to teach her new things and teach her the value in doing them right. I know you'll be there to help her learn and grow and become an amazing and caring young woman, just like you are an amazing and caring man. I look forward to the future with you and expanding our little family. I love you.

A {belated} Happy Father's Day to all you daddas out there!

 

"Fathers, be good to your daughters //
Daughters will love like you do."

 

 



Friday Letters

{an oldie -- but a goodie.}

Dear Summer- It is officially your "first day" for 2013! Go you! I am more than happy to have your beautiful, sun-kissed self hanging around. Dear Friday- Thank heavens you are finally, finally gracing me with your presence! Not only do you signal the start to the weekend (however quick those 2 days might fly by), but you also mark one less day between me and vacation! Woo! Although, the amount of planning and packing I am realizing that I have yet to do is super scary my friends.  Dear boyfriend- You were so adorable this morning, passed out in bed as I was leaving {late, again} for work. I love you, so very much. 

{Sidenote: Dear Rory- You are also oh-so-adorable as well. We love that you are such a snuggler... even if that means that as soon as morning light breaks through the window blinds, you're licking every inch of us that's sticking out of the covers to wake up us and give you attention... because you don't get any attention at all, right? :P}

Dear Mr. Charlie Horse- I was NOT a huge fan of you seizing my right calf muscle late last night/early this morning. Though, the tears streaming down my face and the expletives I was shouting at you should have been indicative enough of just how much I despised you. Dear anyone who read this- enjoy your weekend! I hope it is fabulous and filled with sunshine-y happy things.

  

 

 

 

 

2 weeks!

You guys, in just TWO WEEKS from today, I'll be waking up in paradise. It seems like we've been waiting for this vacation for forever!

There is so much left to do... And I haven't even made up a single list of what items we'll need to bring for our 10 day adventure. Normally, that's okay at this point... However, this will be our first time taking Peyton with us on a vacation that isn't just a weekend trip.

Do you know what that means?! It means: her first time on a plane! Her first time on a tropical island! Her first time witnessing crystal clear, turquoise water! Her first time snorkeling {fingers crossed that we actually get her to do that}! Hopefully she'll have so many good memories from this trip. I can't wait to see her reactions to... well, to everything.

I've got a LOT of planning and packing to do. I'm sure I'll forget something vital, like underwear or toothbrushes, but that's nothing that can't be fixed with a trip to the store {hopefully!}.

I'm just looking forward to all of the memory-making that's in store for us.

These 2 weeks need to hurry on up!

Evan's Graduation {06/07/13}

My younger cousin, Evan, graduated high school this year! He is one of the handsomest, brightest, silliest, & most humble individuals {and he also gives the absolute BEST hugs! Hands down. Sorry Nick!}

 

^^the one on the right happens to be a favorite of mine from our childhood. Me, Evan, and my sister are all shoved inside my PopPop's pants. Goobs.

It is hard to believe that he is actually old enough to have a girlfriend, be in high school, and look so grown up much less actually being an ALUMNI! Craziness. Just absolute craziness. How is the time just flying by!?! Regardless, I have no doubt that he is going to go on and do great/amazing/super-intelligent things and I can only wish him the best in all of his future endeavors, post-high-school.

 

Unfortunately, the beginning of June is almost always littered with rainshowers/thunderstorms and so the graduation ceremony was held inside this year {as it was last year for my sister's graduation}.

 

FUN FACT: Evan wore the same graduation gown that I wore 5 {yes FIVE!} years ago and that my sister wore last year.



^^Wow! What a difference 4 years made. We look so much more grown up on the right... I think so anyways!

 

 Prepare for yet another picture overload! {I really do have a problem. I can never narrow it down to "just a few" pictures, haha.}

 



Ev-y getting his diploma!





^^can you see the lipstick mark on his cheek in the smaller picture above? ha!

^^Evan and his girlfriend, Courtney! {I hope I spelled her name right...} They're so darn cute together!

 

Congratulations, Evan!! I know that you'll be amazing at whatever it is you plan to do now that you've graduated... because you're pretty darn amazing already!

 

We love you, XOXO.