Life With Our Little Ladies

When Abby found out that Nagymama was taking us all to Disney World for the day during our Florida trip, she made a plan to start saving her money for a special souvenir. She did chores. She picked up any coins she found. She was quick to take any spare change off of her Daddy's hands. She asked family members if they needed any work done, so she could earn "coins". She sold old toys and books at our garage sale. She made deals with G-Diddy and Uncle Brad that if she finished her dinner on two separate occasions she would earn some cash. Businesswoman in the making? I wouldn't be surprised.

We gathered up all of her coins and headed to the Coinstar machine. It was rewarding for both of us to see the results of all of her hard work pay off and to see the excitement in her eyes as she realized those times she decided not to pay the ice cream man and instead pay her piggy bank were worth it.

All that hard work and delayed gratification means Abby saved...





Ella is also ready for Florida. Every time we got in the car this week she has asked us if we were going to "Mamama's house".  She wouldn't let me get her out of her car seat yesterday because she said she wanted Mamama to do it. This might be the best airport reunion in a long time!

She is also very eager to see Ayash in Florida. She might even bring her mitt.

Summer is in full swing at our house. As I write this, Joe is outside cutting the grass at 8:30 because it is still light out. Fresh cut grass...one of my favorite smells EVER. I love long summer days because without much effort they seem to be filled with fun. And, not fun that you have to try hard for, but the fun that comes from playing in the backyard for hours and imagining or the fun that comes from swimming all day and only stopping long enough to have a picnic dripping wet on your towel. The homemade popsicles and s'mores kind of fun.

Yesterday, we were in the backyard all day. We didn't come inside until after dinner on the deck. Just one more reason I love this time of year.

 Happiness is...





For fun, we thought up our Summer Bucket List 2014. Not because I feel the need to fill my girls' days with activities, but because it's fun. Our time with our kids is precious and I want to make memories with them that cause them to look back on their childhood with happiness. I want to be intentional with these days, not distracted. I want to splash in the pool with them, get dirty, run in the yard, say yes more than I say no. I read a blog post the other day that reminded me, "I hold the power to determine what my family's summer will look like based on my choices."  This summer, I want to  choose to live, laugh and love my family by being even more present and embracing the moments.

We have some family trips planned, but here's our bucket list for the unplanned days, the days when summer life just happens...

• a trip to Hoffman's
• making S'mores in the backyard
• potty training Ella
• bike rides 
• swimming like fish every chance we get 
• ice cream and bedtime stories in the hammock 
• the beach 
• creating our backyard water park (sprinklers, water table, water slides, slip and slide, pool and water balloons)
• paint rocks for the garden 
• berry picking 
• picnics
• play in the rain 
• make popsicles 

I can't write about summer without this happening in my head...(probably Ella's favorite Frozen song)

This weekend, Abby and I spent Saturday morning together. She took me on my birthday date to get manicures and pedicures together.  I think she'd say her favorite part of the whole experience is picking the colors and chatting with everyone at the salon. She chose pink for her hands and sea foam green for her toes. The nail tech even painted some flowers for her!

the birthday girl

snuggling with Miss Courtney

Sunday was Father's Day! I said it on Facebook, but I will say it again here. When I married Joe I never doubted the kind of father he would be, but I'm blessed everyday with new and surprising glimpses of how amazing this daddy is to our girls. They are loved like princesses and they know it. What a gift. We celebrated him with a morning at church as a family, a lunch of loaded nachos (if you know Joe you know why that speaks all kind of love to him), an afternoon of rest and time together in the yard, a command for him to not touch one dish in the sink all day (normally, he is the faithful dishwasher, while I am the faithful cook) and a dinner of steamed clams and his favorite caprese salad. He was a happy man. They were small tokens of our love that only skim the surface of how thankful we are for him on Father's Day and everyday. Daddy Joe (as Ella likes to call you), we love you!


And because I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my own daddy, I also shared this picture on Father's Day. He is a wonderful dad and Papa. My dad has always made life more secure with his love, constant encouragement and commitment to our family. There aren't enough wordy hallmark cards to convey it all for me on Father's Day. I love him so much.


We also celebrated G-Diddy from a distance and were thankful for a Facetime call with him later in the day. He has to be a pretty cool guy to let us call him G-Diddy, don't you think? We love you!

When Oliver doesn't want to go inside, he prostrates himself and refuses to move.


Grammy, G-Diddy, Uncle Brad and Aunt Alex were driving through town last week and stopped for a quick dinner. Ella wore her sunglasses most of the time, while Abby wore Grammy's reading glasses. They make her feel all grown-up. Then, Ella seriously went to town, like a spoon in each hand serious, on a huge dessert.



Abby and I have continued our special time together reading chapter books. First we read Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Our second was Ribsy by Beverly Cleary and we just finished our third and favorite one so far....Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This was a favorite of mine when I was a kid and I really enjoyed seeing Abby absorb all the details and imagine the magical world of Willy Wonka. We finished the book in record time too. We were done with it in less than a week. We followed that up with lots of popcorn and a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie date.

Abby started taking dance in the fall and has loved every minute of it. I'm so thankful for the program and the wonderful teachers who not only teach her ballet, but who value dance in a way that honors God! Ella stayed in the back with me during class. Without me even realizing, she was picking up the moves and learning all the words to the song. She just didn't understand why she couldn't be out there dancing with her sister.

The class had been preparing two dances for the end of the year show and last Tuesday was their dress rehearsal. When I put the costume on Abby, she couldn't help but start twirling. It was beautiful and she was excited.

Uncle Cory came up to spend the day with us and come to the recital. The girls enjoyed watching a movie and playing with him.

Thanks Papa!

makeup on and loving it!

Ohhhh the cuteness! I can hardly stand it.

first time on stage

Listen for Ella cheering on her big sister. She was so proud and wanted to everyone to know it. Ella also copied every dance by dancing in the space in front of our seats throughout the whole recital! I think she'll be ready for sign-ups next year.



When Abby came out from backstage during intermission, she was totally energized by her performance. We celebrated with a late dinner at Chipotle. Despite lots of celebratory chocolate milk, every one fell asleep almost as soon as we got home. It was a really good day!

Great job, Abby! We are so so proud of you.