Our first Thanksgiving hosting on Conway Road was a delight! Freezing Berry bowl, new stuffing and cranberry recipes, Harper’s foray into tableskaping, Darren’s double bird challenge, and lots of QT with Grambie, Lukas, neighbors and friends. It turns out four days feels like a whole lot when you just. stay. put.
We are full and happy. ❤️
“His name is Darren. Fernandez. Darren Fernandez - yes.”
“Yes he has blood and squished bones.”
“Mm hmmm...”
Marked by the new four year old ultra helpful big sister who wanted to get Roycie his helmet, push him on his bike, set up his marshmallow for s’mores and generally assist his every move. 💕
Well, your birthday season has concluded my girl. We had a “camping” party with Leo, a small birthday dinner with neighbors and Grambie, and a play date with your buddies from your old class at school - your “Voyager play date.” You’ve had cakes and cupcakes and donuts and more cakes. You’ve opened a parade of gifts spanning over a week and have been showered by so much love by all of your biggest fans.
And you deserve it! Your exuberance makes everyone smile around you, always. You are outgoing and loving and funny and in charge. You are the most full-hearted big sister, taking Royce’s hand into yours and leading him around the house or the block and just this morning showing him how to “practice” using the potty. You know the names of every single person you’ve ever met, and you report details to all of the parents at school, who tell us you are their main source of information.
You love to dance and climb and flip and swim. You are brave and strong and fearless. You are precocious and affectionate and you take care of everyone - your pals at school when they are sad, your brother, your puppy. You have collected more best friends than most of us amass in a lifetime.
You have style and sass and spunk. And you will do big things in this world.
We are so lucky you’re ours.
This is four.
Love,
mama
The Griffins got Harper Zingo for her birthday. Bingo with pictures. She is obsessed!
Lots of work, lots of play, lots of travel and no time for blogging over the past several weeks. To recap:
We welcomed the fall and kicked off birthday month with gymnastics, pedicures, and pumpkins with the Griffins!
I jetted off to California for nearly a week-long work trip, where we squeezed in some hang time with the Reas...
And capped things off with a weekend of fun in the sun in Carmel for a friend’s wedding. It’s amazing how many activities can be accomplished in the span of one 7am - 3 pm stretch when there are no diaper bags, naps, or car seats involved!
And the wedding in the Redwoods was an insanely gorgeous reunion with old friends.
Meanwhile, at the homefront, the kids had the absolute best time with the Onder’s for an overnight AND the Sklaburtons for a weekend fun fest (how lucky are we?!):
Someone is a little unhappy about Leo having a turn at the wheel 😂.
Needless to say, all I want to do is snuggle these little ones for the next few days, but I’m instead flying to Chicago tomorrow morning for work. It’s a quick trip but feels exponentially hard. I’m counting down until Thursday when I’m back and getting us ready for the birthday celebrations to come. 💕
We had a Leo slumber party last weekend, capped off with a birthday brunch for Maria! Harper is still glowing. These two make my heart burst.
Swim time! 😂
“Leo you look BEAUTIFUL!”
Dinner poolside:
Tubby time!
So much Summer love:
Morning snuggle movie:
Morning playtime:
Making Maria a Bday card!
“Mama, me and Leo are on the way to our wedding.”
“Come on Leo!”
Birthday brunch with Maria!
Last weekend with visits to the Ray and Quinn crowd and the Gargiones. So much laughter and silliness and dancing and bathing suit wear. We love love love these people! 💕💕💕
We were worried Harper was going to be bummed because her other buddies are all in pre-K this year (this commencing her future as the oldest child in the class), but it turns out she loves being Ms. Noemi’s “Special Helper” aka Queen Bee! We should have known.
She proudly tells us each day that she is helping her new friends to learn how to do Centers and use their words. Here are some pics from week 1 (also Spirit week). Off she goes!
It was strange to take a vacation during the first week of school when life is ramping back up, and I think we were both stressed beforehand at the thought of being away from work, but it turned out that a week of mountains, open sky, and QT was just the late summer surprise that this family needed. We are so glad Molly’s Wedding brought us to Montana, and we pledge to be back.
!!!!!!!
Last weekend’s cabin weekend was so lovely. The kids were in paradise - fishing, boating, swimming, s’moresing - and we got to relax and enjoy the Hull’s special spot. We are grateful for this annual tradition!
Until next year!
Company seats!
Harper just went through the “body study” at school. One night, she told us all about her “Lumbs” during dinner. She talked about balloons filling with air. And how the balloons fill during yoga. We were so perplexed and really didn’t know what she was trying to describe, but kept asking questions. When she finally told us (with some frustration) that her LUMBS TOUCH HER BACK AND HER HEART! Her Lungs.
The next night she looked up at me at bedtime and said, “mama we have drains in our head. You can’t see them. But we need them. Like our nose. And our ears. And mama, there are no bones in our nose.”
Maybe we have a little doctor on our hands!
Here she is learning the food pyramid, drawing her favorite food, and making fruit salad:
Harper is really suited for carnival life. Onto West Virginia!
(and there was literally no way to capture all of the people looking at the camera!)
