housekeeping.

Just a little housekeeping today...

First up,

Jia's nursery was featured on Apartment Therapy today!

Check it out here!

You can see her original room post here.

  

My man got back safely this past Sunday from his mission trip to Poland.

He was there for 9 days helping with a basketball camp for kids.

 Yes. 9 days. Without my husband. Ouch.

I realized it was the longest amount of time we've been apart

since we got married.

And now we have 3 kids. Funny how that worked out. ;)

Here are a couple of instagrams taken while he was gone... 

I took my sister to a wedding as my date. :)

And we ate a lot of cupcakes.

 I chilled with my baby girl.

Gave Jetty dessert cause he ate all his dinner.

 Took care of a nosebleed.
(Actually my mom did. I helped by instagraming it.)

 Yelled at Jett to get out of the pool.
...and this is how he looked at me.

 I priced crack spackle for Jia.

 And finally Sunday rolled around and I was on my way to the airport!

I survived!

And the biggest news of the day...

We're moving!

To a house!

More details to come but in the mean time we're living with my parents.

Its actually kind of a blast.

Stay tuned!

insta update :: jia edition

Jia overload coming your way.

Instagram photos + captions...

"Somebody left their baby monkey on the couch. Oh wait. It's just Jia. ;) "

"She won't smile. I think she's mad that her swimsuit is too tight and it's a size 6 mos..."

"Sunbathing...in the shade. Ignore the cleavage."

"Good morning bedhead."

"I just walked in on another woman naked in my bed."

"What? This is how they wear their headbands in Paris."

"Sleeping in the nude...by the pool..."

And the answer is yes, my baby is naked a lot.

One, she's cute naked.

Two, she won't be like this forever so I have to document her chubbiness.

And three, its a thousand degrees in Kansas right now, suck.

In other news,
Jia's rug finally came!

It's perfect in her room and I love what it adds to it.

Click here for the whole tour.

celebrating independence 2012

Sometimes I wish we had a 4th of July tradition

so we always knew where we were going, what we were eating, who we'd be with, etc.

But because we don't, we get to experience new things

and spend the holiday with people we don't usually see and make new friends.

This year we went to Lawrence (one of my favorite towns)

and spent the evening with Jeff's parents, grandma, sister and her family

and some of her friends.

The food was soooo good.

That's all it takes for me to call it a good celebration. :)

We made sure there were ways for the children to get wet.
Cause it just isn't July 4th in Kansas if the temps don't reach 100.
And what's more american than a slip n slide? ;)

Jeff seeking financial advice from his super sharp grandma.
Who takes college courses for something to do.
And has an iPad.

As the sun was setting we realized that it was 9 o'clock
(not 7 like we thought - gotta love long summer days)
and the little ones were not going to make it through the late night fireworks
(and weren't really loving the big booms that had already started)
so I took them home and daddy and Jaymin stayed to watch.
Sometimes you gotta take one for the team I guess. ;)

dinner with celebrities.

Last week I celebrated my big 3-0 with girlfriends.

Emily was in town and her birthday falls on the 15th so we celebrated her 31st as well.

{It was a little more low key than last year. ;) }
We of course had to give Jami and Emily a hard time at dinner

as they are practically blog "celebrities" these days.

It was fun to hear some of their crazy stories and I'm always sure to leave

with a sore stomach from laughing so hard after a night out with these two.

My two very dear friends, Allison & Allyson were there and then

the very lovely and talented Jessica was wandering the plaza

and joined us for dinner as well - so fun!

See what I mean?

Celebrity dinner - ha!

Allyson got me the anthro pitcher I've been coveting (so excited!!)

and the nail polish I was admiring on her

and I got some other fun goodies from these thoughtful ladies.

I wanted to do something homemade for emily

so I made her some fun chevron button earrings 

and a ruffle canvas bag I've been wanting to try out.

I have yet to see a chevron fabric with a tiny enough print for earrings

so I decided to make the buttons with a solid kelly green fabric

and then paint the white chevron lines on myself.

It took a bit of time and concentration but really was very simple!

This girl can pretty much rock anything and make it look good though. :)

I really like how this bag turned out too

and will probably be making more as gifts...

and I think I might need one as well to lug around my bible study books! :)

my favorite gift this year.

Sometimes I look at Jia and can't believe God gave me a baby girl.

A beautiful, silly, full of life baby girl.
I'd have to say, she is the best thing I could have asked for this year.

When we got pregnant again and thought we might lose her as well,

we had to have several sonograms due to the large blood mass in my uterus

and not being able to hear her heartbeat sometimes at my checkups.

Anyway, at one {emergency-ish} sonogram, after spotting her pumping little heart right away

we watched her do SOMERSAULTS in my uterus, over and over again.

And Jeff and I looked at each other and laughed a little both thinking the same thing...

Baby boy #3 was on his way.

Nope. Just Jia. Trying to be like her brothers. :)

She karate chopped me just as much, if not more, than they did

throughout the duration of her pregnancy

and I remember thinking...what is this little girl gonna be like...

I also remember thinking, this little girl is strong.
She kinda had the odds against her but she fought for her life and won.
Jemma, my tiny, fragile sweet baby girl that didn't make it.
And Jia, my silly, sassy, CHUBBY baby girl that did.
And she wouldn't be here if Jemma was.
Crazy when you think about life that way.

So here she is,
our little photo shoot from Mother's Day...
I realize its 2 months later but I wanted to make sure to post them. :)
Enjoy her scrumptiousness.

You're welcome. ;)

I have a 6 year old.

At 7:08 am I became the mother of a six year old.

 My little kickapoo.

6 seems so much older than 5.

Maybe its because they stop making toddler sizes at 5T.
He's a big boy now.

Wearing clothes with just a number.

Today Jaymin will wake up almost 800 miles from his mama.

Yesterday he left with his Nana & Papa and 3 cousins for his daddy's old stompin' ground,

Albuquerque, NM.
And to be quite honest,
I wasn't too sad to see him go.
This summer has brought out the inner teenager in him

and has him acting more like 16 instead of 6.

I'm looking forward to the break. :)

With Jaymin preparing to leave town for 2 weeks

this year's theme for his birthday party was SIMPLE.

Oh yeah, and "pool party". :)

I can't believe its taken me 6 years to throw this boy a pool party.

Being born on July 10th, his birthday has been roasting every single year.

A beach towel for a table cloth.

 Shark fin cupcakes.

 A carved watermelon shark, courtesy of my mom. :)

 Sponge ball favors (you've probably seen them on Martha Stewart or Pinterest).

Goldfish crackers, Capri Suns & Swedish fish.

 Easy peasy.

 

 So big.

This is what happens when my sister in law is out of town.
My brother in law uses electrical tape to wrap presents. :)

Pretty sure that's not gonna fit Cass. ;)

Oh hey, I do attend the parties I plan...

What'd'ya know about that?

And yes, this is what I'm doing the entire time.

No, not wearing a bikini. Taking photos.

Some of Jay's besties.

 
And this is what ended the party.

The party that was already rescheduled.

We had some issues come up Saturday morning, the day of the party,

with reservations at the pool so we moved it to Sunday afternoon instead.

And then a storm rolled in...

You know, cause it hadn't rained in Kansas in a month.

Gotta love it. ;)

{photos by me & my mom :) }