and THIS is why I'm so in love with little houses!

Our first home wasn't big by any means but it was super tall and we were all spread out. The lofted area was where the girls playroom was while the kitchen, dinning room and living room where I worked were on the main level. The bedrooms were upstairs together but not facing each other so even though the girls were in the room next to us we were never connected.

The first thing I noticed after a week of being in this house was how connected my family felt. We have two levels again but the basement is the basement, mostly storage even though technically there's bedroom and bathroom down there, laundry too. We all spend all of our time upstairs and in the yard. The girls bedroom is right across the hall from us and when I finally go to bed I see them, sleeping in their beds. We have conversations with each other at night from our beds. It's amazing. When they play, they bring their toys from room to room but it's all cozy and connected. When I work (from my dinning room table) I'm right in the living room too, I can see the kitchen and hear the girls playing, even if they're a back room.

Something about little houses. Everything I always wanted in a small simple space. This is all I ever want.

urban camping!

happy 4th of july!!!!

We have had an awesome 4th of july! We went to Richfield's parade (seriously the girls first parade) and they LOVED it......filled backpacks with candy, I had no idea they gave out so much! It was hot but fun.


The girls and Royce and I played in the sprinkler and snugged inside the house. We had a busy 3rd of july!

Amy, Uncle Chad, Amelia, Haley and one of their friends came with us to the bloomington fireworks on the 3rd. We had a fire and bbq before hand. It was a blast!! We are all planning on a new tradition of this every year. Amy snapped a few pictures (below). Rasa thought the fireworks were "magic" and Adia loved Mimi's smore's snack mix and mini donuts and of course the show. The girls insisted on wearing their princess dresses and they danced in the park almost the entire time. It was SO.MUCH.FUN.

Summer Solstice 2013

back in action!

Rasa was in the ER with croup on Sunday night/Monday morning. Adia was in urgent care Monday night and diagnosed with pneumonia (again).

Two days later they are back in action with more energy than they had before! Nana came down today to get them out of my hair so I could get some work done and rest (summer cold) and even with a trip to the pool couldn't wear them out!

my goofs!

After the girls go to bed (around 8:30 every night now) they stay up in their room, each of them facing each other at the end of their beds) and they talk, sing and goof around for about 45 minutes before they fall asleep. Royce and I finally get some time to relax and enjoy each others company before we go to sleep at night and I love it, I really do. Every single night, even though it's always unplanned, we talk about the girls. They are so cool. I tell him things they said and did that day while he was at work and he tells me things they said and did while he was playing with them after dinner. It's funny because the newness of having children has sort of worn off. We feel like even though half the time we still don't always know what we're doing, we know THEM well. We don't have that hard time fathoming that we are parents and they are actually our own kids like we did in the early days. It's cool. Even cooler is that feeling of being overwhelmed with love for them remains the same, and I'm sure it always will.

Knowing who they are now it's even more exciting as we wonder, what will they "be". What things will excite them. What will they do.

"summer"

Last year at this time we were roasting in the sun hanging out at the community pool everyday....enjoying and loving every minute of it. This spring has SUCKED weather wise! Today I was bound and determined to spend the day outside because it's the first day in a long time that it has been dry. Even though it was 59 degrees we decided to walk Richfield's finest Penn Ave and take in a couple playgrounds before heading to Cone Brothers for some homemade ice cream. The girls and I have fun and you know what? It did actually feel like summer.
Happy Weekend!