life lately // july

Here we are, in the middle of summer. Crazy, huh?

Well, July is one of my favorite months because summer is in full-swing and we get to celebrate my favorite holiday - Independence Day. I did a whole post about that already, but we had a pretty quiet and simple 4th, spending some time hiking with our little family, and then enjoying the big booms at the fireworks show. Perhaps that's one reason it's my favorite - it's festive and fun yet a pretty simple holiday to celebrate :)

We are slowly yet surely making progress on our house. Sawyer and Aspen's shared room is just about done - you can't see it in the photo, but I need to hem the curtains. I got them a little shelf to put all the legos on - gotta keep them away from Hazel! She is our child who likes to find everything she is not supposed to and try to eat it, climb it, put her finger in it...etc. You get the idea. So the only "dangerous" small toys we have are Sawyer's legos, and he has to play with them in his room with the door closed to keep her safe. He spends hours in there, building. He LOVES his legos!

Below you can get an idea of how the living space is starting to be transformed. I primed and painted the ceilings and walls - and to get rid of the lego-inspired blue and green that the previous owner had in the living/dining area - it took a few coats of primer and then I always like to do two coats of paint. We used Benjamin Moore Aura in Grey Cashmere, lightened by 25%. It's a soft, cool, gray with a hint of sea foamy blue/green. It's really amazing how paint can transform the feel of a home! We also still need to hire our contractor to fix the wires sticking out of the wall. The previous owner had all these fancy speakers and surround sound and a tv there. But we don't even own a tv and don't want one there, so we are going to have to pay the contractor to essentially "hide" them and repair the wall - the idea being that while perhaps we don't want to utilize the set up, perhaps down the road when we sell the place, someone else would enjoy the set up. But a pain we have to pay to fix it, huh? Homeownership is certainly not cheap! We will eventually finish the wainscoting in the dining room and hallway with board and batten (though I'm still kinda on the fence for the kitchen as I think bead board would also compliment our farm kitchen sink...but we'll see when we get there!)

And...just day to day stuff. You would have no idea from this cute picture of Aspen all dolled up for church that an hour later she would "toss cookies" all over Jacob during church (I was already at home with Hazel who had a fever) - and one by one within hours every one of our family had flu symptoms! In a bad way! It was HORRIBLE. It's one thing for the kids to get sick - but BOTH parents, too? It was a nightmare! Thank goodness it only lasted a bit more than a day. Maybe food poisoning? Whatever it was, it was ugly and we hope we don't see it again for a very long time! 

Our kids love to do art work. Especially Sawyer, who is actually pretty amazing for his age. See the fox he water colored below? I don't think I could do such a cute fox! He had his 5 year check up a week or two ago and the pediatrician was kinda blown away by his artistic ability. Besides his legos, it's another thing he will sit for hours and do - draw and paint. And besides that, if we're not outside doing something, he and Aspen stick together like glue and play hours and hours of pretend together. It's so fun, I love it! I also love to listen to all the things they imagine and pretend - sometimes HILARIOUS! I no there's no guarantee siblings will be the best of friends, but wow do I feel grateful that they are best buds.

Jacob and I both got new "callings" at church. Our church does not have a local paid ministry, so members of the congregation are asked to help out in order to help things run. The hope is that by sacrificing and serving you will learn, grow, and be blessed. We need all the blessings we can get, so we said "yes" to - Jacob serving in the Young Men's Presidency. There is a President and 2 "counselors" that work with the boys from 12-18 years of age. He is specifically assigned to work with the 12-14 year old boys - and also support them in the Boy Scout program - so he went to Scout Camp for a few days. Our family loves to camp - but camping when the nightly low is 90 degrees? Yikes! Kinda uncomfortable. But he did it! And with a good attitude like he does everything. I have no doubt my wonderful husband will be a blessing to those young guys. I said "yes" to working with younger girls (10-11 year olds) doing the Activity Days program. So twice a month I will get to host the girls and come up with some activities that help support them in their goals related to  Faith in God program. I am looking forward to it, as I do love planning activities and in all honesty it will be fun to socialize with these young girls (perhaps future babysitters?!)

We had a couple days of pouring rain, which we needed. Before it started raining, one evening, the temperature dipped down to the high 70s. You have to know it doesn't really cool off here at night, so it was quite a treat. We went outside and let the kids run around, and played a little soccer and tag before bedtime. It was so refreshing!

Otherwise, we are doing our best to enjoy the summer heat! It really isn't as bad as everyone made it out to be (though I hear it's been a "mild" spring and summer comparatively) I think as long as you enjoy heat, you will enjoy summer. If not though, you might wilt and melt! But we have a neighborhood pool within a couple blocks from our house, and we also joined the ymca, so hit up their pool often as well - it's like a mini water park with slides and fun splash pads, and all sorts of fun water features, perfect for families! There's also a lot of city parks that have pools that are way fun. So, as long as you've got A/C and access to a swimming pool - it's great!

Lots of general silliness happens at our house. Sawyer is 5 now, and it just seems like he's getting more grown up. Like over night. He has a fun little sense of humor and says "Mom, I love you so much" repeatedly each day. He does his fair share of trouble making, too. But he really is a good kid with a great heart. It makes me laugh how much he adores wearing his pajamas - he recently got a few new pairs, and he is always so excited to wear them! He and Aspen also LOVE to say prayers and we often have to sit through TWO prayers at meal time because if only one says one, the other is quite upset. And their prayers are so sweet and sincere - blessing friends or acquaintances who are sick or injured, blessing all of the animals and the sea creatures, etc. It's fantastic! Hazel has even learned how to clasp he little hands together during prayers, it's very sweet.

Speaking of Hazel, she also had her one year check up a couple of weeks back (one bonus of her and her brother's birthdays being 4 days apart - they get to share dr. check ups!) She is a whopping 17 pounds now. Whopping is of course a joke - she's super tiny and petite, yet also super strong. She is a cutie! She is also a trouble maker, and she does it with the best little grin! It's both kinda cute and drives me insane that she wants to crawl into the fireplace and sit there. I finally blocked it off with a huge bean bag and some chairs. She loves finding little spots to squeeze into and sit. Anyway, she is a sweetheart and quite the adventuresome little lady!

We got a little bit of a surprise when we found out Aunt Tia wasn't just coming to visit - she wanted to move to Austin, too! So, she arrived a few days ago and is currently searching for a job. She'll be staying with us for a few weeks while she tries to get things arranged and settled. The kids absolutely love having someone around who doesn't have to patrol clean up time or meal time. (ha ha! The bonus of being the Auntie instead of the parent!) We took her to ice-cream and to our churches pool party over the weekend. We are thinking this weekend we need to all go and see the Bats under the Congress St. Bridge. It's been fun having her here! We hope she finds what she's looking for and gets settled and adjusted soon. One of her first observations made me laugh: It's HOT!

Oh, I can't forget to mention how Hazel was quite confused to see someone who looks and sounds so much like her Mama, but isn't. She was very quiet at first and kinda gave Tia a stare down. But she's warming up more and getting noisier by the minute ;) It must be confusing to a baby for their Mama to have an identical twin sister! 

I like to take the kids on little "adventures". I need it every bit as much as they do. I love it when in the morning they ask me, "so, mom - are we going to have an adventure today?" Some days we have to do regular things like laundry or grocery shopping, but I try to just let things slide at least once a week so we can dedicated some time just to each other and exploring together. It really is fuel for all of the other tasks we have to keep up with. I love my little ones SO much (and their Daddy, too! I wish he could join us on more adventures, but someone has to make sure we pay the mortgage, right?) They truly are my everything. Sometimes I get the feeling that at-home-moms are sometimes looked down on as if they don't have aspirations or ambitions. But my biggest aspiration was to be a wife and a mother. I guess I'll have to figure out sometime to do when they're all grown up that is inspiring and good for my soul, but honestly - though for sure probably the toughest job in the world  (but also the best!) motherhood and my babies are my everything. They are even more than I hoped for and dreamed of! Sometimes I look at them and I can't believe they're mine. What sweet souls!

And speaking of sweet souls, one of them is waking up now...so time to sign off!

July has been a fun, yet very crazy month. (I will shout for joy when we have a "boring" or average month without so much craziness!) In utmost honesty, it was also a VERY hard month for me. But slowly, we trudge forward, onward ho, praying for hope and faith - and lots of love - to guide us. 

Next month we look forward to lots of traveling! And my mom has begged me to keep this blog a-goin', so I will give it some thought. Perhaps I can stick with these monthly happenings posts - at least it's a good way to see what we're up to.

Hugs and prayers to those who need them!!

xo

tysha

Wonders of Nature // Walnut Creek

Never mind the nearly 100 degrees this morning, my soul was in search of an adventure. A little exploration and encounter with nature is a balm for my soul, and I have really been in need of some balm as of late. Of course, my kids delight in the outdoors, too. So heading out for an adventure was a win-win situation for all of us. It always is! Being outside with the sun shining on our shoulders, in our most simple ways, is our happy place, you could say. Some ladies love lipstick. Me - not so much. I love myself the most when I am at my most raw, and natural state. No make-up. No tall shoes. Hair un "did". And I suppose that's a very good thing because if I was all "done" up in this hot and humid summer weather - everything would be melting, curling, and generally just not very becoming. Anyway...we packed up a picnic and headed out this morning...and I even brought "Annie" (my big camera). We had such a wonderful time!

So...when you're feeling down - what is the balm for your soul? 

Wonders of Nature // Lake Georgetown

It's a little tradition we have created in our family, to go hiking on Independence Day. There's nothing we enjoy more than being together as a family in the midst of nature's grandeur. And taking a bit of time to contemplate the blessing of living on American Soil, is a great way to spend part of the day we celebrate our Independence.

I'm not going to lie, though. The Pacific Northwest has probably spoiled me for life. Mother Nature really rolled out a gem in the landscape there - so sometimes other locations pale in comparison. Especially since (finally) the past couple of weeks I've really REALLY been missing the PNW. But, I was determined to find a little bit of nature to enjoy in our new homeland, and make the most of it. One day while driving home from the Farmer's Market in a neighboring town, I spotted a lake with some rolling hills (we live on the edge of the Hill Country) and I knew it was the place! So, that's where we went - Lake Georgetown. 

There's quite a few different trails and some go down by the water, and some just circle around the lake - 26 miles. We knew we were hiking more for time than distance with three littles, so we hopped on the nearest trail and started...hiking. (I also joke that there's really no such thing as hiking in Texas...at least not the kind I'm used to) So, we hiked amid the gnarly oaks and cedars, on a rough, rocky trail, for a good 3 hours. The kids did amazing - what great little troupers!

Sawyer was SO excited about the 4th this year. He took great care in selecting his outfit for the day and made sure he got some red, white, and blue. He was the "leader" of the hike for the majority of the few miles we covered. Proud of him. He didn't complain once, except for right before we left the house when I made him wear actual shoes and socks in stead of flip flops for hiking. He is so my boy in that regard (dislike wearing shoes!)

This little lady did great, too. She is of course a bit littler and on the way back she said he feet were getting tired. So, I held her hand as we walked along and we started singing a bunch of funny songs. "The Ants Go Marching" "B-I-N-G-O" "There was an old woman who swallowed a Fly" etc. basically, I wanted to keep her mind off her tired feet - and it worked! Such a joy, this little girl is - always positive and happy. Love her!

This lil' darlin' - she is all smiles. She went without a nap all day long - and didn't get to bed until about eleven with all of the fireworks and fun in the evening. But she just smiles and goes with the flow. She may not sleep through the night, but she makes up for it in her easy going, fun, spunky, easy-going ways. She is a little adventurer! Always trying to keep up with the bigger kids.

A little peek at the lake. 

Mother Nature provides the very best toys.

After our hike, we went home and prepared a Fourth of July feast - bbq burgers, watermelon-lemonade, baked beans, etc. We spent a little too much time on the trail and I didn't have time to get our apple pie done before we needed to head out to the fireworks show - so I'll finish it today and enjoy it tonight. After dinner, we scooped the kids up and piled in the car and went to the local fireworks. They actually had stuff going on all day long - big bounce houses, food, live music, games etc. There were a ton of people there, but it wasn't hard at all to find a great seat. We listened/danced to the live music while we waited for it to get dark enough for the show. I brought the kids some glow in the dark bracelets and that kept them entertained until the show started. It was such a great show! Silence fell over the crowd as the big BOOM BOOMS started lighting up the sky. The 4th is my favorite holiday. I love how simple it is, yet so festive and fun, too. I loved looking at the faces of my little loves as the sky exploded with color. And I loved scooting closer to the man I adore, and wrapping an arm around him while holding our baby in the other, while taking it all in. 

I hope you all had a marvelous and memorable 4th. What a wonderful celebration!

life lately // march

March, already over with? Where is the time going!?! Well, with March comes SXSW to ATX! Jacob's office is so close to the middle of it all - no other live music festival like this in the world! The interactive part is supposed to be pretty cool, too. Aspen, our little hipster :) She seriously fits right in here!

We enjoyed several beautiful outings for Nature School this month, and were delighted to see the BlueBonnets blooming. I thought about getting pics of the kids in a field of them...but haven't had the time. We were too busy exploring near the river and running along tree covered trails to sit still for more than just a quick little picnic. One of these days...

I will stop saying it and making those who still have freezing temps and snow have feelings of jealousy....but this is one reason we moved here! LOVING the sunshine and warm temps! Maybe by summer's end we'll be sick of hittin' up the pool, but for now we are still lovin' every minute of it! Oh, and don't forget the sunscreen...and cute little rompers are the must-have wardrobe staple of every baby girl in the Texas heat :)

I started working on a couple of projects - first, Hazel's high chair. It's an old wooden spindle Jenny Lind style I found on Craigslist months ago. AND getting a head-start on party prep for two upcoming birthdays! Am I silly to start planning the party 3 months in advance? Maybe! But I've got two back to back, so I figure if I do a little here and there it won't be stressful, but more enjoyable. The kids love to help me with my little projects - especially related to celebrating birthdays! I'm doing a carousel cake for Hazel - so got a bunch of inexpensive plastic horses to paint and cut some pretty straws in half - hoping to make a little carousel on top of her cake...I hope it turns out, because it's super cute in my head :)

Hazel has left most purees in the dust - she is a huge fan of finger food and we've been doing Baby Led Weaning (NOT weaning off of breastmilk, just giving her real foods instead of "baby" foods so she can develop her palette and become an independent eater sooner rather than later). One morning after reading Fancy Nancy Tea Parties we threw together our own impromptu tea party al fresco! It was lots of fun! And bath time is ALWAYS a blast at our house. Littlest sis loves it just as much (if not more) than her older sibs.

Easter! Pretty Ranunculus adorned our Easter table, yet we were untraditional this year and BBQ'd. It was warm outside! Watermelon seemed more appropriate than ham :) The kids had a blast decorating eggs and hustling to grab some candy-filled eggs at our church's Egg Hunt. Holidays are just so much fun with kiddos around!