life lately // spring has sprung

We had a busy spring, with all the "normals" of life with four small children. In addition, we were able to enjoy Sawyer's first spring break, as well as a break of our own as we took our gang to enjoy Florida's Emerald Coast, with a stop in New Orleans as well. We had visits from both of our parents, one set from Utah, the other set from Oregon. Time just doesn't seem to slow down, does it?

1. baby toes are so tasty
2. looking for dinosaur tracks in the san gabriel river
3. little foot/big foot - we found acrocanthosaurus tracks in the riverbed, pretty amazing
4. taking barbie and her friends for a dip in the river at doe skin ranch
5. sweet view as I was hiking with hudson in the ergo
6. reading together on a sunny spring morning
7. make a wish, little one
8. picking out flowers for our hanging baskets with one of my favorite girls in our matching saltwaters
9. enjoying the warm weather and showing my littles how fun it is to turn cartwheels through the sprinklers
10. a little messy?
11. a few of our favorite easter treasures
12. a little afternoon painting, always a favorite
13. his first time going down the slide at our neighborhood playground
14. boys and trees, always irresistible 
15. learning about paris in our homeschool studies
16. aspen's eiffel tower, made with wafers and peanut butter, which we proceeded to eat right up
17. baby's first time at the beach
18. our kids' first time in a real toy store, and such a darling one
19. cutest post office I ever did see (seaside, florida)
20. studying and admiring 
21. I think his blue eyes are here to stay
22. backyard still life
23. on the fairy trail at the botanical gardens
24. my little artist painting a giant squid
25. another water baby - he loves the water
26. ready to swing our way into summer

Hudson at 7 months

This one's a little blurry because this SEVEN month old just can't hold still! He kept laughing and trying to lunge forward to crawl off the sofa, so I had to snap quick and grab him! Yes, Hudson, he's a busy one! He has 3 teeth on the bottom now, has mastered the crawl, still drools a lot through his happy, contagious smiles, chews on everything, and this past week has started pulling himself up to stand! He's still wobbly, and quite chubby - which makes for a dangerous fall here and there. He loves finger foods these days - watermelon, peaches, avocado, and bananas are some faves. He's hit and miss with his water in his sippy cup, but getting there. He also takes baths like a big boy now, sitting up in the tub with a sibling...or two...or three. Overall, he's just a happy, easy going little guy, and I love his peaceful nature and the joy he brings to our oft-crazy circus. I could squeeze him all the live-long day (and often do!) and oh! His cheeks! And rolls! Ah, he's growing so fast. I have mixed feelings about that, but mostly, I just love watching him learn and grow and his enthusiasm for the simplest things many of us take for granted. A lucky boy to be loved so well!

Explore // Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

We like to feel a sea breeze in our hair, the sand between our toes, and chase the frothy waves of the ocean at least once a year. For our family vacation this year, we decided to go explore the beaches along Florida's "Emerald Coast" - and it was just dreamy!

It took us about 12 hours to drive to Florida, and as we're still pretty new to the South, it was fun driving through several states we had never seen before - Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. After eating some southern seafood for dinner in Lake Charles, we stopped in Baton Rouge for the night on the way there. 

We camped at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, and we were quite impressed with the amenities! It was quiet and clean, and on site they had a heated swimming pool, laundry facilities, clean bathrooms/showers, a shuttle that took you down to the beach, and back, on the hour, not to mention a place you could rent bikes, canoes, fishing equipment, etc. It was lovely. 

We originally thought of going to Destin, but once we started doing a little more research, we were drawn to the beaches along 30A. We had so much fun at Santa Rosa Beach, but also explored some of the cute little beach towns nearby. Alys Beach and Seaside were really fun to explore. We completely fell in love with the area.

The natural beauty of the beaches and scenery along 30A really took our breath away! The sand was as white as sugar, and the sea was a deep and gorgeous blue-green. The water was so clear, too! It was just so so beautiful! It is very fitting that they call it the emerald coast :)

We had a great time, and on our way home, decided to spend a couple of days exploring New Orleans. It was almost like two vacations rolled into one. I'll do a separate post about our little stay in New Orleans. 

Oh, Santa Rosa Beach - so dreamy! We look forward to visiting again!