Brooke and Matine!

Everyone meet Brooke and Matine!!!  Brooke is a friend from high school and we are getting reacquainted through blogging.  We have discovered kindred spirits with one another and wished we would have really gotten to know each other better then.  Brooke is now living a dream life in Montana with Peter and their new baby, Matine.  Brooke and Matine were in town seeing family and came by to say hi and spend some time with us!  I couldn't resist picking up the camera for a few shots.  Check out Everyday Brooke and Peter here and obsess over their beautiful and simple life...http://brookeandpeter.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Brooke, Kerri and Matine for stopping by to say hi!!!

Grace and Peace.

Baby Moon in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Here is in no particular order some shots from our "baby moon" in Eureka Springs.  We really, really, really enjoyed ourselves.  For the most part we lazied on our porch of the B&B reading, painting, eating...it was glorious.  The weather could not have been more perfect, never above 82 degrees on a July 4th weekend - wow!

This was immediately following our couples massage.  The massage therapy place was just a couple of blocks down the street so we walked.  When we came out of our cozy hour and a half glorious massage heaven, it was raining the most beautiful, summer rain.  We walked back to the B&B barefoot in the rain.  How romantic!!!

Clay did a henna tattoo on my belly on the 4th of July.  For those of you who aren't familiar with henna, it is not forever, it only lasts a couple of weeks, in-fact is already disappeared.

Final design, Henna is used in eastern countries as a blessing on many occasions.  Mom's are tattooed with henna for a blessing of health and happiness before delivery.

Trying for a self-portrait.

Delicious Italian restaurant and my dessert to take back and eat at the b&b.

We ate 3 square meals a day - and I gained 4 pounds in two days!!!

More eating, this was our breakfast brought to the porch on our first morning there! YUM!!!

This is what Clay did with most of his time.

This is what I did with most of my time!

Yum - gourmet Mexican food!

Sitting in the main park down town Eureka.

We took in every moment possible, even getting up early to enjoy our quiet time. It has been almost three years since we had a little weekend to ourselves (one night at homeschool convention doesn't count) and we know it will probably be close to that before we get another one.  It was heaven, but if we are honest we really missed our precious girls a ton.

Grace and Peace.

water play

Call me the in-spurts blogger... here is a little bit of fun at another fun water park.  

Grace and Peace,

Holly

Eden's 2nd birthday!

My precious baby Eden turned two years old today.  Where has time gone?  It was just yesterday that I birthed her into this world.  She was such an unexpected miracle in so many ways.  She is a joy, a laugh, sweetness always when most unexpected.  We celebrated a day early, yesterday evening at the splash park in town with family and a small group of friends.  It was by far the most laid back, no preparation birthday I have ever put on for my kiddos and hands down the most fun!

Clay's sister Aunt Michelle taking a pic of E.

Zinnia's on the birthday table!

At the birthday girl's request, I made a pink ladybug cake.  Her favorite color right now is pink.

This girl LOVES to swing, anytime we pass a park she says, "I swing!"

When did she get so big?  Makes me want to cry.

We have been working for several weeks on getting her to say that she is "two".  But when you ask her hold old she is, her response is, "I'm five," because that is what her sister says.  So I asked her today on the swing before her party started and for the first time, her response was correct and I caught it in a photo!!

Our precious friend Alexa that was born one month before Eden.

Let's get this party started!

Our buddy (and Payton's self chosen future husband) Mason.

She had a blast with friends and family hanging at the water park for her birthday!

Daddy sneaking kisses from his birthday girl.

Anticipating the water drop.

Dishing up Ice cream!

Jo-Jo and Payton.  Kaytie Jo our roommate/sister at heart has officially move out from our nest.  She is greatly missed in our home, but is so sweet to come by and spend time with us during the week. (It helps that we have a washer and dryer she can use for free.:)

Opening birthday gifts with Momma.

The day (Saturday, June 20th).  We snuggled in bed with our birthday girl and shared many giggles as the sun came up.  Then continued our morning at Starbuck's (yes, one of her favorite breakfast places), Utica Square for a nice morning stroll, a visit to one of our favorite stores Eco Baby, a visit to the aquarium, lunch at Riverwalk and a splash in the fountain!  All before naptime at 2:30ish.

A trip to the aquarium at Eden's request to see the "fishies".

Heading to Riverwalk for some Asain food and splashing in the fountains.

Huge soggy diaper!

Pure Joy!

I am so blessed to have a happy and precious family.  Thank you Eden Grace for bringing more joy than we could imagine into our family.

I love you!

Grace and Peace,

Holly

Garden Treasures

Can I just tell you I am proud of our garden this year.  It is lush and beautiful beyond my expectation.  I honestly didn't know if we had it in us to do such an undertaking this season with me being pregnant and all.  But we have and it has been such a joy.  Every morning as the girls go out and feed the animals I take a stroll around the garden, talking to each little plant as though it can hear me coaching it to grow!  It is actually so good for me on many levels to be in the garden right now.  It feeds my soul and also allows me to do some deep squatting in preparation for the arrival of our sweet baby boy.  I have high hopes this season to preserve a ton of the harvest for winter instead of gobbling it all up in season.  So soon, before baby boy Colin gets here I will be doing some serious, pickling, freezing, dehydrating and more.

Here are some shots of the garden this past week.

Squash and Zuch's.

Strawberries and Black Diamond Watermelon!

Yum, tomatoes!

Okra, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers.

Big view

My precious zinnias that I wait for all season! Our home is swarming with cut flowers this time of the year, I just can't resist taking them in and viewing them as well.

Grace and Peace,

Holly

Girl's trip to IKEA!!!!

Oh man we had a blast.  It was a quick 24 hours, eight were spent in the car driving and another nine were spent inside the walls of the beloved IKEA!!!!!!

This is what 4 women can load up in the back of a mini van.  We would have strapped it to the top as well if I knew Clay wouldn't have killed me.

This is poor claustrophobic Megan in one of the side seats on the ride home.

Sweet Kaytie Jo surrounded by all of her new apartment furnishings!

Headed home.  Notice Megan peaking out above my head.

Four girls, 6 carts, $2000 = priceless fun.

The second trip around the store, they had to push me in a wheelchair or Colin Michael was going to make his way into the world early and on an IKEA couch.  I still had to push my own cart however. :)

YUM!!!! The other reason to go to IKEA - Swedish Meatballs!!

Breakfast at Starbuck's headed for IKEA.

The beginning of our trip.  It was a late night trip to Braum's in Durant, OK.  It was the fanciest Braum's we had ever been in!  Oh my we had such a wonderful time, and can't wait to return!!!

Thank you girlfriends.

Grace and Peace,

Holly

month in pics backwards!

Here are a couple of events we have enjoyed over the past month or so...

Storytime at the park eating fresh peaches - yum!

Waiting for the storyteller.

Silliness.

This was officially a month ago.  So imagine me four weeks larger!

Hanging out around the chimneia (sp?) after Gigi's (my mom) birthday dinner. 

Gigi and her girls at the celebration.  Payton is wearing some goofy hat that came with this "dress up" outfit that my mom brought her.

Many trips to the park.  The girls enjoyed writing Daddy a message in the mud and sending him a picture at work.

Watching ducks.

Oh yea, here are the newest girls in our home!! This is Charolette, she is a favorite, one of the ones we call the old ladies.

Here Eden and Payton are standing in the chick's coop holding them.  They are much bigger now and are out with the old ladies and teenagers.  But they are like little pets to E & P, they just get their chicken poop boots on in the morning and run out to play with the chickens.

Payton is holding another one here that is a favorite.  Her name is Sugar.  

Mother's day morning! Look at that sweetness.  Five official years of being a momma.

The kids got me a Borders gift card and a free night of browsing all by myself!

Payton at the last homeschool coop day.  They were studying Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.  So they painted laying on their backs to get the whole experience .

Me at our first homeschool convention.  We LOVED it!  We went book crazy!  This was one of our favorites, "Backyard Homestead".  

Breakfast at the hotel the morning of the homeschool convention.  Delicious!

Clay is still not quite awake this early in the morning...need some coffee.

Our room, or at least our bed.  This was our first night away in another town in over two years!  It was wonderful...we thought about getting out on the town, but instead we 

 watched Cable (we don't have cable at home) and ate a pint of Ha-agendas ice cream!

Grace and Peace,

Holly