eat your heart out, instagram

my dad discovered a new hobby that has blessed us all.  he has been converting thousands of old family slides into digital pictures.  i had never seen them before and it has been so fun to get a peek into my parents dating years, early marriage and young parenting days.  

the quality of these pictures is fun because in their true form they seem to be exactly what we now try to replicate with filters.

i will start with my adorable parents.  going through these slides gave me a big kick in the pants to get out of my workout pants.  my mom had the cutest fashion sense and i would like my kids to have some memory of me in something other than an oversized sweatshirt and a pony tail.  her pictures are my inspiration.  

early parenting days with anne.  

this picture of me looks just like caroline

i spent my childhood on this swing and at the old swimming hole in the following pictures.   we swam away our summers. 

another picture where i look strikingly like caroline.  

by the time sarah came around, slides were on the way out.   there are not as many pics of the five of us in this particular collection.  

 pictures like this always cause a pause and a sigh. 

thankful for my dad who was great at getting creative "capture the moment" shots before it was popular.  

valentine's day books

for valentines day i always pick out new books for each girl and write love letters on the inside cover.  there was always the intention that ben would participate but it never quite happened.

this year, it was his turn.  he set off to the book store and i bit my tongue so i would have no control over what he would choose.   he poured over all the options and thought carefully about each girl.

his choices were so fabulous i had to share.  

kinsley was the toughest because she is reading chapter books but would also probably still love a picture book.   he choose this about a little girl wanting some independence.  (and i love all the teachable concepts about government).  

this one was perfect for hallie.  it is a funny book and while i would never never never have picked it out i am glad it is part of our collection.  the girls love it.

and, he discovered my new favorite books for caroline.  i had never heard of this so i am thrilled he found it.   it is imaginative, playful and interactive.  i highly recommend it for toddlers (but the older girls like it too).   

colorado

we just returned from a much needed trip to colorado.  i soaked up time with family along with friend visits sprinkled throughout.  

we left ben behind as we started off our travels.  

it was good to be home.


cousin time was priceless.  


driving around mimi and papa's house

cousins plus technology equals quiet cuteness


kinsley has always loved snow.  we have barely seen a flake since we've lived in NC so she set up camp on this tiny pile.  


cousins (best friends).   see the following 2 pictures for further proof.  

exhibit a:  same sleep habits.   

exhibit b:  holding hands while sleeping

sarah and brennan moved in with my parents while i was there.  she made me oreo balls.  worth repeating:  she made me oreo balls.  

(sarah, i will delete this if you want).  she is 34 weeks pregnant and dealt with terrible back pain.  my time with her wouldn't be best captured without showing her on the floor.   

how cute are gabe and papa doing some homework?

how cute are brennan's pigtails?

ford and caroline were little buddies.  

best friends reunited!  i got 2 amazing dates with kari.   one with kids and one without.   we didn't skip a beat and neither did our kids.  

a night with amy d was also priceless.  so much history.  

and i finally, finally got to meet baby tatum.  #ashleyandamyforever

a long day of travel equaled caroline sleeping the final 30 minutes of the flight.   i rarely get to hold her sleeping so this was such a sweet time for me.  

 we were ready and thankful to be together with ben.   and extra thankful that he built me a barn door while we were away.