Stir Crazy

We almost went stir crazy yesterday.  We started to...but then we all had an attitude adjustment and decided to make the best of a dreary day.  How often do we get away, just us, to enjoy a weekend?  Although, it is difficult to entertain a one year old for hours indoors, we weren't going to let a little rain ruin our time together.

We would have loved to have been out there...

but we decided to have a great day inside.

So, William built a fire.  Bloody Mary in hand.

Wills and I enjoyed the fire.

I wore these shoes, and didn't change, all. day. long.

We did a lot of reading.

His, Hers. and Baby drinks for the day.

We caught up on our kisses.

Played a few hands of gin rummy.

Wills stacked and re-stacked all of my mom's measuring cups in his chair.

The rain outside didn't stop the music inside.  We had a day full of Zac Brown, John Mayer, and my new favorite, Avett Brothers.

"True love is not the kind of thing you should turn down.  Don't ever turn it down," because it makes for days like these, spent inside, while the rain pours outside, being silly, dancing in your slippers, with the ones you love.

Loving the Waterfront

I had another weekend of cozy fires, lounging in leggings, delicious seafood, and a great book.  Plus, this weekend I had both of my boys in Beaufort!

We took Wills to play at the Waterfront park.

He loved all of it, except the pictures that mom was desperately trying to take.

I think I am snapping here, trying to get his attention.  We gave up getting him to look or smile.

Despite his face, he was awed by the boats, the big kids playing football, and the breeze blowing the leaves. The simple things make him happy.

Beaufort

Wills and I decided to head to Beaufort, last minute, to spend the weekend with my parents.  William was going to be working on our house, and we didn't want to get in the way, so we headed to the Lowcountry.

It was a quick, wonderful few days away, full of a weekend long toasty fire, too much red wine, an adventure to the Heritage Festival, crab bisque, an afternoon nap, a great idea of a morning jog and yoga practice that never happened, and a delicious dinner of fresh red fish (swimming yesterday), butternut squash stuffed ravioli with Italian brown butter sage sauce, and a warm goat cheese salad.  I wish I could take credit, but that belongs to my dad, the fisherman, Sissy, the inspiration behind the meal, and my mom, the sous chef, table setter and cheerleader.  I'm not sure what I did.  I guess I recorded the evening with pictures, sliced the lemons, and watched the Dawgs.  Oops.  Not much help.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the fish.  It was simple and delicious, lightly breaded and sauteed in olive oil and lemon juice, I believe.

Sissy, my dad's cousin, often visits my parents in Beaufort; she is a 55 year veteran teacher at EDS, was my dad's Kindergarten teacher, and is a very creative and great cook.

As I was slicing lemons for my one part of the meal, I was inquiring about the desired width of each wedge of lemon and commented to my dad, "although this cooking thing is a hobby, I'm not quite good at it, right, dad?"
"Right."
Seriously?  It was a rhetorical question; hopefully, he just wasn't paying attention. :)

The night was complete with a few hands of gin rummy, discussing our latest reads, writing our Christmas lists, and flipping through beautiful cookbooks trying to decide what to bring to Thanksgiving at the farm.

Cheers to a perfect evening in a perfect place.  I can't wait to be back next weekend with William.

What I'm Loving...

What I'm Loving...

Fall and all it encompasses - GA football, playing outside, red wine, and warm fires.

Watching the progress of my new home.  Although it is taking longer than we expected, I am choosing to find the positives in the process:  Wills and I get to ride by our house and usually see William at some point during his work day; we are getting to spend major quality time with my parents when they aren't in Beaufort (and earlier in the year with my sister and Tony); I am getting better and quicker at making decisions; perspective is becoming easier to gain - I mean in the end, does it really matter if our interior columns are full floor to ceiling brick or if the exterior windows are more to the left or to the right of the wall of the new edition; The fact that my husband saw this house in its current state and had the vision he had for it and our family is remarkable.  I could not be more proud of him and genuinely amazed by his talents.  I know he's a builder and always has been, but I have finally gotten to see him in action, doing what he does best, making decisions, juggling moving parts, keeping me happy, and working within the confines of an existing structure to create a home we love. It's impressive and kind of hot! :)

The Happiness Project - I just started reading this, and I love the philosophy behind the writing.  Gretchen's 12 commandments are very relate-able, and I am enjoying focusing on "Acting the way I want to feel," and, in the end, "There is only love."  How powerful!  I am looking forward to the rest of this read.

Pumpkin!  - I hate that I didn't get around to posting more about Wills' first birthday (by the way, he was 26.3 lbs and 32 inches long at his year appointment and walked two days after his birthday) but I did make his cupcakes for his actual birthday.  They were pumpkin spice from the Southern Living Christmas cookbook, and he loved them.

My new goals as a writer - I will spare you the details, in an attempt not to disappoint, but look out, I'm feeling inspired...or is it my morning coffee and this salty air in Beaufort?  Who knows?  Only time will tell.

Yoga and my new studio - more on that in a following post.

And, of course, as always, enjoying my little family.

See you tomorrow, little blog.  Same time; same place; same coffee. :)

Choo Choo!

Wills' first birthday party was on Sunday!  Needless to say, it was fun to plan and then went by way too fast!  Huge thanks to everyone who helped me put this night together and everyone who came to help us celebrate!  I will let the pictures tell the story.  All Aboard...

Dear Wills

Dear Wills,

A year ago, tomorrow, your dad and I left our home as a family of two. We headed to the hospital, excited, nervous and eager to meet our little boy. I daydreamed about your smile and your eyes, your personality, and the sound of your cry for nine months, and I couldn’t wait to get to know you.

After a very long day and night, you were born at 10:21 pm, weighing 7 lbs. 14 ounces and measuring 20 ¾ inches long. You were perfect. As I held you in my arms, with tears in my eyes, I thanked God over and over for the moment and for you. We took you home on September 27th and began our life as a family of three.

A year has gone by, and although it feels quick, I’ve held on and savored so many memories. Watching you grow and change from a squirmy, squishy baby to a sweet, funny little boy has been the highlight of my 28 years. Each new month has brought more “firsts,” more laughs, and more challenges. But every memory, from spending time at Land’s End, celebrating your first Christmas, and even the simplicity of bath time, and watching you play with Finn, has brought us so much joy.

You are a sweet, friendly little boy. You smile and wave at everyone that passes by. You give big, open mouth kisses and hug so tightly. You reach out for toothless strangers, crawl towards big dogs, and never look back at Mother’s Day Out. You wave and scream out at the Saint Mary's students as they walk down the side walk to chapel.  You see the world without judgment and love every one you meet. You teach and show your Mommy this every day.

You are a happy little boy. You barely ever shed a tear. Your teachers at Mother’s Day Out ask if you ever cry. You don’t. The second you hear a beat of music, you begin to dance. Regardless of being hungry, with a wet diaper, or tired, you dance. I hope this never changes.

You are a simple, grateful little boy. You see beauty and find joy in swinging on the front steps, playing with Tupperware, loving on Finn, going for walks, and sharing afternoon snacks.

You are a curious little boy.  You strain your neck and eyes to see new people in the grocery store.  You turn completely around in your high chair to stare at others in restaurants.  If you hear a noise in another room, you race in there to see what's going on.  Some may call it nosy.  But, we love this about you and love watching you learn and discover the world around you.

You are a big and strong boy. You are bigger than your peers and already stronger than you realize. I hope you always stand tall, hold your head high, and stay strong in your beliefs. When you fall or bump your head, you get right back up; you keep right on moving. Keep getting up, sweet boy; never stay down.

You are a funny little boy. You laugh when we chase you and when we play peek-a-boo. You mimic our noises and do a great monster impression (Maddie taught you this.) You make silly little faces and show off all your “tricks.” You have a sweet little excited giggle when we ask you if you want some milk, and you squeal in delight when we come get you in the morning. You probably won’t always squeal in delight when it’s morning and time to get up, so for now, I’ll cherish it. :)

You are a fearless little boy. You crawl fast and hard. You head for stairs, dunk your head in the bath tub and pool, climb on top of anything, slam the drawers and cabinets only to move your fingers at the last second, stand up in the bath tub (even though you’re not supposed to), and drop food over your high chair knowing your hand will be popped. Although I’m sure at times I will worry, I hope you live unafraid of change, chasing big dreams, and taking risks (small ones, please.)

You are a perfect sign of God’s love for us, and we can’t thank Him enough for choosing us to be your parents. You are loved, sweet boy, by so many. And although today brings emotions and a few tears for your Mommy, most of all, it brings gratitude and excitement in getting to watch you grow and in seeing what the next year has in store for us. I hope you enjoy your birthday!

I love you, Wills.

Love, Mom