Marshmallows and Boots

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." ~L.M. Montgomery

A weekend mountain getaway means morning hikes, gorgeous views, handsome mountain men, roasting marshmallows, colorful kabobs, cheering for the Dawgs in our red and black, morning coffee and reading on the deck, and great girlfriends in great boots!

Skirt! Magazine's cover says it perfectly this month:

"The earth is going through its beautiful old cycle of change this month.  She's giving up her sexy green heat and showing her roots, taking a rest from the cabaret act of summer and swapping the sun's glaring footlights for a mellow gold moon.  October is Mother Earth's homebody, the calendar's domestic goddess.  She's pumpkin and plaid, wool and red wine, pajamas by 9 and news at 11.  Her perfume is fallen leaves and wood smoke with a hint of candy corn.  She loves chili and corn-bread, half-time shows and home-town teams, plum-brown lipstick and well-seasoned jeans.  October is porch lights and reading lamps, oatmeal for breakfast and flannel for bed.  But she still believes in black cats and haunted houses, magic and mischief and getting lost in a maze.  Part good girl, part spice girl, our homecoming queen on a broom."

Love it!

What I'm Loving

Recently, when asked to state three things about myself for our teacher profiles at the yoga studio, I immediately knew one of my three.

Eve: Unafraid to love BIG.  And share it.

Here's what I've been loving lately...

Working outside at Starbucks, pumpkin coffee in hand.

This excerpt from Momastery.  I keep reading it. Over and Over.

"Be Still in your garden and trust that you don’t need to decide what is good in your life and what is bad. You can stop striving for good and resisting bad and instead – surrender to all of it. You can stop judging your circumstances and your life and your people. Striving for good and resisting bad is the source of all of our worry, all of our stress. All our problems stem from our refusal to surrender to what IS. To what life is and who people are. Let it be. Let it come, whatever it is. Breathe deeply and know that if you let it come and feel it all – it won’t kill you. It will pass away soon enough and leave you better, kinder, softer, and stronger. Let the brutal make you even more beautiful." ~Glennon Melton Doyle

Game Days with my boys and our friends.  Go Dawgs!

Baking pumpkin muffins for our ADULT-ONLY mountain trip with two other couples.  I. Can't. Wait!

Sweet snuggles before bedtime. 

Cozy fires in the evening.

This belly bump.  Only a few more weeks until we meet Maddi!

My yoga practice.  It's organic ---sometimes at the studio, with girlfriends on the canal, outside on my patio, with a podcast, alone with my breath, or mind racing with thoughts.  But, it's mine.  And I love it. 

White Bean Edamame Hummus

After two full weeks of celebrations, I needed a quick, delicious, healthy snack to last me through the week and keep me away from the leftover party food. :)

I made a simple hummus, perfect for pita or carrot chips.

Here's what I used.

I added in a dash of Texas Pete and Sea Salt.

William saw this in the refrigerator and hopefully asked, "Did you make guacamole?"  I wish I would have said yes.  Maybe then he would have tried in.  No such luck.  

Two

What a birthday!  Actually more like a birth "week."  We celebrated, celebrated, and celebrated some more.

I probably went a little overboard, but I get it honestly.  My mom always made a huge deal over birthdays and holidays, and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.  We had such a great time as kids and always felt incredibly loved!  I want the same for Wills.

We kicked off the week with a trip to the zoo, just the three of us.

Wills was enamored by the big animals and the aquarium.

We rode the carousel and enjoyed a picnic lunch.

Wills took cupcakes to share with his Mother's Day Out class on his actual birthday.

After "school," we had a Mellow Mushroom birthday lunch with Aunt Sissy and Uncle Tony.

They gave him a super cute shirt for baby Maddi's birthday along with a plethora of adorable fall clothes.

That evening, William, Wills and I went and ate his only request, "cheese dip," and had birthday cake afterwards.

He opened his gifts.  His favorite being a guitar "like Daddy."

Sunday was all about pirate fun!

He insisted on a party favor early in the morning.  Only on your birthday do you get a cookie for breakfast.

Invitations designed by "Better Living by Giving" and my friend Linda Moto. 

It was a gorgeous afternoon for a party!

His nanny, Maddie, made the perfect sign to match his invitation.

We had a pirate spread including a Treasure Map (Veggie Pizza), Pirate Gold (Cheese Puffs), Pirate Jewels (Fruit Bowl), Cannon Balls (Oreo Balls), Peg Legs (Pigs-in-Blanket), Shark Bait (Chicken Wings), Seaweed Wraps (Deli Wraps), and lots of Pirate Ale!

The kids enjoyed dressing up as little pirates with eye patches, bandannas, gold earrings and necklaces, tattoos, mustaches, and pirate swords.

Wills was all smiles the entire time. 

He had lots of help opening up dump trucks, books, cars, puzzles, and more.  Big thanks to everyone!

A pirate cake for a little pirate.

Party favors.

The original four.  Love them more than words.

I can’t believe my little boy's two year old birthday has come and gone.  It feels like not too long ago William and I were holding him in our arms, warming his bottles, and reading him books.  Two fast years later, he barely lets me hold him, insists on using his own spoon, and reads to us.  He is the perfect balance of sweet and mischievous, careful and independent, and content but confident in what he wants.  I can't imagine my life without him...his hugs, snuggles, "I love you's," Eskimo kisses, and more.  It's impossible to have a bad day when he's with me; he makes every stressful moment seem a little lighter.  I love you to pieces, Wills.  I am so proud of you, and I am forever thankful to be your mom.  Happy Birthday.