5 things

Soule Mama will periodically list 10 things she is thankful for...and I am stealing her fabulous idea.

Lately, I have been so grateful for...

1. Some free time to create a fun new art space for Zeker. SO grateful to Cokes, Sam and Ne for that free time...what a gift.

2. Celebrating 2 months with my little girl.

3. The beautiful flowers on my porch.

4. Bug-catching supplies, always at hand.

5. The sweet friendship between the Westra men.

Bye Auntie Kari!

Auntie Kari is headed to Vietnam for 5 weeks. We will miss her so much! Lubba lubba!

Daniel + Megan Photography

Our friends Daniel and Megan launched their photography website yesterday. They have photographed our family twice and have also taken some couple shots of Jeff and me and we have had so much fun every time. Daniel is an incredibly talented and intuitive artist and works as the lead photographer. Megan has a gift for making things truly beautiful--whether it's a meal she has prepared, a room she has decorated or a photo she has taken (she took these pictures of our family). If you are looking for someone to take some wedding, engagement or family photos you should definitely consider Daniel and Megan. Congratulations Lundgrens!

Not so cute

And just how did a small green handprint appear on my backside? Well, let's just say the two year old was not so happy with me when I confiscated his paints and brushes after finding his artwork on the kitchen cupboards, the kitchen floor and his train set.

Cuteness

On our hike yesterday we spotted four deer before we even got to the trail! Zeker was super excited and gave the deer his version of a thumbs up. We even saw two cute little baby deer hanging out in a fellow Monrovian's front lawn. Then, later that day, we spotted something even cuter...

Gift from Grandma Sadie

Last week Jeff's mom brought us a couple of handmade sweater sets for Olive. They are absolutely beautiful and have made me wish for more rainy weather, as one of them will probably be too small in the fall. She found them in Jeff's grandma's home after she passed away. They were made by his grandma's friend who had gone blind but was still able to knit sweaters from memory! Jeff's mom has been saving them since, waiting for another granddaughter to come along and put them to good use. It was very special for Jeff to have something to share with Olive that came from her Great Grandma Sadie.

Good Friday

Beautiful early morning hike + blueberry pancakes = happy, sleepy family

This post brought to you by the color RED!

The color of the week is RED and we have had lots of fun creating with, picnicking on, searching for and eating things that are RED. Grandma Ne even got Zeker these cool red glasses--without even realizing it was our color of the week!

(Smiley is seven weeks today, but, sadly, lacking in red clothing.)

Today

Today the boy had his last soccer class and we discovered the girl has gained four pounds, weighing in at 10 pounds, 8 ounces. They both make us so proud.

Oops

Maybe I should pay more attention when doing laundry. But I guess now it's official--everything in our home is pink.

Funny boy

When people ask how raising a toddler is going, I always find myself saying the same thing--2 years old has been the most challenging age so far, but absolutely the most fun. This kid can frustrate the heck out of me, but in the same moment do something so surprisingly hilarious that I can't help but laugh--ruining any chance I'd had at correcting his behavior. He has lived up to his name--he is a strong-willed and very determined child. And he is one of my most favorite people in the whole world.

(I've made it very clear that he needs to wear shoes when he plays in the front yard. I guess I should have mentioned that he needs to wear pants, as well.)