when i left michigan for florida five years ago, i bid adieu to digging around mid-february in the back of my car for a makeshift ice scraper (f.y.i.: cd cases work like a gem) and exchanged it for february weekends that include various combinations of burrowing my toes into warm sand/watching pink sunsets with fruity drinks in hand/sundays jetskiing alongside frolicking dolphins. although it seems like a no-brainer, it’s this time of year i crave the north. the crisp cool air laden with the scent of autumn. the faint glints of color in the trees with the promise of vivid golds and russets to come. the football games. the wooly scarves. the apple orchards. the hay rides. i miss it all so much, and to prevent myself from full-blown withdrawl symptoms (hello? a photoshoot with lainey at an orchard with her brown crocheted cap and barn coat?…somebody hold me back), …
…i fake it.
after all, i live by the credo of creating my own happiness…why can’t i create my own fall?

and it all begins with the cinnamon broom. it only comes out once a year at publix and when it arrives, you know fall is here. at least the florida version.
so, last night, i gots my broom. and, like magic, fall began today. in my mailbox arrived not only williams-sonoma’s fall harvest catalogue (complete with new pumpkin pie crust cutouts and the most beautiful thanksgiving table linens you’ve ever seen), but pottery barn’s autumn issue too chocked full of all sorts of autumn decorating inspirations. and now, i’m in the mood. i bought a slew of apples today and dug through my cookbooks for apple bread and muffin recipes…

i burned yankee’s autumn harvest tarts and i started plotting where my pumpkins were going to be placed. it’s 90 degrees outside, we’re four miles from the beach, but in our house…it’s autumn.

withdrawls aside, our weekend happenings so far:

*our laid-back, happy family dinner at stevie tomatoes last night where the boys played pool and lainey batted her eyelashes at them while they each took turns at the claw trying to win her a stuffed animal. we got nada.

*my absolutely delicious pedicure this morning. i think i actually fell asleep for a little bit.

…and no better way to show off fresh pedi-ed toes than a little airplane fun.

*sitting under the trees with cubby today while we both enjoyed my favorite…all american orange sherbet push-ups. it was sticky. it was drippy. it was sweet…and so much fun to watch her.

…followed by a bath, of course.

*playing with bruh-bruhs (both brett & i couldn’t get over how happy she was today…she comes so alive on weekends because there is nothing she loves more than to be surrounded by all of her family and to be loved up and doted on).

…and finally, a rarity. a picture with me in it that i didn’t take. ‘cuz the camera’s always in my hands, i’m never in the pics, and when brett takes any with lainey and i, consequently…they become my very favorites.

…enjoying the almost-autumn things. ~k

fifteen month check-up today, a few weeks late.

nothing short of an act of God, we arrived at our 9:30 appt. on time. two babies dressed to the nines and not looking half-bad myself, might i add.

i get sentimental every time i’m handed her growth curve print-out with little dots plotted along a perfect arch, the first being the starting point on that beautiful may day followed by all her landmarks along the way, landing us today at the tenth percentile for weight and seventy-fifth for height, and…healthy.

and we love our doctor who calls lainey “Beauty” and remembers everything about us and asks about her brothers and doesn’t mind that i snap a million pictures during the check-up.

“perfect,” she declared. “absolutely healthy.”

we packed our baby doll and doctor kit so cubby could practice her own medicinal skills. lainey hampton, m.d.

strangely, she picked up on the fact that, although just for play, this fake shot was not something she wanted anything to do with:

and, when it came time for the real thing, pups came to the rescue to soothe her tears.

daddy doesn’t like to hear about the shots but always texts me right after appointments. and it always says, “how did she do? go buy her a present.”

and we always do.

first, a quick trip to the park to…

(and give lily a bottle on a park bench under the most gorgeous canopy of trees and blue sky)

…and then to wendy’s for a frosty.

feeling blessed for health. blessed that she’s growing and getting smarter every day. blessed that she can live without physical limitations. for that, we are ever so thankful.

…and later this afternoon, the shots kicked in and cubby fell fast asleep while a photoshoot was brewing with this ‘lil beauty. skye’s getting big! (i’ve kinda gung-ho’ed on the white background… newness is fading and i promise, i’ll quit overusing it and get a bit more creative next time).

had to repeat the shot i did yesterday with lily ‘cuz i love it so much…

that’s all from the homefront.

…enjoying the healthy growing things. ~k

once again, too tired for words not to mention at this very moment, my little sits beside me using her shepherd’s pie as shampoo. there are mashed potatoes in her ear, and the bath is calling. let today’s pics speak for themselves.

enjoying the it’s-almost-friday-and-i’m-getting-a-pedicure-this-weekend things. ~k