i had the pleasure of photographing this sweet little guy today…baby johnathan. at four weeks old, he was still hanging on to the last of that newborn look. i forget just how fast it fades. sweet, sweet boy…johnathan.

(this next one is my favorite…i don’t know why…just gets me)

they say a picture’s worth a thousand words. with that ratio, that puts the worth of this post at like, a billion.

i have that wonderful feeling right now…like i felt in college when i procrastinated for weeks on a twenty-page paper, saved it to the night before, stayed up all night to finish it and finally, twenty minutes before my class started, triumphantly hit “print.”

this weekend, i finally hit *print.*

beginning with the roof. we saved a $500 pressure cleaning fee by brett and austyn chlorinating our roof yesterday. they were up there for probably ten hours, and still have to finish the back. but look…pretty nice, eh?

then, i slew the ironing dragon. i looked at the fire-breathing pile of wrinkled clothes, and i put it to rest. i did.

finally, the beast of all beasts. my bedroom has not been its cozy, ambient, candle-lit sweet little nook of a space since, well probably shortly after lainey was born. it was an ongoing organization project –half-filled bins of stuff i intended to pack-up in the garage, a laundry basket full of where-the-heck-do-i-put-this (including random things like a belt to a halloween costume, mismatched christmas socks, parenting magazines i read in the hospital with lainey but felt too sentimental to throw away…you get the picture.) it’s all gone. i threw so much away, and cleaned, scrubbed, dusted, straightened…until finally…i began to recognize the room i love. my nook. my calm and cozy escape. my happy little room.

and then, we just enjoyed all the random wonderfullness of our weekend in between….
like a house full of girls, blueberry pancakes, chick flicks and popcorn, a pool full of kids, katie’s dance recital, the new found love of converse all-stars, too much coffee, glittery eyeshadow makeovers and a french-braiding session, learning all the words to hannah montana songs, discovering lainey loves shoulder rides and being dragged down the hallway inside a blanket…
…and so much more. i’m beat, man. but it’s worth it.

i’m the picture-taker in the family. if i’m in a picture, it’s usually ‘cuz i took it in the mirror.

is there anything more delicious than chalky toes? i’s just wonderin’.

some people like to get out at dusk for their early morning run. not lainey…she likes to get out at dusk for her early morning walker jaunt. and you should see her…it’s a jaunt. she can run with that thing. one scuffed-up pair of jammy feet later, she’s ready for her day. and i’ve realized…this walker is her crutch. enabling her to not walk. my dad says we are going to push her in a stroller to her kindergarten class. nah. she’ll walk.

…enjoying the really-busy-but-really-fun things. ~k

my niece just flew down as an unaccompanied minor to join us for a week of fun. lainey is enjoying her presence, as are we.

tonight’s agenda: girl’s night with savannah’s friend katie.
i got them a teen beat magazine which they read on the couch, feet to feet, and took the quiz determining which jonas brother they were meant to spend the rest of their lives with.

followed by spa treatment, chick flick marathon, tie-dye t-shirt making and s’mores.
and lainey just went along for the ride.

check out miss trouble comin’ to see what the girls are up to. quite amused, i think she was.

oh, and just look at cubby…she went down to the lake to sit and think about life and love. she came back inspired, rejuvenated.

…enjoying the small things. ~k