Hey, Soul Sister

Every time I sit down to write about my sister's visit to Indiana, I get totally caught up in all the pictures and all the memories and all the fun, and I get completely overwhelmed by the idea of blogging about it all.

But it was just so darn much fun! I am going to take one day at a time and remember every fun thing we did- even if I don't post about it all.

Our trip started like this-
And Jason met us at the airport with these-
We sped to our hotel so we could eat some of this-
Which always makes me so, so happy.
Then we ran around the halls of our hotel (which looked like this)
And took silly close-up shots like this-
And then we went to bed.

There.

Day One.

Check.

Table for 6

I can totally see why the idea of a kids table is so appealing to some people.

Nevermind...

Forget the part of the day when Adam thunked Leah in the head with a flashlight (really? is hitting just part of being a boy?) or the part where he pooped the stinkiest poop right when we were walking into church (late!) or the part where he smeared grilled apricots all over the couch and carpet...


And forget about the part of the day where Leah emptied out the contents of an entire picture album (one of the two I actually had assembled) or the part where she has become obsessed with filling bags with everything within a 10 foot radius- from markers in a gift bag to blocks in a purse (it's the gathering part of her human nature, right?) leaving me with bags full of junk to sort through, or the part where she lectured me all the way home from church because I didn't make a full and complete STOP at the stop sign.


Let's just forget about all of that and instead remember that, good grief, my kids are cute.

And they love each other, and chase each other, and giggle non-stop when they are simultaneously picking their noses (much to my chagrin). They're just kids. Cute kids.

A Little Bird

with a yellow bell,
came to rest on my windowsill.

This sweet little beauty made it's way into our house this morning. Thank you, Allison! I will no longer be bellowing when dinner is ready- I'll let her do the job for me.
I have been yelling, pouting, and threatening all too much lately. (Wait, who's the 3-year old around here?) Along with the bird bell, here are a few other corners of my house that will help me stay calm.

Mr. Butler invited his mom, sister, and uncle to come help me clean Leah's room out yesterday. She just has access to too much stuff, which results in nonstop cleaning and/or stressing over messes for me.

Here are their spoils.
Leah caught me as I was hauling the last box out of her room, and she quickly discovered that something was missing. When I asked her what was gone, she looked and thought and looked some more, but couldn't come up with anything. 10 minutes later she came to me with tears in her eyes and said, "My cowboy hat! It's gone!" Not the piggy bank, beloved stuffed animals or huge box of dress-ups... just one ratty old straw hat.

Next up, the best $30 I ever spent. I can now shower in relative peace, knowing that the kids are safely locked away- forced to play with the pittance of toys I have left out for them. I'm a mean mommy, I know.

And this little beauty. Where there used to be a jumbled mess of wires and blinking modem boxes, there is now a tidy little corner of happiness on my desk. The computer stuff is all tucked away in the yellow box. Pretty sneaky, huh?

I like clean. I like calm. I also really like my kids, and I'm hoping these corners of happiness will help me enjoy both.

Utah- The Final Frontier

We spent the rest of our trip in Utah just loving life- breathing fresh air, eating good food, soaking up Grandma and Grandpa time, shopping, and visiting family and friends. I did a horrible job of documenting the trip, but that doesn't mean we had any less fun!


Fully recovered from back surgery, Grandpa played Crack the Egg with the girls on the trampoline (which Leah is fully convinced can just be shipped over to our house in Indiana for her jumping pleasure).
Staying up late, eating fudge and popcorn, and dressing up like princesses are staples at my mom's house. And don't worry, the dog's not dead- just lazy!
Auntie Sarah! The kids were too distracted to notice, but Sarah and I had a great visit together- next time we'll have to bring along the husbands, too!
Ethan and Adam- the boy cousins- loved spending "manly bonding time" together.
The age gap between Leah and Savanna seems to be closing as they get older, but the frenemy-ship is still as strong as ever!
Leah took this picture- what a great angle, no? Either way, we love Bea!

All in all, the time just went by too fast. It's a weird feeling to know that you have a life, a home, and a purpose in another state, but to have so many loved ones and memories waiting right where you left them. The only way we were able to get on the plane back to Indiana so easily was that Allison came with us. And that awesome trip will be a loooong post of it's own!

The trip within the trip within the trip

After the family reunion in Bear Lake, we headed to Idaho with my dad to visit Grandma and Grandpa Great! They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and while we weren't able to attend the festivities, it was so nice getting to visit with them not long after.


Leah quickly discovered the collection of dolls- one that was her great-great-great-grandmother's, and we loved listening to Grandpa play the piano and exploring the magical Shilling House (the house my dad grew up in that has been redesigned as a reception facility by my aunt). It was a quick but wonderful visit.

Bear Lake... In 21 Words or Less

Freezing water

Tasty sand

Best friends

Exhausted baby

Pickleville Playhouse... or stretchy pants

Giant Pizza!

Knee jerk reaction

Moment of peace