N & L & A & K

it's about time!

2012-02-08T11:44:00.000-06:00

It's time to tackle this sewing machine of mine! Nate gave me a lovely sewing machine for my birthday (last year!!) and it has yet to be used. It's about time I learn to use it! I just ordered this fabric & I'm planning my first project: a simple blanket for the girls. I have a good stash of fabrics that I love, but I knew I needed something fresh that I could really be excited about...so, it's ordered & on it's way! I have big dreams of sewing projects to come!

update: I spent yesterday afternoon learning to use it...it's awesome! I love it!

bandaids.

2012-02-06T15:24:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to share a couple quick shots. My favorite are the last two. Adelie adores bandaids!! It is hilarious. She loves to put them all over her body. She got some super fun Muppets & Hello Kitty bandaids in her stocking - and she loves them. She loves to put them on right after her shower. Today, she started with just a couple Muppets on her arms. While I was blow-drying my hair, she continued with the fun. I had no idea how quickly she can open them now. I had only been blow-drying for a few minutes, and looked over & she was covered with Hello Kitty bandaids!!!! She is so silly.

3-0!!!

2012-01-31T23:17:00.002-06:00

The big 3-0!! I can't say I was super excited to turn 30 (at all!!), but Nate planned a special weekend for me, and made it a fun celebration. Goodbye twenties...hello, 30! I spent a lot of time over the weekend thinking of all the amazing memories I've had over the last 10 years. My twenties were full of special moments: I graduated college from the U of MN. I crossed the finish line of 5 marathons (amazing experiences! I can still remember vividly my first marathon with my dad in San Diego - so incredible. And I still can remember exactly how it felt at the Big Sur Marathon, standing in a forest of redwoods at the start line, about to start my 5th marathon...running along the Pacific Coast Highway, all along the coast....incredible memories!!! Those are moments I will never forget). I fell in love with Nate...and then fell in love with him again for real!!! He proposed to me courtside at a Timberwolves basketball game...awesome! And I married my best friend. We honeymooned...and then found out a couple weeks (yes, weeks!!) later that we were pregnant with Adelie!! Adelie was born (the most amazing moment of my life). And a few months later, I was pregnant again! The moment Kennedi was born, I knew she was going to bring such sweetness to our family. I loved my twenties. It led me to my happiest moments of life: marrying Nate & having Adelie & Kennedi. I never expected my life to be full of so much happiness. The three of them make me happier than I ever knew I could be.

...more birthday...

2012-01-31T23:17:00.000-06:00

This was a well-documented weekend!! We sure had fun celebrating my birthday - we at our favorite restaurants (yummy, yummy food all weekend long!). We did some shopping. Nate took me to the Nike Store & surprised me with a new pair of running shoes (which I am super excited to start running in!!). We took the girls to the newly remodeled Disney Store (which is awesome now!!) - Adelie loved it! We bought Kennedi her first stuffed animal (Lady from Lady & the Tramp)...but...Kennedi showed no interest in her & Adelie fell in love with her instantly...so, I guess Adelie got a new stuffed animal! :) We went to Underwater World - which was so, so cool - we saw stingrays, and sea turtles, and sharks!!, and jellyfish (amazing!!!), and lots & lots of cool fish. The girls (and Nate & I) were in awe!! When we got home that night, Nate surprised me with some awesome birthday decorations. And then...red velvet cake (my fave) & presents! Nate really spoiled me. I felt so loved.

the perfect ending.

2012-01-31T23:16:00.000-06:00

The birthday festivities didn't end when I blew out my candles on Sunday night. Adelie, Kennedi, and I were lucky to have Nate home with us on Monday too! He took the day off so we could have an extra long weekend together - and we loved having him home! We spent the afternoon walking around Excelsior (our favorite!). We went to a yummy bakery, walked out on the docks, did a little window shopping, and stopped at the pet store & tried to convince Nate to buy Adelie a pet bunny (with no luck!). It was such a fun afternoon! As we were getting ready to leave Excelsior, I asked Nate to pop into a little bakery to grab Adelie some shortbread cookies for the drive home. As I was sitting in the front seat of the car, waiting, holding Kennedi & chatting with Adelie, I saw my (trying-to-be) sneaky husband, running down the sidewalk....and into...the floral shop! It's the best floral shop in the area. They have the coolest flowers...and it's a darling shop. It was hilarious seeing him running inside, trying to be sneaky!! He surprised me with one last birthday gift: an amaryllis flower/plant. It is awesome! So pretty (and the lady at the floral shop said it'll continue to bloom!). I love it. When we got home, we bundled up the girls & headed outside for some lantern fun (second to Nate's surprise birthday-sleigh-ride in northern MN for my 28th birthday, these lanterns were the coolest surprise celebration!!!!). We will never forget the floating lanterns. Funny story: Nate got the first lantern lit...it started floating...and it got higher, and higher, and higher, and then it landed right IN the huge tree in our backyard!!!! I was TERRIFIED! There we were...the 4 of us, just looking up at this beautifully lit (on fire!) yellow lantern, that was stuck in the tree! I thought the tree was going to light up in flames. It was so scary!!!!!!! Luckily, the flame inside the lantern eventually blew out....but, I was certain something terrible was about to happen. After that *minor* setback, we headed out to the big open (tree-less) field behind our backyard, and lit the rest (with much more success!). They were beautiful! It was so cool watching them float higher & higher away....they really stay lit for a long time. So cool. We loved it! Such a perfect ending to a wonderful weekend. I love my husband! Thank you, Nate, for making me feel special. Thank you for making me feel loved.

(check out Adelie's darling scarf! My grandma made it for her!! I just adore it.)

more snow, please!

2012-01-27T15:55:00.000-06:00

We finally broke out the sleds! There's barely any snow on the ground, but there was enough powder for Adelie & I to have a blast sledding together. She is such a daredevil. No fear!! She loved sledding. She would get to the bottom of the hill and immediately ask, "more? more?". We could have stayed out there for hours if her little cheeks & nose weren't so rosy. There is snow in the forecast this weekend, so hopefully we can hit the hills again!!

building forts!

2012-01-27T15:46:00.001-06:00

We love building forts in our family room! Sometimes they get pretty big. If Adelie's in control of the fort-building, they are super fun - lots and lots of pillows & blankets & stuffed animals & snacks! Kennedi was giggling so much as she watched Adelie hiding in the blankets. Love these girls.

play! play! play!

2012-01-27T15:40:00.002-06:00

Adelie's personality continues to blossom & we are constantly smiling! She is so full of cheer. She loves to play, play, play & she is full of energy. Our days have been filled with bubbles (inside the house...so much fun!!), lots & lots of play-doh, painting (her favorite!!!), crayons, markers, tea parties, building forts....so fun! She has such a creative imagination & I love watching her play.

I feel so happy (and grateful!) that I can be at home with my girls. I can't imagine it any other way. These moments are the happiest, silliest, most joyful moments in my life. Nothing makes me smile more than seeing my little girls smiling & laughing.

letters to my daughters.

2012-01-19T11:06:00.003-06:00

I ordered these darling cards from Sarah Jane & I absolutely adore them. I am planning on framing this set of cards & hanging them in the girls' room. They are so sweet. While snuggling with Adelie the other night, I was thinking about these cards & thinking about how much I adore my girls - and I decided I'm going to start something special for Adelie & Kennedi: letters to my daughters.

I always have the best intentions to keep a journal (especially now that I have little ones). Each memory (great or small) is so special and the girls grow so quickly. I don't want to forget any of these moments. I still intend to start keeping a journal, but I came up with this idea & I'm going to start it now!

I'm ordering 2 more boxes of cards: one for Adelie, one for Kennedi. And I'm going to write a letter to each girl, each month. Then I'll seal them, and save them in a special spot for when they're older & can enjoy them. I hope to do this their entire childhood. I hope they love them. It'll be great for me to express my love for them & hold onto these special moments!

I believe.

2012-01-19T10:41:00.003-06:00

LISTEN: Believe - Brooks & Dunn

I know this isn't everyone's style, but I wanted to share this. If you don't love watching music videos, this is a great song to close your eyes & listen to.

I absolutely love this song. I've loved it since I first heard it. It's one of my favorites. When I'm feeling low, or need a pick me up, this is an easy go-to. The words humble me & the message softens me. There's not much that makes me feel closer to the Lord than music. I absolutely love the message of this song. My faith is simple. I believe in Christ. I believe that we are each loved so deeply. I believe I can return to Him someday. I'm "finding more & more truth...the longer that I live" in Christ's love as I reflect on the blessings I enjoy each day. I am grateful for the beautiful daughters I've been blessed with. I've never felt closer to Heaven than the moments I looked in my daughters' eyes for the first time.

Life is beautiful. Life is precious. I am blessed. I am grateful. I am humbled by this song.

kennedi is 8 months old!

2012-01-12T15:53:00.000-06:00

All smiles!! Kennedi starting sitting up on her own a week ago & she is so happy! She loves grabbing toys & feeding herself snacks - and she's gotten so much stronger in just a couple of days. She is such a happy little girl. I adore her. We loved the warmer weather this week - I went for a great run with the girls on Monday. It felt so nice to enjoy the sunshine - and I know the girls loved bundling up and riding along.

banana bread

2012-01-12T15:17:00.004-06:00

In the time it takes a 1 1/2 year old to eat a small bowl of popcorn...I whipped up some delicious banana bread!

I also made a yummy dinner last night (one of my favorite meals): angel hair pasta with carmelized onions & balsamic tomatoes paired with some roasted asparagas with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Yum! I made a huge portion - and it's already all gone. Adelie loved it. We ate it for dinner last night & lunch today. She just kept asking for more "nooo-els". Sure made me smile!! I love that little girl so much.

This afternoon, I thought I'd make some banana bread for a little treat. It took no time at all. I was shocked at how quick I made it. I think it probably took about 6 minutes from start to finish (cleanup & all!). I've made this recipe a few times before (thank you, Alice, for the recipe!) & I love it. So simple & delish!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (melted)

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 medium bananas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter & sugar. Add the eggs & vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

darling!!

2012-01-12T11:54:00.002-06:00

ADORABLE! How cute are these?! I just ordered these darling illustrated cards by Sarah Jane. I can't wait to get them in the mail!! I'm going to frame each of them & hang them in the girls' room - LOVE!!!!!

Christmas snapshots

2012-01-05T11:25:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with the Cartwrights in Cleveland & the Millers in Minnesota. Kennedi enjoyed her first Christmas, and Adelie loved spending time with her grandparents & aunts & uncles (& cousins!). Thanks to all of our family for making the holiday special!

To love another person...

2011-12-19T14:46:00.000-06:00

My favorite line from Les Miserables: "To love another person is to see the face of God."

I feel so blessed to be able to give these two little sweethearts my love...and I am so extremely grateful for their love.

les miserables

2011-12-16T09:54:00.000-06:00

I am still gushing over this performance!!!! Nate & I were so lucky to see Les Miserables last night at the Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis. It was the first (yes, the first!!) date we've had since before we had Adelie - so it was extra special! It was so wonderful to have a night out together....and a perfect date it was! It was an amazing show, delish dinner, and I had the most handsome date!!

I have to admit, I felt a little out-of-place at dinner (I'm so used to the playdough-stickers-toys-toys-toys-little-kids-world!). It's been a while since I've been in an adult-only-setting! Dinner was delish! So nice to have alone time with my sweet husband! We ate downtown at D'amico Kitchen - a wonderful meal! My personal favorites: the belgian endive, peach, ricotta cheese, prosciutto, and white balsamico mixed greens salad....yum!!! The pork tenderloin was fantastic and of course we adored the chocolate souffle (with black pepper cocoa gelato...which was very interesting!).

We then walked across the street to the Orpheum....and watched THE most AMAZING performance of Les Miserables! I loved loved loved loved it. I can't stop thinking about all the incredible music! The lead actors (well, the entire cast, really) were out-of-this-world talented. Nate & I were so impressed. I will remember this performance forever. So touching. It was crazy hearing everyone weeping at the end. So beautiful. Such an incredibly beautiful experience. Thank you, mom & dad SO SO much!!!!!!!! We had an amazing evening!!!! Best date! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!

Santa

2011-12-11T22:58:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure when the girls will like Santa. Adelie's favorite part of visiting Santa was waving 'goodbye!'. Our timing was not ideal....but we are now proud owners of "crying-baby-with-Santa" photos! Adelie was not about to get close to the jolly old man...and Kennedi clearly did not enjoy her time with the man in the red suit....there's always hope for next year!

play!

2011-12-11T22:48:00.001-06:00

Adelie & Kennedi got a new toy on Saturday. Adelie's figuring out how to make it spin & Kennedi just loves watching her older sis. It sure is cute watching the two of them together. These pictures make me smile...especially the one where Adelie is dragging Kennedi! Silly girls.

cookies!

2011-12-11T22:36:00.001-06:00

Baking Christmas cookies was a little less 'magical' than I had hoped for. Both girls were tired & not their happiest...but I loved watching Adelie with the rolling pin...and using the cookie cutters, and frosting the cookies (& pouring on the sprinkles!).

creativity at its cutest

2011-12-04T23:07:00.001-06:00

We broke out the paints & paintbrush tonight for the first time & Adelie is in love. She painted 3 masterpieces which are now hanging above our kitchen sink & bring so much cheer to the kitchen! I hung them there to dry...but it seems like a great spot to display her finest! Makes me smile! Nate's face made a nice canvas as well. Silly girl. She has been loving baths in the sink lately (she saw Kennedi in the "bath" the other day & insisted on a "baaaa" herself...and now everyday, she begs for a "baaa! baaa! baaa!"). So she was a happy lady when she got to hop in the "tub" for a scrub after her painting fun!

would you like a mustache?

2011-12-04T22:43:00.001-06:00

I know the photos are a bit excessive, but I just think Adelie is the cutest playing with her new playdough! She loves loves loves it. I was doing some Christmas shopping & saw the playdough & thought Adelie would have fun with it...it has not disappointed. She really loves it. It's so cute watching her creativity & curiosity at play. The first few times she played with it, she spent most of the time figuring out the texture, and pulling it apart....and smashing it back together...but she soon advanced to a silly, silly, silly playdough artist! Check out her latest work: noses, eyebrows, and my favorite...the mustache! Grandpa Miller hung out with us on Saturday night (cheering on the Badgers with us!!!!) and he got in on the playdough-nose-action! Too funny. Thanks for joining in on the fun, dad! I know Adelie loved seeing 'pa' with his playdough nose. Adelie is such a ham sometimes! I adore her.

Hollidazzzzzzzle!

2011-11-26T12:39:00.001-06:00

We love the Hollidazzle Parade! It is such a fun, sparkly parade! If you live outside of Minneapolis, you're missing out!! So many colorful Christmas-light-covered characters & floats. There's nothing like it. It's awesome. I love it. It was especially fun last night with Adelie & Kennedi. The girls are sick, so we were a little hesitant to go last night - but the weather was perfect! Hard to beat a 50 degree night in Minneapolis on November 25th...so we headed to downtown Minneapolis, and it was well worth it! Adelie loved it! She wasn't a fan of sitting on Nate's shoulders....but otherwise, she was happy as can be! Kennedi was bright-eyed as well! So great. I think I love it just as much as the children!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T12:27:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving up at mom & dad's house! We loved celebrating Thanksgiving with mom & dad, grandma & grandpa, mike & susan & steph! It was a perfect holiday! The dinner was fantastic!!! Everyone pitched in & the dinner was fantastic - mom made a delicious turkey & we loved all the side dishes. So yummy. We sure are enjoying our leftovers! Kennedi & Adelie were sick with fevers....so they weren't their cheerful selves, but we still had a great holiday as a family. I just adore my grandparents, so I felt extra grateful that they made the trip up for the day to be with us. I love those two! I know my daughters adore them too. They are wonderful. Thanks, mom & dad, for the wonderful holiday together!!

dear santa...

2011-11-11T13:13:00.001-06:00

Cheerful holiday treasures are so sweet & warm your heart when it's frosty outside!! Sprinklybaby loves the holiday season!! What's more precious than a child's hand-written "Dear Santa...." letter? Here's the perfect spot to place that letter: a red felt "Santa" envelope. It's hand-stitched with light blue & mint green stitches & is stamped with a snowflake stamp & ready for delivery to the North Pole!! Red & white baker's twine & a green felt button keep the "Dear Santa" letter safe inside the envelope! You will treasure this for years to come! Happy holidays! Love, sprinklybaby ♥ purchase here!

felt & yarn wreaths

2011-11-07T20:10:00.000-06:00

I added this darling little piece of decor to my shop. I just adore these felt & yarn wreaths. I've seen them in the past & have always loved them. There's something so timeless & charming about a yarn & felt wreath. I think this would be a cute addition to a nursery - or anywhere in the home! So sweet & a perfect pop of color.

happy halloween! love, peas & carrot

2011-10-31T21:19:00.002-05:00

happy halloween! love, our little peapod & carrot! love you all!

fun projects!

2011-10-27T21:54:00.004-05:00

I have been wanting to make this pom-pom garland for the girls' room for a little while now, and finally made it today! It turned out so sweet & so colorful. I need to take better pictures of it in their room when the lighting is better. I love it. If Nate didn't mind, I would string this all over our bedroom too! It's adorable. I also made a really cool dry-erase board (pictured in top photo. I need to get heavy-duty magnets to hang it on the refrigerator still). It's pretty darling. I can't think of a cuter spot to write the grocery list! More projects to come...I need to finish Kennedi's costume before I do any more projects! Adelie's is finished (can't wait to see her in it!).

$22 of apples + little A = yummy danishes!

2011-10-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

So the great thing about picking apples at the apple orchard is that we now have $22 worth of apples to bake with! Yay! I plan on baking a classic apple pie later this week. But I first wanted to try something new & yummy! I was super excited to try this recipe. It did not disappoint! I love this recipe. I wanted to make something special for Nate. He loves apple pie, and danishes, and cheesecake - so I figured this would be a treat (the deliciousness of sweet cinnamon-sugary apples, sweet cream cheese, and a flaky powder-sugar-topped danish!). I have a feeling this recipe will be a Cartwright favorite for a long time! You will love this! It would be delicious for a Sunday brunch or a sweet autumn snack. I made a couple changes to the recipe: I used Haralson apples. I didn't use ricotta cheese or lemon zest. Also, I made mine into mini little 'cake-like' danishes instead of doing one large danish. It's messy when you make the danishes (and when you bake them!), but it's nice to have individual cakes. I think next time I'll try just making one large danish & slicing it. I actually made the first batch last night & had tons of the apple mix left over (and it was way too yummy to waste!), so I made another round this afternoon. This recipe makes a ton! Oh, and my secret to making an excellent, delicious batch of apple-cheese danishes is to find a darling little kitchen helper to help you bake! Nothing better!

apple orchard

2011-10-17T22:38:00.002-05:00

Today started out like any normal Monday morning. I had a list of things 'to-do' & was getting started on my day when I decided we needed to take a trip to the apple orchard. I found an orchard online & we headed out for an afternoon at the apple orchard! It was one of my favorite days with the girls. Such a beautiful autumn day (chilly & sunny!) and the girls were so sweet. Adelie was loving picking the apples. She was so cute. She tried out an apple (or two!) & picked a bag full of delicious Haralson apples for us. We now have 25 apples on our counter, ready to be baked into some delicious treats! I'm so happy I took the girls there today. I will always remember this afternoon. Such a sweet day with my favorite little ladies!

a girl and her...goat friends??

2011-10-17T22:18:00.003-05:00

I realize that this is a little goat-overload...but it was just so cute that I can't hold back the photos! Adelie LOVES the goats! I'm not sure where this stems from (I am terrified of goats!). She has no fear. I wanted to see how she would react to the goats, so I didn't say anything or direct her in any way. I simply said, "Adelie...Look! 2 goats!" and she was loving it. They were wandering free in the playground area of the apple orchard. They had collars on...and they were very nicely groomed. So I wasn't very concerned about these goats. They were friendly little guys. She was so sweet with them. She'd follow them around & laugh at them. Then she found a corn cob that someone must have been feeding the goats with - and she picked it up & started feeding the goats. Hilarious. My favorite part of the goat-playtime was that she was giving them HUGS!!!! (look closely at the last picture - I'm glad I captured it on film!) She gave the goats lots & lots of hugs. So sweet. She loves to hug, but I've never seen her hug an animal! I was a little worried that they were going to nip at her - luckily we were fine. She hugged them goodbye & we left without any problem....until....

We had walked about halfway through the orchard (a good distance away from the goats). We were on our way out and all of a sudden we heard the 2 goats coming up behind us (rapidly!!!) making this awful 'bah-bah-bah-bah' noise & coming up quickly behind us. They were chasing us out!!! It was like something set them off & all of a sudden ALL the goats in the orchard were making the same noise!!!! The 2 goats following us were harmless; they just followed us with a quick-step all the way to the entrance of the orchard (where one of the workers started laughing at us & said "you know they're following YOU!....we've NEVER seen that before!!!"). What?!! Why were they following us? And the noise!! The noise was terrifying!! I was so frightened. I had Kennedi in the baby bjorn & Adelie in the stroller & I was so worried the goats were going to go for one of them! Thank goodness, we survived the goat-chase. I really have no idea what they were thinking. Adelie did have some raisins in a little baggie that she was snacking on (but I highly doubt the goats could smell those little raisins from so far away)...I took them away from her right away & hid them when I saw the goats speedily approaching.

So, just when I thought maybe I was getting over my fear of goats....I was reminded clearly of why I don't like those animals! Goats are not to be trusted!! Well, maybe they just liked Adelie's hugs? Who knows?!!

colder weather

2011-10-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

It's been a bit colder the last couple of days, but Adelie doesn't mind a bit. In fact, I think she is loving this weather! What's not to love?!! I'm a big fan of autumn. I love the crisp air! Adelie has been loving all the leaves in our backyard. We spent the afternoon playing in the leaves on Saturday, and now every time we leave the house, she wants to jump in the pile (see photo proof above!). Such a fun girl. She doesn't hesitate a bit! I love that quality. She isn't afraid of much - and she loves to just 'go for it' with just about everything. It's so cute & so much fun to watch.

someone is going stir crazy when it's chilly outside!

2011-10-13T20:12:00.002-05:00

love love love this little bundle.

2011-10-13T20:00:00.002-05:00

I love love love this little bundle of joy. She is such a sweetheart. So tender. I just adore her!

someone found her feet!!

2011-10-06T23:07:00.004-05:00

yum! yum! yum!

win free barrettes!

2011-10-06T23:02:00.001-05:00

sprinklybaby is playing a referral game!! who wants 2 free sprinklybaby barrettes? your choice of 2 free barrettes from sprinklybaby.etsy.com!! here's how it works: from now until 10 pm cst on saturday night, whoever refers the most new fans to sprinklybaby wins 2 free clips (new fans can either 'like' my sprinklybaby facebook page at facebook.com/sprinklybaby and comment that you sent them OR they can add my shop to their etsy favorite shops & send me a message on etsy that you referred them!!) ♥ ♥ thanks!! sprinklybaby.etsy.com

our sweet miss kennedi

2011-10-03T12:41:00.005-05:00

Our little miss Kennedi is growing quickly. She loves loves loves toys now! It's so cute. She loves to grab colorful toys and play, play, play. She is so affectionate & loving. I love her sweet tenderness. She has the sweetest smile. I love this little doll.

sharing a bedroom!

2011-10-03T12:19:00.003-05:00

It was a big day for Adelie & Kennedi on Saturday! The girls are now sharing a bedroom! Adelie moved from her crib to a toddler bed and Kennedi moved from the basinnette into the crib. Our little baby girls are growing so fast. I may have cried (more than once!) setting up the bedroom. I was crying even before we started rearranging the room. I am excited for the girls to share a room, but it made me sad that it isn't Adelie's "nursery" anymore. Seems like just yesterday we were setting up all her baby stuff, and now she's a wild little toddler, transitioning into a toddler bed! It also makes me sad that I don't have a sweet little baby sleeping next to me in a bassinette anymore. I'll miss falling asleep with Kennedi holding my hand. Kennedi still made her way to our room at about 5 am this morning...and Adelie had already joined us at 2 am...it may take a little while for her to figure out how to sleep through the night in her bed!

We love the way their room is set up now. It's super cute, and a perfect room for sisters.

Here's a 'before' picture:

And after:

Do you like Adelie's welcome-to-the-room message to Kennedi?
If you like that, you'll love her jumping around on her new bed:

And there's more:

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best park...in the world!!

2011-09-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

Adelie & I were watching the movie 'elf' today - and I was cracking up at the part when he goes into the coffee shop in new york city (super excited about the 'world's best cup of coffee'): watch clip! So silly. I love that movie....anyway, I wanted to explain my post title...so there you have it.

We really did go to a wonderful, amazing, so exciting, super fun park today!!!! I am thrilled we found it. My dad & I are running a 10K in a couple of weeks at the Elm Creek Park Reserve, and so I was taking a look at their website the other night (looked like a fantastic place...biking/running paved trails, a swimming area, cross-country ski trails in the winter, tubing hills...) and found what looked to be an awesome playground. Today we were having a birthday lunch with my dad & I was telling him about it...turns out the restaurant we were at was only about 8 minutes from the park...so, after lunch, I headed over there with the girls. I was thrilled when we arrived! SUCH a fun park!!! I love a good park. Adelie is such a 'park' girl. She loves the slides, loves climbing all over everything (she's our little monkey!), loves the swings, loves running around, loves watching all the kids....So, I was super excited to find this gem of a park!

Anyway, we had an amazing afternoon. I did not want to leave. We were having a blast. Enjoy the photos & videos! My little baby girl sure is growing up quickly. I adore her. She has the happiest little personality - so independent, so adventurous, and super silly. I sure love that little doll!

Here she is approaching our new-favorite-park:

And, here she is on one of her many trips down the slide:

And on the ladybug:

I love, love, love, love, love this little lady!!

sprinklybaby art show

2011-09-18T21:00:00.006-05:00

see sprinklybaby.blogspot.com for a couple photos from the art show! so exciting for me!

first day of class!

2011-09-14T22:39:00.003-05:00

We got going a little earlier start than normal today...because...we had Adelie's first day of toddler class!!!! I am so happy we signed her up for this class. Its a parent-child class, so I get to go with her each week (we'll bring Nate along a couple times too!). Kennedi hangs out with us too in the baby bjorn...fun times. Today was great. I kept telling Adelie "we're going to meet new friends today!!" and I could tell she was really excited when we got to the school. She was a little shy at first, but within minutes of being there, she was playing with the indoor sandbox, jumping on the trampoline, and following around the other little kids. She was very curious during 'singing time' - her face was hilarious. I think it was a combo of being confused/frightened/amused - she didn't know what to think of all the moms & kids singing & moving around! But she eased into it, and by the end she was loving it. I think it's going to be a great class. I'll get some pictures next week (forgot to bring my camera in today).

Today was a wonderful day. After class, we went and ran some errands. While out, we picked up some new toys for Adelie...and spent the rest of the day playing with them. So much fun. Nate is working late tonight, so Adelie & I were living it up having a 'girls night' - eating strawberry-choc-chip icecream on the couch together (before dinner!!), dancing in the kitchen to some good tunes, and snuggling and reading tons of books before bed. Loved it!!!

marshmallow...touchdown!

2011-09-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

adelie's first ice cream cone!

2011-09-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

finish line!!!

2011-09-12T21:17:00.004-05:00

I crossed the finish line! Yay!!! It's been a long time since I have done that. The last 'big' race I participated in was the TwinCities Marahon - (in which I ducked out at mile 14!!). Before that, the last marathon I ran was Big Sur in California (which was AMAZING but so tough!!!). So, after having 2 babies back-to-back (and being pregnant forever!!!), I knew it was time to lace up those running shoes. I admit, my training lacked - but I was happy with the amount of running I was able to squeeze in, while still putting Adelie, Kennedi & Nate first. I've really grown to love my evening runs. It's such a nice luxury for me to be able to have some 'me-time' - peace of mind, a good workout, good music...I especially loved my 8-mile training run (awesome run!) but I definitely should have tacked on some more of those (longer) training runs....Miles 1-10 of the race were good - I ran strong, felt good! Miles 11-15.5 were tough!!! There's no kidding around about it. I was struggling. Sadly, I missed seeing Nate & the girls (our timing was off...well, to be clear...he got to our 'spot' at a time where he thought I would have already passed - and I hadn't...so he went to the finish line instead). I could not have been happier to see them right before the finish line. My smile was HUGE! I was so happy to see my 3 loves. The race was hot, but such a good experience. I really love running. It makes me feel so alive.

Some friends of ours lost their baby last week. She was 9 months pregnant with a little girl and lost her (she was due the first week of october). It's been an emotional week for me, thinking about the pain they are experiencing and knowing how devastated they are. I can't imagine anything sadder. It's really helped me reflect on the amount of gratitude I show for my own family. I could not feel more blessed to be a mom. I love my two girls more than anything in this life. They are everything to me. Having children and being a mom to these two little ones is the greatest blessing I've ever been given.

I ran the race with 4 strings tied around my right wrist: a bright blue one for my best friend (he is the love of my life & I am so grateful for him), a red one for Adelie, a yellow one for Kennedi, and a pink string to remind me of our friends & their loss (reminding me to be grateful for this beautiful life we are blessed with). Life truly is beautiful. I love my life. I love the joy I experience each day. I love the simplicities of life - and how easy it is to feel happy. I am so grateful for my family. This race was a wonderful experience for me - and really helped me to appreciate my blessings.

sorry, bunny.

2011-09-12T20:52:00.000-05:00

This picture is probably much sillier to me than anyone else - it sure makes me laugh!! Adelie & I were playing outside the other day....beautiful day. She brought out her bunny & giraffe. While we were walking over to our lounge chairs to relax in the sun, I tossed the bunny *towards* the chairs- *somehow* the bunny landed on the roof. whoops!!!! Adelie was instantly in tears. It was pretty funny. She was so sad that the bunny was gone! She kept pointing to the roof with a worried look on her sweet face. Luckily, daddy saved the day when he got home!!!!

a trip to the park

2011-09-12T20:48:00.000-05:00

We love trips to Excelsior - good ice cream, fun at the park, relaxing by the lake...love it!

does life get sweeter than this?

2011-09-12T20:40:00.001-05:00

I caught Adelie hugging Kennedi the other day. She sure loves her sis!

Adelie's 1st cone!

2011-09-12T20:36:00.002-05:00

Adelie sure loved her first ice cream cone! We love Adele's. It's one of our favorite places in MN. We 'may' have gone 2 days in a row...with that said, here's Adelie with her 2nd cone:

sprinklybaby giveaway!!!!!

2011-09-03T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's an exciting time for sprinklybaby...time for a giveaway!!!!! I'm doing a product review & giveaway with IzzyB!! One lucky winner gets 4 custom-made sprinklybaby barrettes!!! Super fun! To read the product review & participate in the giveaway, click here! As always, thank you for all the love & support. It means so much to me.

sprinklybaby: a little something extra...

2011-09-02T17:14:00.001-05:00

sprinklybaby blog post: a little something extra...

bubbles everywhere!

2011-08-31T12:19:00.000-05:00

We are having fun this morning!!!! Adelie loves to play with her bucket & watering can...and today was even more fun...we added some bubbles to the mix! So fun!

city of lakes....almost here!

2011-08-29T11:34:00.000-05:00

I wrote out my plan for my final 2 weeks before the big 'City of Lakes 25K' 15.5 mile race. It's posted on the refrigerator!! I (of course) am way behind in my training, but am staying positive...and I'm super excited to race again. It's been a very, very long time since I have participated in a race. I know this will be a tough race, but I am really looking forward to the challenge. The race loops around Lake Calhoun & Lake Harriet twice. I love the Lake of the Isles/Calhoun/Lake Harriet area. Such a beautiful area in Minneapolis. We have great memories at Lake Harriet & Lake Calhoun. I walked around Lake Calhoun with Adelie the day before Kennedi was born. I remember how sappy I was walking around Calhoun, thinking about how everything was about to change for Adelie. Our life was blessed the next day with our darling little Kennedi. Lake Harriet of course has beautiful memories from our wedding. I still remember how cheerful I was having my dad walk me through the rose garden to meet my handsome husband - with all our wonderful friends & family there. So beautiful.

I had one of my favorite runs of all time last night. It was just a short 3-miler, but it was one of my strongest, most enjoyable runs to date. I loved running on the lush trail into the beautiful sunset. Gorgeous summer night!!! Great tunes on the ipod - beautiful surroundings - body felt strong - good energy!!! Great feeling! I hope I can have some more runs like this before race day. My body is still adjusting from having 2 babies - but runs like last night are amazing. I love a good run. Nothing beats it.

cousin love.

2011-08-29T11:12:00.002-05:00

We had a super fun week last week! Ryan & Heather & their darling little boys, Finn & Jude were here visiting!! We had been looking forward to this visit all summer. I was so excited to see the little kids all together. It did not disappoint! We had a terrific time. The kids (Adelie & Finn especially) were so cute together. Such a fun-filled week. So many wonderful memories. It's crazy how fast these kids grow up. I was so excited to see them all together at this tender age. I sure love my girls...and seeing them with their adorable cousins was precious. I will always cherish the memories we made this past week. So sweet. We miss you guys so much already. I wish we lived closer. Having our families together was wonderful. Love you all. Thanks, mom & dad for the wonderful week!!! Your house is beautiful & such a fun spot for everyone to enjoy.

buddies!

2011-08-23T20:03:00.000-05:00

So great to have Ryan & Heather & Finn & Jude here!!!!! We are super excited to spend the week with them. I'm sure the kids are going to be in heaven (me too)! They are going to have so much fun together. I know Adelie is super excited to have some buddies to play with. Who better than Finn & Jude? These two are SO cute. I can't get over how adorable they are. Darling. We had a nice lunch with them today at Stella's rooftop. Can't wait to spend the rest of the week with them. Isn't the last picture hilarious? It cracked me up when I saw it on my camera! Nice toss, Mr. Finn.

recently...in pictures!

2011-08-20T22:46:00.003-05:00

Just a few happy summertime photos of my favorite girls...popsicles for breakfast...sisterly love...climbing inside the cupboards for the first time...squirt-guns with great-grandma & great-grandpa miller...picking flowers with great-grandma...eating ice cream with great-grandpa...feeding the llamas at the fair with daddy...hanging out at excelsior beach...coloring with sidewalk chalk...eating blueberries on the tricycle...life has been great!!!

sweet suds!

2011-08-20T18:34:00.003-05:00

I always love a baby in the tub! so sweet! adelie is pretty cute out of the tub too (we taught her "touchdown!!") - - adorable!

sharing clothes already!

2011-08-20T18:24:00.001-05:00

Do you like Adelie's 'new' outfit? Adorable, right? So cute! This outfit is actually Kennedi's!!!!! My sweet friend gave Kennedi some darling clothes as a gift....but....Adelie stole them! She insisted on wearing this (it's size 3-6 months!). She followed me around carrying it...so I let her try it on...and she looked so cute!! So, she's 'borrowing' it from Kennedi for a little while! I guess Adelie shares all her clothes with Kennedi, so Kennedi can share some clothes too!

sprinklybaby: college football! the most wonderful time of the year!!

2011-08-20T15:02:00.002-05:00

In honor of the most wonderful time of the year.....custom football clips!

sprinklybaby: cupcakes & giveaways!

2011-08-16T13:59:00.001-05:00

cupcakes & giveaways: see sprinklybaby blog for details!

sprinklybaby!

2011-08-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

I am super excited about the clips I added to my shop this morning. They are really sweet. I posted some more pictures on my sprinklybaby blog as well as on my sprinklybaby facebook page. Thanks for all the love & support!!!

thank you, Mark!!!

2011-08-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

We loved having Mark & Libby here in MN for the last week. We had such a great time with them. I'm so sad that they're already gone. I'll post more photos from their visit when I have a little more time - but for now, I wanted to share a couple beautiful photos Mark took of Kennedi...and one funny one of Adelie waking up to a camera!! I just adore these pictures!!!!!!! There are so many beautiful photos - but I thought I'd just share a couple on here. Love! Love! Love! Thank you SO MUCH!!!! Miss you guys so much already.

happy 33!

2011-07-28T10:09:00.000-05:00

Happy 3-3 to our favorite guy!! We had a nice weekend up at the cabin celebrating Nate's birthday. We ate lots of good food, Nate went golfing, we did a little swimming (well...Adelie & Nate went swimming together & technically I made it into the lake on Saturday night after I lost in Scrabble...nothing like jumping in the lake in the dark!). Adelie had her first corn on the cob...and loved it! So fun. The girls and I are so lucky to have Nate...we sure love him!

all smiles!

2011-07-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

kennedi had fun celebrating daddy's birthday this weekend...more photos to come, but I wanted to share this sweetness for now. nothing better than a happy baby!

morning planting

2011-07-20T12:42:00.000-05:00

It's been way too hot & humid here the last couple of days!! We have stayed inside most of the time - only sneaking outside for a little while here & there to get some fresh air. This morning was a little windy, so it felt cool enough to get outside & finally plant our flowers. Sadly the heat has been tough on our little marigolds, so hopefully a lot of miracle grow & water & a little love will bring them back to full bloom again. My lemon tree is loving all the sun & heat - looking good so far. Adelie loved adding all the potting soil...she was having so much fun! She was pretty tuckered out at the end though, but still happy enough to give the lemon tree a good luck kiss! Such a happy little girl.

playing with tulle

2011-07-19T17:55:00.000-05:00

Adelie & I had fun playing with tulle today. I added some tulle/fabric layered flower clips to my shop. The color combination is adorable - I love light blue/teal/red together! So cute & fresh. To see these clips and more, visit sprinklybaby.etsy.com

watering the flowers

2011-07-13T22:00:00.001-05:00

I wanted to snap a few photos of some of my current barrettes for sale, so we had some fun watering the flowers together. Adelie loves watering all the flowers in the yard. It's super cute. She would water flowers for hours if I let her.

love my girlies.

2011-07-07T21:41:00.002-05:00

I love comparing photos of the girls - here's one of kennedi smiling today - and one of adelie to compare (kennedi is 8 weeks - adelie was 10 weeks in this picture...) so cute!

splish-splash-splash!

2011-07-07T21:22:00.001-05:00

we have some better, longer videos of Adelie splishin & splashin...but this is a nice quick one...she's our little water lover!!! so fun! we took her there today with my best friend, jenny, and she loved it just as much!! that water is cold...but so refreshing on these hot summer days. adelie was loving it! we'll be back for more tomorrow...maybe I can get some more footage. she's hilarious!

sweet citrus!

2011-07-06T22:21:00.001-05:00

Today was a special, special day! I've been wanting a meyer lemon tree for a long time now, and today was the day!!!!!!! We went to a local nursery to buy some marigolds to pot, because it was a super hot day today and I thought it'd be a fun activity with Adelie...we left the nursery with a lemon tree...(and marigolds!). So excited. We then went to another garden shop and bought some more really great marigolds (they're huge!!) and some more pots (I had the gardening itch!)...so we ran out of time & never potted the plants...but we will get our hands dirty on Friday! Cant wait! I'll post some pictures of the monumental event! If anyone has tips on keeping a meyer lemon tree alive, please send them my way. Nate thinks I kill every plant I touch...but the lady at the garden shop said she's had her lemon tree for 8 or 9 years now...and she gave me some good pointers, so hopefully that helps! The guy at the first nursery told me to 'google it' - ha! thanks for the guidance, buddy!! Actually, he was a super nice old man...but just a little silly.

Cheers to my new adventure with my meyer lemon tree. You're all invited over next summer for some freshly squeezed lemonade. Yes...it'll still be alive and blossoming next summer, I assure you!

happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T22:36:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I love this holiday! It's such a nice time to reflect on our blessings & freedom.

We had all sorts of fun this weekend!! On Saturday we visited mom & dad. Nate got some good golfing in with dad (actually, really great golfing - his best round of golf!!!!) Yay for him! I went water-skiing for the first time this summer (brought Adelie & Kennedi on the boat...pretty funny in their matching life jackets!). I sure love skiing!! And it's even more fun when I see my cute little daughter smiling from the boat. She sure makes me smile!

We brought out our double stroller for it's first ride...in the Chanhassen 'kiddie parade' - so glad we did that. It was pretty funny. The kids were adorable - all sorts of wagons & tricycles decked out in streamers & red, white & blue decorations. So cute. Check out Kennedi's 4th of July crown!! So funny! Adelie loved watching all the kids. We did end up at the end of the parade somehow though...we were way behind everyone! No worries though...we kicked it into gear and got back into the pack. There was no way we were going to bring in the caboose.

Today was 90 degrees and super sunny. Nate went golfing this morning. We both got in a hot, hot run this afternoon...and we took the girls to a really great park that we just discovered. It's awesome!!! Seriously the coolest park I've ever been to. So many fun things for Adelie to play with. The best part of the park is the super cool water area. She was going crazy running around in the water. So funny.

Loved watching the NYC fireworks on TV tonight. Such an amazing show. By far the coolest fireworks I've ever seen. Sadly we didn't make it to a local fireworks show, but we'll make it next year. Kennedi has been so fussy the last couple of days, and a 10:00 start time for fireworks is a little late for a 15 month old & 2 month old. Next year! Happy 4th!

baking!

2011-06-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

Adelie & I made some banana bread & zucchini bread together. The bread is good, but the best part was seeing Adelie help! She is a doll.

cutie pie

2011-06-27T15:54:00.000-05:00

I found a local cutie-pie to test out the newest barrettes in a little photo shoot. She's pretty darling! I think I'll keep her around for awhile!!

adelie & kennedi

2011-06-26T19:19:00.001-05:00

...a couple of my favorites of the girls lately...I sure love these little sweet-peas!!!!

alice visits MN!

2011-06-26T19:11:00.000-05:00

Nate's mom, Alice, came to visit us and meet Kennedi. She left on Friday and I know Adelie is already really missing her. Alice & Adelie played, played, played!!!! She really spoiled her!! Well, she really spoiled all of us. She made us some wonderful meals (delicious scallops...amazing asparagas risotto...mmmmm!!). She also made some fantastic zucchini bread (I'm going to have to make some more this week...since we've already eaten the whole loaf she made. Hopefully I can make it half as good as she did...it's Nate's favorite from childhood!!). We got some time to ourselves (which never happens anymore!). We went on a couple good runs...and we had a date night & went to a movie. Also, I was able to make a ton of progress on my sprinklybaby project with her here. I was able to finish everything I had started - I was SO happy to get everything started. Thank you, Alice!!! We are so excited for her to visit again in September with Jim! We miss you, Nona! We all love you!!!! Thank you for everything.

happy 2nd anniversary!

2011-06-26T18:40:00.004-05:00

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary on June 12th up at the lake. We had a wonderful long weekend celebrating with the girls.

We had some great food & fun bonfires. Nate caught a lot of fish...and he put in a dock!!!! hahaha! Check out that outfit! That's the handsome man I married...speaking of handsome, look at those socks & shoes he's wearing while fishing! ha!!

It's been a happy 2 years...and we're looking forward to all that is ahead!

SPRINKLYBABY BLOOM BOUQUET line

2011-06-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

I started a new line of barrettes: the SPRINKLYBABY BLOOM BOUQUET! Darling for the summertime! I am in love with these. I plan on making one for myself too. They are the perfect girly accessory! Love!!!! Shop now at sprinklybaby.etsy.com

sprinklybaby.etsy.com is open!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-23T19:59:00.004-05:00

I am so, so happy right now!!! My SPRINKLYBABY shop is open!!! I have worked really hard to get this started, and I'm so happy to announce that it's finally up!

Please visit & let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who has been supportive of this goal of mine! Love you all.

visit: sprinklybaby.etsy.com

sprinklybaby shop update!!

2011-06-22T19:09:00.001-05:00

Here is a little sneak peek into what I've been up to! I'm almost ready to open up shop! So excited!! Here are some of my favorites!

"look what I taught myself!!"

2011-06-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

...and again...and again...and again...

2011-06-08T10:50:00.000-05:00

strawberries! (and somersaults!)

2011-06-08T10:31:00.002-05:00

I'm sure the photos seem a bit excessive in this post, but Adelie was so cute this morning, and I had to capture a couple pictures so I can remember this moment. I usually cut up her strawberries nicely, but today I decided to give them to her whole. It was pretty funny watching her sort her strawberries & pick off the stems. She is a smart girl. She loves to discover new things, and she loves figuring out how things work. I love it! It makes life a little trickier - just because she can now open up lots of things she couldn't before & once she gets her mind set on something, she does not give up until she does whatever it is she started. I'm always impressed with the things she picks up on...she's pretty silly. Very observant little girl.

Speaking of silly...she discovered a new "trick" about a week ago. I was feeding Kennedi on the couch and was very surprised (SHOCKED!) when I saw Adelie standing on the coffee table (which is behind our living room chair). She had a very, very, very silly smile (the "I-know-I'm-not-supposed-to-be-up-here-mommy-but-wait-till-you-see-my-new-fancy-trick" kind of smile). In about 1.4 seconds flat, Adelie stood up on the table & FLIPPED over the chair into the pillows...a complete somersault!!! It was HILARIOUS!!!!!! I died laughing. It was like she figured out she could climb up on the table (which she hadn't done previously), and in those few seconds, she decided she'd stand up tall on the table & flip right over the chair....honestly SO FUNNY!!!! I started laughing really hard, which only encouraged the behavior. For the next few minutes, she raced around the chair...climbed up on the coffee table...flipped over the chair...repeat. repeat. repeat. Finally I grabbed the camera & tried to capture it. It was difficult to get a good video & watch her at the same time. I was a little worried she'd flip right over onto the floor. I need to get a better video. It's really funny how excited she gets...and how quickly she does it. She gets on the table & pauses until I catch her eye..and then she goes for it! It's like she wants to make sure I see her daredevil skills. So funny. That girl cracks me up!!!!! She is so funny!

marshmallow

2011-06-05T18:56:00.001-05:00

In honor of Kennedi's 1-month celebration, we spent most of the day outside in the sunshine. Today was even nicer than yesterday. Its been my favorite summer day yet!!! Adelie & I spent part of the day trying to save my flowers. I am happy to report, they are looking good! They just needed a little love & some pruning...and maybe a little (or a lot) of water. She was a good little helper (sort of!). She was pretty cute with the watering can. Nate thinks I'm awful at taking care of plants, but I'm determined to prove him wrong. Nate set up the "tent" for the girls, so little Kennedi could daydream in comfort! We played our first bocce game of the summer. We played to 12. I was up 6-2 and Nate went on a 10-1 run, and beat me 12-7!!!! I thought I had it. Maybe next time. We have a good yard for bocce. Again, Adelie showed off her helper-skills. She loved chasing after the bocce balls. Fun, fun.

We are now sitting on the patio. It is a beautiful night. The smoky-joe is lit up and Nate is about to make us a wonderful dinner. Adelie is a wild woman tonight. Lots of sun for this little one!! She is snacking on a marshmallow right now...correction...what I meant to say is she has an entire marshmallow in her mouth right now & marshmallow drool running down her chin. *note: we do not normally keep marshmallows in the house...but we're planning on s'mores soon. Yikes! Fun night at the Cartwright home!!

summer days in excelsior!

2011-06-04T21:35:00.002-05:00

Today has been one of the nicest summer days yet. Blue skies, lots of sun, and mid 80's. We left the house today not sure where we were headed, but knew we were spending the day outside. We ended up in Excelsior (of course!). Excelsior is just such a fun little spot. I love it there. We had a nice lunch at Maynard's on the wharf - sitting right by the lake! So fun. They had live music & the place was packed. We had a nice lunch & Adelie finally got to see some"ducks" (actually, they were geese...but no one told her differently). She was having fun pointing at them saying "duh, duh, duh" (her version of "duck"). Then we walked to Adele's for a little custard treat. My fave! While there, Adelie discovered a birdbath to splash her hands in...not the cleanest place to splash around, but she was having fun. I don't think it was super dirty - but we still cleaned her up nicely afterwords...still kinda funny though. I love Excelsior in the summertime.

It's still beautiful out. I think we're having dinner on the deck tonight. Was hoping for a bonfire & s'mores, but we may call it an early night tonight. We were up all night last night with the girls (Adelie is teething!!)...so the bonfire may have to wait till tomorrow night.

a little walk to the ice cream shop!

2011-06-04T21:24:00.000-05:00

month 1.

2011-06-04T21:22:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Kennedi's one month birthday! This past month has been full of wonderful moments. If you're wondering why we haven't posted more photos of Kennedi, it's because she sleeps all the time!!!!! She's been a little more awake this past week, so hopefully that means she will start to be awake more often! Her hair has been changing all month. It was so dark & full when she was born...and it's slowly lightening up. She's lost a lot of it already too. So, we'll see what it ends up looking like. She's a sweet little girl. I love her so much. I can't wait to see her little personality develop. Adelie has been an incredible big sister! She gives Kennedi kisses and loves snuggling up to her. I love my girls!

THE DUCK

2011-05-29T22:56:00.000-05:00

"time for tea", says Adelie!

2011-05-27T13:31:00.002-05:00

We started out the morning playing with Adelie's ice cream sundae stackers...(which she loves!!).

But then she discovered her tea set (which was still in the package since she's a little young for it still)...

After carrying the box all around the house & following me with this sweet little pout (and pointing to the box!!)...

I gave in & opened it up for her...and I'm so glad I did!!!!!

I love that little girl so much!!!!! oh! and this will be her next honeybake toy: ice-lollies!!!

fun! fun! fun!

KC

2011-05-24T19:49:00.001-05:00

Just a couple photos I had on my phone from when Kennedi was a day/two old. It's amazing how quickly babies grow in such a short amount of time. I love how tender and sweet she is.

summer runs!!

2011-05-24T19:40:00.001-05:00

There's not much that makes me feel more alive than a good run. I've been so excited to get running again. Yesterday I decided it had been long enough since I had laced up my running shoes. It's been 2 1/2 weeks since I had Kennedi and my body has felt great so I figured I'd give it a shot. I only ran about 2 miles, but it felt fantastic. Tonight, I ran the same run...and I felt just as good! There's something so wonderful about a good run. It's especially fun when I can take one of my best pals along for the ride. She loves it, and it makes me so happy to see her smiling along the way. She loves the fresh air, and it makes her laugh to see me huffing & puffing along!

We live in a very small town. There's not much here...at all. But, we love our home, and we love the life we have here. We are so happy. One of my favorite parts of living here is that we live a half block away from a fantastic, brand new, paved trail. The trail extends 25 miles...all the way along Lake Minnetonka into Wayzata. I can't wait till we get our bike trailer and can take the girlies biking into Wayzata (ok...a little ambitious for me...but we'll make it there someday!). For now, it's been great getting out running on the trail. It's so peaceful and beautiful. We're lucky to have it so close. It's so nice to hop on a nicely paved trail. I really am loving these summer night runs. So great. Can't wait to do another race in the future. I'm not a fast runner, or even a good runner...but I love it...love it. love it. love it.

Sisters?

2011-05-22T23:17:00.001-05:00

Adelie & Kennedi...I love my sweet little girls!

Adelie LOVES her new ride!!!

2011-05-22T23:13:00.000-05:00

Adelie LOVES her new ride (even though these photos don't really show her excitement). She was loving it. She loves being outside & this new ride will boost her excitement for exploring the outdoors! We are really looking forward to family hikes with this new addition!!

We miss you already, Emily!

2011-05-22T23:05:00.001-05:00

We loved having Emily in town this week. We had a wonderful time with her here. I wish time didn't pass so quickly. It seems like she just arrived, and now she's headed home.

I love living in MN, but I truly miss my siblings. Each of you makes my life richer, and each of you are so, so, so special to me. I admire each of you & look up to you in so many ways. I could not be more grateful for the friendships we share, and the memories we've had together. I feel so blessed to be your sister.

We miss you already, Emily. Come back soon.

Also, how cute is the picture of Adelie & my dad swinging together? This is one of my all time favorites!

bringing home baby kc!

2011-05-22T22:52:00.000-05:00

loving baby kennedi.

2011-05-22T22:44:00.000-05:00

We are loving life with baby Kennedi. She is a darling little girl and we are loving watching her grow and develop each day. I am so grateful for our two daughters and the love that they fill each day with. I feel so blessed to be their mom and I cherish all the tender moments we have shared as a family of four.

Here are a few photos from Kennedi's birth. It was such a special experience and I feel lucky that it was as peaceful and calm as it was. Nate was a wonderful support through it all. He made the experience so enjoyable and memorable. I am so lucky to be married to such a great husband who is such a constant support to me. He calms me. He comforts me. He looks out for me. He helps me smile more than I could smile on my own, and I am so grateful for his love. I'm so, so grateful that our daughters are blessed with his love as well. We are three lucky girls!! I love seeing how much Adelie adores Nate. They have become best buds in the past couple of weeks. It's precious.

It makes me a little teary to look at all of these photos. It really is such a special experience to be pregnant and then experience labor & delivery. Amazing. Simply amazing. Those first moments as a family together are so tender and magical. I cannot express how grateful I am for the happiness we are blessed with in this life. I am so lucky to have the love of Nate, Adelie, and Kennedi.

playing the waiting game...

2011-04-30T08:58:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow's the big day! May 1, 2011!!! Baby girl's due date....and so we wait!

We made a trip to the hospital on Monday, thinking maybe my water broke...but no luck. Sent home without a baby!! I think it'd be great if she was born on Mother's Day, but I'm not sure I want to wait another week for her arrival. I'm feeling pretty good - lots of contractions & a decent amount of pain, but happily waiting...I can't wait to see her sweet face. Adelie is going to love having a little sister.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

2011-04-30T08:53:00.000-05:00

A few more photos from Easter Sunday. Adelie LOVED her Easter basket! She has enjoyed it all week. She gets so excited to open up the eggs...and she carries them around with her...and hides them...and stores them in the basket of her tricycle! It's hilarious.

Nate picked out the funny bumblebee hat. I was not a huge fan at first (of course I wanted to keep her basket sweet & feminine....) but she loves that silly thing!! We all took turns wearing it. Pretty silly. I have a feeling that goofy hat will keep us laughing for a long time.

GO TWINS!!!

2011-04-30T08:13:00.000-05:00

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Twins baseball games! We got lucky last weekend with some awesome tickets behind home plate....Twins v Indians (Nate's fave team). Mom & Dad joined us and we had a wonderful time enjoying outdoor baseball in a gorgeous ballpark on a perfect, sunny spring (Easter) day! Adelie dressed the part with her 'Twins' Easter egg shirt (which she got that morning from the Easter bunny!). It was so much fun. I absolutely LOVE Twins games...so exciting! The game was action-packed & the Twins won...YAY!

many beautiful moments ahead!!

2011-04-23T08:39:00.001-05:00

We're 8 days from our due date, and I could not be more excited for this baby girl's arrival. I can't wait to see her sweet face!!! I remember vividly the first moments with Adelie, and I can't wait to experience it all again with our new little darling. Those first hours (and days...and weeks...and year...) are the most beautiful moments I've ever experienced in life.

Being a mom is definitely the most amazing blessing in life. I cannot express how grateful I am to be Adelie's mom. And I can't wait to meet this little sweetheart and feel even more gratitude. My heart is completely full as I think of the joy that is yet to come. I am so excited to meet her...and I can't wait for that first moment when we are all together as a family...Nate, Adelie, baby, and me!!

I am so thankful for my friends and family who have been such a great support to me in this exciting journey! We will let you know when she is on her way!!!! Please keep us in your prayers. I will need all the strength possible! Love you all.

sprinklybaby!

2011-04-16T14:40:00.002-05:00

When I got pregnant with Adelie, I was always thinking of fun, girly things I could make for her. I loved making her mobile and her stuffed animal (giraffe) before she was born. I've since fallen in love with making playful onesies and cute barrettes for her & as gifts for others. I decided (after receiving lots of compliments on her hair barrettes whenever we're out & about...and people constantly asking where I buy them for her) I'm going to start selling them. I've been pretty shy about this endeavor, simply because it's a little intimidating showing people my crafty side & hoping they'll like it (a little). But I really love making these little cheerful projects, so I'm giving it a shot! I will open up a little shop once baby girl #2 arrives. My shop's name is going to be sprinklybaby! I'm still working on the logo, but I think it'll be a really great concept. I am super excited to get this going and am hoping I'll have at least a little success at it. If you know of anyone who wants to order any barrettes or baby gifts (onesies, stuffed animals, etc.), they can email me at sprinklybaby@gmail.com - I'm happy to do custom work and look forward to the projects ahead!

I felt so happy on Thursday afternoon when I officially sold my first barrettes to some friends & friends-of-friends! I sold 9 barrettes in one afternoon! The girls that bought them were so sweet. They absolutely loved them. It made me feel so good. I always think Adelie looks cute with hers, but I'm her mom, so I always think she's cute! It was so rewarding for me to see these girls so excited for their new barrettes. I know it's only a silly little barrette, but I really do try to make them cheerful and girly & to see the girls happy with them made me so happy!

My upcoming project is a stuffed animal for the baby girl that is soon to arrive (she is due in 2 weeks...can you believe it?!!). I ordered the fabric and am anxiously awaiting for it to arrive in the mail so I can get going on it!

Any suggestions on what I should make her? An elephant? A mouse? A hedgehog? I'm still not sure. I want to make something comparable to Adelie's giraffe (see in header photo at top of blog)...but I'm not sure yet what that will be! Any cute ideas? Here's the fabric I ordered:

And here are the latest barrettes I've made:

I can't wait to get my 'sprinklybaby!' shop going! Should be fun!!

waiting for my sister...when will she be here???

2011-04-09T20:12:00.000-05:00

cupcake love!

2011-03-17T18:02:00.000-05:00

she's my daughter...that's for sure...sharing the same love for cupcakes!!