Cavalier Crawfish Boil 2013

Since the year Chase and I started dating, his family has put on an annual crawfish boil. This year was our 6th year celebrating with them, and true to tradition, it did not disappoint.

There's just something special about being around your family and creating traditions and memories that makes my little heart so happy.

Helping Angie put up decorations!

Appetizers... that Connor later dumped on the ground. Thankfully they were almost all gone.

Looks good, right???

Pretty much sums him up. ;)

He's the bomb.

First entire Cavalier family photo since our wedding in 2008!

He wanted in so so badly!

My mother-in-law has the prettiest garden.

 So there's a little recap of the day.

So glad my dad could come again this year. Love seeing how awesome he is with Connor. When none of us could get him to take a nap, Grandpa could.

Nothing like Grandpa cuddles.

Technology

This week has been frustrating in the world of technology.

With one small failure after another, I started to question my ability to handle the extreme amount of stress that comes with preserving others' memories via pictures.


Then I took a few photos of my little guy, and remembered WHY we were doing this. Not just to provide a home where I can stay with my kiddo during the day, but because these special moments and looks make my heart swell with joy.

We love being able to give that to others.

Can't these little toes stay little forever?

THIS is the look that I hope he will always give his mama.

Thanks, y'all for letting me share. It's been a bit of a rough week with technology, and I just wanted to share the ups and downs of this crazy life. 

It's in these trials that we find passion and purpose. 

Now, to buckle down and overcome technological imposed limitations!

A little bit of organization:

It truly goes a long way- organization.

When I organize a tiny little spot in the house, I feel like a new person! The little spot then usually becomes my favorite little nook in the house for about 24 hours until I feel the need to accomplish something else.

Does organizing release endorphins? I'm pretty sure something cray-cray happens when we complete tasks, because I get all kinds of happy.

While I was away in California, I drank in the beautiful scenery and regained some motivation to come home and work on the house. After two months of feeling like projects were never ending, I lost quite a bit of drive to do anything on the house. I wanted it to be finished, but lacked the motivation to do it!

Well California fixed me.

My friends, and the beautiful scenery were the perfect rejuvenating source!

First thing, we have been without a toilet paper holder since we basically moved in. Jessica gave me the fabulous idea to use my Thirty-One Magazine Basket as one! It's PERFECT! Now I need another for the other bathroom. ;)

While I was in California, Chase finished painting the bathroom cabinets. Still need to caulk and touch up some places, but it's 100% better than before! Not sure I want to put doors back on though. I love the open storage concept. They're still in the garage though if I change my mind! I cannot wait to add some Thirty-One Cubes in here, too! 

For now, those are TWO spaces that are on their way to being complete. 

We finished up the bedroom, so I'll post about that soon! It's one of my favorite places now.

We are WORKING on the backyard. It's a slow process, but it already feels more like home!

                                                                Vote: Doors or No Doors?

*See the sun shining in the window...*

While we enjoyed the day today, we took a little walk around the corner to a budding field of wild flower weeds.

They are quite possibly the prettiest weeds ever.

I remember in high school, my friend Shirley (shirleykayphotography.com) who was back then just emerging as a profound photographer, introduced me to a field of these beauties. I'm always on the lookout for more now!

After, I decided to snap a few details of the house. While it's not finished yet, we have done quite a bit!

We joined Brandon Mt. Farms CSA and boy am I excited about fresh local goods every week! In this week's haul there were two irises.... <3 br="">

I stuck them in with my backyard goodies I picked yesterday.

My growing vintage Pyrex collection. After we paint the cabinet white, I need to figure out a better arrangement. For now, everything is cozy and safe.

Happy houseplants = happy home. 

I think my favorite part of spring is the sunshine. It is infectious after a long winter!

It' brings to mind this song (which has special meaning in my heart from Walker...):

See the sun shining in the window

Time to start a new day

Can't you hear the songbird singing

I'd like to sing out loud today

Cause its a beautiful day

For running in the sun

A beautiful day

Has just begun

A beautiful day

And I want to share it with you

What's your favorite part about spring? 

Normalcy?

So March 3rd was a long time ago.

Apparently that's the last day we had any kind of normalcy in our lives, too because I haven't had a moment's chance to post since then.

Today is one of those gloriously beautiful spring days that makes you feel like if every day were just a tenth as productive as days like these, life would be grand and so organized.

Unfortunately, there are days like today, and then there are days like yesterday. I'm thankful for both because they allow me to see beauty in every part of life and APPRECIATE these special days even more when they come along.

Yesterday was rough. All around.

I'm going to share something with you, and please don't cast down the "you're a terrible mother" and "you shouldn't have had kids if you weren't ready to properly raise your child" because we are all mothers, and sisters, and friends... and when people say things like that, it hurts.

But here it goes. Connor is almost 2. We are just now taking the bottle away. ( took it away from 12-15 months, but when we ended up with two weeks of ear infections, it was the only way any of us slept). So he had a bottle before bed every night and every nap.

Last week, he started waking up and asking for more milk... twice... three times. He'd soak through his diapers and then we'd have to change bedding.

Obviously, we needed to take back the bottle.

Yesterday was day two of no bottles, and boy was it rough. Not much sleep the night before, or the night before that, and no nap... and then he wouldn't lay in his bed and go to sleep or he'd come into our room at 1am and want to sleep with us. At 9:00pm, I broke down and laid down with him in our bed and just went to sleep. I wanted to cry! But slept instead. We slept all night, and so did Connor.

So today, Chase let me sleep and he got up with little man. 8am feels like sleeping IN after 6am. So, today.. has been beautiful.

We went to the Farmer's Market, had a Chick Fil A picnic on our front porch, played outside in the front yard for what seemed like days, and then took some pretty photos in a field around the corner from the house. Our first share from the CSA was dropped off, too and now I'm about to go make a delicious lunch with locally grown produce and eggs.


So, just when my days were dark and sleepy, they just as quickly turned around. Connor went to sleep for his nap today without a bottle, and a very few tears. Which makes this momma's heart happy. Not sure how many more tears I could take today without shedding a few of my own.

With moving to a new house ( oh YEAH), remodeling said house (STILL working on that...), unpacking (still working on that, too) and working our photography, and my Thirty-One, things have been hectic.

We are so ready to have some sort of routine again in our lives, and for C's sake, I hope that comes soon. His behavior is so much more predictable when we have a routine and are settled.