A reminder for a Monday

I've really been trying to do this more recently. Wouldn't you know...it helps me not feel as overwhelmed.

This. Face.

It's still hard to comprehend the love that comes with motherhood.  This sweet boy makes life even more wonderful.

COME ON MOM!

MAINE

There is too much to do...not enough time to blog about it :) Summer is pretty much over and I'm back to work. Maybe it will make me more productive in general?

I was looking through summer pics tonight and realized how much I loved this trip.

We went to Maine. Just the 3 of us. Our first family vacay. We asked for a room with a balcony so we could sit outside and look at the stars after Grant went to bed. We ate lobster. Grant played on the beach in the sand and it was the first time he could really enjoy it. We walked on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Grant didn't take a nap in the hotel room once in spite of our efforts. We ate out every meal where one of us was up from the table at least half the time, chasing an active 1 year old. We were home by 8 both nights. I'll look back years from now and forget those parts and remember it as perfect.

Toddler joy.







You're coming, right mom?

Normal Days

I've been so lucky this summer to be off from school which gives me the chance to spend my days at home with Grant. Now that he's walking, he's wide open - ALL the time. Dirt, gravel, cars, water - bring it on. The world is such an exciting place and it's so fun to see it through his eyes. I spend a lot of time watching him explore and find myself thinking...remember this moment - those eyes - that hair - the crinkle of his nose - the fascination and joy in discovering something new.

My mom shared this poem with me a few weeks ago and I recently saw it again on a blog. It resonated with me as this is how I want to remember Grant's childhood. The normal days deserve recognition too.

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.” ― poem by Mary Jean Irion

A few of those moments...

Family Photos

Thank you Amanda for capturing these amazing photos of our family!!

Check them out :)

xo

Grant's First Birthday Party!

We had a beautiful, sunny day to celebrate Grant's first birthday!! My parents were so kind as to provide the party location...many of the birthdays in our family are in the summer so the lake just feels like the right place to have birthday parties! (We were missing a few special people this day.  Especially sad was Aunt Meg - she was in Seattle being a big girl and working hard!  We celebrated with Grant's other grandparents a few days later in VA!)

Thanks to Pinterest and Etsy I was filled with birthday decoration ideas. I don't think I will have as much inspiration (or as much time to think about it) in years to come and Grant will only turn one once so I make no apologies! I'm didn't really want a theme but bright and colorful was what seemed to emerge.

My friend Katie has an amazing cake recipe that my mom offered to make Grant (along with her famous icing). He had his own smash cake!

First there was birthday singing....


First birthday singing!! from Chelsea Tedder on Vimeo.

Then he thoroughly enjoyed cake eating :)

Love my birthday cake! from Chelsea Tedder on Vimeo.

Sweet family and friends came to celebrate with us.

We opened some presents.

There was lots of time for play...

Including leftover fun with decorations the following day :)