Fun things about Ella's birthday, last weekend, the State Fair and this past weekend...yep, this is a big un'

This Story People says a lot about this moment - this beginning of this 4th week of October...

Resorting to connecting the dots this morning because it was a long night & he needs to do something really simple to get started again.

Today, "connecting the dots" is me doing a Fun Things - a simple recap of all of the wonderful going on lately.  It's not all encompassing, more like scratching the surface at best :)  Not really feeling the need to "get started" in a get up and go way, but more like slowing things back to the way we live best...slow & sponge-like.  And what better way to do that than to savor a few of the better moments, ones where camera happened to be in hand...

October 13, 2011 ~ Celebratin' #1
(thanks big brother for illustrating)

Pride and elation over our "big" girl

Ella's "I like my presents" face :)

hmmm....cake?!

mmmm...cake!!

workin' on "fruits" of loving labor (late Friday night after trip in from Raleigh)

my partner :) whom all the thanks in the world wouldn't be enough for (sigh)

the "piece de resistance" of the party favors ~ Ella's joy jars...the love and joy that went into these are merely a fraction of the love & joy we hope they give

party set up & decorating...simple flowers are reminders of the joy of the finished product - they're not indicative of the glorious wind and insane amount of masking tape we used to best mother nature against flimsy table cloths...no, i'd rather just focus on the prettiness :)

helping the 1st born transform before his nap & mama's downtime before the partay :)

carrying Spidey out to sling webs at pappaw in the yard :)

Bday girl ~ ready to party (inasmuch as a 1 year old can be!)

Family & Friends...

we cannot say thank you enough to everyone who came to help us celebrate our sweet girl.  Your love for Ella and for us means so much.  The weather was beautiful - but sharing that time w.family & friends who are so near & dear, that made the sun shine even brighter, the laughter ring louder and joy that much more heartfelt...thank you!

Ella, us, Granny Worley & Meemaw

Fun w.cousins :)

Singin' and cake time!

:) all part of the job

tired, but reveling in the joy of having a 1 year old again ~ knowing all too well how fleeting it truly is (sigh)

biting the Sunday afternoon bullet again - not able to tear ourselves away to spend a beautiful day en route...

feet up, finally ~ helping hold the grass down in the back yard :)

adult bevs (aahhhh...) ~ they pair well w.glorious sunshine & beautiful october blue skies

music :)

relaxin' the dress code ~ that kind of laid-back day :)

burnin' up that grass to Granny Worrellly's :)

how 'bout them apples :)

makin' sure we give equal attention to various spots in the yard...you never know when that stuff might take off :)

Fast forward to Tuesday morning...us & lil' buddy, State Fair bound

Finally arriving :)

Seeing the animals

Waitin' to be a cowboy...once they said "everyone needs a cowboy hat!" - Deddy fished another $5 from his pocket :)

Yee Haw for John ~ tears for mama snapping pics...thanks to weepy-ass country song playin' in the corral :) my lil' cowboy being the sweetest thing in his lil' hat...yep, only added to my weepy-ness - ha

Enjoyin' the beautiful flowers & gardens, my favorite ~ tryin' to ignore all the bell-ringin' (if it wasn't my kid, it was somebody else's - less annoying when it's your own, truth be told!)

After all the attention showered on lil' miss's bday - glad to have some time to soak up our buddy (big sigh, big boy)

Carousel rides...funny about this, when they got off, Seth said John kept turning to him saying, "Stop following me Deddy..." :)

Ready to ride the Dragon

 

Tea cups, now macaroni cups ~ the mortifying things you do for your children :)

Swings :) 

(awesome @ any age)

John's 1st roller coaster ~ glad this lil' girl offered to ride with him
(don't know why she's cuttin' a stink eye though-ha)

weeeeeeeeeeee

our boy & his hard-won prizes...eg. 1 dart, 1 balloon popped (it's in the genes)

Fast-forward, this past weekend at home - felt like a long time coming...

Finally Friday - after the babies were in bed, mama & deddy found our relax mode via some "duck"



some rummy on the couch



a lil' strategy (in vain for some)



and the #s speak volumes :)



firing up the logs ~ enjoyed by Salem Belle too



Findin' buddy laid out in front of his door when we came up for the night - almost woke him up w.laughter...guess he just wasn't ready to miss out on any fun :)



Saturday...full & busy...as expected after 2 weekends away...some of us knowing better than others how to savor the moment (thanks Deddy)

Takin' the babies for a Sunday outing at an ol' stompin' ground ~ Lake Johnson.
The significance of that happy place :)



As promised, FINALLY feedin' some ducks (no need to focus on ones that nipped the 1st born and instigated some tears)

lil' miss's "whoa" face and subsequent "whoa" sound - her funny right now for sure :)



glorious sunshine



Deddy & his girl ~ those are some big grins...the last "girl" on that bridge w.him became his wife just as she hoped :)



Walker, that's what we've taken to callin' her - an every time we turn around occurrence these days (sigh)



Takin' the view (more sighs)...



busy, but counting our blessings.  Loving the lil' people we see emerging a lil' more and more with each day.  As I said - we know the fleeting nature of this time & these moments...savoring and being thankful as best we can.

Hope everyone's having a blessed week!