Uncles as far as the eye can see

My daughter has more uncles than you can shake a stick at. David has 3 brothers and so do I . This last weekend David's brother Andrae came to visit with his wife Jessica and the whole family spent a blissful weekend outside picniking the weekend away. With balmy days we ate most meals outside and sat around the fire late into the night. Eiley and her cousin Kaelyn were appropriately doted on by all the uncles and aunties. I am so grateful for family. So thankful that in the absence of my california family I have the Brauns, who love and celebrate me in such a sweet way.






Eiley with Uncle Matt










Eiley and Uncle Jon


















Andrae and Jessica with Kaelyn and Eiley
 

My little schlumper

I just love it when Eiley schlumps, or at least that is what I call it. When she lets her whole body relax against whatever in total surrender, I get a really cool picture of rest and trust. She loves to follow me around the kitchen and schlump against my legs, which of course is a bit inconvenient when you have to move, but she doesn't seem to mind, she only moves to wherever I move to and schlumps again right up against my feet. Who needs a cocker spaniel when you have a snuggly toddler eh? 

Oh for a nap

Why is it that when you talk to a mom of a baby or toddler and ask her how her day is going, she immediately starts to delve into a calculous equation-like description of her babies continually fluctuating napping and feeding schedule..... " Well she woke up at 5 and then slept for another hour and 46 minutes and then by the time i fell asleep at 6:15 after feeding her of course she woke up again and then she should be going down around 9:34, but you never know, and I might put her down at 9:15, because then she can get a full two hours, well if she will sleep of course, but then she might wake up starving and ... and I need about ONE BAGILLION HOURS OF SLEEP MYSELF!!!!!!
poor thing....
Well I should be saying poor me, because try as I might not to, I find myself spouting these eating and feeding schedules all the time to my friends, who then reply with their child's eating and feeding schedule and then we just pause with a knowing deeper than words, and sigh.......Oh for a nap..... 

If only I knew how to open them

This little clip speaks for itself. I was trying to see if i could post some video clips online, little Eiley found chips and was sure that one of them had to be open...=) 

Summer love

We love watermelon and little Eiley LOVES watermelon, she would grow them if she could just figure out how. she will chew the rinds all the way down past the green and still keep sucking all the time....lickity lick lick lick. This is just one thing I will desperately miss when the cold north is under a pile of snow.....sigh.....


 

Day at the lake


It's so special to have a little girl who is so loved. Today we went to the lake to visit her Grandma and Grandpa Braun. This sweet pic of Eiley with her daddy and Grandpa touched my heart.










Little Eiley you are a true water baby. You love the water and ran straight into the lake with your clothes on and we had to take them off before you floated away with your little shirt and shorts. This was your first time on a beach and you ran in and out of the water, squishing the sand between your fingers and toes, squealing with joy. What fun it was to discover this new love of yours together, with Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa giggling with delight watching you bask in the sun and shiver with cold, not daring to venture too far from the water, lest we think you were ready to go. This smile made my day.










You just realized that you can run a few weeks ago and you almost never walk anymore. Your zest for life in contagious. At our trip to the park you ran back and forth always running towards people, kids or animals, running to make a new friend. i love that about you, so open, so pure, ready to love and give your sweet smile. I caught this picture mid-run, your mouth open in a squeal of happiness......ahh summer. 

My homegrown style guru showed up in this the other day and I thought that on some runway, somewhere, this little pumkin would be little Apple Martin's idol. But here in our little prairie town she will have to settle for being the apple of my eye and the light of her daddy's life. Eiley Katherine is deeeeelightful happiness bundled in a 15 month old toddler. I love being her mother.












Last week was our anniversary. Four wonderful years I have been married to the most amazing romantic man on the planet. This sweet man is my very bestest friend and favorite person to be with, hands down. Happy Anniversary sweetheart.