January Recap

January was a good month. We settled into our regular routine, tried to purge the endless sweets in our home from Christmas, spent lots of time outside enjoying the cooler weather, and set some goals and started to work on them! 

Here are some highlights. 

New Years Eve just before midnight. This guy always has me laughing. We went to bed 3 seconds after we took this picture. Real party animals.

Some friends and I went down to Jupiter to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. So much fun! Reminded me a lot of the Tallahassee Museum. It was H-O-T that day, almost 85. Sometimes the sporadic Florida winter heat makes you a bit crazy.

School Time. Brinley is getting so good at staying in the lines and utilizing all her colors. She has always been confident using markers. I keep buying her new crayons, but I think I need to increase her marker supply!

^^learning about our country and how dang far our family lives from us

^^learning about money

^^love this app

^^this month, for whatever reason, has been non-stop dinosaurs. I have my own personal beliefs about dinosaurs, but Brinley is so curious and loves learning about them!

Ellie can be such a terror at Church (nursery is only 3 months away!!), but the second she wakes up from her coma nap, I just can't seem to put her down and stop smooching her cheeks. She is just so delicious.

We have been having some super cold days here! Like in the 50's!!!! That is COLD! We have a pretty pathetic supply of hoodies and outerwear :-( I need to work on that for next winter.

Refusing naps. Do not like this growing up thing. She is so happy to hang out with me on the couch and not nap. But that means I do not get any alone time during day.

Lunch dates with friends :-)

And then, Brinley cut her own hair. Sooo muuuuch haiiiiir.

But somehow, she didn't do too bad of a job! Shorter layers around her face. Nothing to crazy, thank goodness!

 Elle Belle got her shots :-(

Lots and lots of walks with these two.

First piggie tails!

 WORKING OUT. I'm so lazy. Only 2-3 days a week right now. Gotta get my butt moving.

Park with Daddy. ALWAYS a good idea.

 Crib time playing--these two kill me. This is their favorite time of day.

 Library time, of course.

Miss Flexible :-)

Just realized how perfect out tennis courts are for scooter. Ellie is obsessed with Brinley's helmet and will wear it all day everyday if I let her!!

Ellie. You are too much sometimes.

Brin and her many babies...

Park time.

Bring it on, February! 

Quilt Project 2014: Inspirations

This year is my year to make a quilt. Growing up, we always said my mother was part Amish because of the frequent quilts she busted out during the year. She is the most amazing quilter I know. She has made our little family so many special quilts, including our wedding quilt, a baby quilt for both Ellie and Brinley, a big girl quilt for Brinley's bed, and a few wall hangings that are out of this world amazing. To this day I'm (still) kicking myself why I didn't ask her to show me how to make a simple quilt. In March, we are visiting my parents for 2 weeks and it is my goal to get going on putting this quilt together. It took me a year to sew our stockings, so I'm guessing that it will probably take me that same amount of time to finish this quilt!! 

I have no idea what I am doing, and I'm not working with a pattern. Should be interesting! I'm sticking with some geometric shapes (triangles and squares) to get my feet wet for my first ever quilt! 

Here are some inspirations.

via here 

via here

via here

via here

via here

via here

via here

via here

via here

via here

Any advice on quilting (techniques, tools to use, fabric, batting, etc) is greatly appreciated!! 

Jupiter Lighthouse

I love that we've been taking advantage of our Saturday mornings and getting out and doing something other than being lazy. Which--being lazy is one of our favorite family activities, but being outside does something so good for the soul!  

On Saturday, we ventured down to Jupiter to see the lighthouse. 

There is just something so majestic and inspiring when you see a lighthouse. So breathtaking. While we were there, we toured the beautiful grounds and learned more about the first tribe of Indians that lived in Florida. They eventually died off by the diseases that the settlers brought and left Florida vacant (then letting the Seminole Indians settle in Florida). What I found interesting, is the land all around the light house is very hilly and the reason is that these early Indians would bury their shells from eating shellfish. Now, the shells, almost 5,000 years later, have turned into a cement like texture so they can't level the ground. Pretty cool! The Seminoles came later and they were the first tribe who used iron nails in their huts. They traded with the Caribbean and made nails! So cool. 

We also learned that Florida has 29 lighthouses (learn more here). They built lighthouses all around the state to keep the borders safe. I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of visiting them all.

Brinley and Ellie were too little to climb to the top, but they had fun walking the grounds and learning more about our Florida home. Ryan and I were both able to climb to the top (separately) and see the views. So so beautiful. I think the stories about the Indians kind of freaked Brinley out a bit. It is definitely a new concept to her that people lived here a LONG time before we did. 

^^Jimmy!!!!

^^COOLEST tree ever. It is called a "walking tree" and the roots will continue to spread and reach and get bigger and bigger over time. It was incredible to stand underneath it!

^^views from the top of the lighthouse

^^Ryan and the girls waving to me!

^^love being greeted by these two! 

^^someone was tired...

We had such a fun day! Come a visit and we'll go on an adventure to see a lighthouse :-)