FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL.

Griffey could not have been more excited for his first day of preschool this year.  We talked all about his teachers and the new friends he would make, what he would bring in his backpack and what snacks he would have.  We talked about how important it is to listen in class and to be kind to others.  Griff wanted to make sure we were only dropping him off on the first day, not staying.  He was ready to do it all by himself.  Fearless.

I love this little guy.  I can't believe he's in school and we are taking back to school photos in front of our door.  Just yesterday he was a tiny baby and I had no idea how to take care of him.  Today he's my big four year old and I couldn't be more proud of the person he has become.  And, don't you think he looks like his daddy?

BABY JANE.

Our sweet little girl arrived August 27 in the late afternoon, three days before her actual due date.  We named her Jane Esther- after her late great grandma Edith Esther Sanders. Pictured above, Jane's great grandpa Sanders is holding her after meeting her for the first time- on her second day of life.  

Jane has been such a blessing to us.  I loved her immediately.  She is such a sweet baby and as easy as these newborns come.  It's been very different having a girl this time around, although much of it feels the same as when I brought my boys home.  Jane is so beautiful- she was born with the blonde hair and blue eyes, like her brothers.  She has been my biggest baby at 8 lbs 1 oz and that has made all the difference in her sleeping and eating patterns.  This girl took charge right away and has left little guess work for us.  I sense her determined nature already.  She has a simple sweetness about her that is undeniable.  The boys have been great with her, they love their sister.  We talked about her daily throughout my pregnancy, and I suspect it made the transition easier for them.  It really does feel as if she's been with us all along.

We love you baby girl.  I can't wait for the days ahead and I can't believe how lucky I am to be your mama.

I MISS IT.

It all feels like a fairytale, these photos of us last summer where we used to live.  While change can be a good thing and there have been many advantages to our current situation, it hurts to stretch when we don't want to.  I haven't been adjusting to our new city as well as I would have hoped and the strange desert climate and dry air have really taken a toll.  I've been missing the humid summer days at the beach and the lazy afternoons the boys and I spent, just us- running around in the sunshine and splashing in the warm salty waves. When sunscreen and bug spray could be found in my purse, the car and several spots around the house. When I'd find sand everywhere- even after I swore I had cleaned it all up.  When we never ever wore shoes, or pants, or jackets.  I'll treasure these moments forever, when the boys were this little. And how, even on the days when I thought this two kid thing without a paycheck was too much to manage, life by the beach always made everything better.  We never grew tired of this place and I'm sure we never will.