To my dear, sweet readers:
So sorry that it has been ages since I posted last (or returned anyone's emails...). It has seriously been a crazy busy last couple of weeks.
First, there was the big birthday and party two weekends ago, which I have still yet to post about. Pictures and details are coming soon, I promise. And my Happy Birthday letter to Audrey will also be posted soon. I have not completed it yet- thank you perfectionism and sentimentality very much!- but I do still plan on sharing it with you when I can. Audrey's birthday brought out so many mixed emotions in me; I just have not felt the need to rush myself in writing the letter, as it is so dear and important to me. Even though I have shared Audrey's monthly letters with all of you, they really are written for her, so there is just no reason for me to fret about getting it written by a certain day for my blog, although I do love sharing them with you. (I keep telling myself that, anyway, because in fact I have been stressing about getting it posted relatively close to her actual birthday!)
But enough rambling...
After the big birthday weekend, I headed into a very busy week. We had swimming, the very first meeting of MOPS for the year- which included preparing little gifts for the girls at my table and my secret sister, as well as baking pumpkin cake to bring for the breakfast. Then, last Thursday and Friday, I watched a dear friend's kids from 7:30-5:30 each day. We had lots of fun walking to the park, doing crafts (sometimes I really do miss being a preschool teacher!), baking cookies, and singing and dancing. I also introduced them to one of my favorite movies, which Miss Kezi especially loved. It was fun, but exhausting! I am definitely not ready for three kids yet, and I understand much more what their mama experiences every day- not that I didn't already.
I should also mention that my husband was so so gracious in giving me lots of "Andi" time on the days that I watched the kids. On Thursday night I got to go to the scrapbook store alone! A rare treat! And to Barnes and Noble to read magazines to my heart's content. Then on Friday night I got to go to a scrapbooking crop, which I didn't get to stay at very long (Audrey was having a rough night and Erik had to work the next morning at 5am), but it was still nice.
This weekend brought with it a Saturday night of baby-sitting, as it was our week to watch the kids for the date-night co-op. So worth it though because we get dates the next three Saturdays. Bliss.
Sunday we took a much needed family day and headed up to Mt. Baker. Can I just tell you how completely blessed I feel to live in such a beautiful place? Seriously. Western Washington might get a lot of rain, but on gorgeous sunny days like Sunday was there is no place I would rather be. We took lots of pictures, so I'll post those soon too.
I have also been frantically trying to finish my circle journal entries. I have not posted pictures of the last three that I have done, so those will be coming soon as well! As much fun as the circle journals were, I am ready for a break. I have not done anything for myself lately, and I am especially anxious to start working on pictures from Audrey's birthday.
So there you have it. Why I have been MIA the last week and a half. Hopefully things will start to settle down a little and I can post more often!
And how do you like the picture of Audrey eating the last blackberries of the season? I took that picture a week or so before her birthday. Speaking of sweet Audrey....she is doing all kinds of cute things lately like blowing kisses, saying "Wow!" about nearly everything, and taking more and more steps (we're up to about ten at a time now!) by herself. Having a one-year old is turning out to be super fun!
P.S. Thank you for all of your sweet birthday wishes to Audrey! They made me feel very special and loved. I wish that you could all meet my little girl in real life- she is amazing!
