so long summer

Yeah, it's August.

But I'm ready for the change in the air and ready to move into a new season. I'm ready for schedules, cooler air and some more orange in my life.

Blake brought home these beauties for me the other day and they're the perfect welcome for fall to arrive.

But instead of watching the calendar we're making the most of the last few weeks of summer. Lucy starts school pretty soon and we're having fun playing outside and visits to the pool. Last weekend we even had our own backyard movie night. I thought we'd need the elaborate set-up of a projector and screen but in about five minutes Blake just set up one of our tv's and we were good to go! We had such a fun night and it was so cozy to have our treats and movies in our own back yard.

Summer isn't complete without breakfast in the canyon.

morning people

Summer growth spurts.

Lucy has grown almost two shoe sizes over the summer and is in a bigger size of clothes. Her hair seems to grow longer by the day and don't even get me started on her personality.

4 going on 14 is no exaggeration.

We've had a great summer so far...

enjoy the rest of yours!

nicu reunion

This weekend we went to the annual NICU reunion at IMC. We missed the reunion last year so we were excited to go and visit with other NICU graduates and remember how far Lucy has come. IMC did an amazing job on the reunion - so many fun activities for the kids and Toy Story themed. There were over 600 people so it was kind of crazy but Lucy got her passport and visited all of the rooms and activities. This is Lucy at the nurse station room standing next to an isolette - where she lived for her first two months of life. When we first walked by the room I had to catch my breath. Isolettes, heart monitors, oxygen and all of the other equipment found in the NICU was on display so the kids could see what helped them when they were born. Once we went in though it was interesting to watch Lucy take everything in. She was cautiously curious.

We explained how this was her bed and we'd visit her and do her cares and then when we'd leave we'd put her blanket over the isolette to let her sleep. I told her she had her cute dragonfly quilt - not a hospital issued sheet. I think that pleased her.

They had scales and various items to show how much their weight equaled. Blake and I found a one pound bag of dry beans and an apple to make her birth weight.

Fishing for prizes.

Bo Peep from Toy Story - Lucy was so excited and we spent a good chunk of time hunting her down. Meanwhile Blake was complaining, "we'll be in Disneyland in two months!"

Hello scrooge, this girl stops for any and all characters.

And I do mean any characters.

A fun reunion and a very happy one too!

It's good to remember and look back but also nice to go home and snuggle and see how far we've all come.

rainy monday morning

We had a nice, dark down pour all morning and into the afternoon today. The grass sure needed it and I think Lucy did too. She got soaked to the bone and splashed to her heart's content.

After she was dry and warm she wanted her magic blanket and books on the porch.

This was the rest of the house on this dark, cozy morning...

When it's clean...Lucy's room is one of the coziest places in the house. One of her windows is almost covered in greenery and with the dark clouds it looked like the perfect spot for a nap... but Lucy doesn't believe in naps.

p.s. the only thing missing on this rainy morning was a good book for me. On Friday I finally bought The Help and it was so amazing that I read it in less than two days. This morning I kind of wished I didn't finish it so fast. If you haven't yet, read it!