Summertime!

Sometimes, I still can't believe that I have 2 children!  My best friend Jenna and I used to talk on the phone almost everyday, and now, we are lucky if we get to chat once a month.  Life is just so busy. She lives the single life down in Charlotte, NC, and from time to time, I'll just leave her a voicemail so she knows I'm thinking about her.  A few days ago, a song that reminded me of our CA half marathon  in 2010 came on, so I gave her a call.  The vm went like this...."Hey Jen, just thinking about you.  I'm cruising in my minivan with the girls, on my way to Babies R Us, picking up some new sippy cups".  It was the truth.  It was my reality....so far removed from my life in early 2010.  But 99% of the time, I LOVE this new reality:

[[[ yes, I know that bow is obnoxious.  I ordered it on Etsy and it unfortunately was a lot bigger than it looked and I don't have the time or energy to complain to the lady who made it.  Also, I have a red and a white one. ]]]]

And it's no secret that I LOVE summer.  Andrew and I both do because we are outdoor folk, and there gets to be so much more outdoor time when it's warm.  This weekend was kind of a mish mash of fun, but in between Andrew's work, my shoots, and a baby shower, we had time to stop at Sleeping Giant for a short hike.   Adalyn was not too sure about riding on Daddy.  She kept yelling, "I'm stuck! I'm stuck!"

But then she got into it.  And then Andrew realized how difficult a hike this was going to be.  

We decided to stick to the easy trail.

I carried Ellie with the bjorn.  She slept the whole time, as she usually does when I'm wearing her.

Adalyn didn't have a good nap on Saturday, so all of the bouncing of the hike made her pretty tired.

But then, we told her she could have her first real icecream cone and she woke right up! We've given her licks of icecream here and there, but Andrew and I were dying laughing at how she just knew how to hold the cone and lick it, and say,  "yum yum".  It was their cookie monster flavor.

Miss Eloise, always all smiles.  <3

Then, her sugar high came crashing down.

I'm always sad when the weekend ends because it means Andrew is back to his crazy schedule and I'm back to what can sometimes feel like groundhog day.  Park, playdates, editing, baths, dinner....blah.  If I've learned anything about being a mom of 2 under 2, it's that you have got to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND TRY NEW THINGS.  Again, so thankful to have a newborn in the summertime when that is a possibility.

My friend Ute was taking the day off of work today and invited us to join her family strawberry picking.  I was SO hesitant at first.  I had to be out of the house at 8:30...I would have to wear E the whole time....Adalyn would run away and eat all of the strawberries....Ellie might suffocate in the Bjorn because it was 90 degrees...Adalyn would fall asleep on the 40 min. car ride home because it would be too close to nap time and then I won't have one at home.....all of that alllmost stopped me.  And you know what?  It all (except for the suffocating) happened.  But what's important is that we had a great time.  Adalyn got to ride the Berry Ferry...hehe...and even though she might not remember this day, I have the pictures.

And I have the sweet text from Andrew that said I should be "basking in the sun of motherhood glory" and that "even though the trip may seem exhausting" that I should feel "energized by the fact that I am a terrific mother" LOVE him and his words of affirmation.  He is an Acts of Service kind of guy, so I'm going to attempt - attempt -  to surprise him with a strawberry pie tonight.  :)