memorial day weekend 2018

There is nothing better on Memorial Day weekend than sunshine, swimsuits, bqqs, and family! That was our holiday weekend in a nutshell and it couldn't have been any better! Although I will say that it started out a little rocky ... there seems to be a running trend with our trips to Meridian where someone comes down with something the day before. Last trip Nic had an ear infection and without fail, Liam woke up with a fever Friday morning. I packed all of our things hoping it would just be a 24 hour bug and thankfully it was. In fact, he woke us up at 5 AM on Saturday morning with a "Mom, Dad, I'm ready to go to Boise now!" haha so let's just say, we got a decently early start. 

We swam one of the days in a family friend's neighborhood pool and learned that Liam is in fact ready to take swimming lessons this summer. He was a little fish in that water, we couldn't get him to leave it! And then there was Lyla in her itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow striped bikini and alllll of her rolls coming out to play ... ;)

The weather was in the 70's but not hot enough for this little lady to love her first dip in the swimming pool. She cried when we put her legs in and I think it was because she got cold so my mom and I just chilled with her on a towel while the boys swam. 

If I haven't sung Nic's praises lately about what an incredible dad he is to our kids, here it goes ... he didn't just swim all afternoon with Liam in the pool, he took the time to teach him so many things. One of them being how to climb up and down this pool ladder. He showed him how to turn around backwards and feel his way down the steps to safely get into the water. He showed him how to plug his nose and hold his breath and encouraged him to be brave and put his head under. He worked with him on kicking his arms and legs as he supported his tummy. He is such a patient teacher and instills so much confidence in Liam. Love you so much Nic Williamson!

Besides getting to spend time with his dad, Liam's favorite part of all was splashing him, of course! 

Living his best life ... 

See how grumpy Lyla looks with her feet in the water. haha That and it was also too bright for her to see.

My Mother's Day present to myself ... matching bathing suits! You can bet it won't be the first time I will be twinning with my mini me!

My mom leaned over to me at one point while we were there and said, "what did we even do at the pool before we had these cute kids to watch?" to which I responded, "RELAXED!" haha I brought all of these toys for Lyla to play with while Liam swam and all she cared about was the zipper on the diaper bag. Go figure!

Besides the pool we visited the Village for some shopping! Liam has grown out of most of his summer clothes from last year so it was  great opportunity to get a few new things.

The Village was covered in flags for Memorial Day!

We also had a long overdue date to which we barely made it to 9:30 before returning home and crashing! haha #parentlife We got ice cream though and sat by a fire at the Village and acted silly together ... something I've always loved about him is his easy ability to make me laugh! 

On Memorial Day we dressed the babes in their best red white and blue! 

We played at a park with a splash pad. Initially having no intention of getting wet so we didn't exactly come prepared with a swimsuit and towel for Liam but sometimes, you just have to live a little. ;) 

He thought it was hilarious to go sit on the fountains and get his bum soaking wet.

They had this cute pirate ship pole where the flag buckets would fill with water and then dump down on the kids waiting below. The pole had this red button on it and Liam would press it over and over again thinking he was the one controlling the water dumping down. I've never seen him giggle so much and be so entertained! 

Lyla figured out how to clap on her own and it is the cutest thing ever to watch her randomly clapping and grinning away!

She has also become so mobile and so fast! We couldn't keep her on this picnic blanket or entertained by any toys. She'd book it across the blanket, on to the rug, and hurdle herself for my mom's cement patio. Look how proud of herself she is!

Nic and I played a couple rounds of bocce ball together in the backyard while Liam downed his 100th pack of fruit snacks. #holidayweekend at its finest!

Later that day we had a bbq with my dad and Edie! They took us on a walking path around their cute neighborhood and showed Liam a neighbor's chick and ducks. We visited the swing and the fountain where I captured this cute moment of Liam with grandma ... 

And Lyla showed off her teeth ... :)

We played in their backyard for a bit!

Lyla checking out Pa's goatee ... haha

Grandma and I hid balls all over the yard and entertained Liam with an "Easter egg hunt" for a bit and then we had a bbq together. 

I love celebrating holidays so much but my favorite part about them just might be that extra day off! 3 day weekends for LIFE!

To those who have, are, and will serve this beautiful country in which we are blessed to live ... we honor you, thank you, and love you! Happy Memorial Day! XO

Idaho Falls Zoo & our 7th anniversary

On Monday, Nic and I celebrated 7 years of marriage! What better place to spend it at than the zoo when you have kids in tow! What is it that they say ... "happy kids, happy life"?! ;)

The Idaho Falls Zoo really is one of the best zoos I've ever been to. Most of the animals are awake and interactive and several of them even had new BABIES!! It was our second time there, we took Liam a couple years ago and loved it just as much as we did then! We chased Liam around from exhibit to exhibit while Lyla lounged in the stroller and drove every kid crazy trying to figure out what animal was making the squeaking sound coming from her Sophie the giraffe. haha

One of our favorite moments was spotting this little joey stuffed in his momma's pouch! Not only was it adorable but it was entertaining to watch the baby try to take a bite of grass as the momma hopped along. Resourceful little thing.

Liam carried a stick around the whole zoo and loved sitting on any animal statue he could find. 

Another favorite of the day was this beautiful white peacock! It was unreal how majestic it looked!! I didn't even know it existed before Monday. 

Lyla's new "thing" is sticking out her tongue from the corner of her mouth. haha She is obsessed and I'm obsessed with her!

Being such a good big brother ... my two baby chicks ...

Another favorite from last time, the flamingos! 

There were so many pictures I had to recreate from our last visit ... this hand print being one of them. Somewhere along the way he has gotten so big.

Looking at swans, ducks, and pelicans from the bridge ...

After the zoo, we were feeling crazy and went to Olive Garden for lunch. I can't remember the last time we ate at a restaurant because ... kids ... but Liam only spilled his water twice during the meal so we considered it a win. haha

At the end of the day, we watched the season finale of Grey's (it had two weddings during the episode which seemed rather fitting) while eating our favorite ice cream. The day felt perfectly spent for this phase of life we are in right now at 7 years. Our two babies and this life we've made together is my dream come true. Love you so much Nic Williamson ... to us!! Happy Anniversary! XO

Liam's last day of preschool

Today was Liam's last day of his first year of preschool! I remember about this time last year, Liam was 2 1/2 and could barely say a handful of words. Nic and I were hopeful that putting him in preschool this year despite the fact that he would be the youngest in his class would be the right decision for him. Looking back now and seeing how far he has come, without a doubt it was the best decision we have made for him so far. 

This year he learned to say and write his first name, to almost count to 20 on his own, to recognize his colors (still working on brown), to vocalize his letters, and has expanded his vocabulary with countless new words. He's learned valuable social skills that he was not having the opportunity to learn at home as the oldest (and only child for a while). He tried new foods, made new friends, and became this confident version of himself! We couldn't be more proud of him!!!

All year long my favorite part of preschool days was picking him up from school. I'd open the front door and he'd come running across the room, arms outstretched to me, and squeal "MOMMY!". Being a mom is a relatively under appreciated job from your kids but it was one of those moments for me where I felt so loved and missed by him. It made my day every single time! Today I tried to capture it on video, just in case he decides he is too big to do it anymore next year. As I walked into his teacher's house I discovered all of his class was playing in her backyard for the last day of school. I stepped on to her back patio and instead of my usual reaction from him, Liam burst into tears. haha He didn't want to go and was having too much fun! 

This morning I sat down with Liam during breakfast and asked him some questions about his first year of preschool and wanted to share his responses!

... Preschool According to Liam ...

Who are your preschool teachers?

Miss Ang and Miss Amy

Who is your best friend at school?

Tenley (his teacher's daughter)

What is your favorite snack you got to have this year?

Scooby Doo gummies (a.k.a Scooby Doo fruit snacks which he brought on his snack day haha)

What was your favorite thing to do at school?

Toys and "making sumping" (making something)

What was your favorite thing you made?

My butterfly (the handprint one he made me for Mother's Day)

What did you learn at school this year?

butterflies and lady bugs

What will you miss the most?

Mommy (he thought I meant when I leave school) then he changed his answer to Miss Ang. So sweet!

I love this handsome little boy and am looking forward to all of our summer adventures together!

Mother's Day

The best and hardest thing I've ever done is being their mother. The way they wrap their arms around my neck before I tuck them into bed, the way they giggle when I make silly sounds or faces in their direction, the way they teach me to look at the world as if I'm seeing it for the very first time, the way they say 'da da' reminding me that choosing Nic as their dad was without a doubt my best decision I've ever made in my life, the way they make firsts and holidays completely magical, the way they teach me to be patient, the way they show love without saying anything at all, the way their dreams dance across their face as they peacefully sleep, the way they hold my heart in the palm of their hand, the way they fill me with joy, the way they challenge me and change me .... every moment with them has captivated my soul.

I've never felt more fulfilled than being their mom.

Mother's Day with two babies this year was everything I imagined it to be. I was reminded on several occasions throughout the day why it is as I said before, the BEST and HARDEST thing I've ever done. There was no sleeping but a redemptive nap in the afternoon. There were tantrums, patience constantly tested in the church hallways but there were 'I'm sorrys' to follow.

 All three of them made the day special and one to remember for me. I was gifted my very first hanging baskets and my two handy men hung them on our porch for me. The moment Nic picked up his drill, Liam went searching for his own to which I took some of the sweetest dad/son pictures ever ...

We constantly have to remind ourselves that Liam is at a stage in life where he watches and mimics our every move. There is nothing I love more than sitting back and seeing him bond in this way ...

He's such an amazing little helper ...

I don't naturally have a green thumb so I am praying with all my might that I'll remember to water these flowers and hopefully watch them flourish and bloom all summer long! Aren't they beautiful?!

I love my kids so so much!

My first Mother's Day with a daughter!

Along with spending the day with these two, I have to mention that my favorite gift of all was a sweet little butterfly, made out of Liam's handprints that he brought home for me from preschool.

We went to church together in the mornings and all took naps in the afternoon. In the evening we watched The Greatest Showman for the first time and all loved it as we danced together around the living room! We had a picnic dinner on the floor and it was a night I'll always remember. A simple and sweet Mother's Day.

Nic always makes me feel absolutely cherished as a wife and mother. When I start to feel like I'm losing myself in motherhood, he notices and encourages me to do something for myself. I read this quote that someone shared on Mother's Day that said ...

"I have been that mother - the really focused, engaged, loving mother who was all in, enjoying every speck of every second of motherhood. I have had days of basking in the moment and wanting it to last forever. I have been her, all of her. She is the woman I wish I was for my children at every moment. But I have also been a mother who felt like I could not answer one more question, listen to anymore crying, clean up one more mess. A mother who has felt so tired I thought I would split in two. I have been all of her too, every bit of her."

I am often hard on myself as a mom, always wanting to do more and be more for them. I'm lucky though to be surrounded by family and friends who encourage me and teach me daily that I am enough and exactly who they need.

Another poem that I came across on Mother's Day and had to share because it brought tears to my eyes and has had me slowing down and being more present with my kids ever since ... 

| The Last Time |

From the moment you hold your baby in your arms, you will never be the same.

You might long for the person you were before, when you had freedom and time, and nothing in particular to worry about.

You will know tiredness like you never knew it before, and days will run into days that are exactly the same, full of feeding and burping, whining and fighting, or lack of naps.

It might seem like a never-ending cycle. 

But don't forget ...

There is a last time for everything.

There will come a time when you will feed your baby for the very last time. 

They will fall asleep on you after a long day and it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.

One day you will carry them on your hip, then set them down, and never pick them up that way again. 

You will scrub their hair in the bath one night and from that day on they will want to bathe alone. 

They will hold your hand to cross the road, then never reach for it again. 

They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles, and it will be the last night you ever wake for this. 

One afternoon you will sing 'Wheels on the Bus' and do all the actions, then you'll never sing that song again.

They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate, the next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone.

You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face.

They will one day run to you with arms raised, for the very last time.

The thing is, you won't even know it's the last time until there are no more times, remember there are only so many of them and when they are gone, you will yearn for just one more day of them. 

For one last time.

These are the times and I don't want to take a single one for granted. Being Liam and Lyla's mom is who I was always meant to be and I'm so thankful every day that they picked me!