WARNING: This post contains lots of photos of my wonderful family — but they are all amazing (and some pretty darn cute) so I hope you’ll keep reading 🙂
I got to take a trip home to Indiana last week, designed to land on my niece, Giovanna’s 4th birthday party. Oh how I miss her and my two nephews, Marshall and Gunner, when I don’t see them. They grow SO much and are smarter, cuter and more awesome every time I see them. My sister Lindsey is pregnant with another one so soon there will be one more!
Marshall and G had a great time putting together the family band. Now that they are a little older, it’s easier for them to play together, which is so much fun.
We can actually talk to them — especially G — who I had some great almost-4-year-old conversations with over the week. It’s so interesting hearing how her little brain works as she tries to figure out the world, God, humans and life. We forget how they are just discovering EVERYTHING and then we remember how breathtaking life really is.
Then there was Gunner — oh my goodness — his little eyes and personality are the best. He’s very calm and stares at you intently — smiles at the drop of a hat. There’s nothing like making a baby laugh and smile, and this guy makes it so easy. Here are a few of him I couldn’t help but snap:
Of course the Fairy Birthday Party was the main event of the weekend. Giovanna got a special pink dress, a crown, necklace, fairy weeks, braided hair and painted toenails.
She’s at the age when this stuff is SO magical — and it was so cute watching her stand there while the whole room sang “Happy Birthday” to her — like everyone else on the planet, she didn’t know what to do and stood there awkwardly (don’t we all?)
I got her the Elsa and Anna dolls from “Frozen” — which I watched about half of finally and still need to see the end of! Definitely heard G sing “Let it Go” more than a few times though!
So clearly I had a great time at home. It rained the whole time — boo — so I still haven’t gotten to try out my parents pool. But I did get to really sample the gym this time, which was great. It’s amazing how little excuse you have not to workout when the gym is in your basement.
Spending quality time with the kids is so important to me and as they get older, I feel like our bond grows, which is nice. Hopefully someday soon I will have my own that can have a blast being cousins with these crazy kids because cousins are lots of fun 🙂
A few more for the road:
