Poolside Babes

Two years ago, we took this picture in the pool.

Before baby, before engagement, we still had Penny boo. See her? Hi baby.

This year, we took an updated picture.

Two years later.

It kind of blows my mind that there is a whole new PERSON in our girls picture. My little girl. I also love how you can tell that she has my eyes. Just two years, so many blessings in that time. And I can barely remember what it felt like not to have that baby by my side.

This one I just love, because I'm obsessed with Reilly's face staring me down as I took the picture from across the pool.

Love & Splashing,

Dirt Road Mama

The Love of Our Life

Contrary to what you might think, I am not going to write about Reilly pants today. No, siree. I am writing about the new love of our life.

Our dishwasher.

Hold on, I need to say that again.

WE HAVE A DISH WASHER.

Reilly is so excited. I can't even believe it. We have been hand-washing dishes for the three years we have been married. Mainly, because there was nowhere to PUT the dishwasher. The only feasible place would take away my biggest cabinets. And hubby and I were both convinced that we could not part with those cabinets. Okay, I was convinced. He doesn't really have strong opinions on cabinet space.

Anyway, we don't have that much cabinet space as it is, and I didn't think we could part with such a big space. But then we realized, we were losing counter space as well - for the dish rack. Which is even more precious to me.

Cabinet space and counter space...these are the things that become sacred to a stay at home mama and wife. It's official - I am an adult.

So a few months ago, Hubby and I ran an experiment whilst baby-proofing the cabinets. We were moving baby-dangerous things to higher places (cleaning products, glass, etc.), and I suddenly thought - with all this rearranging going on, let me see if I can clear out this cabinet (and 2 drawers!) and find another home for the things inside. Well, I put serving utensils and silverware in vases on my counter, and moved everything that I don't use weekly to shelves in the basement. And you know what? We did it. We cleared out the whole area, and hardly noticed or missed anything!

Of course the hutch hubby made was a huge help with storage as well. So then, we had giant empty cabinets and drawers in our kitchen for months. When people would ask why they were empty, we would say, "We are getting used to not having that space for when we have a dishwasher." Then we would get really odd looks. It made so much sense to us, though.

So then, we waited as long as we could before we couldn't possibly wash one more dish without screaming or throwing it against the wall. It was 2 years and 330 days, to be exact. It is possible that we waited a tad too long. For future reference - you probably shouldn't wait until you are ready to break your own dishes, rather than wash them, before you get a dishwasher.

But I tell ya - it sure makes you appreciate things. Last night I just kept staring at it. I really did. I love the way it looks. I love the way it sounds. I loved taking way to long to load it, making sure every single thing was in the perfect place. I loved waking up this morning, and seeing the green "clean" light lit up, with my beautiful sparkling dishes just waiting there for me. I loved putting them away.

Mark my words - I will never complain about dishes again. Because I will remember the past 3 years of washing my own. And there is nothing AT ALL to complain about loading a dishwasher. I think when our kids are older, we will have a throw-back week where we have to go one whole week hand washing our dishes. Just so they know how glorious modern appliances are. Maybe I'll go crazy and make it Thanksgiving week. Good times.

Love & Beautiful Appliances,

Dirt Road Mama

p.s. Picture will follow soon - as soon as Hubby builds some pretty open shelving to finish off the whole area. This project is a fun brain-child of ours...it's going to be so fun! Shout out to my brother in law for installing it for us - thank you a millions times two!!

Celebrations in CT

Last weekend, we went to Connecticut for my sister's bridal shower that her groom's family threw her there, as well as the Bachelor celebrations for the boys.

We had SUCH a fun time! We all stayed at her in-laws condo, and it was a great time. Delicious food, wonderful hosts, and a bar that should require a cover charge to get into (I'm so mad I forgot a pic of it!).

But I did get pictures of the perfect, beautiful shower that they had for her!

Party girls! Blurry, but too cute not to share.

The bride and her soon-to-be sister!

All the sissies together.
Sister and mama of the groom, and of course, the guest of honor!

All the girls, ready for our champagne sangria!

Cuties!
Father of the bride. Who just pictured Steve Martin when I said that? Best movie of all time.

Me and my flower baby. Dada was golfing, and she loved having a girly day!

Poppy kisses!

The most amazing cheese I have ever had, and the beautiful favors/centerpieces!

The these of the party was "herbs" - and these were the favors!! Aren't they gorgeous?

Reilly having her yummy lunch. Some thing she tried for the first time at the party: a peanut chicken skewer (pictured above), chilled melon soup (she loved it), smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich (she loved it), hummus and bean sprout and roasted pepper sandwich (she loved it)...are we sensing a pattern here?

Pattern: The food was amazing.
Pattern: Reilly loves everything/has a strangely wide palate.

The adorably thoughtful gift from the hostesses of the party!! They typed out the "story" of how Sister met E, and had her read it out loud. There were blanks in the story, where they had her unwrap a gift that would fill the blank! Here is a little example:

"Several years ago in college, E and I met in a ______."
The answer is "freezer", they met in the freezer room of a food bank while volunteering at school. So the gift to fill that blank was the "cooler" that you see above! How cute!

Here's another one:
"We love going out to dinner, and out favorite place has become _________."
The answer is The Melting Pot, and there was a gift card for the restaurant in there!

The story went on, and by the end, Sister had a BUNCH of amazing gifts, and everyone at the party knew there whole sweet story as well!

I know, you are totally going to steal that for your next party, right? You heard it here first, people. Those creative Connecticut ladies!

Fact: Poppy loves his girl. Hence why they are pictured together in between all day long. :) The Dad's and Grandpa stayed behind from golfing to enjoy the aforementioned bar downstairs.

Our little purple princess was pooped after such a fun-filled day! And Reilly was pretty tired, too.

See what I did there?

I can't believe the wedding, which I feel like we just started planning, is already coming so close! I just can't WAIT! It's such a fun, exciting time.

Love & Purple & White,

Dirt Road Mama

Discoveries!

While we were traveling last week, Reilly didn't have her water table to play in, so we made a fake water table with a little basin. She had so much fun, playing with her bowls and cups and splashing around. This is when we weren't in the pool, of course.

Then, on our last day, Reilly made a discovery. My little bath-tub-lover decided...Hey, I can fit in that basin!

Hm. If I just...hold on here to the sides...I'm sure I could get in here.

MAMA LOOK! I AM IN THE WATER BASIN!

Tee hee. This is fun.

My, what a glorious day, huh, Mama?


Okay, I'm done here.

That was cool. What's our next activity, Mama?!


Love & Keeping Cool,

Dirt Road Mama

Prett-ee

Reilly and I were traveling last week, at Mima-Poppy's house! We had oh-so-much fun. While we were there, Reilly found one of Mima's headbands, and claimed it as her own. She kept putting it on her head and saying "OHhhh...prett-ee!"

She wanted it on her head all day. When I would help her and put it on correctly, she would touch it and say "pretty" with a huge smile on her face. And sometimes she would put it on herself, in which case she looked like she was wearing a halo. It was hilarious.

Here she is at breakfast.

She's really refined when she eats.

Cheeeeese!

Annnnd lunchtime, the same day.


Hubby and I find that very few things to be more amusing than this little girl. But then, I think that's how God makes it to be.

Love & Prettee,

DR Mama

My Favorites

I love these two more than words.

My pretty, and my handsome. I love you two to little pieces.

Especially when you are in a pool float together and looking so flippin ADORABLE.

Love & Some More Love,

DR Mama

Polly

I realized, my daughter currently has stricking similarities to a bird.

A parrot, to be specific.

First, there was the crackers yesterday. Parrot's favorite snack -Reilly's favorite snack.

But now, its the imitating. In reality, she is communicating, learning, and gaining a deeper understanding of how to express herself. But how fast it's happening seems so insane to me - it's new words and new sounds every day. It's crazy how much she soaks up.

It's the connections she is making to, between what she says and the reaction she gets. She sits on the floor, puts her arms straight up, and stares at you with her giant blue eyes and says "Up! Up! Up! Up!" in this tiny little voice until someone breaks down and picks her up. It's so funny how she is learning how to speak, and is using her words instead of whining.


Another little thing I noticed is when she has water or milk in her bottle. She drinks it down, and when she is finished, she holds it out to me with this proud, happy look on her face and says "All done!" (Which actually translates as "Ah-dee!")

I repeat her and say "Good girl, you are all done! Do you want more? Say, "More, please."

I'm constantly narrating and encouraging her to say different things, things that I know she can't say yet. But lately...she is surprising me every day and actually repeating me.

Note to self: No more potty language. We live with a parrot. Polly the little pink parrot.

Love & Learning,

DR Mama