Back to Reality

The morning after Gigi and Papa leave is always a hard one for our little girl. She gets so much attention when they are here that we all have to adjust when it is just the three of us again. And lately it has been just the two of us. (the mr. has been so busy with work)

We had a lovely time with them here, a trip to Wheaton Regional Park and the Zoo were extra special for everyone. And our friend Whitney brought us some special cupcakes from Charlottesville Cupcakes....oh, my!

a girl, her dada, and her papa....on the train for Father's Day

at the zoo with Gigi

cupcakes for the sweet teeth!

Phoebe turned 3

Our dear friend, Whitney, captured Phoebe's birthday party with her camera, and now there are some lovely pictures to share with our friends and family who couldn't be with us.


There was lots of jumping! And plenty of celebrating our sweet little girl.

the Heat

This heat calls for iced lemonade,
running through the sprinklers,
and watermelon on the front porch.

Saphire Anniversary

Oma and Opa came for a visit last weekend and we had a dinner to celebrate their 45th Wedding Anniversary. We all had a lovely time for such a joyous occasion.

Congratulations on 45 years of Marriage!

{this moment}

sharing the Love

{because they are so cute}

thanks for loving my baby, Gus!
{she loves you too!}

{this moment} inspired by soul mama

Saying Good-bye

We are saying good-bye to the crib this weekend. It has served us well, keeping our little one safe in the night and during those day time naps. She has always loved her crib. She never once climbed out, but often, climbed in just for a little snuggle with the blankie and paci.


On her birthday I bought her a new bed and put it up right next to the crib just in case she didn't take to the big girl bed. But she seems to have a new love; the big girl bed. It has been an easy transition and I am so glad we waited for this transition till the 3rd birthday; she was ready, we were ready, it was smooth!

So, this weekend we will take down the crib, pack it up and put it away.

Happy Birthday, 3 year old!

Happy Birthday to our dear, sweet child.
We love you and are so grateful for the brilliant light you are in our life.
We look forward to celebrating many birthdays with you.

a moment to sit

Life keeps growing and changing.
Roots are sprouting.
It has been a time of celebration.
We are still here, just a little busy.

the perfect kitchen...

I have been working with a friend dreaming up ideas to renovate their kitchen, it has been a lot of fun to collaborate and have my mind back in the realm of Architecture lately.

Working toward a new finished product and helping create a more useable space is great, but the beginning of a project can be a little slow. Measure, remeasure, see what the space is like at its most basic, and know that the possibilities are endless. But we also have to make decisions and decide how this tiny little kitchen can be more than just a tiny little kitchen.

thanks to google

Today I opened the google site and saw this lovely animation (it will only be an active link today). An animation of movements made popular by Martha Graham. For being an animation it was quite beautiful and reminded me of the year I spent immersed in dance and architecture while working on my thesis.

Somehow this little animation was just what I needed to remember the fluidity in my own body.

Martha Graham's 117th birthday is celebrated today. She has left an amazing fingerprint on the world of modern dance.

she got in!

We only applied to one playschool for next year. And we got word a few weeks ago that via the lottery P was #2 on the waitlist.

Yesterday we were invited to join the 2011-2012 class. Yahoo! P has a school for next year.

It is run by a local church and meets in a coffee shop. It is a co-op so I will have my fair share of duties, but I will also have some free time while P is at playschool with her buddies. yahoo!

the many faces of Easter

anticipation

confusion
(p woke up saying, "then the bunny and jesus...")

delight

the creative life

The dynamic duo strikes AGAIN!

Matt + Sarah

= LOVE, and many more pictures...

He is Risen!

artwork by Ed Knippers, image from Easter Vigil 2011 by ddl

Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels,
And let your trumpets shout Salvation
For the victory of our mighty King!

Rejoice and sing now, all the earth,
Bright with a glorious splendor,
For darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.

Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church,
And let your holy courts, in radiant light,
Resound with the praises of your people.

We Wait

We wait, on maybe the darkest of days in the church calendar. We wait to sing and praise the Living God. We wait for the things that haven't been redeemed. Today we enter the church with a heavy heart. Today we wait...

But Sunday is coming....

Laura + Josh = LOVEly engagement shots

Last month Whitney and I set out to capture the love of our friends Laura and Josh. It was a brisk, but sunny, March afternoon; the sun gave us some serious light! Between the light and the local we got some completely different shots than our first shoot together. Whitney and I fell into a good rhythm working together and had a blast with this fun couple.

Loving this light. This picture feels so *right* to me; the sun behind creating an ethereal beauty.

Snap, snap, snap-snap. I fell in love with these pics and had a hard time choosing my favorites. You can even see in the final cut all of these and more exist. Again, thank you sun!

They were so cute, and in love; dancing and dipping (and smooching) in front of the Capitol with the Washington Monument in the background. And the light, oh the light framing their love.

And then some casual shots. At one of their favorite eateries!

Enjoy the rest here. These are just a few of my faves.

Something Beautiful

This video created by my partner in crime, Whitney, is just so lovely, I want to share it with all of you. (all 8? of you who read this blog!)

Something Beautiful from Whitney Porter on Vimeo.

Top 10

The cruise was fantastic! We came back refreshed, relaxed, and with a tiny bit of sun on our cheeks.

The top ten favorite things from the vacation:

10. The break in our 1/2 Lenten fast of being vegan.
9. The oh-so-fluffy omelet we had for breakfast multiple days.
8. The balcony off our room.
7. The bottle of wine (a birthday gift from P and A) that we enjoyed on the balcony.
6. The indoor pool which Phoebe mastered with her water wings.
5. Phoebe loving Camp Carnival (daycare on the boat) which gave us a few hours of free time.
4. The proximity of the Port to our house, just one hour!! Yes, Cruise ships leave from Baltimore.
3. Not cooking or cleaning for 7 days.
2. Sunshine on my shoulders while sitting on the white sand beaches in the Bahamas.
1. A chance to vacation with the Mr. and P for 7 whole days, our first family vacation. The beginning of a new tradition!

I am sure I am missing some, but the point is that we had a delightful time!

packing

All we are doing here is Packing. Packing for the mountains, packing for the beach, and everything in between. Cheers.

Right Now

Sometimes things move so fast, I am not even really able to appreciate the little moments of sweetness and growth that happen around our home; here are a few things I am excited about and thankful for...right now....

*the most sunshiny warm spring
*the cruise that awaits our family-of-three in one more week
*Phoebe wearing underwear rather than diapers
*HEALTH!! {we had some nasty stomach bugs and colds the last few months}
*New Neighbors, a friend of ours from church is closing on a house 2 blocks from here!!
*more photo shoots with Whitney Porter...pictures to come soon
*bread rising in the kitchen
*dreaming about my birthday next week
*no plans for tonight, we are home with no guests! {i do love guests but it will be very nice to just be the three of us tonight}
*the planning of the garden that has been happening over the last week and will be put into place this weekend, at least the lettuces will be planted this weekend, HELLO arugula!
*a cup of hot tea on the table just waiting for me

I hope you all are finding yourself thankful today! Cheers.