easter

we spent the week before easter celebrating all things spring...

we finally tried finn's ducky bath tub...i had high hopes, but he was a little wary. we will try again next month :)

of course, we had to go shopping for a new easter shirt...

finn did NOT like trying on said new shirt. ha!

we made cookies with icing...

and we enjoyed the sun.

the weekend came and it was party time!

the kelly family easter was all kinds of fun...

this boy was a little dream baby...and was pretty entertaining.

easter morning! would you believe that my grandma made those pajamas?

finn found his easter basket! i had so much fun helping the easter bunny stuff finn's basket...he got a ball, a book, new pajamas and a toy car! although the grass was finn's favorite :)

we ventured to napa to the cabral family easter party! logan and finn were so happy to be reunited...

the afternoon found us at my grandma's and finn had a costume change. he wore an outfit that emily wore as a baby. talk about special! and i felt compelled to take a bajillion pictures .i just couldn't resist that little-blue-bunny-first-easter face...

finn was spoiled with some darling little gifts...including slippers with rattling elephants on the toes!

finn loved the ribbon.

behold, finn's new move: he sinks his head into this shoulders, shoots out his arms, squints his eyes, smiles from ear to ear, scrunches his nose, breathes real hard and shakes with excitement. it is the cutest thing we have ever seen. and we laugh every time.

this boy added such joy to our easter. but the best part, was watching our families shower him with love and affection. there really is nothing like watching finn be adored by so many. it just makes me all warm inside. who knew that having a baby would give introduce me to a physical sensation that is both new and unparallelled? i swear, at least once a week, while admiring finn or holding him, i get this feeling that i have never felt before; almost like my heart swells in one quick beat, sending out a surge of adrenaline. it always surprises me and usually forces me to take a deep breath as i get a bit misty around the eyes.

he is such a lucky little bunny, this boy of ours.

we hope that your valentine's day...

is full of hearts, kisses, cookies and chocolate from beginning...

to end.

xoxo.

thanksgiving. chapter two.

thanksgiving day found us at mimi and pops! finn was disappointed to learn that he wouldn't be able to sample their stuffing this year (YUM!)...but he was excited to meet aunt lane who made the journey from disneyland ontario to celebrate with us.

finn and his many costume changes, thanks to his excessive amounts of drool.


the feast! and the beautiful table settings.

everything was so delicious and we had such fun....

we are so thankful.

thanksgiving. chapter one.

early on thanksgiving morning, despite the rain, we bundled up and walked to j street. there we found many other people. short people. tall people. young people. old people. grumpy people and fun people. we all walked to feed the hungry. and to burn some calories before that gluttonous meal that was in our future.
our feet got wet and our fingers chilly, but baby finn stayed warm and cozy in his chariot and we ran into friends, an aunt, an uncle and a cousin!

we trekked home to get dry and warm up with hot cocoa, french toast and the parade. and finn decided to show his new trick - thumb sucking!
we had such fun, and we agreed that a new tradition was born for turkey day morning.

dad's day. and a birthday!

all the girls gathered at casa de awesome to celebrate our dear dad. what a guy. and papa got a new fancy hat for the occasion!

in typical casa de awesome fashion, we had a cook out - burgers were dad's request and burgers he got! so did we.

coke. mexican coke. how i miss you. there truly is no other. sister did let me steal a couple of sips, however.

it may have been dad's day but we kind of partied like it was our day too.

THIS KIDDIE POOL ROCKED MY WORLD. and yes, i am aware that i look like a pale skin vampire with my tan-less skin, especially when seated next to my blond, malibu barbie-esque sisters. i am working on it.

we sat in here for hours, laughing, wondering when the last time we were all in a kiddie pool together and relaxing...all while uttering, "this is heeeeaven" about every five minutes.

after play and supper, we hit up the garden to marvel at the soon-to-come bounty and dad's drip system...pretty cool!

we took a family shadow picture and walked around the vineyard...well the rest of the family walked...i rode on the four-wheeler. don't judge me until you have seen my ankles.

i hope daddy had as much fun as i did. because he really deserves it. he should write a handbook on being a dad. he really is a man who is careful with his words, but what he does say either cracks me up or is pretty powerful. so many life lessons i have learned from him and my favorite are probably, "never burn a bridge" and "if you are gonna do a job, do it right". both are so, so true.

i also lucked out in the father-in-law department. he not only raised the man i love, but he is pretty fun to be around too. he is always up to date on current events, makes a mean drink and will keep you laughing...i love that about him.

and my own mister - a dad-to-be. our baby has no idea all the fun that he or she is in store for. he is everything a great dad should be and i can't wait to see him in action...i am certain i will fall in love all over again.

****

sunday was also a day to celebrate my dear mama's birthday who turned another year older on monday. sadly, i missed out on her wild party saturday night at gma's, but we opened presents and tried to spoil her a bit on sunday.

*an oldie but a goodie. mom and me, circa 2007

she really is the most remarkable woman i know. each year, i realize it more. and just when i think she is as cool as it gets, each year she just seems to get cooler, surprising me with her quick wit, dashing good looks and her unending kindness for others. she just has it all and i am so happy to call her mine. happy birthday mama!


*note: when i first published this post, apparently i referred to my mama as being "dead" instead of "dear"-which was my true intent. such an awful typo. and such a dunce i feel like. rest assured, mama abernethy is well and very much alive-thank goodness :) thanks for delicately pointing out my mistake, brandy!!

mother's day

the holiday found me at casa de awesome and i awoke to my first "happy mother's day!" greeting. wow! special! we started the day as most do: with breakfast for the main mama of the house.

lucky for us, breakfast for mama, means breakfast for all. fresh squeezed orange juice, fruit, model bakery toast and farm fresh eggs.

before the clock struck nine, a call from my mister, wishing my mom and "his wife" a happy mother's day. i cried. happy tears. it doesn't take much these days. but sweetness from my husband will always easily evoke tears.

with a few pointers from my mama, i whipped up ina's shortcakes for the dessert we would soon enjoy. not soon enough for me! like my grandma, i am a big fan of the strawberry shortcake.

and then we were outside.

it certainly looked like spring had sprung and mother's day had arrived. the flowers have bloomed everywhere.

and that beautiful bouquet in the center was hand crafted by em for mama. she can sing and arrange flowers.

a mama duck and her grown ducklings. and a very pregnant daughter on the far right wearing a new shirt from her parents that makes her very happy. i love polka dots and clothes that fit my growing curves.

the familia arrives to celebrate a gaggle of mama ducks. moms, dads, daughters, cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, and grandparents all together!

blue skies, with scattered clouds provided a lovely backdrop.

and the mother's day feast begins.

we believe that a little movement after such a feast is often just what the body needs, don't you agree? some opt for a walk down the driveway, a game of ping pong, or for some, wiffle ball.

much to my surprise, i was included in this mother's day. as a mother-to-be i received flowers and some very thoughtful gifts. and as you can see, my sisters, mom and cousin all have the same taste in greeting cards. after we laughed, everyone agreed that it was the perfect card that no one could pass up. it was decorated with ric rac after all! and we love ric rac.

and dessert. finally. with decaf coffee.

and the scene below seems to wrap up the holidays and birthdays of my childhood: all the women, my aunts and grandmother gathered around the table, long after the dinner plates have been cleared. sipping coffee, playing scrabble, nibbling dessert, chatting, sometimes whispering and laughing mostly. that table now includes three generations of women, and soon, perhaps a fourth.

these women, all in their own way, have helped mother me. each providing their own flair, their own expertise on the matter. each have helped shaped me.

but none as much as my own mother. i now have a clearer picture of how very much she loves me. everything she does is out of love and she gives all that she has to her family. a true mother she is. but she somehow also manages all her other roles with utter dedication and finesse as well; wife, sister, daughter, friend, all while taking care of herself. i will forever be in awe of this woman. and love her, i will forever.

and if you look hard enough, you can spy my dad's dessert plate. the man likes his ice cream.

back home, our own little rose bush had blossomed and i was once again reunited my mister. i received the sweetest card from ryan (tears again) and one from my in-laws, assuring me that they believe i will make a very good mother (i hope!) and wishing me a happy, first mother's day. i thought about how grateful i am to my mother-in-law for raising such a wonderful man that i now call "husband". she did good. she did real good.


we settled in to contemplate paint colors for our baby's nursery...preparing our little nest.


as the paint dried, we sat back and gave my growing tummy some love. we thought about what next year would look like. dreamy.

from beginning to end, mother's day had come full circle.