Our little buddy turned 11 a few weeks ago. I'm a bit behind on posting but it's probably good since he's really blossomed in the last few weeks and has really taken to being 11. he's always been a huge home body, not into team sports, just watching. not into big adventures, more like quiet ones. his 3rd grade teacher is els' kindergarten teacher now and yesterday she asked me, is caleb being challenged in 5th grade? i told her he is but with turning 11, i said that his social circle is enlarging, (just like the other 2 older ones started as the same age. something about 5th grade where the social life sparks) and he's finding balance in it all. which is a good thing. he normally can't find a book series long enough to keep his interest. he's ready the entire harry potter series numerous times. he's currently reading the steve jobs biography. he loves cars, basketball and he still loves snuggles. happy birthday buddy! xooxox
sweet sixteen party :)
last friday night we threw a surprise sweet 16 party for kira. it was a ton of work but such a fun experience. i couldn't have done it without both of our best friends' help! 🙂 i didn't take any pics of the venue or details, so sad. thankfully her good friends were able to catch these pics for me 🙂 i love them! 
dots cupcakes did all of the sweet treats. red velvet and toffee… kira's favorite flavors!
i couldn't resist the hello kitty napkins, doesn't she look like she's holding flags up? our kira is a flaggie at school, captain actually! 😉 cake pops and macarons. heaven. 
spam musubi, heart shaped! my sweet friend punched all those hearts out, amazing. 
bit of decor. flowers in random jars, candles, frames of her and her friends everywhere.
and my favorite 🙂 the photobooth! i cut out the garlands myself and had kira's friends put it up for me. i gave them my vision and they went to town. i love how it turned out! 
what a rush.. planning and executing a party. between the 6 in our family- we have birthdays quite often, now for a little break until november…when the big guy above turns THIRTEEN!
sixteen today
this time 16 years ago i was in a hospital room in encinitas, a new mom. she was born at 11:18 am. my first born. the one that changed my life in so many ways. the one that i had to grow up over night for. the one that took my breath away and made me rethink everything i thought about. we have grown up together. she's growing into this amazing young woman, capable of so much, taking on more than i ever did at her age. in just a few years, she will be done with high school. ready to take on the world. watch out world, you don't know what's coming. 🙂 we love you soleil. xoxo
aftermath
this was the morning after. morning after presents, cupcakes and happiness galore. love her little butterfly slippers and handmedown paul frank jammie shirt from kira and sleepy eyes…
finally FIVE
she actually said that to me the other day and of course i thought, layout title! this is what five and elsie look like. 
growing her hair out. american girl. the dolls and the movies. baking. reading or being read to. crafts galore. the more colors the more patterns the better. just recently has become a picky eater. more noodles in the last few months than in the 5 years she's been alive. loves her BFF kili so very much. would go to the park, go for walks, have picnics every day if possible. her best literary friends are ladybug girl, fancy nancy, pinkalicious and eloise. 🙂
finally five and fabulous!
double digits times 3
caleb joins his older siblings in the double digits today. he's ten.(here he is with his little cousin jeremy in december) ten years ago we were living on the east coast, a new little family of five. my goodness.
cam turned 12 last november. i was totally off the blog updating at the time so both boys get this post 🙂 to say the boys have changed so much is an understatement. cam is at the brink of teenagehood. amazingly it's brought him and kira closer, we are so thankful. caleb continues to be a studious young man with a flair for drama and a passion for sports commentary. cam just finished his basketball middle school year and is looking into joining a club basketball team. both take after their father in different ways. to say we are proud of them is also an understatement. i watch these boys develop daily into these young men and i am overwhelmed with happiness.
on sunday
she will be FIF-FREAKING-TEEN.
layout for 2peas. love that rectangle paper- anna griffin of course!
I'm trying to wrap my mind around this being possible. That I've known her for 15 years, almost 16 counting pregnancy 🙂 I had her at a young age and so I can say that most of my adult life has included her. I've grown up with her and now she's growing up. Parenting a teenager is unlike anything I've ever known. People have all kinds of advice when you first have a baby and during toddler years. But what about when they become teens? Does everyone just shut up because they too are going through the same emotional roller coaster? The emotions of a teenager are so complex. I adore her. I adore the person she is becoming. I want to get in her head and know every thought like when she was little and wouldn't stop talking for a second. But I can't. I can try my best to be there. To love her unconditionally. To be happy that I am in her heart. This is the beginning phase of letting go but being unsure about how tight to hold the reigns. I can say that it freaks me out that she will be moving on with life in about 3 years. I believe I will be a complete wreck when that day comes.
Here's to fifteen and all that comes with that. Wish it could be filled with cupcakes and ponies, instead of beaches and boys 🙂 LOVE YOU KIRRRRRRRA 🙂 We are here for you 🙂
blessed
blessed to have mother's day and birthday back to back 🙂 a weekend of celebration that my husband planned- i'm not a big party person, i believe my last birthday party was when i turned 13. and i am so okay with that! but we had an amazing group of people over to just hang…. good times. i can't wait to see pics 🙂 more than the party and celebrations, i feel celebrated daily. even though motherhood can be constantly challenging, i am often reminded that i live a very rich life. it is full of love and i wouldn't trade it for the world. it's not frilly and fancy, just real. i appreciate the little things and cry with joy over the big things. i take nothing for granted and am extremely thankful. ❤
happy mother's day to all the moms, especially my very own mother- i am surrounded by women who show me the meaning of motherhood.
four
this is what she woke up to when she came downstairs. wall o' elsie and goodies 🙂 we do the pics like this for every kid on their birthday night and keep it up all week. 
night of real birthday. she saw this outfit on a mannequin at jcrew and wanted it so bad. glad i held out till her birthday! i love that little yellow necklace/belt thing! those jcrew people, so creative! 
next day, party day! a few little friends at the nearby indoor playground. sportin her yellow belt again 🙂 happy as can be!
BFF and els!
at the party place, everytime i took my camera out, els would say, no pictures! 🙂 finally at the end, she gave in and at least i got thiiiiis. 🙂 i love it!
the night before she turned four, she asked, "why are you sad that i'm turning four? i'm excited!!" 🙂 i am excited too… just means she's growing up and of course that makes me sad. 🙂 a few days passed and she said, "why are my pictures still up? (the picture wall) oh yeah, it's my birthday, i just LOOOOVE birthdays!" 🙂
little party animal 🙂
old school, happy birthday caleb :)
9 years ago today caleb was born! 
he was born a week early in a hospital in chesapeake, virginia. kira was nearly six and cam just turned two. 
kira would be off to school for a few hours each day. the boys were home with me while chris went to work and finished his masters. we lived on the east coast for barely a year while our family lived on the west coast. we weren't used to the cold weather. we lived in a tiny apartment with one car. our days were lonnnnnng. we passed the time with lots of playing and Toy Story and baking. the internet wasn't quite big yet and we didn't have a digital camera, i remember calling my sister in law lots and sending lots of photos to family via snail mail! to say that these days were the toughest of my life to date isn't an exaggeration! 
this image above is a perfect description of a long day. 🙂
and now that they are all grown up, i miss those long virginia days! 
elsie was looking through all these photos with me and was wondering why she wasn't in any of the pics 🙂 seems i cannot quite escape the playing with a toddler stages of my life, oh well. wouldn't trade it for the world! 🙂
more old school, via scrapbooking talk here today 🙂 crazy to see the evolution of my style 🙂
watersix 