Wherever you go, there you are!

So... remember how I mentioned in my last post that we were in Utah? Well, guess what! I forgot my camera on that trip. That's why the professional photos are the only ones we have. But then, a couple of weeks later, we went to Pennsylvania and (huzzah!) I remembered the camera. We had some good times at the Army heritage trail, despite the abominably hot, HOT heat. In that first photo everybody is taking a relaxing break in the relatively shady life-size replication of a WWI trench.




My children were terribly uncooperative. They just didn't appreciate the many adorable photo opps around all that period stuff. Luckily, Johanna and Caroline obeyed me and posed for a photo. Aren't they pretty!

And Jude, since he was restrained, didn't really have a choice. He gives a good stink eye, doesn't he?







Speaking of Jude, he had his first haircut while we were in Carlisle! Well, technically this was his second haircut; my grandma sneak-attacked his bangs while we were in Utah, thereby accentuating the mullet and encouraging us to finally get our shaggy boy cleaned up. Here's the before and after.













Other highlights included swimming in Grandma and Papa's pool and watching a movie with the cousins. (The pool photo was taken before the haircut, by the way.)













Back at home, Stella puts up with Isobel's love and Brooke plays our NEW (to us) PIANO!!













I found the "free to a good home" piano on craigslist. It needs some work, but it has a beautiful, rich tone and it looks GREAT in our living room. After we get back from our trip to the beach, we're going to have it tuned/repaired. I'm pretty much giddy with the idea that we can FINALLY make music in our own home. Hooray!

I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

A thousand thanks to Kelly Anderson, who took these beeeeeautiful pictures about a month ago at the Meibos Family Reunion in Bear Lake, UT. She made us look so good! Go ahead and click each pic if you want to get up close and personal.

And my favorite photo of all:

Isobel's Room (with shout-outs)

As promised, here is a post about Isobel's room and the many fantastic friends who contributed to it.

Can you spot the remnants of the patriotic teddy bear print? Yep, all that's left of it is the frame, which I painted yellow. I really like the way it draws the eye toward the vinyl peacock decal. A friend, Mary, helped me apply the decal; I'd never done one before. The frame was an easy and cheap project ($5.00 for the print/frame at Goodwill- isn't that kinda steep? And a coat of primer and two coats of paint, both leftover from the nightstand) but not as easy and cheap as the lamp Brooke and I spray-painted a couple of weeks ago.

Last fall, our friend Arminda generously gave us her childhood bedroom set, after her own daughter graduated to more teenagery furniture. The bed, nightstand, and dresser (from a line called Bonnet, by Sears) were in great condition and really cute, but we wanted to make them our own. And I wanted to coordinate with the rug we already had (thanks, Mom Shiff!) and the beautiful blue and yellow fabric art made by Nicole.

So we painted them! This was a big project. Brooke sanded the furniture, then we primed it and painted it and applied the new hardware.











THEN, a couple of months ago, my ultra-talented friend Rachel came over and painted peacocks on the dresser and nightstand. I LOVE them!

















I've put way more thought and effort into Isobel's room than any other room in the house, and I love the way it looks now! If only it weren't for those drab purplish-gray walls...
But no. It's time to turn my attention to Jude's pitifully under-decorated room. But first, one more photo of Isobel's bed. I was nervous about painting it turquoise, and it took some convincing to get Brooke on board. But I'm so glad I did.
Have a GREAT holiday weekend, all y'all!

A Project

Last weekend (on my birthday!) I spray-painted something for the very first time.
Well, ok, so Brooke actually did the first coat because I was afraid I would mess it up. And he did a great job. This lamp belonged to his grandparents, and I have always loved it. But I wanted to make it stand out a little more, and Nicole suggested spray paint. Check out the metamorphosis!

The whole endeavor took, like half an hour and cost about $2.50. We got the paint that is intended for plastic, so there was no sanding or priming and each coat took only 15 minutes to dry. Next up is Jude's dresser, which will soon be a lovely shade of green! In lieu of photos of the dresser, here's Jude himself, just waking up from a nap:
I love the yellow walls, but I can't take credit for them- they were already painted when we moved in. I haven't done anything in his room, but I do have plans. Isobel's room is nearly finished (or as finished as any room ever is) and I'll be doing a post with photos as soon as I finish this one last project that involves this gem:
I know, I know, you'll be in suspense until them. What oh what will Christina do with that $5.00 Patriotic Teddy Bear print from Goodwill?? You'll just have to wait and see.




In other news, Isobel and her BFF Shaina had ballet camp every morning this week and they were ADORABLE. And they loved it. And they were adorable, did I mention that?

The Coast!

At the beginning of this week we took a quick trip down to Wilmington with Brooke's parents for a little coastal getaway. We were only there for two nights, but it was a lovely retreat. We went to the Ft. Fisher Aquarium (which we also visited during our trip South at the end of January) and I bit my tongue, once again, about the hideous alligators.













I have a major problem with crocodiles and alligators. But the last thing I want is for Isobel to pick up on my fear and adopt it. So I try really hard not to show my discomfort, and you know what? Pretending not to be afraid has actually helped me to be a little less afraid, I think. So it's good for everyone involved.



It's getting easier and easier to take good photos of Isobel, now that she's old enough to understand what I mean when I say to hold still and look toward (or away from) the camera.

Contrast Jude, who has suddenly turned into an active toddler. You'll notice there aren't very many pictures of just Jude in this post. Can't you just see him begging to be let loose from the stroller?








And yes, we spent some time at Wrightsville Beach. It was glorious. Cool water, not too choppy, soft sand, empty stretches of beach... ahhhh. I handed the camera over to Brooke's parents, and they got some great photos of us all frolicking during the "golden hour" late in the afternoon.

(p.s. - Note my new swimming suit! It's my birthday present to myself! I'm so happy!)

Anyway, here are the promised beach photos. I love them.

I'm having formatting problems, so we're just going to let this last photo of me and Brooke be down below the Isobels rather than between them.
You win this round, stupid Blogger.

Awesome Isobel

I am really proud of my big three-and-a-half-year-old girl, Isobel. She just finished up her first year of preschool, she's growing up incredibly fast, and she's just really cool. So it's high time I bragged about her a bit.

Firstly: She's got this facility with strangers that just blows my mind. She introduces herself to everyone we see, and she's totally confident that they will love her. When we go to a park or museum, she usually makes a friend right away and spends her time playing with that new friend. I don't know how much of this is childhood innocence, but I can't tell you how much I hope she keeps this outgoing, confident personality through adolescence and into adulthood. What an asset, to be an extrovert!

Secondly:
























The girl is coordinated, athletic, and fearless. She wows (and, occasionally, frightens) other parents at our local park with her junglegym skillz, like hanging upside down, swinging standing up, and sliding down the fireman's pole. She's also REALLY close to being able to do the monkey bars on her own (something I was never capable of).

Thirdly:
She is gentle, patient, and at-ease with animals. She and Stella do annoy each other sometimes, but generally they're good together and Isobel really loves all animals. She's not crazy about bugs, but she's getting more and more comfortable with them as she gets older. I'm always proud of her when we're out and about and she shows good dog-greeting etiquette.

A few other tidbits: her favorite word today is "appetite," she loves to paint and draw with markers, she can count to three in several languages, and she's beautiful, agreeable, and kind. What more could I ask? Isobel is the greatest.

Jude is also the greatest. I wouldn't want you to think I'd forgotten him, so here's some babycuteness for you: