Summer Loving

Summer is here for many of you..

or just around the corner!

I am loving it.. even though my kiddos aren't in school..there is still something about summer that makes me want to bust out the popsicles every day

(slow melt dora ones are the favorites in this house.)

and to enjoy the summer weather...anddd the new ac unit we put in.

The girls are napping right now.. I love nap time.

I took two today thanks to my wonderful husband. 2..and it's only 1!

I have definitely hit the exhausted stage...but then at moments I'll be feeling the complete opposite. Been deep cleaning parts of the house. I suppose the nesting bug and the exhaustion are going to go hand in hand with this pregnancy for a while.

Hope you are enjoying your summer!..or happily counting down the hours! ;)

I seriously can't get enough of these cuties.

Here's the photos I took on our OBX Vacation.

I wanted to document them on my blog..

So next year we can look back and remember! ;)

Thank you for your prayers & kind words.

Thank you to all my readers who have been so supportive in their prayers and kind words during this hard week..the 1 year anniversary since we lost Shannon.

It has been a very emotional week..

One that made my eyes sting and tear up without even thinking.

There were many of us with heavy hearts..

thinking of how violently someone so beautiful was taken from us.

Glad I have my girls here with me.... Sophie:"Mommy..remember, I love you?"

And earlier we were looking at pictures of shannon..and I told her she's an angel in heaven now. and sophia's response is what all of ours should be...

"an ANGEL in HEAVEN?!?! ya-woo!"

I went to Mass..and every time they said the word angel sophia would look over at me and  "whisper" with her hands around her mouth.."angels mom!!!"

I felt this baby kick for the first time this week!

It seemed like something I would call and tell shannon and

freak out with her about how crazy it feels and what a little miracle it is!

(our 16 week baby is moving right now! makes it feel so real..tiny baby hands and feet!)

I know I'm sharing these moments with her in a different way..

and I'm sure she is excited right a long with me from up there.

Ben came home that night with flowers for me.. for shannon..

beautiful right?

To read all posts related to Shannon you can click here.
Please share her story..donate if you can.
If you have been touched by her story and would like to 
visit her Memorial Page you can visit here. 

Please Pray for peace in our world 
and for all those affected by Domestic Violence.

Hugged my girls a little more this week..

appreciating the time I am blessed with with my family.

I can't help but share these sweet moments!

Here's an iphone batch from our trip last week to the OBX..

I just finished editing the photos from my camera..and I melt every time I look at them!

I'll share those later in the week..

a long with more crock pot recipes and the felt board tutorials!

Hug your sweeties tight today...and pray for those who can't.

Outer Banks Fun

All morning at the beach...

means fussy girls in short ride home...

but nice longgg naps!

Girls went down around 1:30..
Sophie woke up at 3:50.. Sienna after 4:30!

House smells soo yummy with the barbecue pork in

the crock pot for pulled pork sandwiches tonight..

We've been having so much fun just relaxing and spending time together.

Here's an Instagram overload..

because we can't stop taking photos of the cuteness. :)

This is our first beach vacation..and we are loving it.

Feeling very blessed and trying to soak in every minute.

It's so fun seeing the girls hold hands and run around together..giggling..

Sienna wasn't so sure about the sand..still has moments of "freaking out"..

it's all fun and games till she tries to blow it in her hand and ends up eating it.....lovely. 

I think by tomorrow she'll be more confident with the whole experience.

But I don't mind her being my little partner in

sitting in the chairs and snacking on gold fish and grapes. :)

Sophie went for a walk with daddy and saw a boy who caught a sting ray..

she was terrified. cried.

wouldn't stop talking about the yucky fish. haha.
Sophie: "I don't like that fish. I was crying cause I didn't like it. Go back in the waterrr"
Sienna then follows up with "backkk watterrr ::points somewhere::"

Sophie has been finding lots of shells and loading up her bucket!

She has a little watering can..favorite toy so far.

She has alsooo been telling random people there is a baby in my tummy...

and that it's going to pop out.

Yesterday we were playing on a playground..and sophie says: 

"Mom.. I'm feeling angry and mean because I'm hot.

Water will make it better. and AC.".......

Best part was that she said it fake pouting (not grouchy at all) with her arms crossed. ;)
Photo below of sienna on ben's shoulders was when we were "watching" the sunset..
It's so pretty here!

Looking at these photos..I turned to ben and said

"Can you believe we have kids that are this big??"

haha..seriously though...we have toddlers. this is insane. and awesome.

Hope you are having a great week!

Thanks for following along on our little family adventure..