Pictures That Make Me Happy

Bennett's eyes. 

They are not quite the same dark blue as Cullen and mine are, they have little specks of green and gold coming right out of the center and I love them so much. 

 The boys are so happy to be warm again. 

We have spent the entire week outdoors, playing in the playhouse, the pool, with the hose, in the field... and this is what their faces have looked like the entire time.

 My parents farm. 

We got out here Monday morning and unpacked our suitcases. It is nice to feel a little settled even though we will still be traveling back and forth between here and DC a bit until we find our own place.

 Peonies from the garden and a thrift store print of my mom's that might go missing when I move out of her guest room.

 The boys with my dad.

 Bennett's first trip to the bonfire. 

C and B have quickly learned that when Mommy says 'no', Marme and Papa will probably say 'yes', hence the bonfire, at bedtime, on a 90 degree evening.

But these are the things summer memories are made of, right?

(See lots more fun on Instagram @katedaffodils)

The First Time I Tried On A Wedding Dress, I Threw Up

It was the Fall of 2006, I was 22 years old, had been engaged for a few weeks and had zero interest in planning a wedding, I just wanted to be married. However, one Saturday morning, I ventured out with my mom and best friend, Bridget to try on dresses, because I figured out of anything, I should at least pick that out myself.

A bridal consultant (after looking at my like I was crazy when I said I had nothing in mind), pulled a few dresses and had me step into one that was an absurd amount of money, then put me on a stand in the middle of the big room and started telling me how I should feel. 

And I lost it.

Totally freaked out, begged them to get the dress off of me...and then threw up...into the skirt I had been wearing that morning because apparently barf bags aren't staples in these situations. My mom ushered me into the nearest bathroom (they did get the dress off of me) while Bridget ran down to Loft to buy me something to wear out of the store.

A few weeks later, after assuring everyone that this was not anxiety over getting married, it was anxiety over putting on this big show for the most personal moment of my life, I decided to try on dresses again. This time, at a small boutique in Manassas, VA Jeanette's on a Tuesday afternoon, with strict instructions that no one say 'big day' and that I didn't have to stand in front of other random people. Our consultant Mauna, was amazing and let me pull my own choices, didn't push me toward anything and didn't make me stand on the stage in front of all the mirrors. After a seeing a few dresses, I was choosing between two when she brought in one more just for me to try. And just like that, I became one of those girls who knew she had found the one.

 From there, the only other things I picked out were my open bar, daffodils being somewhere, and the big dance floor, while my saint of a mother did everything else and provided us with a beautiful wedding and reception. And 'the big show' that I was so dreading turned out to be the greatest party of all time.

Seven years later, I do still love my dress, but not as much as that handsome man in blue.

***

I share this story because last Sunday, I had the privilege of being part of my little sister in law's dress shopping day. We had such a fun afternoon and she found the one with the same consultant at Jeanette's I had all those years ago. 

(Clearly, none of these pictures are the one!)

Having no sisters of my own, I couldn't be more blessed than I am with the three sisters I inherited from marrying Kev. I have known Kate since she was a little girl and watching her grow into such a wonderful woman has been incredibly special. She is truly beautiful inside and out. And now, she has her very own Ev who she can't wait to be married to (although no barf bags were necessary) and I am so excited to have him on my inlaw team.

 Big sister Beth couldn't be with us (Kev's mom and middle sister, Kyle), but we brought her along as best as we could and she was actually on facetime when Kate tried on the one she picked! 

 Thank you so much Kate for letting me part of your journey toward marriage. I am so honored to stand by your side as you promise your life and love to Evan in just a few months.   

And as cliche as it might be, I can't wait to see his face when you walk down the aisle in that beautiful dress we found!

And So We Are East Coasters

We made it across the country in one piece and have started to get settled into our new life in Virginia, but before we really get into that, let's recap what when on last week:

*The packers were here for two days, but before they came to take over the packing, I took care of the important stuff: my china and wine. I always bring my china with us in the car because if it got lost or broken, none of it is replaceable (you can read the story behind my plates HERE). 

*The good thing about being pregnant for my last six months of California living was that I was actually able to stock up a wine cabinet. I can't wait to open these up in a few months!

* Monterey was good to me and gave us a few beautiful days in the end. I surely will miss this ocean and sunset view from my bedroom.

 *The Saturday before we left, we went over to Spanish Bay on Pebble Beach to watch the sunset and hear The Bag Piper play on the golf course. We had never been there to see him and I am glad we squeezed that Pebble tradition in.

Taget Maternity Maxi Dress

 *Sadly, Cullen couldn't take Cullen and Bennett the fish with us across the country, so they found a new home with our friends Apryl and Slappy (who are also keeping Kev in their guest room until he finishes his thesis, thanks guys!)

 *C and B: totally unfazed by the packing. They thought it was so much fun.

 *Air mattress naps and sleeps

 *Waiting on the last of driveway to get packed and our housing inspection to be through. Monterey friends: Pinnacle told me I need to touch up the baseboards and some parts of the walls or I would be charged. In the rush of everything to get out, I ran out of time to do that and we were not charged anything. In fact, the whole inspection took minutes and was not as bad as I had heard. We did pay them to do the cleaning and carpets. No preggo has time for that.

 *The final night, we stayed in a hotel. Bennett was diggin it. 

(He is also wearing undies because we were down to the last diaper and I said it was okay, we would just get more in the morning. About .5 seconds later, he pooped. Naturally.)

 Thursday, we drove up to San Fran to catch our flight out. Because the flight was overbooked, our seats were not together. We asked the man who would be sitting next to me and the boys if he was willing to trade his seat with Kev, and he said no. So he got to sit next to this crazy for almost 6 hours. 

 Luckily, the boys fell asleep within minutes but only for the first hour and a half. The next 4 hours were loooooong. (Please note angry man on the end.)

We didn't get back to Kev's parents' house until almost 2am and after a half night's sleep, we were up and running for the weekend. With a tour of post and looking at housing on Friday, meeting with a realtor and looking for houses off post for all day on Saturday (no luck), wedding dress shopping with my little sis in law (more on that this week) and a surprise birthday party for my mother in law Sunday, then, Kev was back to the airport and we were out to my parents' farm on Monday, where my dad surprised Cullen with a dirt bike on training wheels.

And that, is where we are now. 

Thank you SO much to all our Monterey people who helped us during the move. In our last few days, the mommies took my boys to play group and constantly offered to have them over to get our of the house, friends cooked for us when our kitchen was packed, offered to bring the night the movers were loading the truck late, removed our satellite dish when we realized we forgot, came by with extra trash bags, pillows and air mattresses...I mean, you name it, and these wonderful people were there to help. We were so blessed to know you all and miss you already! ThankyouThankyouThankyou!

Follow me on instagram @katedaffodils to see more: #lastdaysofmonterey and #atthefarm

Well Hello, Third Trimester

Dear all you lovely people who comment that I don't look 'that pregnant'. 

Thank you, I appreciate it.

But it is really because I haven't let you see the full glory of the side shot. 

So here you are: Say hello to my 28-weeks-grown bowling ball

 It's funny, exactly two years ago, I was packing up a house with a 2 year old, very, very pregnant with another baby and preparing to move across the country. Except that time, the baby came 5 days before the movers, and I was so concerned with how C would react to the move and him getting upset that everything is being packed that I actually sent him home with my mom so he wouldn't have to deal with it.

My, how things have changed. The boys think it is awesome that everything is in boxes. They think the boxes are fun. C drew a picture of himself on an airplane waving 'bye' to California at school yesterday. Bennett could care less, as long as we don't stop him from trying to climb the tallest stack of boxes in the garage.

I am not nervous about moving, or their reactions, or getting acclimated in our new home. And I am most certainly not nervous about this baby coming and how he will fit in to our lives. 

Not even a little bit.

 I joke (we will go with 'joke' because it sounds bad if i say 'constantly complain') about the fact that while I am eternally grateful for the ability to be, I really don't enjoy being pregnant. I throw up, and whine, and moan, and grunt, and look longingly at my wine cabinet for the majority of the 40 weeks. 

But I like 28 weeks because it means that Baby will be here soon. And where I fail at enjoying pregnancy, I make up for in enjoying every second of Motherhood. It is what I was meant to do. 

 So little man, if you read this one day (because all boys eventually want to read their mother's blog, right?), I am ready for you to join this family. I am sorry you never got to see the Pacific and how crazy your brothers were while we were packing the house. The good news is, in two years I'll probably be typing a similar post to the 4th brother (we'll just assume) in my belly while you run around making cardboard box forts with the other two and we prepare to move again. I am so glad you are going to be part of our next adventure and can't wait to have you in my arms.

 I asked C the other day if you were going to have blue eyes like us or green eyes like Daddy. His response: "I don't know Mommy, we can't see him yet." Which is the truth, but I often think about your eyes because one of my favorite moments after delivery will be holding you and watching those eyes carefully blink open and look up, soaking in those first few seconds of this big, big world that has been waiting for you for so long.

Here's to hoping the next few months fly by because I am anxious to meet you.

Keep growing strong Buddy, we will see you soon.

(Thanks again to Cassie for taking these pictures for us!  You can see the pictures I took of her family on my photography facebook page.)

What We've Done

Just a few more days to go... we spent the weekend half in boxes and suitcases, running around town, cleaning, doing laundry, taking pictures, seeing friends and watching the Bag Piper play into the sunset at Spanish Bay. Admittedly, I have hit the moving wall and I am officially ready for the rest of our stuff to get packed and shipped out early this week. It is always bittersweet to leave, but I know the next adventure it waiting for us to get started.

In the meantime, of course we have been doing a lot of reflecting on our time in Monterey and all we have done in the past two years. Kev's and I started thinking about everywhere we have been and how much the boys have grown. It makes me grateful that I documented so much of this unique place along the way.

Here is just a sampling (each link will bring you back to the specific blog post) of what we've done in the past two years:

Visited:

Sonoma

San Francisco

Santa Barbara

Santa Cruz  

Santa Cruz a Year Later

San Diego 

San Diego Again

Disneyland

Tahoe

Yosemite

Escaped the Horrific Summer Fog by Going to Carmel Valley:

At Georis Winery

At Carmel River

At Garland Ranch State Park

On a 4 hour Adult Spring Break

At Carmel Valley Park

Took the Kids on Local Adventures

Apple Picking at Gizdich Ranch

Point Lobos

Pumpkins and Corn Maze at Earthbound Farms

And Again a Year Later

Big Sur

Pfieffer Beach

The Butterfly Colony in Pacific Grove

Nature Hikes on the Coast

Jack's Peak Trail
Point Sur Lighthouse
Wine River Road
Camping at Laguna Seca

Loved Mass at:

The Carmel Mission (9:15 Children's Mass)

Preschooled with:
Mother's Morning Out

Tailgated:
In the Driveway
At the Beach
For 4th of July
For Easter
In Carmel Valley

And that is just the stuff I had the energy to link up...
You've been go to us Monterey! Now, please stay sunny for the next 3 days so we can end on a good note.

Thanks to my friend Cassie for snapping some pictures of us this weekend!

A Baby Shower

Last Friday, my sweet friends hosted a baby shower for me and my friend Cassie. Cassie is due in July with her second baby (also a boy) and it was a great opportunity to celebrate these new little men together. Of course, I did not expect to have any type of shower with this pregnancy, being the 3rd time around and another boy, so it was really such a nice surprise to have a little party. 

Traci and Elizabeth set up this amazing spread. I wish I could send you some of Elizabeth's pound cake, this preggo went back for seconds.

 Cassie hasn't picked a name yet and we aren't sharing Baby3's name, so the girls made these letters for our last names and everyone signed the back. A meaningful keepsake for sure!

 Cassie and I did not plan our outfits, we just happen to show up matching really often. We actually unknowingly went to brunch at the same place two days later, wearing the same colored purple dresses. Weird.

 I wrote a post a few weeks ago about some of my favorite gifts to give and this burp cloth was one of them. Cassie is an Oklahoma State fan and I just know Baby J will be spitting up because of Oklahoma fans all fall long.

 I also got her a giant wine glass, because when you are about to have 2 under 2, it is important.

 A sweet little outfit from Traci for Baby 3. This one is coming with me in the suitcase just in case we aren't in a house before Baby comes. 

The Ladies

Me, Elizabeth, Andrea (also pregs with a boy, due in September!), Cassie, Jenny, Nikki, Gina, Traci, Baby Charli

Cassie and me with the lovely hostesses. My dress is from Target when I was pregs with B. It is a non-maternity one in a bigger size. The necklace is Traci's, it is probably j.crew or somewhere else fancy like that where I don't shop. (I love my friends' closets)

 And finally, this is what happens when you walk in the house with handfuls of gifts. 

Thanks, Bubs, that was helpful.

12ish weeks til we meet this little dude.
Can't come soon enough!

***

PS I am reading and appreciating all your comments this week, but time is just so short getting ready for the move and spending time with all the wonderful people we know in Monterey. I look forward to catching up on all your blogs soon and thank you for all your sweet words in the meantime!

Celebrations

On Saturday afternoon, we gathered for one last big party with our Monterey friends for my two big boys. Cullen's 4th birthday was Monday and Bennett will be 2 on June 5th, and since our movers start packing us on Friday (!!!) we decided to combine their party for a fun celebration.

Technically, their theme was Cars but aside from their bright colored polos and a Lighten McQueen birthday sign, the theme was actually pizza, cupcakes and playground, just the way the pre-pinterest world intended.

Just up the street from our house, we have this amazing community center that we can rent free of charge. We had the party here last year too and are thankful for such a large space, with an easy clean up, for our family friends to enjoy.

After pizza and play, we gathered to sing Happy Birthday. B went for the cupcake before the candle.

Our friend Kelly came down from San Francisco and we were so happy to see her one more time before we return to the East Coast. 

 I realized as we were leaving that I didn't get a family picture...this was the best we could do.

And when we got home, two spoiled boys opened some pretty thoughtful gifts. 

On Monday, Cullen's actual birthday (as he kept telling us) we had a great day too. He brought brownies and watermelon to school, got a Happy Meal for lunch, went to another friend's birthday party in the afternoon, then came home for repeat cupcakes and candle, 

 (clearly, B prefers joint celebrations)

 followed by his birthday surprise: a big boy bike!

All in all, a perfect way to celebrate my beautiful boys (and I didn't even share that we had a shower for Baby 3 on Friday...more on that tomorrow). 

I know I say it all the time, but we are so blessed in our little life, from our supportive friends, you lovely blog readers and our loving family (Cullen told me Monday night that 'lots of peoples from Ba-ginia keep calling today!), I couldn't ask for more. I am so proud of my boys, Kev and our little one on the way, it makes my heart soar that so many people love them too.