it's official

sylvi at two years old

if i didn't have a whole universe of people to confirm it, and this here blog, i might not actually believe that sylvi is two years old. both because i don't really want to believe it and because it happened all too fast. really, two years? way too fast.

but despite all that, sylvi is every single bit a two year old. anyone who has spent time around here in recent weeks has said nearly the same thing, "wow. she's just so two all of the sudden!" and it's true. she's such a different kid all of the sudden! she high steps when she runs about, she sticks her hands in her pockets and sticks out her little hip, she espouses all of those somewhat cute but a little too sassy phrases that two year olds are so proud of. her favorite phrase, which we hear dozens of times each day is, "No, I don't want to." she is so very two, that sylvi.

aside from the new found attitude and the brazen independent streak, she is still the snuggler of the house. she is the one who will sneak over and wrap her little arms around your back as you stoke the fire. or the one who will randomly come up and ask for a hug and a kiss throughout the day. she's a loving one, that's for sure. she loves to take care of her babies and most definitely has a strong nurturing need to take care of things. she comforts her sister when she is crying and likes to give you a hug whether you know you need it or not.

the roo is two and the rest of us are standing back and watching in utter amazement. happy birthday roo, we love you to the moon and back!

the Roo turns two!

more on sylvi at age two (wow!) later, in the meantime here are some sylvi pics for the grandparents!

burning the midnight oil

ah yes, it's that time of year again-- the holiday insanity season in the ole shop. don't get me wrong, i am supremely grateful to be busy, but it always takes a little getting used to. or getting in the groove maybe? or maybe just an adequate level of caffeination? whatever the case, the shop is in full swing preparing for Art in the Afternoon and the normal Christmas rush. there seem to be equal parts panic and zen-like acceptance. on monday i might feel like there is just no possible way it will all get done and then by tuesday there is a much more what will be will be kind of acceptance. and then it goes back to the panic and so on and so forth. but Art in the Afternoon is Sunday, so that craziness can't last for much longer and it will be back to the more manageable holiday production season. on a related note, this is also sylvi's birthday week (tomorrow! eep!) and isa's debut as a baby party girl in her first Nutcracker. wow. talk about a week? this is one heckavu week we have coming up here, y'all. stay tuned for the blog report...

giving thanks

we are thankful for more things in life than we could possibly count, so it's nice to have atleast one day a year to gather around and celebrate them all! many thanks to the schell's for having us join in their celebration today-- we are most definitely thankful for them!

the girls have been sick this week and amidst the fevers and coughs and runny noses and late nights, it's been a little hectic. so thanksgiving was a good excuse to put the work aside, snuggle the sicklings, eat good food, share a laugh, and call it a (very good, albeit long) day. hopefully the weekend will bring better health and more rest, for which we will be even more thankful! happy thankgiving!

snapshots of daily life...

'tis the season...

for slippers and a birthday and piles of blankets.

the beach vs. old man winter

we thought we'd better post one more round of beach pictures, in hopes that they will stay fresh in our minds next week. why you might ask? because it seems that old man winter is finally gonna settle in around here. the high on wednesday is a whopping 5 degrees-- need less to say, the low on wednesday is well below zero. guess it was inevitable but knowing that the real winter is coming doesn't seem to lessen the dread sometimes! but, for the sake of being positive, we have to admit that is has been a really gorgeous autumn and a mild november thus far. and we do actually like winter afterall, or we wouldn't live here. so there you go... sand and sea and 70 degrees for now... ahh...

we're back!

we're back and mostly unpacked and as settled as possible, given the last few weeks of craziness! this is our first real weekend in the house, where we weren't moving or getting ready for traveling. it's been really nice to cook good meals and sit by the fire and get used to being in this new home of ours. the girls have been thrown for a bit of a loop (a big loop!) with so much change, but they are adjusting as well as can be expected and do seem to enjoy the new house-- particularly their play room!

part of being back has meant getting back to work too, hence the christmas dress photos above. for the first time in ages, sylvi was actually interested in modeling something! yay! so we jumped at the chance, even with the wet hair ;) speaking of sylvi, it's hard to believe she is going to be TWO next weekend. sigh. doesn't feel possible, but so it is.

wakulla spring state park

we made a little side trip today that we've been meaning to do for a while now. we headed about an hour south to Wakulla Spring State Park to see the manatees, alligators, birds, etc. i am not sure how i grew up so close and never managed to go-- but i was really glad we went! as were the girls, who really enjoyed it as well. the area is really gorgeous (bald cypress, crystal clear springs, etc) but the wildlife is even better. growing up around here, we heard alot about the endangered manatees and the efforts to restore their numbers, but didn't know that they were actually making a comeback. six years ago they didn't see a single manatee at the park, but the numbers have steadily grown to and this year they've documented 52 of them! they are really amazing to see up close-- kind of like a mix between a hippopotamus and a cow, with the skin of an elephant, swimming underwater! we were also really impressed with how many big alligators we saw. we were even able to see two males fighting (one of them lost for sure), which is supposedly a really rare sight. the girls were pretty amazed by the whole boat ride, so much so that they were pretty still and quiet for the whole time, soaking it all in. i definitely think we will make the trip back here in future years, when they'll enjoy it even more.

for those who are interested, there is alot more info out there on the underground cave system online, as well as a really cool human history. human and mechanized exploration of the caves haven't been able to see where it ends or even how deep it is in some places, but scientists think it might stretch north all the way to tennessee! very cool.

snapshots from bainbridge

the girls hadn't seen their papa bubba, meme, and nana (great grandmother) in almost two years, so it was an overdue trip. here are some snapshots of hanging out around the house, playing with cousin emmie, and having a generally laid-back and lazy weekend (as much as a house full of little girls can be lazy!).

early birthday

not sure what is going on, especially the singing part!

she's got this part covered, though!

isaac's birthday cake-- a local tradition.

the goods! roo was thrilled with her awesome gift from papa bubba and meme.

picture perfect

flying in and out of the beach is pretty convenient, not to mention enjoyable. especially in november, when there are no crowds and the weather is perfect. here are a few pics from the first part of the vacation with nanny, before heading north to visit more family. we hope it's half this nice when we head back down there in a few days!

if it were possible to pick favorites...

i finally got some of these to load! here are a few of my favorites! though i don't think it's possibly to actually choose... they are all so beautiful. *swoon*