Welcome Home

A red door means “welcome” in Feng Shui, as well as historical American traditions (or so I’m told.)

A red door means “mortgage free” in Sweden. Ha. But it’s a goal anyway. And besides, we don’t live in Sweden.

A red door means happiness to me.

I have always planned on living in a house with a red door.

We bought this door off someone in Broadripple, two years ago when we first bought our house. J has been working on restoring it here and there (trust me it was all just potential when we bought it.) While I was far away in Mississippi chasing enjoying my kiddos, he was finally able to install it. And lucky me came home to this beautiful door! So this should have been a post way back in July – but that’s neither here nor there.

Yes, of course we went to the State Fair.

Yes, of course we ate a turkey leg and a chocolate milkshake for breakfast.

Yes, of course we rode a tractor, an elephant, and the Ferris Wheel.

Yes, of course we fed the animals, got our hands dirty and had a fabulous time.

We wouldn't miss the fair. Not if I can help it, anyway.

First Day of School

It's that time of year again! Time for everyone in the blog-o-sphere to post their pictures of their little one's first day of school. This is Lily's first day of 3D3's (or three-day-three's for those of you not up on the lingo). She goes three days a week, and she's in the three-year-old class... get it?

This particular first day she was in a mood.
Usually the first to smile for the camera, she was not interested in my efforts to document her important day. So this is the best I got.

Believe it or not, this girl loves school. On the way there she kept saying, "Mommy, I'm so EXCITED to go to school!"

She's going in the afternoons this year (since she hasn't napped regularly in ages), so hopefully her little sister can get a nap and I can get a few things done. So far it has made her very cranky and tired at the end of the day. So we're hoping that she gets used to it soon!

Trip to Mississippi

At the end of July, the girls and I drove 10 hours with my parents to Mississippi to visit my grandpa "Poppy," my Mom's Dad.

He and my Uncle Barry live on my Great-Grandparent's farm just outside Oxford, MS. My Great-Grandfather built the house himself, and while it's not the working farm it once was, it is settled on the top of a hill, over looking farm fields and cows, surrounded by a great blue sky.

For, me, Mississippi is heat, and red dirt, and sweet tea, biscuits and bacon, pork BBQ, fried catfish, and gravel roads, kudzu, and calm and slow.

the big THREE OH

Just last Friday I turned THIRTY.

Yup. The big THREE-OH.

I have been thinking and trying very hard to come up with a poignant/witty/thought-provoking/funny something to say about turning 30 for over a week now. I put off writing a post because I was sure I would come up with something to say about this milestone birthday.

You know what I came up with?

Nadda.

I was really stressed out about turning 30. I've cried several times over it. But, when I tried to think of a good reason for all the hub-bub I couldn't think of a thing!

And I suppose that's basically because it's just another birthday. Sure, it's the beginning of the end a new decade, and my youth is officially over... but really, it's just another year. And that's what I have to remind myself.

I'm 30 now. That makes me officially old. wise. still. just. me.