GOOD DAYS.

we thought it would never come.

we thought it forgot about us this year.

we thought it packed it's bags and headed south.

we thought it's warm glow and cool breeze would not be felt on our skin.

turns out, it was just playing hard to get.

SPRING IS HERE, Y'ALL.

-bette

WEEKENDING IN AUSTIN.

 lots of crickets have been chirping over here on our little blog. we've been doing our best to keep our family time as our top priority and setting anything aside that interferes with that. we're adjusting and readjusting to changes in life, both big and small. i had some time today between sweeping up shattered glass and nursing a few burned fingers(never drop french toast into sizzling coconut oil) to stop by here and clear out the cobwebs.

i mean to frequent our tiny corner of the cyber world more often this spring and summer, but let's not make any promises just in case life throws another surprise in the mix. we all know it will.

the last few days, jesse finn and i visited with my mom, sisters and brother-in-law in austin. it was warm, shockingly not too humid and a lovely break from our daily grind. we had a fantastic weekend eating at some local favorites, strolling the antique malls, catching up with an old friend, having daily coffee and dessert and laughing till our stomachs ached. jesse and my littlest sis jadyn provided just about all the hilarity and entertainment a girl could ask for.

and did i mention jesse finn tasted his first texas sno cone? it was love at first lick, obviously.

i love coming home to my babies and my bearded man the most though. we're spending the day with new books, comics and toys mommy brought back from texas. it's raining and cool and basically wonderful. ain't no place like home.

until we meet again, tejas.

-bette

THAT ONE TIME IT WAS CHRISTMAS MORNING.

 yeah, yeah i know, but just for today let's pretend it's december again and i'm posting these in a timely manner.

this is the good side of christmas morning that we all illuminate in our photos, right? ripping into gifts, expressions of sheer joy and excitement, showing off our loot and enjoying trying everything out. i suppose no one would really want to see photos of thirty pounds of tape, wrapping paper and bows(coming to a landfill near you). what about the stocking stuffer chocolate hand printed walls or the table and chairs caked with playdough that is still being scraped off as relatives are arriving for christmas dinner. i even left out the two trays of burnt-to-a-crisp baguette for my bruschetta appetizer. now i'm starting to remember why i procrastinated on these photos. we keep it real around here y'all. hey, there's always next year right?

i'm sure the kids felt the whole morning differently and that's really all that matters once you become a parent. they had a blast trashing the house and getting love gifts from everyone. that's what you see here, because that's what i'll choose to remember from that day. these tiny people and their bearded daddy are my favorite gifts every year. (certainly you didn't think you'd escape this post without at least one cliche remark.)

here's to the good moments of christmas 2012 and to it's predetermined ass-kicking from christmas 2013. cheers!

-bette

SNAPSHOTS BY JACK.

 jack has been asking to use my camera whenever he sees me with it. he really loves snapping photos and looking at his work when he's finished. i'm planning to have him help me with the editing in photoshop, so he can have full ownership of the final product. i thought it would be fun for friends and family to get a little peek at some of his latest captures. i'll start posting these regularly. he's got a bit of an eye for it, wouldn't you agree? we just need to work on taking a few steps back on those close ups. maybe next time i should also vacuum the carpet before handing over the camera to the newest photog in the fam. more to come soon.

-bette

*madi has of course requested her own regular feature on our little blog. look for that later this week. :)