Between Then and Now: Florida

We had a full summer! Sorry for the lack of posts in the meantime. We were busy! We spent a lot of time at parks & pools, and took a couple of vacations, too. Here are some pictures (not in order) from the summer. I don't like the way blogger downloads photos, so I'm going to post them all separately. First up: Florida!

We spent the 1st week of July in Florida with the whole family. My brother and his family flew down from Kansas, and my parents hopped in our "new" minivan for the 14 hour car ride. It was a long drive, but SO worth it! It had been a long time since I'd been down there (Mom & Dad still go at least once a year), and you just forget how white the sand is and how blue the ocean looks! It was great!

The whole family:

Me with Sophie on the beach:

The 3 of us:

We lost our camera on the trip, so the rest of the photos will have to come from my parents' camera. They e-mailed me these pics, but there are more! I'll post them when they come.

1st "official" day of summer

Remember this picture from last year, taken on the first day of summer?

1st day of summer 2010

Well, I decided today was a good day for the same adventure...maybe we'll make it a tradition. Here's the pic from today:

1st day of summer 2011

She looks older, right? I think a lot of the "babyness" is gone. She looks more like a big kid now. She was all smiles the whole time.

Sophie definitely loves the water. I can't wait for the parent/child swim lessons we're taking at the end of June...and the beach at the beginning of July.

This was before she entered the fountain area. Just thought it was a cute pic.

What a fun way to start the summer! I think it might have to be a tradition.

I'm trying to take more pictures and post more blog entries this summer. I'm off to a good start, right? ;)

Sophie's 1st Haircut

On Friday, we met my parents in the valley and Sophie got her hair cut for the first time at 32 months old (2 years and 8 months). It was definitely overdue.

Before

The first snip

So patient

Finishing touches...including glitter! (Way too much glitter...it's still there and won't wash out!)

Sophie making a silly face...she likes it!

Overall, I like it, too. It's taking some adjustment, but it's pretty darn cute. She was so patient and relaxed the whole time. She's such a big girl now!

Ode to Beth

My friend Beth likes to remind me that I once had a blog and that once upon a time I actually posted pictures and stuff. There have been many reasons that blogging has not been a priority lately, but I am willing to write one now, especially for Beth.

You see, my dear Beth is moving. Away. On Saturday. And to be honest, I'm not handling it very well. I have a history of not dealing well with friends moving away. Just ask Lauren; she'll tell you. It's ugly. And to make it worse, Beth is one of my last remaining friends in this little area of St. Louis where I live, and that makes this really hard.

I know you're probably thinking she's moving across the country by the way I'm talking, but she's not. She's not even moving across the state. Just across town. And I know that this move isn't the end of our friendship or anything, it's just not going to be the same. But I'm not going to ramble on about all of the reasons I will miss her and hate to see her go. Instead, I'm going to list just a few of my favorite things about this lovely lady**:

1. She has been my trusty running buddy for over 7 years now, AND she will wake up insanely early so that we can run together before I head off to work.

2. I can call on a whim to see if she wants to _____ (Fill in the blank with things like: go to the park, meet at the zoo, come over so our kids can play, etc.)

3. She always has cute hair and necklaces.

4. She will go grocery shopping with me on Thursdays when we can save $10 at Sappington Farmer's Market.

5. She listens intently, doesn't judge, and offers words of wisdom and Truth into my crazy life.

6. She prays for me and my family. I cherish that.

7. I love watching her mother her children. She is a patient, loving, F*U*N, gentle mom. I have learned so much from her.

8. She loves my daughter (and will help us out in a pinch if we need a sitter for a day).

9. She's not afraid to eat pie for breakfast.

10. She is one of the most honest, genuine, authentic followers of Christ that I know. I admire her faithfulness.

I know that our friendship is one that will last until we're old and wrinkly, but there's just something about being neighbors and doing life together.

I have loved our time together in South City, Beth. Thank you for your friendship. I will miss living so close to you and your sweet, sweet family.

**Please note that this list is not all-encompassing. I could go on, of course. There's no end to the awesome-ness that is Beth.

Not funny, but exciting.

Also, I am very excited about this.

Funny

So, you know those Sonic comercials with the husband and wife in the mini-van? The "wife" in those commericals is the comedian/actor/writer, Molly Erdman and she has a hilarious "blog" about a fictional couple who live in the pages of fancy home decor catalogs. You should check it out. You will laugh. A lot.

Catching Up

I know, I know. It's been almost 2 months since my last post and now I have 2 in one night. I'm just crazy & unpredictable like that...or maybe I'm just not meant to be a blogger. You pick.
Anyway, I'll try to catch you all up to speed. We've had a trip to Wisconsin and a cute little girl who turned TWO between then and now, so there's lots of pictures of both events!

Until I gather the photos and get things in order, here are a few of my favorite pics from the end of summer to tide you over.