River's 7th birthday 🎂

In my family, birthdays are important. I love birthdays. I love cake and candles, balloons, flowers, friends going to dinner with you. It all just feels special. Once a year it's all about you! This is River's last birthday as the only child in our home. Next year she'll have a baby brother running around following after her! We wanted her to have a birthday to remember. I'm pretty sure her birthday this year lasted as many days as she is years old! Her week long bash included 3 cakes (+cupcakes we made for her class), tons of friends and family, laser tag, lots of cards from relatives far away, a trip to Dion's where they announced her birthday over the loud speaker, an insane lotus candle that spun and played Happy Birthday, a round of mini golf, a gigantic balloon, a pretty bouquet, an interview for her Birthday book (our only real tradition), and probably more presents than one 7 year old really needs. Overall, it was a raging success. As River got into bed on the 30th, she told me that she wished her birthday to go on longer. Hopefully we conveyed the message that she's one very loved person.

All the Things!!!!

 Christmas break at the cabin

Science night at school

Art Class

 Pizza playdate with Cool Kid

Pedicure for Maddie's Birthday

Bunny ears!

Dress for class photos. She wore it for three days straight before her photos. I'm amazed it stayed clean!

Backyard work with Ed

Making Vday Cards

Finally! Class photo day. (No, we haven't gotten them back yet)

River had her first ever Science Fair at school this week. Her project was about whether you could tell what a dinosaur ate by looking at his teeth.

More from art class 

Cousin Time

River is going to be a big sister!

     God, I'm so grateful for this girl. She makes everything I do worthwhile. And now she'll be a big sister! We're really excited about that. River is doing well in school; she's so sweet and smart and strong. I revel in watching her every day being who she is. At the moment, she's turning into quite the hula hooper.

     Right now, I'm just practicing gratitude for her and for the wonderful things in our lives and for this new little sprout. I was up this morning at 3am, so hungry. I went to the kitchen to grab a granola bar. No kidding, I'm reaching up for the dang thing and suddenly I'm throwing up in the trash can next to the fridge. Didn't even make it. Lol. As I'm getting ready, I'm frustrated that even though I'm only a month along, none of my pants fit already. I'm rationing money trying to stay home longer post-partum, juggling the books to make it all work. Then there is the business of finding a midwife, going to doctor's appointments, blood tests, questions. I'm feeling a bit lost after a conversation with one midwife about insurance. I was joking with Chris that my situation now is 1000x better than when I was pregnant with River, yet it all seems harder and more expensive! I'm pulling 9 hour days at work to save my time off to go to our first sonogram tomorrow. River's homework is really ramping up (I actually really enjoy helping her with homework), but sometimes it's hard to keep up with. Science fair is upon us! I'm no good at cooking and have been finding it hard to cook things anyone will eat since nothing sounds good to me and River is coming into a picky eater phase. Chris will eat anything I cook, thank the Lord for him. Despite any of these things that have been hard, I'm so happy. I look around and think: Wow, all this is for me?! I'm so grateful to be throwing up at 3am. To be hassled over finding the money to stay at home for a couple of months. To feel lost because I have insurance. Lol. I'm excited and scared for tomorrow's appointment. We'll know for sure which uterus the baby is in. I have confidence in my body and strength. I have faith in my baby's wisdom. That, and my family, will carry me through.

💘 k

Happy Birthday Daddy

Here are some sweet photos of River and her Daddy. Happy Birthday Chris!