Valentine Nails

 

Grace's nails in honor her favorite holiday -Valentine's Day! 
Her skills just keep getting better and better! xo 

Made With Love

In which Emma made a "senior year box" as a surprise for Grace and gifted to her today, on this, Grace's last first day of lessons! xo 

Sneak Peak

 

Yesterday we went to the Bradley Estate for Grace's senior session. I cannot beleive that we are here already and that her senior pictures are now completed! Liz, has been our family photographer for years so it was only fitting that she would be the one to shoot Grace's senior pictures. We won't have the rest of them for about two weeks but Liz shared a few of her favorites on social last night. Such a perfect representation of our sweet girl and the activity that has held such a prominant place on her growing up years. xo 

Summer Ballet

 

In which Grace begins a week long ballet/pointe/contemporary intensive at Metrowest Dance Academy! xo 

Can You Feel the Kenergy?!

 

Nature Therapy

 

Nothing like some fresh air and a walk with Clover to help her concussion recovery. xo 

Back from the Village

 

and back with her hens! xo 

Wordless Wednesday::Out Of My Window

Grace's Pumpkin

In which Grace turns this wool roving, 

into this pumpkin (in only two days time)! xo

Made By Grace

When it comes to handwork there isn't much that this kid isn't good at! The latest addition to her repertoire of  handwork talent: felted animals. She finally finished the unicorn kit we gave her for her birthday this past July. Her project came to a complete standstill when this tiny dowel -a necessary item to make the legs- had gone missing. That is until recently when Emma recieved the bunny kit for her birthday and we discovered that same size dowel was in that kit! Once that piece was discovered she got right to work on the unicorn's legs and horn. Before she was able to finish the unicorn (due to the aforementioned missing dowel) she had completeed the chickadee kit that her Grandma Joan and Grandpa Ron gave her for Christmas. She absolutely adores those Woolpets kits, and has decided she'd like the lamb kit to be the next one she completes. xo

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ten years ago when I was pregnant with Miss Grace we ate lots of Brigham's strawberry ice cream during my final trimester. My craving of strawberry ice cream was indeed brand specific, and in MetroWest Brigham's really is not that easy to come by (especially Brigham's strawberry). Thankfully Sudbury Farms carried it, though Dave would often have to dig to the bottom of the cooler case to find it. As a result of all the strawberry ice cream I ate during that final trimester she has always loved strawebrry ice cream. And so when I stopped in to Sudbury Farms to pick up a few things after my Pure Barre class the other day, I couldn't pass up the chance to buy a quart and share it with her again after all these years! Feels like just yesterday that I was pregnant with this sweet soul and enjoying a dish of this ice cream. It really is hard to believe that she turns ten this July...time truly has flown by way too fast! xo

In Grace's Journal

Second Breakfast

"Mama, since Emma made French Toast the last time do you think I could make French Toast today?!" She prepared the ingredients and then I showed her how to cook the first piece, after that the rest was all her. In total, she cooked four pieces and I didn't have to do anything more than take pictures.

It seems to me that this year - her ninth-  is full of all sorts of amazingness, and this French Toast making is just the latest skill added to the list. It's truly incredible the independence that's coming for both girls lately. I'm pretty sure it's not just that they are the ages they are, but also (and perhaps even more so) because they have been there watching, helping, taking it all in their entire lives. To watch Grace cook so confidently this second breakfast of ours gave me pause. No matter how many times I beg and plead with them to "stop the growing" it's to no avail. Grow they will, but with that growth comes so much goodness, so much pride, so much confidence that I truly cannot wait to see what each day, each week, each month and each trip around the sun brings for our sweet girls. xo

Flower Girl

There is no doubt in my mind that some day she will own many acres of land and that those many acres of land will be covered with copious amounts of flowers. If truth be known, her papa and I will be very surprised if that isn't the case. xo

Weekending

 On Saturday while we were working on getting more of the house packed up I came across these two disposable cameras left over from our wedding almost thirteen years ago. They still had pictures to be taken so I set them aside to show to the girls when I had a moment. For as old fashioned as they are a camera with film was totally mind boggling to them. "I look in where?" "I wish I could see the pictures!" "Developed?!" Once they understood they had such fun taking pictures. Now, just to find somewhere to get them developed. It's been ages since I've needed to do that!

 Since Dave's parents and Donna and Peter had been out on the Cape they decided to stop by on their way home so they could celebrate David and Grace's birthdays with them. 

 The cool thing about having a grandma who's a college Chemistry professor is that you can score some pretty cool lab equipment for your birthday! 

 She was fascinated by the various slides that were gifted to her with the microscope. 

Thank you, Grandma Joan and Grandpa Ron for the fabulous microscope! 

This gift will surely be loved for years and years to come! 

Later that afternoon it was off to the mall with Aunt Donna and Uncle Peter for a special trip to the American Girl store. When the Doll of the Year is named Grace like you are and lives in Massachusetts like you do it just needs to be your birthday gift! Thank you, Donna and Peter, for such a special trip in honor of her upcoming special day! 

 Sunday we enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the Wayside Inn and were very enchanted by these sweet soldiers in the gift shop. 

 Then it was back home and right back to packing. These two never cease to amaze us with their dedication to whatever the project or task at hand is. We are so grateful and so blessed to have such incredible helpers. 

Looking at this pile of pictures I was struck by how much living was represented here. From college to our wedding to life as a family of four this pile represents all that's gone on in our lives since we graduated from Hartford in 1999. It's incredible to think that we're packing up our house to have the wounds from the Epic Winter That Was finally fixed (along with some projects we've been looking forward to doing since the day we bought this sweet place back in November 2003). It's going to be quite a journey over the next several weeks and we'll be sure to keep you updated along the way! xo

Star Sisters

"I drew Emma and me as star sisters!" -Grace

The Wisdom of Grace Elizabeth

Since Dave and Emma went to Wegmans this morning to do the weekly food shopping, Grace and I decided that we'd head out for breakfast. We sat there chatting and eating and taking in the world around us, and then, after a quiet moment, she says to me: "You know mama, the world planned for us to be together." 

This sweet soul never ceases to amaze me and I am truly honored that the world chose me to be her mama. Thank you world for planning for us to be together. I am forever grateful. xo

Wordless Wednesday::Pals

Grace's Morning Glory

(Photo by Grace)

There was much excitement in our house this morning when Grace discovered that the first Morning Glory flower had blossomed! She had noticed yesterday that there was s bud, and the first thing she did this morning was head out to see if it had opened. She was thrilled to find that it had and came in right away for my phone so she could take a picture! There is something so magical about these sweet flowers that open during the day and close at night. We cannot wait to have the fence near the gate covered with these lovely flowers! What a perfect addition to our beloved garden! xo