Thursday, May 19, 2016

Future island home.


Well, just called the midwife. I couldn't help but think it was funny when I told Clint I was calling the midwife. Cause, y'know, that British tv show and all. I watched the first episode one time, and it was very dreary, so I lost interest. I know people love it though.
So yeah, I honestly did just call the midwife. In Kauai. There is a pretty awesome looking women's natural health center in the town we are moving to that has midwives on call for homebirths. So I'll be using them. About a month and a half after we get there.
We have around 50 days till we're supposed to leave. That just became a reality to me a couple days ago. That we are actually going. That we're really boarding a plane and going. That we'll be waking up every morning on a beautiful island for awhile, if not permanently. It's super weird and it just struck me as being real. I have done ENDLESS amounts of getting rid of stuff, and I have to do more. Somehow. I don't know what else to get rid of, but I know that if we were going next week, I'd be rushing around to get ready. So these next few weeks, my list is long of last minute tie-up things to do, packing random storage stuff away (like books, decorations), and I don't know what else. I am totally freaking out with excitement!!
For those of you who ask, we are moving to the town of Kapa'a, and yes, we have a house lined up. Clint will be managing our friend's metal business in Lihue, which is a neighboring town (the one you fly into when going to Kauai). CJ and I are excited about the long paved bike/running trail along the coastline just minutes from the home we'll be renting. We'll be using that thing everyday.
It's been years since I've been to Kauai, but I remember it pretty well. I cannot wait for my man to see all the gorgeousness there, and to just relax awhile with him before work starts up again. He works so stinking hard here. Here is so driven and his work ethic is incredibly strong. He is a real man in many ways, but that is one of them. He is diligent, reliable, and organized.  I am so thankful for how well he takes care of us, and his total anti-laziness. He is inspiring to me. I love him. Anyway. I am so, so, so glad he gets to take a break and vacation for awhile when we get there.
Random post, but I am freaking out about future plans. Tata for now, laundry calls.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

What's up lately.

And here, ladies and gentlemen, is a good ol' fashioned picture post. Just what we've been up to (some of it). Basically, the most recent photos on my phone. We are having the most breathtakingly beautiful weather, and everything went from dead, cold, and sad, to neon green and flushing with life and beauty. It smells like honeysuckle outside. The spring and summer months in Tennessee never cease to amaze me. I asked Clint if he is as amazed at how beautiful it is like myself, and he said he is totally used to it, having been here for so long. Every year I am amazed again with the vibrancy and glory of all the green! The bugs are totally worth the trade-off.
 

These pics crack me up. Summer is such a dare-devil for her age (which is why she is so accident-prone), and happily flies around on the trampoline with CJ (who is thrilled for the companionship).
 

 

They love mornings walk where they actually get to walk themselves. CJ flies down the road on his scooter while Summer runs after. Barefoot, of course. 


 
This happened. Yes, those are bathroom scissors. He looks like Harry Potter.
 

 
So, we do have a blow-up pool, but I could not figure out how to change the adapter thingie on the air compressor so I could blow it up (where is my can-do-anything-man when I need him??). It was hot outside, so we created the most redneck "pool" in existence. It totally did the job. Who needs fancy pools when you have a tarp and a pile of lumber? They didn't know the difference. I am totally comfortable with how redneck this makes me. :-)
 

 
I love this photo. For the first time ever, CJ let Summer touch his little "baby planes" that he is uber protective of. He was teaching her what to do, and she was a serious little student. Pardon the messy bookshelf behind them. I promise it is neat and tidy and pretty now.
 

 
They hold hands when they walk down the road a lot. I promise, I did not stage this. It just happens. And when it happens, I take a photo.
 

 
Unflattering morning picture for ya, but they were so cute with their smiles, I couldn't resist. I promise we are not white and pasty in real life ;-)
 

 
Summer had the privilege of doing some modeling for my friend Rachel's Etsy store! She was so cute in the absolutely adorable hand-made rompers. Here is proof that sometimes her hair looks nice. Check out Rachel's shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RachelsTrends?ref=em . She is incredibly talented and her clothing is very detailed and pretty. I adore the romper she gave to Summer and I want them all!
 

 
Summer is a very, very happy little camper about 98% of the time.
 

 
About 8 seconds later, haha.
 

 
CJ rescued these baby birds a few days ago. He cared for him like their own mother, hand feeding them mushed up worms, talking to them, singing to them, and letting them explore. He would tweet at them, and they'd tweet back. It was the cutest thing ever. I was probably more sad when they died than he was though. He's a very good little caretaker. I named the smaller one Tweetie, he named the other John. He's always catching stuff. He has a tender heart toward small, helpless animals. Exactly like Clint. They're both very nurturing when duty calls.
 

 
 
Buds. Walle photobombing.
 

 
 
So, CJ is super into being an astronaut, and learning about space. He knows quite a bit about it, and has future plans to be the first man to travel to Mars. Get him talking about space, and he'll go on forever. Clint helped him draw each planet the other night, including it's distance from the sun, and their respective colors. It was one of the funniest conversations I've ever listened on, due to the seriousness of our little dude discussing, in a very grown up way, the planets and their different features. Homeschooling at it's finest! Clint and I look at each other and try not to laugh, because the things CJ says can be hilariously philosophical at times. I love seeing him develop personality traits like Clint. I hope he turns out just like him. Sharp, deep-thinking, compassionate, and very firm in his beliefs. So far, that's going pretty well. :-)
 
 
The end. Hopefully I'll get my new (prettier) blog up soon, as well as my Nikon running again. Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Well hello there.



Honey! I'm home!
So I am going to start off by NOT apologizing for having not posted on here for almost two years. It was just take too long to type out why. Life is busy and I just sort of forgot about it! Moving on.

I suppose I will quickly list some of the changes that have happened in our lives since I've last hit the publish button on here, and expound on them another time. Oh dear bloggie-boo, how I have missed you.

-CJ is 4 (????!!!!!!!)
-Summer will be 2 in August (not as crazy to me).
-We have a dog that we permenantly love. His name is Walle. We got him at about 7 weeks old from a craigslist ad. I have no idea what kind of dog he is. CJ named him after his beloved Pixar robot. He started out as an adorable but jumpy puppy, and has since mellowed out to a sweet, humble, pathetically lazy guy who lets the kids sit on him.
-CJ is going to be an astronaut (amongst a host of other occupations, such as: racecar driver, submarine 'driver guy', fighter pilot, and I forgot what else ...). His ultimate goal in life is to first land on Mars, then Jupiter. He really reaches for the stars, that little dude. He knows so much about space, planets, and spacecraft... probably more than me, because he retains all the information. He craves it.
-Clint bought a skidsteer (it's his baby) and his business has been really growing at rapid speeds. I am constantly amazed at how organized he is with all the jobs he figures, people he handles, problems he solves and... the math. How does he do the math. So much math.
-I almost forgot. We are having another kidlet!!! Due in August on Summer's birthday (which makes me laugh).
-and... said kidlet will have the privilege of being born on the luscious island of Kauai. Say what...?! That's probably the biggest news. I will expound on that in a future post. I get SO many questions about it.
-I did end up starting my little business, Kahalia Beauty. I took me F-O-R-E-V-E-R to get out there. It thrills my soul when people contact me and tell me they love it. I love it too, so I don't know how I'll live without it because...
-I'm putting it on hold. It requires SO SO SO much time. And I know for  a fact that if I dedicated even more time, it would be that much better of a little business. I simply don't have that time right now. Having two children who need me, and being in the middle of filtering out most of my belongings (before we head to Kauai), plus keeping the house, laundry, meals, and sanity going is just too much right now. I do every aspect of Kahalia (formulating, keeping jars and all ingredients in stock, advertising, packaging, shipping, communicating... WHEW).  Since I'll be having a baby a month after going to Kauai, it doesn't fit into that time very well either. So right now, Clint and I are trying to figure out a time to get it going again. We're thinking this November, but I will keep you posted!
-I don't run very much anymore (SOB). Distances, that is. CJ and Summer combined, plus stroller and the fact that my whole road is rolling hills, makes running pretty strenuous (I'm pushing 100+ up and down hills). It's like a crossfit workout every time. It's very hard. Which technically, I guess that's good. But I can't run 6 miles everyday anymore. I need to start taking them to the in-laws so I can run alone sometimes. I love it, I crave it!
-For all the people who ask me a lot-- no, I don't do Plexus! ;-)  Haha.
-Everyday, CJ gets smarter and more like Clint. People tell him aaaalllll the time he looks just like his Daddy (mainly strangers). I love love love it. If he ends up looking like Clint and being as incredible a human as Clint is, I'll be very pleased. Clint honestly could not be a better dad or a better husband. Honestly, from my heart. I smile when I think of him (if he's at work...if I think of when he's at home, I smile AT him, hehe). I hope I can be as good a wife as he is a husband. Geez, now I miss him. Thankfully he's coming home early because it's going to storm. :-)
-Summer is the most hilarious human in the world. From her funny crooked teeth, to her out-of-control Mufasa hair, to her oddly brown skin and teeny features, she is a package of adorableness. Which is why she gets away with murder. Sometimes I catch Clint looking at her with absolute adoration and total abandon on his face... just pure love. It's so cute. I hope to capture it on camera someday. The first thing Summer says when she wakes up every morning is "Daddy??". Then "CJ?". She loves her dudes.
-I'm getting off of Facebook (on Wednesday... I have to take care of some business first). Surprisingly enough, I have gotten a ton of backlash from this! A lot of suspicious questions and "why on earth??" which actually kind of surprises me. I have never seen facebook as a positive addition to my life, or to anyone else's. I mean... we all survived without it before. Blogs were the way we kept up with each other in the technology age. Blogs, phone conversations, and visits. :-) I do enjoy seeing people's posts, and the messaging system has been very convenient for me. Plus the business side. But I'm purifying my life a little, and Facebook is one of the first to go. Once I get Kahalia rolling again, I will probably manage that page on FB once more, but for now, I'm getting off.  I will be posting here as consistently as possible, so you can see what's up! (for those who are interested).
-I'll be supping up this blog a little. It's so ancient looking and it needs some love. Stay tuned!
And now... drumroll please... allow me to share my enchanting offspring. Robin (Clint's littlest sister) is a creative, blossoming photographer, and captured these a few nights ago. They are by far my favorite pictures of CJ and Summer... the capture their personalities so perfectly. There are about 90 more where these came from... I must post some again soon! They are too precious to not share! If you live in the area, check out her page to make an appointment:  https://www.facebook.com/Little-Bird-Photography-1581024092131907/?fref=ts



 Summer is like... what...


 Winding up for the smile...



...there it is.


 It is CJ's joy to blow bubbles for Summer to chase. The bubble chase is ever futile, because they pop before your nerves can even tell your brain that you touched it. This still frustrates me.



Their height difference makes me laugh every time I see it in a photo.
 CJ is a tall dude, but Summer got the delicate gene somehow.









 Bubble face!



She is my joyful sunshine.
 
Tune in next time. :-)