much needed sister time.

one of the hardest things about living in oklahoma (besides not having a target within 70 miles of me) is how much i miss my family.  prior to having kids it was much easier to travel to visit them.  even with one kid, i was still able to swing it.  but adding on number 2 and 3 really cut back.  my family comes out here for visits, which we all enjoy, but i still wish i could just drive down the road and visit them for a dinner here and there without it involving an airport. 

my sister and i are INCREDIBLY close.  she is my best friend and always will be.  even growing up we got along well (for the most part of course!) we each had our own bedrooms, but silly girls, we shared a bed until i moved out.  it was much more fun to giggle and talk late into the night than it was to have separate rooms.  even when we would visit each other after we moved out, we'd get in bed and read, chat and watch tv.  and while the busyness and life in general has made it hard for us to talk on the phone sometimes, you just pick right back up the next time you chat, like it has only been a few minutes instead of a few weeks.

my sister is starting a new chapter in her life and, while there are parts that are so very hard for her, i am excited to see her becoming more like her old self.  to begin this new stage in her life, she wanted to take her girls on a beach vacation.  the boys and i were lucky enough to be able to join her and it was one of the best vacations that i can remember. 

sisters.  cousins.  the beach.  sunny weather.  watching movies and eating snacks late into the night while the kids slept.  hanging out in your pj's and swim suits all.day.long.  vacations are hard work, but this one seemed easy.  yes, we dealt with the tantrums, the whining, the making of a million meals and dispensing ketchup and napkins and oh yes, writing our names on all water bottles, as the girls had just gotten over a tummy bug right before the trip.  but between two moms, you never felt like you were doing it alone.  we each knew what needed to be done and it just got done.  

the kids loved it.  i am thankful that we were able to finally get a chance to just hang out and catch up.  we are already planning next year's trip.

thursday instagram roundup

i'm doing one picture a day for 365 days.  all in instagram.  a lot of days i take more than one.  the goal is to put them all in a photo book sometime before 2014 rolls around.

here is a small peek at this past week.  these aren't necessarily the pictures that will go in the book, but they are some of my favorites.

the mini muffin.

ethan proudly showing us some of his newest water skills.

a typical night of craziness in the windel home.  plasma cars are a HUGE hit.

mary poppins joined us for dinner.

a party for mr. miles.

he has his game face on.

showcasing his mad knee-boarding skills. 

a birthday party for the princess.

yes, this is a lot late.  her party was two months ago.  two long months in which i haven't even looked at my blog.  but i'm trying to organize my life and get back into blogging.  i had so much fun planning mollie's party and putting it together.  i was inspired by a dress i saw while browsing mini boden's spring line.  purple + bumblebees.  i knew i wanted to do a honey bee theme.  between etsy and pinterest i found all of the inspiration i needed.

the beehive cake that wouldn't have happened without my sister and my dad.

i had so much fun doing this party and mollie was the perfect party girl.  she knew that this day was all about celebrating her...well, she pretty much thinks that every day is about celebrating her, but this time there were other people there to acknowledge it :)

the details.  the details are my favorite part of any birthday party.  i think that the details make a huge difference.  i'm 85% certain that they make a huge difference to me and maybe like 2 other people.  everyone else, to include the child that the birthday party is actually for, doesn't notice.  but i can't get the details out of my head.  

thank you gifts: local honey from a beekeeper.

favors: sugar cookies from a good friend.

keepsake birthday plate.  from aedriel originals.  

that beautiful picture of mollie in the background was by shannon ho photography.

honey tasting station.  and in the background, smitten kitchen's salted brown butter rice krispie treats = heaven.

etsy has become my go-to place to purchase all of the fun, crafty items that i can't get here in town.  i love putting everything together.  sometimes things i buy don't work out like i think and i have to scrounge at hobby lobby to find what i need, but for the most part it all works out.  i have learned to start buying stuff at least 3-4 months out, otherwise you're caught the week before the party paying for express shipping ;)  some of my favorite vendors for this party were:  


aedriel's originals - she did custom artwork for a keepsake plate and cake stand.  can't say enough about how wonderful she was to work with.


the papered nest - all sorts of fun paper and party decor supplies.  i especially love her stamped wooden treat spoons.


bahana splits boutique - great paper items and baker's twine.

tuesday's style file: tweed love.

i love tweed.  i love fabric that has great texture and little intricacies that you can only see when you look closely.  these shorts have a little bit of sparkle woven in, making them perfect for the office.  why i chose to wear them for the first time on a 105 degree day, i don't know, but i do know they will be making a lot of appearances this fall!

catching up

wow, the first time in 2 years of blogging that i've missed an entire month.  in some ways, it is good, in others it's not.  i have been stepping back from my laptop some...i've been having to work a lot more than i had in the past, so the time i have at home i really want to take advantage of it.  my laptop often remains at work during the week and in the rush of the evenings i only get to hop on usually on my phone and even then i find other things i need to or want to do.  but i am sad that i haven't been keeping track of the little things.  since this is the only way i'm documenting things, i need to actually keep up with it.  this year i did decide to do 365 days of photos through instagram instead of 52 weeks of photos.  i like that 365 means documenting all of the little things and sometimes it can have people in it, sometimes not...it was a good way to take on this year that has become busier than i ever thought it would.  


here are a few things that have been keeping us busy over the last month or so.

touch-a-truck.  boys loved this.

my future marine. 

my future marine.

visiting with our newest cousin. 

celebrating a birthday for daddy.

my sweet boys.

camping out to secure a party spot for mr. miles...was up at 3:45 am to get in line with a friend.

zoo day with my boys!

splashing in the pool! 

our little starter garden.

sweet boy. 

so proud of my boy at his school assembly.