Hair No More

My boy got his locks chopped! It was quite the shock; I guess "an inch" can be very subjective? The stylist at the cheapy place was very distracted by her contantly ringing cellphone and she said more than once, "oh, he moved; I'm going to have to cut more to even it out." Clay was silently fuming ("how's she going to blame the kid???") but I like it. He looks older and so very handsome. Plus it'll be nice and cool for summer and his upcoming t-ball games.

He'll be back to being my beach boy blondie in a couple months but as for right now, I'm enjoying his new look.  And so is he :)

Teal Wall: FINISHED!

I cannot believe that I have not shared my teal wall.  It's finished and it's absolutely perfect.  I deviated a bit from my original plan; I just didn't like the vibe of the perfect square shape the frames created.  I wanted smoother and rounder.  So with the help of some of my girlfriends - who were invaluable with their suggestions, I removed a frame here and added on there and tweaked the layout to create a much softer oval shaped wall of frames. 

The finished layout is astonishing. I took full advantage of us being newlyweds and made my and Clay's love story - particularly our wedding - the focus of this wall. It contains photos and mementos that are special to us, while still coordinating with the colors and theme of this room.  And it's down in our family room, which is a bit more private than our living room.  Our front door opens into our living room so it's the first room guests see as they enter our home, and that room tends to be one of our main entertaining spots.   The family room? Well it's just that, our family room.  It's more personal down here, perfect for our most personal photos.   

The details:

- a dried rose from my wedding bouquet, a wedding portrait, some skeleton keys tied on twine, our marriage license and our last name initial

- a whimsy map and another wedding portrait

- a map of Nevada, where we got married (in our wedding colors even!) and a map of Michigan, where we live

- the four heart-shaped maps are locations of four spots where Clay and I have vacationed:

Chicago, Baltimore, Texas and New York

I know that I have said this before (probably a hundred times) but I absolutely love our home and how it is such an honest representation of our family.  I love the feel it gives and the stories it tells.  Just looking at this picture makes me feel warm and loved and complete.  Funny how something as trival as putting frames on a wall can do that.

Sunshine, Swings and Smiles

Warm, sunny afternoons spent at the park.

 With a silly girl who loves to swing.

I'm so thankful that summer is finally here.

Dentist!

My boy had his first trip to the dentist and he did amazing.  Seriously, I was so proud of him.  There was a point where I thought we'd have to reschedule the appointment because Narls was initially very vocal that he would not be getting into the chair because he didn't want the dentist to "lift it so high that I can't get down".

But he eventually did, thanks to my husband's endless patience.  Clay talked to Narls like he was a little man and Narls listened intently.  The dentist was ever so patient, as well; he let Narls get used to the chair and the tools and the lights on his own time and answered all his questions without any baby talk or dumbing down.  Narls asked about the "magnifiers" on the dentist's glasses, told him he didn't want him to suck his tongue out of his mouth with the suctioner and remarked how the dentist's water tool reminded him of his water blaster at home.

He held on to Clay's hand the entire appointment and when it was over he thanked the dentist for getting rid of all his "plaque and gingivitis" and marched out to pick his prize.  The dentist shook his head and chuckled, clearly charmed with our yellow-haired boy- much like Clay and I are on a daily basis. 

Summer Loving

It's already June.  I know you've probably heard this a thousand times already but seriously, this year is flying by.  Clay spent a whole weekend and detailed both of our vehicles, getting them ready for summer and he found this picture in his car:

It's us <3

At a Tigers baseball game, which was one of our very first dates way back in June 2002.

This month is the anniversary of when we met and started dating and fall in love.  Nine years ago. We were so young, so carefree.  We don't know the exact date we met or the exact day of our first date but we know they happened in June so we celebrate the entire month.  Our relationship started so easily and naturally that neither of us thought to remember those days. 

Those young, care-free days turned into a series of amazing months and then layers of sometimes-hard, sometimes-easy years.  We had our ups and our downs and throughout it all we grew and developed and molded and bent, but never broke.  We moved in together and had a son and then a daughter and then bought a house and then got married.  Not the most traditional route, I'll admit, but we've never shied away from doing things our way in our own time.

And throughout it all, one thing has not changed: the ease and naturalness of our relationship.  He is my best friend, truly my other half.  Happy anniversary Clay.  Nine years and counting.