Thank you for the warm welcome back! I am still working my way through our summer photos (mostly on Olympic commercial breaks…how ’bout that Michael Phelps?!) And here we are in June! We had two big trips this summer with about three weeks in between. This is the story of the June interlude. Up above is some gorgeous Romanesco broccoli, which I am always so happy to see at the farmer’s market. The world is so very full of wonders.

Let’s just start off with someone cute, yeah? He loves this book, which he calls “Honk, Honk!”

At dinner on a sweaty day. Do you see the family behind us? It was totally Danny Pudi (of Community fame as Abed) with his wife and adorable twins. I could have gotten them in this shot, but the poor guy was just trying to eat dinner, and I didn’t want to bug him. So I just took pictures of Micah, who was hitting a bit of a cup and straw milestone. Ah, LA!

Mmm, summer drinks! I don’t remember what this is exactly, but Eric says it is some kind of swizzle, maybe a Queen’s Park. Every stage has its own pluses and minuses, but it is so very sweet to be able to spend time with Eric in the evenings now without keeling over (well, I do keel over at 10:30, but it’s a far cry from those crazy newborn days!) He makes us a drink, we watch a show, we talk over the day behind and the day ahead. Also, if it is not evident from the picture, I married up, y’all.

One night when I was cooking, I realized that my dinner was smiling at me. We are running through a ton of corn and zucchini around here, and it is fantastic.

Sometimes summer is tiring!

One of Micah’s favorite books. Pretty cute. E is for Einstein, and he can totally say it.

We spend a LOT of time at the library in general, but especially in the summer, when it’s too hot to play outside. I love our library (and our librarians!) and am so grateful for this happy haven of books (and toys!)

Eric was out of town for a few days in June, and I had our babysitter come so I could go and have a quiet dinner by myself one night. This bookstand has been such a game changer in my life. My mom gave it to me for Christmas sometime when I was in grad school, and it quickly became one of my most prized possessions. No more neck pain when reading! It conveniently folds down, too, and serves as a bookmark. Huzzah! I was finally finishing All the Light We Cannot See, which is just as beautiful as everyone says it is. It has been such a good summer for reading!

My view from the kitchen, over the ledge.

June 18th was our fifth wedding anniversary. Five years! And eight years together. We went out for dinner and dessert, and I totally did not make a card for Eric due to the out-of-town craziness, but I did definitely cry copious tears at the table while telling him all the things that I would have written in that card. I can’t even begin to say how much I love him. He is the source of so much pure goodness and joy in my life. He is an incredible father, a fantastic partner, and the best friend I have ever had. Also, he’s hilarious and brilliant and kind. And hot. I do not know how I got him to marry me…but I am so glad I did. And yes, he did get me a card! And chocolates! I rest my case.

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time. It’s blurry, and there’s laundry on the couch and a train under the table, but here we are: this is my family. I wish I remembered to take more pictures like this one, capturing the everyday things we don’t think of as photo-worthy, but which in fact make up the texture of our lives. I am so grateful for all these evenings when we sit around the table, passing napkins and wiping mouths and cutting grapes. We won’t always live in this apartment, my baby won’t always wear this red bib, and when those things come to pass, this picture will be a treasure.

A really rare instance when somebody let me rock him after his nap. He is wearing his daddy’s baby shirt.

And the last little bit of June before our trip: Hillary helped me make a silhouette of Micah! And she even got his sweet little eyelashes! This is the story of the June interlude. Treasures abounding: sweet friend, sweet baby, sweet husband. A silhouette of my heart would show all three.

Memphis in May

13 Aug 2016

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Oh, heyyyy, blog. I missed you. Here’s what we’ve been up to. (Besides ending sentences with prepositions, ahhhhh!) An addendum: this post was originally going to be about the whole summer, but then I went a little crazy with the pictures, soooo…a bunch of separate posts there shall be. We happened to be in Memphis in May, but it’s also the name of one of the biggest events of the year, a cultural festival featuring a barbecue cooking contest and a music festival on the river (which was, of course, the highlight of my teenage existence). It’s a good time to visit!

I spent two and a half weeks at home in Memphis with Micah while Eric ping-ponged his way across the eastern seaboard for work, ending with a big family reunion (Eric included!) for my dad’s 60th birthday. Since I flew by myself with Micah, I totally got him a backpack with a little leash (lifesaver!) and baby headphones so he could watch Thomas the Tank Engine on the plane. Eh, he wasn’t really into it, but mommy tried!

My sweet dad picked us up and whisked us away to see…

Mimi and Miss Lily! Look at those precious babies. Micah and Lily are exactly six months apart, and they remind me so much of my brother and I–we are thirteen months apart, and our hair was (respectively) the same baby shades of blonde and golden. This picture could almost have been taken thirty-some years ago.

Here we are, my brother and I, for reference. I am not sure there has ever been a more natural mother than my mom. She is so endlessly loving and patient with little ones (and grown ones!), and she makes it look like so much fun. My deepest memory of this trip is this one: being completely bowled over by the hurricane of kindness and love that is my mother, hoping that someday I may turn out to be even half the mother that she is and has always been.

Sweet Mimi with Micah at the children’s museum.

I already fear the number of pictures this post will heft, but…look how sweet! My parents are just about the most fun people I know to hang out with, and I always love going home to see them. Also, they know how to party. In the summer, that equals a lot of delicious microbrew beer. Ahh, the taste of summer! (No beer for babies, ha, only for mommy and her compatriots).

I love my mom! I do not love it, however, when I buy red lipstick, and it turns out pink like this. Can somebody tell me where to get REAL red lipstick?!

Lunch with my Besfrinn and her baby (sob, big girl).

My loves at Hog & Hominy. So many new places to try! It’s a singular pleasure to see the city where you grew up experience such a beautiful renaissance. I am deeply grateful to every person who has worked so hard to bring new life and new opportunities to our community.

Uh, yes, I *did* just dump out this huge bag of goldfish. Is that a problem, mom?

Pecan pie for daddy’s 60th! A sweeter man has never lived. It was so special to be there for his birthday.

We call this Micah’s grandaddy outfit, so, of course, we had to get a picture of them twinning!

We met Emily and her family for Family Day at the Dixon Gardens, and I had completely forgotten how gorgeous it is there. Look at my baby in all that green.

Hard at work in the backyard! It appears that there has been a small vehicular mishap.

Memphis Made! I would go there every day if I could.

The cutest.

The world’s most optimal dump truck conditions!

Ahhhhhhhh, what is this oasis?! My parent’s condo, where Eric and I spent a night away from our little tiger. My parents are the bessssssst.

It was so good to catch up after Eric had been away for a week. And it was good to sleep in too! We got caught in a crazy downpour on the way to dinner and then struck out at about four restaurants before landing somewhere a bit lackluster, but at least there was beer! Hammer & Ale saved the day. I do forget this sometimes, since there is not a ton of opportunity for deep conversation in a toddler-parenting life, but talking to Eric is one of my favorite things in the world. Always such a treat.

This is my kind of place! City and State on Broad. The bike trail runs right past it, and it was fun to watch people trek in for breakfast in their helmets. If I had biked all the way down there, I would have eaten everything in the pastry case, but these people mysteriously showed some restraint.