labor day weekend. literally.

although, I was scheduled to work the entire Holiday weekend AND Holiday - fracking BOO - we still managed to have a fantastic time. 
Knowing that I was making a bit of money while working - not to mention the 'break' work sometimes provides me from the day in and day out of the kiddos...it was really a good weekend! And it's only Sunday morning...SO much more weekend/holiday to go:)

so here's a bit of our weekend, thus far...I figure my schedule won't really permit too much more excitement, besides the late family walk and possible bon-fire. SO leaving the phone at home till Tuesday;)

thursday night my sister, Pigg and our friend, Karey, headed to our 3rd Old Dominion show of the summer - at the Minnesota State Fair! We are officially OD Junkies! I can't get enough! They just seem like such amazing guys and SO talented, writing so many great hits and they're sound is soooo catchy. I think they are going to find so much, much deserved, success.

if you haven't already looked them up...DO - HERE.

saturday, after I put in a few early morning hours at work, we packed up and headed to the lake:) Good sandwiches and drinks and weather...it was the perfect day to let the kids run wild - and naked;) We I was so wiped out when we got home at 530PM that I could hardly keep my eyes open!

theo was lookin' so damn cute, so I got an over abundance of photos of her. Unfortunately, Homer's farrrrr too busy to be bothered with photos lately. Which is a bummer:/ But we managed to catch him running by in a couple of the shots;)

with everything that's been going on lately...it was great to feel more like myself for the afternoon. I hate falling into a 48-ish-hour funk:/ They can sometimes be hard for me to pull myself out of. BUT an afternoon at the beach remedied my mood:)

looking ahead...there are still some hurdles before I'll feel like things in our current situation - more details in a future blog post:) - are settled but Tuesday is our 4 year wedding anniversary...which is kinda blowing my mind and I've already got my mom lined up to watch the kids so we can go out to eat and walk around a furniture store, with no intention of buying anything, and take the back roads home. Dear lord...I.Can't.Wait:)

hope you're enjoying your long weekend, Friends:)

days like these...

"...what if you wake up someday, and you're 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written, or you didn't go swimming in those warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? it's going to break your heart. Don't let this happen." 

- Anne Lamott

*quote found via herwelshness on IG*

today was another one of those wonderful summer days...they seem more and more common around these parts. I'm not sure if it's me and my attitude or just the sun and warmth...but I hope know these days will continue appearing:) 

today was my cousin's Baby Shower:) She's due to have a little girl in one month! We're SO sooooo excited for her!!! I'm a huge fan of showers and weddings and all things party/celebration but these baby-related-gig's are most fun with a baby already planted in my belly:):) Just gets me that much more excited about what's to come for us as well:)

i like to take any opportunity we have to get a "sister pic"...although, we are in the same room way more than the average family. Like uhhh-lot more. ANNOYING LUCKY are we - for real:) Annnnd there's bound to be at least one photo-bomber in our lot of 13 kiddos;)

theo daisy photos courtesy of: Courts

theo is my right-hand gal at the moment - and by moment I mean the last 6 months;). Where I go...she goes...in my arms...on my hip. You will not catch me complaining about this. I don't hate having a built-in best friend:):)

buttttt she will go to Me-Moo:) Me-Moo is her only other friend in the world;):) 

i had Courts quickly snap a few photos while we had the beautiful weather and I had put on something other than yoga pants;) I'm so glad I did, especially after reading the quote above. Life is WAY too short not to just DO...or to do silly things like stand in front of the mirror and dissect your body. Jeeesh. I mean, 3 hours prior to this photo I was quoted telling Jacob that this dress made me look like a "hippopotamus" - no offense to hippos, who are freaking AWESOME;).  

Sure...I do feel like my ass is competing my belly for attention...and some days that just isn't the way I want to feel or look. BUT for my baby girl's sake...I need to cut out any negativity about my body that may still exist. Most days...I do love my body...and that includes my body after baby:) Jacob still seems to dig it - I can't go into the details about how I know that...but Ew;)

And good golly, I love being pregnant...and I love food...I also love walks and a very veryyyyy minimal amount of exercise. So basically...fuck it:)

19weeks:)

the kids left with a Prius-sized amount of loot - party decor, flowers and balloons;)

i worked this morning and then the Baby Shower and no naps - and it needs to be noted, NO FITS - for the kids...so we were pretty wiped out by the time we got home but I'm very happy we pushed through. A walk and watermelon and finishing a book by the fire. I meannnnnn...summer, you're killin' it:)

we loved this day and I already love this summer so hard:)

xoxo, The Smith's.