summer starting

 fewer photos, more memories in my heart-

xoxo, 

-ivy

recital 2022

a crazy 4 day recital saga. lots of fun, lots of sweat, lots of costume, hair and shoe quick changes. memories were made and wine was had following it all. eloise kicked it all off with officially turning 8 and her own homemade birthday crown! 

and now... we nap.

lucy has one more performance tonight, we have tomorrow off and then tuesday starts swim team and matilda rehearsals. 

'we get 18 delicious summers with our children, this is one of them.'

xoxo, 

-ivy

gramma's house

we are so fortunate to have spent a few summer days visiting gramma in her blue ridge mountain home. this place is so special to me and truly where my heart feels so at peace. 

meme, the girls and i split the trip into 2 driving days there and back- a total of 4 travel days, each 7.5 hours. whatever it is about hotel pools is the ultimate be-all end-all for these girls :)  we spent our virginia days picking wildflower bouquets and wild strawberries, taking long walks, watching the girls make up crazy games and piddle through gramma's junk drawers searching out treasures that they snuck into their suitcases. we visited sunnyside, hung with aunt chalon and uncle dave on their cabin's wrap-around porch, took trips to their favorite local cheapy stores and visited RJ in the rehab facility he's currently staying in. the girls spent literal hours playing with gramma's porcelain doll collection that's lived in a glass hutch in her entryway for as far back as i can remember, and the soundtrack of the week was their banging on gramma's piano- the piano my mom and aunt chalon took piano lessons on as little girls. meme taught lucy to make chicken & dumplins, and all 3 spent the majority of their outdoor hours taking turns giving one another 'walker rides' on RJ's wheeled-walker they found in the garage corner. 

we're onto a 4 day recital weekend followed by the start of early swim team mornings and late night rehearsals. i'll savor every free night we can fill with fireflys, outdoor fires, and late sunsets. happy summer!!

 xoxo, 

-ivy