7 Years Ago It All Began . . .

7 Years ago tonight Mike and I went out on our 1st Date!  It was a Thursday - as I "didn't want to give up a weekend night for a date."  Little did I know I would be smitten before we even had dessert! Here are a few photos taken with my phone of our first days of dating!  

3rd Date in 4 days - 4th of July at the Royal Game!

Drinks on the Plaza . . . 

At Mike's apartment pool with Margaritas in hand and a very cool play-list he DJ'd for us!  

Thanks babe for 7 FUN years of dating, 5 years of marriage, 1 Molly, another bambino on the way and 7 years later - I can't imagine ANY night of the week without you!  

Hot Child in the City!

It's a HEAT WAVE!! We've been swimming a lot!  Molly and I both LOVE the water (nothing like feeling weightless when you are 6 months pregnant!)  But we also had to get creative this week - too hot for the park or playing outside!    It was 105 degrees on Wednesday!!  

We had a few playdates with friends inside the cool air-conditioning this week - we are so blessed to have air conditioning!

We ventured outdoors on Wednesday to the Farmer's Market for fresh tomatoes, blackberries, basil and peaches!  Yum!  We also got creative with our cooking, as I refuse to use the oven when it is over 90 degrees outside!!  We had lots of pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic & basil! 

Molly went to Dance Camp too . . .

It was Rapunzel Week at Dance Camp!  Molly didn't know what to think of her "wig."  She took it off within a couple minutes telling me, 

"I already have hair."  That you do, Molly - that you do.  

Hope all of you are staying cool too!

Living Simply - Living in the Moment

So this philosophy has been on the forefront of my mind lately. That being "to simplify." Besides purging many material possessions at our garage sale 3 weeks ago, I've been feeling this way more and more as a stay at home mom right now.  Living on one income  certainly helps you to simplify out of necessity.  But,  there is much more to it.

I've always enjoyed the little things in life - planting a garden, watching thunderstorms roll in, long, deep conversations with friends . . . but there is something about being a mom to Molly these past two years that has made me want to simplify and enjoy life even MORE.  I realize *with an almost tick tock sound in my head* that our time here on Earth is simply a drop in the bucket.  We are just here for a short amount of time  - with the idea that we will live in Heaven for eternity in a most amazing Heaven.  So, with that notion of "drop in a bucket" and also really really loving my life right now as mother to Molly and wife to Mike - and baby #2 on the way.  I realize I don't need much to be happy.  I'm happiest when we are all HOME together - the 3 of us - sitting on the porch eating ice-cream, blowing bubbles or having tickle fights in the forts daddy builds.  I feel like the more simple my life has become the better it is.  I've had a serious case of nesting with this pregnancy - if I compare to my nesting with Molly - this one is like nesting ON STEROIDS.  But, the nesting is all about organizing, reducing, decluttering.  Making the most of every day - as we just don't know how much time we have in this "bucket" of life!

This idea of living presently seems so simple. Yet, in our culture of exploding technology and super social-media, it’s not what’s happening.  Often, we treat life as if we have all the time in the world, while the reality is, all we really have is THIS MOMENT. Many of us live as if we will never die, putting off the things that matter most.  My goal as a mother right now is to live as if I only have today - so that I appreciate all the blessings that every day brings - and the little moments.  Because, as I am learning, they go by all too quickly . . .

BBQ with the Wells Family!

Our good friends, Kelly & Adam Wells, invited us over for a Summer BBQ last night at their new home.  They used to live 1.5 miles from us - now they are 3 miles from us - so happy they didn't move far away!  Molly LOVES their daughter, Maggie (almost 5) and I LOVE Kelly - who I have known for 16 years now!

After dinner, they got out the Slip 'n Slide for the girls to play!  Molly was a little hesitant at first as she's never been on one before . . .

But after a few fun wipe-outs - she was having a BLAST and kept screaming - This is SO fun, guys!

She LOVES Winnie their doggy too!

Kelly & Maggie showed us the raspberry bushes they inherited in their new backyard!  

Thanks so much the yummy dinner guys - we love you much!  

25 Week Bump Update!

Cravings Lately:  

• Crushed ice!!!  (Never have I wanted a fridge with an ice-maker more in my life!)
• Fresh Home-Grown Tomatoes sliced with salt
• Trix Cereal  (??? I know)
• Pringles Chips
• Peanut Butter on Whole Wheat Tortillas with SUPER COLD whole milk (still drinking this every night before bed and first thing in the morning!) 

Royals vs Cardinals!

The Royals vs Cardinals (I-70 series) is one of the best rivalries in baseball and Mike and I love to go every year - often we get a huge group of tickets with friends for the big game.  It's always a SOLD OUT weekend at Kauffman Stadium and SO MUCH FUN!  Last night we went by ourselves - just the 2 of us (!) - and it was a gorgeous summer evening for baseball!

Baby McGinnis #2 is already a HUGE Royals Fan - was kicking the entire game like crazy!  

 Prior to the game, some Kansas City celebrities played in an charity wiffle ball game - and so they were around to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game!  Some of my favorite actors:  Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Riggle, Jon Hamm, Eric Stonestreet and our very own BC Alum - David Koechner!  

Scenes from Little Mermaid Dance Class

I can't help myself.  I took pictures at Molly's dance class again this morning.  The theme was Little Mermaid this week and the kids heard the teacher read the Disney princess story and then they dressed up like Ariel and danced to the music from Little Mermaid!  It was too cute . . . 

Molly's friends Ellie, Ainslie & McKinley joined her again this week!

{Molly as Ariel}

Yes, indeed - that is Gary Forsee in Molly's Dance Class  - my old CEO at Sprint. He was there watching his grand-daughter dance.  Of course, I had to tell him I was at Sprint for 14 years and remember working with him when I did Corporate Event Planning!  Too funny . . .

Happy 1st Day of Summer!

Happy 1st Day of Summer!  We celebrated the Summer Solstic by joining our Playgroup friends at the Farmer's Market this morning . . .  Molly loved trying the fresh peaches. The tomatoes are already in season too!  SOOO delicious!  

Molly found her friend Ainslie and wanted to go see if Rockin' Rob was playing under the Clock Tower yet- and he was just warming up!  

We have listened to his CD all winter - so she was in awe that he was really there performing live!  You might remember we went to see him 3x last summer and became big fans!  She asked me when she saw him today, "Can he really talk to me?"  

{Ainslie, Brooks & Molly}

Gretchen & Jake joined us for the party too - Are they not the cutest mom/son ever?!?!?  

Max & Molly dancing together . . .

Happy Summer Summer Time Everbody!!

Molly Lately .. .

{Molly DANCING around the house in leotard and new ballet shoes}

In preparing for Father's Day this year - I asked Molly to help me wrap presents for Daddy.  She asked if it was his Birthday and I was explaining no - but it's a special Daddy Day called Father's Day - I reminded her of Mother's Day last month and how her and Daddy gave me cards and a present too.  She was quiet for a few seconds and you could tell her wheels were turning and then she looked at me with her huge brown eyes and said; When is it gonna' be Molly Day? 

At the pizza place the other night - Molly saw a couple of 3-4 year old kids walk in the door while we were eating and she said, Hey, those kids look about my age! (I don't think she realizes she is only 2!)

She was driving her toy car outside with Mike and she peed while sitting in it - Mike noticed the wet spot under the car.  She has been potty trained for 8 weeks now and rarely has accidents day or night but especially during the day. Mike took her inside to clean up and put her on the potty.  He said, "Molly - we don't go potty outside- you tell Daddy when you have to go potty and we come inside." Molly immediately responded with, But doggies go potty outside!  

Mike was reading to her the other night before bed and out of no where she turned to him and said; It's so nice to sit by you, Daddy!  

As I've mentioned here before - Molly is VERY into playing pretend.  Everything and anything is possible in her world and we have dinosaurs and bears and rainbows in our house on a daily basis!  The thing that makes me smile is when Molly changes from pretend to real - without preparing me - out of no where!!  For instance we often say HI to inanimate objects.  To us, everything is real and can talk.  The other day, we passed a fire truck while it was stopped at a stop light - no sirens on.  I said, "Hi fire truck!" Molly quickly corrected me; Mom, they don't REALLY talk!  That is just pretend.  

Eating popsicles on the front porch the other afternoon, Molly spilled a little piece of pink popsicle on her top lip and I hadn't noticed it yet until I heard her say - while pointing to her face; I have a mustache right here - and it wants to get OFF.

Walking around the nearby craft store the other day, Molly was holding my hand.  She noticed a young girl - maybe 10 years old(?) walking by herself.  Molly asked; "Where is her mommy & daddy?"  Before I could even mutter the words - I don't know - she cut me off and said "Oh maybe she IS a mommy!?"  A couple seconds later - she then says to herself - "No, she can't be a mommy - she doesn't have any rings on!"  (LOL!?)

After we pick a prayer to say at night before bed, we then pray for friends and family individually.  The other night, I forgot that part and she reminded me as we were getting out of the rocker - "Oh - we forgot to do the people prayer!"  Oh, the prayer where we pray for our friends and family?  "Yeah."  So we then went through the list of all of our friends and family and at the very end she said -  Syd.  I thought she meant our neighbor boy Syd as she often prays for all the neighbor kids - but she quickly corrected me; No, Sid the Science Kid!  Please, Baby Jesus -  pray for Sid the Science Kid.  There - ALL done!  

{Molly patiently waiting for her nails to dry}