mama day, part 1

this day is just so special.  it always has been.  i take the moms in my life - the relationships i have with them - very serious.  my mother and i have always been close.  we never had the feuding that most mother/daughter relationships go through in those adolescent years.  we've always been close, and i imagine we'll continue to grow closer (if that's possible!) in the coming months and years ahead.  the other moms in my life have also affected the way i mother, for your presence:  i owe you; i thank you; i love you.

while we had plans for the afternoon, our morning was to be determined.  it looked as though the rain would hold off and allow us to get out and stretch our legs, chase children and bulldog and breathe in that alaskan air - and it did.  

we chose the hayfield trail because it's close to our house, and we had yet to walk it in its entirety since the first part of october.  we were overdue.  

 hello, duey down there.

 ...breakin twees, breakin twees, imajust breakin twees...

if i were smarter, more savvy, jb's above quote would have music notes around it. 

 she certainly doesn't act her 8 years of age.  

someone should really take those springs off her paws.

 forever pleasing ben.

 ahhh, mother's day.  

this picture {and my babies + husband} bless me beyond words!

 miebs girls.

small sidebar here...

before we make our nightly trek to the kid's respective bedrooms for their slumbers, ben proposes two questions.  it's simple and both kids have an answer.  although, the copycat usually follows you-know-who.  so, here's the question, do you want to be carried like: a sack of potatoes or a wittle baby?

while i'm not into the sack of potatoes carry, i do the wittle baby to humor jackie and get him to curl up and calm down.  i whisper and sing into his ear while we make the move toward snoozeville.  

obviously, you notice who does do the sack of potatoes carry, and who also does not heed the getting-them-all-riled-up-before-bedtime-no-no, right?!  buuut moving on, here, you'll notice dylan in the sack of potatoes carry.  this was her consequence for being so dang pokey during our walk.  ben asked me several times 

is she serious with that pace?!  

he couldn't believe that our 2.5 foot tall daughter wouldn't be able to keep up... but, she does gets distracted by sticks, rocks, and tasty thumbs.  and if she's really on point, she'll plop down in the muck and chill out for some minutes.  it's just what happens.  she's two!  

we arrived back at the house just in time to wash up and change clothes.  we even had time to squeeze in a little mani.  

and as always, more to come...