falling back

i love this time of year.  have i said that enough?  falling back is one of the best parts - finally the time seems normal.  its lighter when i wake up in the morning, and i feel like i get more of an evening with my family/husband.

this past weekend mytwofamilies traveled to the fabulous seaside, fl for the seeing red wine festival.  yes, i was the lady with two kids at a wine festival.  go figure.  we went two years ago when b was about ten months old, and he slept nearly the entire time.  this year...was a different story.

thankfully there were lots of people watching my toddler so i could give the 110% of myself needed to the littlest member of the family {it takes a village, right?}

 all bundled up after her "lunch"

 i am still feeling the stress of parenting two children, and trying to learn how to master it.  its a learning process - splitting my time and energy between the two and still having time and energy to expend on everything else in my life {husband, family members, food, sleep, conversation, etc}.  i know its just going to get easier with time, and honestly the time passing is quite precious priceless time.  

therefore, the weekend seemed like a blur, and this was not due to the wine - believe it or not. :)  its hard to give anyone else but the kiddos 100% of my attention, so the easiest time to do this was after both had gone to bed...and honestly stephen and i werent far behind them! {old fogies} 

but our meal times this weekend, all around the table in the eat-in-kitchen, were my favorite.  

i love my loud, boisterous, hilarious family.  

every last one of them.

and the weather? oh the weather. mmmmm

bennett spent most of the festival on saturday with varying family members...playing in rocks, eating ice cream, playing with "annies blue phone" in his stroller, and dancing for the masses on the lawn to the jazz band

{who needs a nap?}

  
i wish i wish i WISH i had my video camera with me to catch this boy in action.  he literally just asked if he could go down there, ran down there, and started bouncing and swaying to the music.  he pretty much dropped it like it was hot.  pop even joined him and they were a hit. 

i didnt get as many pictures as one would think i should, and normally do, but im sure my sister will make up for it.  she was taking pictures of her sweet potato fries.  so i pretty much think shes got the trip covered! :) ill just wait on her post to relive it.

in the meantime, enjoy the moments i did manage to catch on film...memory card.

 

 {ill have you know we took probably fourteen pictures of us posed just like this, trying to get one we all liked.  and it never happened.  so here was the best of all three, i think...}

if i had to be honest, though, i think this was our best "take":

bennett tried to run away numerous times, but we managed to hang on to the boy. 

and im glad for it, cause he sure is awesome.

does anyone else want to wrap christmas lights around every tree in their backyard?  i do.  does that make me tacky? or just magically twinkly....i prefer to believe the latter.

and whatdoyaknow...christmas is right around the corner {goodie!} so i will hopefully get my christmas light fix SOON.

christmas music?
bring. it. on.