Birth Day.

Today is my birthday; the last year of my 20's and I couldn't be happier. My 20's have been life changing; they have been hugely transitional; they have been blessed. I'm reminded every day that God blesses, He loves, He delivers, He gives, He still has dreams for me. It's a good life because I'm still here...
So I'm coming for you today, 29!

Inner Kid.

Last night was one of our dear friend Tay's Dirty Thirty. Honestly, it was such a funny idea. Go Kat: wife extraordinaire. It was a good old fashion pub crawl with all of the party attenders choosing their own mode of transportation. You could ride your skate board, bike, roller-blades, walk, whatever. Most of us chose bikes. Pea helped me decorate my bike for it because the theme was unicorns so I figured it was right up her alley; bikes, ponies, and sass. I have to say it was one of the most carefree and fun nights I've had as an adult. We just rode bikes around the summer streets of Seattle with our friends, having snacks and (adult) drinks, playing, laughing, and generally having the best time. Simply put, I felt like a kid again and relished every second. Plus, it was super fun to ride bikes with my hub. Happy birthday Tay. Haters Gonna Hate.

Boss.

The boss of poses... oh, sweet pea.

Reen + Nando.

Loreen and Fernando were married today in the back yard of the family compound. It was a beautiful ceremony in Spanish and English and it was just like L&F: a beautiful blend. The day was gorgeous and the little belles were ecstatic about being flower girls. I do not have a ton of pictures and haven't seen the professional ones yet, but here are the meager few I have and some from Andi. Congrats Aunt Reen; we are so happy for you!

What to expect when you're expecting

Literary nerd alert. Some of you are titillated. A select few are selecting the X conveniently located in the righthand corner of your screen. My freak flag is at full mast this morning so let's all roll with it. Essentially, I am volunteering to do a book report during summer; many years removed from formal schooling.
Every summer since junior year of high school I've tried to read my favorite novel The Great Gatsby. There have been a few summers I've missed, but I've been fairly consistent. I'm half way through and I can tell you reading it at this age holds different truths than reading it for the first time at 17. At 17 it's filled with romance; a beautiful man who will build a memorial to your beauty and wait an eternity for you. I can still smell the lemon scent of Daisy's white dresses, feel the oppressive heat of late August (another genius metaphor for Gatsby's wild dreams), and see the end coming while still in the thick of the plot. The characters don't see it coming until its too late. Reading it now the summer that marks the end my 20's I find I'm the same age as the characters and I see new themes as a parent, friend, participator in an (almost 10 year) relationship.
I see the breaking weight of unrealistic expectations. The panic and disappointment of holding an all too specific dream too close. Daisy could never be all that Gatsby dreamed.
I made a notation (see picture) a few years back. She could never be his everything because she's human and not Divine. Slowly as we mature and learn to manage our expectations as life marches on I'm struck by the weight of our expectations; my expectations. What opportunities do they crush before they're allowed to enter the dream for my life? We have to find a way to balance self-imposed expectations and especially the expectations we have of others with regard to the reality of who they are and what they can actually give. I feel the weight of this most heavily in parenting. How about you? Would love to hear your thoughts. I've said it before and I'll say it again: F. Scott you're a genius, I think Zelda would agree...

Instagram Catch Up & A Promise.

Ok, I'm just going to say it: I am such a bad blogger of late. Seriously. And sorry if you're like the three people that read this and I've been shamelessly neglecting you like last November. I need to work on that, however, in my defense: I absolutely can not string together meaningful thoughts, coherent (albeit hilarious) stories, and witty repartee on my iphone. And this summer has run away from me like Harper into a busy street. I haven't taken the time to sit down and piece together posts. For shame! I just can NOT write on that thing; which I take to mean I'm not morphing into a low-brow simpleton. I'm also quite confident Jane Austen could not do her best work on one of those things either. Take that, Apple. But don't be too offended; I still use and enjoy you: see below. So in lieu of a grand gesture to win you back, I'm going to catch you up via iphotos wherein you'll be mollified for a short time by the fact that: I PROMISE to return with meatier posts which have global implications and smart, sassy, spot-on commentary. And because I couldn't write it or say it better, this made me feel like Christians who love Jesus and PEOPLE aren't a dying breed. She says with dark humor...read this.

Day at the Museum.

Today we ventured up to the Seattle Children's Museum. I'd never taken my girls there before and figured they might like it. Well, my goodness did they EVER. Such a fun morning with them discovering things and exploring. oh, and I'm raising a Diva. Capital D. Might be time for new confessions...