snippets // our summer part I

1. baby linens and wet swim suits hanging on our makeshift clothesline.
2. vampire weekend concert under the stars in the crossroads.
3. a very vocal babe singing to louis armstrong.
4. a new favorite game.
5. new (old) bistro chairs for our new home.
6. our littlest snoozing on a stroll around the park.
7. mornings in the nursery.
8. eyes for mama.
9. bath time for two!
10. learning about coy fish.
11. using her birthday umbrella on a rainy afternoon.
12. snoozing on the couch.
13. running around the arboretum.
14. boycotting nap day.
15. adventuring about the omaha zoo.
16. my summer staple: a mexican dress and a baby on my hip.
17. splashing around.
18. our plants waiting to move to their new home.
19. boxes and more boxes.
20. sharing a strawberry fromage ice cream cone!

this summer has been off to a good start.  many park walks have been had, along with lazy mornings and mid-day trips to the pool to cool off.  we have taken trips to the arboretum and the omaha zoo to fill up our need of adventure and we have had our very first ice cream cone to boot.

our days have been good ones.  full of fun and enjoyment, but we are in a bit of a transition right now.  boxes are stacked high up to our ceilings and we are ever so antsy to be in our new home.  i am doing my best to make the most of our days in this cramped space but i am dreaming of walking barefoot through our new yard and to nest nest nest.  as much as i feel that the people you love make up one's home, i also feel the tug of have a comforting place to rest my head.  i like things in their place.  i love coming back from a long day of fun to calm and quiet on our little patch of earth.  i am a homebody and ready to be in our forever nest.  andrew and i are eager to grill everything we can get our hands on for supper on our patio and listen to records in our new kitchen.  soon, very soon this will happen.  for now, we must embrace the present and count our blessings that we indeed have each other, that we are healthy, and that alas, summer is here!  we have hit a few hiccups regarding moving and are praying that god helps iron those out.  so for now, in this time of transition and waiting, we are seizing these beautiful summer days and the beauty that they behold.

we sold our home!

...insert overwhelmingly long sigh of relief...

i could just leave it at that because honestly, i feel like that's all i have been doing.  breathing deep.  peacefully deep.  well, that, and thanking God every chance i get.  he is just so good.

it all fell into place as we were sitting out on our front porch talking about our new home late on a sunday night.  the kids had been bathed and put to bed and it was just the two of us and our dreams as we chatted, cold beer in hand.  a text message rolled in on andrew's phone as the sun was almost down and twenty four hours later a contract had been drafted.  it was that fast.  the people buying our home only looked at it for all of five, maybe ten, minutes.  they fell in love with it's charm, like we did, and were delighted about all of the wonderful things to do within walking distance.  it just happened to be a perfect fit for them and everything regarding paperwork has gone smoothly since they made an offer.

our faces hurt from smiling and we have never felt so at peace.  everything is falling into place.  and how blessed are we?  man.  blessed and forever grateful for what the Lord has given our family.

i have so many people i want to reach out to and thank and hug and just say how much their thinking about and praying for us truly helped.  in the mean time, if you are one of those people and you will know it if you are, thank you.  and now that the dust has settled we are going to begin the packing process.  a good bottle of rose and some upbeat tunes should make it bearable, i'd say.  in less than one month we will be under the roof that will shelter us for years and years and years.  we cannot wait to share it with you and make new memories there.  exiting times ahead!

*photo take by my friend kaley.

motherhood // our first garden

off we went to our favorite local nursery to pick out goodies for our very first family garden.  the kiddos and i picked out three different tomato plants, three different pepper plants, nine different herbs and some marigolds and zinnias to boot.  i was told they keep the bees and butterflies happy.  it was a balmy afternoon as theodore bobbed along on my chest in his carrier, wide eyed and curious, and stella on top of our plant cart.  she rode along holding onto the edges commenting on everything as we passed.  dat's a good one mom, she'd say in the most helpful tone.  after selecting the prettiest of the plants we dropped them off at our new house on the way home only to return the following day to plant our garden.  (the current owners are being ever so kind to let us plant early.)

once ready to start our garden, i gave stella one of my tools to play in the dirt as i spread the first layer of new soil about our raised bed.  she chose the mini shovel and started making little holes in the loose dirt.  i could tell she felt important.  as i arranged the herbs in a pretty fashion on the left side of the bed, she watched rather inquisitively.  she wanted to know what that was.  could we eat it?  would it grow?  could she touch it?  next, came the beet and carrot seeds.  we talked about what color they would be as i thumbed them deep into the soil.  she would run around the yard, our new yard, only to come back to help every now and then.

after a few good hours our first garden was planted.  i felt such peace sitting there, both of my hands covered in dirt in the backyard of our new home.  at one point i took off my pretty floral gloves to feel the dirt.  to get my hands on what would be food for our family in a few months.  sometimes it is important to connect to nature like that.  i sat there feeling so happy to be able to give my babies a big patch of grass to call their own.  theodore, a big shady spot to roll and roll.  stella, a place to explore.  an actual yard where they could roam and make messes and go barefoot.  i felt that despite all the worry and stress that comes along with selling a home, this makes up for it.  in just one short month we will be able to use this space everyday.  we will get to watch our garden grow together.  we will be able to learn about healthy eating and while nurturing our plants in a new, intimate way.  i love this current little nest of ours and all it has given us, but this new chapter of motherhood and life in general, well it is exactly what we need.

we found our forever home

but first, a bit about our current dwelling. 

it's funny how life works.  one day you aren't looking for homes, per se.  the next, potentially buying one.  a weekend passes and you've got yourself a new set of plans entirely.  and then, because God works in the most humorous ways, you stumble upon something quite extraordinary without really having had to look for it.

we found our forever home.

it happened through a friends of a friend who was selling their sweet home and had not yet put it on the market.  a phone call was made and we just happened to be the perfect buyers.  with its farmhouse kitchen, large windows, picket fence, and lovely outdoor space, we knew after walk-through that we were indeed home.  we will be moving in the middle of june which means only a few more weeks in our cozy, beloved treehouse.

moving is such a bittersweet chapter in our lives.  this home is like a dear family member to us.  it has given us shelter in many storms, given us a front seat to listen to the birds, and shown us how to live in closeness with one another.  we have memories seeped in the woodwork that we will take with us in our hearts.  like bringing home theodore.  or having our littles share a bedroom.  so much good has happened here.  with its rich history and simple charm, this home has won our hearts each and every day since we bought it just a few years back.  we love this place.  and, i cannot lie we hate to move on and see it go.  there will be tears on that day, friends.  but the truth is, we have outgrown it.  there are things we just cannot do whilst living in our treehouse, such as expand our family, which we would like to do in the near future.  yep, this watters clan has plans to grow!

we know that years down the road we will talk about this place, our treehouse, with joy and satisfaction.  it has become a part of us, as homes should, weaving itself into the very fibre of our beings.  becoming one with our family, always giving of itself and showing off in the process.  i mean, the natural light in this place is unreal.  that, we will miss.  we are trusting our journey.  we are being patient.  we know that our path has been drawn by god and that he is giving us just what our family needs.  with that, we are ready to take that leap together, but sweet little home on fifty first street, we will never, ever forget you.

and soon, you will get to hear all about our new home.  gosh, it is ever a dream.

our forever home

these past few days have been a whirlwind.

three evenings back i was perusing zillow for fun.  i get utter enjoyment out of looking for houses online.  it's one of my guilty pleasures, just as i love peeking inside homes on pinterest.  throw on a good movie, sip a backpacker pour of low quality wine, and house hunt for fun.  it's my thing when andrew wants to play a game of soccer on his PS3.  

i happened to come across a four bedroom bungalow, that on paper, was ideal for our future forever home.  when i say forever home, i mean a home that we can have more babies in and grow old in.  a home where i can put our linens out to dry on the line and a place where we can tend to our family garden.  don't get me wrong, we adore our current home to bits, but let's be realistic...there is no way we will be having another baby here for it would simply be much too small.

back to this house i found.   it was a robin's egg blue craftsman style house on the block of our choice.  it was within walking distance to the park and library, had all original wood detailing and light fixtures, a wood burning fireplace, and an upstairs laundry room.  the whole nine yards.  a dream home.  that same evening we decided i should go take a look and see it in person.  two days later, i found myself in that very home after walking there with our babies.  with my fingers running along the newly stained baseboards, i dreamed about stella walking down the gorgeous walnut staircase in her prom dress to meet her date.  i thought about how many pies would be made in that kitchen.

seeing it in person gave me chills.  andrew needed to see it too.  right away if at all possible, for we could not let this home slip away from us despite the fact that we weren't even shopping for houses.

that same evening we hired a babysitter, did another walkthrough of the house, and went out to dinner to talk about how we felt.  we both decided to move forward.  we were terrified and excited all at once.  this home and all of its old world charm was a real gem.  sure, it was a bit out of our price range but we could make some adjustments here and there.  and we were talking about our forever home, so did price really matter?  we went home feeling giddy and very sure of ourselves.  we had baskets full of dreams and ideas for this space that we would throw around from time to time.  ...movie nights in the backyard with a makeshift movie screen on a white sheet fastened to the side of our detached garage.  ...which room would be the nursery, the playroom, the office.  ...we would have an office!?  all of this was very exciting as we now live in a home that is less than 800 square feet.  we felt like brenden and dale from step brothers, "it would give us so much extra room for activities!"  haha!  but i'm not kidding.

the following day was one that included many phone calls and talk of taxes, loans, and payment plans.  very adult things if you know what i mean.  we waited all day to find out if we would even be able to make an offer on this place.  we did our best to keep a level head.  goodness, that is hard to do when something so grand is pulling you in its' wake.  after talking on the phone we got some smart advice to take all the emotion out of the decision going forward.

naturally, we did the opposite.

minutes after hearing that seemingly perfect advice from his dad, andrew walked into our nursery to change theodore's diaper.  i followed him into the light-filled room, letting our creaky bedroom door shut gently behind me.  he turned to me and said it was the first time we had gone to see a prospective house separately.  how out of all of the house we had seen before,  we had seen for the first time together.

i felt myself taking a step backward, the blood rushing from my face.  the hair on the back of my neck stood up and i felt defensive of this house that was not yet ours.  i felt like i needed to protect it.  he said he did not feel good about not experiencing what might be our forever home for the first time together.  deep down i knew exactly what he was saying.  what he was feeling.  but man did i throw up those walls.  i think i even called him crazy and stormed off.

with a freshly changed baby boy bouncing on my hip i went out into our patio to sit in the sun.  those warm rays were medicine for my soul.  immediately, a wave of emotion came over me and i felt the urge to stand up.  i walked inside and assertively exclaimed, we can't do it.  i am out.  this is not our home.  i strongly feel like we were not meant for this home.  the veins in my neck were most prominent i am sure.

i cannot pinpoint exactly what it was that made me change my mind.  of course, andrew's emotional response to not viewing the home together swayed me emotionally.  and i think my intense love for our current space with its flaws and all, also carried its weight in my decision.  but after really listening to my heart and giving my feelings a voice i felt as light as air.  sometimes when we least expect it the truth surfaces.  andrew was feeling the exact same way all along and did not even realize it.  not until now had he voiced it to me!  we were made for each other he and i, balancing each other out with our feelings and such.

the next hour was a progressive stream of what we wanted in a house.  white.  bright.  old.  airy.  open.  windows.  windows.  windows.  charm.  crown molding.  tiling.  front porch.  back porch.  and more windows.  and fireplaces.  this blue house had a majority of those things so why on earth did we decided then and there (even after finding out we were indeed approved!) to stop dead in our tracks and not make this home ours forever?

we just didn't looooove it.  we really, really liked it.  but love,  well that's a whole other thing entirely.  because when you love something you can accept its imperfections.  heck, you celebrate them!  and with this house, we wanted to immediately change everything we didn't care for right off the bat.  that did not feel right to us.  we want a forever home that we could not live without.  a home that speaks an abundance of love to us.  a special place that celebrates our story, through and through.

over a long evening walk and two scoops of pretzel ice cream at glace, we came up with a plan.  we would continue our search for our forever home, but we will be renovating.  a city farmhouse is what we've got in mind.  a space that echoes "we live on a farm" but within walking distance to all of our favorite places here in the city.  we are secure in feeling that our creativity alone can make that happen.  it is going to take time and patience and many late nights planning, but we know that in order to love our future home this is what we need to do.  and golly, it feels good to put it in writing.

on preparing for spring

with the dawn of each new season comes a bit of mindful preparation.  for the past week or so i've been nesting for spring and it has brought me much joy.  i am loving being able to take care of my babies at home while also tidying up our nest to make it a happy place for us to spend our days.  now that flowers are on the trees and it is warm enough to have the windows open, i have been making changes here and there to welcome spring.

as a person with very sensitive senses, scents are very important to me in preparing for a season.  a new candle's aroma drifting about our home is one way i embrace this transition.  long gone are the scents of pine, sandalwood, spiced amber.  instead, i have welcomed hints of meyer lemon, linen, and eucalyptus.  one of the first things i do upon waking up, after coffee of course, is light my seasonal candle on our dining room table.  the ritual in and of itself calms me and says, "ah, tis' a new, beautiful day!"

another way i prepare for the season is to rearrange our decor.  this past weekend i brought out from storage our pearly white milk glass vases and put one in various window sills to house colorful stems and buds and bits of greenery we've found on our park walks.  i also simplified our counter tops and kept with a cheery and bright color pallet, reflecting the colors outside our windows.  a day of rearranging what you already have is like getting all new things.  it makes such a difference and instantly makes our home feel alive.  to do this, i like to put on a new record and gather everything to one central spot like our dining room.  with bare bookshelves and countertops, i can better envision a new arrangement.  i will take things from other rooms and give them new homes around the house.  i am an aesthetically driven person and this part of spring cleaning is most fun for me.

andrew and i both like coming home to a place that echoes the current state of nature, both in its simplicity and beauty.  so given that spring brings with it more sunshine, i have taken to storage our colorful, cozy, thick knits and replaced them with more light-weight blankets and throws.  in addition,  i have stocked up on more succulents and potted herbs, replacing them with our many stacks of books and baskets of mittens.  our bed linens also got a good washing with lavender soap and i made our bed differently.  i tried folding back our duvet to brighten up our room and show a peak of our white bedspread.  it's the little things, you know.

and then there's cleaning that is part and parcel of this whole spring deal.  i made new batches of homemade cleaning products and got new brushes to scrub our white walls and baseboards.  older homes are inevitable dirty and dustier than new, therefore a good scrubbin' is much needed with the awakening of each new season.   dug out our leftover paint to cover up crayon marks made by a certain little girl and some wood polish to make our dining table and hardwood floors shine.  the smell of lemon is undeniable in our treehouse now and everything is looks sparkly clean.  next on my list is to tackle our long wall of windows  they are very dirty at the moment and will require an entire day devoted to making them shine.  i am eager to clean them as it will make all the difference when it comes to letting in more natural light.

one of the last things i do to prepare for the new season is simplify, a perpetual theme around here.  inevitably, things tend to accumulate as holidays and birthdays come and go.  living in a small home means constantly editing our belongings and donating what we no long use.  at the end of this process of sorting and donating, our abode feels like new.  it evokes freshness and serenity.  it begs for recipes with green peas and baby carrots and calls for suppers to be eaten on our porch with our globe bistro lights dangling overhead.  welcome, spring.  we are so happy you have made your grand appearance.

i hope this inspires you to prepare for spring.  if you'd like, i would love to hear how you prepare.

handmade // cedar and cinder porch garden shelves

i have been longing to start up our porch garden ever since my last bout of canning back in autumn.  oh, how i miss tending to our little potted plants.  it gives me so much peace to water them, coffee in hand, as the morning light gradually fades into early afternoon sunshine.  i miss tiptoeing out onto the cold tiles as evening draws near  to snip some herbs here and there for a salad or to brighten up a pasta dish.  gardening is good for my soul.  it's in my midwestern blood and runs wildly through my veins.

i really love tending to my garden, albeit a rather small one planted above ground residing humbly on our porch.  this year we maximized our outdoor porch space by building some sturdy shelves able to withstand the blustery winds that tend to blow about our third floor dwelling.  we came up with the cinder block and cedar combination ala pinterest and are ever so happy with how it turned out.  and under a total of thirteen dollars i'd say it's a real winner.  but next time cinder blocks are involved, i shall wait patiently for my strong, uncomplaining husband to get home so he may kindly lug them up three flights.  whew, that was a doozy.

to make, purchase basic 4 cinder blocks & 1 treated cedar plank (8 inches by 8 feet) cut in half at your local home depot.  the rest is, well, pretty simple.  fill it with botanical whimsy and old coffee cans!

motherhood // a shared nursery

ever since walking into our current flat on the third floor we knew we were home.  we could feel it in our bones.  we knew in this space we would grow a family.  we would make cozy suppers and watch old movies and dance the weekends away. this special place, complete with its endless dust bunnies and whitewashed walls, echoes one of our very first homes when andrew and i first lived together back in iowa.  the charming and impractical layout.  the intricate crown molding and tiny bathroom.  the simple charm around every single corner.

the smallness of it all.

yet, somehow, despite the intimate floor plan, this space has the beautiful ability to make us feel like we are living in a wide open field.  one where we can see for miles and miles and where blue skies reach up to the heavens.  a landscape where we can breathe easy.  inhaling.  exhaling.  inhaling.  taking comfort and mindfully living in a peaceful environment.  this is why we love it here.  why we've chosen to live small while raising a family.  andrew and i enjoy the constant challenge in maintaining a simple, wholehearted lifestyle while raising two little ones in a world where materialism deems large, spacious homes as the only way when growing a family.  we have learned, you can most definitely have babies and a dog in a quaint, two bedroom home.  and so, despite the rather snug nature of our home we have created a nurturing space for our family.  one in which our babies share a small room, the sweetest little nursery.

if you would have asked me a few years ago if i would have preferred my children to share a room i would have politely said no thank you.  with the chaos of nap time schedules and constantly changing of sleeping patterns i did not see a shared room as an pleasant option. but in our current room sharing situation, and in many aspects of life, we have came to the understanding that in order to seek joy and maintain happiness one needs to throw out expectations.  by providing room for messes and babies waking babies and tripping over toys in the middle of the night and so on and so forth, we have created a new normal.  what our life looks like right now is quite different from day to day and shifts as our children grow and mature.  as a stay at home mother, i do my best to keep to a schedule and make sure my babies have time to rest in a quiet space.  it is difficult?  of course.  but in doing so, we have chosen not to focus on paralleling our parenting style with others and instead, place our energy in finding our own rhythm.  one that ebbs and flows with the fabric of our family.  comparison is the thief of joy, you know.

moreover, andrew and i feel it important for us to recognize and glorify all the good that comes from having our babies share a small space together.  it really is so much fun seeing them interact in their nursery and living so close with one another.  it's all about balance and teaching your kids that sharing is important.  does theo cry and wake her up in the middle of the night when he's hungry?  yes, sometimes.  but stella has learned that she needs to self-soothe in order to get back to sleep.  if we give her wait time she comes to the realization on her own that she is indeed still tired and her crying will taper off.  this took us weeks to figure out, but now, it happens regularly without causing too much discord.  the four of us have learned to take deep breathes and work with one another.

do their naps times over lap and therefore cause issues when one wakes before the other?  yes, sometimes.  but you just learn to go with it.  perfect sleeping conditions do not exist in adult life and this is a lesson our babies are learning while very young.  as parents, we support that and think that what they are leaning by sharing outweighs getting woken up every now and then for a few seconds.  andrew and i have also memorized the creaks in their floorboards, making middle of the night tip toe adventures to scoop up a crying babe rather helpful, and comical too.  these are the things we will remember.  this is just a part of our story and we love it.

in terms of the actual smallness of their nursery and how we deal with all the stuff, i'll be honest and tell you that it is a constant struggle.  we are always editing our belongings and making sure to maintain a simple and sensible lifestyle.  everything we have in our home is either something we use or feel is beautiful.  there is not room for much of anything else.  regarding what our children play with, we prefer items that encourage creativity.  in keeping with the natural aesthetic of our home, we like quality hand made toys and art supplies that push one to think outside the box.  things that will withstand the test of time and being thrown about all day long.  we always turn to a good book as a gift because we read constantly with stella.  she finds delight in a new read before nap time.  for holidays, the kids' grandparents give them experiences such as a trip to the zoo or things that take up very little room.  this works for us.  it places importance on doing rather than buying.  it keeps us grounded as a family.

what we have learned so far as a young parents in regards to what our babies need, less is always best.  our babies thrive when they have a few favorites as opposed to hundreds of options leaving them frustrated and overwhelmed.  we have learned that their normal will be whatever circumstance you give them, even if it means sharing a small dresser drawer with your infant brother and father.  yes, andrew and both our kids share the closet space in the nursery.  bless him and all of his suits!  and baskets, well they go a long, long way.  you can find them all over their shared nursery.  they are beautiful solutions to cleaning up quickly and house everything from dolls, to blocks, to books.  for now, in this season of our lives, this, old small flat suits our family.  sure, having our little ones share a itty bitty nursery is a daily adventure, but it's a beautiful one at that.

andrew and i have, and perhaps will forever, cling to the intimate feeling comes with sharing a space that was once someone else's.  this aged, modest home has given us so much, along with its' history and charm.  it's a space that has lived through many icy winters and endured more spring rainstorms than our total age combined.  a space that because it is simple and small, allows us to always be with one another, no matter what room we are in.  that, my friends, is priceless.  

snippets // a shared nursery

1. our babies' tiny, cozy, charming, simple shared nursery space. 

2. theodore's friends.

3. we love neutral baskets for toy storage & easy clean up.

4. greenery growing on top of their book shelves to brighten things up.. 

5. sheepskin to cover the hard floorboards, a moses basket that now houses toys & where stella bear sleeps. 

6. darling elephants on a string & a wire photo hanger. 

7. their wee art collection.

8. stella's floral little girl bed & all her babies she named "ruby".

9. hundreds of fairy tales & a market tote filled with stuffed animal friends. 

10. a favorite piece found thrifting for bows and small toys & initials made out of cardboard letters, zinc spray paint, and peach yarn. 

11. a vintage floral print found while home in iowa and a felt heart made by a dear friend. 

12. wire baskets repainted from the target dollar section for theo's things & my great grandmother's mustard mirror, my most cherished heirloom. 

13. a handmade paper crane.

14. ballerina shoes & a favorite book.

15. a mobile i made out this winter from leftover yarn and some sticks from our tree.

16. theodore's snowsuit that i hope he never grows out of.

*if you would like more information on how something was made or where something is from, please do not hesitate to ask!