This midwest girl was not made for the desert triple digits. Overall, I love Arizona and am glad to call it home, but I am convinced that this summer heat is a result of the fall LOL. I’m a doer and go-getter, but AZ summer heat is my kryptonite! It knocks the creative and productive right out of me. I look forward to coherent thoughts to return again in the fall. Until then…blehhhhh.

I had to postpone my summer trip to WI until this upcoming fall but was originally supposed to be there right now. So while I’m here complaining of the heat, my head is dreaming of the WI state fair full of all my favorite things: WI baked potatoes with cheesy goodness, maple sugar cotton candy and a teeny taste of the one and only WI state fair cream puffs. I have such fond memories of the fair growing up and hope to have Bella experience it sometime. But for now, I’ll just have to keep day dreaming about it!

As a parent, you know that your kids are growing and changing everyday, but usually you don’t notice it because you’re with them ALL THE TIME. Today at breakfast, I was just looking at Bella and saw with fresh eyes how big she is getting. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s starting preschool this week or that her hair suddenly looks as long as Rapunzel’s, but today I realized that that 17 month old that I first locked eyes with is long gone and in front of me stands a precious, vivacious 3 1/2 year old ready to take on the world more and more each day. And yet I am still in awe when I look into her eyes that God chose her to be mine and me to be hers.

Photo credit: Kelsey Daffern Photography

Happy Monday! Hope it’s a good one full of joy and love. And if not, at least ice cream. Ice cream always makes a day better!