Kaiya's Two Year Photos!

We were SO good about getting lots of professional pictures taken during Kaiya's first year, but life circumstances kept us from getting many great shots after her first birthday. I HAD to change this for her second birthday, and luckily I work with a wonderfully talented woman who dabbles in photography as a "hobby" (one she's very very good at I might add!). Kaiya herself was only marginally cooperative, but it was cold, and she was teething pretty hardcore, so the fact that she captured so many great ones is a pure miracle:) Here's the result!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kaiya!!

My baby turned two. TWO!! How on earth has the past two years flown by so FAST! Look how BIG she is!!

This year her birthday fell on Easter weekend AND her cousins Siana, Naiya, and Xela were visiting, so you'd think that it would be an epic celebration, but things we weren't that lucky, and this poor girl was sick the entire weekend. 

It didn't stop us from enjoying some Easter Egg Hunt fun in Mount Juliet with the family though!

 

Though her party was, unfortunately, cancelled, we did host a little Easter brunch at our house so that she could squeeze as much family time with out cousins out of the weekend as possible. It was a blast!!

 

Mema with Naiya <3

 

How miserable does this sweet girl look?

 

Kaiya LOVED her time with Siana

 But the festivities didn't end there! A lovely trip to the Aquariam restaurant was the perfect end to an almost perfect weekend (minus the sick Birthday Girl of course).

 

 

While I'm not thrilled with the realization that our baby is quickly developing into her very own person, I feel so very blessed to be able to watch and enjoy the transition <3. Here's to another awesome year!

Happy New Year 2015!

Family Pic 

I officially let nearly half a year go by between posts. I thought about posting probably once a week every week between then and now, but here we are all the same. The thing is, I learned a lot time ago that you can't force blogging. If it's not getting done, it's because no matter how important it feels, or how much I have to say, or how desperately people want to have an update, there are other more important things going on that take priority. Because, quite simply, if blogging is the most important thing that needs to happen, it happens. We've been busy living a good life! It's been filled with a little travel, friends and family, school, work, and so many little priorities, but all good.

Looking back over 2014 is pretty amazing. I lost a job, we decided to move to Nashville, we commissioned a tiny house to be built, we actually moved to Nashville, I got a new job, we sold our condo, John got a new job, we bought a new house, we GOT our tiny house, we started renting it on Airbnb (which became WAY more successful than we'd ever hoped it would be), John graduated with his undergraduate degree after 4 looooong years of dedication and commitment, and these are just the major headlines! Now here we sit on the brink of another new year with not a faintest idea of what could still be in store, but excited for every moment.

Perhaps the most amazing change has been Kaiya. This girl has done an insane amount of growing over the past year. She's taller and more slender, and smarter than I had ever imagined a 20 month old could be. She counts to 10 (though she often chooses to leave out 9), she says her ABCs flawlessly and can even visually recognize about a third of the alphabet, and she talks in full blown sentences. Granted, not everyone can understand them right away, but listen close and give it enough time and you'll be shocked at how well you can understand her! She asks tons of well appointed questions and her favorite thing to do it color and draw. A real budding artist:) She also loves loves loves music. There isn't a day that goes by where she doesn't ask to listen to music either while she's drawing or so she can dance to it:)

"Doing Work"

Coloring

Funny Faces with Mama

Our Big City Girl :)

Playground Time!

Halloween 2014!

Sweet moments worth remembering <3

This isn't even a portion of what I missed documenting this year, but it's enough moments to prove it was a good and productive life:) No promises that I'll be any better next year, but I think that's okay.