Man, we've been loving this nice weather! We enjoyed the outdoors with some hikes/walks, barbecues, and frisbee. It was nice to spend time with friends as well as cross things off of our to-do list.

Our toilet has a new accessory. Handyman Jonathan installed a diaper sprayer for Quinn's cloth diapers so that we are prepared as she starts consuming more solid foods. Ok, moving on...

Our buddy Kyle finished our dining table and bench this weekend. We love it!! We feel so spoiled to have a gorgeous custom made table that is exactly what we wanted. It's made of Chilean Cherry which has gorgeous swirls and details. It's a lighter wood (the photos look a bit more orange than it is) with pinkish and greenish hues throughout. We keep it pushed toward the wall with the bench tucked under for daily use and then when company comes over, we pull it out and can slide three friends onto the bench. We highly recommend Kyle and would be happy to share his contact information with anyone dreaming of custom furniture. We've seen a butcher block and bed frame of his that were beautiful too. 

And since this post already has a bunch pf photos, here are a few more from our outdoor adventures.

We are still enjoying having meals as a family around here. Some meals, Quinn pushes everything off of her tray and then just practices singing her ya-yas. Other times she sucks on food for a good while and smiles at us like she is quite proud of herself. To the list of solid foods she has munched, we can add carrots, apples, cheese, and zucchini (her favorite). I went out for ice cream with a friend the other day and I could feel eyes staring at me from the Ergo carrier. As I licked my delicious double scoop in a waffle cone she was watching my every move making little licking motions with her tongue. I let her try a little but she didn't seem to understand what to do, haha.

Quinnie has been such a chatterbox lately, it is cracking us up. She's getting better at sitting up too which makes bath time even more fun. She loves splashing as hard as she can with her hands and feet. We just signed her up for swim lessons this Summer and I can't wait.

Here's to a beautiful weekend ahead!

It has come to my attention that I have peonies growing in my side yard. A ton of them! Peonies are my very favorite flower. Look at what a funny young thing I was.

Over a span of three weeks, the peonies started as dreary maroon vine-looking things popping out of the ground. Then, they began to uncoil and get tall. Now, they are starting to bud. I'm beyond excited to see them bloom! Each day I spy on them and am amazed that I can tell there is actual progress.

Also over the past three weeks Old Man Mossy, our tree that I see out the kitchen window, has changed dramatically. It used to be bare and is now completely covered in happy little green leaves and catkins. I stare at it while I do dishes and was amazed how it kept getting leafier and leafier.

I love having a baby in the Spring. God shows us each year the miracle of growth and renewal in nature, and I feel like watching Quinn change just underlines and bolds how amazing our Creator is. One of my favorite daily rituals is reading the Bible with Quinn. Each morning we lay side by side on the couch and I read a chapter aloud. Sometimes she chatters or stares at me or tries to grab a page. I used to be able to curl around her, but she's longer now and pushes off my legs with her fat little feet. I always stare at her sweet profile and try to memorize it to see if I can tell if it's changing. I wish I had time lapse photography of her pudgy cheeks and beak nose because I'm sure they're growing and changing everyday just like my flowers and trees. Oh, the precious moments of babyhood, I hope I can remember them all as time goes on.

We had quite a fun weekend! Shinobi got Quinn to laugh really hard. You've got to watch this:

We went to the Friday night Tenebrae service at church which was very inspiring. Then, Saturday, we had some friends over for lunch and playing at the park and Quinn swung solo in a swing for the first time (though I had to wrap her in my fleece for extra support). It was so great getting to play outside!

My sister and her husband, and Jonathan's sister stayed at our place overnight. We all went to the early service at church Sunday morning. Then, we tested out our little cottage's hosting capacity and managed to squeeze in 20ish people at an Easter Brunch Potluck. It helped that the weather was gorgeous so guests could venture outside. We felt so privileged to have such dear friends and family under our roof. It was such an enjoyable way to celebrate our Savior's resurrection. 

Quinn sucked on a piece of purple cabbage flavored with a garlicky vinaigrette dressing at the brunch. She seemed to really like it. She has also sucked on bell peppers and some beef (I made her a mini burger patty when we had burgers for dinner). She is not as interested in picking up soft foods at the moment.

I went to a church group for moms of babies under a year old yesterday. It was fun for both Quinn and me to be around so many babies.

Picks of the Week 4.8.12

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal - Kitchen Stewardship (I made this for my overnight house guests this weekend and it was well-liked even with people not fond of oatmeal. You do all the work in advance and stick it in the oven when your alarm goes off. Perfect for a busy morning.)

Favorite Classic Children's Books - Passionate Homemaking

Bloom Where You're Planted - Small Notebook

Herb Gardening - Simple Homemade (I'm going to do this in the planters on our patio instead of committing to a full on garden this season.)