You know how I’m about three months postpartum and I’m losing clumps of hair on the daily? So is Niva!

Okay, so she’s not postpartum, but she’s losing all her undercoat due to the warm weather, lol. My favorite dog/cleaning tools to try not to lose my sanity during this time are: an undercoat rake, pet hair roller for our couches, our vacuum, and lots of patience! I don’t have any advice for postpartum hair loss, though 😂

As I mentioned in my last post, Sadie went to a day of fairy garden camp! She learned about gardening, spent the day outside, and did all sorts of fairy-esque things (like making fairy wings and a wand!). She said she had a really great time 🧚

Mordecai, Dakota, and I were lost without her that day!

Mordecai and I made the most of Dakota’s nap time by baking corn muffins together. We both loved that!

That evening, Jimmy and I decided to try an experiment. He has been wanting to run here and there and we would love to do it together but it’s hard with three kids, especially because they’re all young. I came up with the idea of visiting a park in our neighborhood that has a track around it.

We decided to put Dakota in the stroller and have Sadie and Mordecai play with her nearby. We were able to see the kids the whole time we were running and we squeezed in a mile! Sadie even took a picture, lol.

Half of parenting is just getting creative when there’s something you want to do. Soon, Dakota can go in a jogging stroller and Sadie and Mordecai will be more independent. We just try to make-do with what we can and however we can fit in fun things like that for mom and dad.

After our mile, it was playtime with the kids! We had a blast trying to recreate a picture we took last year.

On Friday, I got brave and took all three kids to the creek we love! Did I have to lift Dakota’s stroller over a log on a rocky and muddy creek bank? Yes. Was it worth it? 100%!

When we were leaving the creek, we got onto the trail and saw a deer! We got to get fairly close to it before it headed off into a meadow to tend to its fawn.

Later on, I had Dakota in her bouncer seat and Mordecai pulled a pillow over to sit next to her so he could suck his thumb and play with her hair! Too cute.

Jimmy and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary and my birthday! He gave me a fountain for our yard!! The kids decided it’s the perfect spot for toys and Niva thinks it’s a water fountain for her when she’s thirsty.

Sadie and I did some scrapbooking during Deck and Dak’s nap times. It’s so nice when the little ones nap at the same time because Sadie and I can have one-on-one time.

We had a fun evening on Friday: we met Sadie and Mordecai’s friends at the trampoline park. Jimmy said he would prefer to be on Dakota duty, so mommy was on Mordecai duty and got to bounce!

We were cracking up when we checked in because *everyone* had to wear a wristband to show whether they were a bouncer or a spectator. Even Dakota had to wear a wristband! I think they do that so people don’t say they’re a spectator (and don’t have to pay admission) but then secretly bounce. But did they think a three-month-old was going to sneak and bounce on a trampoline?! 😂

Saturday was mine and Jimmy’s actual anniversary and my birthday. He went to a men’s breakfast at our church and Sadie and Mordecai spent a few hours with Jimmy’s mom and step dad. Dakota and I went to Starbucks so I could get my free birthday drink (!) and then I did some cooking and household chores.

In the evening, we went to a community day at a local park! We went to this event last year, just a few days after I found out I was expecting Dakota.

I mentioned it in this post and said “We went to a summer festival-type thing on Friday night and it was such a perfect night… I kept seeing babies all around us and was thinking how, Lord Willing, we would have a three month old baby at this time next year?” among other thoughts about whether or not we would move and what life would be like.

What a blessing it was to walk around with that three month old baby this year! On our wedding anniversary! Reflecting on how God has worked in our lives in the past year has been amazing. God is so good 🤍

We walked around the community day and went into the petting zoo, the kids jumped on bounce houses (Mordecai is getting braver!), we browsed the vendors, and ordered food and coffee. The kids also had the opportunity to tour a fire truck and ambulance!

It was such a fun night that Mordecai zonked on the drive home–he never does that!

Sunday was Father’s Day and we had church! I did some cooking and cleaning, Jimmy mowed our grass, and we walked to a park to run another mile. Jimmy is on a roll with wanting to run lately. Love it!

Other notes:

• I bought Sadie a young readers version of Romeo and Juliet and it came with a scan code where it was like an audio book. She loved that!
• Mordecai has been absolutely loving his lawn mower. He wants to be just like dad and mow the lawn! In a few years, he really can help out 😬
• Way back in February, I mentioned I smelled a Yankee Candle that was pistachio latte-scented. I literally thought about it all the time. I got it for myself for my birthday and it’s as lovely as I imagined!
• We’ve been eating dinner outside most nights and we finally invested in a big serving tray to take plates and silverware and cups in and out of the house and it has proven to be a good investment. It’s so easy to put everything on the tray versus making five trips in and out 😂

We’re in a new week now! Sadie is going to a parkour camp for a day (once again, we will miss her!), Jimmy and I might sneak in a date night, and our neighborhood is having a family fun night. Can’t wait!

What do you have in common with your pet?

What have you been up to lately?