Pink cotton candy on magnolia trees and a sugar plum fairy dancing by.  What a dreamy spring day.  This gorgeous five-year-old dreams of cupcake sales and play-dough ice cream stands.  We played tag and she whispered she wants to be a mommy when she grows up.  Her eyes look up at her mommy like she's the one who hung the moon.  Hugs and whispers and giggles.   

Happy 5th birthday Mallory. 

I've never heard a little girl say "I love you, mommy" so much.

Have you watched the fairies when the rain is done

Spreading out their little wings to dry them in the sun?

I have, I have! Isn't it fun?

Have you heard the fairies all among the limes 

Singing little fairy tunes to little fairy rhymes?

I have, I have, lots and lots of times!

Have you seen the fairies dancing in the air,

And dashing off behind the stars to tidy up their hair?

I have, I have, I've been there!

~Rose Fyleman

 Glamour Girl

Five is a fairytale year.  The magic still sparkles in her eyes.

Mallory is so full of color even a cloudy day can't steal her sunshine.

Thank you so very much for sharing your fairytale story with me, Meg.  Your girls are delightful!

Brothers

I have long been fascinated with the bonds of brothers.  There seems so often to be an unspoken, quiet loyalty between them.  Like a deep river where the heavy stuff sinks.  The love, comfort, and affection for one another are always there under a thin layer of teasing, competition and playful shoving. 

The Ayers boys are different. 

There was no guise of toughness, just themselves.  True and simple with shining eyes towards each other and their {gorgeous} mother.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl and a handsome boy who went off to  
Butler University with the world ahead of them.  They met and fell in love, and as romantic as their love story might be, that is a tale for another day.  It was after the wedding this story begins. 

With the love of family at the heart of their marriage they set out to have a big one. 

{Picture a loud house with lots of laughter.}  

First there was David.  David can be quiet.  Thoughtful.  But once he starts laughing with Colin it's hard not to laugh too.  

He was next.  Colin.  Just happy.  And fast on his feet.  

Because these two young boys were so infinitely cool, the mom and dad thought it was time for Adam.  Adam is outgoing and funny.  Really funny.  

And baby Patrick... oh those lips...

So the boy and girl and their fraternity of boys lived on, Mama smiling through the bedlam of four small children and keeping her heart open to more.  

The chaos of your life IS your life. 

This mom makes it look easy (and it very well might be because her boys are so well behaved)  What a beautiful story, I hope I get to continue to watch it unfold. 

THE END.  

Thank you Lauren, I hope you like the photos.

These are the days I'll look back on and wish my kids never grew too old for fairytales. Maybe they never will.

We had a visitor under the big top this weekend.  And she brought crafts!  Aunt Wa came by with everything you need to make sock puppets.  After some deliberation the girls decided on a butterfly, ladybug, flamingo, and a dog.  Aunt Wa helped to make them and got to enjoy their puppet show after the glue dried. 

 Oh, Lucy's faces. 

 Ruby is so creative.

 Hugs and love

 These pictures are exposed incorrectly, but I feel such emotion from them.  

Sometime wrong is just so right.

If you look closely you can see the gears moving in their minds.  Creating their own worlds full of nature and wonder and life.  And FLYING. 

Doesn't every child want to fly? 

Ruby is a bird soaring majestically in the open sky looking down at me with arms and eyes wide .  She is open, loving, kind, uncomplicated. 

Lucy is a bee.  Colorful, full of life, making honey and all things sweet, affectionate, busy and social.  She can sting if you bother her.  She knows herself, stands her ground and will get nectar from any flower if she sets her mind to it. 

Finley is a flying super hero,  defying death to bring peace and love to the world. 

I wish I could fly.  Even if it was just to be a fly on the wall of their lives watching them grow, stretching their beautiful wings and freeing themselves to become who they were meant to be.   

Free spirits.  

                                 Amazing. Full of heart. Full as they make me.

My cup runneth over.