I am hosting a little spring giveaway over at my blog! You guys were my first readers and my sincerest and I will always hold you in my hearts for that. Please come by and enter! Any of you that enter will automatically recieve two entries rather than one.

If you'd like to continue to keep up with our family, the ever-so-sweet livejournal user, zi_82, has set up a syndicated feed for you to follow via livejournal:

http://syndicated.livejournal.com/chestnutstreet/



I hope to hear from some of you soon! :)

http://kimrakes.blogspot.com/

Come visit and send me a little love.

I will still visit here all the time and hopefully can figure out how to syndicate my blog so you can just read it through LJ if you please.

I know a lot of you have switched to blogger so please send along links to your new journals, even if i've already visited with you I want them all archived in one place for easy access until I get my new home all figured out and updated. Thanks! <3

Rain, Rain, Go Away...



What an ugly day in Stuart! It's raining cats and dogs and we are tucked away in our home cozy and dry yet anything but lazy despite what our current attire and bedhead imply. How much would I love to just curl up in my bed and daydream to the sound of the rain hitting our roof? Instead, I am partaking in a less than soothing performance of twinkle twinkle little star on pots and pans by Haley and drilling through some Etsy orders with a fussy little baby who just recieved her 6 month shots at my side. Don't let her sweet gummy smile fool you though I do hope it sends a little sunshine your way.



I believe I will take a break, get out of my pajamas and put on a fabulous dress, dance around the house with the babies to some bobby darin and pretend we are about to leave for the beach! Yes!

Our annual trip to Sinkland Farms was a delight. Unforetunatley, we had to cut it short on the account of being scared the girls would catch pneumonia and the ridiculous aftermath of setting our clocks back and it getting dark so early. Oh, what's a girl to do!

...Except smooch a little more, hug her loved ones a little tighter, sit a little closer, hold hands with her besties, and laugh at the irony of her friends getting "superman icecream" in 50 degree weather!





















  



ps- if you know what "superman icecream" is you are ten times more awesome in book!

After a week or so of being cooped up and sick, I am ready to take on the world! The agenda includes: a belated "welfare wednesday" at the mexican tonight because all my ladies are in town, a chili cook off and wine tasting up in Riner tomorrow and Amy's baby shower on sunday.

Today has been spent in a hustle and bustle of cleaning and laundry before friends arrive with neccessary breaks for kisses and swinging in between. Haley is absolutely smitten by this little makeshift swing we fixed her on the back porch and I do believe if I could fit my tail in the darn thing i`d be sittin' right there on it with her soaking up the sunshine. It really is a little slice of heaven.

The weather is crisp and perfect and my recovery couldn't come with better timing. Cardigans, crunching leaves and moseying around about with my loved ones.... what more could a girl ask for <3

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Are any of y`all friends with Ashley? (theverticalbar) You should be, the color palettes in her photography are as timeless and captivating as the images themselves. She is an all around cool chick and such an inspiration to me.

Happy Weekend!

A Summer Flashback...











(  Haley's 2nd Birthday Party  )

http://www.laphotocabine.com/

Oh, what a fun morning!

Bed head, bad breath, and online photobooth pictures...

I think I will start a wall of these somewhere in my house.

October in Review...



  

Welfare Wednesday's at the mexican restuarant, and by welfare... that doesn't mean cheap beers, that means replacing our entrees with a few tall beers and free chips and salsa because we`re broke; homemade apple butter and grape jelly; cabin party for jessica's birthday (note all these silly pictures); wagon rides and crocheted afghans under beautiful shades of red and orange; waking up in the middle night and watching the deer walking around underneath the street lights; painting the kitchen 3 different colors, still not being happy with it and realizing our marriage can quite possibly survive anything... even a fourth coat; a rainy trip to virginia beach to visit kelly and brandon for my 24th birthday and late night chats spilling the little secrets of our hearts- some to take to our graves, some as silly as the jonas brothers; virginia tech football games; a splendid workout regime consisting of an elliptical machine, funny breathing methods and lots and lots of bottles of water and unspoken motivation from 70 year old women; haley speaking in 4 word sentences, singing the alphabet, and putting on her own shoes (usually backwards, but ya can't help but love her!); a stinkin' raccoon the size of a small dog having a little roundevouz with nick's front bumper and causing us to live off ramen noodles for about a week; an expanded bladder infection that had me wanting to tear my insides out and never want to fornicate again; several unsuccessful drunken attempts at learning the hoe down throw down by miley cyrus; driving the blue ridge parkway and taking in God's Country; plenty of Avett Brothers on repeat; Cameron holding her own bottle and about outgrowing Haley (3 more pounds to go...) and last but certainly not least... picking up the fancy sport of golf!





  

Now to go shopping for a cute set of golf clubs and obligatory cute golfing outfits... mmmm, argyle.... there will always be a spot in my wardrobe for you <3

Peek a boo!



So many months have passed since I've written in this little blog here and it hurts my heart greatly to have left so many memories neglected as well as the many special friendships I have formed on here. I don't really have an explanation but I wanted to let you all know that everything is okay and I hope you all will all forgive me for being distant and once again share your days with me. I`m not quite sure if I will start blogging again on the regular, but I certainly look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to.

xoxoxoxo