HOME. FAMILY. FOOD. LIFE.
Thanks to a nasty stomach bug, we’ve been stuck at home for an eternity the past few days which has given me some time to plan some of our trip to Michigan this summer. Aaaand go through my photos from last summer.
71 days and counting!
Back in November we spent the weekend at White Plains with some of our best friends. Since we have another weekend planned at the end of next month, I figured it was time to get this video done 😉
Since we got our Disneyland Annual Passes last November, the kids have been dying to bring Alex. Thanks to my sweet friend, Lisa, we were able to make that happen last week.
We had a lot of fun together. Family time is so precious.
Thanks, Lisa!
“Time just keeps slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future”
Our oldest girl is FOUR. Not sure how that happened so fast.
She is kind, thoughtful, charming, endearing, agreeable, musical, funny, playful, smart, talented, empathetic, inspiring, cheerful, gracious, pleasing, animated, bright, joyful, light hearted, merry, lively, gleeful, and carefree.
I can’t remember the world without Lyla in it – nor would I want to.
Happy birthday, my girl. Thank you for making me a mama.
Last Saturday the Byrd fam hopped on the California Surfliner and rode up the coast to Santa Barbara.
We visited the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, ate good food and caught a performance of Paw Patrol Live!
Love doing life with this crew.
Back again with another old video. I can’t believe this was TWO years ago.
I could use a trip to Aulani right about now, how about you?
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit” – Proverbs 15:13
Friends, I must confess that lately my spirit has been crushed.
My heart aches for the friends and family that we left behind in Hawaii. The relationships that we built in our five years there are so special to us. It is so hard not to see the faces and hear the voices that we are used to on a daily basis.
My heart aches for our daily life there. I’m sure it’s not a surprise to hear that the quality of life in Hawaii is hard to beat. I was comfortable in our world. I knew the best spots to take the kids. I knew how to find parking at our favorite beaches and the best times to be on the road. I felt like I knew how to meet all of our needs and that I had all of the tools available to do so. We had a rhythm.
Leaving Hawaii wasn’t an easy choice. We talked and talked and talked and talked about it for ages. We knew it was going to be hard.
But I’m surprised by just how much my heart aches.
How it’s set off by such little things.
I didn’t imagine that I would cry every time the kids play pretend and “go to Hawaii”. Or how I would cry every time I open another box of things that hasn’t been opened since I packed it in Hawaii.
Most days I can’t even bring myself to look at photos from our time there. It hurts too much.
No, it’s not easy. At least not for me.
I’m having a hard time plugging in. I’m having a hard time finding a new rhythm. Both things will come in time.
Despite my heartache, I don’t regret our choice.
The biggest reasons that we left were to be closer to family (although we did leave some pretty awesome family behind – love you Taniguchis) and to buy a house. Both which have already been accomplished and both which I am SO grateful for.
I know that this heartache is temporary.
I pray daily for God to show us why he brought us here. For more happy, less ache.
Let’s do this, 2018.