where have i been? i'll tell you:

we had friends in town and i laughed so much i think my cheeks have become stronger. i miss my virginia based girlfriends, and i'm so lucky to still be able to spend weekends with some of them (and their adorable husbands) every once in a while.

we did our taxes. i hate the irs.

we decided to start the home-hunting process. we've seen a few condos, we're meeting with a mortgage guy to see what we're worth (eep!) tomorrow, and we already have two realtors on our side trying to match us up with our dream home. i'm incredibly excited but also terrified at the prospect of hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. but the idea of moving is exciting, new space, a slightly different location, new neighbors. and possibly a brand new kitchen and a washer and dryer in our unit! and a guest bedroom. decorating that will need to be done, dinner parties in my own home. i'll keep you updated, we're not sure how close or how far away this step is for us quite yet.

we're getting closer and closer to our california adventure, and i absolutely can't wait. i need a vacation like you wouldn't believe! in between life changing decisions on buying a home, entertaining guests, crying over our tax forms, and general life, we've both been working more than usual, and i feel like i haven't really been home in ages. or had a nice long good night's sleep. i can't wait to sleep in, drink wine in Sonoma and Napa, eat seafood and shop and relax with my husband. and document. i need to get back into taking photos.

we have welcomed two new babies into my family in the last two weeks, little Sophie and little Carter. my two cousins gave birth about a week and a half apart, adding a boy and a girl to our rapidly growing family. our average age just went down significantly!

welcome to the world, kids!