Tuscaloosa Tuesdays: Karis Turns 2

When a woman who is used to spending the bulk of her daily moments caring for children suddenly has the house to herself it can make her feel somewhat at a loss.  I have no idea why I wrote that sentence in the third person, but I definitely had to make myself stop and think:  What are all the things that niggle around in the back of your mind when you're caring for kids that you'd like to do? 

The kids are on their second full day of school today, and I have been left to my own devices.  And I remembered that one installment of Tuscaloosa Tuesdays and thought I should try that again because I never posted pictures from my niece's second birthday party.  It was one of the first days that felt like autumn was coming, which is always such a welcome surprise after an Alabama summer.

We started out with a prayer of thanks for the birthday girl. 

 

Karis has been a blessing to us all.  She is sweet, a great hugger, and we are all continuously amazed at her ability to speak in more complete sentences than most 4 or 5-year-olds.  She is especially fond of Uncle KJ and James.  They are very fond of her.

 

Katie made everything lovely, and it was a sweet time together.  We especially enjoyed watching Karis's birthday video.

 

Ella made Karis a Hello Kitty card.  I happen to think Ella-made cards are some of the best around.  Looking at pictures of Ella on this day make me want to freeze time.  Maybe it's something about realizing this was the last few weeks before a big life-changing move for her.  There really is something special about marking moments, marking who we are in each season of our life.  The next season is bringing new and exciting changes, and it's comforting to know God is using each season to make us more like His Son.

Later that afternoon a little outdoor time was required, and Uncle David showed us one of the best playgrounds we ever visited in Tuscaloosa.  These shots leave me marveling at Alabama sunshine and my kids in canvas shoes because there was absolutely no chance they'd be covered in mud after their playtime.  New seasons also bring new wardrobes.
 

 

Now Claire is wearing her boots here, but I feel like it's more of a fashion statement than out of necessity, kind of like most of the times I wore a scarf back home...though because I still follow James Spann on Facebook, I hear Alabama has had some extremely cold weather recently.

 

Cousins.  We're so thankful for you!