around these parts

happy friday!

hope you are having a good day.

it is dreary here in oakland,

but there are spots of brightness even if the weather isn't so great.

 awesome outfits by my almost 3 yr old

 cozy fires in our fixed fireplace!

 daddy daughter story times

 on wednesday m's friend cailah came over to play. 

(the girls having a tea party with cailah's mom)

i've known carrie, cailah's mom, since i was 22 and she was 13 & in an after school program where i volunteered and ended up mentoring carrie and a few other girls.

now she's a mommy herself & our girls are 6 weeks apart!

carrie, daisy, and amanda- "my girls"- are like my surrogate daughters.

my girls, all grown up, took turns snuggling ruby

 amanda

 carrie

daisy

while i snuggled up amanda's 3 month old baby grace:

 cute little munchkin!

 cailah & m share a sweet moment on our front steps

other glimpses...

matt picked olives a few weeks ago and they are curing on our counter

(p.s. olives straight from the tree taste like gasoline in case you are wondering!)

lots of laughter coming from this monkey these days

and it's on my mind and a celebration at our house,

so i'll share it with you!

and today & tomorrow mark the anniversary of m's cochlear implants being turned on! 

two very long appointments over two days!

the miraculous first day m that heard sound is right here

&

then that amazing moment that still brings tears to my eyes , a couple days after her ears got turned on.

 (2 years ago today m meets with her surgeons right before her implants are activated)

(the first day of sound for m)

so grateful for every sound since.

have a wonderful friday!