While we were moving from Japan to Utah we stopped in Missouri to visit Aaron's family. We got to stay for a week and it was so much fun. We readjusted to being in the States (did you know a small drink in the States is a large in Japan?) and got to spend some much needed time with family. Of course Everly was spoiled like a princess but I believe that's obligatory for the first grandchild, no? 

I really loved the Day in May post I did last month so I thought I'd start that as a regular feature. Once a month document a day to see how our lives change over time. This month is a little different because I spread it out over a few days. I thought our visit warranted a few extra pictures than normal. So enjoy our day (or three) in June. 

Did you know they make maple bacon donuts? Another culture shock. It was deceptively delicious and a little bit sinful. Don't try it because it's awesome. Also, Aaron is spoiled and we took him to Worlds of Fun for Father's Day. It was the only thing he really wanted to do while in Missouri. How do you say no to that? Oh, and we ate breakfast pizza. It's a real thing.

xo Sue

It has been a crazy time with moving from Japan to Utah with a week long stop in Missouri (have to visit the in-laws, right?). Everly did amazing on the 12 hour plane ride and 24+ hours straight of traveling. She also was a champ while we drove across the country. I have the best baby. Seriously. I promise I'll be back to blogging with a vengeance soon! In other news, remember when I asked for hair help? Well I chopped it off today. It was so liberating and I absolutely love it. My fantastic sister-in-law Rachel cut it for me. She graduated from beauty school over the winter and I think she's pretty great already. What do you think?

PS doesn't her smile just make you happy? I am the luckiest to be her mom.

xo Sue

The cliché line: I can't believe how big my baby is getting! But it's true, I really can't. I have seen so much change in this little lady that I can hardly believe it. She's currently sitting in my lap and trying to help me type this post. She REALLY wants to help. It's harder with her help but so much fun. 

• Everly smiles at everyone! A month ago I said she smiles all the time but I had no idea. She has truly become the happiest baby I know. 
• She loves faces. If you look at her she lights up and if you include her in a conversation she will talk back. One day I'll even understand her words.
• Her toes are her favorite thing. She figured out how to get them all the way to her mouth and suck away.
• Everly currently weighs 14 1/2 pounds and is exactly 2 feet tall. She's growing so well and she LOVES to eat. 
• She's had a hard time with sleeping the past few weeks because Japan and Utah have a 15 hour time difference. It's been a hard adjustment but she's back to at least one 5-6 hour stretch a night. I'm hoping we turn that into 2 stretches soon. I need a little more sleep!
• She rolls all over the place, from her back and her tummy, so I can't leave her alone ever!

My sweet darling girl. Words cannot express the love I have for you. 

xo Sue

I made this one day just for fun. I'm going to get it printed when we get back to the states (so soon!!!). Thanks to the awesome Afterlight photo app this project was super easy and done completely on my phone. I heart technology.

xo Sue

ps Did you hear she's been celebrity baby named? At least it's Channing Tatum's daughter and not Justin Bieber's, right? Poor Evie, now everyone is going to think she has trendy parents. We named her first! 

Happy Father's Day to the most amazing man I know. You are my best friend, my lover, and my favorite person. I am so lucky to raise our daughter with you. I love you. Everly does too! 

xo Sue

Today is the day (we're in Tokyo right now). Our bags are packed. Our household goods have shipped. Our passports are ready. We're moving! Aaron has lived here for three years now and I've lived here a year and a half, although I came here to visit for the first time almost exactly two years ago. What a whirlwind this has all been! We've been lonely sometimes, living so far from our family and friends, but together we've grown and learned so much. When we were first married it was just us here. No one else to help or hurt our relationship. Aaron and I learned so much together and built our marriage to be strong. I am so grateful for those first days of ours and that we spent them alone and in love.

A few weeks from now marks the day we found out we were having a baby. That was an exciting day! When we got married and I moved to Japan I never thought we'd be having a baby here. Ask anyone, I was against a Japan baby. I wanted to be married for a few years and really enjoy each other before we added another person to the mix. Life (and Everly) had other plans and I will forever be grateful for that. The day she was born was the happiest of this beautiful life.

And our home, oh our happy little home. What a beautiful place to spend the first year and a half of being a family! As we watched the movers pack our entire life into six wooden crates we talked about all the happy times we've had there. It was a great way to say goodbye to our happy little space.

Now we're in Tokyo, waiting to board our plane back to the States. What a fun experience this has been. We've laughed and cried and said our goodbyes. We're ready for a new adventure. We're so excited to see where life takes us next.

xo Sue (and Aaron and Everly)

Vulnerability Is Beautiful

This is my second favorite TED talk (after 30 is not the new 20), The Power of Vulnerability. Brené Brown is inspiring. She calls herself a researcher story teller. I absolutely love that title.

I always have a part of these talks that speaks to me. This is it: We pretend like what we're doing doesn't have a huge impact on other people. We just need you to be authentic and real. To let ourselves be seen. Deeply seen. Vulnerably seen. To love with our whole hearts even though there's no guarantee. To practice gratitude and joy in those moments of kind of terror when we're wondering can I love you this much? Can I believe in this this passionately? Can I be this fierce about this? To say I feel so grateful. Because to feel this vulnerable means I'm alive. And to believe that we're enough. 

Be you. Be authentic. Be real. You are enough.

xo Sue

This is my hair right now. On the right. It's super long. And it's dead. I mean not literally, but it's pretty dry and hates me so it might as well be. While I was pregnant this hair was gorgeous. I didn't have to do anything to it and it just looked fabulous every.single.day. Now that I'm not baby growing it has given up on me. So when I move to Utah (in just over a week!!!) I'm cutting it all off. This is where I need your help my friends. I can't decide how to cut it. I want it to or above my shoulders but I'm not opposed to going shorter than that. I'm not super attached to my long hair. It just sort of happened as a pregnancy side effect! I'm ready to go short again. Now I need opinions. Which of these hairstyles do you think I should go with? I posted them on Instagram a few days ago but I thought I'd ask my bloggy friends for advice as well. So which do you like?? Help my poor hair!

And what do you think of this color??

xo Sue

"A change in direction was required. The story you finished was perhaps never the one you began." -Salman Rushdie

Thing on my mind: This last month has been intense. I never knew we could get so much done in so little time and still have so much to do. The next few days are do or die! We're definitely excited for the direction life is going though.

Project: Packing and moving while still trying to be a good mom and give my baby girl all the love and attention she deserves. Guess which one I like better and do more? I think the boxes should pack themselves.

Favorite moment: Watching Aaron and Everly play together. He can make her laugh like no one else can. It's magic.

Songs on repeat: Demons and Carry On.

Favorite activity: Doing silly things to make Everly laugh. Also, nighttime baths.

Books I'm reading: The Honest Life, The Defining Decade, and Inferno.

Food I'm loving: Crepes. Anything you can put on a crepe I'll eat. Well... almost anything.

Show I can't get enough of: American Horror Story. We just finished season two and oh my goodness. Creepy! I cannot wait for season three.

Daily revelation: I am loved.

Favorite pictures:

xo Sue

10 years ago... I was a junior in high school. I was on the drill (dance) team and we'd just won the State championship. That was pretty awesome.

5 years ago... I was going to school at the University of Utah (the same place Aaron's going soon!) as an English major. Because I'm a nerd. I was also married (not to Aaron).

1 year ago... I was already pregnant and had NO idea. It was the best surprise I never saw coming. Seriously, I was 6 weeks along before we even found out because it was so far from my mind. She had other plans.

Now... I'm snuggled up to a sleeping 3 month old baby. She is the most precious thing in the world. I cannot believe she's been in this world for 3 months already. I feel like I just gave birth to her.

1 year from now... I'll (mostly likely) have a walker in my home. Perhaps a talker too? That seems way too soon. My youngest sister will be graduating from high school which officially makes me old.

5 years from now... My baby will be ready for kindergarten. I'm already considering (and leaning strongly towards) homeschooling. I won't say for sure until it gets here though.

10 years from now... My newborn will be 10. And I don't even want to think about that because I'll never be ready for it. I just decided that Everly is never allowed to grow up. Ever.