why thanksgiving was great

thanksgiving was great because...

right when i walked off the plane i saw snow on the ground. ptl.

i closed my moleskin planner at baggage claim and didn't crack it once till monday.

i did 4 photo shoots. yeah. f o u r. (both great & grueling)

i got to wear scarves, boots, jackets and socks. everyday. mmm.

i logged copious amounts of nephew cuddling, family love time and friend fun.

i was freezing for a whole week (literally, our heater broke), and loved it.

even though i had to work more than i got to play, i was in my house, at my home, savoring the part of my life which takes place in a different area code.

the next 3 weeks will be a marathon, and i'll have the warm fuzziness of tgives to hold me over till christmas. 

here is some evidence...

pure glory.

the grandest mccord/fair/scott/pannell tradition of all time

the result of: me, lauren, childhood nostalgia and a wee bit too much Riesling.

the original thanksgiving, obv.

homehomehome

snow, leaves, lunch dates, ice cream runs, impromptu piano lesson, and nephew cuddle sessions.

so good to be home.

i love being aunt ray ray.

yesterday my heart melted into a puddle on the floor. and i'm pretty sure its still there.

amber (one of my sisters) called me in class and as i picked up i heard this lovely little voice saying: "oh, hi ray ray, i miss you!"

U G H. slayed me, right then and there. insta-tears.
it was Lawson, my favorite freakin 2 year old.

shortly followed by this little voice: "blorajdja hi rayraaay asndlk"

Tanner, my favorite one year old.

my day was made, and i had a silly smile on my face for at least an hour.

after talking to amber for a bit she told me that when my whole family gets together when i'm at school Law always says "where's ray ray?"
my dear sweet little neph notices when im gone.

gosh, so amazing. and breaks my heart even more that i'm not there.

after lawson singing me a song and tanner mumbling adorably i said goodbye - feeling so refreshed and loved and missed. and now i really s e r i o u s l y can't wait to go home and squeeze the living daylights out of these little creatures. only 18 more dayssss. ptl.

boo hoo hoo.

6 weeks till tgive 2010.

missing my family lots these days.

 soon i will be home for a blissful w e e k of relational love.

being the only mccord in california wears on you after a while.

l o v e & m i s s

miss these little creatures. real bad.

s is for summer

my bones are achey, my eyes are tired but my heart is happy and my mind is resting because it is SUMMER and i am finally HOME.

i love biola and all that i am blessed to do there and the people i get to be surrounded by, but as long as i live i will always love my dear friend oregon.

so far summer is off to a resounding start at the McCord house, as it always is... complete with unveiling/cleaning/repairing the boat for the summer, Sonic limeade/ocean water runs, communal lunches and dinners fully equipped with bevs, constant nephew entertainment and long overdue dosages of delicious family bonding.

oh summer, you are so lovely.
can't wait to catch up with old friends, unpack and start making plans to have adventures.
soon i'll have to start my 3 online classes and find a job... but for a day or two i plan to be blissfully unaware of adulthood and be a summer love child in every way achievable. duh.

p.s.. you may be sick of seeing these boys but i don't care because they make me smile until my face hurts. A N D they are deathly beautiful, proof:

my heart is home & so happy.

mi mama

happy MOTHER's day. to the coolest mom on the block...

it's true. she is the coolest.

don't believe me? i'll prove it.

:: she knows how to party, the woman can dance

:: she's a snappy dresser and her hair always looks fab

:: she is aging super well, i now have grounds for hoping to always look 28

:: she can cook like nobody's business, and even makes stuff up, but never fails

:: she knows like, 5 languages i believe. nuts

:: she is the best grandma to the best nephews

:: she is hilarious and has the most absurd squeal of a laugh, its great

:: she doesn't mind that i am always all over the place, in every way, she encourages it

:: she actually understands me when i start to talk in art-language

:: she is great at life talks & listening

:: she is where i got my creativity

:: she is where i learned how to support & encourage

:: she (almost) always has everything under control, and will admit when she doesn't

:: she has an unnatural obsession with Italian-style house decorations

:: she somehow managed to make my siblings and i turn out right despite our best efforts

:: she is my friend & let's me vent

:: she is my momma and i like it that way

love you, lady!

Lawson Boyce McCord's SECOND glorious year in ze world!

Today my first little nephew is 2 years old!

{what!? nuts}

Let me just tell you about this miniature sized champ...

He is THE coolest kid you will ever meet 

{and his little bro, my other champ of 

a nephew Tanner, is fighting him for the title}

He is a little rugrat that can dance like nobody's business

He loves/has an outrageous obsession with balloons... a forbidden love affair

He can say everyones name, assorted tidbits of vocab and random slews of drunken stammers and emotional expressions that sound like real sentences. He's a chatterbox, regardless.

He is always on the move, gobbling about and knocking everything out of his path. Nuts

He is clearly the life of the party, I mean c'mon he's a McCord, but more like an uberMcCord... he tops us all on the entertainment charts

He's a lover, not a fighter, well sometimes a fighter. But mostly a lover.

He is the cutest child and I am confident he will grow up to be popular, sporty, kind and good at everything, a quality which every current 2 year old female in our zip code will both love & love to hate

He is the biggest giggler and hoots like an owl. No lie, melts me everytime

He calls me Aunt Ray and its probably the greatest nick name I've ever had, just because he's the only one that calls me that

He is a master of mischievousness. Clearly.

If he wasn't 2 years old I'm convinced he would be clinically insane. Haha.

He & Tanner make aunthood a dream. I cannot imagine my life without them in it. It would not be nearly as happy of a place.

Favorite memory: one time I was giving him a bath and he was in the middle of screaming with delight {because he loves baths} and he stopped, looked at me, and gave me the huuugest hug and continued giggling. LOVE.

Lawson, you are supremely rad & I love YOU! Always, always.

{back when he was a wee not even 1 yr old}

{he will be my assistant when I hit it big. Obv}