Blog a la Cart

2015

Ashley’s feed @blogalacart

Another year in the books. Many beautiful moments, some firsts, some stresses, some losses, some triumphs – as years go, it was a good’un. The ebbs and flows of a year with its expected highs and lows. The loss of James’ grandfather being our deepest low and the pregnancy of The Third being our greatest high. The world around us shared in the highs and lows (arguably more lows), and we don’t go a day without feeling exceedingly grateful for our comfortable, safe, beautiful life in Vermont. We know that we are fortunate beyond measure.

2016 is going to be wilder than recent years previous as we expand our family. But we live for chaos, so bring it on, Little One! We are so excited to begin the year when we’ll meet you. All of us are eagerly anticipating your arrival and all that you’ll add to our lives and family.

In the meantime, a glimpse at our “Best Nine” on Instagram. (Devastatingly, our external hard drive that holds all of our images from 2015 malfunctioned and is now in the hands of some tech folk in the hope of extracting the data so the photos aren’t lost. Assuming they’re retrieved, we’ll do a delayed Year in Review.)

Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year’s Eve! We’ll see you in 2016!

James’ feed @cartwheelfarm

52/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: Ending this series for 2015 where it began, in the pool in South Carolina, next to a black pup.
Kaki: Same bathing suit and everything.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

51/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: Christmas Eve, awaiting Momar and Doda and Auntie Kimmy’s arrival. Entertaining herself with the keyboard, making up her own Christmas carols.
Kaki: I suggested that the girls dress festively for Christmas Eve Day, and Courtland emerged from her closest wearing every possible item of red she could get her hands on. It was 68 degrees outside (WTF, Climate Disruption?!) but that didn’t stop her from wearing a red velvet dress layered with two different sweaters.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

50/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: Riding the Elf Express, happily reading a story about Christopher Pop-In-Kins and sipping hot coco through the Green Mountains.
Kaki: We found snow in Manchester! And made an effort to play in it despite its limited supply.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

49/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: Love that smile.
Kaki: Always immersed in make-believe and song, this one.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

48/52

47/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: We capped off a very very busy holiday weekend with Christmas tree selection. Bring on December!
Kaki: She wears that formal purple coat every opportunity she gets. A hand-me-down from Auntie Kimmy’s childhood.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

46/52

“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Sunny: Such a 1st grade mug! She lost her 5th tooth – her first top tooth. She’s hoping that the other wiggles its way out shortly so that she can truly say, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”
Kaki: Very proud of her turkey center piece for Thanksgiving dinner. Also? We just completed a bunch of work on the north side of our home – including finally finishing the fourth side of exterior paint (our home is officially one color!), re-roofing, and installing a functioning door out to our deck (we bought the home with the door broken. Nearly four years ago). I am obsessed with all this amazing light from the new glass doors.

More details about The 52 Project here. To view all the portraits in the series visit here.

Cart Family // Fall 2015

These photos arrived in my inbox at the start of a week all about gratitude. Very fitting indeed. Many thanks to my dear and talented friend Kate Drew Miller for capturing our family in our beautiful Vermont town during its best season. I mean those views from Kate’s property! *jawfloor*

The Peace of Wild Things

“When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.” – Wendell Berry

This poem really struck a cord given everything that is happening in the world. I feel so much gratitude for our slice of comfort on a little dirt road in Southwestern Vermont. Sending love and peace into the world around me.