Soaking it in

How did it happen? When did it happen? First you think they are never going to sleep through the night and then they are almost 4 and 5. In the next blink of an eye there will be real baseball games, homework and girls...no longer will they want to marry their mom. Every day I try and take a moment to just soak them in; their innocents, their wonder and their amazement at life. This is my favorite job. This is what I love.

Anyway

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down

by the smallest person with the smallest mind.

Think big anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack if you help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

~Dr. Kent M. Keith American Author and Inspirational Speaker

Totally awesome weekend

We think that our weekend at the lake...just us...simple...(even rained a bit)...was our best vacation this year. Just goes to show that you don't need the Grand Canyon or the ocean to have an awesome time...

We swam...(the boys swam for 8 hours straight!!

no kidding - non stop)

P.S. The pool is heated...they never would have lasted otherwise.

Go cart rides...they ARE boys

Monster bike races.

And yes...roasting marshmallows by the fireside. Perfect really.

Heading out

We are heading up to the lake to spend a long weekend. For those of you local...the Arts & Crafts Festival and the Water Carnival are this weekend in Eagles Mere ~ always lots of fun. I'm looking forward to riding my bike around the lake + taking lots of photos (EM is one of my favorite photo places!). *Met with the bank this morning to discuss building our home...eeekk...both exciting and terrifying all in one.

Capture the moment

Lots going on around here right now so it's really good for me to stop and look at photos like this. Good to focus on the moment.

As some of you may know we have some land to one day build a house on...problem is...right now seems to be the perfect time to build (money is cheap, lumber is cheap, builders are slow) - but it's not the right time for our wallet. Or maybe it is? I've been spending a bit of time doing my research, asking questions and asking more questions. I must say, that for someone who knows very little about the process of building their own home...it is quite a daunting process! I would welcome any good tips.

To top off all the madness, I brought a nasty cold home with me from the beach and last week was spent just trying to recover...and as with every other illness in my house...my cold is now making it's rounds...current victim - Cooper John.

I don't think I knew that...?

"Mommy..."

"Yes Coop?"

"Did you know that E.T. doesn't have a bellybutton?"

For Richard

And we swear, if it had not been 8:48 when we sat down to dinner...we would have called!

First time for everything

Well would you look at that!

And that!

Yup...all from our garden. Last night's dinner table included broccoli, tomatoes, cilantro and peppers all from our first time garden. Picked a bunch of green beans too (I'm not too far off from that bean salad!). This weekend I may try and can some tomatoes...hey I'm on a roll...why not give it a shot right?

And since we seem to be on a healthy kick...I finally got myself a bike! Everyone in the family had a bike but me...I would literally have to rent a bike each time we wanted to go riding together. And admittedly, I never really cared much for bike riding...the seats always seemed dreadfully uncomfortable and I would lean so far forward that my arms were carrying the weight of my body and my hands and arms tired out long before my legs. The last bike I remember owning had tires that I believe measured in millimeters instead of inches and they hadn't invented shock absorption yet. Well apparently times have changed. I walked into Dick's and said I want a bike that is incredibly comfortable with a nice big cushy seat, I want to sit up nice and tall just like Marry Poppins...I want a beach cruiser with gears so I can climb more than a boardwalk. Whalaa! It was just that easy. My bikes model is actually from their "comfort" series. Not the mountain bike series, not the road bike series and not the trails series...nope just the plain old comfort series...aaaaahhhh. So now momma has her own bike...anyone interested in going for a ride?

Close up

My Sunshine

My Sweet Pea

(For some reason when I look at this picture, I feel like I can see how he's going to look when he's 8 years old...there is a small glimpse of an older boy here.)

Beach baseball

There was obviously baseball at the beach...

Here are some great photos of Coop (he and I were playing catch).

And then I hit him right above the left eye...

good thing Barbie had those cold beers...kept the swelling down.

More to come...but I gotta get to work ;)

Road trip

Heading back to the beach...

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Food (really) for thought

With my love of reading and my fascination with food and the American diet crisis...I am thoroughly enjoying this.

Crabapple Tree

What's making me happy:

1.) Photos of my boys in the garden

2.) Sleeping with the windows open

3.) A stack of books ready for the beach

4.) Learning how to use brushes and overlays in Photoshop

5.) A garden that is producing food

6.) Martha Stewart magazine (thanks mom)

7.) Saturday morning farmer's market

8.) Iced coffee every day at 3

9.) The laundry is finished

10.) Vacation starts in 4 days

Happy day

Speaking of my niece's wedding...

Here she is with her Dad (John's brother)...

Check that Limo in the background...

Lovely.