a beautiful day

i woke up this morning to three smiling faces,
a sweet handmade card,

and a bag of the best coffee beans in the world.
this was followed by a super yummy breakfast of french toast, fruit and bacon.
and two of the best lattes ever (made with my 18 year old cappucino maker!).

all prepared by my dear husband and kids.
can't think of a better present!
i am so thankful for each day i spend as a wife and mother.
each day is such a treasured gift.

 

happy mother's day

  

Happy Mother's Day!

we never know the love of a parent 

until we become parents ourselves.

henry ward beecher

sorting

today was awesome.
jake took the day off so i could do some cleaning, sorting and organizing.
our basement is the place where all things go... and it was getting FULL!
i was beginning to feel claustrophobic each time i had to walk down the stairs.
and since the basement area is where i work on drawing, drafting, sewing and crafting,
i was having trouble finding things and being efficient.
not anymore!
i always have good intentions,
so there were boxes full of things for goodwill, boxes for sorting, boxes for shredding, boxes for passing along to someone, and boxes for who knows what!
i'm sure you get the picture.
well, now all those boxes of stuff have been removed.
most of them are in my car for a big goodwill drop.
it feels good.
thank you jake!
it's amazing just how much i can get done with six hours of focused work.

as i was sorting, i opened a box of pictures and found this one.
me and my dad.
and yes, i know it's mother's day weekend, but i love this picture.
i am five months - the same as julia is right now.

keeping my grass green

so after the post from yesterday,
i am feeling much more hopeful, happy and thankful.
this brings me to something that's often on my mind -
the grass is always greener.
i am totally guilty of letting my mind wander to other lawns.
but it's time to focus on my own turf.

tonight i am thankful for..

my husband returning home from a four day work trip.  i've missed him dearly, and so have ben & julia.  we are super happy to have dad home again!

our two children sleeping peacefully in their room, under our roof.

taking julia to the doctor today.  i thought it might just be me suspecting things and worrying too much, but turns out she does have an ear infection.  we've got her medicine going and we are looking forward to our "happier" julia returning soon.

late nights spent drafting/drawing that help provide for our family and help us work on some big goals. 

staying up late to make sure a certain someone's new angry bird shirt is washed and ready to wear to story time at the library tomorrow - a surprise gift from dad for ben.  you should have seen that boy smile!

a small home.  i can barely cannot even keep this one cleaned & decorated the way i would like - why would i want something better?  space is highly overrated. 

my laundry room in the basement.  walking the stairs is good for my health (and all the dirty laundry piles are out-of-sight).

living in a small town. 

limited choices for shopping and dining in our small town.  this makes sticking to a budget much easier!

pinterest.

all of our wonderful family & friends.

tomorrow is thursday - my favorite day of the week!

clean sheets on our bed and a great book calling my name.  good night.

just because

i feel a bit overwhelmed, anxious and frustrated this week.
so i am posting a couple of pictures that make me take a deep breath.
inhale.
exhale.
relax.

just because.
time is precious.

five months

i'm trying something a little different this month.
i saw this idea on pinterest and wanted to try my own version.

julia is growing so fast and i am not good about writing down things...
especially in baby books.
this seemed like a great way to remember some of those things.

ben's car wash

early last week it got mighty warm here in kansas,
warm enough for some water fun outside.

after ben's quiet time, we moved his "cars" to the front yard (more shade),
turned on the water and got out the dish soap.

he was occupied for almost two hours!!!
it was wonderful.



if you know ben, you know he is a fan of thomas the train
(even though his interests seem to be changing to "bigger" kid things),
he loves books and he has an amazing memory.
roll all that together with a car wash and you are not just washing
a car, a wagon and a tricycle.
no, no
he was washing madge, the flatbed truck (his wagon),
duncan, a narrow gauge engine (his little push car)
and a new bicycle for mr. percivil (his tricycle).

what a kid! independent, determined and focused (when he wants to be).
and always thinking.
always.

i am so thankful to share in his world.