Monday, July 13, 2009

Monday Lovelies...


Some pretty pink flowers for you to enjoy this fine Monday. Again, I'm without a great deal of words. I'm a bit groggy today from a busy weekend and stewing over some major {MAJOR} life decisions. I sometimes feel so unqualified to make these big decisions for our family and at the same time I know that I am the only one who can ultimately make them...along with the hubby, of course. So many facts, ideas, opinions, questions, etc. are literally swarming in my head; humming so loudly that I can hardly hear another thing.
I'm looking very forward to a little day trip will be taking mid-week. Getting away is a very good thing and I need a distraction, some salt water, beautiful scenery, & some time in the car to have an actual conversation with my husband. Is driving a total of six hours worth a visit of about six hours...oh you better believe it!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Gratitude...


I'm not feeling very full of words today. But I am chock-full of feelings. So I thought it would be the perfect day for a list of things I'm thankful for right now...
  • Warm Days & Cool Nights
  • Plenty of time to play and enjoy my kids where they are right now
  • Having a great baby who goes with the flow
  • Good coffee in the AM
  • Open windows
  • Good books
  • Making new friends
  • Making time for old friends
  • My evening cup of Yogi tea last night whose tag read "The purpose of life is to enjoy every minute"...Amen to that!
  • Our local library
  • Fresh fruit & veggies grown nearby
  • Lots of meals on the grill
  • A bag of M&M's that has made potty training a breeze
  • Having a big backyard perfect for running
  • Morning, afternoon, and evening snuggles...{oh how I love being a mama}
  • A good camera to document this very perfect summer

What are you appreciating right.now.?

Monday, July 6, 2009

4 Months...

I can hardly believe that's it's been four whole months since Maya came into our lives. At the same time, however, it's hard to remember our family without her in it. She has fit in so seamlessly into our big circle of love. We here in this house are totally smitten with her and now she is starting to show others just how much there is to love about her! With her huge personality, sweet little voice, and engaging eyes, she demands your attention and then holds it until she gets tired. Meanwhile, you're excited for the next time she'll be up for playing.

She loves with her whole little self and never misses an opportunity to hold a hand, nuzzle a neck, or 'kiss' a face. And we are just so in love with our baby Maya!

Happy 4 Months, Papaya!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Beach on the Brain...

Don't know what it is this summer but I'm absolutely obsessed with getting to the beach. It's as if the tide is pulling me in. AND, I have a little soon-to-be-five year old {who's only been to the beach in utero} who must be having the very same tide-pulling phenomenon going on. She mentions it nearly everyday. I am even having dreams about being by the ocean. I'm wondering if there's some universal ebb & flow that synchronizes within you every so many years and it just makes you almost NEED to return to the water so that your mind, heart, body, and soul can be renewed.

So while we are planning a day trip to the beach later this summer, I'm doing my best to get my oceanic fill with some photography. Here are some links to enjoy this fine Friday in July...


By the way, I'm providing today's giveaway over at The Bright Side Project. Please check it out and enter to win a little something that would go great with a day at the beach!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Why, Hello There July...

Ya kind-of snuck up on me.



I'm exploring different ways to catch the day to day stuff around here. Perhaps it's the new baby in the house reminding me of how quickly time will pass. Or maybe it's the thought of Rayne starting school this fall {and Layla starting pre-school}. For whatever reason, I have a persistent voice in my head saying that I will want to remember the little things the most. So how best do I document those?

Lord knows I take an extraordinary amount of photos. However, sometimes the memory is more than just the vision. It's the sound, the smell, the emotions. Do I trust that a picture of Rayne will remind me of the crazy, elaborate, imaginative stories she tells? Can I be certain that I'll be able to hear the cute way Layla says words like feather and girl? Because I already know that unless I write something somewhere, I'm sure to forget how Maya squeals when we take our evening walk...I have a hard time remembering the details of her sisters' first years.

So what's the best way to capture moments in time. I do like to scrapbook but it often takes more time than I have. I'm thinking of filling the backs of photos with as much info. as I can remember about that particular moment. I've also purchased three small blank journals {one for each girl} to serve as a place to put the little stories and events that happen along the way: a funny thing they said, something really great they did, etc. These can be easily filled with one {or two} liners. I've also started a bit of an art journal so that I can combine my enjoyment of drawing & painting inti my documenting.

These are great. And I'll be so glad for any effort that I put in now to remember these days. However, it's all very tiring and sometimes even sad to be chasing after these fleeting moments. Where does it cross the line from documenting the moments to constantly trying to hold them? I wish I knew where the balance was. And I wish there were more moments in the day for both living in the moment and capturing the moment.

Any suggestions?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Winner, Winner...


The winner of June's Giveaway is Alice Erdly. Alice is a member of our mailing list and a local fan of our products. So Yea, Alice! Congrats!


Oh, yes, and there's a bit of a Fourth of July Sale going on in the shop for mailing list subscribers. So...if you're not on the list yet, then pop over, sign up, and I'll send you the details.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I Heart Naps...


In this house, a good nap is pretty much a cure-all for a day quickly going down the drain...which today certainly was. Kids were sent to rooms, toys were taken away, potty training efforts were strained {to be super nice about it}, mamas were yelling, babies were crying...you get the not-so-pretty picture. But usually those days can be attributed to plain old lack of good sleep. Nap time comes just shy of my locking myself in the bathroom. And then there's calm...quiet time...space & rest...and then a new beginning. Then I get my kids back. And they get their nice mama back. And we have another chance at a really great day. And usually, that's just what we have.
Sorry I didn't pick the winner of this month's give-away today {as I had promised}. I will shoot for tomorrow.