Saturday, July 30, 2011

aidan turns 10...

we put together a little slideshow of aidan's first 10 years.  making it was a lot like parenting. a lot of late, late nights, a lot of early mornings, hours of research, calling on friends and family for support and trial and error, all for something that seems so simple.  it would never have been completed if tony hadn't have helped. 

and in the end it is not perfect, but it is perfect for us...just like our boy. 

happy birthday aidan.  our life is wonderful because of you.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

secretly celebrating

 while aidan is celebrating tonight with his friends, some dart guns, s'mores and the fact that he is turning 10...
i will be celebrating the fact that the boy who made me a mom is still nine for two more days.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

loving this

i love nights like these.  when you step outside and the slow, warm breeze envelopes you. and you watch the tall grass in the goat pasture sway in tune with the rustle of the maple leaves.  every organic surface seems to glow in the golden rays of the setting sun.  and your sparkalicious ding dong (you do have one, don't you?) peeks back into your recently and unnecessarily upgraded (don't ask) iphone to interrupt your picture. (ok, you didn't ask but i can't help myself...long story short---my shoe love made me temporarily misplace my trust in mall-goers of america and my momentarily unguarded phone was liberated)



and that same waft brings the sweet smell of fresh grass and newly cut wood...
wood that will be your dreamy butcher block countertop.


....and you clearly replace the memory of the pretzel-like ride back from seattle with your counter tops partitioning you into a teensy corner of your car with the thought of your anticipated laundry-slash-craft space counter tops.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

it IS the little things

like spotting rainbows out of your window...like this one the other night.  isn't she a beaut?
and aidan running out to see if it is a double...then explaining the science behind it.
and nadia wrapping her arms around mine and sighing because it is just so beautiful.

this summer has been an adjustment for me.  if you have been around me for more than 2 1/2 minutes you probably know why.  i have shared with anyone and everyone- for accountability and out of sheer nervousness- that i am cutting back. 
whittling down. 
prioritizing and simplifying. 
on work.

i have put my irons in too many fires (and obviously it has warped me because that sounded just plain wrong in my head).  i am sure there is some underlying reason why i feel the need to say yes to every committee, every program, every club...why i worry i am going to be left behind if i don't. this summer i have started sloughing off some of those extra jobs. i am paring down because my children asked me to. 

i am not saying that i just woke up one morning and my lovelies said, 'hey mom, do you think maybe you could work a little less?' and i just stopped doing all of the extras.  change is not easy, even if it is change for the better-the feel good kind of change.  i am a second-guesser, an over-thinker, a weigher of the greater good and so this transition has left my blood pressure a little high more times than i would like to admit. but, ...i am happier...  the days are fuller.  we find more reasons to laugh and less reasons to rush.  we have spent more time with people we care about.  i am enjoying running around with my people instead of running around for people. 

i am enjoying all of the little things, and i hope my lovelies are learning to enjoy them too.  

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

love the one you are with

i often dream of picking up my sweet, sweet family and moving across the pond. 
try something new.

our little corner of the earth is somewhat lacking in certain experiences i want both for me and for my bairnes. 

but when summer decides to wash us in it's 90 degree sun-streaked temperatures
and the sparkling rivers and luscious parks and beautiful friends beckon....

i just can't imagine being any where else.









i am sure someday we will live out our big adventure, but for now, i think we will love the place we are in.

thank you mattsons and thank you johnsons! 

Saturday, July 9, 2011

no time to talk

summer is here!  we are oh so busy doing oodles of decidedly un-noteworthy stuff but we are having the time of our lives. 
.
.
.
see?

the circus...


the parade...




 the river...

the office...
 the pool...


  and the porch...


and that is only what was captured in pictures. this may just be the best summer yet...
what have you been up to?

Sunday, July 3, 2011

going for alliteration would be a little too much

tony says i take too many pictures of the kitties.
he finds them perplexing...painful even.
the pictures not the kittens. 
this time the kittens were all his idea.
the pictures on the other hand...those are all mine.
i find them precious.
and he said i really should not post them on here for all posterity and public view...

i say, how can i not?
look at that little kitten face?

and that nadia is pretty darn cute too.

 and you know i love that she made a baby sling to carry her bundles of kitty love around.


probably because that is exactly how i would have spent a saturday morning when i was her age.

i have always been a patsy for a kitten face.