what do I have to show for it?

summer was here and is almost gone. ok, who am I kidding, it was gone with the beginning of school. but the question still remains what do I have to show for it? not as much as I would like. when I hit the pause button on my blog, I suppose I paused on many of my regular duties as well. like being the family photographer. so here is a running list, and a few photos to share.

two trips to Moab, in search of warmer days and sunnier weather began our season. a month of swimming and fun times with some California cousins. 2 trips to Lagoon for some serious roller coaster riding - our girls have the genetic tendency to like things fast a furious I guess.

three dreamy days in the wilderness of Catalina Island, three more days on the beaches of Newport and in the Magic Kingdom. two long drives to get us there and back. worth every second.

several sand carvings and people burying projects with all hands contributing.

a handful of hikes, biking, a plethora of swim days, an unexpected and extended trip to Park City for cousins and sleepovers. one seriously amazing summer of fun. and pictured or not, it was a great summer full of adventure!

a day or two off

I took the day off yesterday.

I gave myself permission to catch up on my google reader, start a new book, wax my upper lip (nope not kidding) and have a do nothing day. all things I have neglected and put off since oh, April. (not literally.) and I just couldn't pull it off.

I also had every intention to sit down and share some of my own retrospective; check in here and reconnect with my thoughts. because that's all this little blog is - my thoughts put to words put out into blog space.

but I didn't make it here. and that's ok.

I have been telling myself it's ok that I have not documented our life for over two months now.

but really I am not ok with it. and as I blew up at my girls today, while trying my hardest (ok at least trying) to do something nice for them, I realized my reality is skewed.

everything around me lately has felt overwhelming and crazy.

I don't like that feeling.

and that is why I like to blog. it keeps my perspective of reality positive.

not everything in life is rosy, and I think you get more than a good idea of that here. but when you look back on your life you gain perspective, and that in turn helps a person to gird up and do better. and reveling in the good is what it's all about, wouldn't you agree?

and I can play the blame game and write about how busy we have been, and we have been busy. I am now the master at grasping at straws and treading water. but rather I want to say that although I am sad not to be here, I know that it doesn't matter. everything in it's season, and lately the season of the moment is quiet in this space. but as always I am hoping that will change.

but for now all it really means is pizza for dinner tonight.

double digits

(the girls enjoying a crazy Japanese dinner with rice for EVERYONE!)

it was inevitable. as much as we hope they will stay little forever,

this one has crossed that line on her way to maturity.

but gratefully they are still enjoying the young part for now.

we love to make birthdays last as long as possible so aside from
the long awaited visit to Tepanyaki ,
(where they "throw shrimp right into your mouth, mom!")
we also shared cake with family. twice.





and we decided to hit the road for the official birthday.
on our way to Moab for some camping fun, Grace had
her birthday pancakes in a great
little greasy spoon on main street in Price, UT.



the gals that worked there were so sweet to accommodate our
now 10 year old tradition. wow, has it really been 10 years already?


thanks for being my silver lining on gray days Gracie.
I love how sure of yourself you are and how much you enjoy getting your hands dirty.
you have amazing places to go, miss. can't wait to see where this journey takes you.
thanks for bringing us along for the ride!

happy day, Miss.
we love you.

monkey business

it's what happens when there is snow outside when we wish it were sun.

tails, ears, and a lot of monkeying around.

not to mention authentic looking monkey toes.

and just when you think it's run it's course...

they really start monkeying around!

hope your Spring Break was as eventful as this den of monkeys!

blooming

I mentioned I am weeding through all my photos and doing some back posting. not the kind of weeding I would prefer to be doing right now, but better now than later.

I did take a break on saturday and clean up our unsightly front yard. there is some zero scaping going on up the street. the new desert looking rock gardens are making me long for a lush green yard out front. a wise woman once clarified, it's supposed to be xerascaping, people not ZERO. that wise woman happens to be my sister and it's her business to know.

I have sung the praises of DIG design before and she recently began blogging for my benefit. and yours too, of course. her blog is all about helping us make our yards bloom into the yard of our dreams. and since my yard will need to be done in the smallest of baby steps, I am glad that is part of how she works too. and not just for me but for anyone.

for now I am going to enjoy these next few cloudy rainy days and finish up my indoor weeding. but I look forward to the coming sunshine when I can begin transforming our yard into something akin to this. until then I'll just check out her blog for some great spring tips for the garden. join me - just click on that cute button on my sidebar - then get out and dig!

thought you should know.....

lately I have been doing a bit of organizing.
here on my laptop that is.
the rest of the house will come eventually.
but specifically all my photographs are being organized by date and type and it's a
lovely process of memories to happily revisit.
and lots of purging.
ah, sweet release. when things are purged with no remorse it feels SO GOOD!

yeah, I think the craft room may be next.

but I wanted to warn you that since I am doing so much revisiting,
I am realizing I have over looked some serious blogging.
and since this blog is mainly my only record of events for our little family, there will be some very tardy posts.

I mean really really tardy.

so you are warned.
don't be surprised when your google reader churns out posts from last june.
it's not you it's me.
or at least it's not reader, it's me.
just in case that happens.
because of course this blog is at the top of your reader list, right?

in any case I'm just saying, I thought you should know.

happy weekending all.

good intentions.....

wee leprechaun grins to make your day.

they say the pathway to hell is paved with those don't they?

good intentions.

regardless it doesn't stop me from meaning to do things.

meaning to do a blog post about our latest birthday.

meaning to get up early and exercise. (oh daylight savings how I loathe thee.)

meaning to avoid sugar like the plague,

as to avoid the inevitable hangover that comes the next day.

meaning to sew this and that.

meaning to act on all my good intentions.



that is what is so refreshing about today.

St. Patrick's day.

there are NO intentions.

throw on something green, enjoy whatever comes your way - but just whatever.

hope your day is full of sunshine and rainbows, and a pot filled with all things equal to gold.

for us that means smeared green icing grins and sidewalk chalk. and lots of smiles.

happy Wednesday.