8.31.2009

8.29.2009

Weekend Highlights





While this weekend was full of a lot of not so fun things (work, school, etc) we managed to squeeze some fun in too. Like...
- a walk with Katie
- dinner with Sam and Scott and Katie
- this bonfire with the kids Saturday night
- a day with the Grandma's for the kids (Grace with Grandma Sam, Jackson with Grandma Lee)
- a nice evening with Ryan tonight after the kids went to bed

And my house is still clean... always a bonus to start Monday with a clean house.

8.28.2009

Teddy Bear Park








This morning after some friends had to cancel plans to come over, I found myself with a very clean house, all chores done, and the day completely free...kind of an exiting feeling. We decided to make the best of it and went to one of their favorite park for the morning. It was really nice to be able to play with them without the constant "to do" list running in the back of my head. To just be in the moment... what a gift.

8.27.2009

Sunflowers


8.26.2009

A Day Out



This morning after gathering some fresh veggies from the garden we headed over to Katie's for a lunch (and dinner) date. After a delicious lunch we made a stop here and here and then went back to her house for dinner. It was our first sampling of our corn... mmmmmm was it tasty. And as always, fun to spend the day with aunty Katie.

8.24.2009

River to the Rescue




It was kind of a long day today. So at the last minute I decided to skip out of class and Ryan and I took the kids to the river for a walk. It was just what I needed. Some fresh air, space for the kids to run, and time with family at one of my favorite places.

8.21.2009

Apple Farm




Today after we got done running some errands it stopped raining just in time for us to stop here for a visit. We fed the animals (which to Grace apparently means we now own the animals as she mentioned that we were going to have to go back to take care of "her" sheep). Then we went in the barn and treated ourselves to a delicious pumpkin muffin.

But I think surprisingly the highlight was playing on the dozen or so (and yes, we did play on all of them) kid size tractors they had. I wasn't even going to go in there but as we were walking by Jackson ran over to the fence, peered inside, and nodded his head (his new way of communicating "I want that"). So of course we had to go in, and we probably didn't leave for a half hour. Grace loved pushing Jackson around, and of course Jackson loved the ride. And yes, she wore her patent leather shoes to the apple farm.

8.19.2009

Friends


I love witnessing little moments like this. Little glimpses of what might someday be one of the most important friendships of their lives.

8.18.2009

A Date






I knew Ryan was going to be home late tonight so I wanted to plan something fun in the evening to help make the night go smoother. And, since everyone had a good nap(s) today, I also knew it was going to be a late night to bed, which is fun every now and then because it allows us to do things we wouldn't normally be able to do around that time. So tonight after dinner (when we would normally be slowing things down and getting into bedtime mode) we went downtown for the Tuesday market we discovered last week. But this time we got to enjoy the live music and later evening activities...like face painting and ice cream cones (or, in Jackson's case, an almost limitless amount of banana crackers). Though it would have been really great if Ryan could have been there too, I felt like I was on a date with my kids- and I loved it. Sometimes as the mom I feel like I don't do as much of the "fun" stuff as Ryan or the Grandparents (like treats, staying up late, seeing new things) so this was a delight for me. And a great end to our day.

8.17.2009

Summer Day


Our day got off to a good start when I remembered the black raspberries that were in the freezer and decided to make some pancakes to go with them. (Pancake day is always a hit around here). While eating our breakfast, Grace and I started to plan our day. After about a minute of pondering what the rest of the morning should entail, she suddenly threw her arm in the air and shouted "Let's go to the beach!" I of course could not say no to that enthusiasm (and who says no to the beach anyway). So we packed a picnic lunch and some beach toys and headed to one of our newly discovered favorite spots on the river.



A perfect hot August day.
Now somewhere around here is a bag of wet sandy towels that need washing...

8.13.2009

Garden Harvest




8.12.2009

Just a Reminder...


This giant piece of artwork on the side of the road captured my attention today as I was driving. Very insightful indeed.

8.11.2009

A Happy Day





Today was a good day. A really good day. We had some tough days last week with being sick and trying to get our life back in order after vacation. I need to remember to change things up a bit when I'm feeling uninspired. Today we went to the "little library" which we've only been to a few times but is always fun because it's easier for me to keep them in one area (there really only is one area there, hence our nickname "little library"). They both actually looked at books and listened as we read some together. We all really had a good time. Then we decided to go for a walk by the river (something I definitely want to do more of before it gets too cold) and stumbled upon a little outdoor market that apparently goes on every Tuesday in the summer. We bought some fresh watermelon and grapes and plopped down under a shady tree with a river view to enjoy our snack. There is something about the river that always relaxes me and catapults me right into the present moment. I love it, love it. So there it is, a recipe for a happy day- do something different, something easy, preferably involve the river, and if possible... eat watermelon.





8.10.2009

33


Some highlights from my birthday...
1. This piece of cake from my sister (that will take me a week to eat because it is so rich).
2. The card Grace made for me.
3. Having some time to myself (Ryan took the kids to my parents for the afternoon).
4. The dishes I found at the Goodwill.
5. Having dinner with my family.

8.02.2009

Up North (Part II)

What we did during our (second) vacation up north...


Enjoyed some alone time reading.


Dipped our toes in the sand...


But didn't spend a whole lot of time at the beach (Grace got swimmers itch...again).


So we improvised.


Got in some quality nude time...


And lots of quality dad time.


Visited the secret garden...


And mailed a letter to the elves.


Took the time to smell the flowers.


Enjoyed some blue skies...


And fires in the fireplace (it was a little chilly, especially at night).


(Did I mention I was able to read?).


And most importantly tried to appreciate every moment of time together with family and fresh lake air.

Yup, another great vacation.