Days Like These...

(An excerpt from my journal yesterday)

Days like these I love... days like these don't come too often anymore.

Days where I have no time restrictions, no time that I need to be showered and dressed, no appointments that I need to get to.

Days where most of the housework is done and only the beds are calling me to be made, a few dishes to wash and a load or two of laundry to be done. In the grand scheme of the day those few things take very little time.
And again, that brings me to my point... days like these I love.

Days where I can cut up fresh fruits and veggies for Elaina to try (which, by the way, did not go as successfully as I had hoped).

Days where I can catch up on my blog reading and not feel guilty that I'm sitting there when ten thousand other things need to be done.

Days when I can sit outside on my lounge chair while the kiddos are napping and just write or read or sit here. It is a busy time in my life and I'm not sure if it will ever slow down the way it once was. Seasons are changing and I don't just mean from summer to fall.... seasons of life.

Taryn is 7, she's starting soccer 2 days a week. Alpha is starting back up again and we're looking into joining a small group.

Our house hunt continues... which makes me realize maybe I'm not as into change as I originally thought I was.

I keep saying that God knows my heart's desires and that He will provide a place for us and yet I'm convincing myself over and over that I truly believe that. I want to believe it, but I can't stop thinking... which has always been my downfall... thinking... thinking way too much and too often... so much so that it really never benefits anyone and usually, most times, hinders me from moving forward or forging on.

And yet, among all this uncertainty I still really do love days like these!

(Mason is nowhere in these pictures because all of the pictures that I took of him, he was a blur of motion... he wouldn't sit still last night!)

Photos of the beach and another rainy day...

I was waiting for this day all week... I had built it up in my mind. A nice day by the pool, Mason and Elaina napping for the afternoon and Taryn playing with her cousins while she swam. Me sitting with Shanna, relaxing and chatting the day away. And now what do I awaken to? A gray morning with a weather alert flashing on my computer this morning. NOT THE WAY I HAD ENVISIONED THIS DAY!

So now what is in store for this day? Cleaning? Because although it really needs done, I just don't feel like doing it!

Maybe, just maybe if I close my eyes really tight for a minute or so I will reopen them and the weather will be wonderful and my weather alert will stop flashing me, reminding me constantly that this day is not what I planned.

Vacuuming should be in order for the day, no matter what pans out though. It's getting very tiring scooping out the oh so tiny pieces of whatever and everything that Elaina keeps managing to find and eat! Seriously, who knew all that stuff existed on your floor before you had a crawler?

So many thoughts this morning and yet I'm not sure if I'm ready to share them at this moment. Because patience is not my virtue and yet, at this time, it needs to be. I will definitely be sure to update all of you when the timing is right.

I cannot believe that school is only a couple of weeks away. Where did this summer go? Time really does fly when you get older, but this is starting to get a little ridiculous. You blink and a year is gone. In only a few short months Elaina will be a year old and then what? Mason will start kindergarten, Taryn will be driving.... that is how it's going to be. It will come way too quickly!

As I sit and write this I'm watching Mason and Elaina interact with each other! I love watching the two of them (most of the time). I just know they are going to be such good buddies and playmates.

Mason just popped up from the floor and asked "Daddy home?" My response, "No not yet." (It's only 8 in the morning) "Daddy be soon, Mom" Every morning the same thing! We always need to know where Daddy and his car are!

I know, I know, there are no pictures of Elaina in this post.... they will come. This set is from our last day at the beach. Dean and Donna blessed Aaron and I with watching her while we took Taryn and Mason to the beach. It was so much more relaxing!

We are already talking about next year, which always happens. As soon as the week ends we all sit around and talk about the following year and how the week flies by and what we'll do differently and the same next year. Great memories for the kids and quality time with their cousins (like they don't get enough of that!)

Zucchini bread, swim meeting and a very silly show

So... instead of just holding all these crazy thoughts in my head.... as I talk to myself throughout the day... maybe, just maybe some one else will get me and so, here are my thoughts and ramblings on things that really don't effect/affect (I'm never quite sure how to use those two) anything major in life.

(And a few photos... just to throw them in there!)

I had this wonderfully huge zucchini that some one gave to me and I was looking forward to making my first zucchini bread with chocolate chips of the summer! I found a new recipe on the internet from a blog that I frequent... her pictures looked so good and Taryn agreed that that was the recipe we were to use. I started measuring and mixing and towards the end I realized that this "bread" was not the consistency of a "bread", but that of a cookie... I was very disappointed because my batter did not look like her pictures, nor did the end result taste like I wished it would have. And OH MY WORD! Why did I not realize that 3 tsps. of cinnamon was way too much cinnamon for any dish?? I really need to follow my instincts when it comes to baking because I thought that was odd to have all that cinnamon, but alas, it's too late now because the so called "bread" is done and even though I don't find it as appealing as I'd hoped, the kids sure do like it!

Taryn and I went to an informational swim team meeting at the Y tonight and even though she is not going to be very happy about my decision... we will have to wait for this whole swim team until next year. The cost is a little ridiculous (on top of our monthly fee for the Y) and they want it all upfront. Now I can see if maybe they would charge it monthly with the option of paying it all at one time... but who has $500 to just dish out at once for recreational things? Not me, that's for sure! So it will only be soccer this year since she has also decided not to follow with gymnastics again. We shall see, we shall see!

Aaron and I watched that show "Dating in the Dark" for the last half hour of it tonight. What a weird show! And who in their right mind goes on these shows? Okay, let me rephrase that... no, there's really no way of rephrasing that for me. Why do people subject themselves to those kinds of things. Are we so desperate for love that we'll try anything? Apparently so! It's ashame that so many people are looking for an earthly love when they have a heavenly love that is just waiting to wrap them up. I think right now I'm "preaching to the choir".

Lately, I've been a little cold in my walk. Not feeling very worthy to be called His child. Not feeling that I'm making enough of a difference from my time here. Not feeling that I'm any good at my christian walk. And I know that I need to push through it and let Him carry me. It's just hard some times... to let go and "let God". No wonder this walk is a journey that keeps going...

Well, off to eat my not very good zucchini bread with chocolate chips cake thingy. I'll let you know if it's any better the second time around!

Days around here....

... are very filled with life. So much so sometimes that I'm wondering where the days are going and why summer is flying by way too fast. Vacations are over, staycation is almost here and then hopefully, nothing but home, organization and enjoyment of lazy summer days will follow!
Although, in this stage of life I'm not sure if lazy summer days will follow for awhile! But it is a season and an enjoyable one at that.
I am finding that it is so hard to stay on top of things and organized during this time and am looking for any tips or ideas on how to that so my question is open...

What organizing tips or secrets do you have that keep you sane and your household at least, somewhat under wraps??

Off to the beach...

We are off to the beach tomorrow! Oh joyous time! My goal while I'm there? To relax, to refresh and to enjoy my kiddos.... I feel like I have been so busy and some down time is much needed. So, I thought I'd give you a teeny glimpse of what we've been up to the past month (since it has been that long since I've posted).

I absolutely, positively, most definitely LOVE Elaina's eyes! The only way I could capture a little bit of them was to make the picture black and white and leave her eyes colored! They are a wonderful mix of green, hazel and at times blue... just like her great-grandfather's eyes!
Mason tagged along while I was taking some pictures of my nephew, Xander and I managed to get a couple of him as well! He is growing up so much before my very eyes. Where does the time go? He has such a tender heart and he loves to cuddle!
Giggling and smiling away as she so often does! What's better than a baby's laughter? Absolutely nothing, that's what!
The three amigos! Oh what fun they are going to have this week at the beach. I love how close they are and how they, most times, just love to be together!
My goal when I get back is to actually stay more updated on this thing called a blog, especially the picture aspect! We'll see if that really happens!

For now, I'm out.... and I'm ready to enjoy the beautiful sand and sea! See you all soon!

Motivation

So, I decided to look up the defintion of motivation because quite frankly, I have absolutely none today. Although I have plenty I need to do!~to provide with an incentive; move to action~

Okay, so what incentive is there to mowing the lawn? Because we all know that while it may look nice right after you mow it, it's going to need done in a few short days again. What incentive is there in laundry? As soon as you wash it, dry it, fold it and put it away (which just took a good hour of your time) some one gets that freshly laundered piece of clothing out and wears it and dirties it, only for you to go through the same process again.How do you move to action when moving requires movement and that just seems a little much at the moment!
I know. It's terrible. It really is. :)

One of those days...

Did you ever just have one of those days where you truly do feel like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Like you just want to crawl back into bed and get up on the other side, just to see if that helps your mood a little?
Yeah, today was one of those days. And I haven't had one of those days in awhile, but for some reason today was a big one. I get frustrated because no matter what I do I can't seem to pull myself out of it and I know how I feel and how I'm acting and yet, I can't figure out how to stop the feeling/mood, unless I can just go to bed and wake up the next day.
And can I just say it is very frustrating when I go to give Elaina a bath and the water is dirty... good ol' Strasburg water. It's been happening way too often lately. So, no bath for Elaina. Then, I go to put Mason to bed and his sippy cup lid falls off and milk pours all over him, the bed, me and the floor. Now I have no clean water and very messy two year old who is extremely upset at this point because his Thomas jammies are soaked and his blankets are soaked.... so I wash him up with dirty water! After dealing with that situation I realize that we have nothing to drink because the water is dirty and I'm extremely thirsty so I take off in the car only to find that the main road is closed and so is Turkey Hill because the road is closed. I get stuck in traffic and still have nothing to drink. (This is really starting to sound like a pity party, so I'll stop!)
I did find a drink! And tomorrow is a new day! Thank You Lord! And I do know that my life is still pretty darn good :) I think tomorrow I'll definitely start my day with some devotions.... that's always a guarantee you'll wake up on the right side of the bed!
Thanks for letting me vent!