Springing for Sunshine

Connor and Aubrey got to go to Grandma's for the first half of Spring Break.
I got this picture text on Monday.

He was so proud of that loaf of bread!
And I am so thankful that my kids get to make memories with their Grandma!

What is Spring Break without some warm weather and sunshine?

I had to travel south a bit, but I did find some almost-shorts-weather sunshine (It has to be pretty hot before I pull out my shorts, but the kids were in bathing suits!).

In Prescott Valley, I sunburned my face when I met some ladies at the park.

We took over the entire place. :)

On Thursday we met some more friends and 'hiked' Montezuma's Well.  

The 1/3 mile loop trail was just about perfect for 2 moms with 10 kids age 9 and under. :)

I thought all the fun was in seeing the kids getting excited about the place and having fun themselves.

The picnic area is great because the prehistoric irrigation canals run all around it.

Kids plus water equals hours of entertainment.

Can you spot Brant in this picture?

He was in his glory in those little streams, searching for bugs and scooping mud with his new buddy Chandler.

All the kids loved it, actually.  They stripped down to their skibbies and played for hours.  

Now before you get your undies in a bundle, let me assure you that the older ones had swim suits along and we basically had the whole picnic area to ourselves.

It was a perfect spring day.

Especially now that I look out my living room window and see two feet of snow!

10 AM Snapshots

I haven't been pulling my camera out very much lately.
It seems my hands are always full of baby.
That's a bad excuse though, and I kick myself later for not capturing more photos.
I'm working on it.


Nature's grand finale to Spring Break.

I'm dreaming of a mud room. 

You'd think they'd choose something hot for a snack.

Lai-lai is 5 1/2 months old already. She sits up by herself and she cut her first tooth yesterday! 

You'd think I was busy enough. 

And with that, happy Monday everyone!

If you are unfortunate lucky enough to live in Arizona, Happy late winter Spring!

patiently waiting for spring

It's spring break, and I am in the mood to lighten up my bedroom because you know, that's what spring is all about - fresh new colors.  I am not going to post pictures of my bedroom, but let me tell you that it is b.r.o.w.n. Yes, everything is brown; the 80's style carpet, my comforter, the wood dressers and nightstand, my wood desk, the cherry wood cradle, the wood trim, and the wood closet doors. And no I do not have curtains up yet, just some honeycomb blinds in some kind of white/gray that blend in with the walls.  Hey, at least the walls aren't brown!

Anywho, it's spring, and even though nothing is blooming up here yet, I'd love a few hundred dollars to make it look fresh and spring-y in my house.  Okay, make that a few thousand. 

No? Fine, I'll start with a few tens, five of them to be exact, and my brown but has-to-go comforter.

I love me a good deal, so I hit up Joann's with my coupon book.  Don't ever buy anything from Joann's that isn't 30-50% off, by the way. Unless you can't wait.

I'm in the middle of several other projects anyway very patient, so I waited till I could score everything on sale. And, I'm waiting to use another one of my 50% off coupons for more blue and green fabric.  (I would totally love if I could shop a fabric.com warehouse. Is there such a thing? I feel like Joann's is so limited, but I also like to feel my fabrics and compare them side by side and make sure the blues are the right hue.)

So, without further ado, here's the start of my new quilt.

Yellow or no yellow? I can't decide.

I've never made a queen sized quilt before. This is going to be some project, but I can't wait to take my rotary cutter to that stack. Oh wait, that's right, I'm in the middle of several other projects very patient. 

no mother to love them

How soundly my children sleep

their healthy bodies puffing soft breath

against pillows that smell faintly of Tide

the walls of our home surround them and warm them

they do not feel hungry or afraid

they do not worry for tomorrow

the walls show their smiling faces behind frames

the fridge displays their drawings and poems

the mess on the floor shows how hard they have played

but somewhere, i know

lies an un-cherished child

perhaps hungry or cold

yet so deserving

my heart aches for that child

for the thousands, actually

that have no mother to love them

no place to call home

in the morning when things are unruly

when my child is running late and another is crying

i must remember to stop and to love them

to love them for the blessing they are

to love them for the thousands that i simply cannot

Bet you can't do this!

Ideally, every morning I would rise nice and early, get into my yoga pants, and spend twenty minutes exercising.  The silence is as therapeutic as the stretches, twists, and bends.

Just as I'm warming up though, Elaina wakes up. 

After a quick change of the diaper, she's content to play with her toes on the bed, leaving me to finish my routine. On to the hundred, the corkscrew, the spine stretch,

wait a minute...

Girl, you are making me feel geriatric; you are way too flexible!

Yes, I know

Why, hello there!  It's been awhile, I know.

Yes, we are alive and well (unless you call teething not well.  I know, it is early for that! She's five months and I can already see the two teeth that are trying to pop through her gums). 

Yes, they're eyes are very blue and very beautiful. I know. And yes, I do need to wash his mouth. 

Yes, she does put up with a lot, but she loves it and she loves her brothers.

Yes, they are close. They are just over two years apart, 

and he, at 2 1/2 years old, loves nothing more than to be holding her.

Yes, his pants are on backwards.  I pick my battles.  This was not one of them.

Yes, they are both very cute. And they have very cute feet. I know.

Yes, they grow so very fast.  

Oh, how I know it!