where was i a year ago?

and how have my plans changed?
are my thoughts still centered on happiness,
or are emotions up to plate?
do i find beauty in little things,
or let *things* get to me?
am i inspired by gummi bears,
or just feeling rather weak?


it's been a whirlwind of emotions and love and laughter and stress these past few days (and weeks). i'm still feeling rather tossed at the moment. but i am happy.


my brother's wedding was beautiful. the PERFECT day. every detail exquisite, every moment planned, it was a dream come true.
her uncle performed the ceremony and said some really fantastic things. one of which, "you have planned and waited for this day with anticipation. but it's more than just a realization of a dream for you, it is the realization of the dreams and prayers of your family members. this truly is THE dream come true. the power of your virtue fills this room." it was over-powering, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.


and can you believe it, i didn't take a single picture on my own. i wanted to enjoy the day with my own eyes instead of feeling stuck behind a camera, hoping to capture the perfect shot. it's killing me to not having any proofs sitting before me, but i'll wait patiently for ashley to post some!!! well, maybe not so patiently. ;-D


we'll be leaving on vacation this week and will be gone for 12 days. please don't break into my house... although you're more than welcome to finish our landscaping while we're gone! heaven knows are *help* isn't getting the job done.

spc#1 fresh

SPC #1 fresh (start)

i feel like if i don't post right now, my head may just explode.
there are so many little and HUGE thoughts spinning around in here.
so much has happened and is happening in our little world.
good things, bad things
GREAT things, crazy things
things, things, and more things!

i can't even label or sort it all out. there are beautiful marriages, ugly divorces, time with family (good!), TIME WITH FAMILY (bad!), landscaping, vacation planning, gardening. it seems that every occasion has a flip side that is dark and ugly and foreboding. i'm struggling to keep my head up above it all.

i need a FRESH start, i need to wipe the slate clean. having 4 truckloads of dirt in our front yard has been a great playground for my kids. but it has also helped me to reconnect with what is really fundamental. the smell of freshly tilled and broken dirt is intoxicating. feeling the soil engulf first my toes, then my feet, ankles, legs; fresh and live, revitalizing. and the flip side: i now have dirt in my carpet, dirt in the laundry, dirt on my bed! part of this picture also reminds me that i'm stuck, my feet sinking under the loose soil. it takes real effort to trudge through my little dirt mountains, it will take real effort to lay the sprinkler pipe, to even out the ground, to seed the lawn, to plant the trees, to care for the flowers. *fresh* takes time... sometimes so much time, that we may not even notice the change(s).


but here are the good things in my life right now:

dirt surfing

front porch lunchand daddies who love their babies (and the dandelion headed babies who love their daddies)...
i'll be back soon. and maybe with a few more things sorted out. ;-D

while you wait, check out my SIL's bridals and my other SIL's maternity shots! could ashley be any more talented???

lucky number seven

happy anniversary husband of mine

chocolate noir
creme brulee

my gift to us: FINALLY (starting and) finishing our wedding album

i love you boy.

moon shining

i ask G to sign SUN for me

but all i can ever get is MOON

and what a full moon it is...

shoe love

absurdity: SPC week four

i think it's completely absurd that despite my deep LOVE for all things spring right now, i really want it to snow again so that i have reason to wear my cute new boots. it's a completely illogical time of year to be buying big, burly boots; but i vanted dem!

i think that shoes in general are absurd. we buy them based on style, not functionality, not comfort. we buy inserts to help stop the throbbing pain. after buying the shoes, we then have to find skirts, shirts, jeans, and jackets to construct the perfect outfit. and even then... baby spit up happens and i'm left with a less than perfect outfit.

i needed shoes for my brothers wedding, gold shoes to be exact, but i didn't want to lug 4 cranky, messy kids into shoe store after shoe store to find that perfect pair of shoes. rachel at metaphorical magpie tipped me off to the amazing wealth of shoe love found online. and wouldn't you know it, "i found them at famous."

but i couldn't stop at just one pair right?
i was supposed to get boots for christmas (i ended up spending that gift card on cute clothes for my kids) and after my bout with gout i realized how ALL of my shoes have a heel, i needed some flats. i'm IN LOVE with these, they are so comfy, and yes, you read the tag right, they're NINE's, i have ski's for feet:
even harmony is feeling the love.
oh, how i love my UPS man.

shameless product placement

who me? couldn't be... i'm just a helpless little baby stuck on a table top...yeah, you caught me, i love em!

in other news, i asked the hubs to bring me a salad last night as a late-night snack. this is what he brought me. i was thinking a pile of lettuce from the bowl. he was thinking romaine, fresh strawberries, blueberries, a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of balsamic vinagrette. oh, how i love this man.

a ridiculous waste of time

i really love paper; like really, really, really love paper. find myself just walking down the craft store aisle and touching paper type love. so i touched paper all night long, paper whore that i am. cutting, pasting, fitting, stamping, tearing... loving. *sigh* and now i am one tired mama.

a tale of one poop

let me start by saying, this really is a post all about poop. so go away if you can't handle a little baby doodoo.

i received a text several days ago asking me what i was doing. our convo proceeded like this:
nicole: "...what did you do today?"
me: "watched conference, slept, made dinner for family, laundry, dealt with poop. pretty good day."
nicole: "dealt with poop. haha you say that like it's just as normal as washing dishes. haha. i guess it is for you though.
me: "yup! that's living w/ a toddler (and baby)."
nicole: "haha, makes me not so pissed about having to vacuum today."
me: "I'd rather wipe a butt than vacuum. she at least says thank you!"
"thank you mama! i was all yucky!!"


good morning princess!
even G (the original mess maker) was disgusted
have you ever seen something so simultaneously cute and disgusting?

the hubs couldn't help, because he was busy taking pics!
oh yeah, it was EVERYWHERE
after two rinse cycles. really, how could you not?