Sunny Days

There were a few solid weeks there where I was totally believing we had skipped Spring & jumped right into Summer, and I was ok with that.

Now we are back to more typical Spring weather: lots of overcast, lots of rain showers.  It makes me appreciate when the sun does peak through, I sit outside & enjoy my coffee while I warm my feet.  

I'm so thankful for the peaceful weather we have here.  Others are facing such terribly scary, horrific weather & I'm sitting here, happily drinking my coffee, praying for all of them...

I hope we can all have more days like this. 

Happy Monday!

 We had a nice weekend.  Although sadly John had to work for the majority of it.

Here are just a few random pictures since I don't feel like getting them off my phone and it would seem that is my camera of choice these days.  : )

 The other night, like most, the girls begged for food right before bed.  I decided to let them have a little treat and made them popcorn.  You would of thought I offered them a giant bowl of ice cream as excited as they got over this little idea.  They jumped up and down, sang songs about popcorn, told me I was the best mom ever...

 I can't see you.

 They are cats.  Or dogs, I can't remember and it's always changing.

 This is a picture of me, sitting on the floor, with both of them fighting over lap space, this is exactly how I feel 99% of the time.  But I love it, mostly...

 I love this picture because it reminds me of the one I took a million years ago when Norah was like 8 months old and Ava's holding the view finder up to her eyes.  Not that she could at all figure it out, but it was the sweetest sentiment. 

 In fact, I just dug up the picture, so you can see for yourself!

Love these girls!

Happy Monday!!

Keep Swimming...

I miss this guy.

He's here yes, but work has CONSUMED him since we got home from Mexico.  I feel so bad for him.  I just want to take over part of his work load so he doesn't feel as over-loaded as he does!  I really want to help, but he is so swamped that he can't even imagine taking the time to train me to do any of it.  

I hate seeing him this stressed, I hate not being able to help!  

Love, please know that I am so proud of you & how hard you work & I would do any thing to help ease your stress.  

Me & your girls think you are the bee's knees, just in case you were wondering....

LOVE YOU!!

Cutie Cousins

 A little afternoon chocolate muffin making leads to their favorite part, licking the beaters.

 Although eating the muffins is a close second.

Chocolate makes them dance!

Love these sweet girls, I suspect that they will not just be cousins but forever friends!

Heavy Heart.

 I want to write a post about how cute (or annoying) my kids are, or puppies we don't even have.  But that is not what is on my heart.  There is nothing on my heart right now but James.

 James is my brother Jeff's very, very close friend.  He is hilarious, amazing, & awesome.  He is a 21 year old youth pastor who organized a hike/picnic for his church on Friday.  He went swimming in a place you shouldn't, a majestically beautiful place where it's sometimes OK to swim, but not this time of year.  The undertows are something fierce and he and another man got swept away by them and down a crazy steep waterfall into rocks & rapids. 

The day after Jeffrey graduated high school his best friend Grant was killed in a car accident leaving Jeff's house.  This was beyond devastating, obviously. 

Now just about 2 weeks after Jeff graduates college, this tragedy happens to his best friend James.  WTH???  I am so heart broken for Jeff, for James' family, his friends.  Life is so crazy unfair. 

 To make matters worse, Jeff is in Europe with my mom, and I have no idea if he knows, how he is doing, or what he is going to do.  I wish I could be there to give him a big hug and a million hugs thereafter.  I wish I could know that he will be OK, that this won't break him.  

I take that back, it won't break him.  He has his faith, his friends, us.  He has gotten through this before.  But seriously??  He shouldn't have to.  He is so young.  This is so hard.  Why do these things happen???

I look at my beautiful children's innocent faces and I know that I am lucky, lucky that I have them.  You never know what will happen.  You just have to appreciate today & each other.

Please send prayers.  Prayers that they find James.  Prayers that his friends and family will be OK.  

Hug your loved ones.  Hold them tight.  Tomorrow is not a promise.

: (

Cozy.

This girl.  Every morning we have a routine.  She used to wake up screaming & crying for me to come get her out of her crib but I have since taught her to yell "Mommy! I'm awake!" and she does now, every morning.  It's so much more pleasant then her old way!

After I change her diaper we go get some milk, yogurt & coffee for me and sit down on the couch.  The other day I put a blanket on my lap and she says "I need a blanket!" so I tucked it onto her lap.  She says, "Oooh cozy."  She then looked to her left and saw my laptop sitting near her, she turns to me and says "Computer need a blanket too?" and then put the corner of the blanket on it.  So funny!  

Love this sweet girl.

Mother's Day Weekend

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.  Ours was really great.  

I spent some quality time with my girls Friday, we ran some errands, then hit up Cold Stone for some tasty treats.

 Of course Ava picked the bluest flavor they have, makes sense, she KNOWS I hate blue things.  Why are kids drawn to gross fake blue treats??  I just don't get it. : )

 Just in case the ice cream wasn't enough of a treat we went to Trader Joe's next, where they found the monkey (TJ's hides a stuffed animal monkey in a new spot each day to make grocery shopping a little more fun for kids, they also have mini shopping carts so my kids LOVE going there) & got a sucker as their reward.

 Next we headed to the beach for a little family fun.

Mike joined us too!

 And my favorite, Bayli!!  How fitting that I got to spend Mother's Day with her, she fills my heart up in all the best ways.  She's pretty much my first daughter and I value any time I can spend with her.

 And my sister, Jessica means so much to all of us, having her there for the weekend is always a treat!

 

 You may not of known this about me but I'm quite the artist.

 Norie B, just being silly.

 Auntie is FUN!!

 We made her a bracelet, reminds me of my childhood. 

 Oh Starbucks.  They really sucked me in with this half priced happy hour gig they did all week.  I ended up trying a new frappuccino, the Java Chip Light, it may have ruined me forever, I can't stop thinking about it.  I even went back today and got another one, not at happy hour.  Uh-oh.

 Ava found a ladybug, a frog & a worm!  Sadly the frog hopped away.  And no ladybug lasts long in her presence.  Come to think of it I'm not sure the worm fared well either.  In retrospect I'm feeling pretty happy for that frog...

 I LOVE my sister.

 Beach walk

Speaking of exercising on the beach, I ran 8 miles on Saturday down there!  I had been dreading it.  The sand, the distance, the hills through town, I just was not looking forward to it at all.  But it was a really great run.  I felt good & strong the whole way through and like I could of easily kept going when I hit the 8 mile mark.  Now I wish I could return next weekend for my 9 miler! : )

 We all went out to a Mother's Day dinner on Saturday night, it was really fun!

Love that we all got to spend this special weekend together.  The only thing that would of made it better would of been to share it with my mom.  But she's off being a world traveler, what can you do?

Happy Mother's day, to all the mom's out there!

Best job in the world, I seriously couldn't feel more blessed!!