if you need me, i’ll be hiding in the laundry room drinking sauvignon blanc. don’t worry…i’ll make sure to do laundry at the same time as to stay productive.
xoxoxoxo
wordless(ish??) wednesday
our weekend in photos
Friday afternoon=first day of gymnastics. No, they were not excited whatsoever. Nope.
Afterward we took the kiddos to the playground.
Can we discuss how AWESOME this seesaw for four is? I need one at home.
And there is a story that goes with the photo on the right.
So I decided to challenge J to a game of HORSE. On the preschool playground. On a goal that was uhh…maybe 6 1/2 feet high?
And it took us like 40 minutes to finish. Because of our awesome basketball skillz.
It was maybe the world’s worst game of horse ever played. Yet I was laughing so hard I was crying. Good times.
Saturday we had our first family pancake breakfast. We are really wanting to start a lot of new traditions this year. Jimmy hasn’t been around much so we don’t have many. And we want to remedy that this year.
Daddy pancakes? Are the BEST.
Then I was treated to an 80 minute Balinese massage at the Viking Hotel. Can you say BEST birthday gift ever? The massage is specifically to relieve stress…and wow,did it work. I may or may not have been drooling.
When the masseuse got to my neck he said “HOLY SMOKES there is some tension here!”. And I said…”you.have.no.idea.” Bahahaha.
Jimmy told me to take my time coming home so I tried a French bakery (best scone I’ve ever tasted) and then hit up the sale at JCrew. Which is really good right now, by the way. This southern girl needs LOTS of sweaters and there are so many cute ones on sale.
The rest of the day consisted of autumn beer (my favorite) and snuggles. Not a bad Saturday. 🙂
The black and white photo is blurry, but the way J is looking at Lucy melts my heart.
Sunday I did something that makes me really,really happy. I picked up again with project life. And I was HAPPY the entire time I worked on it.Just full of joy.
I tried a new recipe for dinner. I’ve been making a ridiculous amount of skinnytaste meals. This one is Cajun Chicken Pasta and every single person in my family inhaled it. True story. I have not tried a single skinnytaste recipe that is not delicious.
Another new tradition is Sunday night family dinners with discussion questions. I made an effort to really set the table.Place mats, cloth napkins, a candle lit. This might not sound like a big deal to you, but I don’t ever have time (or maybe energy) to do this.
I printed questions and we all took turns answering them.
I found and downloaded Set One HERE and plan on doing these every week. The questions were a big hit.
Some of the answers made me teary.
Q: If you were granted 3 wishes from a genie, what would you wish?
A (Sadie): 1. To see BB 2. To have family suppers every day 3.Family movies every day
And some made me cry…
Q: What do you think is beyond the stars?
A(Harper): Jesus
and laugh
Sadie: Oh, I love Jesus. I wish I could kiss him right on the mouth and hug him.
Sunday night Sadie decided her daddy needed a pedicure. And when she showed him the sparkly polish, he said yes. without hesitation.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is reason 93840284308 I love James Howell. Because he is a real life action hero who has pink sparkly toenails under his combat boots.
Happy Monday,sweet friends.
xoxo
scrappy saturday- my scraps and more crop!
I’m hosting a challenge at the Back 2 Class Crop at My Scraps and More. 🙂
Head on over and check it out…I made this page with the amazing new line (For the Record 2) by Echo Park. It’s lovely in person!
I don’t know if y’all were fans of Scenic Route, but I was a HUGE fan and I miss it so much. The floral patterned paper on this layout is very reminiscent of something Scenic Route would have come up with. Love,love,love.
My challenge is called “Drama Class”.
I also used my current obsession (MME enamel dots) and of course I added a doily.
Pop on over and join in, my challenge is right here!
See y’all on Monday. ❤
the memory keeper’s guilt trip
today’s post has been rolling around in my heart and my head for a while now. reading ali’s wonderful post yesterday made me want to get these thoughts down. i’m not quite sure how to explain it properly, so please forgive me if today’s post is rambly and random.
scrapbooking has been both a blessing and a curse.
a blessing because it has giving me the gift of creating. of the happiness and release that comes with making something with my own two hands. in a way it has been a therapy for me.
through 7 of the 8 deployments our family has endured,scrapbooking has kept me sane. given me much needed “me time”.
the curse? that i now have memory keeper’s guilt.
it’s that moment when you realize you can not possibly document everything you want to remember.
it’s the way sadie says certain words incorrectly. the way that cate’s lock of hair falls in her face. the inside jokes i have with jimmy right now. our favorite meals. the way harper poses for photos. the way the babies dance,the way their little voices sound,the way they feel in my arms.
i want to remember the complexities of my relationships with my girls. the frustration combined with the moments that take my breath away (because i love them so much it hurts).
the way that my babies always smell like baby shampoo with a slight undercurrent of graham crackers (even though they don’t eat graham crackers).
i want to remember the way jimmy’s hand feels in mine, the way he looks at me,the way he smells and how safe he makes me feel.
how frustrated i get with him about the same silly things. and how i regret it instantly and put my head on his shoulder (because it’s hard for me to say i’m sorry).
i want to remember always moments like this:
each today is unique. my children will never be this exact age again. they will never sound and look the same. and it’s constantly changing. each day is a whirling dervish of lasts and firsts and everyday beautiful moments and silly frustrations and not so silly frustrations.
i simply can’t remember it all.
that’s human nature. i get that. but it doesn’t mean i don’t feel sad about it.
each day,each month,each year there will be things i want desperately to remember.
scrapbooking made me see in a way i’d never seen before. it made me hear in a new way. taste life in a new way.
but it also makes me sad and slightly panicky for all of the things i won’t remember.
you live,you savor,you experience every moment.if you get caught up in documenting too much of it…you miss living it.
so i am continuing to search for the right balance. i am starting to accept that i won’t remember it all,as much as i wish i could.
i am grateful for this blog,for social media.for my outlets that can capture the little things that will be forgotten quickly.
the little things will slip my mind.
but they all add up to make one big thing. i will always remember the thread of love,respect,and hilarity that ran through our lives.
that much i know.
life is a great big jumble of everyday moments. ordinary miracles. i sure wish i could grasp every single one and hold them close to my heart forever. does that make sense?
i can’t promise you that i’ll ever let go of my memory keeper’s guilt. it’s in my nature to think that way.
but remember i said it’s a blessing and a curse? the blessing part trumps the curse part. big time. every time.
happy friday y’all.
xoxo
wordless(ish??) wednesday
no one cries over spilled milk in our house.
they spill it, make a guilty face, strategically place one lock of hair over their forehead for maximum cuteness,and flip us the bird.
okay, she’s not really flipping the bird, but it’s still funny.
happy wednesday!
p.s. that’s cate. 🙂
p.p.s. make sure you come back tomorrow, i’m hosting an awesome giveaway from stuck on you!
