To blog or not to blog....

.Huge time lapse....I suppose it's easy to get lost in the chaos of life....which I clearly did. To blog or not to blog...
I find it difficult to decide whether or not to throw myself wholly into this creative outlet, hesitate to cram something else into my days, yet, I thoroughly enjoy reading the blogs of friends, glimpsing a tiny bit into their lives and feeling a bit more connected. So for that reason, I continue....


 I absolutely love Christmas. My hope is I will always feel the wonder, the magic, and excitement that this season brings. Having kids has made it that much better.....watching their little faces on our trip to get the tree, and unpacking all the special ornaments and traditions slowly forming....sooo cool!  Here is a bit of Joy, as only pictures can display..

 

This look below summarizes most of our picture experiences.......

A walking tree....

pure JOY

What a beautiful place we're blessed to live in. 
This day was meant for Christmas tree picking,hot chocolate and homemade cookies..... The kids love our little 
'Charlie  Brown' tree in all of it's splendor..... Here's to hoping it snows soon for a beautiful white Christmas.............

Hopefully the creative bug will bite again and I'll share more soon. Until then, Happy Holidays! :)

A Fair September

Okay, okay, so I need to work on being a better blogger...life seems to carry us up up and away..We took our annual birthday trip, to the fair on the opening day. I was missing the chaos of my big sister, but overall the trip was a blast! The kids enjoyed it alot this year...especially Illy....she's FINALLY big enough to ride most rides with us! Pictures speak louder than words sometimes...... First stop...story booth!
This woman looked like a normal grandma...but maybe she was more of an angel..she sure looks like it here!!!

Next was lunch! We love the fair! And who doesn't love a hairy Scottish cow and explanations about why some goats have their horns removed?

All in all a good day at the fair. Happy memories, that what we're after here. Mission accomplished!

Swim lessons and chaos

Our first week of swim lessons started out with a bang....literally! Day two yielded a collision at the after party. Iliana's head vs. Josh's front tooth. As Eda and I watched our adorable children, through the kitchen window, linking crossed hands (for ring around the rosie, which they've been doing in their lessons) on the trampoline...we commented that it didn't look like the safest idea and somebody might get hurt...then turned to continue with snack prep..Needless to say, you should always listen to that mommy intuition. Moments later yielded a sobbing and bloody mess of a newly 7-year old little man. As I ran to him and assessed the situation, I grabbed the tooth that was rolling haphazardly on the still-wobbly trampoline, and had him bite down on a towel to stop the bleeding. Thankfully it was an already loose tooth and the dentist and x-rays confirmed no remaining fragments were in his gum! Sheesh! All I want for christmas is my....

Day 4.... We had just arrived at the pool. After slathering Illy with a coat of sunscreen and getting her settled firmly on her bum at the edge of the pool I turned to coat Josh and chat with a few moms. Illy decided to hop from the edge to the stairs into the pool next to her teacher to begin lessons. For the SECOND time that week dread and mild horror filled me as i watched her emerge from the water with her hand to her mouth and begin to cry. A quick check confirmed

my sinking feeling. My busy little sweetpea had struck again...on the edge of the pool! And the split was all the way from her nostril to the top of her lip! We grabbed a compress, confirmed a ride and guardian for Josh, and ran to the E.R. where we were promptly super-glued shut. Good grief!

If you look closely at the picture to the left, on her hairline, you'll see a tiny cut from where her head collided with Josh's tooth!

How did I have such a firecracker?! The life of a mom.

I need to get busy ordering cirriculum for upcoming school year. How does it sneak up so fast?!! So, Until next time........ au revoir!

Tonight, in my car, I witnessed the most incredible lightning storm I have ever seen.

The smell of damp earth, cool raindrops and the tangy scent of electricity poured in through the open window like a waterfall to my senses. Amidst the lights rocketing through the sky, I was filled with such a longing and emptiness, wishing for someone to share with me the thrill of the show.
At this point, I glanced about at my sleeping passengers and realized that this romantic thunderstorm and
this moment was for me from my God. It's good to savor a moment like that. A balm to the soul.
Yet still I yearn for that human contact and wonder what I'm doing staying in this life I call my own. If only the bigger picture were clear.If only the lines of right and wrong weren't so clearly drawn.
So again, I breath deep the smell of wet grass and wonder if these moments, here and now, are all I'm meant to understand.....

I'm anxiously awaiting the adventures this summer will bring, the inevitable joys and sorrows of life. I want to see the world through the eyes of my children and capture as many moments in word and film as I can, sharing it with my friends and family who can't be with me soooo....here we go!