Um, Yum

Have you tasted one of these yet? I finally got around to buying and trying them thanks to a .50 cent coupon that was so graciously given to me by Target... You have to try one for yourself... Individual sorbet cups, in fabulous flavors like Glacial Mango... Here's where it gets tricky... You will find these residing on the store shelf next to applesauce and such, not in the frozen foods department... Try one  today, you will thank me, I promise.

Blah

I apologize for my state of blah... I don't quite know what has happened to my pep... This week began and as I drew in  a deep and steady breath, I realized that exhaustion was closing is on me... Maybe it was the move... Maybe it is the two darling boys that I chase around in circles from dawn until dusk each day... Maybe it is the fact that we have not seen my husbands sweet smile in 24 days and wont for at least another 10... Maybe it was the failed attempt at five years of sterilization or maybe it's the impending second attempt of insertion next month...

( Come on cervix, work with me here...) Maybe it is the unpacking of our lives, tedious and fragile... Maybe it is my busy little mind that never quite quiets down... The part of me that waits and yearns for the late night hours, when I can be alone and bask in the silence... Maybe it's my late night book reading  and that secret box of Ju Ju Bees...  Maybe it was the garage sale, no that was joyous... Maybe it's Bella asleep in my lap, no, I just wanted to type her name... Maybe, maybe, maybe. Whatever it is I hope that it goes away as swiftly as it came.  No more blah.  My cup is half full. Blessings in abundance. Time to go to bed... Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy.

Day Dream

Take a look at this piece of beauty... I can just picture throwing the boys into the bucket and racing off towards the sunset... We would love this bicycle, we would treat it right... We would ride it everywhere that we went, further than we ever thought that we would travel by bike... All the way up the coast to Santa Barbara, well maybe not that far... I'm in the market for a new bicycle you know... Something fabulous.  Sebastian tells me I would most likely be happiest with a pink and purple princess bike... Fancy that. However I think that I would be happiest with this... And if I start saving for it now, I just might be able to smush both boys into the bucket when they are in high school... A girl can dream can't she?

Garage Sale Highlights

Beautiful oranges hand picked by my momma sold quickly at $1.00 per dozen...

A box full of old friends ready for a new beginning...

Wonderful little helpers with very quick little hands...

Free desk chair spins complements of Sebastian...

A lovely lemonade stand that offered crisp, cool refreshment on a very hot day...

A tip jar that was later filled to the brim...

A little boy that saw first hand the meaning of generosity and charity... 

Four hundred sixteen dollars earned for a wonderful cause and two wonderful ladies...

Job well done.  

Thank you endlessly to all of the helping hands and open hearts that contributed to the success of today's sale! I could not have done it without you and I thank you for the experience.

Worth While

Hi Corey,

 

I have to tell you that I am speechless regarding your generosity and your time.  Having a garage sale and donating the proceeds towards Jen and my fundraiser is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.  Thank you so very much!!!!  You are truly a wonderful, wonderful friendJ

 

Xoxo,

 

Liz

 

P.S.  I was hoping to come help but that is the only day my sister-in-law can meet us and Shane doesn’t get to see his cousins often as they live in Palm Springs - I am sorry.  I will be thinking of you and wishing I could help.  I can’t wait to hear all about it and yes, I would love pictures of the event.  Thank you, Thank you!

Corey!!!

Heidi told me about the garage sale!!! I am so blown away! What an unbelieveably kind act, Corey. I am so sorry I missed the meeting & the "unveiling" of your plans. What a surprise!!

I really hope you have a great turn out, as the Susan G. Komen foundation is such a solid cause. I just keep saying, "wow!" over and over again, and I just want you to know how touched and moved I am by your gesture. THANK YOU a million times over. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!! I am so blessed to know you.

If it would be all right with you, I would like to have any donations you receive go to Liz. I am actually over my fundraising goal (I know, another huge blessing) so I think this would most definitely help her out the most.

Thank you again Corey. I know how much time and effort it takes to put a garage sale together. I will never ever forget how special you are and what a great surprise this was to Liz and me.

GOOD LUCK!!!!! And thank you. You're a diamond.

Jen

Baby Sue

I can hardly believe that my dear friend Brenda's sweet baby girl is about to turn one year old! What a momentous occasion! I was thrilled when Susie's momma asked me to photograph her for her birthday invitations... This little girl could not contain one more ounce of cute.. She is darling from head to toe... I can't wait for the party!

Joy

Family Map

A bought this map for Sebastian a few months back but really didn't have the space to display it properly in his old bedroom... Now that we have a playroom space, I have the map up! I have added ribbon and pictures so that Sebastian and Brooklyn can see where our beloved family members live, as we are spread much too thinly across the country.  I also added a second colored ribbon attached to a tiny green airplane to follow Papa when he is away on business... Right now the airplane is in Baltimore and we cant wait to turn it around and pin it safely back into San Diego...

Boys Of Summer...

Look at these faces? Smiles like these can come from nothing other than sunshine, popsicles and long drawn out beach days... Loving summertime with my boys.

Super Summer Garage Sale!

I am finally ready to hold the impending sale of items that are no longer needed or wanted in our household! I am selling it all this weekend with the proceeds of my sale being donated and split between three of my girlfriends that are participating in this years Breast Cancer Three Day Walk! I have wanted to show these girls my support for some time and think that this will be the perfect gesture! I hope that it goes well... This Saturday is the day! I have also reached out to my circle of friends for donations and many have come through with unwanted and used items of their own... Don't you  just love generosity?

 Sebastian and Brooklyn will be working a separate fundraising  angle from their Lemonade stand parked at the end of the driveway... Pictures to follow!

Welcome Home

Splish Splash

How lucky are we that there is this fabulous splash mat directly across the street from our new  house? I ran and grabbed my camera today when I met my mom and the boys after a solo outing... Sebastian had decided that it would be a good idea to wear his rain boots to enhance his splash experience... Apparently he also thought it was a good idea to wear his baby brothers swim trunks instead of his own... Too little but also too funny...

Packing

Personal belongings collected over a lifetime

Aching backs and arms and feet

Cleaning and cleaning and cleaning some more

Kids can collect an unfathomable amount of things... Such small people, such large amounts of stuff

Inching my way though the house, room to room, cupboard to cupboard and closet to closet

Newspaper, newspaper, wrap,wrap,wrap

Garage filled with boxes ready for the ride...

Before Boxes

This afternoon, I began to pack up Sebastian's belongings and carefully place the last four years into cardboard boxes... Every inch of his bedroom holds a memory for me... Sebastian was one year old when we moved into this house, he came with a crib, a changing table and a handful of unanswered questions... We worked through the unknown together, often within  the confines of these four walls... He played, he danced, he laughed, and he grew into a wonderful little boy; all while sleeping under this roof... I have spent many a night sleeping in this room as well, with my arms wrapped tightly around my boy... Nights when he was well, nights when he was ill... Nights where he was just wanting the company of his Momma,  I would climb into his crib and sleep beside him... He learned the love of a story here, tucked into his covers at night. He learned the power of a prayer and the love of a family here... He drew in strength and welcomed the change... I went and got him before I started packing up his treasures... I asked him to look around his room, because even though I was going to take some pictures for him to remember it by, he would never see his room this way again. And so he did... And as I packed, I cried... For the first time during this moving process, I cried... Memories flooded my mind and my heart was full...  Tears of joy, excitement, nervousness,exhaustion and reminiscence. Bittersweet and joyous is the end of this chapter of our lives... There are new experiences that await us, new rooms, new treasures... More memories to be made...Same boy, same love.

Independence Day