Are you?

 I must admit as a parent I am always thinking of YOU.  Do you have enough time to be carefree?  Tell me you are not holding back.  Tell me you are still embracing every moment that comes your way. 

 

Are you being Challenged?

  Do you want to know more?

Are you curious and questioning? 

Do you know you can ask us anything?

 

 

                                      Are you Silly?

 

 

Are you noticing the Beauty outside your window? 

Do you know it is from God? 

 

 

Are you eating good?  Are you getting enough exercise?

 

Are you Courageous enough to climb to the top? 

Do you know we would love you even if you weren't? 

I am always thinking...of you.

You are Beautiful - Printable

I am a sucker for Subway Art and when I listened to Melissa Taylor and her Daughter here I was just so moved.  Not only did she give an awesome reminder of how beautiful each of us are in God's eyes but she did it with her little girl.  It was really sweet. 
 

But... on a daily basis that message can be really hard to remember especially in those moments when you aren't feeling just oh-so-special.  So I created this Subway Art so I can read it, my girls can read it and we can imprint it on our hearts.  Because I don't care how old you are or where you are in your life EVERYONE needs a little reminder that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. 

Click here for your free BEAUTIFUL Printable or just click on the image to save and print.   

 

 

 It's my first time making one of these so I hope it works :)

Swinging Spooky

Meet Lucy.  She is our family skeleton. 

 

She hangs outside my office window and keeps bad spirits away. 

Carissa picked out her necklaces and even taught her a dance.

 

We are excited to have Lucy visit us and think she makes a great addition to our home.

Unglued

Pictured below is the completed Book Report Project my daughter finished last night. 

 

Yes it is darling.  Yes it deserves an A.  Yes it took ALL I had not to become UNGLUED over it! 

 

 Thankfully I reading an awesome book by Lysa Terkeurst called Unglued ~ Making wise choices in the midst of Raw Emotions.    I am part of an Online Bible Study (Hi - if your visiting!!) which is helping to give me constant reminders not to LOSE IT.

 

Don't lose it if your child waits 28 days to complete a project at the last minute running around looking for a marker at 8:30pm. 

Don't lose if it makes you late the next morning and you are heading off to school with said project WITHOUT your shoes even on!!

 

But it is allright because as Lysa so gracefully points out in her book "God gave me emotions so I could experience life, not destroy it."

So instead of becoming unglued this morning I choose to smile (I choose "imperfect progress") and I reminded myself that next month has another 30 days in it.  In October we can get it right!

Fall is Forced!

Around here it is still mighty HOT outside.  Unless you are one of those crazy Arizonans who love it when the temp is 102 degrees.  The girls rushed in Friday and begged Justin to get the Halloween Box down.  (I might have begged a little too...)  We are forcing Fall around here! I would give anything to be able to throw all the windows open and put on a pot of chili - SOON...soon!

 

My favorite part of our decorating so far is the top of my black hutch.  Here is what I did:

•  Embellished my burlap wreath with a little pendant -  perfect touch. 
• Wrapped some scrapbook paper around my candle - (taped on the back!)
• Printed the word Boo on Orange Card stock and put in black frame.
• Dollar store pumpkin was a hideous orange so I painted over it with glitter and made the stem black. 
• The owls were a special find this year in Heber, AZ at an antique store.

 It makes me happy!

 

It wouldn't be Fall without Soccer!!  Audrey had her first game (they won 2-1!!)  Here face was red for about 3 hours after. Thank you to the lifesaver who brought the E-Z UP. 

 

Although it is not summer, and Lemonade Stands scream Summer, I let the girls have a stand on Sunday.  Pink Lemonade and Snickerdoodles were on the menu.  ( I was dying to make this recipe from Junk in the Trunk anyways - so YUMMY!)

 

The girls had to make a list of all the ingredients and we went shopping.  Supplies were fronted from Mom who had to be reimbursed. I was so impressed by my little entreprenurs. They managed to keep the stand open for 3 hours and they made $27 (after paying me back, of course!)

 

 

Confession:  It took all I had not to take over!!  At one point they even had to say to me "we got this Mom!".  Guess they did - so humbled!

 

On the Menu this week: Chicken Noodle Soup

Fall People - we are Forcing Fall!!

35 Now....

 I am 35 now. Raising these two angels.  My life is full because of them.

 

 

 

 

 

Labor Day Success

We have always had good Labor Day Weekends.  This time was no exception.  We booked a Staycation at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge and the best part was my family was there too!

Carissa was extremely relaxed because the day before she had lost the tooth that was driving her nuts and was anxiously waiting for a visit from the Tooth Fairy in our Hotel Room.

The girls are so beautiful.  

They probably get it from their crazy Grandma. 

I think the boys had a good time too.  The water was good and the company was best!!

Where to next year?