Bloom

I searched for signs of life all spring but had given up hope that my lovely columbine had come back this year. Then a few days ago I noticed some familiar leaves under the stairs. I thought for sure it was some kind of weed mocking me, making me think I might just have my columbine back. Then I saw THIS.

Bloom where you are planted.
~anonymous

Oh and please excuse my janky steps, they were supposed to be temporary and we just never got around to building new ones.


In other news yesterday we spent 17 hours on the road with Lilia and Gavin(well technically only 7 of those hours were with Lilia). We dropped Lilia off at gymnastics camp in western NY and then drove home. BLAH!!!!! She was SOOoooooo freaking excited I thought we were going to have to tie her to the roof of the car just to get there with our sanity in tact.
We left Grady home because he was being picked up a little later in the day to be dropped off at his camp for 3 1/2 weeks! I cannot believe he is gone for that long, I almost turned down the opportunity for him to go when I heard how long it was. But this is a REALLY exclusive camp that he gets to go to for free. Every year they get a list of local kids as back-ups in case someone who signed up couldn't go. Grady was at the top of the list and got picked for the Allagash canoe trip, two weeks canoeing the Allagash and 1 1/2 weeks back at camp. So for now I have one child at home and I don't quite know what to do with myself.

Lilia says, peace out peeps!

And yes she had this much energy the ENTIRE way to NY.

Just Playin'

I followed a link given at 2Peas to change my blog around and lookee and what I did!
I got a bit carried away with my blog banner but I like it for now and I can always change it. :D

Little Chicken

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Yeah what he said.
~me

Big huge thank you to NDjane for her share of this super cool action. LOVE IT!!!! I think it is just perfect for photos of kids pretending to be chickens and American classics, don't you? :D
Hey I gotta let have a little fun with the tools of the trade if I am ever going to get them to muck out the chicken coop. :P

8th Grade Recognition and other stuff

Yessir, I officially have a high schooler now, not sure how it happened so fast, but happen it did.
How is it that time can both go sooooo slow and so fast all at the same time? It seems like I was just sending him off for his first day of school yesterday and then, BAM!, he's done with grade school. I dread how fast these next four years are going to be.

Of course a I have to show a few photos of the man in his duds. He did look right shahhhp! That is once he figured out how to tie his tie. :D



He and his buddy were all smiles for once( if you have a 14 year old boy you know what I mean).


I finally got a decent shot of all three of my little heathens, decent meaning everyone was looking in my general direction and had something like a smile on their face.


Had to get one in of Izzy because she is getting HUGE! Plus I love the light in this one.


Last but not least one of my new faves of Lilia.

The "Where the HECK have you been?"

I don't know how some of you do it every day; kids, school, work, activities, housework, POTD etc etc etc. So, yeah, I have time management issues, not to mention lack of energy and drive. Booooooo to me!
So this is what I have been up to over the last MONTH(I cannot believe it has been almost a month since I have found the time to check in here).


Gymnastics... the season is almost over, YIPPEEEE!!!
This was Lilia's last regular season meet, she took first all around and the rest I can't remember. I promise it is not too long. :)


And this is her shot from States where she took First All Around, Bars and Beam and Third Vault and Floor. All with a badly pulled hamstring.

Then baseball season has started up. This means not only do I coach gymnastics 3 days a week minimum, I also have baseball games and practices to attend 3-4 days a week. UGH!!!
I can't complain too much because as hectic as it is I actually enjoy being busy.

This is Gavin's first ever Little League game(real baseball game ever for that matter). He got walked and then stole second and third and then came home on a hit.
Stealing third!

Made it!

Then just because working and raising three kids didn't seem to be enough I(we but mostly me :D) decided now was a great time for a PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Isobel, AKA Izzy, Izzy B, Bratski and Wizzy.

Her first trip to the beach.