Many Hands.

We picked in record time. 25 pounds of strawberries.
It's nice to have older boys that work fast and furious.

This afternoon there will be about 20 jars of strawberry jam sitting on the shelf in the kitchen.
If you want to come over for toast or a PBJ sandwich, let me know. ;)
XxOo

In our backyard tonight.....

Not Pictured....

...Daddy on swing with baby.
.....Two boys swimming in the pool.
...Green Beans growing in my garden.
.....Sun setting orange in the sky.
...Mosquitoes chomping my legs!

Happy Evening.
XxOo

Things that are hard to do today.

...... look through weekend pictures and not wish it were yesterday.

...Try not to laugh as I tell my 13 year old son what he's saying is unacceptable and gross.
{I held it together!}

...Get rid of ants!
They only visit for about 3 weeks during the beginning of summer...
but while they're here..I hate them!

...Not eat sugar! Oh my goodness...is 9:30am too early to eat leftover cookie dough?

.....Hang clean laundry on the line..when will it stop raining in Northern Illinois?

.....Sleep past 5:30am even though it's summer.
Good Morning Little Early Bird. Thank you so much for getting my day started early.

 

{I'm blogging over at  Twin Garden Farms today.
A super easy recipe to use up all that Swiss Chard you have hanging around.
Your house will smell very Italian.}

Buona Giornata!
XxOo

At the edge of our tiny town....

...are horses that graze in a pretty meadow.

On this cool summer night...some of us went for a walk...
..and fed apples and grass and carrots and weeds to the horses.

Happy Father's Day to all the Great Dad's out there!
XxOo

When you're a newbie....

....everything is simple and you sort of know it all. {or at least think you do}
We did. We had it all figured out.


Clean house {or cute little apartment}?
Yes! I mean seriously, you could swab my floors and not find a trace of bacteria.
You couldn't find a thing out of place even if you wanted to. and laundry..Never piled up!

Organized schedule?
Of course! Because we had Jeff's little black day planner. We were excellent managers of our time...
....because we had loads of it and nothing to do! But don't tell us that...we were so "busy" ;)

Stressed?
Not really. Well, there was this one time...
...the movie we wanted to rent on VHS wasn't in stock at the video store? So stressful.

{old photo}

Fast forward a hundred years and six kids later....

Clean house?
If you catch us at the right time of day.
No matter HOW hard you work...and no matter HOW hard you try,
unless you're willing to put 75 hours a day into cleaning,  your house won't be perfect.

*Side note...I swore my house would ALWAYS be clean!..just so you know... ;)

Organized schedule?
Hahaha...Managers of our time? We don't have any extra time to manage!



Throughout life you will go through different phases.
It's ever changing.

Sometimes I long for the days when we were all alone in our little apartment
with brand new towels! and sheets! and dishes! ..where we could talk and no one was listening.

That day will be here again...
....but today, when all my kids {except Frankie} were gone at a party...

...as I was leaving to take a walk and no asked to come along...because no one was here.
I realized how lonely life would feel without all this activity.

These days...the days of constant dishes in my sink and eternally empty toilet paper rolls...
...I will surely, surely miss.

{unless Jeff and I are eating our way through Europe..then I won't care...Joking!}

Find Joy in whatever phase.trial.situation.circumstance you are in.
There is always something wonderful to be found. Something you will look back on and miss.

XxOo

The weeds are growing wonderfully.

Not sure if it's ever going to stop raining around here.

It's okay. I have a lot of inside work to do today and it's easier to be stuck in
when it's raining outside....I'd be cranky if it were beautiful weather! ;)

I've also accepted it will probably be a bad hair day until September....
...that's the reason why ponytails and buns were invented, right?


Days like this. Where everyone is on top of everyone else.
Where we eat frozen pizza for lunch and color American flags on paper plates and I hear someone yell from the window..."It's raining again!"....these days, these days I love so very much.

What a blessing, what an honor to be a Mom.

Off for a walk with the babe and whoever else wants to come along in between thunderstorms.
Happy Monday
XxOo

Have a Lovely Weekend.

It's raining, It's pouring...and chilly.
Two days ago we were at the sunny lake,
today we're in sweaters drinking hot tea...or at least thinking about it.

I'm supposed to be going with my mom tomorrow to this fabulous sale.

Frankie has a little fever...he's in good spirits, so not sure what's going on.
We'll have to see how the little Frankster is doing in the morning...
...I may not be going to the fabulous sale.

Here's one and another Andrew Belle song to finish off your week...
..you know, since we're still in a post concert Andrew Belle mood around here.

Doing anything exciting this weekend? or just laying low?
XxOo

A Very Nice Wednesday.

Banana Bread Pies...thanks Stephanie.
Oatmeal Cookies...thanks Mom.
Iced Sweet Tea....thanks Dana.

A house by the lake....thanks Beautiful Grandma. {and Grandpa!}

Sunshine...91 degrees...sisters....cousins....

....super adorable baby {who loved the sand and water}....Thank You God.
I have a very blessed life.
XxOo

A very, very rainy concert.

Last night a bunch of us went and saw our friend Andrew Belle perform.
We were completely soaked. But it was totally worth it.

Such a great mom I am...my sister pointed out to me my son was sucking my umbrella handle.
I'm sure it was delicious...all that bacteria from the restaurant floor. Yum, Yum.

 My {almost} 7 month pregnant sister and her husband...so cute! ^^^

My boys with Andrew Belle.

XxOo