Wrapping up the week on Saturday...I love this lens...oh wait, I don't. I do love this song though.and the tacos. and the muffins.

I found my old lens in my camera bag..I thought...I haven't used this for a while.
When I uploaded my pictures, I remembered why.
I never thought I would be a person who cared about camera lenses...but I do.
...and all last weekend I used the one I highly dislike. Oh well.


My grandparents live on a lake...and all the grand kids and great-grand kids think it's the greatest.
Especially since there are many fishermen{and fishergirls} in our family.
{I am not one of them..I just like to be outside by the water...maybe cast once or twice}

When your neighbor graduates high school...and they have a party and hire a Taco Truck.

No matter how hard a person tries, no one can make tacos like the Mexicans can.
The cilantro, the onions, the beef, the corn tortillas...so good.

It's Saturday. It's raining... It's 48 degrees outside.
I am freezing and wearing a big chunky sweater....in May.
I have sour dough rising in the kitchen.
The girls and I are on the couch watching this old movie ...it's one of my favorites!
{I think I've seen it 2,000 times...I will never get tired of it no matter how old I get.}

Jeff and the boys are working on our family room/dining room renovation...
..I think today the wall is coming down! I'm so excited!
I love any home project....and this one is a big one.

Cute little song for you to listen to.

Happy Weekend.
XxOo

Lately around here.

Sunshine came.....but it's still chilly.
{Dear warm, where are you?
I reeeeeaaaally want to open my windows and wear sundresses!}

My herb garden needs tending to.
That will most likely happen this week.

Bath night is every night...thank you sand and dirt.

Thanks to Alex, our back porch is summer ready...whenever it decides to come.

{Sophia taking sunset photos with my camera ^^^..love finding their pictures when I upload.}

This girl made us homemade pizza Friday night...Thanks Allison.

Dinner by Jeff.
He's seriously amazing in the kitchen.

Jeff was fixing my clothesline posts and he "helped".

And that's lately around here. :)
XxOo

Wrapping up the week...Engagement.Being Late.Balloons.The Sweetest Photo.Two Songs.My Love.

I remember being there when he was born... now my little brother Jake is getting married!

He asked Molly to be his bride.
She is adorable and sweet and we are excited to
have her joining our family.

He proposed early on a gorgeous, gorgeous, Sunday morning at the end of Navy Pier.
My sister and I went down early with our husbands and
tied balloons to a bench.

Then sat back across the pier, drank our coffee and waited.
Our friend Maggie was there to take pictures!!! It was perfect.

Maggie is amazing....is this not the most perfect photo ever???

{Navy Pier reposted it on their site..How fun for them!}

This article has been circulating the web...I love it!
It's perfect. You need to read it and have compassion on the late.

"People who are late have a greater inability to feel stressed, leading to health benefits, but also think outside the box and look at the bigger picture. All of these things lead to greater success at work, alongside a longer life."
and also...


"As with the laid-back nature of a B type personality, they will not worry so much about train times, booking hotels or flights. They “will just throw some items in a suitcase and head out, figuring out where to eat and sleep along the way."
^^^I think Jeff and I had a plan once..maybe.

Late people don’t see it as a big deal when others are late, because they can ‘see the bigger picture’

I promise to never be mad if you are late.
It will actually make me happy because you will be later than me! ;)

So next week I'll tell you how my attitude as a wife needed to change..
...and how I'm praying and working on it.

I am so in love with this man{the one wearing the blue shirt in the picture ^^^}
...the more I learn, the more I realize how UN-deserving I am.


Here are 2 songs...they will make you think and appreciate.

Grab some Kleenex before you listen to THIS one.
Jeff told me he loved me and sent it to me last summer when we were in the middle of a fight...
...yeah, I was crying and our silly little fight pretty much ended immediately.

It seemed important at the time...and now, I don't even remember what it was even about!
Ha! We are such selfish beings. People I mean..us people. Me. Myself. all of us.
Thank you Jesus for redemption!

Here's another ....I absolutely love The Avett Brothers.

They are probably our favorite.
Years of listening and we have never gotten tired of hearing their music.


Well...You have a great weekend.
XxOo

For the people who never see the morning.

I would rather wake up at 4am, than stay up until 4am.
Early mornings are my favorite part of the day.

The way the sun shines.
Breakfast.Coffee.
The quiet. The stillness.
The whole day is ahead of you.

In the wee hours of Sunday morning, we were on a mission {more on that another day...}
Tourist-y yes, but Navy Pier is absolutely gorgeous in the morning.
The sun rising over the lake covering the buildings with glittery sunshine.
Everything sparkles.

I love listening to the city in the morning. {whether on the pier or not...}
There is so much to hear when traffic is non-existent and the city is still asleep.

My sister Stephanie and Maggie  ...a friend who is basically family.
Thanks for hanging out with us and showing us your adorable home that I want to live in.

Frankie in his shark shoes eating MY biscoff donut!!!
The one I dreamed of for daaaaays!!!  The one I couldn't replace.
Sigh....The things we sacrifice for our children.

Hope your Monday is off to a great start.
XxOo

This morning at our house...

..

...our front door and windows are open.
......sour dough bread is cooling on the counter to be used for lunch.
....trees and bushes and plants are blooming.
..it was sunny enough to drink coffee on the porch this morning!
.....we've been a little off track with school and our schedule the past two weeks,
it feels good to be productive and organized this Monday morning.
....the pink hyacinths Jeff's mom let me pick from her yard yesterday smell so sweet.
..half of my children are doing school outside..I love these kinds of days.
....Frankie has been protecting us all morning from bad guys using only a squishy Lego sword.
..I am happy and content and thankful to be able to stay home.

Jeff and Alex have been listening to the Gray Havens a lot lately....
...I love this SONG. It's been played a couple times already today. ;)

Happy start to a new week to you.
XxOo

Wrapping up the week...Wow! what happened to all that marriage blogging?

Life...that's what happened.
I started this week with  piano lessons filling my Tuesday afternoon
and nothing else on the schedule....

....I haven't stopped all. week. long!!!
Everyday filled to the brim with busy. All good...but I'm glad it's the weekend.

These photos were all taken last Sunday.
It was opening trout weekend...my boys really look forward to this time.
They usually spend it with my dad and brothers...it's a Savino family tradition.

It was rainy and cold...I was the only one that cared. Ha!

Jeff and I celebrated 20 years this past week.
We ate deep dish pizza and watched a movie on our couch.

We are actually planning a trip together this summer/fall.
....and we're going to breakfast tomorrow.
I love being married to him so very much. He makes life perfect.

Have a wonderful weekend.
It's supposed to be warm and sunny here!
XxOo

Five things you'll need in your life if you plan on having teenagers one day...The twenty year edition.

Wednesday Jeff and I will be married for twenty years...TWENTY YEARS!
{How can it be twenty years already!?}

This week I am devoting my blog to all things marriage.
A little couple to couple advice on things we've learned or experienced thus far.

I thought I'd kick off the week with five things you will NEED in your life if you
plan on remaining somewhat sane while sharing your home with teenagers.


1. You need your own bathroom. My mother has been saying this
to us girls for many years now. I won't go into detail here,
I'll just say... boys are boys no matter how old they get.
...and really, there aren't enough candles in the world when a mom
has to do her hair and a boy has just spent some time in the restroom.

2. Double thick, plush, sound proof carpeting covering your bedroom floor...
..{and maybe even the walls}.

3. A high quality, bed....because no matter how quiet you think you are when you are
...ummmm..."sleeping"...a house can be ferociously silent once night falls.

4. Moms of boys, get a good bra because you will be wearing it twenty four hours,
seven days a week.

5. If possible put four refrigerators in your kitchen and keep them filled with as
much red meat, chicken and eggs as possible.

You're welcome.
XxOo