unattainable

it has come to my attention today, by way of gage's photography skills, that my to-do list has reached unattainable proportions. i find myself pondering it more than executing it because at this point, rather than help me, it has disabled me with it's overwhelming endlessness.

does your list ever get that way? mine does at least every couple of months. the only thing on my list today is sitting down and deciding what really needs done. clearing my head and starting fresh. i guess a good place to start would be that pile of dirty laundry behind me.

little me, little me what do i see?

item of the week

the new item of the week is the palest pink rosebud ring. it will be available at the discounted price with free shipping until july 17th. the picture really doesn't do it justice. i love this ring!

stop by my shop and take a gander.

xoxo

a million miles away

we made a spur of the moment trip out to brown creek sunday evening.
we met up with my family who had spent the majority of the holiday weekend there. it was nice to be able to make it out there for even just one night.

camping is something that i look forward to every year. i love being out in the fresh clean air. surrounded by trees and blue skies. i think it is medicinal for me. living simply for a short time. enjoying the dirt on my boys' faces and the animals that scurry around the perimeter of our temporary abode.

a love of the outdoors has been embedded in my soul. it is a passion that has been handed down to me from many generations before. and a passion that i hope to pass down to my own children. i find it so humbling to be in the center of God's purest creations. i feel like i'm a million miles away from all the garbage that bothers me throughout the week. and it's awesome to see that my boys can be happy as little larks with no television and no store bought toys. just each other, nature and their imaginations. i love it.

everyone should go camping. at least once a year i think. it just feels good.

and maybe, just maybe you'll have an encounter with one of these beautiful creatures. absolutely breathtaking i tell you.

star spangled

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth,

the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them,

a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,

that among these are...

LIFE

LIBERTY

and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

the fourth of july has always ranked right up there with christmas for me. i love this holiday. i love that it reminds me to be proud of my country and the people in it and the sacrifices that were made {and continue to be made} for me to have such a life of privilege.

i love when the parade begins and flag goes by. i love watching the crowded street rise and seeing hands placed over hearts. i wish that the everyone would show the same respect as the elderly man i watch nearby. you could see in his face that he understood the blessings and the sacrifices in a very real sense. his pride was real and deep. i feel sure that to him this holiday is more than a fun-filled weekend of fireworks, parties, cook-outs and social gatherings.

i love this country. i love the principles on which it was founded and feel that it is essential that we hold true to those things. if the brave men and women who gave so much to establish this great country could do it all holding so strongly to their TRUST IN GOD, then i think that is something to be honored and respected.

this country is very diverse. that is one of the beautiful qualities of a place that gives freedom to its people. freedom that came at a price. the founders of this country gave more than we may ever have to give for the freedom of our families and i think that their legacy deserves our continued respect. you don't have to agree with it, but you don't have to change it either. enjoy that you can live here and believe whatever you choose to believe. enjoy that you can worship or not worship. allow each other that right. you don't have to pray, you don't have to trust in God, but those who wish to are given that right as well.

God bless America!

par-tay

last night we partied hardy with gage and garrett. we had a racing car theme because that seems to be the boys' craze these days. gage wants to race EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE. and garrett wants to do everything that gage does.

we had a lot of fun and are glad for the family we had there to celebrate with us. our boys are sure blessed to be loved by many many wonderful people.



{{the lighting was something awful so the picture quality isn't real great but at least you get the idea.}}

happy birthday to my two special men!!

xoxo~mommy

gage picked out this cake from some pictures online. by far my most ambitious one ever. thanks to all my decorating helpers it was finished in time.

the tables were simple but SO cute. a black table cloth with white tape down the middle. i love how they looked!

we had box cars and a racing track for the kids. it was so funny to watch them. even some of the great-grandparents joined in the fun!

hayden and gage


callie jayne

hayden and trenton {aka: nienie}

nana and gage

poppy and gage


callie and garrett racing sans box cars

garrett and uncle marcus

how old are you gage?

cutting into the cake. i can't lie, it was sad. but yummy!

gage opening gifts. garrett snoozed right through that part.

oh boy!

gage telling everyone "thank you" in his quietest of voices.

garrett opened his gifts at home. thanks everyone!

the handsome birthday brothers at home.

i sure love them!!!

a few things

garrett is now officially blonde. like BLONDE blonde. i'm still getting use to it. sometimes i have to do a double-take and remind myself, that YES he is my child and not a wandering neighbor boy.

gage had a small traumatizing moment yesterday. the result--he has a big huge band-aid on his forehead (which he is quite proud of) and he hasn't tried to pull a Houdini in his seat belt once since it happened.

we had chocolate fudge pancakes for breakfast this morning. i had leftover batter from one of the boy's birthday cakes and thought...i wonder if those would cook like pancakes?? they did. and the boys devoured them. i would be lying if i didn't tell you i was right there devouring with them.

our garden is growing nicely. the only thing that's really struggled has been the carrots. i think that is on account of the hail we received a few hours after the seeds were planted. i can't wait for all the home grown produce. i think about it every time i grocery shop. oh wont it be lovely.

i need to get back to running. since our lake trip i really haven't gotten back on a schedule and i'm not loving the results. i need to rededicate.

my shop has been pretty busy this week considering it is still just a little baby. it makes me happy.

the hubby finally built me a little something to help organize our dresser a bit. it's over-run right now by the tv and dvd player and i don't like it. as soon as the paint is dry i will be putting the dvd player below the tv and surrounding them both with pretty things. yay!

i love the fourth of july and feel like a little kid again anticipating the weekend. camp-outs, fireworks, homemade ice-cream, fresh cut watermelon, parades....bring it on!

:::item of the week

the new item of the week is up at my shop!

these pale pink daisy earrings have to be one of my very favorites. they are going to be reduced all week with free shipping.

does it get any better than that?

old love::new love

well we are home safe and sound from a whirl wind of a roadtrip.

friday morning bright and early we headed out with the nienie's for a six hour drive to las cruces, new mexico.

purpose: a wedding.

two movies, one stop at arby's, three sleepy boys + one fuel-up later we were at men's wearhouse picking up tuxes and shoes. from there we located our hotel, dropped off suitcases, changed diapers and headed to the rehearsal. we made nearly perfect time.

two things about las cruces, should you ever choose to visit:

numero uno:: DO eat at La Posta mexican restaurant located in historical downtown.

numero dos:: by all means, avoid the Teakwood Hotel which more than likely SHOULD be located in historical downtown.

friday evening involved one bachelor night that didn't quite go as planned and three rowdy boys stuck in a joint hotel room. sleep was all too welcoming and daylight came entirely too early. we cleaned up, ate breakfast, packed up and checked out. monica and i got to the church at 11:30 to do hair. i was more of the "tell me what to do" girl. as is probably normal, the three heads of hair we planned on, turned into five and we were curling and spraying until moments before "the walk".

did i mention that gage was the ring bearer? really and truly he bore no rings at all. in fact, in order to get him down the aisle both hands were held tightly by the adorable little flower girls who are just more than a year older than him. i wasn't a bit surprised when they entered and laughter ensued. there were the darling girls flaunting their pretty dresses, smiling at on-lookers and awkwardly trying to draw petals from their baskets while holding hands with my very handsome boy. gage took steps a little bigger than those of a mouse, while his chin was tightly tucked into his chest and his eyes went from shut, to slits, to shut again. what could have been a mere thirty seconds of fame, turned into what seemed like an eternity. but oh was it precious.

from there he joined his dad and uncle jamison {the best man and groomsman} and from there back to mom's lap where he successfully slept through the majority of the ceremony.

it was a lovely wedding. the bride and groom looked so happy to be with each other and together with each of their girls they will make a beautiful family.

aren't wedding days wonderful? just a little reminder of what fresh, new love looks like. i love it. makes you want to be a little nicer to your love. a little more forgiving, a little more flirtatious, a little bit silly and a whole lot of mushy.

here's to old love that feels like new love again.

cheers!

want to win a pair of my earrings?
go visit this fine lady and enter the giveaway.

love.