GROWING UP

An Un-BEAR-ably good time ;-)

Saturday we took a beautiful drive up to Clark's Trading Post on an even more beautiful day. If you've never been to Clark's, you're not missing much. LOL. Sorry, it was cute, the kids had a good time overall, and it was an enjoyable day with the in-laws, but the place is nothing to write home about. Their claim to fame is their trained bears... a few bears that they've kept in captivity for decades so they can train them to slam dunk basketballs, sit on a swing, stand on barrels, get the mail, and unhygienically share ice cream cones with their trainers. And then they put the "It's so important to learn about bears and respect them and protect them" spin on it so it doesn't look like they're just out to make a lot of money off selling tickets to see the bears. I apologize if I offend anyone, if there's really anybody other than my mother that reads this, but that is just my opinion and how I saw it. The kids got bored after about 10 minutes of the show and we headed off to do something else, which was good because all I could really focus on was how sad it was that the bears will never know their true home. I'm no animal activist or anything, but something just doesn't feel right about dressing a bear up and showing him off like he's a chihuahua in a purse. Sorry :-( Anyway, here are some photos I took yesterday of the kids... like I said, they had a good time just running around with each other and we had a great time being able to catch up with family. Something that we don't often get to do. Plus, the bumper boats were pretty cool.

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL.

My son is too cool. I don't know when this happened, but I don't think I like it very much :-( Yesterday was his first day of 4th grade, and like all proud moms, I brought my camera along to snap some photos of my growing child. I tried not once, not twice, but three times on the playground, waiting for the bell to ring, to get him to cooperate for the mini photo session but instead got, "Mom, come on, seriously? I'm in fourth grade now. Mom, you're embarrassing. Put. The. Camera. Away!"...Alongside grumbles, hands in front of the face, and turning his back toward me. Insert sad, crying face here. But like a good mom, I sacrificed getting the good shot for the sake of my son's humility. This required a little compromise on his part though, because you see, I always win somehow ;-) So you bet your butt I made him promise he was going to cooperate when he got home from school. The first day of school was over, he was home playing in the yard with his friends, and it was an hour before I remembered! Bogus! I didn't take his pictures!!! Soooooo, I took what I could get.... even if that meant his hair resembled a mop from an hour of jumping on the trampoline, shirt was wet after a water fight with his best friend, and his refusal to not be a complete goofball (remember, he's in front of his friends). It'll do. So, disheveled, goofy, and featured alongside his best friend... here are my masterpieces..... LOL.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall! Oh yeah, and haircuts!

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Today was a great, relaxing day. My son goes back to school tomorrow so we were all trying to enjoy the last official (in my eyes) day of summer. I feel a little relieved, to tell you the truth, that the summer is over and the fall is on it's way. Aside from the fact that I ADORE everything about the fall itself (think warm apple pie a la mode, vibrant foliage, football, brisk nights, roasting marshmallows in the fire pit in our yard, apple picking, cider donuts, Halloween, cute clothes and shoes, and Thanksgiving), I'm just really content to see the summer go. It's a little bittersweet as this ENTIRE summer revolved around our wedding and everything that had to do with the wedding. Mostly the planning. AND. OH. THE. PLANNING. It was crazy stressful, hot, hectic, and went by in a flash, but this summer has also been beautiful, fulfilling, rewarding, emotional, and full of love, fun, family, and friends. I couldn't have asked for a better summer, but now it's time to put it to bed and wake up to a new season. A much less sticky season ;-) Anywho, today my aunt was gracious enough to have the family over for a Labor Day/End of the Summer BBQ. Here are some photos from today :-)

And seeing these photos just reminded me that I was supposed to remind myself to get my kids haircuts. ;-) Happy Labor Day!

And all is right with the world again...

Sometimes, there's just too much frustration, bad news, stress, work, doubt, and hate in the world. In our own lives. Sometimes, we need a break. Sometimes, our hearts need uplifting. And sometimes, we just need to see something like this to put a smile on our faces again. :-) What a beautiful moment.

Cookies and Sookie

I've been learning A TON lately. Between courses, workshops, google searches, talking to people, reading, and practicing, the amount of knowledge I'm absorbing is comparable to dipping an Oreo Cookie in a glass of milk. You dip it a few times, it soaks the milk up, and it's delicious. But before you know it, most of the milk is gone and you're left with a small piece of a soggy, poor excuse for a cookie. Well, I feel like that's what is left of my brain right now.... only the glass of milk is bottomless. There are gallons and gallons of milk to soak up but only a soggy fragment of what used to be a cookie. But, this is good! I'm learning so much, and I'm so happy to take my business to the next level... I will be launching a new website soon and I CAN'T WAIT! Good things are on the way and I am ready! :-) But right now, my brain is so dead I need some mindless entertainment....  I'm ready to watch me some Season 1 of True Blood... Brian and I missed most of the first season but recently subscribed to Netflix and got the DVD in the mail today... I've been waiting for this all day. I never understood the big hype surrounding Netflix but now I do because it's AWESOME! Season 1 isn't On Demand and I'm excited that I finally found it somewhere because I can't get me enough of Sookie, Bill, and Eric.... So off I go! Goodnight all! :-)

Liv, Little Lady

My daughter is growing up. Kids do that I suppose, but really, today I was just taken back by how much she's grown up. We have started potty training, she's saying please and thank you without being reminded, she takes her food to her table and sits down while eating, puts her dishes away in the sink when she's done, washes her hands, puts on her shoes, brushes her teeth, says 'I love you' before bed, and is forming her words more clearly by the minute. I'm left wondering when the heck all of this happened!? She is a beautiful, happy, determined, smart, and loving little girl, and I tell her at least 5 times a day how proud she makes me. Today I realized that I didn't have any photos to document how she is in this moment in time, the real her, right now. I took my camera out this afternoon as we headed out after nap for our usual playtime.... and even though she wasn't in the smiliest of moods this afternoon, I'm happy with what I got because THIS is my Olivia. My Liv. The nickname, Liv, is so appropriate for her because that's what this little lady does... she lives. She has so much beauty, energy, and life inside her already, and the world better be ready for this one. When she's ready, she's going to be a force to be reckoned with! 

I love you, my little Liv!!! <3