Balance

I am having a hard time with that "b" word. It is so hard to find balance with the kids, my husband, my house, my business, and then throw in me as well....it is hard. I am hoping that I can soon find that balance after my upcoming show.

The girls have been driving me crazy but I am sure I have been driving them crazy as well. Being stuck inside the house all day even though the sun is shining bright has been hard on us all. We have been to the pool daily to help wear us all out. Then we go outside and play around 8, when the heat index is only around 100. Ridiculous right!? Anyway, I know this is short lived and this will pass quickly. The girls have a new play toy that has been helping this. My grandma, their great grandma, bought them a new playhouse for their birthdays. It is a huge success!!








They are just in love with this house. They have to eat snacks and meals out in it. They are both beat red and dripping sweat, but loving every minute of it. A huge thank you to grandma for the gift!!

I am looking forward to a weekend without the girls around. Wow that sounds harsh. I am looking forward to getting tons of sewing done without interruptions. I am looking forward to cleaning a house and it will stay clean for a couple of days. I am looking forward to spending a little time alone, in quiet, praying and trying to find how to put balance back in my life. I am hoping the girls have fun with grandma's and I will miss them more than they know!!


Here is a sneak peek at my clothing line!

Where do you live?

If you asked me that question about a week ago I would have said in the midwest.


This was a storm we had last week.....please come back rain!!

Ask that question today, my answer would be on the surface of the sun. It has been hot here for the better part of 4 days and there is no relief in sight. And we aren't talking about hot, like can still function hot. No this is the hot like instant sweat dripping down your back as you walk out the door. Stupid little tasks (like weeding a simple flowerbed) have now become all out aerobic exercises complete with huffing and sweating. It even stays extremely hot at night so sitting out on the deck is a sweaty way to end a night. I think I even saw the garden waving a white flag this morning. So we are trying to do all we can to stay cool.


The girls playing "Ring Around the Rosie"

Ella and I did a little baking this week. She has been dying for a blueberry pie and I was ready for the challenge. I finally found a pie crust that I can actually do correctly. And although I will continue to try and master the flaky, crisco, one, I am sticking with this one for now. My little girl has become quite the little chef over the past few months. She made her own pie while I made the blueberry one.












Our pies turned out delicious!





I am keeping the tradition alive. Left over pie crust gets turned into cinnamon yumminess every time!!


On Saturday we headed on over to the farmers market. Man, how I love this place. Walking down the narrow isle with tons of fruits and veggies on either side of me is heaven. Then through in some homemade cinnamon rolls, a cup of coffee, and my favorite people beside me....man I tell you it doesn't get much better.....what there is a band this morning....they're playing outside in the gazebo.....someone please pinch me!!!





Check out her face!!



I also took a little challenge this week and decided to make myself a new shirt for my upcoming show for my little clothing line. I was quite proud that I made this little shirt from no pattern and only from measurements. It is always nice to have something work out.


And finally to wrap up our week, Daddy and little miss went on a date. He took her to see her first movie in the theater. They saw Winnie the Pooh and she loved it! She loved getting all dressed up and getting to spend some quality time with daddy. I can't even begin to tell him how much these little dates will mean to her when she gets older. Such a special bond!



We also got to enjoy some much needed time with our baseball family this week. The boys were playing in the league championship and we wanted to be there to see them win a few. We showed up on Friday night to a big game and were so touched by the greeting we got. I can't believe how lucky we are to be on this team. The families are so nice and fantastic. The boys are funny and yet so loving, I know that sounds weird for a bunch of 10 year olds but they are. We went out to dinner after the game and enjoyed time with the ladies and gents in a more air conditioned atmosphere. It was so nice to feel a little closer to my son through our baseball family.


Oh yeah, our team this year was the LEAGUE CHAMPS!! Way to go!!

Speaking of son, we have 24 more days until he is home again. There are hopefully some changes on the horizon to help him not have to miss so much here and yet still have a bond with his dad. I am praying all will go according to what is best for my little boy :).

I hope everyone has a great week!! Stay cool!!

Summer Keeps on Rollin' On

 I think summer has officially moved in and settled into a nice spot here in the midwest. I could do without the excessive heat warnings but I am soaking up this hot, humid, weather that at times can take your breath away. We are enjoying some busy days around the house between trying to get ready for a big show I am doing at the end of the month and trying to keep the girls entertained and cool.  Here are just a few of the "things" going on around the house these days. 

The garden has gone from "ahh look at those wittle pants" to "Ok who gave the wittle pants some streroids?". It is breathtakingly amazing to watch a garden grow so fast and so fulfilling knowing I am providing yummy goodies for my family, all by myself. Love it!! Even on the hottest days, I am out there making sure all is going as it should. 

The girls and I have been frequenting the farmers markets around the area and this by far is my favorite summer tradition. Last Saturday, was just perfect. Picked up some veggies, some peaches, grabbed some homemade raisin bread, some grape juice, and a coffee. Took all that to a bench and enjoyed watching my girls chow down on deliciousness. This is the part of motherhood that trumps all the tempertantrums. Just beautiful!! Sorry no pics from our outting but there will be some coming soon. The town square where we sat and ate is PERFECT for taking pictures of the girls :). 

The pool has been our best friend in the morning. It wears out the girls so they take naps (that means I get to sew :) ) and I have to admit it is quite nice to sit for an hour in the sun while the girls play.  Here is how we make sure all is ready for the next days play....ya know...just throw it all on the deck as we head inside. 

Baking has always been a way for me to relieve stress and I think it will be until the day that I die. Over the past few weeks I have baked a lot. Today is no different. 

Have peaches that are rotting and need to be used? Why not try some peach scones? They are fabulously delish. I got the recipe from King Arthur. If you haven't ever been on their site, go check it out. They have tons of recipes and tons of goodies for your kitchen.

These taste like a mini peach cobbler. So delish and not dry!!

Did I mention sewing? Wow, have I been doing a lot of that. I have a show coming up as well as a fall clothing line launching on ETSY and Facebook the 1st of August. I am super excited to be doing this for the first time but it is a TON of work. I really hope my fans love my stuff and I am hoping to make some new fans at my show. Here are some peeks at my stuff:

I think that is about all. I have a few pics to leave you with for my baby! My baby turned two last Friday. I reflected back last weekend to the day that I brought her into this world and had a few tearful moments. She has been so fun to have in our family and man oh man do I love her snuggles!! She is such a momma's girl and that is totally ok with this momma!! Happy Birthday My Sweet!!

Knows EXACTLY what to do with the candle!!

Love you lots!!

27 more days until our family is whole again!! Miss you tons my sweet boy!!

Happy 5th of July...

Today is a new day and although I sent my baby on a plane early this morning with tears in our eyes, he made it to dad's. Safe and in one piece. More importantly no tears were heard over the phone to say he was there. I know he will have a good time at his dads.



Flowers to get us back in the 4th of July mood!


Yesterday was a great day and I feel even more blessed to have a family like I do. We wanted the 4th to be a "we do it all together" kind of day. I figured some red, white, and blueberry pancakes would be the best way to start us off right :).

Man were these yummy!! The red pancakes were actually red velvet pancakes. They were delish smothered in homemade blueberry syrup. Best breakfast ever.
Then we had some fun in the backyard with a few of these:



and a few of these:



which led to this:




and then we needed a snack. So we gobbled down some watermelon in the hot summer sun.

The girls took a nap and the rest of us watched a movie, together. It has been a long time since I have sat down and watched a movie. You know what, I actually enjoyed it. I might have to try it again soon. Then we headed out to grab a few totally illegal fireworks. Ya' know we teach our kids well here. Came home and ate dinner which consisted of these beautiful things that had been smoking all day:



The kids all lit the black snakes and held the sparklers.


My daring and "I can do it" 4 year old going on 25 daughter wanted to hold the punk herself. We went over the rules and talked about how hot it was at the end. Did she listen...no....this is what she heard instead "I can do it, I can do it, I can do it". You get the point. Well she can't do it anymore. She burnt her finger trying to light her first snake and that was it. At one point this is what you saw and heard in our backyard:


It was quite a sight. Had a cop driven by and seen this sight, he would have kept driving thinking that maybe the fireworks would help. But alas brothers magical 20 foot long sparkler quieted both girls and got the night back on track.

We enjoyed some banana splits and headed out to watch our towns fireworks. And until that show actually started we watched the rest of the town put on their own fireworks shows in their neighborhoods. All the while the FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN THIS COUNTY road sign kept blinking through the whole thing. Funny how this all works. The fireworks were great and the girls loved every minute of it. We packed up the car and headed home to put some very tired little girls to bed. Then we had some fun with the rest of the scary sparklers and my camera.





The 4th of July is always my favorite holiday. The food, the memories, and the fireworks all make me feel so, well, alive. I love taking the day to remember those that fight for our freedom and live the day just as they would want to. I loved having Chase home with us this year and are already making plans for next year. I hope you all spent your 4th just as you wanted to.

My Life

My life as a mom has always been split into two halves: the time when I have my son and the time that I don't. And as a mom with this split life, the days/hours/and minutes that lead up to his departure from our family is horrible.  After taking 2nd place in the state championship game this weekend, my heart realized that this time was about to happen again. I heard coach say "we'll miss you bud" and I lost it. I couldn't breathe...I had to turn around. I felt the fire in my cheeks....I need to get away. The tears were flowing and I didn't want a soul to see me like this. I held in my tears so hard or so much that my whole upper body hurt. I haven't had this happen. It didn't stop there on that baseball field...it is still continuing today. There is nothing like driving your son to the airport, check in his bags, and then sitting with him at the gate. There is nothing more heart wrenching.  He will be waking up tomorrow, eating his breakfast, and kissing me goodbye for a month. There will be lots of tears and lots of I love you's. Then he will load himself into the car and ride to the airport with Ryan comforting his sadness. I absolutely hate this half of my life. I hate being without my baby....I hate being without my firstborn....I hate not seeing his face.....I hate not hearing his laugh....I hate not seeing him play with his sisters.
But with all of my pain and feeling of loss, what does he feel? How much pain does this little man feel towards his two halves of his life? What kind of feelings does he have that he doesn't tell me or write in his journal? I can't even imagine.
I know that this month will go by quick and I already have a laundry list of things to keep me busy. I know that he does also. He has lots to do with his dad and lots of memories to make with him. But I will still miss his craziness, his love, his hugs, and most of all his smile!!
So for my son on his last night at home here is my prayer for you: I pray for a safe flight to dad's and safe flight home. I pray that you will go to bed each night knowing that I have thought about you all day. I pray that you know just how much this time hurts and how much I know it means to your dad. I pray that you will see that this is not what life is meant to be for kids and learn from it. I love you all the way to the moon and back. Goodnight my baby.
I promise tomorrow will be a better post....just had to share my thoughts tonight.

I want to remember

You know those days that you want to just tuck in your pocket and hold onto forever. Those kind of days that make you thankful that you are exactly where you are, no matter what the circumstances are. Well today was one of those days. Blogger has become my pocket and this one is getting tucked away somewhere deep.


This weekend is our state baseball tournament. Normally, tournaments are a bigger deal than league games, this is a no brainer. But to be going to a state tournament, we were more than excited. Add on that this was going to be Chase's last few games with his new team and as a family we were pumped up!! Friday night was a double header in the miserable 105 heat. It was hot. Hotter than any of the boys really thought it was and man did that heat eat them alive. We lost our first two games in a fashion that I have never seen our boys play. We had lost before we even took the field on Friday. We all went home, sweaty and upset, and slept it off. Tomorrow had to be better.


We all trudged our chairs and tents and washrags and coolers full of water and gatorade back up to Field D for a new game and a new day. Walking up I noticed we were playing the exact same team we had played night before. We all got our boys ready and watered up as we quickly found our seats in the shade. This is where a man could probably explain it better because we all know that men have some how mastered how to remember all these balls, strikes, and pop flies. I can not. But it went a little something like this: our boys kicked ass on one of the hottest days in July.

Simple as that. We beat that team in the morning. Regrouped, ate lunch, chatted with teammates, and came back out to win our next game. Our team was on fire.


They were a team again.

They cheered each other on. They walked out on the field to say "come on man one more pitch that's all we need". Mom's got iced towels for our red and exhausted sons because Lord knows we don't want our babies to get sick. Then we cheered for them as they walked in the dugout because we know they want to hear us.

Dad's yelled for their boys and slapped them on the heads (and butts) because they were so gosh darn proud of them.

Sometimes plays worked out for us and

sometimes they didn't, but our boys stuck in there.

We hung with the big dogs today!! We are in a tough fight tomorrow but today, victory was ours :).


And my son, oh my baby!! This proud momma can hardly type fast enough to talk about my son. He came in to pitch (after playing center field for all previous games) in the last inning of a very close last game. He threw some strikes and some balls. He struck some out and he walked some. We went into extra innings (mind you it was about 105 about this time and they had been playing for 2 hours and then 2 hours before that) and our fans just couldn't believe this. We rallied and screamed for them. We pushed them to keep going, to dig deep and find the strength to play through the heat. My son pitched that extra inning to them as they were up last. We were ahead by 3, we just had to hold them. He pitched some strikes, he kept his cool. He pitched some balls, he kept his cool. His team backed him up and got two outs. He watched as two players from the opposing team ran across home plate bringing the score to just 1 ahead. He kept his cool. He walked one. He kept his cool. There were all sorts of noises, screams, and plays being thrown at him and his teammates. He kept his cool. Along with his team, they got the last out from a pop fly caught by a baseman. I have to admit, I broke down. My son had done such an amazing job and helped his team win a game that lets them all go on to Championship Sunday.



 My son.


My boy that I have watched grow up so much in sports and one that I am currently watching become a young man. My son was one of the good guys on the team today. My son. I can't even begin to tell him or you how proud of him I am.

After my tears and all the congrats, it was time to party!!


Coaches had promised a mohawk party if the boys won so off we went to get our mohawks on!



Then it was on to swimming and having a great time with his team.



I want to remember this day because I watched my son do things that I have always known he was going to do but haven't seen him in that position to. I watched my family come out and support him in the unruly heat. I watched my girls look at their brother with undying affection because they knew today was about him and his team. I watched moms and dads and teammates congratulate each other. I want to remember how blessed I felt today. I don't want that to go away.


We are off to more games starting bright and early tomorrow morning. We are hoping to make it all the way to the top but we are ok if we don't. Our boys played their little hearts out today and that is all that matters :)