Yum, yum, yum!!!

So, I hit the farmer's market this morning.  Oh, how I LOVE summer fruit!  Of course, the selection you get out here in Tennessee is nothing like I had in California, but the FM is as good as it gets.

I rounded up for us some fresh blackberries, awesome tomatoes and some beautiful flowers.  I would have bought some blueberries too, if the kids and I hadn't just gone to the patch to pick some ourselves the other day.  I've been eating so many of them I'm thinking I'm going to get the runs....

And is there anyone else out there but me that loses track of what day it is?  I'm not talking about Monday, Tuesday, etc...but the actual NUMBER day it is?  Since I haven't been in an office (that was 4 years ago!!!) I have the hardest time remembering/knowing what number day it is.  I almost missed the birthday today of one of my dearest friends growing up just from not knowing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORI!!!

Well - off to scrub the kitchen floor, which is so absolutely desperate for me to clean it I think it's creaking "scrub me, scrub me" every time I walk over it. 

enjoy your weekend-

cv

I'm back!

So...apparently I'm not very good at this blogging thing.  

I really enjoy reading other blogs - it's actually how I start my days most of the time, with a cup of coffee and a few quick checks on certain blogs while Kyle is eating breakfast (that kid is NOT kidding around when he wakes up.  He wants his milk and breakfast - NOW.  And he's up so early...that's why the coffee is necessary.).

I'm just not very good at keeping up with my own.

I think it might stem from the fact that it's hard to spend more than 2 minutes on anything with undivided attention, having two preschoolers in the house and all.  And I'm not good enough with this blogger thing to know how to work all of the tricks that most other bloggers do.  And it takes a while to upload those pictures!!!

Sorry to ramble...just felt bad that I'd been gone so long.  So now I'm back.  And I really do intend to make it a more regular thing.  

Thanks for bearing with me.  

She's 4...

Okay, so it's been a while - again - since I've been here.  It's still crazy living in transition and out of boxes & suitcases.  And it's been a crazy, up & down week.  More than I can go into right here, right now.  My heart is full and heavy at the same time - and I just don't have the mindset to begin to share where I've been the last few days in the midst of tragedy.

But, why I'm here...my little girl is not so little any more.  She's 4!!!  I almost can't believe it - it seems like it was just a few months ago that I was holding her teeny tiny little body in my arms, trying not to break her little legs as I put them into footed sleepers that were meant to fit dolls.  That less-than-5-pound little miracle is now a beautiful, smart, 'big' girl of 4.  Someone pinch me...

I've spent the last few days hugging my kids a little tighter, holding them a little longer, and dropping whatever I'm doing just to love them a little better.  I encourage you to do the same - it shouldn't take tragedy in our lives to make us realize that these are the things that matter.  

Standing in the firm grip of my God-

cv

Sorry mom...

Okay, so it's been more than a month since I've been here.  Since my mom is probably the only one that reads this, I'm sorry mom....

We've been a little preoccupied with the move and our 'adventure' house.  Just to update you - we moved out of the old house with anticipation of what lies ahead, mingled with sadness of leaving a place we loved.  My kids came home from the hospital to that house.  My husband built the swingset in the back yard single-handedly.  We celebrated half of the years we've been married in that house.  We welcomed so many friends and family there....it's weird to think that we might never set foot in that house again.  

I left good good friends in that neighborhood.  I know, they are still good friends no matter where we are, but it was SO easy to run across the street to grab some chocolate chips or children's motrin - and to have the same requested of me.  To watch each other's kids on a whim, and gather in one backyard after the next on summer afternoons as the kids ran around.  

Good memories there.  Great memories.

Now, on to new memories...

The first of which has been the past few weeks in our 'adventure' house!  We are staying in a house that God provided in an amazing way - the thought of staying in a hotel room for a month with all 4 of us sharing a room makes me break out in a sweat.  We are blessed to be staying in an actual house - 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a laundry room!  Nicole gets it and thinks it's a fun adventure.  I think Kyle just thinks we're on vacation.  He's a little confused when we head back over to the old neighborhood to play with friends, then have to get back in the car to get 'home'.  We're looking forward to the new house being done and ready for us at the very end of May.

I have a few pictures coming your way as soon as I can load them into the computer - some fun things that we've met and found around this house - it's in an old neighborhood with an awesome yard - which means all kinds of critters.  So stay tuned...

cv

My Favorite Box

So, Nicole really wanted to help us pack this morning.  She took it upon herself to pack up Kyle's toys that were lying around the house and his room (funny how she picked HIS toys to put away, instead of HERS...)

Rusty carried this into the kitchen to show me.  

Melted my heart.  I actually thought that I just might have to save this tag of tape when all is said and done.  But I'm really trying to break the generational sin of my family - packrat-itis - so maybe this picture will have to do. 

Back to more boxes-

cv

Time

Me:  Nicole, what time does the clock say it is?

Nicole: ummm...nine, two polka dots, zero, one.   =)

Don't you just love how the world looks through the eyes of children???  That one line conversation has brought a smile to my face over and over today.

cv

Oh yeah-

The haircut was, as expected, a disaster.  And I laughed through a lot of it!  Even the part where he was sitting my lap as I tried to hold him down (he's VERY strong) and his little hairs that they were shaving off landed in my mouth.  Forget the stylish haircut, we had to go straight for the shaved head.  Which kinda made it even funnier.  Imagine the host saying, "and moms, here's what you do when your child doesn't like to get their hair cut.  Have dad hold them pinned on his lap and just shave it!"  

If I get any video of it I'll put it on here.  Has to be good for a few laughs.  His dad doesn't care for the shaved head.  I think he's still pretty darn cute.

Here's to getting more than 6 hours of sleep tonight-

cv