Kookie-ness.

In my class I'm taking...I learned about this great new photo-enhancing site. You should try it- it's so cool. And FREE! I had a moment to mess around with it a tad, and you can have a ton of fun with photos.

Let me explain. Hannah got a hold of my camera at The Texas Roadhouse. Ya know, the place with the shelled peanuts? (Ah yes, you gotta love the peanuts.) Obviously we had fun with them. Well, Hannah got these quite ridiculous shots of us.

Come out to eat with the Foster's sometime. 

Dare ya.

(No seriously, we really aren't typically this pathetic with our manners at eating establishments. What good examples we are to our children, eh?)

Inspired.

I'm continually so inspired by many incredible women in my life. Older, younger (two special one's in particular!) and anywhere in between. Some women come and go, some women are there right at the perfect season in life, some are there forever- true and real, sharing a very special intimate piece of your life. Some women don't even realize how much they have impacted and influenced another. I don't think that each of us as wives, mom's, friends, co-workers, daughters, believers, sisters could imagine  going through the roads of life without eachother. Our souls and our lives would not be the same. Thank you to all of those women in my life. You know who you are. I can say that you have helped me become the person I am today. You are a part of what this journey is about. Laughing, dreaming, supporting, crying, playing, and just plain being brave together through all of this is what makes my heart and spirit sing. Sing! Sing! Sing!

I am taking this awesome online course (called an e-course) from a lovely creative soul, Kelly Rae Roberts. (pic above is from her) I am loving all of the juicy information about building a successful art biz...and soaking it all up. She is this fun creative soul that shares her heart, gifts and inspiration with all that she is and with all who come in contact with her. She had this beautiful video on today's class. (Get that Kleenex box, friends.)

Us women CAN transform and transcend as partners in this passage called life. What an absolute gift and a treasure that is!

Hearts singing! Whheee.


(ps. Okay, I am putting the comments back on here.  I removed them for awhile. I was feeling a tad deflated for a bit 'cuz there are tons of you reading this blog...but... NO ONE WAS LEAVING COMMENTS! Oh, please...I would LOoooVE to hear from you! Yes- you!)

Diva.

A sassy diva desperately needing her first big girl haircut.

(check out the arm hangin' over the couch!)

A sassy diva hanging out with her bff, Ducky, after a day at the grooming spa.

(check out her eyebrows!)

Eight!

A blondie in our home doesn't like pink anymore (new color is "periwinkle"). No sparkles or bling. Grew out of her Tinkerbell bike. No bows. Fingernails and toenails are every color of the rainbow, including black.  Just plain flip flops and t-shirt is the normal outfit. Our little princess has turned 8. Eeek!

Lauren said she didn't want a big and loud party this year. Okay. She wanted to go camping. Okay. (It is like 130 degrees here now, people.) Well, Daddy was gonna borrow an air-conditioned camper from a buddy for the State Park. But...oh no! The State Park sites are practically booked for the summer. (Crazy.) On to plan #2. Um.

Her special day ended up being a fun surprise and a delight after all.
1. Breakfast in front of the T.V.
2. Surprised her and picked up a girlfriend, then to favorite (Chick-fila) for lunch.
3. Off to the "Marmaduke" movie (cute!) and everyone fiercely licked on the most enormous suckers you've ever seen.
4. Played. Jumped. Giggled.
5. Facial masks. Nails. Check.
6. Wearing favorite Snoopy t-shirt, we were off to a favorite dinner spot.
7. Presents and wishes made over a strawberry cake (she would eat strawberries ALL day if she could).

Yay! What else would a little girl want?

So, low and behold, a sweet day for our sweetie! 

Summertime. Summertime.

Schools. Out. For. Summer.

Can't believe it! Someone must have pushed the fast forward button on this year. Who was it? Fess up now. The school year was good and I will now have two babies going into 3rd...and 5th (remember those grades?). Oh, something is just not right about that. Those of you with Johnson baby powder smelling sweeties and toddlers toddling around...squeeze out every single moment you can. And all the squeezes you can! You know when those older mom's say when their kiddos entered school, the days FLEW by. Well, IT's TRUE!

We were boating on Memorial Day weekend and this little butterfly landed (and stayed) on the boat for most of the day. (It's my Dad's boat, named "Butterfly Barge" you know.) Lauren took such good care of it. She thought it might have had a broken wing. She decided to very carefully and tenderly bring it home and let it go at our house. What a beautiful analogy of life. We are all just floating around and catching the breezes, sometimes broken, always taken care of by Bigger Hands, and sometimes just needing to "let go".

Kleenex.

Alright, gonna continue and say I'm a proud momma. All mommy's have official bragging rights I think. The girls were awarded with A honor roll, good citizenship, top reader in the class, most talented artist in class, and some others...as I sit there with misty eyes trying to keep it together. Man, I have trouble keeping it together lately.

I had to hold it together as we said goodbye to all the teachers that remember when they were born (Josh was teaching there then) and taught them/loved them so much through the past years. Those school walls have been such a huge part of our lives pretty much since we moved here 12 years ago. The school has always been comfortable- in a home/family way. (See, here I go again. Where's that Kleenex.)

Great schools and brand new adventures await us though.

Still having faith...pretty much holding on... and letting go at the same time.