"Everything is Awesome"

It's our new theme song: "Everything is Awesome!" * And it is! I was standing outside today watching my little ones and just thought "I love my life!" I have it so good and feel so blessed! We have been crazy busy the past two weeks-at least it feels that way. I'm wondering if I will ever get my energy back, or feel rested. Ever. Again. I'm really hoping we can slow down and not be quite so busy from here on out! But here are a few pics of some things we did before school let out.
Here is M being awesome before school one day. This is the outfit she picked out to wear to school. Then she wanted to pose when I told her I wanted a pic!

It was 74 degrees outside on this particular day. The kids say, "its so hot! We have to play in the water." We are definitely acclimated to MI weather. That's for sure! The weather here is pretty awesome most of the time!

One day they were fixing sections of sidewalk in our neighborhood and the kids wanted to watch the cement truck and workers. So we did. For a good while. The workers were really nice about it but I felt pretty awkward just standing there watching!

I told J to smile and he started hugging the paper. So strange but that is his "I'm being really sweet right now and I know it" face. He also has his awesome "Jake and the Neverland Pirates' headband on (which I cut out of a sheet). He's been into that show and I have had to play pirates a lot in the past week!

I didn't realize this pic is so washed out but here is M cutting her awesome grass monster's hair.

Here's an awesome cake M made for the company we had this weekend.

*From the Lego Movie-which, by the way, I happen to LOVE! Of course I was the only one in the theater that teared up at the end. But I love the message from this movie and I thought the whole thing was clever and funny. I would watch this movie over Frozen any day of the week! And I think Frozen is a great movie. I have nothing against it. I just really like the Lego Movie! And the song is awesome of course. Our fave line: "dip my body in chocolate frosting/ Three years later wash off the frosting." Everything is Awesome So my friends, know this: "life is good, plus everything is awesome!"

Family

*What I am about to say is in no way a reflection on how I feel about anyone I know. I do not judge or think it is wrong in any way to be a working mother. I admire working moms. Children of working mothers are usually a little more socially adapted, as well as other benefits. So please don't take any offense or think any thing other than this is how I feel about my own life and it goes no further than that.*

Each month at church the kids learn a new song; and one of the songs they have learned recently has really touched my heart. I believe my time here on Earth is to be with family. I feel strongly about being with my little ones even though it is not always easy. We make sacrifices for me to stay at home with them. Because I know it is a Golden Opportunity to have this time with them I do my best not to take it for granted; ie I spend as much quality time with them as I can. Lately I have been thinking about going back to work but this song called The Family is of God by Matthew Neely helps me keep what's important in perspective. Here's a link if you want to hear it:The Family is of God

 Our Father has a family. It’s me!

It’s you, all others too: we are His children.

He sent each one of us to earth, through birth,

To live and learn here in fam’lies.

  (monster truck rally in J's room)

 (for some reason that fallen dino cracked me up)

A father’s place is to preside, provide,

To love and teach the gospel to his children.

A father leads in fam’ly prayer to share

Their love for Father in Heaven.

 (at the bluegrass festival)

 A mother’s purpose is to care, prepare,

To nurture and to strengthen all her children.

She teaches children to obey, to pray,

To love and serve in the fam’ly.

 I’ll love and serve my family and be

A good example to each fam’ly member.

And when I am a mom or dad, so glad,

I’ll help my fam’ly remember:

God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—

This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.

Sandwich

I don't know what's wrong with me y'all. Sometimes I just can't stop myself! The kids had been begging me to go fly their kites at the beach. So we planned on a day. That day came (this was last week) and it was cool and windy and overcast. Well, we decided to go anyway. (This is where I should have been stopped!) Thank goodness I brought our jackets because it was quite chilly at the beach. It always is about ten+ degrees cooler there than our tiny town. I take solace in the fact that we were not the only ones there. Although my kids were not in their swim suits and were not allowed to go swimming in the frigid water as others were doing. These pictures might be redundant. These are the times when I wish I were a great photographer. At least I'm capturing the memories. 

J was all giggles the whole time!

I pretty much stayed wrapped up in our picnic blanket most of the time! I was pretty cold. After we flew kites and the kids played in the sand, we had a picnic supper. Ham and Sand Sandwich anyone? I tell you there was sand everywhere. Eating on the beach gave a whole new meaning to the term sandwich! 

Memorial Day and More

There is a gravel parking lot (that belongs to a dentist's office) behind M's school that we pass daily. J loves to play in these tiny rocks. I guess it acts like sand, but feels differently to him? Not sure, but he loves sensory activities so I think that's why he likes to play in the rocks. This particular day he had packed his backpack (that's a pretty common occurrence) and we stayed for a few minutes to play in the dentist's parking lot!

Here we went for a nice long "bike walk" as J calls it. (Because he rides and I walk.) He had to stop and get his feet wet in the puddle.

His teacher helped him make a "grass monster" and so here he is cutting his hair. He was so funny because he got all into and cut it really short. He kept saying, "I'm going to make him really handsome!"

M's all about taking some selfies!

Trampoline hair:

 A beautiful flower that smelled so good! Wish I knew what kind it was!

We spent Memorial Day at a good friend's house. She made a delicious meal and we hung out and had nice conversation while the children played. It was very enjoyable! We celebrated a birthday too (the little cutie next to J)!

Bike Ride

Where does MY time go? It feels like as soon as I put my kids in bed time ticks twice as fast! I really need to get some projects done but I feel like I never have enough time! Such is life. All the more reason to be thankful for each day that I wake up!

Unrelated: I live in an absolutely beautiful state! Right now is the perfect time to visit! Our days are nice and warm and sunny, the nights cool off pretty well, and there are so many flowers and trees in full bloom! It's lush and green. I just love it! I'm so thankful for the experience to live here.

M has been begging me to rearrange her room so a couple weekends ago we did the deed! She has so much stuff! We are just not good at keeping things simple and basic - just having a few toys at a time. The room is not necessarily better; but now at one end we set up like a little "play house" area with her kitchen, table, and doll stuff.

She has a little "reading nook" now:

And her bed is in the most random spot! I don't know why she wanted me to move it, but I gave in even though it feels really awkward where it is! I actually love rearranging rooms. I used to do it when I was in high school pretty frequently. I guess that's where M gets it? So I figure when we get tired of it we will move it back!

Later that day we put the bikes in the trunk and headed to Niles. They have a nice bike/running/walking path along the river. They rode while I walked and jogged for probably 45 minutes or so. We would stop and play on the exercise equipment along the way. There are a lot of ducks and geese that live there and every time J would swerve to miss some droppings he would yell at the top of his lungs, "POOP DUCK!" And then M and J would crack up. J thought he was absolutely hilarious.This went on for quite a while! We played at the park there afterwards. Altogether it was a really nice afternoon!

As you can see, J is rarely not in his Anakin suit:

Here he is showing his new Star Wars toy:

 And how it flies:

The end.