Bounty.

our garden decided to bless us with it's bounty for the first time this weekend.  so far we've eaten strawberries, spinach + cilantro from our very own yard.

incredibly satisfying in many ways.

hope you're having a bounteous weekend as well, friends.

This very moment...

It's raining.  

Abigail stayed home from school with a fever.  

Pollyanna is on in the background.  

I've just started working on the dress I promised Audrey Mae weeks ago.  

(my first sewn clothing item EVER!) Any tips?

There are all sorts of pretty things brewing in my brain for a shop update.

I'm feeling content. And happy.

Three Things.

three things i learned on my hot date friday night.

1.  it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you're together.  

 2.  eating in your car is more romantic than a loud restaurant.

3.  an uninterrupted conversation is one of life's simple pleasures.

p.s. the pizza we ate was so delicious we stuffed ourselves silly.  

p.p.s. i love this last picture.  mouth too full to smile, just the way it should be when you're enjoying a really great meal.  and he still manages to make my heart skip a beat, even with that half grin.

Swinging.

My dear husband doesn't know how to do anything without giving it his all and going above and beyond the call of duty.

Case in point: the children's new swing set.

Built tall + strong so every member of the family can swing as fast, high, crazy as they want.  

And a toddler seat that has little Ollie thinking he just might be in heaven.

If you've been wondering what's been going on at the cozy brick house, you now have your answer friends.  We spend an awful lot of time in the backyard.  Just the way it should be in the springtime.

Remember.

One of the best things about staying home with my children is having the freedom to do spontaneous things with them throughout the day.  The only problem?  Sometimes I forget.  I let the daily to do's get in the way.  I allow chores like housework, shopping, meal preparation cloud my view.  I lose focus.  I stick to the schedule.  I forget about spontaneity.

Yesterday the sun was shining.  The sky was blue and I was feeling super healthy.  (seriously, friends.  drink the green smoothie NOW! you'll want to send me something in the mail you'll feel so great.) I had just fed the children lunch + Ryan was on his way back to work.  We were on the brink of naptime!  And guess what happened next?  I remembered.  I remembered how great it feels to throw schedules aside.  I remembered how my kids think I'm the greatest mom ever when I suggest an activity that doesn't end with "...and try to be quiet because the babies are sleeping."

So we left.  I loaded the little one's into the double stroller and Owen hoped on his bike.  We walked to the river + had one of the happiest afternoons well...ever.  It couldn't have been better.  No crying, no whining, no begging for snacks out of boredom.  We saw horses and ducks.  Geese and dogs.  We threw rocks into the water.  It was blissful.

I only hope this sweet memory will prompt me to remember more often.

Cleanse.

So. Friends.  I am a sugarholic.  I love it. I crave it.  I eat far too much of it.  I've let myself slip into a very unhealthy pattern and I need to break it.  As a jump start, I've decided to devote this week to a detox.  My friend found a plan that worked well for her, so I thought I'd give it a shot too.  This morning for breakfast I made my first ever green smoothie.  And guess what?  I actually liked it.  And so did Audrey.  Oliver thought he had died and gone to heaven.  I literally pried the straw from his vice grip.

Would you like the recipe?  Yes?  Here you go:

Green Smoothie

2 bananas (fresh or frozen)
1 mango
2-3 large handfuls of baby spinach
1 celery stick
1 C. water

Now that we're all feeling good and healthy, we're headed out to a walk along the river.  The sun is shining and it's far too nice out to stay inside this afternoon.

Kisses!

Mother's Day 2010.

This was all I wanted.  

One picture.

The mother hen + all her chicks.

But not without some out takes, of course.

I feel renewed, ready for a new week.  

You?

Rain + Wind.

Spring is in full force.  This means lots of rain and even more wind for those of us living in the Northwest.  Friends, I can barely stand it.  The rain I love, the wind...not so much.  Every time the wind blows I get a headache.  And I know you understand me when I say headaches + a crying 2 year old don't mix.  Could it be allergies?  I don't have any other symptoms...

Anyway, apparently I've been complaining a lot because today when I told Audrey it was time for her nap she said "No, Aud-wie not tired, Aud-wie head hurt."  Nice.

To get me through, I've been flipping through some images from just a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share them with you dears.  The sun was shining. The temperature was a lovely 70 degrees and most importantly, there was no wind.  Just a happy little breeze blowing through the cozy brick house.  On this particular afternoon, Owen and Oliver were enjoying the trampoline.

I'll bet you can't look at these without smiling...

Sending lovely spring weather wishes your way.

Girls Weekend.

The Setting: A tiny scandinavian town set in the mountains of the Northwest.
The Characters: Just the three girls of the family.  Me, my mom + my sister.
The Plot:  Girls weekend. Good food.  Lots of Laughs. Celebrating Moms 50-something birthday.
The Highlight: Laughing over and over about Mom calling our GPS a "depth finder". (she's gone fishing with daddy one too many times)

My mother isn't the most tech savvy lady in the world.  Sister + I had to explain facebook, twitter + blogs multiple times.  And although she's probably only looked at this blog once or twice, I'd still like to wish her the happiest of birthdays.  Love you, Mom.

p.s.  still loving my shake it photo app.