The Many Faces...

Alexander and I were clowning around this afternoon and he started making some crazy faces. Here are a few I was able to capture before he started insisting I put the camera away :) The last one is such a BOY face -- I seem to remember my brothers doing this all the time!

Splish! Splash! Pool Time!

THIS...

...AND SOME OF THESE

...PLUS A BLUE PLASTIC POOL EQUALS THIS... (one HAPPY boy!)

More of God's Handiwork...

Our peony bush bloomed this weekend. It's always exciting to see the bright splash of color burst out. As a child I loathed the peonies in my mom's garden b/c all I recall were the ants, seemingly thousands & thousands of them. The ants are still present (and still not very appreciated) but I have to say, this is one of my favorite flowers in our yard.

Date Night!

Alexander spent Thursday night at g&g's. When Blake returned home from work that evening, it was like old times -- we had the house to ourselves! So, what did we do with our time 'sans a toddler' you might ask?

After devouring a pizza with ADULT toppings (canadian bacon & onions) from our favorite local pizzeria, we discussed how to most effectively use the remaining hours in the day.

We talked about spending a few hours organizing the garage.
We contemplated pricing items for an upcoming rummage sale.
We briefly mentioned a few other items on our ToDo lists and then...

WE DID THIS...

which upon our little guy's return on Friday soliciated THIS...

followed by THIS...

Those of you SEASONED, PROFESSIONAL PARENTS reading this post will no doubt have already guessed that our perfectly assembled train track complete with end track buffers, T-juntions, ascending tracks, a 5-way switch, a trestle bridge and strategically placed trees & road signs is now a jumbled mess on the familyroom floor.

I think I have heard the following phrase a couple HUNDRED times already today, "Momma. Broke it. Fix. PLEEEASE?"

You will also not be surprised that the once glorious track is now roughly oval in shape WITHOUT any risers, trees, ascending tracks, bridges or other such foolish contraptions. And...it is working just fine :)

Summer's Hot Fashion Tip: BY Alexander

These shoes are mine ... the feet ARE NOT.

The latest in lawn care fashion -- making his daddy proud! :)

Springtime Blooms...

My husband (and son) have been diligently planting flowers throughout the past few weeks. The plants survived a couple late-season frosts thanks to sheets EVERYWHERE. I told Blake that we should shut-off all our outside lights b/c our house looked a bit like a creepy graveyard on Halloween!

While I appreciate the beauty that flowers bring to the yard, I'm certainly NOT a gardener. To be honest, I am just not into dirt. Not a fan; plain & simple.

Nonetheless, I did contribute to this year's springtime flower displays by snapping some photos. :)

Mothers Day Weekend

We hosted Mothers Day at our house yesterday with some of Blake's family. We feasted on a menu designed (and prepared) by my hubby which included: marianated & grilled pork chops, mashed potatoes & sweet potatoes, a lettuce salad (consisting of dried mangos, strawberries, asparagus, pine nuts), roasted asparagus with parmesan cheese, multi-grain bread, amazing rhubarb pies provided by my MIL and Oberweis ice cream which is my FIL's specialty :)

Here are some snapshots of our time together. These little guys sure do love being together and they absolutely ADORE their grandma & grandpa, too.

Jonah playing outside with playdoh & trucks -- what could be better!

love little Jared's sweet expression in this shot...

way to go, grandma: the attention of all three boys at once!

Xander with one of his favorite people -- these guys are BUDS! :)

officially a member of grandma's rhubarb pie 'fan club'...

Always More That's Right...

If you were to ask me whether I was more of a half-empty or half-full kind of gal, I would instantly cast my vote for the FULL side of things. But my heart has been convicted lately regarding the reality of that self-perception. Do I simply desire to be viewed as optimistic because that seems the more worthy attribute OR do I actually live my life with a heart of gratitude & thankfullness? The conviction deepens along with the following realization -- I can complain with the best of 'em!

I can complain when the weather does not cooperate with my plans (who likes to go to the park in the rain!). I can whine about my son's troublesome behavior (my kitchen floor can attest to his latest eating style). I can lament having too much to do & too little time (and yet waste valuable minutes/hours doing unnecessary tasks).

So why all the self-examination? It was triggered by a line I recently read, "...sharing in the certainty that, even with all that can be wrong with the world (or the weather, or a marriage, or a person), there’s always more that’s right…”

It is SO easy to see the negative aspects of life -- dirty laundry, piles of dishes, disagreements, broken relationships, lies, poverty -- the list could go in so many directions. And yet the truth of the matter is this -- there is SO much good in life; so much MORE that is right. The sacrifice of a Savior. The love of family. The joy of the seasons. The laughter of a child. The kindness of a stranger. So much MORE that is right.

I have committed in my heart to be more aware of the GOOD and less concerned about the wrong. Perhaps you'd like to accept the challenge to do the same?