Letting Go . . . .

Right now the kids are playing in the garage.

Don't ask me why.
Today, the garage is a magical place where there are new smells, new adventures, and apparently a scary dragon who needs to be slain with the broom.
My grown up mind is thinking - dirty feet and bikes out of place.
But, I'm letting it go.
I'm letting kids be kids.

Why is this such a hard lesson for me to learn?
I was a kid once, right?
Of course, our kids need guidance and boundaries, but sometimes I find myself trying to rule and contain the chaos they brought to my life instead of letting that chaos turn into fun and learning.

Sometimes it's okay to let the boys play cars on the deck in their underwear.


You probably wonder if my kids ever wear clothes. We've had a lot of underwear pictures lately. Maybe I'm letting go a little too much ;)



It's okay to let my little guy make a lego city on my kitchen counter and leave it there for a couple days.


Counter space is highly overrated.


It's okay to have a movie party


in our pajamas and eat popcorn at 9:00 in the morning.



It's okay to let go sometimes and let my kids be kids . . . . and people.

They are people here to live their lives.
They aren't just my life experience.

They are having little life experiences of their own.


Right now it's the experience of rummaging through the garage and chasing each other with old paint rollers.
They've gotta be learning a lot from that, right?

Things We Love Lately

I love a lot of things.
I really do.
I've been dealing with some tough stuff lately (aren't we all) and that's when it is difficult for me to remember the things I love.
Isn't that the most important time to remember the things you love?
Sheesh.
I'll try harder next time.

I love that Andy has learned how to give hugs. Great big, sweet, lovable bear hugs.

I love that I have reordered my magazine.


I love to read it in the bathtub (tmi?) and dream that my house looks like the ones in the pictures. Clean (ya right), in style (ha ha), perfect (I am dreaming).

I love that Davin and I got to go to a movie . . . in an actual theater . . . . . by ourselves!! It's been years. Yes, YEARS.


It was a fun and fascinating movie.

Wow. This was one boring post. Make me feel better . . . .

What are you loving lately???

I dare you to read the whole thing . . .

We just got back from their wedding.

It was fun.
I didn't take a single picture!
Can you believe it?

However, I took enough pictures of our 4th of July to fill 10 posts.
I don't feel like writing 10 posts, so you will get this marathon of pics in one post.
Feel free to jump ship whenever you feel necessary.


I won't be offended.

We spent our 4th of July at our family cabin.


So perfect.
I spent so much of my childhood running around this place with siblings and cousins.
It was fun to bring my own children there.
I love all the little quirky details and funny objects that bring back so many great memories.



We spent our days relaxing,



riding bikes,



going on nature walks


(I promise Andy had fun),

picking wildflowers for Mommy (very sweet),

eating yummy foods


(breakfast must be eaten with your camping hat on),


sitting by a roaring fire (my favorite),



taking a trip to Big Springs to feed the big fish



. . . . fish?


(apparently the fish have been overtaken by giant seagulls. grrrr. oh well, the kids enjoyed it anyways),



We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the woods


the wild strawberries,


the new growth on the baby trees,


and the sunlight streaming through to the forest floor,



and of course some fireworks!



We covered ourselves in blankets to keep the mosquitoes away and our bodies toasty.



The show was even more beautiful underneath this sky.


The perfect fourth of July evening.

It was so hard to leave this little retreat in the woods.


Can't wait to go back.