summer bucket list: splat balls

Thanks to Pinterest, where all great ideas come from, splat balls was added to our bucket list.

I left this fun activity in the hands of the boys’ super fun sitter, Megan (or Egan as Brodie calls her) and told her she had to take pictures.

Brodie has awesome form! I mean, check out that follow through!

His daddy has high hopes he’ll be a baseball boy!

The report was, super fun was had by all. We’ll be breaking these out again especially with the 110 degree days we’ve been having!

Summer bucket list: the library, take two

Honestly after our last library distaster, I really debated just returning our library books in the drive thru drop off. But I figured, I'd mom up and give it one more shot.

Well, we hit the Korean childrens book jackpot!

And Bates really loved the books and sat and read them. And I read a few to him  too!

 

 And what was the loose cannon doing, you ask- he was busy helping himself to some contraband, but it kept him quiet and happy.

Trip two to the library was more successful, there just may be more trips in our future.

Keeping it real

I had a super wonderful and refreshing conversation with a friend the other day. We just talked about how funny it was that we try so hard with all the social media out there to show we have it "all put together."

 I was laughing as I remembered trying to take pictures of my boys the other day in their cute matching outfits. One of the munchkins was not corporating. I tried to bribe him to no avial and finally after he was crying and I was sweating, I threw my hands in the air and said "FINE no pictures, I give up!"

I am quite guilty of "we're the perfect family" PR stunt myself. I move the boys or myself around to get the angle that doesn't show all the mess or piles of stuff. I do try to keep it real, as I want my blog and the book it's turned into to be a result of our daily life, but you don't see what I don't want you to see.

I had someone email me just this week and tell me what a mom inspiration I was- how I always am doing something fun and creative with my boys. And on and on she went. 

Ha, if she only spent a day at our house. She'd see the meltdowns, the tears, the tempers, and the fed up momma. I do love my children but some days, oh some days..... well lets just say I wouldn't be winning any awards. 

So as I walked through, and stepped over things today, I decided I'd capture these few pictures to document the side you don't get to see.... what's happening behind the camera!

Here is my kitchen bar, or the landing zone as I call it. 

This one area is a thorn in my side. Everything gets piled here and just doesn't leave.

Here we have a watermelon, tot school supplies, a picture I framed and need to hang, a book that someone returned, library books, a camera charger (for a camera I no longer have), VBS pictures, and bullets- and countless other things. 

The laundry room. Oh why can folded clothes not put themselves up. Here is three baskets just waiting.... I literally can't open the door to the garage all the way for all the clothes.

Brodie's old room, soon to be Stacey (our exchange student's room)

It's a work in progress and a completely unfinished project and things just keep getting piled in there.

The den, which gives you a sneak peak of the new floors (which are also an unfinished project)

and honestly, it's actually in pretty good shape today

 

So, there you have it, keeping it real, folks.

There is lots of fun, love, laughter, and playing that happens in this house and sometimes (well, all the time!) the housekeeping suffers. I'm prayerful it's a season, the toddler season, and one day we'll make it through the chaos. Oh how I love my crazy, and messy, life! I'm one blessed momma for sure- mess and all! 

Beach Life: the professional pictures

One of the things I really wanted to do on our beach trip was have some pictures taken of our family. I googled photographers and found Leslie with Freshly Bold. We totally hit it off and I was excited to have her scheduled for some pictures!

It threatened to rain our session, but it held off and we were able to hop on down to the driftwood beach. It was muggy (hence my crazy flip out hair) and lots of bugs, but oh my word- it was so worth it, the outcome is incredible.

Leslie put a sneak peak on her blog last week. And I got my cd in the mail today, I ripped open the super cute packing and here are some of my favorites!

Leslie, thank you for capturing the sweet, spunk, shy, and lively spirit that is our family. These pictures are windows into the personalities of our boys. It's unbelievable that these still frames capture so much life. These pictures are a treasure, thank you for sweating it out with us and getting these timeless treasures! See you in October!!! 

Now to start narrowing it down for prints and frames and canvases…..