Lake Belle Taine, August 2012

Oh, how we love the lake! Three years ago when our beloved Sunset Lodge on Potato Lake was sold to developers we weren't quite sure how'd we'd ever replace it, but my parents have definitely found us a new sweet spot. The greatest thing about them having a cabin is definitely being able to visit throughout the year, and not just one week each summer. I know we all feel instantly relaxed when we arrive, walk through to the porch, and savor that first deep breath as we take in the lake.

Last week was no exception to this. The weather was cooler, so we didn't live in the lake like we did over the 4th of July. Instead, we spent a lot of time at the golf course, fishing, or playing games. Since my entire family was there, we had non-stop entertainment from Josiah, Zoe, and Claire. It's so much fun to see how the three of them already love to be around one another, even though they're so young.

Highlights of the week for our family:

• having my whole family there, and especially getting to love on our nieces Zoe & Claire
• family range session at Headwaters (yes, I golfed too!)
• using our new goggles to dive for golf balls in the middle of the lake (ok, so I floated out on my floatie while Jim dove, but someone had to supervise Josiah out there!)
• breakfast at the Great Northern with just the mommies and kidlets while the daddies golfed
• having my grandparents and aunt and uncle from Burnsville join us for a few days
• multiple coffees at Bella Cafe
• celebrating Zoe's 2nd birthday
• flea market excursion, which produced a bag of marbles, Ziggy the Zebra beanie baby, & 3 painted rocks (2 penguins and 1 turtle)
• Josiah outfishing Jim 24 to 4 off the dock

Favorite quotes from Josiah:

• (As we're devouring breakfast at the Great Northern) "Mom, when you swallow your food does God get squished?" (We've been visiting a lot about how God lives inside us lately.)
• "When I grow up I'm going to be a police officer so I can help chase the mean guys. Yeah, and then I can get a sword, and poke 'em in the butt!" (Jim started calling people who do bad things "mean guys.")

Favorite pictures! Enjoy!!!

In front of our favorite breakfast place...if you haven't been there you NEED to go. Order the french toast!!! 

All 3 kids love books...what a surprise with 2 librarians and an elementary teacher in the fam!

Getting ready to spot for my brother as he attempts water skiing for the first time in several years. Got up on the first try too!

Eating Uncle Gary's stir fry on the porch. My two adorable boys!!!

Who needs to swim when you can fish!?

Surprisingly, we haven't eaten at Compeneros in Dorset yet this year, but we did stop for ice cream and a quick picture on the infamous burro on our way back home.

My favorite way to enjoy the lake! Best floatie ever!!!

What a stud!

Terrariums

The last thing I want to admit is that summer break is flying by and the beginning of another school year is rapidly approaching. Where, oh where, did the time go?! We have less than 3 weeks to go, and I'm determined to spend as much quality time with Josiah as I can. Today's activity = terrariums!!! Here's a peek...

Our supplies...

...start with big rocks on the bottom...

...then fill with cactus soil...

...add plants...

...and the rocks Mom and Dad handpicked on their honeymoon...

...and voila! Josiah's terrarium!

We can enjoy this together for many years to come (or until a ball knocks it off the shelf)!!!

Pinterest: Blogs & Blurbs

Oh, how I love Pinterest. It's saved my life...just kidding! Well, actually it has returned my enthusiasm for constantly finding new teaching ideas, solved many organizing dilemmas, introduced me to the world of blogging, provided many yummy recipes, and sparked many brilliant ideas. I refuse to feel guilty for spending a few minutes each day pinning when it's been such a great resource and SO much fun. It's also what prompted me to begin blogging and hatched my blurb plan.

Let me explain... I didn't really begin reading blogs until around Christmas of last year, and it didn't take me long to decide that I wanted in on the fun. Two blogs later, I'm hooked! Then a few weeks ago I pinned an idea for making family yearbooks through Blurb. At first I dismissed the idea since I've always used Shutterfly, but the more I considered it the more it makes sense. My former brilliant idea had been to just create Shutterfly books for all my kids individually, but making a family yearbook (and then ordering copies for everyone to take with them when they grow up, maybe...someday down the road) just makes so much more sense. The deciding factor, though, was the realization that I could incorporate blog posts into this book. Holy cow! Talk about making two hobbies suddenly go from being exclusive to working hand in hand. Totally resonates with my resolution to simply my life this year and "work smarter, not harder."

I am definitely not a fabulous blogger, yet, but I've found that I do really enjoy it. It has the same therapeutic quality as journaling, even though your thoughts are being broadcast to the world. Still, I have neglected to write many times when I should have because I've felt guilty investing the time. Now, however, as I'm narrating the day-to-day I can use it to string each year together. Woohoo!!! I am just so excited to begin working, and I may even work my way backwards all the back back to our wedding. After all, if a scrapbook I began 9 years hasn't been finished yet, it probably won't ever be (yes, our wedding album...how embarrassing). Josiah's baby book and the journaling I attempted can be included, the unfinished Christmas scrapbooks can be included...so many fragmented projects can all be incorporated and finally finished! And the best part...new purpose for my blog!!! I will probably still post about some of the projects I'm working on, because that makes me excited too, but the main purpose will be to tell the story of our family. Which means...when I make each blurb book most of the journaling will be done already! If you've read my earlier posts, you already know that I'm great at starting and not finishing, and if you have ever scrapbooked you know that journaling is the final step. How awesome to not have to try to remember and detail events from months ago!

So...I know have to wrap up this post so that I can begin another which will, of course, go in our blurb book for 2012!!!!

Favorite Summer Pictures (so far)!!!

I would love nothing more than to sit down and do these pictures justice by creating separate posts and narrating each event, but...alas...it's 12:38 am. This is normally not a cause of alarm, however I've just realized that there are only 3 weeks remaining until school begins. Considering that I haven't gotten out of bed before 8:00 all summer presents a problem. So for now, here are just a few of our favorites. I'll tell the stories later!!!

A Sleepover...3 Year Old Style

Oh how I love watching my sweetheart grow and experience things I remember from childhood. Last night we had an impromptu sleepover with our neighbor, and they lived it up big time. Full bath with lots of splashing and a squirter (the ceiling was a little wet), wearing their matching pajamas, and squishing side by side on the bed with Jim to read Oh the Places you Go (Dr. Seuss is Jim and Josiah's favorite, besides Waldo)...then wrapping up the evening by giggling and whispering instead of going right to sleep. Listening to them from the next room made my heart smile. :)

So I am also, admittedly, on a mission to be one of Josiah's friends' favorite moms and known for cooking all things yummy, and I stayed up late to bake a special breakfast just for the boys. We have 5 lbs of "to die for" blueberries, and I found a super scrumptious recipe on Pinterest. Here it is! http://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/06/29/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/ I stayed up until after 1:00 waiting for that puppy to finish baking! Not only that, but trying to double a new recipe that late at night usually takes me twice as long because I'm paranoid about doing everything correctly and doubling ALL the ingredients. AND this one required butter and eggs at room temperature, which I managed to NOT realize at the same time. Oops! Anyway, after staying up extra late neither of them ate more than two bites...turkeys!!! Oh well, more for me, right?

The sweetest part of the sleepover was this morning, when both kiddos came and snuggled with me in bed. How much longer until Josiah grows out of his snuggling phase? I'm afraid it can't be too much longer since he's already three and a half, so I'm going to cherish every minute until it's gone. Anyway...we spent the remainder of the morning playing T-ball in the backyard, retrieving golf balls out of the pool (using the golf ball retriever since it's a whole foot deep), jumping off a toy tote into the pool over and over...here's a few action shots!!!

Finishing!

If there was an award for starting the most projects I'd win hands down! If there was an award for not finishing the most projects, I'd win that too. I am notorious for having great ideas and starting them, but I am not a great finisher. Jim's classic example of this is the stack of books with bookmarks (all usually less than 1 cm worth of pages away from the front cover) sitting on the top of the shelf next to my bed. I also have at least 5 unfinished scrapbooks (at one point in my life I did actually work on these), and organizing projects either begun or hatching in my brain in every room in our house. AUGH! No wonder I make myself stressed and frustrated, and no wonder I always feel like I haven't accomplished anything at the end of the day when I haven't even sat down. Can anyone else relate?

My mission for the summer is to simply finish. Finish a book before I start another, go through the stacks of paper I've piled in the office and kitchen to file "later," finish the hosta bed in the back, finish staining the fence...you get the picture. I know that I will never be able to finish all the things I've started or begin to tackle all the other things I'm itching to start, but I have actually managed to finish a few things things I set out to do! If you read a few weeks ago, I DID finish cleaning out ALL my kitchen cupboards and install a shelving system in our garage. Woohoo!!! Current projects to finish: cleaning out clothes, filing and wrapping up paperwork in more places than I can count, clean out the bathroom cupboards, deadhead and prune in the yard, and finish reading Inheritance. Think I can do all that in a week and a half? Wish me luck!!!

Lovely day!

Top 10 things that made today fabulous, even though I overslept this morning!

• Started my day with a mocha from Caribou
• Got to "work" today with 3 amazing teachers from WF. While working on our district curriculum for next year we shared a plethora of inspiring ideas and resources!!! Found some GREAT third grade blogs for inspiration / Pinspiration!!!
• A colleague shared an idea that will solve my classroom organization woes...1 small bookshelf for each student table, complete with book boxes, text books, math toolkits, and kleenex!
• Had a blast with Josiah at my school today while he "helped" me move things from my old room to my new room. He did make lots of messes, but for the first time he picked up each mess prior to making a new one without complaint! Ahhh...and he was in a great mood to top it off!!!
• Ate on the patio at the golf course with my two favorite boys. Had a delicious wrap and fries (so unhealthy, but so good!)
• Jim and Josiah made chocolate cookies...being a spectator for that was SO much fun.
• Eating homemade chocolate chip cookies.
• Two Pinterest projects --- extra special payment gift for Josiah's babysitter this week and snazzy thank you notes printed off to have on hand.
• My laundry is done and the house it quiet.
• Look what came today!!! I cannot wait to learn how to use this thing and combine my two favorite things...making things on my computer with cute fonts and being crafty! Hmmm...what to make first...labels for the pantry that I just reorganized or lettering for my classroom...

Ok...enough playing on my computer...it's 12:53...if I'm not mistaken one of my New Years Resolutions was to be in bed earlier so that I could read, rest, and be up earlier. Guess I'm not meeting that one this week...