Living Our Story

Life is lived outdoors during Summer. Time spent in front of a computer is minimal and goes unnoticed. I am extremely thankful to find myself happy in my life's present season. The days are filled with activity so much so we are almost too tired to make it into bed at night. My children seem to grow as quickly as my garden in this sometimes sweltering heat. Their words, their activities and understanding of how this big crazy world fits together amazes me. Together we carry handfuls of tomato, cucumber, sweet peppers, corn and squash from the garden each day. My son reminds me how they all started as small seedlings just like him as my daughter fills her cheeks with the ripe fruit. My heart is full. In front of me I find a narrow pathway along the creek, small fish and polliwogs just below the waters surface. The rocky terrain of a somewhat treacherous bike trail and my husbands silhouette a few yards ahead.  Wet faces adorned with swim goggles and grins popping up from a cool pool. A waterfall so loud we resort to communicating with hand signals while wiping the mist from our sunglasses. A forest of trees more mystifying than any movie on the big screen. This is summer. I imagine myself adrift in these moments forever. I write in my head and rarely ever on paper or in type. There is very plainly more living to be had than there is time to report on it. We are living our story and I rather like this one. So for the moment I am going to step away from the keyboard and enjoy my little ones while they are still little. 

Happy Summer.

Summer Time Epic Family Playdate

Just like that, Summer is at full throttle. The days are long and hot. The kind of days where you break a sweat without moving and collapse into bed each night and wake only when the morning light sneaks in through the window. The routines that come with school and ballet lessons are replaced with a single daily trip to the pool. To break things up we have enjoyed regular family playdates. Spending quality family time away from the everyday having a seriously good time. This means taking it a few notches up and having a side splitting, wide eyed day making memories. It helps our summer to be truly awesome and brings our family together. Top on my list for such an Epic Playdate is an exhilarating sailboat trip off the coast of Santa Cruz, California. My kids and I love the water but I have yet to share the joy of sailing with them. One that I have known since I was a child. We would start our adventure on land however. A bike ride to the farmers market to load up fresh baked goodness, berries and such. Off on our bikes, my Mr. in the lead. Stella stuffing her cheeks with strawberries in her seat behind me. My coffee spilling a bit at every turn.  My son grins at the dips and turns down the bike path to the harbor. Once on the boat and out of the slip we would pass a group of sea otters, maybe 30 or 40 floating and playing in the kelp. They watch us float by and its almost as if they wave or give us a "whats up" as we pass. Stella screams out "look at the babies!." We would enjoy lunch on the deck and the salty water would splash up sending the kiddos into fits of giggles. Maybe we even dare to hang our feet off. Thier still baby like toes curled up above the dark ocean water. They would learn to help raise the sail, what it means to "come about" and feel the power of the wind as it pushed us along the top of the water. Other families have taken the idea of "The Epic Playdate" and made it there own while spending meaningful time together as a family having fun! Such bloggers as Dooce who traveled with her family to Arches National Park to explore the breath taking natural landscape. You can see the video of that trip here. What would you do on an epic family playdate with your family this summer?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

I've been thinking, feeling and doing a lot these past few days, weeks. It just hasn't been here, on the internet and on this blog. I have wanted to write a post and share a few things. It just hasn't happened. I guess you could say I've disconnected a bit. J and S keep me busy in a good way. My Mr.'s attentions more appealing in the evening. Sitting down to the computer not so much. My garden has doubled in size and has me excited for what's to come as the days get longer and hotter. Maybe it's the time of year that has me away from the indoors and my computer, and I'm not complaining.  Today we are in the yard as usual. All three meals will probably be eaten out here. In fact I'm typing this from a blanket in the grass. Watching my naked babes munch on wedges of sandia, there little bodies still wet from the pool. I'm thinking of my family and friends hundreds of miles away. The green lush of my parents yard and a new baby girl that fell asleep in my arms. I'm watching my babies grow into children more independent and expressive. My sweet girls curls lighten in the sun making her dark eyes seem even darker. My loving boy tells me stories and I listen, truly intrigued by his creativity and innocence. I'm looking forward to more walks with my Mr. and to making new friends in new places. To learning and creating, to watching my children grow and to loving and celebrating this little family of ours.

photo by Lindsay Maria Smith

Linking to Just Write

Ice Cream Sandwich

Makes for two very happy little ones.

Linking up with Life Made Lovely, because I believe ours really is!

Happy Monday!

Enamored

These two have completely stollen my heart.

Life will never be the same...

Linking here & here.

The Peanut & The Barn

It is nap time for both mis bebes so I am getting my  very coveted alone/quiet/me time. I will be honest and say/type that I try very hard not to spend it all on the computer. I try and spend as much of my day as possible outside and in the garden these days. Thankfully JQ and Stellita love to be in the garden as well. In fact after Stellita's 12 month appointment this morning we took a drive out to The Plant Barn to find new flowers to enjoy.

We came home with a few treasures but haven't had the opportunity to plant them yet. Stellita is a little tired after her appointment this morning and wasn't feeling up to planting flowers. On the bright side though the Dr. says she is a healthy 12 month old baby girl even if she is just a peanut! Little miss weights 18 lbs, 8 ounces and is just 28 1/4 inches long. A whole six pounds smaller than her Big Bro at this age. Hopefully I will get another picture of them together for my Growing Garcia's project later this week.

Until then...

I am off to have a slice of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread ...YUM!!

Biiiiicycle!

Here is a glance at our week via my cell phone photos.
We are joining Life Rearranged once again for InstaFriday's.

...I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike, I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like...

Okay. Am I the only one that knows that song? Well whatever.

We have been taking lots and lots of evening bike rides with the kiddos and they L.O.V.E. it! The cruiser is decked out with a "Stella Seat" now and Mr. is sporting the trailer where JQ rides. And we have just been generally out on the town and enjoying playgroup picnics.

...Summer, summer, summer time...

No more song lyrics, promise!

With the heat comes pool time and playing in the water too. We take advantage of Gigi and PopBee's pool and newly constructed sandbox as much as possible (in the most loving and appreciative way of course!)And lastly lots and lots of lovely produce at the farmers market!

Happy Weekend Y'all!

Busy Good Fun

The past few days have been filled with a bit of this and that. Life is sweet what can I say...

I am a tad sleep deprived and in need of a spa day(or week!) My Mr. and I desperately need a childless weekend away but...we are happy and having fun.

Sweet sticky peaches, sandboxes, swimming, bike rides, BBQ and some hard work thrown in. Let's hope the Summer sticks around a while!

The Swimsuit Edition

When you are 11 months old,  it is 90 plus degrees out and your brother is hogging the hose you sit in 2 inches of water in a kiddie pool with your mom hovering over you, snapping photos.  

At least that is what Stella did earlier this week. So far they are like two peas in a pod, Stellita and Water that is. She loves it and it does wonders for her mood, and provides distraction! Four of her top teeth came in this month, three in the same week! So we pretty much rely on baby Tylenol and distraction.

We are linking up with Mama Loves Papa for Small Style. Seeing all the little ones is something I look forward to every week!

This little one does NOT have Mommy's legs. THANK GOODNESS. Girl has got some stems, lucky!

On Stella:

Sun Hat- Bows & Giggles

Swimsuit- hand me down (circa 1996!)
Flower Clip- gifted

GG's Garden

We are lucky enough to live near my parents who have a large established yard for Joaquin to explore(the same yard I grew up playing in). My Mother has a large vegetable garden of which Joaquin is free to walk in and discover. Right now the green beans and blueberries are ready for eating and JQ loves it! He signs "more" as soon as we get near the blueberry bushes. "GG" or Grandma has taught him to smell the flowers and plants and so he does and he stomps on the mint which lets off a fabulous smell. The tomatoes are all green but I know as soon as they are ready he will be picking and eating them...I hope there are many more summers like this for him to remember.

Summertime Sweets

It is 96 degrees today. Wow, summer always comes so quickly! Time to break out ice cold goodness and today it is a strawberry popsicle.