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.

Earth Day Opportunity

JQ on a field trip to a local soil farm

Just like Valentines Day and Mothers Day it isn't at all bad to have an actual reminder on the calender to recognize someone or something. Earth Day is no different. Some of us need that extra little incentive to perhaps reevaluate an aspect of our life. Look at Earth Day as an opportunity. Whether it be how and what we eat, where we spend our hard earned dollars or what type of footprint we are leaving on the earth this is a chance, a reminder, an opportunity to change for the better.  As a Mami I am consistently planting seeds in the minds of my little ones. The importance of empathy, respecting the Earth, or philanthropy my purpose, my job at this time in my life is to instill these things in my children by example. We are lucky enough to live in an area that for the most part is very "green" both as a community and environmentally. We have one of the largest municipal parks less than a mile away. We can easily make our way to natural food stores, green waste, and soil farms. Our city was once named one of the most bike friendly in the country!So like almost everyday, we will be outside on Earth Day. Being outside and in natural landscapes has always been important to me. I am fortunate to be able to share that with my children and help them to respect and enjoy it as well.
Al igual que el Día de San Valentín y Día de la Madre no es del todo malo tener un recordatorio de lo contrario, el calendario de reconocer a alguien o algo. Día de la Tierra no es diferente. Algunos de nosotros necesitamos ese pequeño incentivo extra para reevaluar quizá un aspecto de nuestra vida. Mira Día de la Tierra como una oportunidad. Ya se trate de la forma y lo que comemos, donde pasamos nuestros dólares ganados duros o qué tipo de huella que dejamos en la tierra, esta es una oportunidad, un recordatorio, una oportunidad de cambiar para mejor. Como Mami estoy plantando constantemente semillas en la mente de mis pequeños. La importancia de la empatía, el respeto a la tierra, o la filantropía mi propósito, mi trabajo en este momento en mi vida es la de inculcar estas cosas en mis hijos con el ejemplo. Tenemos la suerte de vivir en una zona que en su mayor parte es muy "verde", tanto como comunidad y el medio ambiente. Tenemos uno de los mayores parques municipales de menos de una milla de distancia. Fácilmente podemos hacer nuestro camino a las tiendas de alimentos naturales, desechos verdes y granjas del suelo. Nuestra ciudad una vez fue nombrada como una de las más bike friendly en el país! Así como casi todos los días, vamos a estar fuera en el día de la Tierra. Estar al aire libre y en los paisajes naturales ha sido siempre importante para mí. Tengo la suerte de poder compartir con mis hijos y ayudarles a respetar y disfrutar de ella también. 

My little ones are often (very often) barefoot in the yard. We get dirty. We touch, smell and observe things in nature. The understand food comes from plants and trees and also from the store. They freely pluck tomatoes and peas and broccoli from the yard. Stella sings to the moon and stars at night and we eagerly what a blue jay devour a worm in the morning. and two and four they don't know about pollution and the bigger picture but they do know we don't throw trash on the ground. They know worms are good for the garden and plants need clean water and sunshine to grow. I am thankful for this small reminder on my calender to do more in the way of living a cleaner, greener lifestyle.

Mis pequeños son a menudo (muy a menudo) descalzo en el patio. Nos ensuciamos. Nos tocamos, olemos y observamos las cosas en la naturaleza. La comida Entienda proviene de las plantas y árboles, así como de la tienda. Ellos libremente arrancan los tomates y los guisantes y brócoli en el patio. Stella le canta a la luna y las estrellas en la noche y con entusiasmo lo que un arrendajo azul devorar un gusano en la mañana. y dos y cuatro que no saben acerca de la contaminación y la imagen más grande, pero sí saben que no se tire basura en el suelo. Ellos saben que los gusanos son buenos para el jardín y las plantas necesitan agua limpia y el sol para crecer. Estoy agradecido por este pequeño recordatorio en mi calendario para hacer más en la forma de vivir un estilo de vida más limpio y verde.

Now through April 30th Beautorium is offering up to 20% off site wide. Try natural beauty products and celebrate Earth Day!  Save up to 20% on Great Natural Beauty Brands

Whim

I loaded the little ones in the car before the sun came up. Bikes strapped on and enough diapers to last a week, I kissed my sweet Mr. goodbye. I needed home and my sweet babes needed there GiGi, PopBee, cousins and lots and lots of open space. Our days were filled with celebrations and discoveries with snuggles and loved ones. Impromptu gatherings, swimming, deer in velvet, incredible heat and picking grapes from the vine. We watched birds in the trees, ate ice cream and shooed away flies. JQ would wake early, dressing and walking up to the main house to get some 1 on 1 with his GiGi, (who I'm sure was there waiting for him). Stella fell in love with swimming in the pool and would stay in long after her teeth would start to chatter.
Today we have made the trek back south. Settling in to another set of familiar routines. There is much to be said about being surrounded by loved ones. People that know you and love you anyways. People that celebrate that love and connection on a whim again and again. This exists for us and for that I am grateful. There is also great comfort for me in earths wide open spaces, natures untampered beauty and glorious imperfections.
For now this sweet little family of mine will continue on the journey. Burying our feet in the sand we will warm our skin in the endless sun.