Everyday Miracles

He thought he was so sly sneaking a taste of flour.

We have cookies coming out of our ears! In a good way!

I ate crab and giant prawns with my bare hands out of a plastic bag and using a rock as my only utensil // our date nights are never boring.

I walked to church today // the smell of wet earth and autumn leaves, the sound of birds chirping, the warmth of the sun on my shoulder and the fresh air on my face, the peace and quiet left me so refreshed.

Thank you garden // Orecchiette with Swiss chard, fresh mozzarella, and spiced chickpeas tonight.

Cookies.  All weekend long.

Little green sprinkles of Christmas cheer cover my kitchen right now.

Bella's class Christmas party.

Ari's class book exchange.

This made my heart melt // Jake was quick to call my attention to the fact that Bella was already making plans to sneak out of bed to meet boys.

Our little country house all lit up for Christmas.

Celebrating with friends and neighbors in the country // we keep the kids up till 11:30 pm for nights like these.

Lemonade season has officially arrived.

Enjoying their awesome gifts from one of their favorite people, Brooke // she spoiled us all.

Happy little makeshift card tree grows taller and more cheerful by the day // we thank you for all the well wishing cards and for your beautiful photos.

The way he says “I luv yewww!”

Everyday Miracles

I have so much to be thankful for.  Someone I admire said that our Instagram collection is like a cellar that we keep stockpiled full of beautiful moments and memories, that we can take heart from when life isn’t so glorious.  I have to admit that while life is certainly not without its “off” moments (I had a “off” two hours after school today), things are pretty sweet right now, and I have to stock up my cellar while I can.  And with that, here are some of our everyday miracles.

The most amazing trip to Disneyland that we have ever had.  And that’s saying a lot.

A day out in the middle of a gorgeous lake with just my husband and our good friends, Sheena and Scott.  I went tubing with Jake, and I screamed the entire time.  I wasn’t scared, but I was so full of adrenaline that I needed a release.  A release that came in the form of blowing out Jake’s eardrums.

Sweet Tooth Fairy for dessert on my birthday.  One of my best friends of 11 years, Amber, just happens to own this enchanted establishment, and she gave us every sweet that we so much as glanced at.  Sweet Tooth Fairy takes the cake for best cupcake in Phoenix. 

Speaking of fairies, Bella got her first visit from the tooth fairy.  While admiring the hole in her mouth in front of the mirror, she said "This looks so cool. I look like a second grader. Now, I think I need glasses. That would look cute with this."  Worth noting that she said to me earlier that same day, Bella: “Mom, can you take off your glasses?… You know why?”  Me: “Why?”  Bella: “Because you look like Fancy Nancy’s mom”. 

Impromptu trip to Sedona, because we decided we needed this view at lunch.

Our family.  Gorgeous weather.  New Mexican green chile pork stew and a Cuban sandwich that was to die for.

This view out the rolled down car window.

The way the sun looked glistening through the trees and reflecting off Oak Creek. 

That day Liam learned how to sate his own bubble craving, and I found him in the garage doing this.

My family birthday celebration with my sisters and their boyfriends.  They ordered me beautiful charcuterie and bruschetta take-out from Postinos, and we spent quality time late into the night.  Quality time is my favorite.

I feel like this picture of Bella is a metaphor for how she approaches life… with awe and innocence and confidence and skillfulness.

Bella made a new friend at her Special Blessings summer party.  Like Bella, her friend has no need for two hands either.

My view from my bathtub at night.  There will always be a moon picture.

Liam is now a ham. He likes to pretend that he is on a commercial for cereal and applesauce and pretty much anything I ask him to advertise.  He takes a bite and smiles and holds his spoon up on cue. 

The kids built this “fort” without my help.  Without even wanting my help.  New frontiers.

And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I walked in to see Gabe reading to his sisters in the fort. 

Land That I Love (4th of July)

I have carved out our next several July 4th weekends to do exactly what we did this past 4th of July.  It’s there on the calendar, in pen, and it’s not subject to change.  This weekend was the stuff American childhood dreams are made of… 

It’s eating lunches with your best friend/cousin on the front porch in rocking chairs.

 

On Bella: white dress – Gap Kids

It’s boys playing rough on a hand-seeded Kentucky Blue Grass lawn under the pine trees.

It’s wandering and exploring and being an unsupervised country babe.  It’s being dressed in red, white, and blue like, pretty much, all weekend. 

 

It’s playing with kittens and doggies you just can’t have anywhere around you at home, because your mom and brother are the most allergic people on the planet.  It’s hanging out with the boys which, for my girls, is a novel and cool thing to do.

It’s helping Aunt Chantelle make curtains for a tree house that Papa just built this spring.

 

It’s a feeling of pride to be a part of something bigger than you; something that will be remembered.

It’s playing two stories above the ground, in a child’s dream house amidst the trees; and if you’re one of the big boys, sleeping up there at night on cots with your cousins as the rain pours down outside.

  

It’s a Grammy-made obstacle course around the yard, involving nothing more than a Little Tykes slide, a hula hoop, an old water jug, a humming bird feeder, a ball in a laundry basket, a homemade sponge bomb in a bucket, and a toddler trampoline.  All of which keeps the kids leaping and somersaulting and running for hours.

  

It’s a semi-impromptu water war in which everyone, and I mean everyone, is fair game.  Sorry babies.

It’s sleeping on the lawn in a beast of a tent with every cousin over the age of two.

 

It’s s’mores, of course.  Every childhood ought to be filled with at least 100 instances of roasting marshmallows over a campfire.

It’s sparklers at dusk.  Even the babies get to play with a little fire.

   

It’s roman candles, and spinners, and firecrackers for the big kids to set off with their dads.

 

It’s an American flag flying high on a pole beside the old willow tree.  It’s bustling family dinners picnic-style in the backyard.  It’s ranger rides down some old back road (sometimes in the middle of the pouring rain).  It’s a million types of desserts.  It’s being with people you love in a place you love.  It’s everything that’s still good and wholesome and free in this blessed nation. 

These are our not-so-tentative 4th of July plans for the next few years to come.