Looking

I started a post on Sunday. It got filed under drafts. It just doesn't seem the inspiration in there. Maybe to much going on. Parties, playdates, school work, and preparing. Preparing for our own party.  My little girl turns 1 in a week. Its a big thing. A whole year has passed. Hours spent nursing, first smiles, first foods, turning, sitting, crawling, signing....she's figuring it all out. I feel very sentimental about this one.

I've tried all afternoon to think of something to write. Why am I sentimental? So many reasons, which would feel like a bunch of ramblings with no purpose. Its all jumbling around in my head, and I don't know how to write it out.

Maybe its 5 days of gray sky's and rain. Maybe I did so much yesterday, I'm to tired today. Maybe I've got to much other stuff going on in my head, thats bugging me weighing me down, not allowing me to tap that inspiration.

So I'm looking. Looking for some inspiration from these beauty's growing in my backyard.

this is our bush!!

baby leaves!!

one lone flower survived my husbands hunt for weeds (who says these are weeds??)

this lovely bush grows up the fence

this is the neighbors apple tree

this grows along the fence, and gives complete privacy says the guy next door....

And this one, growing oh so fast in my home.

happy almost 1 year Klara! You amaze me!

Its neat to watch the backyard bloom and see all it has to offer us. Its all new, and I have no idea the names of any of those things, but the colors are beautiful. And I will learn the names.

And my baby girl...grow and giving us all so much. Preparing for her day, everyday this week. My heart swells with luv, and I am so happy, feel so blessed that she is here, that I get the honor of raising her, and watching her become all she is.

And that's all I have. Chores await, children need me, that overwhelming feeling is pouring over me today. But that's ok. Because being, luving them, watching them, its all enough right now.

Blessings

Its been a long day.

Laundry to wash.
Laundry to hang.

diapers....they stink after a good dose of bleach and a good line dry...why?

Garden to work at.

I luv my garden. So glad I have it to keep me busy, and soon fresh home grown food, but this sod thing seems never ending.....

I have done 4 of these wheel barrels of sod...and I'm not 1/2 done...

 Points to count, and with that, food to avoid.....and thats hard work!

tonight this journey seems slow

Husband to contend with.
Children to contend with.

really?? You think this is ok??

Pets to contend with.

at least 2 of them share

Countless meals and snacks to make,

muffins ~ trying to do most meals and snacks from scratch...

 and with that, endless dishes to wash.

my kitchen is stacked with dishes like this 4xs a day

Honestly, today it seemed so never ending. A battle I was loosing.

But I hang onto the facts. I remind myself 1000xs a day of my blessings. Blessing some people would give up so much for.
The reasons I do all I do. And that the good days outnumber the bad days. 

1 blessing

2 blessing

 3 blessing

4 blessing

And spring is all around me. With the early morning sunrises, flowers blooming everywhere, warm afternoons, QD's opening again for the season (foods to avoid...) buds on the tress....

......reminding me every morning is a fresh start, with new beauty waiting.

And at the end of this long day, where everything is a struggle, and I am oh so tired....a sunset....

...of equal beauty to the blooms and buds, reminding me what does not get done today, will be there tomorrow.

My blessings sleep. My beautiful, amazing, joy filling 1,2, 3, 4, snuggled in bed, waiting for tomorrow.

My New Favorite Thing and Something Very Funny

It went like this. Grace gave me lovely floating candles for Mothers Day. I brought one to share for dinner at my Mom's and left one at home. I had this idea to have a bath with floating candles. So after we got home last night, and all my sleepy sunny smelling children were tucked into bed, and I was a bit chilli from my sun burn, I thought a bath with my candle would be just the thing.

It was. I luv it. Try it. It floats, it glows, there's no chance of fire because its in water, and its lovely.

Because it was so lovely I asked my wonderful hubby to get my camera.

"Is this a good idea?" He asked me as he passed it over to me - dry hands!!

"Yep, I've done this before!" I told him proudly. (I took pics of Klara in the tub with me once....hehehe)

no flash, super still

Board or to anxious to watch, he left me to it. I snapped 1/2  a dozen pics different settings, different angels, and put it gently down outside the tub. All's good.

flash, looks like daytime, tells me this would be fantastic during the day too.

 It was getting cold so I thought I should get out.

I should stop here and tell a bit. Our bathroom is old. Lovely white tiles with a blue, light summer sky blue swirly pattern on them. The tiles were nice, beautiful even, but the wallpaper...

the bathroom before.....you get what I mean..

....and curtins, ick, had to go. The tub, toilet and sinks were blue...the floor was some wacky 70's thing....So we've done it piece by piece, got the tub painted, removed the wall paper, painted the walls door, and trim, and finally replaced the floor and toilet. The sinks are a project for another day.....

Back to the story.

I have this bathroom, and I luv it. I grab the (ugly blue) soap dish for 'some support' and *SPLAH* back in the tub with the thing in my hand. OMGoodness!!

"Oh crap!" I said, loud enough so Goran would hear, but not loud enough so I'd wake the sleeping ones.

crap?

 "What!" his voice shot up the stairs with a hint of *I'm pissed now*

I realized he thought I dropped my camera. I told him "Its not the camera, but you need to come, now..." my voice died with the sentence.

I now have have this gaping hole with a plastic bread bag taped over it, in my bath.

yes, i eat dempsters :)

 Oh well, it will be fixed.

i wonder how long it will sit on the counter???

Once its fixed, I'm buying a bunch of the floating candles and having a date with a bottle of wine and a good book!

Happy Mothers Day

I luv my big backyard. I spend time there, gardening, hanging laundry and watching the kids. The kids luv the back yard. Swinging, digging for worms and talking with the neighbor kids through the fence. We bought this house because of the yard. It's a huge city yard, and we luv it.

But its so so different packing up the kids and heading over to Mom and Dads for the day. Their garden is 4xs as big as mine. They still have space. They have a pool, and workshop, garage, chicken coop, swing set, trampoline, walk/pathway garden with a waterfall and pond, and still have room. We camp for July 1ts their, with trailers and tents and still have room. Wide open spaces to run, play badminton or volleyball, have a campfire, and still have space.

The kids hop out of the car, run across the yard with hugs and kisses for Nana and Paka. Look for the fish and frog in the pond.

Nana and the girls

Bryan looking too

They have to see the bird's nest's they've heard so much about

eggs nest 1

baby birds nest 2

Baby bird, nest 2

There was a 3rd, and you could see it through the deck, but I couldn't take a picture because underneath was to high.

Afternoons spent chatting around the pond. Pouring out my heart to the ones I luv the most, and being a resounding block for them. Listening to their sadness, sharing in the joy. Building lasting relationships. Watching bonds grow with 2 men I never thought would be so close...

2 men I luv the most!

Baby's sleeping so relaxed, with the faith you will keep them safe....

As much as he looks up to his dad he looks up to this fellow too

And the day wouldn't be complete without a photo shoot!!

Nana and Paka with 3.....the 4th was fast asleep

my mom and me :)

It was a great mothers day for me. One of those days memories are made of!

Garden 2 - Rhubarb

Me and my littles went out to a garden corner today. They "helped" by digging and looking for worms, while I picked out sod and leveled off a section. Then I planted!! Rhubarb!!

our 1st garden plant!

"helping" See Angelina running off in the background? She was running to get some water to feed our rhubarb, so she really did help!

So very serous with his tool, Bryan :) Grace being *cute*

my amazing plant

grow grow little plant! I care for you, and luv you, just grow!

I threw in some garlic, not sure what will happen but we'll find out! I'm hoping to spend some time getting rid of sod this week and planting. Now that the sunshine is here!
I wear gloves :) and I luv the smell of fresh earth!

Worms - aka Snakes

Digging up the garden we found lots of these. With all the rain, these guys are scattered across the driveways and sidewalks. Bryan luvs them. Collects by the handful and I constantly remind him not to bring them in the house. And it doesn't matter how many times I say "It's a worm Hunny", next time we go out he's holding out numerous fingers telling me how many snakes he's seen. :)

digging up the garden

a walk after a rain shower

"what ya got there buddy?"

 

"a snake"

looking for more

It May. As much as I luv watching him explore outside, and the worms, I'm ready for the sunshine and warm days.

Easter Pics

 A bit late but great non the less :)

"Artist in the making"

Monkey see monkey do

Concentrating so hard

Dipping

Ta Da!

Beautiful - the eggs not bad either :)

Bryan dipping

Still coloring

in it goes

waiting

some fancy eggs!

One cute kid...

Easter egg hunt at the park.

Grace crafting 1st. 

Mommy and baby <3

sisters (makes my heart happy)

hunting

hunting

hunting

Just being cute

All 6 of us!

We had a great Easter weekend. A family dinner with my side, coloring eggs, and an egg hunt at the park. Perfect and complete, with all 6 of us :)