Have you seen these?

Yeah, we've been doing a lot of these around the dinner table...

They are these fantastic tear out place mats that teach you how to doodle different things...

Cranes.....

Antelopes,

Skyscrapers...,

You know, everything you must know how to doodle to get on in life....

He's mostly been doing this...

But amazingly, also some of this....

She L-O-V-E-S to color....

And sometimes those coloring decisions are just plain hard....

And sometimes these are just way too distracting for dinner time.

And others spend their time daydreaming about Halloween costumes from PB Kids...

Can you say homemade anyone?

What fun stuff does your family do at dinner time?

This little guy....

Oh my.

He makes my heart happy.

I've never wished for a camera more than I did today.

Or for the ability to take a picture backwards while driving.

Good thing I didn't have my camera.

I might have tried.

The kids were doing what kids do in a car.

"Aaaaaahhhh......"

All together, in unison.

Getting one big kick out of themselves.

And Quinn.

Oh my.

The look on his little face.

Eyes closed.

Mouth open in a smile.

All his little teeth exposed.

"Aaahhhh....."

Such joy on his face.

Joining in with the big kids.

He is in that delightful in between stage.

Not quite a baby anymore.

Pretty much a toddler.

Really some of each.

He is delightful.

His siblings don't yet realize they are bigger than he is.

He is in that hitting phase.

Hitting with his hands.

Hitting with wooden spoons.

Toy guns.

(Of which I feel I need to make a disclaimer....it went with a cowboy costume from Halloween a few years back).

Oh how he makes his brother and sister cry.

He has such power, this little one.

To pierce our hearts with joy

and sometimes to raise welts.

(Just ask Addison...)

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the man I shared the stars with....

the member of our family who always changes it from HGTV to ESPN...

the guy who is a human playground for those three up there....

the only man to ever tell me he was tired of saying
"I like you" when he wanted to say "I love you."

the same guy that always puts the dog out...even when it's late or early...

Happy Birthday to the mushy sensitive dude who really likes sappy movies...

the man who works hour upon hour to take care of his family...

who regularly brings candy home from the front desk at work for the kids...

who just yesterday brought me home peanut M&M's because he
remembered me saying they were my favorite...

Happy Birthday to the man who has been known to make me
homemade cards (really good ones at that)....

to the guy who is compassionate and caring but still a man's man....

Happy Birthday to the Daddy who puts the kids
to bed EVERY NIGHT - stories included....

Here is wishing you a birthday where you know how much
you are

LOVED

TREASURED

and

APPRECIATED.

And always remember.....I am one whole week older than you.

Plus a few more to grow on...

continued from an earlier blog...

1. Seriously stuffed from a fat Reuben and multi layer chocolate cake mousse dessert at Chaps.

2. Feeling so darn blessed and loved. Thank you friends and family for the thoughtful and sweet words and gifts today. It means a lot. Really.
3. Excited to use my newly scored flatware from the Farm Chicks Store...red and white in different patterns. Need I say more?
4. A little bummed that I just saw on Facebook that
I could have gotten 20% off on above purchase if I had bragged I was their "friend".


5. The first song on my playlist here is totally my new fave. And it was discovered on accident. It's supposed to be "Sky" by Joshua Radin but it's "Paperweight" instead. I could listen to it ten times over...I think I will.


6. Can I just say how much I love Chaps and Cake? Again? I really love it. It makes me really happy just being there. And Celeste, the lovely owner...is just lovely. Really.


7. Just got a knock on my door with a special delivery of the sweetest little flowers and the perfect fall metal tray (which I totally collect!) from this special friend.

9. And my honey got home from work early...which might be because football starts tonight - or maybe not. He brought me flowers.

Thirty four things....

Thirty four things I'm thinking about today.


Because today I am thirty four.


1. I've been done with high school for sixteen years. That is truly scary to me.


2. I totally get the concept of feeling younger inside than outside.


3. I'm pretty sure high school students think I'm really old.


4. What am I going to order at Chaps today for lunch?


5. And more importantly what am I going to have for dessert from Cake?


6. I thought this was going to be a fun - "no work" day....so why is my Mother washing my
stairs?

7. I love my Dad...just got a Happy Birthday phone call.


8. Almost done reading "Mockingjay" - my sister kept telling me I had to read them. I've read all three in the last week..


9. My dentist called me an overachiever this week. I feel like such a fraud. He thinks I take meticulous care of my teeth. Fact is, I don't even floss. My teeth are not pretty but they seem to be naturally repellent to plague.


10. Thinking I may have shared too much.


11. Really trying to convince my friend that she needs to paint her front door a fun color. Blue? Orange? You can do it Amy!


12. Hoping I can hit Target today and buy A another pair of "rella" shoes. She barely takes her silver pair off and they are getting a little bit stinky.


13. Also hoping to hit The Farm Chicks store today with Mom. She's never been and I need to pick up a little something for another upcoming birthday.


14. Excited for a date with hubby. A movie? Drinks and dessert? I don't know? We could do anything!

15. Wondering and praying about doing the 2011 Farm Chicks show. I have until the end of October to decide....


16. Laughing about how running a few blocks the other night home from my SIL's house with my stinky dog was the most exercise I've had since my 1/2 marathon.


17. Needing to get back to the gym because strangers might start to think I'm expecting if I don't.


18. Loving my pretty new Bible I bought for myself last weekend. Wanting to get back into a regular reading of it...now do I go for random readings or a devotional or reading plan? Any suggestions?

19. Inspired by this lovely lady to read this book.


20. Feeling really happy and blessed by my family and sweet friends.


21. Enjoyed the feeling of fall so much last night: "Fall festival" candle burning, roasted chicken and mashed potatoes WITH gravy, clean house, cinnamon scented pine cones...oh, the coziness of it all!


22. Loving this new shirt. So soft and comfy...I want one in every color! (Even though hubby thought it looked old and worn out...humph..).


23. Inspired with a clean sewing table to tackle three different projects. Now I just need to make the time.


24. On that note, finally took my sewing machine in to get fixed. My oh my, never knew it would cost so much...


25. Because of our recent trip to the lake, my mind is abuzz of new projects to beautify the place. Curtains Paint furniture Some realistic, some not so.


26. Getting really excited to see one of my dearest friends in a few weeks. It has been three years..much too long. Can't wait to see our kids play together.


27. Thinking, thinking of ways to make my honey's birthday next week super special. (We are the same age by the way...but I have to hold the one week older thing over his head just a bit).


28. Really, really want to plant more mums....but not for me.


29. I just shamelessly decorated my own house for my birthday.


30. And I did the decorating with a darling birthday banner from this sweet friend. The polka dot bunting is from The Farm Chicks Store. It's so darn cute. Don't you want it?

32. Thought a lot about my sister Chelle in bed this morning. She would have been forty two today. I busted up her eighth birthday party by arriving early and we've shared a birthday ever since. So wish she was here to celebrate with us. Miss you Chelle.

33. Now I'm feeling a little melancholy..good thing I'm leaving in twenty minutes to stuff my face at Chaps.

34. Wow, I hit thirty four. That's a lot of numbers. I'm really thankful God has given me thirty four years here to enjoy my wonderful family and sweet friends. I'm realizing I've lived six years longer than my sister ever got to. And I feel pretty young still. Makes me want to appreciate every day I've been given.

And if you've read all of this...you are a really devoted friend or you are seriously ignoring your other responsibilities. (No judgment here...I do that every day!)

I'm off to enjoy a lovely, lovely birthday!

Welcoming Autumn a little bit more...

Just in case Autumn hasn't felt welcomed enough to

show it's beautiful self yet in your area

I thought I'd show you how I put out my welcome mat.

You can never have too many pine cones...especially of the cinnamon scented variety.

Mums - Check

Rusty old toy tractor - Check

More Mums of a different color - Check

Ratty old kid's chair, vintage cooler - Check, Check

Kale - Check

And that Welcome Mat?

No Check yet.

Four stores and not a decent Welcome Mat in sight.

And I loved hearing how some of you welcome Autumn.

Keep it coming!

I do have to say how very sorry I am to some of my friends who
commented that it was nowhere near Autumn in their neck of the woods.

My disclaimer is that

1. I live in the Pacific Northwest and Autumn does come a little sooner here

and

2. I grew up in Alaska. All of my formative years were spent there people!
September was most definitely Autumn and sometimes even snowy.

This is an ongoing dispute between my other half and I.

He swears that September is still summer.

WHAT??!!

Sorry, I'm right on this one.

Headed to the lake!

(For the first time this year!)

See you Monday....Wishing you all a fun filled, last hurrah of the summer!

And how do you welcome Autumn?

Step One:

Remove your bright and oh so cheery summer bedding.

Hear your other half breathe a sigh of relief.

(Sshhh...don't tell but the hubby has been sleeping on Pink polka dot pillows)

Replace them with manly stripes in warm Autumn colors.

(Just ignore the flowers here fellas...)

Step Two:

Pull out and enjoy the marshmellowy goodness of a white down comforter for the little girl's bed.

Fall asleep while reading stories to little girl every night.

Step Three:

Do the same for big boy's bed.

Make a mental note to never buy a "down alternative" down comforter again.

No marshmellowy goodness here.

Step Four:

Make sure the babe is wrapped warmly in a quilt.

Make a beeline to the fabric store and buy supplies to make him his own quilt.

Return big boy's quilt to it's rightful owner.

Your turn!

Tell me what you do to welcome Autumn in your home!