It's a Wrap

Summer's a wrap and I have to admit it wasn't the little shop of horrors I imagined it would be.  With the addition of a plethora of scheduled activities, an upped dosage of anti-anxiety meds (for myself), and a whole lotta grace between my children and myself, we created some fond memories.  The neighborhood pool and a collection of super rad neighbors assisted in the fondness aspect of summer, without a doubt.  My patient and ever enduring husband nurtured me through a short stint of medically induced menopause and didn't argue when I decided to stop the course of treatment.  Not even a slight head tilt did I receive from the man.  I sent him off for a weekend of racing, followed by a weekend of Fantasy Football drafting to make up for the trauma he endured.       

My camera wasn't a constant appendage this summer, which was partially intentional and partially because I dropped it on it's face at the roller skating rink (speaking of little shop of horrors with that place).  A podcast I tuned into recently encouraged me to put the camera away and actually live the moments I'm trying to capture.  It also gave me permission to use my phone appendage to document things when truly worth documenting.  I've been giving in to the challenge a bit and it feels kinda sorta good. 

 This was one of those moments worth documenting.  An afternoon in the creek with sweet Kristin and her girls and my other children from my sister wife Dara.  

 Kindergarten picture day.  For the love, this child.  Her beauty is undeniable, as is her sass.

 The adoption group we lead through our church is a gem in our world.  All our children (20+ of them) are a picture of God's workmanship.

 Neighbor friend, Jason, is a rock and mineral expert and has worked in oil and gas for years.  When he learned of Dude's interest in minerals and gems, he arranged a "play date" to show Dude his collection.  Deliciously darling.

 This little evil creature lived in our house for 2 weeks without our knowledge.  He dove past me one Wednesday night as I was sitting at my desk.  Enzo and I thought we expelled him out the back door until Dude woke up 2 weeks later complaining of a "FLY" in his bedroom.  Or a FREAKING BAT!  Dude is still none the wiser as we told the kids he showed up dead on the front step the next morning.  Tim actually killed him.  On accident.  Between a book and a pillow.  

 This is my happy place.  Too many, I know, but I have an Amazon problem and I can't quite figure out how to fix it.

 We purchased our own parking spot at school for this year and it's coming in handy daily.  Unless jerk moms with no respect for signage choose to park their gold mini van in it.  Yes, our name is spelled wrong.  This is round #2.  We're waiting for sign #3 to arrive.

 Nashville.  Oh sweet Nashville.  I was there last weekend for a women's infertility retreat.  This is a loaded post to come, but these two shots were too darling not to share right away.  Can you tell which shoulder is still thawing from Frozen Shoulder Syndrome? My new friend, Sonya is below.  We met through adoption group and traveled together from Denver. 

 This fuzzy shot signifies the conclusion of Dara and my very first Peace of Home design job.  Our clients gutted their entire first floor and we designed and decorated a majority of it.  Tammy had these plates of goodness waiting for us on what we call "D Day."  We decorated our pants off that day and unveiled the finished product to her at the conclusion of the 5 hours.  So much fun.  So so much fun.

 Squirt is a full time mom, minus night feedings.  She is nurturing, strict, thorough, and exasperated in her parenting.

 Dude is full time living in his imaginative world.  I saved this project of devising a potion to turn Pokemons into real life friends to a babysitter one day and arrived home to this nauseating concoction.  I did have to say "NO" to his request to put this into a squirt bottle and spray us all with it.

 And then I come home from Nashville to this next to my dinner plate.  Again, for the love.

 Now that the kids are at school every day, this is often my view.  As if I haven't said it enough, for the love.

Through my incessant pod cast listening, I've learned of so many amazing women doing amazing things with their gifts.  These products cause my heart to smile so many smiles.

Fall is on the horizon and I'm pee your pants excited about it.  Fall is joy to my temperature sensitive self.  I so much as turned down an October trip to Hawaii with Tim because of my love for this time of year.  True story.