thankful tuesday, 6/21

• kicking off the first official day of summer at the beach with friends...no better way!
• ella learns to whistle
• trying to look amazed each and every time she asks...mom did you hear that, i whistled?!
• b's win the stanley cup
• sore fingers from weeding up at the farm
• celebration night out with good friends
• motherhood confessions
• running around with our super heroes
• preparations for father's day with the kids - how sweet
• celebrating wes & my dad on father's day
• reading harry the dirty dog...over and over again
• wes' homemade strawberry ice cream
• flexible schedules
• the painful pink reminder to use sunscreen
• bennett asleep in my arms at the beach (he's still a little guy)
• welcoming little cole - congratulations erin!
• praying this verse for my children, colossians 2:3-4

"my purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of god, namely christ, in whom are hidden."

happy father's day

building sand castles, throwing stones, walks on the beach, ice cream...an all around special way to celebrate father's day. e&b are two very lucky kiddos. happy father's day wes!

e & b to the rescue

the boston bruins took home the stanley cup this week...go b's!  but we've got our own little champions running around.  introducing little e and little b!  they are fast. they fly. they capture the bad guy...their dad!

and then big e had a turn...watch out folks! and look - captured me some little e!

 

june's sweetness

i thought it was suppose to rain all day - but the skies cleared and we the saw sun for a second. so instead of afternoon naps i put these kiddos to work in the strawberry fields! i love that we went for the impromtu outing vs. waiting for the perfect day because though the skies were definitely ominous (as you'll see in the pics) we had touga's farm all to ourselves...how special!

 

 

and then home for some impromtu chocolate fondu and strawberries (shhhh...don't tell bennett who crashed for his nap on the way home!).  gotta love the sweetness of june!

 

linking this one up here

thankful tuesday, 6/14

• ella completes pre-school
• emotional moments
• grass stained knees (mine too!)
• kicking off the beach season in duxbury
• hunting for dinosaur eggs with the kids at the beach (aka interesting looking rocks in the ocean)
• wrapping up our parenting with character study with our small group
• paul our sg leader's diligence and dedication in leading the group
• bennett's enthusiastic "kachows"
• rainy days at home and breaking out the sewing machine
• ella's infatuation with the fabric mill (guess she is my daughter)
• staying up too late working on a baby shower gift
• rolling down hills with the kids...and giggling over our dizzy stumbling
• time out
• beautiful baby shower 
• hours of catching up and laughing with kristine
• surprise clam strips and cole slaw drop-off by my dad
• grandpa's imaginary puppy...and kids believing every second of it
• answered prayers 
• ella's whisper microphone...and the fun of parenting with a cute book and follow-up project
• strawberry picking with the kids
• bennett's strawberry stained overall bottom
• being amazed 

magical whisper microphone

i saw this book - willow's whispers by lana button and immediately thought of our ella.  it's about a little girl named willow who misses out on some of her favorite things at school, because she's so shy and whispers instead of using her big girl voice ... just like ella!

 

one night, she dreams and prays for a bigger voice...and then in the morning goes and makes herself a magic microphone, accessorized with glitter, beads and all sorts of bling.

her special microphone turns the volume up on those whispers. it works like magic and she has a great day! but then willow's magic microphone gets squished and ruined. but its okay - willow decides she doesn't need it anyway...because it's better when her friends can hear her. 

 

ella had some fun making her own magical microphone today. and we talked about how she doesn't really need one...but that she does need to find that inner big girl voice, just like willow. i know she has it in her...just need to turn up the volume sometimes.

beach day