4th of July 2014

We had a wonderful time on the 4th. I love the 4th of July!

This year we hosted the party since we had house guests. We attended the parade in our town. I love the parade....my favorite are the marching bands. My little niece loved the music too! She danced and jumped all around. Sis had so much fun with a girl in the house. They really bonded and played ALL day long. 

Another part of the parade I like is when a very somber moment. People carry large banners with photos of men and women killed in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The soldiers are from town in our state. It is horrific and so sad to see all those young faces.

I am very proud of my kids. They stand silently and observe. They know to stand up and remove their hats....and put their hands on their hearts. 

Whoops.....George does have his hat on here. After snapping this shot I reminded him to remove it. 

Mr. P and my niece had so much fun together. 

George found a good spot to hold his flag. 

Tuba was cantankerous! Crabby. We went to get everyone drinks....it's our yearly tradition. But, the line was extremely long. After waiting about 20 min. we abandoned the line and bought kettle corn instead. Tuba sat eating (hogging) the kettle corn....crabbily. Oh well.

As we left the parade I asked Cam to take a photo of me with the kids. I'm the photo taker in the family which means that I'm often MIA in the photos. 

Oooops!! I actually didn't take any photos of Cam at the parade!! Sorry! My bad!

After the parade we regrouped at home, my nieces napped (oh gosh how I miss those days), and we hung out. 

Then we had a nice big BBQ. Grilled chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, guacamole and chips, veggies/dip, and fruit pie for dessert! Delicious! This is one of the reasons I love the 4th! Best food ever!

My biggest regret....I didn't set up my tripod and get a group shot!! Ugh!! I need my family to remind me to do that next time!!

Mr. P is 11!!

This tall sweet boy turned 11. We had my SIL, BIL and their adorable babes staying with us so it made the day even more fun. We went out for burgers and then had ice cream cake at home. 

This year Mr. P requested something special for his bday. He wanted to spend half a day alone with Cam and half a day alone with me. Very sweet! He ended up going on a huge 26 mile bike ride with Cam. They had lunch half way through the ride. Then the next day I took Mr. P to the movies. Just he and I. It was really nice. We saw Transformers IIII. Okay, not my first pick for a movie but sitting in the theater holding my son's hand was the best! 

Happy Birthday to my very handsome boy. You are loved by all little kids.....and it's because you love them too. You play with them and take delight in it. You are a strong and dedicated sportsman. You continue to achieve in TKD and you rocked the basketball court this year!! 

You love to tell me you are now a Tween. I can feel it coming....you are growing up. But I am enjoying watching you grow. I love you sweet boy.

Newest Ninja

My blog is partially Dear Diary and partially a recording of my kids' lives as they grow up. I need to catch up on some of the kid things that have been happening around here.

We now have three black belts in our family! Wow!! Moses received his black belt last month. We are so proud of him! He is only 8 years old. It took a lot of years and a lot of dedication to achieve this goal.

And....we have two new orange belts in the house!

My groove

Summer. It's here.

The kids last day of school was weeks ago. We started off with a bang....eye appointments, swimming lessons, birthday celebration, basketball camp, hosted family visiting, more basketball camp, 4th of July, another birthday.....

Whew! I have been feeling off kilter. I can't catch my breath. I feel like the world is going a million miles a minute and I want to jump off. 

I love summer but this year I can't quite catch my groove. I'm working on it though. I feel almost caught up with the mess at home, and bills, and errands.

I need to catch a smidgen of quiet. 

Then, I want to put my feet up a bit and enjoy some sun and summer. 

Then I can get back on the spinning world of summer fun.

And play catch up on my blog. I have loads of fun photos to share. Coming soon.

Stitch Fix #2

I was very excited to get my next box from Stitch Fix. I told them I wanted to try a maxi skirt and a boyfriend Tshirt.

Best of all I had a $100 referral credit!! Woot!

When the Fed Ex man stopped in front of my house I ran outside and screamed. I was totally excited but I scared the poop out of the guy. I tried to explain how the box was full of happiness....aka new clothes. He just quickly handed me the box and scurried back to his truck.

I ran inside to open my happiness box. Sis (of course) was just as excited as me and ran upstairs with me to have a fashion show.

I took terrible photos. I think you can still see the clothes but I seriously need a selfie photo lesson. Sheesh.

In case you missed my first order from Stitch Fix you can go HERE to see it.

They send out five pieces in each box. Here's what I got in this box.

1. 3/4 Sleeve White Blouse $58.00.

Pros: The blouse was a cute design.

Cons: It did not fit well. It was too tight across the bust and the seams on the sides were sewn crooked so that instead of going straight down each side they veered around my sides. It was made in China. I did not keep it.

2. Striped Cotton Top $74.00.

Pros: This top was cute. It was a nice soft cotton and had cut detail on the sleeves. You could wear it rolled up and buttoned or wear down. It was made in the USA.

Cons: It did not fit well around the waist. It was a bit loose and boxy. It was expensive and I have a ton of blue and white and a ton of striped tops. I did not keep the top.

3. Teal Maxi Skirt $58.00.

Pros: The color was great. The fabric was very soft. It was made in USA.

Cons: Every lump, bump and cellulite jiggle showed through the skirt. There is not enough Spanx on the planet to make this skirt wearable for me. It was not the best cut either. I did not keep the skirt.

4. Grey Boyfriend Tshirt $44.00.

Pros: The fabric is really soft. It is made in USA. The fit is great!! It is really comfortable and I have lots I can wear it with. 

I kept this top. 

5. Striped Maxi Skirt $58.00.

Pros: I love the cut and pattern. It fit really well and is very comfortable. Made in the USA. It has a raw edge on the bottom so it's easy to cut some off to make it the right length....or I can pull it up high around my waist. 

Cons: I had asked for a maxi skirt but specified any color except blue because I have a lot of blue right now. 

I kept this skirt. 

Once again I really loved the styling card that comes with the box. I keep it out on my jewelry counter so I can use it daily. 

So far I've worn the grey top with my navy jeans that came in my last order. I accessorized with a teal/white stripe infinity scarf and wore my fab orange sandals. I will be wearing the skirt tomorrow on date night. 

I've already scheduled my next Stitch Fix order. I'm hoping for a fun new hoodie or sweater for our beach trip. I'd also like a blouse to wear with my new maxi skirt. Something like the blouses featured on my styling card would be great! 

If you haven't tried Stitch Fix you can go to the link below to get started! You will love it. It's fun and easy and they have sent me some really great things!! Try it!

Stitch Fix Referral Link

And....what do you think?? Leave me your critiques in the comments. Do you think I could wear a belt with the grey top and stripe skirt? What other accessories would you add? Ideas!

Graduation!!

Tuba graduated last weekend. Oh my! It was such a fun and emotional day. Tuba was thrilled with his cap and gown. He wanted to wear it every day since it was delivered. Finally he got to put it on for the big day! Blue beads to accent his blue gown too. He looked so cute. 

It was a crazy busy day trying to coordinate getting all the kids dressed and ready and keep the house tidy for the party. We did manage to get a photo with our grad. Is anyone else noticing how short I look? I say look because I can't truly be that much smaller than my son. Hmpf. 

The graduation was at our local event center. It was great! Lots of seats for everyone! Here is Tuba with the other two grads from his Life Skills class. We have known these sweet kids since 1st grade. The boy on the left gave a speech at graduation. It was a beautiful speech about how being involved and embraced at the high school has changed his life. 

These two ladies are the sweetest girls on Earth! The asked if they could help escort Tuba at graduation. Tuba loves them! 

After the ceremony we headed back home for a bonfire and party at our house. It was a very fun day! 

Party Madness

We I am getting ready for Tuba's graduation and party. It's a very exciting week....and busy!

A normal person's list of how to get ready for a party:

1. clean house

2. shop for and prepare food

My list of what to do is a bit more. I'm crazed! I think of all the things I've wanted to get done over the last three years and I try to fit them into one week. When I enthusiastically read my TO DO list to Cam he responded with, "there are meds for that Becky". Perhaps I am a bit OCD and yes there are meds for it....but then who would get this list done?!

My List....the things I've gotten done this week.

1. Paint walls in stairwells both up and downstairs. 

2. Touch up paint in family room

3. Touch up trim paint throughout house

4. Paint front door and trim

5. Weed gardens

6. Mow lawn (Cam and Mr. P)

7. Wash windows

8. Deep clean my bedroom, including moving all furniture and mopping floor under said furniture. 

9. Scrub two bathrooms

10. Dust family room

Things I still have to do....

1. Vacuum whole house

2. Clean main bathroom (I'll wait and do that 20 minutes before guests arrive....otherwise what's the point?)

3. Clean living room 

3. Shop for party food

4. Prepare food

5. Bake cookies

6. Decorate

7. Get everyone's clothes ready for Graduation

Whew! It's getting there. I am really tired and really stiff and sore....but also have a zen sense of calm now that the dust under my bed is gone. Really.

We are all really excited for Tuba. He is going to have a great time at his party!

The pic at the top of post is from my front porch. I planted a few succulents this year. I am loving them. They also make me feel calm and happy each time I walk past them.