And We're Off!

Our bags are packed, our car is packed, and at the crack of dawn we're hitting the road- off to spend a few days way down south at the beach with some family. It'll be the first significant road trip with the kids since they were in diapers, and boy howdy are they excited about it.

Wish us luck!

Right Now, Tuesday

Right now, I'm loving a busy weekend that saw...

...family visits, a good movie, two pies and a cake.
...a successful trip to a new thrift store, some new stuff for Mama, and some really cool old books.
...two days in a row with 10 eggs from the girls each day.
...more meals at restaurants than the last two months have seen put together.
...really, really hot afternoons.
...the kickoff to my 32nd year, a happy birthday song that was practiced multiple times in the preceding days by very excited kiddos, and very sweet and thoughtful treats for yours truly.

Right now, I'm looking back at the weekend (and Monday!) that kept us so wrapped up and busy that I barely paused to capture a few moments here and there... and we're only getting started! We'll be prepping for a trip out of town today, then hitting the road for a little beach time before the close of the summer.

My multiple lists are calling me, as is the laundry, cooking, and suitcase packing, so off I go! Happy Tuesday!

Weekending

Checking in on this quiet Saturday morning, with a steaming cup of joe and morning prisms on the floor... and a raft, tree house, and horse parade, too. 

Have a good one, y'all.

This Moment

Playing along with Amanda today... in her words: 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Helping

It is a rare moment that I find myself alone in the kitchen for any reason really; be it dishes, dinner prep, or a project like making bread, I always have company. It is endearing (most of the time) and a great punctuation mark to these fleeting days when my company actually wants to be helping.

I will take a moment here to make a confession: I am a control freak. I'm sure that comes as a shock to a lot of people who know me *ahem*. But I count among my successes of Letting Go my ability these days to turn over the whisk, measuring cup, or ball of dough and give way to all the Help that's always pleading for something to do. There's always a mess to clean up afterward. There's frequently bickering over who's turn it is or how many times someone else got to do whatever. However, there's also an unmistakable feeling of accomplishment, importance, and joy right along with all of it.

It's the same feeling I get if I really think about it- the same sense of accomplishment and joy I find in producing something from scratch that nourishes and grows my family. The same feeling of importance we put in the things that can be produced from the labor of our hands... and the love behind it all. I guess it's only natural that my Littles are drawn to the tangible processes that hold so much love in their environment. And that is what I try to remember when they're begging- and bugging- to help. They want to contribute. They want to learn. They want to be a part of the whole. After all, like Julia Child says:

"...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing."

So true in so many arenas, not just cooking, don't you think? Thanks, Julia. 

Right Now

Right now, I'm loving a weekend that saw...

...no errands, no appointments, no classes... no one in and no one out.
...breakfasts with eggs from our chickens, lunches of leftovers, and dinners with eggs from our chickens.
...lots of chances for us to move slowly, read library books, rest a little, and enjoy each other's company.
...cool mornings that led to some good yard work getting done.
...cool(ish) evenings that let us linger on the back porch, tape measure and remote-controlled tractor at the ready, enjoying the late summer light and the sweaty hugs of happy kiddos.

Right now I'm listening to Chicken Joe crow, Leeloo bark at nothing, the coffee maker steam and drip, and the rest of the days' noises wait silently for their turn to chime in when the house wakes up.

I'm smiling at the peace of the weekend, breathing in the air of another cool(ish) morning, and looking forward to this week and all it holds.

Happy Monday!

This Moment

Playing along with Amanda today... in her words: 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.