Sunny skies...

splash parks,

ponytails,

water balloons,

water balloons,

and more water balloons,

and an Aunt Katy,

are ingredients for a very fun summer day!

Thanks for visiting Katy...we all miss you already!

A Special Day

Happy Birthday to you Mom!
We love you SO much and wish we could celebrate with you today!

(Nathanael said he wanted to be at Mimi's birthday with her!)

Wishing we were still here...

in the land of sand and sun and sea.

Still trying to get back to our routine after our trip (and we've been home for over a week...but a very busy, unusual week!) Lots of favorite pictures to share soon!

Hope you're having a great Memorial Day weekend!

Nine Years

Today.

I love you Brent.

wishes and thank yous

A special wish for a very Happy Mother's Day, to my Mom, who has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I love you and am so very very thankful for you. Can't wait to see you soon!

And a thank you to those three precious and adorable children of mine. For loving me. For the privilege it is to be your mother. I praise and thank God for entrusting you three to me and your Daddy. I love you!

(Just a cute note...my sweet Hadleigh came and snuggled me this morning and said with a bright smile on her face "Happy Father's Day, Mommy!" I smiled, said thankyou, and said "Did you mean Mother's Day?" We had a good giggle together about it...and I will forever remember it!)

Happy May.

Seriously? We're five days into May? And I had such a fun and colorful May Day post planned. Maybe next year.

April and May have been (and will continue to be) so very busy.

We've spent a bit of every morning and every afternoon and every evening enjoying the gorgeous spring weather. (Yes, it's still windy.)

We've wrapped up the majority of our "scheduled" yearly activities, which has left five full mornings this week. Fabulous. There is just something to say for an unscheduled workweek.

We've had dentist appointments...three little healthy smiles! (And my word of advice to all new parents? Take you child to the dentist at age two. At least. She was a pro...hardly batted an eye. Her older brother and sister (who started the dentist a little later in life than two?) not so much. You'd think they would know the drill by now. (And, yes, Mom, I do remember who their mother is. Sigh.)

And currently? These three cuties?


Are ALL sleeping simultaneously. A little bit of bliss on this gorgeous May day. I'm off to enjoy the moments I have left being creative. Or reading a book. Or sitting, soaking in the silence.

His Special Day!

Happy Birthday to you, sweetheart!

His special day began with breakfast with his two littlest ones, presents scattered throughout the day, golf with his two oldest kiddos, a long nap, a yummy Mexican dinner, new additions to his birthday blessings book and this cheesecake.

And of course, we kicked off the celebration early last night with dinner out, just the two of us. We shared delicious food and delightful conversation. Love those kind of evenings!

I love you Brent! Happy Birthday!

Fresh and New

That's how spring feels around here.

Everything looks green. Everything seems new and warm and full of anticipation.

These were given to me this week...aren't they beautiful?

Hydrangeas are my favorite, though it's no secret that I prefer the blue variety. Alas, our water here doesn't favor blue hydrangeas...but I'll take the pink, especially after living without them at all for several years in northern Texas.

A friend brought these to me last weekend for a farewell brunch I hosted for a friend. They're so delicate (and blue of course!) Does anyone know what they are? My friend wasn't sure.

And I just love my spring wreath. It moves around our house quite a bit during the spring.


What flowers do you enjoy in the spring? I hope each of you are enjoying a bit of spring wherever you may be!

Introductions are in order...

Welcome to our little house on the prairie.

(Isn't that picture priceless in sepia? Doesn't it remind you of the no-nonsense photographs from days gone by? No smiles or anything. And slightly blurry. Perfect.)

Meet Laura:
And 'Manzo:
And Carrie, of course. (Or mean Nellie, as she sometimes decides to be. Hmmm.)
Yes, I answer to Ma around these parts, lately. Seriously. They are role-playing Little House all.the.time. They've even renamed ALL their stuffed animal dogs "Jack".

We've been reading through the stories each afternoon (we're halfway through On the Banks of Plum Creek), and it is such a special time. A couple months ago, we purchased the first season on DVD so our children too will know the joy of growing up watching such a sweet and wholesome show. Watching the series as a child is a special memory of mine. (That and MacGyver.) I have yet to make it through an episode without becoming a little teary-eyed, but no one (who knows me well) would be surprised to hear that. :)

The weather has been perfect for playing in our "backyard prairie"...we will be sad when they start to build homes behind us, so for now, the kids run wild and free!

It is so wonderful to be reminded of the imagination of a child...so playful, carefree, and magical.

Light Lunch (or dinner)

It's that time of year. When hot food seems slightly less appetizing...and things that are light seem so very refreshing.

I am eager for our Farmer's Market to open this summer...eager to pick fresh fruit on a farm...eager to make homemade ice cream. :)

So for my first "light" meal of the season, I pulled out an old favorite. I can't believe I haven't shared it here before.

Chopped Chicken Salad

1 bag of "just lettuce" or a blend of iceberg and spring greens
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can yellow corn, drained
1-2 red or orange bell peppers
3-4 green onions, sliced thinly
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and diced
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
crushed tortilla chips (a couple handfuls)
feta cheese, to taste
Girard's Light Champagne Dressing

1. Place lettuce in a large serving bowl. Add chicken, beans, corn, peppers, onions, water chestnuts, and tomatoes to lettuce and toss.
2. Before serving, drizzle dressing over salad and toss until desired flavor is reached. Add crushed tortilla chips and feta and toss again. Garnish with a handful of feta.

I like to use the Light dressing because I think it tastes JUST as good as the original. (I didn't have any black beans on hand, so they're not pictured in the salad above.) Also, I often double the recipe (with the exception of the chicken). And if I don't think we will eat all of it, I'll set aside some of the ingredients from instruction 1 before tossing so that it won't be soggy the next day. Soggy lettuce and chips...shudder.

Hope you enjoy!