right now, i am

....thinking of this weekend. saturday to be exact.

i got to spend some time with my cameron, my 2nd born son.

we watched Cruising Silsbee, car show and parade. he has always loved cars that boy. it was fun watching him watch the hot rods and classic cars drive by and "burn out". but the fun really began when the rain did. that is when the good talk came.

10 right now

1. gyoza
2. a sweet little boy singing himself with the ABC song
3. chatting with a childhood friend's mother...thank you facebook!
4. planning my weekend getaway with the boys...Eureka here i come
5. laughing with my sweet Kevin
6. pandora
7. working for a company where God comes 1st, family 2nd, and then the work
8. the Apostle Paul and how his writings uplift me...feed my soul
9. 2 giant bags of peaches dropped off to my doorstep from a dear friend who is like a mother to me...i love you Brenda
10. listening to the birds in the stillness of the morning

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.

right now, i am

...thinking of this boy. this sweet boy who tries his best to be good guy. a leader. to his brothers and peers. and he is. oh how i love this boy!

words of wisdom

Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. 
Henry David Thoreau 

today i am

wishing i was in Eureka Springs. eating at the Oasis. feta, spinach, and black olive enchiladas please. walking up and down the street. snapping photos. people watching. soaking up the atmosphere.

going on a date with my guy. i am taking him to lunch for his favorite thing. wings. spicy garlic from Buffalo Wild Wings. i am going for the trivia game. even more fun because our Christine is coming along. too bad she can't beat me at trivia. maybe one day.

ready for a new book. maybe i can sneak in the bookstore. my favorite place. smell the aroma of the coffee. hear the music playing. see the rows and rows of books. ahhh that is my place.

making chicken and dumplings for my peeps. chicken and thyme dumplings. so yum. i may be feeding their stomachs, but when we eat at that table. that family table. they are feeding my soul.

wearing my turquoise snake skin flip flops. turquoise. the color that my mother wore so often. it would make me cringe. i would beg her to pick a more subdued color. then one day, a while after she had passed away, there i was in Target with those shoes in my hand. it is true....we turn into our parents.

what will this day bring for you? i hope much love and happiness. laughter and smiles. and wings.

having a relaxing weekend

with kevin working this weekend and sawyer on the mend, this weekend we have stayed in. we have watched movies, surfed the net, ate fried fish, laughed, and loved. there is no better medicine for my soul than time with my peeps. i hope your weekend was equally as fab. here is some net fun.....


i want to go to maine


on my must have list for fall and these please


i am in love with these


one of my new favorite blogs....love her


this guest blogger makes me smile


finding balance as mother and a woman




here are a few posts you might have missed
*a day in the life
*how dare they
*a wonderful gift

happiness is....

sitting next to the boy you love while he is reading


listening to your littlest peep organize his things & reporting each move he makes


a nice glass of raspberry leaf tea...with honey please 


dreaming of a beach cruiser and to where i will cruise


the rhythmic breathing of the cocker spaniel that is so peaceful


making my to read list
     *Walden  Henry David Thoreau
     *The Book Thief  Markus Zusak
     *The Sound and the Fury  William Faulkner
     *Like Water for Chocolate  Laura Esquivel
     *a Ramona book with Sawyer


reading sweet blog comments 


looking at this majestic Texas sky from my awesome white rocking chair that the boy i love gifted me


doing all this while smiling

when i grow up

i want to be

    a librarian. to be in the presence of all that written word. all the hard work. sometimes giving all that they have to give. and to introduce that to others on a daily basis = heaven.


     an  artist. i cannot draw a stick figure but i can do something. maybe collages. maybe learn to sew. maybe learn printing. maybe letterpress. hmmm.  the creation is the key.


      an artisan of cheese. lovely cheese. aged cheese. by the milk of my own goats. 


       a good listener. a girl who takes her time. listens intently. a friend.


      a world traveler. Maine. France. Seattle. Vermont! Barcelona. Greece. hike the Appellation Trail...some of the trail. 


     a photographer. taker of fabulous shots. an eye.


    a chef. yes i cook. LOVE to cook but want to really create. cheflike.


    happy. 
    balanced.
    smiling.
    humble.
    kind.
    fun.
    loved.
    with my peeps.

this moment

this moment

a friday ritual

single photo

no words

a moment i cherish

right now, i am

cherishing every word shared for the third time.

every giggle, every furrowed brow while listening intenetly.

Sawyer wants to read this one morning & night

and so do i.

weekending highlights

this weekend was just another one marked off the calendar at the Bonins. yet is was oh so special to me. my Kevin was home ALL weekend (so rare). nothing can bring me more joy and back to center than time spent with my peeps. this weekend.....

• Tiger football complete with Sawyer running out of the tunnel with the cheerleaders, munching on nachos & soda, and sweating. whew it was hot!
• Tiger Cross Country Meet...watching Jordan & Cam run like the wind. the course was truly difficult. i am one proud mama.
• grilling...burgers & dogs. yum!
• one back door fixed. yay! 
• one date night that went from dinner & a movie to the two of us on the couch reading and watching a Parenthood marathon...i found out that is a pretty cool show.
• an easy like Sunday morning kind of day. thanking & worshipping God for the beautiful family i have to spend this sabbath day with.
• episodes of Andy Griffith...especially funny when the Darlings are involved.
• and ahhh bedtime.

living in wonderfulness that is a simple life.
what was your weekend?

this moment

this moment

a friday ritual

single photo

no words

a moment i cherish

right now, I AM::a series

right now i am noticing....that i eat a tomato sandwich almost every summer morning.

when i eat that home grown tomato on bread baked by my hand, 

i think of my mother.

i think of the many traits, habits, and tastes we shared.

this is one of my most beloved.

i am playing along with one of my most favorite bloggers, Lisa, at Earth Mama. she started this series and invited us to join in. a picture with a short (oops) sentence to bring us to awareness of the goodness in our surroundings....our lives. thanks lisa!

randomness x 25...give or take a few

this weekend on Facebook i was tagged with a questionnaire...25 random facts about myself. you know the drill, 25 facts that others may not know about you and then you tag 25 people who are to do the same. as silly as it sounds, it is actually interesting. i found out some super things about my friends. i may have let my nerdom out as well. since the secret is out, i might as well share it with all of you. so here i am in 25 random facts...

i am a shy, quiet girl that sometimes finds herself in a loud mouth's body.

i have learned to live Atticus Finch's life lesson...walk around in another person's skin for a while and do not judge another.

i have a giver's heart.

taking photographs makes me smile.

i am at home when i am in the kitchen...especially if i am feeding my friends and family.

i keep a book in my purse at all times.

i dream of living in Vermont on a farm where i will make my own cheese.

i know the power of listening to the Holy Spirit and try to let it lead my life.

i love blogging.

i want to be a librarian someday.

i love LOVE watching black and white movies.

i am a complete nerd but have learned to embrace it.

when i was 12 years old my dad bought me Emily Post's Etiquette and i still use it today. i think good manners are one of  the most important traits we can have.....see, refer to #12

a perfect date for me = dinner out, a movie, and a trip to the bookstore

i would rather get something for my kitchen than diamonds.

i have no singing ability at all however i will sing every word to every song on the radio...loudly.

i am terribly sentimental.

i love to go to a coffee shop early in the morning just to hear the older gentlemen solve the world's problems.

i love my chickens and talk to them daily.

i am a fan of learning and feel the need to everyday.

i am learning to speak Spanish.

i am a huge fan of white pizza...yum.

i would rather shop for groceries than go to the mall. i have even gone to Houston to shop at Whole Foods and didn't step foot in the Galleria (which would probably make my dad faint).

i love to go camping....in a tent. i want to camp at National and State Parks in every state.

i adore the aroma of coffee brewing but cannot stand the taste.

i love the written word...to read it and to write it...letters and cards.

i am a bird watcher and have been since i was a teenager

i am a good speller

i am learning more and more to be comfortable in my own skin

We have spirit, yes we do...

*

we have spirit

*

*

how about you?

*

*

sawyer had a blast running out of the tiger tunnel

*

*

then watching the game

*

*

hanging with his friends

*

*

catching footballs and tiger seat pads

from the cheerleaders

*

friday night high school football is even more sweeter when you experience it through the eyes of your children. 2 teenagers in the stands with their friends, cheering their team on to victory. 1 first grader at his first real game, joining his buds in the tiger mania spirit club. life is good. go tigers!

this moment

this moment

a friday ritual

single photo

no words

a moment special to me

on a thursday.....

i woke up when my guy came home from work @ 5am.

we talked quietly in the dark about nothing in particular but oh so special.

good morning boys..."Sawyer who do you love the most?"...."God mama, and then you"

my heart skips a beat

the morning then started with breakfasts, back packs, and off to school.

Cru went to our new (and most awesome) groomer.

i sat in the quiet of a home with no children, no dog, and a sleeping husband

pondered life's little mysteries and caught up with a sweet friend

lunch with my sweetie at his favorite wing spot

homework and projects

cross country practice and showers

episode of The Big Bang Theory

reading Charlotte's Web and off to dreamland

on a simple Thursday i remembered to take joy in the simple things

to count each and every blessing

to be thankful for the love of God to come first then me

outside my window :: @ work