toes in the water....

today i can be found here with these two cuties. possibly with a yummy pic nic, a book in my hand, and a smile on my face. join me here tomorrow for this moment....quite possibly a beachy moment.

summer lovin...beach days

oh galveston beach how i love thee. let me count the ways.

love riding to the ferry

love playing in the water

love watching the gulls fish

love building castles in the sand

love reading with my toes in the sand

love flying kites

on the last day of school, we started summer at the beach. i woke everyone up, threw them suits, and we drove to the beach! since jordan & cameron were exempt from exams, i couldn't think of a better way to celebrate their hard work. we have gone once a week since. so fun! i vowed that we would spend this summer out of doors, moving and learning, laughing and playing. making memories. so far it has been a beachy kind of out of doors for us but i have more in store...canoeing, hiking the big thicket, camping, crabbing, making a solar oven. i do believe this will be the best summer ever.

tunes

the soundtrack of my day

downtown

saturday morning 3 of the bonins were up and at em like no body's business. the day had finally come....the downtown beaumont farmer's market. we had a great time. we got some yummy veggies that we aren't growing right now and local beef!! i have been searching high and low for local beef and found none. i mean this is texas...home of the longhorn. and longhorn is what is in my freezer right now waiting for burger friday. there was a local duo singing and playing drums. since sawyer had his harmonica naturally he played along with them....at a safe distance for all. he and i did some exploring downtown with camera in hand while dad hung out on a bench people watching. we spent so time exploring we almost missed story time. the morning ended perfectly with sawyer getting a tomato plant for this summer's kid contest....thank you Greg Bostwick for growing 50 plants for the 1st fifty kids! it was a fab morning. can't wait to do it again this weekend.

a day in the life

* sunshine * birds serenading * dogs swimming in the pond * mrs. dalloway * egg gathering * quiet * physicals for scout high adventure camp * chatting * school * fishing * ponytails * NPR *
laundry * couch time with my honey * laughs * burgers & fries * egg delivering * beetle catching *phone conversation with my dad * dreaming of vacations * pondering * smiling * living*

this is a glimpse of my day. an ordinary day that is extraordinary to me. in my world the secret of a happy life is finding joy in the everyday. NPR playing a sonata calms my spirit. chatting with one of my peeps fills my soul. watching the dogs swim in the pond and chase squirrels puts a smile on my face. these are a few of my favorite things.

today's harvest

our newest baby chicks

from our very own eggs

sawyer and his "yoka" poses

for reasons known only to him he chose to practice on the old work truck

the face of a boy who has played his little heart out today

mom: "you are one dirty guy"

sawyer: "yep, it was fun!"

buzz buzzin down the parade

today was the kindergarten's bike parade & picnic. my boy has been super duper excited for weeks now. he has been planning on to decorate his bike and which helmet would be just the right one. yesterday, he and his dad made final plans and then a trip to the store (complete with a ride on the electric pony) for supplies. then the painting began. sawyer decided his bike should be a bumble bee....i mean what else you make a gold & black 2 wheeler. well maybe his first choice was a hot dog but luckily he realized that might just not work out. that kid keeps me in stitches. after much paint and great debate the buzz mobile was complete. he had the time of his life. and so did i. thank you sawyer for once again inviting me to join in on the fun!

japan fest 2010....the people

erin & i spent saturday at the 17th annual Japan Fest. they have it every year (or so the emcee reminded us just after he would say 17th annual). i loved it. the food, the culture, the music, the japanese karaoke gong show, and of course the people.

i am a people watcher. watching others is one of my favorite pastimes. at the festival there was some of my most favorite people to watch....those of a different nationality. the sweet faces of the young, the beautiful faces of the old. those whose life can be told in their eyes, the road map of their journey in the wrinkles. i love them. i will share a few.

japan fest 2010....taiko drummers

am a fan of taiko now! this was incredible. the power with each tap (BIG tap) of the drum was deep, loud, beautiful. the rhythms were of another time. they took me to another land in another time.... an ancient time of love and war. it was truly amazing. by far it made the day for me...well the taiko and one of the members with the most awesome mullet i have ever seen.

japan fest 2010....the food

i have to admit that this what i was most looking forward to.

can you say curry? so very yum!

(totally ripped this photo off of erin)

had to get a chocolate dipped banana because....

"there is always money in the banana stand."

hen party

my girls are very particular about their nesting boxes. though there are 6 for 13 hens (more than plenty for that many hens) they favor 2 boxes. i went to collect eggs yesterday and this was the scene.

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this is my box!

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i am here and i am not moving

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no this is my box

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okay then you better scoot over

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the buddy club goes to the Easter Program/Party

this is the buddy club (minus Bobby)

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"mom, we are called the buddy club because we are all buddies with Joel!"

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this is Joel with his mother, Mrs. Sims. she is the kindergarten teacher of the buddy club
(and a few others) and happens to be Joel's mom.
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today was the FBC Academy's Easter Program/Party.
of course the buddy club was in full force.
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they searched for Easter eggs
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the had a blast at the party
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sawyer & joel...aka buddies
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they ate ice cream sundaes
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they sang in the program
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complete with sign language
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those sweet darlings did a great job with their program.

watching them interact and enjoy each other warms the soul.

thanks buddy club and others for sharing your Easter celebration with me.