the day for mothers

wishing all you mothers a very special day. may it be filled with loads of laughter, tons of hugs and kisses, and all your favorite things.

forty is...

...knowing that forever love, like the tortoise, wins the race. that love isn't always easy or fair or fun but the reward is oh so sweet. i forever love my sweet mister.

...knowing the value of making a good loaf of crusty bread or a lovely roast & gravy or the perfect cake for my friends and family.

...knowing books to share with my beloved book club.

...knowing that perfect shade of understated pink gloss. and the worth of the smile it brings to my face.

...knowing that my small circle of true friends are more valuable than gold.
   i love you Keisha.
   i love you Laura.
   i love you Shanna.

....knowing that no matter how wrong a day goes, one egg fresh from the nest and one slice of bread makes a Hen in the Nest and that makes comfort.

...knowing that the fear of other's opinion is a prison that i will no longer reside in.

...knowing that counting my blessings is essential.

...knowing that i should be more compassionate like my mother...more dinner for those who are sick, more letters to my friends & family, more cakes to those who are having a special day or just a sad one.

...knowing that i have mastered the art of laundry, of the perfect roasted chicken (rosemary & lemon!), of how to cut an avocado, of how to bandage a boy's knee, of when to stop and read a story to a sweet little face and all those other things that a mother & wife learns.

...knowing this 40 has been learning and growing.
what will the next 40 be?

weekending

::started it off with a fab family night...guacamole burgers, sweet potato fries, vegged in front of the television, and  laughed a lot
::spent some time pondering what i am thankful for
::freezer went south so that means lots of cooking...herb roasted turkey, banana blueberry bread, and my first blueberry jam ever

::started reading A Glass Castle and am intrigued
::snuggled with my sawyer...he is a champion snuggler!
::had a little date night with my sweetie...watched our good friend Chris Eldredge sing in his barbershop chorus. loved it!

::did some window shopping with my peeps at the bookstore
::got a carolyn fix...her "auntie mame" does love her so!

::poured through homeschooling materials and blog posts...do we or don't we, that is the question.
::thanked my Father in Heaven for life, freedom, and my loves
::loved a great deal and laughed all along the way

what was your weekend?

sweet carolyn

Carolyn Judith Peters

8 lbs. 2 oz.  19 inches

my baby brother holding his baby. i truly do not have the words to express the beauty i witnessed today. my sweet, sweet nicholas and his amazing wife welcomed their first child to the earth today. mother and baby are doing well and dad is in love....aunt stephanie is over the moon herself.

a dad and his peeps

to our sweet, fun loving dad. a dad who always has something fun to say or do. who teaches us about service. who can build or fix anything. who has a smile on his face even when he is sick (or in the hospital). who will drop everything and take a guy down to the pond to throw a hook in the water. who remembers what it was like to be a kid and embraces it! who adores music and knows every word of every beastie boys song and will bust out with it at any time. who gives hugs and kisses without end. who teaches his peeps the perfect golf swing and the importance of a good book. who works hard for us. we love you daddy....whats not to love about a guy who can spin on his back and will at any moment!

weekending

this weekend we.....

:: read books from our summer lists

::harvested and froze corn from our garden

::soaked up some sun and some a/c....man it is hot in texas

::i got a facial :)

::cam & i went to see the A Team movie with my brother and his sweet, very pregnant wife! i love it when a plan comes together.

::watched sawyer go on many adventures...of course wearing the adventure hat!

::learned that bill bryson is my new favorite author

::laughed much

::loved oh so often

::got just a bit more comfortable in my skin

 (it is hot in texas!)

weekended

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::trips to the library

in my minds eye i see a 10 year old me with my mom walking into the kountze public library. that sweet little library was in an old house in the middle of town. every step made could be heard all over the library...creak, creak, creak. my mother took me to the children's room and introduced me to Caddie Woodlawn (her own childhood favorite), Ramona, and the Newberry winners. later i met Walden, Treasure Island, and Little Women. memories i will treasure.

now i get to introduce my guys to the adventure and friend books can be. there is something comforting about being with those books. a place where the world book encyclopedia is in print form and there is still a globe to find the exotic place you are reading about. the dewey decimal system is still in place and you must use a card to check your books out. today kevin & i took sawyer to the library. he loves the library. what a joy it is to watch him choose books and movies to bring home. the summer reading program has begun and he is over the moon excited. those astros tickets for 20+ books read in a month is his. such fun!

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.

today's harvest

(my helper)

wow it is hot in Texas! we weren't out in the garden very long and i am dying! so worth it though. growing the food you feed your family is satisfying. to know that is was grown with love and care...completely organic...is a gift i am proud to offer my guys. we did pretty well today....41 banana peppers, 18 ears of corn, 9 japanese eggplants, 8 yellow squash, 8 brandywine tomatoes (love love LOVE my heirloom tomatoes), and handful of yellow pear tomatoes. the girls gave us a 13 eggs today and 2 guinea eggs as well.
not a bad day at the "bonin farm". now i am ready for a tall glass of lemonade!

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.

the buddy club graduates

it seems impossible. my baby has graduated from kindergarten. though i think it is silly to graduate from kindergarten...that is another post for another time. i have to admit the tears did come. in the matter of 2 weeks he turns 6 years old, he ends his kindergarten career and loses his first tooth. almost too much for a mama to handle. the graduation ceremony was precious. the children sang, there was a video (well mostly, the computer malfunctioned) and this was all done Texas style, of course....it was a western theme. sawyer and his buddy club had a fun evening. they love each other and i love that.

the buddy club...Texas style

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!"

six

Sawyer Tate Bonin turned six years old. It seems only yesterday that he was a tiny little guy in the NICU holding on to dear life. Now he lives life to the fullest. Happy birthday my sweet boy.

six...

• inquisitive...always searching for the how, the why.
• creative...in play, in clothing choices, in the arts.
• spiritual...you are a child of God and you know, you love it.
• energetic...where does that energy come from? to be sit back and watch your energy...your enthusiasm is a joy.
• friendly...a friend to all. willing to give that flashy smile and a giggle. forever sharing and up for anything. you are an example to us all.
• individual...you are your own kind of guy and you love that. i love that also. i love that you wear the clothes you like, listen to the music you like, and eat what you like...no matter what others say or think. i love that you are a 5 no 6 year old little guy that asked for bongos, a pair of Toms shoes, and a magnifying glass for your birthday......true to your own self!

I love you my little buddy. Happy birthday.

again i ask who gave him permission?

jordan went to his junior prom with his sweet lindsey this weekend. watching him gather his things to get ready, i could not believe he is that old. just yesterday my sweet boy always smiling was playing 4 square with his friends and becoming completely offended when a 4th grader referred to him and his third grade gang as turd graders. where did that little guy go? he has gone down the right path i am happy to report. he is a good boy. one that is kind and chivalrous...always holding a door open for a lady. one that is trustworthy and obedient. driving through town just after jordan and lindsey left for the prom, i saw 2 car loads of other prom goers stop at the liquor store on their way out. i said a silent prayer of gratitude that my child has chosen the path that does not include those kinds of decisions. one who has wonderful friends that support one another by all choosing the right and one who has chosen a kind, obedient, modest girl who loves the Lord to spend his time with. they are one cute couple!

jordan & brad

best buds since being born 7 days apart.

again i ask....who gave him permission to grow up?