It was a Good One

Other than the weather giving us an uncharacteristically warm September, all other signs have pointed that summer has come to an end. Here is a bit of our season in recap:


Grant wore out his shoes














We made Truck Pool again!














We went to a few cabins,



















We did lots of swimming,




























We enjoyed dozens and dozens of popsicles,
















and played outside with our friends.















Although we are looking forward to new seasons and future holidays, we truly had a WONDERFUL summer! Hope yours was grand!

In the Morning. . .

What does 7:00 AM mean?

10 years ago: ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz. . .

7 years ago: Did I really just go to bed 3 hours ago? Oh, well, better get ready to go to class.

3 years ago: Man, gotta shower, how much time till work?

1 year ago: These cute kids are cutting into my beauty sleep.

Today: Sweet, I was actually able to use the treadmill and get a shower before the kids are up.

Disclaimer: Actions represented in the "Today" section may or may not happen everyday. Subject to multiple conditions and actual comfort of bed.

So, now I'm curious as to what the future will bring to me at 7 in the morning.

Moments That Matter Most

Just wanted to share a little pick-me-up with you. This is beautifully shot, and a great reminder to what we need to do in life. It shares a great spirit!

Purpose

We have been having a lot of rain lately. I am a lover of the rain. It is fresh and pure, and can bring a "newness" to the world. But when you have 2 kids romping inside all day, it can be a bit burdensome. Typically it has made me feel a bit soggy, and hoping that it would clear up. That is, until I planted my garden.



Suddenly the rain played an important role in my endeavor. No longer was it an invisible wall to our fun, it was now a necessary enrichment to the little plants I am hoping to benefit from in the future. I have not needed to provide water for my little tomatoes, they have been naturally nourished, as it should be.



This experience has made me wonder-- what else in my life am I feeling "burdened" by, that I have really just neglected to find its purpose. What am I putting up with, that I could actually find value in. I think it can be metaphor to any adversity we face. Are we just "enduring", or do we find the value of the experience while we are still in it. And that's when I began to see, a different kind of newness that the rain can provide.

Food Snobs

When we go shopping, our purchases usually focus around the products that are the least expensive. Great Value is the "name brand" that typically resides in our cupboards because we have found that you barely notice a difference. . . in MOST things. There are a few things out there that we just need to have a specific brand of. The reproduction of that food is not even worth masticating. Here is a list of things that we do not skimp on at our house:

*Oreo's








*home cooked tortillas (thanks, Custers. . . I can't go back to precooked.)








*Cheetos (crunchy, please!)










*Crunch Berries (I practically lived on these while pregnant with Grant)










*Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce










*Cinnamon Toast Crunch










*Hidden Valley Ranch

This, by the way, is an unfinished list, and I will undoubtedly add to it, as we remember the food necessities that we like to have in our life.






So. . . . , are you a food snob about anything?

Dear (month of) April,

Remember when you represented birds singing, flowers blooming, beautiful pastels, and the ushering in of warm weather and sandals. Please return to that.

Signed,
Usually love the snow, but this is getting old

A Mother's Creed

I,
Da'nelle Robins,

do solemnly swear,
that as a mother
I . . .

• Relinquish the rights to a full, uninterrupted shower, unless taken after 10 PM
• Will no longer wear black
• Will reach into a baby's mouth to retrieve any small object he/she may have found
• Give up a consistent night's sleep for the next 2-5 years. I will instead compensate it with 2-3 blocks of sleep intertwined with 5 minute accidental naps during the day
  
• Will comb and style my daughter's hair even though she will undoubtedly take it out on the way to somewhere important
• Eat my meals only after I have prepared, cut up, and fed my children first. I understand that doing so will generally leave my own food cold and required to be consumed quickly.
• catch vomit with my hand and wipe disgusting messes from all parts of my children's bodies
• will learn how to walk, cook and do Pilates with baby weight* (*baby weight is the weight of a child that holds on to you wilst trying to move or do exercises)
• must learn to sacrifice my way of life, my pride, my selfish wants, and take every opportunity available to teach a principle about what is happening
• Willingly allow my patience, nerve and personal space to be tested to the utmost degree

In return, I will. . .
receive more joy, love and happiness that I could ever have known to be possible.

Signed, Da'nelle Robins