Loving The Squares

I have been wanting to hang more pictures around the house for quite sometime. You would think with my shutter addiction my house would be overflowing with pictures. Well, it's not. Honestly, I am really good at getting them on my computer, messing around with them and then........it ends there. So, I had my mind set on this project and was determined to see it through.

Shannon and I made the lights that are hanging on either side last fall. That was a fun project we did together! So I thought, do we do a family picture? No. Just the little women? No. A mixture of a few of my favs? No. Then I saw on some random website, a lady did a "hybrid" family picture. I loved it! So the wheels are spinning in the old noggin, right, I can do that I just have to accumulate good pictures of all of us. Easy to do for three of the people in the Grismore abode. Me, not so much! Oh, but thanks to Abby, it all fell into place (as you can see the picture does have my little women in it, way in the back!).

So with much planning, I got started. I wanted to make a statement and that is what I did. They are each a 20x20 square. I don't know if that is hard to see in the image above, but they are large'n and incharge'n!

I did the sectional frames from Hobby Lobby to get exactly the size I wanted. Making the frames is a snap and you can get everything you need right there. Honestly, the hardest part was hanging them so that the space in between is even. That is where a husband who deals with measurements and tolerances daily comes in handy. :)

My plan is to at least get something printed every month. I will be working on a book from our little vacation, that excites me beyond words. I will get it done. I will get it done. I WILL GET IT DONE!

So I finished a project, yeah me!

Enjoy your projects and I have faith that we will finish them!

Autumn:)

Beach Bumming

"I'm not ready to go home", he says as we are buttoning up things in the condo that we made our temporary home for 5 days. "I know!", I am thinking but don't want to verbalize because then we may have stayed and that would not have been an "adult" decision.
I loved going to the beach as a kid. We did it at least once a year and most generally twice. I feel very blessed to have had those opportunities.
Fast forward a few years (a few is an understatement, but hey, a girl can stretch the truth when it comes to years, right?). We have had the opportunity to have some of those similar experiences with our little women. Holy sugar honey iced tea; it was awesome!

The smiling! Oh, the smiling! I had a smile on my face the entire time. If I was sitting under the umbrella rubbing my feet in the sand, bodyboarding with the girls, searching for shells or little bits of ocean life; there is no doubt I was smiling.

I have mentioned before her love of water. Now there is an unwavering love of bodyboarding! It did not take her long to get good at it. Her ability to judge the oncoming wave and whether it would crest right is awesome. She is at home in these waters.

We joke that she will be an architect. Building things are high on her to do list. She made sandcastles, cookie dough (there was a specific way that she made it. Shannon did that with her while Ainzli and I bodyboarded,  so I don't have the recipe to share!) and pictures. All of that with sand. She loved just sitting in the sand, letting it run through her fingers.

Holding down the family spot. We had a pretty good set up daily. He and I did a lot of sitting here just staring out into the deep blue and watching our little women. Gosh, he is wonderful. Love this man.

We had to do something unexpected to make it ours. So I took 6 Ball jars that we could fill for our "souvenirs." When the tide would lower in the evening, it was easy to find some bits of life. I found a shell of some sort of crab, fully intact. In the above jar is some sand, seawater, shells, and little mussel type creatures. I don't know exactly what they are, but it was fun to watch them go in and out of their shells.

There are now 6 Ball jars on display in our kitchen. One with seaweed. One with a shell and seawater. One filled to the brim with shells. The one pictured above is there as well. Clear little reminders of what fun we had!

Best Day Ever!
Autumn

Confession of a Food Snob: #2

The Pistachio

16 oz. on sale, at Meijer, is usually $5.99

Almost 90% of the fat found in a pistachio is the healthy mono- and 

polyunsaturated fats.

Pistachio's are a good source of fiber, providing 3 grams per serving. That's more

than many types of whole fruit.

Pistachio's are full of vitamin B6 and are an antioxidant powerhouse. 

We love these little nuts. They are normally consumed in 3 or 4 days here at the Grismore abode ( I really think that is too quickly; I am definitely the biggest culprit with Ms. Blue nipping at my heels!)

As a snacking option they are wonderful. I love them mid-morning. You know when you start to feel the  hunger stirring up and you are thinking "I am absolutely, positively not already making lunch at 10:30!" Grab a handful of these little buggers! I always buy in shell; they are more cost effective and when you have to shell them you don't consume as many, then the "full" feeling hits you earlier. 

Useless Knowledge:

* Pistachios are one of the oldest flowering nut trees, and are one of the only two nuts mentioned in the    Bible (Genesis 43:11). Humans have eaten pistachio nuts for at least 9,000 years.

* Perhaps a true royal nut, the Queen of Sheba loved pistachios. In fact, she demanded that the entire region’s pistachio harvest be set aside for her.

* Pistachios are a relatively new U.S. crop. Until the 1970's, no domestic pistachio industry existed. Now, California produces upwards 300 million pounds of pistachios, about 98 percent of the domestic crop. (Do you think this could mean the price will eventually come down? hhmm)

Yeah for this little green nut! 

Autumn :)

Family First

We have done this a couple of times before, but never for an entire 5 days. You see, with Shannon's job, we never know when a vacation can be scheduled. For those of you who can schedule one whole year in advance........kudos! So where this is going is quite simple. Ainzli will be missing 5 days of school. I realize that there are some people who are dead set against this, I respect their opinion, I just don't agree. There may be a time when we can't do this (junior high and beyond), but then again, there may not. I believe that if your child is a good student and understands the rules about this "luxury" then you can take them out for family time all throughout school.

I always go the correct avenues; her teacher was aware a couple of weeks ago that "it might" work out, the principal told me just to confirm with him when we know for sure.

We know for sure! Yeah! We will be taking all of Ainzli's school work with us and she is excited to get most of it done on the way down. She is aware that there will be a couple of tests when she gets back and is just fine with that. She has assured me that she will have no problem with the tests. Let's hope the enthusiasm stays all through the trip!

We are hillbilly deluxe at the Grismore abode. Whenever we get a substantial rain a puddle forms at the end of our street. Wherever there is water you will find Ainzli, guaranteed! :)

Yes, that is correct, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is a John Deere shirt and big pink flower in her hair. She is definitely a blue jeans with her pearls kind of a girl.

Kindergarten Round-Up

She is going to be 6 in July, she is more than ready, she is as "mature" as a 5 year old can be, but I don't quite feel ready. Honestly, right at this moment, I am holding tears back.

We had Kindergarten Round-Up this week. The night before Ms. Blue was very nervous. She was clinging to Ainzli, and being the wonderful big sister she is, she was spewing nothing but encouragement. (Another one of those "wow" parenting moments, I just l.o.v.e those). So as she curled up in bed with her sister she was feeling better and assured she could do it.
The kids gets asked a lot of questions, they do a hearing test, a sight test, running, jumping..... I think that is about all. The parents sit through an orientation to our elementary, meet a few of the staff, and fill out so much paperwork. When all is finished you really are feeling good about this big step.

A little dialogue we had at lunch afterwards:

Me: How did it go?

Lillie: Good

Me: Do you feel like you are ready to go to school everyday?

Lillie: (With her eyes in that "are you kidding me" look)

Mom, I got everything right. They circled all my answers.

Me: Are you sure that means you got everything right?

Lillie: YES!

Obviously, the lack of confidence from the night before did not spill over into the morning. She is positive she aced everything. Oh my, is her teacher in for it!

In about 4 months I will be kid less during the day. It will be nine years that I have had a little woman home with me. I am excited, anxious, weepy, exhilarated; not all at the same time, just depends on what day you ask me! I try to look at each step of my life with rose colored glasses, some are easier than others. This step is one of the harder feeling ones thus far. The only constant in life is change.

Ms. Blue is ready and I promise I will be ready too. :)

Lillie Blue & Ms. Mia

We have lived in our quaint little neighborhood for almost 5 years. It was a big leap of faith for both of us. We both grew up out in the country. And for me that meant no friends for two whole miles!

I wanted a different experience for my girls. So we leaped, learned and have decided this is home. So with that said, this starts back to the first summer. I was walking around the block and low and behold right behind us is a family with a little girl about Lillie's age. Ok, so really this can be good or bad. Bad because in a neighborhood there can be hurt feelings, issues, or just plain moral differences. Good in the sense that there could be a playmate, a friend, even a lifelong friend possibility. So you bide your time and see.

Well lucky for us there is a fit. That cute little girl walking around her front yard in her diaper is now a cute little kindergardener and Lillie's closest friend. What is so awesome is they are so very different. Mia is soft spoken, always looking all cute and not bossy in the slightest. She comes over with a huge smile on her face and always gives me hug. My Lillie is a little bossy (ok, big time but you know you gotta love all their traits, right?) loves to wear sweats and tennis shoes, heck sometimes no shoes at all, and just may go the whole day without combing her hair.

I am not saying they are destined to be college roommates, but maybe.  All I am stating is that we are very blessed to have good friends. Whether you are 5 or 65 a good friend is hard to come by and you should relish in the goodness.

All it takes is a large stick and they will find something fun to do with it. The simplicity of childhood.

Ms. Mia. 

See, you can limbo with only two people. Cracks me up!

Autumn :)

Perspective

I often wonder if I am the only one who needs perspective. I can allow things to consume my mind, sometimes to the point of debilitation and confusion. I subscribed to a daily devotional about a year ago that comes right to my inbox. I enjoy it; short, sweet and always loaded with scripture. So Sunday, I wake up and grab my phone (have I told you how wonderful my phone is? HA!) and open up my God's Minute. 

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  {John 3:8}

The Holy Spirit. Yes. It is amazing. Mind blowing. And in my small mind often hard for me to grasp or get perspective on. So Pastor Allen continues with his devotional and I am diligently reading and BAM! at the bottom is something I have been longing to be able to put into "laymen's" terms. 

"Therefore in closing, Autumn, always remember that we are not human beings having a Spiritual experience, but Spiritual Beings having a human experience!"

Ah. Thank you for perspective Lord, just when I need it. :)

Sunday was so beautiful. Above is a leaf Lillie found blowing around. Amazing how our winter effected this particular leaf. Love it!

Daffodils always make me smile. These are miniatures that my neighbor planted a couple of years ago. Spring has sprung!


Have a blessed day

Autumn :)

Winded

Alright. Ok. I know. Running is good for you. You can do it for free. You can even do it with someone else fairly easily. With all of that said does that mean you have to like it. I think not. Well, maybe you will eventually like it...................?

Ainzli and I have been talking about starting to run together. So we started today, April 1. Maybe some irony in there, time will tell. We did good. I set the timer on my watch for 2 minutes with a repeat. Our goal was to jog for 2 minutes and walk for 2 minutes. We did ok. I don't want to embarrass myself with the small details.

We had a lot of fun and I enjoy getting physical activity with my girls. We seem to do the majority of our talking in these circumstances. Wonderful I will have to say. I will keep you updated on our progress. :)

We set the camera on the grill like it was a tripod. Lord help me if it would happen to fall, hysteria may well ensue. Don't normally think to do things like this, but trust me I will be doing this more. I am in the shot. Can you believe it?!

The weekend is here. I am embracing it.

Autumn :)