Olympics!

I have no idea why I have gotten so excited about the Olympics starting, but I have definitely caught the bug! Unfortunately, it seems I have the headache bug too.  Ronnie and girls went to breakfast at grandma's and gave me a quiet morning of coffee, Olympic tennis and my computer. 

I found some fun activities on Pinterest and tinyme.com and we had so much fun! It is crazy to think that 12 years ago I was completed oblivious to the Olympics because we were about to get married! Going back 14 years, I was packing to go to WSU and was only a couple weeks away from meeting Ronnie...now here we sit today playing bingo, crafting and making cupcakes..life is good!

Creating her torch.

Jordyn took her project a little more seriously...she had to have a pattern with the colors.

Cupcakes!!

Jordyn gets the blue sprinkles and Kendall gets the red sprinkles...

Now smile and get along for the picture! :)

Cupcakes, Family and Friends...Who Could Ask For More??

             

One of our favorite finds this summer is the new cupcake bakery in Olympia...it is so cute inside and you can tell how much heart has gone into this lovely business and the delicious cupcakes. If you are by the farmer's market check out Sweet Charley B's !

Another thing of our summer to do list...the Olympia Farmer's Market
The bonus was we were there with my nieces and some great friends!

These cute kids belong to me of course, and the other two beautiful brown eyed kiddos belong to one of my best friends from grade school and all through college.  We have finally found time this summer to reconnect and get our families together.  The kids are so excited to see each other and I am so thankful to be able to spend some time with friends who were such a huge part of my life.  My friendships represent some of the most important people in my life.  I have come to realize how lucky and blessed I am to have so many people that have been my friends since we were kids.  You can turn to them no matter what.  It doesn't matter how long it has been since you talked, they are your friends for life and that is so, so important.  I love that I can count on them and I know them so well...Too many things continuously surprise me on a daily basis and stability and loyalty are treasured characteristics. I feel double blessed because I have also been fortunate enough to create wonderful friendships after college and those friends have become staples in my every day life and in my girls' lives. I don't know what I would do without them.  I can only hope my girls are as fortunate as I have been.

Round two of sewing camp! Jordyn did great again and this time she was able to show us a headband, bag and skirt she made! My Grandma Gablehouse was extremely talented when it came to sewing (and many other things) and I am sure her and Jordyn would have been sewing like crazy during the summers. Funny how someone can be gone from your life for 23 years and in one moment you are reminded of how much you miss them and it hurts your heart like it was yesterday.  I wish so much that she was here..

My grandma with me..she made this dress for my first communion.

Time for tennis!  The girls have both completed camps this year and Jordyn was able to take two weeks of lessons.  They both loved them and it makes me really excited to think of our family being able to go out and enjoy this fun sport together!

You will always be able to tell my nieces are here because you will see lots of dirty dishes in the sink from all the food these girls seem to need and the laughter from the backyard...and if you missed them, all you have to do is pick up my iPad or phone and see all the crazy pictures they take of themselves.  The funny part is that I never see them doing this and then I go to take a picture a few days later, and there they are!

Our pretty Sydney..we are a complete family when she is here <3

These are the most beautiful nieces in the world...really?!

One of our summer to dos was a water balloon fight.  We did have one earlier, but we had to have another one now that Syd was home with us.

Poor Kendall Bug, she and her dad made a secret stash of water balloons for her to get her big sis and cousins.  She caught Syd and Jordyn discovering them and taking them for their own.  Chelsie decided they were in need of a punishment...so Kendall got to take free aim of the two girls!

One more summer to do marked off our list! The girls had a good time playing at the sprinkler park here in town! We met a friend from work and it was nice to visit and watch the kids play. Glad to have this right in town for a quick afternoon activity.

Important Moments

When I look back through all the posts I have made there is not one post about a job or how much money we made in a month, or didn't make...The posts are about the fun moments that are such sweet, treasured memories. 


I started reflecting on this to understand and accept the times when I am disappointed or sad because something we really wanted did not end up happening.  While I don't like to see anyone I love fall short of what they were striving for, it does offer a time for reflection.  I think about the fact that I am not in a hospital room with my dad anymore, I have a great marriage, I have a husband who does not get angry or mad, my girls have a daddy that cheers up his heart by spending time with them, I love my nieces, the girls have the best grandparents and great grandparents in the world, I have an extended family of wonderful, supportive friends and I have a happy home filled with little girls' laughter.


We decided not to stay home and think about what could have been or should have been, but go to the movies and work on our Summer To Do! We will know the reason that things happen the way they do soon enough...so we needed to stop thinking!

Girls loved this movie!

Great yogurt place next to the old Fox Theatre in Centralia..perfect way to end our night!

Loved Kendall's little summer outfit..so I wanted to take her picture..she provided the poses!

The next day we took naps!

My new favorite spot...

I bought the paint last summer..I put it off and put it off, now I know why! It was a lot of work!  Our bathroom has a lot of angles, some are curves thanks to the construction of our house, not cool.  In the end I am glad I waited because I was inspired by thriftyandchic.com and I absolutely love our bathroom!

Hi Kendall Bug!

Here is the before...

Now the after...

Tiling turned out much better than I thought it would!

                                 

I loved this shower curtain and it was pretty much the driving force behind this makeover!

This was one of my assistants..Ronnie did a good job on the trim too!

Forgot this pic of Chelsie helping with the carpets a few weeks ago...she was multitasking by vacuuming and cuddling the puppy!