Being a bit of a word geek, I can’t help but be aware of semantics. So the children (rather than kids) and we have been celebrating Independence Day (rather than 4th of July) all week long. We’ve read some stories, learned of Betsy Ross and Thomas Jefferson, and practiced saying big words like “Declaration.” (Shelby’s mnemonic device is that is sounds almost like “decoration!”) We’ve done special crafts, eaten “patriotic” food, and received some surprises in our tiny mailboxes (patriotic tootsie rolls and squished pennies and silly bandz… hello? silly bandz makers? you’ve just missed a golden opportunity… where are all the red, white, and blue bandz?! c’mon now). All in all, it was a wonderful week. I don’t think we’ll do “Independence Week Camp” every year, but I’d like the true meaning to shine through no matter how we celebrate.

Wind Sock Construction

Wind Spinners

Time to Love the Sunshine

Do you know about concentrated gel food coloring???

Yes, that is VERY blue homemade bread.

The toothless wonder can’t eat corn on the cob, but he can manage a triple decker star sandwich.

No cheese was wasted in the making of these snacks. (Can’t say the same about the bread.)

Who needs a plate anyway?

Post-Patriotic Lunch Shrapnel

Our crowns required some wire cutters. Thank goodness!

Curly-Q’s were Elle Mae’s specialty.

Crown/Toy-in-my-Face

Bells, Beads, PomPoms, Garland… Good Times.

Haircut of the Week Award

A little bit of fireworks each night = Less overload and exhaustion for everyone

His favorite part of the pool

The beginning of vacation – Hooray!!!

Stars & Stripes Nails

Don’t forget the toes!

Mama finally got brave enough to try the back dive… and it’s fun!

(Do you remember last year’s photo of me jumping in the pool about now? I’ll give you a hint… 8.5 months pregnant.)

Shelby conquered the same back dive just a little while later!

Fireworks last night as seen from the HoP. Just as fun as the fireworks was seeing so many people gather together. PopPop, Gram, Aunt Chrissy, us, Aunt John, Cousin Cindy & Jeff, Cousin Marty & Tom… and the rest of Willow Street.

Baby S has arrived!!! 8 lbs, 5oz. 21.25″ long. Born around noon today!!! Congratulations, Jonny & Jenna! He has the sweetest face. I can’t wait to see him again.

5:40am ~ Up and at ‘em

6:30am ~ Children up and at ‘em, breakfast, baths all around

9:00am ~ Photo shoot with Joyous!

11:45am ~ Toy Story 3 in 3-D! Just a few words… AMAZING short. ¡Tiene un amigo en mi! And I didn’t expect to need tissues.

2:30pm ~ To speech with Cy

3:30pm ~ The wonderful relief of DayQuil

5:30pm ~ Steve’s wings on the grill

6:15pm ~ Evening dip in the pool

7:30pm ~ Purchase MarsEdit, make first post with newly purchased said program

7:45pm ~ Time for NyQuil and dreams of Baby Samuel

The Blog: Steve found a program to help me in creating the blog. I wasn’t sure if it was worth shelling out the beans for or not, but seeing as i haven’t touched the blog since our 30-day free trial expired, I’m going with YES. Worth it.

My Attitude: I have sunken into a all-too-often short-tempered, grump-faced, un-laughing, stressed-about-nothing, over-reacting, brooding mama. I hate it. This is not me. I am aiming to get the joy back. And one of the biggest ways this seems to be realizing itself is to stop (unconsciously) living in ways others think is best. Yes, I want to make my husband happy, but aside from him, I should live how God put me in my skin. Definitely room for improvement, make no mistake. But not room for guilt-laden comparisons and sullen wannabe-wishes.

The House: Since the second mortgage is officially gone (and even before it happened), much talking, dreaming, and tentative planning is going in to ideas on home improvements. Is it the right time to expand? If yes, do we build this direction or that? How much do we do ourselves to help the budget? Do we put off expanding and just focus on making what we have be “ours” (walls, floors, decor, smaller changes like that)? Lots to consider. Excited to act.

The Home: Part of my melancholy analysis paralysis tendencies lead me to delay decorating until something is “juuuuust right.” It’s part of the melancholy curse that I am all too familiar with. Lately I have been irked with myself that we have been living here for a full year and I don’t think I have one thing up on the walls, besides a calendar. Now, part of the blame lies on the half of me that is scared of what I might do to the wallpaper/plaster combo (very unfamiliar), but the other part of the blame lies on the other half of me (surprise, surprise) who isn’t willing to work with what I’ve got, or make it a priority, or just go for it. It doesn’t have to be a permanent museum exhibit, woman. C’mon.

The Input: I realized that I NEVER read fiction. Never. (Never on anything should probably signal a “yikes” in my book.) I only actually “started reading” around 2003. (Thank you, TEAM!) I knew how to read, I just didn’t. How pathetic. How American. How can bookstores be such a big business? I digress… As a summer resolution, I stopped all reading of my favored non-fiction, [funny side note: my 2-year-old just informed me that I "need to wash her belly button because it's dirty because she plays in the sand... and it tickles." Life is good.] how-to stuff. I went to a list of bookmarks I keep to search out some fiction I must have surely put on the list that caught my eye. Now, the list is not short, and I tell you, there was not ONE fiction book on there. Aye. So, I am combining some recommendations of classics (Little Britches, Anne of Green Gables, etc.) and some recommendations of great current writing (Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, etc.) to fill my summer. And guess what? I thought I might have to lock up my non-fiction to keep me away? I am LOVING my new adventure. LOVE it. Many thanks to my sister-in-law, Amy, for the great “current” recommendations!

Alright… said sandy-belly-buttoned 2-year-old is waiting for the computer screen to watch some Little Einsteins, a favorite around here. Thanks for taking time to read.

We had the privilege of camping Memorial Day weekend at my parents’ home. Steve, our brave leader, organized and executed everything. Camp is down by the bamboo patch, under a beautiful sycamore. This year, camp came complete with a shuttle to and from the clubhouse (which is where the mama and babe spent their nights). We enjoyed s’mores, apple pies made in the pie irons, camp fires, creek stompin’, and four-wheelin’. Butterflies were a main attraction. We also spotted a hawk, an oriole, blue birds, yellow finches, and a red-headed woodpecker. The weather couldn’t have been better, and we couldn’t have had a better time together.

Shelby had a great eight weeks learning and playing soccer on the Pink Flamingos team through the MSO (Mennonite Sports Organization). Her coaches were wonderful, the girls were great, and the families were a joy to be around. The girls showed notable improvement during the season and really came to work together as a team. We really enjoyed and appreciated this organization this year. (Both Shelby and Cyrus participated.) But as we consider next year, I think we may opt out, just to see if less is more, especially at this stage in our lives. We really like spending time together as a family, and having one night a week of practice plus a Saturday morning game… well, it just seems to take away a lot of our time. Haven’t reached a final decision for next year yet, but that’s my leaning for now.

The Pink Flamingos (L-R): Arianna, Nardos, Liz, Coach Fischer, Olivia, Sophie, & Shelby.

(Why, yes, we DID have an exceptionally difficult time keeping track of our MSO shirt this season.)

So… my latest adventure has been Artist Trading Cards (ATC’s), swap-bot, and Zettiology. Below are the first five ATC’s I’ve created. Shelby has participated in a couple children’s ATC swaps as well. I’m starting to love it, although I am careful to only devote a small fraction of time to it – enough to let me revel in some much overdue creating, but not enough to cause difficulties in other areas. Yesterday I completed the Zetti ATC, and I must say I could lose myself in Zetti. I find it fun, relaxing, challenging, beautiful, complex, reactionary, built with history. And I think I could spend a looong time creating it. (Maybe someday I will.) But for now, I’m happy to create, happy to receive snail mail (a not-so-secret love of mine), happy to see stamps from around the world, happy to eek out some free time, and even happy to learn a little geography in the process. We are planning to post on a map where our ATC’s go and where our swaps come from!

This is Kirby from Nintendo. This was a “recipient’s choice,” i.e. I was to create an ATC based on something the recipient liked.

This was my “Peek-a-Boo Springtime.” This was a “sender’s choice” (that’s me). These first two were sent to the same recipient.

These two were made for an “evil/scary cupcake” theme swap. They were sent to two different recipients.

And this is my first attempt at Zetti. I followed Teesha’s guidelines on layering. At the library book sale I found a treasure for such projects: a giant stock photo book for 75¢. It is full of photos, and it’s all mine for the cutting! Great collage fodder. This ATC included paper collage, watercolor, colored pencil, watercolor crayon, gel pen, and sharpie.

Approximately one year ago, we made the official move from here…

to here…

And in about five days, the official move will be officially finished. Our home up north is selling. It is a praise… that God provided a buyer, that we didn’t lose money in this economy, that we will no longer have two mortgages. But it is bittersweet, too. Those were extremely special times to us as a family. We grew there. One was born there. Right there, in our bedroom. Transitions don’t come easy to this mama, but God has a way of working them to at least add the sweet to the bitter. Thank you for your many prayers during this (seemingly) long transition.

Remember I was planning to post my garage sale finds each week? Notice how that only happened for approximately two weeks? Perhaps that is because I took up a more lofty hobby. Perhaps it is because nothing worthy can be found at the local sales. No, no, nothing like that. More like this: SO many great sales, SO much time spent saling. TOO much “new junque.” NOT enough time to photo it all. Rest assured, my garage saling addiction hobby is alive and thriving. Steve is a tad worried that I will overflow our living space, but no worries… if it’s too much for the house, there’s always the barn! JUST KIDDING. Honestly. I try quite hard to balance the fun of treasure bargain hunting with respect for the sanity of all involved. (Oh, I didn’t get a photo, but I came upon a sale yesterday with Shelby’s size gymbo clothes for $1 each. Hooray! What a treat.)

The heart-shaped waffle iron, $1

That yellow book actually made me gasp I was so excited to find it. It’d been on my list for a year. 50¢

We’d just been reading lots of Eric Carle, and I came across this fun one, $1 (?)

Homemade patriotic tutu I couldn’t resist, $5 (Turned out it was rather tight. Elastic, but tight. Oh, well, Josse gets to wear it!)

No, not the baby, but those fun rainbow drawers? Free.

Who can resist Ed Emberley? I think 50¢.

Bucket o’ Guys. 50¢. (I have since added an entire BOX of guys for $3, plus a ziploc of mini-soldiers for 25¢. Visions of artistic photos always grip my mind when I come across these little beauties.)

Next week, the plan is to settle the sale of our house up north. That brings  a whole slew of emotions, but the winning one right now is relief. Each day I step outside at this, our “new” house, I am reminded of how God gives us so much more than what we need. He heaps on extra blessings, like His beautiful creations, blooming right in my yard. It makes an impression on me… to think that some of these beauties’ main purpose in life is just to be beautiful. No big, deep plan. Just to glorify God with the beauty He put in them. I should take notes.