I couldn't have planned it better if I tried.

Memorial Day weekend was absolutely perfect. We have had more time relaxing and enjoying the nice weather than we've had as a family in a long time. I feel so relaxed,rejuvenated, exhausted, all of it but incredibly satisfied with my family and the manner we spent our holiday.

It started Friday night with an evening out singing with Frankie. We practice every Friday evening after the man gets home from work. It's an awesome night to practice because I'm usually ready and fit to be tied by the time Friday night rolls around, it's a great way to blow off steam and get ready to face the weekend craziness. I was back in by 11:00 pm. Unheard of because I love to stop off at my dive just down the way for a few beers and some tunes. There wasn't much going on there so I left early and found the man still awake and ready to hang out for a while. I was pretty happy to see his excitement and I treated him to a fried snack and some light conversation right before we ended up having some much needed connecting time alone. It was an awesome ending to a great evening.

Saturday was great, no chores day we decided, lunch out and evening dinner was light and easy. We relaxed in the sun and had another perfect night followed by more connecting time for Jim and I if you get what I mean there. This day wasn't going down in history as the best but the weather was perfect and the mood was very calm and relaxing thanks to many hours of reggae on Pandora. So yeah, another awesome day.

Sunday started out the same. We had a great morning with the kids. Early afternoon the babies napped. At the same time. I felt like I was winning the freaking laundry for crying out loud. I made a pie for dinner at a friends and a small veggie plate to share. We spent the late afternoon and evening visiting and enjoying their adorable kiddie size swimming pool. All the kids went hog wild and we all enjoyed a couple of cold ones and good conversation. The food was great, the company was better and at the end the pie was fabulous, vanilla cream, baby! Sydney brought her friend home to spend the night and we finished it off playing wii for a while and just enjoyed a late night with the kids.

Monday met us with the same tone and we just couldn't get over it all. Lots of chores were finished up, things we've put off for weeks. It was really nice. I made a delish pizza for lunch from scratch. Can I just say that I think I've found my crust for life? And that I kicked the pizza makers of the world's ass with my creation today? Just sayin'. The girls took another nap at the same time and I was beginning to wonder what deal was made with the devil and when it was to be cashed in because that was the only explanation that made any sense. Seriously? Naps two days in a row for the both of them at the same time? NEVER HAPPENS!

Our garden is growing magnificently and we had the most perfect weather for 4 days straight. Tonight it's drizzling outside and cooling off the ground. It was just the perfect weekend. I couldn't have asked for better anything. I will come back to this memory and post again sometime soon to remind myself that life has it's rewards and blessings :D

Absence makes the heart grow.

Crazy how a little vitamin D has hoisted me back up among the sane. Turns out I was a little low even two weeks ago so I bet you a million the winter did a number on me. All that aside, there is still inner growth and awareness that I'd like to continue to nurture. The journey still proceeds, some days at a slower pace than others. I am still trying to be more mindful of the conversations I'm having and learning to listen to what people have to say. There are times when the excitement gets the better of me and I can't keep my big mouth shut but otherwise I'm doing pretty well. There are lots of times where I think of it during a conversation instead of after and that is called progress!

I have gotten closer to a new friend I'm sure that I spoke of here before. I was hesitant to push myself on this person because I felt like it might not have been the right fit but lately things are going well. We're more alike than I had originally thought, though she does indulge in the darker side of things which isn't great for me but I'm staying grounded. In return, I bring out the healthier side of her by coaxing her to workout with me. Win, win!

I have most of my garden in. We are slow to get it planted this year but our peas are amazing already and we have beets, carrots and lettuce sprouting. Today I dug and tilled by hand two more big rows and threw in some broccoli and spinach. I am really hoping to be productive in harvesting and cleaning up the food we grow so we can make the most of it. I would love to freeze and can a ton of things since food is getting more and more expensive every day. My grocery bill is KILLING me right now!

Singing is going well, although the contest I was in brought me nothing. Well I can't say nothing, since that is how Frankie found me. I got what I needed from that this year and Frankie and I are practicing once a week now. We have one set tight but need to get working on more songs so we can fill up our gigs with no pressure. I can't complain since we've only put about 5 hours into the 15 songs we have now. Nothing crazy exciting coming out of this but I will get to sing and perform. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do on my spare time than sing. She and I are really compatible together singing as well as socially so it looks very promising. Now if we can just get a booking and we'll be golden. Soon, I hope!

I have a little update on my brother for those of you who read this and know his situation. He's doing well for himself considering he's in jail and I have to say that he's taking a lot of opportunities and making the most of them. He's very close to his GED and will be taking some official carpentry classes, which he's basically done as a trade since he was 14. He has been taking care of himself and working out like crazy. Normal for inmates I guess but I'm just happy that he's making the most of his time in. The counseling he'll get there will take care of his requirement to get his license back and when he gets out he'll be way further ahead than when he went in so you could say prison catapulted him towards a few goals he's been shoving under a rug and ignoring. I'm proud of him. I hope that when he is out this fall that he can take his new found freedom away from Tracy and get himself into a job that will give him something to work towards. I would love for him to find a nice girl and a life of his own maybe even a family.


In other news, Abby turned 2, Sydney has nearly completed elementary school, Emily has uncontrollable emotions that send her into demonic states of rage. Oh, wait, that isn't news! Never mind that. The rest is true though. We are reaching lots of milestones here. I am proud of my family, the girls are a huge blessing and I will make it through puberty with each and every one of them. That is called wishful thinking. Whatever works!

Dos vedanya! Until I get another twenty minutes to sit and purge as much as possible so you will keep coming back to read about my ridiculous life. :) Just another day.... (I have tried to write something a gazillionjillion times, but I have a case of the toddlers!)

Speaking of....Abby wants a peanut butter sammich!