Summer arrives in a blink of a bug.

I love the fact that I can take a short drive pretty much anywhere around the outskirts of our town, and be IN country. I don't miss living in the country, because if I ever have the desire for the peace & beauty of it, I take a little trip down a misc. road and I am there. Blue Sky as far as the eye can see, Green grass as far as the feet can travel...and cows.

One of the many joys of parenthood is watching my children with their friends. I love to witness their relationships with eachother. What a pleasure and a privledge to see these little friendships blooming with innocence and wonder. Above is a photo of Ben and his friend Grayce at the zoo. I don't know the exchange of words that they are sharing, but I do know that it is delightful, magical (and no doubt mischevious) thoughts created by two amazing little beings. below...

is Amy & Isabelle. These two little girls have such a special relationship, It truly melts my heart when I see them together. They are always so excited to be within eachothers reach. They giggle, hug and hold hands. They plan, play and share. What a true treasure it is to see these two together. They light up the world when they are together.

Uncle Al finds the best garage sale stuff for the kids! This time Ben got a football uniform (just his size) to play in (let me tell you I have to pry this thing off of him to wash it.), Isabelle got some Caption Underpants books (lots of laughter within these pages), and we were "All shook Up" when we discovered this Elvis Elmo within the loot. Seriously, what more could one ask for?

I am quickly discovering that it is nearly impossible to get a "good" shot of three children all at once. I thought two was challenging...but three kind of ups the stakes. This is just one of many many outtakes. Hey, Maybe it is the outtakes in life, that are actually the true gems after all....or maybe not.

This week in review thus far: Isabelle's Alice In Wonderland Show was amazing. As a backstage parent, I must admit that I am so glad to see this performance come to an end. It gets quite stressful, but some how we all survive, and it is so worth it. We are taking a break from dance classes for the summer since I am taking the layed back approach to the season. We need a break. Isabelle was a true shining star & ham on stage. She loved it. She can't wait to try out for the Wizard of Oz next time. The kids have been going to vacation bible school all week in the a.m.s. They are enjoying it. (and so am I). I have started to do some (power/stroller) walking in the park/forest preserve now that I got the a.k. ok from the dr. that all is good. It truly feels great. Olivia is still keeping me up alot at night. We have not fallen into any routine , every day and night is different. I try not to think about how exhausted I am...and I am so thankful for coffee. She is laying right next to me at the moment and she is in a light sleep. Little smiles come and go and I can't help but to know how lucky that I am. Well, I have a book waiting for me. Goodnight. Sweet Dreams. p.s. I must report: Isabelle has spotted the first lightening bugs these last couple nights. Summer is here.