Category Archives: family funi have had a week filled with laundry and packing kids, driving kids and planning when they go to camp. i was looking through these pics and this song came to mind…. i had to go to itunes and buy it of course.
next week is when we are all home for a full week. i am going to have to do some planning.
don't forget to enter the TREX OUTOOR FURNITURE giveaway! i pick the winner tomorrow!
we dropped sean at his friend's house the other day and went to run ONE errand.
then i wanted something to eat so we went for groceries.
we headed to walmart for a few more things. i guess i haven't kept her up on pop culture.
we picked up sean on our way home and craig pulled up at home the same time we did. all those little moments make up for great memories.
I love that you take pictures of everyday moments! I’m really trying to get better about capturing the seemingly mundane times because those really are the best memories. Do you take your camera with you everywhere, or use your phone? How did you ever leave without that sweet puppy?! I have a soft spot for Dachshunds – our daughter has two mini’s. what a great day. You almost make me look forward to taking my kids on errands. But I have boys I don’t think its as fun with boys. The mirror is awesome I vote either yellow or green.. I’d usually say turquoise but you have one that color. Question for you. Were these photos all taken on your phone or do you take your DSLR camera everywhere? Oh and a side note I wish my thrift store was as fabulous as yours!!! The mirror, turquoise or fuschia!!!! No paint! Gold, gold, gold! My mom had chairs exactly like those! Memory has been majorly jogged!! oh my word! Can I just tell you that I spent a good part of today reading almost a year’s worth of your blog posts! I discovered you when Becky mentioned Craft Weekend on her blog but I teach full time so I couldn’t keep up with reading blogs. Now that summer is here I have more time! I am going to save my money and come! Also, I can’t believe Cathy from MA attended Craft weekend last year. She lives in the town next to me and I just discovered her the other day from Shannan’s blog! Becky was the very first blog I ever read! I could just sit and read your blog all day,lol! But I am sure my 4 and 5 year old girls would probably not like mommy to be on the computer that much! So happy to have found your blog! You’ll like this, Meg. We were talking the other day and mentioned something about Mindy and adopting her at 3 months. Sophie looked at me and said “Aunt Mindy is adopted??!!” Yes, from Korea. Guess she just fits in!! LOVE! the best. “michael jackson died??” I think you should paint that mirror sunshine yellow or the color of your sandals in that same picture! How fun! I love days like that with my daughter…my boys not so much haha 😉 Paint that mirror a bright turquoise! My vote anyway. Do your kids not fight on errands? I walked my girls out of Hobby Lobby yesterday because of their fighting. Seriously, I hate running errands with my kids. What a fun Mama you are! Sounds like the prefect day! I vote for turqoise for the mirror 🙂 it’s lovely. I love to run errands with my two kids. If I pay close attention I learn alot about them in a short amount of time. Three things… I love days like that too! Relaxed and simple yet busy! Yes, you’re right all great memories for sure! Love, love your new mirror. I’m thinking yellow! but whatever your do, it will look amazing I’m sure. Happy summer to you and your family. My fave time of year yippiee!!! Fun, simple days are the best aren’t they?! Three things: I always enjoy following along on your adventures. Makes me want to move home again. Prayers for her and for you to have peace. Cancer sucks so much. I just got news that my friend (and Olivia’s preschool teacher) is losing her battle with cancer. My heart aches and I want to cry. (But am holding back now so the kids don’t see.) I wanted you to know that for the few minutes I take to read your blog, my mind is transported to a happy place. Even something as simple as looking to see what your running errands looks like. It’s a perfect distraction. Thank you. Annie looks exactly like you! I need to push the cart to think clearly as well. Shocked you didn’t come home with a puppy and seriously what does your husband say when you keep coming home with more chickens? I bet your girls will remember that day of fun! The little things I think are what our children will remember most. Oh, what a fabulous find!!! The mirror is darling!!! Your pictures are amazing! Enjoy your day! be blessed. If you made that made that salad please share a tutorial because I never have a salad look that good. Mirror is awesome!!! I think I would paint it a high gloss black 🙂 Hmmmm…at first I thought yellow. But then I read other commenters saying turquoise and/or red. Any of the three…that’s helpful, right? 😉 When I was little, I once took an egg from a farm because I desperately wanted a baby chicken. Alas, it never hatched. You just skipped that step entirely and cut right to the chase. Coolest. Mom. Ever! 🙂 I think those were the exact kitchen chairs I grew up with. Orange red would be great too! Fun/busy day!!!! I would lay painters tape across the mirror about one inch thick and stand right above and spray painted it *lightly* with mint blue color. Take the tape off and you’ll have some cool stripes. If it doesn’t look good, then just paint over the stripes, but I think it could look real cool!!!! Fabulous mirror – how about crimson. Never see these in op shops in NZ. adore the mirror and love your dress. 😉 as for paint, i would got with turquoise. Do you still have your other chickens and just go some additions? Cute! I recently discovered your blog and am glad I did. Your thrift store looks amazing compared to what we have in NZ. The mirror is great. I’d paint it yellow. I have a thing about yellow at the moment, but any bright colour would look good. I’m pretty sure those chairs were part of the “dinette set” we had in our kitchen when I was growing up! “Michael Jackson died?” Um, that made me giggle!! A lot!! Love all those little chickies and your patience letting them sign up for give-a-ways!! I loved this post – great snapshots of a day with your younger girls. It brought back so many memories of running errands with my mom during the summer as a kid. They would usually end with a trip to the library to pick up an old yellow Nancy Drew book. That mirror is golden – literally and figuratively! And the baby chicks so sweet. Great photos! you’re gonna have sooo many chickens!!! lots of eggs 🙂 love your random posts like this. Love errand running days especially when it goes smoothly with the kids 😉 Love that mirror – I would paint it turquoise. And I can’t stay focused in the grocery store when I am not pushing the cart! ooooh, that mirror is fab-u-lous! I would paint it a really bold color like red, or a burnt-orange. looks like you had a nice day with your girlies! i could see the mirror staying the way it is but if i had to choose i see turquoise or orange! Love days like that! And that mirror is FAB!!! I would paint it yellow!!! And then maybe distress it a little 🙂 Always enjoy your blog, but rarely comment– so lazy ha! it's here!!!
annie and i were talking on the patio and suddenly we realized we were being spied on….
scott FINALLY let me cut his hair short… i have been begging for months.
my kids were super helpers getting the house ready for craft weekend last week.
talby is as tall as her kindergarten teacher! what a difference five years makes.
softball has started for talby and annie.
our cousins came for a visit!
chasing chickens and jumping on the trampoline is so much fun. all these girls in one house is always loud and crazy.
what is going on in your summer so far?
I had my last day of teaching today, so summer will just be starting for me! I’m excited to write up our summer fun list. Will you be posting one? I missed it last year. I have been following for a while so i feel authorized to answer this. Ha ha. The craft house and the farm house are in different places. I believe they said they moved to the farm house to be closer to the kids school but i could be wrong. I also know that they are renting the farm house so it is not permanent but also not short,term. 🙂 Your flowers are beautiful! I just love your patio. So inviting. Looks like a wonderful place to share a meal with family and friends. I’m with you! Summer, I wish you’d never end!! Oh I love peonies! I wish I could smell them through the computer right now. The only downside is the ants and spiders that come inside with them. That food looks so good! Are you going to be doing a summer list this year? It would be fun to compare it to years ago now your kids are much older! Just found your amazing blog; so creative and free- Lovely! We are hanging by the pool this summer and getting our senior ready for an eventful final year of high school. Just trying to relax with my 5 kiddos and ENJOY all that comes our way! Looks like you guys are enjoying the “farm” life! So far, picnicking, gardening, camping, and just exploring new places. It has been good, really good. Hope you guys enjoy your summer together. It sure does fly by, doesn’t it!? I want to be your friend and neighbor…real bad! loved all the pictures. Love all the pictures! My daughter says she will explode if she sees another picture of Wicket! She says she wants that kitten so bad it physically hurts her to see it….drama much? Good thing you live far from Fort Worth! I L O V E summer too. You spend it the way we do. I might just take a trip to Kansas and take that adorable kitty cat. Soooo precious! Love the colors on your patio! Beautiful. beautiful pix, and that kitty is so adorable! Love this. Love your pictures. Love your life. That has got to be the world’s most beautiful kitten! I have never seen eyes like those! 1. That very first picture is gorgeous! So many bold colors. I love it! Our summer holiday only starts at the end of July until 3rd Sept here in the UK 🙂 Spent a few minutes catching up on your blog – it’s such a happy place to visit, like chatting with a friend! I’m always amazed how you just Get.Stuff.Done – with a whole lotta pizazz thrown in too… how dooooo you do it! let me in on the trade secret!! hope you all have an amazing summer 🙂 Kerry xx We are in the middle of 2 boys in soccer, and I’m planning tons of reading and pool time! Yay! Your pictures are beautiful as always. Your kitten is precious. We just had to put our kitten down yesterday. She ate something that got stuck in her intestines. So sad! Our summer has not started yet. The kids go until June 27!!! Yikes!!! Looking so forward to it–beach, pool, beach, pool, repeat!!!! Catching lightning bugs and a going away party for my oldest boy. Looks like fun at your house. Summer starts next wee for us. Am envisioning lazy pajama mornings, afternoon swimming and a tub of ice cream each night. 🙂 We have basketball camp next week. Our list is full of fun things to do. It’s not summer here quite yet. Last day of finals tomorrow. Oh, and the weather hasn’t gotten the memo that it’s June here. North of Chicago and it feels more like April. Oh and that kitten? Totally adorifying! Summer… it’s still a few weeks away around here, although I did spend a couple hours on the deck yesterday and have the pink skin to prove it! Our kids have a week and a bit left of school and then we’re home free! Now, if only the pool would start to warm up… I love short haircuts on boys! I made your Mom’s margarita’s this weekend! They are so good! Thanks for sharing!
this is probably my favorite picture of the year so far. i can't stop looking at it.
 we now have a hedgehog living at our house.
it is from the pet store. it is pokey.
it is also very cute. it's name is Percy.  while we were all admiring Percy suddenly annie shouted "HEY IS THAT A TURTLE IN THE YARD?!"
it was.
we brought it to the patio and enjoyed it for awhile.
 we took lots of pictures of it.
 we introduced the turtle to Percy.
they both were completely uninterested in each other. 
and then nature time was over. the turtle went on his merry way and percy went back to his home in laurens room.
later there was pie making by lauren. 
 this shirt is from Moxie Clothing Co. and i love it!
my family got quite a laugh out of it. (they are working out their shop details… you can find it sometime over here at houseofbelonging on IG)
 we were discussing freckles at the track meet and annie asked "do I have any freckles?"
ummm….yes!
just a few.
lauren made it all the way to State in Track!
she competed today in Javelin.  we were so proud!
it's pretty impressive to watch those girls throw!
 i took my little girls to see Epic this afternoon.
it was very pretty. the graphics were stunning…. i can't believe they can make animated movies look so real! your kids will like it.
and you will enjoy it enough just looking at all the details.  i had to pull over again tonight because LOOK AT THAT beautiful sky!! i am crazy for a farm sky all of may and june in kansas. we ate little caesares pizza on the patio.
the kids jumped on the trampoline while i started working on th is blog. it was a very nice day.  the summer list is not done yet.
we are working on the rough draft still. what i am most excited about tonight?
nothing on the calendar for this weekend.
N O T H I N G i like that.
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Lauren has such pretty and capable-looking hands. I keep going back to this post. Love it. We loved epic! Very cute! The slug in Epic was HIlarious. Love the freckles. My daughter was convinced for the longest time that she got hers from drinking too much strawberry milk. Did you paint the little bit of blue on the turtle shell? We do that, too (but we use red nail polish) so we can tell if the same turtle visits us again. I could use that beer. So much Lauren! I love it. Meg: You make me miss Kansas with every post. Such a cute little hedgehog (but not as cute as that girl attached to the freckles)! I had no idea people kept them as pets. And I love that the turtle just showed up to visit. Now I want a hedgehog… This weekend we are working in our yard. Good stuff. We’re ready for some color after this dreary winter. The hedgehog and turtle are too cute ! Thanks for sharing all the beautiful photos and Happy Summer ! You can tell Annie I once heard that freckles are kisses from angels. My daughter has quite a few too! Super cute hedgehog, although I don’t think I would be a brave mama to allow one in our house . So brave and open to let your kids have all those opportunities to them , awesome shirt as well. We have nothing on the calendar this weekend either. AHHHH! I’ve been looking forward to this w/e for months! Schools out. Graduations over. Quiet. 3 day weekend 🙂 So much Lauren in one post!! I love it! She’s grown up so much! I love turtles and Percy is adorable! Curious what the blue mark is on the turtles shell? Enjoy your weekend. We have nothing this weekend too!!! So glad. 🙂 Awesome day! Nothing better than a weekend with nothing planned. Enjoy! I noticed how lovely Lauren’s hands are…. I have a thing for hands. She is beautiful! And… farm skies are gorgeous… up here in Nebraska as well! Lauren has the most beautiful hands! Strong and graceful at the same time. That is the cutest hedgehog. He looks like a stuffed animal. My daughter is getting goats;the boy’s name is Percy Cedric. 😉 I am in love with Percy! When my son was in elementary school, his friend brought a hedgehog to school when his mother read a couple of books to the class that featured one. Adorable. I love a post like this! Highlights of your week with pictures…gorgeous pictures!!! I know you are so proud of Lauren! She is a beautiful girl and so talented! What a blessing! Lauren’s pie looks delicious and fancy. Percy makes me eeeeeek 🙂 Daisies and farm skies are heaven on earth. I never knew how much I would fall head over heels in love with the farm/country life. Yet here I am. 🙂 I picked up a turtle once on our farm and tried to drive it to my classroom, back when I used to teach. The crazy turtle escaped in my car and was about to crawl under my feet! He was hissing at me and everything. YIKES. No more turtle catching for me… I didn’t even know you could have a hedgehog as a pet. So cute. And that sunset….gorgeous. You make me want to sell it all and move to the wide open land. With grass and sky. We’re working on our summer bucket list too! Yeah summer! this week has been packed. nevermind i was just told i need to give a ride to the last one in school. darn.
talby wanted rainbow cake for school but we settled on rainbow cupcakes instead… quicker.
we finally let waffle outside while the chickens were outside.
"who's a good boy? who's the best dog?"
their last day to ride the bus because today i drove them in… and we were even late!
the peonies have juuuuust started to bloom around here.
on tuesday i took the entire day for myself. and finally FINALLY they have started selling suits based on your BUST size.
and check out how hip and with it JCPENNY looked yesterday?!
i got home from my swimsuit shopping and these cows were eating across the road from the house.
living out here is beautiful. talby got this paper at school and took a LOT of time coloring it in.
lovely.
school's out. what are your big plans coming up this summer?
I tried on suits last Monday….took my 6 year old daughter with me…mistake. epic. Where did you end up buying your suit? I need one, and my bust is usually the deal breaker. Underwires? Yes, please. 🙂 Aimee… the girls have school for FIVE more weeks?! I cannot decide if that’s awesome or terrible. Oh that dirt road looks like home! I’m spending the summer with my baby boy and could not be more excited. And because of that baby boy, I need a new swimsuit. 😉 Where is yours from? i too was in JCP recently and was super impressed with them! what happened? They have got it going on for sure! happy summer! we are moving to a new house and decorating that…doing lots of projects! yay!! Je me décide enfin a vous donnez Un petit bonjour de France. Je suis depuis quelques temps ( environ 1 an) votre blog. Je le trouve merveilleux vos photos sont si belles et les week-end craft ohhh!! qu’est ce que j ‘aimerai avoir la possibilité d’ en faire moi aussi… we are in CT.. we had hurricane sandy and 36 inches of snow in February…. my kids don’t get out until well june 27th….thank God! We still have school for another 9 days!! I can’t wait for a 3 day weekend and sleeping in. I LOVE your pictures they always make me so happy, the bright colors in every picture is amazing. I love your posts!! Your blog is wonderful!! I love your house pictures and Kansas looks so beautiful! I was born and raised in California. Its all I know! Your blog posts always inspire me!! I would so love to come to one of your craft weekends@@ Waffle is adorable!! Happy Summer! Kansas looks so beautiful!!! I must come to a craft weekend 🙂 This is the first summer that I have to work and I thought I would be ok with it, I am not, I am so not. I am a teacher and I recently switched to working as a preschool special ed itinerant teacher. I only work 2 days a week for 4 1/2 weeks this summer and I am whining about. I need to stop! I have 3 weeks off in the beginning and 3 weeks off at the end of the summer. We signed my 5 year old up for swim team and we joined the pool. We will also spend a large amount of time at a local arboretum and Longwood Gardens along with the library and end the summer with a 2 week trip to the beach. Then my youngest goes to Kindergarten, sigh. Yeah for taking a day for yourself!!! Just curious, how do you make rainbow cupcakes? I have never made a rainbow cake but I would guess that it is made in Going to London and Paris with my daughter, it’s our dream trip and we are finally going in June. Yay us! siiiiigh….I love peonies…and Kansas. I want to move back. Our last day is today too. Tomorrow morning we are waking up and having breakfast at IHOP where we will have a meeting and discuss out summer to do list. Then, we are going to watch Iron Man 3. I was very excited until they just started yelling at each other over the play doh. I also want to know who sells swimsuits based on bust size. It has been a problem for me as well, especially this year. As of yesterday, all 4 of my kids are out too! YAY! I love summer! 🙂 I was in JCP a couple weeks ago yes they have changed so much better and your town is just a sight, love the cow sticking her tongue out so silly. I love all your potted plants in the pictures – they look gorgeous! No fun summer plans yet. I was going to make a list then decided I would wait to see if you posted one, then go off that! Ha! But seriously… post it. 🙂 My one plan this summer: RELAX and be PEACEFUL! {out side in the kiddie pool, of course} Clearly, we all want to know. This 34DDDD wants to know. Who sells swimsuits in bust sizes!?!?!? what Shelly said! You make me miss Kansas, too. I have five more weeks of packing school lunches and getting my caboose out the door on time! Where do they sell bathing suits by bust size? Are any of them cute enough for a 13 year old? preferably a tankini? I have a 13 who is a size 2/4 and has a 32DD bra! I am an AA so I am in totally uncharted territory. For right now she is okay with swim team suits. But I know that won’t last long. Would LOVE some help! Ahhh… your photos made me miss Kansas. (I grew up there, but I still get to visit all my family there, so YAY.) And that’s a whole lotta hip packed into one space at jcpenney. After seeing your post, my big summer plan is to go to the mall to steal that banner from Sears. Love that you live in the country – someday I will. JcPenny has become quite hip lately it seems I loved your blog post today….. I soooo want to come to one of your craft weekends some time Meg, and am so curious- is the house you use for that on your farm? Kansas is gorgeous!! Reminds me a little of our North Carolina…so green!!! I was just thinking yesterday about making a summer list! Good Morning! Thanks for posting the pics of the beautiful Kansas spring! We’re making our annual trip to McPherson, Lindsborg and Hutch for my husbands family reunion this weekend. We always love the landscape in Kansas! Any place we should not miss while there? so what store did you end up buying your swimsuit at? We have a litter of Goldendoodles and Saturday and Sunday are puppy pick days. Nine families will come and pick which puppy will go home with them in a few weeks! Love your chickens and of course we LOVE Waffle. He is the best. Goldendoodles are such wonderful family dogs! Love the cows! I grew up near cows and miss seeing them. I hope your summer can be full of relaxation and fun. What are Lauren’s plans for her future? Maybe you said and I missed it. or maybe she doesn’t want to share. Where did u find a swimsuit? I am having same problem? My friends five year old daughter recently had trouble finding a swimsuit herself…because she said, “Oh, they are all so beautiful!” When did we lose that sense of wonder and decide they all looked so ugly? I wish I could shop the way she does instead of just finding the passable outfit. we are moving in july {from Tulsa to Stillwater}
well… she graduated.
so we did not get photos of her afterward with friends or with her tassel,etc.
our party almost didn't happen because of the weather.
she requested rainbow cake. it was so fun to make it again. we kept the snacks and drink very simple.
lauren with my mom and lauren with craig's mom.
it was so fun to have my friends show up to love on me as well as lauren.
although… i prefer babies at parties that are not wearing K-State onesies.
family friends that we have had since i was 8 years old came to celebrate. i LOVE that they came.
craig was face timing with his sister during the party.
i took an after photo this morning since it was too crazy yesterday. great party. i think lauren felt loved.
and now i am going to go sit on that yellow bench.
Congratulations and many blessings to you and your family. Your daughter Lauren has such a God blessed sweet spirit. Kudos to you as parents. What a lovely party, lovely family and lovely grad. She’s beautiful. Beautiful post all-around. Our family recently drove 8 hours round trip (with two small kids) to attend a family graduation and we were so glad we did! She is such a beauty. I can just feel her gentleness from here. Had to pray for your sweet girl. And every party should definitely have a baby. Your graduation party was complete with love, darling-ness, ….and the baby. Thanks for sharing it all. What a special day beautifully done! Time flies (my sons are in their 30’s now). Have a great after the big event weekend! I got all teary seeing Lauren so grown up, so I can only imagine how you feel. Love your patio, I want those benches! Congrats to Lauren! What a huge moment in all your lives Congratulations to your daughter and to you all! Prayers for her transition into this new season of life. On another note-new pictures for the shop- yellow daisy picture, flowers with the green chair, and the fabulous yellow chick in the Barbie car! Love it! Happy and blessed week to you. Congratulations HS so many memories made in those short four years, love the patio all of it! Lauren, you are beautiful. You look so happy in your pictures! Congratulations on your graduation. Thanks for letting us get a glimpse of your life….we don’t see you enough on your mom’s blog. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for you! I never knew until I became a parent how emotional all of our children’s milestones are on us as the parents. Our eldest is just finishing her first year in pre-school next week (which I am sure seems like so long ago for you after watching your eldest just graduate from high-school) and I find myself filled with heartache at the passing of such a milestone in her life. There will be so many more of these end of the school year events in her life and with each I will shed a tear as I watch her grow and thrive and get one step closer to leaving our home to become her own person and start her own life. Congratulations Meg on raising a wonderful young woman. May she only continue to thrive and grow outside the shelter of your heart and home. I love the pic with your daughter surrounded with older women on the porch. We all need older women to look up too and help shape us. She did it!!!!! I remember my HS grad and party like it was YESTERDAY. Weird?? Congrats to your beautiful Lauren! Congratulations to Lauren and your whole family! Next year we will be celebrating my oldest’s high school graduation. I can’t believe it! Where has the time gone?? congrats to lauren. what a wonderful circle of family and friends that came to show their love for such a pretty girl. (congrats to mom and dad too for getting through a graduation day/party.) Such a big deal having a child graduate high school! Congratulations to both of you! Congrats to Lauren (btw, she is so beautiful!). It looked special and sweet, Meg. Congratulations to Lauren! Love to read about FAMILY gatherings. Memories It all looks wonderful. Congrats to you and your family. Good things are coming next! Freshman college son just home now and we are enjoying a “new and improved” version of him. After a year of independence, he seems engaged and appreciates of home and our family. Yay! Gotta plant more large buckets of flowers and get some festive bunting…fantastic inspiration pics. Awesome patio. This makes me happy. I’m so glad you have such fantastic family and friends around you. What a blessing. (And your place looks SUPER cute!) (AND, Martha has nothing on you.) I just love everything about you. (As much as I can know from reading your blog for the last four+ years) Except the fact that you don’t love K-State. Oh well. No one is perfect. 🙂 Congratulations! That’s a big milestone. Congratulations to Lauren and your family on her graduation. Your rainbow cake which I saw on the Poppytalk blog a couple of years ago is what inspired me to start following your blog. It certainly is a great symbol for your happy, optimistic but always realistic blog which I continue to enjoy every morning once my 4 children are off to school. Beautiful! congratulations lauren!!! I have been following your blog since july of 2008 & it doesn’t seem possible that your lauren is graduating! What a wonderful party!! Congratulations to Lauren may the Lord be with her and Bless her!! Congrats to your daughter! Looks like a fabulous party. Love the cake. You, my darling, can make anywhere feel like a home. What a lovely way to go through life. Your daughter is breathtaking. Congratulations family. And friends. And family friends. I firmly believe it takes a village….congratulations village…what a lovely woman you have all raised. Happy summer to you and your dear family. Good luck young lady on what lies ahead. congratulations to Lauren on her big day! I must say, that yard looked like the perfect place for a party. I’m a little jealous, wished that was my happy patio!! You guys did an amazing job! congrats to your little girl!!! and your pictures are so happy! glad the weather held up for you. 🙂 Beautiful. Love the photos, lauren looks so grown up! Congrats to Lauren!!! My oldest is graduating in a few weeks too! Is she going to a local college or far away? ok, now I am weepy too! I have a yellow glider like yours-it was my great-grandmothers and came here all the way from Mississippi. I love it and I love your little patio area. Congrats to you all. Lauren is a beautiful girl! PS: love the cake! Congratulations to your pretty daughter, Lauren. She will treasure this moment forever. Congratulations to you and your husband. These moments are bittersweet. However, she will still need you both and she will seek your counsel in the days and years to come. Then, one day, you will discover that not only do you love her but you like her! Those are precious moments also. From a mom who has already traveled that road, it seems that you did a GOOD JOB! Congratulations to you and Craig. Congratulations to the Whole Family!!! My son graduated last year and I will have another one next year. It goes by way too fast!! It’s tough. Tough on everyone. Glad you had a nice party and loving memories of the day. Congrats to Lauren & You & Craig!! You are so right…it is a big deal for the parents too! So fun, a day she will remember forever! Awww, everything was beautiful…Lauren, you , family, flowers, just everything!! 🙂 I love having family get togethers like this at my home over a restaurant or other place any day!! 🙂 Congrats Lauren!!! Best Wishes for her in this brand new fase of her life. This is awesome. Congrats for you too Meg!! Beautiful party, flowers, cake and FAMILY. we have had a FULL week with more excitement still to come. life skills being taught….
waffle was naughty and completely dorky as usual.
read this in The Message
"His love was not cautious but extravagant"
the kids tried to dress up the chickens with american girl doll clothes.
one of these days those chicks will be gone & we will know that they learned how to hot wire Barbie's car…
i like having lunch with my kids.
campfires are pretty much the best thing ever.
then i went straight back in my room while they cleaned it up. best mother's day i have had in many years.
gardening this year in pots only….this is a huge relief to me.
lauren is done with high school. her graduation is sunday afternoon.
this is what happens on a daily basis here.
i sported pigtails today. it was short & sweet but felt so good to remember that i did still know how to run. :)
as i drank my second cup of coffee i looked down and realized i was a rainbow of colors.
so… we have a very busy weekend filled with parties to attend & to give, basketball, shopping, cleaning, rainbow cake making, graduation cermony and grandparents coming. what do you have going on in your life?
Love the kitchen sink pic…I keep up with the dishes but not so much the clutter and piles…sigh meg, you have to read this blog post I discovered your blog a few weeks ago, and I have to tell you I’m addicted. I love how you show your real life, (with real messes in kitchens), the Scriptures, life with kids, the crafts (oh how I’d LOVE to be able to come to a craft weekend!!), the photos, etc. I have 3 kids and my oldest will graduate next year. It’s already hard on me, so I look forward to hearing how you make it through the change in seasons. So thank you for sharing your life with us! 🙂 Have a happy day! Love your post today I laughed at those crazy chicks~~ and congrats on everything!!!! Oh my goodness, how is she old enough to graduate! They are growing up (too quickly) before our very eyes! Congratulations Lauren! Excited to see what the next step for her is! Love that you showed your dishes. my three kids are under five and this is how my kitchen looks after 24 hours of no doing dishes. Refreshing to see real life with kids. I used to panic when there would be a knock on the door when the kitchen looked like this, I am learning more and more that this is real life and it is good to share real life with people. Thanks for being real it helps me continue to be authentic too. Congratulations on the graduate! I know you guys must be proud. Oh, those chicken pictures make my heart happy – and the verse from the message makes it happier yet! Congratulations to your daughter!! Thanks for the honest picture of your kitchen….nice to know I’m not alone! congrats to lauren! that is great… My three year old boy (who happened to be naked at the time) saw the chickens in the car and said “MOMMY! Get my clothes on! I want to go to that family’s house!” 🙂 Such a great post… I love the part about keeping expectations low on mother’s day so you can enjoy it. Congrats to your oldest graduating from high school.. how wonderful that she let you announce it on the blog… 12 years of school done.. not a small achievement for her or for you. Hi Meg, could you please tell me what translation of the Bible you have? Thanks for the beautiful post! Barb I love that you and your family love those chickens so much! I’m so glad you had a nice Mother’s Day too. Congratulations to Lauren! What a beautiful young woman (must take after her mama!). Animal teeth always crack me up! My Dad has shingles 🙁 My daughter who has been vaccinated against chicken pox got them this week. Blisters, itchiness and one upset girl who couldn’t go to school. My son goes into hospital next Monday for surgery. We asked him what he wanted for a treat dinner the night before his operation. He said SMORES. We had them at Yosemite NP last year. So I went out and got ingredients as close to SMORES as you could find in Australia. And we are all ready for SMORES tonight and tomorrow. Here’s hoping we get through next week with God’s help and grace. My son just turned 17, i am mentally wigging out about graduation next year. Dogs are smart! Waffle had got your #. Please photograph the Chicken Run, hilarious. Its so hard not to vent with your girls, but God is right there is a dofference between venting and back-biting, sigggh. How did none of your kids get your eyes? They are striking! Enjoy your weekend, im off to have another malibu-bu. TGIF. Love all your pictures…and that Waffle….he is a hoot! 🙂 What a lovely post! The chicken pictures and Waffle’s close-up made me laugh :). Congrats to Lauren! I imagine it’s a bittersweet time for you…..I hope all your graduation festivities are lovely (I’d be bawling like a baby…..I’m tearing up at the thought even and I still have two tiny babies! Oh dear) That looks like our dog. Exactly! Love the potted plants and love having an older set and younger set of kids as well : ) WOW, Congratulations Lauren! Seriously where does the time go?! My oldest(9) is at a two day sleepover and Im getting ready to take my baby girl(ahem…7) to gymnastics. I remember the days of crying in the church nursery thinking “I’m NEVER gonna sit in another adult service ever again…I’ll be here FOREVER!!!” I blinked and those days are gone. But yet theres so much great stuff to look forward to also. I try to eat with my boys at least once a month at school. Of course, little sister is usually with me. But they love that. One likes to go off campus, one likes to have it brought to him and eat in the cafeteria. Hilarious. But it’s always fun. Of course, despite saying I’d shoot for once a month, I think this second semester I did it twice. And that includes this week. {ouch} By the way, love that pic of Lauren. She’s beautiful!!! congratulations to Lauren, well done. Here in the UK it is still quite cold and I.ve just put the heating on to warm it up a bit. Also still having a lot of rain. We were hoping to go sailing tomorrow, but the winds will be too strong, so I probably will do a bit of gardening. I hope your weather is a lot better. Have a lovely time Sunday, you must be so proud of your daughter. i’m totally tripping that lauren is graduating. Awww, your daughter is so beautiful!! Congrats to her and so happy we got to see her. 😉 I’m sure you are proud! I just read depressing news in the local newspaper about the economy and I came here and now I am smiling and Happy!! That is why I LOVE your blog…I leave happy!! 🙂 My happy moment this week was when the canvas of your wet watercolors photo arrived here! HAPPY DAY! I smile every time I walk by it. Thank you! I adore your messy kitchen picture. Wish more people would share those 😉 My eye caught “basketball.” Basketball? In May? Really? It’s all baseball and soccer around here now. And recitals – oh the recitals! Last week piano, this week ballet. After that it’s all planning for vacay. It’s T-11 days! So READY!!! Oh, how I cried when my first child graduated. Happy and sad all at the same time. I love the honesty of your kitchen picture. I have been reading your blog forever but I am not much of a commenter. My youngest is graduating from HS and I have a grad party pin board – http://pinterest.com/nancyhts/graduation/ Hey..hey what are you doing taking pictures of MY kitchen.. he he.. our kitchen always looks like that.. I have to stop ask myself, “why when I fill the dishwasher are there still dishes left that won’t fit” High school graduation, how exciting!!! Congrats to Lauren! Congrates to you and your daughter. my oldest son just graduated from College. Take tissue with you to the ceramony!!! |
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Laurie T - What camera are you using? Do you have a favorite “go to” lens?
Stacy - The kitten in the grass stalking the chickens is the best!
midwestmom - I also love the kitten stalking the chickens! I’m wondering how you put the words and arrows and flowers and such on the photos? Also was wondering about roasting veggies like someone else. Love your photos. Wish I could capture our summer fun the way you do !!!
Kerstie Pederson - Ok… Wicket stalking the chickens…. BEST-PHOTO-EVER-!!!!!!
Tracy - I love summer!
And I love your photos so much, too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Katie - Dumb question here: I was wondering what kind of vehicle you have for 5 kids? We just had our 5th and our oldest is almost 9…we still fit in a minivan but not for long:)
Kristine - Ok fantastic photos as always….but Wicket and the chickens? Hilarious….I would love to see the next few pictures of that!
Jen - I love all your pictures, but especially the ones of you and Annie, Talby and Craig, and you and Craig. Looks like a great summer!
beth larson - you are THE BEST photographer! I love all these, but I too am in love with the kitty and chicks pic!!
Lynette - Love the picture of the kitty stalking the chickens!! Would you put that in your store so I could buy a copy of it?
Jen - The picture of the kitten and the chickens KILLS ME!! So funny!
Rach - I am hoping that some of these activities can help mark off some of your summer list. 🙂 I’m exhausted just looking at them. I feel like we were just looking at your icy snowy pictures just yesterday. Time is flying by.
Michelle - Hello! In one of the pictures above there is a print with the saying the glass is half full. I have done several etsy searches looking for a print I like with this saying with no luck. Would you mind mentioning who the print is from or anyone else reading this who knows??
Fran - Very unique and interesting ,plus great photos. Love The deck products and furniture.
Marthajd@msn.com - Omgoodness! The pic of the kitty stalking the chicks is a hoot!, it just quacks me up! You should tweet it. Hahaha ! Cracked myself up with that one! 🙂
Christie - Such fun pictures!!!!!!! I love them all!
Tiffany - I love your sweet little family, and seeing all the sweetness through Instagram makes me smile. Continue to enjoy summer!
Ann - Love the picture of your kitten stalking the chicks!!
Linda - Fun and everything looks so sunshiny and amazing!! Happy Summer!
Kerri - I love your photos! So cheerful and bright! And I love your entry way! Happy Summer!
Gina - I know that you’re life is far from perfect but when look at your pictures and read your little snippets of life it just makes me happy!! It make me want to go back in time when my two were young…kinda. 😉 Thank you for sharing your life and family with your readers. 🙂
Lisa - Fun just fun those pictures are wonderful, all of them. The one of the kitten stalking the chickens and Waffle’s tongue and nose just make for the best pictures.
Thanks for sharing!!
debbie lynn - Awwwww…all of that just makes me smile….
the song is also the perfect summer song.
How do you make your roasted veggies? They look so delicious!
Have a fabulous day!