springs beautiful bounty

with great anticipation we made our way down to the farmers market this morning to pick up our first CSA allotment (community sustained agriculture). it was all i could do to refrain from ripping th box open as elizabeth handed it to me. inside we found we had; kale, collards, spinach, tat soi, lettuce mix, kohlrabi, radishes, oregano, and a gorgeous pint of strawberries. i plan to try either the kale or collards with dinner tomorrow. i understand they are delicious sautéed with onions and garlic, steamed, or added to soups. not sure as i've only ever had kale in a burrito. the 3 bags of greens came washed, spun dry, and ready to eat. kohlrabi has been a favorite or mine since i was a child. my grandfather grew them in his garden and i can remember sitting out in his back yard eating them just as fast as he could slice them.

the farm that we decided to work with this year is actually not far from our house at all. you can check them out online if you are interested: www.flyingcloudfarm.com

after eating 2 pints of delicious berries in the parking lot we visited an in-town park before doing making one last stop at the grocery. shopping with three children was an all new experience. all was going well until trey smashed his little fingers leaving the restroom. seems excitement finds us everywhere we go.

TGIF...

what a week! fortunately come friday we are healthy, happy and home for the remainder of the weekend... most of us that is. we spent this afternoon playing rescue hero's and cutting loops around the front yard. is doesn't take much on a friday to satisfy this family.

our little darlings graduate ~

thursday we were invited to join trey and the rest of the little darlings for a their end of year program. cookies and ice cream followed along with the presentation of their personalized year books. thanks for a great year mr. joe and mrs. francoise!

MY how they have grown!

this picture was taken last year at this time -- with some of our beloved mooresville buddies. it amazes me how much has happened since then. how much the kids have grown. how many more moments have been enjoyed.

trey is no longer a babbling little boy. he is no longer bound to diapers. he is no longer unsteady on his feet. rather he is a curious and inquisitive little explorer. he is a loving and generous little friend. he has a huge heart that he wears on his sleeve. he has an infectious laugh that can fill a room in seconds. MY how he has grown!

kate is no longer the quiet and shy little girl standing off in the corner. she is no longer chewing on her collar when uncertain of her environment. she is no longer hesitant to make new friends. she is now longer crawling into bed with pete and i 4 nights out of 5. rather kate is soon to be a rising first grader. she is a nurturer, a natural giver of care. she is excited about learning and always looking for new material, she is an artist, a budding gardener, an outdoors enthusiast. she is now sleeping with her little brother and is now providing him with the same sense of security she was in search of just a year ago. MY how she has grown!

i am excited to see what this next year holds for us yet a bit sad all at the same time. as i watch the two of them grow i find myself wishing i could just slow that inevitable process down a bit. knowing that is not possible i will continue to give thanks for the beautiful blessing that they are and try to make the most out of the moments that we share.

lake lure dragon boat races '08

did you say inflatables?

good cheap fun. $3 for the whole day and they eve let me in without a wrist band

good thing kate was there to help pull me out. i may not have made it.

kate and alex enjoying some very friendly competition on the obstacle course

pull kate - pull

kate & alex working on their hula-hoop skills

and what is a festival here in the mountains without a little clogging. i have to tell you it is hard to stay seated when all those feet start stomping. you see heather and miles joining in below.

never mind i don't have a single picture of the boats to post. maybe next year which we've already put on the calendar. not to mention that heather and i have are already begun recruiting as we feel the dads totally need to enter the race next year. all proceeds benefit local charities so why not?

who's in?

a must see ~

ok ladies, if you have a little one to buy for you must check out these designs. i am incredibly sad that kater is too big. if only i had stumbled upon her sooner...

and beth, now that we are sewing i am thinking we may be able to get some great ideas from this super-sewer.

http://www.coralcamellia.com

happy mother's day!

a big shout out to the mother's i know and love on our special day.

and here is to those that have supported me, encouraged me, inspired me, cried with me, comforted me, laughed with me and loved with me along the way:

trac, nicole, melanie, melissa, danielle, beth, holly, sandy, heather, joanne, emmy, ann, maria, nancy, paula, alyssa, barb, carolyn, ML, louise, kelly g, cindy, julie h, kelly l, rhonda, brynn, laura, lisa, kimberly, mika, and last but certainly not least, my mom

all you momma's rock!

to my mom on mother's day~

Before I was myself you made me, me
With love and patience, discipline and tears,
then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Allowing me to sail upon my sea,
though well within the headlands of your fears.
Before I was myself you made me, me

With dreams enough of what I was to be
and hopes that would be sculpted by the years,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Relinquishing your powers gradually
to let me shape myself among my peers.
Before I was myself you made me, me,

And being good and wise, you gracefully
as dancers when the last sweet cadence nears
Bit by bit stepped back to set me free.

For love inspires learning naturally:
the mind assents to what the heart reveres.
And so it was through love you made me, me

By slowly stepping back to set me free.

bountiful blessings ~

There will only be one of you for all times.

Fearlessly be yourself.

middle age women gone WILD!

against my better judgement i am posting these cellphone pics.

danielle, one of my lifelong friends who currently resides in chicago was in nashville last weekend for a family engagement. we took full advantage of her being in the "neighborhood" and i drove over to meet her. with an over priced room at an under par motel we had no real plans. we just wanted some "girl time" some time to catch up and possibly relax.

poolside by 2 we topped off our second cocktail by 3 and decided it was time to clean up and head down town to take in the local scene. BBQ and country music was all the rage. so when in rome... we indulged.

and just when a girls night couldn't get much better we hooked up with my dear friend sandy formerly of mooresville. she and her family relocated to just outside nashville about a year ago and she and a few of her gal pals came down and met up with danielle and i. sandy is like a breath of fresh air. she is always up, always willing to help and always ready to have fun.

the evening included a lot of laughs, singing, dancing, tossing of drinks, dancing on the ON the bar and ended with each of us taking a spin on a mechanical bull. we turned in around 330 and i was on my way home by 8. can you believe that? that is what being a mother will do to you.

i give thanks every day for the amazing friends that i have. they continue to support and surprise me. they continue to know me and love me. i am incredibly blessed!

uncle john & aunt allyson

we just don't see enough of these two. pete's younger siblings. both living the high life out in California. looking forward to spending the 4th of July with you all at the cottage.

who doesn't love a cupcake?

low carbs -- SCHMARBS!!!

life is way too short!

this is our mid-week sugar FIX. as you can see trey helped himself to plenty of frosting along the way. he said the one he licked was special for gilly.

don't worry daddy, we'll save you one.

magnolia grandiflora

my sweet husband surprised me with a trip to b.b. barns (my all time favorite store) to pick out my mother's day gift before the rush hit. so here she is. my lucious new magnolia. planted just outside our office window. sure to delight and please for 50+ years.

a GAZILLION bubbles

and THEN SOME...

it chew through the batteries but i can't tell you how much fun we've had so far with this little number. i ran into target for detergent and this thing jumped right into my cart. not quite as cute as the character bubble machine of last season but from a performance standpoint this little number rocks.

happy may day from the mountains

i have fond memories of celebrating may day back in iowa as a child. we'd take a piece of paper and roll it into a cone, fasten a little handle to top and have a handy dandy basket for filling with goodies for the neighbors. goodies consisted of any number of things we could find int he yard. i recall picking a lot of violets. not the violets that i know plant as an adult but rather the more cantankerous variety that pops up all throughout the lawn. the variety otherwise known as a weed.

this year i decided it was time to share this sweet little memory with the kids. we spun it a bit and decided to paint some small pots for the kids teachers and fill them with some lovely little blooms. so simple. so sweet. so fun!

sweet cheeks

OH how i love those sweet little cheeks!