Happy Independence Day!

We had a lovely three day weekend, with sun and warm weather to really make it feel as a Fourth of July weekend should... hot and sticky! We celebrated with friends on Friday evening, and on Saturday Quincy and I went with Darby and Ellette, over to Darby's mom's place for some fun and BBQ. The kids had fun (although Quincy was seriously lacking sleep, which is dangerous) playing together, throwing rocks in the lake, and watching the fireworks go off all around us. We got home and laid out on the lawn watching the neighborhood fireworks light up the sky. Quincy became frightened by the noise, so all the little fireworks I bought went unused and he ended up sleeping in our bed all night.

Today we celebrated the last day of the long weekend, and warm weather with a quick trip to local Ollalie state park. It was pretty, and the river looked tempting on a hot day like today.

10 years ago...

It recently dawned on me that it was 10 years ago this month that I returned from my year abroad. I look back and feel so lucky to have spent that time in Spain. It helped mold me into who I am today, and still today I think of my time there fondly.

10 years ago...

• I had some of the best friends! The "Spain Girls" still keep in touch, and we try to have reunion's as often as we can. 10 years later it is harder and harder to do. We have married, had children, spread out, but these girls are still a huge and important part of me. I laugh often remembering some of the wild shenanigans we got ourselves into!







• I returned a lot thinner! Everyday in Madrid I walked miles... to school, to the grocery store, to the park... wherever...if it was sunny, we walked there. On top of that, I was also running nearly everyday. Nowadays, it is hard for me to find the time (and energy) to do either.


• I was happy to return to good Mexican food again! Many people assumed (for some reason?) that because Mexico and Spain spoke the same language, they ate the same foods. NOT SO! In fact, it was hard to find Mexican food much at all!
  
• I spoke spanish. I dreamed in spanish. I could easily hold a lengthy conversation explaining any thought I had.... and get my point across. Now, I try... but I struggle. It is a dissapointment to see how far I have declined.


• I came home to doing nothing but enjoy the summer. My mom encouraged me to enjoy the summer before getting back to school and starting a new job. I am grateful for her advice still 10 years later. Now I know... it was my last summer to be free and young, without (much) of a care in the world.


• I had a packed passport to be proud of, and a wealth of experiences to last a lifetime. Seeing so much of the world made me more appreciative of history, different cultures and the amazing things God can do.






• Despite counting down the days until I returned, I missed Spain tremendously upon leaving, and was anxious to get back and visit again. Some things never change!
• 

Birthday Boy!

It is Dan's birthday! He was pretty upset about the whole Michael Jackson thing... but we went out to dinner, and opened some gifts and he ended the night playing his new Wii. All in all, I think it was OK. I hope it was at least!Love you darling!

Father's Day

I won't dwell too much on the how the day itself went, as I think both Dan and I spent most of our waking hours wondering why exactly we became parents in the first place... that's just how it goes when you have a 2 year old, I suppose. In between temper tantrums I was able to contemplate fatherhood a little bit. I have been lucky in life, not only to have a wonderful father myself... but to have also had the fortune to have a great partner in this crazy "parenthood" roller coaster ride.

Baby Chris

Yes folks, I went there... an old PROM photo (eek)

I have learned a lot from my own dad... I wear my heart on my sleeve as he does, I trust people and expect them to be honest (sometimes to a fault), through him I have learned to love all types of music, I appreciate laughing and quick wit, and I never, ever litter (but I do chew gum sometimes, sorry dad). My father is amazing and I love him dearly. Seeing my dad happy and healthy makes me happy too!

I have also learned a lot from my darling husband, watching him be an incredible father to our son. Mostly, patience. He has an amazing knack for it, that I don't know if I will ever truly capture. I certainly would not be able to do it without him, nor would I want to... he keeps me laughing when I feel like I could easily be weeping. Oh, and ladies.... he does laundry too (swoon).

A New Blog

OK... trying something new. A blog mostly devoted to the things that inspire me to create and decorate. As long as I have projects to keep me busy, this blog should stay busy too...

http://allmylittleinspirations.blogspot.com/