Grace in small things, July 13, 2016

1. A day at home with my sweet kids...and this evening a long stretch just playing with them upstairs...evenings seem to be a good time for that...they had me pretend I was a sheep and put me in "jail," I just relaxed in Zoey's room and said "Baaa!" occasionally, watching them while they ran around like madmen...the energy those kids have is unbelievable...
2. Junction house sale is coming together...
3. Jeff sent me for takeout tonight, Fiesta Jalisco, our local Mexican place...shrimp so spicy I could barely eat it...I hadn't had it in forever and I'd been craving it...delicious...
4. Kids are super psyched about their first swim lesson that happened yesterday at Old Town Hot Springs...very enthusiastic about going back tomorrow...
5. Early, early, early to bed tonight for me...I'm determined to get caught up on sleep...

XOXO

In the garden with Grammy and Papa...

We had such a delightful few days with my parents over a long weekend...this morning was our last day and we spent some time in "the back 80" which includes my Dad's apricot trees that are going wild right now and my mom's garden which she has struggled with this season for a variety of reasons but it is still lovely lovely lovely. And I know there's a perfectly logical technical reason for all the orange and white circle flares in my pictures today but I don't care...it makes me happy to think it was the ones I love who are no longer here spending time with us on this beautiful summer morning...

A few other lovely things that happened today:

1. Kids going to the fair to see animals with Grammy and Papa...they had such a good time...while Jeff and I went to the house...and they are filling in the hole in the basement today which is such a good sign...
2. Kids easy back on the trip home...
3. ...and when I gave them some iPad time tonight they went upstairs and when I went to check on them I found them playing games side-by-side in Zo's bed all cuddled up together...too cute...
4. Loved visiting my parents, but love that it feels so good to come home to our house as well...
5. Looking forward to getting some R&R this week with my husband home on Staycation... :)

Happy Monday!

XOXO

Grace in small things, July 10, 2016

1. Zoey's love of Papa's apricots...and there are tons right now...
2. Visiting with my mom and dad...always so wonderful...
3. Kids in swimsuits all day, so they could run through the sprinklers anytime they want...
4. My husband and I getting work done on the old house...
5. Researching a requested birthday wish list to send to my husband...I'm little-girl excited about birthday gifs this year...

XO

Sparklers + cousins, Dinosaur Hill

Grace in small things, July 8, 2016

1. Long, leisurely day at home with the kids...
2. My huge work TO DO list is put to bed for now...everything that needed to get done got done...and next week is looking pretty sane, knock on wood... 
3. Things with the house we are selling are moving right along...
4. Little outing with the kids this evening to the playground and Yampa River Botanic Gardens...beautiful there...so fun...we don't usually get out in the evening, it was fun to mix it up...
5. All packed for a long weekend in Junction with my family...

Happy weekend!

XOXO

Grace in small things, July 7, 2016

1. The drive-thru car wash with Luke and Zo...it's always such an adventure with the rainstorm and the blue monster and the red monster and the porcupine and the baby porcupines and the rainbow soap and the wind machine...love how everything in the world around them is such a delight...
2. My husband and I both having really tough days but being able to laugh about it together and still have a nice evening vs taking it out on each other...
3. The most heavenly gelato at Ciao Gelato...I only had a few bites from Luke's and my husband's bowls, but so glad I had those bites...
4. We have metal light-up stars out on our porch and I've been wanting to stagger the heights, and tonight my husband got out the ladder and did it for me...
5. Luke making me a Lego flower when he saw that I was stressed out...
6. A girlfriend to listen to me complain about house-selling trials and tribulations...
7. The kids giggling hysterically tonight when I read them Please Say Please before bed...
8. My husband taking care of the kids when they wouldn't go down tonight so I could finish work deadlines late this evening...

I feel like I'm doing a lot of snuck-in complaining here tonight and that is never my intention in this space...but it has been a day...but a lot to look forward to tomorrow with things with the house we're selling (fingers crossed) finally getting taken care of and the weekend starts and we're going to see my family—yay!!—and really, all is well, the things that are stressing me out are so minor in the whole scheme of things...we are so lucky that these are our problems and not something truly serious...

Love and light...

XOXO

Grace in small things, July 6, 2016

1. I volunteered for our local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) steering committee and we had our first meeting today...I've never done anything like this and am really excited...
2. Followed by the hot springs with some friends...
3. And another friend has been house hunting and found a place in Steamboat that sounds divine...little 2 bedroom cabin in the woods...ahhh...so glad she will be staying in town...
4. Cute little bento boxes packed for lunch out and about...you can go so crazy with bento boxes but I am just happy to get a nutritious lunch out the door for my kids, today PB + J + carrot sticks + corn chips + cherries + water...
5. We are experimenting with no naps and it seems to be going pretty well...no meltdowns and that's what counts...hoping to get the kids onto a more regular sleep schedule vs Luke in bed at 11 PM and Zo up at 5:30 AM
6. A walk with my husband on a road I'd never been on and at the end of the road my dream house, log cabin, lodge-like, Colorado perfection...totally unaffordable I'm sure, but a girl can dream...
7. Reading to each kid individually in bed tonight (books about hugs and manners and nursery rhymes), and snuggling with each one...they are so incredibly sweet and precious...love our bedtimes together...
8. Headed out to the porch to spend some time with my husband...clear night, should be perfect for stars...

XOXO

Grace in small things, July 4th weekend

So great to have my parents up for the 4th of July! Here are some lovely things that happened to us...

1. Great dinners all cooked on the grill by my wonderful husband...
2. Yummy apricots that my dad brought up...
3. Seeing my mom and dad play with my kids...love seeing their interactions...
4. Little fireworks from the fireworks stand...kids loved the snakes and the poppers especially...
5. The ranch rodeo, with the kids loving playing on the playground and Luke especially enthusiastic about the rodeo because he could yell and cheer as loud as he wanted...
6. The parade the morning of the 4th (the dragon pictured above was my favorite there...apparently this dragon is quite the Steamboat tradition...) there were also horses and a camel and the kids loved the Steamboat ski area float with their polar bear friend...
7. A nap with the kids on the 4th...I never nap...it was amazing...
8. A great walk downtown and back with my dad...
9. Fireworks at Howelsen Hill...spectacular... 

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, love making it special...

XOXO

At the ranch rodeo...

We went to the rodeo over the July 4th weekend, and it was a ranch rodeo, which I'd never been to before...more real tasks that cowboys actually do on the ranch...it was super fun...

Learn more about the Steamboat Pro Rodeo (it's terrific, highly recommended) here.

XO

Grace in small things, July 2, 2016

1. Discovering a new place with the kids: the sand volleyball court at Howelsen Hill which we have unimaginatively dubbed "The Sandbox"...soft, clean sand and tons of it, the only thing is I wanted the kids to put it back to how it was after building their mountains and volcanos, which they happily did pretty much with just a few big jumps
2. My mother-in-law has been making granola from my mom's recipe...makes our house smell sweet and warm like my childhood...
3. "Rio" with the kids last night while my husband worked (he has to work a weekend evening once a month or so)...we were all tired from the night before's slumber party...we watched on the couch, both kids cuddled up close...lovely...
4. Seeing a huge mama moose and two babies driving by the trail that goes right past our house on our way to date night...won't be hiking there for a while...
5. Walking with my husband in a light rain after dinner

XOXO