the annual Summer panic

It always seems to be right about this point in summer where I begin to panic that my time with the girls is passing far too quickly. We have just finished two weeks of swimming lessons, we've gone camping, Bella has been to Bible camp for a couple of days and Emy is going to go for a week. We've done projects around the house, we've had some incredibly good visits with really special people and spent some quieter days just hangin' out at home together. But still I get frantic that we haven't done nearly enough and it is all just going to whip by and be over before I can even blink. 

Soooo since I have this mad love for checklists I have a plan! The girls and I are making a big list of summer to-dos ( aka: WANT to-dos) we'll leave room for a photo of each one and as we get it checked off we can add in our photographic proof and end up with a nice memory of summer while keeping our eyes on the things we treasure most for our time together! 

Game on. I'm on it, sleeves are rolled up and my pencil is doing warm ups as we speak. Aaaand I hope, of course, that you will play along and share your moments too!

Today the girls looked at the options I gave them for homespun fun and chose making homemade silly putty. We used pretty teal coloring and lots of fine glitter, it drips, and snaps, and bounces wonderfully!
Def. fun, I used to do this with my daycare kids; check out the recipie here.

 
Tiara and I Picked up some more thrift store/garage sale finds today to finish our room makeover for Bella's birthday. We'll have to pick up the pace and spend tomorrow with our lovely cans of spray paint fully active, sewing machine buzzing, and tissue paper folding and fluffing into a frenzy if we are hoping to be done when she wakes up Saturday morning!!!

Here's to cherishing every ray of sunshine, all of the kooky giggles and everyday that summer gives us.

The bunch In my mirror

Living out of town means when we want to go pretty much anywhere we are bound to be taking a long long ride in the car. But I truly have to say that our time in the car has become something I totally cherish; Great conversations, good laughs and secrets shared. It is time that I know I will look back on fondly. Sooo here is my view of the backseat on a typical drive...

We have the little two, happy little posers smiling and often making eyes at me, usually chattering about some adventure their little ponies went on earlier in the day or giggling like mad while one of them hams it up just to get the laughs (usually Tiara)  

Then we have Emy the dreamer...She shares in the goofys of her little sisters for a bit but then  If she is not sharing her deepest heart with us she is gazing out the window often grinning her soft little smile as her mind goes to fairytale places, suddenly popping up after awhile and sharing with us what she is dreaming up for her next story.

 Eventually all 3 find their own worlds and thoughts to get lost in, although a good amount of time is still leaning on each other and giggling (or sometimes fighting), and telling me and Cam their latest plans and best stories, at some point everyone does find a daydream to get carried away to.

 and then Tiara is the one to report any problems that are found there in back seat world, her little sister just going with the flow and giggling away..Tiara is our police officer keeping everyone in check...there is one in every kiddo bunch right?

 

And of course like any good long drive it usually ends like this; SLEEP

it's a blurry imperfect picture but it captures the little sweeties that we carry in, surprised that they still fall asleep and carefully trying to get them tucked into beds without waking them up

It can get crazy and loud, it can be a wild bunch of tattling and upset hearts, it can get long...but I cherish these drives. I do. It is mine, all of it, chaos and bliss magically mixed into happy pudding. They are each so amazing, my bunch, and these long drives give us all the undivided time together that we could need to know that without a doubt!