Crafty Fun...

I just bought a new digiscrap kit from Adorible Digital Designs.  I've been playing around with the papers and embellishments all afternoon and had to share some of my fun creations!  If you'd like to have any of the buttons, simply click on the image and save to your computer...

{Each of the buttons above are 250 X 250 pixels}

I also made a couple of desktop designs to share...

The desktops and buttons are all made using Adorible Digital Designs "Be Inspired" kit.  If you haven't visited her shop, take a peek at all the great goodies Louise has available!

Crazy Week...

I am spending this week in a hotel, in a new city, working for my home state.  I had visions of catching up on blog work, writing and scheduling several posts, continuing triathlon training and sharing a cute embroidery project I whipped up in my spare time....

REALITY CHECK!

#1 - I am actually working really hard on the project, and we're putting in 11-ish hour days.  I've been too tired when I finally get back to the hotel to log into my computer and create meaningful posts for all of you to read

#2 - The insightful post about Aiden's retainer, the interesting post about my triathlon training and the crafty post about the embroidery project will have to wait until next week...

#3 - Actually the embroidery post may be a bit longer as none of the pieces have even come out of the box and not a single needle has been threaded {see #1}

#4 - I have managed to continue triathlon training albeit with no swims this week.  Running on a hotel treadmill isn't quite the same as the workouts I've been doing outside at home but I think they count for something!  Check out that picture in the left sidebar...go ahead...see the one with me in the transition zone?  That's actually a link that will take you to my training calendar so that you can keep up with my triathlon aspirations.  Don't click it yet...it's horribly outdated and I didn't manage to update it this week {see #1}

#5 - So much for spare time... I've been a little worker bee all week.  But...it's important work and I am truly happy to have had the opportunity to participate.  Tomorrow, I 'll head home and...

...catch up on blog work, write and schedule several posts, continue triathlon training and share a cute embroidery project I whipped up in my spare time....

My Flower Garden

I'm typically a pretty organized, science-y person so my approach to gardening surprises me...and people who know me.  My garden is all about trial and error...discovering what works and what doesn't.  I could read books and research gardening, create a plan,  but instead I just plant things and watch what happens.  My goal is to have full flower beds that bloom from spring into fall...with as many daisies, or daisy-like flowers as possible!

We've had a late spring this year, so the garden is slower than usual but I'm excited to share some of my early bloomers...

This is my Mother's Day daisy.  Usually it blooms for Mother's Day and is my first blooming daisy each year. This year it's first again. but a couple of weeks late.

I have two red Bleeding Hearts and one white one.  This flower is amazing...it grows so fast in the spring and blooms early.  I love the delicate looking flowers.

My Lilac is a pretty special plant, this one is about 7 feet tall now and started as a start from the lilac tree at my mom's house.  She started her lilac from a start from my Great-Grandmother's house...so my lilac is just like having a bit of my great-grandma at my house.  I also love the fragrance of lilac...for a couple of weeks each year my backyard smells amazing!

This part of my yard doesn't get much sun during the day, so it's been interesting to play with plants who like water but not as much sunlight.  It's also the perfect place to display some crystals of columnar basalt.  This type of basalt is my all-time favorite rock!  {Don't you have a favorite rock?}

These cute little puffballs are an English daisy.  This plant is new to my front garden this year and I can't wait to see how it does.

I have strawberries and tomatoes...they both flower too...but that's all the food I grow.  The rest of my garden is all flowers!  What's in your garden?

The Things they Say...

My boys and I love to listen to music in the car.  They enjoy rocking out as much as I do...though they are more musically inclined than I am.  The other day a Taylor Swift song came on the radio.  Aiden shushed everyone, so that he could hear the song...

When the song was over he said, "Mommy...lots of people like Justin Bieber.  I don't get it, have they ever seen her?"  My little guy has his first crush!  But don't tell him I told you!

I have to brag...

This is my middle school son and he is amazing!  This happened in the past two weeks:

• Connar finished his first year playing club level soccer and he was faced with another round of tryouts for next season this spring.  Connar attended three different tryouts, playing his hardest, and was invited to play for his first choice club and coach.
• Connar decided last year that he was going to play trumpet in the middle school band.  {I have to admit that I was bracing myself for a year of headaches!} Not only is he on his way to becoming an accomplished trumpet player, he also picked up the French Horn.  His band marched in the junior parade in our city a couple of weeks ago and won their division!  This resulted in an invitation to march in the big, deal parade this weekend.  {It's the first time in 15 years a middle school from his district has been invited to march with the big boys!}
• Not many kids begin to thrive academically their first year of middle school {trust me...I've been teaching in middle school for 15 years} That's not true of Connar...he is absolutely blooming in middle school.  Yesterday we received an invitation to join the National Honor Society!  Holy Cow!  

I am so unbelievably lucky to have this kiddo.

I hope your weekend is amazing...thanks for letting me brag!

Staging a Come Back...

Hello to all my readers!  I am slowly returning to blog land as an active blogger.  My vacation was wonderful...

• I was the assistant coach to my 7 year olds soccer team.  The boys were amazing and I had so much fun! Aiden decided that he wants to play soccer in the fall, so I will be continuing on as the lead coach for his team.
• I was my oldest sons biggest fan.  He wrapped up his first year of playing club soccer for the Cobra Shock.  After a grueling round of try-outs, Connar was invited to play for Spokane United in the next season.  He's so excited and I am so proud!
• Connar also marched in his first parade with his middle school.  The school received honors at the parade and were invited to march in the Lilac Festival Torchlight Parade...a very big deal for a middle school!
• I did a lot of reading...spent a lot of time with my boys...and worked up some fun new crafts.

Now, I'm ready to return to blogging.  I am making a few changes though...primarily I will no longer be holding myself to the goal of posting every day.  While I love to catch up and read blogs daily, I began to feel like I was crafting, reading or creating something with my kids just to have something to blog about.  One of the reasons I took a break was because this felt very backward to me.  I was putting together quick posts and they didn't feel authentic to who I am and who I am trying to be.

With my comeback, I plan to spend more time creating and writing posts but I will not be posting on a daily basis.  In fact, with my Type A, I have decided not to hold myself to specific posting schedule at all.  I will post when I have something to say and something to share.

I hope this doesn't deter you from reading!  My goal when I started this blog, continues to be my goal today...sharing anecdotes and advice from my perspective in the world, as I Chase My Dreams!  I hope you'll join me!

Still taking a break...but...

...I couldn't resist responding to this Working Mommy Wednesday prompt...

Do you enjoy reading?  What are some of your favorite books?

I am fond of saying that I read like some people breathe.  Really, I read all the time...every day!  At times it's more like an addiction...if I don't read I get cranky and jittery and cranky...really cranky!

So, yes, I enjoy reading.  In fact I have a weekly Book Club right here on this very blog...

you can join me every Friday to hear about what I have been reading, chime in on the books you've read and share your own favorites.  I will actually begin posting the Book Club again this week, so pop back over on Friday.

What are some of my favorite books?  Wow...that's a tough question.  I truly read everything and my favorite is often the most recent book I've read.  If I were to think about all the books I've read though, these are the ones that stand out as my all-time favorites...

•  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - this is my favorite because it was my introduction to Ms. L'Engle.  I have read and I own every book she's written.
• Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson - I read this at least 10 times when I was growing up...my inner 13 year old couldn't get enough
• Centennial by James Michener - he's my go-to author when I need an epic, sink-your-teeth-into-it novel and this is my favorite so far
• The Outlander Series - I love these books...great detail, great story line, and really long (my habit gets expensive!)
• Jodi Picoult- I know she's an author but I've also read everything she's written and she is one of my favorites
• Barbara Kingsolver- I know, I know another author...seriously it's hard to pick just books.  I have read all of her books as well and there's a great deal of variety in her story telling but I love the common themes.
• Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature by David Quammen - this is the first collection of science essays or articles that I ever read.  It's still my favorite and introduced me to a whole new genre which I love!
• Winnie - the - Pooh by A.A. Milne - I never get tired of the life lessons shared in the 100 Acre wood.

My tastes are eclectic and I'll read almost anything.  What are some of your favorite books?

Linking up with the Julia and the other moms for Working Mommy Wednesday...