North East, Maryland

We were LONG overdue for a date night.
LIFE can catch up with you pretty quick and suddenly your more like roommates, then lovers.
I'm not okay with that.

We wanted something different, some new scenery, and as my hubby said,
"let's drive on a road we've never been on!" Sounds good to me!

Just take me away Baby!!!!!

We headed to a town one hour South of here called North East, Maryland.
This is what we saw when we got out of the truck.

Darling, darling town.

Sweet little shops.

Vera Bradley HEAVEN.

the.most.amazing.food.

and the.most.amazing.company.

I got to color on the table which is always fun.

Can't you just SMELL this place? They had the biggest supply of coffee beans
I've ever seen. I purchased some called "creme brulee" and it's so delicious I may
just drive back to buy some more!

After dinner we drove to a local park and laid a blanket along the banks,
we watched the boats come in and looked at the latest pottery barn catalog, (in which we steal ideas and try to reproduce them for little to no money). It was glorious, just him and I and the sun setting. It's been way too long since we've done something like that.

Took me back to those good ol' days when we were dating in Florida.

We'll be back to this place soon I'm sure.

If you live locally, give it a try, it "feels" far away, but isn't.

"If a June night could talk,
it would probably boast it invented romance."
~Bern Williams~

I'M HERE, PURGING MY HOME!!!!

This blogging once a week thing is getting to me.
I'd post everyday if I could!!

With all my "extra" energy I'm going through every nook & cranny in my home
finding stuff I *like* to make room for stuff I *love*.

The ad I placed in our local paper looks great! It's huge and has a big, bold polka-dot outline.


It reads like this:

STRASBURG~MANY VENDORS
6/25 4pm-7pm and 6/26 7am-2pm

MASSIVE BARN SALE!
shabby chic~vintage decor,
furniture, area rugs, new baby swing,
toys, boy clothing, (newborn-5),
girl clothing, (newborn-10).
PRICED WELL & ORGANIZED.
Don't miss this one!!!

I just have to tell you I have entirely too many
*pillowcases*
*purses*
*teacups*

Come and buy them from me!!

And my Mother, oh my Mother~~~~she's bringing car loads of dishes, antiques and goodies!!

COME ON BY AND BUY!!!!!!!!!

I better go, I have a Dr. appointment this morning for Tyler.He stepped on a bee and the swelling isn't going down. I hope it's nothing serious,but better safe then sorry with all he's been through this year with his staph infection.

Also, I would just like to point out that my friend Ang S. was right when she said that my garden will be ready to harvest at the.most.inconvenient.times.

Like yesterday and today.

random quote that has nothing to do with this post, but I liked it:
"The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post."
~L. Thomas Holdcroft~

Annual Garage Sale NEXT WEEKEND!!!!

Hello Friends,
it's that time of year again.....

GARAGE SALE FEVER!!!

Just wanted to let you know that NEXT WEEKEND is our BIG OL' SALE!!!

And I'm not kidding when I say BIG!! There's gonna be LOTS of Mama's here, (we're up to 6 vendors right now) with LOTS of well-priced, organized, ready to sell goodies!!!

FRIDAY, JUNE 25TH 4PM-7PM

AND

SATURDAY, JUNE 26TH 7AM-2PM.

If you know where we live just come on by,
I won't be placing our address on my blog,
you know,
just in case you're the boogie man!!!!
*you may email me personally for directions if you'd like and verify you are not the above-mentioned~jj9702@Juno.com*

p.s. this is SO me.....sad, but true!!!! (mute music at bottom of page first)!


"Look what happens when I hold this up~PARTY TIME!!!!" ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!

Sweeping up Woody

I like to have piano music on during the day, (grooveshark.com is nice or pandora.com) and if possible, have a good smelling candle lit in the corner. These actions are put into place usually first thing in the morning....right along with the smell & sound of coffee being made! Hey, someone needs to create some peace in this environment that can be a little crazy at times. These are just two small things I do to keep my world calm & inviting!!

The other day during one of my numerous daily broom sweep ups I swept "Woody" out of his hiding place. Paisley was munching on what was left of "snacks", (a dry ice cream cone).
A grocery run was imminent.

The piano music was playing softly and I could hear my thoughts as the boys were playing nicely outside. I looked out the window and saw Tyler enjoying the day on his tire swing. I thought back to when we were in the hospital with him, so many questions. As WEIRD as it sounds I've been "missing" those days just a bit. Not the actual physically being in the hospital, but the natural, effortless, beautiful ALIGNMENT OF PRIORITIES that a hospital or desperate situation produces. Perhaps it was the music, the moment or pms, (or a combination) but I got a little choked up. This won't be the picture of my life for long.... Sweeping up toys and having my children within sight. It was a MOMENT and I hid it away.**
Then my green-booted boy came to the door to wake me from my thoughts & plead his case.
"It's my turn now Mom!"

"Carpe diem quam minime credula postero"
"Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future."
~Horace~

**disclaimer: lest you think I live and Mother in "la, la land" I have an upcoming post entitled: "Confessions of a Yeller!"

How many things can I do?

"How many things can I do.....and do well?"

This question has been repeating itself in my head again and again the past few days. I feel like there are so many parts of me that I want to keep in shape, that I want to work at so they don't get all fat and mushy! (We're not speaking literally here folks)! That's for another post! A big, ol' FAT post!!! :)

I'm talking about the strings of life that pull....some just a slight tug and others a more strangling type. Some that when knit together in the right way, create one-of-a-kind treasures. Still others that create webs that quickly and easily entangle us. Crazy, twisted, knotted Christmas lights entangled. And then suddenly you're that fly that Charlotte caught and it's too late.

I don't want to be a fly caught in the web of life.

The *weirdest* thing has been happening to me the past few months. When I walk into Paisley's nursery the SAME song is playing and even more odd, it's the SAME part of the song that is playing, and EVEN MORE CRAZY....it's the SAME SENTENCE. It's happened at least 7-8 times now and I'm not exageratting, (something I am gifted in). Do you want to know what God, (via Celine Dion) has been singing to me?

"Life is what happens to you
while you're busy making other plans!!"

It's been a beautiful nudge to my soul, this little quote. Something that stops me in my hurried pace to go-do-finish-go-do-finish. Well, I should actually say go-do-start-go-do-start, because I'm not very good at finishing through on things, I'm a starter! I have great ideas and then they are replaced with greater ideas, none of which ever hit the drawing board. Unless, for instance, one day I decide, (usually in the middle of making dinner or some other HIGHLY inconvenient time) to start something new!!! You know, like rearrange the entire living room and paint a quote on the wall while I'm at it. Not that this has ever happened to me or anything.

So, the question is: how many things can I do and do well? And I don't know the answer to that. ALL is know is that my children aren't a part of my "doing." They are to be a part of my "BEING"! Part of the nitty-gritty everydayness of life. They aren't my projects. They aren't the side show at my own personal circus, (well, sometimes they are)!!!! And on the other extreme, they aren't my LIFE either. There's a balance hidden somewhere in there and I'm on a quest to find it because, as said before, life IS what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

Our pastor said a few weeks ago,
"God's a hand-crafter,

not a mass-producer."

Hand crafted things take time. Slow, purposeful time. I hope we are able to find/make some time to slooooow down and taste the sweetness of life this Summer. That's something I want to be mindful of. And I guess the question has now changed to~how many things can I NOT do? How many things really don't matter for eternity? Don't even matter for NEXT week? Lord, please open my eyes and my heart to the people and things that REALLY count in life.

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."
~Lily Tomlin~

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BOY TYLER!!!!

HaPpY 5th BiRtHdAy to you TyLeR!!!

The age old question rings loud & clear today~
"Where have all the years gone?"

From the MOMENT you entered our lives
you brought us SO MUCH JOY!!!

And not much has changed during the last 5 years!!

I LOVE the ZEST for life that you have!!
And even though you and I are the most similar in personality
we get along quite well, (for the most part)! I feel like I'm truly getting to know you, to hold long conversations with you, to talk about your feelings and thoughts and opinions. I like the way you think. You hold such a close place in my heart~my first baby! You made me fall in love with being a Mommy. Sometimes when we are holding hands I can't believe how big they feel inside mine. I know that in no time at all your hands will be bigger then mine. I think it's precious how you like to hold your hand to mine, palm to palm, while you marvel at your growth. "I'm growing super fast Mom!" Yes, indeed you are. I'm dragging my feet buddy.

And it's been so amazing watching you grow into a wonderful big brother! Luke loves you so much and misses you when you are apart even for 30 minutes! You lead him on adventures he would have otherwise never found, in the "jungle" and along the Thomas train tracks. I pray that the two of you will be best friends for life....putting each other before yourself.

And your sister adores you and smiles and coos at you unlike ANY of us!!
You love her so well and you're showing her how a lady is meant to be treated.
You grew up a lot this year and you were SO BRAVE during your stay at the hospital
when you had a staph infection. We treasured those days with you....just you and Dad and Mom and the healing journey! You took it all in stride and reminded us again that it's the LITTLE THINGS about life that bring true joy!

I'm SO EXCITED to watch all that you will learn this next year.
I count it JOY to be called YOUR MOM! We were made for each other you know!

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY DAY TO YOU!!!!!!!

You're a whole hand-full now!!

"Children are the living messages
we send to a time we will not see."
~Neil Postman~

P.s. I'm really sorry for dressing you like a reindeer on your first Christmas.
Won't happen again, promise!!!

MAMAS ON THE LOOSE!!

Several weeks ago as I looked up,
this was my view.....

and when I looked in front of me,
this was what I saw.

and to the left was this lovely Lady.

And to the right was this!!

We were driving in this darling bug..... We weren't quite as cool as this dude
who obviously gets out way more then we do!!We didn't care though, cause we were
headed here!!!!!

We lounged around and talked,
entire conversations at ONCE.

We went out to eat again and again and again,
feeding ONLY our mouths and cutting ONLY our food.

We took beautiful pictures....
and crazy pictures..... We ate candy....
lots and lots of candy.
Candy that we did not have to share with our children.
We acted like teenagers,
because we could!!!

WE WERE MAMAS ON THE LOOSE!!!!!!

But then we settled down again and decided to come back home
to rescue our husbands and the 32 children we had left behind!!!
"It takes a long time to grow an old friend."
~John Leonard~

Local Happenings

Good Day Friends, I come to you over a bowl of vanilla ice cream with 2 mini snickers bars crushed atop. Three children are taking delicious naps after a morning at my sisters pool. Paisley's first time in the water and she LOVED it. Sun kissed kiddos sleeping in cooled off rooms. SUMMERTIME!!

This is a quick post to share with you some exciting local events:

• Lancaster Libraries has started their yearly reading program. You can pick up a form at your local library. The "prize" this year for reading 30 books to your child 5 and younger is:
  

*coupon to McDonald's.
*one free admission to ride the train at the Strasburg Railroad.
*one free ticket to a Lancaster Barnstormers game.

I like this program because there are 30 little pictures on a piece of paper. After you read a book your child can color one picture. Once all 30 are colored in, you can redeem your prizes. It's fun for the kids to watch them get closer to their prizes. You'll have to write the name of the book on the opposite side. Hey, if you're gonna read you may as well have some incentive and FREE STUFF is nice!

• Strasburg has a CIRCUS coming to town....TOMORROW NIGHT, Thursday, June 3rd from 4:30-7:30 at the Jaycee Park along Miller Street. Here's the link to read more about the circus. Looks like lots of animals and cool things for the kids. From the research I've done online, tickets are under $10.

• THE DONUT MAN is coming to Dutch Wonderland this Saturday. I'M 5 YEARS OLD ALL OVER AGAIN & I'M SO EXCITED! His *tape* was my favorite when I was little, (for those of you that don't even know what that is, just go to the bottom of my blog and you'll see a picture of what a cassette tape looks like)!! HA! I can vividly remember listening to his tape play in the background while my Mom asked me if I ate the candy I wasn't suppose to eat. I lied and said that I hadn't eaten it, all the while there was chocolate all over my lips and chin! I can hear the words now, "it might be okay for awhile, but then the truth will wipe away your smile!!" My smile was wiped away by a wooden stick on my butt!

• Starting June 12th-October 16th Strasburg is starting an OUTDOOR FARMER'S MARKET!
  In the lawn in front of the library, 145 Precision Avenue.
  Local growers and farmers will be bringing their produce and goods!!

YUM-O! I'll be riding my bike over there and filling her basket with fresh delights!

"In summer, the song sings itself."
~William Carlos Williams~

Summertime Lunchtime

My girl is in pigtails now.
She looks so.....
so not like a baby.

Her personality is in full bloom,
much like our garden.

I'm hanging on for dear life.
My wild-child, (aka, Mama's clone) fills our days with silliness & sweetness.
He is so kind to his sister and learning how to be kind to his brother, his "best friend."
We were at Turkey Hill the other day and here is the conversation that took place between the cashier and Tyler:
"Hi, what's your name lady?"
"Brianna."
"My name is Tyler and I'm 4 and this is my brother Luke and he's 3 and he's my best friend. I have a sister too, her name is Paisley. I got a new engine, his name is Hiro. Bye."
And our 3 year old Luke! He brings the balance to us all....just like his Daddy.
He loves to play "uno" and as the cards are being dealt he's chanting his line, "I finka me a winning!! I finka me a winning!!" (I think I'm winning, I think I'm winning)!!
He's very sensitive to others, (except when he pushes Paisley down). He LOVES to sing and most mornings my "alarm clock" comes from his room, "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands", (clap-clap) or "I've been workin' on the railroad all the live-long day, I've been workin' on the railroad just passin' the time...."

Paisley in pigtails & plaid with the
little melt-your-heart grin.

We enjoyed some fruit shakes and chocolate cake for lunch because, well, because I'm the Mom and I can make whatever I want to and call it "lunch."

It must be Summertime.

I've been a "busy bee" as my friend Kara calls me! And she's right. I've been working on a lot of different things in addition to my 3 full time jobs!

*caring for our garden, (it IS hard work, just as you told me it would be, but it's the most amazing feeling cutting spinach for our salad and that's just the beginning of our harvest).
*planting our flowerbeds & window boxes , that look exceptionally happy this year.
*cleaning the attic to make room for a play area of sorts, (still wondering how I'm going to keep my children and their guests from having a heat-stroke up there)!
*cleaning one house a week to make some "extra money." (Thank you to Shrish for being my faithful day-care service)!!
*giving 1-2 massages a week. I'm not sure who enjoys the massages more, my client or I? It's not everyday I get to enjoy one hour of uninterrupted time with candlelight and soothing music!
*Blogging has been on the back-burner for awhile and I have to admit I miss it. The only trouble I'm having is finding a place to store my pictures which makes it easy to upload to blogger. Although I think I have a misconception in my own mind that "blogging" has to have pictures and really that's not true. I can just write out my thoughts and dreams and little stories and go from there. I read several blogs that barely EVER have pictures and they are some of my favorites. I'll be changing some things around in my head I guess.



Have a happy day & I'll see you soon~

"If you have the time to open the back door in the morning while you're drinking your coffee and look at the sky or hear the chorus the birds offer, you have time for the marvelous....Most of life is fascinating if looked at closely enough."
~Diane Ackerman~