Anchor Me...

Anchors are meant to keep a vessel in place. Forces like wind, rain, and water currents are no longer a menace when anchored safely to the ground.

The littles played with an anchor at the river. They stood together and threw the anchor into the water and slowly pulled it back to the pier.  I watched them for a long while.

 

 

My children and husband are my anchors - so to speak. Whatever storm comes my way, I know that I am firmly planted in their love and can weather the gale. 

Found...

 

It's amazing to walk along the banks of the Elk River after Labor Day. The water level drops, and the mud dries out. Last weekend we found a shoe, a beer, and this bottle. It's glass. Actual glass. It's as large as a large Gatorade bottle. I wonder what it once held. I wonder if it was thrown from a boat or a pier. I wonder how long this bottle has been drifting along the river. Found objects. So much mystery.

Goodwill Isn't Safe...

If you have belts from 1985, just send them Ella's way. She is not afraid to sport a crazy outfit if the accessories are free. Ella loves to dig through closets and drawers and "find" dress up clothes and purses. I was thinking of taking her to the Goodwill thrift store just to see her reaction to the discarded shoes and purses.


 

Then I looked at this picture and decided she would probably bankrupt me in a thrift store.

Hey, at least she keeps things interesting.

Not Now, I'm Working...

 

Have you ever noticed that when one thing comes up, fifteen more things appear at the same time? My darn "To Be Done" list looks a little bit out of control here lately. Am I the only person on the planet who actually keeps a list on paper of all the things I need to accomplish each week? How do all of you keep up with your list of things to be done? 

Smile...

 

four day week...

Just Another Day...

Another day. Another moment in the sun. Another cute hat.


 

Love...

 

I don't know that words are even needed. 

Overly Dramatic Chipmunk...

The codependents are somewhat dramatic.

In the woods...


 

...on a parked four wheeler...


 

You can go ahead and laugh and be glad that you won't have to worry about this boy when he's 16. That pleasure will be all mine. 

Congratulations!...

Don't be a sour face like Layton!


 

We made it to the weekend!!! Party time!!! Sleep late time!!!

Bird Is the Word...

Goodness. His hair is positively out of control. It is almost as out of control as his angry bird playing skills. Wait, that should be skillz...with a z. He is still adamant that he is not getting a hair cut any time soon. We tried to convince him again the other night; he's having none of this hair cut business.

 

I suppose it is time to just lay down the law and tell him he has to get a trim. I am (supposedly) the one in charge. 

My Girl...

My girl likes to sit with me.

 

Not too long ago Ella was feeling left out because Layton was going to the movies with a friend, and Hadley was busy being fabulous. I let her pick dinner, and we had a picnic on my bed. Just the two of us. She said it was the most fun she had ever had.

Sweet, middle child. We're going on a special date soon just the two of us. Dinner and a movie. Maybe  even a stop at Target. We are wild and crazy like that. Us silly middle kids. 

Glimpses...

A glow-y glimpse at a girl I love.


 

Looking On...

Do you know what turns me into a mushy mess?

When I watch Lacey watch Ella, I swear my IQ drops 40 points. It's so sweet. Ella was going to go for a walk in the creek. Lacey wanted to go too, but I was unsure whether or not to let her. I told her she had to just watch. Lacey stood on the bank and watched Ella move through the creek. They giggled together about the water being cold. Ella smiled and told Lacey it would be way too cold for her. It was a truly adorable moment. Ella was content to entertain, and Lacey was content to watch.

 

Sometimes, if you just sit back and watch, you will witness more than you ever hoped to. 

Feet in the Creek...

The weather has been up and down. There have been a few days warm enough to dip feet in the creek. There won't be many more days like that. Colder days are right around the corner.


 

Seriously Serious but Not Seriously...

Today was a good day. It was long, but it was good. The codependents and I went to vote. They watched while I took care of business. It was painful. Almost as painful as getting on facebook and reading the 8,004 stati (yes, I just decided to use stati for statuses. Deal with it.) about politics in the last two months. This is how Ella feels about politics...

 

Just kidding. This was actually her, "Get the camera out of my stinking face, Ma!" look.

Hang in there, friends. The weekend is only a few more days away. We can do it!

Lol...Downtown...

When I took the children trick or treating downtown, this vehicle passed us.

 

Best Halloween vehicle ever.

Do You Have the Time?...

The time has changed. I know that it will be dark before I get everyone home and settled tonight.

 

It will take a week or two for me to get used to the dark evenings. Ella will have to keep me updated on what time it is. :) She is currently obsessed with this old pocket watch and has been using it non-stop for the last 48 hours. 

Pure Bliss...

 

Sunny Days...

I do not cope well when the time changes. I prefer Daylight Savings Time over what some dude decided to dub "standard time." I'll be brutally honest. When we lose an hour, I start to get depressed. I can't stand it being dark outside before the day is even close to over. It literally sucks the fun right out of me.

 

If you see me this week, please offer a smile or a joke. I need it.

Bright, Sunshiney, Day...

It seems the weather has been much like my personality lately. Lovely two days a week and downright cruel the other five. ;) I've been crabby a lot. It's just that time of year for me. I enjoy the change of the seasons and the holidays about as much as I enjoy a tequila hangover. Just the thought of having to decorate a Christmas tree causes my heart rate to increase. Exponentially. I've been trying to convince my family to call off Christmas for years. For some reason, the codependents refuse to give up Christmas morning. They refuse to even go with my brilliant idea of buying a Martha Stewart 24" pre-lit tree that can be stored in the hall closet and only pulled out when needed. No, no. The codependents want the tree that goes to the ceiling and all the lights and the candles and the stockings and to make the cookies on Christmas Eve. Then they wake up at a positively unseemly hour. And it's over.

 

I have to keep focused during the holidays. It doesn't matter how much I want to call it off; these days are about making my children happy and helping them create memories. I look at pictures from sunny days and remember the warmth and joy. I fake my way through the trees and cookies and songs. I make hot chocolate and buy candy canes. I may not like the holidays, but the codependents are worth faking it.