Perfect Day!

 

I absolutely adore Fredericksburg. In many ways, it is my happy place! Love it all! What a beautiful day we had, today. We started at the Peach Orchard, then to the strawberry patch. Memories made of Camy eating all our "micro-strawberries" and Caden finding the perfect peaches. We wandered through the grooves of peach trees....Camy was sidetracked by the "moo cows" that she wanted to touch so badly. Just as the sun positioned itself high in the sky, we loaded up and headed to lunch at Rather Sweet. YUM!!!! We casually strolled main street. A stop into the toy store proved successful for two littles I know! Until next time, Freddy!

Pedal time

 

 

 

 

After dinner, we usually ride bikes in the drive way. Camy is getting really good at her plasma rider (coolest thing ever!)...shhhh...when Camy goes to sleep Caden and I take the plasma around the corner and take turns flying down the street. Oh to be a kid again!

Top goal: Laughter

 

"A day without laughter is a wasted day." e.e. Cummings

I have one top goal each day....hear them belly laugh. I love their pure, sweet, deep happiness laughter. Sometimes it is spontaneous, sometimes constructed.

~Summer culinary creations~

 

Afternoon treat....smoothies!

 

We have new daily tea creations. This was Blackberry-mint sun tea. Mint & blackberries from our garden.

 

Caden helping me roll our Buffalo Chicken Wraps

 

Weekly Menu- I try to keep it pretty but Camy loves to write on it too. Often times, MSW will tell me as soon as he walks in the door, "I have been thinking about your________for dinner all day" which tells me that he checks the day's menu each morning!

My love of cooking and creating in the kitchen multiplies during the summer. I have more time and the summer harvests are some of my favorite fruit and vegetables. I am still trying many new recipes and even making up some of my own. Pinterest....do you know it? If not, you are missing out BIG TIME!!! I can sit down and find 50 amazing recipes in 15 minutes. It is my inspiration these days. Farmer's markets, orchards and our own garden.....what gifts!

Summer sprinklers

 

 

 

 

Each afternoon, sometimes twice an afternoon, we go outside and play in the sprinkler. They both love it and make up the silliest of games. I sometimes wonder if this is a piece of their childhood they will always remember. I certainly remember playing in the summer sprinklers when I was a child.

NISOD Weekend

 

Silly in the hotel room.

 

Love this man!

 

My college peeps

 

My official NISOD picture...too school for cool!

Each year I write out my goals for the year....I keep a professional list and a personal list. Five years ago, receiving the NISOD award was put onto my professional list. I was really honored to receive it this year. You are chosen by your college President. The award includes a 4-day adventure. It began on Sunday afternoon at the Four Seasons hotel with receiving our medallions, being cheered down a tunnel of UT cheerleaders to a champagne toast in our honor. It was pretty awesome. The best part was that I was able to share most of it with my family. Michael and the littles came up on Sunday and stayed the night. They had to go back Monday evening because Caden had school on Tuesday.

I had two nights alone in a plush hotel. Sounds fabulous, right? Well, not so much I was so lonely as pathetic as that sounds. I did met up with my sweet friend, Hope for dinner and we had a great time. Michael (along with my college administration) came back on Wednesday for the closing session. If all that was not awesome enough, my video was chosen to play during the ceremony. It was so shocking to see my video up there but it provided bragging rights for my President which plays well to my tenure dossier that will cross his desk in the fall!

IKEA-1 Dee-0

It was a bad idea from the beginning (and I knew it from the start.) It was our first night in the hotel room. At home, Camy sleeps in her bed, Caden in his and Michael and I in our California, comfy king. The hotel sleeping arrangements left us all tired the next morning. We first started with the girls in one bed and the boys in another. MSW and Caden fussed at each other like they were both 5. Stop kicking me, you are making me hot, be still, you are not giving me enough room...blahh blaah bla blaaaaaaaaaaaa. Finally, at 3 am I made MSW switch with me. Which only lead to him falling asleep and him and Camy falling into a snore-a-thon. He claimed it was because the bed was too soft which resulted in him sleeping with his legs up higher than his head which caused the snoring....ya'right. Caden, well, he decided to grind his teeth the rest of the night. At that point, I would be lying to you if I did not think about how I would have the next two nights all to myself. We awoke, unrested.

However, I still insisted on an afternoon trip to IKEA. I am not an IKEA rookie. In fact, when we lived in Houston I was a regular shopper. I'm prepared for the greatness and horribleness that place produces in one. Yet still, on a bad night's sleep, a few hours at the pool, no nap...sure let's go to IKEA.

My search started months ago. The perfect kitchen-prep table for my kitchen make-over. I found an ok one right from the start on IKEA's website. I searched high and low from that point to no avail. The IKEA table would be fine. Knowing we would be in Austin, with the truck, that's when we would get it. So off we went.

An hour into being there, I find the table. I needed to see it in person. It checked out and I liked it even more in person than on the website. Good sign. If you have ever been in IKEA you know that you have to weave through a maze to actually get to a warehouse area where you pick up your goods. Finally there, we find the bin and row for the table only to find that it is "out-of-stock." GAWD!!!! Just then, Camy decides it is time to take a poop. Lovely- especially since I had no wipes or diapers with me.

Luckily Michael had a back-up plan for the part (top of table) that was out-of-stock. As we stood in line for an hour to check out, enjoying the aroma of baby poop, fussy kids I promised myself no more trips to IKEA in the near future!