Such a Happy Birthday It Was

It was such a very happy birthday for me this year!! So many folks know me by heart as you can see by the picture below!! It was filled with lots of family time, lots of swimming, and lots of cookouts!! Awesome!

Things I am simply loving lately...

Their are a few things that I am just simply loving lately and I thought I would share.

1) Finding multiple nests in our yard while doing massive yard work lately.

2) Sewing again.

3) Planning many bowling trips this summer with Zane and my new rad bowling shoes!

4) Watching Daddy and Zane work intently on Zane's new sandbox.

5) Watching Zane take his first swim lessons and getting so much more comfortable in the water.

(That is Ms. Ashlyn... he LOVES her.)

6) Reading this book cover to cover and soaking in the inspiration and knowledge. Thank you Ben and Rachael.

7) My wonderful thrift store find! Dansko sandals, probably never worn, for $5!

The start of summer perfection.

Zane's First Solo Rides

Zane has had two solo rides on Maggie so far. He is so good, so still and so respectful. It is so awesome and adorable. Check out the videos. I am constantly surprised and proud of how tall he sits with such a straight back. He looks rather comfortable and Mimi is such a rock star trotting along side him ensuring his safety!!!

New Bike

Zane got a new bike AND a new helmet! He is getting so big and helpful. We put training wheels on it and he is very slow and careful. He is right now mostly into his balence bike which he whirs around like a crazy superhero on. This one is more for the slow, stolling superhero... for now.

The first ride was not so easy, although I really think the fall is pretty graceful. The two yappy dogs from next door came charging out of the gate from next door (you can hear them in the background) and just barked like crazy at him. I probably would have fallen off too.



Once we got him out of the driveway and away from the yapper dogs he was on his way... carefully.



And as I trecked behind them and in front of them taking videos and pictures I started to notice some other things that I wanted pictures of throughout our neighborhood. Our neighborhood has some flare and apparently some interesting ingenuity!

Check out the golf club fence... they buried the club end of the club in the ground and they are all strung together. So many golf clubs!! So very weird!


A pieced together carpeted driveway... very lush indeed!


And we love our icecream guys either on bike cart or push cart. I do love hearing their simple jingling bells throughout the day (fyi...I am not being sarcastic on this one).

Acrobats with Maya & Sara

Watermelon Popcicles

Lakes Park Day with Friends!

Last Friday we had a great day up at Lakes Park with Tiffany, Brianna and Sierra! We road the train, had a picnic, played on the playground, smelled the flowers (they have a farmer's market on Fridays and lately Zane is all about the farmer's markets!!), played in the spray park, and snuggled with our best friends!

Mom's (Mimi's) Birthday

We went to the VERY classy and wonderful Quality Inn by our house which has the best karaoke and people watching in all of Collier County. By the pictures you would think it is Papa's birthday! Lately, Zane treats everyday like it is Papa's birthday. He is very into and loving dearly his Papa. Who wouldn't, right?

So Papa loves to get Zane involved in any way he can. I believe this is his GENIOUS way of getting Zane used to the "stage." Genious, I tell you.

They are ok. I am breathing again.

Our friends Brian and Aya are living in Tokyo and have let us know they are ok.
I have taken some good deep breaths since learning this news.

But they are shopping in empty grocery stores...


Check out their blog here: http://tok-yall.blogspot.com/

My Sweet Boy

It's Magik

A day at home with Zane

Sometimes you just have to:
- wake up slow
- enjoy your tea
- take showers late
- hang in your jammies
- eat blueberries
- needle felt and play with clay
- bake bread
- then eat it with honey.









(The big clumpy roll is "robot bread.")

Garage Therapy

We have been working A LOT on our house lately. We are going through some perging and therapy I would say. It has felt good. We have gotten rid of so much that we are going to take part in a community yard sale with. We have cleaned and organized even more. Our garage has always been a source of well... MESS and UNORGANIZATION!!!! So, we worked our entire 3 day weekend on the garage. We have it about a third done (including repainting it all white).





Zane hates loud saws (or just loud noises for that matter) so Paul found some old headphones that we have in the yard sale pile and he was happier.






Zane painted with his easel and he helped me paint the wall!


More of the process to come and some pics of it all painted!

Valentine's Day Seranade

One of Paul's Old Baseball Jerseys

Clean Love

Friday I had a PET Scan and all is reading clean. "No definite evidence... blah, blah, blah..."

I go this Friday to Moffitt for my first follow-up. My "90 days" appointment. I expect it to sort of be a waste of time seeing as how my scan is clean and I am recovering well. Whatever though. I feel like I owe them to check in!! Ha! This is all good...

Zane and I went on a little walk yesterday at a local park after I picked him up from school. I always have a hard time with him on walks which bums me out because not too long into it he starts complaining that it is taking too long, his legs hurt... when are we gonna be done? BUT... when Aunt Rachael and Uncle Ben were here for Christmas he would go on hour and a half long "hikes" near my Mom's house and never ONCE did he whine about it. So, I asked him about this on our walk. And he simply answered me... "Aunt Rachael and Uncle Ben are more fun." Then he saw the "crush" on my face and quickly said... "Well, you are fun... but they are more fun." Well, I get it. I just don't like it. I just wanna be able to take a stroll with the kid. I guess for now I have to find ways to be more fun, although I think it is practically impossible when comparing!

But on the super sweet side... yesterday we got a package from Nana in California. She knitted him two beautiful sweaters that look awesome on him. Pictures to come. But in the package were some Valentine cards in a box and in there was a small sheet of really simple red heart stickers. He has designated these stickers his "kissing hand" stickers. If you know the book... you get it. So last night he crawled into bed with me with this sheet of stickers and told me he wanted to wear a kissing hand sticker to bed... was this ok? Of course! So, he looked at the sheet of stickers (all the same red hearts!) and picked one specific one and pointed to it saying, "That one. That one right there. Put all your love into it and then I will wear it."

I put all my love into it.

My Little Niece-Dog

Look at my little "niece-dog", Kadin, today.

My brother, who lives in Silver Lake, NH sent this to me just a few minutes ago.

I think Kadin needs a vacation to Florida to see (and warm up) with her Auntie!!!

Maybe I should think about a future knitting project for her. Burrrr.....

The Simple Things

Zane this morning: "Mommy, these eggies are so good I just can't believe my life. I just can't believe it."