Chalk Art ~

It's amazing  how a bucket of chalk can bring so much contentment. I think so many times as parents we (or should I say "I") feel a tremendous amount pressure to entertain our children especially throughout the summer months; not only is this exhausting, it's also very expensive! We're so used to being busy that it really is an adjustment to just "chill out."

Despite the fact the wind has blown 30 mph everyday so far this summer, the kids still want to be outside. I would say the chalk was a nice change of pace from water balloons. (Our water balloon adventures came to a halt when we discovered our destructive sweet puppy had chewed up the water balloon nozzle and the hose. Yes, I tried to buy more balloons, but apparently Target buyers think people only play with water balloons around Easter time and I have yet to make it to my least favorite store...Walmart.)

I loved watching the kids being creative ~ even Sam got in on the fun and ate a piece of white chalk. :) As a mom I have to remember how easy it is to get sucked into the vortex that is computers, tv's and video games...our creative juices dry up quickly when they're not being used. I may meet some resistance, but everyone is so much happier when all that junk is switched off. The simplicity of something as basic as a piece of chalk, a new coloring book and colors, a set of children's water colors or *gasp* a good book might be just what you need to tap in to your creative side. I have several craft ideas in mind for us to work on this summer...can't wait to get started and blog about our creations!

Hoping for a drink of water...

Once again lots of things happened today that went unphotographed; basketball camp, playing in the blow-up pool at a friends house, enjoying a chocolate coconut mocha with a friend at Target. We do so many things during the day and I'm constantly on the look-out for "the picture of the day." I finally decided on the subject of today's photo just before sunset. 

This is our livelihood

This baby cotton could really use a good drink right now. Oh sure, it's irrigated or it would never have broken ground; what I mean is a really good drink from above. As I was taking this photo the clouds were rumbling and hopes for a rain was off in the distant west, but as I am writing this our rain chances are gone. We'll keep irrigating and this baby cotton will keep growing, but a good rain would make things a whole lot better...in the meantime we'll also keep praying.

So Thankful for our Freedom ~

On this Memorial Day I am so thankful for all the freedoms that I, more often than not, take for granted. I do not come from a military family and although I can name several extended family members who fought for our freedom, I've not been close to anyone who has served in recent wars. I have a cousin who is a Marine and another who is getting ready to start his career as a Marine and I couldn't be prouder of these two young men who find it important, deep down in their being, to fight for our country.

We were on our way home (almost home actually) when I realized I had forgotten to go by the cleaners, so I whipped around and drove the 9 miles back only to realize they were closed in celebration of Memorial Day. I knew this because I had read the sign when I was there last week, yet I was still slightly annoyed that I had wasted my time and gas (which is not cheap these days.) I grumbled for a few blocks and then I came upon a section of the road that was lined with U.S. flags...it was beautiful. I decided to whip into the bank's parking lot and snap this picture with my iPhone. All day long we had been griping about the wind. In fact, I think I woke up in a slightly grumpy mood this morning because the wind was already blowing, but because of the wind I captured the beauty of this flag in all it's glory. Because of this picture I've been counting my blessings; thankful I can drive to the cleaners only to find it's closed, thankful I can snap a picture of our country's colors flowing in the wind, thankful for the two young men who share parts of my history that are willing to risk their futures ~ thankful for too many things to count...

Our Tire Swing...

There are two things I remember always wanting as a child ~ a tree house and a tire swing. One day about 5 summers ago my awesome husband came home with an old tire and a long rope and before I knew it we had a tire swing hanging from a very old cedar tree in our front yard. Fast forward a few summers; the kids and I were sitting on a quilt in the front yard, under that same tree shelling peas when I looked up and pictured a tree house in the other cedar tree. All I had to do was mention how awesome it would be for the kids to have a tree house and a few days later big R pulled a trailer into the drive full of materials to make it happen. Two days later we were perched in that tree house high up in the cedar...you could see a long long way ~ it was so cool. 

I wish everyone could enjoy a shade tree and tire swing in the summer.

We were sad to leave our tree house behind when we moved last year, but one of the first things we did was pick out a spot just right for our tire swing. I've learned the last few days that it's the perfect place to hang out during these unbearably hot days of summer. It's perfectly shaded, the kids can play with the sprinkler under the trampoline (without sunscreen) and I can sit and enjoy watching them play (without sunscreen.)  We've gone through what seems like hundreds of water balloons over the last two days and if it weren't for all our beautiful shade trees we would be stuck in the house on these sweltering days.

I have the perfect view of our tire swing from my kitchen window. On those days when the kids are at school and I'm in our quiet home standing there doing dishes, my mind will wander into the future when our children are grown and the only thing swinging the tire will be the wind. For now I will slow down and enjoy the lazy days spent together under the shade, swinging on the tire...

The 105 degree Ride

Let me just start by saying I'm a wimp ~ a really big, I don't like to be outside when it's over 90 degrees, wimp. When the kids found out we had to go to town to round up supplies for their daddy, they started asking to go to the park. With gas prices the way they are I hated to waste a perfectly good trip to town, so we loaded up their bikes and decided we would head to the park with the longest sidewalk. Needless to say, we lasted long enough for them to ride all the way around the park once before we were loading the bikes back in the Tahoe ~ it was hot!

As the kids ride their bikes on the safety of the park sidewalk under the watchful eye of their mom, I think back to the summertime freedom I enjoyed as a girl growing up in small town America. I experienced a freedom unlike anything my kids will ever know. I remember my friend Pebble and I riding over what seemed like the entire town. We would visit friends and  go to a convenient store close to her house and hang out forever playing video games. You always hear people say this and it seems like such a cliche, but things seemed so much simpler back then. A part of me wishes my children could experience the same feelings of freedom, but the other 95% of me is happy to keep them safe and sound and riding on the park sidewalk. :)