{yestserday, today and tomorrow}

we finally got out of the house this morning before 9:30:)
i knew we needed to start practicing that "get up and get out" thing so the first week of school wouldn't be such a shock. (secretly i just missed panera) so we went for breakfast and to the library.
we shared peach smoothies and
chatted.
we left the library with a bag of books and smiles on our faces.
i love how the library can do that for us.

the girls spent the rest of the day
making up dances
texting and face timing their friends (?!)
reading and writing letters.

i tried to squeeze in a few things from my crazy to-do list.
remember i said i was motivated...

i have this monster ambitious list i am trying to tackle this week.
i want to feel good and accomplished so next week...our last week of summer...we can chill.
funny how almost everything on my list is blog and photo related!:)
believe me this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as things to-do goes...i was trying to keep it somewhat doable!:)

having a big list can take it's toll though can't it?
i have skipped working out this week, which i hate to do...mentally i just need that.
but that time came in handy in the wee dark hours for this morning person.
my kitchen table shows the signs of  my project a.d.d. too.
but i see an end in sight and it feels really, really good:)

gap had a huge sale on wednesday.
the big girls and i went out to dinner at panera (i know twice in one day is craaazy!)
then picked up a few things for school.

everyone was smiling.
most of the time.
those regular size dressing rooms can get kind of tight with three people in them.
especially when one of them keeps dancing to the very loud music gap plays.
can you guess which one?!?!:)
she says she can't help it...when she feels the beat she just has to move!:)
ps it was janey

dave had fun with just aubrey.
after dinner they went to dairy queen for a mini-blizzard.
he said she kept snuggling up on him in the booth and trading bites.
at the end of the night she said...."do riley and janey know about this place???"
sweet.

**********

thursday we tackled something on our summer list...the pool.

we were supposed to go with friends but they had to cancel so we braved it alone.
the girls were beside themselves with giddiness.
they have so much fun i know we should go more often.

after aubrey came down the slide one time she just broke out in dance.

i guess i have another one who just can't keep still when they hear music:)

it was a beautiful day that ended with a hair appointment for me.
i really did listen to that "note to self" i wrote last year about coloring my roots before first day of school photos!:)
oh how i love that hour and a half of peace, quiet and people magazines:)

 

**********

tomorrow the craziness of rec. soccer begins for us.
dave is coaching both girl's teams again so between two games and practices each week we have soccer every day except sunday. i am really not ready for this but i am trying so hard to have a positive attitude. i know we need to simplify like crazy. (maybe that is another reason i am trying so hard to get some things done now)
easy meals
no big projects around the house
low key time planned for the girls.
the positive benefits certainly outweigh the negatives...i just need to keep saying that to myself over and over for the next 6 weeks:)

so what have you been up to?
any big things on your list you are trying to check off?
one of my most daunting tasks (getting photos and documents off the external hard drive) turned out to be easy peesy...sometimes the things we put off the longest turn out that way don't they? so jump in...you may be surprised:)

have a happy day,

cindy

{thankful for}
1. highs of 76 today
2. snuggle time on the sofa
3. chocolate chip muffins cold out of the fridge
4. clean water
5. friends

{Florida}

we had paper chains, tally sheets and posters to count down the days till we left on our epic summer vacation. to say the girls were excited was a major understatement! it was the first time we were driving all.the.way.to.florida...the first time we were linking our florida and georgia trips together and the first time we would be gone from our home for three weeks. ever. did i mention it was epic?

we made it pretty far that first day. i guess leaving at 4:33 am will do that for you! i honestly think the girls were almost as excited about staying in a hotel as they were about the whole trip. seriously what is it about hotels and kids?!? i guess i know what it is...they can swim and they have your undivided attention...no laundry, dishes, yard work or computers to pull you away from them...they have you right where they want you...in our case it's the pool!

this is a crazy blurry red-eyed shot with my phone...
but i couldn't resist that early morning three sister hotel snuggle.

we could see those familiar trees at last...we were close and we could feel it!:)

every summer when we visit our family has a little birthday bash to celebrate riley and aubrey's birthdays and janey's half birthday. this year we went bowling and the girls had so much fun.

i think daddy had fun too.
these pictures just warm my heart and crack me up all at once.

i think he really thought he was driving...ya know those snowmobiles are tricky to maneuver...!!!:)

thanks for the fun party!!

we had three glorious days in a row at the beach.

the weather thoroughly cooperated...not too sunny...just right.

perfect for taking a plethora of pictures.

i tried to pick my favorites but it was just too hard.

so get ready...

:)



i think that's melty granola bar on her face:)

whew

are you still with me?

don't know what it is about taking pictures of them at the beach.

especially aubrey.

i guess it is one of the few places she will sit still long enough:)

the girls had such an amazing time this year.

aubrey would have dug and played in the sand for hours.

she was a bit scared of walking into the water but loved to go in if we held her tight.:)

riley and janey loved going waaaaaaay out to practice body surfing and jump those waves.

i remember doing that all day as a kid and when you would go to bed that night you always felt like you were still riding over those white caps!:)

we collected so many shells and can't wait to get them in a pretty little jar tied up with twine.

the beach filled us all up this year.

thank you so much to our family for showing us a good time in the sunshine state.

we love you all and

 can't wait till next year.:)



**********

update

just realized i never blogged about last years trip to florida!!!!

guess i was slackin last summer too:)

so...just incase you haven't seen enough beach photos of the girls you can pop on over to take a look at last years trip. they have grown quite a bit i must say!! haha

i did learn one thing though...i was waaaaay better with my camera last year...i sooooo need to get motivated to tackle that baby...again!!:)

**********

on our way up to GA we stopped by to visit my grandad and catherine in melbourne.

they were so excited to see us.

it was nice to have lunch and visit for awhile.

we all wished it could have been longer.

next year we promise to play a little pool with you grandad!!!

{um...hi...it's me}

yep...really me
taking long unscheduled breaks seems to be the norm around here!:)
i went away.
came back.
then went away again...this time for three weeks.

maybe i'll just let dave take over the blog.
he seems to be pretty popular!!:)

**********

my girlfriend me time in fl was the bestest.

we were missing one of the fab four so things weren't quite the same.

but we managed to make a memory or two:)

we ate.

we spa-ed.

we shopped.

we chatted.

we took life slow.

it was heaven.

i think our spa day had to be my favorite.

no surprise there i guess.

even though really the simple easy moments of sitting on the sofa in our pj's chatting was pretty up there too.

i would have loved to wander around this place a bit more

but the fl rains blew in and had other plans for our day.

i am so grateful for my friends.

they make life so much richer.

and i'm so grateful for a hubby who makes this yearly adventure possible.

**********

try as i may these last few weeks of summer i have not been able to sit down at this computer.

i know in my heart this is a good thing.

but i can't help feeling sad about all the little things that make up our daily lives being lost.

moments that never made it down on paper or got captured in a photo that we will someday forget.

so i am dusting off the keyboard.

struggling to remember how to create a post and upload a photo.

(seriously it took me a sec on blogger it has been a long time!)

and jumping back in.

with both feet?

maybe not...but lets just say i'm gonna try:)

i am armed with this new found sense of motivation.

i'm sure it has everything to do with school looming and the beginning of all things structured and routine knocking on my door. but whatever it is i'm gonna embrace it.

hopefully as well as i embraced the no stress carefree days of summer.

can't wait to catch up with you all soon.

have a happy day,

cindy

{thankful for}

1. family and friends to visit and miss

2. a new candle

3. a clean and newly organized garage

4. daughters who rock my world and fill my heart

5. dave who does it all