Day 27 - Summer Blog -

The Sun has risen; the sun has set. How quickly it goes. The summer is hastily moving along - full of hot weather, days at the pool, playgrounds, hikes, and LOTS of ice cream. The BBQ has yet to cool down between evening meals; and the small children bathe away the chlorine, paints, sand, and sunscreen.

My 7 year anniversary also rolled on by - I spent the evening lounging at the rooftop pool of the Westin in Denver - followed by a swank dinner uptown ~17th & Park at a little place called Strings - sipping martinis at that outdoor patio - and then back to the pool for a little rooftop lounging and drinking...sitting in the middle of the lit up city - the sun setting over the mountains - the stars our of arms reach above us. It was lovely and perfect and one of my best experience :) - True story :)

Back to sunshine and heat and parks and pools...and the beat rolls on. And Im grateful for it all. Oh yeah, the kids yell - and scream - and cry - but the wine keeps pouring, i've got my babies, and for now, they're still in love with me - i've got fresh veggies from my garden. Its good livin'

Yay Summer.

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me"

Here's the thing...its good to be a dreamer. My new goal - to be happier where i am (as previously mentioned) BUT not giving up on my dreams. And i've got them - all be it small and plain...I have dreams and i'll never let them go. They involve my family seeing my kids grow...though they grow a little bit more each day - and this seems less and less likely - i refuse to accept the notion that my kids will grow up without their families. Of course, this is their reality and part of being happy is learning that some things wont change (and both sets of grandparents work so very hard to keep us close, even from a distance. So really, im v. lucky). My parents used to asked me to move closer to them...though they would never move closer to me at the expense of their happiness or comfort or well being. Im not upset with them - I get it. They LOVE where they live and couldn't imagine leaving it - especially for CO. It doesn't fit them. NC doesn't fit me, and truthfully Buffalo doesn't quite either. I am sad though that there is no middle ground.
So I'm here and they're there. and No one is coming this way and we're not going that way.............but............but...............
but i hold onto my dreams. And i always will. In my head - those dearest to me are just down the road. And we BBQ and shop for Christmas trees and go to the farmer's market and they stand up and clap at my kids graduations and there is someone there to hold my hand when im feeling alone and sad...
but then in my dreams the sun shines, i have friends that just drop by, my husband is home with me and the kids, and every weekend is an adventure.
It's good to have dreams - never stop dreaming.

"So forget the map, roll down the windows, and whenever you can pull over and have a picnic"

I think it's a beautiful thing - leaving behind all the baggage and looking for the simple things in life. The small triumphs, simple pleasures, and the joy to be found in such moments. If i can do that, then all the big crap wont matter so much. I guess its about appreciating not just what you have, but what you dont. Great things are out there to be accomplished and had - and im not saying not to try to be your best you. But maybe, there's a place to be found that leaves all the worry out of the when's and maybe's and if's...I've found things will happen in their time if you let them, and in the meantime - there is so much to revel in day to day.
This is not easily done - appreciating the space youre in - But i do believe it is possible. I remember a time when what i had was enough..."All i need is song in my heart, food in my belly and love in my family..." Family is a funny word...family can be the people you share each day with, it can be a true friend, or the people you love from afar - sometimes it was literally me, myself and I - It can be All those things really...i think i need to remember this most of all. Loneliness might be the shadow that walks in my footsteps, but i am never alone.
Anyway, I leave this bit of self reflection with a quote or two...

"Open up your plans and, Damn, you're free." J. Mraz

"Simple is Good"
"Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody.
It's a good life, enjoy it." J. Henson

This Old House...

And now its time for everyones favorite game: "If it ain't broke, Dont fix it" with your host Kim Smiley *wink

Can you guess what's left standing at Kim's house today...if you guessed her front window....EHHHH, that broke straight down the entire front panel. Try again....whats that you say, the screen sliding door???? EHHHHH. That broke yesterday when her husband was throwing the dog outside to do his business , yanked open the sliding door and collided with the screen. One last guess viewers...if you said the back shutter, yooooouuuu're WRONG. No, that blew away in a wind storm last month. The correct answer is, the four damn walls have not given up. (Applause Applause Applause). Thanks again for playing this round of "If it ain't broke, Dont fix it!" We'll see you next time folks. :)

Day 3 Summer Blog - We went to the Animal Fair - The birds and the beasts were there

Day 3 began much like the previous two...sun, children buzzing like jackhammers that someone forgot to shut off, coffee...having not had any luck with fitness the previous days, i decided to sequester myself upstairs; one can only imagine how this feat of ten uninterrupted minutes was achieved - if i had a clue, trust me, i would use it more often...i digress - i did my guaranteed* "Six Steps to Courteney Cox's Bikini Body" and felt so energized and ecstatic afterwards that I thoughts I would corall the small ones for an adventure to the wild...i.e. the zoo. We pack a picnic lunch of stinky tuna sandwiches and snacks - with reserves in tow, a.k.a. Husband, we took off for the zoo. Traffic on the way there - duh. Insane crowds, double-duh. Had a picnic in the family transport - it now smells like tuna that's been left in the sun (I will never find that crust of bread). We had special VIP family privileges that allowed us to pass the lay man waiting on a line of 4,000+...we pulled out our "membership cards" and quickly bypassed the throngs...only to walk immediately into more throngs once inside. Ahhh, children in their natural habitat - cavorting with wild animals, ya know, safely behind 3 inch glass partitions, sipping on Slurpys looking irritable and bored. Well, not entirely true - the python was a hit. Both the hippo and the rhino made an appearance, so that was cool. Though, even the elephants looked a bit Blase' - I swear one even rolled its eyes, while the other literally leaned its trunk against a wall. The orangutan had her newborn baby clinging to her back and swung two stories in the air away from the onlookers. I felt both sad and embarrassed. A mother trying to keep her baby safe from the faces pressing against the glass - it looked like she was searching for a modicum of privacy and settled behind a thick piling at the back of her room. I teared up and wanted to scream for everyone to get back - but found when i turned and saw the small newborn peek around her mother with curiosity, its gaze settled on my face - i couldn't help but turn entirely toward the tiny one and stare with a stupid look of wonder. A mother of any kind, looking at a bright eyed child - you cant help but smile broadly. I shrunk away from the crowd with bittersweet grin and moved on to the gorilla habitat. They have proved to be equally magnificent and captivating.
We finished our trip past the okapi, and Kudu around by the giraffes and out the Entrance/Exit. The whole expedition took under 3 hours - yet felt like surely it had been closer to 6. (Or so said my back and knees and patience told me). We took an alternate route home and stopped to get the children some ice cream - complete with servers on roller skates.
Having spent the day busy and full of treats, the Husband and I felt comfortable enough "mailing in" the rest of the day.

*Six Steps to Courteney Cox's Bikini Body makes no guarantees that workout will result in a figure anything near Cox's own. Let's face it, she has money and a personal trainer and you have an article online and your bedroom.

Day 2 Summer Blog - Fun in the Sun

It was a hot day - clearly affecting the little ones moods. The smallest was particularly uncomfortable from the heat - making her prickly and poopy. No really, it was the second day in a row we had to leave the fitness center early due to poop related reasons. The elder two were disappointed to leave so early - though surrounded by boundless toys - the T.V. proved yet again the most captivating entertainment in the room and I found myself eager to free them from its terrible grasp. The highpoint of the day would soon come, when the lads were put to work - washing the family transport. I watered the surrounding vegetation, picking my way through the flora, the occasional high kicking run away from a pesky buzzy bee; the lads were busy scrubbing the car in the grueling heat. Safari hats of Superman and Backyardigans were adorned - while i turned over the hose to what i was sure were capable hands. I could be heard saying...
"The first person to spray someone in the face is going to their room!"
It was the perfect lazy day afternoon. Blue skies and puffy clouds right out of The Simpsons' opening sequence - recliners in the shade of a tree - the children laughing and playing with the water hose.
The day finished with cold watermelon and ice cream. If there was yelling, I cant recall - if there was arguing, I cant say...there is just the image of the small children smiling on a golden summer day.

Thoughts? Obviously, I have an opinion, but I'd like to hear yours?

Anyone have an opinion on Rihanna's new video "Man Down"....?