What a Difference a Mountain Range Makes

So last year summer in the Pacific Northwest was crap!

I mean it seriously sucked!

We MIGHT have got two weeks of okay weather in August, but that could be a stretch.  I was losing my mind with all the “when will summer get here mommy?” questions. 

Us Pacific Northwesterners tolerate the rainy fall, winter, and mostly spring seasons to get to what we all think is the most glorious weather in the world during the summer months.  Yeah…last year it didn’t happen.

So when it looked like we were heading down the path of another rainy horribly cold summer.  When most of the days in June so far looked like this:

 

We are fortunate to live in a state where a short 3 hour drive over the mountains can land you in almost a completely different world.  Dry and warm, but still beautiful.  And our favorite place to go on the other side of the state is at a lake!  WIN…WIN…WIN…WIN!!

So that’s where we are now.  So we can get this

And see the gorgeous blue sky like this

And okay, have some more of this

What???  It IS summer after all!! 

Three boys around each other, all day...every single flipping day?  Yeah....wine is a necessity for summer!

How have you been enjoying your summer so far?  How has the weather been in your neck of the woods?

Project Chickville

Have you been to one of those wall to wall trampoline places with your children yet?  If not you should!  It’s a ton of fun and wears the heck out of your children.  Lots of exercise and lots of smiles equals a win-win in my book. 

Now, that I have you thinking about a big warehouse with trampolines on the floor and the walls, add some on the ceiling.

Then add a bunch of boys jumping all over the place.

Then add Legos, lots and LOTS of Legos all over the trampolines.

And Superhero action figures.  You can’t forget those.

And Hot Wheels.

Throw in dirty clothes with emphasis on the stinky socks and that right there my friends is my house. 

All boy! All. The. Time. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a ton of fun at the same time.  I mean who DOESN’T like jumping on wall to wall trampolines! 

But there are times during the day, week, month where I would like a little something that screams GIRLY!!! 

Or a room in the house you could walk into and say to yourself, OHHHH a girl lovingly decorated this room and it looks like her personal space.

There is a TON of talk on the internet and within the media about men having a “mancave” or a “manland” in their home.  But my whole house IS in fact the definition of “manland”. 

What I need??  What I really really need is some small place girly that I can go to to get some “me” time.  What?  It could happen….someday right?

I’ve recently decided that that place, lovingly named as Chickville is going to be our Master Bedroom.  The décor of which up until now could only be described as a clean modern day frat house. 

I’ve started with small steps.  Small steps like an actual bed frame with a headboard, and nightstands to match.  Whhhhaoooo!!!

Then, just recently I purchase honest-to-goodness grown up, pretty bedding to go with the furniture!! It’s the little things, you know!

See!  Pretty right?  And dare I say sort of girly even!

It’s currently a work in progress, but it’s a FUN project and I’m excited!

But I would love your help.

Are you game?

Would you mind sharing your secrets with me?

Here’s what I’d like to know…

What would you do to a space in your home to make it your very own Chickville?

Sunday Sweetness ~ That Smile

This last week Buggy turned two.  TWO!  I only wish that was a typo!

I don’t know where the time has gone. 

Well I do.  It’s gone to diapers, and bottles, and spit-ups and ear infections.

But it’s also gone to snuggles, and kisses, and endless hours rocking him to sleep. 

It’s gone to trying to figure out how the world works.

It’s gone from cooing, to babbling, to talking and actually being understood.

It’s gone from trying to focus on his brothers, to watching them intently, to actually keeping up with them….well, at least half of the time.

It’s gone to little giggles in the beginning, to full on make-me-laugh-so-hard-I-cry belly laughs. 

It’s gone from grinning because of gas to a full on smile because he’s happy or finds something funny. 

And that smile….that precious amazing, light-up-the-world-smile.  Well it keeps this mommy searching each day to give him something else to smile about just so I can see it.  Just so I can see those eyes light up and his face exude happiness. 

Because this smile…

I’m convinced could very easily conquer the world and cure whatever ails it!

Happy, Happy Birthday dear sweet Buggy.  You were the biggest surprise of my life, and the best gift anyone could ever ask for.  I am humbled and honored each and every day to hear you call me Mama.  That role is my biggest joy in life. 



One Moment at a Time

I’ve heard about it.

I knew it existed.

I swore I wouldn’t be affected by it.

I was wrong.

That thing that everyone who has a blog inevitably talks about…..BALANCE.

And that one word?  Yeah, it beat me to a pulp.

When the little eyes of my children peered over the top of my laptop followed by a little voice asking “why are you on the computer so much?”  I knew I had failed at finding that balance. 

So I did what I had to do. 

I unplugged.  Completely unplugged from all things social media related.

And I plugged back into motherhood. 

I paid attention, played more, snuggled more, and even slept more. 

But more importantly I thought more.

More about how to find that balance, and I’m not sure I have the answer. 

But I do know this.  I promise to write when I can; when it doesn’t interfere with family life and motherhood life.  Because that to me is what life is all about.  This space is where I share all the craziness of a life outnumbered by boys, but I cannot share those little tidbits of life if I’m not living that life. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m here; I’m more focused than ever before.  But I also have a little bit more…dare I say, balance then I did when I started this blog almost a year ago. 

And I can’t think of a better comeback than to be over at one of my favorite places in the whole wide world.  I’m over at The Kir Corner today talking about one of my Proud Mommy Moments.  Kir is amazing.  I mean, A-MAZ-ING!  Everything she writes is liquid gold.  She oozes talent with every stroke of her keyboard and her personal strength is something that has me in awe every single time I read the stories of what she went through trying to conceive her adorable twin boys.  Besides, she loves cupcakes…and shoes!  I told you she was amazing!!  I’m absolutely honored beyond belief to be over at her place and I’d love for you to join me.  

Having SNOOOOOWWW Much Fun!

Cheesy title I know but how else do you describe this...

Or this.....

We've had a fabulous snow storm in our neck of the woods for the last few days.  This kind of snow is rare so when it comes around we choose to get out and enjoy it. 

Other's in our state are calling this storm Snowmageddon, or Snowpocolypse!  We get seriously panicked when the word Snow is in any part of our newscast!  It is hilarious to watch people going to the store and stocking up with enough food to literally feed an entire army, just to be "prepared" for the SNOOOWW!!!! 

But whatever people choose to call it, and however they choose to handle it...at this house we are having a blast in it. 

It just makes you want to be a kid again doesn't it?

So tell me...do YOU panic or play in the snow??

My Favorite Kind Of Decorations

In our house, we LOVE decorating for the holidays.  It doesn't matter which holiday.  We just love to have a little something (or a lot in some cases) in the house to celebrate the occasion. 


We have lots of decorations to choose from but my all-time-without-a-doubt favorite decorations??


These...

I absolutely LOVE and ADORE the boys hand made decorations that they make at school.  The house is full of them.

These hearts just went up today to prepare for Valentines Day.  I have kept every single decoration they have made throughout the years.  I can't wait to see if they bring home more this year to add to our collection!    

My house may not have a "theme" or a "feel" to each room.  It may not have fancy decor perfectly placed to accent the room...blah blah blah.  But you can't say my house isn't decorated. 

 

 It IS....with my children's artwork and I wouldn't have it any other way!! 

Take THAT Martha Stewart!! 

Linking up again with the fabulous Liz for #iPPP

In Sleeper Mode

This blog that is, not me.  I’ve done everything BUT sleep lately.

Hey there my dear blog!  How the heck are ya??

I’ve missed you.

I’m still missing you.

Here’s a little tidbit about me, Hopes, the author of this blog (just in case you were wondering or forgot, or was saying to yourself…ummmm WHO are you again?).

When I get overwhelmed I shutdown.  Like go into robot mode to do what has to be done during the day, but any kind of creativity in any area of my life is shot…type of shutdown.   

The holidays tend to overwhelm me at times but this year was a doozy!  We had to get our recently torn up house ready for our annual hosting of holiday events.

Here’s another insider tidbit on me.  I LOVE entertaining.  LOVE IT!  But, I tend to be a bit…just a little itty bitty bit of a perfectionist when it comes to hosting events/dinners/parties/gatherings/anything-that-requires-entertaining in my home.  

I succeeded only about 80% this year, in my “I’m not a perfectionist” way of seeing things.  We didn’t have a powder room, and two main rooms of our house were missing sections of carpet BUT we had walls and molding that were up and painted, doors hung, and hardwood floors one finish away from being actually finished. 

Why were things unfinished?  Because I put a stop to the repair work so that my kids could have a Christmas tree in their house for more than 2 days.  So that we could dance to Christmas music while putting up our decorations and make our previously draped with plastic home festive again! 

Because my children having decorations, and spirit and memories meant more to me then having floors completely finished and bathroom fixtures installed. 

So I learned the art of improvising.  I put furniture and a Christmas decoration over the missing carpet area in our family room.  I just ignored the demolished and ripped up playroom that everyone had to go into to use the restroom and I decided to just sing “Jingle Bells” in my head instead. 

I was thankful that everyone who entered my home was family either by blood or by friendship and they knew the situation and understood.

Because the bottom line is it’s not about the place, but about the people. 

And I’ve got amazing people!! 

BUT, it zapped all the energy out of me. 

For almost an entire week after Christmas I sat in my PJ’s watching my kids (who were also in their PJ’s) happy to just be home without having strangers (aka construction workers) here.  I watched them play with their Christmas loot and just be comfortable. 

So yes, you can say this blog and what I put into it has been in sleeper mode for much longer then I would have ever liked it, or expected it to be. 

Here is the last tidbit about me for today.

I write when I have something to say.  I write when I want to express myself.  When I want to brag or nag about my children, when something strikes me as funny, interesting, fantastic or off-the-wall.  I may be random at times….oh who are we kidding, ALL of the time. 

But one thing is constant.  I always write from the heart and I’m always real.  I don’t try to fill the pages just because I think I should write when I don’t have something to write about.

So the crickets you’ve been hearing on the board?  I’m hoping that this post is going to silence them…even just a little bit. 

My creativity has been displaced for the time being.  I never knew how much went into choosing the correct color/shade/style of carpet.  Or how many bathroom vanities were out there to choose from (a freaking MILLION in case you were wondering). 

But I’m here.  I am.  I’m just in a strange current within the sea of testosterone that consists of construction and Star Wars Legos/figurines (yeah, that’s a story for another time)!

I’m coming back slowly but surely.  I believe I’ve hit the maximum taps on the snooze button and it’s time to come back to play!

Are you ready?





How do you keep your creative juices flowing??