inching my way back

Apparently I've taken an unsolicited internet break. It's not something I had planned on doing, it was just something that happened. This week my minds been heavy and I haven't really had anything to share. In truth, I'm not even sure I do now, but for whatever reason I am inclined to write. I actually had to go back to my blog to remind myself what was the last thing I wrote about. I didn't realize it had been a week since I blogged, and yet I did know because I haven't really stepped foot in my studio all week. I mean, aside from helping Megan with her Susan B. Anthony biography report, I haven't touched my computer. I'm just now importing photos from this past week and reorienting myself with my machine.



So what have been doing with my time that I usually use to post? One word, reading. Escaping into someone else's world so I didn't have to think about the heaviness in mine. Do you ever do that? Of course often times reading just gives me more to think about. I love it when a book teaches me, inspires me, or in this case simply reminds me to keep moving even if it's only an inch at a time.

These two quotes have been on my mind since I heard it while listening to Cutting For Stone. I enjoy the productivity that can be had while listening to a book, but have decided the downside to it is 1) you don't get to smell the book and 2) once I'm done I have to search around for all my randomly placed slips of notes.

"The key to your happiness is to own your slippers, own who you are, own how you look, own your family, own the talents you have, and own the ones you don't. If you keep saying your slippers aren't yours, then you'll die searching, you'll die bitter, always feeling you were promised more. Not only our actions, but also our omissions...become our destiny."

"She died chasing greatness and never saw it each time it was in her hand, so she kept seeking it elsewhere, but never understood the work required to get it or to keep it."

Have a fabulous weekend everyone and thank you thank you friends for helping the heaviness ease.

xo

fall break

The girls were lucky enough to have a weekend sleepover extravaganza during their fall break. First at their Nana's and a visit to the scarecrow festival,


[photo taken from robyn's blog]

then to our house,


[ I made a mistake by taking this picture. The light woke Megan up which in turn woke up the rest. It was an early morning. The big girls slept in Bella's room.]


[The pillow was whitney's attempt to not be in the photo. I try to be so sly, but it doesn't always work.]

and finally, Bella and Tess at Whitney's for her birthday party and Megan at Olivia's.


[photo taken from Jill's blog]

It was a busy weekend.
A full weekend.
One of those weekends you feel lucky and grateful to have.
Grateful the cousins live close enough to have these sleepovers.
Grateful to Nana, Jill, and Robyn who love my kids enough to invite them over (I know they can be a handful).
Grateful for time to spend with Adam alone.
Grateful to know I was giving someone else a break.
Grateful to spend time with my nieces to get to know them even better.
Grateful for time to rejuvenate and miss my three.
Grateful to be apart of such a loving giving family.

It was a great weekend.

guilty pleasure

Remember when I posted about almost going to Las Vegas? Well, I'm still not going, but as it turns out my mother in law had some fun things planned for the kids that weekend and she would still like to have them come stay with her. Come again? It's such an unbelievable offer it almost doesn't seem real.

I think I may have said numerous times, "Are you sure? I feel like I'm taking advantage." Well, I'm sure it is a little bit like that, having 48 hours at home without my kids is a dream, but I will say it no more and just enjoy this kid free weekend in bliss. I'm so giddy about it I can hardly stand it.

So I don't have a clue what I'll do...perhaps some reading, creating, organizing...the skies the limit. Whatever it is I feel so grateful for this little weekend break.

Thank so much for doing this Kathy.