Today was a day without great photos. Just the way it goes sometimes. there was staring.

there were more silly faces.

and little boys imitating.

little boys who are just too cute.

going on tippie tippie toes to reach way above his height.

and a big boy who was super-delighted to make it to level two in his swimming class. rock.star.boy.

Things are still going swimmingly here. Life is full but not stressful. I am thankful. I am grateful. I have more to say but I have about 14 posts to schedule (a LOT of art journaling coming up in the next few weeks) so I better get started. I will be posting so much in the next few weeks, you might get sick of me. I hope I don’t scare you away permanently.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for a good dev release despite a few hiccups.
2. I am grateful for finally finally finally having found my art journaling voice….maybe.
3. I am grateful for my husband who is always always always the light of my life.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I played with my lego men. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I had a treat.
3. I am grateful that I moved to level two in swimming.

I am trying to post early today because I have guests coming today and a meeting later so I am just sneaking this in. I love this photo of Nathaniel with his blanket. Look at those eyes.

I love David’s smiles.

especially the huge ones.

then I told him to make a funny face.

within minutes, the little one was making it too.

I love how he’s looking at his brother to make sure he has it right.

And this, my friends, is life with boys.

I love my boys. Crazy as they are.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for good, solid work today.
2. I am grateful for guests tonight.
3. I am grateful for my wonderfully clean house.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I got a rocks and minerals sticker book. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I got a pokemon book.
3. I am grateful that I played with my legos.

Quiet day today even though I went to work for lunch and had to coordinate with Jake and then David went to a playdate so I barely had time to snap photos. But I got one of Nathaniel with his beloved blankie.

And then I tried to get another photo but he wouldn’t accomodate.

despite all my acrobatics, this was the best I got.

when David came back, I snapped one of him. He was considerably more accommodating. This is one of my favorite photos of him.

I am starting to believe that maybe the peace I crave so deeply is becoming more and more a part of my life. I don’t want to say it out loud in fear I might jinx it but I do feel peaceful lately. I feel like I am working on goals I’d like to work on. I am trying to read, exercise, do art, spend time with my family, journal, scrap, and of course work. I do almost all of them every single day. I also rest.

I am learning to find ways to deal with my weaknesses instead of putting myself down for them. I ask for help when I need it and I don’t worry about looking bad. I pay attention to how things turn out so I can remind myself next time I find myself leaning towards worrying. I let myself off the hook more than I used to. I work with my strengths and don’t fight my shortcomings. I try not to beat myself up as much as I used to. I am learning that I am exactly who I need to be. I will work on things slowly because I want to but not because I need to and not because I have to.

I am also trying to be more patient with myself. Not needing to know the answers right away. Waiting for things to unravel slowly and take me down their path instead of designating the path each time.

And finally, I’ve been thinking about the fall and working with my kids’ schedules. David starts a new school. So does Nathaniel. Their schedules will mean coordinating new nap times (Nathaniel), exercise time (me), moving some meetings around, and making sure I am there to support them through possibly some big transitions (especially for Nathaniel but also for David since it’s a new school and new friends.) It will also mean trying to figure out how to do my work efficiently with this new schedule, especially since my work will get considerably busier right on the same day my kids go back to school. While all this really stressed me out for a few days, I decided to just let it go. I planned a bit and then I set up some help in case things go unexpectedly. And then I told myself I needed to let go and enjoy all the days between now and then. That’s that.

So I’m working on it. I think I’m truly embracing my word this year.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for a nice lunch at work.
2. I am grateful that I will meet my friend Holly at a bookstore tonight.
3. I am grateful for a few more weeks of summer.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I watched Harry Potter at Ece’s house. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I traced my Pokemon cards.
3. I am grateful that I played with my legos.

Well the calm, peaceful days continue here. I love love love them. I love how Nathaniel plays right next to me. Creating his own lego constructions.

And David played for hours with his legos today.

He wanted to be in his room so he could spread out and do what he likes. I went up there to snap a photo.

and then around dinner time, they get to watch a bit of a movie. This is a terrible photo, I know, but it’s just to give you context for the next one.

nothing like tiny toes that sneak out of the covers.

Love my boys. Love these peaceful days. Feeling wistful since I know the fall, school and more chaotic schedules are coming up really soon. Alas, time moves and we move with it. The goal for now is just to enjoy these blissful days while they are here.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for getting a ton of work done today. Feeling more organized and in control.
2. I am grateful for giving myself permission to skip Nathaniel’s class today. I feel too much guilt with those decisions but today I let myself off the hook.
3. I am grateful for being in the “can’t put down” part of my novel. I love when I get to this place in a book where I am completely absorbed in the story and really cannot wait to read more.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I played with my Legos. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I watched Stuart Little.
3. I am grateful that I came up with a few lego designs.

Happy Sunday. This morning, I exercised and then it was family photos time. I now snap a few as I set up.

That’s how I get these gems.

See Nathaniel crying? (cause he didn’t have the remote.)

and then getting antsy. He did not want to sit still today.

so we started the tickles early.

but even that was more challenging today so we just took a few. you have to go with the flow with these.

Then David went up to his room to play and Nathaniel lined up the legos.

One fell so he grabbed it.

I just love the way he’s so focused.

And I love that he loves playing with legos.

After a bunch of surfing and reading and napping, I finally got up to sketch and do some art. I love that Nathaniel read next to me while I worked.

And David finally decided to grace us with his presence so I snapped a shot of him, too.

Then it was dinner time and family night time. We played the Dino Math game my sister sent me (thank you Yona!) and then a few rounds of Boggle. Now the kids are doing their bedtime playing and I am going to have a little more snuggle time with Jake before he leaves for a dinner. My plans tonight involve either reading or doing some art, I haven’t decided yet. Maybe both?

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for a super-relaxed day even though I didn’t get any of my todo list done.
2. I am grateful for family night.
3. I am grateful for a few more hours on this Sunday night.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that we have family night. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I played connect four with daddy.
3. I am grateful that I played with my legos.