I’ve been a bit remiss in taking photos lately. I find myself even more distracted and frazzled than usual. I am trying to work and get things done but I am also noticing that my focus is not fully there. I am still pretty tired from all the garage work. Nathaniel is getting up early and I am not sleeping well. So I’ve been short and impatient. If it sounds like I’m complaining, I am not. Just trying to pay attention to what’s going on so I can be more present.

Nathaniel’s been doing well, though. He loves playing with David’s toys. Especially the noisy ones.

And the legos that fall off the table.

For lunch today, I decided we all deserved to snack outside so we grabbed some cheese, blueberries, and graham crackers and just enjoyed ourselves.

then i asked David if I could snap some photos of him. I got this sort-of smiling face.

And this funny one.

Feels like a long day today. I think I am going to read David’s book for a bit (I bought him a book that will help us teach him how to read.) and I will read my novel and then off to bed. I hope you are doing well and thank you so so so much for the kind, generous comments you’ve left for me. I cannot tell you how much it means to me. Truly truly. Bless you.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for the opportunity to create a bit today.
2. I am grateful for the kindness and support everyone’s been pouring here and on FB. I am a programmer and i always dream of being an artist but i am always full of self-doubt so every little kind word is huge huge encouragement to me. I am so grateful for it.
3. I am grateful that the last piece of furniture we need for the garage is coming so I can be completely done with that project. It already feels wonderful, and once I am done with this bit, it will feel amazing.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. doing somersaults in the living room (I should have photographed that, eh?)
2. playing with my legos!
3. daddy.

So remember the email I talked about on Monday? The one I couldn’t believe. It was from Tim Holtz! I know many of you are not scrappers and it might be meaningless to you but I promise you I fell of my chair when I got the email. I was confident it was a hoax. He said such kind kind words about me and I was so deeply touched and honored. I still kept pinching myself a bunch but today he told me that I can officially say it out loud: I am on Tim’s design team. He has so many amazing products, such a wide wide range that I am a lucky lucky gal!

Between Tim Holtz and The Girls’ Paperie and A Million Memories. Could a gal get happier?

Since I am sharing some scrappy news, I also won the My Mind’s Eye contest at two peas and I have two layouts picked up for an online magazine. This is why I have been feeling like the most blessed soul ever. I am never ever confident about my art and would be the first to tell you all of its flaws but all these events are really helping me feel better and more hopeful. Mostly, thankful and grateful. So so grateful.

Ok apologies for all that, and thank you for letting me share my good news.

Besides the excitement from all that, I tried to work hard again today and stay on top of my work and all of its tentacles. The donation truck came and took away half the stuff in the garage (yey!) and the garage project is 89% complete, way way less painful than I imagined. Wee. So we took a little break in the afternoon to walk to the corner store and get some ice cream since I’d promised David yesterday. I had yet to get a photo and I couldn’t get one where Nathaniel wasn’t sucking his thumb.

This one’s even worse but it was the best I could do today.

And then not to miss him, I snapped a bunch of David, of course, too. Not the best photo at all but still….

Love love love love my boys.

Jake came home and helped me a bunch in the garage, and now i am really ready to relax. Watch some TV, read some, whatever. Up since 4:45am, it does eventually get to you. I still have yet to write about July and August, but I haven’t forgotten I swear. Just been a hectic week so far.

I hope you’re doing well and I hope many great things come your way, too!

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for the amazing opportunity to design for Tim Holtz. What an incredible honor. And so thankful to Margie, too. Without her I wouldn’t be here.
2. I am grateful for the kindness of friends who have been so supportive and happy for me. It’s not always easy to find friends who are genuinely happy for you when good things happen and I am so happy to have them. So grateful.
3. I am grateful it’s Wednesday. This week has been whizzing by and I have yet to do art but I am looking forward to the weekend, to sitting and playing some.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. ice cream with mommy and nathaniel
2. having indiana visit this afternoon.
3. daddy.

Today started pretty quietly with the kids playing together, which has to be my favorite thing to watch.

Except for this. This is my favorite.

They are watching TV.

And David hugs again. He is so good to his brother.

Then we played outside for a bit. He’s so beautiful even with teeth missing.

And I love this one, too. Even with his funny looks.

He loves being outside and so we needed to find a hat for him to wear. He thought this was funny. But didn’t wear it for too long.

It’s stunning to me how much he looks like me in this photo.

And coming full circle, they played a whole bunch more inside. Simple, happy lives we have.

I had a fantastic day. I exercised, I got a lot of work done, and played with my kids. I was waiting for one email which never came but unexpectedly received another amazing email that I still cannot really believe. More later, assuming it was real, I promise.

Finished my book, but off to start another. And maybe scrap some. Or not. Let’s see.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for the incredibly kind email I received today.
2. I am grateful for happy outside time which we’re all getting a lot of lately.
3. I am grateful for the generosity of strangers. I’ve been trying to get David signed up for the school bus and this lady at the office has been kind, generous and patient with me. I truly appreciate that.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. my legos! (still)
2. doing multiplication with mommy.
3. daddy.

I had read about this cafe near our house and had been wanting to go. We finally had to opportunity today. And David was mostly excited cause it meant he didn’t have to eat his veggies.

Nathaniel had a boo boo in his chin but he was mostly in good humor.

So I just snapped as many photos as I could.

We ate a delicious meal at this super-nice cafe and then came home to a relaxed afternoon. I’m still reading my book, it’s consuming my minutes. Took a little time to play legos with both of the kids for a while and we had a lot of fun. And Nathaniel can now reach David’s table almost with ease. Which is how a lot of legos go missing.

I am going back to my book. I’ve thought about August and have some plans. I also want to tell you about my July project and how it all ended. But none of that will happen until I finish my book.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for a sweet, wonderful family lunch.
2. I am grateful for good books and a lot of sleep – both of which I had this weekend.
3. I am grateful that my todo list is really short. I am not sure why and I know it will soon be long again so I am trying to enjoy it while it’s the way it is.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. my legos!
2. going out to lunch.
3. daddy.

My plan today was to spend a lot of time resting. Nathaniel woke up too early again but I just closed his door and let him sit in his bed. Which he did until around 7. We then began our day, eating, them playing, and me reading. I finished my book from last night and started a different one. I spent most of the day relaxing and reading. David played wii.

Nathaniel took his nap, woke up and ate while Jake mowed the lawn.

He liked watching his dad.

Then the two of us went to a local cafe. Had some fruit, sandwich, coffee, and muffin and bought some groceries and came home. Nathaniel wanted to play some Wii too.

But, mostly, he ate the remote.

Then the kids started melting down a bit so we ate some dinner, bath time and Nathaniel is already sleeping and David is in his room, reading. I am about to go back to my book. Plans for tomorrow: more of the same.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for a lot of quiet time.
2. I am grateful for summer fruit. I love fruit and it’s great to have so much of it.
3. I am grateful having a cafe I like nearby. It’s nice to sit outside, feel totally not-rushed and read with my little boy. True luxury.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. my legos!
2. playing wii.
3. daddy.