Today I am grateful!

I am so grateful for so many things today

• I am grateful to be a stay at home mom again. After six weeks of working full time I look forward to cleaning, organizing and getting back into balance again.
• I am grateful for my kids kicking it into overdrive for Mother's Day when hubby was out of the country. I woke up to all of the above hearts on my door...love it!
• I am grateful that allergy season is coming to an end...although it seems to be getting worse first.
• I am grateful for SURVIVOR. E is ending 6th grade and has had friend drama. She relates it to the characters on Survivor and is able to talk it out in a logical way. Unfotunately, there is no way to vote off the island!
• I am grateful for hubby being home again! Now we (the dog and I) can sleep soundly again.

for major eye candy and inspiration check out this post!

Relay for Life- 2010

Last Saturday I did the most amazing thing! After I finished this, I participated in Relay for Life. Cancer affects us all and I feel this cause is an important one. My kids and I arrived around 4pm to walk the track and man our booth. Our team was parents and kids from school. It was a blast! The kids and I spent the night and left to go home around 6:00am.

These are luminaria bags. They line the entire track, as well as spell out HOPE and CURE on the bleachers. Each bag is made "in honor of" or "in memory of" someone who has battled cancer. I urge you to look for a local event in your area and make a team!

Easy and Yummy Centerpieces

Some friends of mine and I hosted an appreciation dinner for some women at church. I was responsible for the centerpieces. I wanted to make something edible. So I did fruit kabob boquets.

I used watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, cherries and grapes.

After cutting or "balling" the fruit, slide it onto skewers. Use a head of lettuce in the center of the pot to stick the skewers in. Voila!

where have you been all my life?

My sweet mom called me the other day and told me a neighbor of hers was getting rid of a tea cart. My mom took it for me, sight unseen. I have to say I trust my mom wholeheartedly, but I was a little nervous. Especially since I am not usually into wood tones...there's always paint right?

But when I saw it, I knew just where it would go...and it is perfection just as it is! This corner of my dining room was empty. The proportion and size are perfect! Plus, I love how all the woodtones highlight the whitewashed dining room set.

Have your ever gotten something unexpectedly and then wondered how you ever lived without it? The best part though...now it shows off my Grandmother's china. Isn't that what our homes are all about? Displaying the connections we have with those we love? Now I have another treasure from my sweet mom that I will cherish.

Oh and by the way, that painting hanging above it was painted my Grandpa (the one who was married to my Grandmother who's china it is)

"they" said it couldn't happen~ my 300th post!

Do you see what I see?

Three years ago I planted Peony bulbs with hopes of glorious blooms one day! Many told me that they just don't grow in our zone. The first spring, nothing. The second spring, a small bud that never bloomed. The third spring, THIS spring, I have 6 buds that look strong enough to bloom! I am so excited!

anything is possible!

Yosemite, CA

You know blogging life is bad when a friend writes on your Facebook wall to make a blog post! I don't mind gentle reminders since they tell me that people are actually still reading! So sorry I have been a blogging dud lately!

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E and her 6th grade class took a fieldtrip to Yosemite a couple of weeks ago. She had so much fun! She really wanted to take us and show the family all that she learned. Grandma and Grandpa happen to be in town on their way to Idaho so they joined us too.

Since we are only 2 hours away, it made for a fabulous day trip! We are so lucky to have a gem so close by!

El Capitan

The temperature was about 70 degrees but they had just had a snowstorm the week before. Perfection!
On E's fieldtrip they had climbed the boulders to lower bridal falls. So we had to do it again. It was a lot of fun!

Not bad pictures for an iphone!
According to hubby we couldn't leave Jupiter behind! He really had a great time too!

My Spring Break To Do List

Happy Spring! I have to say that this is my favorite time of the year! Sadly I have not felt it since our temperature has turned chilly AND the fact that I am working full time between now and May. But I have 9 more days of spring break so here are the things I plan on doing-

• Watch General Conference in my jammies!
• Make rice krispy treats for hubby's birthday (they are his favorite)
• Read Brava Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
• Run 9 miles the first Saturday and 10 the next
• Eat some See's chocolate from my Easter basket
• Go to the eye doctor
• Take a day trip to Yosemite
• Hang with my sister
• Many, many, many Wii tournaments

I am sure more will pop up, but for now it sounds perfect to me!