Photo Friday: Week 23 - Party

It's Photo Friday (a day late again!!!)  Week 23's theme is "Party."

Party Without Adult Supervision.

Party Where the Adult Should Have Had Supervision Herself!

Party at Husband's Best Friend's Wedding.

Please hop on over to Trina's blog (click her button below) to see the other Photo Friday submissions. It's so fun to see everyones ideas of each weeks theme.

Burning Up

In Minnesota we were lucky enough to break some truly awful weather records with soaring high temps on Monday and Tuesday.  Monday it reached 97 with crazy humidity and then on Tuesday it was102 with air so thick you could cut it with a knife... none of that pansy-arse "dry heat".  We were straight up living inside a baking oven.

So in an effort to remind myself why summer rocks (the absolute shortest season in Minnesota), below is a list of 100 things I love about summer. This list was put together by the bestest friend ever and it is not in any order -- just random thoughts.

1 - Green grass
2 - Smell of fresh cut grass
3 - Wading in the creek
4 - Grilling delish food outside
5 - Boating
6 - Swimming
7 - Fresh flowers
8 - Feeling the warm breeze float in through open windows
9 - Outdoor concerts
10 - Sand volleyball
11 - Bike riding
12 - Fishing
13 - Canoeing
14 - Warm sunshine on my skin
15 - Sounds of kids playing outside
16 - Socializing with friends and family on the deck
17 - Golfing
18 - Yard sales
19 - Playing with the hose
20 - State Fair (Minnesota has the BEST State Fair ever!)
21 - Baseball
22 - Bonfires
23 - Gardening
24 - Fireworks
25 - Festivals
26 - Wearing shorts and t-shirts
27 - Eating outside
28 - Car races
29 - Go-carting
30 - Walking around a lake
31 - Exploring and hiking
32 - Going Up North (You have to be Minnesotan to understand...)
33 - Driving with the windows down
34 - Eating fresh fruit and veggies
35 - Going out to eat on a patio
36 - Sounds of the birds chirping in the morning
37 - Home improvements projects (not top of the list)
38 - Blue skies
39 - Fresh air
40 - Jet skiing
41 - Classic car shows
42 - Cute chubby babies in onesies
43 - Puppies
44 - Farmer's Market
45 - Walking dogs
46 - Sunshine
47 - Good jokes
48 - Calling of loons from the lake
49 - Vacations
50 - Summer Block-buster Movies
51 - Washing the car
52 - Impromptu BBQs with Neighbors
53 - Dairy Queen
54 - New swing set
55 - Chalk art with the wee ones
56 - Picking flowers
57 - Gazing down on a beautiful view while sitting on a big mountain
58 - Daylight longer
59 - Spectacular sunsets
60 - Sounds of the waves crashing on a lake
61 - Smell of a lake or river
62 - Watching wind surfers glide across the water
63 - Building sandcastles
64 - Feeling the sand between my toes
65 - Dangling my feet off a dock and in the water
66 - Taking a nap outside
67 - Doing anything barefoot
68 - Rock climbing
69 - Playing outdoor games
70 - People watching
71 - Going to the zoo
72 - Street markets
73 - Balloons slowly floating away
74 - Weddings
75 - Birthday parties outside
76 - Soccer
77 - Crickets chirping in evening dusk
78 - Summer cocktails
79 - Road trips
80 - Heat (not so much, but it's better than hypothermia)
81 - Freckles!!!
82 - Morning dew
83 - Sounds of rain on the roof as you cuddle in bed with a good book
84 - Sandals
85 - Sound and feel of bouncing a basket ball (playing HORSE)
86 - Seeing clothes hanging outside on the line.
87 - Picnics
88 - Mini donuts
89 - Leaves on trees
90 - Fresh smell of mulch
91 - Sound of lawn mowers
92 - Air conditioning (!!!!!)
93 - More skin revealed
94 - Painted toe nails
95 - Cave exploring
96 - Drive-in movie theaters
97 - Beaches
98 - Mini golf
99 - Water park
100 - No winter boots! Or shoveling! Or falling on ice on your heiny!

Stand By Me with Grandpa Elliott

Tuesday's Tunes are back. It's been forever since I've posted lyrics or music. Life has been so overwhelmingly busy, but enough excuses. I am absolutely in love with Grandpa Elliott's voice. I first heard him through a viral email/video. It is now my life's mission to meet the PHENOMENALLY talented and AWESOME voice behind Grandpa Elliott.

Little Princess Begins Soccer

So my Little Princess began her soccer career yesterday and she was so darling that I could't resist posting pictures of her running, all flushed-faced, around her tiny soccer field.  What a doll!!!  She scored the first goal of the game (but they aren't keeping score, of course) and she hung in there the whole time.  Go Princess!!!

Only Girl Left Standing

Big E decided that despite the fact that the girls are supposed to switch to softball this year and be on single-gender teams, she was having NONE OF IT. My girl made me proud by declaring (with NO prompting from her feminist mom) that she positively would NOT switch to an all girl team. She stated that she has always played baseball and often been the only girl and she would keep with baseball this year -- despite the fact that we needed to sign her up in a special way as the ONLY GIRL in a boys-only league. Bestill my heart, I love that head-strong, spunky girl! GO BIG E!

They like her strong arm, so it looks like she will occupy 3rd base from now on.  She's bummed that she isn't pitcher. 
(Better pictures to follow as the season progresses and the weather gets better -- along with my photography skills.)

And Nobody Told Me

As I was perusing blogs I enjoy, I stumbled across the most fantastic "About Me" section at AndNobodyToldMe.com.  It spoke volumes to me and perfectly stated how I feel about my blog and being a mother.  Swing by And Nobody Told Me...

"How many times have you found yourself listing all of the things nobody told you about motherhood?


No matter what your life, your child, your family or your day is like, the constant which unites all of us as mothers is that we try our best just to make everything work. Every morning, we wake up and juggle everything from the amazing high points to the stressful, gut-wrenching low points, to the pile of dishes and laundry.


All the while, we’re carving our way through the most ambiguous on-the-job-training in the world. Here at And Nobody Told Me… we’re making a space to share our experiences and compare notes.


There’s no special handshake, just the quiet understanding every mother has for another.


Motherhood is a secret society, you’re already a member."

Photo Friday: Week 22 - Looking In

It's Photo Friday!  Week 22's theme is "looking in."  While we were playing on the big green chair (pictures linked here), Big E was peeking through the rock sculpture and I was able to catch the snapshot below.  I love the clarity and way you are able to see her curious expression.

Please hop on over to Trina's blog (click her button below) to see the other Photo Friday submissions.  It's so fun to see everyones ideas of each weeks theme.