New project...ME!!!

We all have issues...I have issues...my issues (right now) are ME.
I have mentioned in the past that I have issues with the fact that I always said what I wanted to be when I grew up was a mom.  Plain and simple.  It was my calling.
The thing is...no one ever mentioned that my kiddos will grow up.  Yep.  They grow up.  What??!!!

Look how sweet they are?!  So not fair!!

Hmmmmmmm......................................
So I have been trying to figure out what's next and feeling a bit down about it.
I have talked to C and he gets it but he also doesn't get it.  He likes that I am here for our kids.  He likes what I provide our family.  He is fine with whatever I want to do but he wants the kids to be the priority as do I.
What I don't think he gets though is my dissatisfaction.  I don't get it either.  What do I have to be dissatisfied about?  

I always ask myself  "What do you want to do/be?".  I hate hearing myself say it.  It sounds so spoiled, so entitled.  Most people do whatever they need to do to make things work but I feel the need to figure out what I want to do.  Does that make sense?  I want to enjoy what I do.  I want to feel fulfilled.  I want to do something that enriches my life in some way.

Then it hit me...I am looking at this from the wrong angle.  I need to look at it from my family's angle.  What is it that I provide to them?  I am lucky enough to provide everything for my family.  I need to remember how important I am to my kids.
MY family needs me to be an AT-HOME mom.
That is it...my kids and my husband need me to do the job I have.  Yes...I have a job...it's called Mom and I am really good at my job.  I need to be proud of that!  I really love my job.  I truly believe it's what I was meant to be and isn't that what we all strive for...to be what we were meant to be? 

So I guess I have been needlessly searching for something that I already have.
Perspective is such a good thing.  I feel I can see things in a new light now and that feels good.
Maybe that would help everyone out there who can't seem to find satisfaction in what they do.  Try to see it from the perspective of your employer...try to see what you provide them and that might bring a little more satisfaction.
You may not get a "Thank You" as often as you deserve but you must still remember your worth.  My family couldn't do without me doing what I do.  C could not do what I do nor would he want to...I couldn't do what he does and I definitely wouldn't want to.  We are where we are suppose to be.  

Ahhhhh!  Love these guys!

I have every reason to be satisfied, proud, and happy...I think I already am!  

Close...

Hi everyone.

I am close to getting my act together and getting this blog back.

My computer took a nose dive into computer hell so I don't have any pics for you but...

Here's what's been going on...

Katia started 8th grade, her 4th year of violin, enrolled in her 5th session of ice skating (loves this!), and has more friends than she knows what to do with.  She informed me she doesn't know what to do about 14th b-day party in January because she wants to invite about 50 girls but also have a sleep-over...yea totally NOT doing that!!!  The eye roll I perfected in the 80's to my Dad's dismay can totally be used here.   

Zander started 6th grade, began trumpet in band, also has tons of friends plus 1 girl who continually throws acorns at him while he and his friends walk home from school...she likes him!!  So cute but I think he is about to start throwing back.  Watch out Lee!

Lili started 3rd grade, will begin violin next week, loves her new teacher even more than last year and has play dates out the wazoo.  Sometimes I don't even know they are gonna happen...for example...last Saturday I was sitting at my back porch having a glass of wine with my neighbor and great friend Debbie and one of Lili's friends and her mom just stopped by to see if our house was really our house (her daughter thought it was but they weren't sure)!  BTW...just stopping by is totally a Midwest thing...you would never do this in our old hometown...Boulder, CO.  Her comment..."we are totally going to be great friends...wine at 3 on a Saturday is right up my alley"!  Cool!!  So glad I make such a good first impression!

My hubby is working his butt off at work and really making some amazing changes to a very out of date company.  He is bringing them into the 21st century!  We don't get to see him enough but things will only get better.  Thanks Babe!

As for me...well I feel like I have been floundering a bit lately.  When I was a kid and anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I always answered "a mom".  Always.  I love my mom and she did such a good job raising my sisters and I.  To this day I still expect that if I call my parents house, my mom should be home and waiting to hear from me.  Just sitting there waiting!  I loved relying on that as a kid and I like that my kids have that same thing.  The one thing no one reminded me of was that kiddos eventually grow up.  They don't really need me at home all day.  When they are at school, I am finding that I am craving more...something else besides laundry, dishes, vacuums, toilets, and tv. 
We shall see what I figure out.  I will keep you all informed! 

And in other exciting news...It's my FAVORITE time of the year...FALL!!!

Source: blomsterverkstad.blogspot.com via Edna on Pinterest

Happy Family time, Football, cozy, comfort food and cool nights!

Hopefully I will be back soon with some pics of our summer...Chow for now!

Grandma and Grandpa!

Visit #2:  G and G came to visit and we had such an great time.  They arrived a day early and stayed a day longer (for them, that is amazing!) and we filled our days. 
We now live very far away from them but we live in a place that is great to visit in Winter and I am hoping they will take advantage of that and stay a lot longer during those freezing winters that WY endures. 

Some of the fun...
Day 1-Friday, hanging at home

C getting oranges from the tree in backyard!

Thanks Aunt Lori and Daniel...these guys loved the goodies G and G brought!

Earning a little $!  Quote of the day, "Grandpa, I charge $3 but I also accept tips!"  The girl knows what she's doing!

Day 2-Myaaka State Park and Siesta Key Beach

Visitors must go to Myaaka State Park! 

They were finally out and they were everywhere!  We saw so many this time.  Very cool!

Siesta Beach...the kiddos made this incredible volcano and used their swim tubes to make it work!  Very, very cool!

I love this picture!

Day 3 was spent at home watching the Daytona 500!  I was so into the race that I forgot to take some pics...it was a really fun race.  I am a new Nascar fan!

Day 4-our favorite place Anna Maria Island!

Anna Maria Island City Pier...celebrating 50 years!

G and G!

Enjoying Happy Hour at the AMI City Pier Restaurant!  Thanks Gramps!

Happy Kiddos!

Day 5

We had a wonderful visit!  I hate saying goodbye...so it's so long for now!

I moved...

...my sewing room that is!  A lot of you know we live in a much bigger house now and space is abundant.  One of the things I was psyched to have in this new house was a room all to myself for sewing, computer, writing, etc.  My own space, my hideaway!!!  Our home in Colorado was one C and I bought in 1993...we were 23 yrs. old and we thought the house was amazing.  It had a huge backyard, a 2-car garage for C, a large master bedroom and 3 other bedrooms that we used for misc. other things.  We didn't have kiddos until K arrived in January 1999 so there was lots of space.

Over the years those 3 extra rooms were used for many different things.  Sewing/craft rooms, C's hobby room, computer room, eventually kiddo rooms and then the office for our company.

We grew out of that house years ago but always seemed to make it work.  The living room started as the hangout for parties, throwing darts and watching movies.  Then became all things baby...swing, bassinet, toys galore and then held the sewing area where I started A.Lovely.

It was a well-used, well-loved house!

We moved to Florida in 2010 to be near C's family and our new house is much bigger.  So much bigger that we are sometimes at a loss for where to put things, ironic huh?  The funny thing is the kiddos, C and I are not used to it.  We grew used to being close together and always knowing what everyone was doing at any time.  This is the reason why my sewing room has moved...I couldn't get comfortable being across the whole house and never got anything done except when kiddos were at school.  So, the dining room is now mine and I am thrilled!

Have a look!

Still organizing but looking at this pic makes me happy...kiddos were happy too! 

What can be better than fabric, a sewing machine and a hot cup of coffee?

I love the window!

Notice the kiddos have a table in there too...we like to be together!

So we are slowly getting settled in, making this house work for us.  I am thrilled we all like to be together...they may make me feel crazy at times but I guess I would rather them want to hang with me than the alternative!! 
I am thrilled with where we are in life right now and look forward to making this my best life!
Might as well right?!

We got this in the bag!!!

My kiddos think this is SOOOOOO ours.
HGTV Dream Home!

My girls have picked out their bunk, they are this close to having the bus route to the slopes mapped out, they love the car, K is nearly cooking in the kitchen already, and the downstairs family room is all theirs.  I actually forgot to register a couple days ago and my littlest came running into the office after I had tucked her in and said goodnight just to remind me to get that done before I turned off my computer.  It's just that easy! 

Check out the video or view the pics and daydream to your hearts desire... HGTV Dream Home!

I have already done a bit of daydreaming myself...slightly different though...my dream is to have that exact same house in Wyoming next to Mom and Dad.  Do you think they can move the house?  It's just that easy! 
I think anything is possible.

I am off to do a little more daydreaming...maybe a little sewing too!

Karaoke Night!

I am not a big Karaoke fan...in fact I had to look up how to spell it but my kiddos love it.
I do love watching them.


They got the High School Musical Sing It for Wii last year from their Baba.

It's a riot!  

Trying to do the copy the dances is fun but it much more fun to just be crazy!

This one is the star...she loves to shine for all to see!

I love that their personalities shine through...Z hates to make mistakes and tries to be very precise. 

Hello, can you hear me, is this thing on??!!!  Yes honey, we hear you loud and clear!

Just another fun night at home.  C has the tv hooked up with the stereo so when we watch movies, we have great sound...it also makes for a wild (i.e. LOUD) Karaoke night!

Thanks for the entertainment Baba!!

Hope you are all enjoying your Holiday break with your kiddos!!

"These are a few of my favorite Christmas things!"

We all have Christmas decorations that we love and every year when they get unwrapped it's always like, well...Christmas.  But I am sure we all also have our favorite ones...I definitely do.  

This was an old postcard I found in an antique store.  I used a cute holiday fabric and adhered it to the mat, then did the same with the postcard.  The frame makes it perfect though! 

This is Katia's and she adores him!  He is pretty handsome.

For the ever important Christmas cookies!

Our family's favorite holiday treat...Cranberry Bread.  I could eat this all year but the cranberries disappear soon after the holidays!

All wedding gifts from our December wedding 19 years old ago! 

I have many silk poinsettia stems that I place all over...I love them so much!  They look amazingly real too.

My favorite...my kiddos!  The joy just shines through them!

Happy Holidays to all!

This doesn't happen in Colorado!

Oh it rains in Colorado but nothing like this...this is crazy rain.  It's comes down in sheets, literally.  Once second it is raining so peacefully and then you see the sheet coming towards you and WHAMMO, it's a torrential downpour.  It's like someone just turns the faucet on and then off again.  It's really amazing.  The streets become flowing streams in a matter of minutes. 
The kiddos think its the best thing and love to run out and get drenched.  I am sure the neighbors are wondering what the heck but hopefully we put a smile on thier faces too. 

On this day, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the truck to pick our MASSIVE pile of debris that had accumulated during our yard cleanup.  It was slowly drizzling and the kids thought the guy with the truck and the massive claw was pretty entertaining...

 then this happened...

and this...that is not hail just very large raindrops.  The poor cleanup guy just didn't stand a chance!

Not one to like being left out, Zander soon joined in on the fun (easy entertaining 101!).

I forgot to mention, this was about 8 in the morning...it was already so humid and hot, the kids loved the chance to cool off.
Like I said, it's amazing and from what Carolyn, my MIL says, it's not even rainy season.  Yicks.  I guess our new winter gear will be raincoats, rainboats and umbrellas!! 

Gone fishin'

We decided to take the afternoon and go fishing.  We thought the perfect spot would be old HWY 41 which used to cross Tampa Bay.  The state has since built the new HWY 41 (Sunshine Skyway) but kept part of the old and turned it into a very long fishing pier. 

We found the perfect spot and parked it for a couple hours.  It was a really nice evening...I just hung out, took pics, and read my book.  Only every once in a while I hollered at the kids to keep their feet down.  Yicks...a bit nerve raking...you'll see in one of the pics below.

The Bait

The Prep...such a great Dad!

The Gang!

The Catch!  They weren't keepers but they were still fun to catch.  They had sharp fins though so tough little buggers.

The Pelicans...they were everywhere and very fun to watch!  In the background, you can see the new highway.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge...it's very big.  This is the reason for the new highway.  As Tampa got bigger and the port got busier, the bridge needed to be tall enough to let the big cargo ships in. 

The Sunset...so pretty!