5 Mommy Routines to Track in your Planner

As a new stay at home mom, there are several things I didn't know I'd need to keep track of in my planner!  With a little guy at home my routine has been shaken up, to say the least.  And then every dang month the routine changes.  Of course this is how it goes, right?  But when you're thrust into this for the first time, plus add in mom brain on top of that, keeping track of things can get daunting.

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I'm a planner girl and a planner person by nature.  With Marcus home for the first 3 months I was searching for anything that would give me a sense of structure.  It wasn't until he was about 4 months old that we got any semblance of a routine.  Then we were throwing starting food in the mix, gotta brush the teeth, now we're eating solids 3x a day, AND at one point he had a prescription to take.  That's a lot of stuff for one mamma to handle.  I've got like 77 habit trackers in my planner right now!

Before we dive into the 5 routines stay at home mom's should track in their planners I want to share with you two things: first, check out this video on how I made a daily routine page for Marcus at 6 months & second, check out this post on tracking spirituality in your planner because some of the tools can be the same.  But lets jump into the list.

Cleaning Routine

If you've been following the blog for a while you'll know that one of my biggest goals EVER is to have a sustainable cleaning routine.  I've got post after post on cleaning here on the blog but my two favorites are this one on creating a cleaning routine and this one on the 3 Waves Cleaning Method.  Just like with the old house, when we moved I broke our new house up into zones or sections and clean one zone a day.  I created a routine page for my planner and then each day I clean that zone for 30 minutes.

Morning/Evening Routine

Getting ready and unready for the day can really set the tone for yourself.  Waking up with intention and going to bed with intention can mean you get the most out of each part of the day.  I have a few chores I like to get done before the baby wakes and after the baby goes to bed.  It is also important to prioritize your time and couple time when you're a mom (or a dad).  Baby's shake up a lot of stuff and getting down a simple morning and evening routine that can revitalize you is important!

Feeding Schedules

I am obsessed with structure.  This is hard to manage when naps and appointments and big poop blow outs can throw things off.  But you can create a general daily schedule for yourself and the baby to track in you planner using hour stickers, daily pages, or an hourly planner.  I have a loose idea that Marcus will wake up at 7 am and eat, then eat cereal at about 8:30 am, then go down for a nap around 10 am.  I started with an app on my phone when Marcus was born to kind of gauge his schedule, but again it didn't get really cemented until about 4 months.  So don't stress about this in the beginning!  I don't want you to get stressed out when the baby's needs are all over the charts but I can understand the need for some semblance of a schedule.

Bath Time/Teeth Brushing

We bathe Marky boy everyday as a part of his night time routine.  (Night time routines are important for babies, why the heck wouldn't they be important for us!?!)  But not everyone does.  The Happy Planner has a Pregnancy sticker book with bath time stickers.  Use these to mark the days you give the little beeb a bath.  Things can get busy so maybe you can't bathe them one night.  If you start to track it then you'll know if you've gone a little two far between baths.  Marcus has just broken two teeth so we've been starting to brush his teeth and gums.  I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to do this though!  So I have a habit tracker dedicated to it in my planner now!

Meal Planning

Of course we all know at the end of a long day - whether you're a stay at home mom or work outside of the home - the last thing you want to do is make dinner.  I stink at this right now but meal planning is a great thing to track in your planner.  Use something like a weekly sticker to write out what you're going to make and track the use of leftovers.  I've not been doing this like at all!  Even at the beginning of the day I don't want to think about dinner! And now that Marcus is eating food I've got to think about feeding him too?!?! I share in this post 3 ways I prep food easily for him.

Being a new stay at home mom has created a new routine for me and I need to keep track of it!  Whether you use different stickers for different routines or a planner layout (like the Teacher planner layout), tracking what needs to be done when can give you an idea that you've got your day under control!  I really have loved creating these little daily schedule pages for my planner.  Marcus is constantly growing so it's been wonderful to see how his schedule has changed as he's grown.

What mom life routines do you track in your planner?

xoxo, Moe

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Five Family Goals to Set for 2020

It is hard to believe that the newest decade will begin in just a few short days.  We've ended this last decade with a bang - I paid off both my student loans and my car, we got married, we got pregnant, we had the baby, we paid cash for a car, we moved to a suburb of Detroit, and I became an accidental stay at home mom (hopefully its just temporary!).  Typing that out, it seems like we jammed a lot into the last two years but honestly our family really formed over the last decade:

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I bought a 1997 Buick Regal in 2010 and started my last year of college.  I graduated college in 2011.  I moved in with  my BFF and started my first job.  I got another job.  My BFF got married. Zach and I met in 2011 (this post is about when we met but half of the pictures are missing!).  After being together for a short 4 months Zach left the military, moved back to Michigan, found a job and house.....and then I moved up there in August of 2012. I talk about my life over that last year in this post.  We stayed in the apartment above the garage at his parent's house for about a month-ish until we moved into the house.  We remodeled the house.  I got a job. We remodeled the house again. I bought a new car.  Zach got a new job & went to Korea. We said we'd try that job for a year since it involved a lot of travel.....Zach kept that job for about 6 years. We lost our dog. We got a new dog. I went to Korea. We drank too much in Japan.  We traveled the world.  We decided to settle down.  We went to Korea one last time with my BFF.  We planned a wedding.  I paid off my student loans.  We got married.  We got pregnant.  I paid off my car. We had the baby.  We paid cash for a bigger vehicle. We packed up the house we built this life in.  We moved to a suburb of Detroit.  And now we're patiently waiting to start the next decade.

That was the last decade in a nutshell and it was a ridiculous ride.  I'm a vastly different person than I was a decade ago and I'm doing (and planning) vastly different things.  While long term goals involve things like finding a new job, there are a few goals I want to set for 2020.  I hope they inspire you, too.

Give More  

Before I knew I'd have such a hard time breastfeeding I'd hoped to be able to donate breast milk.  Since having a hard time breastfeeding I've decided to focus on donating to organizations that support maternal mental health.  I hope to donate clothes, toys, etc to a second hand shop here supported by an organization that serves survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.  I hope to start an annual birthday tradition to give to organizations we care about.  I hope to pass this to Marcus as well - in honor of his first birthday we'll donate toys, money, or time to an organization we care about.  Then eventually I hope he'll choose an organization to support.  One of my biggest personal mantras (I'd guess you'd call it) is when you have, give.  It is the reason why I tip well.  It is the reason why I'm patient.  It is the way I try to live my life.

Start a College Fund

We actually just got the info in the mail from our financial adviser on starting a college fund.  Getting and paying on my student loans has really inspired me to start a fund to alleviate some of the burden of higher education.  Zach decided to join the military to pay for his schooling and that has been a blessing financially for us while he pursues his master's courses.  Seeing where the price of higher education is heading - like it's really scary - make me what to prepare him as best he can.  The best part of this fund is that it can go towards trade training as well!

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Eat Dinner at the Table

Marcus is going to be moving into solid foods here shortly so I want to make it a priority to eat at the table.  (We just put together this high chair and I can't wait to use it - he's getting so big!) Previously, Zach and I would eat where ever.  It was just us and it didn't really matter so we ate dinner in the living room off of the coffee table, ate breakfast in the bed, ate lunch at our desks if we were crafting and gaming.  I can say we probably ate around our table maybe a dozen times the 7 years we were in our first house.  We both grew up eating around the table and its important to us to build up a family relationship.  I also want to start some dinner time conversations so we all can be creative and share what we care about.

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.  This is one of my newest mantras for 2020.  We aren't in the financial situation we'd like to be...but we prepared for where we are.  Zach had been looking for a new job since our wedding because we knew we'd be 'settling down'.  It just so happened that right after I pushed out Marcus he got a call for the job that had us move.  The possibility of our lives being uprooted in more ways than one was very real to us so we started to prepare.  I realize that saving, budgeting, etc is a privilege that a lot of people don't have and in our situation we are still able to give...which circles back to the first goal to give and trickles down to the next two.  With gratitude comes abundance.  I posted this quote on my Instagram in August 2018 and I hope to continue to live by this as we move into 2020.

Use Technology with Intention

I've been zoning out to the TV and Instagram for a while now.  Staying at home all day is lonely especially with a child that can't talk yet!  I know when he starts talking he's not gonna be quiet!  But things like Instagram have been a distraction rather than a productivity tool.  There's time I'm spending zoning out to Catfish during nap time that I could dedicate to my online endeavors - the blog or YouTube or Facebook - and to finding a job. Job hunting is discouraging!  I never thought I'd want to stay home with my kid but these past few months have been eye opening.  Using technology intentionally should be a way to refocus on finding the job I really love.

Over the course of this blog I've struggled a lot with goals.  I'd set them and then forget them.  I'd set too grand an expectation.  Eventually I started with something I called Four Simple Goals where I set out to get a few things done each month.  Then I set up a Vision Planner and started doing a word for each year and I think I've developed quite a good way of making my own progress.

I hope to be able to blend these goals with my word of the year for 2020: Harmony.  There's a lot that is new so I've got to find Harmony with it all!

If you'd like to learn more about my goal journey, click through some of the links above.  And if you'd like to discover how 2019 treated you and how you'd like to enter 2020 check out the past two years of January Journaling Jump Start.  Even though one was for 2017 into 2018 and the other for 2018 into 2019 you can totally do them for 2020!  Who knows...maybe I'll have a set of prompts for 2020, I just haven't had the time!

What are your personal and family goals for 2020?  How do you plan to take action on them?

xoxo, Moe

Favorite Places for Custom Holiday Cards // Zazzle & Minted

Now that Thanksgiving is officially over and we can now freely admit that our trees are up (and have been up for about 2 weeks), it's time to start on the holiday cards you know you should send out each year.  I have to say - this year is the year to send them.

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all images are used from minted.com and zazzle.com

There are two places I highly recommend ordering your holiday cards from - Minted and Zazzle.  And don't forget this weekend is prime savings time (details below!)

Minted

this card features real foil detail!  Find it here

Minted is an A+ place to order anything from, in all honesty.  This site offers artwork, notebooks (and planners!), holiday cards, wedding invites, and much more (like, look at this fabric!) all created from quality artwork and customized by you.  This amazing online market places sources talented artists to create works for you to purchase as designed or customize yourself.  The curated works on the site are truly inspiring and breathtaking.  The images appeal to a vintage meets modern aesthetic while offering a wide variety of designs.

this card features silver foil!  Find it here.

An interesting part of the site is that the artwork and designs featured aren't just curated by the site itself, but by the consumer.  Artists submit their works and the consumers of the site rank and vote on each design.  Minted then curates the most popular designs for customization and print.  Each designer can upload to their design shop and have Minted fulfillment process turn the design into a reality.

find this design in assorted colors here.

When it comes to Holiday cards, the designs are limitless.  Choose from a modern postcard to a chic letterpress and wow your relatives with your custom creation.    You can even get free printing of addresses on the envelopes!

Right now, they've extended their Black Friday pricing - 20% off holiday cards & gifts $150+, 15% off no min. Code: BF2015, exp 11/29 (see details here)

Zazzle

A broad market place for all things custom, Zazzle offers countless products to be customized countless ways.  From acrylic trays (see a DIY here) to custom flasks, to wedding invitations (check out the wedding suites offered in the Five Sixteenths shop here.), to holiday cards, Zazzle is a market place for anyone any everyone with a creative bug.  Catering to a wide variety of aesthetics, the endless products on Zazzle allow for any Plain 'Ol Joe to Design Team Suzie to create and sell their creations.

Through Zazzle's fulfillment process anyone can post a design for sale - meaning that the variety is clearly endless.  Choose from post cards, folded cards, die cut cards, matching postage, and envelopes - there are combos galore.  Feel like you have what it takes to design your own card?  Use your favorite design machine (or even PicMonkey!) to create a design 100% custom to you!  Zazzle's fulfillment process will bring your dream into reality!

find this design here.

I love the new die cut cards feature.  The different shapes make your holiday cards (or any cards or invitations) very unique.  Creating a one of a kind holiday memory to send to your friends and family.

Right now Zazzle has an assortment of sales going on, including 50% off site wide!  Details are here.

So, if you haven't yet decided on your holiday cards this year, I urge you to fiddle around with both of these sites to find the one design that makes you feel merry and bright.  And, like I mentioned above...don't forget that it is sales time!! Not only are both sites having AWESOME sales, Zazzle has 10% cash back through Ebates!  So if you haven't signed up for Ebates - an awesome, no joke way of earning cash back on your online purchases - do so here!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday with your friends and family, and I can't wait to get started on the Christmas posts!

xoxo, Moe

The Way We Love Our Pets

A few weeks ago my family dog passed away.  His name was Rudy and my parents got him my freshman year of college.  He was like a little furry, four legged brother to me and I am still very upset by his death.  He took me to college, cuddled with me on holidays, and always loved talking to me on Skype.  To some people this may seem weird but to our family Rudy was everything, he was as much a part of the family as a blood relative.  He went everywhere with my dad - rode on his shoulders in Lowe's and in the car, hung out a baseball practice, etc.  He had tons of neighborhood doggie friends.  He was a great cuddler and a good listener.  I'm sure we've all told him secrets that only he knows.

(photo taken by my dad, he was such a photogenic dog!)

To some, this seems weird.  Others don't grieve for their pets the way we do.  We didn't have a pet for so long and it seemed like once we got Rudy there was no other pet in the world.  It is really weird to have a thing that you care for that loves you unconditionally.  He loves you when you're sad, when you're happy, when you're frustrated.  He loves you when you don't even think he does.  To a pet you are their whole world and it saddens me to know he will no longer be a part of ours.

After he died I began to think about grief.  I realized it was a really selfish sort of thing....you're sad because you've lost something important but then you start to think 'How am I supposed to' do this or do that.  'How am I supposed to move on?'  Grieving is weird and it is even more weird when you're grieving for a pet.  But honestly, when something so tiny depends on you so much and then all of a sudden they aren't there.....its super hard to understand.

Anyway, I'm missing little baby Roodle a whole heck of a lot.  My cousin sells a line called Origami Owl.  It is a jewelry line of customizable lockets that you can fill with charms, inscription plates, etc.  The line is really pretty and I made a memory locket in memory of Baby Roo.  Some times the way we love our pets is intense and to the ends of the earth.

We all loved you Baby Roo.

xoxo, Moe

My First Project Life Album

Well, isn't this a long time coming?  Today I want to share with you a picture heavy post - my first completed Project Life Album!  In the next week or so I'm going to share with you my journey with Project Life - what I've learned, what I will continue to do, what I hope to do, etc.  Today I just want to share with you my first experience with Project Life.  I tried a few things, realized I didn't like a few things, and really fell in love with the process.  So get comfy, this is a picture heavy post!

This album goes from when we first me in October of 2011, to we we moved to Michigan, to when we moved into the house, through working on the house, and ends after Christmas 2012.   

More photos after the jump!

4 Board Game Recommendations

In February one of my Four Simple Goals was to play more games together.  Both to play with together & play with others we know.  We were fortunate recently to be able to play games with some friends.  We've had some friends come here & we've made trips up to see friends and family.  Zach's friends & family are way more into board games than my family was so learning to try new games is something I experience often.  Recently I have the pleasure of playing some fun games & want to recommend some to you incase you're looking to add to your collection:

If you're looking for cooperative try Forbidden Desert (or Forbidden Island)
This game is great if you're into working together.  The premise of the game is you've crashed in a desert & you must find all the pieces of a flying machine to get you and your fellow players off the desert before you're swallowed by sand.  If any of you die, you all lose.  You play different role that can do different things on each turn benefiting you & others.  The board changes after each turn once you draw storm cards - moving the eye of the storm around the board, piling up sand as you play.  If any one runs out of water or you run out of sand pieces the game is over.  This is a great game to play with friends who can plan & anticipate and really encourages team work.  If you have a group of friends that can really do some great team work this game will really do it for you!

If you're looking for some strategy & maybe some cut throat action try Settlers of Catan
This is one of the first games Zach & I played together.  If you want to try a bit of friendly competition & strategy this game is a good introduction.  It can get cut throat even though it's not that serious, I promise!  You play as settlers attempting to develop holdings of land, resources, and ports on the board which is set up randomly each time.  As your settlements grow you get points.  Points are also added for achievements such as the Longest Road or Largest Army.  The first to 10 of these points wins.  The cut throat part comes when one player has a monopoly on one resource & resources are used to buy road, settlements, & cities which get you the points.  It's a quick play and a nice intro to strategy games.

If you're looking for a fun one on one video game and you liked Tetris, try Doctor Mario for Wii
Found in the Wii channel store, Doctor Mario takes you back to the original NES system for a nostalgic puzzle game.  This is an easy play & great for one on one loafing on the couch.  Match & remove virus' before your opponent removes all of his.  Match two or more rows & give your opponent a surprise by dropping an unexpected color block on what they were working on.  There are levels from easy to hard & two player options.  The Wii version has extended the story as well.  Purchase this for $10 through the Wii Channel store.

If you're looking for just plain cute family fun, try Oh Gnome You Don't
Play as Gnomes moving through a fun forrest trying to gather as many gems as possible through sale & brawls.  Move & draw cards, sell items, & challenge your fellow players all in good fun.  This is a great family oriented game, great for younger players too.  There's no cut throat play here - just good fun.  My favorite card is the Oh Gnome You Don't! card to play to stop an action on you.

So there are some of my favorite games to play with friends and family!  Zach & I get on a Doctor Mario mini marathon sometimes but you can also play one-player to boost your skills.

What are your favorite games to play?  Are you a board game time of person?

xoxo, Moe

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Sum Up Sunday // Chilling with my Gnomies

This past week I was lucky enough to have a visit from two of my aunts & my gramma.  I was so excited to head out for dinner & have them over to show them the house.  We headed to Olive Garden & ate a lot of salad, then we all ordered our usual meal - mine is always Stuffed Chicken Marsala.

While they were waiting for me to get off work they headed over to the house to get a preliminary look at our pretty yellow house.  They also went & saw the light house here in Michigan City and did a few other touristy things which we haven't even done yet!  I can't wait for it to get warmer!

I gave them a little home tour, we visited in our awesome living room for a while, we Skyped with my mom and dad, & Zach showed off some of his cool finds from the bookcase.

Unfortunately we didn't take photos until lunch at Wendy's the next day...whoops!  But the Easter Bunny visited (unexpectedly) after I'd told my gramma that I couldn't find the chocolate covered marshmallows that my granddad ate around easter.  A bag full of candy, family is amazing!

Oh, and the Easter Bunny threw in a very gangster gnome to add to my collection.  He's now keeping watch over the window plants.

It was a great little visit with family that I'd only seen through Skype over the past 7 months!  It's so great to connect with family at any time :)

xoxo, Moe

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Sum up Sundays // An Empty Apartment

Zach's last day here in VA was Friday, he left on Saturday morning.  Which means today marks the end of the first 24 hours.  It took nearly everything I had not to break down at work through the past week.  Friday was the worst, but I got through it in part to reading this post about Long Distance Relationships (or LDRs).

I hope to document how things go for us on our journey through an LDR & hopefully find some fun Long Distance dates to go on.  We especially need to Skype & watch Stargate on Netflix since our after work activities generally consist of that.

We got together with a few of his friends for a Mongolian BBQ going away party.  I had a yummy drink & we sat for 3 hours talking.  And by we I mean that I had no idea what computer jargon they were spouting out & flipped through instagram.

I think one of the hardest parts I'll face when I decide when I am going to move to meet him is going to be making friends.  I always get nervous that I'll never be able to make friends.  When I was in college I thought the same thing & came out with some great friends.  I do know that I may be able to meet up with some up north blog friends (Kristin, I'm talking about you!).  I don't know what opportunities I'll have to make friends, I am really a home body type of person.  But if Zach has friends he's hanging out with, I'd like to have some too ya know.  

About mid stage in packing.  Man I thought we'd never get done.  I hate packing & moving so I tried my hardest not to whine and complain.  I did whine a bit on Wednesday but Thursday I just moved whatever needed to be moved.

Who would have thought old military undershirt things and PT shirts would be good packing material.  But we used those + grocery bags on all the plates & fragile things.

I packed away Zach's movies & games and came upon the movie that started it all.  The day he made me this lunch on our second date we watched Stargate afterwards.  This is also the first movie where we cuddled (awwww...)  Now we watch the episodes on his DVD collection & are up to season 9 of SG-1.

He found a few MREs when he was cleaning so we had a yummy & also incredibly gross dinner of military issue food.  We sat in the floor of the living room with boxes around us & ate.  It was as if I was in the DHARMA initiative.  I am going to have a little vlog/video up soon of our experience with it that I took on my phone for lack of anything to do in his empty apartment.

I took this photo while he was going over to turn in his keys.  I took the key off my key ring and gave it to him as he begging me not to cry.  He's begged me not to be sad this whole time & I just can't help it!

So now its the waiting game & I don't know what to do.  I've spent this weekend with my grandma & aunts.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory & had a yummy dinner and dessert.  Spent the night talking about pottery & watching NCIS.

I hope your weekend was a pleasant one!  What did you do?

Sum up Sunday // Donut Run

There are many awesome women in my family but on my Dad's side I have to say that my Gramma, Great Aunt, & two Aunts are the best.  Whenever all of the family is in town, we always run to Krispy Kreme.

Their donuts, hot & fresh, are to die for.  We grab a cup of joe & sit down with two dozen donuts (one dozen is for breakfast the next morn) and laugh the time away. 

Part of the ritual of the donut run is to wear the sacred Krispy Kreme paper hat, which we didn't see when we first walked in this time!.  Once the hats were located I snapped a picture.  I swear you can tell we are all from the same family.

We talked about Valentine's day, men, & diamonds.  Everyone (except me) had a few hot flashes & then we were off.  It is times like this where I am thankful for the family I have.  Spending time with the people you know will always be there for you is so much fun.  There was much donut on chins & coffee on faces.

Today would have been my Grandparent's 57th wedding anniversary.  This is what made the donut run a little bit sad - knowing that this time my Granddaddy wouldn't be at home waiting for leftovers.  Since his passing, it's been good to see all the family but it's been hard knowing that the things we always do are lacking one person.  My Gramma was 16 when she married my Granddaddy at 18.  They snuck off one day (she told me it was a warm day) & got married.  Their engagement had been announced in the local paper with no wedding date set.  They snuck off with his sister to the court house, lied about her age, & got married - right then & there.  Last night, when talking about the chocolate diamond necklace he bought her for Christmas, she mentioned that her engagement ring & wedding band cost $99 all together & that she loved that more than the rings, earrings, & necklaces he'd ever bought her.  She & my Granddaddy shared nearly 57 years of happiness.  I can only hope I'll have someone to share 57 years of my life with.

Sum Up Sunday // The Passing of a Man

This past week my family has been in mourning of the passing of my Grandfather at the age of 75.  I've thought long about blogging this & if it is appropriate to share, but I thought that sharing a little something would be fine.

My Grandfather was a great man.  He served in the United States Navy for 20 years, worked Civil Service for another 20 or so, was married to my Grandmother for 57 years, & gave me the best Dad, Aunts, & life I could ask for.

my little brother-from-another-mother (my Dad's young photography Padawan) captured this amazing photograph as he was photographing the Military Honors for my Granddad.  

At the funeral, many, many people from his life came.  More came than we would have imagined.  It was wonderful to see that such a man touched so many people.

I am not quite sure what my Grandmother will do after this week is over & all the relatives leave, but it is a wonderful feeling of family around here.

source

Last night, after the funeral & at home with Zach, I cried more than I had the whole week (from his passing on Monday to the funeral on Friday).  I was scared that he would feel all alone since he was at the cemetery & it was so cold outside.  I told Zach I didn't want him to think we'd all left him.  Early this morning I had a dream about him.  In the dream, I was leaving their house (I am not sure if it was about me leaving that night or leaving like I always do from their house) & said goodbye to everyone.  I came down stairs & he spun around in his computer chair, surprising me.  I went over to him, gave him a hug, & he told me he loved me.  He also told me he liked my earrings & something about giving a pair to me for Christmas.  I told him I loved him, too.  He told me to be careful, like he always does, and then I woke up.  I don't know if dreams mean things, I've never really given that type of stuff much credit.

His favorite holiday was Christmas.  He loved Santa & seeing everyone unwrap their gifts!

This morning, I went with my family over to his plot in the cemetery & saw all the flowers on his grave.  I knew that he didn't feel alone or cold at all, he had enough warmth.  I know that by the time the flowers die he will have made his journey to where ever it is we go.  I personally believe we weigh our hearts against the feather of Ma'at.  It just seems to make sense....

I hope your week went well & that you spent it with those you love, it really is the most important thing.

Welcome Fall

I know that Fall doesn't officially start until September 23rd or so...but September 1st marks the start of fall for me.

This weekend (Labor Day) I will be spending with my family at the lake.  I can't wait to take one final dip in the water, a few last boat rides, & sit out by the water wrapped up in my fave sweater.  I've always gone, ever since I was little.  I've missed the past few summers because of college & work but I got to go to the lake earlier in the summer for one day.  I am so looking forward to going!

Isn't it lovely? I can't wait to watch the sunrise again.  Our little cove is so nice & peaceful.  Durring the 4th of July, one of our neighbors goes out on a boat & lights fireworks in the middle.  It's so fun to see!!!

I have so many memories of this place.  I can't wait.

What are your memories of Summer?

Do you have some family time you are looking forward too?

Photo of the Day :: Puppy Swimming Lesson

Too freaking cute!

My room mate & I met up with my parents at my grandparent's house & we had a fun little get together where the two little puppies (ours & my parent's) became friends. They ran around the yard, got in the pool, ate some treats, took some naps.  It was a fun little day.