Precious Moments . . .

I tip-toed down the hall to his bedroom. The morning light was streaming through the slats of his blinds. Something this morning had prompted me here, so I quietly pulled back the choo-choo train bedding and handmade quilt to lay next to my sweet boy so that I could watch him sleep.

I know I had a smile on my face as I noted his ruffled, way-too-long hair, his sweet cupid lips, long brown lashes and the remnants of his pudgy, silky-smooth baby cheeks. The house was quiet, and it was blissful. Next week we would be hustling and bustling and trying to get ready for school, but for right now, this moment was mine, and I knew that I would hold it in my heart forever.

Soon his sleepy eyes popped open and grew wide as he realized that he was not alone. The sweet smile spread across his face because this was a rare treat for him too.

We were almost nose-to-nose as we stared at each other and barely said a word. We were so close that our vision was blurred. He closed one eye and then the other, over and over, playing his little boy game. Still we stared, and I was happy.

"I love you Mommy," he finally said.

"I love you too Landon". And I did, and we did. And life was good.

Big Bear Vacation

' Big Bear Cabin.

Horses in town.

Many people had these bears in front of their homes.

Big Bear Blvd.

We found bear tracks!

Greg and Matthew Klein riding the Alpine slides!

Savannah

Landon hated it, can you tell?

Kevin and Emma

Savannah waiting patiently for lunch at the Tea House.

Emma waiting too!

Inside the Tea House, a girls dream!

The "boys" sat at their own table. Not sure if they loved it quite as much as the girls.

Mill Creek Manor Tea Room. (It was much more impressive and beautiful on the inside!)

My lunch - it was muy delicioso!

I love this picture of me and my sweet boy. He has the sweetest face!

Linda hard at play, creating squash albums!

Ahhhhh, a scrapbook store!

Savannah, decorating her pine cone!

A work of art!

This takes concentration!

Kids of all ages decorating pine cones!

This Summer we went to Big Bear for a little vacation with our friends, Greg, Linda, Matthew and Madeline Klein. It was nice to be able to remove ourselves from the desert blast-furnace heat and enjoy the cool, crisp mountain air. I don't think I even "perspired" one time, nope, not even once. If you are a desert dweller, you will appreciate the significance of this statement.

We had a wonderful time. We wandered and shopped in the quaint little town and we visited the scrapbook store probably way too many times. Linda, Savannah and I scrapbooked late into the evening, but who cares, we could sleep in! The men and kids went "sledding" and we tried a lovely little Tea House too! At the end of our trip, the kids decorated and glittered the many pine cones that Landon had painstakingly gathered. All-in-all, it was a wonderful adventure that we will remember for a very long time!

What fun did you have this Summer?

Waffles for Breakfast

Mm mm good. Take a box of Trader Joe's Buttermilk Pancake Mix and follow the directions for waffles. (I add a few chocolate chips once the waffles are on the waffle iron.) After they are done, sprinkle with a little powdered sugar - or a lot of powdered sugar, whatever the case may be. I have tried other mixes, and also from scratch, but the kids seem to like these the best. This mix makes delicious pancakes too! I also added some nicely browned chicken sausage (also by Trader Joe's.) They have the best sausage - juicy and tender. Yum!

What a fun way to begin the weekend!

Bull . . .

Today Landon was eating curly fries at lunch, in between errands. He picked up half a curly fry, which was shaped like a "C", put it under his nose like a ring and said, "I'm a bull". Where was my camera when I needed it? He totally cracked me up!

Back in Town

We are back from Big Bear. We had a great time, and the weather was so beautiful. I even got some scrappin' in. Lots of pictures to post. I will get to it when I have time. For now I am catching up, dealing with a sick puppy and trying to enjoy the days with the kids before school starts.

How is your summer going? Can you believe that it is almost over and soon all of the kids will be back-to-school? I can't.

Headin' Out . . .

We will be heading off to Big Bear for almost a week of cooler weather, fun and relaxation Tuesday morning. I am looking forward to it and can't wait to go. I hope you are finding ways to relax and get away this summer.

Scrappin' Weekend

Silly Linda!

My sweet friend Stacy.

Robin, Stacy, Me and Linda.

Me and my Sis, Robin.

Blinged our Cricut (from the back) - all the things I love!

Blinged out Cricut (from the front) - I even used rhinestones!

Emma's soccer scrapbook pages.

More scrapbook pages completed - yippee!

Robin hard at play!

Robin creates THE MOST AMAZING cards!

Our scrapbook haven . . . doesn't it look fun?

Last weekend we made the trek to Apple Valley for our scrappin' weekend. I was able to spend three wonderful days with my sister and two amazing friends. We had such an awesome time together, and of course we got a lot of scrappin' done too! I even blinged out my Cricut! We had a blast; the weekend just went by way too fast!