I’ve been meaning to show you our new ride for some time now. But since I keep forgetting my camera when we venture down to the lake I haven’t been able to get a picture. I know, I know… it’s not like I’m juggling two toddlers, two dogs, a cooler, snacks, beach towels, beach chairs, umbrella, bag, noodles and floats. It’s not like I’m trying to get my kids all geared up in sunscreen and life jackets before they go screaming down the hill towards the water. It’s not like I’m a spectacle or anything. Really now.

We live on Lake Travis. Not on Lake Travis, but a couple hundred yards away from it. A short stroll from the lake lies our abode. Our little home sweet home tucked in the hills. But let me tell you that on Lake Travis are mansions. Mega mansions in fact. And with those mansions come mega boats. Swanky, hill rollin’, high falutin, big ballin’ boats.

Now let’s not get confused friends. As much as I would like to lie upon the deck of said boat, sipping a nice cold drink, I am just fine in my ride. Rowing along with my babes. Mo money mo problems right?!? Like I’d have to make sure my accessories matched my swimsuit. And that would be just way too much to think about.

So this is how we roll. Lake paraphanalia scattered all over the shore. Dogs barking from the beach. And away we row. All four of us. Passing those big boats, trying to hug the shore so they don’t run us over. Admiring the big homes on the cliffs. Then retreating back to our little neighborhood lake park for some fishing and swimming. And then we return every weekend to do it all over again.

Hello everyone.

I just wanted to pop in and say where did the week go? Is it really Friday already? Sorry I’ve been amiss as of late. You see, we’ve got some extreme makeover room editions going on around these parts.

About a year ago I picked up the Peter Walsh book It’s All Too Much. It’s all about controlling/riding oneself of their clutter. We just have too much. And as my love for thrifting grows, so does my pile of things we don’t really need. More importantly, we don’t have the space for.

Our house is a three bedroom, two bath lake house built in the 80’s. When we moved out to the lake, we lost almost 1,000 square feet of living space, but we gained so much more. It was really the best decision we ever made. We are now forced to use our space wisely. And being organized is essential.

Trash bags are beginning to pile up in the garage for one mamajama garage sale. I have even put some vintage things aside to list in my Etsy shop.

So far here’s our list of accomplishments:

• moved Makena into Keegan’s room - they now share a room. The main reason was sleep issues. She wasn’t staying in her bed. Since we’ve moved her, she stays in her bed all night long. She asked me when we were in negotiations “is Keegan going to keep me safe?” That sealed the deal.
• created a playroom out of Makena’s old room.
• cleaned out the kitchen - the waffle maker and fondue pot had to go. It’s all now organized into zones. Nice and tidy. I really love cooking now.
• cleaned out my master closet - probably a space I still need to revisit.
• took down my crafting space in our master bedroom. I know, I know… but it was just collecting clutter. I can craft in the dining room now and everything is nicely organized in my master closet. Turned that space into a reading nook with family pictures on the shelves.
• cleaned out the china cabinet - how many wine glasses does one family really need?
• cleaned out toys in the playroom - again, probably a space that needs to be cleaned out again.

So now as I’m getting organized, I’m watching my to-do list grow.

• paint the playroom - it’s currently pink. Suggestions? I’m thinking of a blue.
• Keegan is now climbing out of his crib so we are changing beds around. This weekend we are going to pick up grandpa’s twin beds from when he was a kid. There are two of them. Now I need to get mattresses. Anyone have experience with Ikea mattresses?
• make quilts for the kids new beds. This one, my friends, scares me.

All of this to let you know that things have been busy around these parts. As I watch the bags pile up in the garage I feel like I can breathe a little lighter.

Happy Father’s Day weekend friends. There’s a lavender festival in the Hill Country this weekend that we are planning to attend. A picnic in the lavender fields for father’s day. I’m thankful that my man likes this type of thing.

Isn’t it funny when you look around and take notice of what life has become. Here most of us are, thirty-something, in the throws of mommy hood trying to figure out how to do this mommy thing. What’s the best snack? Where should my child go to preschool? Where should we live? What activities to engage their time? Who to play with? Pampers or Huggies? Whole milk or soy milk? Crocs or not? Bed times. Nap times. Snack times. Family visits. Vacations. Grocery shopping. Diaper changing. Potty training. Time outs. Hugs. Cuddles. Love. Butterfly kisses. Forgiveness.

We find ourselves saying things like, don’t push your brother. Don’t throw rocks. Don’t drink the lake water. Don’t drink the bath water. Don’t throw sand in your brother’s hair. Come here. Sit up straight. Say please and thank you. Don’t unbuckle your car seat. Don’t hit the dog. Don’t hit your sister with your sword. Keep your clothes on. Your at Disney World for Pete’s sake in a princess dress, now act like a princess. Oh, did I just admit that??? Yes, I did say that. And yes as I was saying it I was like ‘what on earth have I become.’ And who on earth is Pete anyway?

So before you became a mommy, who were you? I’d love to get to know you. What were your dreams? Where were you going? Are you surprised by where you are now?

Hi, my name is Jade and I used to be a high school teacher. I taught debate and coached the debate team. We even went to Harvard one year for a tournament. Now I can hardly form complete sentences and carry on adult conversation without stumbling on my words. Funny isn’t it?!?

It’s always fun to find out what our mommy friends did before they were mommies. Come to find out, one of my friends used to be a teacher and also taught swim lessons. Well having the water loving kids that I have I decided that it was time for private lessons. Today was Makena’s first day. While Keegan and I romped around on one end of the pool, Makena was learning how to swim. Without floaties. We spend most days down at the lake. In the water or around the water. She must learn how to swim.

She was a little neurotic about the pool vacuum but once she realized it wasn’t going to get her, she settled right in.

So tell me, who were you before you became a mommy?

Garage sale season is upon us! Every Saturday morning I wake up before anyone in the house, sneak my way downstairs, grab a cup of coffee and head out the door. I am ready for the world.

I spend the morning sorting through other people’s trash and treasures. The early bird gets the worm, you have to be there around 7 to get the good stuff. Oh, and what good stuff it is.

This weekend, my loot included a vintage Samsonite train case. Not the usual hard case variety, but the older versions with the stitching around the edges. Six years of Martha Stewart Living Magazines. A couple of vintage straw Acapulco bags, which will be added to the shop this week.

This dresser, which is oh so cute and has a new home in my entry way. Should I paint it? And what type of knobs should I put on it?

And this chair, which I painted red. He’s the ‘merchandising’ part of my shop. He’ll hold all of the dresses and such.

A few weeks ago, my friend Ruth tagged me for a four things meme. Here goes…

4 Movies

• Amelie- I heart French films and Audrey Tautou is one of my favorite actresses.
• Chocolat- Two words, Johnny Depp. Oh how I dream of moving to Europe and opening my own little shop.
• Under the Tuscan Sun- Can you tell I love to travel? There are so many villas all over Tuscany, abandoned. The thoughts of what it would be like to move there and just live. Beautiful.
• A Good Year- Europe. A house. Amazing.
• Xanadu- I know this is 5, but come on. It’s Xanadu!!!

4 Places I Have Lived

• Key West, Florida- Parents moved there when I was a baby. Loads of baby pics on the beach. I’m a beach baby.
• San Antonio, Texas- Where we got married and lived right out of college.
• Arlington, Texas- Where I grew up.
• Stephenville, Texas- Dairy capital of the world. HUGE Rodeo town. Where I went to college and played basketball.

4 TV Shows I Watch

• So You Think You Can Dance- Guilty pleasure.
• The Amazing Race- A race around the world. Sounds like my kind of race.
• Grey’s Anatomy- The characters, the plot, the humor, the timing. It’s all too good.
• Project Runway- It amazes me how they create such fabulous clothes.

4 Places I Have Been

• Australia- Went once with my dad. He sells opals and we went to Sydney and the Outback on a buying trip and to stay with his friends. Got to raise kangaroos while I was there. Went a second time with high school students. I was a leader for a student travel program and we spent three weeks in Australia, traveling up the coast from Sydney to Cairns. Amazing.
• Europe- There are just too many amazing places to leave one out so here’s my list. Most of these places I visited as a travel leader. I did spend some time in Italy with Miles before we had Makena. England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. I can not wait for the kids to be old enough to travel and we can all go! A few of my favorite places: Salzburg, Austria - Cinque Terre, Italy - Paris, France.
• Vancouver/Whistler, B.C., Canada- Our number one favorite place to ski. We like to fly into Vancouver, spend a couple of days then head up to the mountains in Whistler to ski. There is so much snow there it will blow your mind.
• Belize- We went with my dad on a diving trip to the islands in Belize. It’s so pure and natural. My dad says that is the way Cozumel was thirty years ago.

4 Things to Eat

• Chocolate
• Fish Tacos
• My family’s recipe for spaghetti and eggplant parmesan.
• Sushi

4 Things to Look Forward To

• Disney World- We leave on Saturday for a week at Disney World!!! The kids are going to go crazy. Ah, who am I kidding… we are going to go crazy! I promise to come back with lots of cheesy ear pictures of the four of us.
• Summer days spent at the lake.
• Oliver being house trained.
• Getting ALL of the laundry done.

4 Favorite Places

• Home
• The lake- floating on a raft.
• Granville Island Public Market (Vancouver, B.C.)- A mind blowing market place. I usually stand there with my jaw dropped to the ground, overwhelmed with the choices.
• Savannah, Georgia- We went in the fall for our ten year anniversary. The quaint little shops, coffee shops, parks… it’s all too much!

Okay friends, it’s your turn: Chris, Ellie, Sarah, Misty.

Friends, I woke up this morning to fog covering the hillside. I just love days like this because they are so rare in the Texas Hill Country. We’re not leaving the house today. Nope. We’re going to stay put, do some painting, possibly some laundry and just be. We are just going to be.

I wish I could have you over for a drink and we could chat. I have been uplifted and motivated by your comments to my last post. I was really at a crossroads and you, my friends, really stepped up and provided me with much needed support and encouragement. I was really perplexed on what direction to take my blog. I felt like a change was in order.

You helped me to find my way when I was lost. And then, what I realized that I was never lost after all. You were there, to hold my hand and be the friend that I needed in you. For that, I thank you. I realized that no change was in order after all.

You validated who I am and what I do in this wacky blog world. All of your comments, each word was taken to the heart. I can’t thank you enough for all that you said. It can get lonely in this blog world, each of us at our own computers typing away. Taking snapshots for the memories and trying to document our everyday lives. Then we send our hopes and dreams out into the world. To be what? To be read and appreciated by our blogging buddies.

I wish I knew you all better. Maybe that is what we are trying to gain here after all, a better understanding of ourselves and the world in which we live in. I truly appreciate the glimpse into your lives that you provide. A snapshot in a moment of time. A fleeting moment, that we might forget had it not been written down.

Thanks for listening to me ramble. Thanks for all of your lovely comments all of the time. Thanks for checking out my pictures. Thanks for the encouragement on my ETSY shop. Thanks for always being so sweet about my children, it’s not always picture perfect you know. Thanks for simply being my friend.

In my refrigerator. Snuggled right in between my Bonne Maman preserves and my Hell on the Red salsa sits not one, but two boxes of worms. They have been there for over a week now. And the worms are all still alive.

Yes, there are live worms in my fridge. Not that it would be any better if they were dead. There are squiggling dirt eating worms, cohabiting in my fridge alongside the yogurt, eggs and milk. This can’t be healthy.

Is this seriously my fridge?

We moved out here just around eight months ago. We abandoned the suburbs for the great outdoors. And the great outdoors it is. Worms and all.

What do we do with the worms you might ask? Why, we catch big fish of course. What’s the trade off for worms in the fridge? Miles taking both of the kids on a Sunday afternoon to the supermarket, just to give me a few moments of quiet. Then returning with orange flowers. Because Makena says that orange is my favorite color.

Then tucking the kids into bed. Reassuring them that there are no Monsters under the bed. Because Mama decided to show them the movie Monsters, Inc. Grilling fish out back, while enjoying a cold beer on the deck. Dinner with my orange flowers. And the quiet that follows, once again.

I was talking to a friend tonight about our babies and their percentiles. And it brought me back to this time last year, when we were in a state of panic because we found out that Keegan was in the third percentile. Not 1/3, but 3%. For those of you without kids, that’s little.

We spent an entire week trying to get him to take formula. Hour after hour. Day after day. Tears were shed. Prayers were said. “Please Keegan, eat something.” The desperate cries of a mother.

One year later, he is in the 95th percentile. That’s a big boy. He weighs as much as his three year old sister and he’s 20 months old. It’s all phases and stages. Once you perfect the one they are in, they move on to the next one.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like August. Summer in Central Texas can be sweltering. It’s hot, hot, hot. So this time of year we spend as much time outside as possible. Right now it seems like everything is pollinating, birds are migrating, flowers are blooming and the bugs are out with a vengeance. We have these oak trees that surround our property. We are literally engulfed in cedar and oak trees so depending upon the time of year our allergies are irritated. The oak trees are pollinating as we speak. There is a bright green presence lurking throughout the countryside and stuck onto everything.

Also, right now we have these wormy things dropping from the oak trees. In fact, it’s so icky when you walk under an oak tree you are engulfed in their webs. Now I’m sure they aren’t worms and I’m even more positive they aren’t web building worms, but it sure does feel like it. I think they are caterpillars building their cocoons. Nonetheless, I wish it weren’t where we spend most of our time. So now we are sitting under the cedar trees. Thank goodness it’s not cedar fever season.

Amidst all of nature taking its course, we still managed to get outside.

Make a few wishes.

Read Amanda’s new book. Oh, how we need a bigger blanket.

Pick flowers.

And build a fairy house. Yep, you guessed it… under the big wormy webby oak tree. The rest of the time was spent looking for decorating accents for the fairies. Of course they’d like fresh flowers to come home to. Then it was off to hunt through the yard searching for fairies. Maybe we need a vacancy sign.

Has anyone seen the show? I think I’ve only caught a glimpse of it once but how fun would that have been when we were kids to go and compete on a show such as this. It brought me back to my elementary school days and Nickelodeon and what was that kids show where you got slimed? Gosh, anyone remember the name?

Anyhow, back to my dad. Remember when you were a kid and thought your parents knew everything. Well, somehow my dad does. At least he’ll always come up with a good answer or story to tell. That is what a daddy is for right.

Case in point. This weekend we took the kids and their cousins fishing down at the lake. We were stockpiled with the essentials: princess fishing pole (check), worms (check), beer (check). Out we went to catch whatever we could. Anything really. I hate to brag but I’m a pretty good fisherwoman. As a child, I spent countless hours on lakes, creeks and oceans fishing well into the night and early morning. Thanks Daddy.

So back to the lake fishing story. My hubby and his brother took all of the kids down to the lake to catch some fish. They had been down there for about two hours (with no fish caught) when I came down to check on the situation. I was down there for only a couple of minutes, threw my first cast and immediately caught a large fish. Although I like to fish, let me tell you that I don’t touch the fish and I don’t touch the bait. Ever.

Now here’s when my dad and all of his knowledge comes in. We looked at the fish and had no idea what it was. So, who do we call? My dad… he knows it all. He immediately identified our fish.

All of this to tell you that he’s got the answers, or he pretends to have the answers. Thanks dad. If you have questions about photography, he’s your man. If you have questions about photoshop, he’s your man. If you have questions about traveling, he’s your man. If you have questions about short cuts and back roads, he’s your man. If you have questions about camping/fishing, he’s your man. He’s a man’s man.

All of these pictures he took while we had our visit a couple of weekends ago. He’s my photography man!

I’ve been running around all week trying to get ready for the big weekend.  Miles’ sister is getting married in San Antonio and I’m the matron-of-honor while Makena is a flower girl.  So I’ve been running in circles, or as my dad so eloquently phrases it ‘Jade, you’re like a dog chasing his tail.’  I do a lot of chasing my tail!  Can anyone else relate?

With a weekend full of events coming up, I was in the market for a small handbag to bring along.  As I was checking my flickr page I noticed that my friend Beki had posted pictures of a beautiful green and black handbag.  I loved the contrast with the green and black fabrics.  I rushed to her blog to see if she had blogged it.  Not yet.  My next stop was to her ETSY shop to see if it was there.  Bingo!  Found it before she could blog it and it arrived in the mail three days later.  Beki’s got quite the following and I knew it would go fast.  She even threw in a great button pin.  Thanks Beki!  Keep making beautiful bags sweetheart!

Good news here concerning Makena’s finger.  Yesterday, the pins were removed and it looks really good!  Now she starts rehab for the next four weeks and we go from there.  It does look like it is healing, and that my friends is a miracle.

Speaking of contrast, this past weekend we went to Cousin Connor’s 6th birthday party.  It was a reptile themed party and had a reptile guy as well.  I kept my distance as the kids were in awe with all of the creepy crawly creatures that he brought along.  And to answer your question, yes those are Makena’s boots and her feet were in them!  Keegan was even enamored with the snakes.  As he was trying to get a good look at this big snake, the snake slithered up to him and went right between his legs as one very nervous mama looked on.  Eeek!