birthday season

"Birthday season" is coming up around here.

Do you have a "birthday season" time of year or do you feel like they are all scattered throughout the year?

I really do like the celebration of birthdays and am hoping to get good and inspired for celebrating.

What are some of your favorite things to do to celebrate other's birthdays or your own?

Kelly

iced tea with lemons season

It's starting to be iced tea with lemon season again!

Well, actually that season never really ends for us here, even in the winter we drink it but it's starting to *feel* like iced tea with lemon season again!

Yea!

Do you drink iced tea?

With or without lemon?

Sweet tea or sweeten yourself or straight?

Kelly

photo taken at our old apartment

up, up, up

the view going up Pikes Peak on the cog railway July '10

photo by Adrian

*********************************************************************

I realize I haven't been blogging a whole lot lately and I miss it.

I am going to copy a blogpost idea I saw on my friend Meredith's blog.

Current Books: just finished reading The Rainbow Years that I spotted at our library while looking for books about Oregon for an upcoming trip. Also perusing The Penny Whistle Birthday Party Book since a certain little guy has a birthday coming up.

Current playlist: I checked Frances England's cd "Mind of My Own" out from the children's cd section of the library and have been listening to it nearly non-stop. It was great painting music while I painted an accent wall in our living/dining rooms that had been chocolate brown and while I painted the kitchen.

Current color: hmm . . . I guess the robin's egg blue that I painted but which looks kind of green in certain light too

Current drink: water, water and water - I drink it all the time.

Oh and Adrian did make a pitcher of POG today. We like to get the frozen concentrate version from time to time. It reminds us of our Hawaii trip. (POG = Passion Fruit, Orange, Guava juice)

Current Food: Adrian made some amazing sliders for dinner! Ground beef mixed with chorizo, onions and green chile slow cooked until they caramelized and toasted wheat dinner roll buns, oh and swiss cheese.

Current favorite favorite: Spring!!! David and I spent last week visiting family in Houston and got to enjoy a Texas spring complete with rain showers and bluebonnets (and mosquitos - not my favorite!) and spring in Colorado is treating us with only sunshine and no surprise snows so far so I am enjoying it but fully anticipating more snow and so will not be disappointed.

Current wish list: clothes that I feel like are cute and fit well, my closet and I are not friends at the moment

Current needs: really re-thinking my "needs" after checking out the website that I mention at the bottom

Current Triumph: Remember the water campaign from last Thursday???

450,000 people now have clean water thanks to the fundraising that happened that day!

That is exciting!! The day for the funds to be matched has come and gone and the full amount that would be matched was raised. The campaign is still going on and you can donate here if you are interested in helping to train a well mechanic who can keep clean water flowing for thousands of people!

Current annoyance: acne - I mean really, I'm 35, but in the grand scheme, I'm keenly aware of how much I'm blessed

Current indulgence: lots of computer time today

Current mood: reflective

Current blessing: A husband who cares for me and our family and the sweetest baby boy on the planet

Current outfit: hole-y jeans that I put on to work in the yard and plant five new dahlia bulbs, black button down shirt with pink and white lace embellishments that I wore to church

Current excitement: a low-key week at home and a weather forecast that looks like we'll get to spend lots of time outside

Current link: I am straight up copying this link from Meredith. I saw it on her currents post and checked it out and can't stop thinking about it. SlaveryFootprint is very well done visually and design wise but the real thing is that it has opened my eyes. Even though I thought I knew a fair amount about modern day slavery, I realize I have a lot to learn. Being aware is the very first step and I pray that God shows me how to take more and more. Slavery is *wrong*.

L is for

laundry swirling in the machine (so thankful for the conveniences we have)

lunch together

wanting to make some changes to be leaner

learning about starting seeds indoors

lighter, brighter walls freshly painted in our home

and a love of libraries

Just a little catching up on what's been going on around here lately.

Hope you're having a happy Monday!

Kelly

photo by my friend Jenni when we went to NYC in '06

The three of us who went took pictures of the whole alphabet. It was fun!

one year ago today

boy that kid's a cutie!

Kelly

Water Day! - please read today!!

Hi there. Due to technical difficulties I am having to post from my phone which I've never done before and am not sure will even work.

But lame as this post may be without photos or formatting, it would have been FAR lamer had I not posted today at all.

You see today is world water day. Today has the potential to be a $50,000 towards helping improve LIVES sort of day.

For the scoop on $50,000 see here: http://jodyrlanders.com/2012/03/um-a-50000-day/

For another explanation of what this is all about click here: http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2012/03/listen-up.html

I'm gonna admit I was knd of afraid to ask you guys to give money again.

You know what? I realized that was dumb. You know why?

For one thing it's totally up to you and God what you do with the money He's blessed you with. It doesn't have anything to do with me.

Also, when we gave the stoves so many of you thanked me for just letting you know about an opportunity to give.

I'm just sharing this opportunity that I'm excited about and whether it's one for you to get excited about and give to is not any of my business. :).

Okay so if you want to give Check out one of the blogs above and I'm sure they will point you to the right place. I am sorry I am dealing with technology holdbacks and can't make this all simple and li my for you.

The thing is, God is bigger than technology and He can accomplish BIG things here on earth. We are just privileged to get to hang on for the ride and join in on the excitement. Pretty cool!

One last thing, I don't know the exact parameters but I think the matching funds might only apply on what's given today so if you are going to give please don't let the day get away from you.

Happy world water day! Kelly

happy us

We were engaged four years ago today!

Hard to believe.

What a fun day that was and we've had lots more since as well.

This photo was taken on my first trip to New Mexico to meet some of Adrian's family there.

ten on ten - March 2012

Linking up here

Experiencing and capturing the beauty of our days.

Here's ours {in more than 10 pics}

We took a day trip to Denver as a family.

For the first time since we moved here we went just to explore and just have fun instead of making a run to Ikea and back.

Watching the coal train as we drive along is a big hit with the wee one!

new phone cover I can change the design of - gift from my sweet husband for Christmas

a favorite book of the little mister right now - good since we'll be out planting our garden soon(ish - we are in Colorado after all)

a little mall walking and window shopping all by myself while the guys bought a camera lens off craigslist

too many choices for Mama obviously

{photo by Adrian trying out his new lens}

too many choices for David too - or at least a super fun playground for a little guy

{photo by Adrian}

visiting dear friends

and the most important part to the boys, I think, playing with TOYS!

{photo by Adrian}

so good to meet this wee one and see her mama!

{photo by Adrian}

always inspired by her decor and glad to see a pensive kitty

a small boy collects sticks

{and a mama thinks that leaving a boy with a stick unattended in the backseat while the parents are in the front seat is a bad idea}

a stop to stretch our legs and eat some take-out from Curtis Park Creamery

We have no idea why a Mexican food joint is called a creamery but went based on a recommendation from this blog

We had yummy, cheesy {Mom & Dad, not David of course}, spicy Mexican food in a park. A first for us all!

love this shot Adrian got!

I like passing this exit on the drive

self portrait at a stop on the way home to check out a little church tucked away off the side of the road

Hope you had a great day today!

Is it warm where you are?

Did you take any photos today?

Kelly

Last March's Ten on Ten here

sensory bins

Do you do sensory bins?

I really like the idea of them and David has had a lot of fun playing in them when I've done them but we haven't yet quite figured out the mess factor.

I don't know if he's not quite old enough or I haven't explained boundaries well enough or if it's as mess free as it's gonna get.

Any thoughts?

Kelly

p.s. I can take no credit for the pretty colored rice. My mom made it and it was leftover from a project she did at the Valentine's Party.

my little bear

It doesn't seem like it from our attire in this photo taken by Daddy, but spring really is coming!

This past weekend we took a family trip to the zoo and had a great time.

When asked what he saw at the zoo, David said, "giraffes, more giraffes and bear tee tee".

Yep! That about sums it up.

Do you go to the zoo where you live?

Have you ever been to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo here in Colorado Springs?

There really are "more giraffes". I counted at least 18!

Hope you're having a good week!

Kelly