i (heart) lists

i love lists...
from time to time i will be posting lists.... lists of things... things i love or things i don't...
a summer to do list, a wish list, a bucket list... any type of list
i love crossing things off a to do list...
i love how a list gives you a little glimpse into who i am...
i love how a list keeps me focused...
i (heart) lists... what would be on one of your lists?

tuesdays unwrapped (celebrating the small things)

here is my kyle kenzie flashing me her "popeye" smile that i absolutely adored.  i took this picture 2 summer's ago and as i was flipping through pictures today this one stopped me in my tracks because my little sweetie doesn't give you that popeye look anymore when you take her picture or tell her to smile and my heart melted and felt a little broken knowing she is growing up and we never know when our kiddo's are doing something for the very last time... i mean just when was the last time she pulled this face?  i think about my jackson and how he slept with Grody every.single.night and how one night i realized jack wasn't sleeping with her anymore... i feel wistful, nostalgic, a little weepy because it all goes by so fast.  Life does not slow down enough to catch your breath and it is so hard to live in the moment and drink in all those things, those little things about your kids that you love so much...little things like "popeye" smiles.

So every tuesday i'm going to post with the title of tuesday's unwrapped... this idea comes from Emily at Chatting at the sky who writes this...

"Celebrating the small things does not come naturally to me. Most of the time i am in survival mode, thankful to make it to bedtime. That is why i so love this project. For these moments, in this place i slow down... if only for a few minutes, i have the permission to take the time to unwrap the small, secret gift of the everyday. I've set aside tuesdays to share a moment that may have otherwise disappeard under the pile of daily tasks. Instead, Stop. Notice. and be thankful.

What should i write in my post?

Anything that causes you to pause and celebrate the moment. Not what will be or what is to come, but what is real and true this day: the messy, the lovely, the unexpected. Share a photo, a story, or anything that offfers a glimpse into your own journey of discovering the gifts in the midst of the ordinary."

Weekending

 the weekend was unplanned, an entire FREE weekend

the weekend was low key, quiet but productive

the weekend was spent with my hottie husband

dinner at TGIFridays, ice cream at Captain Sundae, browsing at the mall

and walking through the sand along the lakeshore

the weekend was staying up late to watch a chick flick and sleeping in

and drinking coffee and cleaning house...

the weekend was... relaxing and good!

Addiction

Hi, my name is Shelly and i am a coffee addict...

So i got home from work and had to empty the car of all my junk and in the process i realized i was carrying in 3 different coffee cups... all from this morning...

the mug was my 1st cup for the commute and the green travel mug carried my extra coffee and then between morning classes i stopped for a yummy Starbucks coffee...

Yep, it's official... i am an ADDICT!

(PS... the Starbucks on Byron Center Rd. near M6 ROCKS... best Starbucks shop ever!)

Life with Boys

Ahhh... life with boys = dirt

filthy dirty knees = showers every night

dirty boys = photo op for mom

i knew i needed to record this "detail" of our everyday life!

i love this shot below of jack... love that smirky smile... it is sooo YOU

Ummmm, yeah... life with boys alright

NICE Jack

these are the moments and i could not ask for more... HA!

Mother's Day - "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" by Katrina Kenison

Girls... get your kleenex ready... this will bring you to tears... you will want to hug your "babies" when it's done. Enjoy the gift of your ordinary days and LIVE in the MOMENT!

Hit stop on my playlist so that you can hear this clip...

A little of my "Everyday"

a little look into my "everyday" life...

capturing those little details that make up a BIG part of our day...

dishes, dishes and more dishes... but love all the bright, fun colors...

scooping trix or fruit loops from the cereal jar... every.single.morning

everyday after school I find this in the boys lunch boxes...

ummm... yes, it is more dishes... i wonder how long i stand at that sink

lunch bags hanging on the cupboards to dry... you'll find them hanging there every day at 4:15

snacks for AYSO soccer games... i am a soccer mom

water bottles times 3...

soccer tournaments... this one was in Lansing and instead of going as the Rangers, they went as Grand Rapids United because they played with some buddies from the Alliance team... they took 1st place and had a great time! (Joke of the day was the parents screaming "GO LIMEADE!"... they were a very bright lime green as you can see!)

i spend alot of my time under this umbrella, freezing my butt off... soccer season inevitably means a few cold and rainy days! Luke plays for the Rangers and Jack and Jaeger play AYSO... that equals 4 practices a week and 3-4 games per weekend (Sat/Sun)

reading charts, AR tests...etc. etc. etc.

we spend alot of time before bed, setting the timer and reading...

i love when Luke volunteers to read with Jaeger... gives mom time to get other chores done and it never ceases to melt my heart listening to him read to Jabes and helping him sound out words

just a little glimpse into this everyday life we're livin'

it is a CrAzY life but Life is Good!