Home, anyone?

We have finally done it. Our home is on the market...well... almost. Today the sign is hitting the lawn and the listing is going to hit Craig's list. But, being the avid blogger that I am, I am giving you a first glimpse into this steal of a deal! Who knows, maybe one of you wants to move to Wenatchee! I don't have a good shot of the kids' room or the laundry room, do you ladies think these are necessary?

Front of house...

View from entry way...living and dining room

Living Room...

Dining Room...

Kitchen...

Other side of kitchen...

Bedroom...

Office...

School Room/Playroom...

Storage Room...

A Book of our Days....

I am a list maker. I keep track of life through pages and pages of notebooks and to-do lists and journals. Last winter I saw the idea online (although I have NO idea where...sorry if the original creator of this concept is out there receiving zero credit) to make these lists pretty. I dug through lots of old catalogs and clipped and glued into a blank journal. It was a pretty beginning that I added to with little doodles.
I leave this book out on the counter in my kitchen and record any special happenings inside...cute things the kids say, things I want to remember (make doctor's appointment...buy socks) and then I have a handy space for what tends to tumble out of my mind. Here is a close-up of a day in April:

The joy of doing this is to have something beautiful to look at,because I jot things down all day. I think we often have to choose beauty, to find interesting ways to create and surround ourselves with things that make us happy and that we feel cozy around...finding true beauty in small things is important to me.
It also keeps things together (I am famous for losing things, just ask my mother in law) and most importantly, it serves as a recored for how we are spending our days around here. I have a feeling that in 30 years, I am going to LOVE reading what we ate for dinner and who I wrote a thank you note to and that my kids played monopoly and giggled like crazy...
Life is happening with a great hum all day long and I don't want to miss the small things...or forget them when I am all wrinkly.

Cousins

Well, we are back from the Ocean. What a great sigh to be able to have been with our family for an entire week, basking in the shore. I will post pictures and details of our time when I can (later today?) but for now wanted to finish posting some things I had planned before we left.

Most importantly, for the grandmas and aunties waiting out there are precious picture of my two favorite baby girls. This is Lael and Madeline at a recent playdate. I can not even begin to describe the joy of having cousins in our home.

Long Beach

This is a picture of where we will be spending our week and this...

is a view from our beach house.

Best intentions have had to be laid aside for the blog as packing and organizing have decended upon the house the last few days. As I hurry around this morning packing suitcases and tidying up, making sure we have enough sunscreen, water, books, games...underwear... I am relishing in the thought that in a few hours I will be on the open road with my husband, enjoying his company as we drive and listen to ABBA. It will kill him that I know all the words to every song and will sing my guts out and then he will play punk rock and our kids will giggle and bob there heads like only children of a punk rock loving father can.

When we arrive we will smell the shore, there is nothing quite as uplilfting and refreshing that makes my heart sing like the ocean. I'm looking forward to a walk on the beach tonight alongside Josh as the kids forage for shells and bring us long lengths of seaweed and driftwood. I want to wiggle my toes in the sand and face the tide with my toes. Games and quiet and play...all week long. This is vacation!

We will be back next weekend, see you then!