I ♥ Etsy!

I've never heard of Etsy until I started blogging...and started seeing 'My Etsy' on various sidebars...so I was instantly intrigued to find out what this Etsy was all about! Thanks to Mimi and now Tarah & her friend Susie, I've fallen in love with these super adorable knit hats! Now, I can knit, but I will not be starting my own Etsy shop!

Today my first Etsy purchase arrived in the mail! Yay! How fun is it to get something fun in the mail? Fun! Since I've had my new camera {I ♥ Dan} I've barely set it down! I'm having the best time trying to figure it out and just go and look for things to capture {sorry Alex & Emily!}

Today my cute camera strap arrived, so that I can capture those moments in style!


I do not care to capture myself, but look at that cute paisley & reversible polka dot! I ♥ polka dots! Thanks so much to Valerie Jesswein! Check out her Etsy for some fun and funky camera straps! I had a terrible time deciding...I may just have to get a couple more!

Now that I've got my baby camera safely and stylishly with me at all times, the moments are just waiting to be photographed!

Now go check out Etsy...the creativity is endless and fun!

"You're Gonna Miss This...Moment" Carefree Moments

Time to join Pam and share the moments we're going to miss one day...because life is so short! Sometimes it's hard to find those moments among our busy schedules, but that's what I love about participating in this...it makes me stop and think about it and appreciate them so much more!

We've had some wonderful weather lately...but the rain has been sneaking in some time, too! Almost a year ago we had serious flooding in our area and all over Indiana. Fortunately, we were not directly affected, but so many of our friends were and lost everything.

Yesterday when we got home from another semi-busy day, the skies just let loose, and the rain poured down. Emily just went right out and stood in the rain and let it fall on her head! She said, "C'mon, Mommy! It feels good!" And she was right...although, not so good for my lion's mane!

Emily and Alex had a great time playing in the quick downpour with their umbrellas and splashing in the puddles! Then, just like that...it was over!







I will miss those innocent, carefree moments that my kids have and allow me to feel young again, too! I hope I can always remember them and appreciate those rain drops so much more...even during those tragic times.









What will you miss someday? Join us at Pam's and tell us!
Cherish your moments!

To Infinity and Beyond...

...at least that's what our day seemed like today!

Alex's class had a field trip to the zoo today, and I was...oh, so eager to chaperone and ride the 45-minute trip on the bus with rowdy kindergartners both ways! That meant Emily needed to be dropped off on the other side of the river to her friend's house by 7:45am and then I had to trek back across town to school to hop on the luxurious, yellow limo!

Please forgive me when I say I don't want to be touched, rubbed, poked, hugged, kicked or have you sit on my lap for awhile...I've had quite my fill for the day! I truly respect teachers after today! {okay, I know it's different when you are on a bus for so long, school's almost out, and you're headed to the zoo...but, kids can we keep our hands and feet to ourselves for 5 minutes!}

Joking aside, I love when I get the opportunity to spend time with Alex and Emily and their friends and get any chance to take pictures to remember those moments!



{Which way to the Plains?}





{Two little escaped monkeys! They were cute, so I took them home with me!}

{...still hibernating...like I wish I was!}


We didn't leave before petting some sharks...



walking through the butterfly garden...


and saying 'Good-bye' to the seals!
Thank goodness I was able to leave the zoo with no questions asked...with the heat today, I could have easily been mistaken for one of the lions! I was sporting an extreme mane by the time we left! {Sorry, no pictures of that!}

And...take a bathroom break if you need to...the pictures don't end here!

Once we made the dreadful pleasant bus trip back to school, Alex and Emily had tennis lessons and then Home Sweet Home. So I headed back out to the car to grab my camera {I used my little Cyber-shot today} and found this in the garage...

...am I still at the zoo?

I thought it was a piece of dirt and looked closer to see its little tail. Poor guy...I think he must have been caught in the riding mower, because he was completely covered in dried mud. I thought he was a goner, but he wiggled his little leg to let me know he was still alive! So we put it in a bowl of water which seemed to revive him...then let him loose in a nearby pond.


{No, we can't keep him!}


Off to greener pastures...

Good luck, Snapper, we will come visit often!

Wordless Wednesday {Flowers & Fun}

I ♥ Faces - Week 20 - Silhouettes

I ♥ Faces is a photography site focused on the art of capturing faces and their various emotions. Each week, people from across the world have the opportunity to enter their favorite face photos into two categories ~ kids and adults.

This week's challenge is to capture a silhouette. This picture was taken a couple years ago in Florida and it's always been one of my favorites. It was almost sunset and Alex & Emily were walking along the beach searching for seashells. We have so many shells from the beach, but I love the memories they evoke! And this photo captures some of those memories!


If you'd like to join us just click here! It's easy to enter, not so easy to win {so many great photos}! But lots of fun!

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and so many others have not been doing this week!

Happy Memorial Day!
Let's honor the heroes that serve and have served our country!
Dan and Alex did not go to the Indianapolis 500 in the heat for 8 hours...while the girls spent a quiet, relaxing day at home, swimming, lounging and napping in the cool comfort of our home...not us!

The boys did not enjoy tradition, spending a day out with Grandpa at the race track listening to the whir of speeding cars going around while snacking on hot dogs and peanuts and ice-cream...not them!





{The green flag!}
Dan did not take only 61 pictures from the Indy 500! {c'mon, my baby camera is capable of 10x that...well, at least when I overdue carefully choose my shots!}

I most certainly did not polish off a box of Krispy Kream cream-filled chocolate donuts in a matter of 3 days all by myself! Absolutely not me! I have more self control than that! {but, man they were delicious!}

I am not planning on having another leisure, relaxing, lazy day today...we have not declared today that we are locking the doors, turning the phone off and hiding out! Not us!
Seriously, there are places to go and people to see! {Maybe on Tuesday!}

Have a wonderful day! {I do mean that!}