making memories – that’s what matters

I have been taking at least one picture a day since starting the Catch the Moment 365 photo project, but sometimes I will go almost a whole week before looking through the photos on my camera. Tonight I started feeling like I was getting way behind on sorting, deleting, and editing photos so I popped my memory card in the computer and starting scrolling through.

Now, I know that last Thursday was…well, just last Thursday.  But my heart swelled a little and I got a little lump in my throat as I clicked through the pictures below.  My mom drove 6 hours to visit my grandma then drove her another 2 hours in pouring rain and rush hour traffic to my house for dinner. Usually, we are visiting her so it felt like a treat and honor to have her in my home. This sweet lady turned 80 last week.

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Their mutual joy… I almost can’t take it.
IMG_0065 IMG_0072 IMG_0075 IMG_0078 IMG_0090Our little visit was short and sweet. My grandma became a widow almost two years ago and while she is a healthy lady, it’s impossible to ignore the awareness that every visit with her is precious. I want my boys to remember her presence, be in pictures with her, and have sweet memories of her kind personality. When Ryan and I met, we had all 4 of our parents and 7 out of 8 grandparents.  Now my grandma is ‘our’ only grandparent (and the boys’ only great-grandparent) and my dad is gone.

Life is so short. Celebrate. Say yes. The dishes can wait. Spend time together.  I’m not going to remember the chores that didn’t get done…I bet you won’t either.

xo,
~C~

catch the moment 365: week twenty-four

I’m sharing yet another week of photos and linking up with Mindi from Simply Stavish, Stephanie from Behind the Camera and Dreaming, and Sarah from Nurse Loves Farmer for Catch the Moment 365.  I feel like a broken record saying “I can’t believe we are {insert any number between 3 and 24} weeks into the project” and / or “we had such a great week.” And while life ISN’T all roses all the time, this project is great for making me realize how good I’ve got it. Whether it’s the big things or the little things, every day we’re making memories and enjoying the ride down this crazy road we’re on.
Speaking of moving on…
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162/365: June 11th. We traded babysitting nights with friends in order to squeeze in a much-needed, mid-week speed date. We were able to grab a quick dinner at a Mexican restaurant near the movie theater.  We’d been dying to see Maleficent for almost two weeks. Spoiler alert: It was so good! (So was that salsa and queso).
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163/365: June 12th. A little water play between dinner and bedtime, which for Dexter equates to taking a bath. Soaked from shoulders to knees!
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164/365: June 13th. I had to document a rare occurrence… I painted my nails. It lasted less than 24 hours, but it was fun anyway.
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165/365: June 14th. I blogged all about our refreshing weekend visiting friends a couple hours away HERE.
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166/365: June 15th. Father’s Day. I typed out the interviews I did with the boys about their daddy HERE.
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167/365: June 16th. Sun shining through the clouds over a cornfield on my way to work.
6-17-14168/365: June 17th. Not the best day ever but we managed to enjoy parts of it.  I had my car scheduled for a 45 minute service that ended up taking 2 hours and 10 minutes. Which overlapped with the boys’ soccer clinic. Which was a nightmare because neither of them *really* wanted to play. Meaning Theo was lying on the ground refusing to participate. And while Dexter gave it a decent effort, he saw how Theo was acting and wanted to quit too. I was able to keep him somewhat engaged but Theo was a lost cause.  After we got home, ate dinner, and gave them a shower…THEN we had some nice, not-so-stressful moments picking stickers out of Dexter’s Batman Lego sticker book. Then bedtime was kind of a disaster. But that’s enough about that.
Which is your favorite picture this week? Mine is that Father’s Day (day 166) picture of Theo hugging Ryan with the “love” art piece in the background. Love, indeed. Followed closely by day 165 – our day at the lake.
xo,
~C~

catch the moment 365: week twenty-three

Almost halfway through the year and this project. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Sorry for yelling at you, guys. I’m just in disbelief. Earlier this week, I posted a blog about a fun summer festival we always go to.  I linked back to the blog posts from the same festival from 2012 and 2013.  I guess I’m feeling a little sentimental and wishing, wishing, wishing that time would slow down JUST a little bit. Seeing how much the boys change in one year, and especially over TWO years, is mind-blowing. Especially since it feels like just yesterday when we first discovered our little strawberry fest.

Okay, okay. Enough whining and crying and belly-aching.  It’s been another fun and busy summer week.  I am loving this time of year and subsequently, this stage of the 365 project. Great summer light and doing much more than sitting inside playing Legos. Yessss. Finally.

Linking up again this week with the three co-hosts leading this project and Facebook group, Mindi from Simply Stavish, Stephanie from Behind the Camera and Dreaming, and Sarah from Nurse Loves Farmer. Don’t forget — it’s never to late to join in! You can start a Project365 any day of the year!

155/365: June 4, 2014. Just acting silly between arriving home from the sitter and heading to the YMCA to burn some energy.  Dexter suddenly became obsessed with that blue bus he got as a souvenir from Disney World. Just as quickly, he’s over it. Dang.
156/365: June 5th. Quick trip to a new (to us) park we’d never been to before. Theo loves swinging. Dexter does not. Presents quite the conundrum when I take them by myself and Theo wants me to push him and Dexter is roaming off, climbing up some huge contraption.  Somehow we balance it all out.
157/365: June 6th. About an hour after I got to work Friday morning, I thought to check the FedEx tracking number for my wedding rings that were being shipped back from the jeweler in Tennessee. While at the jeweler, we had them size and solder the rings together. They replaced all four outermost prongs due to normal wear and tear.  They also did an amazing job cleaning them. Now I can’t stop staring at my pretty rings!
158/365: June 7th. First trip to the pool in 2014 was a smashing success.  That is an extreme grin if I’ve ever seen one.  What a great day at the pool…marked by the first time I didn’t have to worry about them running off, chase after them around, or constantly remind them not to run, not to take someone else’s toy, or splash grown ups in the face. Hallelujah!
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159/365: June 8th. Some sweet neighbors down the street have boys a few years older than ours.  The mom has delivered previously enjoyed toys and art supplies to us several times.  On Sunday we decided to try this paint spinner thingamabob and it was really fun!  We ran out of paint. Otherwise, I think the boys would have made little masterpieces all day long.
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160/365: June 9th. We watched our friends’ kids so they could enjoy a fancy anniversary dinner out. We walked to a nearby park, where I snapped this pic of 5 year old M running through a field.
6-10-14a161/365: June 10th. First night ever of soccer clinics. That was interesting to say the least!  Seeing 3-5 year olds stretching and trying to lead each other was pretty adorable. Unfortunately my boys were tired from staying up too late the night before and checked out about halfway through the 45 minute session.
This week, I think my favorite picture is the one of my wedding rings. Words just can’t express how happy I am to have them back. It had been about a month since the diamond fell out of my wedding band so that was definitely the longest I’ve gone in almost 11 years without wearing it. Now I feel complete once again. I also love the look on Theo’s face at the soccer clinic (day 161). Doesn’t he just look like he’s up to no good?
Which photo is your favorite from this week?
xo,
~C~