I was thrilled to get an iPad 2 for my birthday gift and have enjoyed using it when I can steal it away from the kids. They love playing on it any chance they get. Jackson is especially fascinated with the camera and video. I have lots of strange pictures and several short videos of him being silly. I am still amazed at all the kids can do with technology. I purchased my first iBook last night and have already begun reading my new story.
A few years ago while Jason was away at the Pepperdine Lectureships, he brought home a shower gel from The Body Shop for my Mother's Day gift. I had never used this shower gel before, but instantly fell in love with it. I bought a new bottle sometime last year and have been using it sparingly to make sure I don't run out. It is my absolute favorite and the next time I head up to Nashville, I will be sure and make a pit stop at The Body Shop to snag another bottle of this shower gel.
I've been able to manage my time wonderfully during this vacation from school. Who would think that one could be so happy with having a clean house, the laundry washed, folded and put away, and all of the dishes cleaned and put away. My OCD self is loving the extra time that I have to check off my to do list and enjoy the rest of my day relaxing because the "chores" are completed. Since being home, I've been able to reclaim my kitchen cabinets, my pantry, the office, my bookshelves, the linen closets, the kids' closets, my closet, and the playroom. It feels great putting my organizational skills to good use. I love a well cleaned and organized home! It makes me feel so happy!
Books! I love having all the extra time to READ!!! This year, I've really been able to allow for some extra time to read. Now, I'm nowhere close to
Jason's level of book reading, but I'm very proud of my small accomplishment. I added up the books that I've read since Christmas the other day, and after my most recent read, I will have read 10 books! (Some of these are from my trip to Africa, where I had a LOT of time on the plane to read.) I have two more on my shelf waiting for me and the one on my iPad, so that will give me 13 books read here within the next couple of weeks. Now, if October would hurry up and get here so that I could go ahead and get my hands on Nicholas Sparks'
newest release.
I never would have guessed that this day would be here so soon, but I am a mother that is now listening to my daughter's music. Whenever we get in the car to go somewhere, I am instantly the van DJ. I can't process the requests quickly enough for my little girl. I've taken a big liking to Taylor Swift's most recent album. I especially love singing along with "Dear John" and "Mean" and the list could seriously go on and on.
There is something about seeing an artist perform live that really draws me in as a devoted fan. I can't wait for Abby Kate to get Swift's "Fearless" album here in a few short weeks for her birthday. I'm sure that I'll be learning all the words to the songs on that album too.
There is a story behind this little gem. I am pretty much a creature of habit. I like my routine and I don't really change things up too much. But, I've branched out a little at Bath and Body Works and happened upon a new scent to add to my mix - Twilight Woods. Awhile back, I treated myself to the Twilight Woods body cream. I loved it! I even decided to take it with us to Seattle, but made a small error when checking our bags and it was taken away at the security checkpoint. A BRAND NEW bottle!!! (There is a HUGE story behind that, but I won't bore you with all the details. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper when I ended up losing $40 worth of product at that checkpoint. It was my mistake, but I am still not over that one. Not when I am a little crazy about saving money and I had to essentially throw away all that stuff. Well, I guess that I did give you a little more detail than I intended. It's still a sore spot.) Well, I decided to buy another bottle and I accidentally left that bottle at the beach! One would think that I am not supposed to have this little jewel, but I made another trip to Bath and Body Works today and purchased 3 new bottles! I'm hoping that I will be able to actually use these bottles of lotion.
Lemonberry Slush from Sonic!!! I discovered this sweet treat a couple of years ago, and had forgotten about it. That is until the other day! I love making slush runs with the kids. It's a nice, sweet, cool treat on a hot summer day. (I'm trying to see how many adjectives I can use.)
Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks! I've traded in my Tall Peppermint Mocha for a cool summer treat! Need I say more!
Blogging! I have really enjoyed updating my blog with all of the most recent happenings in our house. I finally feel caught up with the current, so I'm looking forward to going back and documenting the exciting things we did this past fall, winter, and spring. I know that this stage of life that we are in is quickly passing and I don't want all of the wonderful memories to leave me before I have a chance to document them. I am really excited about getting "Time Out" all caught up.
Mother's Day 2011
What I love more than anything else, is getting to spend my summer loving on my 3 precious children. We've had such a great start to this summer and we've had SO MUCH FUN! I think that I am trying to make up for all the lost summer fun from last year and I think that we are achieving that goal daily. I am looking forward to our other fun-filled summer days!
