Don't be mad mommy....

Holy Blog lag....

Yesterday I was getting ready for work, Ryan was home and the kids were out playing.

They got kinda quiet so Ry went to check on them.

Then I hear "where did you get that?!"

Turns out they had been playing with a permanant marker drawing all over themselves...

Ry sent them in to show me what they had been doing.

Matthew looks up at me and says" mommy, don't be mad, we just playing indian."

How can you resist those faces. :-)

So today, I am thankful for the funnies in life....

the moments when all you can do is laugh....

and the ability to see life through the eyes of my children, even if only for a moment.

Have a blessed day, I'll try not to stay away so long.

Story of the day....

One day the kids and I were driving in the car, and Ellie was singing and dancing to the music. Matthew was getting all annoyed with her telling her that she was not allowed to sing. So I explained to him that Ellie liked to sing, that God put a song in her heart, and she was dancing to her music. I asked him what God put in his heart. He answered "golf, baseball, soccer, and golf, but no signing and dancing!"
Fast forward to tonight.
We are all attending a wedding tomorrow. My cousin Jordan is marrying the sweetest thing, Lauren.
Before bed tonight, Ryan asked Ellie if she would dance with him at the reception tomorrow. She said yes!
Matthew looks at me and says, "Not me mommy, I don't have dancing in my heart." I just smiled and hugged him tight, remembering the conversation we had earlier. When I asked him what was in his heart...."baseball mommy, baseball."

I just can't believe the things they remember some days. A little obscure conversation we had one day, just comes back later.

So today, I am grateful for the sweetness, for his love of the ball, for her love of the song.
May they never lose that love.
May they always find the things that make them happy.

Blessings on your day. Hopefully some pics of the wedding for you in the next couple days.

What is it about sunflowers?

There's something magical about a sunflower.
Maybe it's the instant smile that they bring to your face.
Or maybe it's how an entire field of sunflowers turn their face to the sun.
Maybe it's just all the different colors and varieties they come in.
Who knows what it really is. Pure beauty.

These are planted in mimi and papi's garden, in a huge gigantic patch.
They are the gate keepers....
they smile at you when you enter, reminding you how big they really are.

We must have planted a variety pack, because each one is a little different than the next.
The kids were happy to stand in front of the giants. Too bad all the sunflower wouldn't smile for the camera.
The real reason we were at the Drumm Rd Farm is an "earful".

We were shucking, cooking, bagging, and freezing corn. The sweet corn this year has been fantastic, so we decided to cook some and freeze it so we can remember all winter long how great it was!

I hope your day is filled with peace.

Get out and enjoy the sweet breeze and warm sun.

Smile for no reason at all.

Because life is good.

Blessings on you and your day.

CRAZy, Lazy, Days of SUmmer

Where oh where has the summer gone?
My kids have been loving the outdoors all summer long. Every afternoon we get our rain shower, (seems like we live in flordia these days.....) around nap time. Even Ellie says uh oh... here comes the rain! It's pretty cute.
My baby is not a baby anymore.
Mommy got her ears pierced. It was a spur of the moment ordeal and she did just fine with it.
They look really cute on her, and she is very proud to show them off.
A girly girl at heart.
A couple of weeks ago we went out to Hamlin Beach Park with mimi and papi and threw some rocks into the water.
The kids just love that water.... by the end Matthew was soaked and fully sanded. Ellie didn't really want to be wet!

For All my awesome stampers our catalogs are in! I haven't snaped a pic yet, but they are beautiful! Drop me a line and I can get one to you. Our next stamping event is the 21st.

I finally posted our canada projects to etsy, so check them out

www.toofabulous.etsy.com

Hope your sunday is a blessed start to your week!

Family

Are you tired of hearing about Canada yet?
Well too bad!

Some of my earliest childhood memories are with Grandma and Grandpa in Canada. They would tell Brandon and I to pack our bags we were going on a trip. We would catch frogs (which we later found out were used for bait...ewwww), fish with Grandpa, and craft with Grandma. We always had so much fun.
Dad still tells us stories of Canada when they were kids. So over the years as I told you before it's evolved to a larger family affair. But it's all because of these two....

Gamma Helen and Papi Louie as my kids call them....

Over 50 years of marriage, 4 children, and too many grandchildren to count....
What was once just a little family vacation, a simple fishing trip to a remote area in canada.....
has now become a legend.
A family reunion of sorts...

( It's Grandma's birthday this week.... Happy birthday! )

I think my favorite part of the week is simply watching the joy in their eyes.

The love for their family.

That what was once their family vacation has become OUR family vacation.

Dinner times are the best. Grandma sits on the deck like a queen watching over her kingdom.... everyone eats and gathers round and then they scatter again.

Even Grandpa, a man of few words, smiles more often, laughs a little harder.

The joy in his eyes is priceless.

These are the moments I want for my family.

To have memories of family surrounding them, laughing and playing with them.

To create a legacy like Grandma and Grandpa have.

Thank you. I love you guys!

So today, I give thanks for family, for the laughter, the tears, and joy that we bring to each other.

I hope you can say the same for yours. Blessings on your day....

Miss me yet?

Vacations are never long enough. 7 days just isn't enough. By the time you get there and settle in, it's time to pack up and come home.... I vote for 10 days next year!

This was a fabulous trip, after many years of searching for the right cottage on the right lake.... I think we've found it. Not exactly where everyone else is, but you can't have everything right?

We stayed in a 7 bedroom cottage right on the Upper Rideau Lake, in Westport, Ontario Canada. Sunnyside Campground to be exact!
The Cottage was right on the water, right next to the beach, and spread out enough that we all had enough room.

The babes had a blast, they got to fish, boat, play in the sand and play, play, and play!
They were just glowing with radiance. The whole family was around, everyone was there to play together. No work, no school, no schedule, no conact with the outside world.
Just us.


And the fish....
Did I mention that fishing was involved? We fished off the dock, we fished on the boat, we might have even been fishing in our dreams.... (some of us that is)
Every night, the sun would set, tucking us in, letting us rest up for our next day of fun...and fishing... and food.
So for now, Canada is over, but there's always next year. Don't think we haven't stopped talking about it, or planning it, especially the food....

Hope your week has been full of the unexpected....
Blessings to you and yours.

Canada.

July has just flown by so far.... I can't believe it's that time already.

Every year the Szklany Clan (or Mafia) whichever you prefer, gathers in Westport, Ontario for a week of fishing, crafting, cooking, and family fun. All year we talk about "canada", what we should do for "canada". It's pretty cool really, what was a family tradation for my fathers family, has now trickled down to the rest of the clan. My kids have been talking about it for weeks now. It all starts with the trip to Bass Pro Shop. Where the gathering of supplies begins.
Then we talk food.
That deserves a line of its own for sure. EVERYone knows that szklany's love to eat.
And last but not least....packing, up late the night before, filling bins with food and duffels with clothes. Clothes are usually an afterthought. Just make sure the food and fishing supplies are packed.... Oh wait, a bin(or two) for crafting supplies.
This year I decided to rent a couple of lenses for my little camera love. So I rented a mac daddy... 135mm f/2.0 L series lens. Nothing to joke around about that's for sure.
LOVE IT!

Can I say it again.... LOve it! Now I've been touched by the L series.... I might just have to start saving.

So even though I was supposed to be gathering supplies, and packing clothes.... I've really been editing pictures and playing with my new toys.

I hope you all have a blessed week.... Hopefully I'll have lots of pics to show when we return, eh?