School Prep...

Ugh... I did it. I bit the bullet and did the school shopping and uniform shopping. I am so not happy with doing it. I wanted to stay in my SUMMER mode. DENIAL  that summer was coming to a close. But I did it. I spent a gazillion dollars on Sweetpea's new (gulp) middle school uniform. And than I spent another beaucoup bucks on supplies and a few more uniform pieces for BooBooBear... OH BOY... it hurt. A lot.  Not just because we spent so much money (although - that wasn't fun)... but I realized summer was almost over and I wouldn't have my girls all to myself anymore. It's becoming acutely obvious that I cannot avoid the fact that my first baby girl is growing up faster than I wanted her to...

I thought about sharing something she wanted to buy at the store - that just clinched it for me that she was getting so big - too fast. (But I think that one I'll just keep in the memory banks suffice it to say that she'd kill me if I wrote it out... hahaha).

I really wanted to do some more "learning" this summer with them, to keep them fresh. I know I am talking like the summer is completely over... and it's not.  I still want to have a lot more fun with my baby girls... and maybe do some reading and a little math... possibly some French in there as well! But if it doesn't get done... well I am deciding that I am still ok with it. Kiddos should be kiddos during the summer and I don't want them to lose that. We will still continue our reading and a little math etc here and there BUT...the last few weeks of summer  we're going to have fun just hanging out, playing, and doing fun things together.  We have our family vacation coming soon... that is ALWAYS the best time together as a family.

Hello August... I won't be sad of your arrival and what it means. 

I will embrace you and celebrate that it means to have the best 3 weeks before school.

I want to be with my girls for the rest of the summer and enjoy them.

Bittersweet

It's been a week of bittersweet feelings... I don't like it.

I've been doing pretty well. We've made it almost through our year of "firsts". I've had so many people call and write offering such sweet support! I truly appreciate all the support. The year anniversary date of losing my nephew Andrew has come and gone - along with my 16yr wedding anniversary and my parents 44th. I thought it would be a lot harder... but actually the days before were the hardest & saddest.
I focused on my Mr Safety Man! I cannot believe it's been 16yrs married! It's been a blink!!

So this weekend was not a fun weekend... but it was a necessary one. We've been sorting, organizing, cleaning, throwing out, trying on, giving to Goodwill, etc etc etc. It feels good to get my life back in order. But for some reason I just don't feel like I have.

This summer is supposed to be about fun, spending time with my girls, and just make up for last summer. And I just don't think I'm there. I feel horrible that I'm always cleaning this place, always have something that needs to be done.

I see people and they are getting so much done, they're reading every day, doing fun crafts, just doing awesome stuff... and I feel like I haven't... But I guess maybe we have. Perhaps I am just whining...

I dunno you tell me - here's what we've been up to...

The first 10 days we were on vacation in Maine. We did get to do a lot of fun things...Like

Dedicating an important bench in Grammy San's name, spending time with Pam, Linda, & Sandy - we love you!

Special lady!

Installing Grammy San's granite bench in the woods on MORSE MT

Finding beautiful spots, spying Fairy Houses

Reflecting upon quiet moments

Investigating tide pools

Writing in the sand special to Mommy

Planning our new home (someday) Isn't this color the BEST?

Cuddling with my boy! Love this kiddo!

Loving the ocean!

Quality time with my nephew

Flirting with Mr Safety Man

Getting stuck with abyss below me... Watching beautiful waves coming in and out

Playing in the Buttercups

Smelling intoxicating Lupins

Sneaking some snuggles

Tiptoeing in the grass (boy I miss New England grass)

Being goofy

Rolling down REAL hills

Visiting old towers (sorry too tired to turn it)

Remembering our engagement on Mt Battie - admiring the CAMDEN harbo

Making bubbbbbles!

Sneaking some quality time with my sweeties

Stealing quiet moments by the Atlantic on a ROCKY beach

Finding fun spots to explore

Sharing family time

Loving our family

Standing up to my NEMESIS - Verona Island Bridge (over huge gorge) bleck!

Supporting, visiting, and loving three generations of family

Climbing like I couldn't 2 yrs before

Visiting Bath Maritime Museum and being in AWE of history

Becoming a fish...(visiting LL BEAN)

Celebrating Daddy's Day - and being GOOFY with 'said' Daddy!

Actually SWIMMING in sub zero water

Hunting for seashells after

And saying some hard goodbyes... LOVING spending time with our family

 And the rest of our time... well let's hit that tomorrow...

TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVELING!!

Oh the excitement... the anticipation... the joy at the preparation (NOT!!!! Come on my friends are you kidding me? I HATE the prep...) - HOWEVER - I do like the trip (albeit tiring) and just the fun of traveling.

We have done this wonderful trek to Garden City, SC (south of Myrtle Beach) since I was about FOUR or FIVE years old... 31-ish years!!! WHAT a tradition! This is something that as a little girl I would look forward to alllll year long. We would take that long trip down from VT/NH... And it was so easy to pack then - I just needed music, books, and whatever else in my carry-on but now... BOY do I know what my mom must have gone through - now that I am doing it!

Ahhh the tradition continues with the Marriners now... MY FAMILY! My parents fly in from UT and we travel all together. It's fun to catch up and visit before we leave. I really miss them -we're a very close knit family! Then we get up at an incredibly AWFUL (early) hour in the AM and travel 10ish hours north. My girls have been going since they were born and it creates such memories... Now I view the anticipation in their faces. I hear how they speak of it... And it reminds me of the innocence and just fun of vacation and traveling!!

Just tonight little Boo asks me "Momma are you excited for the beach (always how we refer to our vacation). And I could unequivocately answer YES!! Everything was packed and ready to go and now the excitement to get outta dodge and just go relax at a house, right on the beach, TRAVELING to a new, yet familiar place is just AWESOME!

I dislike the preps for traveling. I get nervous and stressed a bit (Chris would say A LOT more than a bit). However - I love to go places, I love to do new things, I love to see new places, eat and drink in the culture...

But right now - I love going to "the beach". I love being with friends & family. I love that we go EVERY year and I have only missed going twice (1st - 16yrs old - I was in Zimbabwe, Africa on a mission trip & 2nd I had just had my 2nd baby girl and she was only 2 weeks old). I even went 3 days after my surgery on my back last summer!!!

Our family loves "the beach". It's true. The travling, the fun, the excitement, it is alll part of vacation!!!!

This is a bit choppy and rambling... but I just am excited and wanted to write a little about our TRAVELING!!! It's been a wonderful summer... but we need our VACATION finally!

musing on travels... my mind wanders on allll the other places i want to go sometime soon....

AHhhhhh summer is in the air...

I am so happy... SUMMER is in the air and the weather has turned LOVELY, warm, and perfect! I started this post in the Spring... and it was actually titled SPRING is in the air... but alas life happens and time happens. This post originally started for explaining our new garden in front... but my girls amaze me and are making me smile this hot day - so I will talk of my gorgeous gals.

I am very excited that summer is finally here. We have been out of school for a week and it seems like longer - but it is so nice. The girlies and I have been doing some fun activities... swimming, beaching, playing games, having friends over, shopping, reading, and of course the normal tv&computer games (sometimes a necessary evil). But all-in-all it's been "delicious". Yep I love that word. It can be used to describe so many things - edible and non-!

I look at my blossoming girls and they are most definitely DELICIOUS! AH I cannot get enough of them.

Kyky is just growing up too fast - 9 going on 15... she wants to be so independent yet is pretty attached to her mommy and daddy. She reads and reads and cannot get enough. She is so much like her momma it is not even funny! We clash at times because we are so alike - but don't all mommies and daughters? I see her sleeping and think I haven't told her enough how much I love her... she still has her violet eyelids she had as a baby - but she's not a baby anymore. She is so long and elegant. So beautiful. She is very intelligent and it is so intriguing to hear how her mind works and get in to our nightly "pillow/snuggle" talks. She amazes me every day with her sentimental, caring, intelligent thoughts. She is definitely one-in-a-million.






BooBooBear well she is just scrumptious. I think she must be going through a growth spurt as she is eating everything under the sun and getting that BooBoo belly again which I just want to tickle- I love it. She is very concerned about being away from "Mame" (pronounced mommy). She is so attached to me right now it is so completely endearing.
Her nightly summer routine right now:
"Mame can you snuggle?" (sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes not until after ____ chore or dinner or spending time with my honey)
"Well come in RIGHT when you are done" (ok sweetie) "RIGHT when you are done... no talking... no tv... no waiting... RIGHT when you are done" (yes BooBoo I promise)
"Goooodnight Mame" (goodnight booboobear)
"I love you" (I love you too)
"Goooodnight Mame" "I love you" (I love you too)(goodnight booboobear)
***Repeated at least three times***
"Mame... can I have one more kiss and hug" (of course Booboo)
"Goooodnight Mame" "I love you" (I love you too)(goodnight booboobear)
***repeated again at least three times***

At times I could get frustrated... she has to be with me ALL-THE-TIME... but I just find myself falling in love with them over and over and over again. I could eat them both up - again with the DELICIOUS adjective! Or how about delectable or luscious. Oh I love summer... I LOVE being with my girls. I love the laissez-fair atmosphere. I love plans and also having no plans...

Now it's time to go plant our new front garden with my wonderful little helpers! I think I will take some more photos... they grow so fast (the kiddos most definitely)!