Magazine Search

When John and the girls run errands, they frequently bring home little surprises for me. Last night, they ran to the drugstore to get a few things and decided to also pick out a magazine they thought I would enjoy.



At first, Lilly chose this...



Then, Emma suggested this...



After some guidance from John, they all finally agreed on this because, "Mommy loves food so much!"

They know me well! ;)

Summer Chore Charts

Before the summer began, I was worried that it would be difficult to have both girls home all day, every day. These little munchkins can really wreck a house in a matter of minutes, if you know what I mean. So, I really did a lot of planning and tried to figure out ways to keep my kids busy. There's a ton of stuff scheduled for children in our community, so I gathered all the information/flyers and kept them in a folder. Then, with that information, I started making our schedule for the summer. I also made each child her own chore chart. Now, I must admit I have tried charts in the past and I could never quite make them work. But, this time has been very successful. Oh, and my house has been much tidier. Huge bonus! Ruthie at Sugar Pie Farmhouse really inspired the look of these particular charts.

This is Emma's chart. It's fairly simple and she really enjoys checking off her accomplishments. If she completes her chart by the end of the week, we award her one dollar.

Here is Lilly's chart. I put pictures on her chart to make it easier for her. She is still a little young for the whole chart concept, but I didn't want her to feel left out. She really likes the routine of completing her chores.

Lilly's Sense of Style

Need I say more?

Emma, Lilly and "Pickles"

Here are my three children enjoying the fireworks on the 4th of July. It was a fun day full of celebration.

We have been busy, busy bees this summer and I have been slurping up every moment of it. This last month has been filled with gymnastics, playing, swimming and spending lots of time with good friends. Both of the girls are older and more independent, which makes for really fun interactions with them. I realize the word "blessed" is overused quite a bit, but it's the word I always think of when I look at these precious children. John and I are so incredibly blessed by these two wonderful, little girls. Yes, being a mommy can be quite painful at times (in more ways than one ;), but the intense joy I feel for these children outweigh it all!