Obessions....take 2

We just returned from the annual family reunion!!

Just a quick little trip to my perfect retreat...

a quiet sandy beach..a little lake at Uniquoi State Park near Helen,Georgia ..i just love this place!!

(it's not fancy...just wonderful!~= wonder-filled)

This butterfly was not camera shy at all...
should we say...social?? ;)



Get ready..there is much to see...
i'm obsessed with this place...
oh..and changing...





obsessions....
upon our arrival...
Myles' "need" to keep it clean..no litter please...or leaves for that matter... kicked in!!
You cannot see his face here..but look at that shadow...
i can tell here how concerned/serious his face is..and well, i did have the benefit of recieving all of the found items...


We have been spending time ,here and there, at sweet friend's pools this summer...so i knew the boys would like the water..






you'll see in these pictures just how much these boys
FEEL..




yeah..i think i'm gonna like this...

speaking of insecurity...(aren't we all..?)

My amazing friend Jess (hey girl..i just love you..)

recommended that i read Beth Moore's book SO LONG INSECURITY..

one might feel a bit insecure at the mere recommendation..but i adore her for sharing this gift with me.. Thankyou my Friend!!

I barreled through half of this massive book (bigger than most books around our house)

while on our vacation..

hmmmm.

obsessions...

insecurity..

me???

The Lord is changing me..

i will not have a spirit of timidity..

i will not let my heart hang in the balance of what if and why not..

i have come to realize that my obsessions with change are because sometimes its hard to let go of what you are so accustomed to doing..but sometimes it is the only way...

THE ONLY WAY!!!

His ways are far greater than mine...and the conditions by which he has chosen to carry me through this life on earth are not intimidating...they are anticipated...

i truly DO anticipate great things...even...especially... in the discouraging times..

He has given me a heart for him..a heart of JOY!!

A HEART OF JOY!!

(as i read back through that....you should know this is not something i would normally say..just sayin...:)

Sooo..i HIGHLY recommend this book to all of you!!

Do NOT be afraid!!

FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU...

WHEREVER YOU GO...

(even as you turn the pages of this book..especially..)

Back to the beach..

experiencing the sand...
when was the last time you experienced the sand...

??

this picture must have been worth putting in twice..

:)

okay..here we go people..

my heart is all giddy just looking at this picture..

and this one..

oh heaven help me..

My Love..

this will go in our collection of US pictures..

look in his glasses at all the people on the beach...

what's that??

you cannot see anyone??

yep!

my favorite little beach...

he cannot get enough of this sensory wonderland!

;)

do you think we could get a little beach for our backyard??

I love pictures of our Sammy when he is looking at the camera..

but i have become So fond of this type of picture too..

we have lots of the tops of his head..

you know...eye contact is fleeting..

let me just tell you what i LOVE..

the way his lemony hair stretches the length of his beautiful head to meet up with his eye lashes...oh those eyelashes
...

eyelashes that frame those beautiful blueberry blue eyes...and whatever they are discovering over and over again...

oh to know what he knows!!

and then the cheeks..

the angle of this type of picture lends itself to displaying his apple cheeks..

oh i could gush over this kid all day..

Watch out for hippos in the water!!

my heart is racing with feelings for this kid...

his autism has seemed to carry him away from us recently..

AND

we have seen more of SAM this summer too..

being in the water has "brought him out of himself"...
do you understand what i mean..??

He is our sensory kid...he needs LOTS of sensory input to get his motor running!!

like most of us need our coffee drinks..he needs revin' too!

the water incorporates all of him!!

and we SEE him..

Here's another thing too..

oh my heart aches..

the pool/water is a "normal" situation..it has a "normal" look to it..

where other times he may look not so ...you know...

i like to think of all the ways he sees things..

and wonder...what that must be like for him..

Lee loves these next pictures...i don't think they really need any explanation..

but i will anyway..

:)

It looks like he is swimming here doesn't it!!

I like this picture because I LOVE..

like seriously over the top blessed-o-rama...

to see him with our boys!!

They love him!!

He adores them!!

He rocks..

a whole lot!!

so...

a day at the beach would not be complete without an animal adventure...now would it!!??

i could not miss this photo op!!!

What are you waiting for???

(a preview of more to come)

THIS IS SO TYPICAL!!

(i am laughing as i type that...no really...i'm no liar..

i don't know if i have ever had the chance to say that about my guys...
i'm so funny)

more exploring...

and discovering...

oh my word!!

The last night Dada took over..

he made the kids dinner..and made sure they ate it.. while i got to relax with family members..

yeah...he's the man!

A happy ending to our fun little trip!

I've been working on new stuff..

new crafts..

and gearing up for school to start..

still 2 1/2 more weeks to go..

just getting myself ready to start getting ready...

revin'!!

and lovin'...

and playin'...

and prayin'...

Have a Love-fully!!

Obsessions....(take 1)

I may or may not have an obsession with the bag section at Goodwill these days!!

I found this one and although it had some vintage residue..(nothing bad...just, vintagey)

i couldn't resist it!!

or the other 4 bags near it...

obsessed!!

I covered up the vintage..and spruced it up...and I.Love.It!

Some of us have some sensitive skin around here..and we love our earth..
after a conversation with a dear friend of mine and her homemade laundry soap endeavor..i decided when we were finished with our huge tub of free and clear soap that i would give it a go..
i tore into my ingredients...and loved every second of it!!
This was so easy!


it smells divine...i can't get enough of it!!

This is for you sweet Nancy!!

obsessed!!

Bring on the day!

Smylie got a hold of our camera over the weekend!

when i uploaded the pictures..i found this one..

and this one...

and this one...

oh dear!!

it was so sweet to see this picture being taken..

Myles said...."Smile Sam!"

Sam wasn't feeling it..

oh hello...it's me again!

who's obsession is this..his or mine..

i couldn't resist the camera..

except when i was sitting on the potty and Myles wanted to continue his documentary..

:)

but every other time he would say in his sweet little voice..

"Smile"

"Say Cheeseburger"

ahhhh..

obsessed with his sweetness

Today while I was putting items in my shop ..i was listening to my blog music..

and he said..."Hey Mom...I want some Beauty in the world!"

I keep trying to get some footage of him singing..which he does all the time now...but he can hear the camera and stops everything to cheese it up!

"Cheese...burger!"

the way he sees it...

every moment is worth capturing!!

I have much that i have recently become obsessed with..the biggest being change..

not pocket change..

CHANGE!!

I think i like change.

I move our furniture around a lot..

ask any friend of mine..my house is not the same (rarely) as it was the last time they were visiting
:)

and i chalk it up to my rad interior design self..

until recently..

i'm obsessed.

we are moving rooms..getting rid of things..paring down..(except for the Goodwill purses)

and i think it is actually because...

are you ready..

i'm not okay with change...
there are some..few.... things we have control over..

like..where do i want to put the couch this week..?

or..do i want granola or blueberries in my yogurt??or both??

or...which vase do i want to put the beautiful flowers my hubbie brought home for me??

i'm sure there are more choices we have control over...

but really, we don't.

even the choice of color to paint the walls in our rooms i feel was placed on my heart..

for, although we (i) think i have plans..they are not my own..

They do not belong to me.

"For I know the plans I have for you..declares the Lord"

So..me and my God have been busy moving furniture and picking out colors..and enjoying the waiting in the unknown...

i'm obsessed with HIS plan..not my own...

new in the shop..finally..

enjoy..

more obsessions to come!

Have a Love-fully!


ps..

What's the beauty in your world?

Water Water Everywhere

Hello there!!

These pictures were taken the day we went on our afternoon picnic!!

Dada was a little apprehensive..which surprised me..i'm usually all safety patrolling
my family...i just wanted the boys to experience the water on the rocks...and this (officially) is illegal..well sort of..actually, i think "Strictly Prohibited" means it's illegal if you do it!!

anywho...

so...Charlie fell into the water when Myles had a little fall...
(that must have been why they put that sign up...)

((rules, folks, are made to be followed!!))

so... he needed a shower/soaking/cleaner-upper!!





now..if that doesn't scream summer...i'm not sure what does..

well...

maybe ...

this...

is an...

accurate...

picture...

of..

Summer!!

Sammy drinkin' it up!
This was the first time this summer that we went to this little spot..we've been back twice now and it is definitely a hit for Sammy!

I am always so tickled by Sam's inquisitive nature..

he likes lights and sharp angles and architecture... he was just checkin' out this shop when it was time to leave..

waiting for the boys to get changed...

((my husband rocks... he took the boys AT THE SAME TIME...to a public restroom...and changed their wet clothes.... i'm not sure i can even type the sound that comes from my being...let me try...bwutabwut bwaaaa!! this includes some body shaking and my eyes are definitely closed..and my face looks wretched...i mean..i would do it..have done it...but he JUST DID IT!! yeppers..i LOVE HIM!!))

i'm not sure if anyone knows this about me yet...but

I also...
LOVE
SUMMER!!

I've been enjoying my skirt collection daily..
and sunscreen..
and my sandals..

oh..look who is all done..

these two

are

two

of

my

favorite

souls

i

have

ever

had

the priveledge

of

knowing!!

and their Dada!!

Yeah!

He's a keeper!!



Have a Love-fully day!!