i forgot how to tread water

For all these years,

you've lived under the illusion that,
somehow, you made it because you were tough enough
to overpower the abuse, the hatred, the hard knocks of life.


But really, you made it because love is so powerful
that tiny little doses of it are enough
to overcome the pain of the worst that life can dish out.


Toughness was a faulty coping mechanism you devised to get by.
But, in reality, it has been your ability to never give up,
to keep seeking love,
and your resourcefulness to make that love last long enough to sustain you.

That is what has gotten you by."


[p. 158-Get Me Out of Here]

i wish this were mine

belkaidesign

I also wish it were true.

boiler up!

On behalf of KJ's entire Purdue-cheering fam....

Katie @ 13 months :)

Go Boilers!

pretty pretty girl

keepers

Katie and Carter have been begging all summer to get to "really" fish (instead of use their hook-free poles, which I would much prefer, you know...because I actually love their eyeballs and stuff)....and this weekend, we finally took the plunge. 

I'm pretty sure I should be embarassed to say that it took me nearly an entire summer to be able to hook my own worm and the kids were begging to do it in like five seconds.  They loved holding the worms, and with the help of Papa Jay and Eric set out to see if they could catch anything. 

Believe it or not, KJ and Carter didn't just catch fish, they caught BIG fish!  It was the cutest thing I've ever seen to see my little girl fight to pull the fish out of the water.  So proud.

They are keepers.
For sure.

labor day trip to the zoo

The kids haven't been to the zoo, since....well, take a trip down memory lane with me:

circa 2008

It's not that I don't like the zoo, I do...but it is not for the faint of heart, that is for sure.  Like I'm pretty sure there's some invisible "mommy" crown and everytime you do something intense like the zoo or The Children's Musuem...Disney World...you get a rock in it.  Disney World would clearly be a ten carat diamond.  ;)

Perhaps it was because the first time it was at least 98 degrees, both children were in a stroller, and in diapers, and without the help of my friend, Alyssa, I am pretty sure I would have accidentally lost one of them that day...they were crazy kids, and then they were tired, and then well...it was time to go.

This time...much, much different.  First of all, we chose the Ft. Wayne Children's Zoo, which is one of the top five children's zoo's in the whole country.  Basically think less lions and tigers and bears oh my and lots of animals that are close up, smaller, more hands on...basically kid heaven.  The day was cool, the kids were good and even had enough energy at the end of it all to go run and play in the park across the street. 

It was really such a wonderful day, and I apologize in advance for the barrage of pictures...

oh, katie i love that cheese

well of course the lion's mouth drinking fountain was a hit :)

circa 2008
a world of wonder and amazement

2010
that world has just gotten bigger...

it was quite a beautiful zoo...

--lovebirds--

my monkey LOVED the monkeys...

silly, silly children.
i'm so glad they're mine :)

my sweet girl

their laughter is infectious, their joy so amazing

the cuteness of this is just too overwhelming.
i can barely take it. 
(yes, it is now framed in my house)

i blame this picture and their complete fascination with those phones on grammy jodi :)

where are we going next...adorable little girl in pigtails??

whattup, gap kids
(i didn't plan in that way, I swear)

"Spend the afternoon...you can't take it with you."
(Annie Dillard)

my (too) big girl

"Goldfish get big enough only for the bowl you put them in. Bonsai trees twist in miniature.

I would have given anything to keep her little.

They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow them."
(Jodi Picoult-My Sister's Keeper)