being content with right now.

get comfy I have a long story to share.

Let's start at the VERY beginning.

I grew up in a trailer park.

it was actually a fancy trailer park.

we think the developers had in mind it being more of a retirement community.

but they. I am assuming, because of legal reasons they couldn't turn down families.

so we were one of the maybe 7 trailers that children called the park home.

One of the biggest selling points for us was that the park had a pool!

Que every summer from that point on

 I swam from sunrise to sunset.

 

Fast forward to the birth of Belle. 

My aunt and her children came to visit and meet her. I took some pictures and then was speechless when I noticed in the pictures how tan they were! 

My aunt contributed it to the fact that they basically live at the pool.

I really really wanted to spend my summers making the same kind of memories with my children.

I was so jealous and I actually beat myself up every year we didn't fulfill this goal.

but we didn't have a pool.

we didn't have the money.

Sometimes we would sweet talk a friend to let us swim in their pool or scrambled together enough for a day pass 

but I still just felt like my kids were missing out on a childhood staple.

I know I know this sounds ridiculous and first world problems. 

I just take it very seriously to create the best childhood memories for my kids and this was something I really really wanted.

Maybe you can't relate to this specifically but I know there is something you want to give your children and you will feel like you failed on some level if you don't ever get to provide this specific thing.

Well finally this year it all worked out that we were able to purchase a season pass to the cities largest public pool!!!!

Cincinnati's Coney Island!

Then to top it all off

this weekend

Julia cancelled plans she had with friends and asked if we could all go swimming together for the midnight swim event instead! 

I couldn't say yes fast enough! 

what!?!?!

absofreakinglutly we will!

Family time that the teenager asked for!!!!

 

While dodging cannon balls and holding my breath as children splash freezing cold water on me, a life lesson hit me.

I spent most of my 20's with the mindset of now now now. I would fear that if I had a goal or a desire for my life and it didn't happen right then it wasn't ever going to happen. I would get very discouraged if things didn't work out according to my timeline. I was in a rush. 

Now I realize everything I truly prayed for, worked towards and wanted to badly for actually did happen

 but on God's time.

 Which actually he has the best timing. 

getting married, buying a house, babies, school, Disney, Julia, puppy, and a million more things. 

I see now that having a summer spent at the pool never would have worked before now. toddlers and pools are a recipe for me to have a panic attack. Babysitting for others took up most of our time, financially we didn't have it and my girls swimming skills are now more confident that they don't need me right by their side the entire time.

I still have to fight the feelings of impatience. 

I need to look at the blessings of the stages I am currently in. I need to recognize that each stage is preparing me for the next. God will answer my prayers in a way that is meant to be and it always ends up better than what I wanted.

I want a hobby farm. I want to get a great job teaching, I want to my husband to have more time away from work, I want to become a foster parent, I want to volunteer more, I want to go back to Africa. 

but for now I will be content with having a summer packed of making memories at the pool!

 

Hiking

I talked about goals I have for the summer.

Another one of those is hiking!

One of my happiest places is just getting lost in the woods surrounded by trees and sunshine and all the noises of nature.

I also really hope to get the Dogs, mainly Caesar, to be my hiking partners. 

I know my girls might outgrow these adventures with me but the Dog wont and honestly for safety reasons it's nice to have him with us. 

I absolutely love immersing myself in nature and taking pictures of everything that catches my eye:

We spotted this a few times during out hike.

Homeschool has instilled in us to find answers.

So we researched a few things and found out this is a Spittle bug nest. 

These little bugs actually look like a frog with wings.

 

Belle the Volleyball player

We decided after many trial and errors to not push our children to do extra curricular activities. If there is something they are seriously interested in then we will look into it. 

Miss Belle started mentioning volleyball. She watched videos and talked to her friends that played and she really wanted to join. About that same time I saw a summer league advertisement with her old school. So I called and before I knew it she was wearing the uniform and handed the ball to be the very first server in her very first game! 

Ogosh....

It went ....well lets just say........ I am excited to see her grow throughout the summer.

I am very proud of her for putting herself out there and trying something new. 

I do thin once she gets over a few hurdles she is going to really love volleyball. 

In the mean time she is enjoying spending time with her friends again. 

 

I think its no big surprise that I get really excited to cheer my kids on.

I am typically not a loud person but when it comes to being on the sidelines I hoop and holler a lot. I don't even realize I am doing it. 

Miss Belle is at this fun stage in her childhood where she gets embarrassed by me.

one of my least favorite childhood stages.

So she asked my husband to keep me in check and not draw attention to myself or her........

huge eyeroll!!!!! 

I looked back at the other girls to maybe pass my cheer-leading duties on to them but 

this was Hazel....

 GO JAGS!!

Farmer's Market goals

I have a few goals for the summer

-read more

-Pass my statistics class

-spend lots of time in the garden

-spend lots of time at the pool

-train Caesar to be a hiking partner

and

-visit a new farmer's market every week!

First up was a little market not far from our home.

We met a few vendors that were selling honey, soap, wood workings, plants, and jams.

Then we saw some friends and fellow home school family!

They were selling art pieces they created but the really cool thing was all the proceeds they collected were going to be donated to a different charity every month! 

How inspiring and amazing is that!! 

This month's charity is one I am very familiar with. Now I lay me Down To Sleep. I actually took an online photography course from the founder of this organization. It is an important mission to help families heal from the loss of children. If you have never heard of them please check it out.

I purchased a tomato plant.

Belle is a very picky eater.

like picky is being nice. 

she eats bread and skyline.

That's really about it.

But

The other week we ate at a Mexican restaurant and she actually tried some Chips and Salsa and she LOVED IT!

SO MUCH SO SHE ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE IT!!!!!

my heart exploded and I couldn't wait to get this tomato plant into the ground!

I know I need more ingredients but we will get there!  

and in the mean time she is eating all the different store brands while we wait.

In other Garden news

my strawberries seem to be slowing down.

Its been raining a lot lately so not too much to report but there will be a break in the weather soon and I have big plans!!!

 I did visit one more Farmers market over the weekend but didn't take any photos or purchase anything

because I was a ditz and forgot my phone AND had no cash on me......

opps. 

Visiting The Wall that Heals

Visiting the Vietnam Memorial wall in Washington DC was by far the most powerful memorial I have ever been to. And I have been to quite a few.

 2017:

 

My sister asked if I would be interested in going to see the traveling replica when it made a stop in our hometown over the weekend.  

I honestly wasn't interested.

 I just didn't think it would compare to the real experience.

 But because my sister asked me

 and truthfully my sister could ask me to do anything and I would do it lol

so we went

Well let me tell you I am so glad we did!

The Wall that Heals 

it lives up to that title.

to see actual names of soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice.

it makes it all more personal and real. 

 

 

 

We researched a few details about the wall and learned

 the diamonds in front of a name means their body was recovered.

 If a plus sign is in front

 it mean they are presumed dead but have not recovered a body. 

This was another detail that just made things all more real for me.

My grandma had a cousin that was drafted into the war. When we went to Washington DC back in 2017 she had asked us to get a picture of his name on the wall.

 We did then but wanted to find it again at the Wall that heals.

 I never met him and only seen the one photograph of him I believe in existance and it just happens to be during his time in Vietnam.

 I know his passing made an impact on my grandma and because of that he had to have been someone special.  Being able to see his name and say a prayer of thanksgiving for his sacrifice is something 

I don't take lightly to have that opportunity to do.

Especially considering a lot of his family members never did get that chance.

 

 

We also saw names of other local soldiers on the wall. 

This war was so brutal, sad and ugly.

When you are standing in the middle of the exhibit and you see just how many names there are. It's hard to not feel anger at those at top for continuing to let the war happen. 

 

 we noticed a poem that was written by a mother of a daughter who lost her first love to the war in Vietnam. It was heart breaking but such a beautiful gift of remembrance. 

I appreciate her sharing that with us. 

again making it impossible to ignore his name, his story, his impact.

 

 Off to the side of the exhibit was a trailer full of items that have been recovered from the wall in Washington DC that was left by family and loved ones.  

This part had me in tears! 

Letters from mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, friends and strangers!

Boots, medals, pictures, a prosthetic leg, a baby sweater, the purple heart! 

Again at first thought of a wall of names.

 it doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

but when you learn the wall is in order of those that were killed from start of the war to end, some are still missing, they had names, family, friends but truthfully they had a whole life they hadn't even gotten the chance to start. 

I know our country seems to be at a boiling point and there is so much hate and anger and mistrust. 

I truly believe we can learn so much from history. we owe so much to those that fought for our rights to even have debates and live in this free country. 

Why not start healing together and saying thank you. Learn from each other. listen. respect. 

have sympathy for those that lost everything.

 Here is the website for the traveling schedule of the wall that heals. I highly recommend going when it comes to a location near you.

https://www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/