A New Day

When I started blogging a year ago I was a new mom who had just lost her own mom. I was constantly vacillating between extreme sadness and extreme happiness.  I began blogging as a way to offload some of those overwhelming thoughts and to share my journey of grief and joy. If you've been following me on A Year on Pins thank you so much for reading and for making the transition over to my new blog.  If you're new here feel free to check out my old blog to get caught up.

We've burned to the end of one of those great weekends where things fall seamlessly into place.  Oliver slept in until 9 both Saturday and Sunday.  Things like that happen about once every 79 years, much like the Haley's Comet or a lunar eclipse. He woke up both mornings in a great mood despite the fact that he's still teething.  

We finally got some much needed rain on Saturday.  Not enough to get us caught up and out of the drought we're in but at least I didn't have to water my flowers for a day. We worked on our never ending list of DIY projects and actually managed to finish up a few that have been sitting in limbo for months. I made this artwork out of Oliver's first drawing.

I got a start on my wall of vintage pictures.  It's not quite done yet, there are still a lot more old timey pictures I'd like to collect from family members but I love how it is started.  It has taken me a while to be able to hang pictures of my mom, at first I didn't need the constant reminder of her absence in our lives but now I'm welcoming her constant presence.

Our walls are slowly becoming filled with pictures that hold stories and love.

We did a little swimming on Sunday afternoon.  I love that Oliver is in love with the water. He loves splashing and kicking.  He also loves "jumping" from the side.  Corey sits on the side with him and throws him into the water to me. Before he can even wipe the dripping water from his face he is giving us the sign for "more, more, more". But his favorite part about swimming? Watching the big kids do cannonballs and dives.

We've got our big camping adventure/Iowa trip coming up.  We leave on Thursday and there is much to do. The tables and counters in my house are covered in To-Do lists and post-it note reminders.  I'm certain I will forget to pack something important but as long as it's not food or fun that we forget the trip will still be a success.

It's going to be another scorcher today and the rest of the week so we're going to go fit in a little outdoor time while the driveway and yard are still somewhat shaded from the morning sun. Happy Monday!