Friday, April 27, 2012

This Week's Favorites

Favorite photo...
I just love when this picture shy fella gives in and holds me like we are at Prom '97...

Favorite quote...
To keep the fire burning brightly there's one easy rule:  Keep the two logs together, 
near enough to keep each other warm and far enough apart - about a finger's breadth - 
for breathing room.  Good fire, good marriage, same rule. 
~Marnie Reed Crowell
Favorite recipe...
I made these kebabs while my in-laws were visiting: SO GOOD!

Favorite links...
Vanessa's post on letting go: a struggle we can all relate to.
Your children want you!!!  YES!!!
This birthday party looks like a blast!  I love the idea of setting up canvases for the kids 
to go wild.
This photo gallery of yummy lunchboxes gave me so many ideas!

Caitlin's post touched my heart in so many ways.  I have a husband who works away and
can completely relate to the worry and anxiety she feels.
DIY aloe vera gel: a must for our outdoor loving family.
A blog written by two sisters, one who lives in the country and one who lives in the city.  
I love their two unique perspectives!
I love Erin, her photos, and this sweet day.  
A great post for anyone interested in raising chickens, per my real life friend, 
Marcus.
Favorite moment...
Truth be told, I had a bad week.  On Monday, my in-laws flew home and Shawn left for 
his work trip.  I have felt sad all week and have really missed all the noise and chaos 
of having a house full of people.  Work was stressful and ridiculously busy and I've been 
up late every night catching up on my charting.  Isabelle had a big school project due and 
we were glued to the kitchen table every night working to get it done, making her 
very restless and irritated.  Overall, this week left me feeling tired, overworked, and 
wishing that every weekend was a 4 day weekend like the last.  Last night, I finally 
said screw it, enough is enough.  We finished up Isabelle's project, I put my work 
computer away, turned off the phone, and my girls and I all climbed into bed.  We went 
to sleep very early, all of us feeling exhausted and needing to let our bodies rest.  With a 
girl on each side of me, little hands in my hair and legs strewn about, I felt myself
 clinging tightly to their smells, their relentless love.  I found myself finally relaxing 
and letting go of my sad funk.  It was a bad week, and that's okay.  We all have 
those sometimes.  And when we do, sometimes it's best to just go to bed and cuddle 
and start over tomorrow.
Click To Vote For Us @ Top Baby Blogs Directory!

14 comments:

Deanna Fike said...

i'm glad your funk is over. peppy is taking gage camping tonight, and i am so tired that i feel like i might just crawl in  bed and go to sleep as early as owsley does. :) 

Lisa Mikitarian said...

Love that quote near the top!!!  How true!

Jan_ackerson said...

Those kebabs look amazing. Was there any marinade on them?

I found your blog from the blog hop on Connecting Now. I write tiny flash fiction; stop by some time if you have 60 seconds to kill! www.1hundred-words.com

Vanessa said...

First, that prom picture: priceless. Second, that link about how your children want YOU ... it made me cry. I hold you responsible! ;-)

Mattandkaraadopt said...

I adore this series on your blog. It's such a sweet positive post! Also, that link about your kids wanting you made me boo-hoo. What a great reminder.

Also, I'm obsessed with your pink maxi dress. Where is it from again? 

Olivia said...

Sometimes, it's the only way!!  What a fun night for Peppy and Gage!  Can't wait to hear all about it!

Olivia said...

It is, right?  A delicate balance between being close and having space keeps the fire going!

Olivia said...

Thank you!!  I didn't marinate them beforehand although I did boil the potatoes in sea salted water to cut the cooking time on the grill down.  Once I put them on the grill, I brushed them with a little concoction: melted butter mixed with garlic, Tony Chachere's seasoning, and a little Tabasco sauce.  It was SO good and so easy!  Look forward to checking out your blog, thanks for stopping by mine:) 

Olivia said...

It made me cry, too!  Such a good reminder!  And everyone always laughs at us because all our photos together look like prom pictures with this silly pose we have!  Forever teenage lovers we are...

Olivia said...

Thank you!!  I love that dress so much! It's from Old Navy: great price, super comfy, and light and airy.  They have great maternity stuff there, too!

jessica ♥ The Fevered Pen said...

Here via the Restless blog hop and your new follower :) I love this series, it's very positive and inspirational! It's good to find the beauty in things, and focus on what we love instead of things that are negative ;) 

Caitlin A. said...

Thanks for linking to me love, and for your sweet email :) I'm sorry it's been a rough week, I hope next week gets so much better. <3

Olivia said...

You are so welcome!!  And I hope so, too!!  

Olivia said...

Thank you so much and welcome!!  I love meeting new bloggers!  At the end of the week, it's so nice to sit back and look at the good, all my favorite things.  It's a good reminder of what's real and important!