Yesterday was my sister’s birthday.

She was born three years after me. Amazingly, we’re both now 29. I don’t get it, but then again, I’ve never been that great at math.

Anyhow, our day started out at the CatWalk run, where we ran 5K’s and 10K’s to benefit cancer research. We ran in memory of Kendra’s mother-in-law, and in support of our friend Mario, among others. It was a great, heartfelt race.
One of which I have no pictures. Go figure.

Then, off to my parent’s house for brunch, fruit pizza, and presents.

Have you ever attempted to get a picture of 4 children looking in the same direction? Yeah, I made it especially difficult by asking them to look AWAY from the fruit pizza and towards my own sweaty self. It worked out really well, as you can tell.

Sidenote? Lilly took one bite of the fruit pizza and said it was too sweet. I commented that she is more of a savory girl. Stevie asked if “savory” was a synonym for “dramatic.”

Oh that Stevie. Always bustin’ out the funnies.

Oh, but back to my sister. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the woman, mom, educator, and person I look up to the most. Love you sis!

UPDATE:

Ya’ll know I love jewelry, right?

And you know I love ICE.com. I’ve written about them a couple of times. What can I say? I like what I like.

Guess what? ICE.com has a new look. In fact, their NEW WEBSITE launches TODAY!

You should really check it out. In addition to getting a facelift and offering new styles and varieties of jewelry, they now offer free shipping and returns.

My eye got drawn HERE, HERE, and HERE.
You know, to name a few.

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CONTEST/GIVEAWAY!

Now, for the most exciting part… ICE.com is offering one of my readers a gift code worth $100 to spend at ICE.com!

How do you enter? Leave a comment on this post answering the following question:
Question: Which actress is on the Ice homepage?

Yep, that’s it. Check out the site, answer the question in the comment section of this post, and begin daydreaming about all of that beautiful, high quality jewelry!

The Fine Print: ICE.com did not compensate me for this post. They are providing one $100 gift code for one of my readers. This contest will end on August 26, 2011, and a winner will be chosen via Random.com. Not applicable on sale or clearance items, watches, engagement rings or The Persona Charms Collection. Not applicable on taxes or shipping costs, and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Where have I been?

Hello bloggy world!

My four or five regular readers may have noticed that I haven’t blogged lately. I pinky promise that there has been good reason for this.

So… where have I been?

For one, I’ve been welcoming my newest niece Harper Ann to our family! My sister, her husband, and their two year old welcomed Harper to the world on July 15.

Watching my sister become a mother, again, is simply amazing. She is such a natural, and I’m in awe of her and her young family.

I’ve also been spending as much time as possible with my own children. Two and four are such miraculous ages.

Zac is exploring, learning, growing. He loves trucks and trains and V8 and apple juice. And he adores his sister.

Lilly is dramatic, emotional, hilarious. She loves pink and princesses and Strawberry Shortcake and V8. And SHE simply adores her brother.

I also started a new job this past month. I feel so fortunate that I get to work with school districts around our state to help students. This new position is exciting and fun, as well as exhausting! I couldn’t be happier.

When things get crazy, blogging has to be put aside for a few weeks. This isn’t to say that I don’t miss it and, more importantly, miss my bloggy friendships. Bear with me, and I promise to be back.

What have YOU been doing lately?

I don’t use the word “hate.”

Scratch that. I should say that I rarely use the word “hate.”

I do, however, use the word “love.” And I use it a lot.

Tonight, I’m feeling especially loving about, well, everything.

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I love that I had an amazing weekend with great friends who came to visit from Cali! I’m hoping they’ll send pictures (since I took so few), so I can share them.

I love the delicious fruits and veggies I got from Bountiful Baskets this week. I’ll be making THIS for sure, probably tomorrow.

I love that Lilly told Zac that rain clouds were coming, so he put a bucket on his head. Inside.

I love their imaginations and the way they play together and interact.

I love that I had to crop this photo after realizing Lilly was wearing her tutu with no pants.

I love her crazy curls.

I love afternoon naps.

I love their budding independence.

I love that they still need mommy.

I love Netflix.

I love tiny shoes full of sand.

I love Easter egg hunts.

I love the fact that Zac is now  wondering why he’s wearing a  bucket on his head.

I love dance parties.

And “racing” to clean up rooms before bedtime.

I love Facebook and Twitter and connecting in new ways.

I love my sister, and that she’s going to have another baby girl.

I love that I’m really, truly able to understand much of what Zac tells me these days.

Maybe it was Easter, or maybe there’s just something in the air. I feel grateful. Now, mind you, I always feel grateful. I have good days and bad days, but I always feel grateful for my kids and my life. Today is just an extra grateful day.

What do you love?

I took this photo today, specifically because it symbolizes our life. We are a beautiful mess!

I mean this in a fun way. I’m not frustrated like I was yesterday. Today was awesome. It was fun, meaningful and special, in simple ways. Today was beautiful.

We are a beautiful mess, outside and in.

The house is picked up… yet there is always dirt on the floor (from running inside and out) and dishes in the sink (from eating food we are blessed enough to have plenty of).

We love love love each other… but sometimes poor choices are made and feelings are hurt.

We have a beautiful flower (given to Lilly by her Uncle Stevie at the start of her birthday “date”- more on that soon!) … sitting in front of clean, but not yet put away, dishes.

Something about the photo just struck me. Not to say the beauty is a facade or that it’s covering up the mess. Just, that we have both.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.