no words for these eyes

so little time

my last final is on monday the 11th.

on tuesday, we pack up and leave for texas for a month.

it's count down time and i am overwhelmed.

so here's the skinny (i wish):

david is in between picking jobs for the navy. he signed on as an IT (computer nerd guy) and is now in the process of switching to a CTI (linguist) after scoring well on the DLAB (a military test that tests your natural ability to learn a new language.) yeah, my husband is basically a genius, not to brag  or anything. well yeah, i am bragging; what can i say...he's smart. when the job is official, he will find his exact ship out date which should be about mid june. he will then go to boot camp for 8 weeks. i will fly there to see him graduate and he will go directly to A-school to learn some crazy language for 6 months-1 year. i will stay here with my mom until i finish nursing school, then we will join him wherever he is stationed. crazy right? i know.

meanwhile, we are finishing up finals and packing for texas.

we will see david's familia, my sisters, david's sister is having her 5th baby, and i am running a triathlon while there. we will also take a mini trip out of austin to washington DC. the SEALS are having a memorial service for their fallen brothers; like Mark, and they invited my family. we will be at arlington on memorial day at Mark's grave and we also plan to do his temple work at the DC temple!!!!!

so much is coming up and i feel so unprepared. 

studying for these finals is the most stressed 

i've ever been about school. 

i am trying to take breaks and relax in between study sessions, so i have been sewing and outside with the kids. 

in fact, today we found some lovely friends in our yard: 2 snakes! the boy was mesmerized as we watched them crawl 

in and out of the rock wall. 

he is such a boy and was so curious. 

after raking, pulling weeds, and getting dirty in the yard,

we had yummy tomato, mozzarella, and basil paninis for dinner. 

these are my beautiful babies after their bath: 

(because this wouldn't be a blog post without some pictures)

whew... this is the longest writing i've ever blogged!

twinzies

dear jennifer,

yesterday i wore our orange skirt. 

i took a picture of my sandals in the grass.

today, you posted a similar picture on your blog.

except my toes aren't painted.

and my lawn is greener.

we are twinz...with a Z.

and we both thought of training for triathlons in the same week without even talking to each other. 

it's total ESP...

sister ESP.

i love the color green

and i think mother nature does too.

these are the shades we found in our back 

yard and in the kitchen:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                  
                                                                              

do you know what else i love?

watching my WHITE man shovel garden 

dirt without a shirt on.

                                                                            

the big announcement

no, i am not pregnant.

it's official.

my beloved husband has joined the navy.

he has sworn in to serve and protect his country.

he has thought long, prayed hard, and taken this decision to the lord.

it is what is right for our family and i'm so proud of him.

he has already been training hard for boot camp:

by

getting to bed early

waking up early

hardcore workouts

eating more vegetables 

eating less candy

he's my hero already.

more details to come at the end of this week.

stripes, plaid, and tulips

                                                   

perspective

question:

what could be worse than changing a baby's poopy diaper?

answer:

changing a ninety-year-old man's "poopy" diaper.

and let me just say that in the hospital, we don't use the term "poopy".

this is pretty much what i do all day long during clinicals. today was my last clinical of the semester. we have been working in a rehab unit where most of our patients are over 60 and are recovering from strokes or hip/knee replacements. it's been interesting, but it's definitely not what i want to do as a nurse. another thing that is worse than giving your 6 month old an enema, is giving an eighty-three year old man an enema. if anything, this semester has put a lot of my daily tasks in perspective. 

i don't think i'll ever complain about giving my kids baths, dressing them, 

or changing their diapers ever again!

tay tay & colored bread

 

last weekend took us up to omaha for my 

younger brother's birthday.

taylor has a rare talent of picking up any sport 

or hobby and catches on quickly.

he's a talented skater, swimmer, writer, artist, guitarist, soccer player, electrician, etc..

my brother is caring and hilarious.

his future is endless and i'm on the edge of 

my seat to see what he'll do.

happy birthday tay tay!

after eating out, we ended the night at 

my dads with a mean game of 

settlers (which i won) and fresh strawberries for dessert.

another highlight of my weekend included easter bread from my grandma.  i would visit her in omaha when i was young and she would always buy it for me. i've only seen it in omaha and it's my favorite...so fun for kids! i need to learn how to make it for my children.

has anyone else ever had this?

the chicken or the egg?

which do you think came first?

muffin top

i will be going to the gym each day this week;

because this is what i look like in jeans:

 

garden party

have i mentioned the garden parties of my childhood?

my dad has a huge green thumb. 

and when i say huge, i mean AMAZING gardener.

as a child, i would help him in the garden on saturdays.

i would crack open watermelons and pomegranates, 

and eat them straight off the vine/tree.

it was bliss.

so today, i was excited to get the kids involved in 

our gardening process.

   

   the boy found worms.

"he's my friend" is what he kept saying.

                  while the girl played and the mister laid 

           mulch around the beds. 

                

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

we're almost ready to plant our seeds!

oh, and i raked.

a lot!

craving hawaii

this is my brother, trevor.

look how cute his family is.

him and molly choose to raise their children simply. 

 they live in hawaii with no tv;

so this is how they find fun:

they also eat tofu and dry their laundry on a clothesline.

i'm craving this life.

can we come live with you guys?

my happy place

i am posting in the backyard...my happy place.

the boy is running laps around the garden while the girl is crawling around and exploring the grass. our weekend started on thursday... mom has a frozen shoulder so i stayed home from clinicals so she could get drugged up and rest. it's been nice to be a full-time mom again for more than a day at a time. i've cleaned and played and napped and cooked and cleaned some more. sometimes i miss the monotony of daily housewifery. the mister and i got a discounted membership at the YMCA (you know, since we so poh.) i'm teaching him to swim and he's teaching me to run. i'm up to 14 minutes straight! that's a record for this runner-hating swimmer girl. i love working out with david. having a united goal to be healthy feels good.

so, i got way off track here...

back to my other happy place...

fabric, fabric, and more fabric.

i've found some great textiles for some future projects.

i vowed that i can't start anything until my two current quilts are finished.

pears by robert kaufman at joannes

"blues" on sale (1/2 off) at my local quilt shop

"yellows and pinks" also on sale

i'm thinking maybe a quilt for cora or perry?

alexander henry's yellow birdseed.

gorgeous right?

kids room part uno

since the kids' room is finally getting done (is any room ever really finished) 

pieces by pieces, 

i thought i'd post in increments.

THE DRESSER

* i purchased this junk dresser at a garage sale when i was pregnant with the boy for $15. it was gross and ugly. a coat of white paint, new knobs, and a smidge of wood glue later....it was love.

*the iron mirror was also purchased a while ago, at hobby lobby for 50% off.

*the lamp is new from urban outfitters (ten dolla-make you-holla!) the shade is from target's shabby chic line. 

*the elephant (piggy) bank is also from target. the boy saw it on the shelf and had to have it! i obliged since it was too darn cute. he's already saving up with "moneys."

*the frame is also re-painted from a garage sale and obviously needs a picture.

cheap is what i do.

as you can tell.

more to come as i finish.

boys will be boys

these boys are cousins.

 they are best friends.

they can also be worst enemies.

they love pretending together.

their imagination takes them to...

sail the seas in small boats,

and to school on the big boy school bus with their own backpacks.

kavi and reade.

cousins.

best friends.

worst enemies.

imaginations.