Every day moments.

I was just thinking about how I don't use my 

camera very much anymore.

When my kids were smaller, I remember having the

camera out and ready so I could capture

the cuteness that happened in an instant.

 

Like above when Googles would suck on her toes.

Or below when the girls would play the

"can you guess the spice" game.

 

 

But lately it seems I only have the camera when

something special happens.

Like a birthday or a trip.

 

My kids are older, but they still DO camera-worthy things!

Like this...

 

 

So I'm going to try to capture more of the everyday moments.

Because these days are flying by.

See ya.

Gotta get the camera out...

 

 

 

Superwoman Blogger.

HAPPY SPRING!

"Learn to be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not."

- Henry Frederic Amiel

Are you wondering about my New Year's resolution to be a better blogger?

Hmmmmm.  I for one am disappointed.

I had envisioned posting weekly.

And each post would be thought provoking and uplifting.

Filled with stories, experiences, ideas and pictures.

But...I believe I have fallen a bit short!

My excuse?
I can think of a few.

I am so busy.  

I don't always have thought provoking, uplifting things to share.

I haven't picked up the camera very often.

There are so many out there that do it better than me.

Blah blah blah...

I'm making peace with the fact that I am not superwoman.

Or superwoman blogger.

I do what I can do, and that is all I can do.
Not to say that I am giving up!
Hopefully I will find a good blogging flow again.

Meanwhile, I have laundry to do, tears to wipe, dinners to cook, errands to run and tennis to play.

snuggling with a sweet sickie

 And if you want to hear all about those things...

make sure to check back.

I will blog about it just as often as I am able...

Thought provoking or not.

Milestones.

 Last time I went to my stylist, she tried something new.

It's called 'Ombre.

You leave the roots, and handpaint the rest to keep it lighter.

Like Drew...

I do not look like Drew in any way, but it's always fun to try something different, right?

So as these roots of mine have grown out longer than I've seen them for a while,

I made a new discovery!

I have hit a milestone in my 38 years of life.

My ponytail makes it hard to see.

SO, I made it easier for you.

I plucked these babies right out the top of my old 'Ombre head.

They stood out, bright and shiny.

Silver hair.

NOT gray, folks...silver. 

Yes you are now folks, because silver haired people might just say folks.

I'm torn.

While it's a bit of a reality check, I find myself smiling.

My dad has the most beautiful silver white hair.

And so does his mother.

Do I get to have it too?

I must confess I have always hoped to.

Good thing it doesn't happen all at once.

What a shocker that would be.

But if a silvery white head is in my future...

Then bring on the purple shampoo...

because I will still be one happy girl.

G. Hummingbird.

When I was a little girl, my grandparents lived in New York.

I grew up in Washington state.

Every few years we would pile into the red VW bus and make the trip.

What brave parents I had, driving 4 noisy kids across the country.

But it was always worth the crazy drive.

From the time I was little, I can remember my Grandpa slipping me money.

While my siblings all got a five dollar bill, my Grandpa would sneak me a twenty.

I'm not sure what he liked about me, but it's safe to say I was his favorite.

I know my siblings were aware, but to their credit, they never got mad at me for it.

Grandpa served in World War II.

Whatever he saw and did there took its toll, and we always knew him to be a bit "crazy".

And yet, he wasn't.

He was also gentle, sweet, loving and hilarious.

He could make you laugh till you cried.

One day as we were all sitting around chatting outside,

we were interrupted by the hum of wings.  

Hummingbirds!  Taking little sips of red liquid from the feeder.

We rarely saw hummingbirds back in Washington, so it was a real treat.

That is the day "crazy" Grandpa turned into "Grandpa Hummingbird".

Because he got us kids giggling as he flapped his wings, and pretended to sip red liquid from the feeder.

As I grew older, Grandpa would call me often from New York.

Each time he called, the conversation went something like this...

"Is this Shelli?  Well, hello Shelli, this is a boy from down the street.  I think you 

are so beautiful, I really want to go out with you.  Will you go out with me?

Maybe we could go rollerskating.  Would you like to go rollerskating with me?"

And each time I would laugh and tell him I would love to rollerskate with him.

Then he would laugh and tell me it was really Grandpa Hummingbird.

As if I didn't know.

When I was 19, and away at college, my mom called to let me know

that Grandpa had passed away.

I was sure I hadn't heard her right, but I can still remember that punch in the gut.

I quietly went outside, sat against my roommate's old car tire, and balled my eyes out.

Did you know my Grandpa loved flowers?

He loved to garden.

The whole time I knew him, I was never interested in flowers.

Funny that it is one of my passions now.

Many years after he was gone, my mom gave me 2 wrinkled 

packets of flower seeds and a note that she had tucked away from my Grandpa.

They are Zinnia seeds.  One of my favorites.

And in his handwriting is my name written on each packet.

The note says, "Dear Debby (my mom),  Just came back from the nursery.  

New seeds.  I get a big kick looking at seeds.  These are for Shelli, NOT for you Debby!  HA!"

Now..I get a kick out of that note.

And the fact that he bought Zinnia seeds for me when I was an uninterested teen.
 

A few years ago my Grandma gave me a leather bound book, and a small jewelry box.

Inside the book are clippings of Grandpa's tennis tournaments he played

as a young man in Buffalo, New York.

And in the jewelry box are several gold charms that he won playing tennis.

I do treasure these.

I love hummingbirds.  I always have.

I have been lucky enough to see at least one every year that I have had a garden.

This year, the plants I put in to attract them had matured.

AND I tried a hummingbird feeder.

I love that I saw more hummingbirds this year than any other!

My kids laugh at my excitement when I see one...but they get it.

They never got to meet Grandpa, but they know the stories.

They know why hummingbirds make me happy.
And now so do you.

Lately.

I love this time of year.

I like how things slow down a little.

Time to enjoy some sweet little things.

Lately I've been enjoying...

 Cottage cheese with fruit.  

This is one of my new favorite things.

I very much like it with sliced red grapes, sliced bananas 

and slivered almonds.

It's like healthy dessert.

Oh so good!

 My coach has been working with me for quite a while to try to get my backhand better.

I used to have a two handed...think Nadal.

But it felt so much better to me to use a one handed...think Federer.

So the switch has been a long process.

But I am happy lately because I am starting to feel very comfortable with it.

Maybe soon it could even be a weapon!

Practice!  Practice!  Practice!

So I thought the birds ate all my grapes this year.

I have four different seedless varieties.

They wiped me out of my favorite green ones.

But throughout the last week, I have discovered

that they did not eat my blush colored ones!

AND they are DELICIOUS!

I just sit on the ground and pick off all the ripe ones,

and pop them into my mouth one by one.

Joy.

I'm not sure why, but sometimes I need soft music.

And that is all I will listen to for a while, 

because my soul likes the calm.

So, crazy as it sounds, I have had my radio on the 

SYMPHONY station of all things!

I know, I know.

But I have found that I really love Brahms!

And Beethoven.  

But especially Brahms.

One of my best friends, Valoree is getting married in October!

(She is the cutie on the far right).

I am thrilled for her!!  It is wonderful!

And you know what?

She asked me to be a bridesmaid!

Isn't that exciting?

Elece & Janelle are too!

This is DEFINITELY a sweet little thing.

The pumpkins in my garden are GROWING!

This is the first time I have grown pumpkins,

and I LOVE to see them.
Bright orange and round!

What kinds of sweet little things have you been enjoying lately?

Today.

I am feeling grateful today.

I slept good.

The house is quiet while I sip my smoothie sitting in the sunny patch on my bed.

My hubby kissed me before leaving early this morning.

It's my son's 14th birthday today...how he has grown.

I get to play tennis in an hour.  What a blessing this body is.

So what if the birds ate my grapes this year...their chirping makes my spirit joyful.

My home is a summer in-and-out mess, but I love home.

Fall is around the corner, oh fall..what you do to me.

I get to make cookies and weed the garden this weekend.  I can't wait.

My oldest is driving.  What a milestone.  I am proud.

My body is thanking me for eating better things.  Thank you for fruit!

Hot shower.  As long as I want.  Wow.

The blessing of another glorious day ahead.

Yes, I am feeling grateful today.

I recommend the peach turnovers...

I DISCOVERED A NEW BAKERY IN TOWN!!!!

I'm one happy girl.

Blogger's Block.

Oh I've been a bad girl.
I have been avoiding you, blog.
Not on purpose,
life just gets busy you know.

I looked here and there for inspiration.
An exciting and noteworthy blog post.
Writer's block I guess,
I wasn't coming up with much.

But I think that is okay.
I have been enjoying life.
Enjoying SPRING.

You know how I love it,
you've heard it all before.
And maybe I didn't want to bore you
with the same ramblings
about GREEN
about BIRDS
about FLOWERS.
Ah...say no more Shelli,
they've heard it.
They know.

And so...
a few pictures instead.
Here's what I've been up to
while I've been away from the blogging life.
It will have to do for now.

Just know I am really dying to write more about GREEN.
But I won't.

Customize a free slideshow

My Glad Game.

Pollyana.
Pollyannaish.
Pollyannaism.

In 1913 Eleanor H. Porter wrote the best-selling American Classic, Pollyana.
If you remember, Hayley Mills and Disney gave us the visual version.
My sister and I loved this movie when we were kids.

Wikpedia: "The novel's success brought the term "Pollyanna" into the language to describe someone who seems always to be able to find something to be "glad" about no matter what circumstances are."

Though this sounds like a GOOD thing,
to be called a Pollyana doesn't always have a positive connotation.
To call someone a Pollyana can also mean that you are implying
that their optimism is excessive to the point of naïveté or
refusing to accept the facts of an unfortunate situation.

Okay yes, but I love what the author has to say about that...

In an interview Eleanor H. Porter said,
"I have been made to suffer from the Pollyanna books,
I have been placed often in a false light.
People have thought that Pollyanna chirped that she was 'glad at everything.'
I have never believed that we ought to deny discomfort and pain and evil.
I have merely thought that it is far better
to greet the unknown with a smile."

Anyone read my profile statement lately?
"Life isn't perfect, but I prefer to go about my world with a smile on".

PROOF.
I am a Pollyana.

See these 3 little stinkers?
That's me on the left, my bro Mike & sis Kris.
Guess what they called me when I was little?

Pollyanna.
A good thing? Yes, even though I caught on to that little hint of
"goody goody" that goes along with the title.
Sometimes I felt myself being defensive of my optimism.
But it was all good.
See...there it is in the sentence above, I just can't help myself.

Recently I reclaimed the Pollyana nickname
with the help of some of my good friends.
They caught on to me I guess.
As soon as the name escaped their lips, a groan escaped mine.
"Oh no! That is what my siblings teased me about when I was little!"
They tried to assure me it was a GOOD thing.
It was OKAY to be optimistic.

Except for statements like this...
"Shelli, tell me honestly, what do I need to improve in my tennis game?
What did you see that I could have done better?
Oh wait,
you are just going to tell me all the positive stuff,
I need to remember who I am asking..."
HA HA HA!
I have to admit, I find that one pretty funny.

And so I have decided that in honor of my
"Pollyanaishness",
I will start what I hope to be a weekly post in my sidebar.
My thoughts on what brings happiness home.
Maybe some insight on why life is lovely.
The insider's guide to a Pollyanna mind.


Stay with me.
It won't be optimism in excess.
Just bring a glass of milk in case you need help swallowing my sweetness pill.
(Oh, and make sure it's half full.)

Distracted.

Frightened?
I know I am!

Before April started, I was aware that something in our family was not quite right.
The thought continued to nag at me that SOMETHING needed to change.
I focused on a few things here and there.
But to no avail.

Here was the problem.
Our family unity felt shaken. Felt adrift. Felt...gone.
It felt like we all lived in the same house yet...
where was everybody?

We were not connecting, and you know what?
It felt horrible, WRONG.

After much thought and prayer, here is the answer that came to me.

NO MEDIA MONTH!

When a friend told me about this, an instant feeling of confirmation filled me!
I did not know exactly how this could help us, but I FELT it would.

So for the month of April we decided on a few things:

1. No video games at all.
2. No small hand held electronic games like a DS or Leapster.
3. No computer time besides homework for the kids.
4. Limited adult computer use - no Craig's List and Ebay browsing.
5. No television. Family owned DVD's are allowed if okay'd by mom & dad, watched sparingly.
(no tv includes no watching tennis for mom & dad either!)
6. Daughter's cell phone only given to her when activity, no free reign on texting.
7. ipods are okay (we only download music to them).

So we suggested this to the kids, and surprisingly they were all on board.
The first 3 days were full of this...
"I'm bored". "There's nothing to do".
Whiny, mopey.

But then it was like magic.
MAGIC I tell you!

The spirit of love & peace and family unity made a HUGE comeback.
It feels good.
It feels RIGHT.
Here are a few of the things we didn't even know we were missing:

Family tickle fights
Laughing together
Ping-pong tournaments
Deep, serious conversations
Lighthearted goofy conversations
working out
porch laziness
trampoline time
sit down family dinners
bike riding
joke telling
tennis playing
public library and book reading
cooking together
tea parties
craft time
one on one outings with kids
shoulder rides
dirt bike riding
dog walking
puppet shows
fort making
oh and nights full of this kind of thing...

...pantyhose on the head night
(inspired by a card from my dear friend Karen).

Seriously. Who would have thought that those distractions could have been so...well...
DISTRACTING!
I didn't even realize what was happening to us.
It was sneaky!
We all agree that this is SO MUCH better.
No Media Month will be over at the end of April.
But I promise you...there will be new rules.
There has to be.

Because for OUR family
this is WAY too good a change.

A gift.

I thought I would try and describe my feelings
about the activity I have chosen for my weekend.

But then I think of how silly I might sound when I try.

BUT, here goes.
When has silly ever stopped me.

I think we all have a few things in life that bring us pure joy.
At least I hope we all do.
They are probably different things for each of us.

I'm talking about the stuff that makes you EXCITED!
The stuff that makes your heart beat and you ITCH to get out there and do it!
Whatever your "it" may be.
Your soul is so anxious for it, that your body can't catch up...
The thought of it brings you instant warmth, comfort, peace and happiness.
Because it's a thing you LOVE.

And why do I love it so much?
Why does it make me feel all these things?
I really can't explain that, except that maybe it is a gift?
Are we all blessed with gifts that can make us feel this way if we take the time
to appreciate and accept these gifts?
Maybe these gifts are given to us for the soul purpose of giving us moments of joy?

I'm just trying to figure out why I'm so in love with this "it".
He he.
My weekend activity?

Gardening.

AND, it's not even the pretty type for this weekend.
It's the clearing away of all the old and getting ready for the new.

And I am bursting with the thought of it.
My cheeks are flushing, my pulse is racing.
I'm in love with plants.
I'm in love with dirt.
I am in love with digging.
I am in love with fresh air.
I am in love with green.


As I think these things, I DO feel silly.
BUT I embrace all of it.
Because I like gifts.
And I like being in love.

Love rocks

As a little girl I was always on the search for the perfect
heart rock.

It was for my mom because she loved them
And collected them.
I loved to see her face light up as she accepted each love-shaped stone.

My kids are the ones who hunt for them now.
They find them for me because when I became a mom
I also became a collector.

Displaying them in February seems the right thing to do.
I love to see their faces light up
as I display each little token of love that they gave to me.

I hope my little collection of love rocks
keeps growing as they do!

For the love of the girls. And veggies. And son.

I love it when I get to Costco and load up on veggies.
I loved it even more when the lady in line made fun of me
for buying a truckload of healthy food, and then found the last item
in my pile was a big box of cookies.
To which I answered, "Hey, a girl's gotta live!"
Here's a sample of the beautiful veggies I began chopping at home.
And a girl needs dip, so I made my delicious homemade ranch dip.
Too good.
I snack on these all week.

I discovered this little trick to get my little girls to eat their salad.
The lettuce used to just sit on their plates, until I decided one
night to do it this way.
Wash the romaine leaves and drizzle the dressing (or dip)
down the middle.


Pick up the whole leaf, no fork needed.
Take a good look at it, cause you know it's gonna be good.



I told you it was good.
And the little girls will eat it this way.
They LOVE it.
(Me too).



I don't know. I like taking pictures of my house.
I just put the crow and pumpkins on the mantle for Halloween.
I LOVE Halloween.
Looks fallish?




Elece & I just played in the Breast Cancer Benefit.
"For the Love of the Girls".
Don't you love it?
Just getting some fuel before the match.
Two plates of brownies ought to do it.


Got your game face on?
Oh but we do INTIMIDATE.



So my son has hair that makes me crazy.
Long.
Straight.
Long.
In his eyes.
Long.



He finally agreed to a haircut!
There is my handsome boy!
I KNEW he had beautiful eyes!
I just haven't seen them for a year or so.
Wink wink.


Happy Octobering!

Giddy Girl

I had one of those giddy moments yesterday.
Do you have those?
Where you find yourself in a happy place and things seem so right and beautiful.
And you get the giddies?
I love that.
It was a compeletely BUSY day and I was hardly home
with errands to take care of all over the place.
I looked around me as I drove and noticed all the new fall foliage.

I rolled the windows down and enjoyed the crisp air.
Right on cue this song played on my CD player...."Tis Autumn" by Nat King Cole.
Love autumn.
Love Nat.
Even love the blooming sagebrush...what?
It is yellow - a cheerful fall color.
It was easy to forget my busyness as I took it all in.
Why do I love this time of year?
Why does the chill in the air and the turn of the leaves make my heart swell?
Why does a moment like this make me want to pick up my cell phone
and call everyone I love so they can share in the joy?
I don't know, but every year it is the same.
I inhale fall, and exhale giddy.

Hot Fudge & Nail Polish

I don't have cute feet.

Since I was little I have complained about my toe length.
Or should I say LACK of toe length.
And my 2nd toe is way taller than my big toe...what's with that?
And my feet are wide.
So, all in all my feet are BLOCKS.
What's more, I have blisters and my little toenail is deformed from sports.
To this day my little brother teases me about my "slug" toes.

But when I was a teenager, my wise momma said...
"Who gave you those feet?
Do you think you could sprint as well with different feet?
Do you think you could flip (gymnastics) as well with different feet?
Do you think you could run down a tennis ball as well with different feet?"
And as wise moms often do, she said...
"You should be thankful you even HAVE feet!"

This week started out stinky.
And it just got worse.
And yesterday I had a headache because of stress.
At one point, I happened to look down at my feet.
My tired, torn up, gnarly feet.
I felt like crying.

COLOR!
CLIPPING!
BUFFING!
What strange words, but they SHOUTED in my head.

Get ready for this confession, cause it may just knock your socks off!
(no pun intended)
I have NEVER in my life had a pedicure.
Why spend money on not pretty feet?

COLOR!
CLIPPING!
BUFFING!
Those words echoed in my mind over and over again.

SOOOOO....guess what I did today?


BRIGHT ORANGE WITH PREEEETY FLOWERS!!

Yep, those are my feet.
I am proud to have feet.
Blocky, blistery, bright, cheery orange-toed feet!

I can't stop smiling.
I feel better.
Oh, and on the way home I treated myself to one of these...

Hot fudge is good.
And it tastes even better when you have orange toes.
Oh I kid you not.
It really truly does.

chore?

There is a "chore" that I actually steal from my kids.
Their dad expects them to do it, and most of the time they do.
But if I have time...I will tell them to please let me finish it up.
They are excused.
I kick them off.
Because it's MY turn.

I'm talking about a lawn mower.

We live on an acre, and a lot of that is grass.
It is beautiful and park-like, and we love playing
wiffle-ball, frisbee, croquet, football and horseshoes among other things on that grass.

The kids might groan and complain about the time it takes to mow it,
but not me.

Tonight I excused my oldest, and hopped on the mower.
I had a stressful day, and I wanted downtime.
The mower is a PERFECT way to unwind!
With my ipod on, I can turn it up and croon out loud to the likes of
Sum 41, Alison Krauss, and the Jonas Brothers
(yes, we have quite a mix thanks to the picks of ALL members of the family).
I rock out in my seat and no one can tell me to be quiet because the mower is louder than me.

I mow around the tree garden and my nostrils fill with the scent of marigolds.
For some reason, I LOVE the smell of marigolds...earthy.

I'm on that mower for over an hour, and when I am not inhaling and singing to my heart's content, I might be planning the next days activities in my head.
Or I will notice the rose gardens need deadheading.
It makes me smile to watch the quail family run from their hideout
under our cedar tree as I mow past them.
I've been known to use this time to have conversations with my Heavenly Father, offering up prayers of thanks or perhaps in supplication.

I love it when the sky turns pink, and the dogs chase me a bit.
Often I will scoop one of them up and let them ride with me a while.
Sometimes it's my youngest daughter who wants to ride,
and she will sit by my feet with one arm wrapped around each of my legs.
We mow in silence, and contentment.

A mindless chore.
A chore that forces me to SIT.
A chore that allows me to think and imagine and plan and pray.

And how could anyone groan about that?

The cool mom.

I was pretty sure she hated me.
Or maybe it was just disapproval.
I could feel it.
I could see it in her eyes.
He assured me I was wrong, but...
I knew.

Why?
I was a nice girl.
I was a good girl.

Then it happened again.
This one didn't like me either.
I just could not understand it.
I remained polite.
But I kept my distance.

And now?
It's unbelievable...

I AM ONE OF THEM.
I disapprove.
My tone of voice is friendly but...with an edge.
The poor girl probably thinks I don't like her.
Ah, it is her turn now.
I'm sorry.

I always thought I'd be the cool mom.
BUT...

You just don't know how you are going to react until it happens.

A girl likes my son.
She likes him a lot.
She calls him every day, at LEAST once.
She sends him letters in the mail and signs them with too much love.
He is 13.
I know this stuff happens.
I remember it all...I GET IT.
But do I have to like it?

And now I finally am on the other end.
I am the one with disapproval in her eyes.
and I UNDERSTAND.

I believe it comes down to this...

HE LIKES HER BACK.


What am I going to do when he is 16, and it is the REAL THING?
Sheesh.
Heaven help me.