snippets for a new week (and bsm)

• thanks, mom, for coming to stay with us while dave was gone!  it was a blast!

Gramma & the kiddos

Eli playing with his gift from Uncle Bob

L & E taking Sodor by storm

• i’m totally exhausted!
• eli’s first-year portraits are in!

 

• we’re taking ourselves and the kiddos to panama city, florida, for a much needed getaway this week.  i hope they like the beach and that it is a truly relaxing time for us.  i won’t be internetting for a few days and will miss you!  be sure to leave lots of comments & emails for me this week, y’all!
• not to miss a week of best shot monday, here ya go:

 

Bridge Street at dusk

it was a totally fabulous moon night

 

the twilight 5k

pre-race

this month’s race was in the evening.  so even though it was still thick with humidity, i got to see beautiful views of the University of Alabama-Huntsville as the sun went down.  i thought it was a nice change of pace.   by the time i finished, though, it was pretty dark, and the pictures aren’t really good enough to display.  suffice it to say i was sweaty and tired, but smiling!

ultimately, it wasn’t a strong showing for me.  to me, finishing strong is beating my previous time, which didn’t happen today.  but i didn’t stop, even on some daunting hills, and i had fun being a part of it.  my mom & the kids were there to cheer me on (dave just got home late tonight from his weeklong mission trip!).

 

(p.s.  it’s my second blogoversary today!  and what’s fun about that is that i’ve been blogging for two solid years.  here’s my first post evah!  the un-fun part is that my little “blogoversary” button down there will be back to 3 digits again starting tomorrow. )

 

project 365 - a picture a day for a year (vol. 6)

July 12

July 13

July 14

July 15

July 16

July 17

July 18

 

this project is proving to be a challenge.  sometimes i don’t get to leave the house.  hence the first 3 uninspired pics of the week.  but then other days, i can’t choose between which ones i want to display!  it’s tempting to cheat sometimes, but hey, i’m all about principles.  so that’s why you get a view of a butt-ugly light fixture in our (rented) house and a glimpse into our video collection.  it can’t always be birdies and lollipops, y’all!  :)  incidentally, my favorite one is the parking garage.  as soon as i pulled into the lot, i saw picture potential, and i walked the kids to the outskirts of the lot to capture it just before going into the airport to get my mom!  so i like the challenges this project presents.  it’s fun to see any thing as a possibility.

thanks for stopping by to see this week in pictures, whether it’s interesting or not!

 

look, ma! i’m in pictures!

actually, thanks, ma, for taking pictures of me with the kids. 

 

the joy of discovering new songs (with your help!)

thanks, friends & music-loving peeps, for your helpful input about great songs!  as i said earlier, i just want to enjoy some great tunes recommended by people with great musical taste… it’s been a blast, discovering these melodies with you.  out of my 15 song limit, i’ve committed to 10 so far.  i thought y’all would enjoy knowing what i’ve decided on:

• Falling Down Blue - Blue Rodeo (a romantic old song that is special between Dave & me)
• Mountain Cathedrals - Bob Bennett (an old praise song that is special to me from my teen years)
• Be Be Your Love - Rachel Yamagata
• You’ve Got a Way - Shania Twain (when Dave saw this one, he said, “I forgot to tell you: no country!!” )
• Be Careful - Patty Griffin (thanks, Annie, for telling us about this one)
• Hometown Glory - Adele (brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!  and mentioned on Myra’s blog - Amanda, you’d love this)
• Your Hand in Mine - Explosions in the Sky (thanks Elliot!)
• Betting on Trains - Hem (cool music!  Annie again)
• Good Man - Josh Ritter (mentioned by Jen)
• Maria - ALO (great, great sound! reminds me of music my dad played when i was a kid - thanks Myra!)

songs/albums i already have that i will now pay attention to because you mentioned them!

• The Crane Wife - album by The Decemberists (which was, incidentally, one of Ryan’s most played batch of songs according to iTunes)
• Come On Feel the Illinoise - album by Sufjan Stevens (Annie specifically cites Decatur)
• Our Endless Numbered Days - album by Iron & Wine (mentioned by  Annie here on her blog along with The Crane Wife)
• Intervention - Arcade Fire (Annie)
• Do You Remember - Jack Johnson (Myra)
• The Story and Turpentine - Brandi Carlile (Jenny!)
• Sand In My Shoes - Dido (Amanda)
• Mint Car  and In Between Days - The Cure (Kara)
• Keep Fishin’ - Weezer (Kara)
• The Underdog - Spoon (Chrissy)
• Sunday (the day before my birthday) - Moby (Elliot)

songs i have been repeating and recommend to you!

• Sunset Soon Forgotten - Iron & Wine
• Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
• Sons & Daughters - The Decemberists
• Strawberry Swing - Coldplay
• I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King (the possibilities for a mean air-piano solo are endless!) (no seriously, i was jamming out to this in the kitchen tonight at dinner and Lucy said, “no mommy dancing!?!”  i guess it freaked her out.)
• 1234 - Feist

 

best shot monday: i love my husband.

we thought lucy would love riding the mechanical elephant, but she jumped out as soon as he started moving.  (there’s fifty cents we’ll never see again.)  i said, “baby, you should ride it!”  this is as close as he came.

dave’s out of town again this week, this time in st. louis with his high schoolers for their mission trip.  it’s a group of 25 or so.  he’ll be busy.  we already miss you!  (thankfully, my mom is coming for most of this week to visit and help with the kids.  yay!)

admittedly there’s nothing that dynamic about this week’s “best” shot - i just don’t showcase my hubby as much as the kids.  as lucy would say, “it’s daddy’s turn!”

 

songs you love

dave recently got a gift from amazon and we’re buying mp3 downloads.  i get 15!!  rather than just fritter them away, i’ve been scouring the internets & friends’ blogs (coughAnnie!cough) for ideas & recommendations.  then i realized i should just ask y’all again, point blank.  what are some songs - specific titles - that you are LOVING right now??  chances are, it’s already on my iPod, no joke.  ryan (the guy i bought it from) had a joking TON of great stuff on it.

anyway, hit the comments section and start spilling it.  jenny, you said you liked regina spektor.  specific titles?  amanda, you’re a kelly willis fan.  specific titles?  myra & pam, you’ve both mentioned the weepies before.  specific titles? 

everyone else, you’re not to be excluded.  tell me who you like and which songs you can’t live without!  let’s get a big ole list going.  thanks!

 

project 365 - a picture a day for a year (vol. 5)

July 5

July 6

July 7

July 8

July 9

July 10

July 11

 

our son enjoying his special day!

 

for some reason, the video is not working yet, but i think you can see it if you go here.  about a minute into it, he smears the frosting all over his ‘noggin.

 

Oh, Eli. You’re 1!

I still think of you as my tiny baby, so I underestimate all that you are capable of.  You like to play with balls and books.  You say Mama, Dada, Eli, dog, ball, what’s that?, uh-oh, and now “HI!”  You aren’t walking yet, but you are a speedster on the floor.  You make little kissing sounds to me every day.  You are my special little man.  Your handsome brown eyes and wide grin melt me every time.  I love you, dear son.  May the Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make His face shine upon you, and give you peace - forever.  Amen.

And now, the outtakes from your monthly picture sessions (click on the tag “monthly picture” to see the ones already posted):

Happy Birthday!