if at first you don't succeed...try Picasa again!

Ok...so here are the pictures from the first week in July. July 4th...my birthday...37 years old! Way too close to 40 to feel good about, but it beats the alternative so... Happy Birthday me!
My sister Karen and her family were here for the first week of July so that Lilly could attend day camp at Living History Farms. My boys had so much fun with their 2 weeks of swimming lessons that Karen decided to sign Jack up for the week. He was a bit apprehensive at first, but that kid was so brave, and by the end of the week he was a little fish! My boys got to play in the pool while Jack had his lesson. They had a blast!


My Mom and Karen and I spent Friday taking Jack, Ty, Eva and Eden to Living History Farms while Lilly and Colin finished up their week-long day camp. We met up with the campers at the end and took that cute cousin picture on the right. My kids love having their cousins here...and, I gotta say, I love having them here too. I wish we all lived in the same town. I miss my sister horribly!


Overall, it was a great week. We hope that every year we will get a week to spend together with all the cousins! Love and miss you guys!

the return

ok.

I've had my time out.

My blog tantrum is over.

I have forgiven Picasa. I will try it again when I have an ungodly amount of unscheduled time. (ha ha)

As for not blogging anymore...well...I cannot do it, or not do it, I mean. I truly do blog for myself. It is my creative release and my family's story...my journal of our daily lives, however crazy it gets. It is my social life. It's where I get to share my stories with others. It's a community where I get to be inspired or taught or entertained by the blogs I read. Let's face it...it's hard for a Mom of three to get out and about. This is where I come to feel connected. It's where I come when I want to feel close to my best friend...to see her sweet boy's faces, and where she needs me to be when she's feeling alone. It's where my very busy sister and brother-in-law can quickly check in with me. It's where I make new friends. I cannot stay away.

So...I'm not going anywhere. I'm here to stay. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Although, it was suggested that I try and keep the ugly, manic moments unpublished (thx Kan-do). I suppose it may be better to leave those posts in the form of an unpublished draft... :)

Love you all.

FRUSTRATED BEYOND I DON"T KNOW WHAT!

I'm teetering on the edge of insanity. I cannot spend an entire day (yes...trying to navigate picasa has taken me my entire morning!) trying to post pictures from the last 3 weeks while my children are running rampant and Chris' head is about to explode trying to deal with them. I feel like I'm going to explode. I want to post pictures from the last 3 weeks...we've had a lot going on. However...I apparently don't have the time, energy, or support to keep up with a blog. I'm contemplating just ending it ( no, I'm not suicidal...I'm talking about the blog). I have to work. I have family obligations. I have to do laundry. I need to sleep. This blog is my way of recording memories from our life...like a family diary. Not a way to compete with the rest of the blogging world or my BFF. My personality is such that if I'm going to do something I want it to reflect me... I like things to be cute...for me...it is an outlet for my creativity. Some apparently view my blog differently. I would argue that I only have 3 readers...who else would I be doing it for if not me...i mean, really...? as if i were that shallow...

I'm frustrated. I'm hurt. And I'm done posting for a while.