come visit me...

...over here today!

a few things....

first things first....
please, if you haven't already, go check out
 this little lady's birthday bash.

she is such an inspiration to share her day with sweet little children who can have comfort through a simple story time that WE can provide. she is making it so easy for us to help with that. i bought "where the wild things are" and "curious george goes to the zoo".
come on!
pick a couple favorites!
she is turning the big 3-0!

second things second....
so glad it's summer.
yesterday was great.
they finished with flying colors.
there were some tears though.
 my little BFF came running out of class with this face....( can you see it's kinda fake though?)

but by the time we came home he was breaking down, and we spent some time hugging and me listening to his sad little sobbing broken heart.

he loved kindergarten.

he loved his teacher.

he loved his friends.

but then i reminded him that next year he gets to buy lunch and have recess with jake and he started to perk up.

and third things third...

whoa. look at this.

i really really love it.

and it is remarkable i think to say that about a photograph of yourself.

but this photo says something about how i feel about my daughter and how i feel inside myself.

i just had to share.

it was taken by one of the VERY talented participants in Joy, from Wildflowers' workshop in Julian, CA

her name is zoe and she has a blog called three sister's jewelry design.

she took the one that i posted on father's day of reedo and ella too.

i am into her program.

i will love this photo forever.

that's it!

it's summer! yay!

your summer is about to get cuter...

if you have tiny kids that need bottles or sippy cups this may be a few years away, but...

wanta make some super cute no-spill cups and get rid of all that mismatched sippy/straw cup nonsense?

(could this photo look any better on my blog??? perfect match!)

come on over to cake and cotton to see how!

on my mind...

i have a lot on my mind.

jake's heritage report (due friday).

my husbands upcoming backpacking trip that seem to be all consuming :)

snacks (aren't they always on my mind?).

new signs i want to paint.

my next wildflowers shoot (in june).... be ready to be blown.a.way.

my friends who all met up with me on tuesday, for my birthday, and gave me this....you KNOW i wanted it so so bad.

a new skirt i am making for ella bear.

my sisters (always on my mind) and our upcoming sister's weekend in Bend(fav).

frames for some new art that i found at the Old Barn the other day for $4.

sweet pea fields.

wondering WHY i can't keep my house clean.

feeling sad(not guilty) about sucking at 40 bags for 40 days...even after i told you i'd do it.

ty's on again off again anxiety about a boy at kindergarten.

sewing on karate patches.

laundry.

needing to call an old friend, but can't make time.

the shirts i forgot to pick up at the cleaners for reedo.

deciding to be happy.

and all of these things seem to fade when i wonder what i can do to help this guy...

i am sure you have seen him on other blogs.

isn't he a sweetheart?
please go and read his mother's words and donate a few(ten) bucks.
it just takes a minute.
i really try not to do a lot of "donate this and that" since this is a simple family blog
but this one i just had to give you a chance to see, if you haven't already.
his momma is trying to bring him home.
plus meg asked me to do a post and you know it's hard for me to say "no" to that rainbow lady!


do you have a lot on your mind too?

come see me!

come see me over at top of the page today.

it is my very first time guest posting...ever.

(nervous laugh)

ok, i might not be as poetic and brilliant as some people that i know and love and admire....

but i am pretty ok at taking pictures.

there will be pictures.

just come, ok?

i like to be in a group when i feel a little nervous.
and the words are about grace, so i'll try to give that to myself.

7 (lovely) random things

1.i have a new project.

a new bed for ella.

i have some pretty great ideas...keep a look out for happy, little girl, splendor on this little reed life blog!

         

2. this is my camera.

a canon rebel T1i from costco: Christmas 2009

with the 50mm lens on my sidebar.

and a custom (stained) strap cover.

and a lost lens cap (don't worry joy, i will get another today...and the UV filter too).

3. i love reading.

4. i am wearing a side ponytail today.

5. i used to be a floral designer.

(i have been thinking about adding a little series on simple things to do with flowers on the reed life? whatdoyathink? would that be fun and useful? is there anything specific that anyone is curious about, that i can help with?)

6. my maiden name is laxson....just fyi.

7. one of the biggest things i grown in this year is not to always jump to conclusions from prior assumptions.

yah. 

pretty big. 

and i am still learning. 

but i feel like blogging has had a pretty big hand in that lesson.

i think a year ago i would have thought that online interactions were sorta questionable and less than desirable.

but God has opened my little "know it all" eyes up....like He does.

he shows me how he will ALWAYS provide for me.

and usually He uses ways that i don't expect.

liiiiike the internet.

WHY couldn't he allow me to make a friend thought the computer?!

HOW could i think that His ways are limited to face to face friendship for encouragement (not that i don't need that too :)

is ANYTHING too hard for HIM?

i have been blessed by this blog this year.

that means you. 

yah, you sitting at your computer right now....oh wait, is that your phone?

you better not be reading your iphone while driving! (i NEVER seldom do that!)

God has used you to bless me.

thanks for reading.

i am linking to life made lovely today
go say "hi" to heather...

<

and i also received this award!

it's from Sarah at handbags and pigtails.(she has great blog too!)
i have to accept the award, tell you where i got it, list 7 random things about myself, and send it on.....
i need to send this award straight to Cherish.




have you seen her new header and blog look lately?
kiwi freckles is so cute!
plus she has awesome hair.
check her out.

if i had today off...

if i had today off, to do whatever i wanted, i'd....

go shopping at anthropologie and try this on.

go to the bookstore and get this book....i think...if i am not too afraid.

while i was gone, i'd have a nice electrician guy install this.

if i could snap my fingers and be anywhere, i might stop by this shop or this one. (these two shops have the same name!!....they are both really awesome)

and visit one of my favorite blogger friends that live in different states than i do...like Amy or Danielle or Meg or Heather....or even out of country like Kristy.

i'd go antiquing with Joy in beautiful sunshine, and maybe have a lemonade in her kitchen.

i'd go pick up up this sister and we'd go to Bend and visit this sister and eat here.

this is a very extensive dream, huh?

ahhh, it's just a dream....off to walmart.

well, i am linking this dream up with Cherish at Kiwi Freckles today....
check out her link love today.

look at this!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com i made this on widdlytinks.comit's not REALLY us.but doesn't it look just like us!!??you should make one.it is super easy and fun.not one of those things that takes forever and you wonder what the point even is, but at that moment there has been too much time invested to give up.....not like that at all.

{embrace} the camera

a few of you have asked what kind of camera i use.

i keep forgetting to do a post to answer.

so here it is.

i use a Canon Rebel T1i.

my reedo got it for me last christmas.

it was from costco.

he asked erin what to get and then obeyed her.

that obedience worked out for all of us.

erin, what's your trick to get him to listen and obey?

before that i had a tiny broken point and shoot.

so this year i have worked hard to learn how to use a big girl camera.

i even learned to shoot in manual.

well, sorta.

i just decided to start one day.

i wasted a lot of time learned the hard way.

i then took Joy's class.

heaven.

i learned how to do much more through her.

and i also embraced picnik.

i really want to get a real photo editor.

i took advantage of a free temporary download of lightroom.

but that only lasted for a few months.

soon. i will get the real lightroom.

i am waiting because reedo wants to get a mac too.

so i will need to get a different version than will work on my current computer.

anyhow, that my deal.

i have really come to love taking pictures and sharing them with you.

who'd-a-thought?

today i pulled my happy little rebel out and joined up with this cute idea....

check out this great blog and join in on the fun!

here's my pic.
i am including this as my 365 picture too.
"embracing the camera" (day 10)

before i go....

i am off to see my baby sister in Oregon, in a few hours!
i can't WAIT to be off the clock!
if you have kids, i am sure you know what the week before this departure day has looked like, so i won't bore you with the details of the chaos.
i am finally going.
but before i do, i am sending a special lady a bell that matches mine.
i think it is a fair assumption that she may even need it more than i do.
she has five kids and one is a teenager, so you tell me.
i am sure you all are just as inspired by Meg as i am.
and if you have SOMEHOW missed her blog, Whatever, after all the times i have used her ideas and linked to her, you can go look now, by clicking here.

one more thing.
meg and i want to name our bells!
don't you want to help us think of a good couple to name them after?
we have thrown around Lucy and Ethel, Cheech and Chong, Thelma and Louise.....
what do you think?
Beauty and the Beast?
come on, people, throw some at me....

rainy day soup

in honor of our rainy weather,
here is my mom's recipe for rainy day soup.
it was given to me, by her, verbally
it is her version of her mom's, my grandma Ginny's, rainy day soup



Rainy Day Soup


ingredients:
1 lb lean, ground beef
1 diced onion(for my kids, liquefied onion)
1 can diced tomatoes(i have changed it for my tomato hater to crushed tomatoes...oh please!)
1 lrg can(or so) broth(or water)
1 bag frozen veggies OR your preferance of a mix of your favorites( i usually add corn, green beans, carrots...whatevers in season)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 bay leaves
a couple shakes of dry basil
a couple shakes of dry oregano

• start cooking the meat and as it cooks and lets out some fat, add the onion.


• stir until the meat is crumbly and the onion soft.


• add the tomatoes, and all the veggies and then cover with broth(here is where you deside how brothy or thick you prefer it and adjust the amount of liquid you use).


• season with bay leaves and oregano and basil.


• let cook on the stove for as long as you need, stirring every once in a while.


• if is cooks down and your broth is getting low, add water.
  

this is not a fancy soup. you can change it up and add spices or different veggies or whatever and it's really hard to mess up.

so put on pot. and watch your kids all of the sudden like veggies...it's weird.

here is momma with my sister val and i.

there was probably a pot of rainy day soup boiling in the kitchen when this picture was being taken. it was a Laxson family tradition.

wish i could thank her for teaching me to make it so my kids would eat green beans.

i will someday.

i am linking this to Joy's Hope.

maybe her kids will eat green beans now too?

you should look at her recipe post over there, there are a buncha good easy ones!

vitamins and a super hero

i decided to participate with Meg and send some vitamins.
i showed the kids this.
we went to the store on Saturday morning.



Ty and Ella didn't really get it...but Jake had enough questions for all of us:)
after lots of discussion and explaining there was some silence.
then Jake says, "it seems like africa really needs a super-hero"
pause..."if i was a super-hero i'd go straight there"
*smile*
"i think if i had a super power, i'd want it to be the power to re-build broken things"
*swallow*
i needed this.
he has a great heart, and i needed to see it.
you know i needed to see it.
i can imagine God smiling down on a seven year old boy longing for......Him. Thinking of Him in his own innocent terms.
In his own way wanting to be God's hands...even if he doesn't know it yet.


after we talked Jake started practicing his "super re-builder" jumps.
that got some participation from the little guys.....

ella bella is shaking it up!

My baby-girl was mentioned in a blog we all know and love today....
check out what Leslie wrote on....
top of the page: Shaking it up:
and support me lending her out as a "learning tool"
she is always around if you want to be reminded how to (and how not to)manage the demands of frisky two and half year old

cute summer chalkboard

Look at this cuteness!

I really want to make this next!

only I just got a great new frame that I want to put it in!

If you like this and would like to WIN one, you could go to the blog Blessed Little Nest

to win it!

I just became a follower to get in the running....

It looks super cute and they are having a whole week of guest blogging and giveaways that are worth a peek!

Check it out!

I just added a new photo blog to my blog list (see it down there on the right hand side?)
It is called Wildflowers Photography, and was referred to me by Gracie.

Let me just say that looking at the pictures that this woman takes makes my heart sing! I wish I was her!
no, I am happy being me, I just WISH I could take pictures like that!!!!!!

Check it out, and enjoy it with me....

hey guess what?!
My pal Leslie referred me to a cool new(to me) website where there are a series of posts addressing us finding time for the things that are our priorities. Lot's of inspiring quotes and ideas for how to address confusion in your life on what you should be doing. I included one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes that the blog had, but you should check out this blog and this series!

suziebeezieland: shopping for time, part 6 of 6
"The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of ones 'own' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life -- the life God is sending one day by day: what one calls one's 'real life' is a phantom of one's own imagination. This is at least what I see at moments of insight: but it's hard to remember it all the time."
C.S. Lewis