Happy to be a Mom Of Boys :)

"No Girlz Allowed"

Somehow, it's May already!... and the neighborhood is starting to fill up with the sights & sounds I remember so well from my two sons' growing-up-days! I love seeing little boys out riding their bikes on the sidewalk... kids with dirty knees playing "trucks" in the front yard... hearing the sounds of skateboards down the street as "the big boys" practice their jumping skills. Pretty soon there will be kiddie pools & sprinklers & squirt gun fights... kids catching fireflies after dark... and best of all, the sounds of children laughing & playing!

I have to admit... I have a BIG soft spot in my heart for little boys! Our house was full of them!... our two sons with their whole gang of little buddies... playing legos by the hour on rainy days, eating drippy popsicles on the front porch when the weather was hot, making forts & playing with flashlights... a constant noisy parade of little guys in search of snacks & bandaids for scraped knees... and sometimes hugs & kisses too!...  

I loved every minute of it!! 

Sometimes now it's hard to believe that those "little boy days" went by so quickly!... I remember wondering back then (on my more "challenging" days!) if time had stood still! Now I know that I was especially blessed to be home with our boys & be there for all their growing-up minutes!... 

Such a gift from God to me!... and I am so very thankful!

Thank you so much, Lord, for the wonderful gift of being a mom of boys! Thanks for the good days & the not-so-good days of growing up together as a family. What a JOY & a PRIVILEGE to have been there to nurture them along!... Please help me to treasure these memories & to encourage them on as they continue to grow.

Daily Doodle: Today's Grocery List

Back when I first got interested in art, I had an arty friend who taught a mini-class on handlettering. Her advice to us... practice, practice, and keep on practicing! "Letter your grocery lists!" she told us... and that advice has stayed with me all these years!

So today, when I looked at the chicken scrawl on my hurriedly written list, I decided to have some fun & illustrate my list on a regular old 3x5 card. I had bought a bunch of 3x5's when I last got inspired to try some Daily Doodles (my little practice, "don't take yourself too seriously" sketches). I probably spent an hour this afternoon on this silly drawing... listening to music & just plain havin' fun!

Here's a close-up of my list... slightly wonky & totally spontaneous. Simply great art therapy for a normal Monday afternoon!

Back2Nature

"Back2Nature"

My husband & two grown sons are in the process of preparing for a major hiking/camping adventure (I love that they want to spend time together this way!). The trip itself will hopefully be in the summer of 2014... but in the meantime, there is research to be done about the trail, camp-y things to plan, & lots of equipment to gather... My husband is savoring every bit of the process!

My family teases me, saying I love the IDEA of nature better than the REALITY of nature (read here... not a fan of snakes, spiders, mosquitoes & sleeping on the ground). Vacation-wise, I'm more of a cottage-lover. Give me indoor plumbing, a porch with a rocking chair and the sights & sounds of the great outdoors, a camera, my journal & sketchbook, a coffee maker, simple healthy foods, a good book, the company of family & our sweet dog Winnie, a nice clean bed at night... and I'm a happy camper!