Bursts of Sunshine

BY LOUISE HURD

When you see a friend, be sure to smile;
The warmth will stay a long, long while.
And if you see a stranger, smile again.
He needs one as much as your best friend.
If he’s having a discouraging day,
Like wintertime when skies are gray,
Your little smile to him will be
Like bursts of sunshine, bright and free.
Then on a day when you feel blue,
Those bursts of sunshine will return to you,
As all the smiles you gave away
Come back to brighten up your day.

Summer is the Best!

I love summer!! I love having my kids home all day and having a free schedule. I love our adventures together. I love that they pull faces and pose for pictures. I love that they like hanging out together. I love being a family.

Sometimes... YOU JUST NEED CHOCOLATE

And if this is the only chocolate you can find, so be it! =D

Bella Bird at Walmart

I was at Walmart last night and saw this new line of clothes. They are awesome! Well done Walmart buyer. Think Downeast style at Walmart price.
Check it out at www.bellabird.com, but I think they are even more cute in real life. :)

Sisters

I have been wanting to post about sisters for a while. I have been blessed with 4 sisters and we are all really close and have a special bond. I also have a couple aunts who I like to claim as my sisters because I have looked up to them and wanted to be like them my whole life. I AM SO BLESSED.
"Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister." ~Alice Walker
"A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double." ~Toni Morrison
"What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it?" ~Jenny DeVries
I am so grateful for my sisters!
(p.s. I'm a photo thief, I know ;D )

Hawaii Miniseries Part 4 -The end

On this trip Brett and I really missed the kids. No really! Over and over we found ourselves saying, "The kids would love this!" We even took a picture of the restaurant sign with "pupu platter" listed because we knew the boys would think that was funny. We decided that next time we are definitely bringing the kids. I can't wait to explore Hawaii again with them!

Hawaii Miniseries Part 3 - Exploring

It's fun to wander around and explore. We were able to ride on a glass bottom boat and see the coral and fish in the bay. When we arrived we saw a sign that the pools were open 24 hours. 24 hours?!! How did I not remember that. We woke up at 4 a.m. one morning and went down to the pools. It was just us and the cleaning guys. I was completely taken back to swimming in Grandmas pool with aunts, uncles and cousins as Brett and I raced under water, did handstands, and practiced floating. Another morning (not quite so early) we went down and just sat in the hot tub, sooo relaxing. And on our last day we did drive down into Kona where we came upon the rare and elusive Walmart :D.

Hawaii Miniseries Part 2- Beach!

Our favorite thing that we learned on our last trip, is to get up early and explore the beach. It is easy to get up early because Hawaii is four hours behind, and you see hardly anyone. We were little kids again finding sea shells and exploring the tide pools. We saw quite a few sea turtles this trip and it was really cool to see their tracks on the beach.

Hawaii Miniseries Part 1 :D - Beautiful Hawaii

Our trip to Hawaii was amazing and perfect. We went back to the big island to the same resort we went to last time. If you want to go to Hawaii to relax and feel spoiled then I highly recommend the Marriott Waikoloa Beach Resort. It is amazing. Last time we spent a couple days exploring the island. This time we stayed put pretty much the whole time. You can walk to the beach, walk to shopping and restaurants, walk to a little ABC grocery store with the best prices on souvenirs ;), and this year we even discovered a farmers market close by. The view from our room was amazing. An interesting thing was to see the tsunami damage from the Japanese earthquake. I have a before picture from our last trip and an after from this trip. It was so great to be in Hawaii again- the beautiful flowers everywhere, the birds, the flowery smell of the air, the sound of the ocean, the relaxing Hawaiian music everywhere- it was amazing.

Summer+ Cousins = Good Times

Michael McLean Speaks to My Anxious Heart (a little bit personal, and definitely sappy post I know)

Music has always touched my soul, and as I fight my battle with anxiety everyday, one of the best things I can do is listen to a little Michael McLean. I know, everyone knows his songs by heart right? But I feel like he must have had direct access to the words of my heart when he wrote some of his songs. When I feel small, alone, discouraged or like I just can't do it his songs honestly lift my spirit and calm my soul. Like "Stay With Me", heaven knows I have moments when it is clear that trusting the Lord is the only thing that will get me through. Or "Let it Go" which is what Brett wisely tells me all the time, after all, 'all that is worth saving is love ... if it's not love, simply let it go.' "A Distant Serenade" - 'be what only you can be, strengthen each other!' And I know from personal experience how much someone's inspired visit and words of comfort can mean when you feel overwhelmed, so "One Heart in the Right Place," speaks right to me. "Hold on the Light Will Come" is probably my favorite, it came to my head when I really needed to hear it:

"The message of this moment is so clear
And as certain as the rising of the sun
If your world is filled with darkness, doubt and fear
Just hold on, hold on, the light will come

Everyone who's ever tried and failed
Stands much taller when the victory's won
And those who've been in darkness for a while
Kneel much longer when the light has come.

It's a message every one of us must learn
That the answers never come without a fight
And when it seems you've struggled far too long
Just hold on, hold on, there will be light

Hold on. Hold on. the light will come.
If you feel trapped inside a never-ending night
If you've forgotten how it feels to feel the light
If you're half-crazy thinking you're the only one
who's afraid the light will never really come -
Just hold on. Hold on. The light will come!

The message of this moment is so clear
And as certain as the rising of the sun
If your world is filled with darkness, doubt and fear
Just hold on, hold on, the light will come."

When I saw him perform at EFY I remember liking his songs and feeling the spirit of them, but now I really feel them. I've lived them. And knowing that he has been diagnosed with clinical depression too really makes me feel the connection to his songs. Mostly I just love how listening to his music helps me remember what really matters in life, and that we are all just doing the best that we can. So much drama in life, but it will all work out, and "even when it's hard to find the words, your prayers are heard -you're not alone."

Cousin Buddies

I took this picture a few weeks ago and it is a little blurry, but when I came across it in my pictures it made me smile and I had to post it. My kids love hanging out with their cousins and since they moved closer to us we've seen them a lot more. Bridget and I gab while they all run around in a pack having a blast. Bridget pointed out their little drive in theater to me and it was so cute we both snapped pictures. Cousin time rocks!

Zoo

We took the kids to the zoo last Saturday and had sooo much fun! The kids had a ball looking at the new dinosaur exhibits and going to the bird show. And we didn't even have to take a stroller!;)