Fresh Produce from friends and family. Between my brother-in-law, mother-in-law and my neighbor we ate like kings this summer. Homegrown kings. (my salsa recipe will be coming soon — save those tomatoes!)

School Supplies. I’ve been collecting odds and ends school/craft supplies for years. It all seems to make sense now that I’m homeschooling the kids.

What you are grateful for today?

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Jess

Claire and Leah swinging on the deck.

I hope you have a great weekend chilling and grilling!

I’ll be back next week with a great salsa recipe and pictures from our first couple weeks homeschooling.

Love,

Jess

Ry lost some teeth.

Ryan sporting a summer smile at the beach.

Molly found some patience, fractional mind you, but patience none the less.

Molly tending to her new cousin Max.

Claire found courage.

CJ "hanging" out on the neighbor's play set.

Leah lost her willingness to give up her “thumb” after nap-time.

Leah with her "taggie" on the diaper table in her nursery.

Peter found peace during his time as a canoe leader for a wilderness week Up North. He didn’t loose any of his paddlers.

Pete carrying water at his pre-trip camp site.

I lost my cool and then found it, then completely lost it again, then figured I didn’t need ‘my cool’ because frazzled is the new look for Fall.

Molly, Me, Leah, Ryan in front of the fire pit.

What’s in your lost and found box?

Love,

Jess

Did I mention going to a “Corn Drive-Thru” last week? Not even kidding. We drove up to buy a 12 ears of corn thru the window of the mini-van. So, funny and yummy.

Pretty landscape on my drive

I had a chance to partake in the small town vibe recently. No kids, husband, and agenda. Just me, warm breeze, and my camera.

I drove a stretch of 2-lane roads which landed me in downtown on main street. Rough-patch boards lined several historical buildings hinting at their thriving past. Welcoming retail shops and services seemed to be growing strong here and there, in the summer’s heat. Store stoops boomed with conversations between passers-by.  Even I chatted-it-up with the owners of the new “vintage” store that opened  in town this summer. She knew and loved the style and work of the Shabby Mamas! High Five!

i love old doorknobs, don't you?

During sunset I strolled looking in window-fronts.  I happened upon a trendy/humble/cool/owner-operated/semi-local made ice cream shop, so I checked it out.[read: saw ice cream sign and ran across the main street to get in line so fast even the cows did a double take.]

I ordered the most delicious flavor. Mint julip flavoring, grasshopper cookies, and chocolate here and there with more minty ice-cream. I was so excited my mouth literally watered a little bit as I waited for the cone to be crafted.

My hand reached out to grab the completed ice cream cone. Then the sign above the cash drawer met my eyes. It said no credit cards. What?  Clearly, I miss read. Nope, there I stood with my hand out, not taking the cone mind you,  just standing there without checks or cash.

My previously-watering mouth hanging o-p-e-n and a heartbeat of now-what-have-I-done pounding in my mind.

And just like that, he waved his hand the cone was mine. “Aw, just come back around when you can,” he beamed as I fumbled to say thank you. He wasn’t a flirt, he wasn’t a lazy cheat. He was really just a trendy/humble/cool owner of a semi-local made ice cream shop with a good sense of customer service. Now that’s a business worth coming back to…with my husband and 4 kids. Yeah, that guy just made a lot of money down the line.

Cheers for small towns, vintage markets, ice cream cones, and people who rock!

-Jess

1. A watermelon drink dispenser from Kara’s Party Ideas

2. Tablescape from Simply Creative Insanity
3. Festive fruit from Oopsey Daisy

4. Free Cupcake Toppers (printable) from Yellow Mums

Happy Forth of July!!

Love,
Jess

I’m committed to my cause, but if I didn’t take a minute to stop and smell the flowers, I’d have to be committed.

Love,

Jess

Proverbs 31:27

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Gaining control over the “affairs of my household” seems a bit daunting. Exciting, but daunting. Have I said this before?

Goals, organization, schedules, files, wills, finances, photos, cleaning, hospitality, the whole nine yards.

Inspired by Just a Girl, Whatever and Seriously a Homemaker, the kids and I made a We Love Summer To-do List.

I figure I might as well get fired up for goal making with summer fun!

I left a couple of lines for anything Pete wants to add.

Love,

Jess

Summer in Minnesota is a frenzy of outdoor relaxation, family activities and work projects.

Walks in Grammy's garden

S'mores and then some more S'mores!

Handy-work in the garage! New shelves Neat Pete designed and built to help get ready for the twins! They could also be bunks

]]> http://justablink.com/2009/06/signs-of-summer/feed/ 0 http://justablink.com/2009/05/grill-and-chill/ http://justablink.com/2009/05/grill-and-chill/#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 18:34:16 +0000 Jessica http://justablink.com/?p=2388 Not Just for Dairy Queen Anymore

Thankfully Neat Pete can cook grill! I know I will be relying on him for many dinners over the next 4 weeks.

Drs. are hopeful my morning all day sickness will subside around 16 weeks.

So now I can just chill survive during the witching hour (5-7 p.m.).

I may be overusing falling in love with the alpha-cross-out feature. We’ll see where this new grammar function relationship leads.

For now, I’ll be on the patio. Have a great weekend!

Here is an image summary of how I captured Summer 2008 through my lens.