Seed Swap

This is what the Botanical Gardens Conference center looked like at 10:45 a.m.

This is what it looked like at Noon!

Apparently Toledoans love to garden. I was lucky enough to volunteer at the childrens table with Miss Regina from the Toledo Museum of Arts Family Center. Thanks Jennifer for watching/waiting in line with the girls!!! We decorated pots with lick and stick paper, planted radishes in them and marked them with the cute flower markers.

We saw a lot of friends at the swap. My dad was there and helped the girls "shop" for seeds. Dad was definitely in his element. We all had a great time and brought home a lot of seeds. Now the girls want to know when we can garden.

Things I've learned about myself over the last two weeks...

1. I am creative. I love to make things. Anything with paper, paint, fabric, dirt it doesn't matter what medium I love to make things.

2. I am not an amazing housekeeper...adequate...but definitely not amazing.

3. I miss having a camera in our house...it seems like I'm missing an appendage. It's hard to complete the goal of focusing on the positives in my daily life without it. I'm continually thinking go grab the camera and then Bam! It hits me up the side of the head, that it's not here, it's in the shop. You think I'd remember that since it comes up four or five times a day.

4. I hate taxes. I don't like to pay them. I don't like to file them. I just plain don't like to deal with them. Anyone who has owned their own business knows how I feel. My accountant finds it highly entertaining that I'm all tied up in knots and tapping my foot at my appointment. Xanax anyone?

5. I love to finish something. I've finished a lot of different somethings lately....but no camera, so no photos.

6. Creative women are fun to hang around with.

7. The cold we Rapps have had for the past month off and on has given me a permanent headache.

8. I have no balance right now.

9. Falling off the bed, falling over a chair, and falling down the back steps while in a skirt and pumps, then landing in the snow while on the way to church last week....they all hurt.

10. I love my church! I arrived to sacrament meeting late on Sunday, to hear a friend speaking of how we should be on time on Sunday. I giggled to myself in the hallway and then enjoyed all the great looks I received after I walked in with my little girls in tow and sat down. I love being the entertainment.

11. My kids need to go outside to play NOW!

12. Everyday brings spring a little closer.

13. Martha Stewart's Recipe for Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting disappointed me. They tasted like banana bread with frosting....the kids liked them though, especially with sprinkles.

14. Kind people are everywhere...I'm thankful for unexpected kindness.

15. I am very thankful for friends who make me laugh! This story read by a friend HILARIOUS! She'd be happy to know that it will be read on fun Friday in Sydney's Kindergarden class.

16. I want to go on a family vacation. I'm dreaming of Yellowstone, here is a great link to images... but would be happy going anywhere just to be away for a few days.

17. Excited to put a few phrases up on the wall this week. Examples of what has inspired me...http://www.uppercaseliving.com/. Love my Silhouette and contact paper.

18. When Kate created a really fun ceramic sculpture at school it made me happy, proud and a little teary eyed. I miss playing with clay...that was a special treat I always enjoyed at my grandma's.

19. I am reading the Botany of Desire...I never new that nature could be so fascinating.

20. I love this website http://www.seedsavers.org/ great idea, fun history behind our food and the catalog...available online, is amazing. I'm dreaming of delicious salad's already.

A typical day...

Do you recognize this? Well maybe you haven't been in my living room, but in some room, in some house you have seen this. This is what drives every parent crazy, constant messiness. Before we had children John and I would keep up on the laundry and dishes during the week, then we would really clean the house on the weekend in one day...done! I try to remind myself that I am the oldest of eight and spent a lot of time cleaning up after myself and my siblings. I knew that children came with messes. Really,what was I thinking? Sweet babies always, let me repeat always turn into extremely sticky, messy little people. Little people with their own opinions on what clean is. I remember that I knew children are cute, wonderful, fulfilling, that's why I always wanted to be a mom. I knew I'd be able to mold their little minds and teach them to be good little helpers. Ha! Back to real life...Paige likes to sort things which also includes throwing them across the room to land in a bucket. She also is proficient in using a broom as a weapon....accidentally of course. Sydney will help if it's fun and we don't hurt her feelings. Kate well Kate does a great job when she cleans under dad's supervision. Most of the time this leaves mom to straighten up since I don't have the time or patience work with/nag my kids. I have given up on a clean house. I do laundry, dishes and straighten the living room every day. This means that on a daily basis I don't clean the bathroom, dust, sweep all the floors, and most of the time my kitchen table is taken up with things on their way from here to there. I've recently discovered I'm okay with this. I'd rather spend time creating, mothering, reading or gardening than cleaning up again and again and again. I want to teach my girls how to clean but I also want them to learn that it's important to take time for other things too. I'm working harder on helping them to learn that if they work hard, they can then play hard.

P.S. This photo was taken after I had cleaned the living room twice already and by 4 p.m. it looked like this again. This time the girls cleaned it up.

Who's that girl?

This is the girl I love to see every morning!

I think Kate was taking photos of herself when I wasn't looking!

So I thought I'd show you my grown up girl today. I love her red glasses they make her look even more smart, sassy,

and well just B-E-A-U-tiful.

Here we see the face Kate gives her parents when we make her mad, embarrass her, or ask her any questions she doesn't want to answer. I love this photo and felt compelled to record it for posterity's sake. It's nice to have both views...wonder if my dad has any incriminating evidence on me? Love you little Miss Kate.

P.S. After much confusion it was discovered that John took these photos. I love them thanks John!

Three legged kitten has lost his????

I was greatly entertained when Blackberry tried sneak into the girls lap trays after they had a snack today. He almost fits minus the one leg. You would never know he had major surgery just a week ago! He couldn't seem to figure out how to attack all the little gold fish crumbs and fit his head in far enough to eat them all at the same time. This quest kept him busy for quite a while and he was incredibly disgusted when he discovered not goldfish crumbs, but hard, dry, playdough crumbs. Sorry buddy, they just don't taste the same.

Love is in the air...

I love today! It's not January. It is February. I love that we have two quasi holidays in February. I love that the sun shines a little brighter and longer each day. Hearts are everywhere and well they just make me happy. I was inspired by hearts found at Meant to Bead and got busy. Kate's earrings will be available for your viewing pleasure soon. I just had time to do photos with the little Rapplings.

I love Paige's little curly-Q's.

My sassy little Sydney has two, count them TWO hearts on her earrings. She is very, very happy with the result. I guess love isn't in the air...I'd have to say it's on our ears. I know I'm so witty. Have fun and find something "lovely" to brighten your day!