A New Favorite Place

I have a feeling I know where the bulk of their summer days will be spent! xo

On Memorial Day

Happy Last Page Day!

And just like that another year of morning lessons has come to an end and our summer has begun! We finished up the space unit with some constellations, and they wrote what they're most looking forward to this summer on the last page of their journals (as is our "last page day" tradition). We are so proud of how much they've learned and grown over this year of lessons, and we have no doubt that when lessons begin again after the summer it will be more of the same. But first we have sprinklers to run through, camp to attend, the lake to visit and a milestone birthday to celebrate! Let the summer fun begin! xo

Sunday Funday

 Getting to spend Sunday with our best friends from college was the perfect ending to a fabulous weekend! xo

A Fabulous Fortieth

I woke up this morning at 4:57am. This is normally not worth mentioning as I'm up around this time each day so that I can attend the 6:00am Pure Barre class. Today, however, it was even more fitting  since it was forty years ago at 4:58am that I was born. Pretty wild that on this milestone birthday I'd wake at just about the time I was born. I laid in bed for a bit and contemplated the enormity of this. A new day. A new year. A new decade. And so it begins. 

I've actually been pondering forty for awhile. My dearest friend and soul sister, Jannine, and I share a birthday. We've been friends since high school and are the yin to each other's yang. We've been looking forward to this day for a year (or maybe even two) now. There's something really exciting about turning forty. Something a little bit scary too but mostly it's exciting and we are determined to do forty proud. 

On one hand I don't feel forty. In my mind I'm still 25. This is only complicated further when I realize that Grace turns ten in July. Ten?! How is that possible?! Surely I must have had her when I was fifteen! Though I suppose my own mama can't quite figure out how it is she has a daughter who's forty (and a granddaughter who's looking at ten) either! 

On the other hand I'm very ready to be forty. I feel more confident about things than I ever have before. That's not to say I don't have times of doubt or worry or uncertainty, but more often than not I feel good about the decisions I've made, who I am and what I stand for. Some of this is turning forty. Some of this is due to Pure Barre. The two, however, are very intertwined. I'm stronger, healthier, and more confident thanks to the strength and confidence I found in that studio starting in January (and every day since). It's been incredible and life changing and inspiring and is all in the name of being forty and fabulous. I'm determined that this new decade will be my best, most healthy yet (and maybe I'll even master the split stretch while I'm at it, too)! 

The things that seemed so important in my twenties and thirties are things that I'm ready to put behind me. Some of them were important, of course (marriage, infertility, babies, house buying) and some of them really weren't (friends who weren't really friends, weddings we weren't invited to, jobs that didn't pan out, bosses who used my sensitive nature against me, people who let me down). In preparation for turning forty I've done a lot of reflecting on the past. It's been very healing and a good way to get ready for this new chapter. 

I said to my dear friend Rob (who I've known for twenty-one years and who spent the day sending me the most hysterically awesome birthday texts) that today arrived peacefully and without much fanfare. And initially I was a little bit sad that I wasn't having some kind of amazing celebration complete with pink glitter raining down from the ceiling. But as the day wore on I realized that it was the most perfect celebration of me and my forty years earthside. From starting my day at Pure Barre, to waffles for breakfast made by Dave, homemade cards from the girls, a surprise Wonder Woman cake made by my amazingly talented friend Sharon, flowers and a visit from my dear friend Jane, tacos for dinner, and the most incredible ice cream cake ever consumed shared with neighbors who have become some of our dearest friends (not to mention all the Facebook messages) this day was full of all my favorite things and people (though I still wouldn't mind copious amounts of pink glitter raining down on me)!

Thank you, friends and family, for making my birthday so incredibly special. Thank you for your sweet messages, your words of wisdom and your love, support and encouragement over the years. Thank you for making me laugh and making me cry. If today is any indication forty is going to be far more fabulous than I could possibly ever imagine! xo

Belated May Day Baskets

May 1st was so rainy and so unseasonably cold that we decided to put our usual May Day Basketing on hold until a more "May like" day. A little over a week ago, the weather was absolutely perfect and the girls and I decided that it was finally time to surprise our neighbors and friends with May Baskets. We stopped by our favorite local flower stand, chose some lovely Johnny Jump Ups and got to work. After the decorating was done, and the messages were written, the fun of delivering them began! This is one of our most favorite traditions and it didn't feel quite like May to us until we delivered these sweet spring gifts. There is just something so sweet and simple and lovely about this tradition. It truly embodies the month of May and the season of Spring beautifully! Happy (belated) May Day, friends! We hope this month has been absolutely magical for you! xo

Yesterday

A beautiful day. A lovely ceremony. A perfect ending to an incredible troop year.
Have a wonderful summer, friends! We'll see you in September! xo

{This Moment} Grace Becomes A Girl Scout Junior

{This Moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo -no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same leave a link to your moment in the comments section below. Many wishes for a lovely weekend! xo

A Change Of Scenery

And just like that we have a new look to our backyard. Who knew that our two scrawny trees would make such a difference when they were removed?! We had no doubt that Dave and Erica's big tree being removed would change things up, but we hadn't expected to see such a dramatic difference with our two scrawny, super dead trees removed! It's taken the better part of the week to get used to the openness of the backyards. And while the openness is no longer as shocking as it was on Monday, we're definitely missing the shade those trees provided. We're currently thinking that we need to plant some new trees there, though, if I'm being completely honest our friend Frank's suggestion of  putting a pool in that spot is definitely my favorite idea that's been tossed around! xo