my pride overflowith

It was time this weekend to check the #1 item off the summer bucket list!

I realize that you would have no recollection of what was  #1 was on my summer bucket list so
I link as well as copy here!

I have a few ideas brewing which I must say add a tinge of excitement for me just thinking about them.

1. involves some PVC pipe! Stay tuned!

Friday afternoon I made the decision that it was time to tackle the following project!

Mark is on nights this weekend which means I'm flying solo on this one (with the kids of course!)

That also means that I will not only have to find a saw and drill but operate them as well!

I wandered over to Menard's Friday afternoon and attached myself to a helpful Menard's Guy who was a great assistant in finding the needed items on my list,

which must have sparked curiosity by the end because he couldnt' help but ask

"Can I ask what you are doing with this?' 

This made me chuckle.

What I don't look like plumber?! I don't look like I hang in the PVC pipe isle or what?!

I can hang.

anyways...

We woke up this morning and Cohen was begging to get it started.

I was a little nervous because we came with lots of "joints" and like 8 - 10' long pipes of PVC all of which needed cut into various lengths and tools are not my forte!

Cohen found the sawsall (Is that how you spell sawsall?!)

So I said perfect!

Cohen lined up the jack stands to lay it on. I again said perfect!

Who doesn't measure pipe on jack stands!? Just sayin' !

It took a few to get a feel for it but we did it!

I admit I did have to wake Mark up because after 15minutes of trying
*He may or may not have rolled his eyes*

I needed him to show me how to put the bit in the drill....

but once it was in, we nailed it (or drilled it I guess!)

We had water flowing by noon!

I am by far more proud of this project than anything I've ever made!  

I know it is not polite to brag,

but DAMN I just built that!

I'm beaming with Pride over here

(so get ready because I can't stop adding pictures because I acutally did it!

Okay with Cohen's help I did it but still we did it!

Holy Buckets! It's great and awesome!)

and the kids LOVE it!

HOURS and HOURS of fun today and it was a great day for water that is for sure! HOT!



Kadence collecting money from Cohen before he can start!



Kadence told me to go away. "me workin" 

Ahh see the girl has dreams!

(of being a carwash attendent but hey they're dreams!)

Happy Wet Weekend!

Roll on over sometime

We'll shine your ride!

If you want to make your own here's the link

Magical Memory Lane

Growing up family "vacations" primarily consisted of camping.

Yes some people do go camping to exotic places,

but not us.
We pretty much went camping to the same lake about 40 mins from home.

We live in a society now where bigger is always better.

Family Vacations are now cruises in the tropics, Disney World...

The most pivotal thing about it is, as a kid when we turned that corner (at the barn with the multicolored roof,) it was like we were transported to a whole other world.

It always seemed almost magical.

The water.

The sand.

Like we were a million miles from home.

I am sure these were our vacations because money was tight and it is what they could do,

but it never seemed that way to me. It seemed like we were the luckiest kids around.

Today I went to the lake with the kids and met up with my parents who have decided to jump back into the camping life style.

It was a reminder that I've been needing that it really isn't about how much you have.

That bigger isn't always better.

Its about being present. 

It's about living and loving the moment.

Sure would the kids love a fancy vacation to Disney Land.

Yeah, but what matters the most is our time and attention regardless of where we go.

  

As a kid, one summer, we did go to Disney Land.

It was cool. 

But when I close my eyes and drift to sleep

it's not Disney Land that I remember and dream of........

the task at hand

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955

This weekend I was reminded just how much slowing down and living for today is vital to our existence.

There will always be something to worry about tomorrow.

Something,

someday,

that may or may not happen

that could steal our sleep tonight,

but in the end it will matter more what we did today

than what we worry about tomorrow.

It is so easy to get sucked into a trap that diverts your time and energy away from what matters most.

It is so easy to worry about the things that matter the least.

It takes a constant effort to not be eaten alive by the "should have's"

A good friend reminded me of that again today.

I owe it to my children to continue growing.

Growing as a person

Growing as a mother.

I am not perfect.

I never will be.

Sometimes my parenting is an epic fail,

but that is not what matters.

What matters is that I get up and try it again.

Vowing to do better.

Vowing to grow

Not just for them

but for myself

and it has taken me awhile to come to the realization that is the greatest gift I can give them

because they too will never be perfect.

And if I can teach them to strive for growth

instead of this illusive unobtainable perfection

what an impact it will have on their future lives.

If I can do that,

I have done my ultimate job in this world.

What a large task to be placed in our hands the day we become parents to innocent souls.