this morning ~

We're enjoying some time outside this morning! We hope you are too!!

summer moments ~

Last week, while Jonmichael was away at camp, we stole away some girl time on the couch one afternoon waiting for a friend. A newly arranged room, a nice new place to knit and read, a quiet house with the baby sleeping, that's my kind of summer afternoon!!

back from camp ~

Our oldest came back home yesterday from a 7 day stay at camp three states away.





As quickly as most mothers would, I started washing all the clothes today that was brought back from camp, finding most still neatly folded as if never worn (ahem). Then I started to chuckle to myself in a sheepish way, imagining the many things I will never know that went on last week, but I am truly excited for our growing boy who is yet again experiencing another new chapter of independence in a whole new way . . . and then I realized that I am too!

So good to have the whole family back together again!!

leaf rubbing

Leaf rubbing is something I usually associate with fall of the year, but this summer, it occurred to me that there are many textures we could collect and capture as well.



On this particular day last week, me and the girls walked around our back yard and collected leaves from a strawberry plant, hydrandgea, sage, clover, and 4 leaf clovers, then went back inside, got out our block crayons (they work really well on a project like this) and began to make rubbings.



Some other projects sprang up too (some cards were made . . .) {wink}.



I am always amazed at how beautiful and remarkable leaf rubbings are and how easily they can be captured on paper and kept (and given) long after they've dried up.

Lavender in bloom

For years, Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia) has been my very favorite herb. I love the color and all but worship the fragrance. I’ve had a bush in the ground at every house we’ve lived in and before that, always had a pot of it sitting in the kitchens of our previous apartments. Even when the bush is not in bloom, I love to rub the stems and inhale the oil off my hands as I walk by, so they have typically been planted by steps and entrances.

I found out this year that the blooms are edible so we’ve been enjoying this recipe and wanted to share it. If you have any lavender nearby that is in bloom, enjoy some time harvesting the blooms while inhaling the amazing fragrance. These cookies will be a delight to your senses. Enjoy! ~


Lavender cookies

Recipe:

5/8 cup butter (1 stick + 1 tbsp)
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp lavender flowers
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar
Add egg and lavender flowers
Mix in flour a little at a time

Bake 350 degrees for approx 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown. You can also top the cookies with some extra flowers.

So, so good!

In stages ~

I realize that looking back through my blog this year, I seem to be taking it, or coming back in stages. I’ve recently been finding the camera in my hands more often and excited about posted some pics, but the writing . . . hasn’t really been coming much lately. A sentence or two is about all I can manage. But today, I’m finding that the writing is starting to come back, having more ideas and more things to say, which is a comforting feeling. I really need to know that my life will be getting more back to the normal that I am used to. It is good to have all the kids under one roof for the whole day again. Today, we’re officially starting our summer of homeschooling. Having three different age groups will be challenging, but hopefully inspiring to each of them.

Sunday afternoon ~

I'm enjoying a little knitting time this afternoon . . .





I hope you too are enjoying your Sunday afternoon!

my weekend

This weekend I found myself capturing all the beauty and goodness around me.