summer so far

(Instagrams)

Oh june and july you've gone so fast, you and your string of eighty degree days. Sweaty foreheads and late late nights, staying in swimsuits days on end and eating ice cream and outdoor gatherings and sparkling water to splash our toes in. Picking daisies from the garden and watching Josie dance in her first ballet recital, learning how to skateboard and riding bikes until the sun goes down. Top Pot donuts first thing saturday and painters tape and projects littering the dirty floors.

Summer you're almost over but I am not ready to let you go just yet. This is the only time when my kids will be at these exact ages and then they will grow bigger and things will shift and of course there will be more beauty to behold in the light in their eyes…but just go a little slower august, ok because I am not quite ready to let this summer go…what a sweet sweet season it is, such a gift I can't afford to take for granted. xoxo

weekend peeks and keeping the creative juices flowing

Oh there is never enough time to do all the creative things I long to do and this weekend was so very full and exhausting with little sleep. There are so many moments as a mother that I question how I will ever be able to survive all of the things...we had some college kids staying with us and I joked with them that I am basically a "professional wiper" and that the majority of my job consists of dealing with other peoples bodily functions and re-doing everything I attempt to do multiple times a day. Ay yi yi...so one of the ways I try to combat the grueling job of parenting (don't get me wrong I love my kids but parenting is haaard) is to keep the creative juices flowing. So I found a sliver of time to redecorated the wall over my piano, I displayed some instagrams and spent an afternoon playing photographer too which always leaves me feeling filled with joy!

It's the ebb and flow of joy and heartache with much to be thankful for always and even when I don't think I can find the strength to wake up and do it all again God meets me with a nudge to press forward, dig in deep and sense His presence in the midst of everything given. I am thankful for a new week and the chance to be creative despite the mundane tasks at hand.

So how do you keep your creative juices flowing even when it all feels like too much? I would really love to know.  Happy monday friends...and if you're a professional wiper like me - I am raising an arm load of baby wipes to you! :) xoxo

...my june instagram life...(and tomorrow is ten on ten!)

highlights for the month included :: the end of the school year and a birthday for Simon, lots of giggles, an attempt at a fathers day hike with a dramatic ending, pizza on the grill, some beautiful sunshine, basil from the garden for homemade sauce, more smiles, donuts, coffee on the deck with bare toes, a spin art afternoon and extra limes in my coke after a very exciting early morning of poopy diapers all over the floor and a bag of candy...it was all just to exciting to forget :)

follow me on instagram @rebagough...seems no one blogs anymore anyways it's just all shared on the instagram feed! :)

PS. tomorrow is Ten on Ten I will be here with the linky party to play along on instagram simply hashtag your photos #10on10 or #tenonten - one photo an hour for ten hours - looking forward to it! More about the project HERE.

on holiday + a ten on ten reminder

This past week Chris and I snuck away to the east coast to celebrate our tenth anniversary. This is our first trip together since before Simon was born almost seven years ago so I am sure you can image how surreal and amazing it has been to soak it all in! I will have plenty of proper photos to share when we get home in a few days but here are a few instagrams from our adventures...and I will be here in Cape Cod for tomorrows installment of Ten on Ten as well and I am so looking forward to it! Hope you will join me - the linky party will be here ready and waiting in the morning and I will share my set just as soon as I can, hope you have a great day today friends! More about the Ten on Ten project HERE.

today was...

full to the brim

a wild morning of getting my three ready to head out the door

two cups of coffee to wake up

a trip to Seattle

sitting in traffic and singing to the radio with my babes

an hour and a half wait at the doctor before Simon's check up

my younger two hanging out with auntie Jenny and cousin Wes

a yummy lunch waiting after with lots of noise and the Mommies trying to hear each other speak

cupcakes from my favorite place and my new favorite flavor, Samoa

a long drive back home

worn out and thankful to see Daddy for an hour before he headed to worship practice

peanut butter sandwiches and apples for dinner, guilt free :)

dancing and making each other laugh before bed

stories prayers and goodnight kisses

...thankful for another day given to me freely, I am one blessed (and tired) Mama!

snowmaggedon 2012 :)

(I was so hoping to get to use that title :)) We did end up getting a wonderful dose of snow over this past week and I have been cozy at home with my whole family enjoying the little pause to life that snow around here brings.

Our city is not use to this kind of weather, we have few snow plows and lots of treacherous hills and so when snow and ice hit us we all like to stay put if we can. It felt like such a deep blessing to be able to enjoy the beauty and wonder of white this winter and although thousands are still without power and the meltdown is just now beginning I myself was thankful for the snow!

We will be working on thawing out over the weekend and warming up a bit. I haven't left our house since Monday - and it honestly hasn't bothered me at all (perk of being an extreme introvert I suppose)! I will be back soon with a tutorial to share, I was able to get a wee bit of crafting in and lots of yummy cooking and baking too. Oh snowy winter how I loved you while you lasted!

Happy Friday friends hope your all cozy and warm!

Christmas Instagrams

Just a few little instagram peeks from our Christmas week. We had a wonderful time celebrating with family! I hope you all had an incredible holiday I will be back soon with more to share!!

Snapshots from Halloween

Just a couple of peeks from the "BOOthday" party we hosted last night to celebrate little Josie and Levi's first and fourth birthdays. It was a blur of frosting and candy and coffee to keep me going. I didn't get a ton of photos but we had a really great time!

Our kids went for a Star Wars theme this year, Levi as Darth Vader, Simon as Luke Skywalker and Josie as Princess Leia. We felt so blessed to have our close friends and family around to celebrate and even though Chris and I realized after we left the house with a ton of kids to trick or treat that neither of our kids were wearing shoes (um where were their parents? :)) we ended the night in a candy coma with happy hearts.

I asked Levi this morning how he felt about his party and this is what he said "when I was there my life was feeling really great!" ha - I loved that response and I couldn't agree more. Looking forward to next years party already!!

And now onto November...the holidays are here!!!

a few little instagram peeks from our week

Josie playing with a bubble machine while we attempt some family pictures + my favorite sweetheart necklace from make pie not war + Chris working on giving the mantel a fresh coat of white paint + a little memento I made from the wallpaper we had at our old house + visiting my old school to have coffee with my bff who is now a teacher there + scoring a ridiculous vintage light up pumpkin for only a few dollars + homemade pizza + our record station.

Joining the Insta-Friday party over at Life Rearranged today - hope you have a wonderful weekend friends and if you haven't had a chance don't forget to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway before Monday!