"I don't think you're an idiot at all. I mean, there are elements of the ridiculous about you. Your mother's pretty interesting. And you really are an appallingly bad public speaker. And, um, you tend to let whatever's in your head come out of your mouth without much consideration of the consequences... But the thing is, um, what I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are."

-Mark Darcy, Bridget Jones's Diary

“Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place.”

- E.L. Konigsburg

florals

Peacocks.

I was at the palace gardens yesterday.

I heard that weird noise that peacocks make (thank you very much Lincoln Children's Zoo) and then suddenly, there he was, looking very beautiful (albeit slightly terrifying) strutting about... and I hid behind a bush to take a few photos (and so he couldn't attack me.)

And then I saw THESE girls and they all looked at me and started hurrying my direction and I panicked! I may or may not have screamed like a girl and ran away....

Hudson had a sleepover at my parents "charm"

Oh my goodness. So sweet.

my balcony :)

This is adorable.

And reminded me of Amiah Rose.

Bethany took this :)

and taunted me with it

because there is no Target in Spain.

Siiso

What if you slept?

and what if, in your sleep

you dreamed?

and what if, in your dream,

you went to heaven

and there plucked a strange and

beautiful flower?

and what if, when you awoke,

you had the flower in your hand?

Ah, what then?

— Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Hudson and Mae

"Patti take this picture for Ash. It's cute!"

who's who of who I miss at home... part 1

We spammed Lindsey tonight...

approximately 230 times

She loved it. As you can see here. Jill said next time "...Probably could get it done in 20 minutes or less if we had our game faces on."

***

Bethany emailed me this the other day:

"Chachi just came running out of her room all excited with her police radio and exclaimed "Somebody just heard gun shots!" ... this is my life :)"

***

And these two...

llamas are funny

I miss my sister and the things she says...

I miss my parents and their house and their land and their lake and their chickens with their farm fresh eggs everyday. Dare I say I miss the geese too??

minus the teddy bear... I love this.

stripes

coser. to sew.

SOON I will have this very sewing machine...

too bad I don't have this room to put it in!

Guess I'll just have to settle for finding an antique sewing table in La Latina (hopefully) and making the boys carry it all the way home.... or an IKEA table in the corner of my room.

one of each. please and thank you

uuuuuggggggghhhhhhhh

I saw this on a blog today. Y-O-U-{apostrophe}-R-E.

for goodness sake...

oh good grief. it's almost too much!

helloooooo summer mealtime

kids

I will dress my kids in adorable outfits... until they are old enough to have opinions {which in the case of MY children...will be about 8 months}...