It's finally midsummer and warming nice and hot. Humidity I could take or leave, but it's hot and I savor these days. I've found some nice new shows to follow, some good reads and some good kid time  :-) A few road trips, a week camping trip to Kentucky and another girls trip with who else but me, our girls, and my mom. Colorado is my long lost home but we love going back to visit! Counting our blessings, longing for the beach, and living each day like it's our last!  Count your blessings, too. We all have 'em. Thank God.

Not So Perfect

What the heck?

It was a great day. It has ended. Well, it got rough.

 Hmph.

So many things I read show a perfect house with a perfect family with perfect pictures. 

Am I near that perfect?

Nope.

Do I wish I could be?

Sure.

But. I'm. Not.

When I overanalyze it (my strong suit), I become quite depressed. I don't have enough of anything to make anything in my life perfect, except my family. Will I raise the best kids? Probably not. Will I raise respectful kids? I sure as hell hope so. Am I treated like the Queen I feel I am? Haha!! Jokes on me! 

Instead, I do yell at my toddler. Am I happy with it? Not the slightest!! Am I patient? Not at all. Well, except on a really good day. Was today a really good day? It should've been because I only had one to be frustrated with. Where do my frustrations lie? In creating that perfect little person. 

So, it is to bed I shall go. I might beat myself up a little bit.

All because my life isn't perfect. Neither is anyone else's.

So, I think I'll just be content with my life just as it is,

because I am so blessed God has given me everything I have-frustrations and all.

I keep thinking, one day I'll blog more frequently. Well, maybe this day is coming sooner than I would've thought. Honestly though, I'd love to do it more as I do find writing about this-and-that fairly rewarding. I'm not a stellar writer by ANY means but you will find my words spelled correctly since I am quite a snob when it comes to "anyways" and the their/there problem many people seem to have. It's alright though, I won't hold it against you :-)

So what are the Riordans up to these days? Claire started dance...at 2 she can officially walk with her hands on her hips. Yep, that's what she learned day 1. Last week she said she learned hello feet, goodbye feet, whatever that is. Maybe the ballerinas out there can clue me in. I was a gymnast, not particularly a dancer {although I did try but I sat out most things!} Kieran started walking just days before she turned 1 but she still isn't totally off the floor. If she's aiming to chase her sister, she'll get down and crab-run her way as best as she can! Morgan, well, Morgan prefers to sleep outside most nights right now. It's been beastly hot, however, she could care less. Maybe she sees it as an escape from two toddlerish girls. I'd like to run, too, but I think I'd get turned in. Nate, he keeps busy...work, house projects, the girls, you name it. He might sit down about this time to watch something like Breaking Bad or House Hunters haha! Breaking Bad or Under the Dome are his preferences right now. I'd check out House Hunters but they never seem to look in my price range on some long lost island so it's not as interesting as it could be for me. Otherwise, I'll still do Rehab Addict because that's probably my dream...If only Henry County, Iowa had a market for someone/something like that. I'd be on it. However, if you ask anyone I know, houses might take about 3 years to sell so it probably wouldn't make us rich like it does for her!

I can write more another day since I have a million things on my mind these days. Claire turns 3 on October1 {yikes} and I can't hardly believe it!! I am so super excited for her since she is finally excited. Thanks to a sister, a couple of cousins and friends with recent birthdays, she knows EXACTLY what comes of birthdays! We won't get away with wrapping up a carseat this time!! Actually, I've yet to do that but if Kieran had been something more than 16 lbs when she turned 1, a new Britax was in order.  That can wait for Christmas now {lucky her!}. And just in case you were wondering, no, I do not starve her. She eats like it's the Apocalypse tomorrow.

Since tomorrow is a day of note, I shall say, I remember exactly where I was 12 years ago tonight and tomorrow. I'm humbled by it and am so thankful for everything my country offers-for good and for bad.

Happy Birthday Kieran!

Yesterday was a fun day with lots of family and friends. 

Kieran managed to actually smash her RED cake a few times. 

Laundry is still going today, so watch out for red for the rest of this month. 

Oh what fun she and we had celebrating her first year as a happy baby girl. 

Thanks for Pink Box Confections, JamesonMonroe, and Jelly the Pug. Everything matched so well!

Not much of an update to report about.

House projects, anyone interested in doing them?

Just kidding, we just need to get the girls to help out.

One problem.

One can't walk yet. She also puts everything in her mouth.

Guess that's not an option then. 

That's ok, we'll get to them one day. In the mean time, we'll enjoy playing with them.

And mowing.

And mowing.

And mowing.

Have a happy June!!

Love to win something!

http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2013/04/the-house-of-belonging-a-giveaway/#comment-113000

I would love to win something from The House of Belonging. You should try to win, too!

At least the sun is out today and there is blue sky!!! Hooray for a happy Mama!!!

After paying bills and doing laundry and playing with kiddos, I have to say, I'm not motivated to get dressed. Who cares, right? Of if you do, poop on you :-)

We got back from Gulf Shores a couple weeks ago. Great time, you should see it. Lovely, immaculate beaches. Claire had a blast so now we've added {huge} sandbox to our summer project list. Who can deny a girl such fun-other than the fact I loathe sand any place other than outside. Did I mention we obtained sand in the Sequoia from the defroster? Bleh! Oh well, that's what full service car washes are for....now if it'd just quit snowing, I'd make it worthwhile.

Other projects on my mind: finish our bedroom, paint the main living areas and kitchen, plan landscaping for outdoors, pain the front door eggplant (Free quart of paint at Ace this Saturday-makes for a really awesome project!), paint garage doors something other than (yuck!) brown, plant a vine tunnel for the girlies, landscape, landscape, landscape. There's more, but I don't want to bore you. I better start working all my hours at work or these projects won't be going very fast unless I acquire some more free supplies like the paint.

Now, Mother Nature, please warm us up a bit!! We're ready for the lake in our driveway to start filling...