100 Things Summer

(This is a working list...as I think of things that remind me of Summer) Please feel free to comment your own favorite things.

1. wild flowers

2. homemade popsicles

3. picnics

4. sparklers

5. watermelon

6. late night games of hide-n-go-seek with all the neighborhood kids

7. Icee's (mixed-cherry & coke, of course)

8. Koolaid stains on my kids upper lips

9. baseball games

10. sand castles

11. midnight movie premieres

12. camp

13. hammock swing

14. drive-in movies

15. eating blackberries right off the vine

16. Sunday drives to nowhere in particular

17. canoeing

18. Sonic ice

19. flip flops

20. bike rides

21. tire swing

22. big league chew

23. hula hoop contests

24. 4th of July parades

25. the smell of sunscreen and sun tan lotion

26. lightening bugs

27. flying kites

28. hot dogs

29. swimming

30. homemade ice cream

31. fishing

32. water balloon fights

33. corn on the cobb

34. grilling

35. camping

36. the smell of freshly cut grass

37. blowing bubbles

38. sidewalk chalk art

39. hopscotch

40. jumping waves in the ocean

41. running through the sprinklers

42. dozens of pairs of sunglasses (because it's SUMMER! Duh!)

43. pool tags

44. sleeping late

45. sprinklers hitting my window at 5am

46. Bluebell Factory-Brenham

47. washing my Jeep by hand

48. Super Soakers

49. mosquito trucks at 10pm

50. fresh summer sheets

51. peach cobbler

52. family reunion

53. pedicures

54. sun-streaked hair

55. Little Petes

56. Six Flags

57. water skiing/tubing

58. Schlitterbahn

59. Sea World

60. sno-cones

61. freezer pops

62. root beer floats

63. patio dining

64. tan lines

65. freckles

66. chlorine-damaged hair

67. floating the Guadelupe

68. June bugs

69. slip-n-slide

70. floaties

71. noodles

72. goggles

73. bug spray

74. citronella

75. shaving legs daily = razor burn!

(pause for now...)

The Sweetest Thing...

So, yesterday I celebrated my 31st Birthday and it was an amazing day. I was overwhelmed with all the messages that came through my phone, email and Facebook. All day long I was blessed with birthday well-wishes and kind words. It made my day so incredibly special. I truly do have the best family and friends in the whole big world.

Although these wishes made my day, I must say that one in particular touched my heart deeper than any other. At 8:15am I was sitting at my desk at work and I got a call from Mackenzie and Andrew. Mackenzie's sweet voice greeted me with a "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" We spoke for a couple of minutes and then she passed the phone to Andrew. (A little background on Andrew you must know: He is not typically overly expressive of his thoughts or feelings. I usually have to drag emotion out of him. Also, he isn't fond of having all the attention and focus on him--even from us, his family...he's a little shy. Anyway...) I was fully expecting "Hey, Mom. Happy Birthday. Can I go play the Wii?" But instead, Andrew took the phone and began singing "Happy Birthday" in his precious little 5-year-old voice. By the time he reached, "...dear Mommy..." I was tearing up. It was the most expressive, sincere, and honest birthday wish I have ever received. I wish I could have bottled it up so that I would be able to listen to it over and over again. It was the sweetest thing. What an incredible gift!! One I will treasure always and never, ever forget.
These are the sweetest things; moments that stand out in our hearts and minds for a long, long time. I want to be careful not to move past these too fast.

QT with Sweet C

Taking time to spend with my kids is really important to me. In this season of my life, it's really easy to get caught up in "what's next?" and "are we there yet?" My focus is usually more on what's ahead instead of what's right in front of me. To keep from getting swept into the future, I carve out special "hang out" time with each of my kids right here in the present. We do this as a family (a.k.a "Stark Family Funn Nite!"), but I also do my best to take time with my lil' ones individually. I find that this is when I really get to know them, what's on their mind, and how they perceive the world.

Today I got the opportunity to spend some quality time with my Sweet Caroline. Being the youngest of three, she kinda gets tossed in the chaos and just hangs on for the ride. She's easy going, smart, and so unbelievably funny!

We spent some time swinging, playing tennis, feeding the ducks, hiking, and swinging some more. She is such a precious gift; a surprise to David and me, but a HUGE blessing none the less. I look at her and I cannot imagine life without her. God has big plans for this sweet girl, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.