a new summer tradition

if one thing's for sure, it's that i thrive on tradition and familiarity. there is comfort in the joys each season brings and in checking these things off my list. when my girls look back on their childhood, i want them to remember the events that made up the soundtrack to each season.  just a few on our summer playlist include: backyard camp-outs, fishing, homemade freezer popsicles, ball games, growing vegetables, and TIE-DYING!

i suppose i associate tie-dying as a summer activity because the first time i ever tie-dyed was at girl scout camp in first grade and the last time i tie-dyed was with my best girlfriends the summer before i headed off to college.  we made pillowcases so we'd be the last things on each other's minds before we laid our heads to rest (or maybe it was just cheaper to do pillowcases, haha, the details escape me now). either way, these memories are etched in my brain, and that has got to count for something.

haley really enjoyed the whole process and became quite good at it, while cameron was just content to sit around and mix the bowls of dye for us.  and that's okay too.... maybe next year! we spent at least 3 hours in the summer heat banding and dipping and ringing out and speed-drying things on the hot black pavement.  we learned that blue and yellow make green, and that wal-mart needs to restock their red dye to this can double as an educational project too.

our big project was a tie-dyed a-frame tent for our little friend Ryder who has his 2nd birthday party this Sunday.  i think the results are every little hippie boys dream. for the girls, we made shirts to wear to daddy's ball game that night, capes, blankets, and even a pretty dress out of one of my old tank tops. i`ll be sure to share our results with yall later.

by the end of it all, each bowl of water seemed to have turned a murky greenish-blueish-grey color and my cuticles were rubbed raw from rubber-banding so many different things.    i think my fingernails are stained a permanent shade of green, but my heart.... it must be tie-dyed.  i had myself a ball!

lookin' out my back door...

today wasn't too shabby for a thursday... we checked most everything off our checklist and have the bug bites and blueberry remains on our clothes to prove it! and even with all that we accomplished, it really feels like we did a whole bunch of nothing and that's probably the best part about it all if ya ask me. woolwine definitely has a different pace to it than the rest of the world... the days are slow, the moments are easy, and it's just a good place to catch your breath and rest your soul awhile.  oh, and enjoy a meal on the grill with watermelon for dessert... mema haden is just that good to us!

we spent a good chunk of our day down the river- my favorite spot of all. it provides the perfect amount of solitude and a little bit of action if you're up for it! this time, swimming and fishing were mandatory events for my girl haley, queen of the smith river. nick and i tallied 3 fish each and our gal caught one too!  i gotta hand it to her, she caught the only trout in the bunch and the biggest fish of all.  and little did i know that she would shed her princess clothing for the afternoon and try and bait a hook herself or touch the fish we caught with her bare hands!  that girl, she's a brave one!  and she just may have a little bit of her mama in her... finding so much peace and happiness down by the river.

on a different note,
i know no better river music than creedence clearwater revival.
it seems to bring out out the old soul in me...

poor cameron, she didn't get to join us on our big excursion. the heat had her tuckered out quite quickly and she napped in the comfort of the a/c. she did have great timing though... waking herself up just in time for juicy watermelon and kissing mommy and daddy goodbye!

tomorrow, i get the day all to myself... but sadly, have to spend it editing pictures and doing house chores. maybe i`ll take a cue from haley and do it in my underwear... cause lord it is hot and this heat is no. friend. of. mine!



wishing you all a happy friday!
<3

sprinkles

happy first day of june, loves!

isn't it a wonder how a change in season and a brand new month seem to grant a fresh start, whether you deserve it or not? life can be sweet and forgiving like that, so i`m running with it and marking today as our official unofficial first day of summer. when you have a blog you neglect for two weeks, you're still allowed to do that right?

whatever, it's good to be back!
i`ve missed you all.







we broke in the season by slip-sliddin' around and cleanin' our clocks a good time or two! ...but still getting right back up to do it all over again. okay, so that was the story for nick and haley atleast... heat makes people do funny things, that's for sure.  cameron sat safely on the sidelines with her curdling milk and sunchips while i saved the whole town from nightmares by keeping out of my swimsuit. a good time was had by all and tomorrow makes day two of our official unofficial summer kick off!

on the agenda:
sleeping in (something i always looked forward to as a kid when summer rolled around)
fishing and romping around the river
lots of hugging and kissing... in between the fish and worm guts!

blueberry picking and subsequent blueberry eating (mmmm!)
grilling steaks and outdoor dining

catching lightning bugs and callin' it a night

hey summer...

ready, set..... go!!!