Don't hate me...

...because I'm beautiful.

I just have a very talented stylist...

who also happens to be my daughter. This "no make up/multiple-hair accessory look" is her specialty. Here's a clip of her in action:

Untitled from Sarah Nosek on Vimeo.

She also does hairstyles for men, on request. (Wow, will I have fun showing this picture to Evan's future girlfriend.)

Then it was Caroline's turn to be "styled".
It was some good Saturday night fun with my stylish little girl!

A boy and his dog

When Henry got home after a week of scout camp late tonight, he ran in the door to reunite with his favorite dog.

A boy and his dog...it's a bond that is really neat to see.

Moxie was wagging her tail, kissing him everywhere, offering him her tummy to scratch, and just generally turning inside out with happiness.

And when Henry came back after putting something away in the laundry room, the joyous affections started all over again.

Henry was beaming!
Welcome home, Henry! We've all missed you!

Just had to add this to this post. My uncle just sent it to me. I thought it was so sweet!

Striving to make Sense of my Summer "Scatteredness"

Focus. That is what I need. I'm not sure how to get it, but I could really use some right now.

Summer is fabulous. There are so many fun things to do, people to visit, activities for the kids. On the flip side, there are also many "not so fun" things to do, like, say...laundry, clutter, paperwork, etc. Because we are so often "on the go", the second set of things is not getting done. And what is sad is that even when we're not "on the go", I'm not focused or motivated or energetic enough to get things done. I try to multitask, but what I wind up doing is getting a whole bunch of things partially done.

Oh well. Someday.

You know what, though? I'm not going to feel bad tonight about what's not done. Look at what we did accomplish...

A yummy batch of brownies made with the help of a very handsome assistant!

Lots of football practices in the back yard!


Three two-hour practices with Seth's team!
A fabulously fun day at Cantigny with dear friends! (My friend just sent these pics to me...love them!)



Two sleepovers and a wonderful visit with my sister and her four kids,
including a talent show,
a showcase of a new bike-ridng ability,


catching many fireflies,
a few mean games of SEQUENCE (my new favorite game), and LOTS O' LAUGHS!

Seriously? 'Tis the season to be a little scattered. Life is good. :)

Boy Scout Camp, Cantigny and First Football Practice!

Bright and early on Sunday morning, Henry left for Boy Scout Camp with one of his best friends, Alex. He gets to spend a week at camp with his friends. They'll be working on merit badges amongst other camp fun. The ones Henry is working on is swimming (surprise, surprise!), waterskiing, wood carving and leatherwork. This is Henry's first time to be at a camp without Dave or me, and although I was anxious about it, he was not. I don't think he'll be homesick at all! :)

Yesterday my friend Kathy and I took our kids to Cantigny, which is a public park full of beautiful gardens, tanks for the kids to climb on, and a water fountain play area. (My parents would take my siblings and me to this same park when we were kids.) Our monkies thoroughly enjoyed climbing on the tanks!




Then we went to the water fountain play area, which was so fun and helped to cool the kids down a little.





Unfortunately, at the end of our outing, my friend's two year old slipped and hit his head on the concrete. (He's the one trying to catch up to the kids' train in the above picture.) When he started showing symptoms of a concussion (vomiting and falling asleep), they went straight from the park to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a severe concussion, and did not regain consciousness until 7:00 PM! We are so thankful that, aside from a headache and tiredness from not sleeping well last night, he is going to be OK.

Seth went to football practice for the first time last night! He's second from the right in this picture. I think that I am going to dress him in bright orange tonight so I can tell which one he is!

Seth loved it, and he can't wait for practice tonight! They practice for two hours three times a week, so he will be one tired boy, I think!

My sister, Lisa, and her kids are in town for a couple of days. I can't wait to hang out with them more tonight!!

Smoky Mountains Reunion, Part 9: Pool Memories

When I was a kid, my mom and aunt would arrange for their families to meet up for mini weekend vacations. The destination ranged from the Howard Johnson to the Radisson in Chicago to the Wagon Wheel in Rockton, and we got together pretty often because we all had so much fun together. A top priority was that where ever we were, there had to be a pool, where my sisters, brother, and cousins could play, and the adults could relax. I have so many happy memories of our mini-vacations!

Well, guess what? The resort that we stayed at in Tennessee...
had places for adults to relax...
enjoy breathtaking scenery,

relax and play cards poolside,





and a POOL that siblings and cousins thoroughly enjoyed. :)


Here Henry and Callie could plan their attacks...


against my poor husband/Dad/Uncle Dave,
My brother-in-law, Jim, was targeted as well!


It was cousin against cousin too, with Will and Evan dueling their magic wands.



Such fun times by the pool with those Wilcoxs and Ortons! I think that our children will have the same kind of happy memories from these vacations that I have from my childhood vacations, and I am grateful for that! :)