A new counter top adds charm and brings back memories...

It's raining, yet again. My children are playing Roblox and I'm watching, Father Knows Best, on my little on-air tube TV. Recently, we removed a half wall that stood behind my sink and put in a new white counter top with chairs, to open up my small kitchen and connect the kitchen and family room.

The white Formica reminds me of a 1980's hotel room, but I must say, it was hard to match a neutral color to existing pepto-bismol pink tiles... And eventually, I plan to paint the cabinets white and swap out the pink tiles for white ones.

These two rooms are the smallest two rooms in my home, but yet, where we spend all of our time. I'm usually tinkering in the kitchen, making something, my husband is on the couch (which would be behind this photo), and my children are sitting at this counter coloring or crafting... 

Being in this home for 9 years, I've realized that the four of us are definitely candidates to live in one of those tiny houses, because even at 1600 sq/ft, my home is too big...

And I love that we're always on top of each other... Because that way, our home is never filled with silence. Whether it's conversation, a television, a blender, or a brother and sister yelling at each other... Either way, these two rooms hold more love and memories than any other room in my home. And years from now, I can't imagine the emptiness I'll feel, when I stand at the other end of that sink, and look over, and see only my aging husband on the couch, without two children draped over him. Without hearing them talk louder than the television and eagerly try to get their words in before the other. Or, when I look to my right and imagine the red swing that used to hang from the doorway beam. Or, how many nights we made muffins and chocolate chip cookies, and danced in our pajamas to 1980's songs in the kitchen...

Smaller homes bring a wonderful togetherness, that seems to get lost in bigger homes (I mean that literally too - you can't have two people in my kitchen without having to hug the other person, in order to walk around them). And, I love how much more interaction this small little counter has already added to our days. 

...Also, once we removed the wall, we noticed the back of our faucet is peeled, so now we totally need a new one of those...

Hashtag: there's always something...

Making the most out of awful weather...

It has either been 90 degrees with 90% humidity or pouring rain with severe thunderstorms this whole summer. In turn, summer's been a bust thus far. Our dreams of afternoon trips to the farm, or playground extravaganzas, or even bike riding are canceled out in fear of heat exhaustion or getting caught under the darkened clouds looming low in the sky. 

But today, after an early thunderstorm (and tornado warnings in surrounding counties), we had a chance to get outside in the pool. The temperatures were only 78 degrees, with of course 80% humidity, but that didn't phase us, as the breeze felt wonderful under our shaded tree.

I sat on my green high back chair on my patio, drinking my coffee in my pajamas, as my children laughed and splashed in the pool. I heard Marco Polo being played, whirlpools being created to trick a sea monster, and seeing who could win races back and forth...

This is what I imagined summer would be. Hearing my aging children play outside in our little oasis that was created solely for them. To breath the fresh air, instead of central air, and feel the sun against our skin. But instead, lately, we're caught in a groove of watching Netflix, YouTube, and playing Roblox. Of course, only after we're bored from crafting, coloring, and board game playing. And, after they've played on their own with Batman and pretend school. 

There seems to be too many hours in the day and not enough good weather to enjoy each moment. We're outdoorsy people and feel the confinement of being indoors almost instantly. So, we try to run between the rain drops and get outside, even if it's to swim in the pool for a few minutes, or climb their rope swing and rope latter for a few more minutes after that. 

This awful weather seems to be the pattern we're stuck in and it's looking like it'll continue well into next month as well. So we're going to keep making the most out of our days and hope for the sunshine to last a little longer than an hour. And, if we cross our fingers tight enough, we might even get an early evening patio fire in. Where we can have dinner and a snack of smores on our thick blanket among the dry air... 

Maybe. Just maybe... We'll salvage some of this summer, before our end of the season beach trip in just three weeks and school begins almost immediately after that.

All of the sudden, I have a tween in my home...

All of the sudden, out of nowhere, I feel like I have a tweener in my home... In just a few short months, my days went from having my daughter underfoot, to her silently off in her room watching YouTube videos or reading.

She's entered this new stage where she absolutely fur-reaks out over new songs being posted by her favorite YouTube artists and new Vlogs being uploaded. Or, even when she walks into Claires and new products are being introduced. And all of the sudden, she's reading Teen Beat magazines to find out about her favorite stars and is trying to emulate their style.

She loves to paint her nails, brush her hair while singing in front of the mirror, and wear colorful clothes with matching accessories. 

Her newest obsession is JoJo Siwa and I have to admit, she's pretty rad. My daughter has her poster hung above her dresser and her bows dangling from a belt hung on her wall. And, she shrieks at the sight of her guest appearing on her favorite Nick shows.

And she's loving Sophia Grace and I hear her songs on repeat all day...

But I remember this age far too clearly. I remember having 90210 and New Kids on the Block posters and accessories in my room. And being so excited for NKOTB's new songs to be released on newly designed CDs. And then, jamming out to all the songs on the highest volume in my bedroom, with the infamous hairbrush microphone.

I remember walking the mall with friends and shopping at Claires, Spencers, and Maurices. And giggling, like the stereotypical phrase, teenage girls...

I remember this golden age of being young, but secretly wanting to be older. To not yet know who I was, but walking the fine line of trying to figure it all out...

As my daughter is quickly approaching 7 years old, I find myself reminiscing her earlier years. I scroll through old photos of the first time I held her and all her firsts from there. I remember funny stories and moments that still make me laugh today. And I remember moments that make me want to relieve every second all over again.

But as time passes, and I see this new girl emerge, it makes letting go of the past easier. I become excited to see who she is and who she'll become. Because right now, she's loving getting older. She's loving the freedom and this new world that is opening up in front of her...

And, as I watch her transition to this new "tween" stage, I know I'll keep falling further from her spotlight. And, as much as I'll miss being the source of her everything, I know it's all OK. I know great things are happening. And now, I get to see her begin her adventure of finding herself, away from mommy's hip. One where she'll be texting friends, having sleep overs, posting YouTube videos, and staying on the phone late night, gossiping to friends...

And simply, growing up...

Change is never a good thing for me, but I am excited to see all the change that awaits for this special girl over these next few years. And as much as I miss her being so little and being the center of her world, I know she'll never be too old to snuggle and never stop needing me. And, even though her needs will be different, I'll always be the keeper of the place that she comes back to.

And that makes it so much easier to watch her become who she was meant to be... And knowing I get to watch it all unfold and be there to guide her every step she needs, makes it all incredibly worth it.

An amusement park tradition, nestled among the trees...

Another year of camping is in the books... Meaning, another year of memories that will soon be filed away like all the rest... It always amazes me how quickly this life moves. How, one minute you're a child enjoying the marvels of life and the next, you're watching your own children do the same.

We started going to this amusement park in the summer of 1989, when I was only a few months older than my daughter is now. This little amusement park holds onto the traditional family values and still hasn't sold out to the big corporate world. The park is free to park and to enter and you could either pay as you ride, or buy an all day pass. But even if you pay as you ride, the kiddie rides average $1.00 and the roller coasters are only $3.00. 

The rides remain nostalgic with their antique cars, pedal cars, carousel, and famous wooden roller coasters that were bought from closed parks and reassembled here.

This park will forever have my heart as it remains a destination of fun and adventure that you can attend with a big family, multiple times a season, and not go into debt.

As a child, I remember running from our car and my brother and I rattling off all the rides we wanted to go on. Which ones we would start with and how many times we would ride each. I'll always remember the smell of cotton candy, the sounds of bells ringing, the children laughing, and the wonderful lights glistening in the night.

I could remember riding the tea cups until my head spun. Or riding the carousel with my family to see who could obtain the most rings. Or riding the log ride and seeing who could get wet the most by trying to shift our weight. 

When I was younger, I was always scared of roller coasters. So my mom and brother rode them together, while my dad and I stuck to the kiddie coaster. I was grateful that my dad shoved himself into those small seats, so I could feel like a big deal too, by riding my own version of the "coaster."

And when I was a teenager, I finally rode my first ever roller coaster here...

Fast forward 25+ years later, and I'm lucky enough to relieve the experiences through my children. As soon as I arrive, I'm immediately transported back to my kid days. I feel the eagerness to go from ride to ride and eat greasy food and laugh until my belly hurts.

I was the one in the splash pool, on my belly, playing around with my children, as the other adults played on their phones and barely watched their kids. I was the one who swam around in the big pool, racing my children from side to side. I was the one who squeezed into the smaller rides and held my hands up in the air with my children and shrieked around turns. And I was the rare adult, who walked up the Helter Skelter slide so many times, breathing became difficult.

Our camping adventures only begun last year, but it totally added to the experience. There's nothing like waking up, jumping in the pool, hanging around the picnic table, then walking back to the cabin, through a dark, closed park at night.

My husband and I started taking my daughter here when she was 20 months old and I was 6 months pregnant with my son. She was a daredevil at a young age and it only grew from there. But sadly, as she is approaching 7 years old, she has taken a back seat to rides. She now stays more on the kiddie rides and leaves the bigger rides to her little brother. And due to the new safety standards in our state, they lowered the max height of the kiddie rides and starting next year, she won't be able to ride some of her most prized rides anymore. 

...Sadly, she'll be stuck in that "in-between" phase, where she's too big for kiddie rides, but too scared to ride the bigger rides. And it breaks my heart, because I remember that phase too.

But the good part is, she likes to try new things. And this year, she wanted to try the log ride... And I explained, up and down, how it's a big ride and has big hills and we even watched it several times, but she assured me, she could do it. So my daughter, my mom, and myself loaded into the log and set sailed for this new adventure... After the first little drop, my daughter started to panic. So I hugged her tightly and we laughed and told stories, trying to distract her. It worked until the climb to the biggest hill. And at that point, I think she would have swam out of the boat if she could. We couldn't exit and she started to cry. That is, until I remembered the camera... And if I know my daughter, the girl who aspires to be a future famous vlogger, she couldn't resist a camera... So I told her we'll all smile and flash her famous peace sign, as we drop down the hill -and we'll have it as a great memory and a fun story and you'll never have to ride it again... She immediately perked up and braced herself... And as we dropped, she never flashed the peace sign, but she did smile immensely at the bottom. And she was so proud of herself that she did it and even said, she'll try it again next year... *In the picture, I have more of a look of terror and it completely overshadowed my daughter and we still laugh about that today.

My son's favorite ride last year was the kiddie coaster, but sadly, he didn't like it so much this year. He also developed a love for all rides that go in a circle and spin... I cannot ride them, so my dad braved it out and rode them with him. And if my son could have, he would have rode these types of rides repeatedly until he puked.

And this year was the first year in a loooong time that my husband and I rode coasters together. And after the first one, I thought I was back in the saddle and arrogantly hopped onto the second one (which was faster and longer). And now, I own a photo of me clutching so tightly onto my husband that you can see my muscle outlines, as both of us are laughing hysterically... Needless to say, I only rode it once.

With my children being only 6&4 years old, I'm excited to watch their journey at this park unfold over the following years to come. I'm sure we'll have many more experiences of loving rides, then hating rides, and so on and so forth. But the one constant that will remain is all the memories this vintage park holds for us and so many other families. The many firsts, the laughs, and the love that walked these paths will always fill quiet air around the rides. And if I have one hope for this park, it would be for them to stay true to their ancestor's objective, so when I'm a grandparent, I can watch the next generation of memories unfold all over again...

Our annual library auction...

I could remember those past summer days leading up to our local annual library auction. My daughter and I would sit on the floor of her bedroom and design a plan of how we would get there early and grab the most amount of books under the children's book tent, before everyone else arrived. We even made lists of books she was interested in and yearned for, so her nana and poppy could search efficiently too. 

Our local library auction is in it's 71st year. It began in a little barn that sat on the side of the road and was the biggest event of the summer. Now, it sits in the back parking lot of the library and spills onto the side lot. It has over a dozen of vendors and tents that donate the money back into the library. And of course, the auction itself. This continues to be the biggest group gathering of the summer. Where local community organizations volunteer their time to work the stands and teens who help with the children's games and crafts.  

Before kids, I was never interested in attending the auction. I may have stopped in once or twice over the years, but the mad rush to be the first ones on the grounds, began when my daughter was only 22 months old. When books became her obsession. 

But over the years, the interests in books may have changed, but the image is still the same. We arrive with two overly excited children, 20 minutes before they're officially open. Thankfully, the tent with the used books always allows us to start browsing upon arrival. But within minutes, the small stuffed tent begins to quickly fill with other people, who have the same idea, and the summer heat and humidity fills the remaining spaces. 

We quickly gather our purchased books and my dad walks them back to the car for safe keeping (one of his many trips throughout the evening). Myself, my mom, and my children walk to the other side, where there is a children's tent and a "junk" tent. My children and mom ravage through boxes of old toys, puzzles, games, and more books. Whereas, I saunter over to the junk tent to rummage through other's past treasures. And over the years, I've acquired my own vintage dinnerware by only obtaining mismatched floral dishes with gold trimmed sides. And this year, I found a large platter, a hummel tea set and a 3 tiered plate set for desserts. 

All of my pieces are old, with stories. They may not all be my stories, but they're someone's stories. And throughout the years, someone enjoyed these pieces. I love to imagine what these items have seen or been through. How people sat around a table of some kind, and laughed and celebrated holidays and parties and milestones.

Once our car is loaded up with goodies from the past, after my dad takes his final trip, we wander around for typical greasy fair food. And, we always find a grassy spot to watch the auction unfold.

Before kids, I never realized how important this first week of July would be. I never imagined the library auction would be one of our summer things that had a countdown. But here we are, almost 5 years of religiously attending. And each year, I'm watching the interests and dynamics change. And I know that years from now, this library auction will only be a memory for me. I know I'll eventually walk the grounds myself and singly scavenge through the tents, as I drop my preteen children off on a Friday and Saturday night to hang with their friends.

The memories of my daughter asking to go in and out of all the tents. Or trying on too many pieces of jewelry. Or begging for fresh squeezed lemonade. Or both kids dancing to their own music. Or my son crying on the ground because he was too hungry to walk another step until he ate pizza. Or him getting so excited because he found a storm trooper in one of the boxes. Or simply, the image of stacking countless books by a paper bag and the excitement that was displayed when we took them home. These will all soon be a distant memory, filed away in the back of my brain, stored for a rainy day...

...Just like all the other memories that have accumulated over my years, and the years of all the others who walked through this library auction over the 71 years...

**I published on Sunday, instead of Monday, because my family and I are leaving for our annual camping trip at our local amusement park tomorrow. I will be posting on Instagram, so follow me on there @the_happy_days and the hashtag, thehappydaysvacation.

Thanks! <3