Sponsor: Sprout Organics and a Giveaway!!!!

.....I do not follow horoscopes, but I am fully aware that my libra sign is a scale.....apparently, we libras strive for balance and harmony and I must admit, that does describe me to a tee........however, I stopped believing in perfect harmony a long time ago......

......for instance, in my household, nothing is ever running perfectly.....when we are excelling in one area, such as a seamless and timely bedtime routine; something else slips, like maintaining a clutter free house......when we are rocking the chore chart and every child is carrying a load of family responsibility, we are late to everything for the week or two we are emptying little trash cans and putting our shoes in their proper places......

......this summer, we are certainly thriving in fun......our days have been busy, but simultaneously carefree......the laid back theme has slipped into my meal planning and we have eaten more junk than I care to admit.....chicken nuggets, boxed mac n cheese, and even the disgusting lunchables have been consumed in the car for a quick bite before we head to another fun outing.....the pizza man delivered our pie for lunch today and greeted me, "hello again!" when I opened the door......yes, when one area thrives, another plunders and it's all okay.....

.....one thing that has eased my conscience is that in between the junk I have been serving for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we have all been snacking on the big box of sprout organic snacks that arrived last week......we have been alternating between the fruit and veggie crips and the yogurt bites and we are devouring them.......

.....even my five year old is fighting over her favorite flavors.....

.....they have been great to throw on the plate while I heat up a frozen boxed waffle for Brody.....it makes me feel ten times better that he has already consumed carrot puree blended into his strawberry bites; as I am pouring aunt jemima's high fructose corn syrup in a bowl for him to dip his waffle......

....at least we are off to the library, the pool and then a play date at the beach....no time for scrambled eggs or sliced fruit......

....but we do have our sprout organic snacks.....

.....all the packaging is BPA free and all of the natural ingredients in their snacks are organic wholesome fruit and veggie combinations with whole grains......

.....Sprout Organic Foods is offering one lucky winner a Sprout Organics Snack Sampler, featuring new toddler snacks- all four flavors of the fruit and veggies chews and yogurt bites......

.....you can enter for your chance to win here until Saturday, July 6th......

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.....good luck.....

......in the meantime, I will be using our sampler snacks as a nutritious supplement until the balance in our home shifts and preparing good, nutritious meals becomes a priority again.....

.....in the meantime, we are off for our summer fun......

#spon: Giveaway is sponsored by Sprout Foods. Products will be shipped direct from the company. Check out the new Sprout Foods website at www.sproutorganicfoods.com.

......#1, #2 and #3 is all of the above......

.....during the initial discussions of me slowly agreeing that maybe it was time to leave the city, I gave Stefan three non negotiables that he quickly agreed to......they became the new criteria of a future home, so to speak; as we had no idea at the time of these discussions whether or not this place even existed.....

.....I distinctly remember the first conversation that got the ball rolling.......it was Halloween afternoon 2010 and Stefan had driven me through a short cut on our way to spend the night at our friends house in New Jersey......I was wrapping up my first trimester of my pregnancy with Brody and my hormones were in full force.....I distinctly remember sobbing in the front seat and wailing that I could not believe Stefan wanted to move into a neighborhood and leave our urban lifestyle........he was laughing at this dramatic production, but also slightly scared at my outburst......it was his laugh when he also shakes his head and the words, what is wrong with you? also make their way to me at the same point I am wondering just the same.......I am not one for surprise emotional episodes, but I also could not believe that he would dare present another lifestyle to me in the current state that I was in.....

.....there were beautiful wrap around porches donned with bright orange pumpkins, cotton spider webs weaved perfectly in the corners of outdoor nooks, cornucopias perched outside for display and fall foliage beaming their grand finale as the peak of the season was passing by......

.....how dare he suggest that we live in a place so beautiful!.....

.....a few conversations post the traumatic Halloween 2010 drive, we settled on these three criteria if we were going to leave Manhattan.....

1. Stefan's commute must be under an hour

2. Our new hometown would have to have a beach

3. I would not budge on #1 or #2

......we did not end up in New Jersey like we originally suspected we would.....we ended up exactly where we are supposed to be......

.....fast forward 2.5 years and if I would have seen this picture on that Halloween Day I probably would have cried even harder......we are so happy in our little beach town....the summer, the beaches, the friends have all been enjoyable this first summer out of NYC......the perks of also being invited on boat adventures when we can view our new town from a different perspective has us falling harder for this place we now call home......

.....pack 7 little people in the bow of a boat, turn the music up, crack open a polar seltzer water with a splash of lime (or cold beers for every other adult on board) and call it a day......

.....life doesn't get much better.....

.....some of the small things we are savoring this June......

.....good friends making trips to spend quality time together.....

.....time with the babies in tow......

.....and time without the babies in tow.....

....delicious food, better conversation, a decadent dessert and a full and happy heart.....Stephanie brings out the best in me and I am a better momma, friend, and wife with her inspirational and positive influence in my life.....period.

.....ice cream for lunch.....

.....why not?......really?.....for dinner this evening I served chicken nuggets and black beans out of a can without any guilt that there wasn't a vegetable making a debut on the paper plate......the beans were organic, after all......besides, it's summer......

.....dudes, dudes and more dudes.....

.....Brody is at the age that he is forming his own opinions....he definitely likes having other boys around to change things up from our estrogen heavy house.....after a spontaneous play date at the park, we decided to extend our time together over lunch......we split the babes up for the ride.....girls in one suburban and boys in the other.....I drove the boy bus and snapped this to capture his sheer enthusiasm for some much needed boy time.....

.....man at work.....

.....I had never heard of a rope saw until this past weekend when Stefan borrowed one from his fireman friend.....after giving him two adirondack chairs for Father's Day, he has been determined to clear his view so he can bask in relaxation during the last hours of these summer days......he wanted a full view of his CT sunset, so that's what he got......

....wallah....

.....we will have many good talks side by side watching the sunset this summer.....

....baby joy.....

.....growing and growing and growing.....

.....in size, excitement and love.....

.....this time next summer, the one who has been missing will be here......

.....and our family will be complete.....

....swinging by tomorrow to introduce a new sponsor......stay tuned.......

....beach bums.....

.....now that the monsoons and tropical storm from the last few weeks have passed us, we are ready for the rest of our summer to look something like this......

.....Stefan was gone over this Father's Day weekend and although he was missed, it certainly helped that in a split, spontaneous decision; I could load the kids, a few buckets, my beloved quilt , some sun screen and declare that the rest of the afternoon would be spent catching crabs and dancing in the break of waves......

.....living with access to beach again has awakened every single Florida girl sense within me that had gone dormant during my Texas and NYC pitstops......it has me craving its beauty every morning when I rise......so if it is slated to be a gorgeous day, I will find time to put our feet in the sand.....

....and my little tribe concurs......

.....today marked the third consecutive day we have paraded the shore and I know that these summer jaunts are branding within them memories that are similar, yet very different from the ones that I have as a young girl......

.....the beaches here are rugged and sharp, unlike the smooth Florida beaches I know......the water here is colder and the sea critters are more profound in CT.....less fish nipping at your ankles, but many more species of crabs to try and catch (and release) here......

.....neither beach is better over the other, just different......

......both beaches offer the soothing sound of the crashing waves and the tranquility that can only be felt  by watching the ocean and its grand presence......

....and I know that baby #4 will have many summer days in its future spent in this space that we love.....

....this space that is home.....

.....the salty air has a way of taking it all out of a child, leaving them exhausted and ready for more the next day.....

.....and energizing me through the reminder that it is summer......late nights and lazy days for all of us.....

.....I made it out one night for a trip into the city to say goodbye to another friend heading to the burbs.....

.....I am always revived by time out with friends, especially in the midst of single parenting while Stefan travels for work.....it balances me, keeps me in check and emotionally charges me for another day of the highs and lows of parenting.......thank goodness for good college girls home for the summer, ready to make money and play with my babies......its a win win for all of us.......

.....Stefan finally made it home last night too, with just enough time for a late Father's Day dinner and dessert that the girls had been planning all week......

.....they made a replica of the Daddy they love, with blue M&M glimmering eyes and swedish fish for his big, warm smile.....

....it was the perfect way to end our sandy weekend before we did it all again at the beach today......

.....funk free.....

.....our summer has been official for 18 days and honestly, I am just now winding down and enjoying it.....

.....maybe it has been my hormones or the lack of good sleep I've had lately; but honestly until the other day at the beach, I could not kick my anxiety......I have been rushed and impatient, even though we haven't had much of a schedule.....I haven't been able to focus on one thing for long and I also haven't been able to complete any projects that I start.......since the beginning of our easy, breezy summer I have been a mess and I can't seem to put my finger on the whys of any of it.....

.....like all good funks, on top of the actual funk; I have been very unhappy knowing that I'm wasting good days of summer fretting on why I can't seem to enjoy them.....and the snowball effect begins......

.....until this moment......

....with one exhale, while watching my girls play together; my prayers were answered......their adoration and sweetness for one another somehow melted away this burden that has been weighing me down.....the sun was hot, Brody was happily playing with his bucket and shovel next to me on our blanket, my belly bulged with baby joy and the girls had chosen this moment to love one another without hesitation......it was a surreal experience where the whirlwind of anxiety actually spiraled away and I could physically feel a wave of peace come over me.....

....I have not been able to pinpoint the root cause of what had put me in a funk and it doesn't matter at this point......there is no life changing event happening behind the scenes......no career crisis, no health implications, no major decision looming that has been weighing us down.......compared to a year ago, our life is stable and clear......we have much to be thankful for and the blessings that we have been given overflow......but, like many of you, I go through life coming in and out of different seasons and sometimes I can reflect very clearly on the emotions of them and sometimes, as in this case, I don't have an answer.....

.....so for this season, we will just blame it all on hormones......

....two and half weeks ago and pre undiagnosed funk, we celebrated Elsie leaving nursery school to begin her final summer before the real deal of Kindergarten is before us this August......

.....she shined at her ceremony and adored the celebration and the attention.....

.....and I adored not only all the ways in which my first born has grown this year, but the opportunity for a family photo which doesn't happen often enough.....

.....but we had extra loved ones to celebrate with us, as my Mom and her husband popped in for the week to join the party and check out our new suburban digs......

.....we explored, we ventured out in a lot of rain, we shopped, we ate, we laughed and we lounged.....

.....and Coleman, who the kids call Poohpop was the biggest sport of all.....Elsie busted out her face paints; the ones she paid $13 for at the grocery store.....she eye balled them for months until she had done enough chores to earn the one and only thing she has wanted to buy since September.....I tried to talk her out of it, but this is what she wanted and she was thrilled to spend her own money on them......

....and we still think the girls' final masterpiece is pretty funny.....

.....summer is in full swing......

.....we are ready for road trips to the city, friends in and out of our home, outdoor fun, late nights when the sun still shines, beach days, summer reading and ice cream every day......

.....and thanks to these little angels who unknowingly helped their momma see the light, I can enjoy it funk free......