Love is the music ...

Image Source: Etsy

Life is a song. Love is the music.
~Author Unknown

1. Kade, Kaleb, Lauren and Tory

2. My daughter singing at the top of her voice ... "I love you Mom"

3. Magazines (latest find: Domino: The Guide to Living with Style)

4. Sappy love stories, movies, letters - I'm a hopeless romantic.

5. Prayers (said out loud)

6. Antique shops (especially ones with old hats)

7. Writing and reading ... Books add so much flavor to life!

8. Inspirational books (A few favorites: The Power of Positive Thinking, It's Never Too Late, Tuesdays with Morrie and Life's Little Instruction Book)

9. Singing - "la la la la live for today!"

10. Finding an old piece of furniture and giving it a new style (I love to restore and restyle stuff)

What makes you happy?!

2,500 miles (oh what a journey) -

The summer is coming to a close and I feel the need to do a little summer reflecting (right here on the blog!) It’s been one of the best summers we’ve had as a family. We learned a lot together and conquered many fears in order to chase down some dreams! Below are a few of the things we did and learned as we enjoyed the ‘summer miles’!

Road Trips:
We learned that 2,500 miles in the car during one month is a lot! We saw a great deal, met many wonderful people and learned new information about dinosaurs, Lewis & Clark, and the power of the wind and rain by the ocean. We experienced the beauty of nature, the importance of family and we gained a greater appreciation for home and our nice, comfy beds! As part of the travel journeys we took along a map of the United States and hunted for license plates for all 50 states. Each time we found one – we placed a sticker on the state. It was a great activity and we bumped into almost all the states and their license plates!

Wiggling like a fish:
Tory (my husband) recorded his first CD for kids this summer. The release date is September 1st. As a family, we spent time helping at his shows, wiggling like a fish and meeting the people. One very memorable event occurred at the Children’s Hospital in Boise, Idaho. I don’t think any of us will forget how special it was to be in the children’s playroom with the nurses, parents and children and sing songs about fishes that wiggle, chasing the grumpies away and how much we love ice cream. We gained a greater appreciation for our health and for good Doctors and nurses that care. Our prayers that night included thanks for so many things and a sincere plea for sick children to be miraculously healed …

Stepping into the unknown:
Have you ever let fear keep you from doing something you wanted to try/do? I think all of us have. As a family this was part of our summer – conquering the fears! Whether it was learning to swim, preparing for a TV interview, playing in front of a big crowd, sharing a talent with complete strangers or just asking for help – all of us in one way or another took it on! And we’re glad we did.

Cheers to summer and all the wonderful things we saw, learned and did.

On this day ...

My husband and I have been married 14 years today. And I couldn't help but remember the song he sang for me at our wedding reception - he stepped out of the line and asked our guests to give him a few moments to sing me a song (This was a surprise to me) and a very sweet memory I'll never forget.

He sang: "I love the way you love me" a John Michael Montgomery song.
Below are some of the lyrics:

And I could list a million things
I love to like about you
But they all come down to one reason
I could never live without you.

PS: May 22nd is a beautiful, special day in my life ...
It's the day my entire life changed.

Let the love, adventure, and music continue!!! :)