dinner in the yard

We had beautiful weather a couple of weeks ago and decided an impromptu dinner in the backyard was in order.  Patio furniture is definitely on my wish list, but since we are just renting and will have another move in our future, the patio furniture will have to wait because I just don't want to pack one more thing.  We got out our square card table and had just enough camping chairs for everyone because Carter was at a friend's house.  The Mr. & I had been doing yard work for most of the day and didn't feel like cooking so we picked up some pizzas and pop to eat.



It was the perfect time to be outside.  We somehow managed to be mosquito bite free the whole evening, which was lovely because they are out in swarms now.  Gross.  We were listening to all the different types of birds we could hear and gushing over the cute bunny hanging out in our neighbor's yard when a fox made an appearance just a few yards from us and we all turned in just enough time to admire its beauty before it ran back into the woods behind our house.



The kids wanted to soak up every last minute of the evening light with a game of tag.  They played hard and were ready for baths, pajamas and a movie before heading to bed.  It really was the perfect night.



I am craving more of the outdoors lately and want to eat more dinners outside.  But I don't want the mosquitos to eat me for dinner.  Do any of you use something to keep those pesky things away?  Please share!!

strawberry picking

Memorial Day was bright and sunny, which was very welcomed after the rainy weekend.  The Mr. & I thought it would be fun to take the kids strawberry picking at a local farm.   Adam's Acres is a cute farm in Petersburg, Va that offers strawberries this time of year.  They also offer pick-your-own beans, blueberries & tomatoes later in the year.  We picked 6 buckets worth of strawberries.  Once we got them all home, I was overwhelmed with just how many berries there actually were sitting on our kitchen table.  Hailey and I got right to work and canned 5 or 6 batches of jam.  I don't really know..... I stopped counting after batch number 4.  I also threw a bunch of strawberries into freezer bags so we could make yummy things with them throughout the summer.




The Mr. took Carter, Tatum & Noah fishing while we canned.   He is such a good daddy for our kiddos.  The both of us used to be so caught up in things that had to be done and were so stressed out from the day to day things that needed attention that we stopped making fun experiences with our kids. I don't think we were terrible parents, but we definitely could have done better.  I think it is important for families to work together.  Moving to Virginia gave us a fresh start and we try to squeeze in fun family things whenever we get the chance - like strawberry picking.




PS - Have you tried out the new app from A Beautiful Mess?  I used it to pretty up the first photo in this post.  It's so much fun to play with - you should totally check it out!

things I want my kids to know

[photo taken Spring Break 2013]

It's okay to let Tatum give hugs and kisses on the cheek at bedtime (boys, ahem).

Smile at others for it may be the only kind thing someone does for them that day.

Homemade pizza is better than store bought but sometimes your mom is just too worn out on Friday nights to make it from scratch.

When there are globs of toothpaste inside the cap, it's okay to take some initiative and clean it up yourself.

We get to have donuts 2 days in a row in June for birthdays - I call the ones filled with frosting.

lately

It's late Wednesday evening.  The kids are all finally in bed and I'm sneaking in some blog/netflix time before the Mr. gets home from playing basketball with friends.  I cherish this time to myself - to decompress from the craziness of the day.  It's been a long, but very fulfilling couple of weeks here in the Buis home.  Soccer season began for the boys and they are happy to be playing for the same coaches they had in the fall season.  Hailey's violin playing has gone up a notch and she is really turning into quite the player.  Although getting her to practice is not always easy, she seems to enjoy it once her bow hits those strings.  Tatum is the same fiesty girl she always is.  Last week's challenge was spelling words.  Oh how she hates studying spelling words.  It was certainly a sore spot in our home last week.  I am hoping this week will be leaps and bounds better.  Also, it's March Madness time.  The Mr. is like a kid in a candy store this time of year.



We got hit with one final winter storm over the weekend.  I know so many people don't like the snow, but this is our little family's first real winter and I can't get over how beautiful it is.  Everything is quiet and for a moment life seems to stand still.  The kids appreciate every moment of it, building snowmen till their little fingers are freezing.  After a little hot chocolate, they are ready to cozy up under blankets in the living room to watch a movie.  Willy Wonka is their movie of choice as of late.



I've been so overwhelmed by the day to day that I haven't been up to blogging.  Sometimes it is good to take a break to clear my head.  But my mind never stops going and I have a long list of things to chat with you all about very soon.  And of course there are craft tutorials & more sunday style posts squished onto the list too.  In fact, I've declared the entire day tomorrow as a craft day.  I plan to leave the dishes in the sink & laundry in piles.  I'm craving crafting.  Spring is all about new beginnings and fresh ideas.  I have a feeling this spring is going to be amazing.  More like, I need it to be amazing.  I am going to make it amazing.   Period.  The end.  (That's what I say when I really mean what I say.)

spring

Yesterday's rainstorm ushered in warmer weather.  Flowers are popping up all over the yard.  I am looking forward to the newness of the season.  Everything is fresh and I'm approaching life with more focus.

I'm getting the itch to deep clean our little brick rental home.  Baseboards need wiped, window screens need replaced and bathroom floors need scrubbed by hand.  I have lots of ideas for decorating the kid's rooms this season too.  Sometimes it takes a simple change in the weather to make things exciting.

What plans do you have for Spring?