me, too.

since i am most often the person behind the camera it is a rare joy when i am actually spotted in pictures with my boys. that's why i was beyond extatic when i came across these candid photos todd shot unbeknownst to me. they truly capture my relationships with my sons (i hope we can snag some similar shots of mylo & i). i love & adore those little men. they are the essence of my happiness.

modern muscle

want to know a little secret? i love muscle cars. a lot. i used to dream of owning a '67 camaro. i would paint in black with metallic maroon racing stripes. but my parents were to practical to go for that. they were afraid of my breaking down on some country road & being stranded helpless & hoho-less (i was a bit obsessed with the famous hostess dessert, still am). now i couldn't be happier that america's car makers are bringing back a bit of muscle. (props to chevy, ford, & dodge.) i now dream of owning a '13 dodge challenger in tungsten grey with white racing stripes. but now my husband is too practical. he says some nonsense about carseats & kids not fitting. it's all silliness if you ask me. of course the kids would gladly give up t.v.'s & comfort to cruise in this ride, right? i would. maybe one day my dreams will come true. can't you just imagine me behind the wheel of my dream, windows down & gnr streaming from my speakers.

instagram

do you instagram? or are you one of the very few people who still haven't realized the amazement behind this app? it's a phone app that allows you to take, edit, & share photos. and did i mention that it's pretty awesome? if you haven't discovered instagram, here is your chance. just click on this link & download. you can thank me later. for those of you who like to keep up with my family instagram is probably the best way. i take a lot of pictures that only show up on my instagram & never make it to my blog or facebook. i reserve my instagram for my most favorite & closest friends & family. so if you want to get a real good look at what's going on in the world of the watkins you can follow my instagram, swatkins84, to keep up.

paper city obsession.

we have a new obsession around these parts.  made by joel.  this man is incredibly creative. and his modern designs are to die for.  his creations are right in line with my tastes & cooper's imagination.  i just about fell out of my bed when i came across his paper city.  is there anything more fantastic?  and cooper is loves tall buildings, especially the eiffel tower.  the travel size is perfect for restaurants & church. and did i mention that you can print them for free?  score!  so this is what our rainy day play looks like for this crummy weather.  we just have to keep them out of the hands of mr. t.  he isn't quite at the age to handle with care.  p.s. today we will be making tin can telephones inspired by joel.

muchos gracias.

it's been quite a while since i've posted a favorite things list.  and with the approach of the holiday season my mind has been heavy with gratitude.  my life isn't perfect.  no one's is.  but i wouldn't trade my ups & downs, strifes & celebrations, trials & tribulations for anyone's.  the Lord knew what he was doing when he gave me this life.  so here are a few things i've been especially grateful for lately.

1.  my God.  do you know Him?  He rocks!  i owe Him every thing.  i am so grateful for a Heavenly Father that knows me.  i am grateful for His love & mercy.  i'm grateful for this life He has given me & His plan for my existence.
2.  my family.  i say this every year.  and they are still #2 in my book.  my little men make my entire being sweet.
3.  america the great.  don't get me wrong.  there are other fantastic countries out there, that i would love to visit.  but when it comes to a permanent residence, i'm so grateful to have this as my home.
4.  baking.  i know your wondering why i'm grateful for something that involves physical labor.  but i love baking.  and i love eating baked goods.  so it's a win/win.  if only the Lord would bless me with a husband that enjoys eating sweets.
5.  phineas & ferb.  this just may be my favorite cartoon since dexter's labratory.  it is pure awesomeness.
6.  anthropologie dresses.  i enjoy most everything about anth but i truly have an obsession with their sensibly stylish dresses.
7.  pizza.  i love me some pizza.  lately, i just can't get enough of that dough, cheese, & pepperoni combination.  my favorite pizza spots?  melo's, amici's, & tomatinos.  yum.
8.  dr. pepper.  this is an absolute essential in my life.  i cannot/will not live in a world that doesn't include d.p.
9.  mail.  i adore mail.  nothing brightens my day like getting a little note or a package delivered from my friendly postman.
10.  mario kart.  love playing this game with my little man during the baby's naps.
11.  safeway cartoon shopping carts.  i try to restrict the amount of t.v. my children are exposed to.  but when it comes to grocery shopping with the least amount of fuss i am all for turning on mickey mouse clubhouse to save my sanity & the sanity of all those in the store.
12.  sisters.  ok, this really should be higher on the list.  but i'm not re-numbering all the bullet points.  i adore my sisters.  they are my best friends.  they inspire me, teach me, hold my hand when i'm down, & make me laugh to no end.  they are amazing.  i don't know who i would be without their influence
13.  apple.  i am addicted to their products.  they are the best.  hands down.
14.  costco.  i love a store that i can get all our household essentials, & then some, all while my children gladly sit in the cart waiting for the next free bite size snack.
15.  classic cars.  you may wonder why i am grateful for something that i don't even own.  well, i will...one day.  when i'm all grown up i will have a '69 chevy camaro.  it will be metallic maroon with black racing stripes.  and i will love it.
16.  music.  i love me some good tunes.  we constantly have some form of music seeping out of our speakers.
17.  modern medicane.  seriously.  where would i be without this one?
18.  chocolate.  what list of blessings is complete without mentioning the single greatest invention ever?  i prefer my chocolate in the form of milkshakes, frozen hoho's, hershey bars with almonds, peanut m&m's, & of course, cake & frosting.

stickman.

 have you tried stickman?

it is incredibly entertaining.  especially for the wee ones.  coop & i love it.

delightfully droid.

don't you just love phones these days.  they truly are impressive.  my first phone (back in 2000) was cool because it had tetris.  (yea, tetris.  do people even play that game anymore?)  then, i was absolutely amazed when i got a phone with a color screen in 2003, and a camera phone in 2004.  wow, things really have changed in just the past 10 years.  now, i am in love with the selection of apps available.  it's hard to imagine my life prior to these addition of these useful gadgets at 4g speeds.  my personal favorites are:

word feud: i dare say that i'm addicted to this game.  i constantly have at least 2 feuds running with my parents.

 b of a: banking by phone?  yes, please!

gospel library:  now, i can read scriptures while on the go.

google maps:  i tend to get lost a lot.  this gadget keeps me right where i want to be.

pandora:  i love music.  right now i'm rockin' out to some aerosmith, thanks to this awesome app.

runkeeper: i would never track my workouts without this nifty tool.

talking gina:  i love this little gal.  she is fun for the whole fam!  she makes the boys (& me) laugh when we are out & about & i need to buy some time.  & i have fun playing her patty-cake game.  

facebook:  i rarely have time to keep up with fb via computer.  this app allows to me to stay social wherever i am.

p.s. i took this phone via my evo while we were in the city on monday.  i am still in awe of the amazing photo quality phones produce these days.  i really have no need to carry a camera.

i. heart. summer.

 summer is probably my favorite thing ever.  i get excited just thinking about it.  i'm still so bummed that this summer came so late.  we've only been swimming a handful of times & it's already july!  i wish summer could last longer.  this is precisely why i need to move to arizona. i want to be warm/hot at least 8 months out of the year.  and to me anything less than 60 degrees is just plain cold.  i have a lot more energy during the summer & all i want is to be outside.  and our summers are a lot of fun.  we are constantly going. and going.  we do something fun every. single. day.  to me summer includes so many things that i love.  and i want to enjoy my summers to the fullest!

my favorite things about summer...

...warmth/heat 

...sunshine

...swimming

...sundresses

...days at the beach

...my hair is so blonde & my skin is so tan

...picnics

...bike rides

...fresh fruit/fruit stands/farmer's markets

...sandals

...open windows & fresh air all day

...anything & everything involving water

...long hours of daylight

...barbecues

...birthdays

...vacations

...laying out

...baseball games

...boating

...luaus

...evening walks

...4th of july

....wearing minimal makeup (or none at all) & letting my hair go naturally curly

...carnivals

...'otai

...playing in the sprinklers

...ice cream & popsicles

...just hanging out in the backyard

...rodeos

...fruit pies & cobblers

...driving with the windows down (& the radio up, of course)

....the streets/parks in our neighborhood packed with kids

... the off season

     

oh & did you know that today is supposed to reach 102 degrees.  b.eau.ti.ful.

reality is

i am absolutely in love with this:

it is so lovely. so inspiring.  so true. 

this is exactly the type of parent i wish to be.  

i found this quote on my darling friend's blog.  my dear friend, remi, has an inspiring, eye-opening, utterly interesting blog known as reality is.  you should read it.  you will love it.

sitcoms

thursday nights are mommy nights.  every other night of the week todd & i work out together & snuggle up for a show (after we put the boys to bed, of course).  but not on thursdays.  on thursdays todd plays church ball & mommy gets to watch her favorite shows!  what a coincidence that most of my favorite shows come on the same night that todd is gone.  it must be fate.  i've never been much of a tv watcher.  i prefer to be doing things rather than watching things.  but breastfeeding keeps me on the couch for quite a few hours a day.  all this quality t.j./t.v. time has renewed my love for sitcoms.  (and might i add, that i cannot stand reality t.v.  i think that it breeds unhealthy people & honestly, it is rather boring.  why waste my time watching others live their lives when i could be living my own?)  here are my faves:

{i do still miss my all time favorite, lost.}

are there any other wonderful shows out there that i am missing?

tj's faves {7 weeks}

can you believe that mr. t.j. is already 7 weeks?  neither can i.  i am still amazed that at such a tender age this little man has developed quite a sense of what he likes & dislikes.  here are a few of t.j.'s favorite things as of {1.21.11}.

 1.  sitting in his bouncy chair with a paci & his pal chan pie gnon.

2.  hanging out in his travel swing listening to his sleep sheep.

 3.  playing in his crib.  watching his mobile. and gnawing on his sophie.  

{i am in big trouble.  he is only 7 weeks & already smitten with this little gal.}

 4.  sleeping in mama & dada's bed swaddled up in his cozy aiden & anais blankies.

 {ok, so maybe he prefers when the bed is all torn up & he has his parents cuddled up to him, but i couldn't very well post a picture of that now could i!}

 5.  riding along with mommy around the house in his bjorn.

 6.  tub time with his big brother.

 7.  taking in the great outdoors.

8.  stroller rides with his family around his neighborhood.

thanks

let me start by saying,

happy thanksgiving.

we hope you all enjoy a happy holiday full of scrumptious food & friendly faces.

we will be spending the day with some wonderful friends.

cooper made these turkeys to show what he is thankful for.  he made the one on the top with mommy, the one on the bottom at church, and the one on the right at school.

some of the things we are most grateful for this year:

cooper:  transformers, army guys, turkey, cookies, mommy, daddy, baby brother, jesus, trains, school friends, bike rides, the zoo, soccer cleats, soccer shinguards, slipper jammies

mommy:  cooper, todd, baby brother, family, friends, music, heart burn medicine, nike air soles, sweat pants, p.f. changs chocolate cake, todd's yummy homemade breakfasts

daddy:  cooper, sara, baby brother, the stock market, the internet, bike rides, mac computers, 4g phones, orange juice, christmas lights

we have been so blessed.  honestly, our lists of blessings are rather extremely long but i decided to give you the abbreviated list.  we love our Lord & all that he does for us.

you can keep fall, i want spring

everyone keeps talking about how excited they are for autumn.  me, personally, i'm not a fall kind-of-gal.  to me fall signifies the beginning of the cold, rain, & lessening of daylight.  i would much rather have spring.  in the fall everything is dying & turning brown, how ugly is that?  in spring life is beginning new; flowers are blossoming, the hillsides turn green, the sun is shining & the sun is shining bright.  isn't that more appealing?  so, in the fall i go through the motions & enjoy it as best as i can; the halloween decor is up, soon the turkey will be roasting. meanwhile, i am counting down the days until we are graced by spring's presence.  

and let's be honest, easter candy is by far the best.