Beautiful San Clemente...

Here are a few pictures that were taken early in the morning for our Concordia
Elementary School Calendar. It's a funny story actually...

My friend emailed and asked me if I could take some pictures around San Clemente.
I said sure and then proceeded to procrastinate as always. She had given me a couple of weeks to do this too. It wasn't like she was giving me a days notice.

Tim and I went to a local art fair to walk around with the girls
and there I gathered some ideas of what I would love to see in frames around my house.

Then I waited until the last minute as always.
Finished another Harry Potter book.

Dealt with Church drama.
Watched my friend deal with my neighbor drama.
I have totally lost my spark to fight by the way.
This does not make me happy with myself.
I am Irish-German.
We usually look for reasons to fight.

Anyway,
The morning of the day that she wanted these pictures I woke up a 5:45am
Headed down to the beach...only to find out that my camera battery wasn't charged.
So, I drove home. Found my little point and shoot, Coolpix.
And these are a sample of what I came up with.
I have been all over the world and am happy to say that besides all the drama,
that tends to find me.
I love it here.
Breath taking.

The Browns are growing up!

I can't believe how fast everyone seems to be growing up...
right before my eyes.
Recently I was talking to a friend of mine that has since gone back to work and she is telling me all the benefits of going back to work, she has 4 kids too.
Sometimes she has a point,
really I never seem to get two 15 minute breaks or a 1 hour lunch all to myself.
I never drive in silence or listening to talk radio.
You don't get a medal for hard work.
You hardly talk to adults about real life.
You make lots of money which allow for more freedoms.
She said she was.."Heather, I'm Living Dream."
She was selling me on it.

And then...
I looked at my life.

I get to have breakfast with the girls every morning.
We cook, clean, laugh, and read together.
We go to the beach and play.
They give sticky kisses for me.
They hold my hands.
They say the love me.
They help make dinner with me.
They cheer when daddy comes home.
We watch movies and play games.
We go to church and pray together.
We attend all school and sports functions together.

And I really love it...
sure it has days that are difficult.
Sure I am not going to get constant praise,
Or pats on the backs.
I not going to make millions of dollars,
to buy fancy cars, a huge house, or spectacular clothes.
These things may look important to the world.
This is how people may measure success.

She missed the big picture.
She missed what is really the dream.
Not one of these things will bring you joy, love or fulfillment.
I want to live my life not missing one thing with my girls.
No regrets.

I laughed a little to myself.
Like I had some secret that she didn't quite understand.

I am Living the Dream.

If you can't beat them join them!

I have heard pretty good things about this series...
anybody heard of them?



Have you read them?

We read the first two books with the girls and then proceeded to watch all the movies within about a weeks time.
People can't believe that I haven't read them. And to be totally honest I haven't for a couple of reasons...
1st: I have never been a wizard/sorcery book type of girl.
2nd: I never been the type of girl to do everything everyone else is doing.
I do things on my own time.

But maybe now that everyone else is over the hype, I should read them, besides there is nothing I am really interested in reading right now.
I love to read though...and everything else suffers when I pick up a good book.
Tim thinks it will take me forever because he know that they are just not really my type of book.

But today I have decided to finish the series.
If you don't hear from me again, come looking for me.
I most likely will be holed up in my room...
unshowered, crazy hair, unbrushed teeth, eating red licorice with big wide eyes!
I am off to read.
See you in a few weeks...
alright I blog about it.
Just because you asked so nicely!