Sweethearts on the Hill

After pondering the idea for well over a year, I decided to take the plunge and I signed Sam and Charlie up for their first swim team feeder program. Feeder program. Who knew, right?  Most of the swim programs around Knoxville (and I'm sure everywhere else too) have a feeder program - meaning young swimmers who aren't quite ready for swim team, but are ready to learn some new skills, and may feed into the swim team in the next year or so. The program they are in is for 7 weeks, 5 days a week if we choose. No pressure. No major commitment to be there. It's a perfect match, and thankfully the boys are LoViNg it!   And I personally am LoViNg the new attire! Skinny swim trunks, a new set of goggles, and some parted curly hair… too much yumminess in one little package, I tell ya! Here's my wee little swimmer - learning new skills every. single. day.   He's working on his free-style here!   And this handsome little turkey below with his new goggles and sel...

  One of my favorite things to do on a Hatcher Family day is escape to The Great Smoky Mountains just a short distance away. It is refreshing to leave the toys, Leapsters, cell phones, and televisions behind and enjoy the simplicity of the world around us.   I love to see my boys exploring ~ throwing rocks, finding crawdads (I don't touch them, but they all love it!), building dams and waterfalls, and never once complaining that they are bored or need something to entertain them. Pure. Simple. Fun.   Charlie wanted to wear his goggles so he could find minnows in the water.   I'm not sure what he stumbled upon here!    A little playtime with daddy   (I'm NOT gonna smile. You're NOT gonna make me.)   Aaand my little pleaser ~   Run! Run! He's gonna get us! A perfect way to spend a family day ~

She puts on the shoes that make her stand tall, buttons her buttons, sees herself in the mirror: resilient and beautiful and ready.   There is nothing in this day that is too much for her. There is nothing she can't meet with clear eyes and a willing heart... …and a strength that bubbles up inside her like a spring.

Okay, so maybe not quite THE Pioneer Woman, but I am pretty excited about my little vegetable and herb garden I've got going this year.    AND I'm super, silly, excited about the handmade plant markers my three sweethearts surprised me with when I came home from work today! As they have beautifully noted, I have herbs (which comprises of two types of basil), strawberries, and cucumbers. Everything is growing inside the raised vegetable garden Mr. Agrestic made me for Mother's Day. Almost ready to be eaten! The morning dew forms around the edges of the leaves on the strawberry vines … so cool! Throw in a few cattle, a couple cookbooks, a few more kids, and some homeschooling and you'd never be able to tell us apart! (seriously though, I've figured out how to grow this stuff… now I just need some pointers on how to cook with it!)

On my days off from work, we've been taking advantage of this great weather and our shaded backyard by enjoying breakfast outside. It typically leads to some small adventures on the patio. On this particular day, the boys got into bubbles and cars.   Sam was mastering the art of recycling bubbles by blowing, catching, and recreating.   He was getting pretty good at it by the time the morning winded down ~   Meanwhile, Charlie was intently focused on fixing this car...   he had the tongue out and all! "I did it! I did it!" Lovin' these summer mornings!