Music Monday

OH how I love falling in love with new music. Yes, the videos a little weird but we are hear for the beats!! Turn it up and dance it out!! That's an order<33

xO-Etheline

be back soon

I am officially giving myself the day off today.  Why you ask?  This is a very big weekend for our family.

-Chaz, our oldest boy is turning 5
-Royal and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary as husband and wife
-Mother's Day

We are about to let some serious good times roll around this place.

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Don't worry- I'll be back monday soon. Have a fantastic weekend darlings!

xO-Etheline

a recipe for making lemonade

I need to be blunt for a moment. Can you bare with me a sec??

This past week I thought I found something in my body that would forever alter the course of my life. Dramatic I know, but there you have it. I spent most of the morning in tears and not focusing on the worst case scenario, but focusing on if indeed the worst case WAS the scenario. Imagining all the things I would miss out on. I was sobbing because the thought of even try to begin to say goodbye my children and husband overwhelmed me with a grief and sorrow I never knew I was capable of experiencing.

Now before I continue I should say that after further examination it turned out to be nothing. Weird internal organ positioning --which caused a cameo of the hypochondriac version of myself.  I should clarify that when your grandmother died the same age you are now of breast cancer, your red flags are always at half-mast.

This crazy turn of events led to another fun character trait I occasionally let out of the box {smidge extreme}. I decided to put pen to paper and actually whip out my bucket list that has been accruing in my brain for the past few years.

Have you ever made a bucket list? I feel like I’m ahead of the curve since I’m only 26 and have a while before I’m 87, since I decided that’s when I’ll be happy to head for heaven. If you haven’t made a bucket; what are you waiting for? Start out small, what’s the one thing at the top of your list you will be doing in your life?? These things don’t have to be extreme my friends, I just know how we can become very comfortable in our everyday routines and get stuck in the mind frame of “Oh, I can do it tomorrow.” But it was the wise Benjamin Franklin who said one of my favorite quotes, “Never leave that for tomorrow what you can do today.”   

Etheline’a Bucket List: {in no particular order}

1. GREAT Dave Matthew seats
2.

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3. Take the kids to see the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade

4. Read the BBC Top 100 books

5. Narrate and audio book

6. Spend 3 months straight surfing

7. Run a marathon {half, full, quarter…lol}

8. Celebrate my 65^th wedding anniversary with Royal

9. Become fluent in Italian--plus

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10. Become fluent in Swedish

11.Bake my way through my favorite baking cookbook

12. Live in Philadelphia  

13. Season tickets to Phillies game and go to every home game

14. Road trip and attend a baseball game at every park in the US

15. Camping for New Years in Maine to be the first person to celebrate new years

16. See Redwood National Park

17. Go to the ice hotel in Sweden

18. See the aurora borealis
19. take route 66 and 

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20. Go to an Olympics

21. Attend the Kentucky derby and wear a massive hat

22. Go to finals of the tennis grand slams

23. meet an A List celebrity {Martin Sheen, Rachel McAdam, Julia Roberts, ect}

24.Attend a taping of BBC Top Gear
25.

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 26. Take a pottery class

27. Live on a sail boat for a month

28. Live in Central/South America

29. Go to a butterfly garden

30. See the Taj Mahal

31. Cover my hands with Henna

32. Walk the El Camino de Santiago with Royal

33. Motorcycle through Vietnam when the kids are older

34. Publish a book
35.  Be a mother that my children love and respect/
 

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36. Go bungee jumping

37. Read the Book of Mormon in a month

38. Become a certified sharpshooter

39. See Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

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Words To Live By

I have always had a special place in my heart for the term "darling". There is just something so romantic and ethereal about it. Like when the words leaves your lips the level of devotion is as high as the heavens in which your love descended.  Darling, can you help me put the kids to bed? How was your day darling?

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The flip side of darling is that you can also use it in a goofy extravagant way as well. And really when you put the two of these together you nail my personality on the head. Reverent Love meets Goofy Extravagance. Meeting up with your girlfriends for brunch? Hello darling. {kisses on each cheek} Disagreeing child? Darling, that tone will get you know where!

What is your go to word of endearment? Be honest-- Are you a sweet cheeks kind of girl or more of a honey woman??

xO- Etheline

Have you seen this??

It never ceases to amaze me when I stumble upon random things that people make on the internet that are uber funny to me because it’s something I would make. Their sense of humor or likes are so similar to mine I can’t help but think to myself; best friends in another life. {Lol} 

Seeing as how the internet is its on big wide world, I doubt I'm the only to ever think this; to see a website and just crack up because the content is so hilarious. 

Now if like me and you:

A. Loved The Notebook
B. Think Ryan Gossling is a good looking man and 
C. Have a weakness for all things Young Adult Fiction

Than take a look at this website--

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Funny; right?  It's just a little blip in your Monday to help you get a good giggle in—

xO-Etheline

Weekend Wrap Up

This past week we jumped on a plane and left Bogota and headed to another city in Colombia called Armenia. Wait until you hear about this place. No, seriously you'll have to wait till next week. ;) For the moment though here's some visual candy of what we have done in the last week.

@ Jardin Botanical Garden

Playing in the Butterfly Farm

The Little Girl is Starting to Tag Along

Apples at 3000 feet

In addition to our photos I decided earlier in the week to help you all get to know little old me better we'd start off slow and I'd share 4 things about myself every Friday. Let's see how this goes over instead...shall we-

1.  I love to write. I've been working on a book for sometime now. Did you know that? I would love some feedback. If I posted the 1st chapter would you be interested?? DO tell...

2. Yes I am the {more often than not} responsible mother of 3 children, but love listening to Nirvana and Raidiohead {especially Creep}. I love stumbling upon new music, but to be honest I love listening to the same old stuff. Tuesday Night at the Music Club by Sheryl Crow circa 1994 baby!

3. Reading was never my favorite thing growing up. In 2008 I read Twilight {i know, i know} and that all changed. I read 50 books that year.

4. Now with the boom of Nooks, Kindle, and audio books I am afraid that words on paper will become obsolete. Because we are traveling now I have an Ipad and read books on my nook now and audio book on iTunes. Tell me, what does "I read a book" mean to you. Does listening to an audio book count as reading?

5.I'm the kind of girl who hates the words flighty and indecisive. I prefer the idea of, depending on the mood I'm in, wandering around from passion to passion.

What are your plans for the weekend? Will you be enjoying the sunshine and spring flowers? Working on a DIY project that has been on your mind ever since you fell in love with it on pinterest? Taking in a baseball game? Whatever it is, I hope you all enjoy yourselves.

 xO-Etheline

Words to live by

I was so very excited to see The Help, but forbid myself to watch before I read the book. I find that 9 times out of 10 I prefer the book to movies and didn't want to miss out on anything good. So as time was running out and we were packing I got the audio book and listened while my days zoomed on around me.

I'm happy to report that I loved it. I found myself hugging my baby girl extra tight everyday, because I found Ms. Leefolt's obvious disregard for her daughter appalling. I loved the relationship that formed between Celia Foote and Minny Jackson because even though their social status', amongst other things, were at two different ends of the spectrum their womanhood and trials as such bonded them together.

As popular as a quote this is now I still believe in the power of its simple truth. What a wonderful thing to remind yourself each morning as we wake with a new conviction to take on this world we live in. Tell me, have you read The Help? Is it on your list? What about the film-- did you see? What were your thoughts? Share them with me; I'd love to chat about it. Books are my very favorite things {that don't breath}. I have a massive "to read" list right now and find myself having a hard time narrowing down what I want to settle on. Any suggestions??

One more thing...Do you have a Good Reads? I do:: If you are interested here is my page. This is the greatest way to keep track of all the books you want to read, have read, or are currently reading. Plus you get to have friends:) Friends are great!!

 Have a radtacular Tuesday-

xO-Etheline