home.

Just call me jetsetter...it seems like I've been here, there, and everywhere lately and I kind of have.  We'd just gotten home from vacation, but when your little brother asks you to go with him to see his little sweetie pie in Arizona (even if it's June), you go.

Sometimes being there for somebody, just because, feels better then getting back to the swing of things, even for an insane schedule person. (like moi)

I'm not gonna lie, it was freakin' hot!
Like burn your retinas hot.
Fry your feet hot.

We contemplated taking the little bugger to the zoo or waterpark,
but being the seasoned mother that I am, I suggested the free pool at our hotel,
a 1.5 year old doesn't know the diff anyway, right?

So we did.

We pooled it up for 4 days.

Soaked in the desert rays.

Smooched little Christian till his cheeks were pink.

Bought him $3 swim toys at Wally World and made his day.

It was a blessing to say the least to spend that kind of 1-on-1 time with him.

I know we've all got our drama, right? But can I just interject that not being with your baby just plain sucks, for lack of a better term.

Without the gory details, I'm sure you can gather that Christian's not with us a lot.

But we weren't about to let that phase us those precious days we had with him.

When you're too pruny to swim anymore, just go to the bookstore.

It's cool.

They have Starbucks.

And books.

And trains.

I'm sorry, but what else is there? Really?

Naptime was my cue to assume my position by the pool.

I've promised myself a tan this summer, and I can safely say that after 4 days in Arizona, it's coming along quite nicely.

Just because your situation is what it is today, doesn't mean that's what it'll be a year from now, a month, a week.

The future holds bright things.

Situations don't stay the same forever (Praise God for that, right?!)

I just know somebody needed to hear that today.

Missed you, as always!

Happy to be home :)

xo,

{alicia}

{right now}

I'm here....

Lovin' on this guy:

Kissin' his cheeks till he goes crazy, strolling to the zoo, and splashing in the pool.

Anticipating for this trip made my heart swell to the brim. 

I cannot wait to see this little stinker. 

What is it about being an auntie, seeing your little brother and sister raise kids, that makes you so love struck? 

It's different than with your own kids, of course, but there's that bond there that's really unexplainable.

I'm smitten.

That's it, it's official.

See you soon!!

xo,

{alicia}

bye for a while

Recently, we had to say a temporary goodbye to a good friend.

Good friend, like Best Man-worthy kinda friend.

His job requires a bit of travel.

Travel that keeps him away for 400 days at a time, in fact.

We said good-bye recently, as he left on his second tour to Iraq.

They say "tour" like it's fun. It's not, I'm sure of it.

  

Jarrod and I got married years ago, and he's always been there...the single guy hanging out with us.  We always have fun with him.

He plays with our kids, helps with house projects, plays disc golf with Mr. Hutchinson on the weekends.

He was the single-guy-friend until recently, when he married his sweetheart and created the sweetest couple duo we could ask for.

Whether or not you believe in the war going on, and whether or not you support our military, it's still going on...affecting real people. Real families.

So whether or not you agree with it, I would love your prayers for our friend's safety.

His name is Nick.  He's in Iraq.

I'm certain it's hotter than he** there and NO fun.

I'm sure he's missing home and his new honey.

We're writing him every week, trying to teach the kids about the realness in the world and the affect that prayer has.

They're drawing him pictures of Angry Birds and telling him about swimming.
I hope the reminders of home help somewhat.

If you know someone that's away from home, I get it.

Godspeed, sweet friend :)



embracing

Yes, embracing the fact that with summer excludes little details like mascara and hair spray.  Not that my make-up regime is that intense any other time of the year, but in summer the whole gamut is thrown out with the pool water.

Embracing the fact that sweaty, foundation-less, sun screened skin can still be pretty and that's as good as it's gettin' right now, folks.

And embracing the wardrobe of sundress and a bathing suit...for 3 months.

I'll take it.

I wouldn't trade this wardrobe for all the cool career credentials in the world.

It's my world, it's simple, but I'm embracing it.

xo,

{alicia}

summer art: butterflies

So, we're doing some school and some art projects this summer...even though it's summer and have I got a sweeeet project to show you today.  They turned out just how I'd wished and now we have real, live ART to hang on our wall. yeah!!

I first saw this project on Whatever.  Here's Meg's post on this project, and here's mine:

First I had the kids haphazardly watercolor paint some cardstock. Just swish away, doesn't really matter what it looks like, just as long as it's all covered.

Now while those dry, get some canvases...canvi? :)

I gave each kid a different size, big, bigger, biggest.

Have them paint it all one solid color with acrylic paint.

Now back to the watercolored paper. You need a butterfly punch, or whatever cool punch you have...but butterflies look really cute. (I got mine at Micheals...Martha Stewart line.) And just punch your whole page out with it. You need lots of butterflies.

The last step is just glue the butterflies on the dried canvas.

I had them use low-temp glue guns and glue them wherever they wanted.

And that's it!!

Noah's was the biggest and we decided to add a word to his, just for something different.  So, after nixing "gun" and "no birds allowed" we (I) decided on fly.  Very butterfly-ish.

See?! How fun is this project!?  I love how they turned out. And I love how we now have a beautiful grouping of art for our schoolroom wall.

Happy Thursday, darlin's.

xo

{alicia}

virtual coffee: 6/21

Hey Sistas :)

Welcome to coffee at the Hutchinson Home again.

I can't believe how fast a week goes...a month!

It's going to be the 4th of July before we know it.

Summer is well under way and I cannot express to you how much I am loving summer this year!

We've been checking things off our list and enjoying each other.

Doing fun stuff that warm weather allows for.

Swimming.

Sprinkler Hopping.

Water guns.

The past few days have been rainy and wet, so there's been no water fun.

But I did manage to harvest all the rhubarb from my giant plant and get it ready for jam.

The kids love rhubarb time.  They just take the clean sticks and dip in sugar.

We're reading the Little House on the Prairie series, so every time I do something even slightly domestic like harvesting rhubarb, mixing up a batch of brownies, skinning the hog, I feel like Ma.  Man, that woman worked her tukus off!

I'm so glad I wasn't born in that era. I would have died right away.

Dead.

Flat-lined.

______________________________________________

Pa, "Laura, where's Ma?"

Laura, "Oh she bit it. Couldn't take it, I guess."

Ya, that would be my Little House series starring *Alicia* as dead Ma.

Moving on...

Rainy days=oil pastel drawings,

And pissy little girls that can't put fake diapers on their babies.

Sorry, baby Carrie, Ma doesn't help sassy little girls.

You ask the right way, and I'd be more than happy to lend a hand.

She got it just fine.

It only took a little determination...and that is not lacking with this girl.

See? No prob.

I've been trying to get some sewing in also, but it's harder than you'd think.

I did manage to get a few camera straps listed in my shop today though.
yeah for Ma!

I've been plucking away at my own summer list too.

I posted my list a while back, but I revamped it a bit to add a few things.

So far I've:

-planted the garden

-worked on my tan :)

-prepped the rhubarb for jam

-watched Nights in Rodanthe (for the scenery alone, just to clarify)

-and read 1/2 of Pioneer Woman's book (enjoying it so far)

So there you have it.

We're enjoying summer immensely here on the prairie.

Hope you're enjoying yours too!

xo,

{alicia}

<

Our Father's Day

Are you tired? We are.

The whole "kick up your feet and relax, it's Father's Day" doesn't apply at our house.

I've learned we're more the "sweat it out, get sticky and gooey...you're a freaking Dad, enjoy it" kind of family.

I think J. might have snuck in a 20 minute snooze, but other than that,

this was our day...

Lots of dads here.

Here's a dad. (it's my brother)

They could have been dads...it's hard tellin'.

Another dad...mine :)

We got hot. We cooled off.  Bennie and Jack...probably will be dads.

Noah...will be a goofy dad. :)

Ben's dad.

Ben's dad...enjoying this way too much.

Checked one thing off our Summer list: water balloon fight!

Sister...not a dad.

Dog-sitting and on poo-patrol.  Should be a dad's job in my opinion...I thought I'd give him a break. *gag*

Dads are good.

Happy dad's day :)