Tour de Trails and 20 of 52

We participated in the Tour de Trails 20K bike ride today.  This is mine and Thomas's second year to participate.  It was a lot of fun, especially because friends joined us.  The event raises funds for our People Trail system.  Maybe one year we'll do the 50K or 75K - hmm, maybe not.

The car is loaded down!

My roses have exploded this year.  I neglected to prune them back in the fall.  So I figure I am going to cut them back and places them in vases.  Sort of a pruning after the fact I guess. 

They're beautiful though!

19 of 52

David and me on our way to Joshua and Sarah's wedding, Saturday May 8th.

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

18 of 52

Brennan took this photo in the car the other day.  They're really enjoying being photographers.  Brennan especially likes action shots like cars whizzing by and birds flying overhead.

It's been a busy weekend with a birthday party yesterday, a weeding last night, and lots of plans for today after church.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

A Big Happy Mother's Day to my MOM, My Mother-in-Law, My 2 Grandmothers, My Sister, and My Sister-in-Law.

Enjoy your special day!

17 of 52

Woops!  I missed last week's photo party over at Carin's blog!  I'll make it up this week.

Brennan took this photo yesterday after I had worked out and worked around the yard.  He then turned it black and white.  Great job, little photographer!

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

Monet's Table and 15 of 52

Last night I attended a really fun fundraiser for our church's preschool.  Friends who own Bistro 310 planned a special event to raise funds for the preschool scholarship program.

The dinner was based on Claude Monet's cooking journals.  He was a master chef and entertainer for his good friends Cezanne, Degas, and others.  Imagine lunch with these guys!  Their meals together were at 11:30 so they could spend the afternoon painting in the best sunlight.

The tables set up for the dinner last night.

Beautiful marble slab with appetizers and cocktails.

Pretty spring centerpieces.

Lovely music while we mingled.

Nicole was my date.  We had a great time together.

Chef Jeff kicked off the evening by demonstrating proper technique for a beurre sauce.

Our recipe cards let us know what we were in store for (see full menu below).

The preschool has a youth violin program.  3 former and current students performed for us.  They were incredible.

Robin and me.  Robin planned the program and it was a huge success!

First Presbyterian's preschool program means a lot to our family.  Brennan was invited to the program as a 4 year old with special needs.  Up until that point preschool had not been very successful.  But I had my first glimpse that our youngest may be able to attend a mainstream school one day and thrive.  Without the 4 year olds class at FPC, Brennan would not have had a successful Kindergarten year.  We owe a lot to the preschool.  FPC is now our church home and I am very happy to support the preschool - even if an amazing meal isn't involved!

Monet's Table Menu

Leek and Potato Soup

Pike in White Butter Sauce (beurre sauce)

Mussels with Fresh Herbs

Charlotte Lyses's Stuffed White Onions

Broiled Steak with Mustard and Bernaise

Potato Pie

Glazed Carrots

Green Cake

Apple Doughnuts

Banana Ice Cream

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

Easter 2010 and 14 of 52

We had a wonderful Easter yesterday!

After church we had our traditional Easter lunch and Egg Hunt with our friends. 

The food was delicious, including my grandmother's famous Coconut Cake (I'll post the recipe later).

After lunch the kids hunted 450+ eggs.

These are the master egg hiders.

Mike giving some clues about the location of the Grand Prize egg.

We are thankful for the true meaning of Easter, good friends, good food, blooming trees, and sunshine.

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

13 of 52

April Fool's!

This is not a photo from this past week (I forgot to take one!) so I'm going with one from January 2004.  Look at Brennan's grumpy face - we made him get off the bouncy thing at his birthday party to take a family portrait.

Oh, they are so cute in this picture! 

I'll return next week with a current photo, I promise!

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

12 of 52

Daddy and I went to the State/North Carolina game on Saturday.  My parents have tickets and I thought my mom was going, but she offered her ticket up and I happily took it!  It was GREAT to be at The Hump, with my Daddy, enjoying a game.  Sadly, we lost in the final seconds.

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

11 of 52

Elise, Sarah, and I went out Tuesday night to celebrate a few things going on in our lives.  We had some yummy food at Bistro and had a great time catching up!  I am so fortunate to have great girlfriends.

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!  

10 of 52 and an Afternoon at the Park

We took the boys to the park after school today - it was so beautiful outside! 

9 of 52

The boys and me before work/school this morning!

Mommy and Thomas

Mommy and Brennan

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

February Wrap Up

I set some goals for myself for 2010. Let's see how I've done this month!


~~Finish 1 knitting project - no, I don't know that I've picked up the needles in February.  Work has been occupying a lot of my time.  I hope to finish my hat in March!
~~Learn All Songs in my current Piano Book - I reported last month that I've pretty much mastered "Minuet" and "Sheep May Safely Graze" by Bach and "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven. I've been practicing those and added "Minuet in G" by Beethoven.
~~Participate in the 52 of 52 Mom-in-the-Photo Project - Yes, I've completed all 8 weeks this month!
~~Successfully Complete 12 No-Spend Weeks - I did not get organized and complete one in February.  I'll have to make up for it later in the year!
~~Refurbish 1 Piece of Furniture - Not yet but I'm thinking about it.
~~Run a 5K - Gosh, I can't believe it will be possible. I haven't really tried yet to run so will start focusing on that once it warms up. I have a hard time running on the treadmill.
~~Go to England California - We've scratched the England idea this year but are making plans for Southern California in the summer!
~~Lose 77 Pounds - Working on it, eating really well.  Will add exercise to the mix once work is over.
~~Successfully Transition to a Stay-at-Home Mom - I have 2 weeks of work left. I'm going to miss it - love the position I'm in, love the people I work with, but I'm really looking forward to the change.

I had my priorities straight for February, focusing more heavily on the boys and work and putting a few other things on the backburner until work is over.  March will be a month of change and I'm looking forward to it!

How was your February?

8 of 52 and An Answer about Spring Cleaning

Brennan took this photo of David and me at the Children's Museum on Saturday.

I'm linking up to Carin's blog today for the 52 Weeks of Mom in the Photo project!

After my Spring Cleaning post last night I was surprised to wake up to several emails about it this morning.  Thought I'd answer a couple.

Jenny wrote: Bonnie - I love this idea! My house is cluttered and I'm never sure where to start.  How did you decide which room to start in last year?  Will you start there this year again? 

Last year I started in our mud room area right off the garage.  It's sort of a natural "beginning" to the house.  Next I moved to the mud room closet, the laundry room, the pantry, the kitchen, and just sort of made my way through the house from one end to the other.  Honestly though, I didn't get all the way through the house.  So this year I'm going to start at the other end (the boys' playroom) and work backwards.

Robin wrote:  Our family really needs to do something like this.  How involved were David and your children?

I am blessed with a husband who also prefers the house de-cluttered.  I left the larger jobs to David and involved him on a lot of decisions, but I took the bulk of the work on.  I felt this was a good mix because this was my Spring Cleaning book.  I'm the one that came up with 500 things that needed to be done around the house.  No need to require our weekends were spent getting my list done.  But I did involve the boys a lot.  A good example is the pantry.  We took every item out and wiped down the shelves, mopped really well, wiped down the baseboards (ew, they were dusty and gross), and put everything back.  The boys loved this activity.  Thankfully, cause that's a lot of food to be moving out and back in by myself!

Paula wrote:  How do you keep from getting overwhelmed by all those lists in the book?

Those of us who make lists know that getting it down on paper actually takes a lot of the overwhelm out of the scenario.  Once all the things that could be done are down on paper, then it's fun.  You just pick where you want to start and focus there instead of letting the other 499 things running around in your head distract you.  I made a very detailed list of every room.  I knew that if I didn't get to everything then I would be fine.  I was amazed at how much we did get to.  Simply put - lists keep me from being overwhelmed.

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with your family. Your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Now go take a picture!

7 of 52 and 40 Bags in 40 Days

Thomas did a really dumb thing and got caught yesterday.  And then he lied about it.  And then I overreacted.  But we're friends again.  Brennan took this photo of us yesterday after school.

A number of local friends are doing a "40 Bags in 40 Days" Lent project and I've gotten on board even though I'm not Catholic and don't normally give up anything for Lent.  I think this project makes a lot of sense though.

You give away a bag of stuff every day for 40 days.  It doesn't matter what size the bag or if you trash it, give it to Goodwill, or give it to a friend.  Since I'm a natural weeder-outer, and it's time for some serious Spring Cleaning, this seems like an easy thing for me to be a part of!

The boys were a huge help for our first bag today.  Their school is collecting shoes for Haiti.  They cleaned out the mudroom closet and found 5 pairs of shoes they can no longer wear.  We bagged them and they have taken them to school today for Haiti.  Always great when the kids can be a part of the process!