Category Archives: family

Jul21

little boys should never be sent to bed. they always wake up a day older. – peter pan

Posted on by
Standard

everythingvintagesteff.com

spending the weekend with grand baby joeys, f and m,

(who have a look of mischief in their eyes like the vintage lads above)

while their mom is away with friends

and it’s so very different

from time spent with our girl babies

yet every moment is equally exciting

in its very own way

where going swimming in a pool

counts as a bath

and waking up in bathing suits

makes us ready

for another day’s adventure

and it’s all about

perpetual motion

and peeing

and rocks

and bugs

and ghost tales

and staying up late

and everything is sticky

and wet

and dirty

and it is a delight.

pinterest.com

boys are found everywhere – on top of, underneath, inside of,
 climbing on, 

swinging from, 
running around, or jumping to.

– alan marshall beck

—

image credits: everything vintagesteff.com, pinterest.com

Jul17

sometimes, bad days are there to remind you that you have good ones to look forward to. – author unknown

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_0121like the day

you stood on the upside-down water table

with your beloved blankie and pacifiier all dirty

a bandaid on your scraped-up foot

mosquito bites itching

an empty bug net

and a turtle with a snapped-off tail nearby

 you can’t find your shoes

your diaper is wet

 you’re tired

and your shorts are all twisted-up.

and then –

10517663_10152597947646694_4651647973488201070_o

 suddenly

it is the next day

and the sun is shining

and

you have a fancy cocktail

right in front of you

with

floating fruit cut in shapes

a special bendy straw

and you are standing

at a table just your size

with your fancy red shirt on

and your smile

is as big as the universe

and

in an instant

all is well with the world

once again.

—

here’s to you, baby j, as you continue to persevere

and find your way through the world, even after the tough days.

you are a model for all of us.

 

Jul16

the smallest feline is a masterpiece. – leonardo da vinci

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_0136

and we have added to our family once again.

this handsome fellow,

a flyweight

weighing in at just 8 pounds

and 8 years old

has lived a hard life

first on his own

surviving

on the mean streets

with scars, and cuts, and ruffled fur

then with a family

who may not have fully appreciated his charms

and he was sent away

to spend his days in a small cage

 with nothing but an uncertain future

and a short timeline ahead

but he has persevered

against all odds.

–

and when we walked into the shelter

and he reached

with

a tiny ginger paw

out of his cell

to wave to us

and called out

with a little voice

we knew

he had been waiting a long time

to meet us

just as

we had been waiting a long time

to meet him.

IMG_0139

and when

we carried him into the cottage

he

was instantly transformed

into

the most affectionate and gentle cat

we have ever met

and knew that he was home at last.

Quotation-Temple-Grandin-human-Meetville-Quotes-61878

(he has been lovingly named nacho, and he is the furry one with the orange hair.)

Jul15

too many cooks make a fine soup

Posted on by
Standard

how do

a dozen adults plus teenagers, toddlers, babies and dogs

all in one kitchen

end up with a perfect meal?

IMG_1365

m and j actively working on their teamwork skills

—

as the fine web

of family connections

spins and grows

the communal vacation kitchen

thrives and glows.

philmon

“in the long history of humankind…

those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”


~ charles darwin

Jul13

“and at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy, and your eyes sparkling.” — shanti

Posted on by
Standard

1470269_10152615497611694_1308576953840277441_n a windy day

at empire beach

on lake michigan

by sleeping bear dunes

36414b764893c66a988092c25c80a17d

Jul12

there’s something special about the feel of a vacation

Posted on by
Standard

str

1743472_420056251463550_2060164887_n

Jul11

and we have taken the family circus on the road and headed up north

Posted on by
Standard

10534143_10152612009681694_8768069860216252655_n

under the big top in glen arbor, michigan

familycircusbillypath there’s always lots of action in all 3 rings

10410573_10152612009761694_721932835969833257_n

and then,

we relax and look ahead to another adventure tomorrow

10351610_10152611030521694_3375204965803257241_n

Keep the circus going inside you, keep it going,

don’t take anything too seriously,

it’ll all work out in the end.

David Niven

—

 animated image credit: bil keane

Jul8

i owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. – g. k. chesterton

Posted on by
Standard

10308080_10152600271151694_3824099602794702456_n

on a walk

by the detroit river

one cousin

two years older

and wiser

offers the other

a show of support

and perhaps

a small bit of advice.

—

Whatever advice you give, be short.

Horace

Jul7

a well-spent day brings happy sleep. leonardo da vinci

Posted on by
Standard

10388205_10152856786108079_6913123605263567640_nand at last

the family

is all tucked in

and

tuckered out

from another day

spent together

and it is good.

 

Jul6

if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – milton berle

Posted on by
Standard

10524377_10152598579111694_4828205978036923605_n
the cousins

set up a business

selling  lemonade

to a captive audience

of family and friends.

 some of the employees

wait for the customers

to come to their door

and at times business is slow.

but one,

the littlest,

has an out of the box idea.

he quietly

reclaims

lemonade

already sold

and pours it back

into the the pitcher

to resell again.

to the same captive audience.

—

“i’m a hustler, baby; i sell water to a well!”
― jay-z