Japanese kids sewing book {inspiration}

Remember this blog post? Well, I got really lucky and the same good friend found me the Japanese kids sewing book in English too! 

I'm so excited to use some of these lovely patterns to get started on some really cute pieces for my girls. Aren't they so cute!? 

tgif + patience

Happy TGIF friends! Its been a good week for getting out and playing in the sun for us. As you know we have a visitor here and we've been taking him to some of the most prettiest places in southern CA...and that usually means at least one visit to Treasure Island beach. It really felt like we were away on a mini tropical vacation. 

I really enjoyed writing a reflection post last week and I saw that I had a lot of positive feedback, so I felt so encouraged to continue it for my Friday posts. Plus it feels good for the soul sometimes to write about the thoughts that are floating in your mind all week. 

Patience. Patience has been the word for my week. Patience for the plans that God has for our family. There's a lot that I don't share on this blog for obvious reasons, but this week our family was given some news to be patient about it. It actually has me so impatient to be quite honest. I just want to know all the answers already and just have my future all planned out for me. Don't we all? So as I am losing patience, I am praying for it as well. I am learning that rushing to find out answers isn't always the right thing. Neither is overplanning. So this week as I was out in nature and the sun was kissing my face and the sounds of waves were crashing in my ear...I let go. I let go of my impatience to be patient for just a minute. I let go of my fear to trust in the Lord. I let go of everything to just be, to be just in the moment. And it felt good. 

So, I encourage all of you to let go a little bit this weekend of the week day stresses and the unknown answers to be more in the moment and patient :) It feels good for the soul. 

Temecula wine tasting

We have a friend visiting us from Maryland and he was telling us about his love for good cheese (especially Brie cheese) and we knew just the place to take him. Maurice Carrie Winery in Temecula for their amazing baked sourdough garlic butter bread with melted brie on the inside. 

We love Temecula wine country! We went a couple years ago and its the most family friendly winery. We also stopped by Wilson's Creek winery which has the best lawn (for picnic's) and playground. We packed us a nice picnic and tasted some wine, and then bought a good bottle of Cabernet to share and let the girls run loose :)

Good times. 

Japanese sewing book {inspiration}

I have been in love with Japanese sewing books for a while now but always so hesitant to buy them because they are usually written in all Japanese. I always study them so hard in the bookstore wondering if my novice sewing skills can put together the patterns by just the picture. But reality tells me no, and I put the book down and walk away. 

Well, lucky me because I had a good friend visit New York a couple months ago and found one of these lovely books for me written in English! Aren't all the dresses so feminine and lovely? I haven't sewn in a while (that's another story) but this has me so excited to run to buy some cute fabric. 

Now if you want to check out something even cuter, the Japanese children's and baby clothing books are way too adorable! I'm hoping to catch a copy of that in English too. 

birthday parties + beach

Happy Monday! Are you noticing a theme about what I usually do on the weekends? Yes, I am pretty much at the beach almost every weekend and some days during the week. This weekend was obviously no different. We spent it driving down to birthday parties from San Diego to Huntington Beach and stopped to eat meals at Encinitas and Seal Beach. :) I highly highly recommend Fish 101 in Encinitas. They have the most delicious fish tacos. 

^ Sophia picked out this dress for birthday gifts and has us washing it every night so she can wear it again the next day. :) ^ 

^ we headed to Carlsbad beach for some play before dinner at Fish 101^

^ we threw off our shoes and got wet! ^

^ more birthday parties! ^

^ getting ready to play "pin the sunglasses on the sun!" It was such a cute party! Way to go Marisa! ^

Have a wonderful day and week everyone! I'm off for some more adventure today...if you follow me on instagram you might find out sooner than later. ;) 

t g i f

The other day I found out something that made me so so sad. My dear neighbor's five year old son suddenly died. I was there that night watching the paramedics drive away with such an awful and sick feeling in my stomach that I couldn't shake. I wasn't sure what happend and I haven't seen them since that night until this Wednesday when I found out the devastating news. So Wednesday night, our family walked over there with condolences and flowers. I was shaking as I was walking over to knock on the doors. What would I say? What could I even say? I couldn't even imagine her loss. Nothing is worse for a parent. nothing. 

That and a few other things this week had me really grateful in my heart for all that I have this week. Grateful for my children most especially and for their love for me and my love for them. We stayed home for most of the week (which is really rare) and I really felt the exhaustions of being a stay at home mom. We played every game at home, read many books, made many messes, did a lot of cleaning, made all meals at home 3 times a day plus countless snacks, and I was there with them at every moment. So last night, I took a few minutes to myself as Mike was bathing the girls, to take a much needed shower. But as soon as the bathroom doors open, these two girls started running to me laughing and wanting to play games with me again. I chased them between our room and their room and they hollered and screamed with excitement until they passed out for bed with me squished in between them. I thought as I went to bed last night and both girls on each side of me, "aren't they tired of me?" I guess the answer is no. I guess they don't see a tired mother who hasn't showered and hasn't changed her clothes since the night before. Rather they see their mother as someone they can depend and count on for everything. For food, for clothing, for rest, for play and most especially for love. For all these things and the ways that I can serve my family my heart is especially grateful this week. 

Sometimes okay many times this dear vocation that God has called me to, the vocation of wife and mother can be challenging. And this week, I had a reminder to bear my cross in a uplifting way that almost made my cross very light. With love our crosses can be bearable and sanctifying. 

Now with that all being said, have a great weekend everyone! Sorry for the long and serious post on this Friday, but these were my reflections for this week and I wanted to share it. It is my blog after all :) Hope you do everything with extra love this weekend. I'm looking forward to a fun and busy weekend! 

image via

bits of camp

Last week we went to Vacation Bible Camp. We sure had a blast learning more about our faith and singing camp songs everyday. We filled our day with faith stations, arts and crafts, free play and some praise and worship music time. It was so neat to watch my two little girls grow so much at camp. Zaylee had so much fun copying her big sister and trying to fit in with the big kids. Sophia truly experienced camp this year in the eyes and heart of a four year old.

Growing up, I have sweet memories of being shipped off to summer camp each year since I was probably six! I always went with a bit of nervousness of being away but always came home with a dozen new friends and fun memories. Now experiencing camp through the eyes of my children it is so different. The joy is almost elevated in a way that I find joy in their joy. I see them thrive off these new experiences and friendships and it is a whole new experience for me. This year Sophia has been wanting to be so much part of the camp, but yet struggling to let me go. She would beg and whine for me to stay near her through the whole day and part of every activity, but once I got there she would ask me to "go walk a bit further away." She would seek independence yet she wasn't a 100% on board with it. And I'm okay with that too. I'm okay being there every moment as she wants me to walk near her or just be near her as she "tries" something new. Ah the growing pains in age four is quite interesting. This mama is learning so much.

Thank you VBC for such a fulfilling and joyful week. I'm hoping next year we will be brave to pitch a tent and stay a few nights too. :)