June Mix

We only have one more week of school and then it will be full on Summer break. Blueberry harvest will begin in about three weeks and our Summer schedule is already filling up with kids heading to this camp and that camp and I'm trying to make sure that we fill our Summer with plenty of relaxed days by the pool, BBQ's with family, and backyard campfires, and hopefully a road trip or two.

That's where this mix comes in. This mix is begging to be blared on a hot summer day, cruising down the highway, singing along and dancing in your seat. Please say YES!

1. Summer, Hither - Sleepy Turtles
2. Hearts Content - Brandi Carlile [will be available on Tuesday, June 5th!]
3. As It Seems - Lily Kershaw
4. Hello Hello - Missy Higgins
5. Count Me In - Early Winters
6. Muscle & Bone - Hannah & Maggie
7. In My Life - Bess Rogers
8. 1904 - Tallest Man on Earth
9. Hello My Old Heart - The Oh Hello's
10. Watch How You Go - Keane
11. Be Honest - Jason Mraz feat. Inara George
12. I Make My Own Sunshine - Alyssa Bonagura
13. Featherstone - The Paper Kites
14. Lead Me Right - Katie Costello
15. Specks - Matt Pond PA
16. Talk To Me - Meg & Bryan
17. Breakdown More - Eric Hutchinson
18. 40 Mark Strasse - The Shins
19. All Through August - Death and a Cure
20. Landline - Greg Laswell feat. Ingrid Michaelson

Want this mix? Comment once on this post by 9am Friday, June 8th.
A winner will be announced on the 8th!

Good Luck + Enjoy!

P.S. This month's cover is a picture I took last Summer while laying on a blanket in the park, looking up at the sun shining through the trees.

P.P.S If you are looking for any of my past mixes, they can be found on my left sidebar under "Listen to My Monthly Mixes." Here's all of the 2012 mixes.

Life lately...

This time of year is always the craziest, busiest time. The last two weeks of school seems to be the most exhausting. Just wanted to post a little update on our family because this is the only journaling I do :)

I'll start with the youngest.

Lily- She is doing very well in school and almost never needs to be reminded to do her homework. She is very responsible and is my best helper here at home. She is very willing to help with dinner, dishes, vacuuming, pretty much anything I ask her to do. Except clean her room. She really does NOT like to do that. It's her Achilles heel. She is also playing softball which she enjoys, but unfortunately has missed several games and practices because of her tonsils. Have I mentioned her tonsils? They are enormous and disgusting. She is having them removed on the 5th of July and we can't wait because they are ridiculous.

Ethan- This boy has been on cloud nine because his favorite person in the world, Uncle Taylor, has been visiting for the past two weeks and when Taylor is here, we rarely see Ethan. But Taylor is leaving today, so Ethan will have to resume regular life with his family. Also, Ethan started football practice yesterday. Without telling me about it. He didn't show up after school and I searched and searched and searched for him and finally at about 4:15, just before I was about to report him missing to the police, I found him at football practice. In related news, his coach thinks he has serious potential as a wide receiver. I, however, never want to let him leave the house again. Sheesh!

Jocelyn- This is the part where all we talk about is sports. Jocelyn just finished varsity softball, playing first base and loving every minute of it. Softball is her sport. I'm pretty sure she dreams about softball. Her team made it to districts and did well, and we are looking forward to two more years of watching this team grow. Yesterday she started summer basketball and will play in some series and tournaments beginning next week. Tonight she starts summer softball, and her first game will be next week as well. If you are ever looking for her this summer, she'll either be on the softball field or the basketball court.

Madeline- She is just a few days shy of finishing her first year of Cosmetology and she really enjoys it. She will be continuing her Cosmo education through the summer which will really limit the amount of "fun" and "entertainment" she gets to enjoy this summer, but she is grateful for the opportunity and realizes what an advantage this will be in her life. She finished up her Junior year playing tennis and will now start summer softball with Jocelyn, her best friend in the whole world. I think they are pretty excited about it.

Marilyn- If you've made it this far, then you realize how I spend my time. Driving to and from sports, watching sports, signing kids up for sports, hearing about sports, etc. I'm glad that my kids enjoy playing outdoors and staying active, so I'm not complaining. Lately, I've been playing a lot of piano, reading, helping Brandon with the Tough Rhino stuff and failing to stay caught up on the housework. I'll just keep at it though. One thing I'm really happy about is that my peonies are blooming. They're so pretty.

Brandon- More sports. He has been really, crazy busy with Tough Rhino preparations which will be held June 9th. There are almost 700 people signed up for this race so far and we fully expect it to reach 1000. It's a massive undertaking and they've started building the obstacles which is really exciting. Our community is super pumped about the Tri-Cities first ever mud run obstacle course, and I am really proud of him and the work he has put into this race.

Besides all of that, he has been preparing for a race he did this past weekend. It was a 200 mile ultra. I'll post more about that soon, but he finished it in 62 hours and it was by far the most emotionally up and down race he's ever done.

Blueberry harvest will begin in about three weeks and so he's busy on the farm as well. He pretty much just goes and goes and goes, all day, every day.

So that's a wrap up of our lives lately. I'll check back in soon!

guilty pleasures - the mix.

My friend Lindsay recently created a little mix of songs that she called "my classics". I loved hearing what songs were the soundtrack of her life, and what were her favorites. I immediately began making a list of songs that would be included in my ALL-TIME FAVORITES. Over the past few weeks, different songs would pop into my head and a nice little list developed. I've been listening to this mix and it makes me so happy. I thought you might enjoy it too so I've posted it over in the sidebar below the May mix.

I'm breaking the list into categories because as I was building it I realized that groups of songs went together with certain parts of my life. Some of these songs take me back to an exact moment in my history, while others just conjure up happy memories of the past. There are so many more songs that I could include here, but I limited myself to 50 favorites. I titled the list "guilty pleasures" because some of these songs aren't really my typical style [Christina Aguilera? Celine Dion? Selena Gomez?], but are songs that I'm smitten with anyways. Some of these songs may seem confusing and should be explained so maybe I'll post some stories eventually about why these songs are on this list.


Early Childhood:
1. All By Myself - Eric Carmen
2. In My Life - The Beatles
3. Billy Jean - Michael Jackson
4. Borderline - Madonna
5. Take On Me - A-Ha
6. Careless Whisper - Wham!
7. Amanda - Boston
8. Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston
9. Don't Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin

Teenage years/The Country years/Dating my future husband:
10. Don't Worry Baby - The Beach Boys
11. Love, Me - Collin Raye
12. The Wedding Song - Kenny G
13. I Love the Way You Love Me - John Michael Montgomery
14. The Way You Look Tonight - Steve Tyrell
15. To Make You Feel My Love - Garth Brooks

Married with Children:
16. Don't Speak - No Doubt
17. Lovefool - The Cardigans
18. My All - Mariah Carey
19. The Right Man - Christina Aguilera
20. A Song for You - Celine Dion
21. She - Elvis Costello
22. If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder
23. Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
24. For All We Know - Donny Hathaway

Songs from concerts I'll never forget:
25. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Katharine McPhee
26. Feeling Good - Michael Bublé
27. Wish You Well - Katie Herzig
28. I And Love And You - The Avett Brothers
29. Viva la Vida - Coldplay
30. Oh Dear - Brandi Carlile
31. Dilly - Band of Horses
32. Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
33. Someone Like You - Adele

Favorites from my years of blogging:
34. Look What You've Done - Jet
35. Gravity - Sara Bareilles
36. Your Song - Kate Walsh
37. Long Walk to Never - Jaymay
38. Lost & Far From Home - Katie Costello
39. Made For Glory - Landon Pigg
40. Elephants - Rachael Yamagata
41. Valerie - Amy Winehouse
42. Speak Easy - Maria Taylor
43. We Are The Tide - Blind Pilot
44. I Was Born To Love Her - Ivan & Alyosha
45. Honey Come Home - The Head and the Heart
46. All This Talk of Dreaming is Fine and Sweet - Lex Land

Songs on the radio now that I love:
47. It's Time - Imagine Dragons
48. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
49. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
50. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene


Now, feel free to comment and share a guilty pleasure song of you own!

Prom 2012

Prom was this past weekend and I wanted to share a couple of pictures from the weekend. Madeline was asked to Prom by her long time friend, Tucker, and they had a great time. So much of the fun and excitement in these formal dances is the preparing to go. We spent Saturday getting the final touches together. Flowers, hair done, makeup done, jewelry figured out.

This dress started out as a strapless gown with no frills. We bought a little jacket which a good friend used to sew on little sleeves and I spent a few hours adding sequins and crystal beads to make it more interesting. We love the way it turned out and Madeline looked beautiful in the gown.

It's important to us that our girls dress modestly and that they feel comfortable in their dress. Although skimpy, revealing styles are the norm these days, I believe a young lady will feel more confident and beautiful if she is properly covered and doesn't have to worry about showing too much skin, plus the young man doesn't have to be concerned about where his eyes are :)

Something that I really love...

Friends, I had a wonderful birthday and was spoiled rotten throughout the day by my family and friends. Then, later that evening, I began to feel yucky. Sore throat, stuffy head, etc. I've been mostly in bed this week and the doctor says I have an upper respiratory infection. Boo! But, I've got meds and should be good as new again soon.

You've probably already seen this video, but in case you haven't, please watch it. It's awesome and making me happy today!

Hope your weekend is FABULOUS!

Birthday Surprises!

Today is my birthday, and it's been so fun already that I just want to share the surprises with you. So today there are 5 mix winners! Here's the random picks:

#3- Mrs. Webster
#7- Sarah Jane
#19- Jennie La
#21- Shannon
#22- Katherine

Congratulations! Please email me [passionistapresents at gmail dot com] your address so that I can get your mix in the mail.


I woke up this morning to all kinds of surprises. My youngest, Lily, brought me breakfast in bed, and she and Ethan also decorated the walls with cute handmade signs. Ethan also wrote me the sweetest note that brought tears to my eyes. My older girls showered me with hugs and kisses and"I love you's" and "Happy Birthday's" early before they left for seminary. Then, after seminary Jocelyn brought in the newspaper to show me that Brandon made the front page of the paper today with a story about our organic blueberry farm. I also have a very dear friend who decorates our front porch EVERY year on my birthday and I love what she did this year with a super cute birthday banner.

Today will be filled with family and fun and I am feeling grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people. I am so lucky to have such awesome kids, a loving husband, and thoughtful friends and family.

I hope your day is wonderful too!

bracelets.

I'm not really a necklace gal. I only wear them occasionally and I usually grow annoyed by them within a half hour and am ready to tear them off the second I get home.

Bracelets, on the other hand, I love. I almost feel naked without one. My Pinterest Wish List is filled with bracelets that I adore. Just thought I would share all the prettiness here.

1. Amour Propre by Kiel James Kirkpatrick 2. Pulp Stone Bracelet by Anthropologie 3. Painted Metal Cuff by The Garden Studio 4. Spring Friendship Chain Bracelet by Alexandra Jade [I already have this one and LOVE it!] 5. Knotted Bea Bracelet by Anthropologie 6. Chevron Bangle by One Sydney Road 7. Hand Painted Marrakech Wooden Bracelet by Aramar 8. Briggs Tide & Chauncey knot bracelet by Kiel James Kirkpatrick 9. Sterling Silver Stackable Cuffs by LenandLen 10. Leather Wrap Bracelet by FullOfCraft

Which do you prefer?

Bracelets or necklaces?

May 2012.

Happy May Day! This morning is a chilly but sunny one, and I am excited to post this new playlist for you to enjoy all month long. It's filled with gorgeous tunes. Some slow and mellow, others will add a little pep to your step. It's my favorite kind of mix. I hope you enjoy it!

1. Follow the Sun - Xavier Rudd
2. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
3. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye feat. Kimbra
4. Heart Beats - Johnnyswim
5. The Scientist - Willie Nelson
6. Watching You Watch Him - Eric Hutchinson
7. Neither Here Nor There - Lost In the Trees
8. The Letter - Allo Darlin'
9. I Want to Come Home - Grayson Kessenich
10. Lil' Red Riding Hood - Laura Gibson
11. Sharks Ahead - Melpo Mene
12. Under the Sea - Kelly Brooke Bryan
13. Requiem On Water - Imperial Mammoth
14. Sebastian - Reptar [FREE on iTunes this week!]
15. Just a Game - Birdy
16. Yawning - Pearl & The Beard
17. I'm Through - Ingrid Michaelson
18. Corallina - Lulu Mae
19. Chimes - The Pines
20. Heart That Falls Apart - Sarah Sample [FREE DOWNLOAD!]

Want to win this mix?
Comment once on this post by 9am, Monday, May 7th.
A winner will be announced that morning!
Good Luck + Enjoy!

**This month's cover picture is a shot I took at our Aunt & Uncle's bed + breakfast. Diamond Lake on a foggy morning.

Latest in Literature:

 I still am reading like crazy, and my current book count for 2012 is 19 books so far. Here's what I've been reading lately:

Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson. True life stories of heartbreak and triumph always resonate with me and some of my all time favorite books are memoirs like this one. Maybe because I remember the moment I read about Stephanie & Christian's accident, or because I had been a fan of her blog for some time, or simply because I am a mother and can't imagine experiencing all that she has, but this book touched me more than any book I've ever read. I cried and cried throughout Stephanie's narrative and felt so uplifted and enlightened knowing how far she has come. This book hits home on the strength of the human spirit, unconditional love, and the importance of faith in our lives. Loved every word!


The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker. I am a sucker for beautiful book cover artwork. This cover drew me in and although this book had a very slow start, I am so glad that I stuck with it. Once I made it through the first 70 pages, it got interesting and captivating quickly. I was hooked. A beautiful love story has the power to do that. [The love story was beautiful and compelling without being TOO graphic, though there is some sensuality, but it's portrayed in an innocent/not raunchy way. It was lovely!]

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio. Here's my Goodreads review: "I enjoyed this book, especially because it takes place on beautiful Bainbridge Island, a place I love to visit. This book that flashes between the present and the past and weaves a mysterious story, captured my interest early in the first few pages. A quick, easy, enjoyable read with just enough love story to qualify as a nostalgic romance."

Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner. This is what I am currently reading, another book whose cover art grabbed my attention in the bookstore. I'm only a quarter way into it, but so far it's holding my attention and I am especially loving the author's use of a Russian immigrants voice. Here's the plot summary:

"Set in New York's Russian émigré community, Vaclav & Lena is a timeless love story from a stunningly gifted young novelist.

Vaclav and Lena, both the children of Russian émigrés, are at the same time from radically different worlds. While Vaclav's burgeoning love of performing magic is indulged by hard-working parents pursuing the American dream, troubled orphan Lena is caught in a domestic situation no child should suffer through. Taken in as one of her own by Vaclav's big-hearted mother, Lena might finally be able to blossom; in the naive young magician's eyes, she is destined to be his "faithful assistant"...but after a horrific discovery, the two are ripped apart without even a goodbye. Years later, they meet again. But will their past once more conspire to keep them apart?"

**I also wanted to give an update on a couple of previous books I talked about. On my last literature update, I was reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I ended up with very mixed feelings about this book and you can read my review here.

Also, I wanted to update you all about my cousin Alicia's book, Emerald City which I reviewed here. It is now available on Amazon for Kindle [$5.09!]. It's a great story and I am so happy that Alicia has seen her dream come true of publishing this story.

Have you read anything great recently?

beauty.

Today is a lovely, drizzly, April day.
I love days like this.
When I see beauty all around me...

Out my front door, where each of these images were taken.
In the love I feel from my husband when he kisses me sweetly.
The laughter of my children as they get ready for school.
A hedge of lavender lilacs releasing their intoxicating scent.
In the way a raindrop cascades down a leaf.

Today, I feel a heightened awareness towards beauty.
It's all around me.