Lisa Leonard

Thanks so much to each of you who left a comment telling us how you feel blessed. I loved reading each of your stories! It is amazing how God works in our lives through painful situations and gives us joy.

The two winners are…
Danielle (six year med student)
and Miracles (olivia & avery)

Check out their fun blogs!

Ladies, email me your addresses and I’ll get your necklaces out in the next week or so!

We’ve already sold five necklaces–that $50 for the CdLS foundation! Let’s keep going!

I wanted to create a necklace that would describe the impact david has had on our lives, and the word that came to mind was ‘blessed’. We cried real tears when david was born, I felt like I would never experience joy again. But I was SO wrong! This child has brought so much love and happiness to our family. He touches those around him. He is a blessing that came in an unexpected way. So, through July, I am selling these necklaces to benefit the cdls foundation in honor of david’s fifth birthday. (can he really be turning FIVE?!) They are only $38 each and $10 from the sale of each necklace will go to the foundation. They are strung on 18″ sterling ball chain and have a sweet sterling heart. I am also giving away TWO of these sweet necklaces. So leave a comment and tell us about an unexpected blessing in your life. On Saturday I will randomly choose a winner! Go ahead, stock up! These make great gifts for new moms, good friends or anyone who has experienced blessing AND its for a good cause!

Click here to see more hand-stamped jewelry!

We had a great time in Palm Springs. It was HOT–about 110 degrees! So we sat in the kiddie pool a lot, laid around the suite, ate out, saw a movie and laughed a ton. It was so good to be with my sisters and the boys did great! They listened well (except for a couple tantrums) and went with the flow.
The evenings were beautiful with the hot sun setting behind the palm trees.
matty splashed and splashed (he could have played in the water all day!) david really enjoyed the water, too!
all of us at babe’s BBQ in palm desert.
me and david get a little post swim snuggle
matty’s new froggy flip-flops because the ground was too hot to walk on barefoot!

loves to spend time with my boys but needs regular breaks.

taking a trip with my sisters is ideal, because they are so helpful with the boys, and I can get away here and there or catch a nap. during the week, i treasure my time alone, but miss the boys when we are apart. i used to think i was more of an extrovert, but i’ve come to think i am actually more of an introvert. i definitely want to be the one who nurtures and care for my sweet boys, but i also need time away. do other moms feel that way?

i cut + pasted this from lindsey’s blog…just for fun!

1. favorite candy
not that i’m allowed (south beach diet and all) but sour gummy worms & butterfinger, not at the same time!
2. favorite ice cream
lately, sugar free mint and chip
3. favorite book
balzac and the little chinese seamstress is a great read, ot the secret life of bees
4. favorite magazine
country living or better homes and gardens
5. favorite memory from childhood
swimming in the pool and then picking plums of the trees in our backyard
6. quality you most admire in your spouse and/ or best friend
steve is a man of integrity and very insightful
7. favorite way to spend your day
beach day with the family or shopping with chrissie and pedicures
8. how may meals you eat out each week
i plead the 5th!
9. how many kids you’d like to have
3-4?
10. how many traffic tickets you’ve had
3
11. best date ever
novo and a movie (a chick flick!)
12. favorite local eatery
novo, maya, and mo’s
13. suggestions for a free, fun, family day
picnic at the beach
14. one place you’d like to visit
i am craving a week in hawaii, sans kiddos
15. favorite drink
decaf iced latte-yum!

We are leaving the beautiful central coast
and heading to palm springs with my sisters for a little R&R!

Chrissie is bringing her laptop, so I’ll still be checking email and blogging a bit!

I’ve had quite few people asking me about these two items…
These sweet freshwater pearl earrings are a perfect match for the sterling stamped jewelry. Just your basic, classic pearls, that go with everything! Strung on sterling fishhook earwires $16
A nifty silver polish cloth to keep your necklace shiny. They last a long time, even when the cloth gets dingy! $5

We are doing a lot of potty talk and potty sitting around here…but not much potty action! I’ll keep you updated.

Well, school is out and summer has begun. David works REALLY hard at school, so in the evenings we keep it light and fun. Now that it’s summer, I need to push him with eating, walking and play. These are some photos from lunch. He really did a super job. He just needs some help getting the spoon back into the bowl to refill.

We are also going full force with potty training Matty. We stopped when he started preschool because he was having so much separation anxiety. Let’s take a look at my morning…
Number of times he sat on the potty–5
Number of times he went pee pee in the potty–0
Number of accidents–3
Number of times he snuck into the potty prize box and opened a toy–1
Pairs of shoes on the front lawn, drying in the sun–2
Number of times we’ve read the potty book today–16 million (OK, maybe that is an exaggeration)
Money we’ll save on diapers per month $60
Money we’ll spend on extra loads of laundry $61

He is totally capable and ready to be potty-trained, he just needs to WANT it (like we do!). I am really going to hang in there this time, but it is exhausting! Any encouragement is very welcome!! When does summer vacation start for mommies? Oh yeah, SEPTEMBER

when we were young and excited about getting married, i really didn’t think through how important it is to marry a man who is a good daddy. so, i guess we are just blessed and lucky! happy father’s day!

My friend Becky and her husband designed these AMAZING business cards. Each one is seriously a work of art. It’s hard to believe, but I am giving away a FREE card with each order placed! Check them out for invites, announcements and more at sugarpluminvitations.blogspot.com
david has the cutest, sweetest little toes in the world. when he wears these sandals, it really shows them off i want to eat him up!
matty ‘helped’ steve with the yardwork this morning in his jammies and red boots. i think he really pulls of this tough fashion statement!

what are your saturday plans??

for some reason this phrase has been resonating with with me the last couple days. i love my boys so much sometimes it overwhelming! david is finally getting back to his silly, energetic self. i loved all the snuggles while he was sick, but he wasn’t as “present” and I missed his silly giggles and playfulness. it is so nice to have him back! matty is trying so hard to be a big boy. he is listening well and trying to be helpful. this stage of life is so crazy, sometimes i want to wish it away…and at other moments i try to slow it down and hold on somehow. whenever we love well we are vulnerable and open ourselves up for pain, but what a blessing to love and be loved!

I turned the word verification on because I’m getting some spam comments. Chrissie and I had lunch and shopped around Ross today with Matty as our sidekick. He was so good–he listened and behaved like a champion. I needed a day like that!!

chrissie came to visit overnight. i am so thrilled she’s here and i don’t think i’m gonna let her leave. we went up to montana de oro after dinner and watched the sunset. the pic of matty is from earlier today. he had a little preschool end-of the-year picnic. off to play/chat/watch movies with my sis!!

I’m getting ready for Lindsey’s open house and I thought I’d share a few pieces with my friends in the blog world… If you’d like to order something feel free to leave a comment, but please email me as well!
This is a pottery shard from China. I never know what I’ll get when I order these and I thought this piece was so sweet! It is strung with freshwater pearls and clear glass. 16″ SOLD
I just found this carved bone bird pendant and I fell in love! it looks so organic! The pendant is about 2 inches long. It is strung with freshwater pearls and bone. 16.5″ $45, including earrings
Another pottery shard–this cobalt blue is so striking! Strung with cobalt freshwater pearls. 17″ SOLD

We went to the elfin forest again this morning. it was beautiful with the fog rolling off the water, but sun overhead. We really need to plan a mommy hike there! Matty was all about looking for lizards (which are plentiful) but would get a little spooked when he saw one. David hung out in the back pack.

Steve is performing a wedding tonight at the Cliffs and I am going to join him. Should be fun!