Rarely as Planned…

I made a couple of vows at the start of the summer. Vows that had something to do with my blog…and with my family…and maybe with some buttons…

I think the long and short of it was that I would continue to maintain my blog on a regular basis while still giving my boys my undivided attention during summer vacation. After all, they are only this age once and school will start up again before I can even say, “LUNCHBOX!”

There was even a moment a month ago when I thought I would write a little blurb about the photo-a-day challenge that I like to participate in. That would be fun! A quick, daily bit about why I chose the photo that I did. It might give some insight into who I am a little more than just something else that I write about!

But that didn’t happen like I had planned. You see, I will tell you what happened. I began waking up just after the break of dawn in the hopes of stealing some time, maybe an hour, before my kids woke up to work…to blog, to make button flowers. But, folks, as it turns out, it never was an hour because the kids, no matter how quiet I was (I didn’t make a sound!), would always come down within 10 minutes after me! And…what I found myself working on the most, was my button flowers! Instead of sitting here and writing (my original love) I sat and built button flowers-because that is a love that is vying for first place (on my list of things Jen likes to do when she is alone- its a short list!). I’ve been spending quite a lot of extra moments on my buttons lately and I will explain why.

Last Week

All of this leads me to talk about last week. I wont go all into it. I think I might sometime, but not yet. Basically, as I looked at the calendar leading up to the days between June 25 and June 30, I braced myself. Between VBS for Logan each morning and a daily appointment for Eli (chiropractor, speech therapist, Preschool Special Education Evaluation, follow-up with ENT doctor for his ear tubes…) I just put my seat belt on, put my head down and went for it.

However, looking at the days between the 25th and 30th, no one expected the kind of week Colorado Springs would have. Why would we? No one looks at the calendar and plans for the most destructive wildfire in the history of the state? No one plans to escape within minutes of their home going up in flames (but thank goodness most did!)! I certainly didn’t expect to work Tuesday night among tearful evacuees while observing the view just across the interstate of neighborhoods burning to the ground. But that is what disaster is. An unplanned menace.

This is the view of the fire from the parking lot behind my Starbucks store.

Anything that was planned for my week last week-all the lists of appointments and places to be, just seemed like an aside compared to what was happening ten minutes away from us to the west.

Button Flowers, Booths and the Fourth of July

Before all of everything that went down last week…went down…let me take you back seven days ago last Saturday morning when I went to the Colorado Art and Farm Market. This was where I met my new friend, Shaina, who makes beautiful headbands with buttons on them! You might imagine how I was drawn to her booth at the market! Her business is called Krinkle Kut, you should check it out! She sold me this one:

So cute! I just love it!

Shaina and I became fast friends and she invited me to share a booth with her on the Fourth of July at a small town (Fountain-just south of here) Independence Day fesitival. Perhaps you know the festival that I’m talking about. Food booths, arts and crafts booths, live music, family activities…

How wonderful and thoughtful of her to include me! So, I said, “YES!”

This is why it has taken me almost a week to get back here and write! Because I have been working fervently to prepare for the public debut of Jen Blossom! I’ve been knee deep (but in a good way…) in button flower arrangements, button flower hair clips and button flower rings! I already had about 21 arrangements built to bring, but I wanted to see how many more I could produce by Wednesday. However, I won’t compromise quality for quantity! And, what if I were to sell out? They would have to contact me for more! (This is me, thinking optimistically!).

If this mess isn’t sprawled across my dining room table, its sprawled out here, on my family room floor. But is is a lovely mess!

I plan to work hard today and tomorrow as much as possible before Tuesday, when we will celebrate 8 years of Logan! Yahoo!

Here’s to this coming week being leaps and bounds and somersaults and cartwheels better than last!