oh happy monday!

Never thought I'd put the words happy and Monday in the same sentence, but today is happy again ... my baby is back from the Cape, healthy and in one piece!  And even better, she had an incredible time on her Girl Scout retreat, never struggled at all ... nothing but happy memories an an extra dose of confidence for having taken the step (meantime I've aged 5 years).  Want to know the sweetest part?  She brought back gifts for each of us from the Audubon gift shop, the sanctuary where her troop did some volunteer work.

This is what she chose for me ...

A mommy turtle and her baby ... perfection.  And it didn't stop there ... she brought an emperor penguin home for her dad, complete with baby penguin tucked underneath ... "because daddy protects me" ...

Little ladybug chose this fawn for her big sister ... "because she's so beautiful".  It was a wonderful evening last night to have all four of us sitting to dinner together and hearing all about our Girl Scout's proud adventures ... lots of laughter and love - the moments you wish you could freeze forever.

So the ladybugs are off at school this morning - and I'm heading out to get the spare tire taken off my car.  And to replace the perfectly good tire that sits across from it as well ... grrrr.  But despite my fate to waste half the day sitting at a tire warehouse and spend half our monthly budget in one swoop, it's still a Happy Monday ... our little ladybug is home ...