Living in the Sunshine

Posted in Uncategorized by adrianahartley

I stopped to see the beach and to listen to the waves for 5 minutes before heading home, because I was really “busy” today.

We were going to sit in the hot tub and drink our coffee, but we didn’t. We went for a walk with the kids instead.

We were going to go for a drive to test out my friend’s new car, but we didn’t. We sat on the patio and watched the hawks circling overhead instead.

We were going to make lunch, but rather we put out fruit and meat and cheese and told everyone to help themselves.

We joyfully watched the kids play all day, appreciating them still being kids. We relaxed in the sunshine and talked the day away and there was nothing else I would have rather done. We were very busy, being.

We flowed and danced and loved being together side by side, enjoying our kids and our friendship and living our happily ever after in the sunshine. This is it. This is my version of the best life. Thank you my friend, for sharing your weekend and family and home and thoughts with me. xo

How did you live it up today? What does your happily ever after look like? Be well, BeLOVErs.

26Feb2016

Pure Joy

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Charlie and I were excited all day for this. We were anticipating finishing our day and packing up our duffle bags for an overnight stay with our BFFs. We stopped at 7-11 to buy snacks and popping cap guns.

I’m only sharing this picture that Charlie took on our ride down south because I want to hold on to the other memories in my mind.

I loved that from the moment we stepped out of the car, Charlie was already running away with his BFF. We did see them now and then and got to share in some of their joy. Like when they decided to be polar bears and dared each other to jump into the freezing, cold pool. Boys will be boys and we laughed and enjoyed their antics.

Listening to friends and watching them interact is the best gift. They adore each other and got into a state of flow in 2 seconds, just like their mamas. We picked up where we left off, happy to be together again.

Pure joy, just being together.

These are the days…life is good.

Have a good weekend, BeLoveRs.

12Sep2015

The Best Kind of Day

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My sister and my niece came to visit us this weekend and this was my (welcome) sign. It was a play on words that included them with me to create the we and the plural of Here I Am. I loved this very thought from before they even arrived. I sat on my porch last night, waiting and anticipating their arrival with excitement.

I love being in their presence and when we are together, it doesn’t matter what we do. I feel comfortable and content and truly myself and I have no agenda except to soak in all their love and share it back with them, doing everything and nothing. Seriously.

These are the best kind of days. We just flowed in and out, together and with the kids, and alone and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. We were up early and shared coffee and breakfast. We took the kids where they needed to go. We rested and read and fed the kids and shopped. We watched Charlie’s soccer game and made friends. We cooked dinner together and cleaned up together. We laughed and teased each other and shared stories of our lives, the ones we don’t find the time to share over brief, interrupted phone calls and texts.

There’s no substitute for face to face time. I got to hug her and really see her and share in the joys of our kids playing together and loving one another and growing up together.
I am thankful that she chose to come visit (me) us and took the time to make love grow.

Here We Are.

19Jul2015

This Moment

Posted in Uncategorized by adrianahartley

Are you living it up? Are you doing exactly what you want to be doing? If not this moment, then when?

I believe in living in the moment and maximizing doing what I love, every day in addition to the work required to keep things flowing, of course.

I’ve realized that my favorite things to do are spending time with family and friends doing whatever and usually that means eating and traveling and exercising and experiencing new things and helping others. So I guess those are my favorite things… What are your favorite ways of spending the day?

Today my friends were gathering in the city so I drove up to be with them and to enjoy their presence. I adore them and was so happy to have a few hours together.

While I was gone, my boys got started painting a room which made me very happy. I came home to help with the finishing touches for day 1 and the first coat before we had dinner together.

I love this moment, this life, right now. And you. And you?

wishing you love and peace.

nAMaste

26Apr2015

Yoga Mafia

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Here I Am… with the Yoga Mafia in Cabo.

I love these girls and this moment for so many reasons and am incredibly happy. Thank you SQ for choosing all of us to be with you on this yoga retreat.

These women are amazingly strong, kind, fit, funny, gorgeous and just awesome! They are fiercely supportive of one another and work hard and are passionate about yoga and having a good time together in the most relaxed way. I LOVED being with all of them for a few days in the sun again, doing yoga every day and also doing nothing together too, just being content with the stillness of being present in the same beautiful space.

Yoga is a continuous practice and we are always learning and challenging our bodies and our minds to do more and to go deeper and to rise up and to find balance. It helps us to be okay being perfectly imperfect and to not judge ourselves yet to keep pushing our own personal boundaries and limits. It teaches us mindfulness and to be present, focused on our breathe as we try to master different poses.

I am so thankful that I was able to practice with the most amazing Yogis I’ve ever seen in beautiful Cabo San Lucas. They are truly inspiring, don’t you think?

nAMaste

20Apr2015

Rituals and Love

Posted in Uncategorized by adrianahartley

I picked up Juliana from school today, curious how she did with her jet lag and how she was feeling. She did surprisingly well, although was a bit quieter and moved a little more slowly. She was definitely tired but made it to all her classes and appointments, after being up for 30+ hours straight. I asked her if she wanted to take a nap, but she said she thought if she napped, she wouldn’t want to get up again. I asked her if she wanted to go get a bubble tea, and her eyes sparkled and she woke up again.

We waited for Charlie and then drove across town for their favorite treat. I love that she loves these and that I could spoil her. I’m trying to watch my calories so she ordered a large boba tea so I could have a sip or two. This was just right for me, as I got to share a drink with her and not have too much.

My mama drove up from Southern California to be with us this week and she arrived this afternoon, right before I picked up the kids. I was so happy that she got here safely, and that we got to spend the day together. I wanted her right by my side, doing everything together. We went to pick up the kids together, read magazines together, cooked dinner together, drove the kids to and from together, went to Target, ate dinner together and watched the end of the Warriors game together too. We laughed and joked and loved on each other and the kids and Jeff when he came home too. She is the most efficient, hardest worker I’ve ever known and I just admire her and all the love she has to give. I’m so thankful she’s here with us for a few days and that we can just BE, her and ME and the rest of the gang too, of course, doing whatever we do.

Love this life. Love my family. Love my mama.

nAMaste

17Apr2015

Day 5 – Santa Cruz

Posted in Uncategorized by adrianahartley

My happy place! I love the beach and just being there makes me happy.

My favorite part today was people watching with my BFF and enjoying the kids just playing. It was sunny and windy so I was a bit cold and wore a sweatshirt the entire day.

Today I saw the beach as a place to build and create and connect. There are free, unlimited building materials everywhere and mixing sand and water is magical. I’ve never thought of it this before this way but today, watching the kids from 0-60 build and play and run and laugh made me smile. There was unlimited entertainment.

Our kids loved bringing big shovels and digging deep holes, making a man cave and a place to sit and hide.

An older gentleman spent hours building a sand bridge. He was like the pied piper, with people coming around to see what he was doing.

Teens were jumping in the waves and then resting and digging for sand crabs, all together in a row.

Our kids were making soccer fields and soccer hole goals and boundary lines and then playing a game together. They used their boogie boards for the back of the soccer goals and played and ran and shot and laughed and then went in the water to cool off.

They boogie boarded and enjoyed the cold water. They were brave and stayed together, laughing and jumping and riding the waves over and over again.

There were women flying kites and naked babies and little toddlers coming over to see what our kids were doing. There was kindness and teamwork and big boys sharing with little boys. There were little ones rolling over and over in the sand because they could.

There were seagulls stealing chip bags and protecting their territory, defending their loot from the other birds. This was so funny to watch.

We watched boats come in and out of the harbor and waves crashing on the rocks. We watched a police boat jet off and jet skiers following them as well and another boat that pulled a broken down boat back into the harbor.

There were volleyball players and football throwers and little ones running back and forth.

The beach is a beautiful place, filled with life and joy and movement.

This is my happy place! Where is yours?

Tired Out!!

nAMaste

29Mar2015

My Birthday

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It’s not my birthday. But I felt like it was. My favorites are in town. I got to just hang out with them all day and night and I felt like it was my birthday celebration weekend. This is my dream come true.

The kids. The moms. The sisters. The Husband. All mixed together, playing and enjoying each other. That’s it. This is what makes me glow from the inside, so thankful, so filled with joy.

The littles were running around the house with trucks and small toys, making noise, chasing each other, banging on the drums and dancing.

The middle one made pancakes.

The big one slept in.

My loves enjoyed coffee together in the breakfast nook.

We didn’t have a plan and then one just came together.

We enjoyed the day unfolding, meeting everyones’ needs and just flowing. I love days like today.

We were at the soccer field, watching Charlie’s first match of the season, all of us sitting together on blankets and chairs in the sunshine and cheering and enjoying the journey.

We made raclette party food for dinner, everyone pitching in and loving the shared experience.

The middle girls baked meringue cookies and we stayed up way past our bed times again.

THIS is the life. Pinch me. I love it. I love them.

I am so happy they are here to celebrate my “birthday.’

Life is good. Namaste.

3Dec2014

Patiently Waiting

Posted in Uncategorized by adrianahartley

It’s day 3 and today I enjoyed a day of “nothingness” in my pajamas all day and listening to the rain.

I refuse to let in to the anxiety and instead am slowing down, whatever that means. I loved just being in my quiet house without the sound of tv, music, or kids.

Three things made me happy today:
1) Having the day “off”

2) Making fish stew with leftovers

3). Decluttering my desk area

How did you enjoy your day?

Wishing you peace, love, and light.

Namaste. xo

29Nov2014

Friends and Family

Posted in Uncategorized by adrianahartley

This sign was hanging in the women’s restroom in San Luis Obispo.

In the men’s room, Jeff says the sign said, “Some call it chaos. we call it family.”

I think we have it all.

We spent a lot of time with extended family this weekend and I feel sad leaving them, even though I am happy to be going home again.

I love being together and embracing the chaos and love that swirl around us, tying us together through shared experiences and laughter.

There were several highlights from our time together, however my favorite was when friends and family gathered outside and held hands, all 26 of us, and shared a Thanksgiving prayer before dinner acknowledging our gifts and our heartbreaking loss of Chase this year. We were able to smile and cry together and it was a beautiful moment of being safe and authentic, vulnerable and real. We were happy to be together and sad to be missing a loved one. Yin and yang.

I love the unique gifts that each person brings to our family, quirks and all.

Homemade bacon.

I kept reminding myself that we all bring love to share in our own way.

Baking together.

I am especially thankful to my parents for opening their home to everyone and making us welcome and embracing everyone with unconditional love.

We left their home this afternoon and headed home ourselves. My favorite place to be, besides home, is at the beach. My BFF ML also loves the beach and was at Pismo today. We were so lucky to be able to find each other on the beach and watched the sunset together with our families.

This was such a great way to wrap up the day and I was so happy to see her and to be together on the beach!! Simple joys, I’m telling you!!