Baseball And My Fancy Camera

I am enjoying my fancy new camera and starting to learn how to use it better.  Every week I'm going to post some pictures of some of my favorite things and title it "Using My Fancy New Camera."

Here are a few shots of JT on the pitcher's mound a couple weeks ago doing what he loves so to do.   

Summer Journals (A Pinterest Poser Challenge, Sort Of)

As we prepared to go on our road trip down south I was telling the kids about the summer journals they used to make. Or well, that I used to make them make. And actually only Peyton and Lucy did them and then when the other two came along I was too overwhelmed and busy to do very many cutesy projects like summer journals.  But they were really cute and we had a good time going back through them.  It was basically just pictures and a few sentences and it was just everything.

So as we packed and planned to leave, I thought it would be fun to make journals. This week's Pinterest Poser Challenge* is Creating A Summer Journal.  It can be used for a road trip or summer camp or just hanging out at home.

*In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,** every week-ish I detail a new project/idea/recipe inspired by Pinterest.
**My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance.

We had old binders that I found in the basement.  I just encouraged each child to create a cover and then they had fun with the three-hole punch and put in some paper to draw and write on throughout our road trip.

It was free.  It took one child five minutes to finish because he didn't add a lot of detail.  It took some of the other children a solid 40 minutes. It was fun.

Free. Fun. And encourages creativity and writing and telling their own story. Boosh! I love it.

I'll keep you posted with how often they write/draw in their journals while we are on the trip and hopefully share some of their work if they feel comfortable with it.

Watching them get excited about writing and drawing about our trip, I decided I wanted a journal too. We were out of binders so I just used leftover brown thick paper that I have no idea where it came from.  I punched holes in the sides and then tied the paper together with ribbon.  I decorated the front with scrap book paper I found in my craft bin.  Free and fun. I am excited to write down my thoughts on paper with a pen...how old school.  





How is your summer going so far? Have you gone on a road trip? Have you made anything inspired by Pinterest lately? Let me know in the comments or over on my Facebook page.

Come follow me on Pinterest (click here).

Here are some of the Pinterest projects I've done/made/attempted:

Homemade Chalk Paint- click here

A Flower Crown- click here

The Rainbow Challenge- click here

DIY Trundle Bed- Click here

DIY Artemis Costume- click here

Taking Pictures of Your Kids- click here

Gluten Free Pretzels- click here

Cinnamon Sugar Doughballs- click here

Painted Lockers- click here

Melted Beads- DIY Suncatcher- click here

Tissue Paper Pom Pom Garland-- click here

A Delightfully Simple Birthday Party--click here
Make An Awesome Omelet--click here
Outdoor Lights Inspired by the show Parenthood- click here
Herb Garden with Chalkboard Pots- click here
Backyard Graffiti Art with kids- click here

Happiness Notecards- click here

Gluten Free Rainbow Cake- click here

Fruit Roll-Up Fortune Cookies- click here

Make Your Own Magnets- click here

DIY Painted Clay Necklace- click here

Dixie Cup Lights- click here

DIY Ornaments-click here

Gluten Free Clay- click here

Make Your Own Stamps- click here
Birthday Shirt- click here

Gluten Free Pop Tarts- click here
Front Porch Kid Art Display- click here
Door turned into Table- click here

Summer Wish List Chalkboard-click here

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Sandwiches-click here

Painted Mason Jar Vases-click here

Cinco de Mayo Paper Flowers- click here

Earth Day Cupcakes- Click here
Nail Art-click here

Homemade Photo Booth Fun- click here

Fake Bangs- click here

DIY Subway Art- click here

Furniture Painting and Bench/Chest Makeover- click here

Thanksgiving-y Project/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown- click here
The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here
Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here
The pumpkin address-click hereThe Kitchen Dancing Sign--click here

Graceland Here We Come...

I'm getting ready to hit the road.  I love hitting the road, it's maybe one of my most favorite things ever.  It's all freedom and rolling down the windows and jamming to good music and not being tied down by "have-tos"and over scheduled-ness.  Give me an open road full of possible adventure but definitely a change of scenery any day. I look forward to our summer road trip all year long (I've written about it before here and here and here).

This year we have a little bit of have-to involved...we are driving to my oldest kid's baseball tournament. A week-long tournament. I will not lie and say that I am excited because I'm sort of not. But my oldest kid is and so I am happy for him.  The tournament just happens to be in Kentucky a short drive from my sister's house.  So we will be staying with her family and that makes it more than just watching baseball for 500 million hours and that is good for all of us. I am happy that we get to visit with my sister and her kids for a whole week, but I wanted to throw in a little more open road-quirky-go-where-you-wanna-go vibe to the trip.  So, we are going to Memphis. Actually, we are going to Graceland.

Yes, Graceland. Home of Elvis Presley. Also a bucket list site for pop culturalists like myself. I mean I liked Elvis music when I was a kid, but I loved reading Elvis and Me when I was in middle school. Why was I reading that when I was 12? I have no idea. Possibly because I was a fan of Priscilla Presley on my all-time favorite TV show growing up, Dallas.  Remember she played Jenna Wade, Bobby's old girlfriend?  I loved her.  So anyway, the pop culturalist in me is kind of freaking out because I have toured Southfork (the ranch featured on Dallas) and now I'm heading to Graceland (the home where Elvis lived (um, and Priscilla!).  Whoa.

The drive to Graceland is about more than pop culture fascination. It's about being able to be with my kids and show them that there is more than just our little bubble. There's a whole big, beautiful, wild, interesting, different world out there.  I don't have the money to fly them somewhere exotic or even to god damn Epcot Center, but I can jump in the minivan and put down the windows blast some kick-ass music and show them something different than what they are seeing now. It's an adventure that we will share together. They will have stories to tell--they might be stories of how their mom made them make this really long drive to some mansion of a dead guy that wore sparkly suits int he 1970s OR they will tell stories of the day they discovered their love of Elvis music and an appreciation for the beauty of western Tennessee.  

Who knows what will happen...I just hope when they tell the stories they remember what it felt like to get on that road toward adventure and possibility. I hope they remember laughter and good times and stopping at weird gift shops and funky museums and talking with friendly people at the continental breakfasts at the hotels. Then I hope they remember what it felt like to miss home and appreciate all that we have and cheer when we crossed back over the Michigan state line.

It's good stuff these road trips.  

Graceland, here we come....

Packing for an impromptu road trip to Graceland, the kids and me. (I mean after we dance). Yup. Because I want to go there, because my kids don't know who Elvis is, because it's the only adventure I can afford, because it's summer, because I love road trips, because why the hell not? #kitchendance #ilovemykids #summervacation #roadtrips

A video posted by Angela Youngblood (@jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed) on Jun 22, 2015 at 6:31am PDT

Because AHHHHHH I love this song so damn much and the lyrics move me because of my need for adventure and reclaiming that I don't live in a bubble and because of the world and what's happening and our need for goodness and faith and redemption.


One of my favorite songs-

The Best Man/Father

When I met Tim I knew he'd be a good father. I watched him with my little brother when we were dating. I knew he'd be attentive and playful and loving.  At least I mean I could picture what it might look like if we ever had kids.  But I really had no idea until we actually had kids what Tim would be like as a father. And I really had no way of picturing the father he has become or the man, he has exceeded any expectations I had all those years ago.

Tim is old school.  He is the kind of dad that does everything he can for his kids. He works hard to give them a good life. If they need something extra or try out for a sports team that costs extra, Tim works harder. For example, he works summer school in his district to help pay for travel baseball teams for the boys.  

He is never late to anything. He strongly believes in commitment, respect and loyalty to school work and teachers, teammates and coaches, and each member of our family.  Tim comes from a family that mostly still lives in the area, has Fourth of July picnics and Christmas parties at Lions' Club banquet halls, that kisses hello and good-bye every time they see each other, and that respects their elders in a way that you see in movies and old TV shows.

Three generations of Youngbloods.

He loves football and Led Zepplin and cheeseburgers and his family.

Tim is also surprisingly not so typically old-school.  He married me for one thing, a liberal, emotional, always running late, scattered, noncommittal mess. He says I "keep life interesting."  He also says I give him insight into what it's like to have a "brain that's full of color."  Um, which means Tim is compassionate and patient and loving.  And he's carried all of this into fatherhood.  He gets that some of our kids got a little of my wiring and he is just as compassionate, patient and loving with them as he is with me.  

I joke around that he truly sees me like Oprah says all people want to be seen, but it's really no joke. He truly sees me and loves me.  He sees our children and loves them. Tim is the kind of dad that shows us all what unconditional love is.

Tim is the kind of dad that gives up drinking because he knows the genetic land mine we're passing onto our children. He wasn't an alcoholic, but he said he saw patterns he didn't like in himself and wanted to give our kids a different example. 

He not only gives all his goodness to us, he gives a hundred percent to the students at his high school and the kids he coaches. He cares about them and believes in them and roots for them. He mentors young men who need a second or third chance in life. 

Tim is the best parts of old school combined with open-minded compassion.  He supports, encourages, challenges, uplifts and loves. He reads stories, draws pictures, plays games, listens to daydreams, helps with homework, believes in second and third chances.  

He is undconditional love. He is the glue to our family and the best man I've ever known.  

A Messy, Colorful Start (A Pinterest Poser Challenge)

Summer vacation has begun and even though the weather has been pretty eh and my kids are so busy that I haven't seen them that much, I did find time to get crafty and not be such a poser.  

It's been pretty rainy here, but a couple days ago in between rain spells we made chalk paint and decorated our sidewalks and then danced in the rain on the artwork. 

This week's Pinterest Poser Challenge* is a messy one, but a fun one. 

*In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,** every week-ish I detail a new project/idea/recipe inspired by Pinterest.
**My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance.

It's a very simple and cheap project, and if you don't mind a little bit of a mess you just might love this.  All you need is corn starch, water and food coloring.

Mix together equal parts corn starch and water until a thick "chalky" paint forms. It's hard to stir and gets very thick, I had to take over the stirring job for a couple of the kids.  Add the food coloring and then you are done.  

My kids (Wade, Lucy and her buddy Caroline) had fun mixing the food coloring and making new colors.  They pretended they were witches and wizards making potions (that game continued for the rest of the day, even after we were done painting).

We mixed our colors inside because it was raining, but I might advise mixing them outside on the grass if you prefer less mess in your kitchen.

Then the kids went wild with their own designs on the sidewalk--polka dots, sunshine and more.  The paint dried brighter than when it first went on and that was fun. 

After the kids finished their designs, the rain started again and they danced and played all around and on their artwork.

 I originally pinned this project from one of my favorite bloggers that I've followed for years Meg Duerksen.Click here to check her post out.

This was the perfect project to kick off summer vacation with the kids and embrace things I love--make believe, self-expression, art, making the world a more colorful, happy place and getting messy.

How is your summer going so far? Have you made anything inspired by Pinterest lately? Let me know in the comments or over on my Facebook page.

Come follow me on Pinterest (click here).

Here are some of the Pinterest projects I've done/made/attempted:

A Flower Crown- click here

The Rainbow Challenge- click here

DIY Trundle Bed- Click here

DIY Artemis Costume- click here

Taking Pictures of Your Kids- click here

Gluten Free Pretzels- click here

Cinnamon Sugar Doughballs- click here

Painted Lockers- click here

Melted Beads- DIY Suncatcher- click here

Tissue Paper Pom Pom Garland-- click here

A Delightfully Simple Birthday Party--click here
Make An Awesome Omelet--click here
Outdoor Lights Inspired by the show Parenthood- click here
Herb Garden with Chalkboard Pots- click here
Backyard Graffiti Art with kids- click here

Happiness Notecards- click here

Gluten Free Rainbow Cake- click here

Fruit Roll-Up Fortune Cookies- click here

Make Your Own Magnets- click here

DIY Painted Clay Necklace- click here

Dixie Cup Lights- click here

DIY Ornaments-click here

Gluten Free Clay- click here

Make Your Own Stamps- click here
Birthday Shirt- click here

Gluten Free Pop Tarts- click here
Front Porch Kid Art Display- click here
Door turned into Table- click here

Summer Wish List Chalkboard-click here

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Sandwiches-click here

Painted Mason Jar Vases-click here

Cinco de Mayo Paper Flowers- click here

Earth Day Cupcakes- Click here
Nail Art-click here

Homemade Photo Booth Fun- click here

Fake Bangs- click here

DIY Subway Art- click here

Furniture Painting and Bench/Chest Makeover- click here

Thanksgiving-y Project/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown- click here
The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here
Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here
The pumpkin address-click hereThe Kitchen Dancing Sign--click here

Four Years Ago

Four years ago I started this blog. Four years ago I was looking for a place to express myself and practice my writing and get some creative discipline.  Four years ago my life was so different but yet so much the same.  

I got into this whole blogging thing to sort of light my creative fire and rediscover who I was outside of being a mother to young kids. I was in the process of trying to build a video editing business and thought the blog would be a good place to build some sort of online following or be a good place to share my videos.  I thought the blog would phase out once I started making money editing video and then when Wade went to kindergarten I would be able to work full-time at my very own video business.  Well, that isn't exactly how it's gone.

Blogging did indeed light a creative fire.  It also became a way to document my sweet family and work out some shit I needed to work out.  Over the past four years, writing consistently and sharing stories and pictures and videos and my life has helped me become more honest, more myself.  It has led me down a path to raw authenticity.  It has taught me how to connect through storytelling.  It has introduced me to people that I rely on and love.  It has steered me toward opportunities to write and get paid, to travel, to learn, to grow, to discover my love of the stage, to win awards, to better understand so much and to become an advocate.

I've written about some heavy topics over the years like mental illness, my miscarriages, ADHD, addiction, anxiety and so damn much about my complicated relationship with my mother.  I mean looking back I feel a little bit like Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy...the same storyline over and over....she's broken, I'm broken, we get it already. Ahhhhh. But that's the thing about recurring story lines, they are relatable because man, some stuff is hard to shake and it plays such a huge role in shaping us as people and mother people and well, what I'm saying is, I will for sure write more posts about my mother. I just will, because it's complicated.

It was easier to be funny about the kid stuff in the early years of my blog because they were so little. They were funnier and I could write about them without worrying about what they think or if they worry about what their friends think.  You better believe my kids are saying some funny shit now, but they are older and I can't write about a lot of it. They have their own lives and they need to tell their own stories. But after they turn 18 and move out maybe I can write about some of it then...maybe I'll still be blogging in 15 years, who knows?

It was also easier to find time to write when the kids were little, and I was younger. I used to write during JT and Wade's naptimes and now of course, no one naps! I used to stay up late and write, like really late, like 2 a.m. late. Now I can only do that about once a week because I'm older and I can't drink as much or stay up as late as I used to without major exhaustion consequences.  

Four years ago I started this blog and I named it Jumping With My Fingers Crossed. In my very first blog post ever I explained why I chose that name and I referenced a story about Lucy jumping:

Last fall she was standing on top of a very high playground structure.  I told her she better not jump and that it wasn't safe, she might get hurt.  She replied "I might not."  And with that she closed her eyes, crossed her fingers and jumped.  After sticking her landing she turned to me and said "see, told ya."
A little bratty? yes.  A little gutsy? yes.  

So here it goes. I am jumping with my fingers crossed.
Maybe I will have something to say. And maybe I will have someone that reads it.

Four years ago, I had no idea what it would all look like--getting older, facing fears, all the beautiful, heart-crushingly sweet moments with my children, the hilarious parts of life, the ironic parts, the never-ending saga with my mother, the trips we would take, how much I would love Instagram, how cool it is to have older kids, how I miss having toddlers, that I would get two dogs, that Tim and I would be even more in love, that we would have to short-sell our home, that my friend would lose her battle with cancer, that I would co produce a storytelling show, that I would wear an old prom dress on stage in a rock concert venue in Detroit, that I would stop wearing high heels except for a rare special event, that streaming TV would bring me more joy than Tivo and that I would still be writing a blog and so much more. 

None of us really have any idea, all we can do is cross our fingers and jump into life.  I'm going to keep jumping in and keep writing and sharing and connecting and learning and loving.

Looking back through some of the almost 900 blog posts, I can't believe how much older they/we all look. 

Lucy circa 2011

Wade circa 2011

Oh my god! Wade and JT in a wheelbarrow in 2011! Ahhhhhh!

Lucy and Peyton would never pose for pictures like this in these shirts now that they are super cool teenagers.

One of my all-time favorite pictures of Peyton and me
(circa 2011).

Baby Wade. Now I'm crying, I can't believe he was just a baby!!!!

Whoa, four years ago this was my life...toddlers and little kids and...I'm about to be one of those ladies that says "you blink and they grow up." Ahhhhh! But those ladies are right.

Here are some of the more insightful things I've written. Just kidding they are some of the most ridiculous/funny/weird things....

• The post where I say the F word A LOT as a way of coping in the hospital after my mom broke her neck. Click here to revisit that fun.

Peter Pan is a dick......As I was listening to my kids watch "Peter Pan," which I have "watched" a million times, I hear Peter say to the sweet Wendy "girls talk too much" and then laugh his tiny little head off when Tinker Bell was saying Wendy was ugly.  Then Wendy still goes to Neverland with him?  Seriously?  No wonder our girls (and women) are so confused about life.

• The post where I totally kept my cool after one of my kids broke their arm picking strawberries. Yup, picking strawberries. Click here to figure out how the fuck that happened.

• I've written A LOT over the years about being tired. Really, really tired. Click here for one of the 345 posts devoted to being tired. 

Me being tired like Woody circa 2012.

Then Tim sent me a text.  A mushy, we'll get through whatever we have to kind of text.  It was the poetry and romance of the ordinary moment that I love, that I need.  A reminder that even though we don't have any answers and life is full of stupid funks and that our happily ever after looks different than other people's and we will never be good with money (we would be those assholes that screw up winning the MegaMillions jackpot) and JoAnn Fabrics may never hire me, we're together and we're in love.  We will ride off into the sunset in our minivan with no clue where we are going and get lost together.

• Honestly, I've written some sweet stuff about Tim and me and our life. I'm actually pretty damn proud of this blog and our messy, beautiful family. Click here for one of my favorite posts about Tim and me.