Summer is in full-swing here in small town Missouri and we’re most certainly having a blast. The sun is shining, the flowers are in full bloom and the fun level is cranked up on high.

Most of the time.

Fun-filled days or not, we all have not-so-fun moments in our everyday lives; moments of complete and utter chaos and stress, moments that push us closer and closer to the proverbial edge. More often than not, I feel like I’m teetering on that edge, torn between jumping head first into the pit of overwhelming despair or stepping back into the light.

Giving in to the negativity that often plague our lives can be tempting. It seems a heck of a lot easier to just throw your hands up and surrender. But, taking a moment to reflect on all the little bits of heaven that pop into our daily lives can make a world of difference.

Though I’ve had my fair share of not-so-fun moments over the last month, I’m stepping back into the light and celebrating the little bits of heaven that have pulled me back from the edge.

Moments that make me smile…

My husband’s kidney stone surgery went well and I couldn’t be more pleased. Sure he says and does stupid stuff on occasion, but I love the guy and can’t even begin to imagine how incredibly boring life would be if he wasn’t around to say such sweet things like, “our baby gets her cankles from you!” Oh no he didn’t.

Going for walks and picking wildflowers with my 8-year daughter, Amaya. Some of the sweetest childhood memories are made while doing the simplest of things together.

Splashing and swimming at Roubidoux Creek. The kids had a blast catching tadpoles while cooling off in the creek on a warm summer day. And I sat back, camera in hand, taking it all in. It was a great day.

Blowing bubbles and laying under the shade of a tree with my 2-year old daughter, Alana.

Stacking a massive, chest-high pile of firewood all. by. myself. Despite the fact that Mother Nature came rolling through the next day, tearing my pile to shreds with PMS-induced 70 mph winds, I was still very proud of my accomplishment.

Watching my mother-in-law’s eyes brim with tears as she hugged my children for the first time in a year. Despite the divorce and distance that separates us (I’ve since remarried), we’ve remained close. My children are the glue that binds us together. We love her and the entire family so much and I am incredibly thankful that divorce hasn’t broken the bond that we share.

Sprinkler time fun. I spent many summers running in and out of our backyard sprinkler as a kid and I just love watching my children do the same.

Looking through the amazing photos that have been pouring in to the Crazy Days of Summer Weekly Photo Challenge that I co-host with my dear friend Alicia (from Project Alicia). I’m blown away by all the awesome talent out there and humbled that so many folks have taken part in our weekly meme. Choosing only five favorites each week has certainly been tough, but Alicia and I are having fun every step of the way.

Eating popsicles. Lots and lots of popsicles.

Sitting back and relaxing while my husband made dinner one evening. He even cleaned the dishes!

Slipping and sliding a warm summer day away. Laughter. Squeals of delight. It really doesn’t get any better than that.

Planting flowers in my garden. I’m beyond excited that they’re flourishing and not withering away.

Creating colorful masterpieces with sidewalk chalk and washing them all away...

I’d love for you to share your smile-worthy moments with me too. What are some of the things you’ve been thankful for lately?

Experts believe that the color yellow has the power to stimulate the nervous system, activate memory, encourage communication and stimulate the mind.

The beautiful yellow photos that came pouring in during our fourth week of the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge certainly stimulated our minds. Alicia (from Project Alicia) and I oohed and ahhed as we sifted through your photos this week. There were so many shades of yellow to be found, some of them in the most unexpected places.

Here are a few of our favorite photos that were submitted for our yellow theme week, in no particular order of course…

Top Five Pics of the Week

Submitted by: Captivus Living

Submitted by: More to Me

Submitted by: The Bonnie 5

Submitted by: A Moment in Time

Submitted by: June Makes 6

Thank you so much for joining Alicia (Project Alicia) and I in the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge. We’re thrilled with the photos that have been pouring in each week. Don’t forget to join us on Friday, July 1st when we tackle a new theme: light. All are invited regardless of skill level or time commitment. For additional details and a complete list of upcoming themes, head on over to the Summer Photo Challenge page.

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they’re showing their support for Girls For A Change.
I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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Somewhere deep within the heart of every girl is a voice that is longing to be heard; a voice that has the power to effect change in our world.

Raising my daughters to become confident young women who embrace and celebrate their diversity, are comfortable in their own skin and aspire to be their very best is just a fraction of my responsibilities as a mother of three young girls.

It’s my duty to guide my daughters in the right direction; to lay a strong foundation of self-respect and to instill morals and values within them and the conviction to stand up for what’s right.

Like most mothers, I want the very best for my girls. I want them to know and value their worth. I want them to embrace and celebrate that which sets them apart. I want them to be unafraid. I want them to dream.

I want my daughters to find their voice. And I want them to use that voice to empower others and effect change in our world, big or small.

I want the girls of our world to rise up and use their voices to effect change in their schools and communities and corners of our world.

Girls For a Change wants the same. Over the last nine years, Girls For a Change been in the business of inspiring girls to have the voice, ability and problem solving capacity to speak up, be decision makers, create visionary change and realize their full potential.

Girls For a Change is deeply committed to empowering girls to create social change and they need your help.

Yahoo! will donate $10 to Girls For A Change for each person who clicks here to make Yahoo! her homepage by tomorrow, Friday, July 1st, up to an amazing $10,000! Girls For a Change is counting on you to help them reach their goal of 1,000 people willing to make the change worth $10,000 to their fantastic cause.

Won’t you join me in helping Girls For A Change continue its work by clicking here to make Yahoo! your homepage by tomorrow?

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She’s intelligent, respectful, talkative and kind.

And she’s growing into a beautiful young woman.

My daughter Alyssa celebrated her 14th birthday a couple weeks ago and I’m still beside myself wondering just where in the world the time has gone.

My little girl is growing up and there’s just no stopping it.

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Oops! I almost forgot to mention that…

I’m teaming up with Alicia from Project Alicia to bring you a super fun weekly summer meme called the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge. I’d love for you to join us on Friday, July 1st. Stop by and share your favorite photos inspired by our new theme, “light”. Details here.

If it’s been a while since I’ve stopped by your site, please accept my apologies. I’m trying my best to stay afloat and visit as many of you as possible each week. I’m not super blogger, but I’m doing my best so please be patient with me. And as always, thanks for stopping by and linking up here at Live and Love Out Loud. If you’re looking for even more fabulous people to link up with, head on over to the following blogs and link up with them as well. I do every.single.week.

I’m on a mission to raise confident young women who embrace and celebrate their diversity, are comfortable in their own skin and aspire to be their very best. But more and more, it seems my mission is being thwarted by the glorification of sex, alcohol and a longing to achieve perfection as defined by the media. Fortunately for parents like myself, Discovery Girls Magazine is empowering young girls and giving them the inspiration, confidence and guidance they need to successfully navigate their way through the challenging tween years with their self-esteem in tact.

Raising daughters in this great big world can be incredibly challenging at times. Unrealistic, fantasy-like images of women inundate our lives. A constant stream of sexualized, airbrushed, professionally made-up and manicured celebrities and reality stars are touted on magazine covers, in movies and on television; undoing the confidence, self-esteem and self-acceptance that many parents have worked so hard to instill in their girls.

Young girls face a unique set of challenges during the tween years – peer pressure, feelings of inadequacy, bullying and puberty. But thanks to Discovery Girls Magazine, young girls are able to grow, develop a positive sense of self and realize that they’re not alone.

Discovery Girls is the kind of magazine that parents can trust. Their commitment to empowering young girls to celebrate who they are and strive to realize their potential is amazing, while their dedication to promoting a positive image through the use of wholesome real-life girls on their cover and throughout is absolutely refreshing. Filled to the brim with fun, age-appropriate articles, the content found in Discovery Girls Magazine is created by girls for girls between the ages of 8-12 years old; tackling real-life topics that really matter to tweens – friendships, growing up, fitting in and more. And there’s a whole lot of fun to be had too – fun quizzes, embarrassing moments, fashion, health and beauty and creative projects.

Discovery Girls is an excellent tool in a parent’s arsenal and a fabulously fun resource for young girls as well.

Discovery Girls Giveaway

I’m thrilled to announce that Discovery Girls is offering an amazing prize pack valued at $70 to one lucky reader here at Live and Love Out Loud.

The Discovery Girls prize pack includes:

• A one year subscription (6 bi-monthly issues) to Discovery Girls Magazine – Valued at $20, Discovery Girls Magazine honestly and helpfully deals with the issues, feelings and fears that are really important in your tween’s world – issues like saving their friendships, the fear of not fitting in or being rejected and dealing with the pressure to be perfect.
• The Fab Girls Guide 4-book gift set – Valued at $40, the Fab Girls Guide tackles real-life issues that matter to young girls and gives them the confidence to handle almost anything. The 4-book gift set includes the following: Friendship Hardship, Sticky Situations, Getting Through Tough Times and Getting Your Questions Answered.
• The Discovery Girls Survival Guide Collector’s Edition – Valued at $10, the Survival Guide is a super-sized collection of their best articles, answers to readers’ most difficult questions, featuring readers’ most embarrassing moments and more!

Entering the Discovery Girls Giveaway is Easy

The Discovery Girls giveaway ends at 11:59pm CST on Friday, July 8, 2011. A winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. To enter the the Discovery Girls Giveaway:

• You must be a resident of the U.S.
• Leave a comment on this post along with a valid email address and tell me who you’d love to win the Discovery Girls prize pack for. One entry per household, please.

We absolutely love Discovery Girls Magazine here in the Live and Love Out Loud household and you will too. Good luck!

*Discovery Girls provided me with a one-year subscription to Discovery Girls Magazine, the Fab Girls Guide 4-book gift set and the Survival Guide Collector’s Edition in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own. Translated: My girls love Discovery Girls Magazine and can’t stop raving about it to their cousins and friends. And I love Discovery Girls so much that I purchased an annual subscription for my niece. With my own money, thank you very much.