Summer love

Some of my Many Loves of Summer....

Fresh Vegetables from our Garden...

"Fresh" Smelling Linens....

Picture Perfect Burgers from the Grill...

Fresh Flowers on the table from MY bushes and Gardens...

Fresh Fruit turned into a Yummy dessert!MMMMMM.....goood!

If Life could just slow down a bit so we could enjoy the long days of summer even more.

Time Warp

I am living in a time warp...and not the cool fun kind where you get to dress in fun period clothing! The kind where Life and everything else takes place~ moves so fast you wonder when did that happen??? ~ The kind where your "baby" turns 13 and you have no idea where the time went????

My beautiful daughter turned 13! I can't believe it!! 13....how does that happen???? Where did that time go??? This was the hardest birthday for me, I didn't get all weird about my 25th, 30th, or 35th birthday! But, my baby turning 13...that did it for me! It also reminded me not to take time for granted.....easier said than done! I could go on and on about the reflective thoughts that I have had since this particular birthday but I won't do that to you!

Among other things she is becoming a beautiful Young Lady...so many things to be proud of. She became a member of the National Junior Honor Society. Finished up her school year as an Honor Roll student - all four quarters, and made us SO Proud!



She Played another AWESOME season of softball. Her athletic talent, combined with her work ethic I am hoping will pay off in the form of an athletic scholarship.





Simple things make her very happy, little cake, a few presents, her family and she is a happy girl!





Hopefully it will be a little while before she becomes a total teenager...we are dealing a little with the attitude, but so far that is the only thing surfacing. No Boy craziness, no Fashion craziness...just a little attitude. Or BIG attitude depending on the day. I will take it over any of those other options.

I love you baby!

FULL....

I can't believe that I haven't posted in a MONTH!! A whole MONTH!! I love my blog and the blog world and yet I have sorely neglected both! Life has been so FULL over the past couple of weeks that there has been barely enough time to breathe much less create and or post about it!!

In fact I have just returned home from our second appointment in Philadelphia in 2 weeks. You can catch up on that progress over here. However, I warn you it won't be updated until tomorrow...what can I say, I am trying but I feel my time here is going to be cut short!
I hear the kids all rustling around in the next room, they are supposed to be sleeping...but you know "liter mates" just want to roll all over, cuddle and annoy each other. I have come to decide that my kids are like a liter of puppies...

I can happily say and will say, that after this week our weeks and weekends will no longer be packed FULL of baseball games...YIPPEEE!!!!

My camera is FULL of pictures to post to my blog....my blog has been on my mind you see!!

My garden is FULL of growing vegetables...and except for a few patches of bush beans that the Princess decided to wreak havoc on.

My Staff is FULL at the store leaving me with some free time to be home with my family...as soon as I get them all trained and feel like I can let "go" for a few minutes.

Life is a little stressful when it is FULL, but without a FULL life where would we be? BORED!

I can't wait to be bored....

Crazy...busy...and lots of dirt

I missed my little blog...life has been a little crazy, a little busy but overall just good ole LIFE!! The weather finally broke and we had a great weekend, that was awesome. I love being able to get out and "do stuff"! We had our first night of outdoor movies. So fun, we love them...big huge sky full of stars, warm cozy fire and of course hearing our kids crack-up at whatever we are watching!


My arch Nemesis of life when Spring springs....DIRT! I love that things grow from the dirt that will then feed us all year long...but I REALLY hate dirt being in my car, my house and my washing machine! ughhhh.... and with all the rain we have had lately we have lots of MUD which is just clumpy dirt. Being a compulsive sweeper, the dirt keeps me busy!

Saturday was an all day Baseball Bonanza, 4 baseball games, 3 of our kids playing, and only 2 parents to make this happen?? We ended up only having 2 kids able to play, so we made the best of it....I was able to make it to Bree's first game...they ROCKed! They ended up losing, which was not so great but they played really well. She pitched all but two innings and it was in those two innings that the four runs were scored that flipped the score book.

This girl can play some ball. She amazes me, so strong and beautiful at the same time! Her daddy taught her well and I am pretty sure that his genetics make her all that more athletic! The last inning she pitched, she had 3 up and 3 down. I acted very excited when she told me, and then when I figured out what she was talking about...I was very excited for her! And then she came home all dusty and dirty....lol.

She competed today in a Pitch, Hit and Run and is moving on to the Sectionals. I didn't see any other girls there and nobody would answer me about whether there were other girls competing...which usually means, NO. I have this weird thing about her competing with all the boys, because nobody likes to be beat by a Girl....and because I don't want her to be THAT girl that plays the boys sports...you know what I mean???? But in her defense she played boys baseball long before she was forced to play girls softball.

OK, bragging done...for now! Just kidding...

I missed the next game which was Jacobs game, I had to go to work...we were pretty busy at the shop - I HATE missing their games!

And today I was out and playing in the dirt myself! I got to plant 3/4 of my garden and moved some plants around in the backyard. I switch my plants around like I switch my wardrobes around....this frustrates my husband to no end! But I LOVE it.... The robins were following me around like I was their new BFF....I kept bringing all the big fat worms to the surface...sorry worms!

We played in the "poopy dirt" as Lily called it. She helped, hopefully they grow...hopefully there are still seeds in there...

See my handy little grid there....that is so my husband doesn't get all crazy with the tomatoes again this year!

Allowance

Remember when you were younger and if you did all your chores and kept yourself in line all week you got a little spending cash at the end of the week??? Mine was also known as a "paycheck"...I have worked ever since I can remember!! Well, at least since I was 14 or 15?? I never really had an allowance growing up- and I am pretty sure that this is why.....



Because I really, REALLY want to blow my allowance this week on this beauty right here!!!






Now as a grown woman with four kids who works very hard every day...I have an allowance! We aren't taking paychecks right now - and "with the economy these days" (the most loathed and frequently used words in my vocabulary right now!) I have put myself on a little, very little allowance! And, I am not too proud to admit it! lol....

I am becoming a firm believer in this "allowance"...it makes you think very carefully about what you need....or maybe you just want it??

And right now, I think that I NEED that fancy little shrug to serve the fanciest coffee in all of Deale!!


I have given the kids a $5 weekly allotment/allowance to use either on the school store, to buy lunch, or a little trinket that they want. Well...today is Monday - they got their allowance last night and my oldest promptly bought herself the BIGGEST, most GI-NORMOUS candy bar that the grocery store had. Seriously.....where does she get such decision making skills??? Allowance - Blown!

Shrug and an entire collection of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS - GORGEOUS - ROMANTIC lovelies are available from Bonzie on Etsy!! I really, really want about 6 different pieces that she has!!!

Busy little Knitter

I have added to my Craft Craziness with a new habit. I have been learning to knit for the past couple of months with a knitting 101 class that we have been doing at the shop. It is really fun! More than just knitting - it is great girl time! It is really the only opportunity to hang out with any girlfriends that I get and I love it!



As with all new crafting there are accessories! I was getting frustrated with the needles falling out all the time so I started looking for something cute to put them in. I found some online and in a knitting store....not paying that much $$ for something I can make in no time....and without having to buy anything to make them. So I made everyone one! They were well received and I am glad that everyone liked them. I of course gave mine to my daughter so I need to make myself another......what is that saying about the cobblers child with no shoes??

I made them in a roll-up style. Super simple!!

This picture with no needles doesn't really "showcase" the case....but it is effective!

And this pretty little baby sat with me the entire time....I forgot how fun it was to sew with a small child on my lap. She has been sick again with the snotty crud so I made a little corner in our office - that connects to the craft room hoping that she would sit and read books, color, etc. I was dreaming.....

I am not sure why all the babies have to be naked, but they do....

They're Stalking me...

I have a weird fear - ridiculously -nonsensical (yes that is a word to me) - serious fear - of Squirrels. I know plenty of people who think they are just soooo cute...but not me. Sometimes I think, OK, maybe they are a little cute....and then I see them gnawing on a nut and I revert back to the fear thing.

How? or Why? You might be asking....simple..my mother did it...she made me terrified of them! She used to tell me that if I went to the edge of our yard, which was close to the corner of the main road in our neighborhood the squirrels would get me. They would bite me....there you have it...fear implanted in my young little brain!!

Yes, I know that I should be able to not be scared of a furry little creature, but lets face it. They can be frightening. We have all seen Chevy Chase's Christmas movie...that squirrel came flying out of that tree with vengeance! And what about those flying squirrels?? I have seen documentary film on them...they are flippen scary! What about how they run towards the road and then head back to the side and then back into the road...taunting you...are you going to swerve or are you going to hit me and if you hit me won't you feel horrible for the rest of the day!! And if you could see them running about in my back yard, up and down the trees...I promise you I actually saw one throw another off a tree! Promise you....

So why this rambling rant about squirrels??? Well this morning when I opened the blinds...there one was sitting right in front of me! Scared me to death!! Then one of the first Etsy shops I went to this morning...more squirrels...and another...squirrels!!!

I have to admit...I do think these little squirrels are pretty cute. I don't think I want to eat my eggs out of them, but they are very cute.

And these might appear to be harmless....but look closely, they look a little mischievous...

I hope that BROOKLNYrehab doesn't mind me showing you her cute little squirrels....maybe I need a little rehab over this squirrel thing!

And check this guy out...he is quite fetching, but I think you'll understand why he frightens me a bit! I mean, he is after all the King of Squirrels!!!