A Few Spring Leftovers

Before this turned into the hottest June I remember we got to get outside a little bit and soak up the sunshine.

A little gardening and yard work wasn't so bad.

It was nice just to enjoy being outside.

Ever since they moved to the country my daughter's children have been fascinated with the clothes line.

So they found a cooperative tree and set up their own.

Even little Dino had to try his hand at it.

They washed their doll clothes in a bucket and hung them out to dry.

I just love to see them use their imagination and creativity like that.

See our sad little scarecrow? My son-in-law affectionately refers to him as the garden pothead. I'm going to try to remember to bring something for a better face and head next time I visit them.

To My Dad

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful, funny, adventuresome dad!

Some of my best memories with him include fishing trips. He tried to take each one of us at least once a year, but if we out-fished him we got dropped to the bottom of the list. (smile)

He also would take us on buying trips for his and Mom's antique store. These trips included antique auctions, miles of driving and singing to the top of our lungs, games of Beaver Cleaver ,(you may know this game as Punch Bug) and always a little speeding on the way home with him saying, "I'm ready to get home to your momma now!"

I also remember hopping in bed with he and my mom early in the morning and he would tell me stories. They were always better when he told them than when they were read from a book because he always changed them up just a little to keep me in suspense.

He took us as a family on trips to the beach or the bay on Sunday afternoons after church, vacations to visit our grandparents, and trips to look for just the right Christmas tree in the woods

I remember the example he set the times he stopped on the road to help strangers, sometimes giving rides to people hitch-hiking that looked a little scary to me as a child. I remember the times he and my brothers took Sunday dinner to a hermit who lived in a dilapidated house in the woods close to our house.

I know that many people grow up never knowing their dad, that is so hard for me to imagine. There are many dads today who don't have a clue the impact they have on the little ones God strategically placed in their care.

I am truly blessed with the most amazing parents! I am so very thankful to have been honored to grow up with them as my role models and heros. Of course, they sometimes had to make hard decisions that I didn't fully appreciate at the time, but now I understand and am so glad they loved me enough to make those hard decisions no matter how unpopular they were then.

I am also thankful that I had the freedom to really be a kid. I wasn't pushed to grow up too fast, but instead I had a long and very happy childhood.

Thanks Dad for being such a great dad! I love you even if you did say I throw like a girl!

In the Good Old Summertime

It's too hot to bake, but that doesn't stop the creativity of my family, and the birthday celebrations.

All of us were enamored with this adorable Little Debbie birthday cake whipped up by my South Alabama sister-in-law!

My dear hubby was the chef for the day frying fish, hush puppies, squash, zuchinni, and dill pickles for us all. It was soo good. We all brought sides and celebrated another slew of birthdays.

There was lots of baby love going on. I'm so happy that my grandkids are getting to enjoy their great-grandparents! Not only are they great they are also great, if you know what I mean.

There was also a little water ballet preformed with tutu and all!

A little game of ball started up from the sidelines.

(The ball was already in the water when I took this shot.)

So many cousins to play with,

precious little monkeys hanging around...

siblings to comfort when feelings got hurt,

life jackets to hold up the little ones when all of our larger arms got tired,

and plenty of water to cool everyone down.

Believe it or not at the end of this particular day we all got a little too cool after the sun went down.

Another day filled with things to add to my gratitude list. Every memory being made is another gem to add to the string already so full. What beautiful treasures God has entrusted to me. There are days I feel bad, and times when I get down like every one else, but then there are days like today when I am surrounded by the happy faces of my family and I feel like the richest girl in the world.

Garden Hide n Seek

I've had a wonderful time visiting Luci.

She has a beautiful yard with little surprises in every little corner, walking around I never knew what sort of little critter live or otherwise would greet me.

Here's a peek, let me know what you think.

Double Take

I've really enjoyed spending time with my sister-in-law, Luci, and yes, it's the same sister-in-law that I mentioned in the previous post.

We always come up with some type of crazy fun when we get together. This time after a six hour shopping trip, in one store, where we tried on every dress available, we ended up buying the same dress on purpose. We decided to wear them to her church today. We got a few funny looks, and some people laughed outright, knowing from our mischievous grins that we did it for a reaction. Aren't we goofy?

Proverbs 17:22

²²A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Wedding Vows

Weddings like births are new beginnings, a fresh start, and hope for the future.

My niece got married this weekend in a lovely service. As I listened to the minister I was inspired to be a better wife myself. I sort of revisited the vows I made and inwardly determined to do a better job of living up to them.

My sister-in-law, who just lost her husband, is a great example of living out her vows. As she cared for her precious husband in sickness she did so with such a sweet patience and dedicated determination. It is a beautiful thing to see love begin to bloom, but it is also beautiful to see love that endures to the end and beyond.

Finishing Up a Little Sewing

I have finished a few sewing projects that have been in the works for a while. I usually start three projects before finishing one, not a habit that I recommend!

First off is a dress that I made for Scooter. It is from an old pattern that I have used several times. The dress can be worn with or without the pinafore. Scooter just loves this puppy print fabric, and Angel Eyes asked if I could make her one like it. The pattern is a single size one, so I doubt I'll be able to pull that off.

The next project I completed was a baby quilt for little Thumper. I quilted it on my mom's very nice machine. Hers is a new model Cadillac and mine, which I was perfectly content with until I sewed on hers, is a 30 year old VW. It still gets me where I need to go, but the ride is not nearly as luxurious.

The pattern I used was called "Just Can't Cut it". I wish I had put more contrast into it. It's a little too monochromatic for my taste, but my daughter loves it, and that makes me happy. I ended up making it a lap quilt size so she could use it longer. I hope Thumper likes pink as much as the other girls do!

The last project was a little bonnet for Thumper. It matches her quilt and is still a little too big. It won't be long until it fits her nicely though, and it still manages to keep the wind off of her ears.

Isn't she a doll?

Joy and Sorrow

Things are constantly changing everywhere, we have especially experienced it here in the last several days. Our emotions have run the gamut as there have been several losses all around us, tornadoes and floods have affected those we love, and health issues, accidents, and death have also left their mark on our family and friends these last few weeks. So many people we love have experienced deep pain, and we too feel that pain for them as well as for ourselves. However, just as death has caused anguish, in the same span of time new life has brought great joy to our family.

We are so happy that we have another precious grand-daughter. I have decided to give her the blog name Thumper since she has an extra heartbeat. Of course this has given us quite a scare, but the cardiologist has assured us that this will rectify itself over the next six months. We are so thankful for the grace God has shown our family again! I am amazed over and over at how God created the human body with an incredible ability to heal its self in many situations! Of course, I know that His hand is in any healing whether it is through natural process of the body He created, or through medicine, or through a miraculous movement of His Spirit.

At this time when birth and death have overlapped in our family I'm reminded of the verse in Romans 12:15^"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."

Happy Mother's day

Happy Mother's Day to the best Mom in the world! I can't believe the grace God showed by allowing me to be your child! You are an amazingly, incredible mother, always putting others first, sharing the love of God and inspiring those around you to be they best they can be. You have believed in me, encouraged me, prayed for me, and loved me, and I am truly honored to be your daughter!

Procrastination

Okay, I'm coming to terms with the knowledge that I am a part-time blogger. I get so caught up living my life sometimes that I neglect to blog about it.

This time I really have been thinking about it, but can't put into words what I want to share so I've been doing what I'm really great at...procrastinating! I know, it's an ugly word, but I'm afraid it fits me well.

I went on an amazing mission trip to the Appalachian Mountains. There is so much I would like to share, but somehow it is just too much to express, either verbally or in writing. I took a journal and planned to write things each day, but in the evening when things quieted down I just couldn't express myself.

Hopefully soon the words will come and I can come back and share a little of the what I encountered and learned, but right now I still am processing it myself.

Yayyy for Spring and Being Out of Doors!

Please, don't tell us we have to go inside! It's sooo nice out today!

It's spring and love is in the air,

but it can bring out a little of the stinker in some,

there are kids smiling,

flowers blooming,

and nature's beauty is just showing off everywhere!

Even the dirt is better this time of year!

Don't tell Baby Dino or his daddy, but that's a Barbie fishing pole!

We're even clowning around after the sun goes down.

What to do When Your Siblings Aren't Home

Lonely? Can't find someone to play with?

Try this...