May you never lay your head down, without a hand to hold.

Today I am just feeling thankful. It truly has been a beautiful weekend. Mike is home both Saturday and Sunday, and just to have him by my side in good spirits makes me feel complete again.
The weather has been gorgeous, and summer is finally here! The neighborhood pool is open, and the kids have already broken it in several times.

Mike had a scary intrusion happen with work Thursday night, that put us in a tailspin, and I think all will be alright. How vulnerable we all really are, and how lucky we are each day to have the opportunity to have what we have. That led to Friday his schedule to be completely changed, and after things got settled, he was actually HOME on a Friday night (unheard of!!) We took the kids to see the movie "UP" by Pixar which is a really good movie. Very well put together, and made for all ages to enjoy. It had wonderful lessons embedded in it, and started our weekend off right!

We dedicated our Saturday to just working out in the sunshine as a family.

We had 3 yards of triple shredded mulch delivered and put the man cubs to work with the promise of a trip to the pool.

How truly thankful I am that I have a body that works and can work hard! I know this first hand watching my dad be wheelchair bound, and I think all the time how grateful I am that my body can move! Tonight when I sink into bed bone tired, I will be filled with satisfaction at a job well done.

And no job never seem that hard when you have a mate working beside you.

Our first little zucchini started to bloom today. Our vegetable garden is starting to come to life.

Our broccoli is taking off!

May all my family and friends have a light heart and smile on their face today.

My Crazy Boys

**** Tatum's hamster died the other day. This little guy had lived way past his designated life span. He had been purchased with Jake and Matthew's hamster's years ago, but theirs had died in a timely fashion, lol.

So I was outside with Matthew when I broke the news...

ME: "Matty...Disney died last night.."

MATTHEW: "WHAT did you say!!!???"

ME: "Disney died last night, honey"

MATTHEW: "Oh NO! That's awful!! Oh my gosh!"

(he zooms off on his scooter, and then circles back around again)

MATTHEW: "Who is Disney again??"

********************************

***We are in the car on a long car ride back from my moms house. The boys are in the very back of the van. They have found the cheap dollar store bag of army men I used to decorate Matthew's birthday cake. The are actually playing nice together and quite enthralled with their world of pretend! I leaned over to Mike and said "can you believe it! They are just playing with those little plastic army men. They are getting along so well!" Now for my boys this is nothing short of a miracle. They usually fight, cannot be entertained by DVD's, DS'S, or anything that is abbreviated, and turn my husband into a swiping, cursing sailor usually before we hit the highway!

I wasn't going to question it, and just enjoyed our one peaceful ride, like ever.

Later as Mike and I cleaned out the car, we found the little green army men everywhere, of course.

But they were all missing their heads!

Those boogars had decapitated every one! I don't know how. I guess they bit them off.

Even today I found two little green pellets rolling on the ground, and knew they were heads...oy!

SWAP

Today I got my package!!!! I had signed up to do the Mamarazzi's Favorite thing swap and the partner I was assigned was a girl named Vivienne. I went right over to "meet" her and have not stopped laughing since. She is so fun to read, and I have really enjoyed getting to know her.

She sent me some beautiful things (they are her favorites you know:)

*A Martini Recipe Book- I have never had a martini before, but I am soo sold on the idea. I told Mike, we are going to go all out and buy a set so we can learn to make some of these things the right way! He said "those git ya drunk reel quick", so I think I'm going to have to take it slow:)

*Pear Scented Candle-This thing smelled so darn good, I wanted to go eat something just baked and sweet. Oh my. I can't wait to burn it.

*Silver and Black Frames- I am a frame nut, so Viv, we have that in common!

*Vintage Fruit Labels- I love these! I think I am actually going to frame some of them and hang them in my laundry room. They will match great.

*Scented Soap-already hidden from Tatum.

*Little Notebooks- I had to laugh when I saw these, because I too, and a massive OCD list maker. I just am not as organized as you Vivienne and keep my notes in cute little books. They are on scraps of paper all throughout the house.

But I can try this too lol! Live and learn.

*Refrigerator Notepad-This will be used up by June:)

*Vanilla Bean Noel Cream-hidden from Tatum again.

*Cocoa-Hidden from the boys.

*Note cards- I too, write thank yous by hand alot. My mama raised me right. These will be put to good use.

*Ribbon-Oh my. I'll try! I make a great gift bag!

*Monogram-I LOVE IT! I think you have started a new collection for me too!

Thank you, thank you Vivienne! That was so fun! And if we ever get to meet in real life, I will make you the meanest martini ever!

(and we can go get Tats if you want...kay??)

Welcome Summer~

This Memorial Day our family got to KICK off summer in the best way! Celebrating it together. My brother's family and mine met at my mom's house to swim and have fun. Our newest addition little A.J. came, and we got to see and hold him for the first time. He is just as sweet as can be, and just snuggles down into you.

Jake wanted to hold him. (until he wriggled and cried, lol)

and Summer was very curious as to the newest baby of the family.

Tatum enjoyed just curling up with him for quite awhile:)

I swear Summer had on a bathing suit, but by the end when I took these pictures, we had thrown in the towels for formalities. I was trying to get some cute black and white shots of her.

Summer and her cousin Lei Anna are only 6 months apart, and I think this summer they might actually start to play with each other. We had some bubbles out and they we both interested in them.

Fun "ol grandma was busy teaching Miss Summer the fine art of blowing water out of the swim noodle...

My brother and his wife just celebrated their 15 year anniversary. They went on a weekend getaway to Hocking Hills and got a cabin. My sister in law, Missy, had really been wanting a diamond ring, but my brother said they could either do the trip or the ring. So she chose the trip. While they were there he would give her little inexpensive sweet gifts as the trip went on. Finally at one point they went on a hike and went to a waterfall. In front of it he gave her this.....a stack of the romance novels she loves to read with a letter. She thought it was sweet, but not much of it, since he had been giving her little gifts the whole time.

But when she opened it up....

Needless to say she was thrilled and made her a very happy lady!

It was a great day. Cousins shared.

Families regrouped.

Men talked.

Generations reached.

Time was spent.

Children Laughed.

Summer...bring it on;-)

Wedding Weekend

This weekend we went to my cousins wedding. It was an outside garden wedding. Before we left, I was able to get my friend to take our picture. (cause it's not everyday the whole motley crue is this cleaned up!)

Not only did we get one good shot (a miracle, I swear!), we got two!

The bride had wanted her wedding held at her parents home, in their yard. She had her father build a special gazebo and stone laid path just for this event. It was definitely a labor of love! One that was worked on nonstop until the day of the wedding.

I love this shot below. The bridesmaids had already walked out and she was hiding behind her dad, just kind of peeking out.

I love this one too, below. The are laughing and looking at each other with cake on their face:)

It was a beautiful day, that we all enjoyed. It was so good to be surrounded by family.

(And the cupcakes were good too!)

Hello Cupcake!

I have come across the neatest book! In search for figuring out Matthew's birthday cake, on Amazon I found this book called "Hello Cupcake!" The stuff in here is to drool over. It teaches how to make some of the cutest stuff for every holiday from April Fool's Day to Christmas!

(Those are cupcakes! Aren't they adorable!)

This one is my absolute favorite I think! Bunny paws sticking out amongst the greenery for Easter:)

Anyways, here is our alligator cake that my mom and I made. Now mind you we hadn't read the book yet or gotten the correct supplies! We just put it together by looking at a picture. Our next attempt will be soo much better now that we have this book!