yard work & photo dump

we've been busy around here.  i've spent days working in the yard:  landscaping, mulching, digging, weeding, fussing over plant choices.  i'm so excited b/c everything is looking great!

later in the summer, when the rains stop, we have to put in drains.  so until then we have to wait on rock work.  and so besides laying cut rock around all the beds and another truckload of mulch, we're finished!!!

after the drains are installed, we'll have to landscape one side of the house.  i wish i could do it now while the weather is still nice!!

i really need to go out and take pictures with my camera.  but i don't mind getting dirt all over my phone.  so for now, i just have phone pics.  

while weeding my garden over the long weekend, i noticed it had gotten very quiet in the yard.  i looked over and found my Bubba sitting underneath the tree.  he was lost in his own little world.  drawing pictures, writing, letting his imagination run wild.  i loved it.  i hated to disturb him by snapping a picture, so i did it from far away.  he never even noticed.

and my girl continues to be my right hand sidekick.  as long as i keep her heavily stocked in flower petals.

my in-laws gave me this sign for my birthday.  i put it outside to just air it out (there was a STRONG odor!!), but i liked the way it looked out here.  so it has stayed!

my  man and i also enjoyed an impromptu tea party on the front porch.  a nice treat after working hard in the yard.  {that rhymes}

nothing better than a big fat glass of iced tea after working hard.  i like unsweet.  with extra lemons.  very un-Southern of me to drink it unsweet, but that's the way i take it.

and my garden is doing well.  this was the first of our summer tomatoes...they were gone in about 2 minutes.  the culprit had tomato juice stains all over her pink polka dot jammies.

that same girl is in her room crying.  i put her in the most adorable shorts (which she wanted to wear) that have a rope belt on them.  adorable.   then i put on a white sleeveless shirt with eyelet trim at the top.  again, adorable.  she looks like she's ready for the beach.  but she doesn't want the white shirt...she wants her rainbow shirt.  {sigh}

now seriously...how cute is that?  yes, the pouty face is cuter than the outfit.  i concur.  i think i'm just jealous...my hips don't look that cute in shorts.  {snort}

now excuse me while i go put a dress on my spoiled rotten girl.

she walks in beauty....

the sun was shining.  it was hot outside.  not Arkansas-summer hot, but a pleasant heat with the sun on my face.  a breeze blowing every few minutes to help cool me as the sweat stung my eyes.
it was the perfect day.

and i spent the entire day outside.

it was the perfect day.

i made only one trip today to the nursery.  with kenny chesney singing about a bottle of yoohoo rolling on the floorboard, i bought more azaleas, gardenia, jasmine and even a rose bush.

i dug 39 holes.  40 if you count the hosta i had to dig, plant, dig up, reposition, and plant again.

my boys were off enjoying Fire in the Hole, kettlecorn, and bluegrass music at Silver Dollar City.  the girl and i were left alone to finish yet another phase of landscaping.

tossing aside dead blooms off the gardenia bushes, she collected the petals in her bucket.  

she told me she was saving the flower petals for when she gets married.  when she's 5.

i know when she does get married i'll still see her as that imaginative little talkative 4 year old, who jabbers on and on to her imaginative friend, Mongo.

i love this girl.  i love our days together.  i love that she's rarely quiet.  i love that she is constantly singing a song.  and i love that i overheard her discussing matters of theology and saying, "the Father, the Son, and the Roly Poly."  

she is her own individual.  

happy birthday, chuck!

ok, so i'm a little late.  ok, i'm over a month late.  but i'm finally posting this!

over a month ago we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday.

i didn't have my camera, but i did snap some pics on my phone.

i think i've mentioned it before, but a goal for this year...well, every year....is for me to be IN more pictures.  instead of just TAKING more pictures.

however, i can't seem to get my fellas excited about this.  especially when the sun is in their eyes.

see what i mean?!??!?!

oh my.  doesn't even look like my Bruiser!!

and trying to get 3 kids to smile at the same time??  impossible.  {sigh} 

of course, these are usually the cuter pics anyway.  well, to me.

we had a good time.  good food.  good baseball in the yard.  good presents.  good cake.  mmmmmmmm.

in that one day alone i think i made it in more pics than i did all of 2012.  

i'm knockin' that goal outta the ballpark.  for reals.

and don't forget the mother's day pics!  amazing.  i've never been this good at goals before. i'm feeling a banner year coming on.    

summer viewing list

yesterday i gave you the first part of our summer reading list.  today i thought i'd give you a list of great movies or shows to watch!  ya know, on those days when you're tuckered out from swimming or it's too hot to do anything else.  some days you just need to chill out.

these are great for an outdoor movie night!!

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i've always wanted to do an outdoor movie night...but in the South it would have to be a spring movie night.  in the summer we're doing nothing but swatting mosquitoes & wiping away sweat.

SUMMER VIEWING LIST

1.  Swiss Family Robinson.  ok, ok, i told you this one yesterday.  but it's so good.  you've got to watch it!!!

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2.  Pollyanna.  i'm amazed at the number of kids who've never seen this movie...or even heard of it.  it makes me sad.  because this is a classic!!!

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3.  Alaska:  The Last Frontier.  we just discovered this tv show last night on Discovery Channel.  normally i wouldn't recommend a show unless i knew all the ins and outs.  but we loved watching this and so did the kids.  there is a LOT of bad language, but it is bleeped out b/c it's on tv.  there are a few nude scenes...but thankfully that's blurred out as well!!  i did a little research on this show and discovered that this is Jewel's family!  crazy!!  very interesting show about a self-sustained lifestyle.  they live completely off the land.  although we did notice that they have electricity...but not sure how that all works.  again, we've only seen a couple of episodes.  but my kids loved it!

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just another warning:  they showed gutting and cleaning a cow and other animals.  if you've got a weak stomach you've been warned.  but i think it is VERY important that kids see where food comes from!!  we grow some of our own food, but we don't raise animals for food.  kids need to see food doesn't come from a grocery store.

4.  The Muppets.  i'm a HUGE fan of all muppet movies:  The Muppet Movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper, even the newest one The Muppets is pretty cute.

5.  The Parent Trap.  the original.  it's classic.  the Lindsay Lohan version is cute too.  but go old school this summer.

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6.  Candleshoe.  please, oh please, watch this movie this summer!  david niven, helen hayes, jodie foster...it is classic!! legendary!!  watch it!!!!

7.  The Three Amigos.  oh my.  we love this movie.  i almost hate to recommend it...there is some language in it.  and a few things inappropriate.  but we love this movie.  and we quote way too many lines from it.  all of us.  hilarious.

8.  Anne of Green Gables.  Anne of Avonlea.  not just for girls!!!  my boys like to watch this as well.  if i turn it on, i can guarantee they'll sit still, be quiet, and be sucked right in to this story.  (they actually call the second DVD "Anne of Green Gables:  The Sequel" but it is really Anne of Avonlea.  i've seen a couple of episodes of Anne:  The Continuing Story.  it has nothing at all to do with the books and i did not enjoy it at all.  it made me sad.  so stay away from that one!)

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9.  Pride and Prejudice.  i couldn't resist.  you know i love this movie.  i would've changed a couple of casting choices, but nonetheless this is a great movie.  no, my kids don't enjoy it. but i had to throw in a couple of non-kid movies, right?!?!

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10.  Rebecca.  an equally amazing book, this is my favorite Hitchcock film.  if you do decide to do an outdoor movie night without kids, this is a classic to show.  all film buffs will have seen it multiple times, but i wager there are lots who've never seen it.  awesome.  awesome.  awesome.

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if you've never seen some of these and do decide to watch them, let me know what you think!  and if you do an outdoor movie night, share pictures!!!!!  i might attempt one before it gets too hot here.  oh wait...too late.

summer reading list

you all know i love summer.  swimming.  catching lightening bugs.  working in the garden. running through sprinklers.  baseball.  swimming.  doing everything outside.  sweating.  i love it.

but my favorite part is just being together.  no school.  no real schedules to follow.  {other than trying to follow a cleaning/laundry schedule.}  just hanging out and having fun...

and reading.  yep, i've made a reading list for us.  some of these are books to read aloud together.  while others are for the boys to read alone, or aloud to me.  some are just to have on hand when the days are so hot outside we're just looking forward to an afternoon in the air conditioning.

SUMMER 2013 READING LIST, Part 1

1.  Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery:  of course.  my favorite book as a child {and adult}.  this is not just a girl book!  Bubba is even currently reading a book of her short stories...although those are mostly for girls.  

2.  Little House in the Big Woods, Laura Ingalls Wilders:  we've already started this book.  we're on chapter 2.  or 3.  i can't remember.  the boys like it.  well, bubba likes it.  i think bruiser just likes it b/c he's usually snuggled up with me while we read it.

3.  Henry Huggins, Beverly Cleary:  i bought this on a whim one day at the bookstore.  i was never a huge Cleary fan...but i thought the boys might like this one.  bubba has already informed me he doesn't think he'll like it.  well, we shall see.

4.  Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink:  another book i loved as a child.  i know mine will like it too.

5.  Black Beauty, Anna Sewell:  another classic.  i remember reading this as a child, but i don't remember everything.  i'm anxious to read it again, too!

6.  Encyclopedia Brown, Donald J. Sobol:  i think i read this as a kid, but i can't remember at all.  i've tried to get Bubba to read it...but he just hasn't been excited about it.  hoping reading it together might help.  or at least having it for a hot afternoon.  instead of minecraft.  {sigh}

7.  Charlotte's Web, E. B. White:  this one i just added to the list.  Bruiser watched it at school the other day.  he came home talking about it, so i've added it to our list.  it's just such a great classic.  and my kids really love farms, farm animals.

8.  Magic Tree House #49, Stallion by Starlight, Mary Pope Osborne:  Bubba loves this series and he's rubbing off on Bruiser.  this is the newest one in the series and we haven't read it yet.  i think bubba has read the other 48!

9.  My Side of the Mountain, Jean Craighead George:  i remember really liking this one as a kid.  and i think it'll be one my boys really like.  i just can't remember how old i was when i read it.  it seems like i was Bubba's age, maybe a little older, so i'm not sure if Bruiser will be able to follow.

10.  The Swiss Family Robinson, Johann David Wyss:  i've never read this one.  but it's one of our favorite, favorite, FAVORITE movies.  even if you don't read this book, watch the movie!!!!!

it's almost summer.....

sunday afternoon i sat around a pool for a birthday party and listened as mothers joined in my chorus....

we're ready for summer!!!  

still other mothers complained...they'd rather have year-round school.

to those i say, bah-humbug!  {remind me of that come july when i've broken up my 17th fight of the day.  and it's 110 degrees outside.  bwahahahahaa!!!!}

but seriously, we're ready for summer.  4 days and counting.

so i've started my list.  i know, i know.  those who know me are chuckling.  ya see, i'm not a list-maker.  perhaps my man is rubbing off on me {twss, leslie!  sorry.}.  but i'm trying to accomplish more in my house and with my kids.

i need organization.  {it doesn't come naturally to me.}
i need a schedule.  {it doesn't come naturally to me.}
i need lists.  {ya see where i'm going here, right?}

my usual schedule during the school year is about to get tossed.  let's be honest....i haven't been following it anyway.  if i had, my house would be a whoooooole lot cleaner.

so for summer, i'm designating mornings for cleaning.  i'm designating mornings for laundry.  we swim basically every afternoon.  so mornings are my times to get things done.

and i'm trying something new this summer.  usually once school is out we just go jump in the pool.  and start partying immediately.  but this year...we're taking a few days to get things in order.

** the boys have to deep clean their room {including under the beds}
** i have to clean all blinds and shudders, plus light fixtures

last week i cleaned my closet.  today i'm working on my laundry room.  saturday we cleaned the garage!!!!  including organizing all nails, screws, tools....and so on.  woohoo!!

so there's my plan.  let's hope next week i'm posting about accomplishing all of these things.  seriously...............

have a great TUESDAY!

{go fish}

bubba has a new passion.

he has discovered fishing.  {warning:  photo dump!!}

my in-laws gave him a new rod & reel for an early birthday present.  so one sunday afternoon we headed out to a little pond near their house. 

we had so much fun!!  we didn't even get a nibble, but we still had a blast.

you might find that inappropriate.  i find it hilarious.  {love my Bruiser!!!}

it was a gorgeous day.  gorgeous.  but i've already told you that i love spring in arkansas.

i love this girl.  love. her.  and i love that she can rock a tutu with nail polish.  and still put a worm on a fish hook.

and i happen to love how much he loves her 
and i happen to love how much she loves him

there was this great tree with huge exposed roots, beautiful moss all around, ferny holes underneath...awesome.  it was hard to capture all that with my phone...and with less than enthusiastic subjects.

but we tried.  love that pic of my bruiser.  oh his sweet, sweet smile.

and i'm always extremely grateful for grandparents who love to spend time with their grandkids.

i'm also grateful for a little lady who ditches her shoes any chance she gets.  just like her momma.

plus one

i seem to be plus one a lot these days.

i'm usually plus two, or three, or five.  because neighborhood kids seem to wander about.  wednesday i was plus two.  my man came home and wondered what the odor was...gee, i wonder.

anyway......my Bubba -- sweet, sweet Bubba -- has a very good friend.  a friend his own age.

i can't even tell you how we've prayed for this.  my Bubba is such an old soul.  mature beyond his years.  he'd rather be with adults, or older kids, than kids his own age.  

it's funny b/c he's been friends with this kid for 2 years now.  but after another buddy moved away at Christmas, it seemed to bring these 2 together even more.  and it turns out he lives not far behind us!  and i even play tennis with his momma.  so things have really come together.

it rained earlier today and yesterday.  everything is super muddy.  so here is my view.

any other Minecraft addicts out there?  i think my boys might need therapy.  if we're not outside, they're playing Minecraft.  oh my.

so they were in Bubba's room playing.  but they needed chargers.   always.  hilarious.

we had field day at school today (friday).  my Bruiser decided to stay at school to hang with his buddies.  they were watching movies all afternoon.  but these two decided Minecraft was way better than that.

and listening to them is way better than them being at school.  way better.

although Bruiser won't be happy.  he didn't realize our friend was coming home with us.  he'd rather be here playing Minecraft as well....but it was good for these two to just have some time alone.

and sing their Minecraft songs.  yes, that's right.  there are Minecraft songs.  {help me.  please.}

decision made {woohoo!}

thank you for all the vacation ideas!  just crazy.  we always book vacation in january.  and we've usually decided the summer before where we're going.  so to change at the last minute sent us into a frenzy!!  

but the decision has been made...

we're headed to Pure Michigan!

{don't you just love those commercials?!?! sigh.}

we're so excited.  new states the kids have never been to!  and my man & i have never been to michigan either.  so we're fired up.  and the best part is we get to stop in Chicago and visit my family.  my kids haven't been to Chicago yet either...so it's going to be an action-packed vacation.

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so how was your Mother's Day?  mine was wonderful.  we celebrated the night before with family.  so Sunday was all about Momma.

lunch.  shopping.  my boys fighting.  {ha.}  then home to sit out on the deck with my man and my kiddos.  we talked vacation.  we laughed.

it was a great day.  despite the look on bubba's face.  {what's up with that???}  and my puffy eyes from crying.  {it was a rough week and a great church service...}

and did i mention i got a great new pair of shoes?!?!?!

ok, ok....not a great pic.  i took the pic quickly to text to a friend.  but you get the idea.  they're awesome.  thankful for a great man who indulges my shoe obsession.

and now i'm off to watch my boys at Field Day.  one week left of school!!!  we're so ready!!

last year i made a summer cleaning list...kinda like a bucket list.  but for chores.  last night i started another...while my man chuckled at me for actually making a list.  he kept asking me if it felt awesome to make a list.  he wanted to make a list of me making a list.

but lists make me feel overwhelmed.  but i made the list anyway.  so summer, here we come.

happy belated mother's day!!  enjoy your weekend!

i need YOU

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y'all, i need your help.  ok, WE need your help.  

i need vacation ideas.

i spent mother's day evening searching for the perfection family vacation spot.  we're spoiled to the beach

but we're ready for a change.

we had our vacation all planned out for Beaver Creek, CO.  but the more we think about it, the more we think we need to wait another couple of years before we do that with our kids.  

sweet doh doh can't ride a bike yet...so the thought of mountain biking with her seems a little far fetched.  {grin}

so here's the thing.......
* we don't want to fly anywhere...so suggestions within driving distance are preferred
* however, i'd love to hear ALL favorite family vacations!

so what's your favorite vaca????  any recommendations????

leave a comment or email me.  

IF we choose your idea, i just MIGHT send a sweet little thank you gift your way!!!