Happy 57th Anniversary!

Happy 57th Anniversary to my parents today!  I am so very proud that I can say this because I know there are so many out there that can't and never will be able to proclaim this.  It hasn't always been bliss but it has always centered around God, family, home, and friends.  They have done a wonderful job of passing their legacy on down to each of us six kids.  I love them dearly and so very thankful that God has allowed us to enjoy them all these years as we continue to make wonderful memories together!

My parents aren't always this silly, we had a Mexican fiesta a few months ago to celebrate their 75th birthdays...

The first day of school starts in 11 days.  I have never been one of those parents that can't wait for my kids to go back to school.  We always enjoy our summers together and they always end all too soon.  This school year I am the saddest I have ever been.  I am really dreading it this year.  My oldest will enter high school.  My middle will enter middle school.  My baby will enter elementary school.  It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.  I am so excited about these new adventures in their lives and looking forward to the people they will become, but with each new stage of their life I realize how time is slipping away from us.  They say that time flies by faster, the older you get.  It is so very true.  I have finally grasped this and intentionally live my life to the fullest.  That doesn't mean I try to fill it up with all kinds of stuff before I die.  But I fill it up with love, encouragement, affection, smiles, thankfulness, and joy every single day no matter what we face.

I'm grateful for the family that God has blessed me with.  I'm thankful that we love, share, and make many wonderful memories together!

A trip to the Amish

My boys are visiting Grandma this week and my daughter is cleaning and decorating for a Luau swim party that she is hosting here tomorrow night.  So I took off all by myself and went down the road about 20 miles to a very small Amish community.  First stop was at Ropp's bakery where I bought some more chicken base, ice cold Coca-cola in a bottle and these...

I just love their homemade buttermilk brownies!  My sister used to make these all the time when we were growing up.  I remember begging Mom to buy the "good brownies" at the store... you know... the good ones in the box that my friends were always so fortunate to have.  Hahaha!  I'm still trying to locate our recipe.  I know it's just as good as the Amish.  Could even be the same recipe.  Yep, ice cold Coca-cola and buttermilk brownies for breakfast!  Best breakfast I've had in a long time.  =]

I didn't get any pictures of Amish.  I was too busy watching an older Amish woman cradling a few dozen eggs under her arm as she hiked her leg, dress and all, flung herself up on the tractor and take off down the road.  I could just picture myself trying that... I would land flat on my rear with a few dozen eggs in my face.

I then went on down the road and came across a flea market.  I have been looking for another printer's box for awhile now.  I came across this one for $2.99!  I was pretty excited about that!  The last Amish doll I bought was probably over 10 years ago.  You just don't see them for sale around here anymore so when I set out this morning, I was determined to find an Amish doll.  And I came across this one for $4.99!  This "pigeon hole" box was also $4.99.  

I was telling the owner how I was going to tea dye the apron, clean her up a little.  She said "Honey, I can tell you like primitives just like me, you aren't gonna clean her up, you are gonna dirty her up!".  I drove around the small community for awhile and found a couple more flea markets to visit the next trip over.  My car really, really wanted to pull into the parking lot of the Amish buffet restaurant where they have the most delicious homemade noodles.  But I knew I was fixing a big dinner for the family and they would wonder why I wasn't hungry.  After a stop at the hand crafted furniture shop, which had the most beautiful furniture I have ever seen in my entire life, I headed on home.  It was a nice time.  I was wishing I had a friend along with me to enjoy the day but it was still nice to get away by myself... which NEVER happens with three kids at home!

One more thing I wanted to share.  I bought this paint rack at a garage sale a few weeks back for one dollar!!  Talk about excitement!!  I almost bought one at Hobby Lobby a few years back for $19 and that was on sale AND with my employee discount!

Since my 4.5 yr old is gone for the week, I told Rich that I was turning the dining room table into a painting table.  It's covered with projects, along with the kitchen counter.  I have been having a great week!

Well that's all for this time.  As always, thanks for coming by to visit!  You prim girls are the best and I really enjoy blogging with you.  I just wish I could have about 3 days straight of nothing but blogging... just maybe I could get caught up on my blog reading.  =]

You all have a delightful week!

Blessings~

What I've been doing the past month

Goodness I've been gone for awhile haven't I?  I received this from a friend for my birthday.  She took her son to Wyoming for college and did a little shopping.  She said the store was filled with this kind of stuff.  Laughingly, I said "Yes!  It's a prim store!".  She was amazed because we don't have prim stores anywhere in this danged state!  Do you girls realize how fortunate you are?!

I got this 4' x 6' flag at a garage sale for 50 cents!!  I snatched it up in a hurry.  The first thing Rich says is "You're not gonna tea dye that, are you?".  Haha!  Why yes I am!  I showed him the stains on it and he was okay with it.  I think it will look great draped over my old school desk or a chair.  Good deals... batting for 50 cents, beautiful white and blue bowl for $1.

Speaking of tea dying... got these cute little towels at Dollar Tree that took a dunk.

I added cinnamon to the pot and I'm not sure I like it on the towels.  It looks like they are moldy.  Ha!  The white towels look great but for some reason the red, white, and blues one didn't turn out so great.  I'm guessing it's the fabric?

I gained over 40 new followers when I had my giveaway.  The past few weeks I've been going through and adding them to my blogroll, following them.  Doing that has put me far behind on my blog reading and posting.  But I'm not complaining!  It's been lots of fun making new prim friends, I am really enjoying it!  Besides that, this is what's been keeping me busy too...

I've been pulling rocks out of this bed by hand and taking bucket fulls to a friend's home down the street.  We are pulling up the smaller bushes in front of the boxwood and transplanting them to the back yard.  I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but I had quite aways to go still.  I am now down to about a 2 foot square left!!

This fall the house will get painted and hopefully next year will be a new roof. Then the following year or two we are going to pull out all the boxwood, tear out the concrete steps and build a whole new front area.  There is always something that I want to do.  Hehe!  It's lots of work but the rewards in the end are worth it.  I will say though... this seems to help cool things down a bit after working up quite a sweat.

Thanks for visiting me and checking on me.  I have the most wonderful prim friends there is!  You all have a delightful weekend~

Working outside

I have been a stay at home mom for almost a month now.  I have so enjoyed being home.  I just keep thinking about how blessed I am, how wonderful God has been to me and my family!  We feel no income loss whatsoever!  As a matter of fact, there is more money left over!!  Isn't it amazing how faithful He is when we finally obey Him?  I was just thinking this morning how blown away I am at the new blessings I have received every single day since I became a SAHM.

My first week off was a totally wasted week.  I did not a thing!  Poor Rich did laundry, dishes, cleaning, just about everything but cook.  I know I have an awesome husband and believe me, he knows... I tell him often!  I totally vegged out.  I can not tell you why.  I think I was just in a state of shock, awe.  I have had a job since I was 15 years old.  For the past 26 years I have worked outside the home.  I became extremely lazy that week.  That weekend I realized that I can NOT allow myself to become a bum.  So the following Monday I started a new schedule for myself.


Every morning, I have Rich wake me up when he comes home from work.  After some quiet time with God and breakfast, I head out to work in the yard.  This is something I have never liked to do.  I have always despised yard work.  I enjoy planting flowers but nothing more.  These past three weeks have been a new revelation for me.

• I love getting out there and digging in the dirt.
• I love the smell of the earth.
• I love the moist, soft feel of the earth.
• I love the feel of sunshine beaming down on me.  
• I love the feel of a light, refreshing rain.

It rejuvenates the soul, the spirit.  I can not believe how much I have enjoyed working in the yard.  Now I can honestly say I love it!  It thrills me to look around and see the progress.

The rock project actually started in May.  All the rock is coming out and going down the road a few miles to a friend's home.  I worked on it a little bit here, a little bit there.  My helper, Ryan pulled out all of the metal edging.

Here the work begins...

Slow going.  I pick up the rocks and put them in buckets that get transferred to their new home.

Now that I have been working in the yard every day, the progress has picked up immensely.  The small bushes are being transplanted to become a privacy fence for our pool until we can get an actual fence put up.

Almost done!  I don't have a current picture, but I only have about a 4 foot section left to do.  So I work in the yard all morning picking up rocks, weeding, re-arranging flower beds till about 1:00 pm.  After working up quite a sweat, this is most welcoming and refreshing!

I'm grateful for the good health that God has blessed me with so that I'm able to work doing something I enjoy, spending time outside in His creation.

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Yes Cora, you do live in a beautiful state!

Our fabulous condo right on the beach at Gulf Shores.

The main bedroom with king size bed and its own bathroom was occupied by my nephew and his family.

Another bedroom with two twin beds occupied by my parents.  I hate that they had separate beds but they insisted.  I guess after almost 57 years of marriage, it's okay for them to sleep apart for a few days.  Hehe!

Then our bedroom consisted of a queen size bed which was just perfect for Amariah, Robbie, and I.

Can you tell we're a little excited?  We have been to the beach lots of times, but this is our first condo right on the beach!  Robbie took a pretty good picture for a 4.5 year old.

Our cute little bathroom

Our main living area.  My two sisters slept on the comfy couches.

Our balcony

Our gorgeous view of the ocean

There was an empty lot beside us so our corner was so serene, so quiet especially at night.

Heading to the beach!  I just love this picture of the lil' guy trying his hardest to walk in the deep sand in his flip flops.  It's hard when you have little legs.

Our first sight of the ocean.  Grandma is checking on us to see if we're still coming.

YAH!  Robbie made it!  Actually, I don't know what he's doing in this picture, I think he's just so excited to FINALLY make it to the beach because we had been telling him for four days that we were going to the beach.  His hourly question was "When will we be at the beach?".  I'm so glad he made it because he had the best time!

I think we were ALL excited about finally making it to the beach and seeing a blue ocean and white sand.  We were worried about the oil being everywhere.  I'll be back later with more pictures and even some of the tar balls.

I'm grateful for a beautiful place for our family to visit and make such wonderful lasting memories.

Loranger, Louisiana

Anyone care to join us for our crawfish boil?  Along with the 60 pounds of crawfish they boiled for us, we had alligator sausage, crawfish boudin (rice with pork and crawfish), and of course corn on the cob and red potatoes.  Delicious!!

Our wonderful southern family, the Overmier's took great care of us for a few days.  They live in Loranger, LA and always smother us with the sweetest southern hospitality when we visit them.  Our cousin Monica showing us the art of eating crawfish.

So sorry... I know it's gross... but I like to suck the heads of the crawfish.  The juices are so full of spices.  Yum!

The kids had such a fun time swimming in Ms June's pool while the adults visited.

I just LOVE this humongous tree in Ms June's backyard.  While we were packing everything up to head to the beach for the last half of our trip, the kids were getting in a little swing time.  We were blessed to have some of our LA family join us for a few days at the beach!

While we were in LA, my dad loaded up on alligator sausage (about $200 worth) to take back home to family and friends.  So we got to ride with three coolers full of meat for the rest of the trip home.  We had a fun and memorable time in Louisiana.  It was sad to leave!

I'm grateful for the Overmier family that always go out of their way to take us in, provide for us, and make sure we always enjoy our stay with them.