Planting

So this past winter my husband built raised flower beds around our patio and we have had tons of fun planting things in there.  We have had plants and are even trying our hands at growing fruits and vegetables.  We are having a small gathering at our house next weekend so we were busy today planting new things in there.  Eric went to Lowes this morning and spent some money there...

He came home with some of this...

Can't wait to see what this ground covering does.

Some of these annuals...in purple and pink.

Some of this... (We have a small pond and waterfall at one end and Eric thought the grass and rocks would look cool around it.  I think he is right. {smile}

and 1 of these...

Just something that I love about hanging baskets of flowers.

This is the over all effect of our new plants.

Here are some of the other things in the raised beds...

pineapples

watermelon

We planted 8 plants and this is the biggest one; there are 2 others barely hanging on that are tiny.

strawberry plants

Then the 7 year old and I put this together for the patio.

When we were in Maryland last month I loved all the color that people put in their flower beds.  People just don't tend to do that living here in south FL.  There is more green than anything.  So adding color to our raised beds just makes me happy.

*Sorry for the sideways pictures I can't for the life of me figure out how to rotate.

Independence Day

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays not only because it is America's birthday but because we ALWAYS take a family picture in our festive gear.

This year I decided we were going to tie dye shirts for the holiday.  There is just something about store bought shirts that I just can't do.  Sure I have bought them in the past but cannot stand to see everyone at one event wearing the same shirt.  We need some uniquness among us. :)

We all had different designs we wanted to try out.  I was going to do stripes, Tyler wanted a bullseye, Reed a swirl, and Eric tried to freehand it. {YIKES!}

I wish I would have taken pictures of the process but I was all hands in on the fun.

So I go to get our tripod out only to discover that it a piece broke off of it.  So we rig something up that will work but Eric and I have to get down low for the picture.

Here is our nice picture...

And our funny picture...

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday.

{This may just be the start of my blogging lapse...}

camera

I haven't had my camera in my hands in about a month.  I got a little burnt out and needed a break.  Today was field day at the school I work at and also the school my boys attend.  Of course my children are in different grades then what I teach so when I could I ran over and watched them and cheered them on.  I completely forgot to take my camera out for the morning events but I did take it out for the afternoon events.
Here are a couple of shots I got of my wonderful boys.

It was a fun day, but I am exhausted too bad the boys aren't.

Let Spring Break begin!!!

What card have you been dealt?

I have been sitting here thinking about no one ever knows what card they have been dealt in life. 

I sit here with a very heavy heart tonight pondering on life.

This past weekend my family attended my husband's grandfather's funeral.  He lived here on Earth for 91 years with a very wonderful woman who went to heaven May 2011.  They would have been married 69 years this past August.  Imagine that!  They also raised 7 children and sent them all to Catholic school which is remarkable to me too.  The love that they shared for each other was amazing and one that I truly admired.  I was lucky to meet them 15 years ago and see that amazing love that was so evident.  As my oldest son said after Grandpa passed, "Grandpa wanted to die so he could go to heaven and live with Grandma."  What a beautiful picture that leaves in my mind.  Grandpa I hope that you are in heaven calling the square dance moves and everyone is dancing away.

I am a teacher and one of my student's dads came to pick him up this past Friday afternoon...mom was dying.  I just cannot imagine what this little boy is feeling right now and my heart is aching for him.  Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer then it moved onto brain cancer.  At the beginning of the school year mom would walk him to school then we didn't see her too much and figured she was getting worse.  Every so often the little boy would tell us mom was in the hospital.  Well this past week after the students returned from winter break we had noticed that his behavior had gotten worse and we knew the situation at home so we tried not to come down on him too hard as his emotions were a wreck and he really didn't know how to deal with this, just being a 7 year old little boy.  I finally found the obituary online tonight and mom did die Sunday, she was only 43. 

There is also a blog I read and this mom writes about her son who died this past fall. 

Just thinking about all of this really puts life in perspective.

WUSLU

Have you heard of WUSLU yet?  If not check it out HERE.
They have some really cool things for your home.  I just got to check out today's deal and it is already sold out.  Bummer!  Some things really do go fast.  Once they are gone they are gone.
It is a daily deal site with something new being listed every day at 10a.m.
A couple of weeks ago this grain sack pillow was being offered and I bugged my hubby to buy it for me.  And he did!!!  LOVE him!
Well it arrived in the mail yesterday and I was so excited to receive it.  I couldn't wait to make my bed today so that I could put it on there.  My youngest claimed that it was his last night...No way!
I am a true believer in this saying!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from us to you!

Thanksgiving Eve

So tomorrow it will just be the 4 of us for dinner.

I will enjoy all the food.

Eric will enjoy some of the food.

Tyler will enjoy the turkey and corn.

Reed will enjoy pretty much everything, but he is already telling me he doesn't like turkey.

What????  But you eat chicken???

It will be interesting, but there should be lots of leftovers to get through most of the weekend.