Thanks just isn't enough

Last week I pulled out all the stops and decorated the garden center, proudly displaying red, white and blue in honor of Memorial Day. I love this stone piece that we have in the garden center. I can't help but to be emotional every time I see it. There was just something special about the feeling I got when the ribbons & bows, tinsel, and store displays were being put together. It was a feeling of pride, yet sorrow. A feeling of boldness yet still somewhat afraid and fearful. A mixture of emotions both good and bad as I thought about the reason for the Memorial holiday.

So, in my eyes (and heart) a thanks just isn't good enough. As I watch one of our employees, a young man in his twenties, who once fought on the battle fields, I can't help to think of how he feels when he sees "Old Glory" wave in vibrant colors across the garden center. My hope is that it makes him feel proud, just the way he makes me feel...proud to be an American!

Oh SNAP!

This little guy has one hefty bite! We found him in the filter of our pond the other day, what a surprise! The girls thought he was the coolest thing ever, that is until their daddy tapped on his shell and the turtle hissed and jumped to bite him. Holy cow, I had never seen a turtle do that! So, from that moment on the girls kept their distance.

Bryar however was like a little warrior chasing him with the fish net trying to beat on his shell, only making him that much more aggressive. So, by the time Tommy tried to capture him and carry him off to the woods, he was quite mad. You can hear the frustration in Tommy's voice at the end of video as he tries to get the turtle into a flower pot to properly dispose of him - LOL

The turtle was returned to the woods and we haven't seen sight of him again. Hopefully he has found better grounds to call "home"!

not just for girls

While looking through some mail that had piled up for a few days, I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a catalog from Kinderbliss. This is not your average kids clothing company. If your looking for baby, girls & boys (up to size 5/6), maternity, gear, shoes, etc. then you've got to give them a try, I promise you will love it! Too bad there's no babies being planned for the Roe family at this time. They've got a diaper bag that I am just crazy about - LOL

Class of 2023!

Well, the school bells have rang for the last time. School is out and summer is here! I am sure you have experienced the hustle and bustle of end of year programs, teacher appreciation day, parties and maybe even end of year test and exams.

Well, last week was it for my two little preschool babes. I have two very proud little girls and I myself am just as proud of them for their awesome efforts in school this past year. My little Roxanne graduated from preschool and will be heading into Kindergarten this fall and Bryar will advance to pre-K3. Wow, where does the time go.

Roxanne was movin' and groovin' to the beat during her class program. She proudly stood at her principals side while receiving her graduation certificate all decked out in her cap and gown. Bryar got a little stage fright and didn't move much of anything, legs, hips, hands or mouth. She did stay on stage with her class which was far better than her trying to crawl away like she did at her Christmas performance!

They are both great kids with a bright future ahead of them. Congratulations to both of you, mommy is proud and I am looking forward to other graduations to come. Class 2023, it will be here before you know it!

*Check out clips from their programs below!*

ruffles and roses

Remember about a month ago (maybe longer) when I had spent some time sewing? Yes, I know you're shocked, it's rare that "sewing" is a daily thing anymore. Speaking of sewing, I cleaned up the craft room the other night and ahhhhhhh, it's ready for some company once again. Oh dear craft room, how I've missed you :)

OK, back to my post. These little ditties that my girls are wearing is what I was working on back then. It all started with the black tank. I found it in the "give away" pile. It was a tank that I had embroidered for her last year that said "Happy Birthday". So, since it was only worn for last year's birthday celebration, I decided that it had way to much life left to be given away.

Off to the sewing table it went for an awesome makeover...ruffles and roses, what could be better! Oh, and big sissy couldn't be left out, so she got a new dress to match her sisters outfit! I love spoiling these little girls with handmade gifts from mommy :) Their giggles and hugs are worth every hour spent!

Hay is NOT just for horses!

These two babes are so different yet so much alike. Take this picture for instance. Roxy's decked out for a day on the farm with Mr. John's horses. Then there's Bryar who would rather chew on some grass, like Mr. John's horses. So yes, they both like horses. However, one wants to ride on one and the other wants to act like one. Yes, I am laughing, but it's true!



To the two cutest little cowgirls this side of Texas, Mommy loves you!

I'm OK with it :)

You know those areas in life that you can't change? Things that seem to happen and all of the sudden you think...really, this is how it's gonna be? The questions that you thought you'd get answers to? Or maybe the answers that led to more questions? The times that you looked at your child(ren) and how it would and did effect them, you, us, others? Maybe even those moments when you laughed because it was just too silly to comprehend? The times you thought it would work and didn't? The future that you saw as bubbly and bright now seems to be a little faded, tattered and torn? Oh, and do you remember when you thought, "Today's the day!", only to find out that it wasn't? And last but not least, thinking time and time again while sniffing back the tears, if they'd just give an inch I'd gladly walk a mile to meet them.

Well my friend, I've been there, done that and seem to be wearing the tshirt regularly these days. Life is not always a bed of roses, but more like the way Forest Gump described it, ..."a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!", seems to sum it up a little more truthfully. So, instead of asking all of those silly questions, trying to figure it all out, sort the good from the bad, weigh the loss/the gain, worry over feelings and emotions while walking on egg shells. I've decided, I'm OK with it!

Do I like it? No. Can I alone change it? No. Did my attempts to fix it work? No. Did being angry, sad, frustrated help? No. So, since I'm batting 1,000...I give. And guess what, I'm OK with it!

Why? Not because I want to be, but because I am a person, I must let go, I must move on,

so I have to be.

Enjoy!

Celebrating MOM ebook

Batman?

Maybe? This creepy dude was hanging on the side of my house last week. On the flip side, they are a great solution to pest control. They are also considered an endangered species. So, not that I want them "hanging out" on my house, but a few nearby to control my 4 acres full of insects would be helpful!

I'm lovin' it!

I am a sucker when it come to rare unique finds. I like old things, rustic, vintage style, weathered things. No, my house does not look like an antique shop but I do have a few pieces that I have collected over the years that just struck me as "cool"! Here is one that I would like to share with you. Will I buy it? No. Do I love it? Yes. This is one of those kind of pieces that I would use more for display than for the purpose of carrying a cake. Why? I don't know. I guess I'm just more of a cupcake kinda gal. However, this baby is pulling at my heart strings, oddly enough!

*pictures from Eden's Bouquet*

pitter-pat

Preschool programs always make a big lump in my throat and make make heart go pitter-pat. Those babies of mine always make me smile and their daddy, well....he's wrapped! We were treated like royalty in the girls classrooms. Doughnuts for Dad's and Muffins for Mom's just simply made our day. Each one of the girls had made awesome handmade gifts for each of us. It was so sweet and I soaked up every minute like a sponge!

still a few weeks behind

OK my bloggin' friends, I'm just a little behind. Have you ever had so much that you wanted to post but felt as if it wasn't important. Well, not that this post is not important, I mean come on, family is involved here. However, you guys are probably tired of looking at pictures from my Hilton Head trip. But, I've just gotta get this out of my system. So, like the saying says..."A picture is worth a thousand words", right? OK, so I'll try not to bore you with the yah-yah stuff.

First off, I want you all to know that this chic in the picture with me is one awesome gal. I love her from the bottom of my heart, seriously. Kimberly's a great person, super smart, talented in so many things and one beautiful girl! She's a fun person to hang out with, no matter what the event is...she's a blast! Kimberly, thanks so much for the awesome good times in Hilton Head. The girls and I had such a great time with you. I am now addicted to Cold Stone Creamery but it could be worse, right?




We were greeted by these large, beach bound jellies upon our arrival at Hilton Head. The winds had been heavy there the past couple of weeks along with a few storms. The poor jellies just could not fight the current that was washing them to shore. I promise, there were hundreds on the beach. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen. Oh, and don't think we didn't try to save them, because we did. Roxanne insisted that we put "ALL" of them back in the water. I was one busy mama!

Any trip to Hilton Head is never complete until you've eaten at Signe's. Holy cow, it's delicious! Her shop was made famous by Rachael Ray when she wondered into Signe's back in Dec. 2004. She raved about her Blackberry French Toast and boy is it awesome! You can snag the recipe HERE.

We opted for the blueberry french toast this visit and it did not disappoint. Signe's shop is filled with homemade confections, pastry's, breads and other goodies. She also serves a smack your lips, YUM-O cafe style lunch. I'm drooling!!!!

We also saw kiteboarding up close and personal - LOL It was amazingly awesome! I mean, the guys are crazy, but having so much fun. I don't think I would hook my body onto a huge kite and allow it to direct me and pull me across the ocean. Seriously! I'm just not that adventurous.

We saw all kids of sea life as we walked the shore. We collected loads of sea shells, we saw a crab, crab claw, shrimp, jellies, seagulls (we fed them, that was a mistake!), a sand dollar, sand castles, and other fun ocean creatures.

Well, if you made it to this point at the bottom of the post, you're a trooper. Thanks for putting up with my blah-blah-blah of my trip. More fun things to come soon!

serenity

I would have to say that the sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore, the squawking of seagulls and a gentle breeze is a feeling of serenity that is like no other. There is just something about the sound and the smell of the ocean air that gives a sense of peace to my mind and soul.

While away on our beach trip at Hilton Head, we took advantage of the ocean breeze and hit the sand for an afternoon of kite flying. There was a storm that was passing through that made the wind strong and gusty. The air was cool and almost chilly. It was the perfect day for watching our kites fly up, up and (almost) away!

Today while I was getting a little pampering done at my favorite day spa, the room was filled with the soothing sounds of the ocean. My mind took me back to our beach trip. It was almost as if I could hear the sounds of my girls running on the beach, playing in the sand and giggling. I recalled times Kimberly and I laughed, places we ate and interesting moments that only happen when kids are being kids...fun times.

keeping secrets

Confession...I have been keeping something from you. Yeah, I know, it's not good to keep secrets from your friends, but I had to keep this under wraps. So, please forgive me...please.

Well, here's the big news chics. Sandi Henderson, owner/designer for her fabric line collections and pattern creations for Portabellopixie contacted me a few weeks back about one of my dolls that I made using her fabric (Farmers Market). She wanted to use the doll's photo on her new website for featured projects. After I picked my jaw up off the floor and wiped the drool off of my face, I gave her a big huge YES.

So, if you would like to take a peek at her fabulous fabric collections, sewing patterns, featured projects (my cute little doll) and lots more, click HERE. The site is up and running, but there are still a few little quirks to work out and a few of the features are still being loaded. So, if you can't find what you are looking for, give it a day or two and it should be smooth sailing!

Sandi, thank you for asking me to be a part of such a huge project. I wish you all the best and I can't wait to get my copy of your new book!!!!