Late Mother's Day/Early Father's Day

Here is my wonderful present (and Dan's too) from Tanner.  He made this in his shop class and purchased all wood and supplies from his own funds.  I love it - it is my new end table in my living room!  I will cherish it always.  Aren't the best presents the ones our children make for us - whether it be a pottery mug that won't hold water, a votive holder with gobs of paint, or a beautiful end table.

SUMMER KICKOFF

WOOHOO!  I think it is safe to say that summer is here!  I love summer - planting flowers, bare feet in the yard, grilling out, picnics, no school, and yes, even fishing!   Speaking of fishing, here are a few pics from our first excursion:

Please note that I really don't fish - I take pictures, try to keep young ones from falling in, and sometimes I even complain that it is taking so long!

What do you like to do with your loved ones in the summer?

 

Fun Website

I found this awesome website/blog that has tutorials and free downloads for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.  It is called Coffeeshop.  

I have downloaded many actions from here and also templates and storyboards.  Here is one I just finished.

 

I love how these freebies make me look like I know what I'm doing in PSE.  Thank you, Rita, for a wonderful blog!

SWEET BABY

I had the opportunity to take pictures of my great nephew yesterday.  This is the first time I've taken pictures of a newborn.  He is so sweet.  There were moments when I could feel my internal motherly part yearning for another little boy. . . . . then Noah woke up from his nap and I came to my senses.

Aren't these the cutest little feet?  I could just eat them up!!!

VISITING THE PAST

My good friend, Holly, had a post on her blog today that had a photo of her and her husband back 25 years ago at our senior prom.  It brought back so many memories for me.  The lace gloves (Madonna), white nail polish, and air freshener garters (don't ask). I had to find a photo of Kevin and me the same night (however, I could not find a nice photo so the quality is a bit worn).   For fun, I added a couple others from those days of yore.


Here is my prom picture.  Please note the lace Madonna gloves and the lovely floral wreath in my hair.  Be nice - it was the 80's for crying out loud.  Yes, my dress was white - all white - looks like a wedding gown!  I think my mom paid about $15 for it - we bought it a year earlier on the clearance rack at Fashion Bug.  Now girls are paying $500 for gown and think nothing of it!  My how times have changed.

Here is a photo of me and another good friend, Dawnie.  I think we were having a picnic at Cook Forest State Park with our boyfriends.  Don't you love the hair????

This last photo is a picture of me and Holly at Dawnie's wedding.  I was having modesty issues with my dress as you can see my hand holding  the top shut.  I was several months pregnant and that dress was not maternity!  They had to do some altering for me before the wedding.  Funny how 5 years have gone by, but my hair was very much the same!

So, what do you remember about your prom or a special event from way back when?   I wonder what our children will laugh about in 20+ years when they look back on their prom/high school photos - hair styles/baggy pants on guys/super straight hair on the girls?????


Anyone else feeling old?

 

Just had to share

I had to share these photos - they are not the best quality, but I love them!  It always melts my  heart when I see young teens pay attention/play with small children, but nothing touches me more than seeing my own sons interact with their little brothers in a positive way.

 Tanner has no idea how much he impacts Levi's and Noah's lives.

OUTSIDE MY HOME

I have found that my motivation is about 85-90% affected by the weather!  This week has been absolutely gorgeous - sunny, warm, blue skies - beautiful weather!  As a result of the weather, I was so motivated to work outside.  Today, however, it is rainy and a bit cooler.  I'm not complaining about the rain - we really need it.  Yet, I feel like doing absolutely nothing today!  I guess I just need sunshine to be motivated - sounds like I need to move to Florida! 

Here are some of the things I did in my front yard this week:

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We had a huge stump in our yard, so threw some dirt around it to make a mound.  It does not look like much work involved here, but believe me, it was - mulch to haul and spread, rocks to gather and place, and plants yet to be planted.  Lighthouse compliments of Dan's Outdoor Furniture - he's got some good stuff down there!


Some views of my porch:  the plants are small, but in a month, they will be lush and full.

 These dandelion stems are my enemies.  Two days after the yard has been mowed, they pop up and make the yard look bad.  I hate them - every last one!    BTW-yes, that is the kids' wading pool in the background - it was THAT warm yesterday!   I love love love summer.