Counting Down the Days

Time to start packing I guess...we leave for Florida tomorrow!!! It will be so nice to get away for awhile! We will take our time getting there, probably 2 days.

Anna has called from camp every day. It sounds like she is having a good time. Yesterday she was a little "down", but by the time we got off the phone she seemed better. She will get home around noon tomorrow and then we're off!!! We will celebrate her birthday on the road. I'm going to make her cake tonight...she prefers homemade to store-bought. I always enjoy decorating their birthday cake for them!! Maybe if I get a chance, I'll post a picture of it online.

Jake has been bitten by swimmer's ear and he isn't doing really well with it! We have him on medicine, but it isn't working yet... I told him maybe it will kick in today. Wouldn't you know, going to FLORIDA and we get swimmer's ear 2 days before!!

I've been scrapping some, even though I should be packing. I'm going to teach a class soon at our local scrapbook store, Memories by Design. I wanted to get it started so I could get some ideas for pictures to take while on vacation. It is entitled, "Ocean". I think it will be fun to do for a class. We'll see. Here is a quick picture of it and one page...the opposite page isn't done, so sorry for the incompleteness...(is that spelled right Mom?) Anyway, you get the idea.


Took a picture of one of our 15 or 20 hummingbirds yesterday. They swarm like bees and kinda scary when you are sitting on the back patio.


I've got to get moving...probably won't post but one more time before we leave.
Bye for now!

We Miss You Anna!

Anna (summer 08)

Anna left for church camp yesterday. She took her great friend Emily with her.
Emily

She called last night and sounded like she was having a ball! It seems so quiet here without her. Even though she would probably still be in the bed, it feels different. Her birthday is Friday, the day she gets back! (And also the day we leave for Destin, Florida!!!) For her birthday she gave me a list of possible presents that included iPhone 3G, iMac, skinny jeans, sandals, iTunes money, Juicy Couture powder and on and on....She finally gets a locker in the 7th grade and you would think she was going to decorate a dorm room!!! I ordered her a cute locker organizer from Pottery Barn Teen that she loved!! No iMac here, sorry Anna!!
We will be gone until Sunday, August 10th....man, where has the summer gone? School starts back on August 18th. Jake will be in the 4thgrade this year! I don't know how we will get it all done this fall. Anna is cheering for football and she is going to play trombone in the band plus she will continue her tumbling class. Jake is planning on playing football (ALL 50 POUNDS OF HIM)!

Anna and her friend Mary

Well, I've got to get things moving! There are clothes to wash (and pack), house to clean, beds to make, animals to feed, peas to put up, and on and on!!!
Bye for now...have a wonderful Tuesday!

Summertime Fun

Today was a good day. It was a day of playing in the pool and cooking hamburgers on the grill with my family. To me, it doesn't get much better than that!
Joe delivered one baby this morning around 1 and another one around 4:45 later this morning. It has been a busy weekend of call, yet he made time for us! As most of you know, he is a family practice doctor that delivers close to 80 babies each year. He doesn't get to spend much time at home with us so days like today are even more special. I snapped a few pictures during the splashy good time we had.

The Love of My Life

Silly Anna


Jake getting a "gentle" toss!!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!! Even though I didn't take pictures of them...Thanks to Papa and Gran for spending the day with us! We love you both!!
Bye for now!!

Uh Oh

Well, wouldn't you know it...just as our swimming trunks were good and wet, the "pool guy" Josh explains that today is the day to seal the concrete on the deep end...right beside the sliding board and our newly installed diving board!!! So, what does that mean for Anna, Jake and their little anxious covey of friends? It means that have to stay in the 3 ft., shallow end!!!!




Can you imagine the devastation???? Is this so called "pool guy" aware of his actions??? Well, the minute he leaves I will spring into action to save these poor souls. I'm thinking we can cover this area with something waterproof and move on to what is at hand...SWIMMING, JUMPING, LAUGHING, PLAYING, and being a KID!!!!!!!!
Bye for now!

FILL 'ER UP!!

No, not the gas tank...THE POOL!!!!!!!

Finally, after 3 3/4 weeks we have our swimming pool finished (almost). We still have an electrician here finishing up, but other than that and installing the diving board...WE'RE DONE!!!
Here is the pool-version of "Are we there yet?"


Anna had her two friends, Kenzie and Mary over to watch the slow filling of the pool, but eventually they got to splash and slide into the deep end. Here they are making a slide. Aren't they just the cutest?


Well, it took about 2 days to fill completely and so I had to find something to keep my occupied, so thanks to The Einert Family...I had plenty to do. These will be so good on a cold winter's night, if they make it til then. We love peas!!


Well, having said all that, here is our "somewhat" finished pool. Sorry for the picture quality, the sun was just starting to peek over the trees and made for a bright picture!!

Thanks for reading my blog everyone! I'll try to post more later! I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately, but in my defense, my internet has been less than cooperative....hope they have the problems worked out finally, so until next time, happy swimming!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The countdown has begun!! We started pouring the concrete apron for the pool today. That may sound great to some, but to me...it's a slight NIGHTMARE!! It is not going to be an easy feat to keep 5 dogs and a cat off of wet concrete in our unfenced back yard. I have the most hyper of the 5, Zoey, sedated on benadryl presently, hoping to keep her comfortable until tonight...not sure what I'll do tomorrow. She'll be the most rested dog on the hill that is for SURE!!!! This picture is Zoey on the left and Roscoe on the right. Wish me luck!

Tomorrow is our anniversary. Hard to believe it has been 13 years. Here is our picture on our wedding day, July 16, 1995. We had a small ceremony in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I can honestly say it was the best day of my life. The birth of Anna and Jake would be right up there though!! LOL! They won't think that is so funny!

Anyway, Joe and I won't probably do much celebrating...we are giving each other the pool and patio furniture! Things get to be a little less exciting and lot more realistic with each passing year! I wouldn't change a thing about it though.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!! Thank you for making ALL my dreams come true!

I've got to go make sure all animals are in their designated places, so until next time BYE!!

Waiting on the Pool

This is actually a picture taken this past Spring Break on our cruise through Grand Turk...the most beautiful beach!! We are STILL waiting on our pool, but they promise me it won't be much longer. We have to layout all the concrete deck now and that is quite a chore. Once we get that part done I think we will be home free!!

My friend Kim moved to Mississippi yesterday and I miss her already...its funny that we didn't actually "see" each other very often...mostly talked on the phone and e-mailed...but I knew I could see her if I wanted to. I hope she and her family have all of their dreams come true and that they are happier than they have ever been. Kim, if you read this, you are in my thoughts!!

Here are a few things, scrapbook related that I have been working on.

This is my new album. I got it from my local scrapbook store and I can't wait to fill it...only a few pages so far....

This is Magen's Bay in St. Thomas.

This is at Grand Turk at the Margaritaville pool.

This is ceiling in the rotunda of El Capitolio in Puerto Rico.

PAD July 8

The teaser for PAD July 8 is our dish or silverware pattern. I have probably more than 10 patterns, but this is the one most used. It is made in my home state of Mississippi by an artist named Vicki Carroll and I love here stuff. I have 2 different patterns that she makes. This one is called Bon Appetite. It matches everything!

HOT, HOT, HOT today!!! We went swimming at a friends house today to cool off a little. Not sure it helped!? But it was fun anyway. The kids got to work off a little energy, so all is good.
Took a picture of one of our little watermelons...it is about 5 inches in diameter. Can't wait for the day we get to cut it open...that will be a good day.


Trying to decide if we want to put railing on our front porch. I took a picture of one piece of railing to see if we liked it and still can't decide. Leave me a comment if you have an opinion...


Bye for now!

Happy Independence Day!!!!

Hello Everyone! It's 85 degrees, the ribs are on the grill and the beans are in the oven....doesn't get much better than this!!!! Yesterday 8 military helicopters flew over our house and it reminded me of how important the 4th of July is to me. It was even more significant this afternoon when the kids and I were shooting fireworks in the yard and 9 more helicopters flew over. God bless all the men and women that protect our great country!!

Anna made it home yesterday safe and sound. She and Jake slept until almost 11 o'clock this morning! Joe took them to get fireworks soon after (one of Joe's favorite traditions that we started several years ago) He is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to fireworks!

Anna and Joe

Jake watching fireworks

PAD for July 4

PAD July 3rd

Today's tease on Creating Keepsakes Message Board (CKMB) was our favorite article of clothing. Ugh!! During the summer, 99.9% of the time you can find me in blue jean shorts, a tee shirt, a baseball cap and these shoes, unless I'm mowing the yard and then I have on my trusty K-Swiss tennis shoes. That's just how I am, I guess...my mom always said I would go to the prom wearing a beautiful dress and have tennis shoes underneath! She is right more than she is wrong!!

(Side note) When I was outside taking this picture, Jake came out on the porch, still half asleep, and said,"LET ME GUESS, TODAY'S PICTURE A DAY IS OF FLIP-FLOPS!!"

Well, on the hill today ANNA COMES HOME FROM BRANSON!!! I have missed her so much. She called yesterday from Hollister (in the dressing room) and this is how the conversation went:

Anna: Mom, I've got this cute skirt on, but I don't know if you would think it is too short or not.
Me: Well, Anna, the fact that you are calling me from the dressing room to ask tells me that it PROBABLY is!!

Needless to say, she found a T-shirt for $10 that she thought would be more "appropriate". I love that girl!!!

The pool is still under construction. They poured concrete into the bottom yesterday. Still trying to figure out how to keep all 5 dogs out of the yard when they pour the deck!! That should prove to be pretty interesting...

We had a wonderful meal from our garden last night. Gran (and Jake) fixed cucumber, tomato, and onion marinated in dressing, along with squash, also from the garden. We had meatloaf, butterbeans, and Mexican cornbread. To top it off, we had my favorite Banana Pudding!!! Thanks Gran!

Probably won't be posting much for the rest of the week since July 4th is on Friday. I plan on getting matching shirts for us all today so I can get a decent picture for the blog...wish me luck finding all of our sizes on July 3rd!

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th. Be safe!

PAD July 2nd

I'm going to try to get this posted early, before Jake wakes up...he says I spend to much time on the computer! He just doesn't understand!!

Today's PAD teaser was "your front door", so here is my picture. It was early so there is alot of reflection, but I wanted to get it done.

Anna is still in Branson. We called her last night and she is having so much fun with Mackenzie and her family. I asked her to call us today and I believe her exact words were, "I will if I have time." IF I HAVE TIME???? How busy can an 11 year old girl be?? Anyway, I don't expect to hear from her today.

Pool construction still ongoing, but it hasn't been too bad of a mess. After building a house, there is not much more that can strain me with construction!!

Can't wait for the weekend...

Candy

Picture a Day (PAD) July 1st

I'm going to give this Picture a Day (PAD) for the month of July a shot and we'll see what happens. This is a picture of Jake on his new electric guitar...this is what happens when your husband takes your son out with out you!!! He has had so much fun trying to pick songs without knowing the chords!!!!


Anna is in Branson until Thursday! We miss her so much, but I'm sure she is having a blast!!!!
Here is our pool progress pic!! We have LOOOONG way to go!