Mostly Wordless Wednesday... Fun stuff.

It's me, but morphed into a 1960's yearbook photo... man I look like my mom!!! I graduated in 1994, my how times changed!!

Above: Me on http://www.yearbookyourself.com/ for 1960

Below: ME - in an actual yearbook photo, from my graduating year - 1994... whooooooppp look at those puff bangs ladies!! Curling iron accurate....

Small Talk Six - 6 skillz I sometimes wish I had

Some days I like doing Meme's because there random, and most of them are short.... they're fun for me because I get to read other people's views and opinions and it's all done in good fun!!


Today’s Small Talk Six topic is what are “6 talents you wish you possessed?” Add them like you want, 6 pictures, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 videos or 6 words. You can go here to read more small talk, and even participate if you'd like!

1. I'd love to be able to draw!! My husband's AWESOME at it, but I can screw up a stick figure :) so, it'd be nice to draw!
2. I'd love to be able to sing... again, husband can sing like nobodies business. Just think it'd be cool for one day to be able to do that.
3. Knitting.... ahh - there's definitely a talent required there. I'm learning, but I'm not at ALL confident in it! I wish I could sit and whip up baby booties for some random babies somewhere, because knit baby booties are just the bee's knee's!
4. Fondant Cakes... I have only purchased one of these babies in my life. I knew a woman who did this on the side for extra family income and she's an incredible talent. The cake looked like it was fake it was so pretty!!! I wish I had the talent to create such a work of art that was edible!!!
5. I wish I had the talent to read someones mind... does that even count???because it's impossible I suppose?!?!? Reading minds v/s assuming - tough one. I'd rather be able to read minds. Either way, it'd save alot of trouble just to know what people are thinking all along. That's a toss up, to know or not to know... hmmm.. still it'd be cool to have the gift just for a day I guess. That'd have been super cool during the presidential race huh??
6. I wish I had better foresight, not sure if that counts as a talent either, but it's one which I plan to aim high for.
   

splish splashin away part two...

The boys go out almost daily to slip n slide (well spent $5.00!!)...

We love watching their faces.... they're having so much fun. When they're having fun together, it's like the world stands still for them...

Pure bliss... water, sun, fun. They don't even care about the mud puddles around them.

Little J is always so excited because big E is playing with him and they both really get into the splashin fun!

You can even see the mud splashing right at little J's hand... the yard is a mess in every spot we've put that slip n slide, and we could care less. What matters is they laughed, they played hard, and they enjoyed themselves and each others company.

I can remember many afternoons spent in my front yard growing up playing on a slip and slide with my brothers and my best friend... those are memories I'll cherish forever!!

On a side note, I remember very well that back then, slip and slides did not come equipped with fancy water fountains and splash pools and there were bruises and scrapes from grass all over my body alot of times... I'd give anything some days to go back to such an innocent time, I'd take those bruises all over again!!

yummy goody delivery day....

We received our yummy fruits and veggie delivery today early, and big E was exited with this weeks contents!!! His favorite - the kiwi! Little J's favorite... nanners and grapes and apples.... he's a fruit boy. My favorite??? Baby spinach!! Big J likes whatever he's fed usually, so he's not too picky ;).


1 container yellow cherry tomatoes - local -2nd time receiving this and these have been outstanding in flavor!
2 large crowns broccoli - local
2 jumbo red onions - local
1 bag of baby spinach - local
6 fuji apples
7 kiwi
1 pound seedless grapes
5 red plums
6 bananas

This afternoon after a doctors appointment, big E and I stopped at the local market to pick up some fresh rainier cherries.....

MAN we love summer for it's yummy produce! We were excited when we saw my mom recently and she brought me lots of yellow squash and a cantaloupe the size of a soccer ball! The kids are enjoying cantaloupe or honeydew melon almost every day and little J is going through 2 apples and 2 nanners a day on most days. Those boys love some goodness!!

trapped

I woke up at 5am'ish this morning, to the lovely sounds of a small dog barking it's head off next door.... my neighbor's dog is one of those dogs with a high pitch, VERY LOUD bark!! He kept on and one, and then when little J woke at 615am, I was a wee bit frustrated. So, I took the dog some treats (n'bors know I do it, they're ok w/ it) and it hushed for a bit.... then it started back up.

I went out only to find it barking at this turtle!!! The turtle was trapped and cornered, so I grabbed the shovel, reached over the fence and took it to my patio where it finally relaxed, stretched out and head on it's merry way. Little J went to tell the turtle hi, and asked it "hey turtle, what are you doing in my yard??"

The turtle just looked at him, and then went bye-bye :). I told little J that the turtle missed its family so it was going to find it's mommy... he was settled w/ that. Big E wasn't awake for the appearance of the turtle so we took some photos for him!

Wordless Wednesday - just two of the reasons...

... why we're driven to keep our thoughts positive during trying times.

Random Tuesday Thoughts - lots of B's

I haven't RTT'd in a while, so here's my two cents....

• My 3yo runs around the house talking about BALLS all the time lately. He's not talking about his boy parts, but with my 10yo being a 10yo - there's alot of "ball" banter lately. And giggles. And it's fine - I have boys, and no matter how bad I like to BELIEVE I'm raising them to be a WEE bit modest, they're going to LAUGH every time they hear the word balls, boys just do that.


• My BAKING sucks monkey toes. I tried this recipe and also tried making an "easy" cobbler with some pantry items that I needed to use.... NEITHER turned out. I was quite BUMMED. My mom, a seasoned baker(ha SEASONED BAKER), says I needed to use more flour (maybe add wheat flour for density) to the first recipe... BLUGH. I hated throwing away those creations.


• Our BACKYARD has become the source of summer fun for our BOYS and I'm so grateful for that simplicity. With the hubs being laid off recently (BOO) it's been a huge change in routine around here, this has been a welcomed daily outlet for us all. Hubs and I get to go outside with the kiddo's and just unwind. It's also been a fun place for our n'bors kids!!


• I've found myself ignoring my BLACKBERRY alot. I don't answer the phone when it rings lately... unless it's family or work. Random rebellion I suppose, or maybe it's this.


• One of my BEST friends just found out she does NOT have cancer!!!! Woohooooo!! Happy Dance!!!


• Summer BREAK is 1/2 way over for my oldest, he's starting to realize this, and every day he asks me another question about his upcoming grade in school. Eager beaver. Wonder how long that'll last??


• That's about all I have for randomness, except maybe that I am watching Will & Grace right now.... re-runs have become my vice. Every night at 11 and 1130 I watch Will & Grace... if I'm working I have it on in the background and yes - it distracts me for that hour.

Visit Keely at The UnMom for more bits of randomness....

restructuring some thoughts....

We came across some beautiful wildflowers on a recent trip to a park with the kids... My mind has been full of thought lately, and moments with nature seem to bring clarity to my life.

I am wrapping my arms around growing moments for my family, and especially for myself as a wife, mother, daughter and friend. I have some terrific women in my life, my mother, my stepmother, mentors, and handful of truly honest and dear friends. I'm thankful, and need to be better at expressing how important they are to me, and how very much I need them and enjoy having them in my life.

We really have alot to be thankful for, alot to consider about our future, and alot of simple beauty and humbleness all around us to help keep us grounded - in people, nature, and life in general. Changes are not easy, but with loving supportive people in our lives - it certainly makes it more tolerable.

A THOUGHT went up my mind today
That I have had before,
But did not finish,—some way back,
I could not fix the year,

Nor where it went, nor why it came
The second time to me,
Nor definitely what it was,
Have I the art to say.

But somewhere in my soul, I know
I ’ve met the thing before;
It just reminded me—’t was all—
And came my way no more.

~Emily Dickenson

splish splashin away

name that critter

I had no idea what it was called, and my boys like to know the names of stuff....

I googled it and it's a Katydid. Katydids get their name from the way their songs sound. Some katydids have been called long-horned grasshoppers because of their long and slender shape. However, all katydids are more similar and related to crickets than grasshoppers.

This Katydid was hangin out on little J's swimshorts that were outside drying after a day filled with splashin in the little pool in our back yard and squirting water soakers with his brother!!