I never remember to do these, but I must really be on the ball today!! Thank you "A Southern Daydreamer"!! If you have no discovered Susan's incredibly inspiring blog, do yourself a favor and check it out!!

Here is my favorite crape myrtle. Well, really, they are all my favorite!! This one is right by my back patio. We planted this one for shade and I think that by next year it will be very hard at work. It is almost big enough now. I reminds me of fireworks. It seems to be exploding. I LOVE this tree!!!

Here are some roses, a spirea and a weigela. I can't wait until they grow in. This fall, this bed will be expanded. I plan on making this bed pretty big. The more I can plant in the front lawn, the less I have to mow. I really don't like much grass in the front yard. I like it in the back, where we play. I would prefer a cottage garden in the front.

This willow tree is one of the kids' favorites. I plan on planting one in the back. They have made it into a fort. I remember doing that when I was little. Willows have always been my favorite tree. Everyone always warns how messy they can be, but I think their beauty is worth it. Watching my children enjoy this tree, I know I made the right choice!! Thanks for stopping by!! I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I enjoyed your visit!! Next time I will make sure I set out some lemonade and some of the missile popsicles. Always yummy!!



Quite well, thank you!! It has grown quite a lot!! I must say that I am really excited. Both my husband and I both thought that it would look nice for a while, but that the veggies wouldn't actually grow. I figured it was worth a try anyway. Well guess what?!?!?!? That's right!! Everything is growing!!! Yeah me!! Admittedly, I wasn't sure how it would go so I planted a bunch of herbs, flowers, squash and tomatoes. I think I might be eating my very own organic tomato sandwiches soon. I only have a little bit of weeding to do. Had I done the mulch like I was supposed to, I wouldn't even have to do that. I think I will write "An Ode to Mulch" later today. How are all of your gardens doing? What have you found to be really helpful in your gardening? I hope that next year I will be able to plant even more!! Have a wonderful third day of summer!!! :)




OK. I admit it. I watch Jon and Kate plus 8 every week. Even though she comes across as a huge egomaniac, I doubt I would look much better. You end up looking however they cut the tape. It isn't all reality. I won't go into who is wrong... I don't know them. I am just feeling so very bad for the kids right now. Regardless of how amiable they are (or say they will be), they can't get along for an hour. They admit that. I doubt that will get better. If she is anything like me, I would spend the time apart coming up with great zingers. Funny thing about that is that I can ever think of them when I am in the situation. Kinda like Meg Ryan's character in "You've Got Mail".

Anyway, I know it is probably terrible I watch the show anyway... but I have always loved to watch the kids. I loved how they felt, as a couple and a family,that this was their ministry. Now I am just deeply sad that they ever said that. I am sad another large family has gone down the tubes. This is just going to be another jab to contend with when people find out I have 5 kids. I can deal. So can my kids. I just feel so very sad for those Gosselin kids.
They filed for divorce today. Our 12th wedding anniversary was yesterday. Maybe that is another reason it bothers me so much.
Off the soap box now. I should have something much less serious and pretty tomorrow!! :)
I hope that everyone has had a wonderful second day of summer. I am off to watch "The Dark Knight"... again...!! :0)


We are having a ginormous garage sale next weekend. In fact, three streets around us are getting in on it. This will be heaven next week!! In preparation, I found this picnic table on CraigsList for $45... and it came with an umbrella. It doesn't have a base, but that is no big deal. I take mine down whenever it gets windy and at night anyway. It works perfect!! The umbrella gives awesome coverage. I think we will keep it in the front yard. The kids love sitting at it for their lunch or ice cream. We also have a wooden one in the back yard, but it doesn't have an umbrella. So now we are ready for next weekend. My kids know that if I find anything on the floor this week that isn't supposed to be there, I will toss it in the garage sale box. Lucky for me, they are keeping most of their toys put away!! :)

I should be back Monday with some pictures of my garden. Yeah me!! They are all growing!! :)
Have a wonderful weekend and a Happy Father's Day!!!

I have had such a huge thing for Coldplay lately. As I was cutting down a tree today, this one came on my iPOD. Now it won't go away and I am glad about that. Everyone is asleep right now and I know I should be in bed, but sometimes it is nice to listen to music loudly and surf the net. Gee, I don't think I have done this in years. Dear me. I may be too giddy to sleep tonight!! :) Anyway, you may think me nuts (I would agree with you), but I wanted to make sure everyone has heard this less often played Coldplay song. It makes me smile. What else can I ask a song to do??



"Swallowed In The Sea"

You cut me down a tree
And brought it back to me
And that's what made me see
Where I was going wrong
You put me on a shelf
And kept me for yourself
I can only blame myself
You can only blame me

And I could write a song
A hundred miles long
Well, that's where I belong
And you belong with me

And I could write it down
Or spread it all around
Get lost and then get found
Or swallowed in the sea

You put me on a line
And hung me out to dry
And darling that's when I
Decided to go to see you

You cut me down to size
And opened up my eyes
Made me realize
What I could not see

And I could write a book
The one they'll say that shook
The world, and then it took
It took it back from me

And I could write it down
Or spread it all around
Get lost and then get found
And you'll come back to me
Not swallowed in the sea

Ooh...

And I could write a song
A hundred miles long
Well, that's where I belong
And you belong with me

The streets you're walking on
A thousand houses long
Well, that's where I belong
And you belong with me

Oh what good is it to live
With nothing left to give
Forget but not forgive
Not loving all you see

Oh the streets you're walking on
A thousand houses long
Well that's where I belong
And you belong with me
Not swallowed in the sea

You belong with me
Not swallowed in the sea
Yeah, you belong with me
Not swallowed in the sea


It seems like it took forever!! The pictures' color is off. I can't seem to figure out why, but after having a behemoth amount of "issues" with my camera.... I will take what I can get. There are still things I want to do in there... like the floor and change out the vanity top, but I am not in any major hurry for that. I would much prefer to work on our bedroom and, of course, the kitchen. Here are some of the pictures we took. It is a miniscule bathroom, so the pictures were a little hard to take, but here they are!! Now if only I could get the almost youngest boy to stop "missing" the toilet.....

I found ideas in almost every blog I read. Rhoda's gave me the idea of hanging something above the shower. Obvious? Yes. However, sometimes the most obvious thing are the ones that I miss.... I know these are almost sad compared to some of the others I have found on here. However, I would just like to point out that... this is my house! As much as I would love to have some of the houses others live in, I am happy with my tiny little house and enjoy making it look far better than when we moved here. Seriously, when we first moved here, the carpet was black and had some sort of goo that would make your shoes stick. Ewww. So, anytime I get something else done, I am completely exhilarated. Especially when you consider that I have 5 kids, I am amazed that I get anything done... EVER!! Yeah for me!! So remember, even if what you are working on isn't totally fancy or expensive or even totally creative or original, if it makes you happy... that is what matters!! Someday I may be as good as some of these women... maybe not. But I know I will always love my house, because it is our home. No matter what, my kids will look back on our house and remember how much time I spent trying to make it more colorful and pretty for them. They may even ask me for advice on decorating some day... hahaha!!! :)



It seems like forever since I posted. I think it has been a month. Wow!! What has kept me so busy? Let's see...

It is the end of the school year. There was all that paperwork!! Family issues... my SIL visited for about a week a couple weeks ago. That was so much fun I am going to to return the favor in July!! Of my 5 children, 4 have been sick. When Michael, the baby, got sick.... he was pretty much attached to me. I couldn't put him down or he would cry. He got that nasty cough going around... then his turned into croup. The fourth croup incident since his birth (he is 8 months old) that really concerned the doctors. Too much drama for this Mama!! However, I am pleased to report that I am caught up on all of my laundry. I admit.... I am thinking small. But after the month that I have had, I am totally ok with that.
I haven't gotten to snoop blogs nearly as much as I would like. In fact, I hadn't slept a whole night in 2 weeks. Finally, last night I did!! Oh heaven!! I now feel like doing a project. I will start small and get gutsier. I think I will paint a chalkboard today. Red!! Oooh fun!! And the kids can help, too!! 
The camera hasn't been working for me lately, but I am trying to figure out what it's attitude issues are. Then I can photograph the bathroom.  There are still a couple small things to do that I haven't gotten to with all the sickness, but I will take what I can get!! 
I told my oldest to go take a shower the other night and use the master bath. He walked in there, turned around and said," This one isn't pretty like the other one. I don't want to shower in here!!".  A boy after my own heart!!!  That was just too funny!! He waited until the other bathroom was open just so he could shower in the decorated one. Anyone who says design doesn't matter, well, I think my son would disagree!! :) Now the pressure is on for my husband to paint the other one. ;)
I hope that everyone has had a less exciting time lately than I have. If not, I can totally understand. Sometimes life is a little too exciting. I guess that also serves a purpose. Without chaos, we would not appreciate the mellow things in life. And I am really searching out the mellow things now. After a whole nights sleep (the first in 2 weeks), I think I might even be able to take a little chaos!!! Or, maybe not....