Fa la la la la….

“Gone away is the bluebird, here to stay is the new bird, he sings a love song, as we go along, walking in a Winter Wonderland….”

Okay, so we aren’t exactly walking in a winter wonderland here….It’s cold, rainy, icy at times…..but one can always dream. I pulled up the 10 day forecast this afternoon and they actually have snow flakes coming down for the 25th! Really?? Yes, really! But as we all know the 1o day forecast can and will change a minimum of 10 times before that day actually arrives.

In the meantime I will go around the house & work singing my random Christmas songs and counting down the days!!

25 Days of Thanks: Day 19

On this 19th day of my 25 days of thanks challenge I dedicate it to…sick days at home with my little boy. I of course would much rather him not be sick but we have to make the best of what we have. Keagan had mentioned to me on Wednesday morning that he didn’t feel well. Having heard that time and time again on school mornings when he doesn’t want to go I pretty much just ignored his complaints and dropped him off at daycare with the understanding that if he continued to not feel any better he could have his teacher call me. Normally when I tell him that he gets to school, starts having fun, and forgets that he supposedly wasn’t feeling well….

Not this time. His teacher called me telling me he had a 102.1 temp so off I went to pick him up. Yesterday after a full day of him still not feeling well we heading off to the Dr. and it turns out he has strep throat. Poor little fella….

In this time though we have enjoyed lazy days….It’s not often that we hang out on the couch all day watching nothing but our favorites: Backyardigans, Diego, Dora, and Phineas and Ferb. Curled up in blankets, drinking hot tea (well for me at least), and not worrying about house work piling up or my regular work not getting done. I of course am ready for Keagan to start feeling better and I have a feeling after today with 24 hours of antibiotics he’ll start to but for the time being I’m going to cherish the cuddling time with my oldest.

Day of thanks

On this 11th (and 12th day….I’m having to combined the two. I came home so tired last night that I just couldn’t get on. ) I am showing thanks to our garden. It is so neat to me to be able to go out back and pick our ingredients for our salads, stir-fry, or veggie of the night.

We started our garden 3 summers ago. It was just a little patch out back. Today we have gone from our little “patch” out back to a nice garden area with three large growing areas. We experiment with the different crops we grow and this year we’ve decided to grow our first fall garden.

~ There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. ~

Keagan loves to go out back and pick something for dinner….Or breakfast at that. During the summer he requested cucumber before school and went out and picked his own. How much more of a learning experience could you get for a child!?

~ I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green. ~

With all this garden talk I also thought I would post a picture for macro Friday of the pomegranate we attempted to eat this week. Key word being, “attempted.”

Does one know how to eat a pomegranate because this family sure didn’t…I even looked it up on ehow.com and we’re still confused. Needless to say, I don’t believe we’ll be growing one of these trees in our garden anytime soon…. 😉

25 Days of Thanks: Day 5

For Day 5 it was an easy pick for me….Actually, it wasn’t. Yet again, I wish I could name like 5 things all in one post but the most obvious was the rain! When Dale Gilbert, who happens to be our weather man, shows us the 10 day forecast rarely if rain is in the picture do I shutter with dread. Only if we have a camping trip planned or a big outdoor activity already scheduled do I actually think, “Really!?!?” My garden loves the rain! My yard craves the rain! The beautiful lakes, streams, and creeks need the rain! Not to mention it is just absolutely gorgeous.

and of course with rain comes my oldest son outside playing in dirt and mud with his trucks, cars, and tractors. I think he loves the rain just as much as I do….but for a completely different reason. 😉

AND….after a good rain always comes the most spectacular sky.

After all of this how could Day 5 of my 25 days of thanks not be for rain…?

Picture Story Friday:The Pond

I decided to do something a little different today….Instead of going somewhere for lunch-not eating out but just going to different stores to window shop…or instead of sitting at my desk and basically working through lunch I decided that I just needed to get out, alone. I needed a break from the constant phone ringing, a break from the constant emails, the constant sound of the printer going off, voices in the hallway….I just needed away. It was a perfect day-The sky was cloudy. The temperature was mild and the pond within walking distance from my work was looking just right.

I just so happened to bring my camera today thinking I may need a little time to myself-so off we went…(We being the camera and me) to see what all I could find.

I really ended up liking the looks of this picture. To me the colors are beautiful and I love the way you can see the light shining through the holes in the leaves. God’s Beauty!

The pictures above are weeds….Yes, WEEDS!!! Aren’t they beautiful!

It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.  ~Leo Tolstoy

And then I had a little fun playing with the self timer. I honestly could have stayed out there all day. Barefoot, lying on a rock, watching the birds fly over…It was very difficult to call it a wrap, put the heels back on , and go back into work.

Photo Story Friday-My Dear Sweet Easton

My Dear Sweet Easton,

When God made you he had a purpose…It was so obvious to me that he was looking for a sweet Angel. Someone to light up the room the second they enter it. Such a sweet soul you are! Such a happy joyful baby you are.

Tonight it was just me and you for a short period of time. I took you outside and thought I would snap a few photos. I couldn’t stop. One photo led to 10 photos which led eventually to more than I’m willing to admit. You are quite the camera ham. I guess you haven’t discovered the anguish over agony hour that your brother has learned to dislike so much. 😉

I love you….and I thank you for completing my perfect little family.

Photo Story Friday 10-8

My boys….I love them so much! I’ve had such a rough week. Coming home after working so hard sometimes…Honestly, I just want to sit down. I don’t feel like getting dinner ready. I don’t feel like holding down a conversation…and really sometimes I don’t even feel like cracking a smile. These two boys make it hard not to crack a smile though. Tonight we went outside to grill our tilapia and veggies and this was my show….

After the trucks got old I then watched K-Man load his little brother into his “cart” and pull him around the yard.

After all this, how could you not crack a smile?? and did I mention, I love these guys!?!? 😉