FATHER'S DAY AND BEYOND

     You would think that the summer time would slow us down around here, but it does not.

      The summer days are just ticking away. This is a sweet summer for us and I know there will never be another one like it.  The house is full of noise and activity (minus a little) this year. I love it and appreciate what is here now, but am missing the good ole'days of girls coming and going, wet footprints leading to the "monkey" bathroom, pool towels piled in a heap on the laundry room floor and a never ending carpet of crumbs on the counter.

      I have two girls home this summer.

      Brittany is a UNC Nursing School graduate and is still looking for a job. Finding a job as a new nurse graduate in the Triangle is a looooong blog post itself,  especially with the healthcare system so erratic right now.  Anyways, she is living at home now and working part-time in an office.  With Barrett being a rising senior, I know next summer will be very different with all the college prep and dorm room planning going on .  She and I are spending a lot of girl time together and trying to check a lot off of our to do list.  Brooke is the one not here. She is living in DC and has a schedule that you cannot put your thumb on or plan anything around since she is a flight attendant .  We talk all day via texting and usually have a conversation at night. I do not emotionally miss her thanks to technology and social media, but oh how I physically miss her! I miss her curled up in her chair smack dab in front of the TV watching the Kardahsians or So You Think You Can Dance while eating chips and salsa.  I miss her crawling in bed with me and her dad late at night while we watch TV.

     I feel like I am in transition.

     I know there are great things on the horizon and I cannot wait for them, but right now I am half full on good days and other days I am half empty.  I am working part time and I want to be a full time employee.

     I am so blessed with what I have going on today and I know it. I love the summer time and the time we do spend together.

     Here are some summer pictures so far…..

 

A dad and his dogs

and me and my frog! 

*******

Art brought home two box seat tickets to see Katie Perry

and 

Barrett and I were happy to use them. 

The concert was really good - very colorful and entertaining. 

I had to joke and compare her to Miss Miley………

Katy did an entire show without sticking out her tongue, dropping the F bomb or grabbing her crotch! 

Imagine that! 

The guys caught up on their sleep while we were gone and watched the World Cup.

On the nights when Art is out of town, we have full-blown girl's nights……

sewing in the kitchen, baking and Netflixing.

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We decided to not go to the beach this past weekend and stayed home to catch up some things. 

Art got busy tackeling some of the overgrown trees in the yard. 

He had to rent an industrial size chain saw from HD and it came with  a very unsexy safety suit. 

He also got busy putting together and installing two sections of fence in front of the pool pumps. 

We have planted (and spent tons of money) trying to camouflage this area, but the deer have devoured everything everytime. We decided to not plant a forth time

and 

put a fence in front of the pumps instead.

I am so happy with how it turned out. 

 We now have a white picket fence inside a black metal fenced area and I suppose we are breaking a lot of designer rules mixing everything together, but I do not care. 

Finally, after five years, something deer proof!

While Art did that, I tidied up the rest of the backyard,

 dead headed my flower pots,

weeded the beds,

and took a little nap on the patio couch…in the shade. 

*******

Sunday after church we went to the (NC) State Farmer's Market.

It is huge and wonderful! 

I buy an elephant garlic from the Garlic Lady everytime I am there. 

And I cannot resist the flowers even though I have a yard full at home. 

 We are headed to the beach for the Fourth!

What are you doing?