Jun 30, 2014

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.








********
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? 




   
   





   

Jun 2, 2014

JUNIOR TO SENIOR



On Friday, I sent my baby to school for her last day as a junior. 
She came back a (rising) senior.  
I don't think I am ready for this.

I know I am not ready for this.


The official last day of school for her school was today
and then the rest of the week are exam days, 
She is exempt from her exams and I am so proud of how hard she has worked this year.


Here she is Friday after school before leaving for the beach:




































Summer fun has begun!














I can't wait! 

May 29, 2014

MEMORIAL DAY BEACH WEEKEND




We spent four days at the beach for Memorial Day weekend. 
The dogs, cat, Barrett and I left Raleigh Friday midmorning. 
Art left Raleigh mid afternoon.
Brittany and two of her friends left around 4:30 PM
(along with the rest of Raleigh that was headed to the beach).  

Because of soccer and my dad's surgery our spring weekends at the beach have been nonexistent.
It was so so SO good to get back there!



I spent Friday afternoon here….

on the back deck taking in the sun and sights of the canal.  
Our view of the canal is just about gone because of the palm trees. 
They are now blocking our view and need to grow a few feet taller so we can see the water from our rockers again. 

We also have a front porch that overlooks the street and other houses. 
I have four chairs out there and that is where I love to sit alone. 
I couldn't wait to hang my new "happy summer" flag and sit out there and unwind. 



Because of our schedule on Friday, we ordered pizza and sat out crackers and cheese
and everyone grazed and ate as theygot there. 




Meet Tucker.



He belongs to one of Brittany's friends and he came to spend the weekend with Lola and Charlie. 
They all got along so well and I loved having him there. 
I tried and tried to get that perfect picture of the three of them, but it was not going to happen.  
This is in our (little) backyard. 
Our neighbors have two dogs and this is the corner and section of the fence where they go to  meet up, gossip and argue. 



We had beautiful, humidity free weather all weekend
and
spent a lot of time on the beach. 











Barrett is reading the Game of Thrones series and I am so envious. 
I do not have her reading skills and interest.  
I would never start and book/series that long because it would take me forever to finish it. 
While I love reading, it makes me so sleepy. 
She can read and read and read………..







We put our hammock out by the canal, under the palms when we are there. 
Three pages of a book, the sound of the water and I am out…..







….like I said, it takes me forever to read a book. 



I planted all of my flower pots over Easter weekend. 
I was worried that they would be all dried up and dead since we haven't been able to be there, but they survived and looked pretty good. I guess there have been enough thunder storms and showers to keep them going.  

I have BIG plans for that pot of basil on the right, some garlic and shrimp! 




I have hydrangeas finally!
There are no deer to eat them there!



They are one of my favorite flowers. 
We planted them and landscaped this side of our house last year and I am loving it!



 I don't care that the calendar says that summer isn't quite here yet.
It is for us. 
Barrett's last day of school is tomorrow and we will be beach bound again tomorrow at 3:30. 


Happy summer!