Happy Things!!

                                   
                         Here are a few things that just make me smile!!

                                              Black Eyed Susans

The cute vase that is from my moms house...I'm using the juice glasses as candle holders.

SONIC...what more do I need to say...CHERRY LIMEAIDS...YUM!!

Sea Monkeys...We are are waiting for them to hatch...

                                   Have a happy day!!

Boom Boom Boom...what a weekend!!

What a weekend! It's amazing how we can squeeze so much stuff into one weekend.

We started off the by hitting the laundromat...no my machine is not broken. I just decided that I didn't want to spend the next week playing catching up. We have spent so much time moving my parents, that my own house is in shambles. I'm just keeping it real here... we had 15 loads of laundry, yes 15!! I know that seems like a lot, but with a household of six people and a usual routine of three loads a day, it is not hard to get behind....so no judgement please!! That also included everyone sheets comforter's and blankets too...just through that in to make myself feel better.

I love those wheeled carts! I would love to have one for each person in my family. That would also mean that I would have to have a much larger laundry room

My husband thought that I was crazy. We haven't been to the laundromat for years, but he went along anyway. We left the littles at home with Kyle.

 We went out to dinner afterwards to a restaurant that he had been wanting to  check out.

 I find the laundromat  relaxing, something about the smell of dyer sheets and the sound of all the machines, just almost puts me to sleep.

 Yes this is all mine

We brought some stuff to entertain us while we were there, but didn't get much down time. It only took us two hours from start to finish to wash, dry, hang and fold 15 loads. It Sooo made it worth loading it all up to not have to spend a week catching up.

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 On Sunday we went church and Sunday school for the first time in three weeks. It was good to be back.

Lunch at Chilli's...I felt petty good that we fed four of us for 20 bucks. It is so easy to get sucked into ordering sodas and kids meals and before long you have spent 60 dollars. I am not one to go out to eat one a regular basis. I can feed everyone much cheaper and healthier than what we can get at a restaurant. However, I do feel that it is nice to go out for special occasion's  to help teach your children to learn self control and basic manners.

Then it was off to the movies to see Transformers. I will let you know that I DON"t recommend this movie for small children. I should have read more on it before I took them. It does have some bad language and it was pretty violent. Luke thought it was great . Aiden lost interest in it about half way. My husband an Kyle love these movies , but it wouldn't have been my first choice for the little boys. I thought it was fine, but would have seen something else for myself.

***********************************4th of July*********************************

We decided to spend the 4th with my husnads family. Here are all the dads supervising the kids lighting fireworks.

                                                My daughter looking pretty as always.

Watching the fireworks

                                                 Luke checking out the fireworks selection
       

I made the pulled pork recipe that I talked about in my last post. It was soo good and easy. I will be using that recipe again.

My sister -in- law holing up one of the tomato, basil, mozzarella sticks that I had made. Everyone loved them!! YUM!!

                                                      Red, white and blue cup cakes

I am so tired today, but it was a good weekend with everyone. Now I'm off to run errands and hopefully get some crafting in . 

My pretty little princess all grown up!!

I wanted to share some info on my daughter. She is almost finished with cosmetology school and has a Facebook page that she updates on a regular basis. She has a blog too, but she wants to work on it a little more before I share it. I'm so proud of her. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when she told me she wanted to go to cosmetology school and not college. She had been active in journalism/newspaper in high school and I thought that was the route she would take. She has always loved everything to do with beauty/ hair products since she was a little girl, but I thought that she should go to a four year school. In the end she decided this was her calling and I am happy with her decision. I told her it doesn't matter what you do as long as you have passion for it and do the best you can do at it.

Well, she is doing that. She has created quite a list of customers and has big dreams for her future. She already been offered a full time position when she graduates. I am a proud mama and I know that the sky is the limit for her!! 

Her 18th birthday party!

Check out Mirandas facebook page...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002496582905

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002496582905#!/profile.php?id=100002496582905&sk=wall

Getting ready for the 4th...

Isn't this a beautiful front porch!! It is not mine, but I hope ours will look similar when we are done with our renovations. In the meantime I can only dream.

I found this image too ...I love how simple it is.

Today I am thinking about the 4th, I love this holiday!! Casual out door entertaining with family friends and yummy food. This year we are celebrating it  at my parents cottage( lol, my mom thinks it's funny that I call it that) with my sisters family. It is within walking distance to the school where they have the fireworks display and ice cream social. We have gone every year for as long as I can remember. It is a tradition that is so special to my kids.

Tomato, basil, mozzarella salad

Menu for this years celebration... this is what I came up with:
Crock Pot pulled pork sliders http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/slow-cooker-pulled-pork/detail.aspx
Hot dogs for the kids
Pasta salad...my recipe
Amazing coleslaw...need to get recipe from my friend
or
Tomato, fresh basil and mozzarella salad
Home made potato chips http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/homemade-potato-chips-recipe/index.html
Corn on the cob
Watermelon wedges

Mini apple pies
Homemade ice cream

Iced Tea
Fresh lemonade

This may change a little depending on what my sister is making, but it sounds sooo good right now!

Family farm, jumping fish, and Worlds of fun...

I can't believe that it is almost the 4th of July. This last month has been a blur. We have spent some part of everyday at my family farm for the last 28 days. A lifetime of stuff to sort, pack and move. A house, two barns, multiple out buildings and sheds all had to be loaded into two trailers. Seven tractors, two combines, multiple plows, a forklift, two grain trucks, 6 pick-ups, two boats and a lawnmower all had to be taken to a neighbors farm. As of yesterday we were done...well as done as we could be. Around two o-clock the levee broke and water started pouring in, by four water was over the roads. Now we wait. Wait to see how high the water gets and if they will be able to return.

Packing up the barn

My dad and uncle watching the water rise

The flooding has brought in all of these Asian Carp. They were originally brought over from China in the early 70's and now have over populated the river. When they get scared they jump. Boat moters and other loud sound get them flying out of the water. When I took this, my son had been beating on a metal pole...crazy!

These are Asian Carp. They Jump when the hear loud noises

On Sunday we went to Worlds of Fun and it was...uh...fun...NOT! Well, it was for my family. I can handle about 4 hours and then I'm done. My husband and kids, on the other hand LOVE going there. They also like to go when the park opens and stay till it closes. This was my husbands employee appreciation party...hence the matching t-shirts. We had a good time for the most part, it was just sooo hot. My kids had a great time and that was the important thing. 

Funnel cake...YUM!

Aiden, Brandon, Luke and Miranda

The hat store...

Hanging out on the farm and a little more packing...

I think we are on day 15 now of sorting, packing and moving my parents. So many memories and so much stuff. As my sister and I were taping up about the 100th box, we were discussing how we felt guilty about our kids missing summer activities that we had planned for them. Her oldest son over heard this and was quick to say how much fun he had been having coming to the farm. My sisters reply was "really?" He explained that they have been having a blast hanging out with their cousins everyday. We started talking about all the fun we had as a kid on the farm with all of our cousins. We just wish it was under different circumstances that we were spending so much time down there.

What little boy doesn't love to throw rocks

Cousins having fun

Water is rising fast

Aiden was sooo tired his cousin had to carry him home

Luke walking Charlie

Water over all of the farm land . These are fields that usually have soy beans planted in them.

Here are a few pictures that I took of my daughter while we were down there. She will graduate from cosmetology school in August and has started a beauty blog and facebook page for her business. She wanted a few new pictures to put on her blog. These are some that I liked, I'm sure she will have a different opinion.