Lately...

...we've been busy.  Maybe pictures will illustrate our busyness better than my words:

Before Saturday afternoon

About 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening

In case you were wondering, we dug 13 holes and planted 13 trees/bushes!!  Okay, maybe we didn't dig 13 holes (that would be my husband who did the heavy lifting), but we did work together to get this task accomplished.  And let me tell you lots of planting preparation + 13 holes + 13 trees/bushes = 2 tired people!

What I haven't mentioned is that Saturday morning, we got up bright and early and painted our basement.  I don't have any "after" pictures yet because I'm still working on a few details, but if you recall this post, you might have an idea of what is coming.  I think we figured that we worked on house stuff for as many hours on Saturday as we would normally work on a typical week day.  And, we didn't even take a lunch break!!

Oh, and we have this little patch of strawberries that we've been babying for a couple of years now.

It may not look too vicious here, but it produces strawberries like CRAZY!!  Anyone have a good recipe to use up fresh strawberries???

This is honestly probably the third or fourth large bowl of strawberries that we've picked in the last two weeks.  And this bowl was just picked tonight!!!!!

So, that's what we've been up to.  We're definitely looking forward to a long, relaxing Memorial Weekend coming up!!

Memories of a Dear Friend

Our family lost another dear, dear friend this week.  This friend, however, was more like family to us.  When my parents moved to their current town, they moved into a rental house next door to Dena and Gary while their current house was being built.  Dena and Gary immediately welcomed my family by inviting them over for hamburgers (I wasn't quite born yet, so I missed out on the party), a tradition that continued for many, many years.  Once I was born, Dena and Gary often babysat me while my parents worked on the house or while my mom ran errands or attended my sister and brother's activities.  Gary would come help my dad do projects around the house or help my mom out when my dad would be a National Guard camp in the summers.  We used to spend Christmas Eve, our birthdays or any special occassion with them.  As the years went on though, our roles kind of reversed as we began to look after Dena once Gary passed away.  My parents were the ones to invite Dena over for Sunday dinners or to help her around her her house or to celebrate holidays.  Like I said, they were like family to us; like grandparents.  You can read all about Dena here, but I wanted to list a few memories of Dena:

• I think I learned my love of sweets from Dena and Gary.  When I would go over to their house, they had a "Fairy Drawer" that always had a variety of sweets in it, but I could only open the drawer once the fairy came to visit.  I think that was really just their way of keeping my sugar intake in check ;) They also always had cold cans of Pepsi or 7-Up in their refrigerator, but again, I could only have one per visit.
• Dena was a great cook and I can attribute some of my love of cooking to her.  I remember sitting on her countertop, in the corner by the appliance garage, watching her cook.  She made so many yummy meals that I couldn't begin to list them out, but the ones I remember distinctly are her hamburgers, goulash, sloppy joes, homemade chicken and noodles with "riced" mashed potatoes and green beans, her jello salads and homemade ice cream.  Dena was also famous for her cakes.  As she started to go downhill, before moving to Dallas, one thing we knew she would eat without a doubt was cake with ice cream. 
• Dena was a perfectionist.  If you ever walked into her home, you would have noticed that everything and I mean everything had it's place.  Her cabinets were perfectly organized, the pillows on her couch were always straight, her floors were always vaccuumed and her bed was ALWAYS made just perfectly.  Friends, she even ironed her bed sheets!!  She and Gary also had the cleanest garage I've ever seen.
• I remember I was never allowed to go into her formal living room unless I was invited.  This was the room where all of her valuables were displayed and it was very rare that I was in that room. 
• Dena taught me how to play solitaire, which was a daily afternoon activity for her.  Even when she was in her late 80's she would just plop down on the floor and play.
• When Dena would babysit me when I was really young, I would always have to take a nap at 1:00 pm so she could watch her soap opera.
• Occaisionaly Dena would have to punish me and when that happened I would have to go to the laundry room bathroom until I quit crying.  Once I quit crying, I was able to come out.  It was torture when I would get punished at their house.
• Dena always had the prettiest red geraniums in the summers.  And, when Gary was alive, they also had a HUGE garden.  One of my favorite things to do with them was to snap the ends off of the fresh green beans.
• Dena was always well put together.  She always had the perfect outfit with the perfect shoes and jewelry.  And her jewelry, wow, she had a lot of jewelry!

There are so many memories of Dena and Gary and while our "Dena" hasn't been gone for a while now, she was never forgotten.  In fact, one of the last times Dena was able to be out and about was at our wedding and I will forever keep hold of that special memory.  Dear friends are hard to find and hard to forget and my family will never forget Dena and Gary.

Dedicated to My Sister

For many, many years I have detested mini vans.  Even though I don't have kids, the thought of a mini van just screams "mommy".  I have the same feeling about shirts that say "Super Mom" or something similar.  Its not that I will be embarrassed to be a mom, its just that I envision myself to be a super hip and trendy mom that keeps up with current fashion trends, still reads daily celebrity gossip, cruises around in a fun, sporty car, etc. And I think many other gals feel the same way.  In fact, I'm sure of it.  And, Toyota is sure of it too... 

Cue The Swagger Wagon!  You must watch this video because it is PURE ADVERTISING GENIUS!!

I dedicate this post to my sister because she recently became the owner of a Toyota Sienna mini van and she is proud of it!!  She might need to work on her "swagger" a little, but I'd say she can fit into the hip mom category (most of the time, anyway -- I'm just teasing sis.  I'm just having a little fun!).

Disclaimer: For those moms who read this and have a mini van or a shirt that reads "Super Mom" please don't take this as an insult.  I'm not a mom yet so if one day I own either one of these items you are free to say "Told you so!".  I mean no harm to anyone....

Longing for the beach...

Today, I made this picture my computer desktop background...

I think it is good to have a reminder of a calm, relaxed, peacful time amidst the craziness of work! And it makes my co-workers jealous :)

Just a random post about the weekend

1. We've been growing strawberries and recently had to spray them for bugs.  I thought I might be able to find a fruit and veggie wash at the grocery store, but I couldn't.  So, I made a homemade (and green) wash today and it was so easy.  Here is the recipe: 1 T. lemon juice, 2 T. baking soda, 1 c. water.  Mix ingredients together and pour into spray bottle.  Spray produce and let sit for five minutes and then rinse with cold water.
2. I also went to the farmer's market on Saturday (in the rain) and found a HUGE head of romaine lettuce, the biggest grape tomatoes I've ever seen  and a couple of yummy looking regular tomatoes and I only spent like $8.  I will be going back for more!
3. While at the farmer's market, one of the vendors tried talking me into buying a homemade compressed dog bone that was seriously 3 feet long.  I tried to explain to them that the bone was twice as long as my dog, but he didn't seem to think that was a problem.  I didn't buy into his ploy and thus Koby did not get a homemade chew bone.
4. We had a last minute yard work day today.  We transplanted three bushes, I mowed the yard (yes, you read that right) and we started to draw up some plans for a little more back yard landscaping and possibly a pergola over our deck.  There is something about the Spring that motivates us.  And, I decided today that yard work or landscaping is "our thing" that we enjoy doing together.  Every couple needs a "thing" to do together, but never did I think yard work would be ours.  Go figure...
5. We have several other house projects that we need to get done including painting the basement (again) and sprucing up our bedroom a little bit.  We are so thankful for weekends at home to get this stuff accomplished.
6. We went to Carrabba's for my aunt's birthday today.  It seems like every time we eat at an Italian restaurant, I leave there with a new recipe idea.  This time, it was the entree that my aunt ordered - seared/grilled scallops over a bed of spinach and orzo, topped with a balsamic tomato reduction.  It looked so good that I pretty much had meal envy.  I will be trying to recreate this dish soon!

Okay, that is all.  Have a lovely evening...

Sweet Reminders

I came across these pictures of our cute little birds nest from last spring/summer today as I was going through some old files on my computer.  What a sweet reminder of life (speaking of the bird eggs and not the dead plant they are residing in) and God's creation.  These types of images really make me stop and appreciate the small things and I hope they help you to do the same!

We Need One of These...

I found these cuties in the paper today and I think we NEED the one that is mostly white!!  The third one from the left is awfully cute too; he almost looks like Koby's identical twin!  Are they not the sweetest set of puppies that you have ever seen (aside from my own puppy, of course)?!?! 

I asked Koby if he wanted a new sibling and showed him the picture of these little ones and his ears perked up and he started whining (his good whine).  I think that was a "yes!"  I think Koby would really love to have a little playmate.  He would definitely have to get used to not being an only-dog, but I think he would eventually come around and embrace a new little puppy.

The only problem is this: I'm afraid we'd be banned from either of our parents' houses if we got another dog.  So, if anyone knows our parents, more specifically our moms, you might put in  a good word for us :)  After all, look at those sweet, sweet pups who need a good home!

Massive Monday Mash-Up

This blog title is a shout-out to one of my new favorite shows, Glee!  Technically, a mashup is a mixture of content or elements and that is exactly what this post is going to be...

First, we had some crazy storms roll through here late this afternoon.  The meteorologists had been building up this storm since yesterday, but I don't think many people believed them because the same set of circumstances happened last year, and well, nothing happened.  However, around 4:00 this afternoon, the radar started blowing up and the storms started marching towards us with a vengeance.  

 (the storm rolling in)

(B keeping a watchful eye on the skies)

(moving closer)

(and then the rain and the wind arrived)

About 15 or 20 minutes after this picture was taken, the sun was out and the wind had died down.  I kept looking for a rainbow but we never found one.

Now, working in reverse chronological order, yesterday was a very relaxing and laid back day.  We went to church, out to lunch, ran to the mall (I scored some great work clothes!) and then we came home and vegged out.  After a little bit of napping, I ran a couple of errands and worked on a little "craft" project.  As you might remember, we collected a bunch of shells when we were on vacation and we had yet to do anything with those shells.  So, I bought some spray lacquer to seal the shells and bring back some of their color and placed them in a clear glass vase in our bathroom.  I plan to frame a couple of our vacation photos to hang on the wall as well.  

Saturday, was a very, very busy day!  We had a few house guests that stayed the night with us on Friday, one of which was Brandon's sister, Ashley.  She stayed with us because she and Brandon were running the River Festival River Run 10k early Saturday morning.

I was hoping to capture all kinds of fun pictures from the race, but after trying three different camera options (or lack there of), this was the only photo we got :(  They both ran the race incredibly well and they had a great day for a race!

After the race, we raced home so I could get my clothes changed to head to Beloit for one of my dear friend's wedding showers.  I had seen miss Kourtney in a long time and it was SOO good to catch up with her.  She seems so happy and I'm so excited for her to be living in Wichita for a while :)  I rode to Beloit with my other dear friend Emily (we were all roommates in college) who lives here, but we don't get to see each other nearly enough.  While a 2.5 hour drive (one way) usually seems like a drag, it literally flew by because we had so much to talk about!  I came home from the little trip feeling so recharged from spending time with people who know me in and out.  There really is nothing like good friends.

While I was gone, Brandon was a rock star and got so much done around the house that it makes me think I should leave town more often (just kidding, honey!).  That evening he met up with some friends to see Iron Man 2.  By the time he got home, I was out like a light...

As I mentioned, we had a couple of house guests on Friday night, and the rest of those house guests were my sister and her two girls.  They were making their way to my parent's house and stopped in to see us for the evening.  We took little E to the park to play for a little while before picking up pizza for dinner.  I think she had fun running around and playing on all of the different equipment, but I think she enjoyed the sand area the most.

Later, her little sister and my big sister joined us (it was a pretty windy day).  Little I had fun watching all of the activity at the playground.

All in all, it was a great weekend!  But, we are definitely looking forward to a commitment-free weekend this coming weekend :)

Now, remember when I mentioned we bought and planted some flowers but I couldn't find the pics??  Well, I found them!!  After a few weeks of growth, I definitely prefer one of the pots over the other, but I will give the other some time.

The pot I like the most right now is the first pot, but one of my favorite flowers is the hibiscus, which we planted in the second pot, so I still have high hopes!  The weather has been a bit cool for hibiscus so they haven't bloomed much and I think something is trying to eat the leaves.  I hope once the weather warms up the blooms will start to go crazy!

Alright, well enough with my massive mash-up.  I was hoping to leave you with a real Glee mash-up, but I can't seem to really find a good video example!  Shucks....

Five Senses Friday

It's been a while since I've done a Five Senses Friday post, so here it is:

tasting :: A little piece of a brownie left over from lunch (I can't help my sweet tooth, I just can't)

hearing :: The laughter of a coworker

smelling :: Nothing - I work in an office....

seeing :: The cutest little puppy (aside from my own, of course) walking in the parking lot

feeling :: Excited for the weekend

What are your senses this Friday?

Also, Happy Mother's Day to both of our moms and to all of the other moms out there!!

It's Only Wednesday

So, for most of the day today I had it in my head that it was Thursday.  I hate it when I'm a day off, especially when my brain is a day ahead - it just makes for a long(er) week.  On top of that, I've been  battling some kind of allergy/head cold/congestion thing since Sunday and it is really starting to drive me nutty!  I can't sleep too well at night because I can't breathe which causes Brandon to not sleep well because I snore which causes us both to be a bit cranky.  Not a good combination.  So in an effort to not dwell on the yucky stuff, I'm going to rattle off the good things that are happening this week:

• I had the foresight to put a roast in the crock pot this morning so dinner would be waiting tonight (roast beef sandwiches with horseradish mayo and fruit salad = yummy!)
• I got my car detailed yesterday, thanks to my hubby's good luck and an awesome gift certificate.  I honestly believe this is the cleanest my car has EVER been because the day we drove it off the lot, it was snowing like crazy.
• I got a pedicure today!!  I found a new little spot a month or so ago that I really like and that is really affordable - SCORE!
• We get to see my sister and my nieces this weekend.
• Brandon and his sister are running in the River Run 10k on Saturday and I will be there to cheer them on.  I had planned to run the 2-mile but I kind of fell off the running wagon.
• I'm also taking a small road trip on Saturday with a college friend to attend a wedding shower for another college friend who is getting married in Hawaii (slightly jealous)...  Excited to be in the same room with the two of these gals!
• I made several calls this week in an effort to recruit more volunteers for elementary check-in at church and much to my surprise, I might have removed myself from the normal rotation.  This is a good thing for a couple of reasons 1) I've been doing check-in on at least a monthly basis (sometimes more) for about two years 2) it frees me up to be a sub, which is in high demand during the summer.
• I've started counting calories again and I've kept on track most of the week!
• I think I found at least one dress for the multiple weddings we have this summer.  I still need to find at least one more, though.
• The weather has been amazing this week :)
• Tomorrow is THURSDAY, one more day closer to the weekend!

I miss Mayberry...

On Saturday, Brandon and I were in my hometown so he could lay tile on my parent's front porch.  While he was busy doing his thing, my mom and I ran a few errands around town and during that time, I was reminded of some of the good aspects of living in a small town in Kansas:

• We went to local lumber yard/home store (a small town Lowe's, if you will) and the sales person recognized my mom as we walked in the door, instructed another sales person to show her the grout chart and charged my parent's account for the supplies.  She didn't even have to sign anything - we just walked out the door.
• We went to the local garden center to pick up flowers (for our planting project later in the day) and we ran into my old boss from the movie theater, my seventh grade science teacher (who remembered what year he had me in school - 14 years ago!), a high school friend's mom and a few other people.  I chatted with all of them and it was lovely.
• We also went to Wal-Mart where we ran into a former youth group volunteer from our church and my high school assistant principal and his daughter, whom I cheered with in high school.
• After Wal-Mart we had to go to the vet's office to pick up dog food for my parent's dog.  We walked in the door (and my mom left her keys in the ignition of the car and her purse in the front seat) and the sweet girl at the desk knew exactly what kind and what mix of dog food my mom needed and again, we walked out without paying for or signing anything. 

While I grew up in this little town my entire childhood, I never thought about all of the luxuries (and I certainly didn't think of them as luxuries) that came with small town life.  Now, it really does cause me to pause and think about how lucky I really was to have that experience!