CAN YOU SAY HOT!!!!

I am HOT. I am a tad CRANKY and I have Poison Ivy again and that does not go well with HOT! I am doing my best to not snap:)
I would love to be able to share pictures of the ROSES that are blooming, but my camera is kaplunk for the moment. I'm hoping it's the batteries. Jason bought cheap ones, so hopefully once I get to the store and get good ones it will be fine. Of course I could use the rechargeable, but as usual I can't remember where I put the charger. I know, but ya know I am to hot and to cranky to really look for it! Hey, at least I cooked dinner tonight.
Anyway that's it from CRANKYVILLE.

WE JUST WANT TO GO TO THE LAKE!

Enjoying Warm Weather

The weather has been beautiful and we have been enjoying all the warm weather and being outside. Jason has been very busy getting the wood cut and ready for the swing set. Yes, the famous swing set!
Here are a few pictures of the huge pay loader that came last Saturday to help Jason get that really big white oak up (see picture from a few posts ago) We are very fortunate to know Gary, Ben calls him Gawee (so cute), and he brought over his rig and gave Jason a HUGE hand.




Katie and I have been busy planting some new flowers. Jason and I celebrated our
10th Anniversary. I bought us a Butterfly Bush. I've wanted one for a few years. I thought it would be sentimental to watch it grow as we continue to grow in our marriage.
Katie and Ben helped me dig the hole and while I was doing that, I got in the mood to do some serious gardening. So, I said, hmm I wonder what all these rocks are that are peeking out of the grass that border the flower bed in the back garden (The ones in front of the rock wall/porch). I started to dig and found beautiful rocks! I dug some more. I asked Walter to come outside and asked him. Well he said there was a rock path going all the way around that he had made for Gram but the grass grew over it. I was so excited! So I kept digging. I'm almost done. It looks lovely so far.



The kids keep finding a toad in our yard. They've named him Brownie. They've caught Brownie 3 times now. Lucky toad. He's gotten to go to Katie's class and to her friends house. They keep him in a habitat and teach him tricks! Yes tricks. They spin him on a sand toy, they put him in Ben's truck...I'll stop there.



Katie and her Brownie troop were in the town's Memorial Day parade. It was a beautiful day.

BLOG CRAZY!

LOOK I FIGURED OUT HOW TO ADD BLINKIE BUTTONS...CLICK ON THEM AND YOU GO TO THAT SITE. SO COOL.

I JUST LOVE TO CRUISE THE BLOG WORLD.

Latest News from Our house...

Hi all, I know it's been awhile. You know I get busy and so tired at night I fall asleep on the couch, sometimes while on the computer. I haven't been very good about checking my email either. The good news though is I am sleeping A LOT better with my new CPAP machine. Jason and the kids are happy not to hear me snoring!

So I really want to be a good gardner. I really want to keep up with Gram's gardens. My there are a lot. So every couple of nights I go out and weed and rake while the kids play around. I'm getting there. Hopefully I won't get poison ivy!
Does anyone know what kind of flower this is?



I realized that I never put up pics from our trip to the Butterfly place. We had a great day during April vacation. The kids loved it. Thankfully one finally landed on Katie even though it was on her toe she was happy.


Let's see what else? Oh Jason cut down a REALLY BIG TREE!!! Thank goodness his brother's were there to help. He cut down the tree for a friend of ours to use. He's been cutting down trees to use for a play scape for the kids. I know you're thinking what? Well he found a guy that brings his own equipment to "mill" your own wood. He says why pay for wood when we have all these trees. Dead trees, don't worry. Anyway here is a really cool pic of a really BIG tree.



Last week Katie had a father/daughter dance at school. So sweet. Ben and I stayed home and built a fort in his room.



Oh I rearranged our living room. Here are a few new pics. Do you see how I've downsized on all my stuff!! I'm trying, really.

Kitchen shelf over the marble table/counter that separates the LR and KIT.

One of my Counters...see sparse for me.


Notice I've kitty cornered the couch and bookshelf behind! Wow, I know.


Here is Ben, Mr. Cutie Pie with his friend Annie and cousin Kelly at Poppy's house. It was really sunny out so he went to our van and got his umbrella for them to use. He is sooo sweet.




Finally my sweeties on Mother's day. It was a beautiful day and we went to the park for a little while. So fun.

KEMPO UPDATE

As many of you know the kids have been taking Kempo. Well they have both earned 3 Yellow Stripes on their White Belts. That means they got an invitation to test for the Yellow Belt. They are so excited and Jason and I and Grandpa Walter are so proud of them.

THIS IS FUNNY!!!!

So Jason goes out to meet Katie's bus on Wed afternoon. He's just about to get up to the top of the drive and the bus stops. Katie comes FLYING across the street hands waving in the air and yelling "STOP STOP STOP", Jason says what's the matter. She stops looks at him and says, "Oh (exasperated and out of breath) I thought you were in your underwear!!!!" He was wearing his gray shorts, white fruit of the Looms t-shirt and boots with BLACK socks!
You see, he has threatened her many times that he will embarrass her at the bus stop!!!
Oh Jason.

Two Dinners

First I have to let you all know that sadly, Bradley, my beloved new cat passed away. We don't know what happened. I found him in the basement. Very sad.

On to happy things...

I tell ya, I am turning into Betty Crocker!
I know you are about to fall off your chairs. I'm actually enjoying cooking. I've been cooking a lot since Jason is working so hard out in the yard. The yard is a lot of work, and once one area is set another area needs TLC. Right now he is working on grading the back side yard. He is trying to plant grass seed and it's not going well. I try to help, but I'm not sure that I'm all that helpful.
So I cook dinner! I told you before how much I love the crock pot. I just have to remember to take meat out!
Last night I cooked spit chicken breasts on the grill! Yes the grill. I was sooo proud of myself, I didn't burn them.
Tonight I made the other two breasts in the crock pot with broth and Mrs. Dash. I slowed cooked them on low all day. Very yummy. I made our favorite potatoes, cut and mixed in olive oil and Mrs. Dash and baked. Katie eats them all up! I also made a gravy from the broth, fancy huh!
So I will try something new again soon.