Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Pink Tulips...

Spring is definitely my favorite season.  After winter, I look forward to the warmer weather and and things starting to bud and bloom all around me.  I enjoy watching the gardens in our yard start to come to life after being dorment for the entire winter.  

About 2 months ago, I noticed some sprouts in the yard that I hadn't noticed before.



They looked like the start of tulips, but I knew I hadn't planted any, so I really wasn't sure.  After a week or so, they started popping out EVERYWHERE, all over my front and back yards.  Then I started thinking...I texted my cousin and my aunt and asked if they had planted anything when they helped me mulch last year, my cousin responded that she had not.  

For the next several weeks we watched as the sprouts grew bigger and indeed revealed themselves as tulips, but where did they come from?   I started to believe a miracle had taken place...

...and then my cousin and my aunt came clean.  They had indeed planted the bulbs, 500 bulbs to be exact.  Because they didn't plant them on the day I originally questioned, they really weren't being dishonest when I asked about them and I guess they wanted to hold out just a little bit longer.  I was started to feel like I was going a little crazy, so I'm glad they finally told me.

Now several weeks later, here are the blooms.

This is the view from our front porch.












They are beautiful, and when I see them I am reminded of the amazing people I have in my life and how great it feels to be loved. Thank you Aunt Jeanne and Beth! xo

And, if the pictures weren't enough, here's a 3 minutes video tour of my yard of pink tulips.  




A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much 
you are loved by others.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

All Good Things Must Come to an End....

...but, why?

We are nearing the end of our vacation and it's sort of a downer.  It has been a great vacation.  We have all enjoyed making memories while we took a break from our typical routine.  














"Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us."

Thursday, April 18, 2013

My apologies...

....for a lack of blogging, but we're on a little (well, sort of big) family vacation. 

Here is a glimpse of our day today.




All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

Friday, April 12, 2013

$500.

So, because it is the beginning of the year and we have a $2,000 deductible, we have recently received a bill for my monthly lymphatic massages.  I really don't think I need to be going, but I have been for preventative reasons, security I guess.  However, I've decided that $500 a pop is a little steep for a massage that lasts less than 60 minutes.  I'll be calling to cancel my next one and hold off until I actually need to go...$500, really?  They could at least get sheets that don't pill so I don't have to use the medical tape as a lint remover before leaving the room.  Oh, and how about a new CD player that doesn't skip 25 times in an hour...that would be nice too.  

Charging for a service is one thing, but taking advantage of people who are desperate to be well and stay healthy is another... 
I'll be reviewing the internet videos for self lymphatic drainage once again and keep my $500 for the time being... 


 "The art is not in making money, but in keeping it." 
- Proverb

Thursday, April 11, 2013

There's always tomorrow...


Boo Hiss to days that are hard.  This one ended on a rough note, but tomorrow brings with it a new day and so then we can begin again.




“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”


-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Easter

I know I'm a little behind, but better late than never.  Here is our Easter in pictures.




E hunts for eggs too; he's just too darn quick and it makes it difficult for me to get a picture of him. 

 The hunt for the baskets begins...












The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise.  
~Carl Knudsen

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Fairy Party Wrap-Up Post 3 of 3


Tired of all this fairy talk?  This is the last of the party pictures....I promise.



 I created a scavenger hunt on www.scavengerhunt.org   You can find my actual scavenger hunt here.  It was easy to create, find pictures to go with it and then print out.  I rolled them up and tied them with twine.  The kids used these buckets to collect their goods and branch pencils like these to check off their lists.  I got the pencils at Marshall's.

 For each item they found they were able to trade it in for a piece of candy.

 The pinata was filled to the brim (with mostly fairy stuff)...sorry boys ;(  Unfortunately we didn't even make it through all the kids...this guy "killed" it.
 Little Miss thoroughly enjoyed opening all her gifts this year.  She took her time; you only turn 6 once, so why not?







And here's the cupcake cake, easy peasy...one of the easiest I've my mother and I have made.  It was super quick.  You can see my our other cupcake cakes here.  Thanks again for your help mom!
The fairy cake toppers are from amazon.



It's so hard to believe it's been 6 years since our Little Miss entered our lives.  We have had such a blessed 6 years with her and it was a joy celebrating with our family and friends.

I think that people who can't believe in fairies aren't worth knowing.  ~Tori Amos