Flashback Friday - July 2011

What I wouldn't give for a cold and refreshing waterfall now...highs here are over 105 degrees today!!

Flashback Friday - June 2008

Jack cooling off at the waterpark!!  Tomorrow we are hoping to get to a different waterpark to cool off and have fun with Daddy.

Summer Eatin'

Last week the boys enjoyed some corn on the cob.  I was actually pleasantly surprised that all three of them liked it!!

Ewan has also been enjoying the tomatoes from the garden.  Jack and Sean do not care for them.  Boy are they missing out!

In other news we also had a fun Father's Day weekend.  The boys enjoyed going to see Penguins of Madagascar 3.  We also had a nice dinner with my parents and Josh's parents at Garibaldi's. YUMMY!!

Emmie M's Palmetto Family

Ever since Emmie M was here for her birthday I have been trying to take pictures of the boys.  I did not get the chance to do it when she was here thanks to Jack's stitches and big lip.  After she left there was always something going on.

Last Sunday while Josh finished putting up the back splash in the kitchen (photos of that coming soon) I was going to take the boys to the zoo and botanical gardens for pictures and fun.  Then it started to sprinkle on the way.  So we decided to go to the State House and then out to Drip for hot chocolate.

I got lots of pictures of the boys.  It is still nearly impossible to get on of all three of them together.  And even individually it is tricky too.  So here are the best.....I actually got some good ones of just Ewan.  He is usually the trickiest, either eyes shut or deer in headlights look on his face!!!

Of course we had to have a picture on the steps for Oma!!

Jack and Ewan racing to the top

Goofing off!  Like I said, impossible to get them all!

Was hoping to get one of all the boys by the Palmetto railing for

Emmie M's Palmetto Family pic, but again, impossible so thus

the butt shot!

I also wanted one of them holding hands...Sean wanted

nothing to do with this!

Taken during the ONE SECOND Sean cooperated!

Gotta love the action shot

Sean would not cooperate at the hydrangeas either!

Flashback Friday - March 2012

Hard to believe this is the beginning of the garden....it is so incredibly overgrown!!!  You cannot help but walk on some plant just to get to pick tomatoes or anything else for that matter.

First Day of Camp

Now is the time I have been waiting for....full day camp for Jack and Ewan!!  They have been quite a hand full lately so I looked forward to having just Sean for a week.  I have many plans, lots to do.  We'll see what really gets done!

The boys were thrilled to have their backpacks all packed up for camp (two swim trunks, two towels, sun screen, water bottles etc.)  And of course their lunch boxes!!!  Sean was thrilled he now has a backpack he can carry too.

Drop off went well.  Jack got nervous at the door so I shoved him through the doorway.  After that it was nothing but smiles and excitement. 

I got a nice workout in.  Sean played hard in the babysitting room.  We went to the new Aldi down the road.  I'm thrilled to have it close to the house and I feel a little closer to Europe again!!

Then we came home, unpacked had lunch.  And then it began...the DOWNPOUR!!  We are now getting some of the rain that Florida had (though not quite that bad).  I had to get  pictures of the "mudslide".  I have been meaning to get pictures of the garage foundation and extended driveway but have not done it yet.  More importantly, a picture of the dirt in my backyard.  We have not been able to play outside for about three weeks now because the cement trucks came after a big rain and tore up the backyard.  It is nothing but dirt/mud.

So on a day like today it became a mudslide.  I got some pictures of the mess.  If the dirt EVER dries out (seems we keep getting rain) the contractor is going to seed the yard.  But even then it  will still take some time before we will be able to play out back.  Puts a real cramp on our outside playtime, AKA DRIVE MOMMY CRAZY because we are cooped up!!

The happy campers before drop off, plus Sean with his backpack.

My boys are growing too fast!!

The mud escaped the backyard and found its way to the front.

Looks like a swamp!

Somehow we got enough rain that the mud from the back flowed

around the side of the yard and all the way to the middle of

the front yard.  UGH!!

Nice river?!

The view from the edge of the new garage foundation.

This is why we can't play out back.  Somehow I did not

anticipate this with new garage project.  HELP ME!!

Flashback Friday - August 2011

Jack's camp graduation last year.  He graduated to the kindergarten class.  They start camp next week, though it is still up in the air which classes Jack and Ewan will be in; they do not want to be separated.  Sometimes they are just like twins!!

Smell the Flowers

As I have said before, I love this time of year.  My flowers are all blooming beautifully.  This afternoon I went out and clipped a bunch to have inside the house.  It's just cheerier with them inside!!  I clipped a bit of everything, except the roses.  I'll get some of them later.

One side of the basket of flowers I cut today.

The other side.  Mostly zinnia, hydrangeas, snap dragons and daisies.

My all time favorite vase.  Many many years ago when I had my handbag business

and was at a show for South Carolina artisans I came across this amazing potter from Folly Beach.  My mom got this vase for me, custom order to my favorite colors.  She also got one for herself and one for Emmie M...the most amazing custom order ever with the "boobs" two different sizes to look like she did after breast cancer/surgery/implant.

The flowers almost look better from the back side of the vase!

In all I got ten vases filled.

I now have three on the breakfast bar, four on the mantel, one on the kitchen

table and two on the dining room table.

Another Weekend Over Too Soon

There is just not enough time in the day, especially on the weekends.  We get so little time with Daddy and try to do so much on the weekends.  This weekend we had some yummy dinner Friday night at the Food Truck Roundup.  The boys had a great time, especially splashing in the puddles from the recent  rain!!

Saturday the boys, big and small, worked in the garage and outside.  They got plenty dirty and paint too so I had to bathe them before we headed to a birthday party at noon.  Then errands after the party.  Then late naps.

For dinner Saturday we had some yummy pasta with pesto sauce I made with our garden basil.  All the  boys enjoyed that.  After dinner we flew planes with Daddy and then I made a quick stop at Belk while the guys ran around Sandhills.

Sunday was another day of working around the house.  I made another four quarts of  pickles, this time dill spears.  Josh worked in the garage and the boys found plenty of trouble outside.  Somehow I feel like I got nothing done, yet time flew by way too fast.  We also had a yummy dinner of the "A salad" using Napa Cabbage from our garden and Thai Chicken Biscuit Cups using cilantro from the garden.  YUMMY!!! 

And now it's back to Monday and trying to keep the boys occupied and out of trouble.  Jack misses school and is looking forward to camp next week.  I'm looking forward to camp too.  A whole week of just one child all day.  I have big plans, yet I will probably not get even half of the stuff I want to do done!!!

We are all enjoying eating goodies from the garden!!

Ewan wanted his picture taken too!!

Thai chicken biscuit cups and napa cabbage salad.

Sean LOVED it, he ate two of the chicken cups.  The other boys did not even

finish one (complained about them being spicy).

Flashback Friday - Brevard, NC, August 2009

Enjoying some time at Franklin Park in the mountains!!