My Neglected Blog

Wow I have not posted on my blog in so long :(

I have been busy with work and life in general. I hope to be posting agian this weekend. I miss it!!!!

Happy 15th Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday to our beautiful daughter who is 15 today!!! I can’t believe how time flies, our little girl was six in the picture below and it seems like just yesterday. Talk about a person that lights up a room when she walks in (I’m biased of course) she’s a remarkable person who is genuine, loving, compassionate, thoughtful, courteous, smart and the list goes on and on!!!! She melts my heart with that smile of hers. She has a since of humor that is just like her dads so when they get started watch out. As we celebrate her I truly thank God for blessing our lives with her and giving us the privilege to be her parents. We are truly blessed!!!

                   Happy Birthday sweetie…we love you!!!!!

 

our beautiful girl...that smile melts my heart!!!!!

super happy....she got her phone :)

Happy Birthday girlie!!!!

Burlap Planters

Happy Monday, I hope everyone had a great weekend!!

I have some projects that I need to get finished around here and one of them I needed to do was get my tomatoes planted. Since I had surgery a month ago I have some limitations so I haven't been able to do that. A while back I saw on Pinterest (of course) planters that were simple but fun using burlap and you all know how much I love burlap. I checked around for the plain black plastic buckets like the ones plants are in when you get them at the nursery and the ones I found were 10 bucks...I couldn't believe they were that expensive it's just plastic, not even pretty plastic!!! So I continued my serach and I found just plain white 5 gallon buckets at Walmart for $2.97 each (now that's what I am talking about) my lovely husband drilled holes for me in the bottom for drainage and since a plain white bucket is not very appealing to the eye I found at a garden center burlap bags for $1.29 each...wow another great find for cheap!!! So with the lovely help of my momma who did all the planting I am happy to say my planters (that I love) cost a whopping $4.94 each and my tomatoes are planted. I can't wait to get fresh tomatoes (hopefully the sun will come out) we are at the end of June but my husband says it looks and feels like Juneuary, that's the Pacific Northwest for ya, but I love it here!!!!

Dear Friends, Me and Strawberry Freezer Jam

What a pretty day today, besides the sun shining my dear friend Laura came over today to visit and make strawberry freezer jam with me (actually I just sat on a chair in the kitchen and watched and learned since I never had done that before, mom and Laura wouldn't let me do anything LOL) it is such an easy process, how can something that easy taste that good!! I won't be buying strawberry jam in the store anymore!!! Oh and did I say it taste amazing!!!! I can't wait for my hubby to try it I think he is going to love it just as much as I did.

Isn't it funny how the simpler things in life end up being the things you remember the most. I won't forget today, I have it stored up in my memory bank of the fun I had hanging out with two very special ladies in my life and how much I enjoyed laughing, sharing and just spending time together. It didn't cost a fortune and we didn't have to go anywhere.

One thing I have really started to enjoy while being home recovering is the down time. I always run my self ragged, we have to go here or go there, there is always something or somewhere we have to be...well I now have been introduced to down time and really enjoy it!!! Its a balancing act though and to be honest I am not very good at that. I have always been one extreme or the other...the middle whats that? But I am slowly coming to realize that you don't have to go 100 miles an hour and that it's okay to stop. Well as I continue to heal and get back to being able to do more I will continue that quest to try & stay in the middle.

I am truly thankful for this time, to have some quality time with my mom, friends coming over to keep me company and for time to just be still and reflect. I was talking with one of my dear friends on how I struggle with who I am and I think that's why I run so much, its easier than having to face what bothers me about me or simply excepting who I am. "God loves me for me being just me" and for that matter "that she loves me for who I am, not what I strive to be" I can't even put into words how much I criticize myself on so many different areas of my life, what I need to do, how can I make people happy, do they like me...trust me the list goes on. But I need to start focusing on what  my husband and daughter see and what my friends see, they love me and say they love me for who I am!!! I need to start excepting me for who I am and be proud of that. God made me, this is who he made me to be so I will continue to seek him, spend time with him and trust him!!! So with that I am going to try and just be me!!!!

of course I had to take pictures...hehe!!!!

the finished product...of course you know me I had to stage it and take a picture

of the finished project, Laura told me I should stage things for a living..hehe :)

 

Well thanks for stopping by hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!

Marianne

Recovery & Gardners Hand Sugar Scrub

Happy Wednesday ya'all! I hope everyone is enjoying their day. Since I have been home recovering from surgery I have started to go a bit stir crazy. All though I am feeling better each day I still have limits and get tired easily, but I have no complaints. I have used this time to rest and reflect on things. I am so blessed in so many ways, I have a loving husband and daughter who are totally spoiling me during my recovery. I also have an amazing mother who has been here since my surgery and is totally taking care of the house and me! I am really enjoying this time with her.

So since I have limits and going stir crazy I needed to do something that is totally easy but yet creative. I know what I am going to make from here on out and not buy the expensive brands any longer.

Gardner's Hand Sugar Scrub

I found a wonderful blog and she has so many ideas, Go check it out yourself by clicking here, I just added some burlap wire I had, fresh rosemary from my garden and a tag that was on some material. I nice gift for someone for less thank $5.00.

Well I wish you a great rest of the day!

Marianne



Remembering Those Who Have Taken a Stand

Today remember and honor the men and women who serve, have served and sacraficed their lives for our freedom. These men and women are an extrodinary group of people that put themselves on the line to protect our nation at whatever the cost

Micah Shaw thank you for being the warrior that you were, for the love that you had for our country and for your service. You are truly missed and in our daily thoughts. You will forever be in our hearts. Rest in Peace our dear friend.

Fragrant Beauty

We are having a beautiful week here in the NW, our forecast shows sun for the whole week. When we have weather like this you see everyone out and about soaking up as much as they can. I love driving around town seeing all of the beautiful yards and porches with flowers blooming everywhere. The lilacs are one of my favorites! I have always been fond of them. We had one in our backyard at our house in California but unfortunately it didn't get enough sun so it hardly bloomed. There are so many different shades of purple and some white and that sweet fragrance, oh I love that smell! One of my co-workers has a huge lilac bush in his yard and we where talking about them and I was saying how much I enjoyed them and that I would pay him for a couple clippings, he brought me some in and told me to enjoy :) how nice was that? My office smelled so good today and now I am enjoying them at home. I am excited that this weekend we are going to go to the Lilac Festival, this is the last week for it until next year so I am glad that I found out in time for us to go.

It amazes me the beauty that is all around that God created for us to enjoy.When I am driving home I am always taking it all in, it never seems to get old.

Take time to smell the posies and enjoy the beauty around you!!!

Have a blessed week!!! 

Just an all Around Great Sunday...

What a wonderful day it has been hanging out and enjoying what it's all about!!! The weather has been amazing the last couple of days so needless to say we soak it up as much as we can when we get it. It's crazy when the sun shines for more than two days here it's like everyone has taken happy pills. I definitely don't take the sun for granted now that I am here. I never remembered appreciating it as much as I do now. I love the weather here in the NW, we have all the seasons and even though we get our fair share of rain I love it!!! That's what makes everything so green. I am in awe every time I go somewhere...Stephen and I say to ourselves can you believe we live here? It doesn't get old.

We went to church and as always enjoyed being with our Elevate family. Rocked worship and listened to a great message that Pastor Steve and his wife Rowena shared today on....

5 Responsibilities Parents have in Raising Children;

• we need to protect and provide 1 Timothy 5:8  "for those who won't care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers." 
• to model Gods love for/of God Ephesians 5:25 "for husbands, this means love your wives just has Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her."
• to model Gods leadership 1 Timothy 3:4 "he must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him."
• to discipline (train) for all areas of life
• to recognize calling and gifting for all areas

Teaching children to submit (obey) Proverbs 22:6 "train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it"

I could go on and on, but I am really enjoying this series we are doing right now PERFECT God, IMPERFECT Me!!!! We are truly blessed and thankful for God guiding us to this church.

We also did some things around the house, missy washed my car for me and Stephen painted the front door. Here are some pictures of them hard at work. They are so good to me! I love them :)

hehe my hubby giving me a silly smile while he is painting away



brother telling sissy something...not sure but he was talking for sure





missy getting ready to wash my car :)

the finished Sunday project...I love it!!!! I still want to add a color pot with plants by the door,

what color....hmm



Happy Sunday ya'll

Farmers Market Fun

What a beautiful day we had! The sun was shining and the temperature was just right. My daughter, her friend, myself and Cody decided to head to our local farmers market and hang out and soak up some much needed vitamin d. Oh how I love the farmers market, all the cool vendors, fresh produce and flowers. The wonderful aroma's of the food vendors fill the air, music in the background and a lot of happy people enjoying the day. Needless to say it was packed, everyone wanted to be out which I don't blame them one bit.

Awbrey and Ashley enjoyed a cold shaved ice while we walked around while I hand a delicious lavender and honey shortbread cookie...all I can say is DELISH!!!!!

Cody enjoyed being out and getting some fresh air and being with the family. He was so good, didn't bark and go crazy with all the dogs...he made momma proud. He was center stage and everyone wanted to pet (thank goodness he just got groomed this morning)

me and my boy

yum shaved ice

lavender honey shortbread

these tulips are so vibrant

bff's

me and my girl

Hope you all have a great weekend!

marianne

Happy Birthday to My Hubby!!!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday my dearest husband!!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!

I love you more than words can express. You bring such joy to my life and I am truly grateful and blessed to have such an amazing man in my life that I get to call my hubby. Have a wonderful day!!!!