Weekend Trip

My entire family gathered this weekend for a wonderful family reunion, hosted by my brother and his family.  I honestly can't remember the last time we were all together and we are all so very grateful to them for arranging this.  There will be many photos to follow in the next few days but for now I'll leave you with this one.

One guess as to where we went.  :-)

One Guess

I wonder who was doing laundry today?

Now mind you, I'm not complaining.  Those are only his clothes and this had been his method for decades but I still shake my head every time I open the washer to start/switch a load.

A Heavy Heart

One of my dearest friends lost her husband Tuesday night to a heart attack.  He was loved by all and will be greatly missed.

I hope that the old adage that "everything comes in threes" is an unfounded "truth." Two deaths are two too many.

Just a reminder...give your loved ones a hug and tell them that you love them. Life is short and unpredictable.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Peachy Grin

Last week Meg casually mentioned that she was sad that she wasn't getting any birthday peaches this year.  The very next day my dear friend Catherine, without so much as a word from me, mentioned that Meg had a special box headed her way.  While out on errands yesterday I received delivery confirmation via text. so once home, I sent Meg out with the dog and she returned with the biggest grin on her face.

There's little that makes this girl happier than her very own jars of home canned peaches.

At 5:00 PM she had six jars to call her very own.  By 8:00 PM she was down to five.  :-)

Thank you again so much for your generosity, Catherine.  She is one very happy girl!

Surfer Dude Jr.

It's been rather quiet here the past few days.  I hope to share some recent cards with you later this week but for now I'll leave you with a cute photo of little Fin Man sporting some new duds his mama bought for him.

Cutest Beach Bum Ever.

The Face of Fourteen

We celebrated Meg's birthday rather quietly yesterday.  We (the three of us plus Gavin) went to see Jurassic World at the local theater.  They went to the 3D version while Randy and I ducked in to the regular showing.  ("Julie don't do 3D.")  Randy was less than impressed but the rest of us enjoyed it.

We then hit DQ to pick up a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake and then headed back to the house for a little party.  (BTW, Gavin didn't really seem to know what to think of her blue hair. LOL!)

I always try to make her a special birthday card.  She was totally surprised with this year's.

Yeah, that's Bigfoot.  LOL!!!  She loved it.

The only thing she asked for was her new room so she was thrilled to see that she had gifts.

We bought her a selfie stick for her phone and a GoPro camera.  If you're not familiar with them, they're tiny little movie/still cameras that are housed in a very rugged, waterproof case.  She's looking forward to trying it out at the beach.

It was so nice to have reinforcements with the setup and instructions.  :-)


We finished up with a round of Happy Birthday and a bit of ice cream cake, which was actually pretty tasty.

We're planning to have some sort of a beach party for her and her friends sometime after the fourth of July holiday.

Beach.

I know.

She's killing me.  

Feeling Blue?

Today Baby Girl turns 14 and to say she is excited is an understatement.  Her celebrating started last night with this...

For months she's talked about dying her hair for the summer and last night she finally did it.  That my friends is KoolAid Berry Blue Twist.  We brought four packets (unsweetened) to a boil in two cups of water and dipped two ponytails for 12 minutes each.

So for eighty cents you too can have this look...

She is soooo happy with the outcome.  We have no idea if it will last only two days or two months but we're going with the flow.

Now back to her birthday celebrating.  She came running into our bedroom last night to announce that she was officially 14.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!  Let the celebrating begin.

Update - Summer Reading List

This is an update to my Summer Reading List post from two weeks ago.

I finished The Lost Ancestor last week.  From my Goodreads review...

Morton is a present day English forensic genealogist who is trying to find out what happened to a 17 year old girl in 1911. The story was interesting enough to keep my attention however the writing is a bit eh. (A lot of short, choppy dialogue.) I haven't decided if I will continue with the series.
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I also finished Ford County over the weekend.  My Goodreads review...

Ford County is a compilation of short stories that focus on a few of the more colorful characters living in the same locale as Grisham's "A Time to Kill" and "Sycamore Row"novels. The stories were interesting but the last one was definitely my favorite.

I prefer an I depth novel over short stories so, with the exception of the final story, they all left me with no real feeling of closure. Good, but just not "my thing."

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It was at this point that my Reading ADD stepped in.  After much online searching Meg decided to read A Ghost for Christmas.    My Goodreads review...

My 13 year old daughter chose this as part of her summer reading program. (Read that as....her mom is forcing her to read. *wink*) If she has to read, she prefers mysteries and chose this one from Amazon based upon the cute cover. 

As always, I read in parallel with her.  As it turns out, this is not a YA book but it does read like one. The writing style is very simplistic and the storyline is definitely chick lit in nature. Because of this, I'm personally giving it only 2 stars but she does plan to continue on with the series.


My "directions" to Meg were that she needed to read 2-3 books this summer, the final number based on the complexity of the books.  She finished this "fluff novel" in one afternoon and immediately informed me that she was "good for a month." LOL!  I'm giving her a break but if she chooses short fluffy books, she will be reading more than three.  :-)

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My Reading ADD didn't stop there.  My BFF Cristina belongs to a book club that sounds sooooo fun. I've been wanting to join them but they aren't accepting new members at this time.  :-(  They are however meeting in Boca Raton this coming Saturday at some sort of Asian foot massage place (????) and Cristina invited me to join them.  I asked what book they would be discussing.  Would you believe Orphan Train? I'm still #2 on my library's wait list so I bit the bullet and bought it from Amazon.  Ummm....totally worth $7.99.  I started it yesterday morning and can hardly put it down.  Loving it!  I intend to finish it this evening.


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Adding to my Reading ADD, Station Eleven came up on my library wait list so that one will be next in my queue.  (We only get two weeks to read the books at which point they "disappear" and you can only renew if no one else is waiting, which is rarely the case.)  I see too that I'm next in line for Paper Towns so it looks like my remaining four "books to read by summer's end" are put on hold for the time being.



I'd really love to dive back in to Orphan Train but my pretty princess will be turning 14 tomorrow so I have a special birthday card to make.  :-)

Besties

Colleen has a border collie mix named Marley.  She's such a good natured dog and while her status as "the baby" has been lowered a notch, she is very protective of little Fin.  When he cries, she will get up and go to wherever he is to check on him.

Yesterday I shared some of my recent Fin Photos but my favorite one of the weekend was taken by Colleen just before I arrived.  Little Finley and Marley were sharing some good ole fashioned chew time together.

This photo totally cracks me up!  Fin is teething and that "leg of giraffe" has become his snack of choice.    


Marley is a very obedient dog and knows exactly which toys are hers and which ones are not.  Fin, on the other hand, hasn't quite learned that lesson.  Here he decided that maybe her slobbery toy might be a bit better than his.  ROFL!

Marley would have shared but thankfully Mama stepped in before Fin had a chance to try it out.  :-)








 

Another Wonderful Day with Fin

As promised, I'm here to share some Finley Goodness with you all.  He was such a good boy for Grandma on Saturday.

He always wakes up so happy and in the mood to play.

Of all of his toys, this blue ball was definitely his favorite.  He's a human rolling pin and boy can he travel fast.  :-)

Unlike his Aunt Meg, Fin was happy to participate in a little photo shoot.

 

His eyes are a beautiful shade of what I call hazel.  I'm hoping they stay this color, not only because they are gorgeous, but also because it's a nice mix of his daddy's bluish-green eyes and his mommy's dark brown eyes.



By the end of the day he was so exhausted he fell asleep in my arms.

I miss the little guy already.

This Week

I'm not really sure just where my week has gone.  Friday already?  Geesh!

For months Meg has been asking to have her bedroom redone for her birthday which is coming up next week.  I've been slowly working on it.  (new bed, new bedding, new furniture arrangement, etc)  In the end though I had to accept that it would probably be best if I hired out the painting.  I have NEVER let anyone outside my family paint the interior of my house.  But it would have taken me a week and an industrial sized bottle of Advil so I hired two guys to come in on Wednesday and do it.  Was it worth it?  I guess, but they certainly didn't do it to "Julie Standards".  It will definitely require some touching up but it is done.

We still have some decorating to do yet.  She wants plantation shutters for her window, a new ceiling fan, and some other miscellaneous decorations for her walls but it's cleaned out and painted.  The worst is definitely over.  :-)

She went from a full sized bed with headboard to a twin daybed with trundle to give her more space. This is her old paint with the new bed.

And here are a couple of quick "afters".  (The pillow was photoshopped out due to personal information.)

The upper walls are a pretty lavendar and the lower walls are all white.  We did her closet doors in a black chalkboard paint.

I'll get better photos once her window and fan are completed but she's very happy with her new space.

The remainder of my week will be spent with Fin.  I'm traveling up later today for a full day of Grandma Duty tomorrow.  :-)

Baby Shower

I'm popping in real quick to share a gift that I created yesterday for a baby shower that we will be attending this afternoon.  Friends of ours are soon to be the proud grandparents of a baby girl and we couldn't be more excited.

Going along with the nursery theme of lavender, lime, butterflies and flowers I created this door hanger which will accompany the rest of their gift.

And on the flip side....

We're looking forward to a fun afternoon filled with baby goodness.

Did Pigs Fly?

An amazing thing happened yesterday.

I went to the beach and enjoyed it.



*insert flabbergasted look here*

I know!

Incredible, isn't it?

If you know me, you know I hate to be hot.  HATE IT.  Heat makes me grumpy. Sun makes me irritable.  Sweat makes me uncomfortable.  Sand makes me itchy.  Combine them all and you get the beach.  I avoid the beach. Except in the evenings.  I do enjoy the beach in the evening.

What does this have to do with yesterday?  Well my poor deprived daughter has been begging to go to the beach forever.  She knows how much I despise it but her persistance (and my mommy guilt) pervailed so I agreed to take her and Gavin to the local beach.  I bought myself a new umbrella, positioned my chair for optimal shade, pulled out my Kindle Paperwhite and actually enjoyed my time there.  It wasn't too terribly hot and there was just enough breeze to be comfortable without being too much.  I sat there for almost three hours without one ounce of grumpiness.

What I loved most though was that my soon to be 14 year old daughter and her boyfriend actually enjoyed my company.  They spent a good amount of time in the water but they also spent a fair amount of time with me.  They talked to me.  They weren't embarrassed to be seen with me.  They actually enjoyed my company!

There was one point where Meg chose to ignore me and Gavin.  Why? Because he and I were discussing summer reading material for her.  ROFLMBO! Yeah, she totally tuned us both out to make sand castles.

We were soon forgiven however and our good time continued.

The day I'd been dreading turned out to not only be tolerable, but enjoyable.

Don't hold me to it, but I might even be convinced to do it again.  *gasp*

Milestones

It's official!  My baby girl is now a high schooler.  It does seem surreal but after her health scare in 2010 we are so much more grateful and appreciative of every milestone and achievement. Watching her grow up is a privilege.

Her middle school had their 8th grade Moving Up ceremony on Tuesday morning.  Randy was unable to get off of work but my mother was happy to take his place.  (Two ticket limit per student.) Meg looked especially beautiful in her new dress.

Gymnasium photos are never easy but I did manage to get a few acceptable ones.



The opening processional....

Sitting pretty....

Receiving her certificate...

And finally, a photo of her and Gavin post-ceremony.

While many of her friends and families were dining mid-day at places like Olive Garden and Benihana's immediately afterward, Meg's request was for Dairy Queen. LOL!!!  (Chocolate chip cookie dough blizzards are currently her favorite treat.)  

She's extremely apprehensive about the start of the upcoming school year but I'm not worried in the least.  She doesn't believe me but I know they will be some of the best of her life.

And the Winner Is.....

First off, a big thank you to all of my commenters.  Sadly, there can be only one winner and random.org picked....


Lynne!


I'll try to get them out this week.  I hope you enjoy them!

Summer Reading List

My pleasure reading tends to come and go in spurts.  I will spend two months reading in every spare moment and then not pick up a book for the next two months.  I'm also one of those who tends to read several books at one time, meaning I don't finish one before deciding to start another.  I like to have choices, depending on my mood.

Right now I have six books in the various stages of completion.  That's too many for even me.  My summer reading goal is to finish at least four of the six that I've started.  My current list, starting with the four I'm determined to finish, include...

Ford County by John Grisham.  I love Grisham novels.  A Time to Kill and Sycamore Row, both set in Ford County, are hands down my two favorites.  I currently have this one on loan from the library and need to finish it quickly.

The Lost Ancestor by Nathan Dylan Goodwin.  I came upon this book while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Genealogy Gems.   They started a book club last fall with their first selection being Orphan Train.  This book has been on my "want to read" list for months and after hearing their discussion with the author, I've bumped it up to the top.  Not wanting to fall further behind I decided to jump right in with their second book so I can be "in the know" when they have their next club discussion.

Sanibel Flats By Randy Wayne White.  I started this one last fall immediately following a trip to Sanibel Island.  I'm really enjoying the story but the fact that it's an actual paperback is bogging me down.  I much prefer the larger text and lighting of electronic books.

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart.  I stumbled across this one while searching for audio books on my library website. Apparently it's somewhat of a classic, a post apocalyptic novel written in 1949. The premise sounded interesting so it's become my summer walking audio book.



The next two books are quite lengthy.  I'd like to make more progress in them both but have no grand illusions of finishing by summer's end.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diane Gabaldon.  This time traveling historical novel is the second in a series of eight (?) books.  I really love the story but at 900+ pages a book, they aren't ones to be read in a weekend.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.  True Confession Time.  I started this one two years ago and for some reason, it just got left behind.  I was enjoying it but I think the length of the book bogged me down.

In addition to the aforementioned I will also be reading in parallel with Meg this summer.  She is not happy with me right now because I had the audacity to tell her that she has to read at least two books over the summer, an instruction that I fully intend to enforce.  Right now I am the meanest mom on the planet. (Seriously, you'd think I'd asked her to mow and weed the yard every week.) Wish me luck on this front.  It could get very ugly.


Anyone else have a summer reading list?