Memorial Day

Our first Memorial Day in our new home was different from past years. Different, but good. I am a creature of habit. I thrive on tradition. Memorial Day has always meant matching red, white, and blue shirts from Old Navy, colored paper bags for candy, and watching our small town's parade beneath the shade of the same old tree. It always included a trip to the store for flowers, then planting them in the hot sun. This year was different. But you know what? It was just as great. Really.

2015

Random Photo Friday

Happy Memorial Day weekend, my friends! So here we are at the starting line of a brand new summer season. I hope it is happy and healthy and filled with food, fun, and family. Here is a quick wrap up of our past week...

How To Cut A Pineapple

I used to be intimidated by those big, fresh, whole pineapples in the grocery store. I always opted for the store sliced pineapple in the plastic containers. The problem with those? For one, they were always sticky! And even worse, my store never sliced out the core! Fresh pineapple is worth the work, so eventually I threw one into my cart and gave it a try. If you have never cut fresh pineapple, please try it. You won't regret it, I promise! Choosing one is easy...It smells good, is soft but not mushy, and the green will pull out easily. I usually end up with mine on the counter for a day or two before it is ready. And then, I get started!

Choose a pretty pineapple...

Sixteen

Sixteen years. Sixteen years ago today this little guy added a touch of blue to our house full of pink and Tonka trucks into a world filled with Barbies. Rhett blesses us every single day. He is kind and compassionate, happy and funny, and I am honored to be his mother. Sixteen years passed in the blink of an eye. My little bundle of blue is now taller than I am. But if I look closely, I often see a glimpse of that little boy who stole my heart all those years ago.

Random Photo Friday

Happy Friday, my friends! it was my dogs B day and this is Flynn :) and heres my mommy btw  I did not sleep good last night :( but I got to sleep in  well heres my mommy. That was my little helper! Blogger in Training, right??? She is never far from my side. And that makes my heart happy. Here are some other things that made me happy this past week...

Mother's Day was awesome that was me Flynn again!

A Moment

Every now and then life gives you a moment you know you will never forget. Before I tell you about my recent "goosebump" moment, let me back up a bit. During our recent move, I decided to really simplify my life. I took a good look at things we had and decided that many of them were not necessary for us anymore. One of the items I really purged was vases. We were gifted several beautiful crystal vases when we were married years ago, and have added numerous flower shop ones throughout the years. I kept one. And donated the remainder.

The night before Mother's Day, Steve brought me a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers. I began searching my brain for the exact location of the one vase I knew I had kept. I checked the cupboards, upstairs and down. No luck. I checked the storage area, the pantry, the closets. No vase. Before I went into complete panic mode, my bestie Marian, who had arrived a bit earlier, appeared with a gift bag for me. She set it in front of me, and with a smile, said, "I think you should open your present now." Of course I told her she didn't have to bring me a gift, but she just smiled and told me to open it. I am sure by now you know what was inside, right?

Yep.

The most beautiful vase I have ever seen.

I will remember that moment forever.

We all will.

Everyone needs a Marian in her life.

I am so very thankful for ours.

Just Because It Is Monday

Random Photo Friday

Happy Weekend, my friends! Mother's Day Weekend, that is! May is moving right along, isn't it? Here is a quick wrap up of the week that was here in our cozy home...

Flynn and I made Madison's favorite pancakes for her before she left Sunday morning...

Chicken Parmesan...Made By Rhett

One of the things I love about mothering is watching my children grow and learn and master new things. I am a strong advocate for the development of life skills in young people. My son Rhett has recently expressed an interest in cooking. I'm guessing it has something to do with the interest he has in eating. One day last week, he asked if he could make dinner. His choice? Chicken Parmesan. He found the recipe, got the ingredients, and with some help from his sisters, prepared the most delicious meal we have had in a long time.

He paired it with some angel hair pasta and a fresh tossed salad.

I was beyond proud of my son, and was so happy watching all of my children work together in the kitchen. Not to mention the fact that I didn't have to cook dinner. Or clean up!

The recipe can be found here.

Enjoy!

Welcome Home Part Three...And DIY Bedroom Decor

This post is all about our bedroom. And it won't be very long, because I have recently decided to embrace a minimalist approach to decorating and am very happy with it thus far. Something about getting older I think...I just want less "stuff" around me!

Random Photo Friday

Happy weekend and Happy May, my friends. This weekend finds us saying "See you soon!" to our Madison, as she returns to Denmark to finish her Danish language course and pack up her belongings before she and Nicolas return here in late June. To stay for an entire year! With us! YAY! We are so very happy, but at the same time, realize that his family will miss them both terribly. I am so very thankful to them for caring for and loving my girl while she was with them these past two years. We are indeed blessed.

Here is a look at some of the fun we had here this past week...

Saturday was Mass,

It's Ok

For the most part, I like to keep it pretty upbeat around here. I try to focus on the positive and encouraging parts of life. To quote my good friend Alan, "Why not?!" But life isn't always like that, is it?