Home Sweet Home

*Caution, long post ahead. Lots of pictures.

This is our beautiful home that we bought 1 1/2 years ago. This picture was taken around the 4th of July last year that's why the red,white and blue. I wanted to post this because I plan on putting alot of house stuff up on our blog as we're starting to do a few things around here to make it more "us". Out front there is really nothing that "needs" to be done but that never stopped me before. Due to the drought we had last summer there will be alot of yard work and some new shrubs going in. Our grass was green at this point but by the end of the summer, YUK! Due to that The Blaine's will be busy planting very soon now. We even had 2 holly bushes bite the dust. I love the pear trees in the front yard but we have debated on taking them down and planting new ones because they are leaning way too much. My awesome step-dad might be able to help us with saving these. What do you think about flower boxes on the windows? I have seen some that are so pretty and some that are way too much. Don't know if hubby will go for that.

This is the back of the house. This is part of what made us fall in love with this house. We live out here in the spring and summer. I have always wanted a house with a big front porch but I "settled" for a back porch this time.

This is our personal getaway. I can't wait for warm weather after looking at these. We should be open in a several weeks.
This is the garage that is detached and behind the house. When you walk out of the back door you see the deck and the garage right in front of you and the pool is to the left. There is a seperate private drive for the garage.
This is the walkway leading to the garage. You come off of the deck and walk up to the garage. I just realized as I sit here that I don't have any pictures from the back yard down to the garage and the rest of the yard. The little red looking tree at the back of the picture is a peach tree. When we moved in the peaches were dripping off of this little sweetie.
This is our little "pond" in between the house and the garage. This is where our fish, Rachel Ray, Paula Deen and Emeril Lagassi lived for a short while. That is until the neighborhood cat snuck in under the fence and had a snack. Not liking that cat very much! A#2 named the fish. Can you tell she LOVES to watch food network?

Walking off the deck heading to the pool.

What it's all about, Daddy with A#2 & A#3. Family Time!!!!!!!!!

Feeling better

Thanks for all of your prayers. Things went smoothly on friday and I go back on thursday to make sure the Dr. was able to close everything. When we were all finished he told my husband it took 111 zaps of the laser to close the tear. It wasn't that bad as far as pain but it is something I do not want to go thru again. I was trying to count how many times the laser went off but I lost count at 54 and started to get a little stressed at that point. The strangest part of the whole thing was not being able to see out of my left eye for the first few minutes. Made me realize just how blessed I truly am. Phillipians 4:13 says : I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me. One of my best friends uses this for her life verse and I tend to go to this verse when things are a little rocky. One year ago as I laid on a table having a breast biopsy I repeated this verse over and over again. I don't know how people that do not have that relationship with our Saviour can make it thru difficult times. I know that as a child of God I am not what I need to be but I am not what I once was either and that's all because of his sacrifice for my sins. This time of year is such a time of personal reflection for people and I am no exception to that. Thank you Lord for your blessing on me.

Eye Surgery

Yep, I have to have surgery, TODAY!!!! So I went in to the Dr. this morning and I have the worst case scenerio. I have a tear in my retina that is bad enought to have surgery today at 4:15. The Dr. told hubby it couldn't wait til next week because then I could sperate the retina all together and that's a big no-no. They will diliate my eye then numb it then do the surgery with a laser. Yippeeee. Sounds fun huh? Please pray this will solve the problem and pray it won't turn the family upside down for a day or two. We'll keep you posted.

Home

Here are a few of our Easter/Spring decorations in the house. These past few days I have been trying, bit by bit, to clean out closets and drawers. We will be having a massive yard sale this spring to help the cost of A#1's trip to Europe this summer. I have had our spring stuff out for a little while and it's benn hard to work around them and enjoy them while cleaning. I am still so in love with these apothecary jars. Love, love, love em.

These fun wreaths I have on the front door and the back door. This is the back door leading out to the pool and deck and garage. Of course I had to add some curly willow branches.

Marble easter eggs. So cute. These have to placed up high so the little fingers around here don't try to play with them.

When you walk in the house you are greeted by these little guys. Wish I had a few more cause they are just precious.

Easter books with lots of stories about the true meaning.

Grapevine and curly willow, two of my favorite things. I have several more pictures of spring things to show but for now I must continue on with the fun job of cleaning out my closet. I covet your prayers :)

What the...

Ok so I have an appointment on friday morning for the whole eye thing. Good grief! My Mom has had this before and it was due to one of her optic nerves seperating. Hers actually healed itself which from what I've read is very unusual. A friend of hers had the same thing happen and he is now blind in that eye. Yeah, that's not good. I called 3 offices trying to be seen and they all said I needed to be seen right away. The first thing anyone could give me was this friday morning. Pray it's just nothing. Why is it that a Dr. thinks you should be seen "right away" but then says sorry we can't fit you in, try someone else and good luck. HELLOOOOO, ya shouldn't scare people like that. I'll keep you posted. Thanks everyone!

Silly blogger

Well my friends I have been trying to post pictures for a day or two and blogger is being a little troublesome. Hmmm. I will get them as soon as I can so be patient (Leslie dear).
I have a prayer request for you all if it's not to much to ask. For about 2 weeks now I have been having a lot of difficulty with my vision and have been seeing a black spot every which way I turn. At first I thought it was maybe something in my eye, possibly makeup or something. I know now that it is not that. I will try to get an appointment asap to go and get it checked out. My mom gave me an idea what it could be but I will need to have it looked at. Keep me in your prayers because now I'm a little nervous. I'll keep you up to date. Thanks!!!!!

Snifffles

Poor A#3 has a cold and cough that has gone on all week. Thankfully it has not gotten any worse but it is bad enough to keep us in the house since Monday. The cough started Monday and the runny nose came on Thursday. I think she's just as tired of being in the house as much as I am. Not to mention the cough syrup has created a beast within her. GROUCHY!!

This was our day today, home with a few tv shows, several games of memory, playing with the plastic easter eggs, naptime which turned into not sucha good thing and now she's upstairs crying because I asked her to PLEASE stop bouncing the basketball in the house (A#2 has practice tonight).

Would you not just love to have that hair and that skin? Me too!

Feel better soon baby girl. Mommy loves you!

Wonky

So I've been lookin for something to put in my kitchen windowsill for awhile now. I had seen some topiaries on another blog and thought they were so cute. With that in mind I started diggin in the pantry to see what kind of goodies I had and these are what I came up with. I only had I styro ball so I just cut it in half and covered them with spanish moss. Next I went outside to my little stash of curly willow branches that I snapped of my mommas tree (with her permission of course) and then I finished them up. I LOVE curly willlow branches. So does my Mom, that's why she planted the tree in the first place. Every now and then I go and come home with a new group of them to add to my wreaths etc. Of course the 1st thing A#2 said is, " Mommy they're crooked." That's why Mommy likes them dear, they're a little WONKY. Life's more fun that way.

Crafty Momma

*This is a re-post from a while back. Aren't they cute?!!

My latest project. Remember the LOVE letters? How about a little LUCK? My plan is to try to sell some of these little bad boys. I have seen them on posts for as much as $38. Yikes! What would you pay? Remember, they are adorable and hand made by Tinie herself.

Birthday wrap up

I know, it's a week late but hang in there and I'll be finished. So A#1 has been 18 for a week now and I've survived for the most part. Except for when he started his 1st "real" job (apperently working for your Dad's business is not a real job, who knew?) at McDonald's. Yep he's a Mickey D's employee. Guess what, he loves it! Of course that's A#1 though, never hard to please. I guess the fact that they pay him more than his Dad did makes it even better.

He's an old soul. All he wanted for his birthday was a pocket watch. Not to many young men would want that but he did. He cariies it everywhere except school and work. Nena got him one and had it engraved and he has shown it to everyone!

That's alot of candles on that cake.

Waiting so patiently for all the goodies.

His cousin Foster bought him his "very first" airplane for his birthday. Thanks Foster man!

What do you give an 18 year old who wants nothing? How about the world! Dad put this together for him, framed and painted, for A#1 to track all of his journey's and so that he NEVER forgets his way home!

A very proud Daddy! It struck him the day after A#1's birthday that he is grown up and on his way. Something I've been dealing with for the last year now. It's soooo hard. Just you wait.