A Quick Shout Out...

To my sister Wendy...
Happy Birthday little sister!! Hope your day is great!

Presenting....my little artist!!

OK....I know I'm biased...but I can't help it...I am so proud of my little guy...yesterday he had an art show showing off all his hard work that he's been doing over the last three weeks...of course here are some pics...My heart is full just seeing these pictures...knowing how this little guy has struggled most his life...things just have never come easy for my Bren...to see him blossom and be so proud of himself at something he did BY HIMSELF...he always seems to follow his brothers' shadow...this was something that was all his and his alone...I am just so overwhelmed...and happy for him...he's my little sweetheart...oh I just can't say enough...I'm just a proud mama. My parents came home from Virginia so they got to come and see the art show too...we even went out for ice cream....a very nice afterrnoon indeed.

Busy again this week...I'm in charge of crafts for VBS...got to get all that together so very very busy again.

Here is a pic I took last week when I made my blueberry muffins...I was eating one and found this...God truly does have a sense of humor...

May God's love "smile" on you today.

Time for a randomness post...

Time again for a bit of randomness...

Been keeping busy...with Bren in summer day camp and Austin in Art class once a week and just keeping up with the boys, I've been quite busy...not sure where this summer has gone...I'm in disbelief that the boys start back to school 3 weeks from today! In 3 weeks my life will change...I of course am happy and very sad at the same time..anyone who has sent their last child off to the realms of school obviously knows what I'm feeling.

A shout out to my internet friend Stephanie who sent me this in the mail this week:Not sure if you can see it but it has my boys's names in the flowers...I have it hanging on my fridge...to remind me of the job I have to do every day. If you get a chance check out her blog...she has a new magazine coming out in August called "Homegrown Hospitality" which sounds very cool...check it out.

Had tons of fun playing with my Spirograph the last couple days...my hubby just shakes his head at me...sometimes I just don't think he gets me...in a good way...maybe he really wonders what a kook he actually married...I'm glad I can give him something to smile at, I'm sure he's even more happy that only took a mere $ 15.00 to make me happy ;-)

Speaking of nostalgia...we got Herbie the Love Bug from Netflix yesterday for the kids to watch...we all sat last night and watched it and I made cookies. It was nice and the boys liked it. So we'll soon be getting the other Herbie movies in the future. It's nice that Disney movies never really go out of style.

I have lost 5 pounds so far on my diet...I'm happy...

Also if you have a moment please pray for our friend Pastor Lisa...just found out tonight that she is having another MRI done and that they think her cancer has returned...The last several years have been kind of tough on her...please just keep her in your prayers.

Well it's very late and I haven't been to bed early once this week...going to be awfully tired tomorrow...

Happy Birthday Little Sis...and look what I got today!!!

First off a shout out to my little sis who's birthday is today!! Happy 33rd birthday Jackie!! Hope you have a great day!


Second...look what I finally got in the mail today...


A total blast from the past...I'm sure many of you remember this toy...I remember as a kid spending hours playing with this toy...the Spirograph...I acutally found a complete set on eBay (minus the pens of course) for a great deal so I jumped on it...I is a very happy and tickled little girl...I have just spent the last half hour just playing with this...had to borrow Austin's markers in order to use it since I don't have any pens that will work in this silly thing...but oh...how fun this is! I know...I'm a bit strange and really need to get out more...can't wait to play some more... ;-)

Brennan is in his last week of Art, History and Literacy classes at Hopewell...he seems to enjoy it, other than the getting up early part...doesn't like that of course.

Austin is at art class right now...in fact I need to go pick him up right now...see what happens when you get nostalgic toys in the mail...you lose all track of time...more later!

Nothing like homemade...

Homemade blueberry muffins that is! Made these this morning:

Even though I'm on my diet...I was still a good girl...I only ate half of mine and haven't touched them since, but they are sooooo good. Got the recipe from here...delicious! Still have half of a five pound box of blueberries left...may make some scones or pancakes tomorrow. YUM!

BTW, I've lost 3 pounds so far on this diet...not too bad just starting out.

Also finished my one scrapbook last night...post pictures once I get them uploaded off the camera.

Hope you are having a good day.

New meaning to "stone washed"???

So hoping everyone enjoyed their weekend...our church had a family weekend this past weekend with a picnic at Brown's Farm on Saturday...lots of fun and good food of course. Here are some highlights of the evening:



The weather was perfect...and unfortunately the pictures I got of the sunset doesn't do it nearly even enough justice...it was beautiful...I had the opportunity to just sit and take pictures of the sunset and just thank God for his amazing beauty...it's beautiful things like a sunset that makes me wonder how anyone can question that there is a God....amazing!

So as you can see from this picture...or maybe not...my sons spent the last bit of their evening at the picnic picking up rocks and stuffing them in their pockets...I had to laugh because as a kid I was the one picking up rocks for my "rock collection" (forgive me mom)...These boys had enough rocks between the three of them they could have built a fort...ok...maybe not quite, but you get the idea...needless to say I made them pick only three rocks each and that's what they got to bring home. Needless to say...despite my best efforts while doing laundry today, I still found a few rocks in my washer...guess that gives new meaning to stonewashing, huh?? Just had to share that.

Starting a diet this week...hoping to lose 20 pounds. We'll see...it's a new diet based on the Bible...so far today has been OK...again we shall see.

Hope you are haviing a great week...

Things that are making me happy...

Just some more randomness...just some things that are really making me happy right now:

Music by this guy...loving it bunches!! Love the song Awesome Is The Lord...so cool...and so many other awesome songs!

Having chipotle chicken made by this wonderful friend....she makes the best....nice and spicy!:

Loving the Psalms right now...still doing the reading my Bible in a year thing...read my fav. psalm last night...Psalm 139.

Going to the library...summer reading program for the kids...nice to see them read instead of playing video games all summer.

Going here...granted I worked there for 14 years, but I still love it. Miss the people I worked with. It was funny today...there were several people saying Hi to me and Austin says..."you sure do know a lot of people here...so how do they know you??" (Granted I guess because I'm a mom and stay at home, I must not know anyone...let alone anyone who is above the age of 10)...it's funny how many people you know when you work there for 14 years ;-) Made me laugh.

Hubby lost his glasses again...why does this make me happy?? Funny how I lose stuff and I get told about it, yet he loses his glasses every other day it seems anymore and it's "funny"...does make me laugh.

Well enough random happiness for now...got to go fix dinner...happy Tuesday!

Bits of Randomness...

Sorry been away again...been keeping busy. Just a bit of randomness...going to try to get a decen night's sleep...got to start getting up early again because I signed Brennan up for a Art, History and Literacy program here in town and he has to be on the bus at 8:30 a.m. It goes four days a week for the next three weeks with an art show for the public at the end of the month. I'm hoping he enjoys it and it helps him.

Austin also is in an Art program which he also starts tomorrow, but his is only once a week for the next 6 weeks. I know he's going to enjoy that...he's my artsy one. He's excited.

Here are a few pics from the 4th:

Been indulgingly working on a scrapbooking project the last few days...I bought a kit

from this girl here...I wanted a kit that would break me out of my boring scrapbooking rut and I thought this kit would be just the thing...So I bought the kit with very little info and pretty much went out of my comfort zone and decided to just do it. I just received it this week and I'll be honest I was sort of disappointed at first for what I paid and what I received...but then after I received her instructions and really started to get into it...this is easily becoming one of my favorite albums and I am so enjoying the process. It is truly stretching my scrapbooking limits...I have had several moments while making this album where I've said to myself, "Now I never thought of doing it this way...or Wow...that's a neat idea why didn't I think of that?" I think sometimes when you do something you tend to follow what everyone else does and just not push the envelope. My envelope has been pushed this week...apparently by the dark circles under my eyes as well staying up WAY to late enjoying this whole thing...tomorrow is house cleaning cause my house is a wreck!!! ;-) I've been a bad girl ;-)

Saw Ratatouille yesterday...cute movie...boys liked it. Hubby even got to go and he even suggested taking the boys to go see it...good times!

Well I really am tired...no nap today and I have to get up early remember??

~Later

Where is Tammy??

Oh...there I am ;-) Long weekend, but good...now I'm just trying to catch up on loads of laundry and housecleaning that got highly neglected while preparing for the garage sale. Needless to say the garage sale was a huge success. There were 6 families involved in this thing and I never seen so much stuff literally stuffed in our garage. Unreal. Unreal was also the number of people who sat outside our garage doors 45 minutes before we even opened!! When we opened those doors you would swear it was like a K-Mart blue light special...it was a frenzy. My mother-in-law sold most of her furniture in the first 20 minutes of the sale. She was tickled. I was even able to sell our swing set, which I really didn't think would sell but late Sat. evening this couple came over with a truck and picked it up...Hurray!! Overall I was able to make the money I was wanting to make and everyone seemed pleased with all that sold. Took what was left over to Goodwill and now that that is over life can get back to somewhat normal..whatever that may be.

Watching the twins tonight...their mom and aunt are going to a game so we are having a pajama like party...so far everyone is content...we had pancakes and sausage for dinner...love having breakfast for dinner...and now we are snuggled on the couch bed watching a movie...

Well thought I'd update since I'd been away so long so there ya go ;-) Hope you are having a Happy Monday!