Red, White and Blue

My Colonial is all ready for her Memorial Day debut!...

(update:  since this shot was taken Monday...I have spread 5 yards of mulch, removed the 2 trees far left, added more flags, cut the grass and added 2 new bright white Adirondack chairs on the far right - they sit under a shady tree!  I have also mowed the grass! - A productive week!)

We are looking forward to fun-filled weekend of swimming, parties, cook-outs, homemade ice cream, Texas Sheetcake, lemonade, sweet tea, bike rides and lots of laughter with friends and my sweet family!

Been Busy

Field Day at Prairie Vista - 90 degrees!

Christian at school with Miss Charlotte...

 

 Charlotte and friends...before their Music program at school

Mommy, Daddy and Charlotte

 enjoying munchies after the music!

Mother's Day Angelic Choir performance...

We've been busy around here...honestly, where does the time go?  We are done with school this week and Summer is here!...Oh, my!  I have a love/hate relationship with it...excited to be out of a routine and to do what we want...swim, travel, picnics, bike rides, Popsicles, just hanging-out with my kids and being together as a family...BUT...on the flip side, I need routine, I need a plan, I need structure and order...I need personal time, time without my kids...without questions and demands and whining and need for playdates, friends and entertainment - and the fact that my three  babies range in age from 2-almost 9 makes it all a bit of a challenge - for me anyways!  Charlotte wants to do what Campbell is doing and in turn Christian thinks he is a "big kid" now too...he seems to think he can just tag right on along or just let himself out the door...I cannot tell you how many times I have found him in the cul-de-sac the last few weeks!  Thank heavens for sweet friends and neighbors! He is trailing behind all the big kids usually riding his tricycle or making his way to the golf course to fly kites or play chase...Urgh!   Oh my babies, you all are growing way to quick...the days are long but the years short - one of my favorite quotes and so true...and you are worth every challenging minute!  How I love you all and Daddy more than words can say!

OK, enough of my rant ...time to share some of what has been occupying our days of late.

Mother's Day!

Sharing lunch with friends after Church

 

 Our first trip of the season to the Zoo!

Celebrating Charlotte's 5th Birthday at school...

Zebra treats and goodies to celebrate!

 Splasing in the yard...Slip in Slide, Pool, Sprinklers and water guns...

Left to do...

Teacher gifts (wrap/write notes) , Charlotte's Olympic Day, End of school Ice Cream Social (the neighbors and I host a bunch of kids from the hood!), preperations for NYC next week!

Hope you all are enjoying the longer, warmer days...Be back soon!

Map Love

My sweet, sweet Campbell...I love that you still like me to lay down with you at night...I get the most from you at the end of the day - who did what at the lunch table, who told a funny joke at school, what you enjoyed doing at recess and gym class..all the good boy stuff!

You are fascinated with geography...you can lay in bed night after night and still learn and see something new on your globe, or one of your maps!  So cute!  I love to ask you..."Tell me something about geography I don't know Campbell" and he always does...!

May you never lose your sense of wonder!

I love you my first baby boy!

Bedtime snuggles...

 This is what we see as we snuggle...a globe hangs above Campbell's bed!

The wall next to his bed...a world map and a US map...

Besides geography, he also likes digital photography -

thanks for the pics Cam!

Black Eye

Charlotte with her first (and hopefully last) black-eye... she is the poster child for what NOT to do/play on the bed - JUMP!...

She tripped over her brother and fell face first into our headboard.  The picture was taken last night before bed and I must say it is much more purple and much more swollen today...

Good thing her end of year music show is this week - great!

Thankful...

Today, I am thankful for...

Extended Family...

That my kids can know their 94 year old great-grandmother...Mema...

For a family man...

For a strong male role model for my daughter...so she has God's perfect example of what to seek in a husband!

For my babies...for the gift of motherhood...

For the beauty of Springtime...streams and flowers and longer days!

For the friendships within a family

For in-laws and grandparents that are so precious!

For the ability and opportunity to laugh...hard!

(Picture of:  Bryan and his brother, post, a winning swim meet!  Ha, ha!!!)

Hope your Sunday is filled with happy things to be thankful for!

Aprons and Cake

Did you know it was "National Wear Your Apron Day" ?!  I love aprons and have had fun collecting them over the years...old and new they just make cooking and baking way more fun!  Charlotte loves to sport one just like Mama...tonight we are working on Texas Sheet Cake - Yummy!  I made one yesterday and took to a friends for lunch.  Even though we could not be together, the cake reminded me of her...my Mom always had a Texas Sheet Cake for any special occasion at our home!  It is delicious, easy and feeds a crowd!  Paula Deen has a good recipe for it (although I sub Buttermilk in place of Sour Cream)...

TEXAS SHEET CAKE


1 cup butter


1 cup water


1/4 cup cocoa


2 cups sugar


2 cups self-rising flour


2 eggs


1/2 cup sour cream


1 tsp. vanilla


Frosting Ingredients:


1/2 cup butter


1/4 cup cocoa


6 Tbsp. milk


1 lb. box powdered sugar


1/2 tsp. vanilla






Directions:


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, water, and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until butter is completely melted. Once butter is melted, pour in a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. (Be careful about the eggs, you may want to temper them before you add them to this mixture) Mix ingredients thoroughly and pour into a greased 15X10X1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes. For frosting, combine butter, cocoa, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once mixture boils, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat well. Pour on top of hot sheet cake.






*Do not prepare the frosting too early because it will harden in the bowl. I get my ingredients together while the cake is baking. Once I remove the cake from the oven, I prepare the frosting and spread it over the cake. Also, the frosting will run over the cake quickly because it is hot. Be careful not to pour too quickly because the frosting will run over the edges of the sheet pan.*




Here are a few fun aprons I found on Etsy!  Happy apron-wearing!

NYC in June

Country Living Magazine's House of the Year 2010

The Hudson Cottage

I am very excited to be joining Bryan on a business trip to NYC in early June!  His company is in partnership with Country Living Magazine and their builders as they construct their first ever "green" house of the year.  It will be unveiled and on display near Ground Zero in the heart of New York City.  After June the Hudson Cottage will be relocated to Virginia. 

We will get to attend the private party that CL will host the night before the public unveiling!  I love CL magazine - it has come a long way from the mag of my Mom's day...quilts and shaker furniture.  It has definitely been revamped and is fresh and more modern - country chic, I call it.  And if I am not mistaken I believe it is one of the longest running magazines in circulation!

So, I'll need lots of help on where to go and what to do and see, where to eat, etc...we will have some free time, more for me probably.  I am excited to get away for a few days sans kids!  So, any suggestions?  Oh, and the clothes...better start planning now!  I need to be city-ready!

You can read more about the house below...

http://www.greenrightnow.com/fortwaynehomepage/2010/04/29/country-living-will-build-its-2010-house-of-the-year-in-nycs-financial-district/

New Camera

I got a new camera!  Yea!...back to pictures of my kiddos and family.  I really need to read up on how to use it and take the best pictures I can...so any hints, suggestions, etc. would be appreciated.  I plan to start with the manual and then hope to move along to some good tutorials and websites to help me!  I'll post the story of how I acquired this camera too...kind of a neat story, I think.

Here she is...The Canon Powershot S5 IS

NC Homes...

Still without camera...still sad...sort of at a loss without it, I should still document w/out the camera, the details matter too but I guess I just find it a little less inspiring without pictures!  So, I was posting about our NC trip a few weeks back and never got to showcase some of the houses that I love in Gastonia (where Bryan grew-up and where his parents still are).  Adorable neighborhoods, beautiful flowers, sidewalks and precious houses!   Charlotte was along for the "tour" and it is so funny, she loves pretty houses just like me!  She loves the flowers and notices things like doors and porches!  LOVE that girl!She even took a few of the pics.

Hopefully I'll be back soon with some updates and a new camera, I have a little something in the works that I am excited about (in regards to the camera!)

Painted white brick - love!

Painted grey brick - also love!  I like the two big windows in front and the drive next to the front door, seems sort of regal to me?!

  

Classic home!

Immaculate lawn and garden, classic and charming!

Loved the lantern and the big brass door knocker

 And the best for last...Bryan's first home, where he lived as a baby and toddler!