Five Times the Fun!

Summer has arrived!  Temperatures have warmed, the trees are full and Hunter is home!!  Summer break has arrived and we're making the most of it.  Five short days.  No amount of magic will make it longer.  So we'll cram in all of the summer fun we can have and it'll have to get us through until August...when we get five more days.

Happy Summer Break, everyone!

Dos Equis!

So Colleen is away tonight and I get to choose the topic. She suggested the bunnies again... Um no!

Colleen recently discovered "The Worlds Most interesting Man" from the Dos Equis commercials. She showed little interest in the commercials as she only wanted to know who the guy in the meme's was.

So I thought this would be a great opportunity to share some of my favorite facts about the worlds most interesting man.

1) He has won the lifetime achievement award...twice.

2) He knows who let the dogs out.
3) He tells his milk if and when to expire.
4) He won the world series of poker with UNO cards.
5) Werewolves are jealous of his beard.
6) Bigfoot tries to capture photos of him.
7) Google uses him as a search engine.
8) He fought the law and won.
9) He lives vicariously through himself.
10) He once taught a German Shepard to bark in Spanish.
11) The dark is scared of him.
12) When a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, he hears it.
13) He once won a staring contest with his own reflection.
14) When he attends the Opera, it is not over until he says it is.

15) He has never waited 15 minutes after a meal to return to the pool.

16) He once brought a knife to a gun fight just to even the odds.
17) Superman has pajamas with HIS logo.
18) Mr. Whipple lets him squeeze the Charmin.
19) His Cinco De Mayo party starts on the 8th of March.
20) He actually knows Victoria's secret but won't tell anybody what it is.
21) Paper refuses to cut him.
22) If he visited the dark side of the moon, it wouldn't be dark.
23) He shot the Sheriff and the Deputy.
24) When he want's to write an awesome blog, he always consults Jeff.
25) He's only failed to get the woman 1 time and that was Colleen to Jeff!

Ok, so the last two haven't been used in the commercials yet, but I have submitted them.

Remember... Being boring is a choice, those mild salsas and pleated khakis don't buy themselves!

Stay thirsty my friends!

Jeff

Do you ROCK it?

Does your marriage "rock"?  Some will say yes, some will say no.  Only a few will take a moment to think about it, consider the facts and consult their spouse.  Me, I'm one of the few.  

After a great day with Jeff today (our version of Date Day!), I came home happy and tired.  Not so much tired, but just unmotivated to do a lot of work.  So instead, I spent the evening surfing Pinterest - which is where I ran across a posting titled "100 Ways to Make Your Marriage Rock".   I think we do a pretty good job of it already, but it's always worth the minute or two to see what we're missing out on.  

Here are some of the things we DON'T do that were on the list....

8.    Listen to music together by sharing ear buds.  (I don't think so.)

20.  Look to him to make the big decisions.  (I don't have enough time tonight to comment on that one.)

26.  Fight Naked.  (Ummmm, no.  Really, who does that?)

42.  Meet him at the door.  (I admit it.  I try to do it but not every day.)

51.  Wash and vacuum her car and keep it full of gas.  (Yep, that's really on the list.  I'm not making it up!)

78.  Read a book out loud together.  (I'm at a loss for words.)

85.  Sit on the same side of the booth in a restaurant.  (We make fun of people that do that.  Elbow room = a good marriage.)

91.  Make art together.  (Jeff won't set foot in the craft room.  No chance of that.)

98.  Share furniture.  Sit on his lap.  (I'm still laughing.)

What I took from this is that the crazy things we don't do DON'T matter.  It's the other 91 things on the list that we do that matter.  But it was still good for a chuckle.   

Beautiful Surprise

And you wonder why I like getting the mail?  Because with the creative friends I have, sometimes I find something beautiful in my mailbox.  Will loves them too.  Here's one I just had to share!

Another Cutie!

I love nature.  Every little bit of it.  Jeff, he likes most of it....but not the chipmunks.  Destructive little buggers - that's what he calls them.  Either way, we've got one that loves to pose for pictures.  I don't have a camera with me nearly often enough, but today he waited until I could get my hands on it.  This is one of many of his poses, but it's my favorite.

Since I can't find the bunnies, he's going to have to be the cuteness for the day.  I'm hoping that means the bunnies have nestled a little further under the deck where I can't see them.  If not, they've left home before I could prepare their going away party!

Oval Beach!

Oval Beach.  I've heard all about it, but I haven't had the occasion to see it (and I'm not sure that I want to).  Hunter was nice enough to send me his picture of his first views of the "beach".  Of course, this was the other day when it was warm and sunny.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that will happen again before school is out next week.  But one can hope.  Actually, there's probably at least 80,000 students hoping.

Oh, thank goodness!

Since I'm a little mathematically challenged, I've been putting these off...in case they were two different lengths.  Fortunately,  the ruler and measuring tape were my friend today and they turned out great!  I can't wait to see what these look like in Mom's living room!

Hunters Tree

It's beautiful, isn't it?

Does anyone remember Hunter's landscaping efforts last year?  In preparation for graduation, he moved tons of rock (literally), truck loads of mulch, built a rock wall and helped to plant a million new plants.  Ok, so maybe not a million, but I know he thought it seemed like it at the time.  It was hard, sweaty, miserable work.     I'm sure that's what made him stay in Columbus this summer.

So today, I thought I would share the fruits of his labor.  While he may have hated every minute of it, I will enjoy it for a lifetime.  And each Spring, when the tree he planted blooms, it will make me smile and think of him.  

Since you can't be here to see it, Hunter, here it is.  The first blooms of your tree.

Hodge Podge

So many happenings, so little time.  I admit, there are days that it's hard to come up with one thing to blog about.  Today, I have three and I couldn't choose so I'm going to tell you about them all.

First, we'll start with cuteness!  Ashleys Greek Formal.  As I hear it, a great time was had by all!  If only I could have been there to provide a little more than a cell phone pic, lol!

Second, it's Earth Day!  Any other year, we'd have done something to celebrate the greenest day of the year.  However, we planted 23 trees just over a week ago so I couldn't find room for another one.  What I did find was beautiful, green buds on most of the new baby poplars.

Lastly, it wouldn't be a daily blog lately if I didn't include a picture of the bunnies. It took me a little longer to find them this evening, but I was busy catching bees (but that's for another night!).  After a little searching I found them all, but they're weren't coming out for their close up.  Nonetheless, just a little more love for the day!

Nothing like a sibling.....

As soon as dusk settled in, the babies all made their way out of hiding.  It appears they are in love with the nine barks.  And just like last night, they didn't seem to mind me following them with a lens in their face.  This time, they huddles together and I think they smiled for the shot!  Ok, so maybe it was me smiling, but either way, it's not going to be long until they grow and go so I'm taking every opportunity to share their first few weeks.  Hope you're not tired of them yet!

None.

There is no better way to spend the day.  None.  Lunch with Hunter and Ashley and dinner with Will and Daniel.  I'm one happy girl tonight.

Dodgeball!!!!

Nothing says "I'm in High School" like a good, old fashioned game of dodge ball.  In a day and age where dodge ball is no longer allowed in most schools because it's believed to encourage bullying, I wasn't sure the tradition would be allowed to continue.  I'm happy to say that it was and the kids had a great time.  There was even a winner and a loser - something else missing from most school events lately.  

There was no name calling, no intentional head shots and no unsportsmanlike conduct.  There was A LOT of laughing, cheering and supervision - by other high school students.  

We had a ball...as did Will and James.  And although they didn't win it all, they had a great time.  After all, that's what a fundraiser is all about!

One more day.

If you're tired of cuteness....STOP READING NOW.

But if you having been waiting for you're daily dose of furry goodness, you've come to the right place.  I'm embarrassed to say that I spent most of the day in the sun room, just staring at them.  It's not often that one is privileged enough to catch the first days of life.  Unless it's your own child, and even then, you're probably too tired to enjoy it!

Knowing the babies will be leaving us soon is sad.  I'm actually expecting to see mom arrive at any moment and take them off to the woods and their new home.  Since they uncovered themselves this morning, I'm assuming they are ready.

So before their tearful departure (those would be my tears!), I snuck out to snap a last shot of them - all four of them!

Momma's Home!

There are moments in your life that will stick with you forever.  The birth of the boys, our wedding day and the day we moved into the forest are all among them.  The boys and the wedding are obvious.  The moving into the house is for different reasons.  

There is something to be said for getting back to nature.  Jeff and I joke at least once a week about selling the house.  It's too big.  The boys are never home.  The yard is too much to keep up with.  One more tree down in a wind storm and we swear we're out of here.

But days like today remind me of why we'll never leave.  There are things that we've experienced here that you would never get to do anywhere else.  We've watched coyotes chase deer through the yard.  I've watched a baby bird takes his (or her) first flight out of a nest.  We love them all....from the chipmonks to the carpenter bees.  But tonight, the bunny stole my heart.

I've been worried for days that I killed a nest of baby bunnies.  After yesterday (and Charlies yarn tip!), I was certain that Momma Bunny was coming back and caring for the little ones.  But tonight, I was lucky enough to witness it.  Momma fed them, cleaned them and covered them back up until morning.  The little ones are BEAUTIFUL!  I'm hoping that if I sit with my camera ready each day this week, I may get to see them leave the nest too.  It was amazing.  

And that's why I'll never leave the forest.

Spring Storms

They called for rain....all day.  By afternoon, I was convinced they were crazy.  That is, until the Severe Thunderstorm warnings appeared and Mother Nature let loose.  Hail and 60  mph winds.  Man, when spring storms arrive, they make an entrance.  It was bad enough to cancel our dinner with Will's girlfriend, Madison.  Fortunately, they moved out as quickly as they arrived and we salvaged most of the night.  I wonder what tomorrows forecast is?

Which One?

Remember my bee from the other day?  I think I'm the only one around here that loves them.  And that's just from a cameras perspective.  But those little buggers are killing our woodwork.  Carpenter bees...that's their official name.  Annoying, noisy little destroyer is Jeff's name for them.

So I've been waiting for years, trying to find a way to get rid of them.  Sprays, powders, water, wood putty....you name it, nothing has worked.  So over the winter we found an online tutorial to make a trap for them.  

Fast forward to today.  The sun was shining and I wanted an outdoor project.  I was staying out of the beds while I was home alone (see previous bunny post) so instead I broke out the power tools.  With a sample from Jeff and a quick how to on how to use the circular saw and the hole maker thingy, I thought I could do it.  Power tool....it was a great day!

So can you tell which one is Jeffs and which one is mine?  If not, mission accomplished.  If so, please don't break my heart by telling me!

Meet Husky!

My nose is pink.  My arms are pinker.  The fire pit is empty.  The bed is mulched.  The pathways are sprayed and the poison ivy is wilting quickly.  What a great day.  If only the lawn was mowed.

Yep, after the Landscaping Project of 2012, the Deere decided enough was enough.  Apparently it had hauled enough rock, mulch and tree trunks to last it's lifetime.  And it's lifetime ended today.  

So meet our newest family member, Husky.  Makes mowing the lawn look a little more appealing!

Your Laugh for the Day!

If you've already heard the story today, feel free to laugh again or wait until tomorrow for a new topic.  If you haven't heard the story yet, please read on.  And remember, karma is a b!tch so be careful how hard you laugh!

Just a little background.  There's are reasons that I don't normally help with yard work.  First, I live with three boys.  Well, now it's two.  Actually, it's one and a half (Will's never home anymore!).  But still, you get the point.  Second, it's hard work.  Not that I'm opposed to hard work, it's just hard PHYSICAL work.  I'm not as strong as the previously mentioned boys.  I mean, I can heave ho a bale of pine straw, but bags of mulch are another story.  And lastly, I'm not very good at it.  I run over stuff with the mower, have less than a green thumb and I'm scared that things may jump out from under the deck when I'm not looking.  And by things, I mean chipmunks, a stray cat, a coyote or a pack of flying monkeys.  So you get the idea, I don't do yard work.

But today, I felt bad.  Hunter's not home anymore and Will hasn't been home for four weekends.  Our time to "git r done" is getting short and I wanted to make sure that we got it done before it did us in.

The plan:  Jeff would work in the front yard and I would work in back - if we work together, we get nothing done.  So Jeff grabbed the kill everything spray and I grabbed my gloves, the hedge trimmers, my ipod and my sunglasses.  I was ready.  Loud music, sunshine and a personal goal of getting a "job well done" from Jeff.

Two hours later, I was coming to the end of my job.  I had managed to avoid stray cats and wild monkeys, entertained the neighbors with my singing and actually pulled every weed in sight.  I only had two feet of the bed and three plants left to work on.  I was almost done.

At this point, I know you're wondering where the funny part is.  So here you go.

As I am clipping away, trimming the last plants, I thought I should clean up after myself.  So I reach down to get the pile of clippings that I had diligently trimmed from the ornamental grasses when I realize the pile is much larger than the one I made.  Oh well, no worries, I'll just clean it all up.  As I pick up the pile.....it begins to MOVE.  Yes, move.  And I don't mean the winds blowing it.  I mean a pig is caught in a sack kind of move.  I dropped it, threw the tools I had in my hand and ran screaming for Jeff through the yard.  I'm sure the neighbors got a huge laugh of out if.  I screamed and ran, ran and screamed.  That pile had a wild monkey or a mountain lion in it....and it wanted out!

Fast forward to Jeff rescuing me and calming me down.  Here's the "pile" I accidently picked up.  (It was covered with A LOT more grass when I grabbed it!)  It was a rabbits nest.  Cute little baby bunnies, more scared of me than I was of them (ok, so not really!).  The drop didn't hurt them, my screaming didn't deafen them and they appear to be ok.  Me?  My heart is still pounding and I can still hear my own screaming in my ears.

So where does this leave us?  It isn't obvious?  We need to have more kids because I'm done with yard work!

Any ideas?

Anyone know what the heck these are?  I found not one, not two, not three, but four of them hanging out in our trees out front.  After I got over my initial fear of being in some bad B movie which ends badly, I managed to get my camera and take a billion pictures of them.  I still don't know that they are though.  Any ideas?

What's to come!

On the rainiest day of Spring so far, I spent a period of time today figuring out my plan for a fairy garden.  Call it girly, magical, mysterious, sentimental or just cute.  But I fell in love with the concept years ago and have been waiting for the time and place.  Jeff finally figured it out.  So over the next few months, keep an eye out for picture of our newest home addition - a garden to attract the Tinkerbell type.  I can't wait to get started!

Late Night!

It's always nice to see a smiling face.  Especially when its one you don't see every day.  Thank you Michele for the wonderful picture.  I'm glad everyone had a great evening on campus.  Since he'll be there for the summer, I'm sure this was the first of many late night dinners.  Hopefully, the next one will be soon!

It Must Bee Spring!

Give me a few minutes with a camera and I'm likely to track down something.  Give me a few minutes in the Spring and it's likely to be a bug.  Imagine my surprise when this little guy came to find me.  Yep, right outside the front door.  Cool, isn't he?  Spring is in the air and it's time to get out and capture some of it's beauty!

Oh Thank God!

A small sign of spring! This and a couple of warmer days gives me hope that spring may finally be here. Please let it continue!!!

Leggo my Lego!

Look!  I got to have lunch with my three favorite kids!

Just kidding!  Those are the Lego people Hunter brought back from New York for Will and I (and one for himself!).  It's a family tradition every time we can find them.  You know the ones, the little foil bags with a "surprise" Lego person inside.  Hunter was appalled when he got the Fairy for Christmas.  So He was thrilled today when Will got the Roller Derby girl.  But lets be honest, I got the coolest one!

But truly, I did get to have lunch with my three favorite teens.  Mom and I got just under and hour of laughs and Canes with Hunter, Will and Shannon.  It wasn't long, but it was a few minutes of fun!  And in a few weeks, finals will be over....less studying and more time to visit.

Yummy!

Looks like we all had a great day!  Hunter and Will got to spend the day together and had a wonderful time...ending the day at Crew Stadium for their first soccer game.  

We got to celebrate Moms birthday at the new Horseshoe Casino.  Michele and Charlie joined us and we were finally able to check a Bobby Flay restaurant off of our bucket list.  And let me tell you, the burgers were good but the milkshakes were to die for!  

A quiet evening of March Madness and then off to pick up Will tomorrow.  Why am I thinking he'd rather stay at Ohio State?

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you!

Ok, so Mom wouldn't let me sing to her in person, so a written verse is what she gets!

It's not often that I get to share such a special occasion with my mom so today was a treat.  A few hours in the car catching up, a great dinner (thanks Jeff!) and an evening of laughter and lemon bars.  Tomorrows our big day out and then back to Columbus on Sunday.  A great weekend ahead!

I hope Will and Hunter are having a great time too!

Mom is Smiling too!

It's so nice to see Hunter out and about...and enjoying himself!  With the last three weeks of school upon him, it's been chaotic at best.  I believe this is his only free night for the next couple of weeks.  Although this weekends festivities include Will so they'll both be thrilled!

Can't wait to see you tomorrow!

Do you know?

What state capital is named after both a former president and vice president?

What is the stage name of the individual born Farrokh Bulsara?

How many Brad Pitt movies can you name?

Those were a sampling of the questions asked  in tonights trivia tournament.  I'm thankful our team scored high enough to be included in the tournament.  I'm more thankful that Pamela and Sharon are huge Brad Pitt fans!  

Everyone needs an evening out and tonight was ours.  Friends, food and fun go a long way.  

And in case you're wondering....Jefferson City, Freddie Mercury and not very many!

Ugh!

Blog is cancelled tonight due to technical difficulties.  Unfortunately, when Verizon and AOL have issues, I can't get a picture or a story done.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

A cold step off!

Opening Day.  The parade stepped off at noon ...just as the clouds cleared and the weather started to improve.  Waking to snow made it hard to believe that it was the opening day of baseball season.  But in true Cincinnati style, the weather changed by the hour.  By the time the TV crews got to the band, it was sunny and much warmer.  Perfect for 13 innings of baseball.