Camp, Decorating, and YouTube!

Ethan had a week at boy scout camp last week!  I can't say it was great..he sent a letter wondering when we were going to visit him (and mailed it hours before Ches got there)!  It wasn't awful, he got to do sooo much, earned lots of badges, learned, swam, kayaked, and even got cold at night!  But..he doesn't think he'll go next year.  I'm thankful he's honest.  I'm thankful he tried it.  And..he learned about himself.  We'll try something new next year!

Going hiking!

Ethan practicing water rescue 

Mess Hall!

Ethan!

Good practice for rescue!

I helped another sweet lady with paint colors, flooring, countertops, backsplash..and I've just been brainstorming lately!  She has wood cabinets, trim, and an ivory tile floor..so here are my ideas:

I love this rug from Lowe's, this tile backsplash from Home Depot, this pot for flowers or a plant on the kitchen table, and this mixer (because a matching mixer is glam!)..and a good excuse for a new mixer, haha!  She has located a beautiful light quartz counter with a few gray and khaki veins.  Add SW7030 Anew Gray walls or BM HC-44 Lenox Tan, wood trim and cabinets, some white slipcovered chairs at the table and kitchen desk, and some white drapes and/or woven wood blinds..and a fresh redo.  Not too expensive! : )

Here's a gathering of the above:

My precious Sarah Bernhardt peony I grew from root stock!  For Mother's Day three years ago, we got ten..and they are all beautiful!  They didn't bloom the first year..and this year the plants are so strong!  Sometimes we grow deeper roots for a season before we can bloom.  We're gathering nutrients and strength.

I think we are starting a youtube.com channel!  We are goofy, and unskilled, and have no idea what we're doing, but what the heck.  Our kids are silly..and they make us laugh!  And sometimes we actually make videos about how to do something with diabetes/pumps.  We made a video about reusing a Medtronic 670G sensor after being asked how to go about it..and we decided other people might benefit?  So we'll do diabetes and be goofy.  Maybe we'll learn something in the process?!

That's all I've got, haha!  Pray for your neighbors, literal and not, and give out a couple hugs!

Teas and ParTies!

Good morning!  I'm trying to stay on track, haha!  A few more big moments I need to record for my kiddos when they're all grown.  They love to look back..Carter was looking for a picture of my mom when I was a kid.  He was eating Fruit Loops, and asked what the bird was, ha!  I told him Toucan Sam was in the commercials on television when I was little.  He asked about me and what my mom looked like.  Mom-find a picture please!!

This was at our Mother Daughter Tea party (actually the after party!) at the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks.

Sweetie!

I kidnapped Ethan and we went out for a well-visit at his doctor's office and then Freddy's-his favorite burger place! 

Carter played t-ball this year! : )

My friend's entryway I redid! (New mirror, lamps, frames, moss ball, candle holder, wood diamond)

My friend, Tiffany!  I went to her son Joseph's first communion! : ) We have a picture of us riding Square2Square, but this one is better, haha!

Mary Claire just celebrated an entire month of birthday!!  She had dinner at P.F. Chang's, and this was right before dinner. : )

We had cupcakes back at the house after dinner..since she was saving her fancy cake for her party!  And Gatsby was soo thankful that he could join us, haha!

She bridged to Girl Scout Ambassadors in May too!  This is the last level of girl scouts!

Her group with their moms!

We went to play miniature golf one Sunday, and Lukas went with us. : ) We had McDonald's ice cream and yogurt afterward!

This was getting ready for her party..all kinds of light pink!  Pink tulips, pink roses, and white hydrangeas..so beautiful!

We made a banner the weekend before with strips of fabric in gold, white, and light pink..and los of tulle too!  On top of it in gold glitter, it says, "happy birthday"..but you can't really see it! 

Lots of food..

Everything she wanted..pizza, cheese puffs, teddy grahams, fruit, watermelon punch, etc.  It was weird..but exactly what she wanted...and it was HER birthday!

And her cake! : )

Her really good friends!

Ethan was sad he had a December birthday..so we had a Swim Party just for fun a few days later!!

We went to the Amazeum, and we worked in the Hershey's chocolate lab!  Here is a pod with nibs : )

This is working in a sand table at the Amazeum..the topography map changes as they move the sand around..making mountains and lakes..it was cool!

And I worked at the NWA Mom Prom!  The proceeds go to JDRF Family Camp every summer!

And Tiffany was my work/volunteer/prom date, haha! : )  Seriously, she volunteered to work with me!

Seriously, a busy and spectacular month!  Two graduations, two parties, prom, decorating, tball games, anniversary, bridging and a tea.. I don't even know if that's all, haha!  We're still sane in June, and I'm totally resting and making up for a crazy month!

Hope you are making it, and you get a quiet season of rest.  Mine is summer, even with the kids home, making late breakfasts (for extra friends too!), and lots of towel washing..I'm super thankful to be off a schedule. Come at me, June!

Balloon Arch, Take 3 and Room Renovations!

So much time has passed..but I've been informed that no one young-ish is reading anymore!  So I can write again, hooray!! : ) haha!

Our latest adventures..

We got ready for a surprise party to say goodbye to our seniors from youth group at church!  I chalked the hallway across from the entrance!  I got super tired and my hand was hurting by the bottom scripture area..so it wasn't too great, haha!

Our baby dog, Gatsby, is super big now!  He's at 32 pounds..and maybe counting?!  This is Mary Claire's room that I redid this spring..I repainted Carter's old room upstairs (her old room), and got her a new matching monogram made by a super talented friend of hers!  Carter is back downstairs, and she's up..moving completed!

This is a room I worked on for a sweet friend, it's the kids' playroom!  We still need to hang a couple of personal items..maybe their last home's door key or some special toys.

I really have been busy as I look back over pictures!  ..I helped Clay's friend, Georgia, to build a balloon arch that we could reuse (so we don't have to keep using expensive helium balloons!).  She went to Lowe's and Wal-Mart to request money and supplies to make an arch for Springdale Youth Activity Council.  Their walk was to gather food for a local food pantry.  We started with two 2'x2' pieces of plywood, and attached flanges in the center to hold 1/2" pipe (24" long) in place.  Then we got three pieces of 8'x3/4" white plumbing pipe with two fittings that would fit over the metal pipe.  I left it assembled in my garage with weights on the wood since the white needed some time to conform to the bent shape!

metal flanges attached with 1/2" screws

Sitting with weights..waiting on balloons!

We got some volunteers to help us!  And Phat Tire Bike Shop next door let us use their air compressor to blow up our balloons!! : )  We made the arch in an unused business space owned by the bank nearby..and there was very little lighting.  But we were thankful to have a big space to use!

Finished product, moved outside the day of the walk, hooray!!

Carter posing with a cutout of C3PO at Wal-Mart before Solo came out!  He looks SO BiG. :O

Easter, after church..everyone is a little crazy by now!  And our dog had recently been trimmed..he looks funny!

A really sweet picture of my parents.  They very rarely let me take pictures..when they are 80, they'll wish they took more, haha!

Baby Carter (not a baby..) lost his first tooth before school one morning!  He was nervous he'd lose it at school or during lunch..so we helped alleviate his fears, haha!

The bulletin board I did for our youth group seniors!  I went outside the box with a turquoise floral..but you can barely see it anyway!  This is a big group of really sweet kids.  We'll miss them!!

Carter graduated from Kindergarten!!  Wow, he's a big kid now.  He had a wonderful year with Mrs. Mueller!

And an even bigger shock-Ethan graduated from elementary school!  He'll be in sixth grade this fall across town.  Mrs. Cain has blessed us by teaching three of our kids..I hope Carter gets her eventually too!!

Gatsby turned ONE!!  His birthday is June 3rd, so he's officially not a pup anymore!  We adore him!!

Tiffany and I rode from the Fayetteville Square to the Bentonville Square, 31.5 miles!  What a fun day, and we needed each other..it got tiring!  (Especially since we hadn't ridden very much this spring!!) 

Wreath for a friend's big front porch!

This spring, I also had another fun project, an office!  It just needed cleaning out, organizing, and rearranging.  We only purchased five new frames, an end table, and a lamp.  It's not always expensive to freshen up and feel organized..just takes some hard work! ; )

It's a large room with lots of beautiful windows, and I already loved the color!

At the tv/fireplace end, using some beautiful art they already had!

The desk suite was just begging to be put back together..and it looks great with books and frames!  We only have a couple boxes for him to go through to identify recycle/keep/trash!

This is one of the only pictures I got of Clay running track this spring!  He doesn't like pictures..and he's always so far away too.  I didn't even get him in his uniform. : O  But lately, he's running every day from 7am to about 8:30am.  He's up to about 7 miles a day training for cross country.  Good grief, those boys are dedicated!!

I'm still not caught up..but I love to have the history for when I lose my pictures. : O  It happens!  

Hope your life is busy with fun, family, and friends!  Happiest of Father's Days to my DAD! to Ches! and to your dads and ALL the people who have guided you in life!  Hugs!!