she never ceases to amaze me!!!!

She's at it again!!!!........good ol' mother nature!!!!!!.....I came around the corner of my house today and look what she gave me!!!!!....and things always seem like they magically appear overnight.....at least at my house anyway.....it's probably because I'm always running around and never have time to truly stop and smell the roses...:).....tulips blooming, lilacs wafting, forsythia in full bloom.....daisies come and go....thunderstorms, snowstorms....the changing of the leaves.....I just love all of her beautiful gifts!!!........these hydrangeas were both gifts to me from dear friends.......and I love their beautiful shades of blues and pinks.....every year changing a little bit.....I'm looking forward to my next gift from her....they are always simple and beautiful!!

wild raspberries

We have a "trail"...and I use that term loosely....it's actually a stone driveway that the developer put in to get to the retention pond down behind the end of the cul-de-sac...but the kids and I prefer to call it a trail....along it are tons of wild raspberry bushes........three years ago when my niece was babysitting the kids she took them down there with a bucket from the sandbox and they picked a whole bunch....she is truly a phenomenal baker and decided to make a pie and of course, the crust from scratch!!......I am NOT a baker and admire and love everything she makes and shares......well, my husband and I were at her house for card club that night and she trooped all of my kids over to get her mothers huge can of Crisco because she couldn't find mine....well.....I don't have one!!!....because again, I don't bake!....and I also don't have a rolling pin, which she also found out......but she found the one in the playdoh bin that worked just fine!!...it turned out scrumptious!....I noticed my daughter put a note on her bulletin board that summer that made note of the date they picked the berries, so she would know when to go back and pick more the next summer......and they did!.....well, I made little danishes out of them!!....a friend of mine has a wonderful cooking and baking blog....marzipan mom.....check it out!.....and I KNOW she would have made hers from scratch......but mine are made from crescent rolls!....just a little cream cheese and the berries inside....bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.....the kids loved them!!.....well, it seems to have turned into a tradition...and I love traditions of any kind!!!....which may have to be a post at some time.....because yesterday they picked these adorable berries, just the size of Snowcaps from the movie theater.....Cubby came running through the backyard yelling that he wanted to make those fruit sandwiches again!!...what a memory on that little guy!........and so we did!!!

snowcones

There is nothing like a snowcone on a hot summer day!!!.....I have to say that the investment I made in our Rival snowcone machine was well worth it!!......we go through spurts with it....and our weather hasn't exactly been "snowcone material".....but I'm thinking it will be cranking quite a bit over the next several weeks.......and the syrup flavors have gotten pretty wonderful too....cotton candy, pineapple, strawberry and paradise punch to name a few.....we even travel with our machine......vacations, birthday parties and weekends away....we're going to visit friends in Harrisburg next week for a few days and they requested we bring it there too!.....although I do have to say there is nothing quite like getting one at a carnival or fair.......maybe because I consider it part of my dinner???

the best "camping " trip EVER!!!

I will start off by saying ....I am not a camper....I have tried several times....starting when I was a campfire girl in grade school.....and we had to cook our dinner in a tin can at Camp Aloha....I progressed to the tent my Dad got for the backyard...and almost made it all night....then fast forward to when I dated my husband and we camped at Lake Havasu for the world jetski championships....that was pretty fun....I brought my Laura Ashley sheets and blowdryer...I even tried to camp again recently with my husband and kids...I just can't handle the amount of work it takes to make the camping experience "happen"....packing, setting up "camp".....muddy laundry...unpacking.....while my husband fully enjoys himself by the campfire smoking cigars and drinking beer with his brothers....last year the tent went up in our backyard and I couldn't fathom sleeping out there when I could be all cozy in my king size bed....so I just yelled goodnight from the deck!....I have plenty of wonderful memories without having to spend one more night in a tent......anyway ....a recent post on a friends blog really got me thinking that I would have to give this camping thing one more try!....maybe I should check out Cook's Forest????...the cabins looked so quaint....I was telling my Dad all about it....hiking, playing in the stream, the canoe etc....and he said we could do all of that at his new house.....he moved in last fall and this was our first summertime visit......and it turns out it is the ultimate "campground"!!!!......the pond, the raft for four people...yeah, right!...hiking, quads, fishing, playing along the streams, flying kites and all of this just steps away from his beautiful new home------NO TENT! NO CABIN!...fully stocked by his lovely girlfriend with snacks, drinks, ice cream etc...and she so wonderfully keeps the washer and dryer running full speed so everytime we change clothes for the next activity they magically appear washed and folded for us.....we were truly spoiled on our camping trip...and I didn't mention there was no need to dig through watery coolers for something to make for dinner.....we ordered take out!!!....the kids loved it ...I loved it!! Gracie our dog loved it!! check her out on the quad... we can't wait to camp next month....thanks again Dad!!!

hug your kids

It is with an aching heart that I need to write this......a dear little boy has passed away this past Thurday....a neighbor and friend.......much, much too young at just 5 years old......he was a favorite playmate of my little Cubby......soooo lively and full of life...energetic and imaginative....he loved to be outside and loved everyone....it is amazing how one little guy has touched soooo many lives ......we will miss him terribly.....the evening of his passing a tremendous rainbow was visible from our street......we all just knew he was smiling down on us....I truly have to try and turn this into some kind of blessing and hug my kids harder and longer, say yes more often, overlook the fingerprints on the windows and the clothes on the floor, spend more time playing and enjoying......and less time cleaning and doing laundry.....because you just never know what each day may bring......God Bless our dear little friend, his loving brother and parents....give them the strength to carry on and to smile again....to again someday find joy...

check out smilebox

I was visiting a favorite blog last night and there was a post about the website http://www.smilebox.com/ ......oh my gosh!!!.........it is sooooo cool and very fun!!!......tons of fun stuff to do with your pictures.......you can create postcards, ecards, digital scrapbook, etc.....then you can email everything, print it or post it to your blog....I spent all night playing!!!......there is tons to do for free, but you can also join for the month/year....a friend of mine is always so thoughtful to send ecards with bluemountain.com and I was thinking of joining that ....they sent a free trial month email.....but this is soooo much cuter!!!!........beware! make sure you have a bit of time to play!!!

Pam's Jam

Yes!....it's that time of the year again!!!......it's become a personal tradition for me to make at least strawberry jam every year ....sometimes blueberry and peach as well...I stopped over the weekend at my local farm market and the berries didn't look as great as I had hoped for so I thought I would wait a few days and stop back.....well .......my sister in law knew I was wanting to make jam and found some scrumptious berries in Erie while she was there for my nephews soccer tournament....which, by the way, they won and will be attending regionals in Indiana at the end of the month!!!!....I had a little helper this year and we had fun!....it turned out yummy and I will have some to share!!