Today = Gardening

This is a picture of the new grass I planted that's coming up great next to the new patio that we put in a couple of weeks ago. There's a few bare spots, but I will be fixing that up shortly. I'm just happy that it's coming in so thick.

This is a pretty pink flower that I just added to my garden today. I can't remember what it's called, but I know that I should know what it's called. Anyway, it goes along pretty with the little purple ones below.

I've also these pretty ladies in my sunny garden to add more color. I have alot of perennials in there, so I needed some more color since most of the flowers in the bloom in the spring and fall.

These little guys have come back three years in a row. It's amazing because where I live they aren't supposed to do that.

These came back this year too. This is only their 2nd year though.

This is my shadier garden under my pine trees. It's where I have the stones for my animals that have passed away.

This is my sun garden. Can you believe that I bought this as a kit from www.bluestoneperinnials.com almost 6 years ago. They came packaged in a box. There are only a few things that died off after the first year. I hae been pretty happy with it. I think next year I am going to try and expand it a bit.

Clean Puppies

Tonight I gave both of my doggies baths. My sister was over earlier and asked how I kept them so clean, because for the most part they always do look clean. I thought about it and decided that it was because they have short hair and the dirt just rubs off. I didn't tell her that I hadn't bathed them in a while and I felt a bit bad for the dogs, so after she left I got out the soap and dragged them into the bathroom one by one to get them truley clean.

To my amazement they weren't really dirty. The water that came off them as I rinsed them was really rather clean. I think it must be all the rolling in the grass that they do. But, I am pretty baffeled because they also roll in the dirt alot. I guess I have just been blessed with clean dogs. This was not the case with Peppe as you all can remember, for although he lived with us not even a month I gave him 3 baths while he was here.

So, I recommend for anyone who wants a clean looking dog to get a shorthaired breed, but not White, because White shows everything. I guess its the same reason I don't wear alot of white shirts. I can never keep them clean.

Lazy Days

Lazy summer days are supposed to be a good thing, but for me, they are getting a little old. I never ever thought I would say that in my life, but at this point in my life I would rather be working, or raising my kids.

I think I have read 12 books in the past month, did tons of yard work and housework, and I am really getting bored with it.

I guess the good news is that I have been getting calls and interviews these past weeks as well, so hopefully that's a good sign that I will soon have a job in the next few weeks. I only have 6 more weeks of unemployment, so I better find something soon.

Weekend Recap

Camping with the kiddos was fun. We told ghost stories. I think mine was the least scary of them all. For some reason these kids like all the violent killing etc that kids these days are subjected to on TV. Anyway, my niece suggested that after each person was done that we should say something nice about the story they just heard. I don't know where she gets this stuff, but it was really cute of her to make the suggestion.

The night was pretty warm and I didn't even cover myself up in my sleeping bag. The kids did, however because they don't like bugs and dirt. I didn't care because 1-the sleeping bags were just cleaned 2- I know that these things won't hurt me and will either just wash up or crawl away.

I even had the 4 month old out there with us. He slept just fine when the older children weren't waking him up. He's a natural camper. One of these days we will have to take them all to an actual campground to camp since they did so well in the back yard.

Camping in my backyard

This weekend we are planning to have our niece and nephew over to have a camping trip in our backyard. We have leftover marshmellows and graham crackers from last weeks trip to Chicago to use up and I don't think the little ones have ever been camping. So, we are going to setup the tents and sleeping bags, make a fire in the firepit and have us a campout.
I think it will be fun for them and it will give us another opportunity to setup the tent and give it some air. I think we have only used it 4 times since we bought it 4 years ago. The funny thing is I do enjoy camping, we just don't get an opportunity to do much of it.

An update to the adoption journey: we have not heard a peep from anyone yet. This might be harder then waiting to get all the paperwork approved. ugh. Why didn't ya'll warn me. After reading most of he other blogs it seems that this part went faster for other folks. Of course it would be different for us; Everything usually is.

Now I am off to pull out chicken for dinner. Tonight we are having Chicken and Black Bean Salsa over Rice. It's one of my favorites and it's so easy to make. I made it up one night after reading some crockpot recipe for quasadillas. I know, weird huh? Crockpot quasadillas...? Who would have thought of that.

Twins Win!

We had a really great time in Chicago watching the Twins play the Cubs at Wrigley Field. For the first game we sat on the first base line. We were under cover and the weather was beautiful.

At the second game we sat in the outfield bleachers and it rained until the middle of the game.

We had a great group of people with us that we have been friends with for a very long time.

Since we camped 40+ minutes away we took the Metra train into the city and that ment we didn't have to worry about parking, which was very convienent.

Our campsite was right next to Lake Michigan. We even had a path directly from our firepit to the lake. At night we saw raccoons and skunks. I even saw a deer one day.

All in all it was a great trip and the Twin won both the games we went to.

Meet Isaiah

This is Isaiah. He's two weeks old and just a cute little peanut. Elisabeth brought him over the other day and I snuggled him the whole time he was here. Although I couldn't get him to open his eyes for me. He's a sleepy little guy.

Oh, wait. I got one eye to open, but that's all he would give me.

I had to put his hood back up because my dogs love to smell and lick little baby heads. I don't know why they do that, but I don't like it. I have to keep little baby heads protected from puppy tongues.

Here's me holding the little peanut. It really makes me sad that I probably won't have a newborn of my own to snuggle whenever I want, but it's a little bit of a comfort that all the women who have babies in my family let me snuggle theirs whenever I want.

Nothing Yet

We have still not heard anything about the sibling groups that we requested information on other then our homestudy has been submitted to their SWs. I have been told that once your homestudy has been submitted it could take a month to get anything back. I wish that this would go faster. My mother-in-law jokes that I have had the longest pregnancy on earth. I would agree with that.
Yesterday my niece Elisabeth brought her 2 week old baby Isaiah over. He's so sweet. He slept the whole time that he was here, but at least I got to snuggle with him while he was sleeping. It's great to see Elisabeth so grown up. The way that she is with the baby is really great to see.
This weekend Jerry and I are taking a trip to Chicago with 11 friends to see the Twins play the Cubs at Wrigley field. I am really excited, it should be a great time. It's been 7 or 8 years since we saw a game at Wrigley, but the first time to see the Twins play there.

Go Twins!

Peonies are the Best

In my front yard I have two large peony bushes. Have I ever said how much I love to be able to have fresh cut flowers in my house. Peonies are my favorite. They are beautiful and smell delightful. About 6 years ago I planted them in my front yard. The next spring I got 5 flowers. This year there's about 50. I think I am going to have to take them with me when I move. They have definalty been worth the money that I paid them. I could probably split them and have 4 or 6 bushes, but I don't think I will for a few more years. I just love how full my bushes are right now.

Boy have I been busy

My nephew Josh has been over every day for the past week or so helping me put in a patio in our back yard working off some money that he borrowed. Today we should finish the project and I will share some pictures with you so you can see what I have been doing instead of blogging, sorry.

Over the weekend I found some kids on the mnadopt site. I can't wait until 9:30am to give my worker a call to see if I can get some more information on them. So far all I know is that it's 2 girls and a boy ages 5,3,1 with the boy being the oldest of the three. The descriptions on the site are always the same kind of thing and I want the nitty gritty. I asked Jerry if he was interested and he said that he wanted to know more, then followed it up with 3 is a lot of children. Before I was married I talked to a psychic who told me that I would have 3 children. Maybe it's just ment to me that way for us. Not that I hold much weight on what a psychic says, but it would be a happy coincidence.

Off to work... I will try to blog tomorrow with the completed patio pictures!