5th Rachel's Baby Shower

I don't know about you but it feels like there are babies or pregnant women everywhere you look! It might just be my imagination; you know when you buy a certain kind of car you notice it more, maybe that is it.  Well, two of my good friends are due August and September, and I have the great pleasure of throwing their baby showers.

The first shower on the calendar was Rachel's.  

The theme was Dump Trucks.  I had construction signs everywhere, as well as poms hanging from the ceiling in colors yellow and white.

I totally geeked out on the favors.  There were homemade biscotti, homemade marshmallows, and brownies.  Each in its own little bag with sticker.  (The biscotti were really good, but none of the guest got them because...well, let's just say that my dogs also agreed that the biscotti was really good. And yes, I almost killed them.)

Pam a mutual friend of mine and Rachel's, helped with the planning, and she is so awesome!  She made a cake that looked like a dump truck, and came up with a bib making project that the guests could do at the party and then give to Rachel.  All of which were taken on another camera!!! :(  (I really need to get better at taking pictures at these parties).
Here are some wonderful pictures taken by another friend.

4th Father's Day

Yes, I know Father's Day was last month and I did get to pop in on the blog for a second to honor it, but I didn't get to tell you what I got Steve.
It was his first official Father's Day, and so I gave him a kit of every day father essentials.

The kit included: rubber gloves, a breathing mask, pacifier, sanitizer, and an X-box game that he has been really wanting. 

3rd The Garden

For a first year garden I have had a lot of fun.  I've already harvested tons of lettuce, cilantro, peas, and tomatoes.  Now, with the heat of summer setting in and my spring harvest over I'm turning my thoughts to the fall harvest.  What are you planting?

Here are some wonderful pictures taken by my husband of our garden, me and little N.

P.S.
If you are wondering, N is chewing on the camera's strap. :)

2nd Espresso

For those of you who don't know, I love coffee!  Though, I wouldn't label myself as die-hard, I'm definitely in love with the taste, culture and art of coffee, but I'm also a thrifty person.  For the last four years I've been making my daily cup of joe using a Mr. Coffee espresso machine.  Too cheap to actually spend the big bucks to get a really nice machine I would dream of a great shot of espresso with creama on top but wake up to my steam powered Mr. Coffee.

Well, all that has changed.  My loving husband, out of blue found a great machine on Craigslist and surprised me with it.  Here it is!  My life will never be the same.

 P.S.
I really wanted to show you the surprise video taken when I first saw it but due to some errors I can't. :(

The MEGA POST!!!! 1st Arkasas

I've been so selfish lately!  I've been having so much fun and totally not sharing it with you!  So, in one MEGA post I will hopefully share all the fun that has been my life these three weeks. 

First on our list, Arkansas.
This year was our second family adventure to Arkansas to go floating down the buffalo.  Though N and I stayed away from the canoes it was still a lot of fun just to be with family.  The highlight of the weekend? Playing poker with my very southern baptist mother-in-law.  Hilarious!

Here's the family before the float trip.

I loved the way my mom looked.  This picture is going on the wall. lol!

Here is the cabin we stayed at.

Happy Father's Day

Today is Steve's first official Father's Day!  Happy Father's Day love!

Steve and N asleep on the bed.

Juggling

Have you ever heard the sayings:
"She has too many irons in the fire."
or
"She is juggling too many things." ?
One of those sayings I know I hear more than the other but both do a good job of expressing what I have been thinking about for the past month.  I've been thinking that I'm taking on too many things, and in so doing won't be able to give each one the right amount of time to do a job I would be proud of.

When I start thinking like that I start cutting things out and narrow down to the things that I find to be the most important.  Unfortunately, this blog didn't find its way back on the "Do" list until recently.  What I found is that when you start cutting things out that you love but don't need life takes an interesting turn.  To put it in perspective it is like reducing the salt in a recipe.  Yeah, the food is still edible but it lacks that taste that really made you enjoy it in the first place.   Yeah, I could go without blogging until N is in high school but life, with the exceptions of special events, would turn into just a day to day ride instead of one that I would look forward to. Blogging forces me to be creative, which I am discovering is something I need, especially between diaper changes and goo goo gaa gaa. 

Blogging also helps me elevate the mundane to something beautiful, happy, and new.  I recently looked back at all the pictures that I've taken of N and our family and found that the majority of pictures taken were for this blog or at least with the blog in mind (I'm not the type of person to want to take pictures all the time).  Not only that, but even when a project could not be accomplished due to illnesses in the family if I completed one post I beamed with accomplishment. 

I'm not saying that I wouldn't have a fulfilling life if I didn't write in this blog.  I had a great life prior to this blog, but since N I need an outlet and this is just what the doctor ordered.  So, here are this summer's projects.

1. Landscaping the front of my house
2. Making a patio/ landing in the backyard
3. New floor coverings in the kitchen and main bathroom
4. Gift for Rachel's baby shower
5. Vacation...where? who knows.