Just Because!

I also had a bunch of random pics that I love and really wanted to post, so here they are! 

Our friend who lives in our passion fruit vine. He scared the shit out of me one day while I was weeding. I don't mind snakes as long as I see them first!

Some friends of mine and I took our kids swimming at one of the lakes close by back in June. This bird was pretty calm about 8 kids with fishing poles standing by. He pretty much hung out the whole time we were there.

We also ventured out with friends right after school got out so Lyndon could take part in the Warrior Dash! This one is not as crazy as the Tough Mudder, but it is as gross!

And on a personal note, I was very excited to have been a part of this project. My good friend published her first book. She asked me to help her as her copy editor, and I was thrilled to get the chance. I loved the work and was so happy with the book. I am excited to help her with the next one coming soon! 

This guy is our neighbor's dog who we would like to adopt! Sometimes they leave for day trips, and we get to keep him for a few hours. He is hugely entertaining and loves the kitty cats! Molly likes him, but Mason could do without another dog in the house. His energy is contagious, and he keeps Maddi feeling young!

The boys also got to participate in Vacation Bible School and LOVED it! I was so excited to get to take them this year as it has been two years since they were able to go to one. They learned a lot and had so much fun at our little church. 

A random pic from crazy hair day at VBS! Luke's hair "hurt" at the end of the day. I can't imaging why:-)

This gem is a pic of my sweet, bald husband up on stage at Cirque du Soleil:-) He got picked by the clowns because his bald head is a beacon in a sea of people. I loved seeing him on stage; he played into their hands very well!

Another critter from the porch. 

I FINALLY gave in and let the boys go to the beach. In case you don't know, I am terrified of the ocean, especially sharks, and it has pretty much been our rule this summer to stay out of the water with all of the shark attacks between here and NC. But, their friends begged, and the boys begged, and I was starting to feel like we were the only ones who had not been to the beach. We gave in, and I am happy to report that they all came back safe and sound. Logan even hooked a shark while fishing...it was small which means the larger parent was waiting and watching:-( 

This is a favorite pic!

We also took the train to Winter Park for Lyndon's birthday which was August 7th! It is about a 20 minute ride, lots of sightseeing and fun for the boys. 

There was a pretty cool tree the boys found, so we took advantage and got some pics:-)

And that's all folks. I hope you are enjoying the last month of summer!

Patio Project!

We finally decided that we needed to do something to our backyard to make it more user-friendly:-) As you can see from the pic below, it was very rocky and difficult to walk on. After weeks of questions and looking through options, we decided to go with pavers. Pavers aren't cemented in which allows them to move and be moved as the ground changes and the roots from our trees grow. I loved the end result!

We also added some small shrubs behind the wall with flowers that would brighten it up:-) They are difficult to see in the pic, but I am hoping they will take over soon so you can see them better!

We also needed to do something under our big shade tree because nothing grows under it which means it stays muddy all of the time. We covered it up with a ton of mulch and added a picnic table for the kids.

And, over on the other side of the yard, we added more pavers, and I am trying to grow honeysuckle along the fence. The trellis is homemade, just in case you hadn't figured it out:-) 

Pallets from my pallet connection and chicken wire.

We also had a bunch of pavers leftover, and we made a flower box and put plants in it that are supposed to attract butterflies, bees and humming birds! It is working on the bees and moths, but I am hoping with a little time, those humming birds and butterflies will find them too.

I also added some random stuff in along the tree line just for fun!

I found this fruit basket at Goodwill, lined it with moss and straw. Then I added some plants on the bottom two and left the top open. Not sure if a bird will want it for a nest, but that is the hope:-)

I also lined this with moss and straw and put a small potted ivy in it. 

And my fav creation so far is this copper flower. When the guys were here digging up the yard, they found a copper pipe that (we hope) wasn't being used for anything. I managed to clean it with a recipe I found on Pinterest for cleaning copper using vinegar and baking soda and scrubbed it with am S.O.S pad. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it until I found this old cake mold at the Habitat ReStore. I put a hole in the middle with Lyndon's drill and attached the pipe with super glue and found a black, rubber stopper in the garage (again, hoping it doesn't go to anything important) and glued it in the middle. I was pretty happy with it, and I put it in the butterfly garden. Here is to hoping it holds up to the rain and wind!

Last but not least is my attempt at a straw bale garden! So, a friend's mom has an awesome bale garden in NC. I saw a picture and fell in love with the idea. My dog and kids won't step on it, and it is supposed to be great from veggies. I had to do a little research, but I finally got it figured out, and here is my first try...

I planted some cucumbers, squash and peppers only because it is late in the growing season. Not sure how everything will do at this point because it is miserably hot, but so far nothing has died. I will update you soon so you can see how we are coming along. In the spring, I will do more bales, but I had to try it out now just to see what the fuss was all about! I will let you know if it is a success or miserable failure:-)

Happy August!

June Update!

So, June came and went in a flash, and as usual, I am behind on my pics for you. Here is June in a nutshell!

Luke and I got to take Logan to the airport so he could fly to Texas all by himself to see Nana and Papa! It was nauseating for me to let me do it, but he begged:-( He is getting big fast, and it is stressing me out!

We watched closely until the plane was in the air!

Then it was our turn to fly to Texas, and our first stop was Freebirds in Austin! If you have not been to Freebirds, you are missing out! I strongly suggest you try it while you are there! This was  Lyndon's lunch, btw! 

Georgetown

Next stop was Georgetown! I love this little town, and I miss it. It looks completely different now from when I was growing up here, but it still felt like home! Here are a few pics of the downtown area:-)

Dixie Dude Ranch

Another awesome stop for us was the Dixie Dude Ranch right outside of Bandera, Texas! I highly recommend this place:-) We wanted to do something with the boys that they had not done before and really wanted to do something that they don't have access to in Florida. This place was internet and TV free, and they boys never complained. They had so much to do including swimming, horseback riding, roasting marshmallows, fishing, hiking and shooting! The staff was excellent, food was great, and the weather could not have been more perfect!

One of the many cats that roamed the property!

The goats were everywhere!

Beautiful views!

Amen!

Our cabin! I will say that the cabins had a very "rustic" feel to them. Don't go expecting luxury bedding and room service...it is a working ranch. It was clean, and the water worked! 

The horses were beautiful!

Another amazing view!

And one afternoon, we ventured to the small town of Bandera. I took my kids to this bar. I also won Mother-of-the-Year award:-) It is not like I gave them beer to drink, they had root beer for the kids, and they refused to sit in the "bra" room. We sat on the patio and watched the drunk cowboys play pool. I wanted to give them the best Texas experience I could. 

More of the cute decor around the property!

Like I said, the staff was amazing! One of the guys let the boys help around the ranch and made them honorary ranch hands. They got to collect firewood, ride in the truck and help open up the gates. They were in heaven!  

The dog was one of 4 labs on the property. This one in the pic is Pearl. They followed the boys everywhere, but she especially loved the fishing pond! 

Me and Cash out for a walk.

And after I took them to the bar, we went and shot some guns. 

They did a pretty good job for their first time! 

4th of July

We concluded our trip to Texas with the annual Aqua Boom parade and fireworks show at Nana and Papa's lake house! 

A really bad picture of the fireworks show out on the lake.

A little better:-)

The boys setting off fireworks illegally on the boat dock to wrap up the vacation. If you are going to be an outlaw, make it count! 

I hope your June was as memorable as ours!