Time for a break (again)

I realize vacation time is in full swing for most folks at this time of the year.  We had ours a couple weeks ago (yay!) but with the lack of comments on my blog for the past two weeks (I've had zero comments but lots of page views..BUMMER!)..I'm taking a little break from blogging.  I will be reading others, just not doing any myself..so don't fear..I'm still around!

I 'hope' you'll miss me!!  ;-)

~~ White ~~



Not the best picture I could get of her on this particular day..but I couldn't help but think she looked like a little bride all dressed in white!

Be still, my heart!!

One fish, two fish, pink fish, blue fish!

We added another 'member' to our big fish tank over the weekend!  When we returned from vacation, I sadly lost two fish within a week.  One had been sick for a while, so it was expected.

The other one, however, was mortifying.

He had to of gotten caught or stuck in something.  I never figured out what or where either.  That's the worst of it.  One night, I was kinda doing a 'head count' as I do every night before I turn off the fish tank light.  Of course, I don't actually count all my fish (we have a lot)..just look them over to make sure nothing seems out of sort.  Well, we had two glow in the dark yellow tetras (they are hard to miss) and I only saw one.  I looked for a long time, even turning over some of my decor inside the tank. 

Nothing.

I gave up and turned out the light for the night, with only one fish 'glowing' instead of the usual two.  I knew something bad had happened.

The next morning, Damon was up before me as usual.  He called out to me when he heard me get up and brushing my teeth, "Were you looking for a yellow fish last night?".  Yes..I call back.  "Its lying at the bottom of the tank.".  Ugh..just what I figured.

Until..I turned on the light and HALF of the fish was there.  It looked like something really big had just bit off half of the poor guy.  I never found his remains.

We may have a piranha!  Kidding..but..I do wonder.....

So..we had to go fish shopping!  I saw that they'd come out with pink glow in the dark tetras since we had purchased our yellow ones (either that or I'd just never seen them before)..I really wanted one so thats what we came home with!  He's really pretty too!

 

Its pinky!

 

With the yellow one...

 

 

I think the next time we're out near Petsmart, I may get another gourami too.  At first, I despised the one I'd bought when we first got our tank set up. But since then, he's settled down a lot and has become one of my favorites!!  I love this BIG guy!  You can't tell it..but he's really big (probably 4 or 5 inches long at least)!

 

 

And like the title of this post says..I may just have to get a blue gourami!  ;-)



Summer Projects

Seems like the summer months is definately when a lot of 'projects' always seem to pop up on everyones 'to-do' lists.  We're definately no exception around here!  There are a few little things I've been doing (and the hubby!) and making lately..and a few still on the list....

This is the 'homemade' grill Damon has been working on for the past couple of weeks!  I gotta say..being made out of just some leftover cinder blocks and some morter mix (with liquid coloring added to jazz it up a bit)..it was a great and inexpensive project!!  I'd say the total cost was probably around $20-25 since we already had the blocks!  Great job, hon!

 

I bought this paint a couple weeks ago for my kitchen.  Yup..the paint bug has never left me.  This was on my list of 'next project to complete' and I figured if I went ahead and got the paint..I was one step into the process!  We chose a dark gray..I really can't wait to get to it..but the only problem is its just been soooo humid here lately..I fear that if I tried painting now it wouldn't adhere very well (you know what they say about painting in humid weather)..so until the weather cools off some..this project is on hold....

 

Cute, no?  The girl definately makes the dress!  I bought this fabric on clearance at Hobby Lobby (LOVE!!)..I think I paid $3 or $4 for it..and I love, love, love that print!!  Its the great kind where all you have to do is measure, cut, and sew up the seam! Easy peasy..but still homemade!  ;-)

 

 

I also refinished a diaper box (yes, you read right!) recently.  Sorry..I totally forgot to take a picture of it!!  But I saw the idea on pinterest (where else?) and thought it was a great idea.  I'll do another post on it..because I still plan on making another (I have the supplies, just need to get to it!).  The one I already made is in our living room housing some of Makayla's books and toys. 

 

 

What summer projects have you been doing lately?



Community

This is why I blog.

A lot of people blog for various reasons.  To keep in touch w/family and friends who live far away/apart from one another, to keep record of their family growing through pictures and posts, for recipes/cooking, to show off (yeah..there are some out there!), and lots of other reasons.

But I blog mostly for the community.  I blog because I had a desire to meet other people (aka bloggers) who were like me. 

Married, raising children, and who believe in God.

Where I'm from, I don't have many 'friends'.  Sure, I'm friendly with people that lives around me, but I don't have real 'connections' with most of these people to where we would hang out or go places together once in a while.  And that's fine with me. 

Through blogging, I have met a lot of fantastic people.  Some I believe, if we lived near one another, we might even hang out once in a while!  Kinda awesome! 

I've read a lot of stories of these fellow bloggers.  Felt like I've went on their journeys right along with them.  From getting married, to struggling with (or not!) pregnancy, being pregnant, reading birth stories (my FAVORITE!), and raising their children, mixed in with trying to be a Godly woman and keeping Christ in their homes.

Its not about being perfect.  About living in the perfect home, in the perfect neighborhood, dust and clutter free (don't I wish!), with tailored pants and form fitting blouses all neatly pressed.

Its about being real.  I want connections with those who are real people..who live life..who love life..and love God. 

I say all of that to say this.  I follow a lot of blogs.  A LOT.  Most of them I don't read on a daily basis.  One fellow blogger that was in my 'list of blogs' I follow, started standing out more to me over the past few months.  I admit, I hadn't read her blog much before.  She has a son who has a speech delay (he's making great progress!) and that was what first caught my eye. 

This week, she had her anatomy ultrasound on her second baby (Levi), and at first the doctors feared he had Trisomy 18.  It was devastating news, as you can imagine. 

I felt so upset about the news myself, even though we've never met and really never emailed or commented much through our blogs. 

That's community, folks.  When you are sad with your fellow bloggers and when you rejoice with them when they get good news.  I am happy to report, on her blog post today, they found that her son does NOT have Trisomy 18!  He will have difficulties and they will learn more about what that might entail in the coming weeks (and months).

We are rejoicing and Praising God for the miracle that baby Levi already is..even though he is still in his mother's womb. 



The "Cat" Days of Summer!

Nobody told our cat, Jake, that its actually called the dog days of summer!  I went out in the backyard earlier this week in the 90+ degree heat of the afternoon and found him lying in the shade.

Not moving.

Scared me something silly!  He was ok..just taking a break from the heat, I guess!!

 

How do you beat the heat?

Favorites!

Here are some of my favorites..what are some of yours?

Jewelry ~ Owl Necklace from Cato's

 

 

Dinner ~ Pioneer Woman's Flank Steak

 

New Solar Lights ~ Walmart

 

Line Dried Clothes ~ My Backyard (saves on the power bill!)

 

Orange ~ My Favorite Color

 

Flavored Water ~ Walmart



Stereotypes

We're all probably guilty of doing this from time to time:

Stereotyping others.

No..I don't mean judging...I mean stereotyping.

Let me explain a little more.....

I'm from West Virginia.  "We" tend to get stereotyped a lot. 

• hillbilly
• dumb/under educated
• poor
• toothless (yes..I said it! half joking!)

And I'm sure I could list a bunch of others, but I just put the ones that came to mind first.  I was thinking about this the other day and the more I thought about it..the more it angered me.  I know..I shouldn't have let it get to me like it did, but I really dislike the thoughts of someone looking at me (or my fellow West Virginians) and feeling pity on us.

    "Oh those poor, poverty-stricken people..all they know how to do is mine coal and make moonshine"

 

 

Grrrrrr!  I want to set the facts straight to some who may not know any better.

 

• Coal miners are NOT poor.  They make a very good living in fact.  The reason they do struggle is when they face layoffs, which can happen a lot in this industry.  A lot of things go into that, lack of demand and politics are the two most dominant ones.  Trust me..you DON'T want to get me started on politics and coal mining!
• West Virginians are not stupid.  Sure, there are always a few in the bunch who makes the headlines and then everyone across the country assumes all people from here are the same way.  That's a dumb conclusion to make.  I don't look at California and think that everyone is like OJ Simpson!
• And about the whole under educated thing, WV is home to Marshall and WVU.  Nuff said.
• Hillbilly..well..I don't know what to make of that really!  Its kinda like this..if your from WV and you call another West Virginian a hillbilly..its ok. But if someone from another state calls a West Virginian a hillbilly its usually looked at as an insult!  I guess media has made the word hillbilly a kind of insult.  Go figure.

 

But you all know what I mean..stereotypes are everywhere.  Here are a few that came to mind...

 

• People from Ohio don't know how to drive on the right side of the road (its a WV joke).
• Those from New Jersey say swear words more than normal words.
• People from 'up north' are rude.
• Those who live in the Midwest must be crazy to live where tornadoes strike.
• If your from Texas you must wear cowboy boots.  Everyday.  And eat steak.
• All Alaskans are eskimos.
• Everyone from California is rich, drives a convertible, and has botox injections on their lunchbreak.

See what I mean?  But of course, none of what I wrote it true.  I've known people from just about every state or region I just mentioned and they aren't that 'way'.

 

Just like West Virginians aren't all dumb, poverty ridden, hillbillies.  ;-)

 



My beauty

Sure, I'm biased..she's mine after all!  But while we were on vaca last week I got some shots of her outdoors that I thought were absolutely stunning.  She makes the pictures, thats for sure!!

 

And lastly, a funny one......

 

!!!!!!



Vacation 13'

As I mentioned in my last post, we had an unexpected vacation this year!  So here I was at the last minute, scouring the internet and making phone calls to find us a place to stay and a rental car to book (with the best price, of course!), washing up clothes, cleaning the house, making lists, and packing everything plus last minute shopping for snacks for the road! 

I was beat by the time we left!

We had a great stay in good old Amish Country in Ohio once again.  It never disappoints.  We've made countless memories there in the past several years and everytime we go I kinda wonder will we grow tired of it.



Never happens.  Probably never will.

Its kind of our home away from home.  Have you ever went someplace and it just felt right?  Like you belonged there?  This is how we feel here.  Its great and we love it.

 

Though we couldn't stay at our favorite place (they were booked), we were able to stay in a cottage which was wonderful!  They had a pond and a big playground area, complete with a wooden Noah's Ark!  It was definately better than staying in a hotel.  Makayla loved running around and playing in the afternoons and the setting was very relaxing.  Just what we needed....

 







in front of the pond...

the living area of our cottage...

taking a walk w/daddy

enjoying the afternoon

pure beauty

our cottage and rental car

big girl going down the slide!

doin it all by herself!

 

Best pictures (from this trip!) of my little girl coming tomorrow!

Patriotic Outfit!

~Linking up here~

 



 

 

Makayla had some rather cute outfits for the 4th this year, if I do say so myself!  We were away on vacation this year (unexpectedly..a post on this later!) for the 4th and had a great time!

 

 

Dress ~ consignment sale..probably around $4 or $5

Necklace ~ Groopdealz..$12

Shoes ~ Payless..$12