Friday, May 31, 2013

Pretty Flowers


I've was asked to make a flower arrangement for the head table at a wedding reception.  I've finished it and wanted to post my work of art.



What do you think?


Here To Stay



I'm finally here to stay and hope to gather many readers and friends on this blog.  





Have a great day!

Launching Out


In case you haven't seen the news, xanga is doing a fundraiser and may shut down.  (see news here) I'm using this event to go ahead and relocate.  I've got another blog on blogspot/blogger.  I will spend the next few days backing up my xanga pictures and my xanga blog to a disk.

If you message me privately I'll friend you on facebook.

I'll probably not post on here any longer, just make a few reminders of my new location.  I hope and pray I'll see you there dear friends.  If I don't, I'll miss you!!  XOXO~ Beth

http://www.betheelouwho.blogspot.com/




Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Memorialized Memorial Day


We memorialized Memorial Day together as a family.  We took the 'Toy' out to the desert to do 4X4 ing.  It was warm out in the desert but we still had fun.  My military man took us to a 'Mud Caves'  An interesting phenomenon that happens in the rainy season in the desert.  The rain water makes tunnels or caves in the gully's.  We explored a few.  We had a nice chicken picnic.  And my little man spent half the afternoon showing off 'his sexy' (that's what he calls not wearing a shirt!)



   

  (mica deposits in the mud walls)
 
(poor Banjo looks like he is chasing the Toyota... he's not...really.  We were parked.  For some reason my manly man has a fascination with taking many pictures of his 'Toy.'
  

Our picnic spot in the shade

my date

Sully is driving

This was blooming along with a few cactus.  The bees were buzzing everywhere around them.  We think they are Indigo Bush.



petrified wood remains

 



mud caves














The End!!  Have a great week Dear Friends!


Saturday, May 25, 2013

Hello Saturday!


Hello Saturday! 

Outside my window...  The weather is super, fatastic and wonderful.  The last few days have been sunny in the mid to low 70's.  Cool at night so the sleeping is good.

I am thinking... 
I'm thinking. . .always thinking. . .

the Lord MUST be coming back soon
almost a year has gone by since our move
my children are getting older
I wonder what I will be doing a few years from now?

I am thankful...
"For thou, Lord, hast made glad through thy work, I will triumph in the works of thy hands."
Psalms 92:4

In the kitchen... 
From the kitchen today, we had hamburger, stroganoff gravy with rice and parmesan, garlic zucchini (the zucchini was from our garden!) with a pear salad.
Tomorrow we will be having grilled hamburgers and french fries.
Monday I'd like to take a picnic up to the mountains in the Toyota and drive a trail or two with my guys.

I am wearing... 
I have on tan shorts and an olive green tank top.  I painted my toes today- dusty rose colored.  My hair has been growing really fast since my surgery.  I've been keeping it layered and the bangs short.  I want it to grow long enough so I can pull it back in a clip. 

Tomorrow for church I am going to wear a new outfit from the thrift store.  It's a pretty blue summer dress and some leather sandals.  Total outfit cost $22.  (I had to take the sandals to the shoe man to have the toe box stretched out!)  I'll have to get one of my guys to take a picture of me in the outfit tomorrow.

I am creating... 
Let's see, I've not worked in the yard since last week.  We need to get some compost or chips to spread on the flower beds.  I think if we get the free stuff, it will be many loads, in our truck at least 7 loads!

Today I got a bug to rearrange my room.  I'm thinking about those 90 degree nights we will have in few weeks.  I think we may get a big box fan and pull the feet off of it and stick it in the front window to pull in the cool evening air.  I already have a small fan in the small window and it's been being used, especially last week when we had those two HOT days!

BEFORE


AFTER


I am going...
  Tomorrow is church and Monday is Memorial Day. 

I am praying... 
I am praying for my married children.  Praying for far away family.  Praying for my xanga friends.  Praying for my little church.  Praying for my witness.  Praying fervently for my little friend Anna Renee.

I am reading/watching... 
I am between books at the moment.  Friday was library day and my student and I stocked up. 

We are still watching EMERGENCY!

I have a documentary on Alfred Hitchcock here as well.



I am looking forward to...
Looking forward to a day. . .praying it will be soon, that we will get some duty free days (husbands work ) to go camping in our little camp trailer we haven't used yet.

From the learning rooms... 
Still plugging on.  He is doing a lot of long division review.  He was also working on predicates.  I'm going to administer a CAT test this next week to see where he is.  That will determine whether we stop early or finish the last few weeks of the books.

Around the house... 
My bedroom smells very clean.  It's got Murphy's Oil Soap and Orange Glow mingling together.  The rest of the house is not bad.  The beds have been stripped and washed from the last round of company.  I may need to vacuum a bit this week.

A favorite quote for today...
"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
Abraham Lincoln
 
One of my favorite things... 
my dinner today...it was good comfort food.


A glimpse at my days...





(posing next to Uncle Ben at Legoland)










We thoroughly enjoyed our short visit with Chris, Sharon and baby Anastasia.  We went to Legoland, 4X4 driving and visiting the waterfront and Old Town, San Diego.


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Hello Tuesday!




Sorry for the same old-same old style of blog post, but this is the best thing for me right now.  Busy life.

Outside my window...
Has someone mentioned to the weather man that this is supposed to be spring?  Sunday it was 100 degrees.  Monday it was 102 degrees.  Today it's cooled down to 86 degrees.   And I picked these very hot days to do yard work in the front of the house.  Thankfully the next few days are promising to be much cooler.

I am thinking... 
I am thinking how thankful I am to be feeling so much better after my surgery!  I really am thankful the Lord heard our prayers for my health.  I'm loving my weight loss and am feeling so good. 

Thinking also about finishing the yard work.  When the bushes are trimmed and chipped up, I'd like to order a load of fine mulch for all three of the front flower beds and the area around the garden boxes.




I am thankful... 
Always grateful to the Lord for answered prayer.  Thankful for God's provision for my life.  Thankful for family, friends and a great church.

In the kitchen... 
We've been working out in the yard the last few days.  It has been in the mid eighties inside my house on those hot days.  Today my little man and I went to Soup Plantation for soup and salads.

I think I want to put together some easy freezer meals for those busy days.  Got to get my thinking cap on for some meals that don't heat up the kitchen.  Lots of different salads!

 I'll be putting on some oatmeal overnight in the crock pot.  Yummy breakfast with little work.


Throw 2 sliced apples, peeled and cored apples, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour 2 cups of oatmeal and 4 cups of water on top. Do NOT stir. Cook overnight for 8 – 9 hours on low.

I am wearing... 
I am wearing green shorts and a green flowered tank top with ruffles. 

I am creating... 
Just creating something in the front flower beds.  Pictures, of course!

(my herbs near the front door.)



(Star Jasmine at our front entry.  In the evenings, this smell enters my foyer.  It's a delicious, heavenly smell!)

(my little helper shaped these over growm bushes.  He had a blast!)


(this is the area we've worked the last two days.  Now we need to chip the trimmed bushes)

I am going...
Tomorrow is midweek services at church.  Friday I am going to the airport.  My husband returns after a week of training in Maryland and Our friends Chris, Sharon and baby Anastasia arrive that night as well.  They will be here for a long weekend visit.  We're planning on visiting Legoland, taking a 4X4 ride and visiting a museum and Old Town this weekend.

I am praying... 
Heavy on my heart~  Anna.  She needs all the prayers we can send her way.  Stop by her mothers blog and leave Anna a prayer, scripture verse or words of encouragement.  She is starting procedures to receive a bone marrow transplant, part of her treatment for her Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia.

(sweet Anna on the left being held by her Momma on the right.)

Praying for my granddaughter who is being formed.  She'll be here in September and our lives will be changed in a GREAT way!


I am reading/watching... 
I am between books at the moment.  We've been watching an assortment of movies and television shows on netflix.

Emergency!  (season 2) and  Foyle's War


I am looking forward to... 
I am really looking forward to having all that yard work completed.  The mulch will make weeding a breeze.  I am also looking forward to fresh tomatoes from my garden.  Shouldn't be too much longer to wait.

From the learning rooms... 
My student remains faithful to completing his assigned work.  He's been pretty good about long sessions of piano practice too.

Around the house... 
We are at a lull between company.  I need to vacuum all the dust bunnies before the next round of company comes.  All else looks pretty good.

A favorite quote for today... 

“I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.”
Mother Teresa

One of my favorite things...

Buttered popcorn and Cheese popcorn~ yum!

A peek into my days...




Enjoying bluegrass festival in Ramona, California.  The boys in the band are home schoolers.  I thought they were the best out of all!

The gal below caught my eye as soon as she arrived to do her show.  She looks like a character!!




At a Vietnam Reunion with our house guests the Hoffman's.  We ran into a friend of a friend and knew who he was by his name!  Hello- meet Ben.  Brother-in-law of my sweet friend Jess @jessandboyz!



(that's our houseguest with the vest, in the middle)

a boy dreaming of big boy toys. . .


My Mother's Day at the beach with my favorite girls.  Hot dogs, beans marshmallows.  What a great life!!


Tonya and Katherine

naps at the beach

Marshmallows!


~~Have a great week dear friends!~~