A flowery post

When I was growing up, I would daydream about having a place of my own someday, and spending all sorts of time tending to a big, beautiful flower garden. While I don't actually have a flower garden, I do have all sorts of flowers around - in the landscaping, potted flowers, a flower bed, etc. I think a big flower garden will have to wait until I'm "retired" and have more time on my hands. For now, all this along with the vegetable garden is plenty! Our first summer in our home we spent tearing up the very overgrown landscaping and completely started over. Monte got his dad's loader and tore out trees, shrubs, etc. It was a lot of work, but work we both really enjoy. The following are a few of my favorites around the house. Pictured above is a bouquet of roses from my rose bushes.

Another Freebie

The same nice lady who we got the piano from, and who we don't even know, called us up to ask if we wanted a swing set! We couldn't pass it up since she wanted to give it to us for free! We have been using our neighbors swing set, that's in the empty lot between our two houses, but that was really only a place to hang Isabella's swing, since all it had on it was two swings. They have been so nice to let us use theirs, it worked out perfect while Isabella was too little to do anything other than swing. Now that she is older, she can do more things, and this came along at the perfect time! She absolutely loves it, I think she's going to wear a hole in the slide, she's on it so much.

I decided to paint it, since it was pretty faded. The picture above is after, the picture below is before.

Princess Isabella

Isabella is starting to get in to princess things just a little. Here she is dressed as a princess after her bath, and how fitting since her patron saint is Queen Isabella, whose feast day is coming up on July 4th.

So many things to look forward to!

This has GOT to be the best summer on record for us. Most importantly because Monte feels awesome, we are taking advantage of his good health by going places and doing things we never would have been able to do before! Seriously, he has not felt this good since we got married 6 and a half years ago! There are so many seasons in life, I feel like we started our marriage off in the "for worse" part of the "for better or for worse" because of his health problems - he, not able to work for 2 years because his health was so bad, he was in and out of the hospital, he didn't have insurance, me being worried sick about him, medical bills, what the future would bring, possibly not being able to have kids, etc. If I had had a blog back then, let me tell ya, it would have been one sad story. And now he feels great, he has a job that he loves, and that allows him to be home a lot, and we have our little miracle! How amazing and good God is! For sure we are in the "for better" part now!

I am looking forward to this week so much. My mom is coming out for a visit tomorrow through Friday. She, Isabella, and I are headed to the mall tomorrow. Then, my favorite part - city wide garage sales Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!!! Man, do I love garage sales! Our town is having all sorts of activities this weekend, kids games, a parade, pro rodeos, and did I mention garage sales! Oh and one more thing I'm super excited about that will be showing up at our house tomorrow evening, but that's a whole other blog post. Tonight I'm busy baking for our church bake sale, so I better get back at it.

Recent Isabella Quotes

"Hmm, my eyes are getting all tangled up!"





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She and I go for a walk everyday, we almost always stop in to church on our walks. The other day as I kneeled down in front of the tabernacle she looked up at it and said, "Oh hi Jesus, how are you today? *pause* Oh, you're good, that's good, I'm good too. I love you, bye."

Father's Day Weekend Extravaganza

My "brave" girl in the sprinkler. She didn't want the water any higher than this, and proclaimed "Oh no, I'm getting wet!" Yes dear, that's what's supposed to happen.

I didn't put nearly as much thought into Monte's gift this year as I did last year, but I continued the tradition of Isabella giving him a book he can read to her. This year it's "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Seuss. We also gave him a 1000 piece puzzle and another book for his own reading pleasure. I made him an ice cream cake, which he can't get enough of now that he can have dairy, and tonight I'm making his favorite meal, Sweet and Sour Chicken. Yesterday we went out to the lake that's only a mile from our house and did some fishing. We had a fun morning at the lake, and also had a picninc there before heading home for Isabella's nap. Then the rest of the day was spent outside enjoying the backyard. Monte even set up our tent for Isabella to play in for awhile. We got it shortly after we were married, and have used it once. I got way too much sun, though, even with sunscreen on, and was feeling the effects last night. Today we were planning on going to an air show, but it's been pouring rain all day, so it's a relaxing day at home instead.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband (and my awesome dad, but he doesn't read this)! Your little girl could not be more head over heals for you! You're the first person she wants to see every morning, and is less than thrilled if I'm the one to get her out of bed. You are so hands on with her, from giving her baths, to taking her potty a thousand times a day when we were in the not fun potty training stage. She has to sleep with a picture of you if you are ever gone for work, and you are her favorite playmate.

Here she is "working" just like Daddy.