Just like the preteen boys they are

Boys Boys Boys.

One day I left my boys in my car with the radio on while I ran into my brothers house, when I came back my boys were laughing hysterically. Every Breath You Take by the Police was playing, and they kept saying, "This guy is so creepy, he's like a stalker! How is this a love song I wouldn't want somebody watching me all the time!" I couldn't help but laugh and I haven't been able to listen to the song the same since.

My oldest is learning the metric system so of coarse he's learning words like uni, bi, etc. One boy in his class asked, "what's a uni-tard I've heard of a uni-tard, what is it?" So naturally Max thought of uni-turd and he says to me, "You know mom uni-turd, you know like one turd." It reminds me of when my brother was about the same age always called mustard-mouseturd.

Today it started hailing and the boys started in with, "What the hail?" and "What the hail it's hailing!" To counteract the swearing by not swearing going on I reminded them of how Sophia used to say "hop to the the princess Aurora!" instead of 'Hail' to the princess Aurora.That started them in on acting like they were the soldiers and village people hopping to the castle and of coarse they were laughing wildly.

This post might be boring to some and maybe I have been surrounded by boys my whole life that my sense of humor is askew; but I think they are so funny. I just love them!

Are you preparing?

The other day I went to my 'additional Relief Society meeting' and we talked about Sharing the fruit of the gospel. One of the places we share the gospel is in our homes, we got this little booklet with a bunch of helpful tips for doing that very thing. I looked through it and thought, -hmmm I should read this, and this, and oh this with my honey...etc- I didn't do it. Yesterday on facebook I noticed  a post on the church page that said something to effect of seeing signs and are you preparing. I past it up and didn't think too much of it. As my day went on the question, "Are you preparing?" kept popping into my head. I started to panic, not because it made me think -oh no Jesus is coming tomorrow, but because I think he's not and the world is going to become a scarier place before he does. The fact that my children and their children will be living in a scarier place than now is what we need to be preparing for. I realized that I am not preparing. I'm not preparing myself or my children! It's not as though we are doing bad things, but we are not doing the things that would bring the spirit into our home so that we feel the difference out in the world. So that when we are faced with temptations, trials, discouragement, and persecution we will be able to 'Stand a little taller.' I NEED to read through that little book full of helpful ideas and quotes from our leaders. I NEED to prepare myself and my family spiritually! So Thank You Traverse Mountain 9th ward Relief Society leaders for the wake up call!

Father and Son

Saving this moment of Sunday, join me. 

I am not a photographer, but I would like to savor the small moments in life. For example these two guys sharing some tech. One day the younger one will be teaching the older a few things.

Curtains

So I lost my decorating mojo for a while and maybe I never really had it, but I have a house to decorate so I was in the mode anyway. Remember this post well I didn't do the family room curtains. I ordered red fabric for my kitchen sliding glass doors and black (for the family room) in the same pattern because they were out of the blue. Dumb move first of all black is not warm and I like warm plus it's too matchy matchy with the pattern in the kitchen. So I sold that fabric and best of luck to her. I had intended on making a valance for my window above my sink in the same red fabric, but I didn't measure well before I cut and therefore messed that plan up. I have to say that I am glad because again too matchy matchy. I found the valances at Target for 10.99 each and I like how simple they are. I'm a simple gal.  So anyway here is how it turned out.

I like it so now I just have to figure out what I want in the family room still! I need a new chandelier I hate this one! I need some artwork decor too other than kid kind; or maybe I could frame the kid kind and it will seem more like 'art'.

 Also on another note this next pic makes me happy!

And Now We Have Grass

This is how we have spent the last couple of months, but mostly Memorial Day weekend.

Here is the beginning of our adventure that is really years in the making because you know 'Rome was not built in a day.' I couldn't find the pics from before we started the process, it was amazing. Our yard was a complete slop into the neighbors yard it was awful. We had a rock wall done (last fall) and the level was brought up quite a bit, but there was still plenty of rocks. And rocks. And more rocks.

This pile is just one of many that our guy scraped and loaded off to somewhere I don't know as long as I don't have to see those rocks again ever!.

Then we had to spread 3 and some places 4 inches of top soil; because really our dirt was still just rocks compacted down. A LOT!

See I even worked and I have the farmer tan to prove it, it's way goofy. I am just glad the sun was shining because the forecast was iffy the whole weekend.

Sod brought down by some good ol' boys from Idaho(Davis Sod).

Their t-shirts said: You Can't Smoke Our Grass!

I thought that was a clever play on words.

The awesome Johnson's came over to help us and were life-savers to be sure! The always sweet and realiable Ivy watched the little ones inside while the rest of us worked outside.

Even Zacy worked.

As soon as Max came home from scout camp I told him to put his stuff away and get out back to help with his cousins Brantley and Teddy.

Whew Grass Yay!!!

And the cement pad turned out great too. Now just if we could get the fence guys to come finish. We are also planning on putting a bball standard up. Nate bought it, now it's just waiting for the time (he's a busy man).

The tramp, that's what the kids were the most excited about. We didn't want to put it up until we were all done having tractors back there moving dirt and rocks around so it's been a long spring!

Next I'll be doing all the pretty extra stuff like shrubs and flowers and trees. We also have land above the rocks, but we're trying to figure out our property line so we'll deal with that later, but for now we at least have a usuable yard.

Some Cummings goings

This crazy kid turned 11!

WOW!

So to celebrate we got him a new pal.

It's (we can't figure out the sex)a bearded dragon, it's small now but it should get quite large. I think the body length will be about as long as my forearm. Max named it Sammy. 

*FYI*

If you think a lizard will be easier than a dog (that was Max's alternative gift request) then you will be mistaken, this thing is very high maintenance. You have to have a weeks supply of crickets kept in a dark place feed them and then feed the lizard about 3 or 4 a day, it orders a salad twice a day and also needs vitamins, a UV light, and a heat lamp. Oh and it will need a new terrainium fairly soon as they grow fast and need running room. With all of that we actually all really like it and it enjoys being held and pet so that makes it fun. Hopefully we will continue to feel this way.

What else is going on is the yard, these are the before pics, just to get an idea of what we have to do. The tramp is in, but not up and the fence post are in, but not finished yet, the concrete is poured halfway, but not in these pics. Hopefully I'll post some finished pics next week.

This is how it's going with us, how's it going with you?

Indecisive Decorator

I just got my fabric swatch and I love it, but now I wish I ordered all of these other colors too because I think I need some sort of color block thing for my drapes to incorporate all the colors. In this pic the lower right hand fabric is the swatch I ordered and it actually matches my pillow perfect it just doesn't look like it in this pic. The yellow fabric seems a little too bright for my pillow and they don't have one to match that I can tell thus far. What to do, what to do?! I need opinions HELP!