Around Here

We have had another exciting week in the garden! Josie spotted the first red pepper! Which apparently are the same as green peppers. If you leave it on the plant it turns sweeter and red!

We also have tiny cucumbers and zuccini.

Everyday I am amazed by the garden. I know it may sound silly, but I think it is beautiful!

I am learning so much. Like how every flower bud falls off and the vegetable grows right in it's place.

I am in awe of the whole process. I love being reminded of God's majesty right in my own backyard.

We are also 99% done with the pool!

Last week they came and poured the stairs and the patio.

The patio is a lot bigger then I thought it was going to be. I can't wait to start eating out here!

Since then they have finished laying the stone. All we need now is the rain to clear up so Mr. Terry can spray the protective sealer and we can fill it up! The patio kitchen will be done by July, but we'll be just fine swimming without that!

When Everyone Else Backs Out...

Last month I got all excited for the pool to be done and decided to plan a Girl's Night on the patio.

Turns out I was a little over optimistic and the pool wasn't done in time. Not that it would have mattered since 97% of the ladies backed out at the last minute.

But poor Amy had just ended a rough birthday week so we decided some girl time was still needed.

We dubbed it Amy's Birthday Celebration and let her pick the food and the movie.

She picked 5 things that are not on any of our "3 Weeks Til Vacation Diets." Buffalo Chicken Dip, Pizza, Strawberry Cheesecake Truffle, Pina Coladas, and Wine.

As gross as that sounds, it all went together wonderfully!

We ate and talked and staged things that were way funnier at the time then they are now looking back on the pictures!

Like Olivia putting Amber to bed.

We need serious help.

After we stuffed ourselves we watched a movie while I rubbed Cortizone Cream on my Poison Ivy.

See what happens when the rest of you back out?!?

In order to make this post somewhat worth the time it took to write, here is the recipe for our Strawberry Cheesecake Truffle.

3 Cups Strawberries

Pound Cake

2 8 oz Pkgs Cream Cheese

Sugar

34 oz Pkg Vanilla Pudding

cold milk

Whip Cream

Cut up your strawberries and toss with a couple tbsp sugar. Set aside. Beat cream cheese and add in 1 1/2 cups cold milk and pudding mix. Blend in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip. Spoon 1/2 into a truffle bowl. Top with 1 inch squares of cake, a layer of strawberries, the rest of the cream cheese mix, and the remaining Cool Whip. Stick it in the fridge for a few hours and ENJOY!

Puddle Jumpers

Because, honestly, what good is it to live in the country if you can't invite some friends over for a little fun in the mud?

Josie may be a Country Girl, but she's still a little too prissy to play in the mud!

Margaritas and Sangria

Tiffany hosted a Thirty One party last weekend. Thirty One is a company that does home parties and sells monogrammed bags and organizational items. I'm a sucker for anything monogrammed and if you throw in a margarita I'm in serious trouble!

They had a contest for who could bring the best decorated margarita or sangria glass.

I had grand plans for mine, but between a day with Tiffany and Josie's dress rehersal, I totally ran out of time.

Then Amy blew my glass out of the water and I decided I didn't stand a chance anyways.

I love girl time.

Which I guess is pretty obvious since I spend at least one or two nights a week doing stuff with them! I'm so lucky that Andrew is so supportive of me getting breaks.

Thirty One sells great products!

I fell in love with about 10 things, but was good and only bought one. I am going to host a party in the next couple weeks and I'm sure I'll go overboard then!

The party was a blast! Thanks for a great time Tiff!

Who Threw Away This Toilet Paper Roll???

Last week we held another Craft Night.

No jugs of wine allowed this time!

I had about a million projects that I wanted to start, but after a day of laying in the sun, I was wiped out.

So I stuck to the easiest one to throw in a bag and we headed over to Ambers.

Look Amy! There's Amber in your most favorite tank top!

I found this project a few months ago and everyone laughed at me.

Well, who's laughing now girls! It's turning out pretty amazing!

I still have to add a few rows and spray paint it. Then it's going over my fire place.

I love that a main part of my living room decoration is going to be made of toilet paper rolls! That is just so us!

The other girls worked on a few things, but we mostly just talked and laughed and avoided the disgusting dessert I made.

Can't win em all.

And this little Scooter?

She turned 16 on Monday.

She's really 25, but since she's the baby of the group and wears onsies we get to pick on her.

Love you Amy Lou Who. Even if you make the rest of us feel old.

We sowed

And now we reap.

We picked our very first veggies from the garden last night.

Pole beans that seem to have grown overnight since they weren't there yesterday.

Josie ate up 3 before we even made it inside.

It is very exciting for us.

And I love that it brings such an important Biblical lesson to life.

You reap what you sow.

Andrew and I try hard to live by this rule. We've seen it manifest in every way in our life. Both good and bad. And since it was our topic at Bible Study Sunday night, I thought it fitting to share.

The Law Of The Harvest.

You reap what you sow. You reap after you sow. And you reap more then you sow.

A bean seed produces a bean. Seeds of kindness, obedience, boldness, and truth produce more of the same. You can't plant hate, debt, and gossip and expect to reap anything but more of the same.

You can't expect your harvest if you haven't put any seed in the ground. You sow and then you reap. So many people get that backwards. Blame God for not providing when they have not taken that first basic step.

And you reap more then you sow. Inside each of our beans is the potental for more. Most people see an acorn and think it has the ability to become an oak tree. When in reality, that one acorn holds an entire forest inside of it. That acorn becomes an oak tree that produces hundreds of acorns that continue the cycle.

Sowing that first seed can be difficult, but when you think of the potential that follows, it is really a tiny sacrfice.

I love seeing God's principles in the natural World. He is truly amazing.

A Ray Of Sunshine

Last week was a rough one.

But this week is already a thousand times better.

Not only do I think I may have slightly overreacted to the condition of my car (it's fixable) but Mr. Terry has gone into warp speed on the pool!

And it is way nicer then I expected it to be.

Someday I will learn to never underestimate Mr. Terry.

It may have taken him a year, but I'm already forgiving him for that.

We should be swimming by Monday.

They came and poured the patio yesterday.

And if you thought Amy, Amber, and I hung out a lot before, just wait until the pool opens up! I'm thinking about putting twin beds in the guest room so they can just spend the entire Summer here.

Oh, who am I kidding? They'd share a bed.

And this here is my spot.

Full view of the yard so I can hollar at the kids without ever getting up!

In other related news, our daily garden check gave us some new excitement.

Our very first veggies from seeds are making their debut!

Teeny Tiny Yellow Squash!!!

I can't wait to pick them!

Josie's 1st Recital

Josie had her first ballet/tap recital on Saturday and she rocked it out!

Before I get any comments on it, yes I let her wear makeup. I wasn't going to but after seeing how dolled up all the other girls were at dress rehersal, I decided that a little would be fun for her.

We seriously have the greatest friends! Quite a few showed up to support our little ballerina. And since I got there over an hour early, we all got second row seats!

I was so nervous, I thought I was going to be sick!

And then she came prancing out, without a bit of stage fright, and all was well!

There is seriously nothing cuter then a group of 3 year old ballerinas!

There were some show boats in the group that were unbelievably funny.

Josie did her ballet and her tap dance beautifully and I was so very proud of her!

And then afterwards, she was pretty excited about all the people that came to see her.

We went back that night to watch the big girls recital. Josie was entranced and danced right along with them during the Jazz Dance part.

After seeing how well she did, we can't wait to sign her up for next year!