Photos of our week.

April: June:
These sad little plants are withering away in their pots. All 12 tomatoes and 6 peppers. The basil and dill have long since been replaced. I take them on field trips outside on sunny days, otherwise they are wards of my windowsill. We have had record rain this summer, and the garden is still soaked. Sigh.We've tilled 4 times hoping to dry it out. I hate to stuff my tomatoes in planter boxes because they grow like freaking trees in the dirt! Honest. Last year they were up to my shoulders and I still have tomatoes in the freezer. There is no vegetable better than a warm tomato fresh from the garden. Seeing them like this makes my stomach hurt. Whine, whine.

Moving on, here are some photos from our quite mundane and splendid week. Addie's first pigtails. I've never cut her hair. She is just busy growing brains instead of locks.

Precious friends came over to picnic, treasure hunt, make trails, and entertain my sweet girl.
This is the, "Can we be done with pictures?" look. I love all her faces. Not just the perfect smiles. And the freckles! Be still my heart.
Grandma had a birthday last weekend. We were getting ready, and she hobbled over in this get-up. She said, "Momma, do I look fancy?". She sure did!
I guess all my photos of have the same little subject in them. Maybe I'll try taking my camera off the property like other bloggers. It never occurs to me that she's not captivating to everyone in the world. But I'm new here, so I suppose there's a learning curve.

Wait-one more! Because I geek out on this stuff. And I'm here to be myself, so here's something that made me proud this week. Something I've been thinking about and was chicken until now. Thrown over the fence by BP's attack on the earth.


Wish me luck!

I never win anything!

I really don't. I am totally that person. But when entering P Dub's drawing for the Kitchen Aid, it's kind of a downer to be entry #34,869, is it not?

Lucky for me I happened to see a fun giveaway from a blogger I love to peek in on. Karla from Classy and Fabulous! was giving away some lovely address labels from Pear Tree! I threw caution to the wind and put my name in the hat! Wohoo-I win! I win!

I am neither classy nor fabulous, but sometimes I try. Karla is an author and expert on being your best regardless of social class or financial situation. Sometimes manners and grace seem to be a lost art. I am one of the only people I know who send a written thank you note for gifts. And if I am too slow, my dear mother will call and let me know that she has not received hers yet. Thank you for that gentle reminder, Mom. I have more learning to do. Anyhow, now I get to pick out my very own big kid address labels! Labels that didn't come free with membership from the Hunter's Association! Elk silhouettes are sorta not my style. The varieties at Pear Tree are in the gazillions and I can't decide!

I really like these for spring.
Perhaps this one? Although it's hard to be objective-I can't see much beyond her white teeth. Thank you so very much, Karla, for making my day with this generous treat!

Farm Party

My daughter's 3rd birthday party was way fun to put together! We're semi-rural out here, so the "farm" theme just hopped into my lap
My mom and I made animal cupcakes and a barn sheet cake from this Betty Crocker tutorial. Aren't they sweet??! I put together little centerpieces with candy in red and yellow themed colors. I found all of it at the Dollar Store. Score!

These glass drink dispensers were a steal at World Market. I think I paid $30 for the pair. I lust for this one from PB, but just can't resist a good deal. (Especially when we still need to purchase counter tops-notice the classy pressboard?). I added tons of ribbon to adorn everything and added paper hang tags for labels.

My sweet husband spent the morning chasing balloons and fetching fresh flowers.

Lacey the pony was a complete hit with the kids. We enjoyed half an hour riding Lacey in the yard before the downpour hit. Everyone retreated indoors and I'm so glad my husband had the foresight to clean out the garage! It was a bummer, but I honestly believe those children didn't even know it was raining outside. They were so happy to play together and feed Lacey apples that it didn't matter where they were.
The kids also played on the swing set, fed the resident cow, threw grain for our flock of hens. To my relief everyone came dressed for outside fun, so it was no matter that things got a little...damp. It's just how we roll out here. We also grilled and had excessive amounts of yummy food to fill tummies up.
I crafted a little barn out of cabinet boxes for an emergency indoor activity. It just took a bottle of tempera paint, a roll of white duct tape, and a utility knife. The kids thought it was cool, and Addie is going to love it to bits and pieces-literally-all summer long. Talk about recycling! Below she was just taking a moment to herself-30 guests can be a overwhelming for a little girl. I can relate! I wanted to make this party really special to show how much we love our little girl. We don't often indulge her with things because I'm terrified of her becoming a brat, so this was one occasion to go all out and make it memorable. My family pitched in so much, which makes it even more special. They are so generous with their love and time. It was a gift for both of us. Addie loved her party, and our littler guests said it was the "funnest ever". I'd call that a success.