Ode to my garden...ha!

Ode to my garden!
It was so green!
The plants we're thriving,
now they're obscene!

Ode to my garden!
Oh how it grew!
Tomatoes and pole beans!
Now' they're all blue!

Ode to my garden!
I hesitated to leave..
Now the wet cold weather
Has even killed the weeds!

Yes, It's all dead....well not all, my lettuce, onions and radishes are thriving!  I always plant after memorial day. This year the outlook was great, so I planted 2 weeks early.  Ha!  Won't do that again!  The Lord is chuckling at me saying:  "Thought you knew better eh!"  Well, we'll replant in a week, after memorial day...we'll see how it goes!  As soon as I get my pictures back I'll post on Trisha's wedding!

ER

Pictures of Jamies wedding, and more info on Jodi's graduation...etc....

Look how beautiful she is!!!  I've always been so jealous!

This is funny!  We'd been teasing her all weekend about how when she was little she would grill us before we went anywhere to find out if there was a volcano near bye!  She was always afraid of volcanoes!  And here, in her bridal room was a picture of an exploding volcano!

She is so beautiful!

Here are all the sisters!

Beautiful Jamie!

Here's the wedding party and grandparents!

Look at this cool house!  Jamie and Alans house used to be a church in the 1800's.  It's so cool!

Jamie and Jodi, we don't alike at all!

Okay, Jodi's graduation...It was fabulous!  They announced her as "A bachelors in social work, All American Track and Field, (and could go on, All American weight lifting champion, etc. etc.  etc.  )  Jodi Symonds!"  Yeah!  We were all so excited for her!  She's coming to live with me!  Ha!  I get to make everyone jealous!  We're so excited!  More updates on Trisha's wedding TBA. 

Love ya

ER

Yeah Jodi!!!!

Here's some pictures of our trip so far!  I'll write more later!  First Stop, Humboldt University in Northern California to see Jodi Graduate!!

Yeah Jodi!!! 

The kids were so proud of her too!!

We drove through this tree!

Shawn Loved this Sealion sculpture!  We had a hard time getting him off it!

This is one of the Giant Redwood's we saw!

This was everyone, minus Lisa who is taking the picture!

Yeah Jodi!!!  I'm so proud of you!!! 

I LOVE May!

Yes, I love may!  The flowers bloom, the trees leaf, and we get dirty!  Here's some pic's of us gardening.  I can't say us, as I am not in any of them, but that is, alas, because someone has to take the pictures for posterity!

This is before....not much different then after except more mulch and some more flowers.

this is the man of the hour! 8 hours of hard labor, I love the dirty man!

Here's Haley swinging, she had to have this picture she said.

This is her helping with the much!  (hehehe)

Here's the cutest little guy ever!  Helping out with the gardening!

Dirty Little Man!

Marky the much boy!

Here's how our garden grows...Onions!

Lettuce sprouts!  Look at that pesky weed in the bottom right corner!  

And there's lots more, but I didn't get pictures of it!  Ha!  I'll send you some more later!  I've got to clean this place up for our trip!  

Love

ER

Today is the day...

Happy Mothers Day!  Yes, I know these are random pictures.

Do you ever sit down on this day and look at your life, wondering what you could have done better, what could have gone wrong, or has gone wrong, and what you can change for the future?  Who is the little girl with the attitude in the kitchen?

Congrats!  You're a woman!  Don't be hard on yourself though.  The dishes may not always be done when they're supposed to.  Your children may go to the store with peanut butter on one cheek.  You may leave the house in a tizzy to go to the doctors office, only to realize your not wearing makeup.  Mothers are required to keep everything running and I believe we deserve an MBA for this.  If you can run a house a corporation is a snap!  There is a point to my ramblings though.  And here it is.

Slow down

I can't tell you how many times my husband has said that.  And it's good advice.  Make sure that as you drive to dance, drive to school, drive to the store, make everything perfect for dinner, perfect for school projects, perfect for proms, and dances, and dates you don't put yourself off.  Perfect is a state of mind really.  While we strive for perfection we most often neglect ourselves.  While your busy making everything perfect remember to give yourself time to breath, take a step back, and understand that it's OK.  Okay if it all doesn't go as planned, okay if your child doesn't compete in all sports.  Okay if you can't get it all done.  

The memory you leave your children can be one of a worn out woman who falls asleep during dinner. Or a mother who is there to nurture, talk, and make life slow down when her children are out of control. Who helps calm the situation and teaches her children that it's okay to slow down and enjoy life.  To think outside the box.....haha....

My mother is amazing.  Through out the chaos that we created as children.  And boy, we could create some chaos!  She survived.  She took care of us, and herself.  I have my testimony to prove it.  She has always taught me to take care of myself.  I love her for that.  So now while I'm franticly trying to make everything perfect.  I can calm down and remember the advice she gave me when I was a new mother.  "If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else."  Perfect.

Love you mom,

ER

sweet...

There's something gratifying about a scene in which a child holds a doll and rocks her.  It gives a mother a sense of awe and satisfaction, knowing she's taught them well.  That was this morning.  Shawn holding a doll and rocking her in his arms. Humming, and making cute little noises.  The "doll" was a glow worm and sang music to him.  Sweet.   Then someone rattled the stove top and he threw the doll over the side of the couch on her head and dashed into the kitchen.  ummm......what does that say to a mother?

Have a great day!

ER