June is Tomorrow!

June is exciting for many reasons---#1 being that IT'S FLIPPING SUMMERTIME ALREADY!!!  We have had the coldest, most rain-filled spring (not to mention all the sadness with the flooding & tornadoes all about us).  For me, June marks the official end of bitter cold and when the sweat drips off of my face and I feel like I'm dying from heat stroke {eww}, I've got a big grin on my face----because I'm not cold!!!!  {scream!}

Another happy June thing---it's BIRTHDAY WEEK at my house!  Myself and my two boys have birthdays within days of each other - one on the 4th, 6th, and 8th.  {wahoo!}  Talk about going into a sugar coma.  Then school gets out, then we have more company coming because my Love Nugget is graduating his Residency program, and we're going up north for a couple of days.  Bring it on.

AND....{drumroll.....} Our 30-day Photo Fun Challenge starts tomorrow!!!  We've already got a bunch of people joining in the fun, so don't make sure to join us, too.  Seriously---don't have fear.  Only fun.

'kay - back to work.  My psycho baby girl has figured out  how to slide a chair up to the refrigerator water dispenser/ice-shooter-outer.  WHAT THE?!  That's going to be fun.

Photo Fun in June-come join the party!

Okay - all of my good ideas really come from Kadie - and this is another one.  {you rock, Kadie} We've all seen those photo challenges popping up all over the place, so we {being madly in love with our cameras} wanted to have our own kind of fun, too.   AND WE WANT THIS TO BE A PARTY!!!  SO...here's the deal:

COME JOIN US!!!  You DON'T have to take amazing photos, you don't have to be a photographer, and you don't need a high-end camera.  Use your crap phone, smart phone, point & shoot, SLR, whatever you have - this is not a competition - just an 'art' thing.  It's your own personal interpretation of the subject matter.

Get creative!  Your self portrait could consist of you wearing a spandex leotard and a feather boa - who cares?!  {well...maye I would care...spandex is just gross...} But you get the point, right?!  

AND...these photos have to be taken ON THE DAY SPECIFIED - or one day before and posted on the day specified.  No old photos are allowed.  No cheaties.  So since the challenge starts June 1st, you can take your self portrait on May 30th, edit it that night, and post it on June 1st.  Make sense? Otherwise, take pictures & post them on the specific day.

Come join our Flickr Group!!!  Just make sure to add your "subject" description and/or date so we know what you're posting.  Now go gather up all of your friends to join us for the party.  {Kadie and I don't want to be 'those girls' sitting at the party and nobody shows up.  How nerdy. And hurtful.}

You should be able to print this and hang in somewhere so you can remember what we're doing.  Let me know if you have troubles.

Mason Jar Branch Vases

Why do you want some of these vases?

This is why.  

{photos by my girl, Amber Halversen. She's amazing.  And my babies are cute, too! {gasp!}}

 And this, too.

This, too.

Remember when I posted these a while back when we did Kristine's baby shower?!  I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of how Kadie and I made ours.  Kadie saw the idea on Pinterest {love this place!} and we made our own versions of what we saw.  If you're having a gathering of any kind, these couldn't possibly be easier to make - and they sure do make a huge impact!

Here's how we did ours:

Go out and find--

*Big sticks

*Mason Jars

*Zip Ties - got mine at Home Depot

*Raffia or Twine

Zip the jars onto the sticks nice & tight.  I used some needle nose pliers to help me - but be careful! 

Tie 'em up with raffia, twine, or that thick, satiny ribbon would be pretty, too.

And that's it.  Fill 'em with flowers or whatever makes you feel joyful.

**BE CAREFUL when you stick them into the ground.  You can snap a stick.  Moistening the ground before you stick them in can help - otherwise make sure you dig a small, deep hole for each one and secure them by packing the dirt around the bases really tight.

That's it...I'm moving to Kentucky

First - I am so sorry for the Joplin, MO tornado victms.  The news coverage of the damage is horrific - I just feel so bad.

While all of the storms were hitting certain places, my husband and I were vising beautiful Kentucky so that he could take his Radiology board exams in Louisville.  For the past 6 months, our lives have revolved around nothing but Boards.  To say that it has been excruciating for our entire family for the past few weeks would be an understatement - but it's over now and we'll see if he passed on Saturday.  The stress isn't over yet, but most of it is gone so that's nice.

After his exam, we hopped in the car and drove - and drove and drove through the most breathtaking scenery we have ever seen.  WOW!!!  Fence-lined horse property as far as the eye can see.  I don't have enough words - and I didn't get to stop and take that many pictures - but the ones I did get will always remind me that I want to sell everything I have and buy a horse ranch in Kentucky!!!

These gorgeous Thoroughbreds were out in the pasture at our B&B that we stayed at.

The B&B we visited.  Gorgeous home - gorgeous landscape - horrible breakfast.  Oh, well.

Leaving the B&B down the driveway - seriously didn't want to go!

 Tree-lined back roads

Sunset on the farm.  {ahhhhh...}

One of many horse stables. {sunset again} Everything from the buildings to the grass is beautiful on these ranches.

...now we're back to reality and I can't decide whether to shower, clean the house, or put clothes on the baby.  ....hmmm... 

Get Some Kleenex Ready...

This story has reached the deepest parts of me today.  I don't even know these sweet people, but there I was, reading along, sobbing my eyes out.  This one his way too close to home for me - and maybe it's good to be reminded every now and then how temporary life is.  I'm grateful today for my knowledge of life after death and the principle of eternal families.

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