Shameless brag

While I was on vacation I had a huge jump in readers.
So of course I look at my trusty Google analytics to see that I received 109 hits from The Pioneer Woman.
I normally don't frequent hugely popular blogs but I just love hers.
I have this little obsession with entering all of her contests because they are freaking fabulous.
So I entered this photo naming contest.
No I didn't win... damn it!
But I did get an honorable mention as one of her favorites.
Wahoo!

Vacation hangover

I've been avoiding blogging.

I've been avoiding the four hundred plus pictures in my camera.

The thought of trying to edit them into a manageable amount to post

on this blog is just too overwhelming to me.

Vacation started with a birthday party for my dad.

His first birthday since my stepmom passed away.

He is working on a memorial garden for her, raised beds made of stone.

Every day gets easier, but there was one very emotional thing that still needed to be done.

Her ashes needed to be spread.

Dad decided that he wanted to do it during his birthday party, most of her family and friends would be there to participate.

My dad found a spice rack, with no spices, just twelve empty glass containers.

He filled them with her ashes and let anyone who wanted to take a container

spread her ashes where they remember her.

As all the containers where handed out, we scattered to separate parts of the property.

I knelt down to Bug and explained what we were doing.

That we were sending grandma's body back to the earth and nature.

As we walked along he would stop and sprinkle little amounts onto the ground.

In the orchard where she planted the trees and picked their fruit.

Near the home that she built with my dad.

Near the pond that she helped Bug throw rocks into and look for frogs.

About the third sprinkle he started to say "Sprite light and back to life" as he spread her ashes.

He repeated it over and over as we walked along to the places that reminded us of her.

Later I asked him why he said what he did.

He told me " Because we were returning grandma back to nature to become the plants and trees, back to life"

I am forever amazed by this child of mine.

Friday Funny

This is my last day before going on vacation. It can't end soon enough!

Cruisin'

I think I've mentioned before that my husband is a bit of a car nut.

Ok, he's an all around nut, but he's more of a car nut than anything else.

Last Saturday we went to the first car cruise of the season.

For those of you that aren't familiar with car cruisin' here is the low down.

For this particular cruise, the town shuts down the main street.

You have to pay and you have to have a car older than 1972.

People line the side walks in lawn chairs and hoot and holler for their favorite car.

Since we have such a car and husband is a nut... we participate.

Here is our 1970 Olds 442, husband has owned it since 1987.

Yes he is old.

Many of our friends and husbands family also participate.

Here is the nut himself.

(I can call him a nut since he is in the shop working on an engine as I type this!)

This is my beautiful friend Jennifer and her baby boy.

We almost lost her last year in a horrible accident.

To see her here is so awesome... I just don't have words.

The kids suckered the dad's into getting them ice cream...

This on top of all the candy that was thrown out. Men.

Everyone had a good time. Nothing broke and we had lots of laughs.

Maybe next year it won't be so cold. I'm ready for Summer!!!

Sweet!

I mentioned to my dad the other day that the meadow foam on the neighboring farm is currently in full bloom.

Just a few days earlier I watched as they unloaded several Bee hives at the top of the hill.

For several years my dad has done some Bee keeping of his own. We profit from his hobby with free raw honey every year.

I asked him if he would like to bring some of his Bee's up for the year. He happened to have two hives that needed to be moved, so he loaded them up and brought them to our house.

Good thing he wears a Bee keepers suite because those honey Bee's were MAD.

I stood back and zoomed in as far as I could.

My dogs wanted to see what was going on and didn't listen when I called them.

Poor Rocket, our dachshund, the Bee's went right for him.

Apparently they attack black, because bears and skunks often break into the hives and they are dark colored. He leaped into my arms and buried his head. Poor little weenie dog.

While putting the hive together my dad realized that he didn't put screens in one section.

This meant the Bee's made a big mess of honey comb with no good way to get the honey out.

Instead of wasting it all, dad scraped it out and put it into a big bowl for us.

For the last week we have enjoyed the sweet treat of honey.

Bug lit up to see a huge bowl of it. For the past week we have spent time chewing on small pieces of honeycomb and spitting out the wax.

Young love

All year I've heard stories about Bugs "girlfriend".

Really?.... already?

I've kind of shined it on.

I'm a mommy in denial.

When the teachers told me that he was telling this girl that

she was beautiful during class.

I laughed it off .
When I heard they were holding hands.

I figured she would have cooties the next week.

When I learned that she cried the week Bug was out sick.

I thought she had a problem.

When they put her next to Bug in the graduation show so she would actually

walk onto the stage.

I thought she must be terribly shy.

Last week when I attended the end of year field trip

she was there with her mom.
Her mom came right up to me and introduced herself.

She told me "I've heard lots and lots about Bug."

I thought her mom was a bit obsessed.

My boy was not in love with this little girl.

Then as the two of them stood in line for the little Ferris wheel,

I heard Bug say to the operator,

"Can two people sit in a car? Because A and I want to sit in that red one together"

Then I watched as he helped her into her seat and put her seat belt on.

I finally had to admit it.... my boy is smitten.

Now who's going to break it to them that they will be in different schools next year?

Hot housing market

Despite the dwindling housing market in the rest of the nation. There is a high demand for housing right outside my office window.

Over the last week I have been watching the flurry of perspective home owners fighting over the most desirable building in the neighborhood.

They've been poking their heads in for a look

Taking in the view from the front porch.

They try out the upscale landing pad.

Occasionally there is more than one family looking at a time.

They are holding nothing back and are quite loud as they try to compete

for this prime location.

They have heated discussions on how much it's really worth.

In the end, their dream of home ownership has been fulfilled.