Quiet Equals Boring

My girls have been gone for three days now, and this is going to be a long five weeks!  It's not that I don't enjoy the break; I do, but I like noise and they make lots of it! 

They're enjoying themselves though, although they both claim to be bored at the moment! They're so used to being on the go here, that even with everything available to them there they don't "go" as much.  This morning, they both helped my dad with the horses and the little one got a kick out of how big the horses were compared to her!

My husband went fishing this weekend because my sister, who just moved to town, was supposed to stay over, but she ended up not needing to come over.  He'd already made plans and so I was looking forward to a nice quiet weekend by myself...you think I'd know myself better than that by now!  I have enjoyed having full control of the thermostat, menu and remote control, but it's so darn quiet!  My neighbor friend (our husbands are off fishing together) and I spent the day returning things that didn't work out from last weekend's shopping adventure and discussing our plants.  I decided that the Chocolate Mint that I have hanging by my front door is not going to survive the heat/sun combo if they're wilting daily this early in the summer, so I've decided to make succulent hanging baskets.  We stopped by a nursery and I got the plants for the center of each basket and some other little clumping/spreading thing that I thought I had to have!  No pictures yet, but hopefully by the end of the long weekend coming up, I'll have two new creations hanging in my door way.  Looking forward to putting them togehter!  I also made a delicious cheesecake like dessert called Sopapilla Cheesecake and took some over to my friend. 

Had some more blooms on Friday as well...

This is one of my mother's that I'm "succulent sitting".

And one of my Echeveria's blooming...love it! The only thing that bugs me is that they don't open up big and showey...they tease you!

I suppose I should call it a night...haven't even read yet today and I have no one here keeping me from it...crazy!

Mandy

Happy Father's Day

Today marked my husband's 13th Father's Day and my daddy's 34th!  

This year, I slacked a bit and was the last one of my parent's four daughter's to call...I won't tell anyone, but I was just giving the others a chance to beat me at least once in their lifetime!!  I have an incredible daddy, and I thank God frequently that He chose this man and my mother to be my parents.  Growing up, he taught me many important things...how to make a number of great animal calls (monkey calls being the best), how to drive cautiously, yet at the same time quite agressive (I learned to back up in the front portion of a cemetary andy my mother hated it when he'd let me drive us all to church). Also on driving, when he says floor it...he means step on it! On the day pictured below, he accused me of going soft when I didn't get up in speed fast enough (he topped closed to 100 mph that day) on our "country tour".  I learned a love of plants and the joy of watching your hard work bloom and grow.  Most importantly, my daddy lived out, and still does, the example of how my Heavenly Father loves us...unconditionally, without any strings and just as you are! That didn't mean that he never disciplined us, but we always knew that regardless of what we did or didn't do, he loved us no less.  I've always been proud to be his Daughter #1...birth order, of course!  

My husband did what he loves to do in the summer, fish at the coast.  He was in a bay tournament with friends yesterday, and then this morning went out with his hobby buddy.  They didn't catch a thing, very few did this weekend, but he did have a great time relaxing in the heat on the water!  The girl's sent him their text messages this morning and had his cards ready when we got home.  Steaks and baked pototes were my gift...if you knew the way they used to come out and the way they'd do now, you'd understand why a non-charred steak is a great treat around here!  Now, he's trying to convice the oldest to get him some ice cream!!

Isn't he handsome!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day!

Mandy