Bi-Monthly Blogging...

I really never intend to just go away for months at a time and not blog...not read blogs...not publish lost comments...sigh.  It just happens.  Life happens.  And I love living life...it's quite interesting. :)

Remember last summer, when we were on our way to the Keys for vacation, and my precious hubby ended up in the ER and spent the next few months recovering from some pretty nasty burns?  Well, guess what?  We made it this year!!!!  Yay!!!!  We drove straight there, no breakdowns, no fires, no hospital visits.  Just a vacation in the beautiful Florida Keys.... I still look at those scars, which are so faint that I may be the only one who can tell you where the outlines are in exact detail... I am so thankful for my husband's life and health. 

Reasons we like to vacation in the Keys:

Sunsets like this...Wow!

Water like this...

Moments like this...

This...ok, I admit...I get to see this on the river at home, hee hee...

Dinner like this...

Chillin like this...

Times like this...

...and....this?  What?  You don't take your Pet's "alter ego" on vacation???  :)

Do you remember last summer, right around the same time as that terrible accident, my son got on a plane and headed for Afghanistan?  Well, he is back in the U.S., safe and sound.  Maybe a few tiny scratches, no scrapes.  All his fingers/all his toes. :)  He did have some rough times, some frightening moments and some scary stories...but he's home, and I'm a happy Momma.

My Grown Up Baby Boy in a far off land...

Being awarded a combat medal by the Army (he's in the Air Force but was working with Army Infantry)...

Finally, back home. :)  Playing in the surf with Momma...

This brought tears to my eyes...great big, fat happy tears!

Surf can be scary...

I know someone else who was VERY happy to see this boy...

I felt like a very unloved "Dog Mom" while he was home... LOL

It's all fun n' games... until....

...someone get's eaten by a Hippo????? :)

If you've seen that Tim Hawkins video...you know that it is very important for Mom's to feed their kids... "Have you Eaten?"... LOL

The whole "family"...  and Jody too. :)

~ I'm praying for my sweet friends who have sons overseas at this time, please pray for the safe return home of all our troops...and pray for the families of those who have lost thier lives.

~ My garden is in summer "dead" mode...it's HOT and DRY right now...actually we got some MUCH needed rain last night and I'm so thankful.  I pulled p all those scraggly plants that were being beaten down by the summer sun and eaten up by the summer bugs.  Now I'll begin feeding the garden and planning for Fall planting...

~ I've been baking...the lastest cake was a Princess and the Pea themed cake...very fun to make...

Next up will be a more "elegant" Bridal Shower cake...  fun stuff!

~ I'm proud to announce my son will be promoted in Jan/Feb to SSgt.!!!  We are some super proud parents...that's all I can about that!                       Smart Kid.

~  I confess I'm already thinking about Christmas...it just pops into my mind every now and again.  I'm like that.

What about you?  What's been going on this summer?  What's new?  What's old?  :)

Have a beautiful sunshine filled day...but if the sun's too hot, go swimming!!! :)

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 13

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 13 ~ REMINDS YOU OF CHILDHOOD

Meet Zip.  He is my monkey.  He is my friend. :)

He is 35 years old.  If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see the "K" I marked on his shoe...  He's mine...  do you feel the love yet?  :)

When I was a little girl I was incredibly in love with the idea of having a chimpanzee.  I REALLY wanted one BAD.  I imagined dressing him up and he would be like my little brother (I think being the baby of 6 really messed with me, lol). 

Well, even though I was a cute kid and had "baby" status...Mom informed me that I would not be able to have a little chimpanzee to dress and feed and love... oh how sad.  Instead, she told me to pick out a special toy from the JC Penney Catalog. 

So I sat at the dining table and thumbed through the pages and almost fell out of my chair when I saw Zip.  He was PERFECT.  At that time, he wore a yellow t-shirt with the name ZIP in red letters, a little red hat, held a banana in his hand, AND if you squeezed his arm, he would squeek!

Mom ordered this gift just for me, and I waited and waited (it wasn't like it is nowadays, no 2 day delivery...AND we lived in England).  One day I came home from school and my Mom sat me down and sang me a song... I wonder if anyone remembers this song??? 

Then she told me to go and look on my bed.  there was Zip... in all his glory! LOL :)

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Days 8-12

Apparently this is more of a "Challenge" than I thought.  You know what really threw me off?  The sunset photo.  Because of our schedule, I'm usually buttoning down the hatches and getting ready for bed around sunset, lol.  Sooo, since I didn't have one, I just dropped the ball.  But never fear...I'm hear to make up for it, lol.


No sunset though.  You'll have to settle for a "stand-in"...a sunrise taken by my precious hubby! :)

DAY 8 ~ SUNSET (SUNRISE)

My Hubby works beachside in the morning, so he almost always sends me a sunrise photo each day. I love him. :)

DAY 9 ~ FRESH FRUIT

Yum...a handful of fresh blueberries!

DAY 10 ~ ANIMAL

I'm really not sure if she classifies as an "animal"...this is my little girl, Stormie. :)

DAY 11 ~ SILLOUETTE

Is a sillouette the same as a shadow?  Hmm, well, this is it, right or wrong. :)
Hey, how about that alien head????

DAY 12 ~ SUNFLARE

Watering my veggie garden in the morning sunlight.

Have a Beautiful Day!!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 7

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 7 ~ HIGH ANGLE

Hmmm, interesting topic.  I'm quite sure I couldn've been way more creative with this, but I really just knew you wanted to see my dishes...??? :)

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 6

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 6 - BOOKS

These are the books I'm reading through right now...quite a variety of subject matter, that's for sure!

Now go grab a book and curl up in your favorite chair!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 5

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

JUNE 5 - BREAKFAST TODAY

Smoothie: 3/4 C. Almond Milk, 1/4 C. strawberry yogurt, 1 Tbsp. Bluebonnet strawberry protein powder, 1 Tbsp. Diatamceous Earth, 1 banana, 5 Strawberries...whole lotta yum!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 4

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 4 ~ CLOUDS

This is what I view when I'm haning clothes on the line in my backyard... a huge bouganvilla, the magnificent blue of a Florida sky and happy white puffy clouds...

Have a beatiful, sunshine and puffy cloud filled day!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 3

I'm participating in this 30-Day Photo Challenge for the month of June.  Check out the rest of the participants HERE.

Day 3 ~ Hands

30 Day Photo Fun!

I haven't blogged in a while, but when I saw this photo challenge, well, it just looked kinda fun.  So, I'm joining in! :)


Each day in June, there is a specific assignment...pop over here for more info.  Here's the "List"...

Since I'm starting on day 2, I shall "catch up"...shouldn't be too hard..except for the fact that I had to take photo of ME... I do not like to pose for myself. 

JUNE 1 - Self Portrait

I thought about getting all dressed and ready to go somewhere then taking the picture, but threw caution to the wind and just shot myself as I look in the morning... yup.  There I am in all my Morning Glory. :)

JUNE 2 - Your Favorite Shoes

I am not a big "shoe" person.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE shoes, I try them on a LOT, lol.  But it doesn't make sense for me to buy several shoes when I am a simple kind of gal and really, tennies, sandals and garden boots are all I need.  BUT my sister sent me a gift card for TJ Maxx for Mother's Day..SWEET!  I bought these adorable sandals!  Love them.

A wee bit about me...

I am going to be a copy-cat today...my lovely "niece" the Flip-Flop Farmgirl has post a blog called "Somethin' More About Me", I'm gonna join in, just like my friend Lisa did. :)

So, here ya' go...

Age: I am 43.  Yup... you heard right.  43.  It's not at all what I thought it would be when I was 20. :)


Bed size:  KING!  Because we are both little people, and I am a bed-hog.... I admit it.


Chore you hate:  I really enjoy my household chores.  But I DISLIKE with a PASSION...picking up dog poop.  But it has to be done.  Ewwww. 

Dogs: As you can imagine, I have a dog (I do not go around picking up other peoples dogs poop).  She is a boxer, and she is perfect.  More than perfect.  I could never have a dog like her again, I just know it.  She is loved and adored by even the most "un-doggish" type of people.  She is spoiled, and pretty, and loves to cuddle and kiss.... and eat chicken.  And she is adorable...absolutely the cutest dog ever...

Ok, maybe that wasn't the best example of her cuteness... :) ... how about this?

Essential start of your day: Waking up.  That is the perfect way to start my day. :)  Preparing my precious husband for his day of work...making his smoothie, and packing his lunch...making sure he's got all his parts and pieces together...doing my silly unique wave from the front door...then coffee... yum.


Favorite color: Oh Pink...how I love thee!  I love pink...it's so pretty, and happy, and dainty, and springish, and flowery and lovely, and sweet, and kind and full of laughter and cuteness.  Pink. :)


Gold or silver: Silver

Height: 5'5"

Instruments I play (or have played): Voice?
Job Title:  Home Enhancement Specialist. 

I am employed by the King, along with a small, but elite, group of women. 
We are in constant training, as our dangerous and adventurous jobs keep us always on the alert.  From one day to the next, nothing stays the same.  Some in this highly skilled job have trainees living in their home, and this creates a higher level of challenge within the job.  Others have sent their trainees out into the "field" and are now manning the homefront as an assistant to Head of the Household.
That's all I can tell you...otherwise...you might know too much.  It's really something you have to apply for and experience yourself to fully understand.


Kids:  I have one smart, good-lookin', Air Force son.  I love him.  I miss him, but that's part of being a Mom...and I don't like that part.  I like the part where he calls me and says he misses me.  I like the part where he says he misses my cooking.  It makes me feel loved.  I want him to come home...and bring 5 grandkids with him.  But I want him to get married first...just to keep things on the up n' up. :)

Flattering, huh?

Much better...

So cool...and cute. :)

Happy 1st Birthday!  Who's that young chick? Oh!  That's ME!  Wow...I was young once.

Awe..... :)  I think we still have that flag that he's signing... awe....

:)

Oh!  That's my precious little lumpy love...sweet.  Oh, how i miss kissing that face!

All wrapped up in one picture...my big boy.

Live: Florida...land of sunshine...and humidity...and mosquitos.  :)  Sure is pretty here!


Mom's name: Dorothy, Dottie, Dot, Mom, Grams, Gramma, Grama Dot, Dot-Dot... :)
Nickname: The first nickname I had was Butterball...yup.  That's what my Dad called me when I was a baby...said I looked like a Butterball Turkey...nice. :)   Then he started to call me Kathaleenie-bidgabageenie! :)  I love that name. :)  Makes me smile.  Now it's just Kath.  Which is strictly reserved for Dad, and my oldest 4 siblings.... and Jody...but that's another story.
Pet peeve:  When people let you talk about something and then they aren't even listening and you just wish they would have told you they weren't gonna listen so that you wouldn't have wasted your breath.  :)
Quote from a movie:  Hmmm, I always liked the part in Princess Bride where the Farmboy says "As you wish"...which really meant "I love you"...sigh.  Sweet. :) 
Right or left-handed: Right


Siblings:  Plenty.  :)  I have 3 older sisters and 2 older brothers.  My oldest brother is 10 years older than me.  It goes: Guy, Debbie, Becky, Ricky, Tina, Kathy - I get "baby" status. :)


Time you wake up: 5:15...sometimes 5:10.  On "days off" later, depending on when we went to bed.
Underwear: Hmmmm, Yes.  Nun-Yuns.... (that is code for none of your business).
Vegetables you dislike:  Okra.  Ewwww.
What makes you run late: Me.  I am always "ready" at the right time.  THEN, I have to coax the dog to go potty, make sure she has water and something to eat.  Oh!  Did I grab a water bottle?  Gotta have water wherever I go.  Should I grab a snack?  Maybe almonds, I might get lightheaded if I don't eat on time.  Was I supposed to bring anything?  Let me get a sweater in case it's cold.  Oh, let me grab a pony tail holder, just in case it's hot... you know...  That stuff.
X-rays you've had done:  Dental, knee.


Yummy food you make: Yes.  :)  LOL...everything on my cooking blog is yummy.  At least it is to me and those who have lived under the same roof as me while I've been a H.E.S.... so pop over HERE and browse....here are a few...

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
King Ranch Chicken
Taco Rolls
Roasted Garlic Potato Broccoli Soup
Jalapeno Chicken

Zoo animal: LION!  Gorgeous...powerful....incredible.