Anniversaries, cakes and boys

Two years ago I began a journey...with one small step...and one click of a mouse, I became a published author.....

338 posts later I am still enjoying my blog...and I hope you are too...I was trying to think of some wise sayings for today's anniversary but with this time change and all...well, I might be sitting here for about a week until my sleep deprivation gets caught up..with reality.....so, I will share a little bit of my life with you.....

My grandsons just spent a few days with us..along with their Mama...but Mama needed some rest because she is growing our eagerly awaited number FOUR grandbaby.....I thought it would be a good idea if we made a cake..and guess what!!  Will and Mac thought it was a grand idea too...so that is what we did...

patiently waiting

closer is better

It is hard to remember to take a lot of pictures when there are little boy helpers...but we got a few....and lots of help..they really were excellent in the kitchen and enjoyed every minute of it.....so did I...

our strawberry cake

Mac loves, loves aw---ba-- rees..so this was right up his alley...

yum yum

and then we ATE cake......the whole thing in less than 24 hours...  but that is what grandmothers are for, right?

next time we probably need to focus on locally grown garden food..but for this visit..oh, well.....

Then we had to dig in the dirt......

making a landscape

Mac's river

I love Marshall's expression

Will loves to talk

I think I enjoyed digging and playing in the dirt as much as they did..Will even helped me to remove a LOT of the rocks from this area...we have a LOT of rocks in the dirt....

Well, this is what I chose to be my anniversary issue.  two of the things I love most and enjoy writing about...my grandsons and my garden..with a little bit of cake thrown in for good measure..so you will know it is a party.

If there is something you want to do with your life, just START!!!  if you never start, you will never do it...it only takes one small step...that is what I did...and now it has been 2 years and it is part of my life..part of what I do..and I love doing it..

I appreciate each and every one of you..I would love to get a comment or two from you..they are always great encouragement....and then I can visit your blog too...

Thank you for reading along today and I hope to see you again soon...

Happy Anniversary to my blog......

making the most of our time

We certainly have been cramming a very lot of living into the last few days..I realized if I don't get some of these pictures in my blog, they will be gone..season past and I will be on to the next season..so I am gathering up and editing (aren't you glad I left some of the pictures out?) and sharing a hodgepodge of the last few days....I started out last week in Atlanta with my daughter and her family..and the week just got busier..here are a few shots from my life...

Betsy couldn't wait to take me to this store..she thought I would love it and she was right....I only share a few of the pictures I took while inside..it was truly imaginative and creative..

look at that bed!!!!

everything is touchy, feely

this store was truly one of my favorites...such creativity.....

haha  this is what NORMAL is....

until you see this picture.....

and this one!!

my wonderful daughter and two of her boys....

We had such a good time at Lenox Square..it is a place where I shared Christmas with my own Mama and Grandmother many, many years ago..and now I am continuing the tradition.....

Atlanta at Christmas.....what a fun time...I love to visit the city....and then come home to the country....

I hope you are having a Merry Christmas season..thank you for stopping by this morning...see you soon...

Rich's Pink Pig tradition

 We rode the Pink Pig......this week....in Atlanta at Macy's...it will always be  Rich's Pink Pig to me, but now it is at Macy's...go figure...

If you've never heard of the pink pig, you are in for a treat...and if you have ridden it as a child...ENJOY!!

I rode it as a child, my children rode it as children, and now my grandchildren are riding it too.....these kinds of traditions are worth keeping..the good, clean, fun kind......Merry Christmas.....

so excited

the OLD pig

it is quite PINK!!

sorry about the turning in the video....I could blame it on having 3 little boys close by but that wouldn't be the truth..it had something to do with the photographer not knowing what she was doing..LOL

the tickets are a big deal

Marshall's first ride

the beloved stickers...

proof that we were here..

thank you for stopping by this morning...I hope you enjoyed our little adventure...the boys surely did..and so did we.....come again soon...

ALL of it is ME!!

"You can be real, talk about the harsh realities of life and still put pretty pictures on your blog because ALL of it is you. It doesn't have to be one or the other......."

I had this powerful, beautiful reminder written by a dear friend in my comments yesterday....I needed to hear that ..it doesn't have to be one or the other.......it can be ALL of them.....thank you sweet Kimberlee....it was truly a word spoken in right timing....Love never fails....and this encouraging word was spoken in real love...so thank you....

I have some great pictures to share with you today..I hope you enjoy them...

one of my all time favorite pictures..my boys

team work

Will's birthday party

coolness of fall

colors of the spiderweb

simple things

getting better and better moonvine

I love the light

I just carry within me all the time...'A picture if worth a thousand words'.......so this blog is written in pictures today......I hope your weekend is filled with good things..and even the dark clouds have silver linings.....
thank you for stopping by today...I appreciate all of my readers...the good and the bad....you ALL have a purpose in my life.....so thank you....

Bright and sunshiney day

Sometimes when all the world seems difficult, we can get a respite from all that is pulling us down..Yesterday was just such a day....

Thank you Betsy for coming over and making my day a sunshiney day.....for taking the time to build and keep relationship going between us...for all you do in letting me be Honey to these boys....they really do have my heart.

I am glad you all have shared these moments with me...thank you....

Thanksgiving Week

I am going to spend this week writing about something I am thankful for every day.....I have a lot to be thankful for..my life used to be such a sad life and now it is a life filled with joy and peace....and sometimes sadness....not perfect, just one to be thankful for.....

I am thankful for this man that loves me with a love that I did not know was possible....he is absolutely my perfect gift from God.....

I am thankful for these two little boys and their baby brother too...they have made me know that the future is very real..that the generations go forth..that this is not the end of the world..that we should take care of this earth because there is a future generation growing up and they would like to live in a world that has not been neglected anymore...I am thankful for their little lives teaching me about being a good steward so I will have something to hand to them as they grow up......

These are just the beginnings of what  who I am thankful for this morning....

and as always, I am so thankful for you...my readers.....

FANTASTIC...NESS

You know some days you just have a day that can only be described as fantastic...Yesterday was one of those days..the day started out by spending time with awesome, awesome folks and then I got to spend lots of time with Betsy and my grandsons..there is not much better than having a little boy throw his arms around your neck and hang on tight hugging you..and to have 2 of them doing it is just more than I ever imagined.and another one waiting in the wings to hug me too...cause his smile tells it all..  :-) to be loved like this and to love back is what life is all about....
the weather was wonderful, lunch was very good, and the time spent sharing with my daughter was near perfection..I have a life to absolutely be thankful for....
and then as I looked through the pictures, this picture just jumped out..a life story right here..so here goes...

 Sometimes a loud squawking goose runs up to you and gets right in your space...just making noise for the sake of scaring you back...trying to make you back up.....we all have this in our life at times......

 But if you are fearless and stand your ground and run towards the loud  squawking, that bird will turn tail and RUN....and then if you just laugh as you are doing it..it might spread it's wings and try to show you how powerful it is, but you just keep on running towards it...

It becomes hilarious as it flaps and squawks and tries to make it think you can't beat it....and the people running with you or watching, get a big laugh too....even when someone comes into the picture and tries to warn you that the goose might bite you....just keep on laughing..and having fun with life....

KEEP GOING

But don't back down...get it off your territory..off of your space...out of your boundaries....but remember to do it with kindness..some joy...and most of all with love.....
today these boys showed me something about life...after all, they have my blood in their veins..they are fearless in the face of adversity..I saw a little bit of me in them..wow...that goose didn't have a chance and I laughed so hard ..it felt good....but they were determined even when a strange woman was warning them it would bite...IT DIDN'T.....maybe she was working for the goose.....

All of this little story to encourage you to live by your own convictions..even when a mean, squawking goose tries to get you to run....no need to run away....as you can see from these pictures....it was all mouth!   and that goose went back to the pond and joined all the other squawking geese while they compared notes about these fearless little boys that wouldn't go away......

I hope you all get a little bit of encouragement from this...and then BE COURAGEOUS in your life...our children and grandchildren are watching us and they need to see us be loving but firm..maybe steel magnolias would fit here.  :-)

I so appreciate you my readers..all of you that send me such loving and kind words and even the others too....this is my life and and it is a good one....

Fall Fun

As promised here are a few of the pictures I took of our trip to Washington Farms pumpkin patch.  it is really a fun, wholesome thing to do in the fall..  there is a hayride

and there are animals...Mac is so absolutely an animal person...he gets down and dirty with them...

Will lead us through the corn maze and didn't even make a wrong turn....he definitely has a great sense of direction.

and we all got wet when there was a rain shower....not hard rain, just enough to feel like a kid again..at least it was a warm rain...and then it was back to select a pumpkin and go home...after a trip to McDonald's, of course.

These boys teach me every time I am around them..I never knew that I had this kind of unconditional love in me..They are such gorgeous boys..inside and out..I am most blessed.
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I learn about how we each have our strengths and weaknesses...it is so obvious to me when I watch their little lives begin to unfold..they could not be more different and yet they are so much alike....even in their appearance..one is dark brunette and dark brown eyes..the other blond hair and blue eyes..and baby Marshall looks like he is coming up with red hair....but they are all from the same parents...diversity..yes, indeed..their is diversity in this family of boys.....one is a leader and he will already tell you that...the other is content to follow (for now).....one is so aware of all that is around him..especially words and things...the other is so connected to people..very bondable..and will get into our dogs faces and lay on them without any fear at all...even picking up live bugs...a true animal lover..the other one can give you every fact about said animal that was ever discovered.....yes, they teach me to celebrate diversity...the same, yet so very different...
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Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if we celebrated each others differences instead of being intimidated by them?  if we helped each other to be different from each other.if we each took our rightful place and we can't have the SAME place....if we were glad to have our place and be who we are and not try to take someone else's place...

If from our heart we really, really said   IT IS GREAT TO BE ME.....and then live like we mean it.....