6.30.2013

SIMC - Poses, Pictures, Pets and Popcorn


This weekend has been rainy, but we've made the best of it.

Friday night we celebrated my hubby's birthday.  
I forced people to pose for photos.  It was great!

My Elayna, getting so grown-up.

Me, clowning around.


Just us girls 

Me & Elayna

Me & Shelbie

Tim, my little boy who is all grown up.

Shelbie, Elayna, me, Tim, and Tyler behind us.

On Saturday, my son Tim got a new pet.  
It's going to live here at my house temporarily.  
It's a chinchilla.  Super cute!!


Wiz



Saturday night, the girls and I had movie night.  We all piled up in my bed and watched "Oz the Great and Powerful".  We had our favorite movie snack - popcorn with peanut M&M's (festive 4th of July edition!).  The girls did my hair, and even painted my toes!  And the movie was really good.


~~YUM~~


I'm hoping for a little sun today.....
I need my vitamin D!

Visit Unknown Mami for more Sundays in my City posts.


Unknown Mami

6.29.2013

10 Things of Thankful


Ten Things of Thankful


It's time to be thankful again!

1. I am thankful that my Mama made chocolate delight for my husband's birthday dessert, because I am enjoying the leftovers right now.  Mmm-mmm, good!

2. I am thankful that my whole family and hubby's whole family got together Friday night to celebrate his birthday.  We had a great time!

3. I am thankful for one friend who is doing something fantastic for my extended family.  I will elaborate on that later.  ;-)

4. I am thankful for HOT showers.  Most days I just jump in and jump out with little thought.  But have you ever had one of those showers that just feels amazing?  The other day, I woke up sore and crampy and crabby.  I was hurting and stiff and had sheet-wrinkles all over me.  I stumbled into a hot shower and came out feeling a million times better.  Thank you, Hot Shower.

5. Thankful for Tums, because my tummy is currently not very happy about my late night snacking as mentioned in #1.

6. I am thankful for modern technology.  I ordered a frame for my dad for Fathers Day; it's a wooden frame that says We <3 Papa and then has my kids' names all over it.  It's really cool.  Anyway, yesterday at Byron's mom's house, I took a picture of my dad with my three kids and then was able to print it right there at his mom's house with her printer (I brought my own photo paper so I was only mooching her ink).  I just LOVE that we are able to do that; I was born in the 1970's so I am old enough that modern technology really amazes me.



7. I am thankful for these sweet boys.  They were very closely watching me eat breakfast.  They don't beg, they just watch.  Very intently.  And Patchy, the one in the back?  He drools.



8. I am thankful that I was able to un-clog our vacuum cleaner with a wire hanger and a lot of hard work.  Because I am Superwoman!  And this Superwoman likes a clean floor.

9. I am thankful for Summer.  It's my favorite.

10. I am thankful that I am co-hosting Medical Mondays in two days!!  Be sure and come back to visit!



6.23.2013

Sundays in my SWAMP


Unknown Mami

I was looking out my kitchen window this morning 
and saw that one of the trees out back 
had beautiful white flowers blooming on it.  

The branches are very high, so I couldn't pick any blooms.
I couldn't figure out what kind of tree it was.
I could tell by the leaves that it wasn't a magnolia, 
and the blooms were too big to be dogwoods.

So I asked hubby, who immediately said, 
"It's a bay tree.  They grow in Florida swamps."

And that definitely describes our home - 
a Florida swamp.

I knew he would know what kind of tree it was. 
His knowledge of the outdoors is practically encyclopedic.
Amazing.

Can you find the flowers?  There are three.
 I hope you aren't tired of seeing pictures of my caladium plants yet.  
Because I really love them, and they're doing so well.  
I have already been able to transplant some to other areas.

It's a good thing they thrive in the swamp.

It's so tropical and bright and pretty! 

Yes, I know, I need to weed.

Neat plant life.

I even love weeds,
especially when they're purple.

Wanna ride?

In case you couldn't find them,
here's your cheat sheet.
On Another Note: 
I have created a Zazzle store to raise money for Dusty, 
Shelbie's boyfriend who has t-cell lymphoma.
If you would like to order something, the link is below!  
ALL proceeds will go to Dusty's family.


www.zazzle.com/backinthebush

6.22.2013

10 Things of Thankful


Ten Things of Thankful

I love thankful!
This is a new link-up and I like it a whole lot.

I am thankful for......

1. Texts from my husband in the middle of the night, while I am at work, just to tell me he loves me and misses me.

2. Sunny days.

3. New buds sprouting up from the plants that I have planted.




4. Dreams about turtles, and other pleasant things.

5. Fritos and bean dip.

6. When Byron takes my hand, leans over and whispers, "You are the most beautiful woman here, and you are my wife."  It melts me.

7. When my son sends me text messages that he knows only I would 'get'.

8. Summer.  But it needs to STOP RAINING.

9. Four wheel drive.  Without it, I'd be stuck.  Literally, and often.

10. These girls of mine.




6.21.2013

Summer is Here ~~ Friday Fragments


Happy First Day of SUMMER!!!

~ It's been raining a LOT here.  But in the beginning of this week, it was sunny.  WHILE I WAS WORKING.  Now I'm off. And it's freaking raining.
All I want to do is soak up the sun during the day, and have a fire at night.  Is that really too much to ask??
Apparently, yes it is.

~ When things in my life are rough, I dream of snakes and bodies of water teeming with alligators.
I am no dream interpretor, but I have no doubt why I dream of snakes, and it has nothing to do with the slithery bastards in my yard.
Anyway, lately, I have been dreaming of turtles.  Which makes me happy.



Also, baby pigs.  That's a new and delightful one.  How cute is THIS?


~ Speaking of cute....remember our little bulldog puppy, Bo?



Bo now weighs SEVENTY pounds.  He is solid muscle and has no idea he is large.  
He still truly believes he is a puppy and/or lap dog.



He is a sweet, lovable goofball.  I heart him.


~ I will be co-hosting the July edition of Medical Mondays Blog Hop!  I'm so excited!
I have some CRAZY stories to share with y'all.  Never a dull moment in my world!



Have a wonderful weekend, 
and don't forget to visit Friday Fragments at its Summer Home, 


Unknown Mami

6.18.2013

Southern Pride





As Southerners, we face a lot of stereotypes.  
Many people think anyone with
a Southern accent is stupid or slow.  

I just recently read this line in a book: "I'd like to permanently strike the following vocabulary from the record, posthaste.  Y'all: I just hate it, and it makes you sound fatter.  Punishment: For every offense, you must donate a toe to Paula Deen." 
Nice.

And just before that, in another book, when a child heard someone speak with a Southern accent and imitated that person, she was harshly corrected by her Mother, who said "Don't EVER talk like that, it makes you sound STUPID."

Southerners are also assumed to be racist, rebel-flag waving, 
ignorant backwoods toothless moon-shine drinkers.

And granted, some of that does apply to some people.
But it is a ridiculous, outdated, and unfair stereotype.



Which is why those of us who are CLASSY Southerners are proud, 
and like to spread positive Southern messages.

I understand that we do not necessarily own the rights to sweet tea,
 or some of our charming sayings. 

But come on....let us have our moment.  
We are simply emphasizing the positive side of our Southern roots
 and demonstrating that some of us have class, grace, and charm.

We are sweet, tough chicks with manners and attitude.




We may cook and eat a little differently.  




We may talk a little differently.




We may live life at a slower pace.



We may always wave at the cars that pass us - but hey, maybe you do too.
Maybe we say Yes Ma'am and Yes Sir - maybe you don't.  



We probably holler at our young'uns a little differently than our Northern friends.



We love bonfires and the water - you probably do too.

We wear flip flops year-round - you probably don't. 


We probably wear more camo than you, and listen to different music than you do.

We may eat more chicken and dumplings,
shrimp and grits, and boiled peanuts, and drink more sweet tea than you do.



We almost certainly bless more hearts.






Why can't we all just celebrate our similarities, AND our differences?
I reckon we would all appreciate that.

  
{My favorite of these? Cattywampus.}




6.15.2013

A Glimpse Into Our Weekend - SIMC


A glimpse into our weekend,
in pictures.
And some words.
Because I like words.

We went to my parents' house to visit Hayleigh.
Oh, and my parents, of course.
But mostly, Hayleigh.

 


Elayna couldn't resist joining her in the pool.


Shelbie fed Hayleigh her lunch.


I made my first banana pudding,
with help from my Mama.

Hubby picked a flower for me. <3

My Mother-in-Law LOVES and collects birdhouses.  I recently
found this one for her and she absolutely loves it, says it's the prettiest one she's ever seen.  =D

On Saturday we went to my MIL's Family Reunion
near Crystal River, Florida.  
They had door prizes, and Elayna played the Price is Right girl,
handing out the prizes.
She had fun.

The reunion was fun and the food was DELICIOUS.

They also had a pinata.  
MIL's aunt and uncle live in a beautiful house on stilts right by the river.
I wish I could have gotten a better photo.


Elayna is silly.

Shelbie is, too.
Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!


Unknown Mami