What a busy weekend!!! Goodness, I almost need today just to chill and relax and catch my breath! So how perfect for a rainy day and maybe even take a nap this afternoon!!!???
Our busy weekend started Friday right after I picked up the kids at school. We came home and cleaned out lunches and chilled just a bit before heading off to set up for a yard sale. All last week, I was packing up a trailer with attic clothes, misc. items from the around the house and we cleaned out the cellar that had things stored up for years. Seriously, with living at the same house for 12 years ... things accumulate!
Mike and I made a team with bringing down tubes of clothes from the attic. I put them all in the trailer and Friday afternoon, I set them all out all at the garage sale. I had around 20 luges of clothes! I kept most everything that Hadassah and Matthew wore. I kept thinking that it's such a shame to get rid of it if I only wore it on one child. Then when Ashlyn was born and I started going through Hadassah's old clothes, I realized that there was so much that I wasn't going to use anyway. 10 years in between the girls is kinda long to think you might reuse clothes.
With Matthews clothes, I thought the same things. Why get rid of it if I only used it for one boy? He's already 7 (almost 8) and so I set out a bunch of his clothes and shoes to sell too. People that knew me and stopped to yard sale shop ... when they realized that I had so much clothes to sell were shocked! I was too! :) Like I said ... things just accumulate over the years!
The weather was perfect and we had lots of shoppers Friday night. I came home so tired and ready for an early bed because we were going to get up early for more sales Saturday. Hadassah and I were out of the house by 6 AM Saturday morning and we hoped to sell out!!! :) The yard sale went well. A bit chilly in the morning but when the sun began to shine, it warmed up nice! My sales were great but I still have a ton of clothes left! I am hoping to set up again in a few weeks and then donate the leftovers to charity! My attic is not going to be filled up again with the same items! :)
Matthew and Ashlyn were with sitters and then were taken to the Gospel Express Sale Saturday afternoon, so Hadassah and I went there for a late lunch and reconnect with the kids! They had a blast in the straw maze and being with cousins. Thanks Jody and mom for watching them for me!
It was so nice and warm Saturday afternoon that I just wanted to relax and finally do nothing when we got back home. I got my beach chair off the garage shelf and sat on the back porch for an hour. The warm sun felt so good on my face and my eyes just couldn't help but close for awhile! Birds were singing in the trees. The children were in the back yard being kids and running around. Swinging on the swings. Drinking soda under the shade tree. Hadassah even curled up Ashlyn's hair and she did another photo session with her. It's so cute to see these two sisters connect and have a total 'girl blast' together! Ashlyn loves all the attention and Hadassah loves to doll her up! Take a look ...
The front cherry blossoms are filled with these beautiful clusters of flowers right now! They look so pretty! Hadassah pulled a bunch off and added them to Ashlyn's photo's! Way to cute!
Mike never got home from work till 6:30 PM!!! They were so busy at his shed lot and sold lots of sheds! I am so thrilled to see his hard work prosper and flourish! Spring and summer are the busiest months for the shed guys and so I try to be patient and take it in stride! They work so hard and have some very long days. I appreciate your hard work Hun!!! Anyway, we had planned to be with Mike's parents that evening. We picked them up at 7:30 and went down to Mike's sisters house.
John Ervin and Anna Ruth live in a small rancher and we were looking forwards to some good settlers games!!! We picked up some pizza and wings on our way there. When we arrived, Matt & Lena and Mike's grandparents were there to surprise us. We ended up all gathering around the small kitchen eating and fellowshipping. We moved into the living room sipping on coffee and enjoying each others company. Soon, Ben & Rosie and the boys stopped in. We had quite a crowd and a full house! Why are the stop in and last minute parties the most fun!?! We soon felt like Steve's and Ervin's should have been there too ... but it just all happened. No plans. Just stop in's. On the way home, I told Mike that all I know is that his sisters must really love him because they crashed our party! What a trip! We never did open up the settlers game box. Now, we just have another excuse and reason to gather again soon! :) Thanks John Ervin's for hosting us "stop in's"!
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Sunday morning came too fast but the sun was out bright by the time I crawled out of bed. I made some fresh coffee and grabbed a donut from the sale yesterday and delivered a treat to Mike in bed. That's so much fun once in a while!
We all went to church and heard a message on "Losing the fear of God". With the bombing attacks, shootings, and all the terrible things that are happening in our world today ... why? Are we losing that fear of God that keeps us humble, repentive, and grateful for Jesus? The message was great!
We were home for lunch and then relaxed. At 4:00, Mike started texting some friends and inviting them to come over for burgers and fun! We realized that our grill officially died and so I baked two dozen homemade burgers in the oven. I thawed some baked beans I had in the freezer that were waiting for a last minute crowd to serve to. I cooked a big bowl of pasta and made pasta salad. I mixed up some fresh lemonade and then we waited to see who would show up.
Leave it to our wonderful groups of church friends ... they ALL came!!! We ate at 6:30 and as the night went on, families just kept coming. Originally, we hoped we could sit by the camp fire and chat outside, but the weather turned chilly and it started to drizzle. We had 12 adults, 20 children and 1 dog all inside our small home!!! It was crazy fun! Thanks guys for ALL coming and spending the evening with us!
At 10:30 last night, Mike and I were cleaning up the house and again went to bed so grateful for our wonderful friends and people in our lives that mean the world to us!!! We are so blessed!
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Looking outside the window today, I can see the flowers that I planted last week drinking up the raindrops that are sent from above.
Most of my flowers are planted and growing! With some mulch around them yet ... they will look heavenly! I did mostly petunia's again. My window boxes have Bubble Gum Petunias and lots are in the ground out front. I also got some of these fire red ones and mixed them with yellow.
My garden foods are growing too! I might even get some fresh veggies out of it this week! The lettuce is coming up so nice and I removed the hot caps from off the Butter crunch lettuce.
The sugar peas are getting taller.
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Every now and then this happens. Ashlyn got into Hadassah's markers and wrote all over her toes. She thinks she is painting her toe nails. Not the best job ... but hey, she is a toddler. What can I expect? With another explanation to her that markers are for papers and not for toe nails, we tried to clean her up. She will probably have marker marks on herself for a few more days. It's hard to get that all off!
The dryer is still going. The groceries I bought this morning are all put in their right place. Ashlyn is sleeping so peacefully in Matthew's bed (her favorite nap time spot) beside her babies, Anna and Kate.
(I should post a comment on these babies. They were both given to Hadassah one Christmas about 9 years ago. She was just a toddler back then and Hadassah played and played with them. The givers were my cousin Kate and my mom, Anna. That's where the names came from and now we have a Baby Kate and a Baby Anna. They have been downstairs for years and now Ashlyn is giving these dolls a rerun of fun! I don't know what it is about these two dolls that makes them a favorite ... but they are the most played with dolls at our house! So, thanks again Mom and Kate for the dolls you both gave a long time ago!)
With the weekend behind us and another week of "real life" right before me, I am grateful! Grateful for our health. Healthy foods. Foods that give us nutrition and energy. Energy that never seems to end with the children. Our three children keep me busy but that's when I realize that my life is full of fun, laughter and tons of events that I never would dream to miss out on.
Have a blessed Monday and if it's raining at your house today, take some 'time off' and enjoy the moment! Enjoy the day that the Lord has made.
