Anyone Can Be a Father but it Takes Someone Special to Be a Dad!

To my Dad and my Hubby! I love you! Thanks for always being so inspiring!

My dad has always been such a wonderful example of determination. He never lets anything get him down. He has been through a lot in his life and had to become a man over night at age 10 but for those that don't really know this great man you are missing out. Behind this tough guy is a heart of gold, a hard worker, and a true blue husband, dad and grandpa. I just love this picture of dad when were fishing last time they were here. If you notice in his shirt pocket he has a sucker sticking out. He always has some sort of treats for the little kiddies, if you are lucky to sit by him in church as a kid, he will start fishing out something during church, something my boys have caught onto when visiting Pop. Thanks dad for loving me, believing in me and making sure I was not lazy and knew how to work.

My Hubby is a tender heart. He is as tough as nail, like my dad, but when it comes to his boys he is an old softy! He loves his boys and they adore him! He is so hard working and we are so proud of him! I love how hard he works at fitting in his family, especially his boys. Mr. C is a big fan of dad and loves to snuggle with him. Today I handed him his card for his dad and he walked over and handed it to him, anything for his dad! As I see him with his boys I realize how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband and dad to my boys!

Small Towns

There is a certain beauty and nostalgia about a small town. Our new home town nestled in the Midwest is full of character, activities and scenery I sometimes feel belong in a book or a movie...Shazammmm...I am in Mayberry...
Its quaintness I find very refreshing. It has been a whole new experience living in this little town. One such experience was the Carnival coming to town. It was very reminiscent of small town life, young country kiddos running around the Midway and rides. I felt like I had been zapped back in the the movie "State Fair" or "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken." When the Carnival comes to town for the hard working farming communities and everyone goes to the carnival because that is all that is shaking to the small town. It makes you appreciate the small things in life.
I grew up a small town girl so I get a thrill out of this kind of life for my kids! Enjoy the pictures of our Carnival fun. We did come a little early to avoid the evening crowds.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Popcorn Sundays and T-Ball

It is raining and raining so today was a "lazy popcorn Sunday." Mr. C and the Gap Cowboy hate to be trapped in the house so we try to make it fun with movies and popcorn. Mr. C wanted to be a big boy and sit at his table with his bowl of popcorn!

Sweat pants and popcorn laziness!
Life doesn't get any better than this!

Don't you just want to kiss those checks??!!


T-Ball

The Gap Cowboy started t-ball Wednesday. He did an awesome job. This was his first year and he was really excited to get to play this year. It was so fun to watch these little guys and gals running around trying their hardest to be big and play ball.

The Gap Cowboy played 1st base and did AWESOME! He got an out by catching the ball and then after the crowd yelling run and touch your base he hurried and touched the base before the kid got to the base. He also is quite the little slugger. We had a great laugh at how cute all the little kiddies were and we had to keep telling our kid to stay at 1st instead of running everywhere to get the ball. His team is the orange Orioles. Hubby said Aunt Kris would have loved to play for that team!

Dirty Laundry

This maybe a big let down for some but this post is about just that, dirty laundry.... I NEED SOME HELP!

There are some that know and have mastered the art of clean laundry. I have tried to always get stains out and preserve my clothes as long as possible. I enjoy looking nice and stain free and who doesn't? So I always put a little bleach in my whites so they stay looking brilliant white. Well I just learned the lesson in why those tags on pure white clothes say NO BLEACH...

Exhibit A:

One of my new favorite shirts from Coldwater Creek. I love that store and this was a white 3/4 length cut cardigan (shown above). It is now a dingy yellow after one bleaching!! (I put it next to one of hubby's white t-shirts to show the contrast in the colors of white...it looks so gross).

Ugg...if I had all the money on all the clothes I have ruined with bleach I could be a rich woman. So the question is to bleach or not to bleach? And if I don't bleach how do I keep our socks and white T-shirts looking white?

Second item of dirty laundry....my messy but so cute little Mr. C is such the messy bug. Sometimes I have striped him down but other times we are out with people and I don't think it appropriate for a kid to be running around in a diaper at certain occasions. Well this time his cute little monkey shirt is not coming clean from Watermelon of all culprits....

Exhibit B:

I don't know if you can see the orangish pinkish stains dribbling from the collar to the Monkeys on the bottom. Anyone out there have any good tips!? I have soaked it in Clorox 2 and it still looks like this. It was darker and it did fade so if I need to be patient and soak it for weeks I will but I just wonder if there is a cure-all for this type of stain.

Any recommendations to my dilemmas? BTW I do use Clorox 2 a lot and have experimented with it on the whites but it just doesn't work like the real Clorox.

PS I have added some pictures of my house on the private house blog! Sorry it has taken me so long! More to come!

Granny and Pop

Granny and Pop came to visit and here are a few of our favorite memories with them!

The Prophet said to plant a garden so that is just what dad and the Gap Cowboy did! I am so relieved. I have been worrying about getting one in and Dad just shows up and in a matter of hours he has everything done, including renting a tractor with a "tiller" (as the Gap Cowboy calls it). I love how dad just sees a need and jumps in without having to be asked and gets it done. I now have corn, peas, beans, squash, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini and pumpkins. Onions to come next hopefully...Thanks Dad!

Pop has always had a special place in his heart for fishing. Although time and family has prevented him from doing this hobby more he still has the beautiful cast. I loved to just watch him. The Gap Cowboy just loves to fish and loved this trip with Pop ( he has a trip planned to fish with hubby's dad coming up soon). What a special time for a boy, fishing with his Pop and his dad!

Mom was a trooper even though she was freezing and fishing has never been her thing! I think she and Mr. C felt the same way about it...

Yep, that is the look of I am ready to go home!

The Gap Cowboy and his friends fishing while sitting on a log.

Hubby proud of his catch, he had 7 or 8!

Finally we ended with a visit to the miniature donkey family. Radar and Lilly, that is the mom and dad donkey, had a baby and Pop and the boys sure get a kick out of them!