The "mighty mouse"

To Tye Monkey Man:

Love: Auntie Carrie

Layer by layer...

Check out the wallpaper J uncovered while doing some demo upstairs...

Wild huh?

A happy happy day

Sunday we celebrated Heather and Eric's new little one by throwing them a baby shower! It was a day filled with yummy food, hugs, laughter, and some happy happy tears. Heather is the sweetest and most adorable mommy-to-be, she just glows. (And she lets me rub her baby belly whenever I want making her even more awesome!) They are waiting for the surprise....

Daddy sent a gift for both, he is prepared either way!

A special thanks to Aunt Connie for letting us INVADE your home. You are wonderful to us in so many ways, such a phenomenal person.  Another huge thanks goes out to all of the aunts that helped out with the food set up. Us young gals have certainly learned from the best! LOVE YOU!

So I have to be totally honest...I was really bad about the picture taking. I get wrapped up in visiting, and eating, and being too lazy to lug my huge camera around to take many pictures. I was however able to snap a few decent pics.

Ok well maybe just one...Awesome work Mimi!

Alright I lied again, to be totally honest I was too busy to take pictures because I was asking Auntie Lauren (you like the sounds of that?) questions about baby owning. Questions like;

What do you need a bottle warmer for? How long do babies have the umbilical cord? Why can't you get them wet? What if the baby has a poopy diaper blow out...then how do you wash them without getting them wet? Wait...what?! What is a circumcision ring? What is that for? Does that hurt the baby? If I have baby is it alright if I call you A LOT?

All I can say is Yikes....

Heather is getting ready for that baby with much more grace than I can imagine myself having. She is well on her way with a healthy happy pregnancy, due on May 13th or possibly sooner! We are praying for you and so excited to see little Caroline or Andrew/ Reed. (Hey I'm sticking to my guns with the names).  ;)

Below are pictures of the rocking chair before and after...

Just in case you wanted to see..

The willow that weeped

 

Today Justin and I had a conversation that went a little like this...

J: Man, its windy out there

C: Yea, I know I almost fell over walking into the house

J: I can't believe our Willow tree fell over...

C: What are our talking about? Our willow tree is not down. 

C: Holy ^@&* our willow tree fell down!

It was a WINDY day and I was out in my gardens working away completely oblivious to the fact that the largest tree on our property had fallen....

 

in half.

Ignorance is bliss?

Spring Sloggin'

Sloggin you say?

What could it be?

It’s what I have been doing around here

I've been throwing on my Sloggers

going outside

and Sloggin around...

You can slog anywhere you want.. 

In the garden... 

At the store... 

Cleaning out your car...

(yea I really did) 

On your way to work... 

While planting apple trees unexpectedly on a Saturday afternoon ....

Anyways, Spring has sprung
and it is showing itself to me all over our yard
Here are a couple of sneak peaks...

Are these cute or what?

Daffodils

We have lots goin' on out here in Hamlin...
Wood to be chopped
Driveway to be stoned
Ruts to be filled in
Demo to be cleaned
Gardens to be tended
and sunshine to be soaked up...


With that long list of chores
its a good thing I have my sloggers!
Thanks mom and dad...:)

Split Pea and Ham Soup

Today I made a big pot of split pea and ham soup because it was just that kinda day. Ever had a split pea and ham kinda day? I have them often... I call the days I think of Mimi my "split pea and ham days".

Some may call them "frappy days" others "owl days", the list could go on... 

"knitting days" 

"gardening days" 

"laugh so hard you pee your pants days" 

"SPAM days"

"Back scratch" days

"va ta days" (not sure on that spelling) 

"Chinese pudding days" 

Dare I say it, "leather strap days" 

But for me they are my split pea and ham days. Why you ask...split pea soup was one of Mimi's personal claims to fame. She was proud of her soup and was a self proclaimed split pea and ham soup guru (she could back her claim, she had the best pot of soup ever!). Her soup was tasty, delicious, and it just seems to wrap it's Mimi arms around you. No one could make it as good as she could, not even me and I followed her recipe to a T---well almost. ;)

My soup

Now the soup I made today is certainly nothing to brag about, actually it is not very good. For some reason it just didn't turn out like it should have. Soooo one of three things happened... 

1. I need more practice. 

2. Mimi is playing a trick on me...and still staking her claim to fame therefore ensuring I never make a pot as good as hers....I can just see her laughing now. 

3. She is still wrapping her loving arms around me, telling me that she is still there...even if the soup (or life) doesn't turn out like you thought. 

I tend to think that it is #3, I made the soup because something was telling me she was there and loving/ guiding me through each and every challenge life holds for me right now.... 

So I am sharing her recipe (hers was short hand so I added the directions) just in case you want to feel the same love I was lucky enough to feel today. Just don't forget to invite me over for some Mimi lovin' if you make it... 

Mimi's Split Pea and Ham Soup 

1 bag of split dried peas- soaked overnight and drained 

2 1/2 quarts of water 

1 1/2 cups sliced onions 

1/4 tsp garlic salt 

1/4 tsp marjoram salt pork or (even better) a HAM BONE with some meat remaining 

1 cup or carrots 

1 cup celery 

Add ingredients to a large stock pot reserving the carrots and the celery. Allow soup to simmer for 2 1/2- 3 hours stirring occasionally. Once peas are cooked through add the carrots and celery, cook an additional 45mins- 1 hour until vegetables are cooked through. Remove ham bone (adding meat back into the soup).