My Gazebo, and Rock Fountain

Well--Blogger wouldn't let me upload more than one photo earlier. It said they were, but it lied. LOL So--I thought that I would try a separate post.

DH is going to set the arbor at the entrance to the gazebo in cement. It's just setting there, for now. That's why it has the wood on each side to hold it together temporarily. He'll paint the trim by the roof after his broken toe heals, so that he can climb a ladder. Poor guy.

The picture of the fountain was taken before we painted the house. That wall behind it is pure white, now.

Here are pics of the house all painted, and the new roof, of course.

It feels really good to be finally getting the house fixed up. Mostly minor stuff left.

Up and Downs

So many ups and downs in life. I just shared some wonderful news, and then, I received some tragic news last Sunday.
Our nephew--my husband's youngest sister's youngest son--was hit and killed by a hit and run driver. So tragic.
Not only were they buying a house, and going to get married--his girlfriend was due to give birth to their daughter--their first child--any day.
So senseless. They still haven't found the person who hit him, and ran like a coward. The family is devastated. Life can turn on us so quickly. So sad.

When some of these things happen, they have a way of making you appreciate the little things in life--the simple pleasures that we take for granted.

I love a nice hot, soothing cup of coffee in the morning. It just sets my day off right. MUST have that coffee. LOL We just got a brand-new Starbucks in town--our first one!

I love to sit out in our gazebo in the backyard. The weather is getting just right, now. Nice, and cool with a nice breeze. It's so peaceful. We have a rock fountain that lights up. I love the sound of the trickling water. It's nice to just sit, and watch the fountain.

I like to enjoy the company of friends and family. Just sitting, and talking. It's nice to just chat, connect, and share each others lives--with my online friends, or offline.

I like to go down to the beach, and watch the ocean. It's really nice to go early in the morning, and watch the sunrise at the oceanfront. You can sit on a park bench, drink a nice cup of coffee, watch the seagulls and the water, and watch the sun come up. The beach is only 5 minutes away, yet I rarely go appreciate it.

I like to close myself off from the world, and spend time in my scraproom creating. I can lose myself for hours. It's so relaxing.

I like to sit in bed late at night reading scrap mags, and watching TV.

I like spending time with my hubby. I like playing with my dog. I like talking to my grown children, spoiling my grandchildren, and playing my piano.

There are so many simple pleasures. Take time to stop, and smell the roses. Life is so short.

I'm Back!

I've been shamed into updating my blog by she who shall remain nameless. LOL :)

I'm afraid that it's been a wild few months. Life has a habit of getting in the way of things, I'm afraid. But--moving on--it's time to update with the latest news.

My first born--my son--asked his girlfriend to marry him last night. He has been quite excited as he planned the entire night for quite some time. There were a few glitches--things didn't go as perfectly as he'd planned. But--everything worked out, and she said, "Yes!".
They are now officially engaged, and in the process of looking for a house. I'm so happy for them.

They also recently bought a pure-bred female Golden Retriever puppy, and named her Kiley. She has grown very quickly! She's not a little puppy, anymore!
This is Adam's fiancee Larissa at home with Kiley:















This is a sweet picture of my son Adam with Kiley out on the patio. I love this photo. :-)





















I can't believe that it's almost the holidays, already! Where does the time go? I'm glad that we got our house all painted. Adam plans on coming home for Christmas. I'm so happy! :-) I want everything to look nice when he gets here.

I also have been given a blog challenge to name 5 things that I want to accomplish before the end of the year. Hmmmmm--I'm not a big goal person, but here goes:

1. Achieve, or surpass my scrapping goal of 60 LO's for the year.
2. Get a good start on eating healthier.
3. Be more productive. I need to get the house in shape--purge, organize, and clean.
4. Push myself to try some different things in my crafting--more techniques that I haven't done, yet.
5. Work on keeping in contact with friends, and family more.

Whew! That was tough for me. LOL I'm not used to thinking of goals. I guess I should push myself more. :-)

Tonight we're going to BBQ a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breast on the grill. They're marinating in Teriyaki sauce, right now. We'll have a nice salad, and a green vegetable with them.

Have a great Sunday everyone!