Change of seasons/arrangements

Time to switch out the summer arrangements for the fall...

Favorite hanging arrangement

This hanging arrangement is probably my favorite i did this summer - there are two of then and they take about 3-hours each to do. They have pink mandevilla, gold lantana, blue scaevola {my three favorite colors together} and originally it had margarite sweet potato vine.

Something to stare at...

Phone pictures vs. Camera pictures

You can sure tell a BIG difference when I send a phone-picture into my blog vs. when I upload REAL camera pictures... my phone's camera STINKS!!

Bent Elementary News Clip (Starring Andrew)

Andrew & Savannah's school got a "facelift" this year... they have a new playground, landscaping and entrances. A Peoria TV station covered the ribbon cutting of the new playground, which Andrew was chosen to be a part of. Click below to see the news clip...



http://centralillinoisproud.com/media_player.php?media_id=4685

Will it ever be Fall?

Wow... it's September 22 and it's a beautiful 81-degrees!! Low-90's the last two days and it's suppose to be 89 tomorrow and 92 Monday... WOW!!! But, I've been starting to empty out the containers from the summer annuals... The high is suppose to be 79 on Tuesday and 70's the rest of the week, so... I guess Fall will really be here this week. I'm ready for it, though. The heat has gotten the best of me over the past month or so... Of course it doesn't help being a little heavier this summer (yes, I haven't lost the usual weight that I lose) and with the heat I've been feeling a little sluggish.

So, what I do today? I took advantage of this beautiful day and went running... FINALLY!!! I've been TERRIBLE about getting exercise this summer. So, I've got to get back into it this Fall and keep at it all Winter.

Andrew had his second soccer game today... here's a slideshow of his first game last weekend.

It's so cute watching them at that age. But, it can also be a little frustrating... Andrew enjoys watching the game... Which is fine, except when he's suppose to be PLAYING!! The ball will roll right by him and he'll just watch it and cheer his teammates on.

Andrew's not the most aggressive soccer player anway, so it takes a lot of encouraging to get him to really get in there and kick away at the ball. And, I guess I probably would have been the same way at that age if I would have played soccer.

I still remember my one-year experience with football... WHOA!!! It was just flag football, not tackle like the put elementary kids thru today. And, for some REDICULOUS reason, I was playing center. I was NOT center material... meaning, I was pretty skinny and weak. And, let's just say, I was getting plowed over time after time after time by the line of the opposing team. I still remember getting fed up with it... I had picked up my glasses from the muddy field for the 186th time, I was crying and I could hear the other team laughing (not just at me, but at our whole team). I walked over to my coach and begged to be taken out. I was done... no more. Needless to say, I didn't play football ever again. The closest I came to a football field was being a manager in 7th grade and half-time shows with the band in high school.

Ok... so... back to Andrew and soccer. I need to be more patient with him and more understanding... not have so high of expectations for him in sports at such an early age and (probably most important) remember that he's a lot like me

Warm again!

I love it that it's warmed back up! My bananas, upright elephant ears and other tropicals are much happier, too :-)

Sleeping Angels

Our babies :-) So cute!!

Chicago Weekend - Botanic Gardens

Chicago Weekend - Zoo

Knight Froggy

A knight riding a frog using two swords - how funny!! So much talent not being used on the "big screen" :-)

Andrew's Self-Diagnosis

Sometimes Andrew learns the funniest things from TV commercials...

He and I were talking and I was giving examples of someone who has problems lying... one of the examples was a little boy getting ready for bed and his mom asking, "Did you go to the bathroom yet." "Yes," he answered. The mom asked, "Are you sure you did?" "Yes," he responded. Fifteen minutes after going to bed the little boy calls out, "Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom." "You said you went before you went to bed," she answers. He's quiet for a minute then calls out again, "I really have to go to the bathroom." "You said you went before you went to bed," she answers again. He's quiet again... "I didn't go."

We finished our conversation about lying, God's forgiveness of our sins, etc. Then he got up and went to the bathroom before I took him upstairs. As he came out of the bathroom I could tell he was in deep thought about something.

"Daddy... you know sometimes you could go the bathroom, go to bed and fifteen minutes later have to go the bathroom again." I agreed that sometimes that could happen. I picked him as he continued... "Daddy, when you have to go the bathroom a lot it could be because of a growing bladder problem... or, what's it called? Prostate. Daddy, I think I have that problem... I have a growing prostate."

Holding back my laughter that wanted to explode from me... I smiled and responded, "Andrew, you're not old enough for that problem, don't worry." He just smiled and said, "Ok Daddy" and put his head down on my shoulder as we headed upstairs.

I told Laurie about it later... she said I should have told Andrew he could explain his concerns to his doctor tomorrow during his physical. I still might suggest that he bring it up to her... she'd get a good chuckle from it and I'm sure that she would handle it very professionally. I'm glad he brought his concern up to me tonight and not first to his doctor tomorrow... I'm not sure I could have controlled my laughter in that little 12x8 room in front of his doctor.

I just hope he hasn't been watching the Viagra commercials too closely... especially the line, "Discuss your health with your doctor to ensure that you are healthy enough to engage in sexual activity..." Hopefully he's not saving that question for his physical tomorrow!! DARN THAT "IT'S NOT THE STORK" BOOK!!!!

Catching Up

How sad that I haven't written anything since I think Aug 29. And it's not like I've been too busy or anything. However... the last few days have been busier and this next week will be VERY busy. I'll be trying to get fall arrangements & plantings completed for my customers. The summer annuals are starting to fade and give up and it's time to put out mums, asters, kale, ornamental peppers, bales of straw, pumpkins, gourds, etc. I don't really like fall all that much, but it's always nice to get back into planting and making things look fresh and lively again.

I was suppose to spend all day Saturday doing my own fall planting & arranging, but instead ended up working at a customer's house for a majority of the day (I didn't mind all that much, though... it's one of my favorite customers and she worked with me. I usually work alone, so it's always nice when one of my customers works with me in their gardens). But, I did get my geraniums, sweet potato vines, licorice, etc. pulled, designer day lilies cut back and fall items ready to be planted Monday evening after picking up the kids. Straw bales, pumpkins and gourds will have to wait a few more days.

Kids were at Mamo & Papa's this weekend (my parents)... We all were there last week for Labor Day weekend.

It was a fun weekend... I was able to help my parents with a little yard work... trimmed back a pin oak and mowed their yard. I also spent some time helping my dad with some pictures on his computer... one picture he needed help with was of his father from WW I (maybe 1917???) that I had never seen before... the picture was in pretty bad shape... scratches, discoloring, creases. So, I performed some "photo surgery" so to speak. Here are the results...

It's not perfect, but it sure looked a lot better when I got done with it. It took quite awhile to make the corrections, but it was worth it. My dad was very happy with the results.

He has hundreds of old pictures scanned onto his computer... I showed him how to use a different photo program that I use (Photoshop Elements) that he had already purchased, but hadn't started using yet. I loaded all of his pictures into the "album" portion of the program and showed him how to put captions, change dates and create picture groups. It will make photo collecting/organizing much easier compared the HP program that he was using.

I can't remember if I have ever talked about our Chicago mini-vacation from a month ago... we had SO much fun!! We went to my sisters in the Chicago suburbs on the evening of Thursday, August 2nd. On Friday morning we went into Chicago and went to Lincoln Park Zoo. It was the perfect size for the the age of the kids. I was originally going to have us go to Brookfield Zoo, but... maybe in a few years. It wasn't too hot, but it was warm, and a few of the animals were in their "private" rooms where it was cooler.

On Saturday we went to Chicago Botanic Gardens. Yes, this was more for me, but... the kids and Laurie did really enjoy it, too. I did end up taking Laurie and the kids back to the hotel (I intentionally got our hotel close to the botanic gardens so I could go back afer they got bored and spend more time looking around:) and spending about 3-hours more by myself viewing the gardens. It ended up raining a little after I returned by myself, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the time there.

Sunday we visited Shedd Aquarium in downtown Chicago... Andrew had been asking to go there for about a year, so needless to say he and Savannah were VERY happy to find out where we were going that morning. That was probably the best day, but also the longest. after spending about 6-hours at the aquarium we started walking towards Michigan Ave to try and pick up a cab to meet up with a friend of ours to take the train to a restaurant for supper. The kids weren't too thrilled about the cab ride... mostly because they didn't have their car seats, which GREATLY concerned them :) And, he drove a little fast for Andrew's liking. And the train ride... WOW. Andrew REALLY loved that. Actually, we all did...

After supper we still had to take the train back down to the city and then a cab to a parking garage north of Soldier Field... problem is... the cabbie didn't listen to where I said we needed to get out and he tried to drop us off (in the dark) at the south side of Soldier Field AND in the middle of LOTS & LOTS & LOTS of people leaving Soldier Field after a Bears Family Night. He finally agreed to take us back up to the garage and I paid him basically twice what the fee was because I felt bad for him (He did kind of get a little stuck in traffic and probably wasn't going to get anyone back in his cab for awhile). Anyway... we made it back to the hotel pretty late that night.

We headed back home on Monday, but kind of took our time getting up in the morning and leaving. The hotel we stayed at was an Embassy Suites and we got a GREAT deal for our three nights... One of those just-sort-of-got-lucky type rates :)

Ok... it's late... and I've got a busy day tomorrow.