It was a total success!

Summer Fun

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)

We've been to the pool a few times lately and somebody just loved it:-)

Is she the most darling, eat-her-up scrumpchious thing you've ever seen?

Do you think I should enter her in a photo contest?

They're both enjoying the nice water on a hot day.

She would walk as far as she could and then keep going if we didn't pick her up, not afraid at all.





Another day I took Blake to the Mudfest at the local park.He's just getting started.



He almost slid into the mud, (good, he's still clean).

Well, I knew he'd find that pig pen I mean pool of mud sooner or later!

After several times around the obstical course, he's getting muddier.

He met up with his friend Ben and they chased each other around and around.

This is what you call "disposable clothes"

And this is what you call a "clean kid"

Tippy Tuesday

Hello everyone, I've been busy and I want to post some things we've been doing so come back later and I'll try to get some stuff up.

Your tip for today is this: For cleaning smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic, just rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel is supposed to absorb the odor.

Tippy Tuesday

Go to www.walgreens.com and upload a favorite photo TODAY because until 11:59 p.m. you can get a free 11x14 when you use the code FREEPOSTER. You don't have to pick it up today to get it for free, you just have to upload it and "check out" oh, and to save on shipping fees you'll want to pick it up at your most convenient Walgreen's!

I'm not done "tipping" you because each day this week Walgreen's is doing something great in their photo dept. check their site daily for the bargain of the day.

Yesterday they had 25 prints for a whopping total of 25¢! (I didn't know till later in the day or I would have told you.) All this week they have 50 prints for $5.00 and that is a really good price. The coupon code will be EASY50 each print after 50 will be 10¢ each too. (you have to make it to 50 first for the bargain price.)

It's summer time and you've been on vacations and staycations, the pool, the parks, grandmas and so on go get your fix:-)

Happy Tuesday:-)

Blake gets a blog Pen Pal

A little while ago Jennifer signed Blake up for a pen pal, he got matched up with Sam, a little guy going into kindergarten from Georgia. Sam sent Blake several fun things from his state of Georgia.

Blake sent off things from and about Ohio to Sam including a photo album with pictures of Blake on his 4 wheeler and doing some of the things he enjoys, a packet of Gold Star Chili, postcard of Jungle Jim's and other places. Since Jennifer doesn't have a blog, I thought I'd share what Blake received on mine. Here he is with his package of goodies. What kid doesn't enjoy getting mail?

Here is the confederate money Sam sent, how awesome was that! Blake thought it was pretty neat!

a state quarter, a Kennesaw Georgia patch were also included.

He liked the arrow head too.

My Favorite Vacation Spots

Over at Kelly's Korner http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ we're all showing our favorite vacation spots so I hope after you leave me a comment you head over there and find a great vacation idea for your next one.

You can click on any picture to enlarge it, I hope you enjoy our vacation spots:-)

Gulf Shores, AlabamaOne of my favorite things to do when there is get up early and walk the beach, looking for whatever might have washed up over night. Plus of course enjoy the sunrise.
I found this pole and enjoyed poking around and drawing, I was using the net to capture crabs, just to look at them:-)
They're really fast and I kept taking shot after shot seeing how close I could get before he ran into his hole.

The beach is long and private, we go after the summer rush is over but still lovely weather.

The two-tone building is where we stay, we're on the 4th floor toward the middle.

This place is neat, a friend told us we needed to go to Lambert's they throw rolls at you if you want one you catch it. They come around with huge pots of mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, cole slaw, they keep filling you up till you tell them to stop.

ERIE,PAa view of the public dock, I could sit here all day on a hot day, the breeze is wicked!
One of my favorite things to do is walk the beach and find beach glass, shell, and stones for "skipping", that's what I'm doing.

They had these frogs all over the place one year, companies sponsored them and painted or jazzed 'em up, they were everywhere. Another year they did it with pigs!

CANADA/NEW YORK/NIAGARA FALLS

A view of the American Falls, click to enlarge, you can see the walkway and get kissed by the falls on your walk!

This is the magnificent view out our hotel window!!

Across the to the American side, shot from our room, on the Canadian side.
ERIE,PA (my home town)

A favorite to bring home from Erie, PA are Smith's hot dogs. They have natural casings, a light garlic flavor and a crunch to their bite, we always make sure to bring several back and freeze. An amazing WOODEN roller coaster at Waldameer Amusement Park. The roller coaster was new Summer of '08. (You get an amazing view of Lake Erie, that is, only if you keep your eyes open). This place has been in business for decades! You can get a ride-a-ramma or purchase tickets per ride, great for a few rides or all day.

Here is my dad and I standing on the dock of Presque Isle.

FLORIDA (SIESTA KEY)

Here is our granddaughter getting a feel of the sand, she enjoyed it so much and we want to take them back this fall.

Sam and Blake feeding the seagulls. Totally kay-osk (sp)

Blake and Seth having a great time.

Blake at sunset in Ruskin, Florida.

FREE FOOD

Today only, get a FREE roast chicken club with any soft drink purchase. I know what I'm having for lunch today. You just have to ask for the deal and you might want to call to see if your Arby's is participating.

Tippy Tuesday

When making an ice cream cone put a miniture marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to absorb the melting ice cream and help prevent drips, who knows, the kids might be surprised when they get to the bottom and see a marshmallow!

Today is #21 in Anniversary YEARS.

More to come later, I am off to shop today:-)
Today has been nice, but very crazy; let me share it with you:

We wake up to the radio playing "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon, I comment, "Oh, what a lovely song to wake up to on our anniversary".

A bit later I went in to check my email and Sam had sent me an ecard, how nice! I then responded back.

While packing his lunch, I decide to use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the center of his sandwich. I put it in a snack cup by itself, his co-worker noticed he was missing the center.


While up at the computer scanning a wedding photo I see a delivery van pull in (flowers)...oh, and they smell so heavenly; I thought...then I said to myself, I don't know what Heaven smells like so I can't compare them to Heaven. I closed up the windows to capture all the fragrance I could possible muster out of these amazing flowers. When I got home from shopping my house smelled like a florist. (good)



The Schwans guy was coming today and I had plans to meet a friend and go to a new Premium Outlet Mall. I write my note to him, put coolers filled with ice out on the porch and speak to my neighbor about grabbing my food, if she sees it delivered. I get home a minute after he pulls away, she was already on the porch, how lucky was that!? The ice cubes that got spilled on the porch were not even melted much!

The trip to the shopping center was a crazy fiasco mess, road construction, heavy shopping traffic= just not a good mixture.

We met at Tim Horton's and I had a chicken salad sandwich and it was tasty, I'll be back.

Then onto the shopping center,lines were LONG, but bargains were great! Just one Yankee candle was $7.00 off a regular store price, I got 50%-60% off Carters brand clothes for the grand kids, (fall colors and style). This bib would be great for Harper, but I bought it for Jayde's birthday in October. I guess I had green on my mind. But I was thinking, Blake and Jayde would look fab in a photo shoot with their matching colors. Good luck with that idea, I know:-( Not so bad for Jayde, I don't know what will happen with Blake, he's very good in front of our camera, it's when he gets to the studio he turns to Mr. Unco-operative!

Back to the Schwans food, I take one item out of the carton to conserve freezer space and the plastic dish is cracked, therefore the cellophane is loose, I call em back and he brings me a new one, (he was still in the area).

2 days ago, I volunteer to watch Jayde for VBS Thursday night (since Sam doesn't want to miss VBS) we are going out to eat later in the week, I'm sure. My son-in-law was supposed to mow his dads yard for him tonight so I was keeping Jayde.

Jennifer calls and says Jim is not mowing after all tonight, he will watch Jayde instead. I quickly call Sam and tell him we could go out to dinner after all, *IF* he really wanted to change his mind, he said na, we'll go Saturday. He was picking up fast food for our dinner tonight.

I get to church and was not planning to say since I had originally planned to just bring Jayde back to my house and hang out, I end up staying, was bored but hung out anyway kitchen duty was light and mostly done early.

We get home from VBS to the house still smelling so sweet. Sam takes a bunch of pictures with me and my flowers. I'm holding up a 2 and a 1 for 21 years!

It was long, long day and at times very crazy, so hectic, I only had 2 hrs. of down time and had to finish this post on Friday.

Big VBS Week at Our Church

Pictures from Monday night, Jayde is sporting a crown like Esther. She was too cute, walking around the entire church pointing at her crown, smiling when they all told her she was a princess. This is the youngest group, which she is still too young but she had her gramma (me) for her own personal chaperone. She was well behaved and enjoyed being in with the "big kids"

Joel, making some sort of art project.

me and Jayde watching Blake make his project.

Another view of it.

Look how excited the children are, they're doing the hand motions and singing.

Making a noise maker!

This was a community project, they had chex cereal, tootsie rolls, pretzels, nuts, M & M's they scooped into bags for the firemen, because we appreciate our community leaders.

I can't wait to see what tonight has in for us. I'm sure it will be fun, whatever it is.