It May Already Be...May...

Oh good grief - it is Monday again. Where is time going?? I feel like this year is just whipping by at a dizzying fast pace. Wasn't it just January? These past few months have definitely brought to mind a quote I read somewhere about not being certain whether life is trying to pass me by or run me over. Granted, I'm looking forward to seeing my little sister in just 8 days, so I don't mind if the next 8 days pass too quickly; as long as the 5 days after that pass slowly. I'm sure they won't.

Looking at my calendar last week to realize that Lindsey will be here sooner than I thought. Hooray!

I didn't want to cook Monday night, but then I remembered Sour Cream Chile Chicken Enchiladas & suddenly I didn't mind cooking. So delicious.

As I've mentioned, I love getting mail. My wonderful parents send me mail pretty frequently, often when I check the mail at the end of the day I'll find a nice little card from my Mom. Some days those simple words of love & encouragement are just what I need. Happily, my parents also send me boxes. You see, since Lindsey went to school almost a thousand miles away, my Mom started sending her goodie boxes just because she loves her. I remember whining (yep, shocker...I can whine when I want to) about how I'd never gotten boxes when I was away at USM and my Mom explained that I went to school only 90 minutes away and so when I wanted or needed something I just came home to get it. Well - then my parents moved hundreds of miles away and suddenly I am reaping the benefits of getting boxes in the mail. I guess that is one of the positives of living far away from your parents. Granted, it is a very small positive but you've got to take what you can get, right?

Love, via the mail. Thanks wonderful parents!

My box was filled with wonderful owl filled stuff - now my yard is so colorful & hootie! I love it guys! Thanks!

The other thing in my box - Route 11 chips! Made in VA, about 30 minutes from my parent's house. Seriously, the best chips I've ever eaten. Google them. They've got a website & you can order chips. Delicious.

Gardening - it isn't something that I ever thought I'd be particularly good at, but as I told my Mom the other day; my thumb isn't full on green but maybe it's mint green. I'm getting to be pretty good at this whole digging in the dirt, spreading seeds and growing little blooms. So...with that said, here's a little story for you.

When we lived in our house, my parents were always outside gardening, planting and keeping the yard landscaped. We had flowers, bushes, little trees and even blueberry bushes - fast forward to the Spring of 2011 when my parents moved and sold the house. The couple that bought our house aren't really into planting and gardening, so they removed all the plants from the yard; except for the red Amaryllis that were growing on the side of the house. When they started to bloom last April, I remembered that the new neighbors had uprooted all the other plants and I immediately seized on the moment and ran next door to ask if I could please have the flowers as opposed to them just being uprooted and trashed. I was told yes and so when my Dad came to visit the next weekend, as part of the yard work we did, I took my bucket and trowel, carefully scooped out the flowers; bulbs and all and carried them back across the yard to be planted.

My Dad and my Uncle were quite convinced that they wouldn't grow in the soil that I planted them in - but no matter; I planted them, watered them and just prayed that when Spring came again there would be blooms. I should mention, these are hard fought for flowers; the day that I planted them was the same day that I got bit by a tick and managed to get Lyme disease. So yeah, I was really hoping that the flowers would bloom. About a month ago, I began to notice that it was looking like my hopes of my flowers blooming would be a reality. I watched them carefully as the weeks passed and to my extreme joy - they bloomed! Granted, I planted about 6 of them and so far only one has bloomed but I still consider that a victory. So, green thumb? Maybe not completely. Mint green thumb? I've got that!

One of the four flowers on the bloom....

Two of the four spreading out their petals - yahoo!

I've created a monster - he lays on MY bed & then when I sit down, he gets irritated. Geez.

Rain - oh my geez. I woke up on Wednesday morning and I could hear the rain just pouring on the roof. It proceeded to rain until Friday night. Yes, it was on and off at times, but it was a wet rest of the week here in MS and by Friday, after I'd dragged myself into the house in a torrential downpour and had to strip off my sodden clothes on the doormat; (the joys of living in the country; no neighbors to see when you strip to your underwear right inside the door, ha-ha!) suffice it so say, I was ready for the rain to end.

My view on Wednesday morning - it had only just begun & already my porch steps looked like dock steps...

Not the forecast I really wanted to see. Blegh.

One of the joys of having a dog - they need to go out for walks, even in the rain.

Rainy Wednesday afternoon walk....

Rain does seem to make everything look a little more colorful. The trees looked especially green...

Seriously - too much rain. When your whole rain boot is covered in water...not cool.

Thursday boredom - I'm a Lannister! Granted, I took two more quizzes & I was also a Stark & a Tully....

Lunch on Thursday with my wonderful "oldest" best friend. So glad to see her, even if she's only here for a month!

The bed stealing monster, at it again.

So - this should be stated; I'm a huge nerd. I think we've discussed this. I love books so very much. I know tablets are the way things are going right now and that's all well and good, but I need my books. There is just something about the way a book smells; the ink of the pages, the sound that pages make when you turn them, the way the pages feel between your fingers. I think libraries and book stores have one of the best smells ever. Again - I'm a nerd. And I'm totally okay with that.

I originally read this on my tablet - had no clue it was so huge. The bag left marks on my arm just carrying it to my car from Books A Million. Good grief.

The rain on Friday. Seriously - will it never stop?

House Lannister - seriously. I love it.

Watson's Friday night movie watching position - he was engrossed in Star Trek.

This face on my mug, he doesn't look like a kind face. He's up to something.

THE SUN! The glorious sunshine that finally came out on Saturday. I've never been so glad to see the sun.

My flowers were pretty happy to see the sun too - all four of them!

Hot chocolate on Saturday night. I wanted coffee but I didn't have any decaf. *sigh*

I went through my hope chest on Saturday night - found a calendar from high school. I think I decorated this thing a little bit too much. Yikes.

Sunday was wonderful because we only had one service and so that I meant I got to sleep in later than usual. When I woke up at 8:15 and still didn't have to get out of the bed; it was so great that I wasn't sure what to do with myself. We also had a precious new baby at church and I love getting to snuggle new little babies at church. I do love my job as the nursery coordinator; if for no other reason than that I love sweet little children and love spending time with them.

The newest baby at church - I think he likes me already, look at that grin!

My sweet Graham - we always have such fun together.

Miss Ruby Kate - such a precious little lady.

Silly Graham - Ruby & I couldn't get him to smile for anything. Like I told Ruby; boys are just silly like that.

Soaking up some Sunday afternoon sunshine on the porch.

I have such a smart dog - he knows that when it is chilly, the place to be is in front of the heater.

Nerd alert - even without the dust cover, the book is pretty.

And there are maps on the inside; maps so detailed that I could look at them for a good long while...