Slip and Slide

So yesterday a friend of mine hosted a play date. It was hotter than blue blazes yesterday so she got out the 'ol childhood favorite.....The Slip and Slide.   You know you enjoyed this fun run-as-fast-as-you-can-and-dive-down into the slide to get the maximum push you needed to make that big splash.
I shot a couple photos of the kids having fun. I wish I could show you the pics of us Mom's makin' a run but none of the kids knew how to use the camera..........sorry.

                                          I also took a few snaps from our hostess's garden. Her flowers are so purdy.
                                           

 

We also enjoyed some snacks and some cold refreshing beverages

Oh wait...Ha! You weren't supposed to see this. 

What do you do to keep cool?

Looks like the Midwest is getttin' a heat wave today. Stay safe all :)

I love to watch things grow......

I think I over posted pictures on my Facebook page yesterday. I was on a roll and couldn't stop. For instance, this little guy here.....I think I threw this up like 2-3 times? Something  like that. ( I know, right?)

We grew our first garden this year.....wait, I can't even say WE. My husband did. I can't grow anything to save my life. I have a brown thumb. But when he asked what I wanted, one of the things non-food I wanted was a nice fat juicy Sunflower. I love them. They are so summer-ey. Look at it. They are so happy looking. It's like it's saying "Look at me. I am happy.....Happy times.....happy happy."  This little guy opened up over night. Did you know Sunflowers can grow up to like 6" overnight? It's true. We measured one morning after we woke up to go check and did the " What the hells?!!"  Anyway. I think they are my favorite flower.

I love to watch things grow. It's fun and we now plan to plant a garden every year and hope to get better and better at it and know that the sam -heck we (I)  are doing.  I love to water and care for it. Like taking care of little babies.....ok, maybe not.

So anyway...here are a few snippets ( pictures) of some of the things in our garden.

                                          The day we  ( my husband) planted it.

                                           Things are a growin'        

                                                        We planted 2 pumpkins and oh my
                                                         goodness, there's like 22 or more
                                                         flowers that blossomed....what are
                                                         we gonna do with that many?!!!

                                             I love love love fresh cilantro.

Our garden is growing big time now. I will post our bountiful Harvest soon.  

Have a great day :)

My little Model

Sometimes I wonder when people see the pics I post on Facebook or on my Blog, are they thinking "She sure takes a lot of pictures of her little girl, but hardly of her other kids".   Oh I wish my others would let me but it's like pullin' teeth. I beg, plead and even try and bribe and they usually run.  It must be a girl thing because none of the boys ever willingly let me photograph them.  This is the most recent pic taken on our weekend away in Clear Lake. It was on the steps at a Brewery owned by some friend's of ours we were checking out.

I love goofy faces. I will take anything I can get. But I think pics like this show personality and how much fun life can be.

Oh, and there is this one I posted on my Facebook last week.

I already have both these framed and setting out on shelves in our home. I am one of those people and can't stand it and go dartin' to unload the memory card once you are home and edit and upload to a photo processing site to be printed.  ( You know I am not the only one)  Anyway, I want to get this picture of the kids sitting on a boat doc on a gallery wrap but am looking for the best deal and trying to decide what size I want. I have never done a gallery wrap before but a few of my friends have and they look awesome!

Anyway. Abby my 4 yr old is my little poser/model and I just LOVE taking fun goofy pics of her.

Here's a few more to enjoy on this rainy day for all my Iowa peeps :)

Laura

A day at the beach.........

A few snippets from our outing at Lake Macbride on the 4th of July..... beautiful weather.
                            

                                                I love sailboats.
          

 
                  

                                                         I love Abby's hair. People pay for this color in salons :)

                                                          Do you see Mommy?

            
                                                         How did you celebrate the 4th?

Summer Fun

 feet in the sand in Clear Lake

typical Abby :)

 Has that Gilligan's Island feel doesn't it?

 A friend of ours Brewery we stopped by this past weekend in Clear Lake. Worth a visit.

 These have pretty much taken over our back yard.

 Pool time with friends

 Flooding last month in Iowa City ( Dubuque St)

So I have been off the grid for a while. I decided I need to get back into Blogging.  I won't get into a 14 page jibber jabber session or anything. I just wanted to post a few pics I've taken (out of the 274628 trillion million I took with my camera) that I kinda thought you would enjoy. I have been tinkerin' around with my photography a little and really enjoy it.  It IS true what they say....take a camera wherever you go. There is ALWAYS something to photograph. :) 
How is your summer going?

Laura

T.G.I.F.

I really do not have much to jabber about today....so I thought I would just throw in a photo.  I am going for the instagram look.  I love that ap and I wish I had a iphone for just that purpose...  anyway,  I just grabbed a photo from my files and picked this picture. I think this picture was taken near the Cedar Rapids airport.

Have a great weekend!
Till next time....
Laura

Well here it is! The original Post. I thought I lost it

So, I have been working on my blog and tinkerin' around trying to change it and make it pop but I am just not there yet.  I also now have 2 blogs going. ( my recipe site.) I want you to check it out, but I now need to figure out a way to put a link on THIS one to send you to the other one. sheesh. I literally have been driving myself crazy with all this. I have no clue how all this works. I am computer illiterate. I can sit for hours and hours trying to figure all this out and I get so frustrated I end up cussin' like a sailor at the computer and then I am salty the rest of the day.     So anyway, last night my husband in a nice quiet hushed tone politely says to me in a tone one would use to talk to a 6 year old.. ( he will enjoy reading this) ." Ok, now I think you really need to work on your time management...and setting limits on your time on the computer....every time I come home  your sittin on it doing whatever"    Ok.... maybe he's right.......somewhat.   I do spend a lot of time on the computer, but lately it has been to get my Blogs polished up and work on photo editing...and sometimes it takes me a while.   But I also set a timer and it will tell me when to get off and I usually do......ok..."sometimes" I re-set the timer when it goes off but that's not the point.   I DO also do things with the kids, make sure the house is clean ( ok, usually 89% of the time) and dinner is on the table. ( ok so last night got away from me and it ended up being a frozen pizza night.)  Oh..who are we kidding. I am a junkie. But I think for the most part I balance it out pretty good. I enjoy photography, editing and blogging and connection with friends on FB during the day to get adult conversation.   So who am I convincing here? You all or myself? ha! I have no clue. anyway, please tell me sometimes you all do this.  What are your guilty pleasures? I wanna know.  :)  

ok, I am going to boot down the computer now ( a.k.a the anti-Christ ha ha) and get some things done and play with my kiddos. 

Till next time :)

Laura