Tasty Lightbulb

Is it bad to let your baby suck on a light bulb? Maybe.

Can one hate a Butterfly?

The above picture is what is left of my luxurious green bell pepper plant!! This summer I decided I was going to try and grow some vegetables in pots a 2nd time. I tried last summer, but when it started to get really hot and I started to get really big (I was pregnant) my plants sort of.......well, died. In fact when Oliver was born and my parents came to visit my Mom asked me one day if she could get rid of the nasty shriveled up plants that were my garden because she didn't want to look out the window and see them anymore. So this summer I thought I could give it another shot. I planted 2 tomato plants and one green pepper. I babied these plants, I watched and watered them. Then one day I had this beautiful green pepper growing. The excitement!! Then I had a few tomatoes coming on! All Right!! Then I missed a few days of watering and I hadn't been out on our back porch, but I thought it would be alright since it had been really muggy and overcast. I went out to admire my almost ready bell pepper. There she was, a beauty to behold. But wait, what is that? I looked closer at the pepper and there was a huge hole in it! I put my hand on it and it came right off, I turned it over and there was a HUGE caterpillar. Pictured below.


I say Huge because it had eaten over half of the green pepper I had slaved over all summer long! Then I noticed that all the leaves on the entire plant except one tiny one were completely gone. Eaten. I was devastated. Okay maybe not devastated, but really bummed. But I'm sure all will be glad to hear that I put aside my anger and I took the caterpillar and the remnants of my bell pepper to the forest and placed it on some other plants so hopefully it will turn into a wonderful butterfly someday! The other sad thing is that a few of my tomatoes were ripe, but they ended up not tasting very good. I guess I haven't mastered the art of gardening in pots yet.

Some random pics

Oliver and Mom

Playing in the dirt

Can I Eat this?

Baby Budda

Enjoying Life!

Walking is Fun

What's that?

Going to the pool! (Below)

Why me?

I just had to sit on the back row. Sure everyone tells you to sit on the front row because you will pay better attention and get more out of the class, but no- I had to sit in the back. Now I wish I had sat in the front. It was my first week back in Relief Society after basically a 2 year reprieve in Young Women's. Oliver was fussy so I thought I would sit in the back and he could play on the floor. Dream on! All he wanted to do was crawl up to the cart with the hymn books and bang on it. So there I am sitting in the back row minding my own business, I look over and BAM!!!!! Lady nursing her baby. No cover up, not even trying to be modest about it. The doors to the classroom are totally open with all the men loitering out in the hall waiting for their classroom. I was shocked. But she is kind of a strange lady anyway so I just ignored it. Then a while later I look that way again and what?? Now she is changing her baby's diaper right there on her lap!! What in the world? Then the girl next to me just starts nursing her baby! (again with no cover up.) What is going on here? Doesn't anyone know where the Mother's Lounge is???? Is it that hard to get up? I mean even if they would just cover up or something that would be okay I guess. Am I just being sensitive or is this just crazy? I mean the person next to diaper lady is trying to make this spiritual point and there she is changing her baby's diaper, which frankly no one wants to see. I mean what is going on here? And the woman nursing next to me, the baby is slurping so loud I can hardly hear the teacher! Needless to say, I will not be sitting on the back row anymore and it made me miss Young Women's!

It's a Mr. Rogers kind of day in our Nieghborhood

It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear,
It's not the way you do your hair--
But it's you I like
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you--
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys--
They're just beside you.

But it's you I like--
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself,
It's you, it's you I like.

Don't you just love Mr. Rogers?!

Our 4th of July!!

Last year on the 4th of July it was very hot and I was VERY pregnant, so we didn't get to go to the 4th of July parade. So this year we were all geared up to go to the BIG parade here in town. Unfortunately Oliver ended up taking a nap during the parade time so we missed it. However, we were not to be discouraged, we would have our 4th of July parade, do or die. Zack saw that a small neighboring town named Tallapoosa was having a parade later in the day. And it was on! We went to said town, which was very small, basically a few stores in the old downtown, not that there is a new downtown, and a few houses, but what followed once we arrived was nothing short of spectacular, patriotic if you will! We found that the 4th of July can be fun indeed while in the south! What was so great about this southern 4th of July? Let me tell you:


1. It started out with a bang at the local dive BURGER CHICK!! Zack kept trying to telling me that it was suppose to be Burger Chic, but I knew better-- it was Burger CHICK all the way! Zack only gave them a 8 out of 10 stars because the drink he got had about a 2 to 10 ratio of drink to ice, one slurp and it was gone. They did however have some pretty tasty chicken fingers that came along with a totally smushed roll. Mmmm....now that's what I call tasty vittles. But we did get to watch all the locals gear up for the big parade while eating.


And then Oliver got to be taxied around while waiting for the parade.




2. We were standing next to this crazy guy that was missing his 4 top front teeth, and some others I'm sure!! He was great a little local flavor. We chit chatted a little with him while waiting for the parade. No photo here as that might have been a touch tacky. Southern gentleman? enough said.




3. The parade begins with--The Rebel Band! Oh yeah. No high school band for this town. It's all about the REBEL BAND!! Sure they played the typical patriot songs, but I could detect a note of Confederate rebellion in those horns. I was surprised at this parade since there was no clapping or cheering of any sort. People were just standing there watching. Blank faces. Children running after the thrown candy apparently on mute, and Oliver trying to step on the other children's candy, as seen in picture above. So the usual army truck with troops, the Mayor, city council, the local church (handing out refreshing bottled water I might add,) all go by and there is nothing except the sound of Shannon cheering, whistling, and clapping. But then.....



4. The Sons of the Confederate. You better believe people started clapping and cheering then!! The cannon was pretty cool I have to admit. And wait, is that Santa Claus? Was anyone else aware of his affiliation with the Confederates? You think you know someone. After this point in the parade there was again no cheering or clapping until.....



5. The Confederate flag dune buggy. But this was no ordinary confederate flag, no no, this flag had the words "GET 'ER DONE" printed right on it! Wow now that's awesome. Not much else to say except this could quite possibly be my favorite portion of the parade. (Unfortunately the words couldn't be seen in the picture.) After this the parade sort of took a slide to just your regular cars and some people riding horses. But all in all it was a great parade. I know we sure enjoyed it, and I wouldn't be surprised if the south did rise again!



Oliver's feelings? Confederate Rebels Rock!!

Peek-a-boo

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!