A Week Later

Wooo! Busy week. Working-Playing-Living...

The kids have had a relaxing summer so far...taking time to get back in touch with themselves...like they need that! Claire keeps her nose in her books and Gabe has taken to watching the cooking channel...It's bad enough that he is a big kid and we can not keep up with his appetite demands...You know how hungry watching that channel makes you...Last week he painstakingly wrote down the directions for Cinnamon rolls...he worked so hard writing it all down that I couldn't say no even after a long day...

We did it together-mainly him though...he followed my directions and I deciphered his...

Starting to look real good-two hours after we started...

They turned out wonderful! We're keeping this recipe!

This morning, on our way out the door for church...Claire caught the morning light and the colors glowed...

Here she is outside through the door goofing around... It's a bit overexposed but still looked pretty...

Look at this cute little guy...I know every week I show you my frogs and toads...but just look at him...

Now this is a first-your treat for the week...It is ever busy "Mister "M" relaxing... either that or he is holding up the shed... still arrayed in his attractive "work'n clothes"...

Have a great week and many blessings...

Mary

Sunday Afternoon

What a beautiful Sunday Afternoon! A perfect family day...The sun was shining...every thing was glistening and green...and all here on Cottonwood Creek were well and enjoying the day.

Mister "M's" oldest brother (that has been three of them so far this summer) the ever so delightful Mister "G" and his wife "Miss Daisy" were here from the deep South for a visit. "Yall come back now-hear..." . The uncommonly cool days were, we are sure, the reason for Miss Daisy's cold, and when she was not freezing and cuddling with Bindi loo - who just loves Aunt Daisy...she and the "overseer" were monitoring the perimeter of the property on the Golf Cart.




The ever so industrious Mister "M" was , as usual , hard at work planting grass and dropping the seed when the ducks were not watching...They were focusing on not getting run over by Miss Dasiy...





Meanwhile, Gabe Gabe and Teddy Boo went for a dip...believe me he is not a happy Teddy Boo!

I just think this is so cute...the frogs love hanging out under the boat...at one point there were 11 of them sticking their little heads out...

Claire can't go anywhere without all the animals following her...They all love Claire...either that or she is up to something ...maybe Mom should start following Claire too...

Got them together for a brother-sister shot...brave, simple, trusting Claire - going by gabe in the pool...

Hope your weekend was just as great...until next time...Blessings

Mary

A week in Pictures

First, you may have noticed that the name of my blog has been changed...Actually, I always meant to have it Cottowood Creek Journal, but I got a little confused when I started...I am all better now...Not sure how this messes things up, but I am bound to find out soon...

This week was a week of catching up: catching up on sleep, catching up on work, and catching up on play...

It was a beautiful day on Cottonwood Creek, and Claire was off to capture a little nature...

We really do love our frogs and toads... This year we had a bumper crop due to a hard winter, which killed off the larger bass in the pond.

If you let Mister "M" outside, he will find something to do...I found him up on the roof cleaning out the gutters. That's where he found the little tree frog above...I wonder what would happen if I got him a change of clothes? Maybe I will try dressing him up in a little "relaxation" ensemble... see what happens then...

next, the trees needed a little trimming...

These little chores are not on the honey do list...

Here he stands triumphantly looking over his handy work...

Busy at work this week and planning on school shopping next weekend...Yes, school is right around the corner...seems like I was just whining about the long winter and now look , it's almost here again...

Life goes on, doesn't it...I am just trying to keep up. Until next time, blessings to you and yours

Mary

Festival Weekend

I have been chairing, along with my good friend, a craft-homemade items ... room at our church's yearly festival for about 11 years now...It has been a whole lotta work and a whole lotta fun...this was our last year chairing the room. In the past, we, my partner or I, come up with an idea. We draw it out and give the pattern to the Very Skilled and Masterful Norm-like Mister "M", and he gets to work. He cuts it out, sands it, and prepares it (them) for us to paint...You can go back to earlier posts to see the progression of some of this year's things. Here are some pics of this years offerings...

Yes, I bake most of the snacks...as always my partner in this venture makes some wonderful peanut brittle...and generous members of our parish community always bring in some more goodies to sell...

It takes about a week to set it all up and a couple of excruciating hours to take it all down and pack it away for next year...I'd take the set-up to the tear down any day...by the end of the weekend, we are exhausted!

Here is Claire helping to set up the room...

Teddy is just as helpful...

Claire is beckoned by the sound of loudly quacking - hungry ducks who do not care that we are all out-of-our-minds busy with festival...here they are at the back door... come to call on Claire to get a move on...

Thankfully, I have recuperated from the weekend...I'm ready to enjoy the rest of the summer!

Until next time...Blessings to you an yours...

Mary

Worn Out From Vacation

This was the big get-a-way for the summer...we set up camp about an hour away from home so the "dedicated to his job-especially in this economy Mister "M"" could come out every night yet go to work every morning. I spent the week with 4 teenagers (3 of which were girls and 1 was a Gabe) and 3 dogs (who aren't used to being treated like dogs) and lots of dirt. I had hoped to get more reading done...never enough time for that you know. Still all in all we had a good time. Above the "very useful Mister "M" put up the girl's tent.

This is a view of the reading chair.

And this is a shot of the camp boss...the vacationing, older brother to the younger Mister "M", much more talkative-yet very informative and amusing "West Coast Mister "M"--Yes, I know it is confusing, but when you are around them long enough you learn to tell them apart...When the west coast Mister M visits, he is always accompanied by my chum and sister-in-law, the fun and much thinner (I might add) Mrs "D". We loved having them here as always. They reported having had an especially relaxing trip this time and were rearing to get back home to jump back into their lives...

Teddy boo is in revolt! He hated the chain and was very sassy by the end of the week-picking up all the other campground dogs' bad behavior...here he is sporting the wild look...

"If I am to be treated like a dog, I might as well look like a mean one!"

Gabe the cave explorer...

Gabe the rock collector...

Claire on the beach-where she and her friends spent much of their time-I don't blame them...it was a beautiful week and the lake was glorious and refreshing.

Gabe the beach bum...

Proof that I was actually on the beach this summer...

Here is Claire taking taking down her tent.

I had hoped to miss fish fly season this year but this little guy waited for me to come home to remind me that I would not be that Lucky...oh well they never bothered me that much.

This week is a busy one...It is Festival Time...more on that next week-until then...blessings and kind thoughts

Mary