Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor

I try, but it's really hard. My neighbor has these pretty vine flowers on their deck. I have no idea what they are so I just look at them when I'm outside and sigh. I would love some of these, but I never see my neighbor and oddly enough, I don't talk to him either. I guess I'll just have to enjoy them from afar. Unless any of you know what they are and want to enlighten me. :)

A little thank you for my husband

A few years ago, my husband and I got the bright idea to put in a retaining wall. Having no experience didn't stop us. We had money to spend and time to kill. Unfortunately, it takes a bit more than a willingness to make your home pretty to take on such a task. You have to promise not to intentionally maim each other because one person's idea is not the same as the other person's idea. Eight hours after beginning our adventure in 90 degree weather, we had two grumpy people and a stack of bricks in our front yard. And that's exactly how it stayed for 5 years.

Scott decided on his vacation (yes, I know...who does crap like that on vacation??) that he was going to redo the retaining wall correctly. I moaned, I whined, I complained because I was left in the house with three fussy kids that watched him from the window for the entire week. Ugh! I thought for sure he had no idea what he was doing and I rolled my eyes pretty much any time he asked my opinion. I have my days. :)


I have been pleasantly surprised by my husband's ability to do things he's never done before and actually do a good job. I need to have more faith in him. He's actually pretty darn handy around the house. He even bought some flowers and a Japanese Maple tree to spruce things up. Don't ask about the first batch of flowers. Uh hum......dead.


BTW, isn't that one honkin' hosta?? That thing has been split several times and it's taking over the landscaping again!

Anyway, thanks sweetie. You did a great job and I'm very proud of you. :)

It's all about the flowers

It is not my intention to photograph flowers. I really do want to take more pictures of my children. However, on the weekends, I have very little time to sit with my camera since I'm at work or sleeping. During my down time, it's easy for me to run up to a nurses' station and snap some shots of the bouquets left behind by patients. I'm always amazed at the beautiful arrangements that are discarded when a new mom leaves the hospital. It's probably for the best. They're more enamored by their newborn than a pretty flower, I guess. I know I was. I still am, actually. So much so that I tend to forget to pull out the camera or I'm just too slow to capture the moment. Maybe one day I'll get faster or they'll slow down. Something tells me neither will happen any time soon.

Dreaming of Spring

A large bouquet of flowers sat at the nurse's station all night. Everytime I passed the flowers, their fragrance would drift and follow me down the hall. When I had a moment, I took out my camera and snapped some shots. Their colors were so vibrant. It reminded me of early spring when you see the first blooms of the season. I wish I could feel some of that warmth now. It's just too dang cold, windy, and icy. Blech!!

Figaro figaro

My son has always loved bath time. He would play forever and actually cry when it was time to get out. It's a bedtime routine that I have enjoyed for over a year. Just recently, he has discovered that showers are quite fun as well. While he's catching water in his mouth, I love how this shot looks like he's singing in the shower. And quite dramatically. My future opera singer.

This time of year, poinsettas are the flower of choice. Because we were married in December, they were used as decoration in the church where we exchanged our vows. I noticed today that they are scattered throughout the units at the hospital. Some are quite pretty while others appear very neglected. During some down time, I took a moment to look a bit more closely at them.

My badge is the most important fashion accessory at work. I have to have it to get into the parking garage, the walkway, the stairwell, the elevator, the nursery, the medication room, even the linen closet. It tells the world that I belong here. I have the right to exist in this hospital. My last name is hidden to keep the crazies away. I keep a picture of my children on it so when anyone asks if I have children, I can whip out their pictures. It doesn't matter that the pictures are from when Colton turned 1 and when the girls were 7 weeks old. No one knows any better, except me. I really do need to update those pictures.