Tues. News ~ Hummingbirds

I recently got a new camera, and used my 75-300 mm lens to snap this shot in our back yard! I plan to go outside this afternoon and try to capture some more images of hummingbirds! Hiding under our mulberry bush is the perfect spot to get photos like this one!

Did I mention, I absolutely LOVE hummingbirds! They are so beautiful and so interesting to watch. I got a hummingbird feeder last year, but was not able to really attract them because the season was off and the feeder's location was kind of hidden. This year, I was determined to set up my feeder in a way that will actually attract the hummingbirds! I purchased a shepherd's hook-style plant hanger, and used that to hang my hummingbird feeder in the left side of our flowerbeds in the back yard. We have had lots of hummingbirds this year and I have been so happy to see them! I make the nectar for them to drink, and it is very easy to do! You just put 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. So 1 cup of sugar for 4 cups of water. I boil the water, then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Then I chill it in the refrigerator. When it is really hot, you have to change the nectar out of the feeder every day or two, because it will go bad. The solution keeps in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

I will soon need to put the feeder away, however, because they need to migrate south to warmer climates or the winter will kill them.

I am already looking forward to feeding them again next year!

Tues. News ~ Little boy . . . Little fish

Is he a boy . . . is he a fish? It's hard to tell when our son gets in the pool!

Watching him swim and explore the pool has been one of my favorite memories from this summer. The first time I took him to the pool this season was with his two best buddies Amelia and Connor! Isaac has never been afraid of the water, and laughed and giggled last year when I took him swimming at our friend's pool. He was about six months old back then, and now he's 18 months! I didn't know what to expect, and so when Isaac took a dip under the water and came up laughing and excited, I was very surprised! Then he broke free from my hand, and went completely under with a kind of belly flop-like dive. Keep in mind, it's only about 1 foot of water, but I was still really amazed. He loves the water and wants to go swimming ever chance he gets. He's definitely part boy, part fish! The other day, he found one of his swimmy diapers in the diaper bag and followed me around the house saying "swimming, swimming, swimming"! I didn't have time to go that day, but we went with Daddy over the weekend, and he didn't want to leave. He even tried jumping (or scooting) off the edge of the pool into Daddy's arms, which he watched his neighbor friend, Thomas doing! I'm taking him to the pool later today! Gotta get into that refreshing pool while we can, because the season is drawing to an end as the start of another school year is around the corner. But that's another story for another day!

Tues. News ~ Then . . . and . . . Now

I was recently back home in Kentucky where I grew up. We stopped by the little elementary school where I went to school for nine years! It was so fun to see this place where I made so many memories! So, so much has changed there, but there are also many objects and scenes that are the same and oh, so familiar!

I took a photo with my son, Isaac, because I remembered taking a photo in that same spot with my favorite doll! The "Then" photo was taken when I was 4 years old. I was not even a student at the school yet, but we were probably there for an event or to pick my big brother up from school. At that time I couldn't really imagine being a Mommy, although I loved to play with my dolls! Now, I am a Mommy to a "real doll"! God willing, there will be so, so many more memories to make with my "real family"!

Tues. News ~ Brand new . . . gorgeous faucets!

Gorgeous, isn't it!? This is the new look in our master bedroom bathroom!

This is the old one. . . err . . . ummm . . . err . . . not sure what to say . . .

Before . . . This is what the old faucet looked like. One of them was leaking, and couldn't be fixed. My husband is really, really good at fixing things around the house, so he took on the challenge of replacing both of our faucets in the master bedroom bathroom! I am so happy with the results! Gorgeous, just gorgeous!

After our baby boy, Isaac, watched his Daddy replacing the faucets, he decided to try to do some work under one of my kitchen cabinets. He removed a bunch of my stuff, mostly picnic supplies, and then tried to lean back like he had seen Daddy doing! There is a small shelf in there, so he couldn't really do it, but he sure did try!

He likes to hang out under this cabinet, but recently I did an overhaul and completely reorganized all the picnic supplies, so now he really can't get in there very easily. Now he's on to other adventures, like climbing up on our bed without help! It's a tall bed, too! What's next!?

Tues. News ~ A Baby Shower

I just love baby showers, and help organize them for my friends whenever I can!
Aren't these the cutest cupcakes ever!?

We just had a baby shower for our friends, Brent and Dee! It was great fun!

I came up with this little rhyme for the favors. Notice the mints . . .

And the Hershey's Hugs and Kisses! :-)

Congratulations to our friends . . . we can't wait to meet baby Caleb!