Okay, better late than never...

we finally got the portable basketball put together. We started it about 5 days ago but got busy with some things and didn't finish it. It was a little harder than I thought it was going to be but aren't they always. The directions never say that you will need 3 or 4 people to help hold this and that and I only had one part left...lol...I really did have one left over but I don't have a clue where it goes. I told Tyler that I hope it doesn't come tumbling down.Tyler making a goofy face at me. He's just glad we got it put together so he can shoot some hoops. I think he was impressed that he and I could assemble it by ourselves.
Here's another card I made and put in my etsy shop. I think it turned out cute!
And another one.
Tomorrow is the last day of basketball camp for the little guys (1st-4th grades). Talk about tiring, I was chasing kids all over that gym...lol. I know why the parents sent them to camp now, they were ready for a little break. Everyone have a happy Friday!

Karen~

Good Things...

like fresh strawberries. We have quite a few strawberry patches in this area, so if you like berries...you can eat them til your hearts content. They are in season around a month or so. Does anyone use Philosophy's Amazing Grace? I do, I love it! This was a gift from a friend for my birthday that was earlier in the month. I forgot all about it til I found it in the trunk of my car. Great fragrance!
Here are a few cards that I made a few days ago and put in my etsy shop. I love the dog and cat, too cute!

Well, I made it through the first day of basketball camp. Man, it was hot and humid. Our gym does not have AC, so it was a little muggy but the kids seem to make it just fine. It was just the adults that looked hot and sweaty...lol. My feet are killing me but just two more days and it is over until next week when we have another one. Surely my feet will be more used to it by then.

Have a great Thursday!

Karen~

Rainy A.M. Tuesday

I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend, we did. Today I went to school and worked a few hours. School is technically out, but I still have a few things due here and there so I will have to work some. Tomorrow we have a basketball camp beginning for grades 1st through 4th. I will run the concession stand for the kids, now doesn't that sound like FUN! I will try to load the kids up on sugar then send them home, parents always love that...*smiles* (Just Kidding).

As you can see, the early morning storms didn't seem to bother Jade...looks like it just made her more sleepy. She has such a rough life!...lol.After a few more hours of napping, looks like she may actually start to wake up. I see that look in her eye, she is wondering why in the heck flashes were going off in her face a few hours earlier.
My mom got some baby chicks, they are so cute!
They are having a good time, chirping and scratching in the hay like they are big chickens.

As a kid, we always had baby chicks and ducks...we have always been animal lovers.

Everyone have a great Wednesday!

Karen~

Fun Friday

Yesterday, I went to Hobby Lobby and found these cute little hanging extenders. They can be used for hanging flowers/plants, bird feeders, or whatever suits your fancy. I actually bought one to give as a gift, now if I can just decide which one to part with. The ladybugs are adorable and it is a little longer than the butterfly extender.
I also found this copper bird feeder, so cute! and it was 50% off...even cuter than before...lol.

Now look close the the photo below the bird feeder. As I was out the yard this morning trying to come up with that "just right" place to hang it, imagine who I ran into?!!! YES, our cat Jade. I think she thinks I got the feeder for her so she can sneak attack all the unsuspecting birds that stop to get a snack.
This post she is sitting on actually looks closer to the bird feeder than it really is so she will have a hard time catching the birds unless she decides to go airborne.
So I bought Jade some catnip so maybe she will be HAPPY and leave the birds alone. She loves the stuff but the dried version has more of an affect on her it seems.
It's been a great day here in Oklahoma but already hot and humid! I hope everyone is having a good Memorial Day weekend!

Karen~

What a Week!

This week has been a busy one, run here and there. We survived our trip to Dallas with 19 8th grade kids. They seemed to have a good time and we know how difficult it can be to please 14 year olds at times. Talk about hot in Texas, I think they said it was a record high on Monday and believe me...it felt like it. We got back last night from Dallas and today had to go pick up my dad at the airport. He has been in Alaska for about 2 months filling in as principal til the end of the school year. Man, was he ready to come home. He couldn't believe how green everything was here in Oklahoma but he had left here during spring break and things were just starting to green up a little. This will tell you how glad he was to be home, he made some statement like...he was looking forward to weedeating...lol. We are all glad to have him home, especially my mom and the grandkids.

Look what I got in the mail today, these are so adorable! I bought them from Cutie Goodie's Etsy Shop. I am going to have to buy more because I can imagine all kinds of projects for these cuties!

HOORAY for David Cook, winner of American Idol. Okay, can you tell I am a little excited about him winning?!!!

Everyone have a great Friday!!

Karen~

Great Weekend

The weekend was so nice, great weather...actually warming up quickly here in Oklahoma. I knew I would complain about the rainy weather enough til, POOF...hot weather is here! Here in a month or so I will probably be wishing for some rain. Okay, has anyone put tried to put together a portable basketball goal? Me neither, til this weekend. But I should say, it isn't completed yet. Look at the photo above. My son and I started it late on Saturday afternoon then got tired after a few hours and never really made the time today to finish it up. I think we are actually on step 19, of 20 steps total. Too bad the illustrations are normally worthless. I won't brag until the last bolt and screw is used and there are no EXTRA pieces...lol.

Stay tuned!

I was so excited to finally try this doggie treat recipe that I found on lilyeden.wordpress.com.Our Corgi, Sissy loved them and so did my mom's dogs. They were really easy to make and actually made quite a few of them. They are so cute in the little bone shapes, I can't wait to share them with my friend who has a couple of little weinie dogs.

Are these not the cutest kittens?!!! My sil is a postal carrier and she gets to know alot of people. I'm sure she sees some animals that aren't taken care of and then those that are loved just like we do our pets. The owner of these little guys wanted to give them away due to allergies. I'm not sure where the mama kitty is, I didn't want to know if something bad had happened. Anyway, needless to say...my mom has all four of these little guys. They are so loving, you wouldn't realize that they have only known us a couple of days.

Well, tomorrow I go to Dallas with a group of 8th grade honor students from my school. My son, Tyler is one of those students...I'm very proud of him. We are taking a good bunch of kids so everyone should have a great time. I need to pack a few more things before I head to bed. Have a great week!

Karen~

Let Summer Break Begin

Well, today was the last day of school for the kids. Talk about crazy, hectic...it was that and more. Of course, I am not finished with all my paperwork but with the kids/teachers gone...it will be easier to get some things finished up. Tomorrow the teachers report to school for a work day but that will wrap up the year for most. I am going on a couple more field trips, a 4-H trip and a trip to Dallas with the honor students from my school. My son qualified for that trip so that will be nice that we both get to go.

A while ago, April shared some info about freebies on her blog. I just wanted to say that some of my goodies have started trickling in. Thanks, April.

Tonight I stamped a few tags and made a couple of simple cards. I have been wanting to do alot more crafting but I have been trying to re-organize my supplies so it's been a pain to dig some of my things out. It is definitely on my to-do list!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Karen~

One More Day of School...HOORAY!

Just one more day of school left for the kids. Teachers will report back on Wednesday for a work day plus I have other things left to complete so I will work some in the summer months (as little as I can get by with). You can tell we are counting down the hours because the kids are more wild by the day...lol...get ready parents! Tomorrow will be a shorter day than normal, an awards assembly mid morning, lunch, then the end of the school day and...the beginning of summer break.

Are these not the cutest cookie cutters you have ever seen? I found them on ebay. The dog cookie cutter is a Corgi and since our Sissy is a Corgi...it was a no brainer. I can't wait to use them, especially since I found a dog treat recipe on http://lilyeden.wordpress.com/ ...thanks.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Karen~

I Survived Graduation

My son Tyler, graduated from 8th grade last Thursday night. During the practice on Thursday, it was quite the waterworks show from some of the kids and a few parents. I knew I would be on the verge of being a little emotional myself, especially when the girls sang a song about friends...a few of them began to cry and I thought "Oh know" here I go. Thank goodness it wasn't too bad. At the end of the of the program, they present a slide show of pictures at various ages of the kids especially baby photos. Watching it and seeing Tyler as a baby with his little curls, he was so cute...caused a few tears. I know it's not like he graduated from high school but it's still an emotional thing knowing they are moving up to the high school level. I dread next year when I go to school and for the first time, my son won't be riding with me...I will drop him off at the high school. I know, I'm a baby!...*smiles*...I am very, very proud of Tyler!

Here is a picture of Tyler and I at his graduation.

This past weekend was really nice! My birthday was on Friday and I got to spend it with good friends, which is extra special. On Saturday we went to the Strawberry Festival, yes...we are the STRAWBERRY CAPITOL of the world and were the strawberries good? YES!! Of course after the parade, we looked at the arts and crafts. I took Tyler, Cale and Callie...my nephew and niece. I also got to visit with my best friend from school, you forget how much fun it is just to talk about stuff and laugh. The day was good, the weather held up for the most part...just a small shower. Later that night, we got more rain and the wind blew just a little more than I realized. Here is a photo of a limb or I guess part of the tree that fell onto the road to our house. I'm glad it wasn't a tree too close to the house.

I had a good time with my family today. I hope everyone else enjoyed their Mother's Day also. Have a great Monday!

Karen~

Another Day Closer...

to my son's 8th grade graduation. Tonight was sports night at our school, a presentation of athletic awards to deserving students in grades 5th-8th. My son Tyler was a "Best Defensive Lineman" award for football. He seemed excited. Tonight is especially special to the 8th grade class that is getting ready to leave our elementary school and move on to the high school level. I know it is nothing like high school graduation and I know alot of elementary school don't even have a graduation ceremony for their 8th grade. I am excited for my son in lots of ways but then the selfish part of me will miss having him at school with me since I work at the same school. I keep telling myself not to get upset but I will, just like tonight...I got a tear in my eye a time or two. Everyone says this but it does seem just like yesterday that Tyler started preschool and now he will be 15 years old this summer. I am so proud of my son, he is a great kid! Enough of that stuff...*smiles*. The rest of this week at school is going to be so busy, finishing up loose ends, end of the year activities and things. Plus I have a birthday at the end of the week, now that's a good way to end the week. Have a great Wednesday!

Karen~

The Weekend and My Mom's B-Day.

This past weekend was nice, it was my mom's birthday so my son and I took her out to eat. We went to Market Place in Fayetteville, AR...they have the best sweet potato fries! I was wanting to get my mom a new camera for her birthday so we stopped on the way home to pick one. She has only had film cameras in the past, no digital ones at all. I knew she could learn how to use one (a digital) but really didn't know if she that's what she wanted. When I asked the lady at the counter if they had any film cameras, she had the funniest look on her face. She walked out from behind the counter toward us with a camera in her hand and started explaining to me how easy digital cameras were to use. I then said that it was for my mom so she then continued to explain the features to her. Needless to say, that's the one I got for my mom and she seemed excited about it. It will take some practice but she will figure it out and then will decide she loves digital cameras. Darn it!, if I would have been thinking...I would have posted a picture that mom took with her new camera.

Okay, I have to share this new item that I found with everyone. It's called Dog-Zerts, sundae treats for dogs. We order food items from Schwan's at school from time to time and I found this in the food catalog one day. It cracked me up and of course I had to order a box of the treats for Sissy, our Corgi. They are beef flavor and they are frozen like regular ice cream, actually looks like sprinkles on the top. On the back of the back it reads "Not intended for human consumption,"...no need to worry, I don't think the beef flavor would be very appetizing once it starts to thaw...*smiles*

Here is Sissy gobbling up her treat.

The weather was so nice here this past weekend. Things seem to be greener everyday which is a welcomed sight. We have had so much rain, it's not even funny but I know we are not the only area getting too much. Yard work can be so much work but then I guess that's why they call it "work" huh?...lol. I enjoy it in the beginning but then when the grass needs to be mowed every other day and you can't stay ahead of the weeds, I usually have had my fill of the ole yard work...*smiles*. Here are a few photos of some flowers that are just blooming away in our yard.

Karen~

Recipe Scrapbook Project

Another week has almost come and gone and I still need to get going on a few scrapbook projects. We have a teacher retiring this year and I thought it would be nice to make her a recipe scrapbook. I have asked the teachers to give me one of their favorite recipes to add to the book that I have not started yet. I have decided to use a 8 X 8 so that I can add a couple of recipes to each page. I have some patterned paper with food items on it but I think I need a few more sheets to complete the entire book. I have about a couple of weeks so I better hook up and get it going (why do I wait til the last minute?). The last few weeks of school are fast and furious so it leaves very little time to do much of anything extra. I have been making my to do lists so hopefully I will slowly but surely begin to mark things off of my list. I also need to make a few teacher "end of the year" gifts, I have a couple of ideas in my head but I better get that decided also. Tomorrow is Friday, HOORAY...have a great day!

Karen~