Pic for the Day...

No Story.

No Explanation.

Just a Photo.

Just Joy.

This weekend, we took our back patio from this poor sight..

 

 



Dirty House...dingy, odd patio furniture...



 

Scattered stuff...general yuck...

To THIS!!!!

 

The Whole Patio!



The gray blocks were spares :o)
But we got new chairs, too!

Our A-MAZING new Cinder Block Patio Sofa (and my spokesmodel)

 

I'm WILDLY in love...and want to spend every waking minute out there! The sofa turned out so much better than I anticipated, and I'm just thrilled!

 

We spent much of about 5 days getting it together, and then Saturday I made the cushion and "staged" the rest of the patio.  There are lots of details that I'm just thrilled about, and I may touch on some of them later. 

 

The first, and dearest to my heart...the old coffee can of hens and chickens. 

The hens and chickens are the "chicks" from an old tire my grandma kept that was FULL of chickens.  The coffee can, weathered and worn, held a random collection of screws, nails, and scraps that we found in my grandpa's attic.  Grandma's succulents, in Grandpa's coffee can?  It just makes my heart skip a beat.

The can is TERRIBLY worn, and rusted.  I need to find a way to preserve it in its crusty, rusty state it's now in.  I fear that one good rain will have it rusted through. 

Overall, I'm LOVING this change!!!



Proud (Step)Mom Moment

Look at this little man...



Ready (step) Mom's angle...

 

 

 

Go!  (Dad's angle)

He's been telling his coach for weeks that he wants to pitch.  That's tough to do in a machine-pitch league.

Last night, he got his chance!

He was so proud of himself...and he should be!  He struck out the first three kids!  :o)

I LOVE IT!

Spring!

Our days are full of baseball, and caring for these tiny plants, while doing our best to nurture these little souls.

 

 

Ben Showing off his HARD WORK

 

 

Andrew hadn't even had his first game, and had dirty knees!

 

 

Connor, Our Catcher

Spring always hits like a flash, and we're off - running like headless chickens. 

My introverted brain becomes overwhelmed, and I shut down.  It's frustrating to me that the weather has finally broken, and we're getting more sun than snow (finally!), and I want to hide.

I panic. 

All those people; all those PLANS.  Will I ever have time to clean the house AGAIN?  When will we return to having time for NOTHING?

But, I remember that my boys have been waiting patiently for MONTHS for these days.  Five days a week at the ball field, and they're in Heaven.  We can be outside, with friends, and neighbors, and family from dawn til dusk. 

So, I take a great, big breath, and I remember that I want them to be outgoing people, that enjoy every moment of their life.  And, it's in those moments that I'm so proud of them, and who they are becoming, despite their (step)mom.