Spring Fling

Elly had her Spring Fling today.  These kids were crazy waving, dancing, singing and then it's time to play the instruments and they all became serious.  It takes lots of concentration to play and they were actually really, really good.

Elly was Miss Octopus and loves to hug everyone.  Adam's Michelle helps out in the classroom and during practice Elly comes up to Michelle and tells her with a very serious look.  "Michelle don't laugh at my costume, I didn't really want to do this part but I had to"..... so she dressed in a octopus costume and ran around hugging all the kids as they sang the song.  Then she got to run out into the audience and hug anyone she wanted to.... can you guess who that lucky person was?    Not her mother, not Grandpa, not Adam, not Michelle, not Garrett....... it was ME.  I love this little girl!

Early Weekend

This week was Employee Appreciation Week which included food all day long every day, games, prizes and a night out to end the week a day early.  Yep that's right we got Friday off, I love starting the weekend a day early.  The week was really really nice and very much appreciated by everyone.  I remember reading about this week in the local paper and being so jealous that a company would do this for their employees and I wasn't a part of it, well now I am.   To celebrate a early weekend I brought my weekend flowers in early.  This glass I found for .39 cents and of course I can't pass up polka dots.

Love Tulips

I love tulips, usually we are fighting to get them by Mother's Day, but not this year.  We'll be lucky to have any left at that time.  The growing season is so early this year, here's to a hot long summer [cheers]

He melts me

Mussy stuff coming in this post.... for the weak, stop reading now. 

Whenever this man puts on a tie I melt.  I forget all the times he didn't listen to the GPS on the way here, I forget all the times he got in my way while packing the suitcases, I forget all the times he asked me if I had everything packed,  I forget all the times he got frustrated when I told him to follow the GPS and not think she's stupid...... I forgot that he wouldn't call his brothers to find out where they were, I forgot that he made me carry most of our stuff up to our room,  I forget everything except how much I love this man and how he makes me melt.  I look at him in a tie and I'm mush.  It's amazing how after 27 years of marriage and one simple tie with a silver button down shirt completely makes me forget all the disagreements and all I can think about it how much I love him.    This man is a wonderful son, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, husband, a great father and one heck of a grandfather and he still makes me melt.

John was a pallbearer for his Uncle Louie.  I watched as he and the others did their job so proudly, I have always had lots of respect for the men in the family to be picked for that honor but what a difficult job it must be.  Louie was a Navy veteran so there was a military 21 gun solute, I have never been to a military service and what a moving experience it was.   Louie rest in peace and we'll continue to keep his family in our prayers as they work through these difficult months ahead.

Okay now onto a couple funny stories just because we need humor in our lives.  So John's dad is the oldest of the family and for 86 he is doing very well and looks great.  At the wake I'm sitting next to dad and someone comes up and tells him how great he looks and he says "Everyone tells me that but I don't feel so great"  How old are you Gilbert?  "86 and that's a long time to live"...... at the funeral Jeannie tells Aunt Eddy she looks great and Eddy says "looks are decieving, I don't feel so great".... they crack me up becasue they really do look good!  Now we all know that Gilbert has to fight with his sisters all the time, so Eddy was mad at Gilbert today before she even seen him, he made her mad.  :)  When we got in line for our lunch Tomi got dad's plate for him, he can do it himself but of course if she asked he'll let her.  So he was the only one sitting at the table when we walked behind him John flicks his ear and gives him a back rub..... oh dad just ate that up.  Then someone put Aunt Eddy right across from Gilbert to eat, that must have been a quiet meal.  Mom says as the cousins are talking about "the baby" and stories they remember... "I felt sorry for John being the youngest, his brothers were grown and gone before he was old enough to remember them and then dad and I didn't feel like doing anything with him so he was all alone"....... hummmmm John says "I'm 46 years old and I've never heard you say that.  Dad and Mom talk about different places and people in Iowa and ask John if he remembers...... ummmmm no remember I wasn't born here.  I love listening to these stories and finally getting to meet the cousins in Iowa.  It's pretty sad when this was the first time I've meet many of the cousins...

When we got near our house I took a picture of John and I on my phone and sent to the kids...... "we're home, hope you didn't miss us too much"  Lynn text me back and said Ohhh Mallory has the Hemmer blood today she is grumpy....... I let her know that we had Hemmer blood for 2 days and of couse she says "BLOG about it I want to know everything".  Shan and Adam said they missed us terribly, right? 

As we were driving home I realized we forgot our pillows in the room, I just bought them last weekend and those are new cases, like expensive pillows and cases, now how am I going to sleep without matching pillows........  it's okay John wear your tie tomorrow when I get home from work and I'll forget all about it.  My husband in a tie makes me happy   :) 

Trip to Iowa

John and I took a fast trip to Iowa for his uncle's funeral.  I got up this morning, exercised, went to work for a few hours, drank 64 ozs of water and then hopped into the truck with John for the next 6.5 hours.  Hummmm does anyone see a problem with this?  If you don't know the Hemmer's you probably wouldn't see anything, but those of you that know them, know that they do not stop for anything.  Hungry.... you should have brought snacks, Need to stretch..... too bad, Need to Pee..... I'll slow down while you squat behind that tree, then run to catch up.  I actually did pretty good we only had to stop once and I didn't even have to beg.  Iowa is about 2-3 weeks ahead of us with their trees and flowers.  Their grass is so green and the trees are in full bloom, nice time for allergies.  This is one of the stops to grab a soda from the cooler.

I have been to Iowa twice before, once when we were dating and again after we were married.  I don't remember much about John's cousins and neither does he.  He was the only Hemmer boy that was born and raised in Wisconsin, so Iowa to him is as much a new experience as it is to me.  I learned today he was "the baby".  The cousins all refered to him as "the baby" or "Johnny".  It was fun to hear the stories that they remember about him when they visited.  John's older brothers talked about their school days, we actually ate in the same cafeteria they did in grade school, I think the kids still play on the same playground equipment. 

Very sad that it takes a funeral to get together with family you have not seen in over 20 years.

Iron Crop

 I'm working on getting Lynn a couple more iron shots to finish her bathroom decor but of course I don't like the take a photo of iron and call it good.  I need to challenge myself to something unique and eye-appealing. 

 I have lots of iron in my garden and I've taken lots of photos of it but nothing has struck me as "that's it" until today when I took one of the "nope that's not it" photos and cropped it differently. 

  

Now I think it works, love, love, love the one rain drop that hasn't fallen yet.

Not so crazy about my reflection in the center.  I look like I'm doing the squats from my Cross Fit class, I should be "that class kicks my butt, but it's my favorite".    Now it's off to bed 4:50 comes really early.

Glowing Tulips

Saturday we got our much needed rain.  Now we need some sunshine and warm weather to start the garden colors.  Who would think white tulips could be so pretty, they kinda glow and sparkle as the daylight ends.

The Winner is...........

The Winner is...........

isn't this a purdy picture of the plum tree that is blooming in our yard?  How many 3 stooges are there really?  What was Barney Rubble's job?  How come after a month of getting up early I'm still tired?  Okay, okay here it is......

Kitty

Send me an e-mail and we'll work on the photo you want.  I know you're painting your den this weekend so maybe we can find something to accent your new decor.   Thank you all for the wonderful comments, and because I love all you guys, who knows I may have to give another one away real soon. 

If there is anyone else that would like one or three or nine or eleven..... of these photo squares send me an e-mail, we'll work out a deal.

connie.hemmer@gmail.com

Fly Away

Sad news today for many people in this small town, it's surprising how everyone knows everyone and when tragedy hits a family we all pray for their comfort.  This morning a family we know through John's employment was informed of the death of their son.  Our thoughts have been with this family all day, may they find comfort and peace in their long days ahead. 

John's uncle (godfather) passed away this morning also, he's been sick for awhile but losing someone is difficult even if it has been a long road.  Our thoughts and prayers are also with Uncle Louie's family. 

Fly away...... may you feel the comfort of God's arms around you.

Spring Give Away

Okay so this week I've been loving the spring weather and to go along with that I've been making photo blocks and squares.  Every time I make these I can't help but love them, they are the coolest ever and I wanted to share one with you.  Yes you heard me..... I'm giving away 1 photo square.  If you have been a winner of my calendar this beats that right out of the water.  If you don't win and just have to have one let me know and I can hook you up with as many as you want.  Here is another post of photo squares here

So drop me a comment on this post for a chance to win a photo square, be prepared to want more.  You don't have to have a google account, you can comment anonymously and I'll post the winner of the square here on Friday after 4:00pm.  The photo square shown is already sold so the winner and I will work out the details to satisfy their color scheme.  You want burndt orange, done.... you want lime green, done.... pink, done.... my grandchildren..... ummmmm I think I have to draw the line, they're really cute but they're mine!!

Ready, set, GO

True Smiles

I love to capture true smiles and then when I look back at them I can't help but smile.  You can see the fun they were having when I asked them to be serious.  All you have to do is tell someone to not smile and the smiles automatically come.... along with laughter. 

Happy Tuesday - You can't help but be happy while looking at these fun smiles.

Step Back Monday - Tree

I love trees that sit out in the fields all by themselves. 

Safari Photo Shoot

This morning was so calm and beautiful for sitting on the deck and enjoying the sunshine.  I decided to grab my camera and sit as still as I could and shoot the birds.  I got all kinds of birds flying around me, sitting in the trees, picking at the ground, guarding their houses...... and then BANG!!!  John shuts the door and scares them all away.  Are you kidding me honey I was on a safari hunt and you scared all the animals away.... but I love you for hanging the jeans on the line.

More flowers

Spring Flowers

These flowers remind me every year of the spring my mom was sick.  She could no longer leave the house and someone had to be there with her at all times.  She had lots of flower beds outside that she missed terribly so whenever us girls would be there we would bring her in the first signs of her flowers blooming.  I remember the day that I brought these into her.  It's no longer a sad memory of mine, it's now turned into a memory that makes me smile as soon as I see these purple little gems.  Of course I have to pick them and bring them in the house to enjoy.

Feel the burn

So today as my alarm is going off at 4:50, yep in the AM, I throw my body out of bed and when my legs hit the floor they scream in pain.  I lunge for the snooze button and throw myself back in bed for a beautiful 9 more minutes.  4:59AM again the alarm screams at me to get up, I stretch, moan, stretch some more and drag my body out from under the warm covers.  I eat a half a banana, pee, pluck my eyebrows, brush my teeth, throw on some shorts and a t-shirt and try to control my blonde mess in a ponytail holder just so I can go to the gym and be tortured with Boot Camp.   My muscles are screaming with every move I make, my legs are burning and I can't breath and Jen says "can you feel the burn"  Are you kidding me I felt it 35 minutes ago on the drive here while pressing the gas pedal!!  I love the gym but haven't gone for over 2 years so getting back into muscular and physical shape is hard work and I said I would never go in the mornings since I am NOT a morning person but here I am going to the gym in the morning and secretly liking it.  My muscles have gotten stronger or I've become numb to the pain.  I can now move from a sitting position to standing without saying "ouch" so we're making progress here.  Tonight I laid on the lawn to take my POTD and had flash backs of all the push ups, squats, jumping jacks and lunges we did this morning and broke into a cold sweat.  For those that have not had the pleasure of joining a gym class it's something you must try once in your life, it's like a drug that you have to have everyday and the days you don't have it you feel guilty. 

I feel so good I may just tell John to sell the lawn mower and I'll trim the grass with a scissors...... see I told you it was like being on drugs!

April Showers

Rain brings out the color in everything. 

Total Mistake

  This photo is a complete mistake, I metered too bight and the sun was shining with no cloud cover which resulted in a way too bright photo..... but I like it.  Good mistakes make me happy.

Tonight we were to start loading up for a wedding we were decorating for and I got a phone call from the brides mother to say the wedding has been canceled.  The groom's mother is in intensive care from a bug bite and could use a few prayers from anyone knowing what it's like to plan a wedding for the past year....what exciting times you should be going through...... and now they have to cancel everything in 4 days.  Tears have over-come me for the entire family and all the stress they are having to deal with right now. 

Then we went to visit John's mother who was admitted to the hospital this morning..... finding that his father was admitted in the afternoon.  The hospital doesn't have double rooms anymore so I visited with mom and he took dad's room.  Mom looked good by the time we left but dad looked weak but he's a half a day behind her.  

What's wrong you ask?  Well here is the Elly story that she told the teachers, bus driver, secratary and anyone else that would listen to her.  Grandma Great broke her leg, that's why she didn't get out of her chair this morning, then when she was on the playground Grandma Great took a ride in the helicopter because she was really sick. 

Okay now what's really wrong.... they got a viral infection from ???? and they couldn't fight it off themselves and became dehydrated.  They will probably stay a couple days but they are being very well taken care of.   Grandma Great did twist her knee so she is wearing a brace {hence the broken leg story}  Now Elly is coming here in the morning for Grandpa John to feed her breakfast and drive her to school.  We'll see what stories she tells about him!!

Keeping Watch

Mr and Mrs Bluebird keep watch over their house as the swallows torment them. 

Let me tell you a story about fire, bees and hair.  Yesterday John says..... holy crap I burned all the hair off my arm, I wonder when I did that?  Hummmm Lynn told him that he should have known when he did that, he burned like a lot of hair off his arm.  Now let's skip about 2 hours later and I'm sitting by the fire and decide to put my hand on my head and I get a big ole' sting on my finger.  Holy crap I've just been stung by a bee.  Now I haven't been stung in a long time and with my family history lately I wonder if I'm allergic.  The other two family members just made it to the hospital in time so I start to think about this.  Now since I'm thinking about it, can I swallow, is my throat getting tight, swallow, feel my face, swallow, is my face swelling up, swallow...oh my I'm smelling something funky.... hummm I better go look in the mirror and see if my face looks like a balloon.  The results are...... I didn't get stung by a bee after all, a spark landed in my hair and my finger must have snuffed it out..... too late, I lost a gob of hair.  So remember this the next time you sit by the fire..... wear a helmet and arm bands!!

Beautiful Day

Today was a beautiful day, first day of shorts for me.  We woke up to the birds singing and flying into the windows with a huge BANG.  I guess John shouldn't have washed them so well.

Prom Weekend

I had the pleasure of taking pictures of a wonderful Junior Prom couple.  I love everything about Prom and it's funny because I never went to Prom.  This couple was so excited for the big day and the dress.... THE DRESS..... is beautiful.  The shoes were fantastic and the boy is very handsome.... and a perfect gentleman. 

Next it was the Senior girls going to Prom without dates.  What a fun night out with the girls on your Senior year....

All these young kids were beautiful and fun to spend some time with.  I hope you all had the time of your lives, Prom is a special event that you should treasure forever.

Do not disturb....

Miss El when Carrie Underwood is singing. 

Little Gar-Man

This little man is getting a new bedroom and it's closer to Grandma.  They are moving to our side of the tracks, it's funny how getting on the right side of the tracks makes such a huge difference.  We went to see their new house and came home within an hour..... before that would have been mostly drive time.  I grew up on the west side and moved to the east side when I got married.  The east side of the tracks is now home to all of us but a small pieces of my heart still calls the west side of the tracks home. 

Love this Light

Today was a dark, cloudy cold day and really windy.  As I was finishing up a couple projects in the house I caught a glimpse of the sun shining around our windows.  I love it when the sun shines like this, it comes out of the clouds right before it goes down, it's extremely bright causing lots of tall dark shadows and makes the sky seem darker than what it really is.  I spin from window to window looking at what a georgous view this light gives us at the most drab time of year. 

I'm sure my neighbors have no clue how many photos I have of their farm or their cows.

Rain Showers

We getting some much needed rain today, not that I like rain but it smelled so fresh and spring like today.  The rain started to green everything up and the gardens are growing.  Spring rain showers make me happy when they brighten up the landscapes.

Sneak Peek

I have to force myself to step back while taking photos, I love the close ups but I'm getting better at stepping back.  I love that you can see how Mr C is fidgiting with his fingers and crossing his toes as he's telling me "I can't do this anymore".

Easter Table

Nothing better than your holiday table before the chaos begins. 

Our family is growing, we all still fit at the dining room table but real soon we'll have to have a "kids table". 

When we would go to mom and dad's for holiday meals we had a kids table, adult table and then a run off into the livingroom.  When you got to sit at the adult table it was true braggin' rights, being child number 8, I never got to the adult table, but I John has.  He and my brother-in-laws had my mom wrapped around their little finger.  They could smooth talk her into anything, and the adult table got the most food!   My brother Randy and I liked to claim the "walk-around" and eat so we could use a separate plate for each food group, you don't want your potatoes to touch your ham, that would be gross.

Our family had a great holiday, lots of good food and playing outside. 

I have to tell you a funny story about Elly.  I bought her a shirt for an Easter gift and it's a longer shirt, like what's in style and she loves it.  She gives me a big hug and says thank you for the dress. 

Me - Elly it's a shirt not a dress

Elly - no grandma it's a dress, it's long

Me - Miss El this dress would be too short

Elly - No really grandma it's a dress and I love it

Me - You go try it on and you'll see it's too short for a dress

Elly - See grandma it covers my underwear

Me - Only when you're standing straight

Elly - No really you won't see my underwear, it's a dress

Me - Honey, you really can't wear this as a dress or the boys will see your butt cheeks

Elly - Thank you grandma I love my dress

So if any of you happen to see Elly in school with a really, really short dress that she is standing as straight as a board to not show her underwear she wasn't sent there like that, I'm sure she took her pant or leggings off that her mother sent her to school in.  {Shan, it's not my fault}

The house IS haunted

On many occasions I've thought this house was haunted, by who I'm not sure.  They must be pleasant ghosts because after 27 years they have not hurt anyone.  Let me tell you some of the times I got the ghost chills and see if any of you think we're nuts for still living here.

When Lynn was about 2 I was painting her old small bedroom into the new babies room.  She was playing with a zoo mobile and started to bat at it pretty hard and that mobile was spinning and twisting all over, all of a sudden we heard a very large "roar" like a lion and Lynn's eyes got big and she stopped batting the mobile and I got instant chills, she started crying so I grabbed her and ran from the room.  I did finish painting the room later.... the mobile went in a box and sent to the garage, it's probably still there. 

Next time the house was haunted Shannon was sleeping in a basinet in the dining room and all 3 of us were upstairs sleeping and we hear a crash.  We run downstairs and the shelf that was hanging above the basinet had fallen off the wall but nothing on it broke, and the picture hooks were still on the shelf, the nails were still in the wall and not bent.  But to top all that, the shelf should have fallen right on top of Shannon but her bassinet was pushed away from the wall and the shelf fell between the wall and her.

Freaked out yet..... I got lots more.  This night we are eating supper, Adam was only 5, we are all chatting about school or things 2 little girls chat about and Adam runs to the bathroom and comes back as white as a ghost, his eyes are huge.  I ask him what's wrong and he says "he's in there", "who's in there?", "he is", and he would not go back in there.  I'm not going in there either, are you crazy, I can't even push one of the girls in there and John and I certainly aren't going in there. 

Okay one last ghost story and then I'll tell you why I'm talking about ghost.  After our nephew passed away my sister Starla and her husband Brad gave us lots of trees to plant out at the shack in his memory, it was a cold May day and we all planted these trees.  I brought the kids home, cleaned them up and put them to bed.  Then I walked into the kitchen and was just standing there looking out the window at nothing and all of a sudden a birthday candle started playing Happy Birthday.  The candle needs heat to play, I jumped back and finally got the nerve to open the cupboard door and touch the candle to see if it was warm.   It continued to play in my hand and then I got a little freaked and got that cold shiver and it stopped.  I was just about to put it down when it started playing again, I held onto it for about 1 minute and then put it down and it stopped.  That's the only time that candle played without being lit.

Okay now tonight's story..... So last night John and I are watching TV and he starts to look up at the ceiling and then again and again.  I finally ask
Me - "What are you looking at?"

John - "did you see that?"

Me - "See what?"

John - "That shadow move, it's floating"

Me - "What?"

John - "That shadow moves"

Me - "There's nothing up there"

We watch TV again and then he says "Did you see it?", "did you see it now?", "Can't you see it", "right there", "Look now".  Okay this is getting old and now I'm kinda freaking a little bit that there is a ghost like shadow that John can see floating around our ceiling.  It seriously is moving around the entire ceiling and don't tell John but one time I did see it but didn't want to admit it. 

I did however have to take this moment to point out that I cleaned the ceiling fan that day, in case he was trying to get my attention to mention the cleaning activity.  Yuck they are disgusting when you shut them off.  That wasn't it, he never noticed.

Okay so tonight he's looking at the ceiling again and says "it's back".  Great, do you want to know how much sleep I lost over this last night and now I get to do it again.  Tonight he decides to tell me what it is, do you think he should be messing with this face????

A ladybug got inside the light on the ceiling fan and walks around it causing a floating shadow that moves and seriously looks like a ghost like object floating around the house. 

Dare to be different

My weakness Marshmellow bunnies

Almost