little redhead

Summer is HERE!

We're back from the beach and Nashville art show.... so here are some snippets of the past flurry of happy days!

First...Neighborhood party to celebrate summer and the end of school! No more homework!Yea!

Camp fire and smores with all the neighbor kids.... great way to start the season!

Off to the beach for the Robinson family reunion!   Sam with his little sis and his "best buddy forever"... his cousin Ben.

The cousins LOVE each other! And Rosie loves her purple sunglasses.

I think Rosie and Sam could live on the beach... just build a little sand house and they would be totally content with blue water, chasing the waves and building sandcastles... oh, and some snacks along the way!

Back at home.....
Recipe for fun times during summer 09:
Rosie:  Inside the house: fluffy shoes and pink tutus. Outside: add water and a $10 pool from Wal-Mart and she will be in happy land.
Sam:  Inside the house:  Legos and play mobile... wii fun times.  Outside: Popsicles, playing with friends, light saber battles and games.... and Sam will be in his own happy land as well!

And of course imagination and dreaming are all part of the sugar and spice of summer too!

Happy summer days to everyone!

(I'll be taking  some breaks from blogging... but will add a dose of "this and that" during these blue sky days!

Green and Happy

I love this time of the year... love the greens of all different shades, the flowers, bees, butterflies, sunshine, rain... love it all!  It has rained a lot lately which has made a very happy green sprouting yard!

So thought it would be fun to walk around and take some spring time pics!

Opening the garden gate and walking down the path...

passing the studio and loving the climbing rose bushes

and jasmine

entering the garden...

Raspberry bushes... yum!

blueberry bushes... more yum!

tiny zinnias sprouting

walking over to the little herb garden

thyme

Do you see the bumble bee?

and happy mint.

I think these herbs, berries, bushes, and flowers are all singing lots of songs for this spring!!
Three cheers for the beauty of May!!!

 

Twilight

We celebrated Cinco De Mayo the other night.... had Mexican, fresh corn and dinner outside. perfect.
There was no whining or complaining, but just happy talk. Something about spring makes everybody more cheerful... even 7 and 2 year olds at dinner! Love it!

Love these spring nights... especially twilight with candle light and happy talk!

The Happy Rose

 

The season of Roses is here! yea!
I wanted to plant a special rose bush for Rosie.  So I think this will be the one!

Love these fluffy cotton candy pink blooms.

Love so many things during this time of year!

 birds singing
 nesting of mommy birds
 tomato plants
 jasmine
 roses
tree leaves of lime green
 fresh herbs of basil, thyme and oregano
mint mingling about
fish happy with lots of rain in their pond
amazing scent of honeysuckle and jasmine in the air
Our kids play play playing in our happy yard
sitting outside
reading outside
playing outside
eating outside
basically living outside as much as possible!

Yea for May!
Yea for Spring!
Yea for the days of bloom!

There and Back Again

Funny to think that just one week ago the frenzy was the Swine Flu.  Last Wednesday, we headed up to Harding Academy for the art show in Nashville and then about 15 minutes after we arrived ( 9:15pm), I checked my email and the show was canceled due to the Swine Flu.  So we ate pancakes the next morning and headed back to good ole Bham.  Then we had a new question .... "What shall we do with the blank slate weekend"??

Photo above:  We took this photo in the neighborhood close to Harding Academy in Nashville... thought it was very appropriate for the day!

After thinking through options for the weekend.....we decided....what better thing to do than build a playset!  ( little laugh inserted)
So Mike's dad ( he deserves lots of bonus points for his help) and Mike started the long task of reading directions and putting this play land together.

Meanwhile, Gee Gee and the kids plus neighbors made signs for the family reunion beach trip coming up in a few weeks. ( Gee Gee gets bonus points too!)

And outside.... Mike and his dad ( aka Da) continued the work....
While Sam and neighbors built their own play set made of cardboard boxes.  I think it eventually turned into a club house with little windows and chalk drawings.  

Later on, Sam and Rosie played with their new sand/ water box.  ummm... think I'll have the water in it only when I want to have them completely soaked... so will wait for hot weather.

After several tornado storms  rolled through Birmingham, the drilling, reading, putting together "play land" continued. But after a long day and into the evening hours.....

it was completed!!

yipeee!  Yea for Da and Mike!!
Thanks for the playset!  
Sam and Rosie LOVE it!

And I love walking out into our yard, passing under the arbor of Miss Carolina Jasmine and swinging with my kids!

So fun to watch Sam and Rosie swing and play and laugh and jump and slide and run and climb...
We have already:

1. Picnicked in the fort under sunny sky. ( mac and cheese was the vote for picnic food)

2. Invited friends over for play set time.

3. Swung in the moonlight with fragrance of jasmine and honeysuckle.

and we plan on many summer days filled with this...

pure play.

p.s.   so all in all, the Swine Flu did cause the art show to be postponed... but then it gave a free weekend to build something for our kids and also gave us time with Gee Gee and Da. So I can't be too mad at the flu... but glad it is on it's way out of the frenzy stage.

Now the countdown begins for summer!

Getting Ready

Polka Dot Flower Land around here!  Painting away in the studio and getting ready for the Harding Art Show in Nashville!  yipee! I love this show....it's so much fun and the parents and students of the school are so supportive.  The show last year was my all time favorite and sure it will be wonderful again this year!

Until then, I will be painting frolicky flowers ....

And more polka dots and pinks and blues, greens and yellows...

Because really, when it comes down to it..... bouncy flowers with lots of color and dots makes the day merrier!

7 days and counting until we leave for the show!

The beginning of....

Much buzz in the house today..... Sam turned 7 today!!! And we're celebrating all day long!!
So this is the beginning of birthday time and his official party will come up in a few weeks!  Today, the plan is for a Chuck E Cheese lunch! 

Also, another part to the birthday weekend is the Mountain Brook Art Show!   If you are in the Birmingham area and want to see lots of art, come on over to the show!  It's Saturday 10-4pm and Sunday noon - 5pm.

Above painting is a peek into my "House of Rose" collection.  I had so much fun making these dresses. They're made with  rose petals, tapestry and handmade paper.  Each fashion girl needs a name, so I'm thinking of what this one will be.  Think she is a Paris Rose Couture girl!

And this dress reminds me of a wedding cake. I had lots of fun with this one too!  Rose petals in the skirt and I cut tiny rose buds and put them on the top of the dress.   More dresses to show... but for now, we are in birthday mode and preparing for art show!

Happy weekend to you!!

 

Easter Afternoon!

Easter Afternoon!  Gee Gee and Da arrive and my brother and his family!  Yea!  Sam was ready to play with his cousins and go on the Easter egg hunt!

Sam putting the bow in his sister's head to complete the "rocker" look.

 

Butterfly MoMo

 

Easter Egg Hunt!

 

Wow! Lots of eggs!

 

Egg in Tree!

 

Egg in leaves!

 

Playing in the Dogwood trees.

A great Easter dinner to complete a wonderfully filled day!

And Rosie eating one more piece of chocolate!

Easter!

This Easter was an extra special one.  Probably one that will go down as one of my favorites.  It was filled with such joy, laughter, and family.... and of course, we have our own little Rose this year on Easter to add more happiness and love to the mix!   We truly have so much to be thankful for!
So here is a snapshot into our Easter weekend:

We headed to Cedartown, Georgia...my much loved hometown and where Nana and Papa live!
Mom had the job of putting the cloth on the cross and on Saturday evening, we headed over to the church and took the black cloth down ( symbolizing the death of Jesus).

And Mike and mom hung the white cloth on the cross. Loved  that we were able to have a part in this... such a beautiful symbolic way of showing that Jesus overcame death.... he truly rose from the grave, conquered sin and death and offered us life in Him.... a life that is filled with hope.  And hope is Jesus.  I can't think of anything more in life to give me hope than hope in my Savior, my Redeemer, my Jesus. 

And my prayer is that my own children will clearly know the love of Jesus and give their hearts to Him at a young and tender age.

pic above:  Roses in the Easter morning sunlight

Flowers filling the Lenten garden

Rejoice!

The empty tomb among the flowers.

Easter basket fun land!

Nana and Rosie getting ready for church.

Sweet little Rosie

Our precious gifts from God.
Sam and Rosie

And our sweet family....   ( tune into tomorrow.... part two of Easter!)

As I look at these pictures and think about what God has brought us through these past years....walking through the trials of wanting to get pregnant, and then watching my precious dad suffer a brain injury.  There were times that I thought it was just too hard and I did question the love of God.  However, through those sad days, God showed me His deep love.  He showed me His hope.
He brought us Sam and then Rosie. And with my dad's brain injury... I know that God cares and He gives us the strength and love to carry on.

God is all love. There is not one ounce in Him that is not unloving.
He is the reason for our life and I can't imagine life without knowing Jesus.

The One who turns winters into spring... the One who makes all things beautiful.

Thank you God.
Thank you for Easter and what it really is all about:

Jesus.

Coloring Eggs

Sam had a great time teaching his little sis the "art of Easter egg dying."

Sam, "Ok Rosie, watch me color this egg green... watch Rosie.. here it is." 
Rosie, "La la la la la."
Sam, "Rosie, are you watching?... Rooosie."

Sam,  "I'm hungry... time to eat some soup!"
Rosie, "La la la la la."
 

Sam still eating soup.
Rosie found new Easter stickers.

And played....

And played....

And her arm was sticker land.

Yep, I think they had a great Easter egg dipping, coloring, eating and "stickering" day!
Happy Easter!