Spring Planting Festival 5-4-14

My sister, my oldest niece and I went to Baker Creek Seeds in Missouri for the Spring Planting Festival. It was way bigger than we thought it was going to be! There was all kinds of vendors there and things to look at! We saw an adorable lamb and a baby goat that was equally as adorable. We saw a young blacksmith making an iron rose and shared a most delicious cinnamon roll. All three of us had a great time!

My niece as a farmer,
complete with a beard.

The 16 year old blacksmith
making a leaf for a rose.

Stetsons and Stilettos 5-3-14

This evening Dustin and I volunteered at the Hospice of the Ozarks Charity event, Stetson's and Stilettos. We got to Stone Creek Ranch at about 3 in the afternoon, got fed dinner, pet some horses and were assigned jobs. I was helping our friend Lindsey with the Vegan option for the menu and Dustin was busing and serving and really just running around doing whatever was needed. They had a live auction after dinner which was pretty fun to see. We helped with the silent auction and live auction check outs. Then I got to take a break so I grabbed a drink and sat on an empty bench and just watched couples slow dance in the glowing lights that lit up the dance floor. I wish I would have had my camera with me for that picture, but sometimes, some moments are to good to be busy taking pictures anyway. As people started trickling out we started cleaning up the tables and ultimately taking the chairs down and making the job as easy as possible for the clean up crew on Sunday. We didn't get out of there until midnight, we were so exhausted, our feet hurt and I haven't had that much fun in a while. Not trying to "toot my own horn" but I seriously LOVE to volunteer. It just gives me this high that I just can't explain. I wish I had just a good stream of money coming in so that I didn't have to work and could just volunteer every day, ok or at least way more than I get to now. It was great also, to be reminded of the special character my husband is made of. The way he just did whatever was needed and just wanted to help, made me fall in love with that sweet man all over again. Just such a great evening!

The pictures below are just taken on Dustin's iPhone, because I didn't have big enough pockets tonight to keep my camera with me!

Right as everyone was getting there, didn't they decorate it so pretty!?



The table arrangements

Sweet decorations on the wall..



My kind hearted husband :-)

My sweet friend Lindsey

Run Home 5-2-14

This is my youngest niece's first year to play softball. This is her running to home base!

Softball Time Again 5-1-14

Got to see my oldest niece play softball today. She loves softball and I am sure these won't be the only softball picture you'll see this month....

Last Day 4-30-14

Today was mom's last day in the hospital. She went in last Monday for double knee replacement surgery. She looks so good today! So excited for her to get to go home Thursday!

Winner! 4-29-14

We had our friends over for dinner and games tonight. Dustin made stuffed red peppers, so good! We played "Star Trek Catan", our favorite game to play with Kib and Sarah. It looks way nerdy but it is way fun! Sarah won the game tonight! Yay Sarah!

Always Willing 4-28-14

I believe every girl should have a couple dogs to go hiking with. Seriously they are the very best hiking buddies ever. They are always willing and ready at a moments notice. They will follow you wherever and protect you from whatever. I got to spend the evening on David's Trail with these two furry beauties. We took a part of the trail we hadn't been on yet and wound up at the beach! OK Norfork Lake, but it did have tiny seashells in the pebble sand. So Thankful for life today!

Sunset Puddle 4-27-14

Today we were under a Tornado Watch for most of the day. We didn't have nearly as much severe weather as some others in the line of this storm system though. So thankful to have been safe from the bad storms! The sunset was just gorgeous tonight with a yellowish orange look to it.

This is actually a picture of the sunset, but through a puddle in my backyard that was created by all the rain we had earlier today.

Love of Nature and of Family 4-26-14

On Clysta Willett Trail today I walked over this little bit of love. 

 

Then later tonight I got to go to Dairy Queen with three of my loves, my two nieces and my sister.

 

Flowers and Eagles 4-25-14

After work I went by the hospital to see mom. She was looking so good! She also has a ledge full of pretty flower arrangements and cards from all her supporters. This is shot taken from behind the arrangement from my boss at That Print Shop. The flowers and mom look so pretty!

 

After the visit with mom, Dustin and I took our pups on a walk on David's Trail. We happened upon a family of Bald Eagles! There was one in the nest, probably with babies, and one keeping watch just outside of the nest. It was super neat to see them!

 

The Showdown 4-24-14

So we are watching my mom's animals while she is in the hospital and while she recovers. Blue so badly wants to play with Troy, but Troy wants nothing to do with it. This is actually right after Blue tried to play with Troy, and Troy hissed in warning. Blue was trying to be submissive and even after this picture turned over on his back in front of Troy, but Troy was not having it.

Baby Basil's Giraffe Friend 4-23-14

Our Basil is growing! Look how sweet and cute it looks!! I even put a giraffe in with it to keep it company ;-) So excited about growing our own herbs from seed this year!

Healthy Snacks 4-22-14

I did not like what they were brining to mom at the hospital so I brought her some healthy goodies myself. I mean pork and chicken fried steak are not conducive to easing inflammation and actually helping your body heal itself. Today was a much harder day for her. She even had on oxygen tube in her nose when I went to see her. She had a lot of pain this morning and was really sleepy by the time I saw her after work tonight. I brought her a concoction of tea as well to help relax her. I got to hang out with her for a few hours tonight, and even though she was dosing in and out it was still a good visit.

Surgery Day 4-21-14

Well today was the day Mom got her "Brake Pads" Replaced. That's how she described it as we were preparing for this day. She had Double knew replacement surgery today. The nerves where high for everyone today, but the surgery went well! Now let me give you a little background from my perspective. I have never seen my mom in the hospital hardly ever seen her really sick or injured at all. My only other experience with a parent in the hospital was my dad when I was about 10 or so and that was pretty traumatic. So I was so nervous to see her after I got off of work. When I walked into the room I realllllly did try to be a big 26 year old woman. But I of course wound up crying for 3 reasons:
1. I am an incredibly emotional person
2. I had been telling myself all day not to cry when I got to the hospital and so focused on NOT crying that of course I cried.
3. She looked SOOOOOO much better than what I had envisioned and I was just so excited to see her looking so good after worrying about her all day!

Easter Sunday 4-20-14

After we made Parmesan Crusted Asparagus and Quinoa Salad we headed over to Grandma & Grandpa Scotts house. We ate a yummy and filling lunch with my family. We then ventured out into the beautiful day to play out in the front yard. We played with plastic parachute bunnies and little airplanes. Some of us played a rousing game of croquet.


Pipa and Natalie finishing up the croquet game.

Renee and Mimi even did some

coloring out in the sun!

Wesley was getting his socks
and shoes on to go out in the
grass. You never
 really realize how much work
it is to put socks and shoes
on a toddler until you do it......

 

Dustin is the best uncle. He is Wesley's absolute favorite person right now. The bar on the swing set is just barely out of reach, but he knows Uncle will give him those extra inches. Renee loves her Uncle Dustin too. How could you not love this guy?

We then went to Grandma & Grandpa Johnson's house to have dinner. I was so stuffed already but I managed to fit some more in there somehow. After dinner we again got the croquet out. Mike won the croquet match, Dustin gets his good at everything skills from his sweet dad :-). Mike then proceeded to wow us with his juggling skills!

Mike has great juggling skills!!

Mike, Dustin's Dad,
out on the lawn
in front of their house
with their dog Goober.

A Change of Plans 4-19-14

I love Saturdays! We shopped at the Farmer's Market in the morning ate lunch at a park with our pups in Yellville and did a little clothes shopping. Then we headed just north of Yellville to a place called "Marble Falls". When we got out of the car to start bush-whacking down the hill what we saw was discouraging. An entire hill of poison ivy. We even tried to go around that hill and come at it a different way. We got less than a few feet into the woods and it and poison sumac could be found just about every where you looked. We had our pups with us too and figured the whole ordeal would probably not be worth the hassle so we got back in our car with defeated hearts.

 

We decided not to waste the day though, and went down to Rush, South of Yellville. We walked the dogs along the river bank and had a snack along the babbling creek that  flows toward the upper Buffalo River.

 

We also went on the Rush Historic Trail. On the trail we saw old mines.....

 

and what was left of a town that stood over 100 years ago.

The Blacksmith's shop was still in pretty good shape....

 

The larger building closer to us here was a general store and post office with fourteen post office boxes. Oh, and this is were you got the marriage papers too! In the house next to the general store lived the store's owner and operator and his wife.

 

This plaque showed a map of the mining town. Many of the structures had either burned down or just didn't pass the test of time.

 

Dustin and I both had a great time despite that poison ivy hill! 

Burning Leaves 4-18-14

After work on Friday Dustin and I came right home and started working on the garden area in the front of our house. We had lots of leaves, weeds and grass that came from the area. Dustin burned them all tonight. I got a few cool shots of the fire as he burned them up.

Dustin tending his leaf burning pile.

I love the little squiggly on the side where a spark must have flung from the pile while I was taking this picture.

Moments with Mom 4-17-14

Mom and I had a good evening together tonight. We picked up Subway and then I introduced her to the Clysta Willett Trail. She loved all the flowering trees. She, like me, loves the time of day when the sun is starting to go down and the golden shining rays are coming through the trees.

 

I LOVE these pictures of her! She looks so pretty!!
 (I know her skin looks touched up with Photoshop but it is not!)

Then we drove up to Norfork Dam hoping to catch a good sunset. The sun just slipped behind the clouds right before we got settled. We ate our dinner from Subway there on the hill anyway. It was dusk and watched the bird fly by and the clouds turn different shades. We talked about life and we talked about her upcoming knee surgery. We shed a few tears and we laughed. It was a great night with my sweet mom.

There were quite a bit of smoke clouds in the air due to the controlled burn in the area today. The picture looks better if you click on it to enlarge it....



Dogwood Blossoms 4-16-14

The Dogwoods and Redbud trees where beautiful on the Clysta Willet trails tonight. We went back to the Dogwood tree from the post on the 8th of April. I tried to find the same exact flower as I had photographed in that previous post, and I am pretty sure we found it! The whole tree was just filled with beautiful white blossoms!

 

 

Before I found that tree though I got this picture of these blossoms with the pretty pink shade in them. 

 

Around the Neighborhood 4-15-14

This is a pretty scene I saw while walking the pups around our neighborhood tonight. Loving the purples and greens! Spring is my very favorite!