Simply Gorgeous

Sometimes it really is all about the simple things in life...my hydrangea finally bloomed.  I have been waiting for this gorgeous flower for a few years now.  My plant has thrived since I planted it but I have not had the joy of seeing it blossom.  My one and only hydrangea blossom is in full living color and I love it.  I don't see any buds or sign of any more flowers coming but we'll wait and see if any more are coming our way.

50 Miles

 It was an early morning Tuesday as we dropped Easton off at the church for his High Adventure trip with the youth of our church.  They are heading up to Tennessee to participate in a 50 mile canoeing trip.  Each day they will canoe 10-15 miles and then camp along the river each night.  I love these adventures Easton gets to have and being able to hang out with his friends for a week.  It makes for a super quiet week for me and I miss him.  We will pick up a very tired boy on Saturday evening at 10 pm.  Can't wait!

Just a Little Yardwork

One of my little projects this summer in the yard is pretty much completed.  I added the small little creek to the right of our big creek because there is an underground spring that leaves the grassy area wet, mushy and really slimy.  It never dries out and has really become and ugly mess.  So, I fixed it.  I spent one morning hauling rocks out of our creek and arranging them in a natural way to form an extension of our creek.  I ordered pine straw and finished the edges, making it look like a natural water way.  It looks so much better and I'm glad it's done.  We had some landscapers look at it last year and they wanted to dig a trench underground and install a pipe that would run to the creek for the water.  It's was going to be super expensive and I'm sorry, but those things never work in Georgia.  They always get clogged with leaves, sticks, and pine cones and then the water just goes wherever it wants.  I guess I showed those landscapers!

And....I got my flowers planted in all of the beds.  Last year I didn't get around to planting flowers because I spent all my time, energy, and money on my vegetable garden project.  Yay for flowers!  I took lots of pictures because I like to compare the flower beds at the beginning of the season with the flowers at the end of summer.  It's fun to be able to see how much they fill in and bring on there beautiful color.

I split some of my ginormous hostas and transplanted them under this tree in the backyard and moved this pot in place.  I still need to fill it with an arrangement.

Bring on the color!

I did get bit by an ant on one of my work days on the knee four times.  I have been very careful about wearing the right clothing to work in to prevent being bit but I think it went right through my pants.  I knew it was an ant bite because I remember that feeling so well from the last time and my knee just really started hurting.  I zoomed in the house and quickly took my liquid Benadryl pill and also rubbed some Bendryl gel on the actual bites and was able to prevent an awful allergic reaction like I had the last time I got bit.  No hives or tingling lips....phew!  My knee was super sore and itchy for four days but I have survived another ant bite....hate those little black things!

Roughing It!

 It was a super quiet week in our home.  Easton, the noisy child, went to scout camp and was gone from Sunday afternoon until Saturday morning.  What an adventure he had working hard to earn merit badges.  He took canoeing, Citizenship in the Nation, Swimming and Camping.  He successfully completed Swimming and Canoeing and just needs to wrap up a couple of things on the others.  We are just a few steps closer to that Eagle....woohoo!

The whole troop

 Easton and his buddy, Jeremy

Easton said this camp had the best food he's ever had at a scout camp

Easton came home tired, dirty and sore.  With all the canoeing and swimming requirements he had to do I think he just wore himself out!  I'm sure he was also a little sleep deprived.  A very long nap was taken on Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday afternoon.  He's almost back in the world of the living again.  He will enjoy this week and home and then get ready to head out next Tuesday for his High Adventure backpacking/canoeing trip.  Another quiet week in my forecast...

Gold Rush!

I took a fun little field trip with Easton and his friend, Jeremy to the Dahlonega Gold Mine.  This was an actual working gold mine in the 1830's and it was a fascinating experience.  We took a tour through the old mine shafts and learned about the process of extracting the gold.  The largest vein of gold ever found was removed from this gold mine about 40 minutes from our house!  It would have been worth over a million dollars in today's dollars.  We learned how to pan for gold and went home with a few actual flecks that we extracted with our hard work!

 This is the actual spot where the huge vein of gold was removed from the cave.

A little stop at Zaxby's for a late lunch ended our field trip on a great note!  Such happy teen age guys!

Hitting the IHOP

 And the tradition continues!  Hitting the IHOP for breakfast the morning after school gets out is the best way we know of to celebrate the end of the school year.  We slept in this year and still made it to IHOP for breakfast or brunch I guess we could call it.  11:30 isn't a bad time for breakfast, right?  I tried to pick a healthier menu item this year but this was the best I could do.  I wrote Landon about our IHOP experience and I have to share his quote that just made me chuckle.  He said, "Nobody feels like hoppin comin out of the IHOP! It should be called "I barely move" or "I need a wheelchair."  So there you have it...words from Elder Carroll!

The End!

Easton says goodbye to the North Gwinnett Bulldogs!  No more middle school!

 The last day of school for Easton