Floor project

So here's the contrast. Our hideous linoleum is truly from the 60s or 70s. Ray finally found some special goop that takes up the glue left after the tiles are peeled back. You can see a few things stuck to the floor in the picture because everything sticks to it until the glue is removed. Then, we will recover the floor with polyurethane and wax it. Quite a bit of work, but what a wonderful difference it will make to our living room and dining room!!!

A thought

Last week I helped in AynJel's class for a few hours.
Part of our time the kids got to share about papers that they had written. It was called 'author's chair' so when they sat in the chair they read their paper and people got to ask them questions about it.
One little boy wrote about his 'Dream House'. He had a list of things that he would have in his dream house. A few of them were a bed, a pool, and an x-box. I then thought that for many boys his dream is their reality. They then of course, like most of us, probably have their own dream house in mind of even more than they have. It made me realize that all of us are living someone else's dream to some extent. Just reminded me to be thankful for what I have and to take advantage of it since there are so many people who can't have what I am priviledged to.

Lip gloss

This morning I experienced the disappointment a parent feels when their child is disobedient. AynJel brought her lip gloss to school when she is not supposed to; chapstick yes, lipgloss no. Anyway this is the THIRD time in the last few months she's tried to pull it off. Her consequence is that if it's in the wrong place it goes in the garbage. However, her mom continues to re-supply her and she keeps trying. Since now I check her backpack, she tried to put it in her pants pocket and kept her hands in her pocket this morning which gave it away. Anyway, we've had talks before about making us sad...us wanting to trust her but can't, inner character, blah, blah...
So I was a bit sad this morning that she tried again! She doesn't have a high conscience and she doesn't like to admit she's wrong...those are her weak points. Hopefully she is still learning even though she hasn't acted like it in this instance. So, now she's not allowed to posses lip gloss at all and I have to check her pockets and her backpack, sigh.

Fall

Fall being my favorite season I have ushered it in to our home by my own will. Here in Las Vegas fall and winter blurr together as it takes so long for the weather to get cold. This weekend we splurged and spent $50 on fall decorations. What happiness this brought me! First I assembled the wreath, which was very satisfying. Then I made my first scarecrow last night. He is very cute and I am quite proud of him:) He sat on the couch until this afternoon where he 'scared' us continually. Ray came home late from hanging with some friends and was given a little scare to see a man in the dimness sitting on the couch, then when AynJel was the first to get up this morning it caused her eyes to quickly open the rest of the way as she was stumbling around the living room. However they made quick friends for when I got up she was sitting next to him on the couch with her doll. So, now we have a fall wreath on our door, a scarecrow up by our flower bed, and fall 'leaves' in our front window. At night our house looks so warm and glowing as if it is inviting you in from the cold. However, the temp. is still in the high 90's and Ray says, "It's very cute that I have started fall so early.' Labor day is ending and I'm kicking summer out the window!

AynJel's new apron

AynJel loves to work in the kitchen so I made this apron for her with some fabric that my good friend Lynnea sent. It's far from perfect as it is hand sewn and I didn't follow a pattern but it's pretty cute, it works, and she loves it!

My childhood treasure!

A war on my front porch...

**WARNING, THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS MAY BE WAAAY TO GRAPHIC FOR SOME VIEWERS**

Almost every evening I suit up with bug spray and head out to the battle field, my front porch. I saw this miss around 8PM one evening and gave her all I had. She was a fighter, but in this picture she is indeed deceased.



The large dead beetle shows up in Las Vegas every summer lasting for maybe a week. They are impressive, and so you can imagine how much more impressed I was when I saw that the large Widow successfully hunted it.

Tomatoes!

We have been harvesting! Come over and we can make you a BLT!

My new favorite ice cream

I have recently remembered our wonderful ice cream maker. It goes into hibernation in the winter so I had forgotten about it. Just this last week we created mint ice cream! I made just the basic vanilla- cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla and added a good amount of crushed candycanes. I crushed them in the blender so that they weren't crunchy in the ice cream. So refreshing!!!
The ice cream is showcased in my special little bowls given by my wonderful friend Lynnea. I am convinced it tasted better being eaten out of these:)

Vegas Summer Sunsets!

A beautiful sunset on the eve of July 8th. Taken from our front yard.