neglected, but better now

 
 
Very neglected. This poor old blog and that poor old flower garden... Life did not go quite as I had planned this summer. Shortly after my last post, our basement was flooded by one of the many torrential downpours Utah experienced all spring, and right into the beginning of summer. We were fortunate though, so many farmers lost their crops, and lots of homes were hit much worse than ours by the flooding.

 

And just when the crews of flood workers dwindled down, a routine Dr. visit turned into news that I would have surgery on July 1st... (I'm fine now) and there went July... it took about 
a month to get fully back on my feet. So such an exciting summer (not)- no great vacation photos here today! Now it's already back-to-school shopping time this week and it's definately wedding planning time... all the little details for Ainsley's big day Sept. 17 are on my mind and needing to be made soon.

 

I've wondered through my blue summer if I should even keep blogging... I feel as though I've come full circle blogging and now it needs to be something new, but what I'm not sure yet, maybe it just needs to evolve, or sit on the back burner a little while longer and cook itself into a new thing... we'll see...

 

 Just now feeling like I have some creative energy back in my blood and I'm sure it will one day come pouring back out again. At least I understand now why I hardly had any creative energy this year- I've had multiple health problems, sheesh! And I know for me, health problem do not mix with having abundant creative energy!!

 

 

But the gardens did eventually get weeded, and they are doing their best to put on a bright, ruffly fashion show after struggling all through the rains this spring.

 

 

 

 

(I'm thinking those containers would make a great kid's craft caddy... see, an actual creative idea. Apparently, I do still have a pulse!)

The upside of garden neglecting is finding half-price flowers at the end of July to fill in the bare spots.

 

 

 

 

And as perennial as the flowers around our house, baseball season happened in between all those stormy nights, rainouts, and cancelled games. Jesse's team, (the soggy but happy) the New York Yankees even managed to finish up with a second-place trophy for the town teams in his age bracket. 

 

I realized walking away from the field after his last game, that that really was the last game on our little "Mayberry" baseball field.

Next year, he plays on the older boys field across town.

I got teary-eyed. 

 

 

We've probably spent thousands of hours at this ballpark, watching our boys grow from tiny boy T-ball players (drawing in the sand at second base) to athletic little men.

 

Chewing our nails at slides and strikes, cheering them on, and consoling them when over the bad and lost games...

 

I will miss this ballfield and all those cricket-chirping, starry summer nights, and even the spring game nights; the ones where parents stand around freezing, wrapped up burrito-style in blankets while tag team complaining and cheering each other and the kids on...

 

 

 

Our kids are grown and growing up.

 

Who do they think they are anyway... whaaaaa!!

 

 

This summer two house martins built a nest under the eaves of our front porch. I watched the  four babies grow up in a blink. And one day I watched as they all stretched out their wings and made their first test flights away from the nest.

 

 

I so get how those parents must have felt- (since I like to think all animals think like me :)

 

I stood there hearing the momma bird say,  

"Now don't fly too fast.

Watch where you are going!

Don't be out too late,.

Just because all the other birds are doing it, doesn't mean you need to follow them."

 

And then I heard the Dad say,

"It seemed like they just hatched yesterday,

and now look at them.

I wish they were still little, at home in the nest with us."

****

WHHAAAA!!

 

 
And then they really learn to fly, and go soaring and stretching their wings in directions (with their old baseball buddies) you would never ever expect.

 

At the other end of the "Mayberry" ballfield was a concert for our town's festival days and Corbyn and his folksy band, The Mountain Hymns, were invited to play for the afternoon.

 

He is an awesome African drum drummer.

Who knew?

I was hoping for a baseball scholarship one day, but maybe he can still put us in a really nice retirement home with his rock star earnings.

Not a music lesson ever in this boys' life- go figure!

 
Picnics and your own personal rock band are preeetty cool together.

 

 

 
And so is a new craft book from Amazon when the August heat and boredom start to make us all go a little crazy is super awesome too.

 
 

 

 

This is the CUTEST sewing book for children I've ever seen. Great photos and instructions too.

 
Sophia finished three projects this week with almost no help from me.

 
A button jar.

 
A pencil case for the new school year, made from an old chenille sweater.

 
And a sewing box made from an old round cookie tin.

 

Already stocked... of course!

 

I highly recommend this book, Sewing for Children by Emma Hardy, for anyone who has ever had a bored daughter or granddaughter, (or an unbored child for that matter!)- it has been a life saver this past week, and there are lots of projects to go still. 

 

 

I still have the cutest wedding invitations to show you of Ainsley and her fiance' Jeff, but my computer is running so slow at the moment, I think I'll wait and do a separate blog post for them soon- pinkie promise!

 

 

Anyway, life is finding it's way back to some sense of order and I've started making a few things myself. Mostly for the house right now, knowing company is coming (for the wedding) always does wonders for me in the "hurry and spruce up the house department"!

Mike too, he just painted the garage-- floors and all. Seriously?! We need to schedule more company soon. We could have the whole yard finished landscaping in no time at all- :)

Hope you're squeezing all the last goodness from these beautiful summer days.

Love,

Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Traci]

summer flies by anyway but to miss it because of unfortunate events, bummer. so glad you are feeling better and getting back in the swing of things. i have missed you. i am sure you are so excited for the wedding. i am sure we'll see some photos of that. can't wait. take care.

[Margaret]

I am so glad to see you back. Have missed your fun inspirations - projects, thoughts, stories etc. Sorry for all you've gone thru. Glad you are doing better.

[elma]

Glad you are ok and a new blog post!! ( I just emailed you) So glad you are ok. This summer sure did fly by and the kids I wish they would stop growing. I think it just means we are getting older:(
Can't wait to hear more of the wedding. How exciting for all of you!!!

[Deb]

Hi Kelly
Welcome back!!
Sounds like lots has been going on ...happy to hear all is ok now.
Your new little craft book looks adorable ~ Love the sewing box idea (I want that myself) :-)
♥ Deb

[Cassie Shella]

So glad to see you back and feeling better:) Congrats and good luck with the upcoming wedding, I'm sure it's going to be perfect. I'm off now to check out that sewing book on Amazon - thanks for sharing it!

[Kay Ellen]

Glad to hear you are feeling better, sounds like a tough summer with surgery,flood and all...so sorry not fun:(

Wedding sounds very exciting!
Love crafty projects and garden...

Take care, prayers coming your way!

Kay Ellen

[Emerson Paynode]

What's the cause of flooding, again? I feel sorry for the farmers who lost their crops. They shouldn't worry, though. A rainbow shows up after a storm, right? However, I'm a li'l worried 'bout your flooded basement. Is it ok now?