I have the most wonderful family in the world - a personal post

So I had that tooth surgery yesterday morning, remember? Well, yesterday evening, I decided to go watch my husband's softball game like I usually do. Well, although I felt fine at the game, I think it was too much activity and talking, cause I felt AWFUL on the way home. I walked in the house and went straight to bed. My daughter, Emma, held my hand on the way home to help me feel better, and came in the house hot on my heels - all concerned, giving me lots of hugs and kisses, and asking how she could help me. She got me all tucked into bed, heated up my hotsock for me (a long tube sock filled with flax seeds that we heat in the microwave and use like a heating pad - I LOVE IT) since I strangely had the shivers, even though it was nearly 80 degrees. Then she and Marty helped the boys get their evening snacks/supper since I hadn't really fixed supper. In a while, she came in with a very soft snack for me to eat because it was time to take my medicine again and it makes me really queasy. What a dear.
My one and a half year old, Earl, was happy as a clam and went around the house singing at the top of his lungs in his own little baby language. It is SO precious when he does that - justs puts his head back and lets it all flow out. He sang ALL evening.
Marty helped Isaiah, my 5 year old, look up jack knives on ebay, and just browsing through the listings entertained him for quite a while, and boy, did he have a lot to tell me about them later! :) Isaiah LOVES to learn, and he studies things very intently. Just by looking at the pictures he learned a lot.
And sweet Eli, my 3 year old, just played happily, laughed along with a Little Bear video (which he pronounces Yiddle Bear), and cuddled with Earl and Daddy in the lazyboy.
Marty just was a super daddy, like he always is. He got everybody fed, diapers changed, washed, and ready for bed, and played, and laughed, and loved on everyone.
I just lay in my bed listening to the happy, sweet sounds of my family, my heart full of love and joy, praising the Lord for the enormous blessings He has given me - FAR above what I deserve.
PS - I had a good night, slept well, and feel okay right now. Haven't even had my medicine yet - trying to hold off since it makes me feel very strange, queasy, and drowsy.

Completed charm

Last night I finished soldering my anniversary charm and took some pics this morning to share with you.

In honor of my 10th anniversary

Tomorrow, my husband, Marty, and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage! Gasp! It doesn't seem possible that time could have passed so quickly. He is my dear, true love, and our love is stronger and sweeter than ever. What a tremendous blessing the Lord has given me in him!
In honor of this event, I created two little pieces of art with a dual purpose in mind. I scanned them into my computer, reduced them, and am in the process of creating a little charm for a necklace for myself. I also plan to mount the original works on an ATC blank, and give them to Marty. He has several times dropped hints that he'd like me to make some ATC's for him, so here are the first two.

















I plan to eventually make 9 cards for him so he can have an entire page full. When the charm and ATC's are completed, I'll post them. :)
Cara

Landscaping - one of my favorite art forms

I spent nearly the entire last week out of state (in Ohio) helping my brother with a big landscaping job he had to do -quite a change from my stay-at-home-mom life. My children played with their cousins while I was working as the official "plant lady".
How I LOVE to "paint" with plants!
A yard is such a wonderful canvas! The dirt is the the base for the artwork. It can be pepared by removing sod, adding compost/manure to enrich and soften the soil. Oh, the delicious smell of good, fresh dirt - I love it!
Now, the great fun begins - the planning, shopping, and adding the lovely colors, textures, shapes, and bloom seasons of a variety of plants. Then, add an embellishment or two, or three, or more (a boulder, a statue, a sculpture, an edging, a trellis), and you have a lovely, ever changing work of art!
With plants I can express so many moods - here a bright, bold, and splashy corner, there a quiet, subdued, gentle, and contemplative little grove, here a stark, rigid space, there a soft, sweet, secluded romantic spot, etc.

I think landscaping is one of my most favorite art forms - certainly one of the ones I feel most comfortable with!
Oh, yeah, these photos are from my perennial beds.

Cara