Welcome to our house, Pop's Piece!

My "Pop", Howard Aylett, was the best carpenter I've ever known! He loved spending time in his shop. I can still smell 2X4s being cut on a saw and think of him. That's just what he smelled like. He loved creating things with wood and we loved receiving his creations!

Before Pop died, he made each child and grandchild a piece of something. Each girl received a china cabinet and the boys received entertainment/computer centers. I still have my china cabinet, which has made many moves over my little life......marriage, apartment, new house, divorce, apartment, new house, mom and dad's basement, marriage again, new house....well, you get the picture! With all of those moves, that china cabinet is still as sturdy and strong as the day it was built. It reminds me of Pop......strong, sturdy, conservative, with a little golden touch.

With all of that said.....I am happy to announce that I had an opportunity to get one of Pop's pieces from another family member. Jeremy and his wife, Natalia, will be moving to California to pursue a call from God to plant a new church. Jeremy has been a youth minister at a church in Russelville and has been attending seminary school. He has been provided an opportunity to continue to spread God's word in California. I can't imagine him being so far away, but I know he is passionate about his ministry so I am happy for him, all the same! My prayer is that God will use Jeremy to reach all who are lost and in need of Him. I pray that God will keep them safe as they begin this new venture.

With this move, they are having to downsize the items they are moving, since it is such a long move. Kim called and asked if I would want the entertainment center that Pop built. I said ABSOLUTELY! So Chad stopped in Russelville one afternoon, while he was working and brought the entertainment center to our house later that evening. I was so thrilled to have it! Below is a picture of the piece in it's new home!

Welcome to our house, Pop's Piece!

New Flower Bed

Last Thanksgiving, our deck burned because Roy's grill fell thru. Anyone who knows Roy, knows that on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and pretty much any other day he has an excuse, he is gonna have his grill fired up and smoking some kind of meat. Well, last Thanksgiving was no exception. Unfortunately, that poor grill had been hot one too many times and the bottom fell thru and the burning wood fell onto the deck surrounding our pool. Luckily, our neighbors came out during the night and saw the flames, got our waterhose, and put out the fire, otherwise, it would have gone to the fence and Lord forbid, the house.

Well, this summer, Roy took up the boards to the deck and we (or he and Zach) filled it in with topsoil. I had good intentions of putting a pretty flower bed there. My intentions were good.......but you know that they say about that.....

Here's the beginnings.....monkey grass dug up and transplanted around the front edge.........

.....and the Crepe Myrtle, dug up and transplanted to the center to be my "focal point".......and OH, what a focal point it is.......

.....guess I should have listened to my husband who told me to wait until the Fall to dig up the Crepe Myrtle! I hate when he's right!

But, luckily, my buddy Michelle Withers Green has informed me to cut it off at the base and hopefully the roots will form and come back next year!

.....to be continued......Summer 2011!!!

Face Down....and KICK!!!!

Roy and I have been teaching swimming lessons this summer and the kids have done GREAT! BUT - we've had the hardest time getting our OWN child in the water!

The other night, Rylee just put her face down and swam out to Roy. She is swimming like a little fish, now.....well, we had a brief sideline because of swimmer's ear, but she's back going at it!

Here's a little video for proof!

Summer Pleasures

The reasons I look forward to summer......besides the break from school......

tomatoes........

Garden fresh salads.......

and peppers for Roy and Dad!

Short lived decision to throw out the passy!

This morning, Rylee came and told me that she had thrown out her passy. I said, "Oh, Rylee, I'm sooooo excited! Where did you throw it?" She says in the wall! So I agree and move on. In a little bit, she said, "Mommy, where's my passy?" I said, "Well, I thought you threw it in the wall!" She starts crying and says she wants it back. I try to tell her what a big girl she was for throwing out her passy and how we didn't need that ol' stinky passy, anyway. Well, she got really quiet so I went looking for her......this is what I found......

apparently, she threw the passy in between the dresser in our room and the wall. So, she's desperately trying to reach her passy under the dresser.

S----T-----R-----E------T-----C------H!

......and Mission Accomplished! :)

I guess we'll work on that, another day!!!