Wordless Wednesday

I Heart Faces

This week at I ♥ Faces, the theme is "The Beach". Okay. I seriously have hundreds of photos to choose from, but with my boys both being sick this week, I am feeling really sappy. So here is the photo that I picked...

This is Luke. On the Beach. Spying the ocean.

I actually get emotional looking at this photo b/c I love the ocean so much...and I love Luke so, so much...and this was the first moment he saw the ocean.

The sweetest thing was that as he ran to this little fence, he stumbled and fell. (Click the photo to enlarge it and see all of the sand grains he's wearing.) Pensacola has a TON of new, thick, soft sand, which was beautiful. It was also difficult for this little man to walk on. Still he was in awe.


I wondered at the time, and still do, if he thought it was just the biggest pool ever!



To see more beachy photos or to play along, click HERE!

Fragmented Freewrite #3

We have a new member of the family! His name is Leo.

We had a betta for two years and it was so (surprisingly) sad when he passed away. Leo is fitting in nicely and is so beautiful now that he's in a bowl full of clean water and eating regularly. It really takes so little to please a fish.

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Sam has had a stomach virus much of this week, so we've stayed in a lot. Looks like he is finally getting back to himself, which I'm so happy about. Since he's normally 100MPH all the time, it's really hard to see him just lie around all day. I'm also happy about the fact that he's now at the age that he can run to the toilet when he needs to, and make it most of the time.

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The weather has been so great here for July. We've spent as much time outside as possible. (I just know August is going to be brutal!) Neil and Sam even camped out last weekend. They set the tent up in the middle of our backyard, lit a fire and roasted marshmallows.

Luke is my current excuse when Sam wants me to camp with him. I won't be able to use that for long, though. I know Luke will love "roughing it" just as much as his big brother. We never camped when I was growing up, so it doesn't appeal to me at all. Really. Not even in my own backyard.

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I finally made the leap to Firefox, since IE continues to have those dreaded error-issues with blogger. I was so nervous to change for some weird reason, but it's been nothing but smooth. I totally recommend it if you're having issues with your browser. It's free and easy to download.

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My boys love trucks. All trucks. Last year the city repaved our street and Sam got such a kick out of seeing it. Well, they decided to pave another portion earlier this week and Luke couldn't have been happier.

It takes some really strange looking machines to get the job done.

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Lastly, here is a little comparison of Sam and Luke.
(Both around 16-months old.)

Wordless Wednesday

Etsy Giveaway - Sweet Designs by Maryum

I was privileged to purchase from Sweet designs by Maryum....and her work is phenomenal! Seriously. Everything is so cute (EVEN FOR BOYS!!) and the quality is great. She also offers a large variety for boys, girls and moms...AND she has a great Fall collection coming out in just a few weeks. I can't wait to see those prints!

Without a doubt, my favorites are her cute, girlie skirts. They are so unique and make GREAT gifts for those with girls.





For me, a boys "boutique" collection, has to be cool. Well, Maryum has a boy and she's completely into "cool"!

She does these awesome appliqued ties (yes...that is Luke) and pants/shorts. As well as, nursing covers, bibs, burp cloths and belts!

Okay. Here's the FUN part.

Maryum is giving away an appliqued onesie or t-shirt to one 4 Lettre Words reader. Just leave a comment in this post telling me what you like about Sweet Designs by Maryum and you will be entered.

If you follow me, you can have a second entry...just leave a second comment as a reminder!


We'll randomly pick a winner on August 1st. Hope it's YOU!

I Heart Faces

This week they are shaking it up a bit over at I ♥ Faces. The theme is "feet"!

I really love fat baby feet, so I have quite a few to choose from. This one, though, is from the first time Luke officially played in the sandbox. Brand new sand is so soft and cool. I just love this capture.

To see more feet-photos or to play along, click HERE.

Fragmented Freewrite #2

It's been a great week here in the A-T-L!

Luke is SO into hats these days. Seriously. He puts something on his head (not always a real hat) non-stop! Thankfully, he looks really cute in hats, so he can keep the habit forever.

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Sam had such an awesome time at VBS. He really enjoyed it last year, but this year he's starting to "get it" so I think it was way better. He spent a lot of time with his friends from school, but he also made some new friends. Gotta love that! Plus, he was all about the offering each day. (Neil and I are way into tithing our church, so that means a lot to us.)

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I made that super yummy Bisquick pot-pie that we love. If you've never made it, please do. It's so easy and cheap. In fact, I gift it all the time b/c I can make 3 from a store-bought rotisserie chicken! (I also use our garden veggies and some frozen veggies.)

If you don't have the recipe, email me!

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Our garden has been so much FUN this year. (Probably because our drought situation has eased a bit in Georgia.) We love have things to "pick" each day!

The bounty has included strawberries, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. Plus, we're still waiting on some Spanish peanuts and we're going to plant cauliflower and garlic this fall.

Yum...and nearly FREE!

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I'm registering Sam for Kindergarten on Tuesday. It's evoking mixed emotions in me. I am so, unbelievably excited for him b/c I know he will thrive. I also can't believe he is old enough to go to Kindergarten and ride the bus and get a lunch tray...

Of course, I'm already involved with the PTA so that I can be near him a little bit, but please pray for me on August 10th!

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We did something really cool this summer. Okay. We did a lot of really cool things this summer, but this was a blog thing. Sam participated in the "Super Summer Swap". He and Blake are exchanging packages and we just sent Blake's box off to Ohio! I think my favorite part was the envelope scrapbook that we made. It turned out so cute and it allowed us to include a lot of photos. (I'll post some pics in a couple weeks.)

Get on board next year!

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I will have a new giveaway coming up shortly. It's for an amazing Etsy site called Sweet Designs By Maryum. If you have a little one OR want a great gift, please check back on Tuesday!




Enjoy your weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

I was looking back at some "old" photos and came across this. I always loved it...

I Heart Faces

This week's theme on I ♥ Faces is "Sports in Action". I have several action photos of Sam playing soccer, but this has always been a favorite photo of mine. And, well...I guess kite-flying is a sport.

This was captured at a beautiful park near our home. It is always so crowded, that I really (still) can't believe there is no one else in this shot.

Sam was having a ball, as usual...

To see more great photos or to play along, click HERE.

Fragmented Freewrite

Hi, my name is Dina and this is my first time with Fragmented Freewriting.

So. Here. I. Go.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it on my blog yet, but we had a reality show filmed here in our neighborhood.Yes. CBS was here for about a month causing all kinds of chaos and now you can see it on your very own TV.

It's called "There Goes the Neighborhood" and it premieres August 9th at 9PM. We are not in the show (that I know of!), but some good friends are and I sure hope they got the $250,000 prize! Also, it was sold to "us" as a family-friendly show, but with a 9PM time-slot, I have to say, "Hmmmm...."

We don't do the TV-thing, but I hear there are commercials out already.

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I am so bad at awards that this time I thought I would pass it along as soon as I got it! My sweet friend, Sara, gave me this pretty award. She also told me the rules, but I want to bend them a bit. I feel like many bloggers just pass off awards to others that haven't already gotten them. Instead, I want to pass this one off to the blogs that I actually ALWAYS read! (Yes. I visit everyday, tho, I am probably nursing Luke when I do it and leaving a comment is "difficult". Still, I really love you gals!)

Boyd's Crazy Mama
More than Words
Home is Where Your Story Begins
Stacy's Random Thoughts
Yaya Stuff
The Life of Me Plus Three

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We take pride in our pretty yard, but we've had some (BAD) bald spots this summer. We always lack rain here in GA, so I've watered, plus my hubby has fertilized a lot. But...last night I found the problem! We called him Bunny-kins and invited him back anytime. I'm totally okay with it.

Thankfully, he ignored my little garden right there next to him!
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This is a "False Widow". Did you know that? I (sadly) killed him/her yesterday because he/she was building a nice home next to my backdoor. Location! Location! Location!

Anyway, I knew it wasn't a Black Widow b/c it was brown so I had to hit Google. (We do have black widows and rattle snakes and scorpions since we back up to the woods and a creek in GA!) It seems that they aren't too bad, but depending on the exact type, the bite can be very painful and cause a lot of swelling. Yuck!

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Sam is off to VBS next week and we are both excited. He needs something new, after being out of school for 2 full months, PLUS I need him to experience something new after being with him for 2 months! He will love it, too. They always have jumpies and a petting zoo and tons of games. Oh, and a big party for all of the families on the last night!

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Today is the last day to enter my JumpStart giveaway. If you haven't entered and want the chance to win a 3-month membership for your kiddo, click HERE.

I will have a fun giveaway coming up in a week or so. It's a great Etsy site, so check back!
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Tomorrow night me and the hubs have another Date Night! We are attending a friend's "gathering" that just happens to be a poker tournament. We'll miss the card playing because I am glued to my babe until his bedtime, but we will get some nice (needed) adult time.

A Thousand Words Thursday

My 5 year old LOVES museums. Seriously. And, the great thing is that we have a couple really great ones within a few miles of our home. Can't beat that, huh!?!

These photos were snapped at The Southern Museum in downtown Kennesaw. It has a ton of cool Civil War items, plus it houses The General. And, of course, it has a great kids interactive area.

Both Sam and Luke loved building trains, playing dress up, "eating" in the dining car...well...see for yourself...

Wordless Wednesday

This is what "fun with a hotel curtain" looks like...more than 4o minutes of fun, to be exact...