Girl Scout Leader Gift

My last post of the day has to be a craft. I have been busy crafting but the end results just haven't been making it to my blog. I am a slacker. However, when I made this gift for Greta's Daisy Girl Scout leader Gene said that I needed to post it.

It is so simple! I picked up a Gerber Daisy at the local home store. I thought the Daisy was so appropriate since it is for a Daisy Leader. I covered the plastic container with cute paper and tied a ribbon around it. I thought about buying a pot and replanting the flower but I didn't want to kill the flower. A dead flower does not make a great gift. Plus, I think flower pots are personal - you never know what someone will like.

To make the "jewelry" I cut lengths of beading wire about 12 inches long and twisted one end. I had some chip board shapes of flowers and dots from a Scrapaganza yard sale. So, I punched a hole in each one and wrote the names of the girls in the troop and the leaders. I put them on the wire and twisted again. Then they went in the flower pot. Simple as that.

I would have loved to receive this as a thank you.

Saturday With The Family

Gigi getting ready to go out and play some ball.

Greta found some shade during Gigi's game.

After dinner downtown we painted fingernails - still downtown.

What can I say?

This beautiful robin was at the fountain by the river.

We enjoyed watching a local fisherman make a catch.

Would you believe that this was taken in between the cars on a passing train? That is part of the fountain in the background. I think it is cool.

Enjoying the view and our Saturday.

Girl Scout Bridging

Both girls bridged in Girl Scouts this year. Greta is a Brownie and Gigi is now a Junior GS.

I wasn't in Girl Scouts when I was young. I just didn't fit the mold - surprise surprise. I guess I am living through my girls. Now I really have to memorize that Girl Scout Promise because I am going to be Greta's Brownie Leader. And yes it is true... it is the leader's kid that you have to watch out for!

Piano Recital

Gigi had her Spring piano recital... she did fabulous. She played The Egyptian Ballet Dance and Rubber Duckie.

If I could get my aged brain to figure out how to upload the video I would but I will have to settle for some great photos.

Missing My Army Friends

I have more great friends in my life than I deserve but today I am missing one in particular.

I have a thing for friends with red hair. It is something about the personality that accompanies that beautiful shade of red.

In Georgia it was Tanna. She is a riot. There were months when her auburn hair had streaks of pink... uhm I mean strawberry blond. That girl isn't afraid of experimenting with the Clairol. In Kansas there was Rebecca. Our daughters were BFFs. I love Rebecca... she feels the ups and downs of life to the fullest. In Iowa it was Elizabeth. I learned a lot about standing up for yourself and determination from her. I also learned that I needed more quality in my life - especially in the shoe dept.

The best part is that they all "got" my quirky personality. I have moments of dark "no she didn't" humor. They still laughed no matter how inappropriate and came back for more.

The Army separates us but it also gives us opportunities to make these fabulous friends. So here is a big THANK YOU to the Army and to every one of my fabulous friends, all shades of red, blond, and brunette.

Mother's Day

Let me translate a few of my faves from Greta's card:
My Mom is CRAFTY.
My Mom's favorite color is RED.
My Mom weighs 30.
My Mom does not like YELLING.
My Mom's favorite thing to do is PLANT.
I can help my Mom by BE COM (calm).

Gigi has it right... food is love in our house.

Mother's Day has had a lot of mixed feelings for me the past four or five years for two reasons. I really miss my Mom and I wish she was here to see the girls grow-up. This always makes me a bit more emotional on this special day. Second, Gene has been deployed or away on TDY the past four or five years and has missed spending the day with us. The girls always do their best to make Mother's Day special, even if Gene is away, but Mother's Day isn't just a day for Moms... it is a day for families.

Having my three favorite Gs with me on Sunday made my day perfect. I was showered with gifts, cards, and patience from three people who love me. Why would I mention patience? Because all three let me drag them to my vegetable garden, the garden store, and then to another store for even more plants. The girls and I are going to have our very own little flower garden in the back. They picked out a couple of flats of flowers for us to grow together.

But my favorite gifts were the homemade cards. My grandpa always said that homemade gifts were the best gifts to receive. He knew what he was talking about.

Retiring to a tent.

When you have moved every couple of years and have pretty much liked every place you have lived then where to retire is a big question. We retire from the Army in approximately five years and I am obsessed with how we should plan out our last two moves. Granted, the Army will probably plan it for us with no regards to our preferences but it is fun to dream.

We like it here. It is a great place to raise a family. The area is big enough that you can find anything you need but small enough to know where to find those things. Not to mention that the parks and trails are fabulous. The country is just a short drive in any direction. We also have a fabulous group of friends. But, you can't forget the winter months. I love snow... Gene, not so much. We also loved Louisville, KY. Kansas was also great. I know I don't want to go to Georgia and Oklahoma... this girl isn't built for heat. But then again, Savannah, GA is beautiful.

See our problem? We like it all. Some of our friends have strong loyalties to certain areas... not us. I actually heard this question come out of my mouth this week...

"Gigi, where would you like Dad to retire?" Yep, I'm asking our nine year old to pick.