Happy Birthday, My Baby

To my son...my baby,

You are a gift sent straight from heaven, we are so lucky to have you.  The past five years with you has been such a blessing to our family.

You are so very smart.  You amaze me all the time with your BIG words and how you use them.  You ask so many questions that I sometimes think you are maybe writing a book, lol! 

What a curious little boy you are and I love answering you...no matter how many times you ask.  That is how we learn.

You have such an awesome imagination.  I love how you can get lost in play, that is one of the most beautiful things about being a child.  You are in full gear now, pretending to be anything, anytime and anywhere! 

You are so helpful and kind to others and you use good manners....even when I'm not there, as your teacher told me at back to school night!  I am so proud of you! 

You are the silliest five year old I know!  We can always crack up together, and can have fun almost anywhere!  You have the best sense of humor!  I love to giggle with you, yes, hands down a favorite thing to do with you.

  You are the best hugger-snuggler...EVER~!  You are such a SWEET boy.....stay that way.

You were given the name "Bass Master" because of the great fishing that you do with your daddy....boy, you can catch fish with the best of them! 

There are so many wonderful things about you that make me so lucky to be your mommy but I will finish up by saying Happy Birthday Baby......and many, many, more.

I love you forever and always, to the moon and back child.....

~Mommy~

XOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXO

Happy Birthday my girl....

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.  A very special day for you today because becoming a teenager is such a big milestone.  

I simply cannot believe how fast the years have flown by already.  It seems only yesterday you were playing with dolls and having tea parties, now a young lady.  You have always been a pleasure to have as a daughter.  I am so grateful you are mine.  Easy going, kind hearted, honest, trustworthy and spirited.  You are a natural beauty inside and out.   I wish you a wonderful birthday sweetheart!

 What started out as a sweet little rosebud is now blossoming into a beautiful Rose. 

Love you to the moon n' back child,

Always & Forever,

xoxo,   Mom

The School Bell Rang!

Wheweeee, this summer sure has flown by and I haven't blogged as often as I would have liked to.  I wanted to spend as much time with my children as possible before another school year started so blogging had to take a back seat.  To those of you who contacted me, thank you for your concern, ya'll are too sweet!  Well I have some catching up to do over the coming weeks but I wanted to share our special day first. 

Yesterday was the first day of school for my children.  They are each in different schools due to their ages so we had our annual Back-to-School breakfast quite early and then repeated our back to school pictures with each one of them throughout the morning.  This year I made a Stuffed French Toast dish that you can prep the night before and bake in the oven while everyone is getting ready, add a side of sausage or bacon....so easy!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

You can get recipe HERE

Each year, since they started school, they stand on the front porch in front of the screen door and pose for a photo. 

 It's fun to look back through the old Back-to-School morning photos and see how much they've changed from year to year. 

They wait nervously for the school bus each year....even though they are reassured they will do quite well. 

I am confident of that and they always do.

It is always so hard to see them go....whether it is the 11th time I have seen them off or the very first as in my son's case!  Little bit of tears this year....from me!  I also started a new school year this year with my children as I will be working part-time in the district, I'm very excited and loved my first day as well so this year their momma had first day jitters too!

I hope that those of you who sent your children off for their first day had a good experience.  To those of you who no longer have little ones at home, you must have some great memories made. 

I have a Back to School story to share with you...

This story took place about five years ago, and is about a mom and her two girls (her son was not even cooking in the oven yet) all very excited to start a new school year.  The father took the morning off as usual to see his girls get off on their first day of school and the mother was all prepared well in advance, very proud of that fact I might add.  The girls were bathed, clothes layed out the night before, bookbags packed with bus passes ready to go, she had it all under control. 

The next morning they all rose early, got ready and had their big BTS breakfast together everything went so very smoothly, so nice and relaxing.  Out the door they headed to the bus stop at the end of their driveway...and they waited.....and waited some more (afterall the buses' are on a new schedule and always run late the first day).  Before long cars driving by started slowing down and looking at us them.  A few even rolled down their windows asking if school started today.  We she assured them that it did and they hurried off in a frenzy and some just looked plain confused.  Surely she thought they must have forgotten that today was the first day of school and must be rushing home to get their little ones ready! 

After what felt like an eternity to the girls, a neighbor finally drove by and slowed down to turn around.  They pulled in front of us them and said she had just been to the school to pick up her daughter's bus pass and that school didn't start until the very next day!!!  What?!!!   

Well that silly momma somehow got the start day wrong and had her children dressed, fed and all ready for the bus.......a whole day early! 

The children never let the momma forget that story either and each back to school breakfast there after they reminisced about the morning they were a day early for the school year!

Anyone else have one of those stories?  Do you have any back to school rituals?  Anything you do that makes your child's school year more organized and eaier to manage...I'm curious to hear, do share!

I'll be back to read and catch up over the next couple of days, thanks for stopping by!

Take care,

Dee

. 

Life Played Out....

This play is called LIFE......

It's jam packed, full of fun, a little crazy, hectic, pretty, a little last minute, rewarding,

sometimes exhausting (did I mention fun?) but
the show always goes on!

Scene 1....Prom 101

My oldest was asked to her first prom.  Not her prom but a junior friend, a nice young man.  Boy was I out of the loop on how much work (and $$) a prom requires.....
shopping for the dress, hair, makeup, shoes, jewelry. Oh My! 

 The best part of her first prom experience was that his friends asked her friends and well you get the picture....there was alot of cute teen girlie giddiness.

Scene 2....A Sweet Partay

A few days after prom my daughter celebrated her 16th Birthday and we threw her a surprise Sweet 16.

Most of the decorations were handmade to stick to my budget.  I have a wonderful SIL who helped

me crafting with me till all hours. 

If it could be made, it was.

My mom also did a great deal for this party....

shopping, cooking, clean up.

I could not have done a party like this without their help, that's for sure.

So...lottsa XOXO's to both of them!

We went with a SWEET 16 theme with a "Sweet's Bar" with lots of candy.  We had a really nice turnout,  the DJ was good, the kids all danced....even the boys (if the robot counts) lol!  

Sweet 16 Candle Centerpiece.....

Table Center pieces, dollar store hurricane globes, scrapbooking embelishments, pink sand, a candle and there you have an inexpensive centerpiece. 

They gave the room a nice glow, looked so pretty all lit.

 We cut labels for candy jars and glued to strips of scrapbooking paper to embelish the SWEET BAR jars......  We made taffy kabobs....the guys had to do that for us though...it was tough getting them on the skewers.  If you want to test your man's strength....ask him to skewer taffy.....it's hard....and hysterical, (especially at 1 am and you're all craft batty) lol.

The "Sweets Bar" 

 Family, good friends and fun....

We painted an ornate frame pink for the picture booth....

the kids had alot of fun taking photos here.

My girls...acting goofy as usual when the camera is out.

Scene 3.....The Little Grad 

My son's first graduation.....from preschool.

My sweet baby earned his first diploma, it was so stinkin' cute.

He was not happy to be up in front of an autitorium full of people to receive it,

making the funniest faces the whole time, he did his best though.

Coincidentally he received an award for "Best Facial Expressions" He is so funny!

 

Scene 4...The Big Grad

My middle daughter's First Graduation.... from elementary school.

She looked so pretty all dressed up in a cute little sundress, it's not too often I get to see that anymore!

A really nice Graduation ceremony, she made it safely off the stage without tripping once (big fear she had) and we celebrated at the icecream parlor afterwards.

Add in the encore of class trips, award ceremonies, sporting tournaments, Field days and class parties....and the month rolled right on by!  The ending to this play was sweet to say the least.  I did enjoy it but please, by all means, let me know your reviews lol.

I have been workin on a few more new posts and was a thinkin that once the old blog here hits 500 followers then I'll be hosting a giveaway in celebration.  I'm on Facebook, so be sure to send a request! 

Just search for Farmhouse Dee...

I'm off now to work on some more signs for my etsy shop....toodles.

Take care,

Dee

A Mother's Tale....

Mother's day

It is a blessing to be a mother beyond anything else in life
I could have imagined.  A blessing in every way.

Each Mother's Day I celebrate...
the mother I am, the mother I gained and

the mother I have lost.

~Being a Mother~

I have been entrusted with the precious task of loving and raising them.  Becoming a mother to each of my children was the most important time of my life, each time.  They have been the greatest gift that I will ever receive.  I thank god each day and every evening in prayer, asking that the lord keeps them safe, healthy and happy.

~My Mother~

I lost my mother when I was a young child, complications from Lupus. She would have been a great mom, she tried to have me for the first eight years of her marraige but only got to be a mother for a few short years. It is sad for me to think as I raise my own children now all that she did not have the time to experience as a mother. 
She would have been a great mother as I am often told.  Heaven gained an angel when she arrived.  Some pass down the paths of life much quicker than others.  She is missed sorely by many people.  I have a rose bush planted in my flower garden in memorial to her memory.

 They are "Mary's Roses." 

~I love and have missed you~

~My Mother~

My father remarried when I was seven to my mother who raised me.  When he met her I desperately wanted a mother. I missed my own and I wanted a motherly figure in my life as any young girl would. I have many happy childhood memories that I can thank her for.  She provided a warm home to us all, something only a mother can do to a house.

She was there for alot of firsts in my life, put up the hard parts of raising children along with all the good.

She endured and we have grown together over all these years. On Mother's day I celebrate her love and dedication to being my mother in the absense of my own.

~ I love you mom and thank you~

As I Look Back

As I look back on my life

I find myself wondering.....

Did I remember to thank you

for all that you have done for me?

For all of the times you were by my side

to help me celebrate my successes

and accept my defeats?

Or for teaching me the value of hard work,

good judgement, courage, and honesty?

I wonder if I've ever thanked you for the simple things...

The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared?

If I have forgotten to express my gratitude

For any of these things,

I am thanking you now....

and I am hoping that you've known all along,

how very much you are loved and appreciated.

- Author Unknown.

and I just couldn't end this without mentioning.....

~God Mother~

My God Mother is my mother's twin sister.  I love her dearly, she is the closest person I have to my mother and one of the few people who is able to keep my mother's memory alive for me.  She has been so very good to me and my children.  My middle daughter once referred to her in conversation as her Grandma Aunt lol, I totally understood.  She has passed on some of my family's traditions, stories and recipes...a past that I otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to know.

I love you dearly~thank you for being so very good to me.

Happy Mother's Day
 to all the wonderful, beautiful Mom’s today and for those of us whose Mom’s are no longer with us, may they forever be in our hearts today and always!!

I hope you enjoy spending the day with your mother's and appreciate their presence in your life, showering them with the love and appreciation they deserve.

Take Care,
Dee

Turning Sweet.

Oh where in the world does the time go?

I've probably already said that in several other posts, right?  Milestones come up so much quicker than we ever think they will, days flow gently into one another and sooner or later our children begin to grow up. 

My oldest child has hit one of those important milestones this year, once twirling around as only little girl's can, full of boundless energy, she has turned one full turn into a young woman right before our very eyes.  What an amazing and beautiful blessing. 

Throughout the years a mother's heart rejoices in the fact that her child has graciously become a lady and at the very same time her heart grieves that child that no longer is.  (just a little melancholy about it all I guess, lol.) 

Sweet sixteen is such an important birthday for a young girl.  Her future lay before her, the possiblities endless and she has the world in her hands.  We will celebrate her coming of age with joy and admiration.  It truly is something special.   

My daughter is growing up quickly now and in only a couple more years she'll be off to college and starting to plan the rest of her life.  As hard as the teen years can sometimes be, perhaps I am now realizing that nothing truly good ever comes easy. 

Every relationship has a bump of sorts every now and again, lol.  We've undoubtedly hit a few bumps in the road during these teen years, as most parents do.  Little bumps, you know, the average eye rolling, mumbling, and dragging of the feet variety, but even so, she really is a great kid....Loving, Loyal, Joyful, Fun, Honest, Dedicated, and Considerate.  I couldn't ask for better qualities to be truthful.   I am proud of her and the young lady she is. 

~~"If"~~

If you can value truth

above approval,

and friendship over beauty,

wealth or fame,

If you can share your gifts

and talents wisely,

leaving someone better off

than when you came....

If you find happiness

in simple pleasures

and see the rainbow, not the falling rain,

If you have faith to keep right on believing

in miracles that no one else can explain,

If you look until you see the good in others

and keep your spirit honest, true, and free,

then you'll be, not just happy and successful,

but the woman only you

were meant to be.

If you could see

all the flowers in the world,

If you could hear

all the laughter in the universe,
If you could make all the dreams

that ever were wished come true,

Then you would know

a little part of the joy

of having and loving

a daughter like you.

Emily Matthews

Our family memories of my daughter through the years......

Her unfolding into the rose she has bloomed into....

A stroll down life's Memory Lane with us...

come along if you like.

16 Candles...

For you my girl......

Happy Birthday!

My pregnancy with you was an interesting one, especially since you were my first.  You wanted the world to know you were on your way for sure.  You were the most active baby, and did somersaults in my belly, you never stopped moving.  You still haven't, lol. 

Looking back it was no surprise that you came three weeks early.  The pregnancy was taxing, but you were such a joy as a baby.  Your dimpled smile could light me up like no other. It is no secret that you had your daddy wrapped around your chubby little finger the moment he laid eyes upon you...

As a toddler your energy was boundless. I couldn't wait for you to walk.  Talking came first, very early as a matter of fact.  Once you started walking we couldn't get you to sit still (consequentially neither did I, lol).  Once you began to talk, well everyone knew who you were!

I couldn't keep clothes on you for the life of me.  You were my nature baby and wanted to be free!  Thank god our neighbors were like a bunch of grandparents to you and they got such a kick out of you regardless of what you were (or weren't) wearing.  Chubby baby legs and all.

You didn't have the patience for dance.....and wanted to teach the class instead!   You sure did look cute in those tu-tu's though! 

When we signed you up to play sports, it was because we needed an outlet for ALL THAT ENERGY!  It turned out that you loved it, and still do.  You really are as good as everyone says girlie, remember that and keep a level head.

You were always Gabby Gertie in class but somehow your teachers couldn't help but love you.  You have a wonderful sense of humor still. 

I love that you are still not afraid to be silly, and you really crack me up with some of the crazy things you do!  You have always been a clown!

YOU were a tom boy through and through.  There wasn't a fishing trip you would forgo, a tree you wouldn't climb, a frog you wouldn't find or a boy you wouldn't race. 

But then there were times I could turn you back into a little lady and we would enjoy a tea party or two....

When you became a big sister, you thought that she was only yours, a little doll.  I loved to watch the two of you playing together when you were little.  You will one day become best friends,

I am sure.

You embraced growing up and couldn't wait to become one of the big kids. 
Braces came and went, glasses turned into contacts! 

 What a pretty smile!  Jr. high was a breeze and high school is a blast for you.  I'm so happy you are making some wonderful memories and have been blessed with some great friends to make them with!

You once again became a big sister to your baby brother and I adore the way you are with him.  I see the patience you have with him and the way you protect him. 

I think you will make an excellent teacher someday, if you stick to your dreams because you know you are capable of anything you set you mind to. 

Soon you will be in a car driving around with my  heart inside.  It is hard to explain but it is true that when you have children your heart is walking outside of your body for the rest of your days. I know that you find it silly when I tell you this, you will understand one day.  Please take care of that heart because it is so hard to let go sometimes. 

I know you have big plans my girl and I hope and pray all your dreams come true.  But most of all I wish you happiness in finding those dreams and all your days.  You will fly someday and I will always be here.

 

Happy 16th Birthday Sweetheart and many, many, many more. 

You have always been a gift to us and I love you child, to the moon and back....

yes,

forever and ever--always.

~Mom~

Take care,

Dee