Red Chips

Everytime I say "chips," my kids immediately envision SALSA!!
I returned from another doctor appointment this morning with my oldest daughter and found 2 yards of red chips in my trailer for the garden!! Yay!! I am revamping the front landscaping of our home, which happens to be my stress reliever, and was short of mulch when I put my tools away on Sunday night. That wonderful husband of mine surprised me with two more loads so I can finish the project. He values my hobby and he has been so helpful getting this yard work done. I make the messes, pulling weeds and old vines, and he faithfully picks it all up before I can even get off my knees. What a great team.

Tyler, 12, loves gardening with me the most. He's got the strength that I lack and definately more stamina for the long haul. That puts Nic and Nelly in charge of watching the younger ones as they play around us. It's a great summer for getting things done.

Tommy has a big black eye and cheek today. No, he's not the one with the broken nose! He will be 5 on Saturday, and for some reason, it looked fun to him to ride down the stairs in a rubbermaid plastic bin. I don't believe he thought it thoroughly through. The last time he did it there was an open doorway at the end of the ride. There is a wall there now. He hit hard, really hard. Boy, this would have been a great week to have an automatic ice maker!! Tyler, on the other hand, is looking more normal, his nose is not as swelled today, and Tom actually got more of a black eye with his escapades than Tyler did. Boys.

I bought 2 comforters yesterday at our resale shop. For some background, when our first daughter was born, Mike's mom had embroidered a small blanket for her crib and finished the patchwork squares off with a delicate gingham print material. After it was too small to wrap her in, we used it as a wall hanging. It's in her keepsake box now. When I saw the comforters at the shop, they were the very same embroidered patchwork squares that my mother in law had constructed 27 years ago for Ashleigh, and I was captivated by the intricate stitches, and the adorable colors. I toyed with the idea of walking away, but I felt a huge compelling to purchase those comforters and then found pillows to match!! I was so excited about getting them at a reasonable price, that I totally forgot to use my $5 coupon!! So, after some spot treatments, I plan to launder then and put them on the beds for our Ethiopian girls. Did I just say "girls?" I guess when you have 7 girls to 3 boys, it just felt right to believe that's who is coming home (eventually!!) It was so exciting to purchase our first "real" decoration for the new ones, and the connection to our first child was not an accident. Ash said we could use that original baby quilt to decorate their room, so there it is. Brown walls, pink handmade comforters and pillows to match. Baby girls, here we come!! And if you just happen to have a little brother that belongs with you, we have just the plan in place to welcome you all!!

What a good day. Chips, blankets and dreams. Now, back to gardening!!