Too much time has passed...so many happenings

First of all, Michael and I are no longer together. In all honesty I wish we would've just stayed friends to begin with. He is dealing with so many personal things right now that he didn't need something, or in this case, someone else to worry about. It's never fun opening up to someone, especially such a great guy like Michael, and then finding out it wasn't going to work on their end of things...but that's life. I just wasn't what he was looking for in terms of a relationship... I was told that "the dang Yankee couldn't handle this southern woman." Haha I laughed then, and I'm still laughing now :) As of right now, I haven't decided if we will be able to go back to being friends. I would like to but unfortunately I opened up my mouth last night and said some rather nasty things to him before I had a chance to sit down and really think about what he was trying to tell me. And in all honesty I am still pretty upset so I suppose only time will tell what happens. I did apologize to him this morning, so hopefully that set things back on the right path. Thankfully I have so many wonderful friends to take my mind off things :)

So many tasks and projects to distract me as well.

I went and picked some wildflowers on the dirt road yesterday and put them in a Mason jar on the table, I smile every time I walk by them. Flowers always cheer me up :)

The garden is going crazy!! Some of the corn is over my head, and I'm so excited to be able to have grilled corn on the cob soon :)

The compost pile is no longer composting so we had some surprise seedlings which turned out to be some type of gourd. They are starting to look so pretty and colorful :)

I have a few tomatoes... big and small :) I can't wait for Mater and Mayonnaise biscuits!!

The flowers that I nursed back to health are doing wonderful!!!  

Beach Trip!!

 

The other week this lady that I babysat for once, the grandmother of a lady that I used to work with at the daycare, asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with her family for a few days. Naturally I said yes!! It was so much fun :)

The girl in the pink is Gena...my new youngster of a friend!!

The little angelic-looking child is Gracie. We had fun making sandcastles and staying up late watching tv :)

It was very windy so Mrs. Barbara, or Nanny as I have started calling her, was having to hold onto my hat when Gracie decided she didn't want to wear it anymore.

I feel like I haven't posted in so long, but I have just been so busy. truth be told I don't really have the time to do it now but here I am.
Today makes one week that Michael and I have been a couple. I know that it isn't long compared to the nearly 6 months we have known each other but I was afraid the day he asked me out would never come. This was the first time I have had to "chase" after a guy and him tell me to just be patient. He set the speed and continues to set the speed for our relationship, which I love because its one less thing for me to have to worry about. Michael pretty much takes all the worry out of anything for me, except meeting his family. He has not been able to ease the worries I have about that. I told him that he had it easy...he met my family when he was still my friend from church. I must meet his dad, the PREACHER, and his mom and 2 sisters and brother as the girlfriend. Talk about pressure because I am such a shy person to begin with.
I am so thankful that I got to spend some time with him today because I leave for the beach tomorrow and wont be back till Wednesday. The lady I babysat for the other week invited me to go with her and her great granddaughters. She is such a sweet lady and I am so lucky to be involved in her family's life. She even took me to get a pedicure yesterday, which felt AMAZING I must say!! The beach will be an amazing place to take pictures, which I LOVE to do!! I wish I could have already bought a new camera but I have to wait till I get my school money next semester because the one I want is rather expensive.
Well it just started raining and I am sitting outside, so if I don't want to have to buy a new computer too, I think I should go inside :P

struggles...

Early this morning I realized just how powerful the physical aspects of a past relationship or relationships are. It can put a serious strain on developing relationships. It is harder than one thinks to change lifestyles, patterns, and habits...more so for guys I think but still hard no matter who you are. A guy I REALLY like is struggling with this which in turn is making me struggle with it. I know the best thing to do would be hold off on any physical things... that way we don't even open the door for temptation to come in. Sometimes I wish I could go back to being 13. I miss the simplicity of those relationships. We found contentment just in holding hands and hugging. I sure do miss those days sometimes.

post that didn't save my title and how I have forgotten what it was supposed to be....

Lately I have felt so peaceful. Everything seems to be going right for the first time in a long while. Family relationships and friendships are going strong. School went wonderfully this semester. I have the time to do the things I want to do... and without working, money management has been a huge part of this! But most of all, my relationship with God has improved drastically. I believe leaving church was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Church is just something I need, it's something I crave. Athens Church has truly brought me great joy over the past several months of attending. It is good worship company and I have made a wonderful friend. This is where the patience comes in. Michael has helped me on my journey of recovery because he too is still on his journey of recovery. He know how I feel and knows how to comfort me when I need comforting. I see a best friend relationship developing there, and hopefully more :) We have already established that we like each other but both of us have made it clear that things should move slow. It is so hard sometimes to keep that in mind because there are so many things I want right now that only a relationship can offer. Only time will tell but he is well worth the wait. I continue to pray that life stays right where it is...
(That last part may not make sense to yall because life never stays the same for long, but I understand it... and I couldn't figure out another way to explain it)

Planters built and flowers planted...

I was given some flowers and I had to decide what to do with them. I had no place to plant them so I decided to fix that little problem. I went and found some bricks and viola!!

Pizza :)

Friday night Daddy had a date so I was on my own for supper. I had already decided to make pizza but now that I was on my own I could put whatever I wanted to on it. Soooo I walked out to the garden to see what I could find. I came back into the house with a squash, arugula, and basil. I made the white cream sauce, crumbled up a leftover hamburger, and had myself a yummy supper.

Promised Pictures :)

I took a bunch of pictures of the horse last weekend because we thought we were going to have to put him down but Doc came out and looked at him and decided that his knee was just slipping in and out of joint. I get to play vet and give him pain medicine as needed.

My Cherokee roses have gone crazy, in a GOOD way !!

My Eggplant, Cilantro and Pumpkin seeds have finally sprouted. I must get the other bed ready for them. I have SO much basil, but I love it :)

I know this might be odd but I like dead flowers...its an odd beauty. 

I got tired of walking through the grass so I made a path. Thank you daddy for bringing me the wood chips from the pile!!

When I went to give the horse his medicine the other day I saw these flowers and naturally, I picked them. We usually have them growing up the dirt road but I haven't seen a single one this year. 

This is the self portrait I drew a year ago in my college art class. I was just walking around with the camera and thought I would share. It turned out rather well I think. 

My red rose

The sweetest little puppies EVER!!

The improvements I made to the chicken coop, hopefully I wont have any more snake surprises. 

Magnolia tree. I think the flowers are so beautiful <3

Flowers started in cinder blocks...

Squash and corn in the garden!!! YAY!!!

Overwhelmed with very good things...

The garden is looking wonderful!!! I have spent a lot of time working in it today and I still haven't made much headway on it. The girls helped me weed yesterday, and then Taylor gets off the bus today and alerts me of the fact that I caused her to get a little sunburned....it isn't bad at all but I guess she just felt like it was worth mentioning. Some of the corn is already up to my waist, we should have several harvests this year....and I am SO excited about that. The squash is ready to be picked, well one squash...but that's okay. It will go on my homemade pizza tonight, along with some of the arugula and basil. Speaking of basil, I have WAY to much for us to eat and sell so I have decided to try my luck at making pesto and canning it for later uses. The rosemary has taken off too, but I think I'm just going to continue to freeze that. Speaking of way too many of something, I ended up with over 30 red cherry tomato plants. That will teach me to never plant a pack of 3 year old seeds and hope that some of them sprout...because all of them sprouted!!! The same happened with the cucumbers but I'm not worried about that because I make AWESOME pickles!!! I will post some pictures later, sadly I forgot to bring my camera... I swear, if my head wasn't attached to my body, today is just one of those days I would've lost it. Oh, other wonderful news.... 3 Bs and 1 A this semester!!! Hehehehe I was just alerted that I get to go "yard sellin" with my aunt and pop tomorrow, YIPPEEEEE!!!
well I must get back to the house so I can do a little more work in the garden before it gets dark :)

I finished up for the semester last night, and let me just say, I am so thankful to be done! I can now get back to the things I have been planning for the past couple of weeks. I hate having plans in my head and yet no time to make those plans a reality. All that is hopefully soon to change :)
This week has been rather sad though, I lost one of my chicks to a black snake Monday afternoon. I was rather distraught. It was the worst thing I have ever witnessed. Thankfully daddy was there to take care of everything for me. And then Michael eased my mind later that night so I could sleep nightmare free. I have no idea what I would do without those two wonderful men in my life. 

Busy Busy Weekend...

I decided just to put everything up at once this time, even though this really isn't everything...just the most important stuff.

I decided to put a path through the back yard to the chicken coop... I am so tired of having to deal with the grass.

Daddy doing a little work with the new bobcat... boys and there toys. That thing is sure going to come in handy!!

Mason decided to be funny and place my shirt in high places around the house... This was the final resting place before I took it inside. He placed all the blame on our cat too.

Speaking of Mason, he decided to stop playing video games long enough to help daddy.

 

The arugula is the fastest growing thing in the garden.

 

 The bobcat needed a new muffler and instead of paying a few hundred dollars for one, Daddy decided to make one. It cost about $50 I think, possible less but it turned out real well.

 One of my little red pullets decided all of a sudden to be brave and sit on my knee. They aren't too shy but they dont make the effort to come see you. This put a smile on my face.

I found these attached to tables that I found and decided to use in the garden. They now have a new home in the chicken tractors as feeders. They work perfectly!

The chicks exploring the cinder block that holds up one side of the little perch.

Mason playin with our little cousin :) She is such a cute little bug!!

And the she and I decided to play with the puppies :)

This is the chicken coop after I scrubbed it clean (this has never been done before) and then again with the hay... All of this took place before the chicks were moved.