some things always hurt...

Yesterday my in-laws had to put down one of their dogs.  Buckie was a sweet old golden lab with a heart of gold.  He was about 16 years old and had masses growing in his joints and a small fracture in one of his legs.  So it was his time...unfortunately, it doesn't make his passing much easier to bear.  There was a loyalty, love, and winsomeness about him that made him incredibly...lovable.

He loved his avocados that he would fish out of the spa or steal from low hanging branches.  They made his coat so soft and shiny.  And I miss him so much already...

catch up day

You all have been hearing me lament how I'm awful at taking pictures of things going on in my life to share with you but I finally got some of my act together!  (you should be so proud)  =P  But in trying to take more pictures, I've forgotten to actually post these to share with you.  Well...partially forgotten, partially due to an extremely busy week outside of the blogosphere but it is good to be back!  And I promise that I will try to be more consistent.  =)

But first, to catch you all up on some of the things that I have been doing.  (Now would be the time to navigate away from this window if you are uninterested, and don't worry - I won't be offended).  =)

I hope that wherever you live, you had as lovely of a morning as I did.  I took my breakfast and Bible reading outside this morning and it was fantastic.  Cool, crisp, clear, and most quiet except the mockingbirds who don't like to let us go into our own backyard.

coffee, peanut butter & guava jelly toast, Bible, and iPad to check email when I was done with the first three  =)

But one of the big things that I've been working on this past week was my little flower bed.  I've been talking about doing it for about three months now and finally, the hubby helped me clear out the weeds that had been making my yard ugly before and I got to put in some plants that were meant to be there.

I chose some lavender (which is supposed to attract butterflies),  

And all in all, I'm very excited to have some bright colors and lots of work in my backyard during the next few months.  =)

Have you planted a summer garden?

Have a beautiful summer day!

leftover breakfast casserole

This past weekend I was itching for a new recipe (and I try to make a nice breakfast for the hubby when he is home in the mornings) but couldn't find one quite yet that worked with the ingredients that I had in my refrigerator or anything.  So I puzzled through a few different recipes and came up with my own.  The hubby said it was good and it turned out not burnt and in one piece so I'm guessing we did pretty well too.  =P And since it was so ridiculously easy, I had to share it with you!

leftover breakfast casserole

    - 8 eggs

    - 1 1/2 cups of milk

    - 2 cups of shredded cheese (split in half)

    - your choice of diced fillings (I used ham and broccoli but there are many possible combinations and I'm sure that you will come up with some beautiful dishes yourself!)

    - salt and pepper to taste

Crack eggs into a large bowl (big enough to mix all your fillings in too).  Mix eggs, milk, and cheese together with some salt and pepper.  Toss the fillings in with the egg and milk mixture to coat them.  This quantity should be enough to fill an 8x8 pan (which you do not have to grease).  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes covered with foil.  Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese over the the top and bake for another 15 minutes.  Your bake times may vary depending on what kind of fillings you use - I used ALOT of fillings and it seemed to take a little longer than what other recipes seemed to be saying.  Let casserole cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.  

And remember, I was making this up to so feel free to tweak the recipe - just share your tweaks with me so that I can try them next time I make this!  =)  Also, it would be really easy to make this the night before and just heat it up in the oven the morning you want it.


So this was our breakfast:

I'd love to know what other combinations of fillings you would try in this recipe.  I hope that if you guys try it, you'll send me some pics and let me know how it goes!  


Have a beautiful day!

weekend happenings

My weekend was filled with lots of food and lots of friends who made for a fantastic and relaxing time.  Unfortunately, I am losing my trigger finger for my camera.  I'll just give you the highlights in my own words.  =)

Friday Night BBQ

Just a small group of us gathered around a fire pit, enjoying homemade burgers and all the fixings, listening to summer music and enjoying the amazing company!

Saturday Night Fiesta

Again, a small group of people (three families from church) enjoyed a chance for kids to play and parents/adults to talk (I played and talked =)...I know I am a parent but my kid is still "cooking" so I don't really count it since the other families have two and four children.  But it was lovely to spend time and strengthen friendships.

Sunday Family Lunch

My middle brother-in-law was home from his extended semester in LA and his girlfriend came down for a lovely meal.  My mother-in-law cooked and it was nice to catch up with family.

And looking forward to many more weekends of food, friends, and fun summer decor like these paper lanterns from a party we had last summer!

Have a beautiful almost summer day!  

i got my hair cut!

I know I teased you all earlier this week with the fact that I was going to get my hair cut and I have completely dropped the ball with giving you a peek at what actually got chopped. =)  These are very quick before and after pictures but hopefully they give you an idea of how drastic this was for me.

sorry this one is a little awkward...the hubby wasn't home to help me.  =P

and the finished product! 

After my hair dresser and I finally decided on a style and made the pony tail to cut, I have 12 inches of hair to send to Locks of Love!  I'm so excited that I finally did this.  I've been talking about it for years and haven't ever gotten myself to do it and now I can't imagine why not!  My hair is going to a great cause and I have an adorable hair cut - and it will grow back so I can do this again!  If you haven't, you should do it too!

Have you ever donated to a charity?  

Given blood?  

Cut your hair?