Our Newest Addition!

See this little cutie patootie? This is our newest family member. We named her Shelby, and boy oh boy is she fun! We are all loving her up (yes, even Brad, although he won't admit it:) even though she has had some potty and poopy accidents, grrrr. She's lucky she's so cute. It's funny though, as I had a little bit of guilt falling in love with the little furball after losing Fluffy so soon. But, we have all adjusted well, and I can't tell you how much I love having a cat. Some people are dog people and some are cat people. I am 100% a cat lover!

In other news, is anyone else in disbelief that the summer is more than half over? Good gravy gertrude. Although I do feel like we've accomplished a lot this summer, I still can't figure out where it went. Although July has been the busiest month for us with softball, swimming lessons and some summer rec classes for the girls.

*My* biggest accomplishment has been in the fitness area. I have decided to really start running, and not the run-half a mile-on-my-treadmill-twice-a-week deal that I was doing. I want to run a 5K this fall, and my endurance SUCKS. Period. So, I have been running a mile to a mile and a half 6 days a week for two weeks now. I feel soooooo good, and can already see the difference in how my clothes feel. Man does THAT feel good! Now, I am a thin person by nature, but I have good ole birthin hips and thighs. I am tired of see it wiggle just a weeee bit too much. So, I hope to keep this up, but don't expect to see me at the Boston Marathon anytime soon:)

Scenes From Our Porch

Sounds like a movie title, right? Yep, the movie would center around a young (in my mind) woman who spends her days rocking in the chair while fluffy clouds float by in the bright blue sky, reading her newest suspense novel while sipping tea. In reality it is me sitting for about 3.2 seconds reading a manual on how to get some stupid caterpillar riding toy together all the while trying not to swear out loud. And my tea? It's prolly mixed with whiskey. Just sayin...
I wanted to take a few pics of the porch all decked out for the 4th of July, this (besides Christmas of course:) is one of my favorite holidays! I love the colors, stars, flags, everything about it. This will stay up all summer. The barn door is ripped off of my inlaws barn they tore down last summer. I added an old egg crate that I repainted and a beautiful old looking lantern.

This milk can is also from the farm, I have another in the front that I would like to spray paint someday, lol.

The bench I found at an antique store that Mom bought me for my birthday, it happens to match the barn door perfectly!

I really love this area, red (if you couldn't tell) is my absolute favorite color. I have a red wall in the dining room, and a red bathroom. Ummm, oh yeah, my bedroom colors are red too. And my living room curtains are red.....You get the idea.

We love coming out in the morning to drink coffee before our wild and crazy days begin, and at night to enjoy some, uhhhh, tea. Ya, somethin like that....

Linking to:

The CSI Challenge

Look What I Made Day

Shanty 2 Chic

Feature Yourself Friday

In Memory

See this little beauty? This is our sweet Fluffy. She passed away last Friday from feline leukemia. I was so fortunate to be with her right before she passed. We have known for over a year she was sick, but she held on. Last week I knew it wouldn't be long, but we were leaving on Friday for the weekend, and was so scared she would pass while we were gone. I got up early that morning and laid with her, as she could no longer lift her head. I left to go sit on the porch and 15 minutes later came in to check on her and she was gone.

I feel so lucky to have spent those last few minutes with her, Brad said she held on until I got up that morning:) She was our spunky, fun, energetic little puffball and we love and miss her dearly. The house feels empty without her.

Rachel has been pretty devastated, as have I. We are looking in to getting another kitty, but I don't think either of us is ready quite yet. For now we will just remember her fun, quirky, kitty self:)