Sunday, September 2, 2012

One Last Road Trip

 
 
Landon and I decided we needed one last little road trip before school starts.
We were lucky enough to find this Holiday Inn in Detroit Lakes.
It was on a private lake and allowed fishing from the docks!
The best part (for me) was it was also just right down the road
from the best little flea market ever!!!
Landon and I were thrilled.
Tim was o.k., but went along for the ride anyway.
 


We had most of the beach to ourselves as there were two weddings
going on at the same time! One on each end of the hotel.
I felt so sorry for the brides, as the wind was just wicked.
Here they are taking pictures of wedding #1.


They took down part of the playground to
accomodate the second wedding party's tents.
Landon did not think that was cool at all!


Happy, happy fisherboy!


1st catch of the day.
Seaweed!

2nd catch of the day.
More seaweed!
He did catch four sunfish, but
had to throw them back.
No fish allowed in mom's car!


Digging for stinky shells.


Found some!


As a guest of the hotel, we could have rode these
bikes free for two hours. (We also could have used
the paddle boats and other fun lake stuff) But, the wind
would not allow for any of that. Landon was lucky he didn't
get blown into the lake while he was fishing!
(He wouldn't have cared. lol)


After the wedding pictures, these boys had two hours to kill
before the wedding. Since no one was watching them,
they decided to climb this tree. Two hours might as well
be two days to little boys!!

Wish this wasn't so blurry. One little boy made it
half way up, before he decided to back down.


Since no one was still not paying any attention to them,
they decided to go throw tons of rocks into the water.
When they started walking in the water, (up to their knees!)
I got up to go get them, and they saw me and ran
back onto the sandy part of the beach. 
 
 
 
 
They then came over to tell me all about the water and rocks.
I then took them back up to their parents.
 
 
But, this little got got away again.
This time dad got a hold of him and drug him back.
Grandma was getting really fed up!
The little boy in the white, reminded me of Landon at that
age. He was super cute and funny, but could not sit still.
Not for a minute. It was, Go! Go! Go!
Classic ADHD. Classic. All signs point to GO!
I did get the mom's email address, as I told her about the
pictures and wanted to send them to her. She was so stressed.
(She had been looking for the boys at the other wedding, and dad
was hanging out with the big boys. Not much help.)
She made the comment to me that she was going to just tie
him to the tree until the wedding started, and I could tell
she wished she really could. I remember those feelings so well,
and still occasionally feel them. I didn't say anything to her
about our family, but I do plan on sharing through an email,
 our experience and how there is indeed a silver lining in it all.
I only wish someone would have reached out to us when Landon
was little. I think of the wasted years spent chasing him and trying
to get him to sit still....anyway...getting off track here. I just hope
she will keep an open mind and hopefully get him the help he needs
at an early age, so they can all enjoy his childhood.
End of that story!
 
 
They had a bubble gum blowing contest for kids
in the restaurant, while we were waiting for our supper.
 
 
Landon almost won!
They had a contest for adults after that too, but our
food came and I wasn't leaving my baby rack ribs for nothing!
Otherwise, I would have been all over that!
I would have won too! Now I can blow some big bubbles, oh, yes I can!
I can also blow a triple bubble. Can you?
 
 
Making friends in the hot tub.
Landon has finally come out of his shell, and
will strike up a conversation with other kids, anywhere.
I am so proud of him!
He was talking about fishing here. The other boys
weren't that interested, but when he told them about
the seaweed, then they were all ears!
How can any boy resist a green and slimy story?
 
 
He can almost touch in the deeper end!
Landon is just a head shorter than me now.
Makes me a little sad.
 
 
 
When we found the hotel on line, it said there weren't any vacancies.
(We later found out they were booked solid because of the two weddings.)
That didn't stop us though! We weren't giving up!
I called the hotel and asked if they had any cancellations,
 and low and behold they had just gotten one!
It was the king $ize $uite though with a hot tub,
bar and a balcony overlooking the lake.
I booked it anyway. It was totally worth it!
 
 
There was a fire throwing show going on, on the beach.
We had a prime spot watching it from our balcony.
Now that was cool!
 
 
We couldn't check into our room until 3:00,
so we hit the Flea Market first. I am so glad
we went there on Saturday. It was really packed,
but on Sunday....Oh man...on Sunday,
we drove by it on the way home and the cars were
parked all up and down the highway!!!
I am so glad we went on Saturday.
I had to check out Patina White's place first.
I love her little white shed! If she ever retires
or gives up her spot, I am taking over!!!
 
 
I love junk!!
 
 
This hand painted old bed was beautiful.
The pictures don't do it justice.
It was only $100 for the whole thing, but I had
no way to get it home and I had no use for it.
It was only a full size, and I couldn't imagine taking it
apart to make something out of it. All that work.
It needed to stay a bed. I hope someone bought it
and will give it the loving home it deserves.
 
 
Oh, be still my heart.
I wanted to buy them all and throw them in the
rock bed in front of my house. Sadly, I didn't get any of them.
(The owner thought they were made of gold or something!)
The search for a few sweet cream cans continues....


Friday, August 17, 2012

So I Had This Old Trunk

A couple of months ago, I stopped at a yard sale. I spotted this old off white trunk. It wasn't in the best shape as the hinges were no longer attached and the box inside of the trunk was starting to peel and fall apart a bit. But, I loved it. I wanted it. I was determined to talk the owner down on the price no matter what it was. I asked the owner what she wanted for it. She said, "Five bucks." SAY WHAT??? I had to force myself to not let my jaw drop. I casually said, "Yeah. O.k. I'll take it." Inside my head I was screaming, "It's miiiiiiiiine!!!! Whooo hoo!!!!" I was so happy! But, here's a crazy thing. The top of the trunk isn't flat. It has a rounded dome like top. I didn't really think about that at the sale, as I was just too busy drooling over it's prettiness. So, because it was rounded, I couldn't set anything on top of it. It had to just "be." I didn't like that. It didn't look right. So, after rearranging my living room 3,466 times trying to find a perfect spot for it, I gave up and it sat in the corner. Then yesterday Landon sat on our coffee table. For the 4,333rd time, I told him to please not sit on the table because the center pieces are glass. I have a quilt over it, so it is easy for him to forget. Then inspiration ran over me like a freight train! I've been wanting to make a coffee table out of pallets, like the 5,444 pictures I've seen in Pinterest, (Have you seen Pinterest? It's a MUST!) but just didn't have the time to get around to that. But, I had a beautiful old, patina'd, trunk just sitting there waiting to be made useful! I took off the lid and took out the box inside. Then I took a wood board hanging off the wall that I had, that were just nailed together to look like a fence. I laid that on top for the table, added a table runner (Actually it's a fire place mantel scarf, but it looks pretty cute!) and bam! I had a new coffee table. Landon doesn't get to sit on this one either, but at least I don't have to worry about the glass anymore. Check it out.


My beautiful new table.


Table top. I wanted to take the hardware off,
but it wasn't painted underneath and didn't look right.
So it stays.
Those books, are my old posts from my blog.
I have them made into books each year.


The lid had a divider in it.
So, I propped it up on it's side and made a shelf!


I love the paper picture glued inside.
I wonder who she is.



The box inside of the trunk was really cool too.
I wasn't sure what to do with it, so this will do for now.
The part where the horse picture is, has a lid that opens up.
The lid that was on the other side, was in pieces and no longer usable.
My brain never shuts off, so I am sure something new
will come to me sooner or later!


Side view.




Love the horse.
Can't wait to see what pops into my head next!











The Sweetest Gift Of All

A while back, I posted about my beloved Rosie passing away. Shortly after that, one of my dc mom's presented me with the most sweetest gift I have ever received. She had asked me to send her a picture of Rosie, which I did. She then presented me with a handmade plaque. It had the picture of Rosie on there and she had put a post from my blog that I had written a long time ago about Rosie on there too. Oh yeah, it made me cry buckets. I placed it on my new shelf in the kitchen and felt like she was still with me, as her favorite place to lay was on one of the kitchen chairs. I have since moved it to my china hutch. The hutch was my great grandparent's wedding present. It's over 200 years old! Landon used to call it my china box when he was little. It is very special to me and I only put the things that mean a lot to me in there. She has her own shelf, as she so well deserves it. I felt it was appropriate to put my little willow angels in there as well. They were a gift from Landon and Tim over the years and I had almost forgotten that I had one holding a cat! It couldn't be more perfect. It is absolutely without a doubt, one of my most cherished, favorite things. It was the sweetest gift of all. I hope she knows how much it meant to me. She's not just a dc mom. She's a friend.


My "china box."


Rosie's Shelf.

The caption on the plaque says...

"Here's Rosie!"
Yep. She's still here.
Can hardly see or hear, but still
happy to sit on my trunk,
and soak up all the sunshine she can.
She is a constant reminder to me,
to enjoy each moment as it comes.
That's my girl.
My Rosie.
Thank you for the life lessons, Rosie.
I won't ever forget you.