Weekend Update. . . .

So, I shared earlier about having to get all my doctor appointments scheduled.  I still have to schedule my mammogram and my eye appointment and I have my appointment for my migraines.  It is rough trying to keep yourself healthy, I have realized these last few weeks that I seriously neglected my self over the years.  I am chalking this up to my resolution of self care this year. 
Young Moms, please do not neglect your own health for the sake of your family.  I wish I had been better to me while the boys were young but, when you are trying to hold down a household and take care of two boys you tend to neglect you.  Make you a priority.
I completed my Cologuard test, it was not as bad as I thought  it would be, I am waiting to hear back about my results.  This tests your poop for cancer DNA.  If it comes back positive it does not mean you have cancer it means you could have cancer and should have the colonoscopy to make sure there are no polyps.  If it comes back negative this will be the best thing ever because I will not have to have that nasty colonoscopy.  I will be honest I have heard horror stories about these and I want to stay as far away from them as I can.  I am a terrible patient, I hate doctors and I may have used the family as an excuse not to go to the doctor.  I am a terrible patient. 
We can chalk up a win for the Lax bros last night, our first win of the season.   Sprat got accepted to his new school, got his scholarship and will be playing lacrosse for this new school.  We are very excited for him and cannot wait to see what his sophomore year will hold. The hubbs has dirt and is going to work on my herb bed again today.  Big T is getting ready for his Prom tonight so stay tuned for photo overload. 

The Herb Garden. . . Possible New Flowerbed too. . .

The hubbs started the bulkhead/herb garden Saturday, Yayyyy!!  There was a lot of work going on around our house this weekend.  I planted some lavender, rosemary and sage seeds to get everything started.  My Basil seeds that I started last week are starting to sprout but the rosemary has not done anything just yet.  I am so excited about my herb garden, I cannot wait till we get the dirt and I can start putting plants in.  Fingers are crossed my little seeds will sprout. I have been reading a lot about what I can do with my lavender and rosemary when it gets big.  Here are some pictures of our progress.

Now imagine this little rectangle filled with rich beautiful dark nutrient filled soil and beautiful delicate purple little flowers and lost of lush green herbs.  

The hubbs let Big T drive to school this morning so he had to come back home and get his company car to go to work.  Today is trash day in our neighborhood and one our neighbors had put out a head and foot board out to be thrown away.  My hubby immediately thought of ways he could use that head board in a new flower bed he is plotting.  I must admit, that thought went through my mind also this morning as I was coming home from work.  After I got home he asked me if he could go get it and bring it home to use in a flower bed.  I told him go get it and we will find a way to use it.  I have been talking about planting a new flower bed or replacing and spicing up one of our old beds for a fresh cutting bed.  You know you plant beautiful flowers but the purpose is to cut them and bring them inside to enjoy their beautiful color and their breathtaking aroma.  This head board would be great to run a plant up and it would be a very interesting back drop to our flower bed.  

Stay tuned more pictures and updates to follow and don't forget Prom is Saturday and you know I will be flooding with pictures.  

Pod People. . . Brussel Sprouts.... Love

My hubby and I will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary in a few weeks, if you want to know what true love looks like, it is a husband who plants a garden every year for his wife that loves veggies.  The wife that could very easily be a vegetarian.  Love is a husband that will research how to grow brussel sprouts and go out and plant them because he finds out his wife likes them.  The hubbs does not like brussel sprouts and calls them "pod people" and yet he planted them for me.  Our garden is looking very interesting this year, looking forward to our harvest.  More pictures of our "pod people" when they are mature.

My very sweet hubby working. 

My very sweet hubby praying over our garden after planting 

The "pod people" cannot wait to see how they grow. 

A Planting We Will Go . . .

Garden is tilled and partially planted,  my dear husband planted our first part of the garden for this season.  He planted cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, radishes, onions, lettuce of all varieties, and the potatoes will go in in two weeks.  I planted some herbs for inside and out and cleaned out where my mint and oregano are growing.  I planted some dill and rosemary outside in my planters, I planted rosemary and basil for my kitchen and brought some oregano in to try and root.
I love playing in the dirt and it was a beautiful day today.  I even cleaned off my porch and trimmed my camellia bushes.  It was a good day.
While I was outside enjoying the sun and the dirt, I had an idea.  I think I will plant some herbs and take them to work for the kitchen so we can use them when we fix our lunch and dinner.   I will have to let you know how that goes later.  I will try and post some pictures later too.
We woke up yesterday and took Sprat to the airport to go back to school.  I am always so sad when he goes back to school.  He has a few more weeks and he will have completed his freshman year.  I was so sore from working in the yard on Saturday that I could barely walk.  The hubbs and I both are so very sore, I guess I need to do more yoga.  Today I am still sore and I have another doctors appointment.  I hope I do not fall off the table, my legs hurt so bad, you would think I ran a marathon or something on Saturday. 
Updates to follow on Sprat, Big T, the garden and the doctor. 

College Dorm Stuff. . . For Boys. . .

I have been seeing a lot of posts on Pinterest on what to bring and what not to bring to college for the freshman year.  I thought this would be a good post for today.  I searched the internet for these very same things last year when we were preparing to take Sprat to college.  I will share what I found and the truth about what is really needed. 
I will start with; things have changed since I went to college back when dirt was new.  College life is also very different for boys than girls, all the things that you think girls need or would like boys do not care about.  There are some things that us moms will have to insist on and that your sons will thank you for later, so be prepared to put your foot down. 
I did all of the dorm sheet shopping through the school flyer thing that all of the colleges send out.  Those are very handy but, in the words of my son, "the towels suck."  I bought all the sheets, towels, pillows, pillow cases, comforter etc. . .  Sprat informed me the laundry bag in that kit also sucked, it apparently ripped in the first weeks of school.  Sprat hated the towels the most, so my advice, buy your towels from where ever you buy your towels for your home.  Oh and boys do not care if everything matches, color and pattern wise that is.  Now for sheets it was very good to buy those through the college site because you  have to have the extra long sheets for dorm beds.   We also bought the trunk from the college site, we could have probably bought one from a local store but doing this online through the college site was very easy.  The trunk is a must for boys, Sprat decorated his with lacrosse stickers and band stickers and he used it as under bed storage, it had a lock so that he could lock any valuables in it when he was not in the room or when he would go home on break.  These locks are not 100% but they keep an honest person honest.  He kept his winter things in it during the fall and his extra summer things in it during the winter, it fit perfectly under the bed and it also was sturdy enough to use as an extra seat if you had company in your room.  We did not do curtains or hang things on the wall but I did take several of those command type hooks if we needed them.  Sprat did end up using those to hang extra towels or belts up, he even hung up a few lacrosse pinnies for decoration after we left.  We did get a small dorm fridge, I am not sure how much he used it but he had one if he needed it.  We did not do closet organizers, desk organizers, and things of that nature.  I did buy a caddy type thing for him to carry his shampoo, razor, soap, tooth brush and toothpaste to and from the showers.  Sprat stayed in a typical dorm where 16 boys shared a bathroom so this little shower caddy was a must.  He was not that enthused by it when I showed it to him but he did tell me later it was very handy and he was glad he had it.  I also got him some shower flip flops to wear to and from the shower and in the shower, he bucked at this and said it was stupid.  He later admitted he was glad he had them and he did in fact thank me for buying them for him. 
What Boys Need in the College Dorm:
trunk
shower caddy (Bed Bath and Beyond)
shower flip flops
command hooks of all sizes
towels (from where ever you buy them for home)
sheets, comforters, mattress pad, egg crate foam mattress thing (from college store)
lap top and printer, extra ink
flash drives
mini fridge used for leftovers and water
plastic refillable  water bottle  ( the one with water filter is really good)
lanyard for keys (if they do not already have one)
pictures of home and family (nothing fancy and just stuck where he will find them later)
surge protectors/ power strips
collapsible laundry basket (not what you can get from college store)
Small desk lamp
small fan ( a must according to Sprat)
Extra cash to leave with your Son ( most appreciated )
Snacks to leave ( another must per  Sprat)

Moms your instinct is going to be to decorate, take it from me I wanted to do the same, your son does not want this.  On move in day take:  water, lysol wipes, a trash can, paper towels, and snacks.   Don't say good bye in the dorm, do it in the parking lot.  It will not feel quite as final and you will not embarrass yourself or your son.  I got a little teary when we said good bye but, I cried like a baby off and on all the way home, just so you know, home was 13 hours away.   I still cry when he comes home and when we send him back, just not as much. 

Work, Family, Love, Kids. . .

Three lacrosse games, work and trying to catch up with one home from college before he has to go back.  It is going to be a busy week for everyone in our house.  Oh, and let us not forget the hubbs interviewing for a new job.  He is still with the old company but I have said many times his industry is very volatile and they do not value employees.  These upper management people tell their employees, "make your numbers or you will be sorry," which is management speak for you will lose your job.  The hubbs and I are older and we were raised very similarly, we were taught a pretty strict work ethic and that has stuck with us.  I just hope our kids will follow in our way of thinking when it comes to work.  My hubby is very smart and the clients he calls on love him and see him as a valuable resource when it comes to his product.  When he was laid off a couple years ago, one of his clients offered to call his company and complain.  My hubby being the kind of person he is, insisted that he not call that it would not do any good.  My hubbs manager, knows he is a valuable employee but the top guys at the company have no clue.  It is funny how CEO's and VP's today do not understand that companies do not run on the backs of CEO's but on the backs and blood of the employees.  I would wager a guess that, with regard to my hubby's company, if you put one of their upper management people in the field to call on the offices that they would fall on their face.  Their product sales would dry up and blow off into the wind if these upper management types had to sell and be responsible in the field, half of them have never been in the field before and have no clue what the average sales representative does or has to do on a daily basis.  I really wish employers would take a step back and see the value in their employees.
I am excited for my hubby and his new job possibilities,  he has had one interview and has another one planned and even another one with a different company soon. 

The Boy is Home for Spring Break. . .

It is so hard to believe that I have one finishing his first year of college thirteen hours away and one finishing his sophomore year of high school.  I am too young for this.  Look at this sweet face below, I just loved those chunky cheeks and that big ole smile.  Sprat was a very happy little boy and seems to be a very happy young man.  I was so happy to see him when he got off that plane, you would not have believed he had only been gone a few short weeks.  It seems like a year since I last saw him, all those gushy mom feelings came flooding over me. 

Is this not the sweetest face ever???

I got a few hours with him last night and then he was off making his rounds to see his buddies that were also home on break.  He even took Big T with him to make the rounds.  I got to hear all about Boston and his possible new school.  Lots of things pending right now so I do not want to share anything until we are 100% sure but things are looking great for this guy.  We are very excited for him, lots of changes and great new opportunities opening up for him.  It is very true that when God closes one door or college in this case, he opens another better door and guides you through.  This has been a wonderful teaching moment and learning experience for us all.   It would be very easy to be bitter and ugly about all of this and it has had Sprat down a little bit but I keep pointing out that God took him there for a reason and we need to embrace this as what it is, a wonderful opportunity for him to continue his education. 

Stay tuned as we figure all of this out and sort through the mire that is College transfer. . . 

Take Care of You. . . updates . . .

Had my dreaded physical this morning.  I absolutely hate going to the doctor, I cannot explain why.  Maybe I am afraid of what they may find.  I take my kids for their appointments and keep them on their schedule for shots and such.  I just find it hard to schedule my own visits.  I guess this needs to be on my list with my resolution of self care.  I really should be getting my own visits done.  I know I am not alone even my PA said as such.   I did worm my way out of the old colonoscopy though, she is going to let me do the cologuard test that you do at home.  I will let ya know how that goes.  I have heard so many horror stories about people having their bowel perforated from the colonoscopy, I am so glad I have this option of the cologuard.   I also have some other tests to do as part of my yearly physical, I will have a mammogram and blood work, neither of these I mind. 
Here is my public service announcement:  Get your physical, do the tests, and take care of your self.  You cannot take care of everyone else if you are not around and healthy. 
Good news Sprat is coming home today, just in time to catch a few of Big T's lacrosse games.  He will be home for Spring break.  Cannot wait to see his big goofy grin.

Lax Season is Upon Us. . . .

So sad that Sprat will not have a Spring lacrosse season this year but, Big T's lacrosse season is in full swing with three games this week.  The first one was a bad loss, the other team was very good and had been playing together for several years.  Big T's team has not been playing together more than a few weeks.  The second game also a loss but they fought hard, they stayed close through half time and unfortunately lost in the second half.  Big T was so excited when he came home, I had to work that night so I did not get to see the game.  He was bursting with excitement when he came through the door that night.  I love seeing him that excited and beaming with confidence.  I have not seen him this way since last lax season.  Looking forward to watching him play this year.
Sprat is getting ready to come home for Spring break, I cannot wait to see him.  He said they got a lot of snow this past week.  For a kid that did not want to go to school where it snowed a lot and was very cold he sure has enjoyed his time in Boston and is looking forward to and hoping to go back in the Spring.  He cannot wait to watch his little brother play lacrosse while he is home on break. 
Big T is getting ready to go to his first Prom.  We have the tux and his date has her dress now we have to get flowers and the hubbs and I will be chauffeur since Big T has no drivers license. 
Stay tuned for lots of Prom and Lax pictures. . .

Playing in the Dirt. . . You Never Really Grow out of it. . .

I think my mom gave me that love of gardening, even though when I was little I hated working in the garden.  I did love the fruits of her labor:  sweet peas, corn, and radishes.  Mom grew other things in her garden but those were my favorites.  Mom also had a fig tree and I have one now too, mine is just getting big enough to supply us with lots of figs.  We had our biggest crop of figs last year and the hubbs and I ate every one of them, they were so good.
I am thankful my sweet hubby also has a love for gardening, he got his passion from his dad, funny how that works.  I think my hubby  said it best when he explained why he likes to garden, he says it is pure and the work you do you can see in your fruits of your labor.  It is being able to see what you have accomplished, he does not believe he is a master gardener but he dose have a knack for growing things.
I enjoy working in the garden with my hubby and planting and watching what grows.  It is a feeling of accomplishment to be able to supply yourself and your family with fresh produce from the garden. I am looking forward to my herbs this year.  Like I said before, we already have a huge plant of oregano and I dry it regularly to keep my supply, we also have a bumper crop of Mountain Mint and Lime Mint.  The bees love our mint, in the Summer when the mint is in full bloom they bees are everywhere.  We do have some bee keepers not too far from our house, I hope we are feeding their bees.

This is a picture of our Mountain Mint with one of our little bee friends.