Hardy Happenings

Today The Pioneer Woman is having a giveaway on her blog and the only thing you had to do to enter was make a comment on the post answering one simple question......

“How different is your life now than how you’d always pictured it?”

Now, I have thought of this before. MOre along the lines of talking with my girl friends over wine glassees and junk food just comparing life stories. BUt this day, this question, although the same as before really struck my in a new capasity. I actually could have wrote so much more and so many details comparing the life I know to the life I expected, becoming the life I love. But I felt like I would probably seem kinda koo-koo to give my life story in ansewer to this little question hoping to win the wonderful prize. So, this is what I cam up with....and I am very content to have typed it up with ease and not a moments pause to think about what I could have had, knowing that I love what God placed in my lap.

I thought I would be a world traveled stay at home mother of 2 boys and a little girl living in a 2 story house with lots of beautifully landscaped property for us to have lots of picnics and parties in the pool with friends and family. But I have it so much better than that! In the grand scheme of things, my little 3 bedroom home on half acre of land with my little boy and sweet husband turned out a bigger blessing than I could have ever imagined.
Thanks God for making the decisions for me!
~MH~

It is finally getting chilli out side and Ryan has been telling me in the mornings "cold, mommy" so he bundles up in our living room throw blanket and engulfs in cartoons.

Ryan's newest "try to get attention" technique is this pouty lip/throw a fit pout. It's so cute most of the time. Well this time, I got it on camera!....it was so adorable.

The day before this picture was Michael's birthday cookout. When I woke up this morning and looked out the kitchen window, I was pleasantly surprised and amazing how it looks out there. I was so busy getting things ready that I didn't get a moment to see all the work Michael did to get it ready for our guests. Also just thinking back at how it looked when we first moved here and how far it has come. It's really great, and I am proud of all the hard work.

I bought this Hand carved piece of art for Michael this past Father's day in St. Augustin. I was awesome, and the price was so reasonable. It's base is a piece of parasite wood. The artis find the wood already eaten and chewed into this very cool mushroom shape and then uses an air compressor to blow the parasites out of the wood and are left with a natural art piece.

This morning Ryan wanted oatmeal and a blanket for breakfast. He was so cute all bundled up and all smile.

I made this card for Michael's cousin Amanda. Her baby shower was recently. I was very proud of it. It turned out better than I had started out thinking of.

This was my craft space after all the girls left From a card/crafting extravaganza at my house on our day off, Veteran's day. It was a great day, Michael's 26th Birthday and crafts, what more could a girl ask for?

This is the amazing picture my new stereo puts out on the touch screen. It is great for long trips with Ryan in the car. Monster's Inc is one of Ryan's favorites right now.

Ryan got to play with Jason and Julies neighbor's kid, Trent. They were instant friends, playing with this little sign in the front yard and running back and forth to the 4 wheelers in the garage.

Brynn and David bought Ryan some soap for the tub that you can mold and play with.....Ryan took all of the blue and smeared it anywhere he thought needed to be super clean...it was so funny!

I let Ryan climb all the way through the Mcdonald's playground on N. Monroe today for the first time. He loved every second of it. Here he was peeking down from one of the top play areas, hard to see from here how high up he really is.

The Fair was in town this week, this is my version of a drive by shooting,....with my phone camera. We didn't attend this time but hopefully next year. We past it every day on our way home since the time change, and it was always lit up in the dark. Ryan loved seeing it.

Ryan love his Monkey, especially lately as a pillow. It's just the right size.

This is my wedding band and my engagement ring...I know they are on backward but It was the better way to take a picture of them together. I love them both so very much and mean so much to me.

I know we don't call them freeways here but it seemed fitting considering this one is right on the roads edge of I-75. I always love seeing this especially at night, it is lit up bright and pretty. At first I was mad about the car being right there but I think now that is shows a good judge of the size of this sign for the mall.

On our long trek home, Ryan and I stopped in Ft. Myers to have Lunch with Trina, Eric and Blake at Cracker Barrel. It was great to catch up and visit and see our little boys side by side and how fast they are growing.

This is my cousin Sadie's little girl, Ryleigh. She is so adorable and made sure that we all remembered that she just turned 4.