The Weld House

All of My Secret Stash Photos Reveled

2012-02-14T16:32:00.001-06:00

So now that you all know (and have known for a while now-I know I am slacking terribly) here are some things I've kept a secret or haven't shared yet. Here is the Christmas ornament that was crafted for Mr. Welder. Before my first ultra sound, my expert sister told me the baby would look like a peanut. I joked that it would be Mr. Welder's first success at peanut farming :)

I was quite the party animal this New Year's Eve.

This stuff was actually quite tasty...not regular old grape juice (which isn't bad) but festive.

The gals went on a shopping excursion since some clothing articles were beginning to fit a little snug.

Some items were not so cute,

But after trying on hundreds of pieces,

And a fake belly,

We took all the keepers to the checkout,

And went home with shopping bags to fill the closet.

Mr. Welder added this sign to my parking spot in the garage.

And we both read this book. I recommend it. It was a quick, funny read. Even Mr. Welder read it in couple of days. I tell myself it's because he cares about what I am experiencing, not because there is a hottie on the front :)

That wraps up the photos I did not post when their time came with prior posts. Since I had not made the official announcement, I just kept these saved for another day.

Whew...I feel so much better to get that off my chest.

What's It Gonna Bee? A Girl, A Boy, Twins, or Triplets...

2012-02-02T16:46:00.000-06:00

Remember that jump rope game. Whatever you stopped the rope on is what you were gonna have? Things are little more scientific after elementary...

As I mentioned, my sister and brother-in-law had a gender reveal party for us.

Everything was decorated really cute.

Guests were asked to sign in and vote whether they thought it would be a boy or girl. They also wore clothes casting their votes, but in case you haven't noticed, we like to document things in this family.

My mom wrote us a sweet poem.

And as you can see, some people did not follow the "no gifts" rule.

My sister does ultrasounds, so was actually the photographer of the pics above. Yes, that is the peanut waving to us in the top, right photo. Is it weird to already have a favorite photo of our child? Long fingers like me :)

The parents-to-be and hosts.

For dinner we had grilled burgers.

Daisy couldn't decide if she would have a brother or sister so wore pink and blue.

We know she will be sweet to either.

Just look at all those boys...

And another baby boy...

Tables and chairs were set up in the garage. Pink and blue tablecloths with question marks provided decor.

Before the big reveal, those who thought it would be a boy took a group photo.

Even the lady on TV voted for a boy.

Then the big pink team posed.

Daddy Welder had is pink shirt on, but a blue one in the car just in case :)

And then we had a small group of those that just could not choose either. If you know me, you know, I can't make a decision. Even after I had dream and sign from God (I'm serious), I still just could not decide.

I'm the girl who asks her cousin what kind of salad I want when the waitress asks me...
I know, I'm silly.

My dad thought it would be a girl. When my mom told him he had to wear pink, he spray painted this cap and my mom added the "girl" sign to cover the logo that showed through.

All the cupcakes were passed out, and it was time to bite in and see the results.

It's a girl!

Happy grandparents!

Two Grandmas

The bear made a quick change of outfit and then broke the "no gifts" rule.

Looks like Daddy is going to have another girl to spoil.

What a fun night we had.

Thanks to my sister and her hubby for putting it all together and to everyone that came.

We're Still Growing Veggies...And Fruits And Flowers

2012-01-30T16:20:00.000-06:00

I decided this post was next because well, it's already outdated. However, I do not have updated pictures and I spent a considerable amount of time lining these up for a post that I thought would happen way before today, so this is what ya get.
The greenhouse is flourishing.

And the peach tree now has two neighbors, an apple tree and plum tree.

Daisy says this is where she will sit and wait for fruit to fall to snack on.

These are supposed to be self pollinating trees, so we'll see. If not, we'll have to add more later. I still kind of want a pear tree.

Mr. Welder decided he wanted to have a berry patch.

He dug some of these blackberry bushes,

Went hay hunting in the ditch,

And planted our strawberry bushes and transplanted blackberry bushes.
They are in a random little area a few feet away from the garden. I almost stepped on them the next day.

Our onion seeds are sprouting, but I think we started them too late. Maybe it will work out to plant them in a fall garden. We went ahead and bought some onion sets to plant for spring.

Some scientific soil testing was performed.

And lookey! The tomato seeds have sprouted. And a week later they are a lot bigger...by the time I take another picture and show you, they'll probably have tomatoes-ha. Or I'll have killed them.

And a look at the broccoli.

If only I had this life, I would be able to share more up-to-date posts...

We're Not Just Growing Veggies Around Here...

2012-01-24T16:51:00.000-06:00

We're also growing our family...by two feet!

This probably isn't news to most of you...since it's mainly my mom, sister, a couple of friends, third grade teacher, cousins, and Pioneer peeps who read this blog and already know, but don't worry, I have another post planned to let you in on some things you probably don't already know.

For some of you not in the know, this post also has a pretty huge clue of the news we just received.
But in case clues aren't your thing, I also have another post planned covering the gender reveal.

But for now, you just have pictures of two soon-to-be parents,

Two little pink boots,

(There's that clue a little bit closer.)

And two hearts full of excitement.

Little Red Riding Hood

2012-01-18T15:47:00.000-06:00

Some of the Welder family members have been lazy....

Enjoying their new sweat shirts from a sweet friend...

Or the wood burning stove...

Others have been busy building furniture. Two new items are listed in the etsy shop!

Planting Peach Trees.

Pruning Peach Trees as instructed at the greenhouse.

Getting prepared to plant more seeds.

Planting tomato seeds. Umm, we're going to have a lot of tomato plants (if we can actually make these seeds grow). I did not even plant the entire packet!

Planted broccoli seeds. I have no garden experience with this veggie.

Ok, we took a break too. We had family stay with us this weekend and spent the afternoon out in the country-even more country than where we live.

It was a beautiful day.

So far, January's delivered a lot of beautiful days.

Maybe not fish, but beautiful days and moss.

Little Mrs. Fancy Plants

2012-01-11T15:38:00.002-06:00

I thought about breaking this up into a couple posts to spread out the excitement, but I couldn't wait so here is a long post with a lot of pictures.

Come inside the greenhouse.

Yep, Mr. Welder added shelves.

Here is a closer look.

Aren't they cute?

He used some old fence panels that were cluttering the yard.

Double duty done-shelves in place and a cleaner yard.

On this side is a sink that will eventually be more than the basin. We got this out of one of the old barns we tore down. Another piece of (cute) junk with a better home than thrown by the fence.

Not only can Mr. Welder build, he can be stylish with his socks and flip flops.

Thermometer installed.

Doesn't using old stuff give so much character that you'd never get with going out and buying something new and spending a lot of money?

The security system was also installed.

I know, kind of extreme, but just in case we end up with some fancy plants.

While discussing our options in adding on to the shelving and where the brick path would go, Mr. Welder remembered this old work table we got at the Restore half off sale for $5. Perfect fit so here it will live.

In case you want to mimic Mr. Welder's fashion, here's a close up to help you achieve the look.

Fast forward a day or maybe two, and Little Miss Fancy Plants shows off the light.

Later we discovered that this fixture (which Mr. Welder never returned when we ended up not using it-I guess he's not in trouble for that anymore) uses the same type bulb as growing lights. Sometimes in the winter there isn't enough sunlight to get your seeds going and a light can be used to help. Perfect!

Fast forward more to the weekend. Mr. Welder plowed the garden and put out fertilizer. Those are onions in the middle.

Herman takes his job seriously and was on post.

Mostly it's a lazy job, but someone has to do it. And it helps that it's nice and warm.

I brought over the plants we bought in town earlier that day.

Lowe's had quite a few things on clearance. I like plants and I've experimented with different types. I am not an expert or even knowledgeable so cheap plants are always tempting. Sometimes I bring them back to life and sometimes I should have left them at the store. Most of these didn't look bad though. I've brought home way worse.

We also purchased a few packets of seeds for our spring vegetable garden.

Plants + Food to Eat = My Cup of Tea

It's so exciting to watch something grow from a seed. Some are so tiny. It seems impossible that a plant could come from it, much less a vegetable to eat. I know, I'm easily amused.

With rain chances in the forecast, we set out a few buckets to catch water from the greenhouse roof and set up this temporary water tank to put the shop's gutter into use. We're on the lookout for a huge tank that we can hopefully bury or make attractive above ground somehow.

Little Mrs. Fancy Plants (not pants-they are high water and I love them. They are warm and do not drag the ground and bring sand into the house. I love sweat pants. I know, our family is just stylish.) To the right, you can kind of see a peach tree we bought. Mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Fast forward one more time to a rainy night when we hung out in the greenhouse and started planting some of the vegetable seeds. Mr. Welder is displaying the flat of tomatoes.

We also did jalapenos and onions before running out of planters. Dreams of fresh salsa in the future.

We gave everything a drink of rainwater from one of the buckets we set out. And I'm happy to report that though our water tank was kind of put up in a hurry, it's already full. 250 gallons!

Maybe the greenhouse will help beat those winter time blues. So do winter days that feel like spring.

Did you do anything to take advantage of the nice weather? Do you have any tricks you use to beat the winter blues? Please share. I could use some tricks for this time of year coming up.

Four Posts Become a House

2012-01-04T14:16:00.002-06:00

The four poles have progressed rather quickly into a greenhouse. This post covers a series of about a week, but I'm still surprised at how fast this project has been. Four more upright poles were added and the trusses were completed and installed.

Lathe boards were added to the roof and side walls.

Sand was hauled and leveled.

The door was framed.

This picture gives a better idea of where the greenhouse is located. To the left is a column of the shop.

The door was installed.

In the middle of all this, dad came over and helped finish installing the gutter.

Downspouts and a tank are the next steps to this project.

Daisy likes her new dog house, but said she still prefers her pillow in The Weld House....

Here, Mr. Welder is adding more bracing.

Then the frame for an awning was nailed into position.

Clear, PVC "tin" was installed along with a flashing piece.

To finish up that wall, a rusty tin wainscot was put in place.

On my days off, I was the holder upper.

And the blow dryer operator.

Having a wife with tools comes in handy sometimes.

Since it was chilly out, heating the PVC panels really helped with getting a nice cut. At first I thought Mr. Welder's hands were cold, but especially when cutting something other than a straight line, it avoided the panel from cracking along the cut.

Clear sheets wrapped around three sides.

Before continuing to the front, tin was installed on the awning.

Then it was back to installing clear sheets and flashing, until it got dark and chilly.

Then it was time to go back to work, and I came home to this. Roof and all! Isn't it cute?! What do you think of the door color? This is how it came. I'm not sure yet. Is it weird that I kind of like it? What color do you suggest?

We have plans for a brick path down the center with shelving lining the walls. I am not sure of the exact plan yet but we're in the discussion stage. For now Herman will just think it's his huge litter box.

Speaking of Herman...notice anything strange about this picture? The comfort of a cozy fire...and cardboard box.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-03T16:41:00.002-06:00

May 2012 be a great year!

A Table For Your Coffee

2011-12-29T16:38:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Welder's Wood shop. As Mr. Welder has been diligently working on the coffee table, I've been spying and taking pictures.
And every once in a while I get to help hold something.
For the tabletop, he decided to use Pecan wood.
First, he uses the table saw to rip the boards to the correct width.

Then he moved over to the joiner, which planes the edges straight...so you can join the boards together. Get it??

(See that big, green vacuum deal? That's one of Mr. Welder's Christmas gifts. I think that's a sign he's a serious woodworker...or on his way to becoming one after we get the hoses to put it into action. It's a dust collector so we can be spiffy.)

The next step is deciding on the order and direction of the boards.

Marking the boards.

A biscuit joiner is used to make slots for the biscuits.

Biscuits inserted and wood glue applied.

And the next board is joined by sliding the biscuits into its slots.

After repeating the process a few times, the tabletop is clamped to dry overnight.

When I caught back up with woodworker, he had already attached the top to the base. I did learn that he does this in a fancy way where no screws are visible. It's not top secret or anything, I'm just not always available to be the paparazzi. The final step before staining and sealing the top was sanding. Next time I mention this table, it should be finished and it will probably have its own photo shoot for the etsy shop.

Progress is also being made on the greenhouse. It was too dark for photos, but a couple more posts were cemented in the ground. And we worked on building the first truss. As in Mr. Welder worked and I took pictures.

Making it sturdy...Mr. Welder style.

Here's the first one.

Glad you could hang out in the wood shop with us.

Two Whittled Pegs and a Funny-Looking Barkless Tree

2011-12-28T20:30:00.002-06:00

What the heck is this, you ask? It's my Christmas present. I know you're jealous.

I know you're also jealous that your gift did not result in you standing in the frigid weather, holding up a pole, freezing your hiney off, running back and forth to the house, taking off boots, hat, scarf, and jacket to check on your Chex mix (did you know you have to bake it for 1 hour and 15 minutes and stir at every 15 min. interval!) while your hubby measured, leveled, and cemented.

Merry Christmas to me.

I am completely picking on Mr. Welder...and since I've started, I might as well go on a tad bit more. His mom has always been known as not being that great at keeping gifts a secret. For example, you'll be tearing into the package and it's like she can't take it any longer and you'll end up knowing what you're getting right before you open it. As I wrote that though...I think she might be improving...and it's worn off on Mr. Welder.

It was a couple days before Christmas and he already had the holes dug and the posts standing upright-similar to the first picture in this post. I looked out the backdoor one morning (without my glasses) and just noticed the different color "tree" in our little mini forest. I asked Mr. Welder if that tree looked weird to him, like the bark was gone. I left it at that. Later he took me out to have a closer look and he asked me what I thought it was going to be. I really had no clue, but guessed a deal to put our picnic table under. He told me that wasn't right and then went on to tell me what it was going to be. He just couldn't keep the secret until Christmas. He is building me a greenhouse/potting shed! On Christmas morning he did draw a picture and give more details...and that afternoon his gift arrived by mail on the back patio with a big sticker letting him know what it was...so I guess we both could use improvement on the surprise factor.

In summary, I think my gift is going to be really cool and cute and of course, I'll show you progress along the way.

Here's a picture of Mr. Welder's gifts to make the men readers out there jealous...not sure there are any men readers-my dad doesn't do the internet-ha. We have everything we want and get spoiled by our parents in the gift department, so we agreed this year not to buy each other gifts. I wanted something under the tree so bought a few things...like snacks that we'll share. He had a few things marked in a woodworking catalog so that's what arrived by mail the day before. And he needs clothes, but is hard to shop for, so that can be a date night. Oh, I also got him some Bubba teeth...and silly putty to hold them in. I guess he was already playing with those when I took this picture.

My stocking had a sweet card, 2 pegs, and my ornament. We give each other an ornament every year. You'll have to wait to see Mr. Welder's. This year while making items for Bee Angels, he helped spray paint the tops of a bag of ornaments for a project I was doing. This one ended up in his pocket...and then as my yearly ornament. He was proud that he did not have to spend any money on it. Yes, we are cheap, and so I was proud of him. The pegs...well, you may remember he stole them from me a while back. They were for this project that I never finished. The ironic thing is, the project was for my "potting shack." Remember when we moved that little shed for my birthday a few years ago? Well, Jason's tractors always ended up in the shed. I did keep pots in it, but never fixed it up how I wanted. So, (if I can find all the other pieces), maybe I'll finally be able to finish the peg project for my potting shed in progress.

After opening all those gifts, I was exhausted. Make yourself comfy, Herman.

I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as ours.

Did you get everything you wanted?

Merry Christmas Wishes to You!

2011-12-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

Down the Right Path

2011-12-21T16:30:00.002-06:00

Mr. Welder mentioned he started working on a path to the shop. When I got home and looked out the bathroom window, I was shocked at how cute it was. Not because I don't have faith in my hubby (heck, the flowerbed wall he did was impressive) but it was just different than I was expecting. We did a simpler one from the back porch to the driveway, which I like, so I guess that is what I thought this one would be similar to. I like when he tries to show off his skills.

We took a break to see a little Shepherd...

Mr. Welder finished the path and filled it all in with sand. Now we need a rain to wash it between the stones so you can see their cuteness again.

And speaking of rain, we started putting the gutter on the shop. This is gutter we had leftover from when we had it installed on the house. We had to alter it a tad but it was free. We still only have one section completed, but eventually we plan to catch rainwater in a tank to water our garden.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

2011-12-13T18:45:00.002-06:00

I haven't figured out if it takes a week worth of pictures to have enough news to report or if it's due to the fact that I only find the time to sit down once a week to post...but here is another weekly update. We've been getting ready for Christmas and enjoying the festivities. Our very own family Frosty.

Sometimes the hustle and bustle of the season gets to Herman...

I finally fluffed and added bows to our window wreaths. My plan was to make bows out of burlap but I used all I had for our tree skirt so I used this ribbon I found on clearance for 57 cents almost 57 years ago.

The Santa collection.

Not the reason for the season...but I like the old ones so have a little collection.

A glimpse at the table that sits by our tree.

The stockings hung with care.

The reason for the season...and my clock I don't think I ever showed you.

Our Christmas card display

And making an appearance again is the mini tree with kitchen gadget ornaments.

Mr. Welder finished the table, so we hauled it around the yard and had a photo shoot.

It is so beautiful, I want to keep it.

We've been leaning towards selling on etsy, so I'll let you know if/when we ever open a shop.

Since we probably need more than one item to open a shop...Daisy hung out by the heater,

And Mr. Welder got busy on the next item.

I slept walked and took the clothes off the line. Actually, I'm asking Mr. Welder why he is about to take a picture of me. "Because I need more pictures of you." So, here is one of me at my finest.

When it got dark out, I wandered outside to see how it looked. Simple, kindy of scrawny, but sweet.

My favorite is always the tree in the window.

I guess this is another "I need more pictures of you" pictures. Really? You could at least wait until I got dressed and did not have bed head. And on that note, I'll have to end this post. You probably can't stand anymore.

What's Up With the Welders

2011-12-07T19:11:00.002-06:00

Why has my blogging been lacking lately?!

It's not because we've been lounging around watching TV and eating popcorn-though that sounds inviting.

Mr. Welder has been busy building this farm table...and this photo is not the most up-to-date version, but I guess it's all I've taken. He's in between houses right now (waiting on banks, paperwork, and all of that fun stuff) so decided he needed a project to keep his handy hands busy. The top kind of pulls it all together if you can imagine that...it will eventually be for sale in case you're in the market for something similar...or something not similar and you want to talk to Mr. Welder about building your dream project :)

We call this part of the business Weld House Wares.

He also built this table he uses in conjunction with his table saw. Is it weird that I almost like this table as much as the farmhouse one? Push the junk off to the side and drag it into one of those fabulous Restoration Hardware photo shoots, and it's quite glam...I might have to get him to build one for our game room whenever we get around to finishing that room up. When I daydream about that room I go in between the fishing lodge look and the industrial look. May the cheapest option win!

We've also been putting ornaments on the tree...and a few gifts under it since this photo was taken. I haven't taken any pictures of the rest of our minimal decor this year...so you'll have to hold your breath for that one.

A little wild hog watching has been taking place.

And more star making...

And crafting by the fire...

We are right in front of the fire but my sister likes wearing her hood. Thanks to her, we had a very productive ornament session just in time to restock.

I made three the night before when I worked alone. I did start a couple hours later, but still, four hands are better than two! Thanks, Seester!

And since that picture was taken before they were strung or had their toppers, and since I did not have time to take a picture before they made their journey to Bee Angels, here's an older picture that gives you a better idea of the finished products...and also shows off one of the cute stockings my mom handmade. All available for purchase at Spice Village. Sorry this post has turned into a commercial for Bee Angels/Weld House Wares :)

Saying that, I am so thankful for the customers and support you (along with those non-blog readers...man, they don't know what they are missing-ha) have given us this year.

Your friendship, your patronage, your advice, your referrals, and your encouragement are deeply appreciated.

So don't you forget it.

We hope your Christmas season has started off lovely.

Deck the Halls

2011-12-01T15:25:00.000-06:00

Well, we've already cranked up the wood stove. I think Herman might love it even more than I do.

And we got our Christmas tree.

Unfortunately, a few days later, it still doesn't wear any ornaments and tubs and boxes still clutter the living room. After the tree almost fell over, leaning just enough to spill half the water, Jason waddled around the tree with his hurt foot and the lights were strung. I situated the tree skirt just right before we decided the tree was still on that lean, so we got it upright, but decided to call it a night. And we haven't been home since. Instead of blogging about it, I better get going so we can finish tonight. It's already pretty dark out but will show you our 2011 decor eventually. Have you decorated yet?

Your Weekly Update

2011-11-22T16:05:00.001-06:00

Lately, it seems I've been having a weekly update. I aim for more, but I guess that isn't too shabby. The party at Spice Village was a huge success and a lot of fun.

I still have stuff for you to buy in case you were wondering...

The honeycomb square was sampled by many and even purchased by a few.

Doesn't it make a lovely spread?

After the honeycomb was devoured, we walked around to check things out.

Even when Mr. Welder doesn't have his fair share of free beer and wine, you'll still find him examining the handiwork.

One exciting thing we did this week that I have no pictures to accompany is go to the Baylor vs. OU football game. How about those bears?!

We're normally those people that almost never see the end of the game, so we can miss the traffic. This game was too exciting-though we did jet out of the stadium to get ready to catch the bus after the winning touchdown and 8 seconds remained on the clock. We did loop around to witness the score board flashing "Baylor wins!" and the crowds running onto the field.

It was great.

Sunday, we fished and caught our fair share of sticks.

And white bass

Well, they caught their fair share. I caught one. It was cold and I was a nerd and did not bring my hoodie, so I did not participate as much.

I did take some wild life pictures for you though.

We made one more trip to our favorite spot...and Dad caught this Hybrid Striper.

And Jason caught this good size White Bass.

And I took a picture of our favorite spot.

After retrieving another tangled lure, we called it a day.

We left with 20 keepers-not bad.

Good thing I helped.

Doesn't 20 sound better than 19?

You're welcome for the help, guys.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Random Ramblings

2011-11-16T16:13:00.001-06:00

To catch you up on what's been going on for the Welders...since I am sure you've just been dying to know, here is a random post. Last weekend, we volunteered at the Restore half off sale. I once again figured out the camera timer to show off our matching shirts.

Then we had an early Thanksgiving celebration with Mr. Welder's side of the family. The pretty gal in black and her hubby in green are expecting to meet their first born around the real Thanksgiving, so we ate turkey and dressing early...darn. Grammie (Mr. Welder's mom) wanted a family photo. We tried. We started here by the fence and just couldn't quite get everyone together.

The golf cart seemed to get the boys' (that "boys" includes Mr. Welder) attention so we decided to try that. So we have one hiding behind the steering wheel, Grandma behind Mr. Welder, and mommy-to-be behind the pole...and the wind being our friend.

After knocking the camera over as I ran to position and getting a picture of the crate I used as a tripod...hey, mom there's a Christmas idea for me-I could use one of those small bendy ones...we got this pic. Well, it will do the job of remembering the day. Sorry, Grammie.

You know, the best pictures just aren't posed. Maybe this one will make up for it a little.

This week, Mr. Welder went shopping and bought something new for our gym.

While he worked on putting it together, Daisy and I did some paperwork.

And since he still wasn't finished, I worked on finishing a couple projects for Bee Angels.

These are almost finished...they still need a string looped through to hang as an ornament or tie on a gift. And in case you haven't heard, Spice Village is having a special evening of holiday shopping on Thursday, November 17-yes, that is probably tomorrow if you are reading this today, or today if you're reading this today-ha. The store will close at 5:00 and reopen from 6:00-8:00. The first 50 customers thru the door will receive gift bags. We'll have food, drinks, door prizes (including a 1K diamond ring and $550 photo session!!), games, live entertainment and a fun photo opportunity (that Mr. Welder helped construct.) I'll be in the food section giving out samples of one of my newer items, the Savannah Bee Company Honey Comb Square. My plan is to take a picture of the lovely platter on which it will be featured. I'll share if I don't forget...mom, help me remember. Have you ever tried to communicate with your mom through a blog? Probably not the best idea since my mom isn't fond of reading...and probably just looks at the pictures and makes up her own story.

The gym is officially OUR gym. I now have something to use in there too! Now I just have to make the time. I had a brief 15 minute workout last night. It felt great...after I caught my breath!

Shower Power

2011-11-08T14:54:00.000-06:00

The Weld House witnessed its second baby shower this weekend.

We planned our decorations along the nursery's decor, which is really cute by the way. I saw pictures. I know, you probably want to see them too.

Well, I don't think the nursery will have its own stork...My Granny gave me this stork a little while ago. She used to have this in her bedroom. (I wonder what decorations my grandkids are going to think are strange one of these days...probably all of them.) I think it looked cute for the shower but it lives in the storage closet now that it's over. We thought about drilling a hole in its beak and letting it carry a baby...maybe next baby shower.

My mom put together the dot streamers that we hung from the fan.

And she also made the bunting and corsage like she did for the last shower. I found the lime and black cloth at the thrift store right after I knew I was one of the shower hostesses. It was meant to be.

The sign-in table.

We won the lime bucket (with goodies inside) at a raffle at our family reunion. We played the clothespin game, so it came in handy.

I baked cupcakes again and we made the dot toppers. I found different patterned stamps in the dollar section at Michael's along with colored stamp pads. We glued the dots back to back around a toothpick. Mom had the beaded cake stands from my cousin's baby shower.

And here's the pretty mommy-to-be getting ready for the big day.

I won't lie-I was nervous about touching her belly, but it did turn out to be a cute picture, so I guess I'm glad I listened to the Sarge. That's my friend on the left. We called her Sarge in high school, and when the Sarge tells you to do something, you obey. Hehe.

Well, I believe it was another success and I'm happy the family is another step closer to being ready for their new arrival.

So after a wedding shower the following day, I think that wraps up showers for a while.

That means we're finished with the cupcakes and punch and can move towards the turkey and dressing.

My stomach growled just typing that sentence.

Shrubs, Stumps, Sweaters and Squash

2011-11-04T13:30:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, Mr. Welder and I made plans for more landscaping.

Look, at this stump deal that he brought home for me.

So we had a plan and Mr. Welder tried to think of a way to include every tractor in that plan. At the end of the night, things were looking dug up and not very pretty. I commented that maybe we should not have started this project until after the baby shower we're having at our house this weekend.

So when I came home to this a few days later, I was very happy.

I love the rock border.

We dug and got everything put in the ground in no time. I did four plants while Mr. Welder handled the rest.

Daisy supervised with approval.

Until she noticed me crouching, which in her mind is the petting position.

Mr. Welder was also in charge of leveling the dirt.

I was happy with the results, and then remembered the stump.

It made its journey to the front.

And it was getting dark, but here is how it looked.

With a freezing weather forecast, we wandered over to check the small vegetable garden. We have some nice squash plants and it looks like watermelon, which must have sprouted from throwing our scraps out.

The green bean plants have flowers.

But these squash were what I really had my eye on. It is amazing how much faster squash grow in the Spring than Fall. They are almost big enough to pull but could use a little more time.

So we got ready for the freeze and drug out the tarp and covered the plants and crossed our fingers.

Daisy got ready for the freeze too. She is very cold nature and this is her first sweater that her Grandma found on clearance for her. It's a tad snug. Do any of you have large dogs that wear sweaters? I think she would like one-she really did not mind this one-but I was worried it would cut off her circulation in the night.

Daisy was worried I was going to put her on a diet :)

Frightful Fish Fry

2011-11-02T20:10:00.001-05:00

Since we were hosting the frightful fish fry at our house, I used that as my excuse to put off cleaning for a few weeks.

And to prove how slow I am, when Mr. Welder asked if he should call an exterminator because it seemed we had problems with spiders, I really thought he was going to pick up the phone.

And these creepies witnessed the whole conversation.

Outside the pantry, we set up a butcher shop.

Rats visited the cupboard.

A mini graveyard in the kitchen window

Decorated dining area

Choose your dish.

This skeleton looks innocent but attacked me when I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Entertainment for the guests' bathroom breaks

Witches casting spells in the woods

Devils roaming the land

Yes, this pretty much sums up our kids.

It was about 3:30 when we had everything decorated and I realized we never took the fish out to thaw. I doubted our guests would be distracted that much by the decor, so scurried around and used the hot water trick. Yes, my brain is always this sharp.

As always, Daisy was on her best behavior for the party.

We threw this together very last minute, so there were less costumes than usual. We kind of understood and only called those in normal clothes lame a few times.

Really, we were just happy everyone could make it.

When night time fell, the spookiness was just too much to bear.

Part of the crowd watched scary movies, part played games, and some took a snooze.

Overall, it was a crashing time. Yes, the witch fell off the bottom step and got caught in the web.

Since we forgot to vote on the best costume, we crowned this pair before calling it a night.

Fantastic Fall Fishing

2011-11-01T15:09:00.000-05:00

A couple Sundays ago, we decided to enjoy the nice weather and relax at the lake.

Mr. Welder made a catch on the first cast.

So instead of relaxing with Daisy as I planned, I fished and fished with Mr. Welder.

We left with 27 keepers.

Herman was happy Daisy made it back safely.

We decided to have a small gathering titled, the Frightful Fish Fry, to share our bounty.

The kids were glad since that meant they would be included in the Halloween festivities this year.

I took some pictures that I'll share soon.

Did you do anything to celebrate Halloween?

Dusting Off the To-Do List

2011-10-31T15:51:00.000-05:00

I'm behind on posting but we've found the to-do list and have been moving forward with it.
The pantry was never trimmed around the ceiling.

But it is now.

Mr. Welder also trimmed around our telephone pole and beam. That should complete the trimming.

Our upstairs bath now has a medicine cabinet and a toilet paper holder.

I wanted something different in here-something rustic so Mr. Welder built this.
I love it.

Yes, the corner is chipped-I have the piece somewhere but can't remember where. Either way, this is a special piece and I like it as is...

I don't think I ever showed you the trash can I got for this room. It's an old minnow bucket.

And because you're probably wondering how a medicine cabinet can be special, here's a peek inside. That's my Grandpa. The exposed sides were also this lovely blue, but Mr. Welder painted those to help it fit in the room. I'm actually surprised it wasn't John Deere green or yellow, like most of my Grandpa's belongings.

He had this in his workshop...and I still need to clean it. Yikes.

My new camera is due to arrive today.

It is the exact same one I had before.

Though I am mad at Canon for saying my old camera was corroded (it never got wet so I think they are lying...), I really liked my camera so when it was going to cost more to fix it than get a new one, I just ordered another to move on with it. So I guess they got their way...

Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

2011-10-24T16:27:00.000-05:00

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch weekend before last.

We went along with my sister and her hubby.

As you know, I am cheap, but something comes over me when I visit the nursery or am around stuff like this.

Or this...It's probably a strange urge but I want one of every type of plant at the nursery and a bucket of mini pumpkins and a basket of gourds from the pumpkin patch.

But we have hungry mouths (two of them pictured) to feed, so I resisted and Jason and I just got a pumpkin to share.

We picked up Daisy on the way to my sister's house.

You know, I needed help carving our pumpkin.

I learned a trick while taking this picture. At first, I kept trying to get her to sit by the pumpkin and kept chasing her around with it. As you can imagine as I am running around like a nut with a pumpkin, I did not get a good shot. But then when I just left her alone for a while, I took the pumpkin and set it by her and she just let me snap away. I guess she finally realized what I wanted.

Ewww! Pumpkins are icky inside.

Daisy decided pumpkin was a good snack.

If you haven't carved a pumpkin this year, I highly recommend doing so.

It's fun.

After we thawed the chunk of soup for a nice dinner...

We had the lighting of the Jack o' Lanterns.

Spooky.

Our pumpkin already molded and was thrown in the garden. I saved some seeds. Next year, I dream of having our own little pumpkin patch.

Beautifying the Backyard

2011-10-21T15:48:00.001-05:00

We've been doing a little work in our backyard so I thought I'd show it to you.
We (as in Mr. Welder) made this bed narrower than we originally had it.

Most everything we planted in the spring is no longer with us except the purple stuff and the shrub in the back on the left. My uncle gave us the Crape Myrtle. I like those.
My mom started us more shrubs like the lone survivor, which are the other green twigs you see.

And in the other back corner we went with Texas Sage since everyone else we know has had luck with it. Plus it is known to get tall and bushy, and Mr. Welder thinks that will keep him from having to paint the electrical pole and boxes that stick out like a sore thumb. I think a nice coat of stone white paint would do the trick much quicker than waiting for a bush to grow, but since I have other things needing my attention lately, we'll just see if it makes it to the top of the list before the bush reaches the top of the box.

Mr. Welder also put in another bed on the other side. We planted more starter shrubs from my mom and another Texas Sage.

We also added a few new things on the porch.

The plant on the green stand is an ornamental pepper plant. It has little purple peppers. The yellow mums looked pretty bad when I got them and even worse now. The light purple/pink ones did perk back up. I'll probably replace the yellow ones.

These mums I bought full price instead of trying to shop the clearance rack.
I don't know why I thought I could bring those others back to life.

Hasn't the cooler, fall temperatures been nice this week?
Daisy is not a fan of any type of cool/cold weather.

Do you see her trying to warm up in the sun?

The shop is mostly finished too. I kind of just left you hanging on that project. The rock was finished, the doors are up in this picture but are installed. And we have lights under the awning.

And lights inside. Maybe this weekend we'll start working on the front yard. A dirty house, stacks of laundry, and a couple craft projects are also on my "unprioritized" list. I'll let you know what ends up being accomplished :)

What are your weekend plans?

Little Cowboy on the Way

2011-10-19T17:04:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we hosted a baby shower for Mr. Welder's little sister. I haven't been a part of many showers, but when I am, I always look for economical (Ok, cheap-ya'll know me by now) ways to decorate, invite guests, all the stuff that goes into throwing the party. That way, you have more funds to put towards the gift. That's the point of a shower, right? First, I went shopping at just the right time. Michael's was clearing out it's summer picnic napkins and plates, which worked perfectly for a little cowboy baby shower. As you know, our house is country/rustic, which definitely helped. (Next month, we're having a shower for my friend. Hers will be more modern with patterns and shapes...crossing my fingers we can make it work!)

My sister-in-law, who was another hostess, sent me an example of a cute invitation she found online for a cowboy baby shower, which I used as inspiration (some call it copying). She also had the idea to use a photo and adapt it in Picnik. I used a photo of our front door. I'm pretty sure most of you are friends, but just in case the creepies are here, I blocked out our address and contact information...If you want to try using Picnik for your next invitations, here are a few hints for you. Skip to the next photo if you could care less. I cropped the picture of our door to where you could just see the wooden slates, changed the color to Sepia, and added the words, and symbols (which are in the "stickers" section of Picnik.) Another hint, before you start adding words or anything, in the "crop" section, there is a drop down menu that says "no constraints." Change that to 4x6 or whatever size you are going to print your invitations. I did not do that the first time and had to start over in order to not have any of the wording cut off when it was printed. It was really easy, fun, and economical to do invitations this way. Picnik is very user-friendly, but if you have any questions about it, I'd be happy to try to help.

We (as in my mom) picked Sunflowers from the ditch, which were perfect.
She had a big bunch of them spotted all week, and the day she went to get them, they were mowed!

I really appreciate her hunting for another bunch.

We served lemonade with floating lemon slices. I also froze a tray of lemonade ice cubes to help chill it without watering it down. Everyone raved about the lemonade and drank several cups...probably because punch cups are so dang small.

My cake stand has a purple edge so I knew that would not work. I've seen online where people use stumps-ha that sounds funny, but I can't think of another word right now. Earlier in the week, I asked Mr. Welder if he could cut me three stands in varying heights out of some of our firewood. He said he could...so the day of the shower, the chain saw breaks...ugh. So I pouted for a minute and then remembered this stump that was laying against one of our trees. Sometimes it helps to be the nutty lady always taking pictures of memo boards, pillows, and picture frames in the yard. You just become so familiar with the land.
So mom washed the stump, laid a hanky on it, and we stacked the cupcakes with paper horses on toothpicks around on and around it.

Gifts were stacked on the fireplace and the mom-to-be opened them from my hippie rocking chair acting country for the day.

Mom put together this blue jean and burlap bunting for another country touch.

She also crafted this blue jean, bandanna, and burlap corsage. Basically I just take on parties, projects, gift shops...and my mom makes all my dreams a reality.

Here's the lovely mom-to-be. This horse bag and stuffed horse were hers when she was a child. Her mom gave it to her along with these cute burp cloths that she crafted from a towel. She also sewed her a really cute quilt.

She got lots of gifts. Isn't it exciting to help someone get ready for the arrival of their little one?!

All in all, I'd say it was a simple, successful shower.

And we can't wait to meet our newest nephew.

I Miss You Camera...

2011-10-17T15:58:00.001-05:00

Life has been fast and furious since our return. Or maybe life is the same, but I am still in slow motion and that's the problem. I'm still working on getting pictures from the water camera and the video camera but here are what we have from the camera that I miss dearly. Mom let me borrow hers this weekend so I do feel better than I did when I first started this post.

Waiting to leave the Galveston port.
We just had our first meal of many.

I learned that my husband of five years can eat more than anyone I've ever known. I've always eaten more than anyone I've ever known, but now he wins.
Room service after a day of eating.

Proof that it sometimes helps to have a crafty wife. Need a strap to keep your new hat from blowing off the ship? Just look in my backpack to find a variety of yarns and scissors...which I am glad made it though security. Forgot those were in there.

The weather was perfect for relaxing.

And for eating half a pizza for a before-dinner snack.

Always reminds me of when mom used to put those blue tablets in our toilets.

We had dinner in the dining room everynight.

It was all delicious and I loved the soups.

Fun Day at Sea called for a bucket of Coronas. You save $2 that way. It was still way out of my price range for a beer but on vacation you have to let loose a little :)

Most people would say BOO about rain on vacation...we had the perfect spot to watch the brief shower. We were happy to remember what rain looked like...and were blessed to come home to a refreshed land. Thank you Jesus.

A cruise post isn't complete without a towel friend. I needed proof to my sister that I wore her crazy tall heels. I changed after dinner before I broke my neck. Cute but crazy.

Our first stop was Montego Bay, Jamaica.

We took a van to the beach and rented snorkeling gear.

We did not end up with a picture of our "wedding hands" on our wedding day. Before the trip, I decided we'd take a picture of our hands in Jamaica since that is where we honeymooned.

The snorkeling was good...leaving bags on the beach unattended wasn't. I decided to sit by our stuff and take pictures of his monkey mouth.

Don't ask.

I'd blame this funky lady for breaking the camera...

But this was the last picture...guess I'll have to blame Mr. Welder. He's used to that anyways :)

He's used to a lot of things after being married to me for five years.

I love where we've been, where we are at, and where we will go.

No, I Haven't Given Up Blogging

2011-10-10T21:52:00.001-05:00

I know it's been a while, so here is some Weld House news for ya. I was forced to locate my iron...and use it. We just got back from celebrating our five year anniversary by cruising around the world or at least part of it. I visited my sister's ~~boutique~~ closet before we left. The clothes are cute but come with a strict "bring them back how you got them" policy. And that is why I went on the iron hunt today :) Now if any of you know my sister, you know she isn't strict, but I did appreciate her help in the style department so was happy to learn how to iron using her clothes-hehe. Mainly, I learned that I haven't been missing out on much by avoiding the whole ironing part of life. I'd like to tell you that I have wonderful photos to share with you from our trip, but with sadness I must report that my camera died on our first stop. I have a few we took before it went kaput, a disposable water cameras worth (which I did not have when we actually snorkeled! What kind of tourist am I?), and some from our video camera (once we realized it took still-pictures too) that I haven't figured out how to transfer to the computer...maybe I'll even get fancy and try to figure out how to show you some of our video...but I'm technologically challenged so should probably just be happy with pictures, huh? The trip was great. It was relaxing, full of wonderful food, exciting, but mostly just fun hanging out with my honey. Here we are with our anniversary cake. For some reason they gave it to us on Tuesday instead of Friday. But it must have been meant to be since the camera would not have been in service.

Cheers to the greatest five years!

Farewell Shelia

2011-09-27T15:30:00.001-05:00

Friday afternoon, we said goodbye to Shelia. That's my car's name. Or was my car's name. I know she's just a car but I felt sad leaving her after all the places she took me. I ran her into trees, wrecked her a couple times, and filled her with junk, but she always did her job and did it well. Sorry I left you at a place where you just didn't quite fit in.

Not that we fit in either. Let me just grab our water jug before I head over to the next office to sign the paper work.

(It's a mystery to me why sometimes photos just turn sideways and even when you think you've gone in a fixed it, you haven't...but it's a picture of our water jug so I can't waste time worrying...)

Saturday the guys continued making progress on the shop.

We're already breaking the rules of how to act when you have a new (to us) vehicle. Daisy is our spoiled child and she got to ride (on a towel) to visit her Grandparents on Saturday evening.

We stopped at a lemonade stand on our way home from church on Sunday so we're already drinking in it.

I tried to persuade Daisy and Herman into setting up a lemonade stand at the end of our driveway, but they weren't interested.

So I did a little Fall decorating instead.

I just borrowed some of mom's dead shrub and used things I had.

When life gives you a drought, make decorations.

It's definitely nothing fancy, but does freshening up stuff make you happy too?

The gourds and dead shrub are my favorites.

Gourds have been popular at Bee Angels this year. I finally feel like I'm not alone with my goofy-for-gourds mentality. My mom cleaned up more and we've restocked the wash tub at the shop if you want to join the Goofy Gourd Gang.

Sunday the guys moved farther along on the shop and it's wrapping up. It was our turn for Sunday dinner. I did not take any pictures this time but I like having people at our house. We did work on a few crafts. Click here if you want to see.

And since I hate it when people don't finish the story...here's me in my car. I'm not a car person, as in, I'm not "into" cars. That's probably why I drove the same car for over ten years. When I'm driving around in my new car, I feel special and happy. Not because money bought me happiness. Not one bit. I feel special because Mr. Welder searched and searched, then researched, then bargained, then showed off his mechanical skills to fix a minor problem so I would have a nice vehicle that is perfect for me. Thank you Jabo for taking care of me.

I don't think I could ever go in and make a deal on a car, do you? I just sat there and shook my head. Ha.

What should I name her?

Stone Him!

2011-09-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, our shop is a boy.

As you can kind of see, the shop's tin and insulation has continued to be installed and it has started to be stoned.

Here is a close-up.

Well, I'm off to go make more money to pay for all of this :)

Yep, I'm picking on Mr. Welder

It looks nice, honey.

(In case you're slow and haven't figured it out, I'm the cheap one in the family.)

Rain Fall Garden

2011-09-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

The title is Before & After, like Wheel of Fortune.

The front wall of the shop is going up.

We had plans to grow a Fall garden. It's probably a little late to start one, but after the rain we had the urge again.

Mr. Welder was in charge of choosing a few things to have fun with.

Green beans, peppers, and squash....

Along with a row of Herman...

And these pepper plants that came up in one of our planters after Mr. Welder threw some scrap seeds in it. In case you are wondering, scrap seeds are seeds that are leftover after you eat a vegetable.

Have you ever had a Fall garden?

Did you grow pumpkins?

That has always been my dream, but according to the package, we'd have Christmas/Happy New Year pumpkins instead of Halloween/Thanksgiving ones.

Maybe next year.

Sunday Snapshots

2011-09-19T12:02:00.000-05:00

Saturday entailed a quick housecleaning and an out-of-town wedding. A clean house, good food, good friends, and sore feet from dancing the night away describes Saturday.

Sunday was a typical Sunday. The best kind.

Simple Sundays are simply the best.

We watched the cows trudge to the shallow water's edge with a promising sky in the distance. The dry conditions can be depressing and high hopes of rain can be shattered.

But this time, our hopes were fulfilled. It rained, and it rained good. As I laid in bed watching the light show and listening to that rain on a tin roof I have been craving for oh so long, it felt so refreshing to pray thank you God over and over again until the pitter patter and rolls of thunder soothed me back to dreamland of a refreshed Earth. The drought may not be over, but the trees are doing the happy dance today and for that I am thankful.

Patio Party

2011-09-16T14:22:00.000-05:00

Mr. Welder surprised me with a date night. The evening started with Mexican food that I mentioned craving earlier in the week. After I finished choking on a chip, the meal was nice and tasty. I'm at the stage of my sickness where everything tickles my throat. It was bad. Note to self: Wait until the waiter has brought drinks before devouring the chips and salsa...especially when you have a tickly throat!

Following dinner, Mr. Welder planned to go shopping for patio furniture. The first stop was Wal-mart. They had a nice $et that was a tad out of our price range. Next up was Home Depot. They were completely out, but Mr. Welder was able to get some painter's tape-he was very proud of himself for thinking ahead. Next, we visited Kohl's. My sister graciously gave us her 30% off coupon, but no patio furniture in sight and though it was not looking very promising, we were on a mission for furniture so did not shop for clothes...hard to not look when you have 30% off. Next, we went to the other Home Depot in town-nada. Sears was next on our journey. They had some nice sets that were on sale but still outrageou$. The sales clerk cracked me up. He let us know they were on sale but still cost too much and he wouldn't buy one. After a small detour of checking out a cool bicycle, we left and talked about how we could probably just build something cool...and my mom could make us some cool pillows. Lowe's was next on the list. We noticed some chairs with potential lined up outside the store. We thought about buying the $20 chairs and Mr. Welder building the table. We decided to go check to see if they had anything else...and that is when we happened upon the clearance section...Hallelujah Hallelujah!

There were several options with the rather stylish yellow price tags. First, we decided on the table. And then it was time to play musical chairs for a bit. We considered the chairs you can see in the background first. We had almost decided that four worked best when the salesman mentioned some other chairs that were on sale in a different section of the store. Though the sign said one price, they were actually $10 cheaper...even better. We could get three of these for the price of one of the other. They were not as bulky so six worked nicely. And we actually liked how they looked better than the others...and they were already assembled unlike the others that came in a box.

So into the truck they were loaded. (After we paid, of course. We are good citizens.) Perfect fit.

We stopped by Academy and while there looked at their selection. They had a reasonably priced option that looked like it could be nice according to the sketch on the box-in case you are in the market for patio furniture, you might want to check there. We had a $10 off coupon so purchased my fishing license and headed home to unload and unwrap the chairs.

And remove sticky stickers.

Ta Daa! Here it is.

Oops! Forgot to unwrap a leg.

And though it was past our bedtime, we had to hang out and enjoy the crisp, night air.

Thanks, honey for a fun night.

You sure know how to make a gal feel special.

Rain Rain Come Our Way

2011-09-15T15:23:00.001-05:00

Over the past couple of days, the shop has been moving right along. Wall three is sheeted and the door is installed.

The ridge roll (that is that stuff sticking out at the top) was also installed...so it can rain any day now :)

Shop Going Up Lickety Split

2011-09-13T14:37:00.000-05:00

This is what I saw when I drove up. A back wall and two heroes working away on the side wall.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup for my sniffles and my men...They assured me they liked though I was a little worried about soup on a hot day. This pot was full to the top before we started so I guess I believe them.

Last sheet for the night. I'm so happy with the progress!

And on a totally random note. Does your dog do this? Daisy isn't the only dog I've seen do this, but she stands under the cedar trees and walks around licking the air. Maybe it tickles? Maybe you can enlighten me of the scientific reason.

Junk Yard Baby Shower

2011-09-12T16:30:00.002-05:00

Saturday windows were installed.

Then a plan was discussed and a row of my dad's favorite building material, insulation, was laid out.

Bottom sheets were screwed into place.

Rock trim was added and then top sheets were installed.

And this is how it looked at the end of the workday. I think my dad is wondering what he got himself into again...

By the time I got around to snapping pictures on Sunday, things were looking better. I must have been sick to slack this bad on picture taking, huh? Well, I kinda was. I woke up Saturday feeling icky and it's off and on but not much has improved...don't you feel sorry for me?

The back wall was started.

To explain, the top section of the walls will stay green. Below the trim will be rock to match our house. Mr. Welder trying to be fancy by including a rock wainscot has made this project take a lot longer than I thought...the baby showers are creeping right up. Wonder what the mom-to-bes would think if I asked them to consider having a junk yard theme...

The guys must have been desperate. They asked for my assistance in cutting the sheets to size. Or maybe they just wanted me to make myself useful.

I enthusiastically jumped right in...but dad decided I could use a lesson. (I have used these cutter deals before but cut wire mesh that was not as rigid...so really I did know what I was doing but I let him think he taught me all I know...)

"Like this?"

I got my crew together so us three could do the work of one.

Here is how it looked at quitting time. Moving along thanks to my crew.

Time to relax (in a more comfortable position) and get well soon. I think it's just a cold. I hardly ever get sick so when I do, my grumpiness is sure to shine.

The Junk Yard

2011-09-06T11:44:00.000-05:00

In this corner of the yard, we have scrap iron, windows for the shop, and two tractors.

This view has a four wheeler, my dad's truck (which is normally not there but we're glad when it is), a picnic table with a wood working jig and Mr. Welder's truck and trailer.

The balcony still houses an extra door that we ended up not using and a scrawny table and two chairs. It hasn't had much attention. The back porch is...cluttered. I'd like to get rid of the folding chairs (well, hide them in the wooden box beside the pit and get a nicer patio table and chairs. Something that isn't huge but that has about four comfy chairs. I'm thinking the bistro table will be better on the balcony. At least one of the BBQ pits needs to find a new location. We'll keep the dog though.

The back fence has a sink, a bicycle, and other stuff...

To the left are materials for our shop and closest is a pile of junk. Yes, that is the dresser I bought for $1. Mr. Welder decided he did not want to fix it, but I have plans to salvage part of it.

Along this fence we have gutter that will be used on the shop, a blue machine, a trailer or two, left over rocks...lots of stuff.

Our garage is full of a boat, lumber and woodworking tools. Therefore our vehicles do not have a home.

So when the guys got to work on the shop this weekend, I had visions of a cleaned up yard/garage dancing in my head. Yes, that is another tractor in the shop without walls and I wish I could tell you there wasn't another tractor or two that did not make it on the blog. I will like you tractors, trailers, and machines better when you have a place to hide out.

By the end of the afternoon, the shop had an awning!

I've had this lamp that was my Granny's on a picnic basket in the corner of one of the spare bedrooms. As I was cleaning, I had a strong urge to get a side table for this room. When I was taking pictures of the junk in the yard, I saw this dealy and a light bulb went off. I got this thingy from my Grandpa's barn. I think it was a planter or something to do with farming. I washed it up and brought it in. It's probably weird to the normal person, but I'm not normal so like it. I wonder if Mr. Welder will see it here on the blog or notice it in the room first. The little rocking horse music box was mine as a baby and from my Great Aunt.

While I was sprucing, I decided to get rid of yet another sick plant. I just can't find one that will ~~grow~~ survive here. So a basket of shells and driftwood will do for now. Guess I can move the watering can.

With the nice, cool temperatures, Mr. Welder decided to plow up his peanuts.

Here is a close-up

And here is our crop. Ha.

Before the summer turned to dry and awful, the peanut plants were gorgeous.

I still can't say that my hubby is a true Peanut Farmer but I will not let this year's crop discourage us.

We won't be giving roasted peanuts as Christmas gifts this year as I'd hoped, but I still dream that one day we will.

We labored on Labor Day and worked on the shop's roof.

Want a windy day? Just give us a call and ask us to roof something. It is always windy when we try to roof.

Installing insulation in the wind is almost as fun as hanging on to flying tin.

I have a sliced hand to prove it :)

With our four (hard headed) person team, we were able to do it though.

We got in our rhythm...cut two pieces of tin, lay out insulation, install a sheet, install a sheet, cut insulation, install a sheet, install a sheet....

...take a rest...

Install a sheet...

Yippee! We have a roof.

At the beginning of the summer, we planned to get flower beds ready for landscaping this fall. The super dry conditions haven't motivated us to do much. Now our focus (yes, Mr. Welder is probably finding this out from here too) is to complete the shop so we can clean up the yard and then do some sprucing on the balcony and back patio...I wouldn't mind finding some rocking chairs for the front porch too. If the rains come soon, I'd still like to do some landscaping, but at least this way, I'll have something to keep me occupied either way. And we are hosting a baby shower at our house in October. It might be a cowboy, farm theme, but tractors in the yard aren't the decor I had in mind. It would be nice to have a picked up place even if the grass is still dead and our flower beds are still nonexistent.

Birthday Boy

2011-09-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

This past Monday, Mr. Welder turned 33.

(Yes, I realize this post is way late.)

The Friday before, when I realized I did not buy him a gift-hehe, I decided surprising him by taking the day off would probably be better than anything I could think of buying. So after somehow keeping it a secret all weekend, Sunday night I snuck his handmade card in the coffee pot and added a note letting him know that I would be spending the day with him. I think my idea was a success since he told me a million times how I made his day. Though we worked most of the day, we did end the day by having dinner and then going to the bookstore to browse. ( Click here to see what we worked on. ) Days like this one always confirm one thing. I'm lucky to have married my best friend. No matter what we do, we have fun. (We bought toilets for crying out loud.) We make a great team and can't hang out with one another too much...ever! Mr. Welder's gift from me was also a gift to me.

I'm happy I got to spend your birthday with you!

Love,

Your Pip Squeak

Craft the Night Away

2011-09-01T16:16:00.002-05:00

Craft Night finally happened. And boy was it fun.

We not only craft, but we also cook.

Here's a recipe that I won't recommend.

After the look on her face, I did not even try it and this part of the evening ended with a cup of orange juice being poured down the drain.

Since that wasn't enough success for the night, my sister decided to work on this really cool book.

Not! She is such a goober.
I was busy talking and discussing with my cousin about what she could do...she always claims she is not creative. I believe everyone is creative. I finally looked over to see what Sister was doing, and she was looking to see if I noticed her being goofy yet. Pom poms are cool and all but not really Bee Angels style.

Oh, and by the way Noncreative Cousin quit halfway in her project-craft night wasn't looking so good.

But my mom was!

Ha! She did not craft with us but did craft alone before coming over to feed and clean up after the group.

Thanks, mom.

At least one person got to work. I am the one that cuts their paychecks so I really can't blame them when they goof off. You should give this girl a sign that says "Will Work for Food" since that is basically what she does :)

Even though this post did not capture it, we did have a successful night with lots of cute stuff to show for it. Lots to add to what the photo above shows. If you haven't already, you should go check out Bee Angels blog for some proof....and then be enticed to go shopping :)

And in closing, a cute picture.

Lake Tradition

2011-08-31T16:55:00.001-05:00

Last year around Mr. Welder's birthday we made a trip to the lake.
When he remembered this and the big fish he caught, he decided we would battle the heat and take the boat out again this year. He always backs the boat down the ramp, then I take over and park the truck and trailer.

I've gotten pretty good at ~~taking pictures while driving~~ making it in between the lines...and at not burning off when going up the hill. I may have burned off big time in front of a fishing guide on one occasion. But now I know the trick. The trick is to drive with both feet. One on the gas and one on the brake. By giving the truck gas as you let off the brake, you avoid the roll back that startles you just enough for a burn off. And you avoid the images in your head of sinking the truck and trailer...and wrecking into the boat. Yes, I have a wild imagination.

Daisy really was way more thrilled than she looks to have the breeze blowing her floppy ears.

Mr. Welder headed to Lacy's Point first but did not have the same luck as last year.

I did not fish or take as many pictures as usual. I read this instead. (not the whole thing, I do not read that fast) Have you read this series? It's funny and I recommend it.

This is also funny. I took three-four pictures like this and Daisy has the same look on her face in all of them.

And this picture was next. I'm not sure if she was sleeping sitting up, scared, or trying to keep her eyes from drying out in the prior photo.

I do know that she and I sure were grateful for our umbrella top that one of our friends gave us. So nice!

It sure made the relaxing more relaxing.

And it brought Mr. Welder some luck. Well, probably not, but I probably would have made us leave before he had a chance to catch anything had I been sitting in the sun.

And another.

Even though there was a lake full of water, Daisy was not going to share her water.

Nope, it was all for her.

Proud of our Parsley

2011-08-26T11:28:00.002-05:00

Mr. Welder is still watering this Parsley plant.

Do you think that's a sign he's an over-achiever...or maybe that he is full of hope....or maybe he's delirious from working so much this week.

I don't know, but it makes me laugh.

And it makes for a lovely picture to inspire you to get out in your yard this weekend...kidding.

As I predicted, we had a very busy week away from the Weld House.

Things were silent around our house, but there was much more excitement here.

If you haven't stopped in to check on the progress lately, you might want to head on over.

Happy Weekend!

Runaway BBQ Pit

2011-08-23T13:40:00.001-05:00

Does it ever feel like you've been run over by a BBQ pit?

Don't worry, he's alive. See, his eyes are open.

Life around the Weld House has still been frantic.

We've (thanks to my cousin) have our much more efficient accounting system for Weld House Homes in place. Does it make me want to sit behind the computer any more than before? Not really, but at least when I do, I know I'm accomplishing more.

We did take a break for a date after church on Sunday.

We went to see The Help.

We both liked it.

And how nice it was to just hang out with my hubby.

Last week our driveway looked like a trim factory...well, probably not. I've never seen a trim factory but I wouldn't think it would look quite like this. Things are moving right along at Weld House Home #2. I'm part of the cabinet staining crew so though it saddens me (the reporting, not the staining, I actually like to stain), I doubt there will be much action to report here this week...unless of course, you're interested in a post on how to cook a killer corny dog. If only life gave me enough time to cook a real dinner more often...I'd post about it :) Until then, you'll have to settle for weird pictures of our pets and photos of junk in the yard.

Drowning in Paper

2011-08-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

Because it's so chilly these days, Mr. Welder purchased this new extravagant scarf.

And that is really all that has been going on lately besides paperwork, painting bathroom stalls, paperwork, hanging a week's worth of laundry to line-dry in hopes that it will make it rain, paperwork, traveling to pick up building materials, paperwork, and just a little more paperwork. If you did not catch the drift, getting our paperwork system in place has taken over much of our time. Thanks to my accounting cuddy, I have hopes that we are very close to having our efficient systems in place. At that point, maybe I'll get around to catching up Bee Angels' paperwork :)

And because I know you might be wondering. We had a clean up day this weekend at Elk Hall, where we volunteer. One of my glorious jobs was painting the trim in the bathroom stalls. But I don't need to tell you, I'm sure you could tell by Mr. Welder's scarf that we lead a life full of luxury.

I did manage to sneak in a few Bee Angels projects in various stages over a few days. While Mr. Welder washed dishes, these goodies were finished and participated in a very quick photo shoot before another night of paperwork. At Weld House Homes, our first home is wrapping up and looking terrific and soon we meet with our next potential client. Knowing my honey is doing what he loves and putting people in the home of their dreams makes all the paperwork worth it...life is good.

Imagine That

2011-08-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

We crossed an item off the to-do list.

Can you guess what it is?

I told Mr. Welder to take a before picture (but he did not), and I also looked through old posts trying to find one, when it dawned on me that you guys have an imagination so why waste more time :)

The vents that were once black (this is where you use your imagination) were given a coat of paint to match the tin. Much better. They really were ugly black...is that how you imagined them?

And now it's time to imagine me crossing one more item off the list with a smile on my face.

Hello Friends...

2011-08-08T17:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I've really been slacking here. (Or if you've enjoyed the break-you're welcome...and why do you keep coming here-just kidding-I like that you come here no matter the reason-it makes me feel special.) Though I don't post, I think about you all the time. I have been updating Bee Angels and Weld House Homes blogs a tad more frequently. These two businesses have kept us busy, busy lately. The summer is normally a slow time for the shop, but I am extremely happy with how things have been going there. It's been crazy but great. I've added a new line (which requires frequent cleaning of sticky messes but sold out of two items in the first week so can't complain!) and have several projects waiting to be completed. My momma has been working in a sweat shop all summer producing Bee Handmade items that have also been really popular. I say sweat shop because she is goofy and works out in their pool room (that's a room where you keep a pool table), which used to be their garage so has no AC vents. It is so exciting and fun when your hard work pays off with items flying off the shelves. We are very grateful.

Speaking of hard work and being grateful, Mr. Welder has been busy too. His first home is progressing nicely alongside a few smaller jobs. We've met with another potential house-building family so we're super excited about that. We know God knows what's best, so will be happy whatever the outcome. We did get the Weld House clean since my last post...wish it was still that way-ha. And office work for both businesses is heaping (but in an organized way) so hopefully we'll have another date soon and get that in shape. You really have to be in love to look forward to lame dates like that, right?

Though we haven't crossed any of those lingering items off the Weld House to-do list lately, we have been kicking back and enjoying it with friends and family during our time off. That's Maggie, a good friend, to give Daisy kisses when she was being such a hog of the water tub. I missed the cutest shot when Daisy and Maggie were both in the tub. (Daisy sitting and Maggie straddling her sideways.) (And yes, that is poop in the background.) I really miss frequent posts here. I'm probably the only one-ha. It's always nice to stop and reflect...no matter who's out there listening. And whoever you are, I hope life is good and you're enjoying the summer heat wave. I'll be back...hopefully sooner this time.

Praying for Some Rain in the Mix

2011-08-01T14:07:00.003-05:00

Mr. Welder has been mixing things up at the Weld House.

The shop's framework has all been primed.

I can't remember what day this rainbow got my hopes up that it might rain. I could even smell the rain. Life has been a little hectic (since my last "hanging out in the pool" post)...as in so hectic my hubby went to work in a pair of dirty shorts this morning. Yep, that makes you feel like Wife of the Year... We have a date tonight to clean house and wash clothes...makes it sound a little more fun when you call it a date...or does it? Instead of worrying over things like a heaped laundry basket, stacks of office work, or dishes in the sink overnight instead of use, then immediately wash, I've tried to just let things go a little. It will be there the next day too.

I do have to draw the line when it comes to not putting the lighter fluid back in its cute little box though.
Isn't that the perfect lighter fluid holder? Even cuter when used.

This last week, though hot and dry, did give some beautiful skies.

And who is that?

Herms. Also known as Herman.

Pretty Boy.

Honey snapped this picture of me one night as I was in the art room working on a few things for Christmas for Bee Angels. This is what comes to mind when I hear Christmas in July. The time to get things together for Christmas or it won't happen in time.
Yes, my hair is wild. I hardly ever fix it unless it's a special occasion.

Mr. Welder was admiring the art room, saying what a cool room it was, finally understanding why I was so adamant about having this room in our house. I was working, working away when I reached back to get a glue stick from my supply. "Look at you." He really does get impressed by the weirdest things.

Daisy hopped in the car one day last week too, so she got to come to work with me.
One of the perks of my job is that pets are welcome.

I had a quick errand to run during the lunch hour and I worried that it would break Daisy's heart to be left behind. When I got back, this is what I saw when I peeked through the door.

It took me a while to figure out how to take a picture through the door...
See my muscles?

By the time I got things focused and stood there taking picture after picture...as cars drove by probably wondering why a weird lady was taking pictures of the door...Daisy gave up hope that I had returned and went back to napping.

On the drive home she propped her foot up

And took a rest.

It's really faint, but can you see another rainbow?

Two rainbows in the same week, in the same direction...

God we know you're up there.

The Welders are praying you'll send us some rain.

Until then, Herman's guarding the water bowl.

A Little Scrapbook of Our Weekend Trip

2011-07-26T14:31:00.000-05:00

This weekend we chilled out with some cool, old school friends...Old-school (as in college days) friends :)

This little guy has been added to the fun since those long ago college days.

After loading up some essentials (in case you were wondering what us gals were going to eat, a chocolate pie is in the grocery sack),

We headed to the pool.

Washers

And swimming pooches.
I've seen dogs that jump in pools for a relaxing swim but I've never seen one that floats on rafts, hopping from one raft to another until making it to the edge to leap back to dry land. It was very entertaining.

Almost as entertaining as a brief dog trick show starring Milly and Biscuit.

And Milly impersonating a human baby.

It was mostly play, but Mr. Welder did attend a seminar on new building techniques.

Before heading home (and before hitting up a few out-of-town thrift stores...), we had a delicious breakfast...

With my family away from home.

(Joey almost finished his puzzle before it was time to go-hehe)

Lots of things have changed since moving back home after graduating-new houses, new husbands, new babies, new pets, new stores, new streets, new restaurants...but some things are still the same. Good friends, good conversation, good memories, good times...my goodness, it was a good weekend and good to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones too.

Random Rambling...(Yes, All My Posts Should Have that Title.)

2011-07-22T15:19:00.000-05:00

A picture of a barn for you.

It's my Grandpa's.

Here is another barn and my husband loading up some scaffolding that he plans to use at Weld House Home #2.

We were low ridin'.

We got a couple loads of gravel for our driveway.

Herman liked it.

This reminds me of those big round chairs people used to have...well, I'm sure people still have them but not as many that used to...at least the people I visit. The gravel really doesn't look like one of those chairs, but with Herman sitting like a person, that is what makes me think of those chairs. Am I making this up or were those chairs like this round basket deal lined with a pillow that balanced on a stand? Seems dangerous but maybe I'm just remembering someone that had a broken one.

Moving on...Daisy liked it a little but not as much.

Herman is not normally a poser.

But he was workin' it for the gravel.

Too bad it was getting dark and the pictures did not turn out as bright as normal.

He's still cute though.

Happy Weekend!

My Wall-fully Wedded Husband

2011-07-20T11:01:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Mr. Welder playing the housewife role this weekend, I ended up having the time to add five more pictures to our wall. I'll tell on myself and say I was being a BIG-time grump on Saturday. I'm not proud but am blessed to have a husband that knows how to deal with me when I'm not at my best. I like being busy but sometimes I get overwhelmed. I know I mentioned not that long ago that cleaning is a waste of time, but a clean house does a lot for my emotional state. To me, a clean house makes me feel like my life is somewhat in control no matter how many other things are still on the list to do (you know, things like paint frames and hang pictures.) Now I will stop philosophizing on housecleaning and brag on my house-hubby. (I'm not sure referring to him as housewife twice in one post shows my appreciation...) He did a great job. He cleaned the bathrooms, the floors, put clean sheets on the bed, dusted, and made me feel happy. Oh, and he reached the dust ball, spider web things at the top of the shower wall that I couldn't reach...without me even pointing them out.

Four of the five photos added were wedding portraits. My favorite.

Mr. Welder also installed a blind my mom and dad bought us for the office.

Just more proof that I am spoiled by not only my hubby but also my parents.

You'd think I'd never be grumpy!

I hope you have a Happy Day!

A Word from Daisy - Warning: If talking dogs aren't your thing, you may want to skip this post...

2011-07-18T17:02:00.002-05:00

Since Mama Welder has been slacking with posts lately, I decided to break the silence. The other day I heard Daddy Welder tell Mama Welder that he wanted to do something fun that evening. So when I saw them heading for the car, I discreetly hopped into my little spot, hoping I wouldn't hear, "Daisy, you can't go this time." Even though I usually get some pretty good pets before they drive off. I've gotten pretty good at showing my sad eyes. But I got to go-Yippee!!! So we drove a little piece before pulling over to the side of the road. We crossed over, went through these tall weeds...I could smell water and Daddy had his fishing pole. I could tell fun was about to occur.

And he trotted right down to the water's edge.

But I wasn't so sure about all those big rocks (what have I gotten myself into this time...) but I looked back up to mom and smiled so she'd think I was having fun.

I wasn't really sure how I'd make it over the rough terrain...so I stalled and sniffed.

And I stalled some more really worried about what I'd do.

And then I went for it with my legs shaking uncontrollably...still smiling, still having fun.

Here, I'm getting further...but I'm not too sure what to do next. I stood there and smiled for the camera thanking God my feet weren't slipping.

I wanted to go hang out with daddy so gradually made my way down.

With frequent stops and posing. I know mama likes good photos, and I like to think if I cooperate, I'll get to come back next time.

I kept my eye on the prize.

I shook and maneuvered.

And finally made it to the water. Hallelujah!

I walked over to daddy like it wasn't a big deal...

He didn't notice, so I got a little closer.

Too close...he flung the moss from cleaning his hook on my back. Seesh.

And then he turned around and walked back up the hill!

So I followed.

I climbed back up the hill....and it was fun. (I know my mom reads this...)

We hopped back in the car and drove some more. When we stopped, we weren't home, but were at another part of the lake.

This area was rocky too but not near as bad. It was way easier to look like I was having fun.

Right away, daddy got a bite. It was a big one but it got away. I'm not really sure what that means exactly, but he says that a lot.

I did not fall in near as many holes as I did at the first place.

To celebrate, I decided to get a drink and my feet wet.

The sun was setting, dusk was settling in...

I still smiled even though my feet were killing me. I'm not sure how I did not break a nail!

When we got home, my brother Herman was already sitting on top of the car by the time mom opened the door to let me out. He tried to act like he rode up there the whole time. I knew better. I jumped out and trotted around still smiling, having fun, trying to make him jealous. He'll never know what he really missed...he never reads the blog ;)

Some people think my mom and dad need real kids. I beg to differ. I kind of like all the attention I get these days. Who cares if people call my parents, "those crazy dog people." They've got to be crazy about something, and it might as well be me.

An Item Off the List

2011-07-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

Notice anything?

This weekend we crossed an item off of our pushed-aside to-do list.

I can understand why we put off such a strenuous, time consuming task.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

Mr. Welder spotted these knobs and in my opinion, they are perfect and highlight the chicken wire like I wanted.

Now I just have to find our list and actually cross this off. I know it's on there...along with a few other things.

Doesn't it feel so good to cross something off the list?

Saturday I went to help Mr. Welder finish up a job.

Since I was such good help, it was easy to talk him into pulling over at a garage sale.

Here is my prize.

And it works.

Sunday the gals had fun crafting with the shells I mentioned last post.

They guys welded the last of the framework for the shop. Next, step is priming it. Mr. Welder hopes a rain will come and clean it off before it gets painted. We could be waiting a while.

I don't think Daisy noticed this visitor to her tub.

This guy is even more acrobatic than Herman when he gets a drink :)

Here's a little sample of the goodies we made.

As you probably guessed, they are now at Bee Angels.

Feel free to go by the shop or if it's too hot to get out, you can look at more pictures at Bee Angels Buzz.

Shopping is a good way to beat the heat though...

What I've Been Up to This Week

2011-07-07T20:00:00.002-05:00

Shells have been soaking.

Driftwood has been floating.

All has been drying in the sun.

My sideways box of driftwood.

(I tried several things trying to rotate this photo...ugh.)

Oh, and guess what was lurking near my work station, which is now off limits after dark.

Mr. Welder saw it when he was taking a few things off the clothes line.

Yuck!

What Else We Did on Vacation

2011-07-07T12:12:00.000-05:00

This post wraps up our vacation. Besides fishing, we BBQd.

Ate lots of tasty food... while Jason drank.

Relaxed on the screened-in porch

Laid around at the beach

Watched the waves roll in

Washed (some) of the sand from our suits.

Held hands

Had a beer on the beach

Took note of the newest visor fad
(Dad let mom borrow his hat so ended up with her visor. I hope he had sun screen on his forehead.)

Strolled along piers.

Enjoyed seeing mom and dad take it easy for a change

Watched some surfer dudes

Watched waves crash in.
(The waves were way bigger in Port A.)

Marveled at pelicans (at least I think that is what they are.)

Made bird friends

Felt the sand between our toes

Strolled the beach at Port Aransas

Enjoyed God's beautiful creations all around

Some more creepy than beautiful

Sipped (or in Jason's case-slurped) coffee at the beach

My mom reports that dad is ready to go back.

The memories and comments like that make me happy.

Here Fishy Fishy

2011-07-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

As my dad said~this was not a fishing trip. After we checked in and relaxed for a bit, we headed to the beach, poles in hand.

We had our own special part of the beach that was for Bungalow guests only.
Personally, I liked our beach the best.

It included a nice shady area to sit and to set all your stuff...and it had the best shells!

So while Jason

And dad fished,

The gals hunted for shells, sea glass, and drift wood.
I promise the gals brought home way more goodies than the guys did.

From the piers, you could see lots of jelly fish. Creepy.

Rockport is lined with piers. Most are private and locked. This one is owned by the city and it's free to walk on and costs $3 per pole to fish.

After grilling steaks, we headed back over to the pier.

Ready to go.

Walking out, finding the perfect spot.

Boy, do we look excited.

And then it was time to fish.

I caught a perch. The guys used these as cut bait, which means they cut the fish in pieces and put it on their hooks. I stuck with using shrimp.

There's a shot of my dad's tennis shoe for you again :)

I can't remember for sure, but maybe this is another perch?

I do remember this one. It's a Speckled Trout and I caught him...but he was too itty bitty so we had to throw him back.

Dad caught a Gaft (I think). It's kind of like a salt water Catfish.

And another one.

The next morning, the guys decided to try their luck at our private beach...I know, we're fancy.

Beautiful morning

I think this is a Redfish. But again too small to keep.

I was in charge of running back up the hill to get supplies. I knew they noticed when I ate an extra baked potato for dinner.

He loves when I take pictures of his big catches :)

Dad's weight got hung on a rock while he was reeling in a fish. Jason was the lucky one to venture out to the deep seas.

See it poking its head out of the water?

This was my favorite catch. It's called a Sheepshead but was just shy of being a keeper...

More bait fish.

And more

Dad noticed some hermit crabs a little ways out in the water sitting on a rock.

I was the lucky one to venture out, grab and throw them on the bank, and scoop them up with a big shell. Creepy. Oh, and I know you're jealous of my hair.

Creepy.

Dad cracked the shell and used it for bait.

A glimpse of what kept us busy...images of craft projects dancing in our heads :)

A big crab. He was dead though. I tapped him.

On the way out of town to go back home, we stopped by Airport Beach on Copano Bay.

The guys snuck in a little more fishing.

While we looked for more treasures and took a million pictures.

That's my friend, a lighter version of Herman. They'd make a cute couple.

Proof that we were near the airport.

It was a really nice area that we wished we would have visited sooner.

Dad caught crabs...I don't know how else to say that.

Jaws paid a visit.

Not really, it was a dolphin.

Speaking of dolphins. We saw/heard several the night we fished. It was sooo cool, even if they do scare the fish you are trying to catch.

Fish were jumping around all over the place. It took a really long time to actually get a picture of one though.

One of my favorite pictures. Reflections are cool.

So most of the fish we caught were too small to keep...but here's the keepers ;)

I should really tell those people standing by our fish to step back.

I'll let you decide if this was a fishing trip :)

I'm totally kidding. I enjoyed every minute and will wrap up our trip in one more post...I think.

Thanks Mom & Dad!

2011-07-05T17:00:00.001-05:00

Before I go any further about our trip to Rockport, I wanted to let you know the main reason we took this break. We took it to celebrate and thank these two selfless people we are blessed to have in our lives. We know that without their endless support, we'd still be nailing away at the Weld House. Heck, we probably would have given up at this point. We'll maybe not, since we're hard-headed, but we sure would not be as happy and where we are today...and would have made a lot more mistakes and eaten a lot more sandwiches and frozen dinners.

They are just your ordinary people but extraordinary parents.

We could never repay them for all the hard work, sweat, and motivation they gave us. From the early days of cleaning up the land to sweeping our floors or working on the shop when they come over now, they help us and help us some more and never want anything in return...and have a hard time accepting gifts. Yes, that is their flaw!

My mom is the lady who would buy us a cart of groceries to hold us over so we could work another night at the house (even though we practically ate at her house every night) and wouldn't let us pay a penny. But when I'd pick up a can of green beans she was short for Sunday dinner (which I would also be eating), she'd try to pay me back $5...for one can of green beans!

My dad spent a good portion of those house building years, hanging out late nights with us silly kids trying to make every day count. He is more patient than anyone I've met. Spending most of his life surrounded by three gals might have something to do with that... We'd keep him out way past his bedtime and made frequent shopping trips to his shed where prices couldn't be beat :)

My dad in tennis shoes...had to take a break from the seriousness and joke about that for a minute. He always wears work boots. It's nice to see him let loose every once in a while :)

But seriously, we hope you know how much we appreciate you both.

We had a great time taking a break with you.
You deserve much more but hope you enjoyed it too.

We love you!

Beep Beep

2011-07-04T14:57:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's me on a moped. Mr. Welder has a reputation among his group of friends for being mechanical so we have random motorized vehicles that need attention parked around the place on a regular basis. I declare this one being the most fun. We had a Honda Spree when growing up. Hopping on this moped and cruising around the yard brought back lots of memories with my sister and cousin and friends.

"When I got up to 10 [mph] it started shaking."

There's lots memories but Mr. Welder is waiting outside for me to go to our neighbors' fourth of July party...Heather, we have it for a day or two if you want to stop by and take it for a spin for out times sake :)

Happy Fourth!

And I'll finish posting vacation stuff soon.

Hello from the Bungalow

2011-07-03T10:47:00.001-05:00

Here we are driving in to Rockport!

This is where we stayed.

This is our bungalow.

Where we slept comfortably.

Where we cooked a few of our meals and brewed our morning coffee.

Where we ate those meals.

Where we relaxed and chilled.

The fun decor.

These 1940 bungalows were restored in the late 90's through 2004, though there are still projects underway. I can tell the owners are hard workers with projects constantly on their to-do list.

Our bungalow also had these bunk beds.

Right down the street is where mom and dad stayed. You can see the beach at the end of the street.

Mom going in the back door of their bungalow.

A look at the front.

Time to relax.

I had to be a crazy camera lady first though.

I loved all the details...the floors were beautiful.

Finally time for some R&R.

The grounds were lovely too.

I've divided the pictures into a couple categories for shorter posts. I'll work on more soon.

If you're planning a trip to a Texas beach and want to stay somewhere quiet, cozy, and clean, I'd consider Fulton Beach Bungalows. I'd love to go back one day, if you're looking for someone to take :)

Mrs. Spy

2011-07-02T21:32:00.004-05:00

I guess I promised vacation pictures the last time I checked in...well, I did finally go through the photos and made my plan but in the meantime got distracted :) I haven't been at my real job for over a week now but have been working some with Mr. Welder so have been busy and that is why I have left you hanging. Instead of vacation how about I take you along while I spy on Mr. Welder. I forgot how much fun spying was. I've spied in my younger years when I was the leader of the G-Hand club where apparently we played with more pocket knives than your grandpa has stashed in his junk drawer...and it was serious business proved by the treaty you had to sign. (My mom recently came across our club house box. We kept some pretty thorough books. I never knew a friendship bracelet business could be so successful...and too bad so sad that Boogers the school dog is no longer with us though we can feel happy that we helped prolong his life with the donation we gave towards his surgery. RIP Boogers.) And I remember spying on cheating boyfriends in my high school years. It's funny now, maybe not so fun back then, but heck things worked out for the best, right?! So here I am with the last of my glass of wine I had with dinner...spying on Mr. Welder.

You see, we're having people over tomorrow. It's our turn for the family dinner. If you ever stop by and Mr. Welder is frantically running around trying to make it look like we live a clean and organized life, look behind you, guests are on the way. Mowing the grass is not a real good example since he's always looking for an excuse to ride around on a tractor but we'll pretend he's putting up his toothbrush or something along those lines.

As you and Herman can see, the mower was having some issues...that I can now tell you about since Mr. Welder already came up here and explained. (I was having some issues getting the pictures in the right order, ugh...but kept this post on the down low when he visited the office-I think he suspects something though since I am not good at keeping secrets...not a good quality when you are trying to be a spy.) Apparently, a diesel engine should not be allowed to run out of fuel. If that happens you have to do a lot of extra stuff to get it back to normal, which is what my spying witnessed.

Yep, you see all that smoke. That's what will happen.

By the time I made it upstairs to post this nonsense...it was still smoking :)

But by the time I got the pictures on here (to disappear later- almost blowing my cover!), I heard the motor purring and Mr. Welder was puttin around getting the place in shape for our guests. Maybe they will notice his efforts. Or maybe not. He may not have noticed all the work I did in our flower bed this morning while he was working, but I'll still appreciate our mowed lawn :)

I think I'll give up spying for now.

Vacation pictures are coming soon. Probably tomorrow. Wine in my system doesn't mix with making sense, so I won't waste my time tonight. :)

Peace out.

We're Back!

2011-06-29T21:54:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to give you a quick hint of what I was excited about.

As usual I took tons of pictures and will share more soon. I took so many my memory card was full and had to switch with my mom...and then forgot to get my card back :)

I'll be back soon to post way more than you care to see.

We had a great time, but it's nice to be back to the Weld House.

Good night...in my bed.