Our snowman/girl and an awesome neighbor

We are blessed with an off-the-wall, random, hilarious neighbor. She usually has in her possession the one thing I need to complete a meal without going to the store. When Brenda found out we were moving in she called and asked if I 'neighbored'. I told her I really wasn't quite sure what she meant. She said 'neighboring' was allowing free reign to pantry and refrigerator items. I of course said yes! How wonderful is that? We don't replace either. I've learned that. She won't allow it. She has replaced one thing, one time, in all 11 years. A can of crushed, name brand, pineapple. I thought it was the name brand thing but she said it was because she had taken one of her daughters and as she was taking it out her daughter mentioned she was stealing. She had to make it right. Since then we just take.

She also shows up at any party with plenty of food to share. If we're having a 4th of July pool party she will come over and mow for us and then show up with drinks and tons of meat to share. They just don't get any better than Brenda. If her children come over to swim she will show up with a snack to share with the girls and me. She has also made my family food just because. She'll just walk in with a casserole.

When the girls went to build the snowman they ended up in Brenda's yard. Her four children, my three, and another neighbors three built two snowmen. Well, and threw hundreds of snowballs. Brenda, being the hilarious, off-the-wall person that she is, donated her hot pink leopard print bra for our snow, now girl, to wear.

It's just the type of person that she is.

A few days later we were mortified to find that all the snowmen/women in the neighborhood had been destroyed. The second one our group built was scattered around in several directions. It was hard to look at. The snowgirl was like this. I must admit, it was hard to see. Assuming that the age and gender was teenage boys (and I don't know that, I'm just guessing) I was amazed the bra was still there. And today, 24 days later?? The bra is still in the front yard. No snow, just the bra. The bandanna might also be there, but I just focus on the hot pink leopard bra when I drive by. Wouldn't you?

And who couldn't love Brenda??

I don't always want to hug her but I do always love her!

New Camera Love

My sweet husband hasn't always been the best at giving me gifts. He gets that from his dad. I have been given an apple/corer/slicer as a gift and also a vacuum. I have taken to picking it out and telling him where to get it. Don't get me wrong, he has the best intentions and I have gotten some wonderful surprises. And he does so many other wonderful things for me that it's okay.

This year Christmas morning I got the gift I wanted from the girls, a Chi straightener. But Shawn had them wrap it in a box 20 times larger than necessary. I was a bit worried. So when I opened the present from him I wasn't concerned that my new camera was in a long, flat box. I wondered how he'd made it almost flat, but wasn't really concerned. Guess what? It was a laptop. A brand spanking new one that completely surprised me. Completely. I was so grateful...but I'd really wanted a camera. I feel like I've gone as far as possible with the Sony Cybershot that I have. To take some classes in town that I'd wanted I had to have a dslr.

He followed me into the kitchen and I told him how completely grateful I was and how I was about to tell him something awful. Being the awesome guy that he is, he understood and said he'd get me the camera I wanted. He'd just thought that I'd outgrown my laptop and would like a new one. I convinced him to keep the laptop for himself knowing that I could put a bunch of my pictures on there if needed. I'm so smart:c)

I started looking online to compare. But not knowing much, I decided to just look to see what The Pioneer Woman owned. When looking for those on e-bay I almost fell off the couch. Hello high prices. When I just did a Dogpile search for cameras I wasn't smart enough to read the reviews. I need to find a website where they talk to me like I'm six. Thankfully Shawn stepped in and started helping me. He'd been given a Canon EOS Rebel 35 mm camera for college graduation. He took some incredible shots with it. He knew all the ins and outs. He could make that camera stand up and bark. We decided on the digital version and he braved the icy, snow covered roads to run out and get it for me. Have I mentioned how amazing he is?

That was the day after Christmas. I have taken approximately 1100 pictures since then and still have not a clue what I am doing. I have read the owners manual front to back. I have underlined, highlighted, and bent the corners down on half the pages. I still have no idea to make it do what I want it to. I'm really needing to find a class. Or another brain. I can do everything it says to do in the manual but when I start to take a picture I don't know which setting to use.

Ugh. Still, I'm having fun. 1100 pictures worth of it.

Here are some from the first day that I took it out. From a crazy neighbor wearing a robe, shorts, and boots, snowman building, to another neighbor asking to be bombed as he drove by, to a snowman with two actual eyes made out of coal...here you go.

And if anyone knows of some good photography websites that talk to you in elementary terms, please let me know.

Sniff...sniff...waahaabaawaahaaa

I have no idea how to spell the sound of crying. I have no idea how to explain how to make that last sentence make sense. Or the second one, for that matter.

Moving on.

Thankfully.

Some of our favorite neighbors are moving. They are right next door and since the day we moved in have been amazing. They have shared their garden vegetables, homemade grape jelly from their grapevine, the honey their bees make, their water, and Christmas goodies all 11 years. We also head there first on Halloween and they take a picture of the girls on their porch. Every year. Where will we go now?

For their gift this Christmas I did something special. In August I spent an hour taking macro pictures of almost every flower in their yard. I put them together and made this. They loved it! Little did we know it would be our last Christmas to exchange gifts. It was such a hit that I decided they needed a goodbye photo. Only problem was that they were always home! Something about packing. Blah, blah, blah.

But last night when we got home we noticed no cars. I ran (literally) to get my camera and got to work. My three look-outs kept yelling, "It's their car!" I would then run like crazy to get to the street to pretend I was taking pictures of the girls riding bikes. Of course, the first 6 times it wasn't their car. It looked nothing like their car. But I digress. The final time they yelled I of course trusted them again and headed to the street. Of course, not them. The car didn't even come down our street. It passed a block away!

As I was preparing my lecture another neighbor came outside and asked me to take a picture of him with the girls. As they were posing and smiling and moving bikes guess who drove up. Yep. Okay, so I'm glad I believed them again. And luckily I got a cute picture of Terry and my girls.He and his family live in my house that I grew up in. Now if he ever moves...I don't know what I'll do. Enter therapy most likely. Or throw myself on the ground in front of the moving truck and refuse to move. It could happen.

But back to the gift. After 65 pictures I came down to 13 that I loved and edited just right. I tried a different template but sadly was not smart enough to figure out how to use it. So I used the same one from Christmas. I wanted it to be different....but I do love how it turned out.Since the writing is so small...the top says;

If you keep the royal plan of Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself", you are doing right. James 2:8

And the bottom says;

Thank you for the wonderful memories and the sweet friendship.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go cry. And maybe let the air out of several tires.

What?

I was kidding.

Sort of.

Neighbors

We have been blessed with amazing neighbors! Some still live on our block that did when I was growing up across the street. That's what happens when you live on the same block for 23 1/2 years.

Luckily when we go out of town during the summer there are some neighbors that take care of our pool, and now our dog.

I've always wondered what happens when we're gone. I've heard they have parties. I've found a swimsuit that should have been worn home...and new pool toys from time to time. Since they usually entertain I have started hearing things from mutual friends.

Yesterday this found it's way to my inbox.That would be our white dog, Jackie 'O'. Our white dog who is litter box trained and never leaves the house...when we're in charge of her.

Looks like she had fun!