What I'm doing this week

The pattern blocks found at a yard sale are for children but I've been enjoying them too.  It is relaxing fitting the shapes together, kind of like quilt making.

Our $5 bucket contained 2 kinds of pattern blocks, the shapes and colors are the same but the ones in the bucket are wood and the ones on the table are plastic.

Thanks to Tammy and Pam, I found some free printable sheets for the grand children.  Thank you both!

Reading - the devotions book was from a church rummage sale and I won the "all you need is less" book from a blog giveaway.

To do list and bills to pay- I've been busy all morning but with other random things and have not crossed a single thing off of today's list, yet, but I plan to! 

I am sad and disturbed about what is going on in the Middle East and the Central American children immigrating alone 

I have no answers and no blame - I don't want to talk politics either, that gets too ugly

But I am so thankful to live in the USA.  So, I decked out the dining room with some our patriotic things...

I found the window bunting at a thrift store for $1.50.  My mom made the little quilt by the door and the doilies. I made or probably thrifted the rest.

A very simple arrangement- just little flags in a jar.

Also on to do list is a trip to the post office to mail a letter and 2 small packages off. 

Supper will be stuffed Bell Peppers and a green salad.

What is going on in your home? 

3 parties 3 days in a row

Party #1

Grand daughter Elizabeth turned 4 and her parents hosted a magical Frozen party for her, complete with the "real" Elsa and Anna. All the children believed they were the real royalty anyway.

The princesses are actually actresses from a company in Oklahoma City and made the party special in many ways.

The food table - the water bottles are labeled "melted snowman" 

The blue drink is Hawaiin Punch and was a favorite of the children party goers. 

Treats were kisses, special chocolate bars and some blue glittered goo that is not messy at all. 

The princesses visited with everyone, lead the games, signed autographs on the children's colored pictures and sang songs.

They also posed for lots of photos and were smiling the whole time.  

Party #2

This was a birthday party for daughter Nina, hosted by her brothers. The meal was 3 trays of entrees from Olive Garden and a fruit tray and salad. All I did was make a loaf of bread in the ABM machine.

One of their coworkers named Jessica baked this pretty cake. It was lemon layers with blackberry filling and delicious! 

Sweet little girls in party dresses

One of her gifts was this vintage book - it had a gift card inside.

This beach wreath was bought from LLBean- it is really pretty. 

After the gifts were unwrapped, the little ones had the most fun with a sheet of bubble wrap.

Party #3

My Uncle Rex turns 93 this month and there was a big party at his retirement home for him and the other 5 June birthday residents.  About 40 of his relatives attended and my mother said it was more fun than any of the recent family reunions. One of my cousins sang, she picked some sweet songs from the 30s and 40s and some patriotic songs. Another cousin accompanied her on the piano. 

sadly, I did not take a camera so I don't have photos of this event.

My Uncle Rex is quite a man. He was a Sailor during WWII. His ship was sunk and he spent 3 days in the middle of the Pacific Ocean before the rescue ship arrived. His wife and daughter both died young and he raised his only grandson alone.

Now he is a champion pie maker and bakes a pie almost everyday and shares them with his neighbors. 

There are even more June birthdays for family yet to be  - but I don't think any of them will have parties quite like these.