#LoveLifeProject: Fun in Pictures

Today I decided to write another installment for the #lovelifeproject! I have been a little forgetful about posting my pictures to Instagram with the hashtag, but I do remember to take them everyday and keep track of them all on my phone :) It is still one of my favorite things to do over the course of each day! Something small, cute, or funny happens, and I whip out my camera, snap a quick pic, and at the end of the week, I have a week full of love and happiness to look at to remind me of all the warm fuzzies that I felt that week. 

I love looking back at how the small moments really do make me so happy throughout the week. Such small things can bring such a big smile to my face! Like a cute German t-shirt from my hubby. Or sitting on the couch with my puppies. Or seeing a beautiful bouquet of my favorite flowers, tulips! I truly believe that taking part in the Love Life Project has helped me to be more aware of the small things in my everyday life that can make me happy. It reminds me to find the joy that comes from the little things in life :) 

To read more about the Love Life Project, you can  click here to read my previous post about it. 

Here are my #lovelifeproject pictures from the last two weeks.

March 19th

My 5th grade students made worm ecosystems. They actually have worms! They are so excited to write out a diary of what they are eating and what activities they are doing every time they observe them in science class!

March 20th

My poor hubby got his wedding ring stuck in the part of the couch that neither of us could reach! He had the drill out and everything! He worked for almost two hours to get that baby outta there! He loves me so much! #thecouchsurvived

March 21st

Don't you just love flower displays like this one? I especially love tulips, and these welcomed me into Whole Foods two weekends ago! Such beautiful colors, no?

Whole Foods also had this delicious loaded baked-potato pizza! It was a slice of heaven! I promise to get this recipe up on the blog this week! And I'll remember to tag you, Maja!

March 22nd

I am seriously loving my new Fasching t-shirt that Bjorn bought me! I am a sucker for anything with German writing on it! Peace, Love, and Pretzels!

Bjorn, Whitney, and Mark and their band The Stories killed it at 80's Pop Rocks! They played "Paradise City" by Gun N' Roses. A.ma.zing!!!

Here's the video:

And a link to their website: wearethestories.com

March 23rd

When I saw this picture, I was in love. I love cardinals. My dad loved cardinals. To read about my dad and his story with cancer, you can click on the "Why Blog" tab at the top of this page. I have heard that cardinals represent loved ones who have passed. When you see one, it means they're visiting you. I always see cardinals when I need to see one, you know? If I'm having a bad day or missing my dad. I know it's him telling me he's here.

March 24th

This just made me crack up laughing!!

March 25th

This makes me think of....

Yes, my baby. Whenever you want to hear it, I will tell you the story.

And I spent a lot of my spring break watching this lovely from my childhood! This show makes me laugh so hard!

March 26th

The puppies had their teeth cleaned over my spring break, so they were incredibly sleepy on Wednesday and Thursday sleeping off the anesthesia. 

While I sat with the puppies, I took a quiz and found out "I'm the King of New York"! Can't you picture me belting that one out?

March 27th

Then I found out Alex Wong was a Newsie! Totally awesome! I tagged him in an Instagram post and asked him if he wanted to go salsa dancing. He did not respond. :-/

March 28th

Does this need an explanation?

March 29th

Can you write this on a business card?

March 30th

 Today Rachael and I ate lunch at Panera. I noticed that the blow-up balloon thingy at Mattress Firm seemed a little tired. I think it was time for his lunch break too.

What has been making you Love Life this past week?

Love and happiness <3 Holly

Five Minute Friday: My Grandpa's Garden

I'm linking up again with Lisa-Jo Baker for 5-Minute Friday. The topic this week is garden. I have to say, I am sure I wrote a little longer than 5 minutes today. But I couldn't stop! I wanted to finish my story! Good memories :)

Go:

Picture by of Mandy Paige Photography

My grandpa had a garden. Situated at the bottom of his back yard, it shared a fence with a golf course. Golfers meandered by discussing their plans for the next hole, never noticing my grandpa’s little piece of heaven. Every year he planted tomatoes, asparagus, peppers, zucchini, green beans, okra, and cucumbers. Tomatoes were his favorite to grow. Every year he grew so many tomatoes, he had to give them away to our family, my uncles and aunts, his friends, and his neighbors so they wouldn't go to waste. My grandpa didn't even eat tomatoes that often. He always said they were not his favorite. He was more of a meat and potatoes kind of man. He grew them because gardening was his passion. 

My grandpa owned a bakery before I was born. When I was young and first heard this, I couldn’t believe it. My grandpa, a baker? My mom told me stories of how he used to let her invite her friends over to make salt water taffy in the kitchen. She remembers pulling and pulling the long, sticky mess until he said it was ready to eat. He knew what he was doing. He baked pies, cookies, rolls, and cakes. Growing up, I don’t have memories of my grandpa baking things, but I sure do have memories of his garden.

I remember my grandma canning Grandpa's fresh and delicious green beans for winter. She used to cook them with a ham hock. They were that perfect mixture of saltiness and smoky goodness--one of my favorites of all time. My grandma used his fresh tomatoes to make her homemade salsa. It was a tad sweet, not like the normal salsa I eat today. It had a hint of nutmeg mixed in. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside when I ate it. Every time a chip went in my mouth, I did a little happy dance. My mouth waters for that salsa.

My grandpa’s tomatoes were the best. He always grew them big and juicy. They were dark, red and perfect just by themselves. My dad always ate them with a little bit of salt shaken on top. He could eat them straight up like an apple. But mostly my dad and I would slice three or four tomatoes up on a plate, shake a little salt on top, and eat them like they were candy. We ate so many tomatoes during the summer that our lips would tingle when the acidity from the tomatoes got to be too much, eating one after another after another. Our mouths would water when grandpa called to tell us he had more tomatoes waiting for us.

Even when my grandpa had a stroke and heart trouble, you could find him down in the garden staking tomatoes with his oxygen tank lying on the ground next to him. He was no longer a baker, but by gosh, nothing was going to stop him from gardening. Even after his daughter (my mother, who is a nure) gave him what-for about driving stakes into the ground while wearing an oxygen tank and having a heart condition, he didn't care. He still tended to his garden and supplied us with tomatoes until he wasn't physically able to anymore.

I miss his garden so much. Writing this hurts my heart a little. Even though my grandpa’s garden is no longer here, I still have these memories of his love and passion for this art that he perfected. It means so much that he shared love with me. I know he’s growing tomatoes up in heqaven for my dad and my grandma. I hope they save some for me. 

Stop.

Love and happiness <3 Holly