Hello faithful blog readers! I’ve been in my bed for more hours than I care to admit. Being sick is quite depressing and I am so thankful to finally be crawling out of my infirmary. The children and Justin have thankfully avoided any of my germs and have remained HEALTHY! Yesterday marked my first day {in what seemed like weeks} to get out of the house. The kids and I journeyed out for a few errands and last night we walked for a while around the neighborhood and even made a little outing for ice cream, it’s amazing what getting out of the house will do for a weary soul. My cough is almost gone, my meds are ALMOST finished {praise the Lord for this too because I tend to think they are making my tummy feel bad} and I’m finally starting to resume some normalcy! Praise the Lord. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes!
Here is sweet Rover in his bed… he sleeps on my baby sheet and with my baby blanket, this makes my heart so happy. He also sucks a pacifier and rubs his hair when he’s tired. He turned 2 this week and he’s such a special little boy who I am so thankful for.
Isn’t he big in his “big boy” clothes? His Mom & DaddyBoy got him a new Craftsman chainsaw for his birthday and he hasn’t put it down. He has also discovered pockets in shorts and walks around with his hands in them.
Despite being “all boy” he has decided that safety comes first, especially for his nose & mouth. He loved his birthday cards and new Matchbox cars too!
The weather has been quite dreary this week with no sun in site, which I’m sure doesn’t aid in recovering. I’ve managed to make my way out to my flower beds to cut Zinnias and Justin has graciously brought them home from the farm where they came up spontaneously from last year! I spend a LOT of time at the kitchen sink and these flowers and vases seem to make every minute I’m there more enjoyable. My friend Laurin gave me beautiful glass vases {the three in the middle} from a shop in Memphis called Garden District, oh how I’d love to go in there! I love the little vases so much… they’re kinda hard to see but they’re square, with a little hole on top to add the stems and appear to be hand blown! Very unique and beautiful! Thank you, Laurin!
I hope that you all have wonderful 4th of July weekends!! Mine will hopefully involve lots of tomatoes & blackberries which was on the agenda prior to falling prey to Pertussis! My side of the family will all be together and I will miss them dearly. Happy Birthday to my Cousin, I love you and I’d give anything to be with you this weekend! Happy Wedding Celebration to my other cousin! Wishing we could celebrate with you all… if Illinois was only next door!
Kristen
July 2, 2010 at 9:22 amDarby I am so happy you are feeling better! I have been praying for y’all! And Happy Birthday to sweet John Martin!!
Lauren
July 2, 2010 at 9:24 amSo glad you are feeling better. Looks like the little Rover had a good birthday. Love his Craftsman saw and his protective gear….too cute! I love that picture of him in his bed~well, they are all cute as they can be! I have been in the blackberries too and I made tons of blackberry jelly this week! Those are neat vases too, by the way. Hope ya’ll have a Happy Fourth!
Kari
July 2, 2010 at 9:26 amGlad to hear you’re feeling better 🙂 I swear that you have the cutest kids! I love that Rover’s found his pockets! He looks like a 30 year old stuck in a 2 year olds body! SO CUTE!
Elisa
July 2, 2010 at 9:27 amI love your blog, especially seeing photographs of your beautiful children! Gorgeous window sill, love the Zinnias. Happy 4th to you and your family!
Rhonda
July 2, 2010 at 9:40 amOh I am so glad to know you are feeling better!! I had just said a prayer for you this morning!!
Katie
July 2, 2010 at 9:48 amI just wanted to say my little girl sleeps with my baby blanket too. Although mine was in much worse shape. I had my grandma (who made the blanket for me) take 1/3 of it and sew it with a new backing so that it could be hers. I have the other part saved for future children!
Happy Independence Day!
Nelle
July 2, 2010 at 9:51 amSo happy you are feeling better sweet Darby! I love Garden District in Memphis. My whole family is from Memphi, as we call it, and this shop is truly awesome. I send my grandmother flowers from GD often and they did my cousin’s wedding flowers too. The shop has so many creative and cool items. You would LOVE it! Happy Birthday to little Rover. He is precious! Can’t wait to see your Rome photos and hear about the 4th of July. God bless you and God Bless America!!! xoxo
natalie @ our old southern house
July 2, 2010 at 9:54 amhappy birthday, jm!
so glad you’re feeling better, darby! 🙂
we have blackberries coming out of our ears too. freezing them, making jam with them (3 cases yesterday), and a cobbler with them tonight…and we’ll probably still have a gallon or more to sell at the farmers market tomorrow. crazy!
happy fourth!
Laura
July 2, 2010 at 9:55 amGlad you’re feeling better! JM looks like a big boy, it’s like he lost his baby boy look overnight. And in several of the recent pictures you’ve posted he really resembles your dad. Love his t-shirt – WAR EAGLE! Happy 4th!!
Tessa
July 2, 2010 at 9:59 amGlad you are on the mend, Darby! 🙂 Miss your blog posts! Happy 2nd birthday to little Rover!
Stephanie
July 2, 2010 at 10:15 amthose are amazing little vases and that is the most adorable little boy! so glad to hear you’re making it to the other side of the dreaded pertussis. crossing my fingers you have a fabulously healthy 4th! =)
Tara
July 2, 2010 at 10:29 amso glad you feel better…Happy 4th!
runningtwig
July 2, 2010 at 10:30 amI’m from Memphis and I love the Garden District! They have such beautiful things! Glad you are feeling better!
Dianne
July 2, 2010 at 10:46 amDarby I have been worried about you. I am so glad you are feeling better. Enjoy the fourth with your little ones and try and rest a while longer. Rover is all boy and just adorable!
Carrie
July 2, 2010 at 10:50 amI’m glad that you are feeling better! Hope you enjoy the tomatoes and blackberries this weekend, and I can’t wait to see pictures from Italy 🙂
Whitney Lee
July 2, 2010 at 10:51 amHappy 4th to your beautiful family! I love your little boy’s Auburn t!
Heather
July 2, 2010 at 10:57 amHi Darby! I read your blog every day and love seeing all the wonderful times you share with your family. I had to make my first comment today about Rover’s blanket and sheet! I have the same pattern in a blanket that I share with my son!! I loved that blanket growing up and was thrilled to use it with my little one. Have a wonderful 4th! {…and glad you are feeling better!} Heather
GRACE HAPPENS
July 2, 2010 at 10:58 amHAPPY BIRTHDAY ROVER! HAPPY BEING HEALTHY DARBY! HAPPY JULY 4TH WEEKEND!
bethany
July 2, 2010 at 11:30 amgorgeous little two year old! still can’t believe mine just turned three. yikes.
Clover@farrbetterlife
July 2, 2010 at 12:08 pmI am so glad you are back. I just found your blog a few weeks ago and despite all the cool other blogs yours is one of my top favorites. I cant wait for all your summer time fun with your family.
Melissa (melissab74)
July 2, 2010 at 12:20 pmSo glad you’re on the mend! I LOVE that JM sleeps on your baby sheet! I have a blankie that a lady made for me when I was born, and it’s tattered and torn, but we still use it. Our big celebration will be tomorrow. We don’t celebrate on the 4th, we celebrate the first Saturday in July. Thirty-seven years ago, my daddy’s family started gathering on the first Saturday in July, because that was closest to my grandparents’ anniversary on July 1. It’s a tradition that I hope continues, even after all the “brothers and sisters” are gone.
Cheri
July 2, 2010 at 12:58 pmI saw where you recently took a trip to Callaway Gardens can you give any positive feedback? Website seems to have alot af neg. feedback and it looks beautiful.
Thanks!
Amanda @ Serenity Now
July 2, 2010 at 1:17 pmYour window sill looks so pretty! I’m glad you’re feeling better, and the Rover looks so cute with his chain saw. 🙂
Kathy
July 2, 2010 at 1:42 pmWe don’t really know each other, but I feel like we do! I have thought of you so often these last days. It is good to know you are feeling better. I have three boys and the photo of the matchbox cars is too cute! They do love those little cars so much. Our dog always loved to snatch one up and run off ( just to be chased!). It made the boys so mad. Glad you are back!
Emily
July 2, 2010 at 1:45 pmSo I stumbled across your blog about a year ago, and I absolutely love it! And I just figured out a connection that we have — I live in Memphis (I have the same vases from the Garden District!) and Laurin’s little sis, Jenny, is one of my very best friends!! I am in Laurin’s sunday school class 🙂 Small world! Glad you’re on the mend – I’m so encouraged and inspired daily by your blog. Thank you!
erika (mommasis)
July 2, 2010 at 2:29 pmI love you sister! Rover is such a BIG BOY! I hate that I haven’t seen him lately… I could snorgle his face off! If you didn’t have the durn whooping cough SCP and I would head your way this weekend!! I LOVE YOU!! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
beth
July 2, 2010 at 2:45 pmSo glad you are feeling better. As a mom, it is hard to be sick in bed all day for days on end… Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend! Enjoy your time with your family (btw, your kids are adorable).♡
Cat Moore
July 2, 2010 at 3:51 pmSo much to comment on….1. glad you’re feeling better. so glad. 2. my 2 year old still sucks his paci and rubs the corners of his blanky when he’s tired. bless them. 🙂 3. please tell us more about this thing hanging in your hallway that looks like it holds books or something……I’m very interested b/c I’ve been begging my husband to build something like that for my son’s room to put his books in. 4. please also share where you get a rug that has streets on it! My son would go crazy getting to “drive” his trucks on it! 5. don’t you just love when we ask a whole bunch of questions about where you got stuff….sorry! 6. can you tell I’m OCD since I numbered everything? 🙂
Focipresley (Bon)
July 2, 2010 at 5:45 pmD – so glad you are feeling better! The vases and flowers are beautiful. How do you keep those square vases with the hole on top clean? I have something similar and I can’t seem to find a way to keep them sparkling… maybe its our water. Anyhow, Happy 4th of July to you and your sweet family. Cheers!
JS
July 2, 2010 at 8:34 pmYes – please tell us where you got the street/map rug for the cars!!! so cute. feel better!
Eileen
July 2, 2010 at 8:53 pmDarby, so glad you are feeling better. I recently started reading your blog after seeing the link from BBTN, and think it’s great! Just wanted to say that I love your peaceful windowsill with the gorgeous vases and beautiful zinnias (my 4 year old’s favorite flower). I spend so much time in front of the sink, and that view would definitely make it all worthwhile. Happy Fourth of July!
Hannah J
July 2, 2010 at 10:56 pmSo glad that you’re back!!! Glad to hear you are on the mend! Happy Birthday to your little one-my oldest turned 3 yesterday!
kathleen
July 3, 2010 at 12:22 amHey Darby is that city rug??? just did a google. years ago Discovery Toys had a city/street puzzle large pieces for a child to create /re-create a street scape as the interlocking pieces always interlocked. Yes Discovery Toys was a hit a few years a go. brb I shall google that OH my gosh it is bigger and better i no longer host parties but I have learned all the songs from sounds life fun cassette oops am I dating my self??
Kelly@TearingUpHouses
July 3, 2010 at 9:10 amI absolutely adore your kitchen window set up! The flowers! The curtains!
And glad to hear you’re feeling better.
Kelly
May
July 3, 2010 at 9:27 amReally glad you’re doing better. Happy belated birthday to your little Rover – he is such a cutie. As always, your photos are beautiful – thanks to your inspiration, my husband and I purchased our first Canon DSLR this week after saving for several months. Thanks for sharing your life with us! Have a terrific weekend.
Katie
July 3, 2010 at 7:28 pmOH, little Big Man…with his camo shorts and a chain saw….thank heavens he’s still in a crib with some sweet momma sheets. ;o) So glad you are feeling better!!
Joy
July 3, 2010 at 10:04 pmSo glad you are feeling better. Those zinnias are just gorgeous.
Melanie Gore
July 3, 2010 at 10:05 pmSo glad that you are feeling better. I tell you that Rover is all boy! Mine is now 16 yrs. old but I remember those days. That is so sweet, him caring that chain saw around:)
The flowers are gorgeous too. Happy 4th.
Monique
July 4, 2010 at 12:04 amThis is crazy-my little brother had the same sheets when he was a baby. I have the receiving blanket still and just made him some burpe cloths for his new baby boy! Happy 4th of July
Pru
July 4, 2010 at 2:46 amThose flowers look so good Darby, that I am probably going to copy that idea today. But most importantly I am so pleased that you are feeling a lot better. It sounds like it has been a tough ride.
Lee-Anne Fenwick
July 4, 2010 at 11:34 amHey Darby – so glad you are feeling better!! Happy 4th!! Thought of you when I made your 5 min chocolate mousse this wknd!!! It was YUMMY!! :):)
So, in your first pic of this post, LOVE those cafe curtains – any chance you remember the name of the material/pattern?? Or if you’d rather just mail those babies to me -either way. They would work great in my kitchen which has remained curtainless for 2 years now. Ahem- I am now ready to finish it!! (before we add another 2 year old, I have a feeling not much will get done for quite a while after we travel, in about 4-5 weeks)
Hope you guys are lovin this wknd!!!
Much love
Melissa Wagner
July 4, 2010 at 7:11 pmSo glad you are starting to feel better!!!! You’ve been in my thoughts for a quick recovery. I wish you could have been at the wedding too… and visiting with everyone for the 4th! But hopefully, we’ll get to see you soon. JM looks soooo grown up. I can’t believe he is already 2. Have fun with the Terrible Two’s!
Kim
July 5, 2010 at 12:56 pmHi. I read your blog often and am constantly encouraged because I have twin boys who just turned two this week. I love seeing what other boys this age do! So much fun, aren’t they?
Jenny
July 5, 2010 at 3:29 pmwhat kind of wood floors do you have??? they are beautiful.
Sam
July 5, 2010 at 4:35 pmI really love reading your blog and I def. receive more than I give. Knowing and now stating that, I have a question! I am hanging some cafe curtains in my breakfast nook and I love the rods/ rings you have in your gerber daisy/ window photo. Where did you find them? So good to read you are recovering! Happy 4th!!
Melise
July 5, 2010 at 7:09 pmOh my daughter does that same thing with my Strawberry Shortcake sheets. It’s so cute! He’s so scrumptious!! 🙂
Audrey
July 5, 2010 at 7:14 pmThere is nothing sweeter than a little boy in an Auburn shirt! War Eagle!
Jennifer
July 5, 2010 at 8:06 pmLooking at the crib sheet (that used to be yours); my brother had the same set of bedding. Funny because I am only 4 years older than you, he is 26, … It took me back for a moment! Anyway, so slad you are feeling better. Happy Birthday to the John Martin!!!
todaysletters
July 6, 2010 at 12:52 amrover’s biscuit is top notch and every family needs a safety sam. grateful you are on the mend! much love, e
elizabeth
July 6, 2010 at 7:59 amHOpe you are feeling much better and getting some rest. I miss your posts!
kristen
July 6, 2010 at 9:26 amso glad you are better! mom’s don’t need to be sick. and happy birthday to your little one!
chi
July 6, 2010 at 10:28 amcould your house be any cleaner ?? glad you are feeling better! happy birthday sweet boy- love the vases!!
Michelle
July 7, 2010 at 11:14 amI’m glad you’re feeling better Darby! And a big happy birthday to JM — what a beautiful boy (and a beautiful family!!)
Jennifer
July 7, 2010 at 11:32 amPoppin’ on here a little late; I hope your tummy is fully recovered as well! My mom can’t take antibiotics because they do such a number on her stomach. The very interesting thing is that when I mentioned to her that you had whopping cough, turns out she did as well, way back when Erick and I were dating (in the meantime I must have been in such romantic bliss that to this day I can’t remember her ever being so sick!) Anyway, because she couldn’t tolerate the antibiotics, she ended up being miserable for 6 weeks or so. Yeck.
I hope you were fully recovered for the 4th! Have a great day, Darby!
Tona Haggermaker
July 7, 2010 at 2:53 pmWar Eagle!!!! Noticed the precious ones t-shirt 🙂