Sweet Tea Please

More Easter Goodies

2011-05-24T14:54:00.004-05:00

Easter was a fun season for us! Not only did we make our traditional Resurrection Rolls and put extra emphasis on thinking about Christ's Resurrection, we did several crafts and decorations. The one that I enjoyed the most was these origami lilies.

Origami is an art that I have always thought too hard and tedious for me to do. But when I saw this tutorial with step by step photos, I decided to give it a try. After a trip to the craft store to get some pretty papers, I got busy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could do it!

To add even more fun, I followed this tutorial to make some cute, coordinating birds!

I liked making these so much, that I made another set for my entry-way table.

Easter Goodies Part Two

2011-05-23T14:30:00.001-05:00

On my quest to decorate for Easter Sunday lunch on a shoestring budget, I came across this tutorial showing how to make a flower arrangement out of egg cartons and buttons. I was amazed at how beautiful the flowers were in her photo and was anxious to make some of our own.

(Christine's flowers)

Christine's tutorial calls for paper egg cartons, but at the time, all I could get my hands on were the foam kind. The foam flowers turned out cute, but not quite as pretty as the paper ones. I hope to do this project again someday with paper cartons (I'm already saving them).

Again, this was a fun project to do with my kiddos. We used the bouquet we made to decorate the food buffet.

Easter Goodies

2011-05-22T14:12:00.004-05:00

Easter is long passed, but I want to be sure and post the goodies we made. I hosted a gathering of friends on Easter Sunday for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. While I wanted things to be pretty, I didn't want to be stressed or spend much money. So, I started looking around the house for things I already owned that could be used for decorations. I also perused the bookmarks on my computer where I had saved fun craft ideas.

For table decorations, the kiddos and I made coffee filter flowers using this tutorial. We had a lot of fun painting and cutting to create a variety of flowers. I took the flowers and used floral tape to attach the flowers to silk stems. We were excited about the result:

I found some railroad nails and tied three of them together with white ribbon to signify the nails used to nail Jesus to the cross. As an added decoration, we placed one of the coffee filter flowers in the nails.

Did you notice the table runner? I will post more about that later.

Valentines Goodies

2011-02-14T16:33:00.007-06:00

For me, preparing for Valentine's Day is just as fun as the day itself. This year, I had a great time perusing blogs and finding fun ideas and great recipes for our celebration. Here are some of the fun things we did to celebrate:

Love Juice a.k.a. water bottles with powdered drink packets decorated for the day.

Our favorite cinnamon rolls in shaped into hearts.

My first attempt at a heart inside cake....I'll do better with more practice, but had fun doing it and liked the result.

Happy Valentines Day!

With The Lord.....

2011-01-09T22:34:00.003-06:00

My Grandmother

(pictured on left holding me at 3 days old)

1923-2011

*As a side note, my Grandma also pictured (on right) lived 1908-2000*

I love this photo and that both Grandparents are wearing pink!

"....Rest Beside the Weary Road..."

2010-12-30T16:24:00.004-06:00

My Grandmother has had pneumonia for several weeks now. She was admitted to the hospital two days after I returned home from visiting her in
Arkansas. This is an unexpected turn of events as we have been giving so much attention to Granddaddy's health in recent months.

Word reached me today that Grandmother is declining and that doctors are just trying to make her comfortable.

The third verse of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" has been on my mind all through this holiday season as I have thought about and prayed for my grandparents. I share it here as I think of them.

"And ye, beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing!"

My First Real Project With The Cricut!

2010-12-29T09:57:00.007-06:00

A few weeks ago, I got on a crafty kick. Remember? I made this book-page canvas wall hanging.

It was fall-themed, so I eventually had to take it down leaving a blank space on my wall.

Earlier this week, I saw a DIY post at Blue Cricket Design showing how to make a beautiful book-page canvas with a silhouette of birds. I decided to make one for the blank space on my wall!

Since I recently gained access to a Cricut machine and have downloaded the Sure Cuts A Lot program, I wanted to use it to make the silhouette instead of drawing it as done in the tutorial. I did a search for free SVG files of bird and branches and found this one. I imported the branch to Sure Cuts a Lot and manipulated it and cut it out several times, combining them to make a branch to my liking. I also cut out the bird in two different sizes to give variety.

I stayed up late into the night to finish it, because I was so excited to see the final product! I love the world that the cricut has opened, and can't wait for future projects. This one fills the blank space on my wall nicely!

Grandmother's Kitchen

2010-11-21T21:24:00.003-06:00

The kiddos and I made a somewhat spontaneous trip this week to visit my grandparents. My grandfather who will turn 90 in December is in failing health, so I decided to join my sister and her family in visiting. The trip was a 10 hour drive for me and it was the first time I have ever driven that far on my own.

I am staying in my grandparents home while here. Every afternoon we go to visit Granddaddy in the hospital, and we have had some sweet times with him! It is amazing how many memories have surfaced while I have been here. The neat thing is that these sweet memories aren't of grand adventures or lavish parties. These memories are comprised of simple things like Granddaddy's chair, hikes around the farm and Grandmother's kitchen. The picture above captures how I will forever remember Grandmother: diligently working in her kitchen, showing love by serving her family.

The Simple Things

2010-11-14T13:34:00.005-06:00

Linked to The Simple Things photo challenge at Rebecca Cooper's blog.

Our Son's Tribute to Veterans!

2010-11-11T14:15:00.009-06:00

This morning, in honor of Veteran's Day, I showed this video to my son. It obviously got him thinking about soldiers, because after practicing piano, he did this:

This is so typical of him. He is always acting out what is on his mind.

I love how the soldiers of many wars and time periods are represented. He even asked my while setting it up, "Are our soldiers still fighting in Afghanistan?"

On this Veteran's Day, let us honor those who have served and are presently serving. Let us also live in a manner worth protecting!

These Are Crafty Days!

2010-10-26T11:01:00.006-05:00

My mother asked me to update my blog, so being the obedient daughter that I am....

Lately, I have been in a very crafty mood. I have had a lot of fun making decorative items for my home. Besides being able to say that I made them myself, the most fun part is being able to create these fun things for so little money. I have shopped a few thrift stores and yard sales to buy the necessary items, and have very little money invested in my hobby. :)

Project One:

These hurricane vases were once ordinary vases and candlesticks. I purchased the vases and candlesticks at local thrift stores and the Dollar Tree. Using M6000 glue from Michael's, I glued them together. The hardest thing about this project was waiting the 24 hours for the glue to dry! For now I am using them as part of my fall decorations, and I look forward to using them at Christmas and beyond. Here's a tutorial for those of you wanting to make your own.

Project Two:

To decorate this corner of my dining room in the spirit of fall, I bought an artists canvas and a paperback book at our hometown rescue mission store. After adding some Mod Podge and scrapbook paper, this is what I had. This book page canvas idea has so much potential for variation and I can see myself making more in the future!For tutorial and variations, visit this blog: jonesdesigncompany.com

Here's another one I made on a smaller scale to give to a friend:

Project Three:

After making the book page canvases, I still had a lot of pages from my thrift store book left. So, I made this wreathe:

I put it on my fireplace screen, but it would look great on any door as well.
(do you see the homemade hurricane vases on display?)

closer view:

For tutorial and variations on this craft, visit this link at jonesdesigncompany.

Project Four:

And here is one more craft just for good measure. I spray painted an old frame (again from a thrift store), added some sticks from the back yard and some ribbon and flowers I already owned to make this frame wreathe. I am glad there are creative people in the world who share their ideas with the rest of us! You can find this tutorial and variations at Be Different...Act Normal.

Happy crafting, y'all!

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

2010-04-02T07:05:00.004-05:00

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

More Entertainment!

2010-02-07T23:54:00.002-06:00

Recently, I told you about how our son is always entertaining us.

Tonight was no exception. Here he is in his daddy's snow ski cap...

....pretending to play the guitar.

What a ham!

Staring and Drinking

2010-01-25T17:25:00.004-06:00

My oldest sweetie has been sick today. She's already on the mend, but we had to modify our day because of it. We canceled piano lessons, exchanged the spelling and history lessons for the movie Heidi, and just let her sleep on the couch as much as she needed.

As I was loving on her throughout the day, I couldn't help but marvel at her freckles!

There's just something about your own child that makes you want to stare at her and drink in all the details about her.

Indulge me a little public staring and drinking here!

I just love the red tint to those eyebrows and lashes.

Those dots across her nose and cheeks are the cutest,

and her blue eyes blow me away!

I am so grateful God put her in my life. She is a sweet blessing, freckles and all!

Such A Boy!

2010-01-23T16:00:00.002-06:00

This boy of ours almost always makes us grin.

His imagination and creativity just make our life very UNboring!

Here is a typical moment at our house.

After shooting the chicken a couple of times with the Nerf gun, he decides to add a few more bullets to the poor chicken.

There's no way he could perform this task without the proper attire.

This shirt full of bugs,

and these Star Wars socks

are perfect for the occasion.

And just because he thought it would be a good idea, he put on the toboggan too!

The kicker is that this is what he dressed himself in to wear to bed!

It's an endless grin around here when it comes to this kid!

Some Days Don't Go As Planned

2010-01-21T20:24:00.006-06:00

Some days don't go as planned. Yesterday was one of those days! But don't worry; in this case, it was a good thing.

The day had a lot planned in it: a power walk at our town square for exercise, home school lessons, a women's Bible study at my house, babysitting a friend's child and cooking for supper co-op.

But the day didn't go as planned.

It was raining at the exercise time, so there was no walking.

At about 10:00, a phone call came that canceled the Bible study.

And then another phone call....a friend invited us to go arrowhead hunting in a field adjacent to her house. The rain had stopped, leaving behind gullies and rivulets perfect for hunting.

So, the home school lesson suddenly changed from a math worksheet to a nature hike.

And what a fun outing it was! There was a lot of mud...

along with a few botany lessons.

We saw this strange thing.

Here it is up close. We are going to have to research to find out what it is (if you know, feel free to comment).

There was a entomology lesson....

and then at the end of the hike, the prize....what we had been searching for the whole time...

No, the day didn't go at all as planned, and I'm sure glad it didn't!

2010-01-20T15:57:00.001-06:00

Check THIS out!

We Don't See This Much!

2010-01-10T11:00:00.000-06:00

Some strange things are happening around here!

We are seeing things we've never seen while living in this small town of ours!

Here is a picture of one:

Yes, there is a fire in our fireplace!

I know those of you in warmer, more northern climates are asking yourselves, "what's the big deal?" Here's the big deal: We have lived in this wonderful blessing of a house for six and a half years, and this year is the first that we have used the fireplace.

As you are aware, it just doesn't get very cold here in southeast Alabama, so I never really had any desire to do the necessary work (haul in firewood, clean the ashes afterward, etc) to have a fire. I also had babies to care for and worry about and a fire just didn't fit into the picture.

But, as babies do, mine grew up and wonder of wonders, we are actually having a cold winter (for a couple of weeks, maybe)! So we have been enjoying our fire. Sitting in front of it with a nice blanket and a cup of coffee has become my favorite past time.

And while I am talking about wonders, let me show you this picture:

This is the fountain on our town square. I love this fountain and have taken many pictures of it during the time we have lived here. But, I have NEVER seen it like this! These two weeks of winter have provided a beautiful icy display.

This Makes Me Smile

2009-12-29T13:48:00.003-06:00

A stack of books from the library!

I love to read! Unfortunately, I'm not one to pick up and put down a book at will. Once I have started a book, I want to devour it all in one bite.

I delight in reading so much that I can let the laundry pile up and the kiddos swing from the rafters so I can finish a book.

That's not so practical for this mom to do. So, I generally avoid tempting myself.

That's why the sight of this stack of books makes me smile. The house is clean, I'm fairly caught up on projects and the kids are enjoying their Christmas gifts.

I can read, guilt free!

If you are looking for me this week, you'll find me curled up under a blanket with a cup of coffee and a good book!

The Magic of Snowflakes

2009-12-16T16:03:00.008-06:00

As you've probably heard me lament before, we don't have traditional winters way down here in the South. That means we rarely (and by rarely I mean 'once in a blue moon') see any snowflakes and if there are snowflakes, they never stick together and accumulate on the ground.

So why not make our own snowflakes?

Making paper snowflakes is a fun activity that all school children partake in at one time or another.

This home school teacher wanted to take it to the next level, however.

When I saw THIS VIDEO I knew its what we would be doing!

I thought it might be a little difficult for the kiddos and would require a lot of help on my part, but they surprised me and were able to do most of it on their own.

They were proud of their accomplishment, and I was proud of the pretty decoration it made!

(I found this idea through a link on one of my favorite blogs: The Holy Experience.)

Blessed With 40 Years Together!

2009-11-21T12:41:00.003-06:00

My kiddos and I recently traveled to Kansas City to visit with my parents. I enjoyed one of the advantages of home schooling my children: I can take school with me! We stayed with them for two weeks and had a wonderful time with them.

One of the reasons for the trip was to help my parents celebrate 40 years of marriage. My two siblings and their families (as well as my hubby) joined us for a special dinner in honor of our parents.

My sister-in-law, Penny, decorated the table with my Mom's wedding china and some lovely fall decorations.

We gathered some photos from their wedding and from their married years and made a display.

We asked them to share some of their story with us: how they met, where they dated, about their wedding day and interesting things that have happened since their marriage.

We chose dishes to prepare for the meal that were reminiscent of their marriage...favorite dishes that reminded them of a certain time in their life:

Mandarin Orange Salad reminded them of a church where Daddy pastored in the early 1970's.

Green Chili Auction Special ... a recipe given to them while they lived in Wyoming.

Chips and Salsa to remind them of a friend who made yummy salsa when they served in Illinois.

Lemon Pound Cake..a favorite of the family's during the 1980's.

We enjoyed a fun and meaningful time with my parents. I am so grateful that they are my parents and that God has given them so many years together.

Chore Charts

2009-11-09T07:13:00.004-06:00

Our family shares the chores around the house, and there is nothing like a new chore chart to help us stay on task. Every few months, I like to find a new one to hang on the refrigerator. I guess we get tired of looking at the same one after a while.

Yesterday, while browsing the blog world, I found this one. It is really cute and its free! Go check it out!

photo by ModEcoKids

Sunday On Vacation

2009-09-27T20:34:00.005-05:00

We are not at home on this Lord's Day. We are on vacation at a Florida beach. As a result, we truly rested today.

We had a family church service here in the house where we are staying. Joel led us in music with his guitar. We then read and discussed a story from the Bible.

Afterward, it was a restful day of naps, leisurely bike rides, and a stroll on the beach at sunset.

At the end of the day, I read a friends blog and listened to this song. What a fitting song for a blessed day!

O Day of Rest and Gladness

O day of rest and gladness, O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness, most beautiful, most bright:
On Thee, the high and lowly, through ages joined in tune,
Sing holy, holy, holy, to the great God Triune.

On Thee, at the creation, the light first had its birth;
On Thee, for our salvation, Christ rose from depths of earth;
On Thee, our Lord, victorious, the Spirit sent from heaven,
And thus on Thee, most glorious, a triple light was given.

Thou art a port, protected from storms that round us rise;
A garden, intersected with streams of paradise;
Thou art a cooling fountain in life’s dry, dreary sand;
From thee, like Pisgah’s mountain, we view our promised land.

Thou art a holy ladder, where angels go and come;
Each Sunday finds us gladder, nearer to heaven, our home;
A day of sweet refection, thou art a day of love,
A day of resurrection from earth to things above.

Today on weary nations the heavenly manna falls;
To holy convocations the silver trumpet calls,
Where Gospel light is glowing with pure and radiant beams,
And living water flowing, with soul refreshing streams.

New graces ever gaining from this our day of rest,
We reach the rest remaining to spirits of the blessed.
To Holy Ghost be praises, to Father, and to Son;
The church her voice upraises to Thee, blessed Three in One.

Doodles!

2009-09-25T13:47:00.003-05:00

My previous post featured some colored pencils that my kiddos have loved using! In this post, I want to show you what they are drawing in!

Just like the smencils, we discovered these great books when someone gave us one as a gift! These books are full of page after page of fun things to do with pencils and crayons!

This page from Beautiful Doodles lets the creative child on the other end of the smencil decorate cupcakes however she wants.

This page from Oodles of Doodles lets the boy in our house draw a really long piece of spaghetti (that's right up his creative alley).

And after you've had fun coloring and drawing on every page of these books, you can start on one of several other Doodles books like this one or this one!

For more information of Doodles books, click here.

Smencils!

2009-09-22T13:06:00.004-05:00

My daughter recently received these colored pencils as a gift.

And we LOVE them!

They are colored pencils made from recycled newspapers and scented with some fabulous scents.

We can't seem to quit sniffing them....

And they make math worksheets so much more fun!

If you are looking for a way to add some more fun to your lessons or need a great gift, check out the great Smencil website.

Memory

2009-09-15T20:18:00.006-05:00

Memory is a funny thing!

It makes twenty years feel like yesterday.
Yet, it makes twenty years feel like the two decades it is.

Memory recalls funny snippets of times past.
Yet, it fails to remember some of the most important details.

I took a walk today....a walk back to twenty years ago.

She remembered too many practical jokes I had played on her.

I had forgotten them.

I remembered detention shared with her (my ONLY detention ever; probably hers too).

She had forgotten that.

My memory recalled a certain teacher with fondness, hers recalled with much less admiration.

She affectionately reminisced about another teacher, I...not so much!

She remembered letting me read an important journal entry.

I remembered her high school crush.

Memory is a funny thing.

We made new memories today....a shared past, a similar spirit and vision, a common Hope.

Saturday, Sun, Special People

2009-09-04T21:09:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was fun! It was one of our few trips to the lake this summer. We used to go to the lake almost every weekend, but as our family and other responsibilities grew, our time there has become limited.

So when we do get to go, it is with much anticipation and excitement! We invited some other Student Ministers and their families along for this special day, and enjoyed a relaxing and fun time with them. One thing I like about being at the lake is I can actually sit in a chair and do nothing. If I were at home, I would feel the pressure of all the house keeping and other duties hanging over me. While at the lake, I can't do anything about those things. Therefore, I enjoy relaxing without guilt. Add a couple of friends in nearby chairs and my day is made!

Of course, sitting in a chair is not ALL we do.

We swim...

and tube....

and eat...

and kneeboard!

We even got our eight year old daughter on the kneeboard for the first time!

We are so grateful for Saturdays with friends...for time to relax...for time for fun!

If only tomorrow were going to be so fun! The to-do list here is lengthy, and I hope to knock out a big portion of it in one day!

Reason # 4,182 Why I Love Our Small Town:

2009-08-29T08:05:00.002-05:00

Tailgating before High School football games!

(Did I ever mention that I love our small town?)

She's Still Growing Up (Wish It Wasn't So Fast!)

2009-08-28T16:17:00.004-05:00

Another milestone has passed in our house....our daughter got her ears pierced!

About a year ago, she told me she did NOT want to get her ears pierced, because she'd heard it hurts. That was fine with me. I did not get my own ears pierced until I was eighteen, and I distinctly remember that in spite of what everyone told me, it DID hurt!

Our daughter may not have wanted her ears pierced, but she did want to wear earrings. So she talked me into buying her a couple of pairs of cute clip earrings. She found out that they hurt her ears and that the selection of clip earrings was not as big as the selection for post earrings.

All of this, combined with the fact that her next-door-neighbor-friend got her ears pierced motivated our daughter to change her mind!

So, today was the big day.

We were grateful to find a place that would do both ears at the same time. She was so brave. I was expecting tears and screams that would bring everyone in the mall over to see what was wrong. The sweet girl didn't even flinch or jump. I think I was more afraid than she was. Do you see that my eyes are closed?

She is very excited to have those earrings in her ears. She has told everyone she knows that she had it done!

And there's her little brother taking part in the whole thing. He watched every moment. We love making a family affair out of our little girl's milestone.

A Welcome Reprieve

2009-08-25T22:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful in our 'neck of the woods.' The humidity level was drastically lower than usual, creating a quite mild and pleasant day. Since that kind of weather is such a rarity around here, I could not stand to stay inside all day. So, I packed up the school books and headed to a friend's house.

These friends own a horse stable across the pond from their home. With their permission, we sat at a table outside the stable and did our school work.

It was a great location. There were horses grazing nearby,

cats to pet,

and a pond to gaze into.

Add to that a gentle, cool breeze and it was perfect (except for the scary looking spiders nearby).

After both children did their math lessons, the oldest read a Bible story to the youngest and we discussed Christopher Columbus's voyages, it was time for some exploring. We wandered around the pond and then went on an adventure on the four wheeler.

I was struck by how gracious God is to allow us to enjoy such beauty. I am grateful for fluffy clouds, the sound of birds praising God and the innocent joy of children.

Today: First Day of School!

2009-08-19T13:41:00.004-05:00

Today...

Today, we had to quit sleeping in.

Today, we got back to a schedule.

Today marks the end of going to the pool and water park whenever we want.

Today, we stopped playing video games and watching tv.

Today, we talked about Galatians 6:10 and our goals to be kind to each other in this school year.

Today marked another year in our journey together in homeschooling.

Today my prayer is that God will give us more love for each other. That we will learn the academics and will excel in the spiritual disciplines. May God give grace.

Room Re-Do

2009-08-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

For several years now, our daughter's room has been a pretty pink girlie room! It was full of pink gingham with lime green accents. But this year, she decided that she wanted to re-do it for her birthday present. This sweet picture of her with some of her friends gives you an idea of the pinkness!

The inspiration for the new room came from our friend, Lindsey's room. Our daughter looks up to Lindsey, so it was a natural for her to want to pattern her room after Lindsey's. Our daughter picked out the bedding and the rest of the room was built around that.

After lots of shopping, crafting, painting and more, here is how the room turned out:

Lindsey painted the big C on an old ceiling tile that I had salvaged from the trash a couple of years ago. She also created the wall hanging you see on the right near the lamp.

The lamp is one I had crafted to fit in the pink room. Here is what it looked like then:

We removed the ribbon and painted the shade brown. Then we added a bow and button to embellish it.

We already had this jewelry box in her room. It has three little windows for placing photos. To make it fit in the room, we glued ribbons to the back of the spaces. We also added little 'gems' to make it even more interesting. You know, once you get started with that glue gun, it is hard to stop!

Add this canvas creation also by Lindsey,

and the curtain scarf and ribbon embellished mirror,

and the room is complete! Our daughter is thrilled! I think it is a much appreciated birthday present!

(You can see more of Lindsey's work by clicking here.)

A Summer's Growth

2009-08-17T19:07:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, I mentioned that I had planted an herb garden. It has been fun to add flowers and more herbs to it and to watch it all grow and flourish.

Here is what it looked like in March:

Here is what is looks like now:

What herb garden is complete without a wayward soccer ball or two in it?

It has been a fun experience to have an herb garden. There is nothing like the convenience of having herbs at my disposal! I don't have to run to the store when I need them and I don't have to PAY for them!

Plants in my garden this year include Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Cinnamon Basil, Cilantro, Thyme, Chives, Mint, Ginger, Jalapeno, Cherry Tomato, Bell Pepper, Vinca, Lambs Ear, and Canna.

Sunday Reflection

2009-08-16T12:35:00.002-05:00

How To Make a Bead Bracelet From Magazine Pages

2009-07-06T17:14:00.006-05:00

The kiddos and I spent our Fourth of July doing crafts together. My daughter's choice was a bracelet comprised of homemade beads. The beads are made from magazine pages and helped to make a very cute and unique bracelet.

The idea come from a Family Fun magazine, and here is how we made it:

Supplies needed: cardboard or file folder, ruler, old catalogs and magazines, wooden skewers, glue or glue stick, Mod Podge Sparkle, paintbrush, 6 feet of clear elastic cord.

1. Cut a template from cardboard or a file folder of a triangle with a 1-inch base 6-inch height.

Use the template to cut 30 to 35 triangles from colorful magazine and catalog pages.

2. To make a bead, tightly roll one triangle (base to point) around a skewer, then glue down its tip. Leave the bead on the skewer and roll one beside it.

When the skewer is full and the beads are dry, slide them off of the stick. Brush on a thin layer of Mod Podge Sparkle and let the beads dry.

3. To assemble the bracelet, thread one bead onto the center of 6 feet of clear elastic cord. Add the next bead, threading one end of the elastic through each end of the bead. Pull the elastic tight. Continue adding beads in this way, tightening and straightening them as you go, until the bracelet is long enough to stretch around your child's wrist. Feed the remaining lengths of elastic back through the first bead, then knot them multiple times and trim.

The result is a cute, unique bracelet made from scratch!

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T09:53:00.004-05:00

I am grateful for small town celebrations of independence that include prayer...

patriotism...

potluck...

and performance of patriotic music...

Happy Independence Day...

From Our Small Town!

Reflections on Independence Day

2009-07-03T11:03:00.002-05:00

" Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." Charles Carroll, signer of Declaration of Independence, November 4, 1800

Patriotic Pillowcase Dress

2009-07-03T00:08:00.004-05:00

I love to make these easy pillowcase dresses! It is so fun to be able to quickly, easily and affordably make a dress for any holiday occasion. Here is my daughter in her Independence Day attire made with fabric and accessories from Walmart.

Stay tuned for pics from our small town's annual Patriotic celebration!

Reflections on Independence Day

2009-07-02T10:59:00.004-05:00

“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel”-Benjamin Franklin, Constitutional Convention of 1787

Reflections on Independence Day

2009-07-01T22:40:00.004-05:00

As we approach Independence Day, I reflect on our great country and the ideas and sacrifices that brought us here. In honor of our Independence, I will be posting quotes, photos, etc. that reflect our American heritage and ideals. Join me in thanking God for the blessings our country possesses.

"No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me, I trust, in thinking that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence." -George Washington, First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789

Spring Cleaning

2009-04-27T09:59:00.000-05:00

We have a nice-sized attic that we are grateful for. But, like all storage spaces, it has gotten a little messy! There are a lot of boxes up there that contain my notebooks, files and books from my years of teaching. Add to that our Fall and Christmas decorations, clothing, toys, etc and you have a pretty big mess with no room to walk around.

Unfortunately, not only was the attic messy, but the boxes were torn and deteriorating. So, one day recently, I decided to get up there and fix it! I bought new boxes and got busy transferring the contents of the old boxes to the new ones.

Even though the work was hard, I enjoyed sifting through the items of my past. Amidst the teacher files and books, I found photos, plaques and journals.

THIRTEEN journals, in fact. I resisted the urge to read through every one of them, but did take a few minutes to peruse. Talk about a walk down memory lane! How fun yet strange to read my own thoughts so many years ago.

I found my Helen Steiner Rice compilations which I promptly brought down and placed in my secretary...

and this placard that hung outside the front door of our first home.

I brought it down out of the attic and put it up in the garage.

Other treasures from the attic included Joel's collection of Calvin and Hobbes comics (which our son has already started enjoying)...

and this piece of artwork:

It was given to me by a student when I was teaching 7th grade history several years ago. I guess she didn't want to carry it home from art class, so she gave it to me!

But this was by far my favorite find:

Joel and I got engaged on September 15th. During the 5 months until our wedding, I made a calendar for him. The calendar was made up of these heart shaped papers. Each paper had the date on it along with a message from me. I have had so much fun reading these messages. They bring back poignant memories of our long distance engagement.

Oh, and in case you are wondering: Here is what the attic looked like when I finished cleaning and organizing it.

The only thing I regret about this spring cleaning venture is the allergies I am fighting after stirring up all that dust!

Our Town Mourns

2009-04-25T10:24:00.002-05:00

Our town is suffering. A police officer was killed in the line of duty last night; another is seriously wounded.

It is so hard when the peace of a sweet small town is shattered by tragedy...

April Showers - in March!

2009-04-01T18:47:00.000-05:00

To say we've had a lot of rain lately would be an understatement! Last week, it rained for 3 days straight. Not only were we watching it rain, but we were ducking for cover. The tornado sirens went off on all three days, which always sends my kiddos into panic mode. I am proud to report, though, that they are getting better about controlling their fear, and have begun to ask me to pray for God to take care of us as we wait out the storm.

We have seen a couple of tropical storms come through since living here. But neither of them dumped as much rain as quickly as the storms of last week did.

I couldn't resist taking some pictures of our yard as the water began to puddle. Our house is on high ground, so these pictures show minor flooding compared to our neighbors in our town and nearby towns.

Two nearby counties declared local states of emergency due to flooding. Forecasters say there is more rain on the way, but we're not sure we can handle much more.

P.S. Have you ever seen the fear on the face of a 5 year old during a tornado warning? (thanks to a tip from a friend, we have begun to wear our bicycle helmets when we seek shelter)

This Year's Herb Garden

2009-03-31T17:23:00.002-05:00

This is my second year to plant an herb garden. It proved to be a rewarding experience last year, and I have added even more plants this year. I plan to expand the bed soon and add lots of flowering plants for color. We like to attract the hummingbirds to our back windows, so we will add a feeder soon as well.

Some of the herbs in my garden include mint, stevia, rosemary, cilantro, basil, oregano, thyme and more.

P.S. Here is what my herb garden looks like after it has rained for four of the last six days!

Do you have an herb garden? If so, please share with me the your favorite ones to grow.
Do you harvest and dry your herbs? I am very interested in pursuing this with my garden. Please leave me any tips you may have.

How a Five Year Old Grows a Mustache!

2009-03-30T22:19:00.000-05:00

Such Creativity

2009-03-30T18:55:00.005-05:00

I am not a creative person. I usually don't come up with ideas on my own, but love to take other people's ideas and run with them. I guess you could say that I am a copycat!

A friend's daughter, Lindsey, recently had a very creative idea that I love!

She bought canvases, ribbon and paint from our local Michael's store and used them to make these decorative wall hangings for her bathroom.

It's such a great idea, I just might have to be a copycat!

Oh, and Lindsey, I may be asking you to help my daughter do a bedroom makeover this summer!

Southern Springtime

2009-03-24T20:58:00.008-05:00

Spring in the South is so pretty! I have lived in the deep south for five springs, and I am still amazed by the beauty of the flowers that bloom here. One of my favorite things about spring is the wisteria. I love to see it in trees and along fence lines as I drive around town!

But what I really love about wisteria is it's fragrance! I love the sweet smell so much that every spring I try to gather some of it and bring it into my house. And today, I did just that...I picked some from an empty lot nearby and made some arrangements for the house.

When I first put the vines in a vase, they looked too sparse.

So, I cut some branches off some smaller trees in the backyard to add some color, texture and fullness.

I love how it looks in my entry and I love the fragrance that wafts through my house!

Our Son Loves To Create

2009-03-22T20:54:00.004-05:00

I have enjoyed seeing our son be interested in creating things. Almost every day he is building or drawing something. His latest creation was this helmet.

It all started when he asked my hubby to draw a race car helmet. Joel drew a one dimensional helmet. A little while later, our son asked him to draw another one. Our son then took the two and taped them together to make a helmet he could wear. After that, he kept adding items....paper across the top, cable ties and keenex for a visor.

Pretty creative, if you ask me!

Another Verse!

2009-02-18T12:16:00.004-06:00

A sweet friend of mine read the poem I posted yesterday and sent me this addition (which she wrote) in an email. I L.O.V.E. it, because she is referring to specific friends of mine! I must confess...it brought tears to my eyes!

One that loves your children just like their own.
One that loves to watch movies with you when your hubby goes out of town.
One who works out with you.
One who likes to cook with you.
One who sells little and big clothes with you.
One who wears funny looking flip flops with you,
One who home schools with you.
One who sings beside you in the choir.
One who is here for you no matter what.........

Then at the end, she added this:
"...take it from one of your best friends; we all love you very much!"

I am sooooo blessed!

Girls In My Circle

2009-02-17T21:41:00.003-06:00

This is a little poem that has been going around by email. My mom sent it me and said it reminded her of me. She's right! I am so grateful that God has always provided just the right friend for me at just the right time!

I hope you enjoy this cute little poem. I hope it makes you smile as you think about all the friends God has given you in your lifetime!

Girls in My Circle

When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman.
And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.

One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom.
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
Another , 'Let's fight together,'
Another , 'Let's walk away together.'

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another your love for movies,
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself .
Those are your best friends.

It may all be wrapped up in one woman, But for many, it's wrapped up in several..
One from 7th grade,
One from high school,
Several from the college years,
A couple from old jobs,
On some days your mother,
On some days your neighbor,
On others, your sisters,
And on some days, your daughters.

The Love of God

2009-02-15T11:19:00.002-06:00

(I love this song about God's love ...not only for it's meaningful message, but also because it is a song that my Dad often sang as a solo in church.)

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T09:54:00.005-06:00

We started our Valentine's Day with a prayer of thanks for God's love.

Then we ate these pancakes.

For the recipe, click here.

Hope your Valentine's Day Saturday is one spent with family and friends!

Children's Museum

2009-02-06T06:54:00.004-06:00

We recently tagged along with Joel to Atlanta. He had a conference he was attending, and I have been wanting to take the kiddos to the Children's Museum.

It was great to be together as a family without the duties of housework and cooking. The hotel had an indoor pool and the Disney channel. What more could kids ask for?

The highlight of the trip was our day at the Imagine It Children's Museum in downtown Atlanta. Their hours were 10 am to 4 pm, and we were there the entire time!

One section of the museum was a temporary exhibit of medieval times where kids could dress up and do the tasks of a blacksmith, jester, chef, gardener, tailor, carpenter, or even a prince or princess.

(our son as the medieval blacksmith)

Other fun features included water fun,

wall painting,

sand sculpting,

and giant tinkertoys.

One of their favorites was a kid-sized crane they could use to move balls through a giant ball machine.

My favorite part of the day was visiting with Kelley. Kelley is a friend of mine from college days. She brought two of her children with her and spent the day with us. It was good to see her again after so many years.

And here's the whole gang:

(aren't they cuties?)

2009-01-30T16:19:00.000-06:00

We have been studying the American Revolution lately. After reading several accounts of the battles of the war, we watched the old Disney movie, Johnny Tremain. As soon as the movie was over, our son pulled out his army figurines and set up a war in the dining room. He called some of them Redcoats and some of them Americans.

I love it when he learns about history. I love it when what he's learned shows up in his playtime. It does a home school Momma's heart good!

My Goodness!

2009-01-29T15:42:00.005-06:00

My goodness, it's been so long since I have posted to my blog, that I don't even know where to begin!

So, for my back-to-blogging debut, I am going to participate in "The Fourth Photo".

Here are the rules:
1.) Go to your 4th folder where you store your photos.
2.) Select your 4th picture (no exceptions)! Seriously.. no exceptions.
3.) Post the picture with an explanation and link it back to your tagger.
4.) Tag 4 people to do the same!!

I took this photo of our daughter a few weeks ago to capture her during this stage of losing teeth.

If you are interested in playing along with "The Fourth Photo," consider yourself tagged.

Please Take the Time to Read UPDATED

2009-01-08T23:27:00.003-06:00

I came across this topic in two different places today. It looks to me like the government has taken a good thing too far.

I'm also surprised at how easy it is for a law to be passed without the general public knowing about it.

Rather than rehash what I've read on the internet today, I will link you to a couple of very well written posts:

Crystal at Our House
Baby Cheapskate

Please take the time to read as this has many implications for moms, homeschoolers, libraries, etc!

*UPDATE* read here and here to see the latest update on this issue. It sounds like a move in the right direction, but your input is still needed.

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-07T18:30:00.000-06:00

I know many people hate New Year's Resolutions, because they feel they are just setting themselves up for failure.

I, however, love a fresh start and the opportunity to reflect, evaluate and then set goals.

One of my resolutions for this year is to READ.

I love to read. I love it so much that I often avoid reading. I know that when I pick up a book, I will get so involved in it that I won't be able to put it down. Then, schooling, housework, laundry and all my other responsibilities will be neglected until the book is finished. In an effort to solve this problem, I am going to schedule reading time. I'll let you know how it goes.

Do you want to know what's on my bedside table for reading right now?

The Circle Trilogy: Black , Red and White by Ted Dekker (3 separate books)
War and Grace by Don Stephens
Teach Them Diligently by Lou Priolo

I also resolve to read to my children more. My two kiddos love to read, and I often find myself telling them no when they ask me to read to them. I think I am too busy with other duties to read to them. I want to change that this year and spend a lot of time reading to them. I have started a wish list on Amazon of books I plan to purchase for them this year, and we will be taking regular trips to the library this year.

Do you want to know what I am reading to my children right now?

Water Beds by Gail Langer Karwoski
River Beds by Gail Langer Karwoki

Did you make any resolutions you care to share?

What books are you reading yourself or to your children right now?

I'm off to read....

Hey Y'all!!

2009-01-04T17:32:00.011-06:00

It has been a loonnnggg time since i have posted anything. Please don't interpret my absence to mean that I have been doing nothing. In fact, the opposite is true! I have been doing so much that I haven't been able to spend time with you, my bloggy friends.

I feel overwhelmed by the task of relating all the fun things I've been doing. Instead of doing a series of posts in great detail, I will attempt to give you little sound bites in ONE post. So, here goes:

*Small town Christmas parade: always lots of fun and this time very COLD and rainy. Yes, you heard me right it was COLD! I mention that not because I'm complaining, mind you, but because it is very unusual! The rain made it miserable, though. I was grateful that instead of the originally intended float, our daughter rode in the parade in a bus!

*Speaking of our daughter: She made us proud by doing a spectacular job (if I may say so myself) singing a solo in our church's adult Christmas musical. I was part of the choir for this musical and was truly blessed by its missions emphasis!

*Travel, travel, travel! Have you noticed that our family loves to travel? We met my family in New Jersey this year for Christmas. My sister lives there with her hubby and two children. My brother and his family as well as my parents were able to travel to New Jersey as well making this one of the few times we are ALL together!

(My sis Rachel and her hubby Dave; my bro Eddy and his wife Penny; me and my hubby)

We drove from SE Alabama to New Jersey. This was a two day trip, so we made the most of it. On our way up, we stopped in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a quick look at the Liberty Bell.

It was a very cold and rainy day:

On our way back home, we stopped in Washington D.C. We wanted to see the WWII Memorial. We knew we didn't have a lot of time, so we found a parking spot on the street, put two hours on the meter and took off! We managed to see the Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean, and WWII Memorials. We then walked over the the White House where we checked out the National Christmas Tree.

(This picture isn't a very good one: the camera setting was wrong and my family is not paying attention. But I like it, because it sums up what we saw: memorials to those who died for our freedom)

*New York City!!
My brother and family, my family and my parents spent a day sightseeing in NYC while we were in New Jersey. It was a VERY cold day, but we were not about to be stopped from our chance to see the Big Apple.

(Statue of Liberty in background. Can you tell we were coooolllldddd?)

My sister's sister-in-law went in with us as our guide and she did a super job! We had an exciting day! I'm sure there will have to be future posts of pictures I took that day, but there's not room or time here now. One of the highlights of the day for me was ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza!

(Do you see me?)

*Brazillian BBQ: My parents have traveled to Brazil on several occasions and have always raved about the food there. So, while we were all together in New Jersey, my Dad treated us to Brazillian BBQ at a restaurant in Newark.

There were so many new tastes to try! Guarana (a Brazilian soft drink) flowed as well!

Maybe that brings us up to date.....until I get the urge to show you more pictures of New York or D.C. or Christmas....

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

from our family to yours!

Christmas Goodies

2008-12-12T19:54:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year that everyone needs a yummy recipe for a Christmas goody to take to one or more party.

I've been busy posting cookie/candy recipes over on my recipe blog. Be sure to head over there for several Christmas goody ideas:

Glazed Crackers
Snowballs
Sugar Plums
Egg Nog Logs
Hidden Mint Sugar Cookies
Coffee Bean Cookies
Angel Kisses
Oreo Truffles

Happy Baking!

Toddler Language

2008-12-11T16:00:00.000-06:00

Our son: "Mom, you know what's spanish for sheep?"

Mom: "No, what?"

Son: "flock"

Rainy Day

2008-12-10T16:23:00.003-06:00

It is a rainy day here in the Southeast!

And by rainy, I mean VERY rainy. Check out the puddles in our front yard!

As a result, we've had day at home and inside...and it's been nice. I like those days when we can slow down, get caught up on chores, work on a project or two and have an overall quiet day.

It's a rain day here in the Southeast....kind of wish it were a snow day, though!

Polar Express and Hot Chocolate

2008-12-06T19:12:00.006-06:00

My kiddos have guests tonight. We are enjoying this Christmas season so much.

Christmas pajamas and Polar Express:

Peppermint Hot Chocolate at "intermission"!

Evenings like this are so special. I would love to hear about your special evenings of the season. Please leave a comment telling me about yours.

(I blurred the faces of our friends, because I didn't have their parents' permission to post their pictures)

How To Make Polka Dot Christmas Ornaments

2008-12-04T21:02:00.006-06:00

One of the many activities that my friend Jennifer and I did while she and her family were visiting last week was make Christmas ornaments. When we were out shopping the Black Friday sales, we saw some very cute ornaments for sale in a specialty shop. As we looked at them, we realized we could probably make them ourselves.

So, it was off to Michael's to purchase our supplies. We bought ivory (white or clear work great too) Christmas balls, paint pens in various colors and ribbon.

I found some tea cup and saucer display stands in my cabinet which we used to hang the balls while they were drying. This way, the paint would not get smudged by laying down the ball.

First we painted large polka dots (with a paint pen) on the Christmas ball in the color of our choice.

After the polka dots dried, we painted an initial. You can use any font you like. To get ideas, I type the initial into a document in Microsoft Publisher. I experiment with the different font choices in the program until I find one I like. Then I try to imitate it.

This is actually Jennifer working on one of the ornaments.

After the initial dried, we added tiny white polka dots all over it.

By changing the colors of the polka dots and initials as well as the font of the initial, we made ornaments for those of the masculine gender as well. The following picture shows a feminine and a masculine style hung side by side. We made these two for our neighbor children who are fraternal twins.

As a finishing touch, we used ribbon to put a little bow at the top of the ornament. We also added a ribbon loop for hanging on the tree.

These ornaments are so cute on the tree. Because of their cuteness and because they are handmade; they make great gifts for your kiddos' friends, teachers, etc.! Why don't you go out and make some today!?!

You Won't See This Again For Forty-Two Years

2008-12-01T21:54:00.005-06:00

Tonight, we had the opportunity to go further out in the country...away from the city lights to view the conjunction of the crescent moon, Jupiter and Venus. We were able to view the moon and Jupiter (as well as the twin stars and a nebula) through a telescope.

What a spectacular picture of God's incomprehensible greatness! As I viewed the innumerable dots of light in the vast universe, I pondered with the Psalmist, "What is man that thou art mindful of him?"

I praise God that He allows us to enjoy sights like these. I am grateful that this great and mighty God saw my need and provided a way of salvation for me.

Things I've Done --- or Not Updated

2008-11-24T17:32:00.004-06:00

I saw this at Jenna's blog and thought it was fun. We are still partying away down here in Alabama! Hope your holiday week is lots of fun too!

**I failed to mention that the things I've done are in bold.***

· 1. Started my own blog

· 2. Slept under the stars

· 3. Played in a band.

· 4. Visited Hawaii.

· 5. Watched a meteor shower

· 6. Given more than I can afford to charity

· 7. Been to Disneyworld

· 8. Climbed a mountain

· 9. Held a praying mantis

· 10. Sung a solo

· 11. Bungee jumped

· 12. Visited Paris

· 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

· 14. Taught myself an art from scratch

· 15. Adopted a child

· 16. Had food poisoning

· 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (They weren't letting people climb the day I went.)

· 18. Grown my own vegetables

· 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

· 20. Slept on an overnight train

· 21. Had a pillow fight

· 22. Hitchhiked

· 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

· 24. Built a snow fort

· 25. Held a lamb (does a goat count?)

· 26. Gone skinny dipping

· 27. Run a Marathon

· 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

· 29. Seen a total eclipse

· 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

· 31. Hit a home run

· 32. Been on a cruise

· 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

· 34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors

· 35. Seen an Amish community

· 36. Taught myself a new language

· 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

· 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

· 39. Gone rock climbing

· 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

· 41. Sung karaoke

· 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

· 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

· 44. Visited Africa

· 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

· 46. Been transported in an ambulance

· 47. Had my portrait painted

· 48. Gone deep sea fishing

· 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

· 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

· 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

· 52. Kissed in the rain

· 53. Played in the mud

· 54. Gone to a drive-in theater

· 55. Been in a movie

· 56. Visited the Great Wall of China

· 57. Started a business

· 58. Taken a martial arts class

· 59. Visited Russia

· 60. Served at a soup kitchen

· 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

· 62. Gone whale watching

· 63. Got flowers for no reason

· 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

· 65. Gone sky diving

· 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

· 67. Bounced a check

· 68. Flown in a helicopter

· 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

· 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

· 71. Eaten Caviar

· 72. Pieced a quilt

· 73. Stood in Times Square

· 74. Toured the Everglades

· 75. Been fired from a job

· 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

· 77. Broken a bone

· 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

· 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

· 80. Published a book

· 81. Visited the Vatican

· 82. Bought a brand new car

· 83. Walked in Jerusalem

· 84. Had my picture in the newspaper

· 85. Read the entire Bible

· 86. Visited the White House

· 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

· 88. Had chickenpox

· 89. Saved someone’s life

· 90. Sat on a jury

· 91. Met someone famous

· 92. Joined a book club

· 93. Lost a loved one

· 94. Had a baby

· 95. Seen the Alamo in person

· 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

· 97. Been involved in a law suit

· 98. Owned a cell phone

· 99. Been stung by a bee

· 100. Visited to Mt. Rushmore

· 101. Learned to play a musical instrument

It's Happening Again!

2008-11-23T21:00:00.003-06:00

It happened last year about this time. You may have read about it here.

It was so much fun, we're doing it again!

We have friends from North Carolina visiting us. They are staying ALL week.

We've already laughed until it hurts...and this is just day one! It's going to be a great week! If you don't see me on here this week, it's because we're laughing too hard to post. If you do see me here, it's because we are all addicted to our laptops and can't stay away!

Family Holiday Traditions: Operation Christmas Child

2008-11-19T16:36:00.000-06:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I plan to post over the next several weeks about some of our traditions. We are a relatively young family (our oldest just turned 7), so our traditions are still developing. I treasure the traditions we have for the family time they encourage and for the memories they stir of past holidays.

The first tradition I'd like to share this year is Operation Christmas Child. This tradition began for our family early in our marriage. I was first introduced to the project through the school where I was teaching. We have been involved in not only the filling of shoe boxes for children around the world, but we have volunteered for several years at processing centers in Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA.

More than ten years after our first shoe box, we are still participating in this project and are enjoying sharing it with our kiddos.

It's always so much fun to watch the kiddos as they work, listening to them talk about the children who will receive the boxes, and seeing the joy in their faces.

This year I separated the items we had purchased into two groups and let the kiddos pack their own boxes. I giggled when I saw their different personalities displayed in the way they worked.

Our daughter was slow and methodical, making sure to neatly organize as she packed.

Our son just threw it in the box any old way and tried to cram the lid shut. He did all of this as quickly as possible so he could get back to playing with his toys.

Guess which one I had to repack before taking it to the church?

If you've never heard of Operation Christmas Child, I encourage you to follow the links I've provided and learn more. I hope perhaps your family will get involved in sending material joy and spiritual news to children in desperate situations around the world.

What holiday (Thanksgiving or Christmas) traditions does your family have that involves helping others?

How To Make a Bandanna Top (in five easy steps)

2008-11-06T12:49:00.000-06:00

I mentioned in an earlier post, that I had made our daughter a top using two bandannas. It was amazingly easy, and I am excited to share the instructions with you.

Materials needed:

2 bandannas
1 1/2 yard of 7/8" grosgrain ribbon

(There are many color options with this project, because there are bandannas in lots of colors. So pick your favorite one and then find a coordinating ribbon color)

Step One:

Determine which side of the bandanna you will use for the top of the garment. I like to use the side that has the stamped writing, because once the top is finished, the writing will be hidden.

Fold the top down 1/4th inch away from the "right" side of the bandanna and crease using an iron.

Fold again in the same direction 1 1/2 inch and crease using an iron. (This is creating the casing for the ribbon.)

In the photo below, you can see both folds.

Step Two:

Sew along the edge of the second fold, creating a place for the ribbon.

Step Three:

Place the two bandannas "right" sides together and pin together the side seams. Place a pin 5 1/2 inches from the top of the garment to indicate where to stop sewing.

See the casing you created for the ribbon on the left side of the photo? Thats the top of the garment. By not sewing from the pin to the top, you are creating an armhole.

Now sew a seam along the sides of the garment, stopping when you reach the armhole.

Step Four:

Use a large safety pin at the end of about 28" of ribbon to thread the ribbon through each casing.

Step Five:

Turn the garment "right" side out and place the bandanna top on your daughter, tying the ribbons together at the shoulder.

This garment is great as a top for girls ages 5 and up. It is a cute dress for younger girls.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a seamstress and really know very little about sewing. Therefore, my directions are probably not as clear as I would like. I probably used words and descriptions that aren't part of the sewing jargon. If you can't understand my directions, please leave your questions in the comment section. I will be glad to describe it in a different way. If you are a seamstress and can help me write these instructions better, I welcome your input.

My Morning Workout!

2008-11-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

I exercised my right to vote! Hope you did too!

How to Make Clay Pot Jack-o-Lanterns

2008-11-02T21:59:00.003-06:00

During a recent trip to the Pediatricians office, I was intrigued by the jack-o-lanterns they had decorating their office waiting room. The jack-o-lanterns were actually large clay pots, turned upside down and painted to resemble carved pumpkins. They had painted faces and a stick stuck through the drain hole to look like the stem of the pumpkin.

I decided that it would be fun to try and imitate the pots myself. After all, the jack-o-lanterns we make with our real pumpkins end up rotting on our porch within a couple of days of carving them.

The first step was finding the clay pots. Since this is not gardening season, our Wal Mart did not have any in stock. But after some searching in other stores, I did find some.

Next, I primed all the pots and spray painted them orange.

Then, I used stencils to create the different faces of jack-o-lanterns. I used a Sharpie marker to outline the features...

...then used black and white craft paint to fill in the outlining.

I found it best to let the craft paint dry and apply a second coat. After all the features were like I wanted them, I sprayed the entire pot with a clear, protective coat.

Here they are, ready to decorate the front porch without fear of rot!

Tonight's Fall Festivities

2008-10-28T22:42:00.004-05:00

We created these:

Even though the process was a little gross!

I can't help but giggle at his expression.

Fall Fun and Festivities

2008-10-27T20:51:00.001-05:00

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons of the year. Last fall I posted a series of posts about why I love fall in our area. You can read three of those posts here, here, and here.

Our family has been enjoying many of the sights, sounds and foods of fall. I have not been posting as often as I'd like, so this can serve as a "catch-up" post for the past couple of weeks.

I love the food of fall. This fall the kiddos and I made "moose munch". You can check out the recipe on my recipe blog.

We also made tie-dye shirts. My bloggy friend, Mer, has blogged several times about her family's love of tie-dying. So I thought it'd be fun to give it a try. We used white t-shirts and dyed them orange. The kiddos were thrilled to squirt the orange dye on their shirt and had a hard time waiting the 6 to 8 hours required to see how they turned out. I liked the result, but was really wishing for a darker orange. Perhaps I should have used bleach on an orange shirt. (any tips, Mer?)

Our church hosted its annual Fall Festival this past weekend. This is always a fun night of games and food and fellowship. My two dressed as a hunter and a ballerina. I love it that they choose costumes from their dress-up clothes rather than expecting a new store bought costume every year.

I've been feeling crafty lately. A friend recently told me about using bandannas to make a top for my daughter. It was super easy and the results were SO cute. It took me only 10 minutes to whip this thing together. I hope to make another one of a different color soon. I'll be posting pictures and instructions here when I do.

My in-laws visited us this last weekend, and we had a nice time with them. The kiddos were thrilled to have their grandparents with them and enjoyed lots of games of Chutes and Ladders and hide-and-go-seek. The grandparents also went with us to the pumpkin patch and the Fall Festival.

Speaking of the pumpkin patch, what better fall activity is there than choosing a pumpkin from the patch? Even though I was disappointed that all the pumpkins were rather small, the kiddos each found one they wanted to take home. We hope to carve them tonight if there is still time after soccer and soccer party!

I'll Tell You..

2008-10-23T16:38:00.003-05:00

In my last post, I asked you to tell me why you blog. Thank you for your responses. I enjoyed reading them. If you are interested, I'll share with you why I blog.

I started blogging, because my friend and college roomie was blogging. After reading her blog for a while, I realized this could be a great way to keep my family and friends updated on the life of our family. You see, we do not live near my parents or my hubby's. I also have had the privilege of living in several states over the years. As a result, we have many family members and friends spread out all over the country. This blog has turned into an easy and wonderful way to show those friends and family members pictures and tell the stories of our life.

As I have perused the many blogs and blog communities in the blogosphere, I have found helpful information, made friends, entered contests, been blessed, and had fun. I've learned about site meters, contests, readership, linking, advertising, and more.

It has been tempting over the last year and a half to allow advertising on my blog (which I may still do) or get involved in time-consuming methods of pursuing a larger readership. I've read some blogs which have a huge following, and have thought about how fun it would be to take that route with my blog, but I don't have the time. Maintaining a blog daily has proven to be a time consuming (and, I might add, an addictive) project.

So, I've had to ask myself, "Why do I blog?" "What is the purpose of my blog?"

Here are the answers I have found:

1. to keep in contact with family and friends who live all over the country
2. to record some of the stories and pictures of our life.
3. to enjoy the community of bloggers who have similar interests and lifestyles.
4. just because it is so fun!

I also have a recipe blog, and here is its purpose:

1. to record in an easily accessible place the recipes I use and like. (There have been occasions when I have been traveling and wanted a specific recipe. I used the computer in the home I was visiting to get the needed recipe from my blog.)
2. to easily share those recipes with others who may have an interest in them.
3. to enjoy the community of recipe blogs where I learn cooking tips and new recipes.

Now that I've mulled it over and written it down, maybe I can keep my blog/computer time to a reasonable time.....maybe :).

Please Tell Me...

2008-10-18T20:17:00.003-05:00

Mer over at Life At 7000 Feet features a question each week to which she asks her readers to respond. I enjoy reading the responses she gets, because it's interesting to see what people think about various issues.

Perhaps it was a recent question of hers or perhaps it is a priority/time management conflict that occurs around here quite often, but I've been wondering about my purpose for blogging.

Since I'm pondering this right now, I thought I'd ask my blog friends for their thoughts.

Why do you blog?

Is it to keep in touch with people you don't see very often? Do you do it to showcase your talents and skills? Is it an outlet for your love of writing? Or is it a place to post your photography? Whatever your reason, I'd love to hear why you sit down in front of the computer periodically and publish a post.

I'll let you know more about what's going on in my head in a later post.

The Beach Is Our Classroom!

2008-10-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the continued generosity of friends, we are once again enjoying time at one of our favorite beaches! This is the first time I've ever been at the beach in the fall, and I like it! The weather is perfect: not too hot for being outside, not too cold for being in the water!

We've been riding bikes, playing on the playgrounds, swimming in the pool, exploring the beach, hiking trails, lounging around, and enjoying the company of friends!

A highlight of a recent trek on the beach was finding this:

Yes, it's an OCTOPUS! We have never seen a real octopus, so this was very exciting!

We were fascinated by the suction cups thingies (yes, I am aware that is not the scientific name for them) on its under side.

Another family on the beach actually inadvertently caught the octopus. The dad of the family found a PVC pipe floating in the ocean. When he picked it up, he noticed the octopus inside. He brought it to shore to show his family, and we walked over to investigate (be nosy).

This picture shows one of the daughters with the octopus. It gives you an idea of the size of the octopus...on the small side, but still very fascinating.

When we returned to our lodging, we read a book about sea life and drew pictures of an Octopus. Here is our daughters rendition:

We Are...

2008-10-14T10:11:00.003-05:00

...doing a lot of this:

and this:

and this:

Wish you were here!

Headed Here

2008-10-11T06:53:00.004-05:00

We leave today for one of our favorite places! I'll try to keep you posted while we're gone. But, if I don't make it to the computer, you'll know where I am!

Another Example....

2008-10-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

...of previous mentioned rule:

That's a hole in the window screen in our son's bedroom.

Are you surprised?

What Can Be Learned From This Photo?

2008-10-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

that when there is a boy in the home, one must NEVER be surprised by what one finds in the house!

Soccer Season Means Team Photo

2008-10-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

We are in the midst of soccer season! This is our family's first year to be in organized team sports. Ever since watching Dora the Explorer shows at age two, our daughter has said that she wanted to play soccer. In previous years, she has said things like, "I want to play soccer when I am 14." That was fine with me. I didn't mind waiting until then.

But this year she decided she wanted to play now. And of course, when our son found out about it, he wanted to play too! So we bought some cleats and gratefully accepted some second hand socks, shin guards and shorts. It has been a fun season so far. Hubby has even been helping to coach!

As with any team sport, there comes the time for the team photo. I think trying to pose and photograph a whole team of 4 to 7 year olds is a hilarious task (hey, ya gotta laugh to keep from crying, right?)! When our team was being photographed, I tiptoed into range with my camera and started shooting.

First, one of the coach's wives tries to get them all arranged in nice straight rows.

I must say, the rows look nice, but will you ever be able to get them to look at the camera and smile?

I managed to stifle my giggling long enough to get this photo

and this one

and this one.

Don't kids do the funniest things in soccer team photos?

P.S. Both kiddos are on the same team (which is GREAT and CONVENIENT), so not only is this an organized team sport, it's an organized family team sport!

In Case You Were Wondering...

2008-10-02T21:33:00.004-05:00

I know that some of my readers don't have the privilege of living in the Southeast portion of the United States. And since those of you who don't live "down" here may have never seen the "lovebugs" I mentioned in my last post, you might be slightly curious enough to read one more post about them.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to educate you on the effects of "lovebugs" on our vehicles. To demonstrate, I took the following photo of the front of my hubby's truck:

This picture does a good job of showing you what happens when these bugs get excited about my hubby's truck. They swarm in for a closer look and before they know what hit them, bam! Now imagine these little smear spots all over the front of your vehicle. They are on the windshield, the front side of your mirrors, the hood, the grill and (heaven forbid)

your Florida Gator license plate!

Lovebugs:Hated or Welcomed?

2008-09-27T07:54:00.002-05:00

You may remember me talking about how I love what I call the markers of the seasons....those things that happen every year at the same time marking the beginning of a new season. Strangely enough, I even like the pesky markers! In our region of the United States, we have "lovebugs" show up every fall. These little bugs are interesting creatures that I had never seen or heard of before moving here. They are little black and orange bugs that are called lovebugs because

"upon reaching maturity the lovebug spends almost the entirety of its remaining life copulating with its mate... The male and female attach themselves at the rear of the abdomen and remain that way at all times, even in flight. In fact, after mating, the male dies and is dragged around by the female until she lays her eggs." -wikipedia

Its during the fall of the year that they begin to swarm (probably more accurately called flights). They seem to be attracted to light or white surfaces (like the columns on our back porch). They are most pesky to our vehicles. Driving, especially on highways, results in lots of lovebugs splattered all over the front of the car. If they are not washed off pretty quickly, the remains dry and are very hard to remove.

While these unique bugs ARE pesky and bothersome, to me they mark the beginning of the fall season. The fall season around here means slightly cooler weather and a lot less humidity. And a lot less humidity means we can breathe and quit sweating non-stop. We can open the windows and enjoy the outdoors. The kiddos can spend much more time outside, and everybody seems more relaxed and happy. So, anything (even pesky bugs) that signals milder weather is a welcome sight to me!

The Gift

2008-09-19T06:37:00.004-05:00

Our son as been asking for a "real" bow and arrow for a long time now. Usually, when he asks for something, its a passing phase and he will quit asking after a while. That wasn't the case with this. The closer we got to his birthday, the more he talked about the bow and arrow he wanted. This last week, he kept telling me about how Daddy was going to go to the store and get him a bow and arrow for his birthday.

So, a couple of days ago, Daddy DID make a trek to the store and got our son this:

When he opened his gift yesterday, there was no surprise. He'd been telling me for days what he was going to get! There WAS a lot of excitement, though! And he was more than willing to try out his shooting skills in the back yard. Daddy had set up some "hay barrels" for target practice. It turns out that this model is too big (the pounds of pressure are too great for him to be able to shoot it by himself), so we will have to exchange it for a smaller one.

It doesn't matter, he got his real bow and arrow and the stories of shooting hay "barrels" and someday a moose have replaced stories of Daddy buying a bow and arrow.

My Baby....

2008-09-18T15:24:00.005-05:00

...is not a baby anymore!

Happy fifth birthday, baby!

No Words Necessary!

2008-09-06T22:38:00.002-05:00

Lovin' Where I Live

2008-09-04T14:24:00.005-05:00

Top Ten Reasons I Love Where I Live (in no particular order):

1. The people - everyone is so friendly and nice. We speak to each other in the aisles of Walmart even if we don't know each other. You don't have to know someone to get a wave from them as they pass by on the road.

2. Our small town - We had only lived here a few months when my hubby and I remarked to each other how "at home" we already felt. The aura of a small town is so great. I love the activities like Patriotic Celebration on the square, High School Homecoming Parade, Harvest Day and so much more!

3.We have a town square. It's the place where many of our town events are held. I go there to meet some friends every morning to walk for exercise. Our children can play in the square while we walk around the outside.

4. The food - yum! I love the good ol' home cooking: lots of veggies and smoked meats. There's the bread, too. And scrumptious homemade desserts! Gotta watch out for those. Too much of a good thing adds pounds to the waistline!

5. Our church - what a loving group of people.

6. Our house - we are so blessed.

7. The beautiful plants and flowers that flourish in our warm, humid climate!

8. Our proximity to the beautiful gulf beaches.

9. Our friends - we have been blessed with many relationships that mean so much to us. We didn't grow up here, but have been welcomed and loved as if we did.

10. The pretty vistas that characterize a rural area.

11. (I know, I cheated. But, I couldn't leave off) SWEET TEA!

My thanks to my Colorado friend, Mer, for the idea. You can check out her list here.

So what about you? Why do you love (or for that matter, don't love) where you live?

A Soap Box

2008-09-02T20:35:00.000-05:00

It a rare thing for me to write any kind of commentary on my blog. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of opinions and enjoy an occasional, intelligent, somewhat heated debate. In fact, those who know me well would probably tell you that I pretty much enjoy getting on my soapbox if the need arises.

Its just that I like to keep my blog as a place to report on my little family and keep friends and family all over the country updated. But tonight, I'm going to depart from the norm, go out on a limb and tell you my opinion about something.

I'm tired of men bashing!

That's right. I'm tired of hearing women (mostly on TV) talk about how stupid or childish their husbands are. I'm tired of seeing people around me treat their husbands with disrespect or insinuate that their husbands can't be trusted to do anything right.

I guess one of the things that prompted this post was an episode of "John and Kate Plus Eight." My children were watching this show yesterday when I walked into the room to hear Kate berating her husband and equating his maturity to that of a child. While her derogatory comments were bad enough in themselves, I was especially upset that she was saying them in front of her children. She might as well have sat her children down and told them: "Your dad is not real smart, and he can't be trusted to act like an adult."

I got on my soapbox in front of my children. I told them that Dads are smart people who know what they're doing and that I trust their Daddy to do what's right. I want to be careful that I don't do anything that might teach my children to disrespect or distrust their Dad.

OK. I could go on, but I'll spare you more soap box.

Another thing that prompted this post is the start of a new, special blog. My blog friend, Nan, started a blog entitled, Brag On Your Man. It is the answer to the man bashing trend in our culture. It is a place specifically designated to bragging on our men, to telling the world why we love our men...

Click on the icon above to go over there. Then, start doing the opposite of bashing.

A Funny Discovery

2008-09-01T19:00:00.001-05:00

Today, I was searching for a document my hubby needed. I guess my filing system is lacking something, because I couldn't lay my hands on the document right away. I searched through several files until I found this:

This is the remote control to our tv. While it is very strange that I would find a tv remote in my files; what's more strange is that it has been missing for 3 years!

One day about three years ago, I reorganized, refiled, and culled our files. It was a huge project which included large bags of trash. I had the tv on, listening to a news channel and about mid-day, I realized I couldn't find the remote. I looked everywhere for it. I dug through the large trash bags of paper trash. I looked under and behind the furniture. I examined boxes and files, but could not find it anywhere. I finally gave up my search, and we concluded that it must have gotten thrown away in the mess somehow.

Now, years later, I came upon it randomly. I yelled and laughed and went looking for my hubby with the exciting news.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time something like this has happened to me. After I graduated from college, I packed up the things in my apartment to head home for the summer. I got everything squared away and was ready to head for the office to turn in my keys, but could not find them anywhere! I turned the place upside down to no avail. Fortunately, I had a spare car key and the apartment manager didn't charge me a fine.

Three years later, I had just gotten engaged and was moving to my parents house to plan my wedding. I was searching for something and decided to check the couch. Wouldn't you know it: I found those keys stuck way down in the sides of the couch! It had been so long since I lost them that I didn't recognize them at first!

Early Morning Drive & Family Reunion

2008-08-31T22:58:00.005-05:00

(taken through windshield as we were traveling)

Yesterday, our family left early in the morning to travel over to Georgia for a family reunion. The early morning on southern country roads is so beautiful. There was a little bit of fog as the sun was coming up which created a soft, pretty light. I saw many sights that I wanted to photograph, but time did not allow it.

We attended a reunion on my hubby's side of the family. These were family members that we don't see very often, and it was fun to visit with them. We enjoyed renewing relationships and learning the family tree branches. (BTW, our son's his first and middle name come from this branch of the family)

(first cousins; red arrow points to Joel's mom)

The reunion centered around lunch which was the fabulous meal that can be expected in deep Georgia. I loved the flavors of the fresh veggies and smoked meats. I discovered Myrtle's Cornbread Salad and drooled over the ten layer chocolate cake.

We returned home after a long day, tummies full of yummy food and our heads filled with special memories.

For more pictures of the event, click here.

How We Survived Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

We were recently visited by Tropical Storm Fay. What that meant for us was a rainy, windy, stay at home day! So what's a family to do when they can't leave the house for twenty-four hours?

Have fun, of course! There's nothing like a rainy day for some family togetherness!

So, for those of you who've never experienced it, here are some tips for "surviving" the next tropical storm that comes your way:

*make pancakes for breakfast.

*spend lots of time on the computer: photoshop, blogging, facebook, twitter, swagbucks, etc.

*have plenty of iced coffee on hand.

*use the time to blanch and freeze zipper peas.

*play with playdough and watch t.v.

*stay calm when you discover that the wind is blowing so hard that water has pooled in the window sills.

*use micro-fiber cloths to solve the water on sills problem.

*dress up in your rain gear and check on the outside of the house. This will provide much needed exercise and entertainment for overly energetic young boys.

* make a big train track in the living room (I don't know why our son doesn't have his shirt on)

It's really not that hard to survive a tropical storm. All you need is your family and a fun attitude.

Fruits Of The Harvest

2008-08-27T21:18:00.005-05:00

I just couldn't resist posting a picture of this:

Thanks to the generosity of friends and a little tomato picking trip in July, I've been able to can some goodies this summer! After seeing jelly jars used as decor in someone's kitchen recently, I decided to give it a try with my canned goods.

I like it. The tomatoes, okra, pears and pear relish make a colorful ensemble. Plus, it's fun to look up and admire the fruits of my canning labor!

Did you get to do any canning this year? What are your favorite items to preserve for use during the winter?

Birthday At the Beach Revisited

2008-08-23T21:56:00.009-05:00

One of the fun things about our family beach trip this past month was that it was in the same place we stayed on vacation six years ago. In fact, this year we stayed in the house right next door to the one where we stayed six years ago. It was at the same time of year too! We celebrated our daughter's first birthday while we were there.

I took the picture on the left on the beach that day. I had written birthday wishes to her in the sand and sat her down for a picture. You can tell that the bright sun hurt her blue eyes, and she wasn't so happy.

I remembered this picture during our recent trip and decided to replicate the picture (on the right). Her blue eyes still don't handle the bright sun too well, but she looks little happier. And a lot older...and a lot taller...and a lot more grown up........can't keep her a baby forever, can I?

The Beach

2008-08-23T16:40:00.002-05:00

Our lives have been in a little transitions lately, so I have not taken the time to write many blog posts. You see, we are transitioning from a laid back summer routine (full of lots of fun) to the more scheduled routine of school. And while I LOVE the flexibility and spontaneity of summer, it's always good to return to the structure of the school year.

So, before I get too far into the school year, I must finish telling you about our summer. Our most recent trip to the beach was a wonderful time for us. We met my hubby's family at Surfside Beach, South Carolina (near Myrtle Beach) for a week of togetherness. We rented a large house with a pool one block from the beach. All twenty-two of us gathered for family fun, and we're glad we did.

Right away, we gathered on the beach at evening for some family photo opportunities. You can check out how it turned out by clicking here and here and here and here and here and here. (Hey, if that's a lot of "heres" so you could just click on over to my photography blog and read and scroll until you've seen them all)
.
We also had our Christmas in August celebration, and were excited by how much fun that was. You may recall that everyone was to buy a gift for the person whose name they drew. The only rule was that the gift could cost no more than $1 to buy. It's amazing how much fun it was to bargain shop and use coupons to accomplish this task.

Here's the run down on the gifts we bought:

To our nephew, our son gave a battery operated boat...perfect for playing in the pool or bath tub.

Our daughter gave one of the nieces a Barbie doll.

My hubby gave his brother-in-law 4 micro-fiber cloths for washing his vehicles.

I gave my sis-in-law a recipe package which included 3 cookbooks, index cards, pens and fingernail polish.

All of the items we gave were paid for with ECB's at CVS. When you sign up for a CVS card and purchase select items, CVS gives you Extra Care Bucks that can be used like cash at your next visit. I had accumulated enough of these for us to get our gifts and spend no money out of pocket.
Want to know more about playing the "CVS game"? Check out this tutorial at moneysavingmom. I highly recommend this program at CVS as a very effective way to save a LOT of money! While you are at it, check out all the other ideas for saving money on moneysavingmom.com

The gifts we received at the Christmas in August celebration were great, too!

Our daughter got a diary complete with a lock and key. She was THRILLED!

Our son got a child-sized basketball with the Florida Gators logo on it. He was THRILLED!

Joel got an autographed poster of Tim Tebow. He was THRILLED!

I got goodies for a pedicure, a manicure set and a pretty toothpick holder (its a pineapple, which I love....a great southern icon which symbolizes hospitality). I was THRILLED!

Everyone had fun giving their gifts and telling how they had purchased them for $1 or less. It's amazing what you can did when you get creative!

We also celebrated our daughter's birthday while we were at the beach.

She turned seven even though I didn't want her to. I made a sand bucket cake since we were at the beach, and she opened gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins.

Nana and Papa and two other families pitched in to take her to "Build-A-Bear."

She's been wanting to go for a long time and knew exactly what she wanted to get. It was fun to see her having so much fun.

I think this is the longest blog post in recorded history. Thanks for sticking around long enough to read it.

This Boy Loves His Daddy!

2008-08-13T21:00:00.001-05:00

One night this week, my kiddos and I were working on thank-you notes in the kitchen while hubby was reading in our bedroom. After a little while one of the kiddos went to check on Daddy and found him asleep.

We went on about our writing until bed time. After pjs were on and teeth brushed, I was helping our daughter clean her room. I realized I hadn't seen our son in a while. After a quick search, here is what I found:

Our son had crawled in the bed RIGHT next to his Daddy.....cuddled as close as he could get...and fallen asleep!

How absolutely sweet and adorable!

You can tell they are father/son! Do they have the same ear shape?

Pretty Hairclips and a Silly Son

2008-08-12T21:00:00.002-05:00

One of the really awesome gifts our daughter got for her birthday recently were these hairclips:

Her Aunt April made these for her (a very timely gift since the hair is suddenly shorter). These clippies are completely covered with pretty ribbon. The inside is covered with a fabric that helps to keep them in place in the hair.

These are just one of the many CUTE items for sell at April and Dawn's blog, Something Girly. You must get over there and check it all out. The items you'll find make great gifts for daughters, nieces, and other girls in your life.

See how they just dress up the new hairdo?

Of course, in my son's world, nothing is used for its original purpose! The ever experimenting young whippersnapper keeps us grinning! Here's his version of how to use the clippies:

Oh, and did you notice the red kool-aid mustache? That's a permanent sight around here!

If You Don't Get What You Want By Asking...

2008-08-11T21:15:00.004-05:00

...take matters into your own hands!

That's what my daughter did recently. She's been asking for a while for a short haircut. I couldn't bring myself to agree. I just knew that cutting her hair shorter would make her look so much older, and its really hard to admit my baby girl is no longer a baby! I also love her strawberry blond color and wanted her to have lots of it.

Anyway, a little while ago, she came to me and told me she'd cut her hair. I am ashamed to say, I hit the roof! We'd made it to age 7 without any hair cutting incident...I thought we had made it safely to an age where she understood not to do that. After I calmed down a little, she told me that she had been combing it, gotten the comb "stuck" and had to cut the comb out. I flipped out a little more exclaiming that she should have asked me to help her untangle the comb! Then, after I calmed down again, I took these pictures of her:

Poor girl! Do you see that distraught look on her face? I guess that's what happens when her Mommy flips out.

A few days later, we went to the hairdresser to correct the problem. My daughter was very excited to get a real haircut, and by that time I had calmed down and was a little excited myself.

Here she is getting the much wanted hair cut:

And here is the result:

After all the kicking and screaming I did in resistance to a hair cut, I must admit that I love her new 'do! Now I wonder...why did I get so worked up about this?

And We're Off!

2008-08-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Today's the day! We are leaving bright and early to trek across the Southeast to Myrtle Beach. I hear we have internet access at the beach house, so I hope to keep you updated. If all goes as planned, watch for portraits of the whole clan on the beach, great $1 Christmas in August gifts, and birthday party pictures.

Now, gotta go see if I packed the sunscreen!

Step Four: A Birthday On The Road

2008-08-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

Our daughter will turn 7 while we are gone on this trip. Because we don't live near my hubby's family, our daughter doesn't usually get to celebrate her birthday with them. Needless to say, she is very excited! She will be partying with her nine cousins!

So I am gathering all the things I need to decorate and celebrate! We sent invitations earlier in the week which our daughter helped to color. We will decorate the table with beach items and I'll be making a "sand cake" in a beach bucket. Gotta make sure I take the candles.....

Step Three: Christmas In August

2008-08-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

My hubby's family is taking this rare opportunity of being together to celebrate Christmas...but with a twist. We all drew names for buying gifts. Here's the twist: we could only spend $1 on each gift. Sound impossible to you? We did it... and we got some pretty neat gifts to give! It has been fun to find deals, and I can't wait to tell you what we bought (since the family reads my blog, I can't divulge, yet)! I also can't wait to see what other creative shopping took place. Off to wrap the gifts.

Stay tuned.....

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Easter Goodies Part Two

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Girls In My Circle

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Children's Museum

My Goodness!

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Christmas Goodies

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We Are...

Headed Here

Another Example....

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Please Take the Time to Read UPDATED

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