Life on County Road 39

New Home Ornament

2012-01-26T22:08:00.046-06:00

I love getting Hallmark ornaments to represent things that happen in our family throughout the year. Since we built our new house in 2011, I wanted to get a "New Home" ornament for us. Sadly, I waited too long to start looking and could never could find one at our local Hallmark store.

I was in Books a Million the other night (a store I rarely go to!) and they had a small display for Hallmark ornaments. They only had a few ornaments left and were marked way down. I decided to go take a look just to see if they happen to have a New Home one.

To my delight I found one! Actually, there was only one left and I can't tell you how excited I was to find it!

The best part was that it was only $3! (Originally, $15.) I also think it is pretty cool that the house is green just like ours :)

Jesus, You are ALL I Need!

2012-01-26T10:55:00.002-06:00

This song spoke to me today and I thought I would share it with you. No matter what you are going through, you can always trust the Lord to be ALL that you need!

Healer
by Kari Jobe

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus, You're all I need

I trust in You
I trust in You

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You!

Punch Bug

2012-01-16T14:42:00.001-06:00

M told me today that when she has kids she wants to drive a "bug" so she can always "punch bug" her kids :)

Josh and Marah's Wedding

2011-12-11T13:14:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was such a fun day! We first celebrated Scot's birthday and then later that night, we celebrated my cousin, Josh, getting married!

It was a beautiful wedding and we are so happy that Marah is now officially a part of our family!

Enjoying the Fire

2011-11-29T08:31:00.006-06:00

Our first fire of the season and in the new house :)

Puppy Love

2011-11-25T08:27:00.000-06:00

Turkey Day Projects

2011-11-18T15:01:00.005-06:00

We did a few projects this year both at a Thanksgiving Party we had and as part of our school day. Here are a few of the things we did.

M's Turkey hand print. I love displaying these little sentimental art pieces year after year!

S's turkey hand print (in brown) and then she added details to it.

B painted this pumpkin at our Thanksgiving Party. M painted a pumpkin on her tile too. When M wanted to add to her pumpkin, I accidently grabbed B's tile! Sooooo this is a collaboration of B and M's art work!

So what do you think? Did you do any Turkey Day Projects with your kids this year? If so, let me know...I need some good ideas to save for next year!

E got Braces!

2011-11-17T14:21:00.014-06:00

Co-op Performances and the Art Gallery

2011-11-15T14:51:00.029-06:00

The last day of Co-op for this semester, several classes were able to demonstrate things they made or learned during the semester. S took a Cheer and Gymnastics class and they demonstrated a cheer they had learned. It was really good to see how well they did!

E took a painting class and they displayed their art pieces in an Art Gallery for everyone to come by and take a look.

She did some great pieces, learned a lot, and really enjoyed her teacher! She is looking forward to taking another art class next semester!

E with her teacher

Riding in the Parade 2011

2011-11-12T12:42:00.002-06:00

One of the things that S gets to do for being the Grand Prize winner is to ride in the parade!

She did so good waving and smiling and interacting with the crowd. Scot got to ride in the car with her. He said she was awesome!

What everyone didn't realize was that she woke up with a fever and a sore throat! She was a trooper though!

Scenes from around the Fair 2011

2011-11-08T08:01:00.007-06:00

Recipe Contest - Winners!

2011-11-05T07:32:00.000-05:00

S and E both placed in the annual Recipe Contest at our local fair. S won first and E won 3rd place! I am so proud of both of them!

We got a huge surprise when S also won GRAND PRIZE this year! They take all the first place winners and choose a GP from them. How cool is it that this year they chose S!!!!

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

2011-11-03T12:42:00.001-05:00

Every year the kids enter the Pumpkin Decorating contest at our local fair. This year, the 3 older kids all won FIRST place in each of their age categories!

E with her Angry Bird. This was her first year competing in the Jr High division!

B painted his pumpkin to look like a football.

S painted a farm scene all the way around the pumpkin.

M was so excited to finally be old enough to enter too! She won Honorable Mention in the K5 division for her pumpkin.

Silly Girl

2011-10-25T11:56:00.000-05:00

I love when my kids do these crazy things that make me smile.

B's Friend Party

2011-10-15T12:31:00.003-05:00

Football and Friends what more do you need??

Family Picture

2011-10-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

How fun is this!

B is turning 8!

2011-10-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy! I am so blessed that God gave us you, our only boy.

You bring so much joy to our lives. I love when you wake up each morning that you come a give me a huge hug and say good morning....right after you try to sneak up on me to scare me :)

I love that you are daddy's shadow. You want to be with him and do all that he does, no matter the task. Whether work or play, you are right there with your daddy!

You are a daredevil. You love to do stunts and to scare your momma with all the crazy things you try!

Rock wall climbing - August 2011

You are the best big brother ever!

You are silly and fun and crazy! That is one of the things we love so much about you!

B, you have captured our hearts from the beginning and have it forever! We love you, B!

Fall days mean.....

2011-10-09T11:47:00.004-05:00

our annual visit to the pumpkin patch!

There is so much to do at the farm that we go to in our area.

Farm animals to visit,

hay rides,

sunflower fields,

cute little picture opportunities,

and of course, pumpkins! This is little L's first fall so we worked hard to get a good picture of him with the pumpkins :)

What a fun day and a wonderful fall tradition!!!

Harvest Day

2011-10-08T14:33:00.007-05:00

Harvest Day is one day that we look forward to when we think about fall. It is a time when our small town puts on a great festival. Lots of food, fellowship with neighbors, craft booths and family time!

Our family comes to our home and then we all go to the town square and enjoy the festival. It was kinda weird because this was the first year we did not live within walking distance to the square so we actually had to drive there!

Afterwards, we came back to some great food and a birthday celebration for B who will be 8 on Monday!

B loved the paintball booth!

M getting her face painted by Miss Leah, a friend who was working at a booth for their church.

M and Nana

Philip and Cara with L...his first Harvest Day!

Billy with E

Fall Days mean....

2011-10-05T11:34:00.000-05:00

our annual fall pictures!

Fall Days Mean....

2011-10-02T11:50:00.001-05:00

......picking sunflowers and enjoying their beauty on the kitchen island.

She calls Him Papa

2011-09-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago M started calling her daddy, "Papa". I thought it was just going to be an occassional thing, but she has been calling him that on a regular basis now. I think it is adorable that she has her own special name for her daddy!

Puppies

2011-09-22T14:58:00.001-05:00

We had promised the kids that when we were finally settled in at our new house that we could get a puppy. The time has finally come to make good on our promise.

We went to pick up a puppy from someone who was giving away these full blooded cuties and came home with TWO puppies! The kids couldn't agree on just one, they wanted both of them. So after a mini discussion with Scot, we decided to get both!

Our thought was at least they can have playmates while we are doing school and there will be plenty of puppies to go around :)

I am not a dog lover, so this is taking me waaaay out of my comfort zone and trust me when I say there are some strict rules that must be followed...but they are kinda cute, aren't they?

Family Lake Trip 2011

2011-09-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

Our family spent a few days at the lake and we had the BEST time!

The kids loved fishing even though the water was waaay down due to lack of rain in our area.

my niece, LB

S fishing with her cousin, Philip

S and her daddy

They caught a few things, but the memories made with cousins, both big and little, are greater than any mess of fish caught!

We ended the weekend doing a little geo-caching with my cousins, Philip and Cara and of course, little Lincoln. This was his first geo-cache :)

Grace

2011-09-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

I love this song by Laura Story and am so thankful for God's Amazing, sufficient Grace!

My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused.

I see the things You do through me as great things I have done. And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me and hold me as my father and mold me as my maker.

I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up, when I keep on letting you down?

And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abounds?"
And you answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged, knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job. For who am I to serve You?I know I don't deserve You. And that's the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on.

I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up, when I keep on letting you down?

And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abounds?"
And you answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

As I walk with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means. The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary. So, instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You by giving up my life to you For all that You've given to me.

I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up, when I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abounds?"
And you answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

M the Surfer Girl

2011-09-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

M has fallen in love with the movie Soul Surfer. She has only watched it a couple of times, but she "plays" surfing and sharks all the time. The other day, I caught her doing this in the pool. I asked what she was doing and she said learning to surf!

Notice the crazy waves? Well that was Scot and B making waves for her to surf on...hahhaa.

1st Day of Co-op

2011-09-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

Today was our first day of Co-op with our new homeschool group. I am not sure who was more excited, me or the kids! I am so thankful and extremely happy that they finally get the opportunity to do Co-op classes.
They are taking classes ranging from cheer and gymnastics to cooking to geography to book club. What a wonderful experience our first day was!

They have already made a few new friends and are getting to know some other "old" friends even more! Yeah for Co-op!

Laughter

2011-09-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

I told M today that she was too funny and she said, "Yeah, I make people laugh and I just love that about myself!"

Homeschool Room Tour

2011-09-08T18:55:00.002-05:00

B and M's side of the room

M's desk area. Her verse cards which doubles as the alphabet, are posted across the front area of her desk along with some other charts and games from the curriculum that we use. There are also some of her art projects posted with sticky tack to make them easy to change out as she makes more.

M at her desk. This old chalk board, that was found in a friend's old storage building, is to the right of the window on the back wall of the room.

The good work board is to the left of the window. It was great that they are the exact same size so it keeps everything visually balanced (which is just how I like things).

S's work area. They each have a small bulletin board in front of them to post whatever they need or want. I have also used sticky tack to hang any teaching visuals that are needed from various subjects.

The door to our supply closet doubles as a game visual for M. The bulletin board in the corner has a dry erase schedule hung on it. Each Monday, I write who has what test/quiz beside the day that it is scheduled for. IThis has been a life saver to have this info at a quick glance!

These were some free prints that I found online. I blogged about it here.

I love adding scripture reminders to this space seeing as we spend a lot of our time in here! Hope you like the tour, now what do you think?

The guys did a little smokin....

2011-09-03T21:28:00.010-05:00

meat that is! Scot and my cousin, Philip, smoked some meat before the opening day of football!

It was delicous! They made enough so we could have plenty of leftovers....I am so glad they did :)

Recipe coming soon on our family recipe blog, In the Kitchen on County Road 39

The Tent

2011-09-01T22:04:00.002-05:00

My boy loves his tent. He likes to use it on camp nights, but sometimes he just puts it on his bed and sleeps inside it.

M's New Bike

2011-08-31T21:54:00.015-05:00

M got a new bike for her birthday and she has learned to ride it in record time. She couldn't be any more excited....and we are all so proud of her too :)

When her daddy got home from work she was waiting in the driveway to show him that she could do it all by herself! He kept yelling our his window, "NO Way!" She rode down the drive and almost to the concrete slap where we park. You will just have to trust me, it is a loooong way down to there!

Way to Go, M!

M's 5th Birthday Cake

2011-08-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

M wanted a penguin party for her 5th birthday. Ever since she was a toddler she has loved penguins. I guess it was due time that she had a penguin party! It turned out really cute!

Scot did a great job helping with the cake. I baked the cake and made the frosting and Scot did the decorating. He has such a steady hand which really helps with all the details of cake decorating! (Besides, I think he enjoys it!) None the less, I think it turned out adorable!

Sunflower Patch

2011-08-25T22:22:00.000-05:00

We visited a little sunflower patch while at the park today. The kids thought it was SO cool! The sunflowers were just beautiful....although I am partial to the one in the first picture...it is the MOST beautiful one of all!

Happy 5th Birthday, M!

2011-08-24T17:03:00.001-05:00

Our beautiful little M....You are the sweetest, kindest, most loving little girl I know! You say I love you a million times a day... and I hope you never stop saying it either! You bring so much joy and happiness to our family. I cannot imagine our life without you! Happy Birthday to my sweet baby girl!

Old Maid

2011-08-17T12:50:00.001-05:00

M, my 4 year old, LOVES to play games. She has really been into Crazy 8, Rummy and now Old Maid. She constantly has a deck in hand asking everyone if they want to play!

Today, as I was about to begin a game of Old Maid with M, she warned me to "Be prepared, Mom, I am a professional."

7th grader

2011-08-15T17:45:00.000-05:00

My baby girl started 7th grade today! She is growing up so fast.

We are looking forward to another fantastic year!

Two by Two

2011-08-12T21:15:00.014-05:00

M lost not one, but TWO first teeth!

She is the only one of our four kids who lost a first tooth this early! She is a few weeks shy of being 5, but it still seems SO early to be loosing her first tooth.

Well, just to make it even more memorable, she lost BOTH bottom teeth at the same time. This makes her the only of our children that lost 2 teeth the first loosing any teeth. She does it and she does it well!

Our 3rd and 4th graders

2011-08-11T21:13:00.000-05:00

S is starting 4th grade this year! I cannot even believe it to be true...wow!

B is our 3rd grader. Doesn't he look so big?

M starts K5

2011-08-10T20:52:00.001-05:00

It is a BIG day in our house today!

My BABY is starting K5! I have been dealing with a lot of emotions regarding this day arriving. It has been hard! I will save that for another post. Today, I am focusing on the excitement and joy that is shared with this BIG girl...her FIRST day of Kindergarten!

M at her big desk! She absolutely could not wait to get started!

She LOVES school and especially being like the big kids! She did a fantastic job too!

S's Fish

2011-08-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

One of the many things that S loves to do at the beach is to try catch the little fish that typically swim next to the shoreline. While doing her typical shore activity, a much larger fish swam right next to her. She used her net and quickly caught it!

Can you believe how big this guy was? It was so cool for her to be able to catch something so BIG right at the shore with her little net!

Second Birth

2011-07-31T18:01:00.001-05:00

Tonight, we had the privilege to lead our son to the Lord.

3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

E's First Camp Trip

2011-07-26T14:14:00.000-05:00

Group picture of the youth that went to camp in IL.

The time has come....

2011-07-24T13:46:00.009-05:00

for E to leave for camp! She is so excited....

and I am full of mixed emotions. I am happy she has the opportunity, but sad that she will be gone for a week! I will miss her terribly!

Crazy Pool Fun

2011-07-23T09:54:00.001-05:00

I will be honest I did not like this idea, but was out-voted by my husband who was in the pool with the kids and our cousins.

It all started with my cousin Billy having the idea to back his truck up to the pool and use it as a jumping off point.

Crazy and insane were a few of the words I told him he was for even thinking I would let him do it. Well, Scot thought it was a great idea so I put all the blame and responsibility on him if someone got hurt.

B thought I was gonna let him dive....um, no way, bud! So he jumped instead!

How handsome is he???

My dare devil 4 year old....LOVED IT!

Well thankfully no one got hurt and they all had a FANTASTIC time! We love having family over even when they come up with insane ideas!

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

2011-07-20T09:05:00.001-05:00

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulder
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

The Puddle

2011-07-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

One of the good things about all the rain we have been getting this week....it the puddles!

Don't worry about M...she holds her own. She got her own pay back when B was doing Mud Angels!

The next day, after having rained all night and morning, I overheard M say to B, "Did you see OUR puddle?" It was just precious!

Firemen Story

2011-07-12T20:15:00.000-05:00

Driving home from VBS today, we saw a fire truck with its lights on turn into a hotel. Of course, the kids were very interested in what might be happening especially since we did not see any smoke. This sparked a conversation that lead to some interesting information.

A little voice from the backseat asked, Did you know that firemen do more than just go put out fires? Oh really? I replied.

"Yeah, sometimes they have to help people who get their heads stuck in between bars and they use butter to get them out!"

"Oh really? and how do you know this?" I asked.

"I saw it on Curious George!"

Gotta love it :)

Just Because.....

2011-07-08T20:36:00.000-05:00

My sweet husband gave me these beautiful flowers tonight. No birthday, anniversary or any other special occasion...no reason other than he LOVES me!

Blessings

2011-07-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

Blessings

By Laura Story

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst

This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise?

New Hair Cut

2011-07-05T20:33:00.000-05:00

E got a new hair cut today.

How cute is she?! She is looking way to grown up for this momma!

Homeschool room Project

2011-07-03T08:39:00.000-05:00

We have been busy getting house projects done. This is one of our latest ones....

Recently, Glidden was giving away free paint and we were able to get a quart of our choice of color.

I chose Cobalt Blue knowing I wanted to paint the bookcase in the homeschool room. I love how it turned out!

Not bad for a free quart of paint and a few hours of work, huh?!

New Table

2011-07-02T08:31:00.000-05:00

We are having a lot of fun finding good deals to decorate the house with. This table was a great find at TMxx. I put it in the foyer area along with the oval mirror I talked about here. I absolutely love how it is turning out!

The Giant Water Slide

2011-06-23T08:03:00.011-05:00

One of the highlights of VBS Week is the GIANT water slide.

I love this next picture even though he is not looking at the camera because it shows pure joy all over his face :)

Scot's Race Car

2011-06-22T08:13:00.000-05:00

This is the race car that Scot built for the stage. He made it out of PBC pipe and cardboard. Pretty impressive huh?

2011-06-21T19:54:00.001-05:00

E was excited that she was finally "too old" for VBS :) However, she did get to help with VBS! This year she was in the snack area along with her friend M.

This is the girls delivering food to some of the workers. She had a great time...and how could you not when you get to spend all morning with your best friend!

My Race Car Drivers

2011-06-19T21:39:00.004-05:00

The kids got to sit in a real race car at their VBS sign-up party. They thought it was the coolest thing ever :)

They are SO excited that VBS starts tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

E turns 12!

2011-06-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful 12 year old!

This picture was taken at 6:45 pm...the time she was born.

The Trampoline

2011-06-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

While we were traveling home from SC on Friday, our little town experienced some very strong winds. It was around 10 pm when we arrived home and initially did not see any damage.

Saturday morning, Scot and I were sitting in the LR talking and all of a sudden I realized the trampoline was not in its usual spot. We went outside to see if the wind moved it across the backyard, but we could not see it! We got in the truck and drove around the property and the neighboring land. We finally spotted it down the dirt road that runs beside our house.

This is what we found....

although we are sad that it got demolished, we are thankful it did not get blown into our house and cause any further damage.

Ice Cream at the Park

2011-06-12T08:25:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed free homemade ice cream at a local park. It is Dairy Month and so they were highlighting it at the park. It was a fun summer evening eating ice cream....

petting the cows...

and even learning to milk a cow.

2011-06-09T21:43:00.001-05:00

All you coffee addicted friends of mine will appreciate this picture....

We saw this coffee tanker truck on the interstate just outside of ATL. We have never seen one before and it just cracked us up.

Have you ever seen a coffee tanker before?

New Pool Buddy

2011-06-04T21:39:00.001-05:00

The kids got to swim with their new cousin L. He is only a month old and only stayed in for a few minutes, but they were SO excited to get a chance to swim with their new little cousin :) I see many more pool dates in the future!

Youth Group Bound

2011-06-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

My baby girl is growing up!!!! Tonight E goes into the youth group for the first time. She is so excited...beyond words.....

but I am a little sad, it feels like yesterday she was M's age and now the YOUTH group?!!!??! Time please slow down!!!!

Picnic Supper

2011-05-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

We took a picnic supper to a local covered bridge and had the BEST time.

We walked the trail,

tried to catch a fish (without rods!),

and enjoyed some relaxing quality time together as a family!

It doesn't get any better than this!

Surprise!

2011-05-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

We surprised S with the bike that she wanted for her birthday!

Love it when we can pull these little surprises off :)

Lunch with Daddy

2011-05-25T13:50:00.001-05:00

We ate lunch with daddy on S's birthday. They sang to her and made her wear this silly hat.

She knew it was coming and I think she was a little nervous about it too. She kept looking out for the waiters to come :)

O Glorious Day!

2011-05-22T09:25:00.000-05:00

This is a favorite song in our house. I love to hear our kids sing it...What a power message it holds!

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
He took the nails for me!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine

Living He loved me!
Dying He saved me!
Buried He carried my sins far away!
Rising He justified!
Freely forever!
One day He’s coming!
Oh glorious day!
Oh glorious day!
Glorious day!

Taking One For the Team

2011-05-17T21:50:00.000-05:00

While I was taking pictures of E playing ball tonight, I got a pic of her getting hit with the ball while up to bat!

She got hit pretty hard on the arm, but thankfully she is OK. Just really sore and a little bruised. They ended up winning 19-7!

One Proud Daddy

2011-05-13T13:57:00.008-05:00

Scot with the kids after their game...they played awesome tonight! The last inning they each got a double and when the bases were loaded! So much fun...and I was a nervous wreck too :)

Mudcats 2011

2011-05-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

S and B are on the Mudcats this year. They have a great team and wonderful coaches.

It has been a fun season so far!

S is on the top row second from the left. B is on the bottom row second from the left.

Chef M

2011-05-09T08:02:00.000-05:00

M asked to help me cook lunch. How could I resist someone as cute as this?

Through the Fence

2011-04-28T22:11:00.003-05:00

We are still deep in the middle of ball season. What fun it has been!!!

I just love these little faces especially the little smiles they flash at us when they are on deck...so cute and so proud!

Pregnancy Pictures - Philip and Cara

2011-04-27T10:06:00.001-05:00

My cousin Philip and his wife Cara are counting down the days till there little man is due. I took a few pregnancy pictures that I thought I would share.

The Hunt

2011-04-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

Listening to the "rules"

The hunt begins.....

This year there were numbers in some of the eggs. Those numbers coresponded with a certain dollar amount. This kept the older kids from shaking to hear coins and putting them back for the dollar bill money.

M found the $5 egg :)

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T20:36:00.000-05:00

Somehow I did not get an individual shot with M :(

Here she is along with my other kids and their cousins.

2011-04-14T09:43:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to win a giveaway over at Blissfully Domestic! I won a goodie pack from Demarle At Home that consisted of:
A petal mold bakeware

A Medium perforated baking dish

and a package of their Rosemary Shortbread Baking Mix. I can't wait to use them. I know that Demarle has a great line of products and I am thrilled to now own some of the pieces for myself.

The Little Sister

2011-04-12T22:09:00.000-05:00

We have been spending lots of time at the ball park this spring watching E, S, and B play ball. In fact, we are there every night except Wednesdays!

M has been so good sitting and cheering on her brother and sisters every day! I am so thankful for her sweet spirit and the encouraging words that she offers.

Silly String Fun

2011-04-10T19:58:00.001-05:00

E had her friend M come over for the afternoon. One of their many activities included a silly string fight. They wore shower caps to make sure their hair stayed clean for the evening service and kiddy sunglasses to protect their eyes....silly girls :)

Coming Home

2011-04-08T07:39:00.001-05:00

S was so excited to make it all the way around the bases and crossing home plate. She has improved so much since that first practice and I am so proud of her!!

E's Lady Dynamites

2011-04-04T20:37:00.001-05:00

This is E's first year playing softball and it is fast pitch at that! She is loving every minute of it. She is such a power hitter and has done a great job learning to play outfield. I am so proud at how hard she is working and improving every week.

Opening Day

2011-04-02T21:01:00.000-05:00

Today was opening day for the baseball season in our small town. We are looking forward to a great season watching our three oldest kids play ball!

S and B are playing on the same team this year!

First Night Home

2011-03-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

The first night in our new house we camped out in the upstairs family room. It was full of lots of fun and excitement to be finally living our dream!

Princess M

2011-03-19T16:02:00.001-05:00

M went to a princess party today for one of her friends at church. She had the best time playing with her friends all dressed up. Doesn't she make a beautiful princess?

Camp Night...Outside

2011-03-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

The kids had camp night outside on the trampoline with their friend M who lives next door. They stayed up way too late and had way too much fun :) Fun times :)

And So it Begins.......

2011-03-01T12:07:00.000-06:00

Baseball season has begun. S and B are both playing this year and they are on the same team!

I love this picture of both of them ready to play ball!

B's hitting has really improved since T-ball! It is amazing what a difference a year can make.

S ready to hit. She did a great job too especially for this being the first time she has played. I look forward to seeing her improve in the next month as she practices more and gets ready for the season opener!

Play Date at the Park

2011-02-18T11:30:00.000-06:00

We are loving this spring like weather right now! Thanks to the beautiful weather we decided to go spend a few hours at a local park with some friends. We had a wonderful time..a much needed play break from all the craziness going on with the house right now!

Going on the boardwalk looking for turtles to feed.

Feeding the farm animals

Helping to gather the eggs

2011-02-16T23:24:00.001-06:00

They installed the countertops in the kitchen today. They look beautiful.

We are still waiting on the butcher block for the island. I can't wait to see it all together!!!!

Karate Class

2011-02-11T11:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the first day of Karate Class for B. He had a great time :)

Here is him in action among some of the other kids in our homeschool group.

Finally....

2011-02-10T11:17:00.000-06:00

another toothless grin...I just love it :)

B lost another tooth today. He likes to wait until they are barely hanging on before he lets us pull them...he is funny like that!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

2011-02-07T09:25:00.001-06:00

Another quick weekend project was painting this auction mirror the same watermelon color as the butterflies. (Remember my auction story, if not click on the link!)

A fun fact is that when I took the mirror out it was stamped 1966 (which explains the ugly gold color!)

What once was an outdated mirror has turned into a real beauty with just a little spray paint! Don't you agree?

Some of the details

Pink Butterflies

2011-01-31T14:00:00.000-06:00

We are all getting excited about moving to our new house later this month! So when we had a warm day this weekend, we jumped at the opportunity to tackle a few quick projects for the girl's rooms.

I got 3 of these little butterflies at the thrift store for $2.00. (The funny thing is I remember my mom having these butterflies in her kitchen when I was growing up, but hers were yellow :)

We spray painted them a lovely watermelon color.

We are all happy with the results and I think the pink will look great against the turquoise walls.

We will Remember

2011-01-30T16:36:00.000-06:00

We have sung this song several times in church. I love that it is a reminder to me to remember all the wonderful and glorious things that God has done and continues to do daily. God is so good and I want to continually remember and give praise to Him for His goodness to me!

We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness

You’re our creator, our life sustainer
Deliverer, our comfort, our joy
Throughout the ages You’ve been our shelter
Our peace in the midst of the storm

With signs and wonders You’ve shown Your power
With precious blood You showed us Your grace
You’ve been our helper, our liberator
The giver of life with no end

We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness

When we walk through life’s darkest valleys
We will look back at all You have done
And we will shout, our God is good
And He is the faithful One

We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness

Oh the Choices!

2011-01-18T16:32:00.000-06:00

This week we are picking paint colors for the house! I know several colors that I want already, but I need to decide between a few different colors for the main area of the house. I want to use a main color through most of the downstairs and up to the second floor. You can see the main area upstairs from the front door so I want to use the same color in that area as well.

Lots of rooms and lots of colors...so exciting and a little nerve racking making sure it is the right color! In case you are wondering....yes, the kids are getting a say in their room.

I will show you what we pick as soon as it starts going up on the walls!

The Goodness of God

2011-01-12T13:29:00.001-06:00

We bought a vanity on clearance from our favorite home improvement store several months ago. I told you about it here. We had them hold it until we needed it. Unfortunately, there was a mix up and they sold it! Thankfully, they refunded us the $50 we paid for it.

We went back to our favorite store to look for another vanity for B's bathroom. We did not find any on clearance so we were going to just bite the bullet and pay the $169 for a new vanity plus sink. (The other one did not have a sink it was just the vanity.)

The guy who was helping us knew our story and hated what had happened. He offered 10% off this vanity. So that helped a little it was just not the $50 we had paid for the other one!

We went to the front of the store to wait for him to bring the vanity to us so we could pay and be on our merry way. When he got up there, he started smiling. He said you are not gonna believe this, but the only one we have left is the floor model. Scot said no problem will you discount it even more than the 10%? The guy said well it also has a small busted area on the back of the cabinet (which will be against the wall and no one will ever see). He said let me see what I can do for you since it is also "damaged". He talked with the store manager and they sold it to us for $50!!!!

The exact amount we had paid for the other vanity that did not even have a sink with it!

All we can say is GOD IS GOOD! What a blessing that was! We were not out any more money and really came out ahead because we did not have to pay for a sink! WOW...I still can not tell this story without tears streaming down my face. God's goodness is so overwhelming at times!

Fun Picture

2011-01-03T19:37:00.000-06:00

When I was taking pictures for our Christmas Cards I took this shot. I think it turned out pretty cool!

Forgotten???

2010-12-30T18:49:00.000-06:00

I promise I have not forgotten about my blog! I have just been SO busy building a house. I am having so much fun, but it has been very time consuming!

I hope to get back on track SOON!

Curiosity

2010-12-28T18:53:00.001-06:00

I overheard M ask her Daddy "why does your belly have so much hair on it?"

I love the curiosity of our 4 year old!

House at Sunset

2010-12-22T19:20:00.006-06:00

As you know, we are in the middle of building a house. I thought I would show you what the house looks like so far. Can you believe it is now dried in??!!!It is happening so fast!

This is our views at sunset. Isn't it gorgeous? I love being out here this time of day. It so beautiful and

peaceful.

The view from our front porch.

The moon peaking through the trees behind Scot's shop.

The backyard at sunset.

How can you not reflect and be amazed by our Creator when you see and enjoy His handiwork each day?

God is With Us

2010-12-21T19:00:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine at church sang this song by Casting Crowns. It is such a beautiful reminder of the birth of our Saviour!

The skies don't seem to be as dark as usual
The stars seem brighter then they've been before
Deep within I feel my soul a stirring
As though my hope has been restored
The shepherds say they've heard the voice of angels
Confirming rumors spread across the land
That a child protected well from Herod's anger
Is our Father's Son, and the son of man

Love is raining down on the world tonight
There's a presence here I can tell
God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel
He's the Savior we have been praying for
In our humble hearts He will dwell
God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel

I feel compelled to tell all who will listen
That peace on earth is not so out of reach
If we can find grace, mercy and forgiveness
He has come to save, He is all of these

You're the Savior we have been praying for
In our humble hearts You will dwell
You are in us, You are for us, You are with us, Emmanuel

When Love was Born

2010-12-20T07:58:00.000-06:00

I love this song by Mark Schultz. Have you heard it?

Starlight shines, the night is still, the shepherds watching from a hill
I close my eyes and see the night, when love was born

A perfect child gently waits, a mother bends to kiss Gods face
I close my eyes and see the night, when love was born

Angels fill the midnight sky and they sing
Hallelujah He is Christ our King!

Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Love come down for you and me
Heavens gift, the Holy spark to light the way inside our hearts
Bethlehem through your small door came the hope we've waited for
The world was changed forever more when love was born

I close my eyes and see the night, when love was born..