Darby: Fly Through My Window

Hello, We're Fine and We've Moved!

2009-09-04T07:41:00.000-05:00

Hello Blog Stalkers...

We're doing well, sorry it's been a while! I believe that it is a 'blogging break' record for me. As much as I love this blog {and you all} my house is thanking me because it's actually picked up, not clean, but picked up. Thank you for your thoughtful emails over the last few days, checking in, to make sure everything is ok.

In a very small nutshell...

Erika hasn't had her baby yet!
I've been making sock monkeys {pictured above and below} for Craft Hope, and encourge y'all to do the same! Follow that link!
I had wonderful day on Monday with two precious friends who came from Tallahassee with their babies.
I've been trying to choose exterior paint colors for my house, 7 quarts of paint later {and several consultations from gracious family, friends and neighbors} I've finally decided. A very big thank you to my SISTER for graciously running down her favorite paint colors for me.
We also spent a few hours with Hornet in the ER on Tuesday night.

After dinner the little rover climbed on the red children's chair in the kitchen and had a seat. He was looking so cute. I was loading the dishes when I glanced over to see that he thought it would be a good idea to stand on the chair. It wasn't a good idea. He immediately fell over off the chair and landed on his head. I was horrified and watched it all take place in a matter of seconds. I scooped him up and made sure he could move his arms and legs and then for about 10 minutes he just wasn't acting normal. He cried at first but then was acting confused, lethargic, wouldn't crawl and wouldn't be his typical "hornet"-self. I tried to be the calm, collected mother-that-I'm-not. And then came the pale skin and profuse vomiting and I decided that it may be more than a little bump to the head. Before I knew it I was on my way to the ER in the backseat of a friend's car with an eerily calm little boy, wrapped in a beach towel. It was quite convenient that our friend just so happened to call the ER doctor beforehand and was still in his own white coat, which helped us quickly bi-pass the swine flu-infested waiting area. The next thing I saw was the kind face of our pediatrician who met us there to treat him. They both stayed with us in the ER until we had the results of the CT Scan, which were negative for any head trauma or fractures. Praise the Lord! And, I must add, I didn't have my camera and they both teased me for not having it! Very rarely is it not handy! :)

So, the little rover is back to roving. He has a large bump on his head but seems to be doing fine. Justin and I both are so grateful that the little man didn't suffer any major trauma and for the selfless compassion of both friends. We stand amazed of both.

In other news, I've been busy working on a new blog. It's been a long time coming... like several months of behind the scenes work. I know just enough about computers, CSS, and HTML to cause a giant mess! But thankfully, I have not been alone in my new endeavor, I have had the gracious help of two others who actually know really well what they are doing! More on them a little later...

My new site is http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/ and I hope you will add it to your reader, blog list, etc. It is a new and improved site that will allow me to host my own documents and much more. This will also be the location where the new sponsors will be popping up in the next couple weeks. Thank you, to all the patient business owners who have been waiting for me to get my act together, this was the majority of the "hold up". This blog will remain here but I will no longer be posting here. If you have a link on your blog please be sure to update it with the new site's address.

Marla {photographer and question-answerer extraordinaire} will be there with all the answers to your questions in the next couple days! I've seen a few glimpses at her responses and I'm already thrilled with what I've learned!

And I will be there soon with pictures of my precious neice, I can't wait to get my hands and lips on her and eat her little face off! I'm so excited, I almost feel like I'm the one having the baby, minus the large belly, indigestion, and kicks to the bladder.

JM Tries to Walk

2009-08-27T15:56:00.002-05:00

I'm out of words today. I'm not sure these need any words. If you have a total of 58 seconds to spare, these might make you smile. I've had a long day and I keep watching little man and he makes me laugh so hard. He used to crawl on all fours, he's now traded that crawl for a monkey crawl, the same monkey crawl Paige exclusively used until she walked... where do they come up with this stuff? I fear I'll be returning soon with some walking footage!

Books & A Bellyache

2009-08-26T10:25:00.007-05:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

The dryer is tumbling and the washing machine is spinning. John Martin is fast asleep in his crib and Paige is playing 'baby dolls' in the playroom. Today was going to be my first morning at CBS. Unfortuantely, the little man came down with a bellyache yesterday, one that required 12 diapers and 5 wardrobe changes all in a matter of a few short hours. A bellyache that I feel quite certain no mother would appreciate him bringing with him to the nursery to pass on to their child. Be sure to wash your hands after you read this... I don't want any of y'all to catch it either. The good news is he seems to be feeling much better today than he did yesterday! Praise the Lord!

I thought I'd show you our favorite books these days. These are the ones we 'go to' regularly... ones that are sure to please, sure to entertain {both reader and listeners}, and sure to teach life lessons that impact little minds and hearts.

First, we'll start with a NEW book, one that came highly recommended to us, The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Sally is a British-American and a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Chuch {Tim Keller's church} in Manhattan and the author of another favorite, Little One, We Knew You'd Come. I can't say enough wonderful things about this book and it's illustrations {by Jago}. The way Sally tells each account from the Bible is so easy for little ears and hearts to understand, yet, lacks no detail. And just as it's title suggests, every story "whispers His name". As she goes through the accounts of the Old Testament she intertwines the New Covenant and what and Who is to come. It's good people! So good. It can be found in the First Pres bookstore, if you're interested!

And the illustrations are so wonderful...

As are the words that accompany them...

The next two books on our favorites list are not books with Biblical messages, however, they are wonderful old books that embrace the traditional role of family.

One being, Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever... {thanks, MommaSis and Annmarie}

And second, being my personal favorite by Richard Scarry, What Do People Do All Day?...

This copy belonged to Justin as a child, it clearly has been read a few times and will continue to be read until it can no longer be read. The girls absolutely love Lowly Worm, he's always hiding in the most unpredictable places, who knew a worm could be so entertaining?

Here are a few glimpses behind the cover...

If you're in the market for new or old books, you can't go wrong with any of these! What are your favorites?

Be back soon...

While the Cat's Away

2009-08-24T05:40:00.004-05:00

... the mice will play.

Justin was out of town all weekend. It's hard when he's gone, we miss him a lot but I've come to recognize I tend to be more intentional with the children when he's gone; we plan our meals, fill our days, make time for fun outings, etc. I'm not at all suggesting he leave more often, but perhaps weekends like this are good for revealing areas I could do much better at in the motherhood department.

With that said, I don't think Justin will approve of our most entertaining encounter of the weekend. But nonetheless, little brother was a complete sport about it. All 3 were in the girls room when Morgan came running into the kitchen insisting that I close my eyes, hold her hand and allow her to lead me to her bedroom. When I opened my eyes I thought I'd die. They dressed him up...

Without further adieu I introduce to you Johnna Martina and his sisters, who will get major paybacks one day.

Bless his sweet soul, he wasn't sure at first, but with all our giggles {and the girls screaming} he finally decided it was fun. And after that picture sequence Justin may decide it's not safe to ever leave town for the weekend again! I'd be okay with that!

We also squeezed in haircuts. Since John Martin has graduated to the big kid table we borrowed his highchair. When I saw Raiger sitting up there with the black cape, how could I not take a picture? I probably should have done a clean sweep of the countertops first... oh well, they always look like that.

She was so good and with the promise of some Care Bear fruit snacks she did just as she was asked.

And last but not least, would the mothers of small boys {or big boys} please confirm that this is completely normal?

Not the pink chapstick, I know that's not normal. I'm referring to the fact that he stays right under me most of the day. The girls have always been happy to play in other rooms with toys, this little guy wants nothing to do with being in a room that I'm not in. I'm not complaining, I know one day he'll pretend he wants nothing to do with me. :) Now if I could just convince him to let me hold him and rock him like little tiny baby. He likes to be close to me, just not that close.

He's Been Promoted!

2009-08-21T14:45:00.003-05:00

To celebrate his new "status" at the big kid table, I put John Bon Martin in his new Rockstar Stroller and took him for a stroll outside yesterday.

At first I just called him John Bon Martin and he wasn't sure if he liked it...

So I decided I would bust into Livin' On Prayer... "whoooa we're halfway there, livin' on a prayer..." He still wasn't sure.

"Take my hand- we'll make it I swear..." {can you tell at this point he's ~~loving~~ warming up to my rendition of Bon Jovi?}

And finally, he decided he LOVES my singing...

I was confident I made a Rockstar out of him, until I started the chorus all over again...

Next time, I'll try How Great Thou Art and refer to him as John Martin Luther, I think it will go over better.

Have a great weekend!

Love, Darby & John Bon Martin

Please Lower Your Flags

2009-08-19T06:43:00.005-05:00

Kipper's gone & so are my girls... I lost them to preschool.

Kipper's stay was short and sweet. I wish I could tell you that his responsible owners sought after him and took him home. Unfortunately, Kipper ran off and I can only hope it was to go home. Thanks to some faithful stalkers :) I know right where to find Kipper and here shortly we may just hunt him down and offer his owner a little dinero for his sweet soul... and then we'll promptly remove his "parts". Shhh, don't tell him.

John Martin LOVED him. You can see here he's about to break his neck just to see the little fella.

Justin was doing some last minute tidying in the yard on Monday morning, which included the use of a wheelbarrow. John Martin was straight from the bed and what better way to wake a little rambunctious boy up than take him for a jaunt around the yard in a wheelbarrow. It almost convinced me to sell all my strollers.

Now to the more painful subject matter: school has started! {And if that's as painful as it gets around here, I am considering myself blessed beyond measure.} Both of the girls started preschool yesterday. Morgan is in the 4-year old class and Paige is in the 3-year old class. I really don't know where the summer went, but I've always said that, even when I was school-aged. I know myself all too well. I am not an organized person. I am not a punctual person. Monday night I spent 30 minutes getting ready so that we could BE ON TIME for preschool. I set the girls alarm clock, laid out their clothes and got their table all ready. They were so excited when they got up... it was almost like some superhero school fairy swept in!

Fresh Keds. Does it get any better? The night before {you may have noticed, because you all notice EVERYTHING} I had the wrong pair laid out {the dirty ones on the left}. Paiger quickly retrieved her new, clean school shoes.

The results of a little late-night "prepping": 2 little girls ready for school AN HOUR EARLY!

I asked them if they'd play quietly in the playroom so I could shower, they strongly protested because I would cause them to be late... I concured, threw up a pony and off we went.

Paige was a little more apprehensive about school when we arrrived.

Thankfully sister was there to comfort her. And it helped that Paige has the same teachers that Morgan had last year.

We ran into cousin, Chapel, in the lobby and couldn't resist one last picture.

Paige did so well and went to her classroom with slight hesitation but didn't shed a tear, which always makes it easier on mom! Morgan has never had a problem going to school, she loves it. She went right in and never looked back!

Thankfully Paiger just goes 2 days a week. So please whatever you do, don't feel too sorry for me, it's not like I'm running an empty nest. Rover will keep me plenty entertained while the girls are at school...

We Call Him Kipper

2009-08-17T07:27:00.002-05:00

We turned our renovation efforts outdoors this weekend. It resulted in trees going down, Mule rides, stump grinding and a furry new friend, we call Kipper*.

He belongs to someone, not us, someone who put a red collar on him with no tags. We are temporarily caring for him until his rightful owners come get him. We've also explained to the girls that Kipper's owners are going to come get him and that he'll only be here until then. He's a playful, oafy pup and appears to be under 1 year. He's also a MALE, very MUCH a MALE, I told Justin this morning I'd like to take him to be neutered. Justin said he didn't think his owners would appreciate me taking care of that for them. I'm going to give them a few more days to claim him and then Kipper and I are off to the vet's office for a little PROCEDURE.

He's very lean and fits through the pickets on our fence which can be quite a problem. He's about as sweet as any dog can be and would make a great companion for anyone. He will follow you around the yard and then lay at your feet when you stop moving. He was still in the yard this morning when we woke up. I was half hoping he snuck out and found his way home and half hoping he was still there. Eufaby tolerates him fine. She immediately told him it was her house and she was in charge around here... dogs do that you know. But now she just looks at him and rolls her eyes, as if to say, "you're invading my territory".

Non-Kipper news.... Justin's been thankful for the help of another male this weekend.

And John Martin was elated to be included in the help, even if his help only involved being a co-pilot for a quick jaunt around the yard.

Happy Monday, folks! I hope you all had wonderful weekends too!

*Kipper- we named him after a video we have called Kipper the Dog. Do any of you know what I'm talking about? It's a little British dog named Kipper and it is so cute! The girls love it. I picked it up at TJMaxx or Ross for a few dollars and it's one of their favorites.

coming up for air & the pleated apron

2009-08-14T12:03:00.004-05:00

Someone asked what I was doing in the last post... I was right there with them making fruit salad when I smelled a stinky and looked down to John Martin only be taken back by the disaster surrounding us that took the children less than 5 minutes to create.

Usually on days like the one I showed previously {which has been very similar to most of our days this week} I start self-talk that sounds like this, "How in the world am I ever going to have my house picked up? I need 3 or 4 clones. I can't keep anything clean. I clean one room only to turn around to find another disaster. I just finished cleaning up from lunch and now I have to think about dinner... what are we going to have dinner? I have frozen chicken breasts... I guess I'll thaw them out..." then I reach in the freezer to find...

a smiling hedgehog,

that gently reminds me of the joy of the Lord; that I get to take care of these children {and their messes}, that I get to have them home with me, that I get to do their laundry, that I get to prepare their lunches, and that I get to make dinner. That all of the little things that I find to be slightly frustrating have been entrusted to me. And I am thankful...

Or was, until I couldn't find anything to serve with the frozen chicken breasts... it's a vicious cycle you know!

The little ones have also made a discovery. A discovery I really was hoping to introduce them to the summer before they leave for college. But Morgan came in and said, "Mom do you know there's a website called PBSKids. ort ?" I tried to tell her there was no such thing... that it was all pretend... she didn't buy it! :) So, here's our newest challenge.

Sharing time on the computer with 2 kids who don't like to share time on the computer with each other. Conveniently, if they need a potty break they don't have to go far.

A lot of you asked about the board behind me in the picture with the apron. It is a bulletin board that I covered with outdoor fabric and added nailhead trim. I found mine through a local freight company but the brand is Best Rite and they have fabulous products! You should go see. If you've been around long, you know I have a fascination with all things "teacher supply store-ish"... I can add their site to my list. One hangs by our back door {which is open for light}. It is 4 feet tall by 8 feet long.

And I have another one in the playroom that is 4 feet tall by 10 feet long... it's the biggest one I've ever seen and I LOVE it! It has cork around the outside and dry erase in the middle.

It conveniently came with map clips, so I immediately had to find a map, or two.

The map came from a friend who's a teacher that I met through the blog {that will probably make her feel uncomfortable... but it's ok, we're real friends now, not just internet friends}. The retractable map has both the United States and the World. It's really fun!

And last but not least... the apron tutorial. Both fabrics I used were vintage. The floral was my mother's {and has nothing noted on the selvage} and the turquoise came from my grandmother's stash.

Thank you, Marla for hosting the tutorial at your site for me. Please click on this link to save or print the step by step tutorial http://marlaandshane.com/Pleated_Apron_Tutorial.pdf

Please make one this weekend! It's very easy and I made the step by step tutorial {with pictures} very easy to follow. I would love to see any you make! Feel free to make as many as you want to give away but please refrain from mass producing them to sell for profit on etsy {or elsewhere}... unless you want to give me 90% of the proceeds and then we can talk!

Happy Friday!

Brief Thoughts on Motherhood

2009-08-11T16:13:00.005-05:00

Nehemiah 8:10 "for the joy of the LORD is my strength"

be. right. back.

Social Networking & An Apron

2009-08-10T08:37:00.006-05:00

2 topics this morning: social networking & an apron

First, social networking, Twitter to be more specific. On Sunday I thought I'd see what the hype is all about, I'm not sure why, most days I hardly have time to breathe, much less "tweet". Anyway, I created an account. I honestly don't really know how it works... basically Facebook status updates, right? Well, it prompted me to see if any of my friends were on Twitter. So, I thought "ok". So I entered my email address and it started cranking out people who were on Twitter from my email account. Man, there were a lot of people. A lot. I made my little Twitter page look pretty then the kids woke up, I made breakfast, we went to church, went to lunch, came home, put kids down for naps and I checked my email. This is when I fell out of my chair and decided that Twitter was not a friend of mine. I have come to understand that Twitter pretty much emailed every person I've ever emailed and every person who has ever emailed me in my life and told them I want to follow them on Twitter. I can laugh now, but then I wanted to cry. Doesn't Twitter know I'm months behind on responding to emails? Several of my "contacts" use Twitter, most probably don't, those that do politely accepted my request to "follow them". But then there are those who don't tweet, and they emailed to politely thanking me for wanting to follow them but they don't use Twitter.

Dear Twitter, Our relationship was very short lived. During our time together I learned that Vince Edge went on a 9 mile run with Charles Buntin on Sunday morning. That people are tired, hungry, going to Walmart, at the beach, going to take naps, eating tacos, going to the pool, watching the rain, and watching tv shows. It's probably just me, but I also can't figure out how you work. I see links and I can't figure out where they go to. Twitter you are over my head. For those of you who politely accepted to follow me, you can do so here.

Next topic, the apron. Before I talk about it. Have you ever taken a picture of yourself? I don't know about you but it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. I opened the back door, looked both ways to make sure no one was coming. I kept thinking, what if someone comes to my door and here I am in an apron posing in front of a camera mounted on a tripod. How would I explain this? John Martin was trying to climb the tripod and all I wanted to do was get a halfway decent picture of the apron. Of course, before I took these pictures I was still in my pajamas and the apron looked ridiculous over my jammie pants, so I had to go throw on some cute jeans and red flip flops so that you all would think that I actually have my act together and get dressed during the day. If I was still on good terms with Twitter I would have had to tweet: Woke up, got dressed, set up tripod, and photographed myself all while the children fended for themselves and forged for nuts and berries.

The apron. I made one back in January and told you I'd show you how I did it. Little did you know it would be 7 months later. I'm working on the tutorial... I'll be back with it soon.

From the archives & elsewhere...

2009-08-08T22:44:00.003-05:00

I hope this finds you enjoying your weekend. We sure are enjoying ours. I've been digging deep into the archives of my computer... which really isn't that far at all but I came across these. Ok, so they're not exactly archives, but they are from our time at the farm.

Please have a chocolate dipped ice cream bar this weekend and I certainly hope you'll enjoy yours as much as he enjoyed his.

I've mentioned before that we accomplished a major feat earlier this year: we overcame THUMB SUCKING. As I went through the archives of my computer I couldn't believe how much Morgan's teeth have moved in 4 very short months without the help of orthodontics. I mean this is as good if not better than any of my house "before and afters".

Before:

After:

Be encouraged if you have a thumb sucker, there is hope!! We put bandaids on her thumbs {both} for 30+ days and did a lot of praying. The first week was hard, I won't lie. But after that it was much easier. We made a calendar and she got a sticker everyday and a BIG PRIZE at the end... which was a swingset, which we're hoping to get soon! Now, I just need to get up the nerve to get rid of Raiger's pacis.

The very easy recipe for the popsicle {pictured with Morgan above} is featured on Wiregrass Christian Family this month. I will be contributing different recipes and craft ideas over there and I'll be sure to point you in that direction when the site is updated. We had the pleasure to meet with and get to know the editor, Laurel Griffith, a few months ago. Look around their site... you might just see some people you know! :)

and now a word from our...

2009-08-06T11:38:00.009-05:00

... sponsors.

It is with some reluctance and a snippet of excitement that I write to all of you and offer my blog as a place for others to promote their businesses. I've been stewing over the idea for over a year and have finally decided to bite the bullet. I spent some time this morning in Proverbs 31 and was encouraged that the wife of noble character "saw her trading as profitable" and clearly was a blessing to her family. My hope is that the rewards of doing so will be multifaceted; that the benefits would not be for me alone, but also for those who advertise and those who read {because I can justify more posting if it pays for itself, right?}.

If you have any interest in purchasing an ad space please contact me at darby613{at}gmail{dot}com.

**The pictures are completely and entirely unrelated to this post. But some of you asked about John Martin's polka dot diapers: they're Up & Up which is the Target brand.

Apples & Oranges

2009-08-05T14:00:00.005-05:00

Mom sent me an email and was terribly disappointed she only got to see Rover's fingers and toes in the last post. Here are some sweet cheeks for her and you.

When he goes outside in the humidity his hair gets a little crazy.

I like to think he's sprouting his wings... being the sweet angel he is.

I know, I know, he's Rover one minute and angel the next.

Regardless of his disposition, I love the little man just the same.

And guess what other squirrels I love too {besides the one holding him}? The swimming squirrels.

These pictures were taken with my 50 mm 1:1.8 lens. While Marla is still stewing over her answers I will answer a few that were aimed towards me. One being, "which lens do you prefer, your wide angle or your 50 mm?" This is a hard question for me to answer because comparing the two lenses is like comparing apples & oranges. They both are wonderful for capturing different things and I find myself often switching between the two. For example, the wide angle is great at capturing wide shots. Imagine that! Both of these were taken with the wide angle.

In the girl's room, I was standing ON their beds. In his room I was just a few feet from his crib. It really is amazing how much more you can capture with it. The 50 mm is really a very reasonable lens so if you're budget conscious I'd suggest you start with it... but then save up for the wide angle because it really is a fabulous lens too. And just like my children, these lenses have different talents, strengths and weaknesses.

I also had the "what software do you use" question pop up a few times. The answer is: I'm still saving up for Photoshop. I currently edit and crop {but rarely crop} my pictures using the Canon software that came in the box with my camera. It is user friendly and so far I've been quite pleased with what it has to offer.

I've got more photography thougts on my brain but I think I will incorporate more of my thoughts/advice with Marla's.

In non-photo news, I've been cleaning up barf today. Morgan's under the weather and a terrible shot. I'll spare you any details. But really it hasn't been that bad... I think I hate the idea of vomit or perhaps I fear vomit more than I really hate vomit itself. Well, it is pretty nasty, come to think of it, and I did almost vomit myself while cleaning it. So, yes, vomit stinks, and I've cleaned up lots of it. Just be so grateful I didn't take any pictures!

Last but not least, the book from yesterday was published in 1967! Glad to hear of so many Golden Books and Baby Dear fans out there... I knew we had a lot in common.

We Also Like Books

2009-08-04T14:15:00.005-05:00

I inadvertently left "books" off our list of favorite things to buy at thrift stores. I'm not sure how I overlooked it, the book racks are usually the first things I hit.

Someone asked how I go thrift store shopping with three kids... the answer is, I don't. These finds were from last week when we were down at the beach for Erika's baby shower. I think when the kids are a little older it will be great to take them along but for now it's much easier to leave them at home.

The first thing I look for on the shelves is that golden foil binding. I absolutely love Golden Books, especially any illustrated by Eloise Wilkin.

Such as

Her illustrations are so real, so precious, so perfect for children. The girls always choose her books first. We especially love Baby Dear... we don't have an original of it but it is in a fabulous Golden Book Collection of Eloise Wilkin stories, if you don't have it, add it to your list. I think ours even came from TJ Maxx.

I'm just now entering the world of trucks, trains, and other boy toys. So when I came across these, how could I pass them up!

Because Rover is bound to not only pursue knowledge but also be a destroyer of it I found a Golden STURDY book that he can actually be left alone with.

And it just so happens to have the first animals that he can identify {with a precious fat little finger}. Birds...

and dogs...

There was one book we knew we couldn't leave without. What Do You Say? We got a good chuckle out of it... we couldn't get past the pictures to see if the words were of any value. We were sold on the pictures alone.

Tommy and his mom, Mrs. Hill, pick up Cindy and take her to the carnival... but you probably already know that from the pictures. Anyone want to guess what year it was written? No "google" cheating.

Thanks, Mom for treating us to these wonderful books! They've already provided hours of reading and listening enjoyment for all!

ps- The trays in the last post came from Michael's {or Hobby Lobby} and I used paint pens to write their names on them.

room service

2009-08-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

A Thrifting You Should Go!

2009-07-31T15:51:00.004-05:00

It's been raining today. After I finished dishes this morning we tried to swim, but got rained out.

So we came inside had a picnic in the family room and watched cartoons. After serving her lunch I asked Paige how much she loved me.

It joys my heart when she does this. Then she said, "I WANT MY MILK NOW!" That doesn't joy my heart.

I also let John Martin have an Oreo. He scarfed his down and made his way to his sister and managed to snag hers out of her hands. Rover!

She snagged it back.

And he completely fell apart.

So what is the responsible mother to do? Strip him down...

And take pictures of him.

And give him another Oreo. And this, my friends, is how you spoil a child rotten. Don't do as I do. Please.

So, what does all of this have to do with going to the thrift store? Nothing.

My intentions were to also show you some great deals we found at the thrift stores this weekend. First, I didn't find this at the thrift store... but it was cheap and I think it's cute. I also found a little black knit cardigan to wear over it. It's from Walmart and I paid $1 for it. I buy most of my clothes at Walmart. I have no problem admitting this. They're cute and they're cheap. And their jeans come in lengths. Our local store is "rearranging" resulting in clearance racks that are overflowing. $1. Packs of gum cost more than that. {They have it brown and white too.}

These are the precious curtains panels we found for $4. I haven't completely decided what I'm going to do with them but they sure are fun and colorful.

I also found a handful of really great clothing items for me and the kids. And last but not least... the most exciting find was a new stroller. A rockin' {literally} new stroller.

It's called a Rockstar Baby Stoller {Infinity model} and I paid $10 for it. It's by Jon Bon Jovi. Seriously. I didn't know he was in the business of designing strollers but apparently he is. It's basically just like a Bugaboo {with a smaller price tag} and in my case... a MUCH smaller price tag. The picture above is the toddler seat completely reclined. It also comes off and can face forward. Like this...

It was fairly nasty when I got it. But a little elbow grease and it's like new! I also found this YouTube video that shows all it's bells and whistles. I may have to loan it over to sister for a while... with a Snugride clip and a pram attachment she probably would use it more than I would. I don't think they make it any more.

I'm not a very big fan of the "graffiti-ish" logo but I can very much get over it, especially since you can't really see it when he's in it. And while he rides in it his new nickname shall be John Bon Martin.

Ok, you should hit the thrift stores this weekend.... just don't go to the ones I like to go to.

FYI: rover is a word

2009-07-31T10:13:00.003-05:00

ROVER- [roh-ver] –noun
1. a person who roves; wanderer.

ROVE- [rohv] --verb
1. to wander about without definite destination; move hither and thither at random, esp. over a wide area.

He fits the definition, whew. I could add a few more adjectives for a rover though. But I'll leave the defining up to Webster.

Be back soon... I just wanted to enlighten you this morning. Please use the word ROVER a lot. It's a great word.

He's such a complete and total rover.

Roll With Me

2009-07-30T17:32:00.001-05:00

Hello friends.

I need to go on vacation more often. The blog gets more attention when I'm not at home. When I'm home my children need me, my husband needs me, my house needs me, my laundry needs me, my closets need me... you know the story.

While we wait for Marla to muster up the bravery to address your many questions I thought I might bring you up to speed on life.

First, my mother left this morning. I can hardly stand it when she leaves. She's so much fun to have around. She loves these little ones and is such a fabulous, energetic, loving, and creative grandmother. Mom, thanks for spending the last few days with us. We hope to see you again soon! Do you spy the Marimekko-ish print behind Morgan? That was a fabulous thrift store find. I also found some other fabulous things this past weekend... I'll share soon!

Second, last weekend we had a shower for Erika {she's my twin sister, expecting her first-- in case you are new around here}. She posted about it on Monday, twice. It was such a wonderful party and my favorite part {besides celebrating the new life} was seeing old friends I haven't seen in a LONG time.

Tara being one of them. I can assure you I was equally excited to see her as she was me {can you tell by baby Blair's expression?}. She was a sorority sister, lived on my hall my freshman year at Auburn and became a dear friend. She's from Childersburg, AL and is about as Southern as they come. My first memory of Tara was watching her crack open a can of boiled peanuts and asking her what on earth she was eating, I'm sure she was just as shocked that I didn't know what boiled peanuts were! She's fun, a ball of energy and hilarious. A few years ago she had a major scare and underwent open-heart surgery to replace a hole she had in her heart that went undetected since birth! I'm glad she's alive and I was really glad to see her and her angel, who has her mommy's lashes.

The shower was straight from a magazine.

No detail was overlooked.

The setting was perfect.

The food and flowers were also perfect! {flowers were all done by Anna-- pictured below}

And thirdly, my children. Oh these children, more specifically my son. Complete scallywags.

I've never given much, if any, thought to the idea of man evolving from ape, until I became the mother of a son. And now I must spend some more time in the Word to fight the creeping suspicion that man possibly did evolve from ape.

Please, look past his sweet, innocent looks.

And trust me when I tell you he is a total maniac. Do you see the ribbon tied {tightly} around his waist? What you can't see is that it's doubled up and also goes behind him to keep him in.

On a very regular basis I say, "John Martin what are you doing? You are going to kill yourself!" I've decided to call him "rover" when he acts bad. I say, "You are such a total rover!" I don't even know what a rover is... but I can probably muster up a pretty good definition and put his picture beside it.

Rover also will never be still and that is why I am mourning the fact that he is no longer nursing. {sniffle, sniffle} He had no problem weaning. I on the other hand am still coming to grips with the reality of it. Why? Because the child is rarely still. The only time he would be still and let me hold him was while he was nursing. I keep reminding myself that I can wear dresses now. Dresses, Darby. Come on, you can wear dresses again!

Right now, he's sitting at my feet eating a few nerds his sisters shared with him. He only has 7 teeth, all incisors, so I'm not sure how he's chewing them. But at least he's not in the fireplace.

Oh, he's such a rover.

Checking In

2009-07-28T14:42:00.003-05:00

I'm still up to my eyeballs in laundry and tending to the house but I thought I'd take a second and check in! You all came up with some awesome questions for Marla! I can't wait to hear what advice she has to offer us.

I've decided {on this rainy day} to tackle the closets in my sewing room... but I'll be back soon with some pictures from Erika's baby shower!

Professional Help

2009-07-23T20:09:00.002-05:00

We made it home in just a few minutes short of 12 hours! Thanks for your prayers. He was 150% better on the way home than he was on the way up. He cried between Birmingham and Montgomery but that seemed like nothing compared to the long ride up. While I regain my blogging energy I'm going to do a little something fun.

Something that involves this beautiful, talented and gracious friend...

Marla Carter {pictured here with Hornet}. Marla's a professional. I'm an amateur.

Sometimes you all email me or leave comments asking for photography advice. I'm honored that you would like for me to give you advice on photography, however, me giving you advice on photography would be like me telling you how to perm your hair at home {the results could be really scary}. So, I'm going to leave the advice up to the professional.

Marla is a very talented and trained photographer. And.... she has agreed to answer your questions about photography. Do you know how excited I am about this? Very. I've already started my own list.

Marla received her Bachelor's degree in Commercial Photography from Syracuse. After graduation she made her home in New York City trying her hand in fashion photography, only to realize that the industry wasn't a fit for her. Her heart had always been in portrait photography but knowing the start up costs of such an endeavor she put her dreams on the back burner. Until... the industry went digital, then she went for it and hasn't stopped since. She and her husband are in it together and have been going strong on their own for six years. Marla and Shane have a retail space in Redfish Village, along Florida's scenic Hwy 30-A. They each shoot over 100 clients a year yet make it a priority to maintain a very personal relationship with each one. Marla is such a natural with children {and parents}. None of the shots Marla takes are contrived. She captures each and every personality with such ease. She especially loves to shoot children playing with each other and interacting and playing with their parents. She also was recently chosen as a consultant for the nation's largest professional lab and the picture featured above is part of their marketing campaign. Have I made it clear she's good? Better educated than me? Better suited to answer all your questions? Ok, good.

Here are the rules for the sake of Marla's sanity...

Be specific in your questions. General questions like, "How do I take good pictures?" are very hard to answer. Specific questions are much easier to answer... like, "Do you recommend filters? How do you get good pictures inside? What should I look for in a camera bag? What's your favorite lens? How much can I expect to spend on a good SLR and a couple of good lenses?" You could probably even ask her a Photoshop question! Have fun, be creative, and be specific.

I'm going to leave the rest up to Marla. She'll be back with answers early next week. I'll keep the comments open.

In the meantime, I'm going to go hang out with her and throw my sister a little shower this weekend!

Photo courtesy of Marla, snapped by Erika!

Lator Gators & Blessed Names

2009-07-22T06:15:00.005-05:00

I'm getting techincal and setting this to post in the morning... so, if all goes well we should be on our merry way or close to it.

Our time here was PEACEFUL & FABULOUS. My parents are wonderful hosts and we are leaving feeling filled to the brim. It's no small task to invite 3 very small children into your home for 3 weeks. Mom already asked if I'd mind waiting until John Martin is in first grade until I have another baby. I'm not sure why she asked, she knows our track record. As the words came from her lips he was climbing naked and soaking wet from the tub onto the tile floor. She must like first grade because the funny thing is that she also fears he will nurse until he is in first grade {I've assured her he's days from being done!!}. So, if her calculations are right she'll be right on track. I think we he may have done her in. He's 100% boy! He can't walk yet but he has no problem getting where ever it is that he wants to go. I think he could scale a wall if he wanted. Today we were loading the car, looked over and he was sitting on the Gator. He looked at us as to say, "What? Am I not supposed to be doing this!"

I love my parents so much and thank them for the sacrifices they've made to have us here these past 3 weeks. They are the two hardest working people that I know. They started restoring the farm in 1996 and it has been their on-going project ever since, along with about 50 other on-going projects. My parents make me very proud. They have worked so very hard to have what they have and yet they realize material possessions hold no eternal value, which makes me even more proud. I cherish the time I have with them and wish we lived closer. Maybe you've noticed that we don't get together often, but when we do, it's not for hours, it's for weeks. And I love that.

Thanks, Mom & DaddyBoy, for having us here for so long. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time and already can't wait until next summer. Same time, same place... 2010, ok? Would it be okay if I brought a couple of college girls to help with the kids next year? They can stay in the cottage and we can send the kids down there every night from 5 pm until bedtime... but we'll be sure to have the college girls come put the kids in bed while we sit on the porch and eat homemade ice cream and drink decaf coffee. Any takers!? :) I could pay you with blueberries. Millions of them. And they're organic, if you're into that kinda thing!

And the girls could show you some awesome dance moves. Any college band party wouldn't be the same when you return. If you've ever seen me dance you can tell the girls got my rhythm.

I'm really being 97% serious. We have had a wonderful time but as most of you know, vacationing with kids can be a lot of fun and a lot of work. Mom and I have spent a lot of time together but our time together revolves primarily around these three little monkeys.

In case you're wondering, John Martin's clothing is by God and the girls' clothing is by Blessed Be The Name. Remember, I told you I'd show you? I'm holding up to my word.

When companies make clothes this cute it makes me want to kick my sewing machine to curb. Ashley, you are one talented lady and I've yet to see anything that I didn't love!!

Lator gators! Again, prayers for travel mercies would be so appreciated... especially in light of Hornet's trip up and forecasted RAIN! And if he chooses to be a total hornet again we'll be "good" in a few hours... it only took me a few to get over it when we got here.

Lator gators!

4-H

2009-07-21T06:12:00.012-05:00

Mornin' stalkers! {Let the pictures load. It will only take a second!}

Hope you all are well this Tuesday morning. Today we'll be packing up and tomorrow we'll be heading back home. Justin's been bachin' it since the 4th of July weekend, maybe you've noticed he's not been around? Anyway, I'm not quite brave enough to spend 12 hours in the car with 3 kids by myself so my very gracious mother is driving us home. Bless her dear soul and Lord help us.

Yesterday was the most fantastic of all our days here {in my opinion}. As I mentioned before we took the kids to the zoo a couple weeks ago. I haven't blogged about it because, quite frankly, it was hot and hilly the animals were rather lethargic. If it weren't for a couple giraffes to make us laugh we might never darken the door of another zoo and we still may not.

Let me suggest a FREE alternative to a zoo...

Free. The best things in life are free. This little county 4H fair put the big zoo to shame. I'm even thinking of going back today by myself.

Mimi was the one who suggested we go. She must know her grandaughter.

I honestly don't know who had more fun me or the kids. There were chickens, rabbits, and pigs, Oh My!

They were all in cages. Can you imagine if they weren't? It's hard to shoot animals in cages. Sometimes you can't see the cages, sometimes you can.

Do you all have any idea how dangerous it is to take me to a 4H fair?

This was the only creature that I didn't really want. A fancy pigeon with her collar up.

Oh, and I didn't want the guineas either.

Have you ever heard a guinea?

They're like roosters on crack. I had to find someone who looked like they knew what they were doing and ask, "Are those guineas always that obnoxious?" He said, "No. Usually they're worse. They're the best watch dog you could ever have." So, friends, if you want to drive you neighbors crazy and keep the robbers at bay go get a flock of guineas.

The kids loved it.

This girl dominated the rabbit exhibit and told us which rabbits would bite. But my kids put their fingers in all cages regardless of whether they bit or not. Thankfully we made it home with all our digits.

Some looked more like guinea pigs.

And some were tattooed.

There were pigs too.

They were so thirsty.

And stinky.

The boys who own the hogs were so proud and I was so proud of these boys. Aren't they cute? I could hardly keep up. They were pointing and telling me who's hog was who's.

The one in the white nearly killed himself to get his hog to turn around so I could feed it a marshmallow. He finally got it turned around and then I accidently dropped the marshmallow and getting down in front of a 400 pound hog to retrieve a marshmallow was out of the question, for me at least.

Second to the guineas, this little sheep got the "loudest participant" award.

I'm not sure what it wanted but it sure was "baaaaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaaaa'ing" for something.

And I don't think it was to have it's picture made.

I caught up with the rest of them at the goat exhibit. By the way, the crowds were so slim. If you see anyone else in our pictures, they were likely participating in the fair. Most of the kids thought I was with the newspaper. I can't imagine what would give them that impression!

The goats were my favorite. Mom couldn't resist either. Those furry little lips were so soft!

This one wanted to escape. Must be why Billy had a collar on.

This girl made me mourn being a city slicker. 4H was never an option at any of the schools I ever attended.

She was so sweet and totally dominated the goat exhibit.

Mr. Mouse even got in on the goat action.

And I did too.

I spotted this very full {or so I thought} dairy goat.

I asked the girl if she was really full or if that was normal... "normal," she said. Then she said, "Do you want to milk her?"

I mean, seriously, when will I have another opportunity to milk a goat.

As I placed my hand on the goat's boney back, she explained that the milk takes the fat from the goat. I wanted to tell her that lactating had a similar effect on me. But she was in high school and I didn't want to totally wig her out nor did I want to compare myself to a dairy goat.

Have you ever milked a goat? It is extremely difficult. Thankfully they only have 2 teats. This young lady milks 3 goats twice a day. She also has hands and forearms of steel. I tried and a little stream would trickle out and then she'd show me and milk would squirt out hard and fast and then I'd try and a little trickle would come out. She definitely needs to be the 4H queen. They pasteurize all the milk and drink it. She explained how good fresh goat milk is and how good it is for you. I wanted to try it. So I put my head up under her teat.... no just kidding.

Next up... cows.

This one was a beautiful champagne color. The owners explained her mother was a Charolais and her father was an Angus. I thought she was beautiful. Her owner did too. These kids are so proud of their animals and all wanted their pictures made with them.

This is for my friend, Everlie. She used to show dairy cows and was the 4H state champ back in her day. This 4H fair had one dairy cow. And it didn't even have any milk yet. But her owner was as proud as he could be of her.

And for my sister, there were inside exhibits too. And one lonely participant in the Interior Design category.

Ok, time to start scouring the house for all our belongings that are scattered from one room to another.

The Marathon, Sunsets, iPod, & Earphones

2009-07-19T15:56:00.012-05:00

As the title indicates, this post will be all over the place.

As I mentioned before, DaddyBoy works in Chicago. It's kinda close to the farm but not really at all. He made his way down this weekend. And we were all glad to see him.

Especially Mr. Mouse.

And wait 'til Mr. Mouse is big enough to play on the tractor, Gator, & 4-wheeler... we may never get him away from here.

DaddyBoy is a wonderful dad and has always been cool. He has this uncanny ability to mesh with folks from all walks of life. He shops at Rural King and he shops at Nordstrom.

He also owns an old Marathon gas station in Mt. Carmel that is being torn down tomorrow. Yesterday he asked me to help him clean it out. With the promise of a soft taco from Taco Tierra I agreed.

We didn't leave early enough because I didn't get my soft taco until 10 pm, by then I wasn't really sure I wanted a soft taco but he insisted. Had we gone any earlier, we certainly wouldn't have seen the sun setting like we did.

He was pretty good about me pulling out my camera while he was driving. I think I'm totally over caring what people think about me sporting a camera around my neck.

He'll probably call and say, "Will you please take those pictures off your blog?" And I will say, "No."

Ok, where was I? The sun... it was setting... and it was real nice, Clark.

But DaddyBoy's not near as patient as Mom. He'd slow down but stopping was completely out of the question. So I had to snap with my head out a moving window. He did, however, help me look for some dairy goats that I wanted to take the children to see. They must have dried up because we couldn't find them.

We made our way to the Marathon and there really wasn't much to take pictures of, especially since I didn't take any pictures until we were done loading the trailer.

Except there was this water fountain. I thought about rescuing it from the bulldozers but it's 4 feet tall and my kids are only 3 feet tall and it had a little bit of bird poop all over it. But it sure would be fun in the playroom... I guess I have until tomorrow morning to make up my mind. If it meant my children would only drink water and I'd never have to buy another sippy cup I'd go get it tonight.

There have been a few misunderstandings about the "Marathon". Mom told someone last week that she had just finished up at the Marathon and when she met them they looked her up and down and said, "Wow! How in the world did you just finish a marathon? You don't even look like you've been running!"

Anyway, we had to make the trip from farm to town more than once. Good thing DaddyBoy has an iPod. I tend to be technologically challenged and this blog is about the only thing "technical" that I do. I don't text on my phone nor do I own an an iPod. But with a little playing around I figured out how to use dad's. His music selections are so "him". First of all, I had to ask him if he uploaded his songs in 1991. But then I acknowledged at least he has an iPod and knows how to upload songs... he's definitely got me beat so I could only give him so much grief.

We played some Red Hot Chili Peppers, Belinda Carlisle, Mary Chapin Carpenter and 10,000 Maniacs and then I started to test him. We played "name that tune". He did really well on some, not so well on others. It took him 26 seconds to name Jewel: You Were Meant for Me and I think by then she was on the chorus.

The girls were waiting for us on the porch when we got home from trip 1.

And Bird Brown {the chocolate lab mix} was waiting too.

We couldn't resist getting out for a break. Paige couldn't wait to show DaddyBoy her "pwetty shoes". {Morgan still sporting a "super hero cape".}

And then we headed back to town again and I only got one more shot before the sun completely set.

And last but not least, Mom and I are gearing up for the ride back to Alabama this week. My dad has some great ear plugs that I think will suit me fine for our ride home. If I had only borrowed them for our drive up.

Hope you all had wonderful weekends!

The Windows are Open Wide

2009-07-17T22:03:00.003-05:00

I have a feeling Miss May is blushing in heaven. Thanks for all your kind comments regarding the last post!

We've been busy this week! Mom {my mom} has been busy too. DaddyBoy {my dad} holds down a full time job in "corporate America" and spends most of the week in Chicago, leaving Mom to run the real estate happenings here in Mt. Carmel. This week she had several closings; with that comes a lot of work and time away from the farm. While she was away I attempted to hold the three little ones at bay, no small task when you're not in your own home. Yesterday they were acting like a bunch of scallywags. Sometimes they make me want to beat my head against the wall. The best medicine {along with a lot of prayer} for crazy kids {and a crazy mom} is a trip outside.

I can think of no better time or place to be outside. The temperatures have dropped into the 70s and there is a cool breeze.

Mimi met us {with a packed picnic} at the city park one afternoon.

Mom met us there too and patiently waited for Paige to churn up a little courage.

Finally she came... terrified.

The city park is not state of the art. But it sure is fun!

In fact, it hasn't changed much since I was a child and played there, Mimi packed this picture along with the picnic.

We looked for the same contraption I'm pictured in, we think this is it.

Or at least it's close.

The girls loved the water fountain.

And JM loved the squirrels.

The girls have also become fast friends with the twins from across the street. They've played for hours and hours and it's so nice to have such precious girls close by.

I had the pleasure of painting all 40 of their little toes.

One night Mom took us across a toll bridge that I feel certain we should have been paid to cross rather than pay to cross. It used to be a train bridge and they converted it by laying railroad ties across the tracks.

You are fully responsible for making sure there are no on-coming cars before you cross. Some locals will drive 30 miles out of the way to avoid crossing this bridge. I can see why.

I've also witnessed a few of these.

Today we found a hidden treasure. There is a small school in my parent's town and behind it... a fabulous little playground. We found it on our walk this morning, hurried home, packed a picnic and then headed right back.

Hot dogs, potato chips, sippy cups, sunglasses, a blanket, a camera... and we were ALL set.

Oh, and a chicken leg too.

And now it looks like my children are barbarians by the way they eat.

It's a small Christian school...

and sits at the crossroads of town & cornfields.

The girls were in heaven.

John Martin had a rice krispy treat with a side of pebbles.

Mimi brought out dinner to us tonight and spent time on the porch trying to hold John Martin.

But he's such a worm.

The girls played with their new friends and their puppies tonight too. {Morgan sporting her "super hero cape".}

And I watched the sky...

... and wondered if anyone who doesn't believe a creative God spoke our universe into existence has been outside lately?

Psalm 72:19 Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Viola "May" Johnson

2009-07-14T08:36:00.011-05:00

Viola “May” Johnson.

A woman I never knew. A woman I wish I had known.

Mother and I spent last Saturday morning at the auction of her estate. It was held just around the corner from my parent’s farm. To say that it was an emotional experience would be an understatement. I turned to mom and said, “Is it okay for me to cry at an auction?” She said, “Yes. I feel like crying to.” I was mourning the loss of a person I never knew and more than that, I was mourning the fact that her belongings, her history, her home, her land, the works of her hands and what was left of her earthly life were all abandoned to an auctioneer. From what I can tell of May and what I've since learned of her, she was an extraordinary woman.

We came close to not going, it was raining and we questioned whether or not it would be worth outfitting ourselves in rain gear and dredging through the mud to see what was left of the 94-year old woman’s belongings. Her real estate was to be sold first followed by her belongings, which included everything from her toilet paper to her car. The auction flier advertised “this home is crammed full of an unbelievable amount of small collectibles”. That can be good or that can be bad… we would only know if we went, so we did.

My aunt and cousin kept the kids. We clothed ourselves in slickers and I zipped my camera bag up under my rain jacket, which made my jacket extremely tight, hot and uncomfortable, but I’m glad I did it. And we were glad we went. We thought the rain would be to our advantage and hinder others, unfortunately everyone else had the same idea.

My parents have always gone to auctions. I’ve only been to a handful, but those I have been to have not only been entertaining, but also, memorable. This one was no different. It was an absolute auction, meaning there were no reserves. They started with her 3 bedroom house that sits on a beautiful acre and a half of land with 3 outbuildings, mature trees and blackberries like I’ve never seen. It went for a measly $28,000. This is when the lump appeared in my throat and I kept telling myself not to cry but I could hardly contain myself. I cried because something so beautiful can’t be sold for so little. I also cried because I wished I could buy it, although, I knew how unreasonable such a thought was. I kept telling myself people pay more for cheap cars than this.

I went through the house.

Her car {pictured above} was sold at noon. It was a 1985 Ford LTD in mint condition with 45,000 miles. I imagine May drove it to town and then back home, once a week for 20+ years.

The inside of the house was not updated, nor was it necessarily beautiful. But it did have hardwood floors and I imagine it had a lot of stories to tell if it could. Each room was brightly painted; I could tell May loved color!

After I went through the kitchen, I continued through the doorway you see and made a right hand turn and found the stairs that led to the basement. You can imagine my surprise when I reached the bottom of the stairs. The lump came back in my throat. If you’ve ever canned anything you can appreciate what I saw.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, nor could I resist taking pictures, a lot of pictures.

Do you have any idea how many hours May spent standing over a hot stove to can all those jars? Some dated as recent as 2006; she would have been 91 years old standing over the stove canning her vegetables {that I imagine she grew} and the blackberries that she picked.

I had no desire to crack open any of her jars but I certainly could appreciate her efforts and time. There must have been 200 unopened jars in the basement.

After nearly falling over at the sight of the jars I walked to the other side of the basement where I found her old washing machine and stove. It appeared as though both died mid-cycle.

The auction continued outside. People hovered over hay trailers that were placed around her yard, covered in belongings that were destined for the auction block.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that May wasn’t much of one for getting rid of stuff. Radios, owl lamps, family pictures, a wedding gown, quilts {all done by hand}, glass jars, jewelry, dolls, toys, scissors… and the list goes on and on. You name it, she had it.

May never married and I can only wonder if she bought this wedding gown on clearance {the price tag was marked down to $20} with the hopes that one day she would wear it. It was beautiful.

Her obituary offered little insight to her life, but what it did tell, I already knew from being at her auction; that she wasn't married, nor did she have any children. My great aunt, Martha, was kin to May. After a few emails back and forth she's confirmed all my suspicions about May. I knew if she had living children or grandchildren most of what was up for auction would have certainly been claimed and I knew by the sight of her basement, yard and belongings she was one hard worker and a fine homemaker.

Here's what my great aunt Martha had to say about May:

SHE WAS ALWAYS A HARD WORKER AND LOVING PERSON. THE LAST TIME WE WENT TO SEE HER AT HOME SHE JUMPED INTO THE CAR AFTER I GOT OUT ON MY SIDE AND GRABBED BOB {my great uncle} FOR A BIG HUG BEFORE HE COULD GET OUT. SHE ALWAYS GAVE US SOME CANNED BLACKBERRIES TO TAKE HOME WITH US AND SHE SENT ME SOME FAMILY PICTURES LAST YEAR THAT SHE THOUGHT I MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE. I LAST SAW HER IN THE HOSPITAL AT EVANSVILLE. MAY NEVER MARRIED OR HAD A CHILD. THROUGH ALL THE YEARS I NEVEREVEN HEARD OF A BOY FRIEND. SHE ALWAYS SMILED AND SEEMED HAPPY. UNCLE JOHNNY AND AUNT DORIS NEVER HAD ANY CHILDREN OTHER THAN MAY. SHE WORKED SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEM IN THE FIELDS AND ON THE FARM ALL HER LIFE. WHEN THEY DIED ALL THE FAMILY WERE HAPPY TO SEE MAY GET THE FARM WHICH SHE SOLD AND BOUGHT THE LITTLE HOUSE SHE LIVED IN FROM THEN ON. SHE WAS ALWAYS A HARD WORKER AND LOVING PERSON.

May kept every card ever sent to her. She didn't keep junk mail. She kept letters and cards that were important to her, from people she cared about.

She also kept every Valentine she ever received. Guess who was the highest bidder? Me. I couldn't resist. They're gorgeous and there are nearly 100 of them, if not more.

Mom was the highest bidder on an old doll high chair. She's cleaned it all up and her granddaughters love it.

I also bid on and won the frog and dog for John Martin's bookshelves.

If you've never been to an auction and bid on something, it's so exciting. It will make your heart race; the auctioneer talks so fast I couldn't help but wonder if I was bidding against myself.

The auctioneer came out of his trailer to sell a few things.

The man in the red hat was bidding against the man to his right {in the blue hat} for May's tiller.

It was so fun to watch them.

The man in blue kept looking down at the tiller, like he was measuring her up, to see if she was worth it.

She was a beauty, but in my opinion not worth the price she went for. That's what happens at an auction when two people want the same thing.

May had a few little toys. Because she didn't have any children of her own, I imagine these were around for nieces and nephews.

This one was my favorite. It was so very small and fit in the palm of my hand.

There were so many things that I saw that I would have like to bid on but an auction takes, what seems like, forever. We only had a few hours which wasn't nearly enough time to get even half way through the sale; they were likely there all day. It's probably best that we didn't stay, otherwise, I would have left with much more.

I did happen to bid on and win a necklace that belonged to May, I paid $12 for the necklace {and a pair of matching earrings}.

Two oranges hang from each little gold branch along with a green leaf. I thought it was so unique and beautiful. Clearly it isn't meant to be paired with a grey and white tank top but by the end of the auction the sun had appeared and my rain gear was gone.

If you'd like to see more of what I saw and captured at the auction you can do so by following this link to my Auction set on Flickr. It was certainly a Saturday morning for the record books and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn more about May Johnson, if only it would have been this side of eternity. I hope we can meet up on the other side, I think we'll be good friends.

Party at the Schoolhouse

2009-07-12T15:58:00.004-05:00

My family can find any reason to throw a gathering, but this past Friday we had two very good reasons to celebrate! Two of our three children have summer birthdays; John Martin turned 1 on June 30th and Paige will be 3 on Tuesday {July 14th}.

So, we headed to the schoolhouse for pizza, birthday cake, presents and fun.

This is the kindest "almost" three-year old I know; tender, sweet, caring, compasionate, and cute as a little button.

We didn't tell her she was having a birthday party, you can imagine her excitement.

She also didn't know there would be cake or presents or birthday hats. Neither did her sister.

There were several "good sports" who donned hats for the occassion.

Equally as exciting as the hats were the candles {all of them... Morgan was in charge of adding them to the cake so we ended with many more than we actually needed}.

John Martin squeeled like a little pig {and made a face like one too} when we presented him with his birthday candle!

And the poor little man got his feelings hurt when we took the cake away to cut it... or maybe he noticed the candle was pink and the frosting was purple!

He got his cake and Cousin calmed him down!

After the cake and ice cream George took the kids out to play in the corn. I couldn't find them anywhere and then a little head popped up!

I think we may plant our entire back yard in corn, it's been very entertaining for the kids! Although, I'm certain, ours wouldn't look anything like this.

Then we came in to open presents...

JM's fish bubble came from Ashley Eiler of Blessed Be the Name & Favorite Laundry children's clothing lines. It might be the sweetest thing he owns and just wait 'til you see what the girls got {I'll show you soon... we brought them with us}! I examined the construction with my "hawk eyes" and they are so well made, lined, and absolutely beautifully constructed!!

After the kids opened presents we went outside to play wiffle ball and roll around in the freshly mowed grass.

Our weekend has been so wonderful and included an trip to the Dairy D...

plus much more that I'll report on soon!

Summer Recipe: Fruit Roll-Ups

2009-07-10T07:56:00.010-05:00

Here's an easy recipe for homemade fruit roll-ups (or fruit leather).

First, thanks for all your comments and excitement over yesterday's post. I never know how things are going to go over and when we got home from the zoo I was floored by all your comments! Thanks!

Ok, now for the fruit roll-ups...

I've always been a sucker for Stretch Island Fruit Leather. I buy it for my kids and tell myself, "It's healthy, good for them, low sugar and worth paying more for!" But then I eat it all and save them none. So, I had this idea to make some. A little online research and I came up with my own recipe.

The fruit stands in our country are overflowing, what a great time to make some fruit roll-ups. Or if you have access to fruit trees and you aren't picking already you will be soon. My parents happen to have fruit trees {apples, pears, and peaches} that aren't quite ready but they are drowning in blueberries. When we were in town a few days ago we stopped by the peach wagon for some peaches.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree; the two of us together and little bartering we bought the "over ripe boxes" for a price so low they might as well have paid us to take them.

I didn't take a picture of our peaches because quite frankly they were over ripe and extremely ugly. But once you got past the skin and a few soft spots they were sweet and perfect!

The first batch was BLUEBERRY PEACH. After I processed them in the food processor I added them to the blender because I realized the food processor didn't "blend" well enough. So, disregard the above picture {I just liked it} and just add them to the blender. I also added a few cups of unsweetened applesauce and the juice of 1/2 a lemon to the mix.

The second batch was PEACH.

I poured my mixture into a HEAVY saucepan. It wasn't quite sweet enough so I added 1/2 cup of sugar. I know the point is to make them low sugar, but this isn't a ton of sugar and the other point is for it to be edible. If you don't want to add the sugar you could probably add some crushed grapes, they are super sweet and would give it the natural sugar boost it needs.

I brought it to a boil. Reduced the heat and skimmed the foam off the top. {If you're into canning, the foam that collects over this is similar to the foam that collects on top of your preserves.}

Once the foam was skimmed off with a spoon, I kept it over low heat and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently, to reduce it.

While it reduced the girls had the twins {the ones with the precious puppies} over from across the street and I decided to snap a few pictures of what they were up to. And because I know you'll want to see more of Brooke.

You'll know you're properly "reduced" when you scrape a spatula across the bottom of the pan and the red sea stays parted.

Then you can pour your mixture into a lined cookie sheet. I used parchment paper on one and plastic wrap on the other. If you use plastic wrap I suggest you buy the kind that is heat safe.

Both the parchment and plastic wrap worked great. It's a toss up as to which method I would prefer. So use which ever you have. It will be about 1/4" thick but will reduce to about half of that when it bakes.

Be sure to spread your fruit evenly across the pan. Place it in an oven preheated to 145 degrees. If you have convection use it. Leave the mixture in the oven over night or around 8 to 10 hours. It will have a slight tack when it's done but not stick to your fingers. Here are my two batches; Blueberry Peach on the left and Peach on the right.

Mom will probably fuss over her cluttered kitchen, I'll assure her y'all don't mind and that you will actually be pleased to see a mess.

When it's done the edges will easily remove from the paper like this:

Using a pizza cutter & a ruler I cut strips in the dried fruit.

I cut a strip of parchment paper and layed it over the strip of fruit and started to roll like this.

When you're done you can trim the extra paper off the ends and it will look like this:

One cookie sheet of fruit will yield 8 to 10 fruit roll-ups. I also did a few smaller ones by cutting a line horizontally through my original cuts and the smaller size is more suitable for toddlers. It will keep for a week in an air tight container or ziploc bag... but it's likely it won't be around long enough to spoil.

My kids sure loved it.

The zoo was fun too... more on that later.

I don't have access to Adobe on this computer to PDF the recipe, when I get home I'll create a "printer friendly" version. Until then, here's one you can jot down and really the possibilities are endless... just keep in mind a 5 cup blender full of fruit will yield one cookie sheet of fruit leather:

Blueberry Peach Fruit Leather

4 peaches peeled and sliced
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 heaping cups blueberries
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup of sugar {optional}

Blend fruit ingredients in blender until smooth. Add to heavy saucepan and add sugar if needed, bring to boil while stirring. Reduce heat and skim foam from the top with a spoon. Simmer over low/medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture has properly reduced. Pour mixture onto a parchment or plastic wrapped cookie sheet and bake at 145 {with convection if you have it} for 8 to 10 hours. Cut into strips and roll up with parcment.

Peach Fruit Leather
8 peaches peeled and sliced
2 cups of unsweetened applesauce
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup of sugar {optional}

Follow directions above.

Yesterday We Went to Town

2009-07-09T06:14:00.013-05:00

Mornin'!

Warning: longest post in the history of the blog... may take a while to upload! If you don't have time to read now, please come back, I've put a lot of time and energy into this one! :)

Yesterday we went to town. Let me tell you a little about "town" before I show it to you.

My parent's farm is in a very small farming community 12 miles outside of Mt. Carmel, Illinois. For simplicity sake, my whole family is either from there or currently lives there. It's a very small, quaint town with a population of 7,000 and sits on the western bank of the Wabash River, which separates it from Southern Indiana. It, like many other small towns, has been affected by the larger retailers moving in {or nearby} which almost always results in the starvation and eventual death of a downtown {or in their case what they refer to as "uptown"}.

My parents have, for as long as I can remember, had a vision and love for Mt. Carmel. They both grew up there, knew it in it's "prime", graduated from it's high school and I imagine, for the rest of their lives will do their part to improve it, love it, and continue to have a vision to return it to the thriving community that it once was. Unfortunately, finding others with an equal vision, admiration of the past and love for a small town has proven to be the most challenging part.

Before I go on, I will clarify that the town itself is not dead, nor is it desolate. It is however, a town that has been greatly affected by the closing of plants and the closing of mines. The uptown has retailers, but the street lights that used to change from green, to yellow, to red now simply flash red. The traffic is not heavy and I would dare to guess that only every second, maybe third building is occupied. There is no Walmart in town, but there is one across the river. There is no KMart. There is no Target {although there used to be}. There is Pamida, Dollar General, Family Dollar, McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut and a few others. There is a very small handful of locally owned restaurants, unfortunately, none of which are located uptown.

Hadley's, up until a few months ago, was the only place uptown to eat. Unfortunately, it fell victim to a fire {which totally destoryed the building adjacent it} and with no insurance there's no hope for rebuilding or reopening it or the other 3 buildings that fell victim. My Papa {DaddyBoy's dad} used to go to Hadley's every morning at 6 am.

My parents own the building that houses "Blades". The building to it's right was another victim of the fire, and the owner didn't have insurance. It's sad to think that it will likely sit like that until it either falls down or someone is willing to buy it and rebuild it. My parents use the space above Blades to house their "office". They have a real estate business, not the kind with brokers and realtors, they rent homes, duplexes and retail space.

I love to imagine what life once was like when Mt. Carmel was thriving. I also love to imagine what went on in the beautiful houses that are perfectly spread around it. Yesterday, my mother very graciously drove me around town and very patiently allowed me to get out often and snap some pictures. It's not exactly a tedious job for her, she too, loves older homes, and this town.

Our first stop is the second piece of real estate they bought and restored. When my grandfather died my parents bought this house for my grandmother, Mimi to live in. {Mimi also reads the blog and corrected me yesterday that Brooke Shields did not come from a yard sale, she bought it when I was little, put it in the attic and forgot about it until she recently moved.} A few months ago Mimi moved out of this house into a smaller duplex that is more energy efficient and suitable for a widow.

It pains me to tell you that this house is for sale. My childhood memories of Mt. Carmel are centered around this house. Not only does it have a history with me, it has a history with our Nation. It's one of the oldest houses in the state of Illinois and the cellar was used as part of the underground railroad.

It sits on a tree lined, brick street.

And still has many of it's original architectural features.

Including, it's beautiful original Walnut floors.

I have so many memories of Christmas in this house. Santa always came down that chimney you see. We would wait at the top of these narrow and steep stairs. I can hear my Aunt Kaye, "Oh girls, you aren't going to believe who's been here!!! And you're not going to believe what he brought!!"

Then they would open the door and we'd run like mad to the family room and tear into our presents.

I tried to convince Mom that this needs to be their "town" house. We broke it down. We often break houses down, you know, evaluate them, what needs to be done, where the table should go, where furniture should go, what needs to be done in the kitchen. I think I'm close to convincing her to remove the for sale sign that sits in the front yard.

We went up stairs. Mimi has only recently moved out and I've never seen the house empty and I certaily have never seen the attic empty. You can imagine my surprise when Mom opened the door and showed me this:

There is a piece of brightly illustrated linoleum on the floor. I've never seen anything like it.

If they sell the house, they cannot sell this with it. If I could figure out how to get the wallpaper off in one piece I would also insist that it not be sold with the house either.

We went back downstairs and I reminisced about all the meals that my Mimi prepared on this stove. And if it wasn't too much to request that the wallpaper and flooring not be include in the sale of this house, I would also like to request that the stove not be included either.

My mom came across a box of Mimi's things that haven't made their way to her new home. I was somewhat offended that she didn't take us with her and hang us over her bed. Just so we're clear, I'm NOT the one with the tongue out! :)

They say twins skip a generation. In our case, they're right. This is Papa {DaddyBoy's dad} and my Uncle Harland. {Harry & Harland} They too are obviously twins.

At this point in our outing Morgan is screaming, "I want to leave now! I am not having any fun! My hands stink and I want to get out of here!" So we quickly took her {& Paige} to Mimi's new house and dropped them off. She has candy bowls and cable television, we knew they'd be just fine.

Hornet stayed with us. We couldn't do that to her.

Before I continue on with our tour... I must interrupt this post with a hilarious story. My parents built several duplexes in Mt. Carmel {Mimi is pictured here in front of hers}. I noticed one of her neighbors had some "yard ornaments". I commented on them to mom. She went on to tell me about these tiny deer.

My parents have included in the covenants and rescrictions of the neighborhood that no tenants are allowed to display yard ornaments. When Mom saw these little deer appear before Christmas she knew something needed to be done. The tenant was in Florida over the winter so mom went over and collected the tiny deer and placed them in the tenant's garage. Almost immediately, the neighboring tenant, who obviously didn't see mom in action, called the police to report them stolen. It made the front page of the paper the next day. {click here for the newspaper article} Mom had to make a few phone calls and turn herself in. She called the tenant to inform them that she was the deer burglar. He thanked her for placing them in the garage and never asked "why" and so once he returned from Florida the deer made their way back to the front bed, and are still there now. Mom thought they would get the hint but apparently they didn't.

Ok, so after "discussing" the deer we hit the road, with camera and JM in tow. Our first stop happened to be one that they own.

It was built by a tug boat captain who made his way from New Orleans {which you can tell by the architecture} up the rivers to Mt. Carmel. I love the details & the porches. To give you an idea of the "market" here in Mt. Carmel, this is a 3 bedroom house with a carport {my parents added} and it rents for $600/month.

Our next stop was another house they own, but haven't finished restoring.

It's an old "American Gothic" that sits above the levy of the Wabash River. If you come to town from Indiana it's the first house you see {on your left}. It used to house 30,000 books; card catalogized, organized by subject matter and stacked on shelves floor to ceiling. My parents recently sold the entire lot of books to a book dealer. They paid $5,000 for this house and $5,000 for the books in 2005.

Mom took me inside. What I wouldn't give to hear the stories these walls could tell!

Our next stop was another "American Gothic" that my dad used to live in. My grandparents lived in this house when I was very young, and if I recall, lived in this house until my grandfather died in 1986. I have "Christmas memories" in this house too.

My grandparents didn't own this home, they rented it. My father never understood his father's lack of desire to own a home. Papa rented every home they ever lived in. I attribute my father's overcompensation of "home ownership" to his father's absence of. My parents started buying property in Mt. Carmel the late '80s and have only recently stopped.

We continued on to look at houses that have been beautifully restored. {My parents don't own these.} And before we look at them I'm sad to report that for every beautifully restored home in Mt. Carmel there are 100 that are in desperate need of attention. These pictures were taken around noon, the worst time of day {in my opinion} to take pictures, please excuse the strong shadows.

These folks have recently added a garage and did a FABULOUS job matching the architecture and look of the original house.

Next door there is a beautiful Dutch Colonnial.

Most of these houses are on Cherry Street, the same brick street that Mimi's house is on.

Every house is different and there is no lack of charm.

This is where we stopped... we were hungry and knew Mimi would start to wonder about us!

Be back soon... maybe with a farm tour! We're headed to Evansville, IN today to take the kids to the zoo. They don't know we're going and I know they'll love it! I love a surrrprise!

10 Things We Do for Fun Around Here

2009-07-08T07:06:00.003-05:00

1. Play with toys that my mom and grandmother have picked up at yard sales.

2. Ride tricycles.

3. Go for walks {often}.

4. Play and eat on the porch.

5. Swat and kill flies. {I'd take these pesky flies over skeeters any day!}

6. Get dirty & play outside.

7. Play in the baby pools {with clothes on}.

8. Go for more walks. {Stroller info below}

9. Watch the wind blow.

10. Swing on the porch.

About those new strollers, I found them when Erika {btw her WATCH is a SWATCH and she talks about it here} and I ventured to the big city to set up her baby registries last weekend. I've been looking for a double stroller since Paige was born {almost 3 years ago} and while we were in Babies R Us a lightbulb went off and I remembered some kind of "connector contraption" to turn 2 singles into a double. I found a nice sales associate and asked him if they had any such contraption and he took me right to it. I was thrilled but wanted to make sure it worked, he graciously let me open the package and try it on two of these. I was sold. Occassionally the front two center wheels will bump but for the very LOW price I'd say it's worth it! I haven't tried to take it through any doors yet so I can't attest to it fitting-- I'll get back to you on that. But, if you're in the market for a double stroller and want to spend less than $75 this is a great option! The best part is if you only need to use a single they separate very easily.

I must go now, the porch is calling my name...

Happy in the Heartland

2009-07-06T12:31:00.010-05:00

I feel quite confident if I were to summarize our trip thus far it would result in a very long post, so I'll hit the highs and it will still be really long.

First, thanks for your condolences regarding our very long and loud trip up here. We did have a DVD player but Mr. Mouse took no interest in it whatsoever. It was only 24 hours after we arrived that I came to the conclusion that the horrific car ride was worth it. And it only took a few hours to me to realize that I didn't pack warm enough clothes and we all were freezing on the 4th of July. Who woulda thunk it? Apparently, not me. The cool temps have been quite the respite from our 100+ degree days we've had for weeks in South Alabama. Our morning coffee on the porch has required sweatshirts.

My roots run deep in rural Southern Illinois. It's one of the most beautiful places on earth, if you like rolling farmland, soybeans and corn--- oh--- and there's oil too! The children have enjoyed running wild through the corn fields, getting dirty, spending time with family, and playing with "Mom's" toys.

This is my dad, he's from here, loves his farm, his windmill, his unsweet iced tea... oh, and yellow too!

This is my mom, she's from here too.

And, so is the rest of my family. And this one-room school house is from here too. Dad bought it for $1 and had it moved 150 yards onto his property. It was built in 1940 and my parents host all family functions in it. They painted it, added lights, a new back porch and an additional bathroom. The kitchen {which was originally a library} was in it and they just added a fridge. It's perfect for family gatherings and keeps everyone out of the farmhouse!

I've never lived here. Although, I've spent many summers here and I fully intend for my children to spend a lot of their summers here too. {pardon the picture, this is what the majority of our pictures look like if they involve more than 1 child}

Erika and I were put in charge of the "decortations". Did you notice it was Christmas in July?

After all our hard work, Erika and the baby took a breather and I couldn't resist a quick picture!

Nagrom was there when we decorated. Any guesses as to who Nagrom is? Anyone? Anyone?

Despite the ardous journey, Hornet won me over and I took a few pictures of him too. He's seen here with cousin McKenzie who I wish lived next door to me.

Following the 4th of July fesitivities we had a little shower for Erika and Baby Girl!

The men were in on it too and Justin won a shower game. He said he never knew there were games at showers. The game had to do with animals and I suspect this is why he won. He won bath salts... he was elated.

We always love spending time with Cousin, we probably have 3,451 pictures of the 3 of us, but can never resist one more.

We did some sparklers on Saturday night. {Did you see the new header?}

We've thoroughly enjoyed our time outside... rocks, wiffle ball, man sheds, puddles, corn, and clovers.

Last night, as the sun was setting, the neighbor girls {who happen to be 6-year old twins} came by for show and tell. I almost fell over.

They brought their brand new fuzzy puppies Sally & Sarah {which I'm sure, by now, have new names}.

While we went nuts over the precious fur balls...

Justin talked to Brian {the girls' dad} about his FANTASTIC garden that he plants on my parent's farm. His garden makes me want to go home and till ours up and start all over.

The sun set behind the barn and we all went to bed and fell fast asleep.

It has been wonderful and the fun has just begun! If you're so inclined to see more pictures click here to link to the set I've started. I also added a Flickr badge to the right hand column of the blog, it links directly to the pictures in the "Farm Set". If you want to check in before I post again I'll be updating and adding pictures of all our adventures there.

Good night!!

**ps- Have any of you noticed Morgan's teeth? They have become so straight since she stopped sucking her thumb. I've not edited them at all... they have laid down and straightened up and I never thought it would happen!! Rejoicing in her victory over thumb sucking... if you have a little sucker, make 'em stop! You'll be shocked at the difference in their teeth in a matter of a few short months! Now I just need to take away Paiger's paci! :)

Delivered

2009-07-03T10:54:00.003-05:00

Hello.

We are here! Praise the Lord! And the weather is heaven... I had my coffee on the porch this morning and had to borrow a sweatshirt!

But I need help, I can't decide if our trip would be better defined as
a) the incubation of sanctification
b) just plain torture
c) all of the above

Here's a 35 second taste of our 11 hours and 55 minutes with Hornet. Good thing I love him like I do... that's all I can say.

He was most thrilled about our quick pit stops, where he could find contentment in mommy's arms, and it all came to a screeching halt when we returned him to his carseat.

Happy Friday!

One

2009-07-01T06:39:00.008-05:00

Guess who's one?

John Martin celebrated his first year of life yesterday. I spent most of the day reflecting on his first year and what a gift he is to us! I fully recognize that these little creatures are a reward from him, one that we are most grateful for. All I can conclude is that it has been absolutely wonderful ~~and sleepless~~ year and yet it seems like he was born 5 years ago.

I had no problem finding pictures of him. These are the last 12 months of his little life:

I love watching his little doll face {& hair} {& teeth} change through the months. We've come to know this little man so well and all his little antics. His sisters are absolutely smitten with him and have given him several nicknames. I think the only one I've ever shared on here is "Hornet" {which was not given by them but me} and while they call him that too, they usually call him "O.O.". I know, strange isn't it? I believe it originated with Cheerios because they've always called Cheerios "O.O.s" and since he likes them they call him "O.O.". Along the same lines of "O.O." they also call him "Double O" and well, there's "Ya Ya", "Mr. Mouse", and "Mr." too.

So, Mr. Mouse had a big first birthday yesterday, with a birthday gathering and the whole 9 yards. I must admit it totally stressed me out and I didn't even have to do anything besides get my house ready. I think the fact that we're leaving TOMORROW on an 11-12 hour car trip for 2.5 weeks added to my madness. For those of you who think I have my act together, rest assured, I don't.

His cake was a flop, but Mr. Mouse, Sr. assured me Mr. Mouse, Jr. wouldn't give a rip. Justin has also questioned me on more than one occassion as to why I have our grill adorned with geraniums, so in his honor, I'll include this picture {note: his Mexican import}.

The show went on and our family not only accompanied us but my sister-in-law brought all the food. Seriously, does it get any better than that? We get together with Justin's family {they all live in town} regularly and I think we've decided this is the way to do it, whomever's house we bombard is exempt from preparing any food.... genius if you ask me.

We had a great time, I traded my whine for wine and lightened up.

These are my sister-in-law's discussing something very important like bathroom breaks, foot detox or Monsters.

You can tell Jennifer is a very passionate person, every picture I have of her she has her hands in the air and she's waving 'em like she just don't care. Now, if you work with her, go tell her she's on the blog. She doesn't read.

Back to the little man, we sang to him and he loved it.

Then we tried to get a family picture, and he didn't love it. Morgan and Paige look like they were thrilled about the idea too.

All he wanted was cake.

Until he realized it wasn't cake that he wanted.

And then he decided it was milk that he wanted.

And when he polished it off he was quickly whisked away, wiped down, and put to bed.

Not only did my SIL bring a delicious dinner {which she called "Pork wrapped Pork"} she also brought homemade cupcakes for the kids and ice cream pie for the adults.

The plates were licked clean and a good time was had by all.

Everyone was sent home with peach jam.

And Swedish Fish {which was my only creative endeavor for his party}.

******************

Before I go, let's talk about the peach jam.

I used the recipe included in the box of Ball Liquid Fruit Pectin. I did run my peaches through the mini food processor because I'm not a fan of huge chunks and I also added 1 tsp of cinnamon. But other than that... there's not much to it. I use the "water bath method" which is what you see in this picture. You can find most of your supplies at the grocery store, at least, our Winn Dixie has a great supply. I bought my water bath pot at Walmart. The directions come in the box of pectin, one box of liquid pectin {2 pouches} will yield 7 {maybe 8} 1/2 pint jars, takes 9-12 peaches, and a LOT of sugar {7.5 cups} so if you try it you may want to pick up a bag of sugar too. I've made 3 batches and have only worked 1/2 way through my box of peaches.

And while we're on "kitchen talk" I've been informed that Efurd's IGA in Cowart's {for you locals} has ordered and stocked the Betty Crocker Homestyle Fluffy White Frosting {that keeps popping up around here} and I can assure you, if you try it, you'll love it! Remember, it's in a small box, not can. It's powder and you add boiling water too it, and mix it for 7 minutes. And then you're in heaven licking your fingers and eating it by the spoonful.

****************

I would certainly covet your prayers for travel mercies tomorrow! Hornet proved to not be fond of his carseat on our short jaunt to the beach on Sunday. He cried 97% of the trip and if that's the case tomorrow I will certainly lose my mind. We're headed to Illinois to visit with family and I absolutely cannot wait... now, I need to go pack. Be back soon, probably from IL where I can't wait to sit on the porch swing with mom and drink my coffee!

***************

I added a link to Erin's blog on the last post!

Jam Packed

2009-06-29T22:01:00.008-05:00

Hello Blog Stalkers.

Hope this finds you well and refreshed from your weekend. We are still recovering from what I would call a delightfully full weekend! It was comprised of good stuff and good people.

I'll start with the 'good stuff'. We did some crafting, swimming, sunning, and sweating on Saturday. I've spent many summers in the Alabama heat but for some reason it still surprises me. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I love to walk out of a cold air conditioned building and feel the humidity hit me in face like a warm, wet towel, but the fact that it can actually be this stifiling surprises me. I honestly think I could bake a cake in the front seat of my car.

Sunday brought the 'good people'. After church on Sunday we loaded up and headed to the beach to meet up with Erika {& Chance} and a very good friend that I've never met. What? Yes. It's true. Another "internet friend". One that I knew if I didn't get down to see it would potentially be a while before we could visit again. Meet Erin.

She's just as genuine, wonderful and friendly as she looks! Y'all aren't going to believe me, but, this is the only picture I have of her and didn't get a single picture of us together. My logic is that I must now start planning a trip to Rome so that we can get a picture together.

We've sent many emails back and forth across the pond; discussing faith, kids, and chickens. In case you're wondering, she's not Italian but married an Italian... and I have not a single picture of him. But don't fret, I took enough of the kids to compensate for my lack of pictures Pietro & Erin.

We started at the pool.

And then made our way to dinner.

John Martin wanted nothing to do with his stroller so he was free range during dinner.

Stella's mom didn't warn her that this "thing" attached to my face is permanent.

It didn't take her long to warm up. Erin told me she was like a "diesel engine", it just took her a little while to get going and then once she did she was good to go! She was absolutely right. I wish you could hear her sweet voice with a precious Italian accent.

Stella and Morgan are kindred spirits. Once they finished their meal they were ready to play.

Paige, on the other hand, made her way to her Uncle Chance. Who had a tray full of {what appear to be} chili cheese fries.

Honestly, as I watched her scarf them down, all I could do was pray she didn't get "dia-wee-ah"on the way home.

John Martin only tried to escape a few times. Thank goodness he had that very large frog on his bottom... he was usually easy to spot.

And always came back.

I think I forgot to mention that Stella has a brother, Diego.

He's equally as charming as his big sister and doesn't like rocks in his Crocs. :)

We finally made our way to the outdoor coliseum, where the Romans took on the Americans in a good 'ole fashioned race.

It was a draw every time.

And out of all the races... Paige never ran.

Not once. She's apparently not up for competition.

But she did run to her daddy as fast as she could and accidently poke him in the eye.

The kids went right back to their food when the race was over.

And at half-past dark we headed back to Alabama with exhausted kids and delightful memories. We talked about what a pleasure it was to spend time with our friends from across the globe.

In our small group tonight we sang a song that comes from Psalm 100:4 and discussed things we were thankful for. I enjoyed sharing this story with them and how I treasure relationships not only with old friends but also with new.

Erin & Pietro, it was truly a pleasure and I'm already looking forward to our next visit!

Now, at 11:45 pm I must return to the kitchen to tend to a giant mess caused by this:

We've canned 24 jars of peach jam... and have only worked half way through the box of beautiful, juicy, and sweet Chilton County peaches.

I hope to be back soon!

Garden Recipe: Lemon Dill Salmon & Butternut Squash

2009-06-26T15:25:00.007-05:00

Happy Friday, folks!

Since the last "foil pouch" recipe was such a success here's another one for you! This is one that will use your dill & butternut squash. Butternuts are considered "winter squash", my only guess is because they have a SUPER long shelf life, not because they grow in the winter. They're a delicious and nutritious squash and we eat a lot of them!

We'll do the squash first.

Preheat the oven to 350 and fill a baking pan with 1/2" of water. Cut the butternuts in half, remove seeds (we dry ours in paper towels for a few days, store them in ziplocs and then plant them next year}, and place FACE down in the water.

Put them in the oven. Set your timer for 45-50 minutes.

Then get the marinade ready for your salmon. Here's what you'll need:

1 part lemon juice
2 parts olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic {or more if you'd like}
a few grinds from the peppermill

Add to the blender or mini food processor and blend.

Place your salmon filet on a square of aluminum foil and generously season with Jane's Krazy Salt {I think they may need to start paying me!}.

Brush on your marinade.

And top with fresh dill.

Wrap your foil around your salmon filets to make a happy little pouch and put it in the fridge.

Light the grill and let it heat to 350.

Turn burners down to low and place your salmon pouch on the grill.

Close the lid and let it grill for 5-6 minutes.

Take a break and play {but just for a few minutes}.

Then come back to the grill and flip your little pouch over for 5 or 6 more minutes.

Check on your squash and if they're done they'll be fork tender and look like this :

Then get out some of this:

And fill them with it.

Turn the oven off and put them back in to keep warm.

By now your salmon is likely done. Bring your pouch inside and open it. I think you'll be amazed at how good it smells!

I like to serve the salmon and butternut with Mahatma Long Grain & Wild Rice.

Happy weekend!

'Round Here & Yoko

2009-06-25T14:39:00.005-05:00

So much to report.
So little time.
I'll hit the highs {you'll have to trust me the lows are here too... they don't make for as great photo ops though}.

Summer's in full swing 'round here.

John Martin got his bangs trimmed so I could see his eyes. When I was done I vacuumed his head. He loved it. It brought back beautiful childhood memories of the Flowbee infomercials; please tell me you remember.

Much better.

Here's a peek at some of the summer sewing I've been working on:

And their nightgowns are ready to assemble... when I look at all those tucks I can't help but think of "tucking" them in bed in their "tucked" gowns, and how hopefully they'll be all "tuckered" out. I hesitated spending such time and detail on nightgowns but honestly they'll wear them more as nightgowns than they ever would as dresses! I quickly convinced myself they're worth the time and energy. {I'll be sure to share fabric and pattern details when they're done.}

Summer also calls for "Summer Reading" programs. We set ourselves a lofty vow of 40 books... we're making progress.

Or maybe I should rephrase that by saying, "I'm making progress!" The girls aren't reading yet so I'm the reader, they're the listeners! We've had such fun making trips to the library and getting our books.

Considering I'm not a teacher, nor a librarian, and since it's been a few years since I've checked out books from the children's section, the librarian has been helpful both times to make suggestions on both "story books" and "beginner reader" books!

Our pick of the litter this time was Yoko, by Rosemary Wells {who is most well-known for her characters Max & Ruby}.

It's a charming little tale of a kitty named Yoko who gets teased for bringing sushi to school. We also picked up a few McDuff books by Wells and they come to life on the pages too. The girls loved Yoko and I made a proposition to take them out to lunch if they'd try sushi... they were all for it.

So today, we hit up a local Asian cafe for lunch. Annie kept John Martin and the girls had a date with Mommy. Of course, Yoko came a long too.

I ordered two boxes and we went to town.

The girls have never used chopsticks.

Morgan got it down in seconds.

And Paige did too, in her own special way.

They were especially intriqued with the soy sauces and dipping bowls.

They both held up to their end of the bargain and tried the sushi {California rolls}.

And weren't too impressed.

Or maybe it was the soy sauce they drenched it in that they didn't like!?

They did love the chicken and the tempura vegetables.

Nonetheless, we had a blast and made precious memories.

Now, I'm back to the kitchen where I'm working on some little pretties for my niece's 6th birthday gathering tonight.... I've baked about 75 of these miniture guys!

Be back soon with another Garden Recipe!!

Fixed Flat-fold Roman Shade

2009-06-24T14:15:00.009-05:00

Greetings from the land of heat, humidity, and warm pool water {which makes swimming not near as much fun}! From the blogs I read it looks like most of y'all are melting too.

We've had a wonderful week so far. The girls and I took a "field trip" to nearby Ozark, AL yesterday and visited with Paula and hit up a few other little treasure chests. We had a delightful time. The girls were eager to pick out their own fabric for a nightgown. We're going to my parent's farm next week and they absolutely need {wink} new nightgowns to take.

I thought I'd take a second and show you how I made the roman shade in the ORANGE BATHROOM. I get a lot of emails asking how I did it, but I will warn you I didn't write down my directions as I went, so this is all from memory.

Just so we're clear: it's "fixed" meaning INOPERABLE and CAN'T RAISE OR LOWER. And this is a rough "tutorial" on how I made mine. I cut corners and used glue. Some seamstresses will raise their eyebrows and question my sanity. But it's EASY and it doesn't raise or lower so glue is OK in my opinion.

Ok, here goes:

I wanted my shade to appear to be "real & operable" so I made the shade itself the exact size of the window. This way it doesn't appear to be faux like it really is.

First, I measured my window from outside of trim to outside of trim and added a 1" seam allowance on both sides of the width, 1" to the top and 4" to the bottom. Which would give you this:

Once I cut out my fabric I turned the sides {R and L} under 1/2" and then 1/2" again and sewed a straight stitch. Then I did the same at the top. I DID NOT hem the bottom yet. I took a piece of blackout drapery lining and cut to the size of the shade less 1/2" on each side and less the hem allowance on the bottom. Then I HOT GLUED the blackout lining to my shade panel on the seams and then I hemmed the bottom by turning it under 1" and then up 3". I would only use hot glue if you use a "blackout lining". Please don't use glue if you line it with a fabric drapery lining. And please don't glue anywhere but on the edges where your seams are.

Then I added the folds.

As you can see they are uneven and not equally spaced. No one will ever notice besides me and all of you. I just pinched the fabric together and worked with it until I liked how it looked. I wanted it to hang at least half way down the top window pane when mounted at the crown molding.

First exhibit: This is how far down the window I wanted it to hang.

Second exhibit: Mounted at crown molding not window trim. We have small windows and low ceilings and I wanted to add height to the window so I hung the sucker much higher so the window will appear to be much larger than it really is. You should only do this if you use blackout lining otherwise you'll be found out when the sun shines and they can see the window behind your shade.

Once my pleats were where I wanted them I sewed them together with a straight stitch. Which by the way, getting the pleats where I wanted them was the hardest part. There is probably a math formula for such thing but I just "eyeballed" it.

Then my shade was done and it was time to mount it to my 1"x 2" that my husband cut to the width of the window {outside trim to outside trim} which should be the exact measurement of your shade. I used a staple gun and stapled the shade to the board and then mounted it to the wall using dryway screws and L brackets {see exhibit 2}.

And the rest is history!

Be back soon!

Noteworthy Happenings

2009-06-22T21:35:00.011-05:00

My dad sells things on Ebay. Usually in his "product description" he'll use words like "noteworthy telephone" but he'll have no reserve and sell it for $2. It always cracks me up that he would deem it noteworthy. He also found a handful of his old RayBans from the 80's and sold them all on Ebay. His "product descriptions" would read...

Awesome pair of 1986 RayBan wayfarers. Guaranteed to make you look 94% better.

And people would buy them.

So in honor of Father's Day weekend I'm deeming our weekend "noteworthy".

The Eufabs is doing better. Thanks for all your well wishes for her. I nearly fainted Sunday morning when I walked out to this scene... less than 48 hours post-op.

We were given strict orders for her not to run or jump. I'm not sure how she was able to pull this off. But what can I expect from a dog who can catch deer. Seriously, she has caught a deer. She and Justin were at the farm this past winter and she caught a fawn. She just wanted to scare it and show it who was boss and then she let it free to join it's mother.

In other happenings, I've been working on John Martin's nursery. He'll be one in a week and I figured it's time to wrap things up. It's a good thing I've waited this long, it's given me a chance to get to know him and set up his nursery to suit his needs, more specifically his diaper changing needs. He absolutely DESPISES diaper changes. He literally rolls over, kicks, screams, cries; you name it he does it. I've tried everything... opera singing, screaming back, silly dancing, I've even attempted to nurse him while I changed his diaper... I was desperate. These are the only things that have brought any relief to the diaper changing sessions. Halleluiah!

My kind family allowed me to snap a few pictures Father's Day morning as we were walking out the door to church. Morgan loves accessories, she did not inherit this from me. Isn't Paige hilarious? Just all smiles over there, as if nothing else in the world is going on.

After great coercion we got her to take the sunglasses off for 2 seconds.

John Martin was looking at me in a couple of the pictures, but of course no one else was... so this is as good as it gets.

Sunday evening, cousin Ava had us all over to celebrate Father's Day {and my belated birthday} with swimming and food!

We had the most wonderful time, especially the little man.

He's always delighted to be in the company of cousins. Let me go ahead and confess that rarely can I stand to keep my lips off of him! I hear boys do that to their Mommas.

Today Morgan helped me prepare for our small group. Cleaning up is her specialty...

We made strawberry cupcakes with Betty Crocker's Home Style Fluffy White frosting {the powdered kind in a box not the can}. My mom has to buy the Fluffy White frosting boxes up north and mail them to me. I've yet to find it down here. Have you ever used it? It's the BEST; a fluffy, sticky, marshmallowy, meringuey frosting that is basically a 7-minute foolproof frosting in a box. The 7-minute frostings I've tried have always seperated and the sugar gets gritty. Not so with this. It's 7-minute frosting perfection and good on just about anything. And... it's shiny & pretty too!

While Morgan and I "cleaned up" John Martin was busy playing Cowboys & Indians in his high chair.

And then he needed a cleaning of his own. When he was done with his bath Justin brought him out like this.

I can only imagine he revolted when it came time to get his diaper on so Justin said "heck with it".

Hope you also had a noteworthy weekend!

Hot Dog

2009-06-20T10:47:00.003-05:00

It's gonna be a HOT one... 102 with a heat index of 110. We will most certainly be in the water this weekend. Our sweet dog, on the other hand, will not be in the water with us.

Sweet Eufaby {u-fob-ee} tore her ACL a week or so ago and just arrived home this morning from the animal hospital in this get-up. She went under the knife yesterday for repair and is at home now, in her little corner, resting well. The girls were so sweet to make her "get well" signs that the very kind vet techs at the animal hospital promised to place on her kennel, facing inwards {of course}, so she could see them.

In the past I've shared different accounts of how my brainwaves didn't connect and to redeem my rapport I'd like to share an account of how my brainwaves DID connect.

Justin took her in earlier this week to see her regular vet {Dr. Clark @ Care} to be seen about her leg that she wasn't using. Dr. Clark suspected a torn ACL and recommended that we take her to a new vet in town; a very well-renown surgeon who most recently was a professor at Virgina Tech. I questioned Justin about this and found it odd that they would recommend we take her elsewhere but alas we followed his suggestion and made the decision to have her seen and operated on by the new doctor.

I received a call a few hours later from Care with all the details of her surgery and when and where to take her. He said, "Dr. Martin will take good care of her."

B R A I N W A V E S C O N N E C T E D !

I went on to ask, "I know this is a long shot, there are probably a lot of "Martin's" but is there any chance his son & daughter-in-law are vets too? And living in Minnesota?" He answered," Yes, that's him!"

Dr. Martin's son & daughter-in-law {Brian & Lisa} were in our small group in Tallahassee over 3 years ago. We haven't been great about keeping in touch but I was so excited to hop on Facebook and tell Lisa the whole story. Dr. Martin {and his wife} are owners of the new Southern Regional Veterinary Specialist {SRVS-- on Westgate for the locals} and are the most kind and down-to-earth people {and extremely qualified for our small, Southern town}! They also have an "Emergency Clinic" in the back for any after-hour emergencies.

We're certain that Eufaby will make a quick recovery and be back to her old self in no time! She is Justin's best little companion and will have to temporarily trade her "farm living" lifestyle for "dining room" living. So far, with this heat, I've yet to hear a complaint from her!

Happy Weekend, folks! Stay cool!

Garden Recipe: Chicken Delight

2009-06-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

Maybe you're not into sewing... so here's a post if you're into eating.

I hope you all are overflowing with squash and zucchini, if you're not, pick some up because this is a delightful and easy recipe!

This is what you'll need {+ chicken breasts}:

Cut up squash and zucchini. Season chicken breasts with Jane's Krazy and place each chicken breast on a large square of aluminum foil {one breast per square} and place sliced squash and zucchini over top. Also, I think cherry tomatoes would also be delicious cut up and put on top with those squash and zucchini.

Then douse it with some store bought marinara {or make your own if you have time}.

Then comes the good stuff: mozzerella & parmesan.

Wrap it up in the foil and be sure to seal any cracks. But try to avoid wrapping it too tight, you'll want to leave a little space between the cheese and the foil because you will be really sad if you have to scrape all your cheese off your foil.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

While I prepared it this is what was going on beneath my feet.

Hopefully this won't happen while you make yours.

I cleaned up his mess and while it baked he made his way to see his sisters {who were working on a giant mess of their own}.

He wanted to pull up a chair so bad he could hardly stand it. And I could hardly stand it myself.

He tried so hard to reach the paint.

But thankfully {for my sake} he couldn't.

Then dinner was ready.

And we all inhaled it.

If you're classy you'll probably want to remove the chicken and all it's goodies from the foil. But if you're feeding a pack of wolves they won't mind eating off the foil.

Enjoy!

Summer Sewing

2009-06-18T20:54:00.004-05:00

When I sew I think. Lately, I've been thinking about my hands; how they work, how my brain tells them what to do and they do it, and how thankful I am that I have them and that they function.

I've been using my hands a lot lately. When the weather changes I always get an urge to sew. It's been very hot and I've been inspired to do some summer sewing for the girls. I went to Hancock's earlier this week and browsed the patterns. I picked up Butterick 5019 and loved the "vintage" look of it. However, didn't love their presentation of it, nor did I love the single ply dress with bias strips all around. Who wants to miter corners? Not me.

So with a few minor changes I came up with this:

My first attempt was in yellow {from Hancock's and the check is from our local Smock Shop}. I didn't love the very wide neck but knew it had to be big enough to get over a noggin without a placket of any kind... but still it was too big and kept slipping off her shoulders.

So today, I started over in purple, lined with a little yellow dot. {all from Hancock's}

I cut down the neck considerably, with just enough room to slip it over her head. But still with no placket or buttons, the neck is still a little wide, but it doesn't slip off like the yellow.

The back wraps around under the front and I used a piece of elastic to connect the "wrap around".

And the back needs a little tab to hold the ties up, I omitted it at first but then realized they need to be held up when I watched her run around in it.

But once the ties are in a bow you can't see the tab.

She loves it. I love the look but don't love the construction. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Morgan's is already cut out, pinned, and ready to sew. But next time I will...

still line it {which is complicated as all get out and I don't recommend the way I did it-- there has to be an easier way}
probably cut the neck down and add buttons on the shoulders-- this would also make lining it extremely easier... you would have 2 finished pieces rather than one really long one {if you make it you'll see what I'm talking about}
still make Paige a 2 {she'll be 3 in a couple weeks-- it runs a little big} and still make Morgan a 5 {she's only 4 1/2 but I like the length}
still widen the straps

If you want to make something similar you could probably find a pattern for a lined, A-line jumper and add width to the front and back and add ties and the buttons/elastic to hold the back together under the front. In fact, I think the Frannie {or Frannie Baby} would be perfect because it has a placket and I would simply forego the elastic under the arms and finish the side seams rather than sew the front to the back. I would add the ties to the front and finish it the same way I finished the Butterick.

Some of you asked about Paige's dress you saw here & here... I made it up using using part of that pesky Simplicity pattern that seems to be out of print. I probably should have checked on it's availability before I sent you out looking for it! If I can come up with a good alternative for either of them I'll let you know. The little halter dress only takes about 30 minutes start to finish and is perfect for 100 degree days!

Be back soon {hopefully tomorrow} with another garden recipe.

My Birthday Present

2009-06-17T17:01:00.005-05:00

My sister had such wonderful intentions for a birthday present for me:

1) a trip to the nail salon to have our toenails painted &
2) a trip to a local little boutique where I could pick out any dress I wanted

The ideas sounded lovely!

BUT...

1) the nail salon was closed when we got there

2) the boutique was fun but I tried on a lot of little dresses none of them were "me".

So instead, I picked out a high chair from the antique mall.

I know it's pretty laughable that I would pass up a manicure and party dress for a high chair! But I'm not normal.

Monday morning I put him in it.

And was confident that I made the right decision.

He ate really well and I nearly ate him as he sat in it like a big boy!

Then I put him back in it for lunch. He was thrilled.

He did his best ostrich impersonation.

I cracked up.
He cracked up.

And then with all the excitement...

he had to POOP!

Have I mentioned that I love kids?

Weekend Recap

2009-06-16T21:34:00.002-05:00

THANK YOU for all your HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes!

We had a delightful weekend. I will quickly recap it in pictures because there is a piece of folded fabric on my kitchen counter and I came in my office to retrieve my pin cushion and well, got a little side-tracked.

My birthday started with a BANG. Literally. At 2 am Saturday morning we were awakened by the horrific sound of a sleeping child falling fast and painfully from their bed to the hardwood floors. It was Morgan.

Justin found her face down in a pool of blood. Her forehead and a front tooth took the brunt of her fall. Mouths bleed a lot. A lot. Her tooth was knocked loose but not out. It has tightened back up but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't turn a lovely shade of brown. She's never fallen out before... now she has bedrails to keep her in because it will NEVER happen again.

In spite of a minor injury we proceeded with our plans to head to the beach to visit Erika & Chance. I took ZERO pictures Saturday. We spent the day poolside and Marla treated us to not only to a lovely pool-side picnic lunch but dinner too... thank you! And a BIRTHDAY CAKE that Erika's precious little dogs ate while we were at the pool.

Sunday morning started in Grayton. With a quick walk to the beach before breakfast.

Followed by a wonderful breakfast at the Red Bar.

When we pulled up this little fella was in the car next to me. I obviously couldn't resist. I love any dog with an underbite.

Little did I know there was another "colorful" creature inside.

Morgan loves all creatures. Paige is scared to death of all creatures; she wouldn't even get close to it.

On the other hand, I couldn't pry Morgan away.

We met some very precious friends of ours who happened to be on vacation at the beach for breakfast. Friends from when we lived in Anniston, AL. When moved to Anniston from Tallahassee I went kicking and screaming the whole way. I wasn't too thrilled about moving there. Before we moved we prayed for a friend for me when we got there... He answered. Here she is with her precious girls:

Amy is a wonderful friend and I love her dearly. We can always pick right back up where we left off, even if we haven't talked for a few months. She has many roles in our friendship: personal lactation consultant {and a darn fine one considering none of my have weened before age 1}, my confidant when times are hard, and a friend who I know I can always count on for a listening ear or prayer! I love her! However, I don't love this picture but it's all we took. I look like I'm sitting on her lap or trying to box her out or something. Ugh! But for the sake of my memory and because I love her... I'm posting it. If I was good with photoshop {I guess in order to be good at it I'd have to have it} I'd rearrange us and put her on my lap! Anyway, I loved our morning together... despite lots of activity with the little ones.

After breakfast I took John Martin back to Erika's for a nap. The rest of them headed to the beach for a lot of this:

Chance pulled Morgan around on a skim board for hours. And from what I heard she had it down pat! Then today Erika sent me an email and told me this wasn't the first time Chance had done it. This is Chance and his brother, Bayn, around 1985-ish. He's certainly mastered it over the years! He used to be pulled and now he has to do all the pulling!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch I was trying to keep John Martin out of the dog food.

And the Fruit Loops {he'll probably never touch another plain Cheerio as long as he lives}.

All while trying to keep myself out of Erika's killer candy bowl.

It's a wonder she and Chance have any teeth in their heads. And it's a wonder they both are as small as they are. Lets just say their meals aren't always "well-balanced".

Especially since we are so well-balanced.

John Martin declared he'd like Fruit Loops and Whataburger french fries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Whatever you say little man, whatever you say.

Ok, time's up. I hear my fabric screaming, "Come back!"

It was a wonderful weekend, thanks for having us. After driving home with John Martin screaming we won't be back any time soon, good thing we had such a great time!

This Morning...

2009-06-16T10:33:00.003-05:00

...I loaded 3 kids in the car,

buckled them in their carseats,

called Justin on my cell phone,

put it in reverse,

backed down the driveway, and...

ran smack into our little brick post;
all while talking to my husband.
We're not really "fancy" enough for brick posts anyway.
And they were kinda ugly.
And tomorrow is "curbside pick-up".

If you need any demolition, call me!
I can do it all with kids in the car while talking on the phone, and with minimal damage to my car!

Be back soon with a weekend recap. In my opinion, this is a sign of a weekend well had.

... and to you too!

2009-06-13T05:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to you too, Sister!

Thanks for living life with me for all these years! For sharing so many memories. For calling me every single morning at or before 7 am because you know I would call you if I had free long distance. And thanks for always answering all my questions and giving of yourself for me. You are so incredibly talented and carry about your talents with such ease and class. I'd be a giant ball of mess if I attempted to do 1/4 of what you do. Thanks for loving my children like they were your own {except when they have poop in their pants}. Thank you for being hilarious and for making me laugh all the time. Thank you for all of the clothes that you give me; the bags and bags and the ones with tags. I wish that everyone on this planet could have a sister {especially one like you}; someone to play with, someone to shop with, someone to laugh with, someone to call and talk to. I love you and consider you one of my most precious gifts. I love that when I'm too old to remember things {which I feel like I may already be there} I can call you and if you can just remember half of life and I can remember the other half we'll be SET and we'll never forget a thing.

This is our very 1st BIRTHDAY! Morgan and Paige wear the barrettes that we are wearing. DaddyBoy's still sporting his Sperry's and Lacoste all these years later-- he's so timeless! Thankfully he's wearing his shorts a little longer and not so white these days. Thankfully we're not still wearing socks with our sandals. Mom, well, I think she looks the same... minus the bun. I want to know if she still has the skirt or if she made it I'd like the pattern. And her shoes... from what I can see they look cute too!

I love you and I love that we have shared and lived our lives with one another.

I'm so excited for you to be a mother. I know you will be a wonderful one. I love that little girl so much already and I can't wait to get my lips on her face, wrap my arms around her and tell her how much I love her! She will likely be smothered in kisses from her cousins too. We all absolutely cannot wait!

Happy Birthday, Sister! I love you and . . .

I praise the Lord for you!

Thanks, Marla for the picture hook-up.

Garden Recipe: Cucumber & Dill Spread

2009-06-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

Whatcha' gonna do with all your cukes?

I have a suggestion:

How about Cucumber & Dill Spread? It's delicious, so long as you like cucumbers.

And it's easy.

And the kids love it {contrary to their "this is going to make me barf" facial expressions}.

I had it at 10:30 this morning and it was mighty fine. I like to serve it open-faced on pumpernickel and top it with fresh Romas and then sprinkle a little dill & Jane's over top. Have any of you looked for Jane's Krazy Salt? I'm wondering if it's a "southern" thing. It's made in South Carolina and I had no problem finding it in Tallahassee but haven't checked here.

It only sat on that plate for about 30 seconds before I devoured it.

Click HERE for the "printer-friendly" version.

Some Places Should Have Warning Signs

2009-06-11T20:47:00.008-05:00

Welcome to Bill's.

What? A warning sign, you say? Yes-- something like "You're likely to spend a lot of money here and add a lot of fabric to your mile-high pile". Bill's Hardware & Simply Unique in Ozark, Alabama. One building, two businesses. It's a place I can't believe I didn't know existed.... until my embroidery machine needed repair several months ago. After quickly browsing the Viking website I found a certified technician in my area:

"Simply Unique-- Ozark, AL".

Hesitantly I called expecting to find someone repairing sewing machines in their garage, instead I spoke with a very kind woman named Paula. She was going to be in the shop until 1pm so off I went, fast because it's not exactly close to my house.

You know what they say about books, about how you can't judge them by their covers? Well, you can't judge Simply Unique by it's cover either. Paula's husband owns Bill's and she's tucked in the back corner. Unfortunately, during this outing she was in Dallas at a Viking convention.

It's the only fabric store I've ever been to that I think my HUSBAND would love. Look, they even have straw hats... I'll be sure to take him with me next time. If only Bill could speak to him in Spanish.

While you're there you can pick up anything from entredeaux & cotton batting to nuts, bolts, Quikcrete & tires. I think for our family it could be a "one-stop-shop".

When you step in the back of the store the scenery changes drastically.

It's a little more feminine in the back.

And colorful too.

Oh the colors.

And the patterns & books.

And inspiration... it's everywhere you turn.

It's a dangerous place... at least for me.

We came down from our fabric high on the way home with a sugar high. Me & Raiger in the backseat with candy is also very dangerous. I love candy. Not chocolate. Candy. Sour patch kids. Chewy sprees. Gummi worms. Giant sweet tarts. Nerds. Hot tamales. Mike & Ikes. Bit 'O Honey. Air Heads. I can't buy it for myself because then my kids will eat it and I don't want them to have it. Maybe that's why I like it so much... Mom, did you deprive me of candy as a child? Anyway, I was a big girl and shared my candy with Paige. Mary Grace {in the carseat} is thankfully too young, we didn't have to share anything with her. She just worked over that water bottle the whole time while we recovered from our shopping excursion.

The restaurant supply store is also a dangerous place for me. When I walk into these type places I say, "I'm NOT going to buy anything!" But then it happens and I see something I absolutely can't live with out. Erika and Marla were here this week and I had the pleasure of introducing them to my weakness. I will go ahead and make myself feel better by saying that they too are weak. So I didn't leave with a lot but I did leave with some AWESOME cups. Like the ones you get at Pizza Hut. I got giant ones for the adults and little squatty ones for the munchkins. When the man at the store told me they were hard to tip over I threw my hands in the air and said, "OK fine... I'll take 6 of 'em!" He also said they were good for cocktails. I don't really drink cocktails but if I did, I'm not sure I'd want it from a plastic cup... but I'll take his word for it. Maybe after 5 or 6 cocktails you wouldn't care what you were drinking out of. They looked more suitable for chocolate milk to me.

I picked up that chocolate swirl effect from Arby's. Do you like it? The girls thought it was super cool. Then I watched them dip their hands in their milk to "stir" it. Next time I'll be sure to serve it with spoons. John Martin doesn't get chocolate in his milk. But maybe soon... you know, 3rd child. The girls didn't know chocolate milk existed until their "Mom" {aka grandmother} introduced them to it when JM was born. That stinker!

We are thoroughly enjoying our summer. For my recollection I want to record what the little ones are up to:

Morgan has mastered the back flip I was dreaming about and also a front one {all underwater, nothing too fancy off a diving board, but still great for a 4-year old}. I'll see if I can capture her on video doing her tricks to share.

Raiger:

She's full of spunk & sweetness. Just this week we've noticed her using more adjectives in her sentences and she's much more expressive with speech. Wednesday night Justin was trying to get the kids out the door for church and kept saying, "Come on guys, we need to run to church!"

As they were hurrying out the door Paige, with a very concerned look on her face asked Justin, "Daddy why we not takin' ouw car?"

He responded, "We are, what are you talking about?"

She said, "You said we runnin' to chuwch"

Kids. They. Are. The. Best. And very literal.

John Martin: Loves me. And I love him. He's still a little fireball; gets mad easily and beats his head into the floor. I am assuming that soon he will realize that it hurts and stop. But he's a smart little creature and gets my attention every time he does it. Trust me, it'd get yours too! He is scooting around the furniture but not walking yet. He likes to get dirty and MUST have a bath every night. He loves his sisters and gets so excited when they play with him. He's our only picky eater and what he doesn't like he throws {hard & fast} onto the floor. Including his sippy cup. I could eat him alive.

Good night!

Almost Convinced

2009-06-10T13:55:00.007-05:00

This is my husband. Isn't he cute? {Don't answer that, he's my husband.}

He took me blackberry picking last weekend. He might shouldn't have. Because... there were NO mosquitoes {or so I thought} and in a matter of minutes I was very close to selling my house and moving to the country. I leaned over to him at one point and said, "It is dangerous for me to be here right now. I'm really having a good time and the mosquitoes aren't biting." He smiled.

And pick we did.
And pick did the kids.
And pick did the other kids that joined us.

Meet Benjamin, Luke & David. Cute boys. Good boys. Very sweet boys.

They were some berry pickin' and berry eatin' boys too.

I think the kids ate as many as they picked. I kept threatening Paige with "you're going to get diarrhea". Kids aren't scared of "dia-wee-ah". At least not mine.

And I know David's not scared of dia-wee-ah either. I think he ate 95% of the blackberries his daddy picked. He doesn't look scared, does he?

We consolidated our little buckets of berries {or what was left of our berries after the 2-year olds worked them over} into a big bucket of berries.

For a while we stood around waiting for Justin. He must have come upon a good patch. We were all picked out but not Justin. He had that hat on and was good to pick for another hour or two.

Finally he picked his limit and we all headed back to the "Mule" {it's not really a mule, it's something else but I don't know what to call it... it's an all-terrain vehicle that holds more than one person, but it's not a 4-wheeler... so let's call it a "Mule"}.

And Justin took us on a driving tour of the property. Justin's parents have beautiful property and he serves as "land manager" and a fine land manager he is. In fact, there was only one roadblock and we put our friend Ben {father of the boys} right on that.

Thanks, Ben.

Then we headed to the swamp.

Can you see what Justin is telling Ben? Something like, "We need to get out of here quick. There are thousands of mosquitoes that are about to swarm the Mule and make Darby go nuts and she'll never want to move to the country with me ever!"

He was right. That's all it took and I changed my mind. I got 3 bites in 32 seconds and I became totally erratic and said, "COME ON LETS GO I'M GETTING EATIN ALIVE PLEASE HURRY THEY'RE ATTACKING HURRY NOW DON'T WAIT ANOTHER SECOND."

Then Justin apologized to Ben for my behavior and told him I didn't really care for mosquitos, as if that wasn't obvious.

The Mule safely delivered us to higher, dryer, and mosquito-free land.

Before packing up we checked on our garden & blueberries! Both of which were looking mighty fine. It won't be long before we're picking blueberries!

We grabbed a few things from the garden before we left.

Zukes, cukes, maters, squash, and banana peppers.... mmm!

And by the looks of the corn it won't be long 'til we're pickin' that too!

I started almost all of our veggies from seeds this year and it is so rewarding to see large, healthy plants. When I planted the seeds I thought, "These are going to take forever to grow!" Not so. Look at the maters.

They're clear up to my armpits.

Kids are up... be back soon with another from the garden recipe.

smidgen

2009-06-09T09:03:00.003-05:00

Here's just a smidgen of what we've been up to...

... picking more blackberries, making more preserves, torturing brother with hair barrettes, painting, & making dresses {involved dresses I might add}. I'm looking forward to reentering the world from my ~~sweatshop~~ sewing room.

Quick Announcement...

2009-06-07T20:47:00.003-05:00

{for the locals}

Paul Colman will be performing free concert this Friday night {June 12th} at 6:30 pm at First Presbyterian Church and all are welcome. He is a Grammy Nominated Singer/Songwriter and formerly a guitarist for the Newsboys. Our small group has been instrumental in bringing him to Dothan and we're hoping for a great turn out! This is one of his songs you may know and one of my favorite renditions of it with his sweet daughters.

We had a delightful weekend... hope you did too! Be back soon!

From the test kitchen...

2009-06-05T16:06:00.002-05:00

Hello from our test kitchen! I say "test kitchen" because not only do we "taste test" but we also "recipe test". There are probably at least 20 different ways to make petit fours but when I tell you we tried different methods... we seriously tried different methods, different sizes, different icings, & different cakes. What I shared yesterday is what I found to be the best method and what I found to have resulted in the tastiest cakes. Not only are they super cute but they also taste delicious. The cake is moist, light and fluffy and the whole cake melts in your mouth! However, when I was reading your comments {thanks!} I realized perhaps I should add a few more things based on your questions, comments, and suggestions!

Here are the rectangular ones:

This process is a process. You won't whip them up in an hour. I imagine you can tell that by the pictures. If you are impatient and don't care much for baking... I'd skip this one! :)
I think if I had it to do again I'd make the rectangular ones from a jelly roll pan. They were a little more dense, easier to coat and just as cute.
If you choose to decorate the tops I would do so the day you are going to serve them. I made mine on Wednesday and today the hearts and suns are starting to bleed onto the white icing.
You can't pick them up and dip them in the icing. They are moist and crumbly and you would have a giant mess. The top half would likely be left in your icing bowl. I know because I tried and failed.
I also thought about, but didn't buy a cake from the grocery store bakery. I know most of the cakes they decorate are shipped to them already baked & leveled. So, if the leveling and baking intimidates you and you just want to frost I would suggest you at least ask if they will sell you a white sheet cake with no frosting. They are likely to raise an eyebrow and think you're crazy but I imagine people have asked for crazier things before.
I did attempt to microwave a tub of frosting and pour it over. I have to say it wasn't too pretty. The icing "yellowed" and I couldn't get it to the consistency that I really wanted it. First it was too runny then it wasn't runny enough and when I finally got it a good consistency I poured it on it dried too thin and when I tasted it... it didn't compare.
I also didn't attempt CHOCOLATE... but maybe soon because that sounds really good too!

If y'all attempt the Petit Fours would you let me know how it goes and let me know if you have any additional tips...

In non-test kitchen news, Morgan finished VBS today and had an absolute blast!

I find such joy in seeing little children praise their Creator. I'm really not sure there is anything sweeter! Paige was too young to attend but I know she looks forward to joining in the fun next year.

Good-bye from rainy Alabama!

Petit Fours

2009-06-04T16:10:00.010-05:00

In the past, many of you have asked if I make my own petit fours and up until Monday the answer would have been "no". Now I can confidently say "yes" and I figured y'all might want to make your own too. I've always been a fan of petit fours so long as they're not covered in fondant, which in my humble opinion tastes like molding clay. There's a local bakery that makes the most divine petit fours, perhaps you've seen them here before for birthdays, baby showers, and baptisms. I'm quite aware that most of y'all don't live here and what a shame that you can't run to the bakery and pick up a dozen {or two}. They melt in your mouth and they are so much better than any cupcake on the planet. Don't get me wrong, I love a cupcake, I just have a hard time eating them; you get all the icing first and by the time you get to the bottom you're out of icing. Not the case with these.

Here's what I started with {Justin tried to get me to follow the "instrucciones en espanol"}:

It can be baked in a 9x13 cake pan or a jelly roll pan {16 x 12 x 1}... but the results will vary by pan. The jelly roll pan yields about 30 short and rectangular petit fours.

Using a 9 x 13 cake pan will yield about 24 tall & square but potentially unlevel {which is apparently not a word} petit fours.

But nothing a little serrated knife can't even out.

So the option is yours: shorter & rectangular or taller & square. Do you want to hear my opinion on the two choices? Ok, good. The short and rectangular bake faster and are easier to coat as the icing doesn't have as far to run down the short sides {you'll see} but the square ones sure are pretty! So... the decision is yours to make.

I'm going to show you the process with the 9 x 13. After the cake cooled completely I cut an inch off around the edges.

After I cut the cake into squares and leveled {as pictured above} I placed the cake squares on a lovely little cooling rack and placed freezer paper below with the plastic-coated side up.

Then I made the icing.

The icing is a mixture of powdered sugar, heavy cream, milk, and clear vanilla extract. I also tried it with powdered sugar, whole milk, and clear vanilla and it worked great. The cream makes the frosting a little more opaque. You will want to alternate adding the powdered sugar and milk in the mixing bowl and add the vanilla towards the end. You're looking for this consistency...

I call it coatable yet drippy. If you're not sure if your consistency is good just try it on one petit four, it should run off the spatula in sheets like this.

If you are a perfectionist this is not a recipe for you. It is merely impossible to cover the entire petit four. You can get close but total coverage is not easily attained.

Do not attempt to ice these if you don't have a cooling rack for the icing to run through, otherwise you will have a giant mess. Occasionally I would scrape the icing off the paper and pour it back over the petit fours. Be prepared to waste a lot of icing and be okay with that. Scraping the paper and pouring the wasted icing back over is helpful but really a lot of icing gets dribbled down... in fact, probably half or more.

Once they are dry {about 30+ minutes} you can decorate them. Are you a cake decorator? I am not... I tried so many fun little decorations and they looked more like a 4-year old did it. I stuck to suns and hearts they're more my caliber. While I decorated the petit fours Morgan decorated graham crackers.

If you're going to decorate the petit fours I would use a butter cream frosting... but after all that work you can also use a can of white frosting from the baking aisle and tint it with food coloring.

These are great for birthday parties {especially for kids!}, bridal and baby showers... or for a summer day. I made 4 dozen on Monday and took them to the Rescue Mission with me, along with ALL OF THIS STUFF that many kind readers contributed, thank you, thank you, thank you! Y'all are the best!

One last thing, if your husband happens to come home while you're making these he will more than likely eat one that isn't dry, dribble icing across the kitchen before he finds himself over the kitchen sink. After he inhales it he will sing your praises, which makes cleaning up after him much easier.

Click here* for a printable version of the entire recipe.

More tips on the petit fours posted a day later... CLICK here for more info.

*I'm still in search of a document hosting site that I love. If any of you aren't happy with the site hosting the recipe or if you don't find it user friendly please let me know!

Last night

2009-06-03T23:12:00.007-05:00

Last night we headed up to the ball park to watch daddy play softball. I've mentioned before that I ♥ church softball and I must confess that's not 100% true. I should clarify that I only love church softball when I can go... I don't love it so much when it takes Justin away for a late double header and leaves me to tackle the hardest hours of the day completely solo. Well last night wasn't a double header, the game was scheduled for 7:30... so we went... all of us. As we were walking out the door I insisted that the girls let me take their pictures. They were fresh from the tub and I could hardly resist.

Since they're my kids let me take a second and tell you that these 2 little girls love each other so well. They play so well together and genuinely care about each other. They also rat each other out 10x a day but for the most part they're loving and kind. I love this picture of them.

When we got to the parking lot of the ball park we ran into Justin's mom. The kids call her "Gi-Gi" and she couldn't resist a little lovin' from her boy.

The wind was blowing hard and it was warm outside... warm wind reminds me of California. Warm winds & happy cows.

Another added bonus of going to church softball games...

It only takes a matter of minutes to pawn the little ones off and for a short while I am only responsible for myself.

I've been running a test kitchen all week... a fun recipe is coming soon! But for now I'm off to bed... but before I go:

Guess what?

I have 7 beautiful jars of blackberry preserves sitting on my counter.

We're going back on Saturday to pick more, I think we'll try a cobbler next... or maybe not, these preserves are mighty tasty!

Good night!

Garden Recipe: Summer Squash Casserole

2009-06-03T07:28:00.004-05:00

Every summer we seem to grow loads and loads of squash and zucchini. I love to sautee them in with a little butter and salt and pepper but this is another wonderful way to serve them that I think you will enjoy.

It is made with homemade croutons.

And lots of cheese.

We had it when Shireen and Russell were here a few weeks ago and they both loved it and deemed it "blog worthy"!

CLICK ON THIS LINK to print the recipe.

More garden recipes coming soon...

Our Weekend

2009-06-01T21:05:00.008-05:00

As I sit here tonight my eyes are heavy {and my hip is sore where I ran into my counter top full speed ahead today} and I'm thinking "If I could just blog in my sleep I'd update every night and I would never get behind."

Here it is Tuesday eve and I've yet to update on our wonderful weekend and my mind is already occupied with the next post and the one after that. If you could just read my mind we'd be set.

I'll probably be short on words tonight. I've been experimenting in the kitchen all day and it was a lot of fun but wore me smack out. What I was doing in the kitchen is for a post to come so stay tuned.

On Saturday:

Early Saturday morning "Acorn-eater" helped me with my watering.

After I fished the dirt out of his mouth we had short stacks of silverdollar sized strawberry pancakes....!

My recipe is easy...

Then Justin loaded the kids up {and I stayed home with JM because if he misses his nap he goes from JM to Hornet} and drove them down to his parents property with more friends to pick...

And pick they did...

My friend Jill manned the camera and did an AWESOME job {especially with no instructions}! This is her husband Tim picking her some good berries...

And this is their son, William, with a "good one"...

They brought home over 5 quarts...

Jill and I talked about what we wanted to do with them. The guys wanted cobbler... we want jam. With jam the "blackberry" keeps on giving, a cobbler would be gobbled up in one night, jars of jam would last much longer! The berries are still in my frige so if I want jam I'll be back in the kitchen tomorrow or Wednesday for sure.

I didn't ask if they picked these but if our jam makes us act funny and we can't stop eating it we'll know why...

By the pictures she took, it looks like William was really excited about his finds...

They said they didn't even get one mosquito bite, I feel quite confident that if I had been there that I would have brought them in by the thousands...

After they picked all they could {which I've been informed they didn't even get 1/2} they all loaded up and headed this way for a very healthy lunch...

And followed their nutritious meal with swimming, wiffle ball, and ice cream.

Sunday brought:

Roses in the early morning. I planted my rose bushes last summer and really don't know what I'm doing. I feed, water, prune, and mulch them but some have lost their leaves and look like they're close to dying... any rose gardeners out there?

After chuch Sunday was spent much like our day on Saturday... lots of food, wiffle ball, swimming and ice cream.

That's all I have the energy for tonight. My post got deleted when I finished it and I had to start all over... argh! That will really make you mad... especially when you're super tired! Be back soon!

Right now...

2009-05-31T22:39:00.004-05:00

my husband is reading the book I just finished
my dog is happy & sleeping
my children are happy & sleeping
I am happy but not sleeping
my coffee hasn't been made yet

So... I'm off to the kitchen to make my coffee for tomorrow morning. Then I'm off to bed. We were blessed with a wonderful weekend, if I had scripted it myself it wouldn't have been any better.

See you tomorrow...

I should do more arm-twisting

2009-05-29T15:09:00.008-05:00

I was so entertained and thrilled to hear your dreams. Seriously, I read them all. Some of them more than once. Y'all are inspiring people with big dreams to do wonderful things! It really did my heart good to hear from you. I was starting to feel like our friendship was one-sided... like me doing all the talking and y'all doing all the listening and that can only last for so long, ya know? So, THANK YOU for coming out of Reader to post a comment! My sitemeter tells me you are there but some of you folks are way too quiet.

Speaking of dreams... The sun reappeared yesterday and I was so glad to see it, as were the children. Thanks to it my ears are filled with water and I can only assume Morgan's are too. I decided to teach her how to do a back dive/flip off the ladder. It sounds much more dangerous than it is, trust me. I'm no olympic swimmer; I almost drowned in an intramural swim meet at Auburn trying to do a simple flip turn at the end of my lane ~~in front of 30 fraternity boys~~. We call it a "back flip" but really it's just a back dive where you lean backwards and keep leaning backwards 'til your head resurfaces and you've come full circle. We call them "BACK FLIPS" because it sounds so much cooler. Anyway, what better way to teach her than to show her so my ears are full too. I have this dream of Justin coming home from work one day and Morgan showing him a successful "back flip" on her own! Hopefully soon! When we bought this house we came very close to filling our pool with dirt because we didn't want one.... on days like today I'm very glad we didn't. Anyway, their ears may be full of water but their skin smells like Banana Boat and they have Popsicle stains around their lips... do you know how happy this makes me? Water in ears, sticky popsicle ring-around-the-mouth, and the smell of Banana Boat! Mmmm..... well, maybe not the water in ears part.

Back to your dreams, I didn't count but I'd say close to 90% of y'all want a cozy little house with land. As I mentioned, that's a dream of mine too. I always entertain it for months {usually in the winter} weighing the pros and cons then the mosquitoes come out and I completely change my mind. I hate mosquitoes. They eat me alive. If I lived on land then I would want to be out on it, enjoying it, but if thousands of mosquitoes are draining me of all my blood then I won't be able to go outside. I know... very rational, right? I'm also a fairly social creature and I fear that no one would come out to see me if I lived out in the country. I love having people over and if they have to drive 30 miles to get to me... I fear they won't come. I guess you have to adjust your social life if you live in the middle of nowhere... or just be okay with fewer visits from friends. Then there's the driving to "town" to get stuff. I live a very "convenient" .75 mile from Target and 1 mile from Walmart and 2 {maybe less} miles to our church. With this said, I highly applaud the genius developers out there who have taken large tracts of land and rather than putting 400 houses on 100 acres in town they are putting 12 houses on 100 acres so that people can have between 5 and 10 acres {to plant their large gardens, have their chickens, burn their leaves} and you don't lose the sense of community and fellowship that you often get robbed of when moving out of town. But trust me, I know those communites come with a very hefty price tag! When we need a "farm fix" we can usually hit up my parents farm... who live around real farmers, including Dale... who not only grows mean vegetables but also rides his bike in overalls.

We hope to spend a couple weeks at the farm this summer. One of my favorite posts Erika's ever written was about the farm, here's the LINK.

Hornet is awake {and he's supposed to be asleep}... so I'll have to cut this short. But I'll leave you with him...

... and his brown watercolor {hopefully non-toxic} paint.

The sun is scheduled to be out this weekend and we are going to pick some blackberries. I think the mosquitoes are also scheduled to be out while I pick the blackberries. I've already planned my picking outfit and it includes knee-high boots, a turtle neck, and face mask. Should make for great pictures!

PS--- Thanks for all your support of my DREAM! I really think Justin is "thinking" about it! :) I'll keep you posted!

Do You Dream?

2009-05-28T08:31:00.003-05:00

I've always been a big "dreamer". I love to entertain my mind with things I'd like to do. I think this trait comes from my dad. He can come up with some crazy ideas... and usually if he entertains himself long enough with those ideas he'll act on them. Most of my dreams are fairly unattainable. That's why they are usually dreams and not reality. One day soon I hope to be gutsy enough to bring my dreams to fruition. I've subtly hinted at my dreams on here before... raising chickens, living on a farm, and now... I've moved on to another dream. Are you ready?

Remember Justin has that new truck that can pull a beast like this. I want to take my family on a vacation across the US in a pull behind RV. I can hear you laughing. I told Erika a couple weeks ago... she died laughing. She said, "You must have forgotten about Hornet. How are you going to sleep in an RV with your kids and Hornet?" I'm not really sure but I could probably figure it out.

We would start here in Alabama and travel west to and through Texas. Then we would continue west to Arizona and then north to Utah and then east to Colorado then further east through Nebraska and then to Missouri and onto Illinios so we could stop at the farm and say "hey" to my parents. Then we would turn right and head south through Kentucky, Tennessee and back to Alabama. Doesn't that sound like fun? I told Justin I bet some of y'all would let us park it in your driveway for a night or two, right?

What do you daydream about? Really... I'd like to know. Did you know that less than 1 percent of y'all ever comment? To be exact in the last 2 days only .03% of y'all have commented and usually it's the same people... which I'm always grateful for. So take a second and tell me something that you'd like to do... it can be totally absurd.

Ok, back to reality.

*Paige pictured above with a "Scary Monster"

It was Memorable

2009-05-27T14:43:00.004-05:00

If you live in the deep Southeast you too are probably wondering who stole our beautiful sun. I've not seen more than 30 minutes of consecutive sunshine in a week and a half and it's killing my creative side. What is it about the lack of sun that drains people? My pictures from our weekend getaway have been edited and have been sitting in my Flickr account for a couple days, yet the words and energy to recap our delightful weekend are far from my fingertips. So... in attempt to not fall far behind I'm going to sip some fully caffeinated ice tea and see if I can squeeze out a recap that will fully display the wonderfulness of our weekend!

In our pre-children years we would always pack the lake house full on Memorial Day weekend. Maybe even some of you have spent a Memorial Day with us? As we've now been outnumbered by children our friends too have been outnumbered by their children which has resulted in a Memorial Day going from a LOT of people to just a FEW. I like it both ways, but with a lot of little ones, the fewer the better.

The house sits on Silver Lake, a private, small, crystal clear, spring-fed lake near Marianna, Florida. A 45-minute drive from our house. Justin's parents {along with his aunt & uncle} built the house in 1981. The house is adorned in pictures, some of my favorite include Justin at Morgan's age swimming, splashing and fishing. He mentioned over and over this weekend what delight it gave him to see his children enjoy the lake the way he enjoyed it when he was a child. The lake is not very large and no motor boats are allowed, only sailboats, kayaks/canoes, or trolling motors {battery operated}. It's a quiet and peaceful place where you hear tree frogs, whippoorwills, and red-wing blackbirds rather than the loud drone from motors of ski boats and jet skis.

We were accompanied this weekend by the Stanford & Wright families {and a LOT of food} and had a wonderful weekend... despite the rain. Both of these families are wonderful, laid-back, go-with-the-flow friends.... which is especially important when the forecast showed a LOT of showers.

As we drove down Saturday morning, I thought for sure the weather would clear. In 10 years of spending Memorial Day weekend at the lake it's never rained the WHOLE time. My very optimistic husband would repeatedly say, "I think it's about to blow over!" Which it would, only to be followed by another downpour.

This picture of Raiger pretty much sums up a lot of what we saw & did: watched the RAIN & stuffed our faces.

John Martin & Mary Grace were fast friends and teamed up on cleaning the floors with their clothes, while the Raiger took care of baby Rhys {I only had to tell her twice, "Not so fast, Raiger!"}.

Saturday afternoon there was a small window of opportunity for me to take the young man to the swing. He was sporting his "I ♥ Mom" shirt and as if his smile {& teeth} don't win me over the combination of the two will certainly earn the man some serious swing time. So we swung. And we swung. And we swung some more.

I loved these pictures so much that I made a new header {thanks, Julie!}.

The weather cleared on Saturday evening in time for what we used to call a "Wine Cruise" but when you're with nursing mothers and young children a "Pajama Cruise" was a more appropriate name for our evening boat ride.

Sunday brought more scattered showers with a few windows for swimming and splashing for the kids.

Once the children were all snug in their beds both nights we pulled out the Joker Board. Shireen and Russell are big "Joker" fans and Russell even made this beautiful board. We had a lot of fun and loved learning a new game. There were a lot of laughs and we enjoyed a little evening fellowship with a game that is a combination of cards, marbles, a little luck and a lot of strategy!

Monday came way too quickly! We obviously forgot to get a group picture... maybe next time!

This picture was in my "stack" and it reminds me to tell y'all that I ended up zig-zagging around the owls for fear that after several washings the "Heat 'n Bond LITE" would lose it's tack. So, if you try it you may want to zig-zag around the fabric to ensure a good hold.

**There are more pictures from our weekend in my FLICKR account... you can click on any of these pictures to be lead there.**

The weatherman has informed me that the sun should reappear this weekend, until then we have plenty to keep us busy.

And for me: Same Kind of Different as Me. It's been on my reading list for 4 months and thanks to the rain this weekend I started it and almost finished it in a couple days. It's a life-changing book. That's all I can say right now... I don't imagine the last few pages will change my opinion... I know a lot of y'all have read it and I thank you for the rec. I'll be back soon with a full review.

I haven't been brought to tears in a while... and not only did this book bring me to tears but also a video I watched on Monday night. Have y'all heard about Rachel Barky? She is a 37-year old mother of 2 who is dying. She presented the most POWERFUL message to a group of women a couple months ago. I listened intently to her every word and found nothing that she said to be untrue or out of line with the Gospel. Her days are numbered, her young and beautiful body is riddled with cancer. Her hope is in the Lord, her maker, creator, and Savior. Her message is powerful. If you haven't seen it please click on the link and listen to her words. Her circumstances are dismal but her message is full of peace and hope. I pray it will encourage you the way that it encouraged me: to be a mother who delights in serving my Savior, my husband, and my children and may I do so with abounding joy because as Rachel teaches: "I know God", "I know myself", "I know the Gospel" and "I know my purpose". If you don't have time to listen now, I suggest you download the audio and listen to it when you have a chance.

Ok, until next time...

Move Over Marlboro Man

2009-05-21T21:40:00.006-05:00

My husband.
That is what this post will primarily be about.

For the most part he is very tolerant of me and my camera. Even when I pull it out at 6 am when we're having a quiet morning on the couch with our coffee.

Then after a few minutes he asks, "What are you taking pictures of?" I respond, "You & the light." He asks, "Don't you think you've taken enough?" Me, "Yes, I think 100 is enough."

As you all know he's a man of many talents. But today I will refer to him as "Straw Man". As in "pine straw". I might as well call him a farmer because honestly, harvesting pine straw is similar to harvesting hay, with the exception of the 1,000's of pine trees you have to dodge in the process. His work keeps him in close contact with Latinos. He has become {almost} fluent in Spanish in the last 2 years. And, if he didn't have blonde hair and blue eyes, I might have thought he had actually become a Mexican. Besides talking to them fluently in Spanish, he also has started shopping at tiendas, drinking imported soft drinks and beer, listening to Spanish music and then he walked through the door in this yesterday... it sealed the deal.

When I inquired about it he told me, "All the guys wear them, and it keeps the sun off my neck. It was $6 at the equipment store." Then he asked, "Do you like it?" All I could do was reach for my camera and smile.

John Martin really liked it. I was still getting used to it. This is a man whom I've only ever seen in baseball caps.

I came to the conclusion if it keeps the sun of his neck, entertains John Martin the way it did, and if "all the guys" wear them... then I guess I do like it. Straw Man in a straw hat... sounds good to me.

Then he went on to tell me about his day. They BURN a lot, as in prescribed burning. He loves it, what man wouldn't? But on the days when they burn he comes in smelling like a forest fire. Usually after work he'll change clothes or take a shower. Yesterday he threw on some shorts and walked in the den where I was ~~doing what I always do~~ folding clothes.

These are his legs. He had on socks {obviously}, boots, and heavy Carhart pants... and these are still his legs which were very covered in soot and ash. All I can say is, I'm glad he's "Straw Man" and I'm not "Straw Woman".

In other news, we're heading to the lake for Memorial Day weekend. Why do children have a hard time grasping... "we're not leaving until Saturday!"??

Morgan spent the better part of today packing. I told her "one bag", this was her first bag, she packed more, many more; they were stuffed with toys, towels, floats, jammies, clothes, everything but the kitchen sink. John Martin is ready to go too... he snuck out and I made him come back in. "Saturday, John Martin, Saturday!"

A year ago as I was preparing to go to the lake Paige broke a dozen eggs on my rug. Let's pray that doesn't happen tomorrow!

Ok, I think that's it. I'm super excited about the weekend... we're not going solo!!!

Be back soon!

JELLO Jigglers & Frosted Banana Bars

2009-05-19T14:05:00.009-05:00

Mondays are usually a little challenging. Moving from "weekend mode" to "weekday mode" usually takes us half a day. I can't imagine what I'll do next year when Morgan actually has to be somewhere on Monday morning. I usually try to do something fun with the kids on Mondays to keep the house somewhat tidy before our small group arrives at 6. In order to stick to my "keeping it real" campaign I thought I'd show y'all my miserably failed attempt at a fun Monday project: J-E-L-L-O JIGGLERS.

I will preface my picture show of events by saying that I talked this up big time! The girls watched me make the jello on Sunday night as I carefully followed the "jiggler" instructions. I told them of all the fun we would have, of how we would use cookie cutters to cut out fun jello shapes. They were ecstatic {and I secretly was too!}.

So yesterday afternoon with firmly set jello we gathered up the cookie cutters & lined the counters with wax paper.

I sat the baking sheets on the counter and because my sink was full of dirty dishes I couldn't sit them in lukewarm water so I placed our jello-laden baking sheets on warm towels so the jello would separate from the pan. I believe this step caused the whole thing to go drastically down hill. I melted the jello. When you're dealing with a 4 & 2-year old telling them "Mommy has to put it back in the fridge for a couple hours" doesn't fly. So we pressed on with our jello.

And attempted to cut shapes out.

That wouldn't "cut out".

It was more like trying to cut shapes out of grape jelly. There was no, "Morgan hold up your shape so Mommy can get a picture!"

It was more like, "Morgan if you want to eat your jello, hold your hair back and slurp it off the counter!"

Then something happened that set the Raiger off. I can't even remember what it was. Something small. Something not worthy of meltdown. But when you're two... jello is a HUGE deal. Especially when Mommy ruins it!

Oh well... you win some you lose some! This one we lost but at least the toys in the playroom stayed picked up!

On Monday nights I serve coffee from a percolator. While I'm getting that percolator ready, JM is usually busy tidying the cabinets. The percolator is old and nothing fancy, but I love it! I'm actually permanently borrowing it from my mother-in-law. I've never used one before. I'm not sure if I just like it, it's name, or how you can simply press down the little tab and piping hot coffee comes out. Or maybe I like the idea of making a LOT of coffee and having others to drink it with. No matter the reason... I love a percolator.

When the percolator comes out... it also means dessert will be served. The majority of the time it's "slice 'n bake" cookies but occasionally I get a wild hair and fix up something a little more.... ummm, involved.

Last night it was Frosted Banana Bars.

When we were 14, Erika and I both worked as servers. Is that even legal? We rode our bikes to get there. Anyway, it was a little cafe in our small town which was tucked inside a much larger town. It was called the Herb Garden Tea Room. Unfortunately it only survived for about 5 years. It was in Anchorage, KY, a tiny little neighborhood town tucked inside Louisville, KY. So, for several years every Saturday and all summer long I spent my time at the Herb Garden. We had a fairly angry chef named Bo, who I eventually got used to. Occassionally he'd drop the "f-bomb" in a sentence that was directed towards me, at first I would feel the tears well up and my throat would tighten, it only took a few weeks and I could just cut my eyes at him and think, "Oh please, I know your not ticked off because they don't want mayo and you put mayo on there because you didn't read the order right!". I wasn't too fond of him but I loved all the other employees, all 4 of them. The Herb Garden was only opened for lunch and they had a WONDERFUL menu. Sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts.... oh, and of course, they had at least 100 different teas to choose from, which we served in beautiful tea pots. If I had to place my order right now, I'd have a Ginger Peach iced tea, a cucumber & dill sandwich with pasta on the side, and I'd have a hard time deciding between Granny's Chocolate Cake & Frosted Banana Bars.

Sometimes I hope no one will eat our bananas so they will overripen and I'll be forced to make these delicious little gems. They melt in your mouth. The bar is similar in consistency to banana bread, but not quite as dense, and it is smothered in a cream cheese frosting. I can guarantee this recipe. If you don't like it, call me and I'll come pick it up from your house.

The recipe makes a LOAD. You use the same "jelly roll" pan you use for the Texas Sheet Cake and mine has a handy little cover... if you're going to go buy one... make sure it has a cover! The bars are thin, bake really quick and your whole house will smell delightful.

Once again, I very selflessly tested the bars before I served them to our small group. If you ever come to my house to eat and a small part of what I serve is missing, you can go ahead and thank me for testing it for you. :)

I posted a printable version of the recipe: HERE. Bookmark it, print it off, save it... you'll want to make it! I PROMISE. I'm off to have some now!

Wrap Up

2009-05-18T14:44:00.007-05:00

There are so many little details of our life that I desire to document and capture in this blog. But every post takes time and energy. As I type right now Morgan is resting her chin on my forearm while she asks, "What is that that you are typing? Who are you writing to?" You see, post "operation no thumb suck" we have turned into a household with a 4-year old that no longer naps BUT desperately needs to nap. I still think I'd rather her not suck her thumb than take a nap, but some days I'm not so sure. Anyway, my afternoons that used to be filled with time at the computer or in the laundry room or at the kitchen sink are no longer times of solitude, my sous chef/co-pilot is never far from my side. It is a delight to have her company but can also hinder my efficiency.

With that said, I'm going to wrap up last week in one post!

Our family has a new favorite pastime... wiffle ball. I am embarrassed to tell y'all how sore I am from playing wiffle ball in our back yard. I "wiff" a lot and I think that's why I am so sore. It hurts to swing as hard as you possibly can and MISS. We started with the roof being a home run. But our skills quickly improved so we had to move a "home run" to over the roof. We have laughed really hard and I am still afraid Justin is going to line-drive the ball to my face. You should see me throw it to him... I throw it fast and duck. I have no glove. Maybe I just need a face mask. We have been very entertained by our new sport and Morgan can nail the ball.

Next up, John Martin. He's always out there with us, chewing on grass and breaking in his new teeth.

Aren't babies' teeth hilarious? I find his little jack-o-lantern smile simply irresistable. He loves to hold the wiffle balls and I can already see he is anxious to take a swing at it.

Morgan had her end of the year party last week. She's finishing out "3-year old" preschool and they wrapped up the year with a Sprinkler Party. It was as entertaining as the end of the year program.

The parents weren't the only ones watching... those who weren't included were green with envy.

Last week also marked our first harvest from the garden. Sugar snap peas, yellow squash & zuccinni.

Paiger was up with the sun one morning and graciously assisted me in my morning watering routine.

Thanks, Seleta for the "adorable" jammies!

I also whipped up JM a little onesie to match his sister's dresses. I simply ironed Heat'nBond light onto the fabric and then cut out the owls, peeled away the parchment backing, & ironed the owls on the onesie.

Ok, John Martin is up... be back soon with another recipe!

Simplicity 5118 & Clothing Tags

2009-05-16T22:40:00.010-05:00

About a year ago I came across Simplicity 5118 on Beki's blog, she made a precious version for her daughter's birthday, and I had to give it a try. I made several dresses from the pattern for the girls last summer. It's a very easy pattern and would be great for a beginner. No placket, no buttonholes, no sleeves to gather, no ties to make... it's EASY PEASY! Seriously, I love this pattern... easy & CUTE.

I knew exactly what fabric I wanted to use this go around:

The polka dot is from Hobby Lobby {I think, it's been in my stash for a LONG time} and the owls are by Alexander Henry {I found it on etsy}.

When Morgan tried it on... all she wanted to do was dance!

I made one for both girls. I haven't sewn in months and it felt so good to sit down and finish 2 dresses in a matter of hours!

Here are the changes I made to the pattern:
1- I cut 2 "backs" {1 for the front & 1 for the back} and rounded them to match the rounding on the "front". The "front" of the dress pattern comes in 2 pieces and has an empire waist. I was looking for a solid front... that's why I cut two backs, and the back is a little fuller than the front. That makes the front and the back the same... the only difference is the sleeve has a front & back so there is a front & back when you are done.
2- I cut about 4" off the length of the back and added a 4" piece of the contrasting fabric that I used on the sleeves
3- It only goes through a size 4 so I made Morgan's {a 5} just a smidge bigger than a 4. :)

Oh... and I added tags because they make life easier for dads if when they dress the children.

Here's a quick TAG TUTORIAL:
My machine {which I still LOVE} has an option to sew letters & numbers.

So I chose the #3 for size 3.

Then I placed a white ribbon under my foot with a piece of stabilizer under it. And stitched out a 3.

Then I trimmed the ribbon and folded it in half and basted the tag closed.

When I was closing up the casing in the neck of my dress I slipped the tag in.

If your machine doesn't sew numbers or letters you could use a permanent fabric marker and just write the size on the tag.

Ok, off to bed. And I think I accidently posted this before I was finished... durn computers!