My own fall harvest

Today I wanted to share a few pictures of the fall fun we have here in East Tennessee every year.  Chad's aunt and uncle have what we call "The Pumpkin Party" every October usually on the 3rd weekend of the month (yes, that is when UT plays Alabama every year).  Molly Cox has had the party on the calendar for MONTHS and the kids woke up very excited to get to the party!  What encouraged me to write this blog post was the overwhelming since of "my own fall harvest."  Not one that I harvest every year of course byt the harvest that is my adorable, precious, sometimes crazy children.  Chad and I work very hard at being good parents and yes, sometimes fail miserably because of our own sinful selves but we strive to produce a harvest of productive, caring, loving, Lord-abiding kids and we pray every day that we are able to do just that!  We urge each of you to do the same!!  The pictures that I want to share come from our first Pumpkin Party in October of 2009 and the last is our group shot from this year's Pumpkin Party - LOOK AT HOW MUCH OUR HARVEST HAS GROWN AND WHAT AMAZING YOUNG PEOPLE THEY ARE BECOMING!!

 

 Pumpkin Party 2009

Pumpkin Party 2012

 

Fun with sidewalk chalk

Thank you Pinterest (The link takes you right to my Summer pin board) for another super great idea to keep my kids and I busy (and happy/not fighting) this summer!!

Sidewalk Chalk Paint: Equal parts water and cornstartch (I used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup cornstarch and then added a color, poured about half into three containers and then added a second color to mix: for purple, orange and poured that into 3 containers, then washed out my bowl and started again with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cornstartch)  and then add food coloring - Mix and match colors and ENJOY!!

Let me know if you have any questions about Pinterest or the chalk recipes!!

Sock Bun = Curls

Ok, this is going to be a TOTALLY random post but I love this idea so much that I just have to share!!  Do you love Pinterest?  I am obsessed!  I have gotten tons of great ideas to craft/sew, probably 85% of my recipes since October, great decorating tips, nails, and hair!!!  Today I want to share a great hair trick that I am newly in love with!  Take a sock, cut it, roll it, hair in ponytail, wet hair, roll hair around sock, leave overnight, take it down, brush it out, and VOILA - CURLS!!!  I am linking to the website, via Pinterest with instructions (more specific than mine).  Please try it and let me know what you think!!

Sock Bun = Curls

Welcome Summer

The kids and I have officially been out of school for 4 days now and we are LOVING every minute of it! I wanted to post some highlights of Summer 2012 so far!! We've been to the Splash Pad, played on our Slip-n-Slide, and had a picnic at Cherokee Dam!! We can't wait for daddy to be out of school (today is his last day)!!

Yes, we went to the Splash Pad with a cling-wrapped arm (and by the way, the cling-wrap didn't really help - YIKES!)!!

I still think you are getting wet Coop!

Sitting on the spout doesn't make it stop Brody!!

**Disclaimer: Sorry the pictures are sideways - I am still trying to figure out all this Blogger stuff and will take tips and hints from anyone!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

A lot has happened to our family over the past couple of months! My mom's surgery, Cooper almost broke his nose, Molly broke her arm while I was in VA taking care of my mom, etc! We are very blessed that Molly and Cooper's injuries were not life-threatening but even more amazingly blessed that my mom has done so well! She has definetly been a trooper through her 5 bypass surgery, stay in the hospital, and her long recovery at home. She hasn't been able to use her arms to lift herself out of a chair, sleep in the bed, or drive for the past 5 weeks!! She has been an amazing patient and my dad and sister Terri have been excellent caregivers! We have been blessed from countless others with flowers, cards, food, and visits and we are more than forever grateful for the prayers of so many which we have felt everyday through this process!! Right now our goal is to make it to our favorite vacation spot: Isle of Palms, SC in June to enjoy a week at the beach!!

I am so thrilled to have been able to spend Mother's Day with my sweet momma and I am so proud of her!! I am blessed beyond measure to be her daughter and to have been able to learn about being a mommy from one of the best, who learned from her momma who was one of the best!! I am forever grateful to God for her life, her faith, and everything she has taught me!! Happy Mother's Day!! I love you mom!!

My Great Come Back!!

The time has seriously flown by since my last post (ENTIRELY TOO LONG AGO, I KNOW)!  And I am not sure why I am choosing the craziest, busy week to make my come back but I just wanted to try this blogging thing (and keeping up with it thing) again!  We are winding down our year - only 5 school days left and very much looking forward to a fun-filled summer.  Our summer list includes: a pool pass (we hope), a trip to Isle of Palms, SC, maybe a soccer camp for the twins, possibly dance camp for Miss Molly, a 10 year wedding anniversary, and the list goes on!  I hope to make a strong come back with my blog every couple of days or so with new crafts, new recipes, pictures of our goings on, and much more!  PLEASE STAY TUNED!!!

Yesterday something so odd happened to me while I was at Children's Hospital with Brody for his eye appointment. We went to the restroom outside the doctor's office and as we were washing our hands the strangest smell washed over me. It was something so familiar and sweet and took me a few seconds to realize - the smell was the soap! The same soapy smell that we had to use many, many times everyday when our sweet Molly was born and sent to the NICU. We had to scrub up to our elbows before they would let us come in to hold her or feed her and the smell from yesterday was so exactly the same that I almost cried in the middle of a Children's Hospital bathroom! It took my breath and I must have made a noise because Brody said, "What momma?"

I wanted to share....It was such a sweet and scary time with our first baby. We had so many CRAZY emotions during those 5 days of NICU. We were blessed beyond measure by the nuns at St. Mary's Hospital who would not letting us pay for our room, the nurses that made Molly a bow out of surgical tape so that her IV in her head wouldn't look so horrible, took pictures of her when we didn't want to remember her being in that isolet bed and made a cd for us to take home, and by the night-time volunteer who knitted Molly a purple hat to match her purple blankie. Yesterdays smell brought back a rush of feelings and emotions and I couldn't wait to get home and hug my sweet Molly!!