Weekend Getaway

This past weekend hubby and I took the kiddos, mom and dad, my sister, and my brother and his wife for a little R & R. Here's a couple pics from our trip!


Carter eating the breakfast of champions


Mr Blue Eyes on the Bob the Builder Train


Braden riding the train outside an outlet mall with Ashlyns help


Our traditional rocking chair picture


There are more pictures and a few videos that aren't safe for public viewing. I'm sad to say Richard got his hiney kicked by his wife in an incredible sweep in boxing.

Carter's Pics

Carter got a digital camera for Christmas so here's a couple shots from him:
This is his picture of the TV.

This is a small peice to his matchbox garage set

This is the front of a Barbie Movie (the Island Princess)

This is Ashlyn with the DVD of the Christmas musical she was in.

Built Ford Tough

Well after numerous visits to the ER with our family of 5, Braden Ford is the first child to receive stitches. Nine to be exact. 6 on the inside and three on the outside. While he's doing very well now, I'm sure that he'll be back to jumping on the bed in the very near future. But for today, lesson learned.

Family Dating

This post has been constantly worded and reworded in my mind and I'm still not certain I've said all I need to say on it. It's just such a sensitive, bittersweet topic for me and mine.

Can I just say how much I hate when you make good friends and then life happens and you're seperated? And it's not like those friendships are easily replaceable or that they happened over night. You know which relationships I'm talking about. They're not the ones where the wives get along and the husbands pretend to and the kids bicker back and forth. It's the close relationships that the women love each other and the husbands consider the other someone to help keep them accountable. It's the relationships where your kids call the other adults "aunt and uncle". It's the easy going way you don't care that your house isn't clean or that you can just say that you are in a bad mood and please don't take me seriously today. The friendships where you can just look at each other and know what they are thinking.

I've been blessed to have been given some of these relationships. Although distance has seperated us we still think of those relationships every day. And we know if we were to move next door the relationships could pick up where they left off.

And then there's those relationships where distance doesn't seperate but some dynamic does. It's unexplainable. You put effort into the relationship. You get along with the wife, the husbands get along. The kids have a great time together. You move forward and then something changes and the close friendship that could have/would have been is gone. I used to think it was easy to find friends. And to a point it is. But finding a family that fits into your family so well isn't as easy. And when you've already had those great relationships that you want again, not only for you but for your family, it's hard.

And then God surprises you. People you've been around for a while. Those that you've never thought would have the same interests, the same belief system, the same love of God just walk into your life. And you just hope it's for good.

A Wednesday Yummy!

A word of warning. Do not bake this alone. You must bake this for your family or a group. You will eat this by yourself if you do not heed my advice!


Pumpkin Cake

4 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cups sugar
2 t pumpkin pie spice
3 cups yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter melted

In bowl beat eggs. Stir in pumpkin, milk, sugar, and spice.
Pour into 13X9 pan. Sprinkle cake mix on top. Pour butter on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until lightly golden. Will look a little jiggly when it comes out but will solidify upon setting. Dust with powdered sugar and serve, or dollup (and I mean big dollups!) with cool whip!

A little Boo

I'm posting this late since one of our "boo-ees" is a reader.

The kids decided to "boo" this year and we had so much fun. All the kids loved sneaking around and each got to do one house and then they got to do the 4th together. They were great with leaving our little gifts on the door, especially Carter who did Dukes of Hazzard style car moves when a certain person's windchimes scared the pumpkin seeds right out of him. So, so, cute! We had a great time and can't wait to do it again next year. Who knows, we might decided to "Jingle" someone.

Family Pics

Thanks to a fellow mommy and a new friend, our family pics are here! My babies are getting so big!


http://www.jennifernahm.com/webgalleries/melanie/melanie

Puppy Chow

So the kids and I had a craving for this and this is what we made. So yummy. Be prepared. It's addictive!

1 stick butter (real butter only!)
1 cup peanut butter (must be creamy)
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 box (12 oz) rice chex or corn chex cereal
4 cups powdered sugar

In saucepan melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate. Stir often and melt completely. In LARGE bowl pour cereal. When chocolate is melted pour over cereal and mix well. In brown shopping bag put two cups of powdered sugar. Pour chocolate cereal in and shake well. Add remaining two cups of sugar and shake again. Store in airtight container or ziploc bags!

My first award!

My sweet friend Amy (link to the left) has given me such a sweet reward today! Thank you dear friend!

This is copied from Amy's blog:




Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple. The Mathetes Award was created by management by God and I would like to pass it on to the following :


Melanie at Mommy Wiggy - Melanie is a dear friend of mine. She has been given the gift of hospitality and she continually blesses those around her.

Tradition

This is from Branson just a couple weeks ago. We decided to make it a priority for family vacations about a year ago and since then have taken three trips to Branson for little family get-a-ways. We have started some traditions there, one of which is hitting Mel's Hard Luck diner. A great diner where the waitstaff, busboys, and even grill cooks sing for you while you are there. Great music. Country, Oldies, Gospel, Gospel, Gospel! Wonderful family place. Enough on my plug on that. But there is a rocking chair outside in the villages there that the kids think is so cool. So, as long as the chair is there, we'll get the kids pic taken in the chair to mark their growth! I LOVE traditions! Sometimes Richard looks at me like I'm crazy as I tend to try and make everything a tradition! Any fun traditions out there?

Songs of Faith and Praise

I have a confession to make. There are very few "new church songs" that I like. I can actually count them on one hand. I usually find myself just listening the the congregation sing those songs. It's not that I don't enjoy them or that I don't think they are beautiful, I just don't have an attachment to those songs. Yet. I'm from a generation that should be all about the new songs, but in church on Sunday I find myself more focused when I sing the songs that I KNOW. And when I say know, I mean the songs that have touched my life in someway. So many songs I can think of have special memories for me...

I remember singing Does Jesus Care in church the sunday after my aunt lost the only baby she was ever to carry.

I remember singing 728b over and over with Bonnie and Boyd.

I remember singing Thomas' Song in Mesquite on our last sunday there.

I remember singing Just As I AM (all verses and then the last verse 12 times) for the invitations in chapel at Harding with a certain person.

I remember listening to Ashlyn sing Cloudless Day over and over in the car when she was two.

and tons more songs that have special meanings to only me.


So many old classics that I love. And I know that I will someday (if not sooner rather than later) enjoy and be blessed by the new songs we sing now. Because at one time, weren't the classics new? I know what the true focus is of worship and I know where I am in worship. I'm lecturing myself here. But when I catch myself singing a song, it's usually the old traditional songs. So, I'm working on not picking and choosing what I sing, but worshipping with the song in my heart.

Any songs (and yes, they can be old OR new) that touch you for a special reason?

Prayers

Please pray for Danna (she's a link to the left) and her family as they mourn the loss of Danna's father. E.W. was a great man who loved and was loved dearly.

An Ordinary Family

Last March I attended a Hearts at Home conference and loved every minute of it. I'm hoping that schedules work out for me to attend again next March. I enjoyed listening to great speakers and something one of them said struck a huge chord in me and I've been constantly reminded of this and so I thought I'd share.

From the moment we find out we're expecting, we pray for healthy ordinary children. An ordinary pregnancy, an ordinary birth, and an ordinary child. The moment that child is born and we count the 10 fingers and 10 toes and find out our child is ordinary, we determine ordinary is not enough. We want "our" child to be extraordinary. The star athlete. The academic. The Popular child. The graceful dancer. The overacheiver. And the list goes on.

So what's wrong with asking for extraordinary? Nothing really as long as you don't forget the ordinary. I know that there will always be someone more beautiful than my children (however, don't tell me if you find them!), there will always be someone smarter, and more talented. I want my children to find themselves okay with being ordinary. I wish I was a writer so I could convey exactly what I feel. But you'll have to make due with my stumblings. There are so many things I want my children to delight in and you know what? They're ordinary things. These are some ordinary things that I've found such delight in.

A sonogram and seeing all three sucking their thumb and little button noses.
My babies first cries.
Feeding my babies.
First steps.
First coos.
First time I heard Mama and I Love You.
Holding my children's small hands in mine while we walk.
Hearing my children's voices sing and praise God.
Hearing my children pray each day.
Little feet kicking me in my bed.
Sending my oldest off to school for the first time.
Little kiddos helping me cook and set the table.
Hearing my children giggle in the bathtub.
My children telling me how much they love church and their teachers.
My children coloring pages and pages each day. The fridge is FULL.
The concern and caring that my children show to me when I cry. (which if you know me is often)
The love my children have for other people.

I have so many more "ordinary" moments in the future! I can't wait!

Back to School

Well Ashlyn is officially a 1st grader. (She started a couple weeks ago, but slow mommy is just now posting!) She loves her new school. She was a little nervous, but when she saw a couple children she knew, she was excited. She loves her teacher and loves being a big girl and getting the choice to buy or take lunch. What choices!

Wedding Photos

Wedding Photos

Wedding Photos

Wedding Photos

Tagged

Apparently it's come to a game of internet tag. Like my friend who tagged me, I'm not fond of being tagged. It's kind of like getting a Fwd, not one of my favorite things. But I decided to play along as well. It is a great way to get to know people a little bit better. So here goes...

The rules are... 1) I have to post eight random facts about myself, 2) I have to list these rules and 3) I have to tag eight other people.

And we're off...

1. I'm afraid of clowns. Yep, you read that right. They freak me out. And no, my children will never get to dress up as one. Tragic childhood for them I know.

2. I have this urge to play BINGO with old ladies. Don't know why, just looks like fun.

3. I LOVE to cook. Everything except for seafood. Yuck.

4. I read cookbooks like some people read books. It's fun for me.

5. I've had dreams while sleeping about how nice it would be to take a nap. Weird I know.

6. The St Louis Zoo is one of my favorite places.

7. I CRAVE Taco Bueno and I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food.

8. I'm a bargain hunter. I can tell you where ALL the sales are and where the places to go are. From groceries to pretty much anything. I have lists of Kids Eat free places, etc. I LOVE to rummage!

I'll tag: Jenny, Amber, Elizabeth (who already did 100 so she's exempt), Stephanie, and I can't think who else...

Dinner Time

2 posts in one week? Do I get an award or something? I (with the help of friends) have found an incredible place to do great suppers. Ours is locally based, but I know there are chains available. You sign up for the amount of meals and which specific meals you want to make. You show up. The give you an apron, show you the fridge and the stations and you create your meals. They are packaged in freezer safe containers and then you take home and bake! I love this! We've saved money, had GREAT food, and have tried things I probably wouldn't have made had I seen the list of ingredients! If you have one in your neighborhood, I definitely recommend checking it out! My kids eating the Parmesan Encrusted Chicken with Pesto Sauce will second that!