Happy Halloween!!! A week in Review

This has been a LONG week!! Tuesday was a Wisescrapper's day the girls and I had so much fun. We played with our friends, made book marks and had a BLAST.  Wednesday Eldest lost her first molar and the tooth fairy fell asleep forgetting to put money under her pillow hahah so but she thought that she went to her momma's house instead so luckly we got an extra day!!! Middlest had her very first school field trip. She had a BLAST!! We went to Tate Farms which is a Pumpkin / Cotton farm there is so much to do there! The kids played in a corn crib, picked their own pumpkins buried their teacher in corn kernels. Then Tim took the girls to a Trunk or treat at a local church so Mommy could get a nap.Thursday was a Wisescrappers day. Which means momma and babygirl were working hard. Well we made a card for our Uncle and then our Nana came and picked us up for a special Nana day!! Our favorite day! Which was lucky for me because I had to work late. We had a Christmas Card class, I had a blast.. made a few cards and learned some new tricks that I can't wait to put to good use!! Friday was WHO club day... apparently I messed up some blankets i had knotted so we had to re-do them but we had fun doing it, we also made a super hero costume for our daddy, and we had a nice out to eat dinner. Then today of course was HALLOWEEN! WOOHOO!! We went to the Halloween Hoopla downtown with some friends of our and got lots of candy and got nice and worn out! Then we came home and went Trick or Treating!! The girls got sooooo much candy! It took Tim and I an hour just to sort through it all. We didn't get many trick or treaters so we have a ton of candy leftover to send to school with Middlest on Monday.

my beautiful little yeasty

So right now I am in this mastering bread phase. So I have been expermenting with different recipes tying to get them to taste diffrent than yeast bread. Once I mastered not killing the yeast last year I got adventurous and have been branching out but all my diffrent recipes tasted the same. Today however I tried starting a sponge and OH MY GOODNESS this bread was freaking awesome!! It took all day to start the sponge and get things going but it made the most amazing bread and with this started i just keep it in the fridge and pull off a few peices when im ready to make something. I think in the morning i'm going to make homemade cinn rolls for my girls :). Also a loaf to take to work to show off :)
Today was also Eldest trip to BEAR CREEK CAVE and something or other she had a BLAST! She outlined every little tiny detail for me even down to who sat where on the bus. It was great I love hearing her talk about things she has done! Middlest had her first parent teacher confrence today and that went very well I am sooo impressed with how she is doing. Her teacher said she was very social and had a very active imagination....wonder where she got that from!!!

A day away from the girls

I worked this Saturday at Wisescrappers my fav place in my whole world next to bed :) I had a BLAST I taught myself how to do embossing and had a great time!! The bonus was when I got home Tim had arranged for the grandparents to take the little girls for the evening!! He had made me pizza and picked out some squishy girly movies he knew I liked and we ate pizza and watched movies in bed!! My favorite kind of date! In the morning we (HE) went fishing I discovered a superfab book called THE SUNDAY WIFE is was so touching I couldn't put it down. Anyways... Grandparents brought the littler girls to where we were fishing and we all sat around and helped the girls fish. We only caught one little fishy but that was okay.. good mommies always make sure we have a few GORTONS in the freezer for times like that :).  We had a great weekend just enjoying being together before our week started. This week we have 2 field trips, tutoring, company coming over, volunteer work, WHO, finishing Halloween costumes, and soooo much more!! Stay tuned to the same bat time and same bat channel

Franken-mote, Bald Pythons and Sundae's

            My day started with going to check on babygirl who daddy plugged into her fav movie of the week THE LAST UNICORN... only to find her surrounded by broken remote control pieces, I explained that we would not be able to turn on the TV now (the power switch on the front is busted) and I asked her why she took it apart.. she wanted to see how it worked. uh huuh.. Called Tim to tell him he was a bad influence on the girls and what did he do laugh and say Evil Genuis for a better tomorrow's newest member babygirl!!! uh huh JUST LIKE HER DADDY. Geek to the core.
            Today was REPORT CARD day dum dum dum not really anything to worry about. The two schoolers do fairly well in school. We get special treats for good grades the girls get to pick out a special dinner or we get ice cream. So off the bus they came report cards in hand. Eldest got good grades which I expected since   I drill her everynight. Middlest I was a little worried about how she was doing.. she needs progress in some areas but overall she did good. While we waited for daddy to get home we decided to go play outside while the weather was nice. Oh it was a beautiful evening cool no mosquitos just perfect. The girls busted out thier bikes to ride around the yard. Eldest was bike-less so we dug out my old bike and adjusted it for her. She had never ridden an "adult" bike with gears before so she was super excited. They rode up and down the street for about an hour until we had to get dinner started. After dinner... sorry everyone i was voted down no apples today :(. We dug out all kinds of yummies for ice cream we had Hot Fudge, Oreo's, mashed up Oreos, Raspberry jelly and Sugar- free yummies for daddy. We had a BLAST everyone got to add how much of whatever they wanted to thier Ice cream bowls. I think we all left the table a little sick. It was so much fun. We haven't had enough chairs for our table so we haven't eatten there for a while and it reminds me why I love sitting down and eatting dinner together around the table. Middlest apparently had someone from a pet store come in today and all through dinner and dessert she told us about Bald pythons and scorpians. How the wrap around, bite you , sting and all those fun things. Did you know a little girl DIED from a bald python wrapping around her. I had to try so hard not to laugh because she was very serious. All the while our diabetic daddy is trying to snitch Babygirl's OREO's Finally she smacked his hand and told him if he didn't behave she would tell him to go back to work.  What a great day!! Some days I love my family. Now I'm off to bury myself in the AWESOMENESS that is Jacob Black because Tim has decided we should watch a guy movie while he folds laundry.

Halloween is coming

I finally finished babygirls Halloween coustume..woohoo only two more to go!! Her costume consists of a left over pair of red tights, hand me down combat boots, a black leotard from the dress up box, a few fabric scraps for the cape and emblem, and a pair of little boy superhero boxers that I ripped the stitching and made into a skirt. Total cost 9.00$ The amount of fun she has being a " real" superhero:  Priceless....unless she jumps off of Sissys' bunk beds.

 I spent all morning sewing today and forgot to clean the house. hah Then I went to the store and cleaned. Why is it always easier and more fun to clean someone elses house????? Maybe after I go to bed the cleaning elves will come, but I wont hold my breathe. Pork loin tomorrow... apples and pork go really well together hmmmm... stay tuned for more apple recipies. I still have 1 1/2 bushels of apples left.

Chicken in the middle

You know those days when you are dragged against your will somewhere like.. hmm i dont know a Republican Mens breakfast the whole family is there eatting away, Then they start talking. Your eldest lifts her head glares at YOU and says I didn't know they would be talking!! Your middleist waits all of about 10 more min before climbing into your lab and starting to snuggle and whisper at you and fidget. Your baby waits about 10 more min before saying very loudly I HAVE TO PEE PEE BAD!! IM GONNA PEE MY DOWA PANIES!!! Which you know to translate into i am very bored and I will contiue to yell that i have to pee so you will get me the hell out of here. You that THAT kind of situation? That would be the invention of a game called "CHICKEN IN THE MIDDLE" which if you say in a Superman voice really sounds awesome. The church where Tim's meeting was at has like a sitting area outside the girls bathroom.  This sitting area had a carpet with a large square on it. There were 4 of us girls so being the brillant mommy that I am i nvented chicken in the middle which is everyone stands on a corner and then two numbers 1-4 get called out and those ppl run and switch places.  We had a blast. So the next day we brought out the spray paint and made a HUGE square in the yard and showed daddy how to play. The 5th person goes in the middle and has to steal a corner while the others are running. And just to add a dash more fun we have CHICKENS WITH THIER HEADS CUT OFF  which means everybody run and find a new corner! Great fun for very active children who have been cooped up due to rain.

workin' woman

Yesterday was my first day helping out at WiseScrappers,  it was amazing! I had so much fun. I learned a few new skills which is always nice and I got to meet a few new people. We added some things into inventory man let me tell you what.. I've never made a Christmas scrapbook but I think I just might have to now. I am able to bring babygirl with me to work, listen to what I want on the radio, be surrounded by educational stuff and scrapbooking stuff I think I have discovered my perfect job!! Well my other perfect job :). Speaking of being a mommy. I realized the other day that my baby girl is no longer a baby. She doesn't even look like a toddle. My baby is now a preschooler. It's a little heartbreaking. She has just changed into a little girl. I'm going to have to have another baby so I can use up all this baby stuff we have laying around. Babygirl (she is still the baby of all the girls so ) has been going through our storage area dragging out old toddler toys and giving them to her bestie (an almost 2yr old).
       My husband had company over last night to play thier on line game. I and the girls spent Monday cleaning and getting everything ready for company last night KNOWING I had to work on Tuesday I asked Tim to get home a little early and pick up the mess the girls may have gotten out, and run a vacume before company got here seeing as it is shedding season. ha ha ha ha. Is it just a guy thing to not notice the mess around you?! I got home about 7 last night there was a sink load of dishes, the coutch was covered in clothes and the floor had not been vacumed, and they were already here just talking and having a fine ole time. It just makes me wonder... are men impervious to messes? Are they blind to them? Is it like a super power..Can girls get it? PLEASE!! Next time i'll just quarintene the house before hand... maybe that will stop them.
    

Having a joyful spirit

It is 5am and I am wide awake. Why? Hahaha Last night we went shopping for new things for our bathroom. While in line the cashier asked how I was doing. I vented a little saying I had been there for 2 hours with three kids on a sugar high trying to pick out crucial items for the bathroom. Paint and accessories for Halloween can be crucial things to someone like me. I had forgotten pet food and kitty litter but was already in line and not about to get out again. She just said huph. Not that I really expected a response, I know she was trying to appear to be personable. Well she started singing to herself and I said You have such a Joyful spirit  I imagine its great especially when things are so crazy in the evenings, that I wished after being there for so long I could have one as well but sometimes I struggle (as i'm sure most mothers do) . She said that if I belived in God it wouldn't be hard to have a joyful spirit. I was completely taken aback. I just... even now am speechless about it. Since when is having a joyful spirit contingent on my Christianity? I am I less of a Christian because I struggle to have patience and a joyful spirit?  I'm not Michelle Dugger I don't know many mothers that are. I love my daughters they try my patience sometimes and having a joyful spirit when they are distroying things is hard.  I just dont know what to think about this.  Am I less of a Christian because I struggle? I'm not less of a good person. I would think after being a Walmart for two hours with my kids anyone would struggle with a joyful spirit.  I did a amazing women of the bible study they had ups and down in their lives but were still amazing strong Christians. I know that im not those women to anyone except my children and my husband. I hate when people make you question, but then I remember two things, one is the Screwtape letters, the second is sometimes we become stale and God needs to shake us up a little. I am sure because of other attacks that Satan is trying to convince me to just give up, and the God is trying to shake me up and get me off my butt I can feel him pushing I just am not sure what it means.  I am positive of the direction. My family doesn't understand my excitment about this place I have recently discovered. The women there are these amazing christian women. I know God has something in store for me at this special place. I'm not sure what it is but God has never steered me wrong before. I belive this place is going to help restore my faith in "the church". People may think i'm crazy but they often do when God has a job for us that we don't quite understand, and to be perfectly honest until it all started streaming from me I don't think I knew why I have pushed to have the unique position that I had been given. So remeber my in my newest God given journey.

50's

Today was the first chilly morning of the fall. :) WOOHOO. It is still only in the 50's so it's not as impressive as other places, but for Alabama it's pretty nice. Anyhow when I woke up this morning my husband had gotten the girls all dressed for school. They were sooo bundled up you would have thought there was a foot of snow on the ground. It was so great! Of course I had them change clothes but it was still cute that Daddy was so worried about them.

Wednesday the 14th

Last night I made the family veggie beef stoop ( A combination of stew and soup) . SOO yummy! Anyways I also decided that i'd make some bread as well. We have two problems with this. One : I have trouble with yeast it just HATES me,  I have to use a thermomitor just to make sure the water is perfect. Two: I get OBSESSIVE about yeast bread.. I keep making it trying to get it just right... loaves and loves of it. Different recipes diffrent types just practicing. So true to form this morning I had found a new recipe for a country itallian bread. This was the most fiddily recipe i've ever seen. Add yeast to water allow to rest..add flour allow to rest.. blah blah blah. I started this recipe at 9 am it was finally completely done about 3:30pm . Six and a half HOURS of rising and adding things and rising again.  During all the rest times for the bread I decided like a good little house keeper to clean up in between what I was doing. Well I picked up my rotary cutter not realizing it was up and sliced the FIRE out of of my thumb. Blood is everywhere! My neighbor had to come and help me bandage it cause I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. FUN fun!! we eventually did THANK YOU HON!!! Then after I got the throbbing to finnally stop I went to put the bread in the over not noticing that my dearest love put my oven racks in the oven the wrong way!! so I burned both of my wrists trying to get the bread off the rack and get it turned around. *sigh* I finally gave up and went to go get the girls from school. Not bothering to change clothes since I was picking both up in car rider. Middlest got in the car everything was fine. We turned around to wait for Eldest to finishe her club meeting. Well of course Middlest and Babygirl both have to go potty. So mommy with her crazy hair and flour covered clothes gets to go in the school and make a fool of herself!! It was a great day! It did get better though after we got the littler girls in bed Eldest and I found an NCIS marathon and stayed up a little later than we probably should have considering it was a school night, But daddy was tutoring so he wasn't home . We also made Apple Pie for breakfast.

the yummy apple recipes

So far we have made: Apple pot roast, dehydrated apples, apple cake, apple bread, apple butter, apple sauce, apple pie filling, apples and brown rice, cabbage and apples, Roasted chicken with apples, apple dumplings and some others i can't quite remember because all I can hear right now is Bubba going through his whole shrimp thing. If I forget a recipe and you would like it just let me know and I will pass it on! Great recipes are for sharing
APPLE BREAD
~ my sustitutions or additions: apple sauce instead of oil, no Vanillia, apple pie spice instead of cinnamon I also added more nuts. I thought the recipie needed more liquid after it was all mixed so I added more apple sauce until it looked liquidy enough. I made one loaf and the rest of the mix into muffins. I think i'm going to make more of this as soon as the girls go to bed!!!!!!
Awesome Apple Bread

Preparation Time: :15

Overall Time: 1:55

Ingredients

1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups apples, diced
3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Combine and set aside the oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Sift flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to oil mixture gradually. Add apples and nuts. Bake in 2 regular loaf pans or 3 foil loaf pans for 1-1/2 hours at 300°F. Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired


APPLE DUMPLINGS
now we have a apple core-er, peeler,slicer combo which made this SOO easy. It slices the apples in a spiral like a slinky so we rolled it in the sugar and made sure the sugar got in between all the layers. before we stuffed it with the other ingredents.


Ingredients :

1 pastry for 2-crust pie

Filling Ingredients:

6 apples (peeled and cored)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 Tablespoons butter (softened)
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
Directions:
1. Roll pastry slightly less than 1/8" thick. Cut into 7" squares.
2. mix sugar and spices in a small bowl
3. Put apple on center of each pastry square. Fill with mixture of sugar a few raisins and a few nuts. Dot each with teaspoon of butter.
4. Bring points of pastry up over apple and overlap.
5. Place a few inches apart in baking pan.
6. Bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Now this had a syrup to go over it but since we are trying to eat healthier and not to mention Tim being a diabetic.. we could not add the syrup and cook all the dumplings together but it was sweet enough without it.


CABBAGE WITH APPLES
now my adjustments were: No bacon, no Sugar, no Salt and Pepper and no Raisins and we used Apple Cider Vinegar
we also used Green Cabbage

Sautéed Cabbage & Apples

2 slices bacon
olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium cabbage, red or green
2 Granny Smith or firm Delicious apples
1/4 C. raisins (optional)
vinegar
sugar
salt
black pepper

Sauté bacon in a bit of olive oil until crisp. Remove and drain. Discard fat and oil. Place 2 Tbsp. olive oil in pan and heat. Add onion. Finely shred or dice cabbage (discarding core) and add to onion.

Continue to sauté over medium-high heat. Core and dice apples (peeled or not, optional - we don't) and add with crumbled bacon and raisins. When wilted but not browned, add a scant 1/4 cup vinegar and 3 Tbsp. sugar. Cover and steam on low heat just until cabbage is tender. Taste, adjust vinegar and sugar, and add salt and black pepper to taste.

This is great served as a side dish to meats or poultry


APPLE BROWN RICE:
Ingredients
2 apples cored, peeled and diced
1 cup of brown rice
1 tbsp butter
1 1/4 c of Water
1 1/4 c of Apple juice or cider

bring water, juice and butter to a boil on the stove. once boiling add apples and rice. Reduce heat and cook until done. I have trouble cooking brown rice so I left it on for about an hour or two while I run errands.


APPLE YUMMY CAKE

preheat to 350

Ingredents:
- 1 yellow cake mix
- apple Cider
- apple butter
-apple pie spice
-apple pie filling (we used homemade)
-eggs (according to box)
Pour cake mix into a bowl. Substitute the cider for the Water and the Applebutter for the oil and add the eggs, and a few shakes of apple pie spice. Mix as usual set aside. Spray bundt cake pan. Pour some of the apple pie filling in the bottom ( think pinapple upside cake) pout the cake batter on top. Cook according to directions or until toothpick comes out clean.

Serve with Ice Cream


Some of the things I made like apple pot roasat and the roasted chicken are pretty basic recipes but like I said above if you want them just let me know. I'm going to go try to convince baby girl that it is indeed nap time

Labyrinth

Anyone seen Labyrinth before? That whole saying that gets Sarah in so much trouble? GOBLIN KING, GOBLIN KING, TAKE THIS CHILD OF MINE FAR FAR AWAY FROM ME. That one? Yeah just letting ya'll know. It doesn't work. Dang it!

BEDTIME!

Why is it that bedtime can be soo tiring. We follow the same routine but it just seems like somedays are worse than others. Tonight was one of those times. MAN! Each one takes turns coming out i think just to see how long it's going to take Daddy and I to get mad. Baby girl needs one more kiss, middlest made a special goodnight song just for us, Eldest wants batteries for her reading light. Then they all go back in for just long enough for you to finally breathe for the first time since 6am when they woke you up only this time when they come out again someone needs to go potty, someone took someones dolly blah blah blah and it all makes you wonder why you decided to have children in the first place!! Then after they go back in you hope its for good this time but you keep listening for those thumps and bumps that say they are playing and not sleeping. I don't care what ppl say about not letting them have anything but sleep dollys in thier room they ALWAYS have SOMETHING to play with in there. If there are true magitions in the world then children are it. They constantly have crap hidden in places you never to thought looking. Maybe thats why the kids are better at geocaching than I am.. They always know the best places to hide things. Tim thinks i need to breathe and relax during the day hahahah i've had all three kids home all week!  There was no time for that is he crazy?! There are some parents who mourn thier precious babies going back to school after a break.. NOT ME! Not one bit! I celebrate! As soon as the bus rumbles off I crank that radio and boogie dance all over the house! Then for lunch baby girl and I head to sonic for our celebration cherry limeaide and pickle-o's . I am sooo ready for everyone to be gone and the house to be quiet again! It's still a few days away though. Dang! Although, Timothy is going fishing tomorrow with Pookie-boo and my brother. As long as I don't have to eat it I am fine! He just has to be home by 4:30. Speaking of.. I am taking a Copic marker class at Wisescrappers tomorrow. I am sooooo excited! These are like super cool markers, super expensive too one marker is almost 5.00 can you belive that? Tim is a little worried first it's hand quilting next it's super expensive markers what will be next. I love the stuff im learning but really I like hanging out with my T and making new friends. Anyhow I must depart to make lunches for the schoolers for tomorrow! Have a blessed week!! I'm trying to think of a new bible study to work on... so I may have something about that later.

candles and storms

Today instead of doing all the apple things I thought i'd do I ended up teaching the girls how to make candles one of my favorite things to make. Yesterday we carved out pumpkins to make into candles. They turned out AMAZING !! We added cinnimon spice scents and colored the wax orange. They were amazing.  My brother thought they were store bought. The girls were sooo proud!! Today was the first tornado warning of the fall so we had to bail and go over to Gwamma and Pookie-boo's house. The girls were NOT upset about this. Pookie-boo was off today and he showed the girls how to make homemade pizza. Letting each help at thier own level. Baby girl got to butter the pans, middlest got to count out pepperoni, and eldest I was most proud of... She helped so much, she got to cut up and cook things to go on the pizza's. I think she really stunned Pookie-boo with how well she is doing with her cooking skills. Gwamma and I were able to sit around and read and generally just relax. My brother and his wife came in from out of town to visit for the week. You should have heard the girls screetching in excitement to see them. I think the only time the younger girls left thier Aunt was to go eat. We had such a good time. Baby girl ate soooo much pizza she had three peices!! She hasn't eatten more than a few bites of ANYTHING except salad in the past two weeks. Leave it to her pookie-boo to know what she likes :). Tim is running his online game over at a friends house tonight so I am all by myself in the relitivly clean quiet house. It's kinda lonley. He did however leave the TV in the living room so I plugged in the cable. So I could keep track of the weather.. yeah right!! An Officer and a Gentalman is on.. while I don't think it's the best squishy movie it's better than the other crap on TV. So until I finally feel bored enough to go to bed it'll work.

Apples,Apples everywhere but not a one to share

Well its back to apple cooking today. WOOHOO I have NO idea what apple-y things im going to make today. Tim is having some friends over for dinner and he wants me to make skettie but i dont think apples would go good in that..but then again. maybe today we will just stick with apple sauce and apple dumplings. Since Tim is running his game tonight i think the little ones and I will have a movie night! Popcorn and mommy's bed what could be more fun?? Except the whole sleeping on popcorn. 'Cause you know its going to happen. We had planned on going to my mothers house for homemade pizza but apparently they have gotten a leak in our of thier bathrooms. So that is WAAAYY out. Good thing kids are adapable!

Silly things

 A little funny on a Thursday.

Random Thoughts:     1) Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.   2) I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.   3) There is a great need for a sarcasm font.   4) How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?   5) I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.   6) MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.   7) Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.   8) I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.   9) Bad decisions make good stories   10) You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.   11) I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.   12) I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?   13) I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.   14) As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.   15) I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.   16) I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

Monday,Monday can't trust that day...

After not sleeping all weekend I had fruitlessly hoped I might get some sleep before the week started. Tim stayed up to do some dishes and pick up a little before I started my apple-fest. I woke up about 5 this morning alone. hmm Well... maybe Tim fell asleep watching West Wing..again. So I went out to wake him up for work. He was all snuggled up on the couch asleep, sick as a dog. Poor baby. So he was heading to the doctor to get checked out seeing as he was exposed to the swine flu last week. I tried to keep the little ones quiet until it was time for he and youngest schooler to go to the doctor. Baby girl and I went and did some grocery shopping and started on our apple fest. about 1:30 they came home. Daddy with a virus Daughter with apparently reflux. yea!! Before Tim went to lay down we talked about diffrent ways to de clutter the house starting with the the girls' room's getting rid of well everything. So I'm cooking chili, apple sauce, applecake and now i've decided to declutter thier room by having them bring ALL of thier clothing into the livingroom for Tim and I to sort through. Nobody said I ever do things halfway hahah. Oh have I forgotten to mention becuase of all the hiking this weekend I've once again stressed out me knee?! Luckily it isn't that bad but it is painful and unconfortable. woohoo!! Things are SWELL!! So now at 9pm Tim isn't sure if he;s going to work again tomorrow (he is still feeling yucky). Eldest is spending time with her mother who is Thankfully well enough now. She has missed her mother. So Handicapped momma gets to take care of Daddy, two little girls, make apple stuff, clean the rooms and clean all the dishes that go with applefest!! Anyone know how to call the little elves to come help?? And what are we sitting here doing right now?? Watching one our favorite movies Stardust, hahaha like I said why do things halfway?

DeSoto State Park and Little River Canyon

we went camping this weekend to Desoto state park to celebrate our anniversary. It was sooo beautiful!
we got there Friday night right before dark so as soon as we found a camping spot Tim and elder child started pitching tents while little ones helped me start a fire to cook our supper. We had all decided to have shish-kabobs..ohhhh man were those good!!!!! We had forgotten to pack the camp stove though..don't ask me how you forget something like that but I did. So it was back to pioneer days of cooking everything over the fire for us!! The next morning Tim and I had trouble sleeping so we got up and started the fire thinking that it was 5 something im the morning. WRONG!! Tim's watch had stopped it was actually 4 something in the morning. The girls woke up about 5 so we got our smokies, scrambled eggs and hot apple cider going.. remember I cooked this over the campfire!! Impressive eh? Got our stuff picked up and got an early start on our hiking.

We hiked to Indian falls ONE of the ones in DeSoto park and then we walked the Azalea Trail. It was soo pretty. The weather was sunny and cool just perfect for hiking! The falls were amazing!! We went back to the campsite to let the little one take a nap. Afterwards we went to see the Little River Falls.

OH MY GOSH!! If you had the notion to you could "accidently fall off of this waterfall!!! We were able to wade right to the edge of the falls!!!!!!!! How amazing is that?!?! The girls had so much fun wading and "slipping" in the water! On the way back to the campsite we stopped to get some ice cream cones. We are TOTAL Mayfield Fans now!! If it is available to you RUN and get some!!

We also got side tracked by some very ugly Geocaches and the DeSoto Waterfall . How can you say something is on the red trail when there are 8 red trails i don't know but the water fall was amazing!!!!Once we got back to the campsite it was time for our weenie roast!! We cooked hot-dogs and s'mores and when we were all sick and full we got dressed in our jammies and I heated up more Apple Cider for us and broke out the new book I bought. Tim got the fire roaring so we were all nice and snuggly warm. Baby girl actually fell asleep while I read the story!! After the fire died down Tim and I hit the hay as well or tried to. haha I think someone forgot to warn us it was College Weekend at the primitive campsite!! Tim passed right out and I got to listen to the kids drunkly sing until 1-am. Fun times.. made me kinda jelouse. After the quieted down I was hoping I might ACTUALLY get some sleep. hahahahaha.  What felt like about 30 min after I fell asleep the little ones woke up and got a little scared and wanted to sleep with Mommy and Daddy which would have been fine if Baby girl had actually gone back to sleep. I was able to keep her quiet until the sun started rising and I felt that was good enough for me!!! Same thing for Breakfast as the  day before, Smokies, eggs, but we had hot chocolate. Daddy and Elder got tents down and me and the little ones got stuff packed away and general stayed out of the way! We got all packed up and hit the road. First stop going to see the statues of ALABAMA then after we hit the Senick Little River Parkway.  The overlooks were amazing but the Little River Park was a little disappointing. All in all we had an amazing time. We left a lot of area unexplored so that we would have reason to go back again!

6 years

It's almost here!! Timmy and I have been together for six years!! And to celebrate we are all going camping!! woohoo!! We love spending time together with our family. God has blessed us with so much!! We are greatful for every blessing he has given us!
Timothy and I knew from the moment we met that we were meant to be. We have had many struggles but with the love and respect we have had for eachother has overcome any struggle with have had or will have! We have three beautiful daughters to show for our love and the love God has for us. Life IS crazy. Thank you to everyone for shareing in our life and love!!!