Lava

Saw this on Facebook and had to post it. 

There are times the WHOLE house is lava and you can only jump on the pillows strategically placed on the floor. 

Hugs :)

Our favorite frugal snack idea

Today we are low on snack foods.

But we ALWAYS have ingredients for homemade potato chips.

EASY and Yummy.  And only 3 ingredients.  Oil, salt and potatoes.

Slice them super thin (I use my cheese grater slicer)

Fry in 1 inch of oil

Drain and salt.

Easy and yummy!

Of course, our family eats them with ketchup :)

Couple things about this picture: 

1.  Olivia is wearing her jammies all day (and she is mid-bite, HA)

2.  we are buying paper towels again, but using them less than before.

3.  our table has toys on it ALL.  THE.  TIME.

Hugs and happy snacking!

Celebrating Olivia :)

Tommy took the week off, which makes Olivia's birthday EXTRA special this year! 

She wanted to go bowling for her outing this year :)

 I thought I was pretty good at bowling.  Turns out I'm pretty good if the bumpers are up. 

No bumpers = momma stinks at bowling. 

Tommy beat me by a bunch!  My excuse?  I just wanted to be sure I came in last so everyone had fun. 

 I'm such a martyr.  HA!

And lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant.

Birthdays at our house tend to last an entire week, celebrating with each set of Grandparents, Olivia's class and then the 4 of us.

Nothing like teaching your kid humility with a week-long birthday celebration, HA!

Happy Birthday week Sis, we love celebrating you!!!

Celebraing Olivia

Grandma and Grandpa W. came to celebrate Olivia's birthday last week and took her to Build-A-Bear, such a fun time :)

 Then brunch the next day with Brad and the kiddies. 

Olivia and Isabel :)

What a fun time! 

Can't believe Olivia is 7. 

She is such a sweetheart, with such a sweet, sweet spirit. 

 Hugs and love to our precious girl :)

Recalling...

I have various places where I have written prayer requests over the years.

 Some are in the front or back pages of my Bible. 

Some are right smack in the middle of a page, right next to a verse.  Some are in notebooks, some are on scrap paper.

I cherish these mementos, that would mean nothing to anyone else, but to me, they are priceless.

They remind me of answered prayers.  Of delayed answers. and even some unanswered requests.

I believe this is SO important to the building of our faith. 

To recall and remember how God has brought us through in the past will build our faith in the present moment. 

Right now as we get used to life with a puppy, I am recalling the ways God has brought us through previous challenges.  Sammie is great, but as with any new dog the transition time can be both fun and trying.

So today I am recalling how I thought FOR SURE my kids would walk on stage to receive their high school diplomas with diapers on and pacifiers in their mouths. 

I thought for sure when God called me to homeschool that I would be the only homeschooling mother who couldn't teach her kids to read.

But...

My kids are both potty trained

They don't have pacis anymore

and they can read.

For me,  it helps put things back into perspective.

Reminds me that God is still on the throne.

and if it concerns me, it concerns Him.

Hugs and happy faith-building!

Bubble Girl

Olivia was asked to be a "bubble girl" in our nephew Ryan's wedding.  She passed out bubbles at the end of the ceremony. so cute! (and yep. our Christmas tree is up early this year :) we just couldn't wait any longer )

Cousins - Sophie and Chelsea  :)

Tommy, Lisa, Tom, Dotty and Laura

Olivia and the Bride - Jesika (LOVE HER!)

Please note:  Logan does not have a baseball hat on.  He wears one ALL the time, except if he is wearing jammies.  While I LOVE him in a hat, its so nice to see his whole head.  :)



Meet Sammie!

Meet Sammie!

Olivia's birthday present

 (But Logan he is yours too, he is all of ours, he just came to us around sis's birthday, sort of the way we went to Florida for your birthday.  It was for ALL of us, but just so happened we went over your birthday.  I feel the need to clarify this because we won't be doing vacations and puppy-size gifts for each birthday. HA!)  :)

Sammie is from an animal rescue that got him from a puppy mill :(  which means he was very nervous at first.

He is slowly warming up to us, I love the way he lets Olivia wrap him up and do his hair and Logan hugs him to pieces.  If we are up walking around he gets a little skittish, but if we are all on the floor he is a bundle of cuddles. 

Loving this little guy so much already.

Hugs and happy early birthday Olivia!

Ballet



Dear Olivia,

 Oh my word, this picture reminds me of how you danced in your tutus when you were 3.

 I get so teary just looking at it. 

You've grown up so much, but you are still our little girl who loves to twirl.

We so loved coming to watch your last class. 

You were lovely.  

I especially love how happy you were to show us all you learned.

So proud of you,

Love, momma

Just to remember

Just to remember... 

 How proud Logan is when he has completed his schoolwork.  He often runs to find Tommy to show him his work.    Such a sense of accomplishment for this little guy. 

AND

I want to remember the way he wears basketball pants over his basketball shorts so that when we arrive at our destination (church, class, a friends house...) he takes off the pants and then all is well because he has his shorts on.  Never mind that the high temp today was 47 and rainy.  His logic?  it was nice and warm in his classroom. 

 Who could argue?

AND

The way he asked for broccoli for a snack today because he thought he would SURELY get candy after eating all that GREEN goodness.  (ugh. this momma is so sick of the candy-fight)

Hugs and happy-savoring-the-moments-that-make-you-crazy-today-but-will-make-you-smile-tomorrow. :) 

Lego Day

Lego Day at the library. 

Lots of building for this little guy :)