Turkey Day

We have been visiting my mom and dad for the holiday. The kids are having a blast. Of course they are because they are at Nonie and Pappys house and they are treated like royalty. This weekend starts off our month long break from schooling. I did get a little work book that has a fun little over view of all the states. Something to work on when we are getting stir crazy.

Mom and I went out today on the dreaded BLACK FRIDAY. We only went to AC Moores for some crafting supplies. I am trying very hard to have a home made Christmas this year, so my fingers have been busy. I was able to send off one secret project today. One down like 20 more to go, I have time right?!

Before we left on our Holiday my Dad came for a visit and to escort me on a church dinner cruise. D was working so Dad stepped in. I must say he was a great date. More on that later when LeAnne decides to send the pictures (HINT HINT). For the time being here are some random pictures of Thanksgiving day.


Seriously how much fun are big empty boxes????


It has been a great week, but I am missing my peeps so we will be heading down the road in a few days. You know you guys are excited!! I mean what is a Christmas party without us?!

Crafting

When we went to the marriage retreat I was crocheting to keep me busy and my mind on the class (this is just how my mind works best). I was making Piper a sweater, her breed does not do well in cold weather. Since she got her first "big girl haircut" she has been shivering with all the cold weather we have been having. So last night I finally finished up the sweater. I ran out of black to finish the arm holes so I improvised with the pink. I love how it turned out and so does she, cause she snuggled right up in it and fell asleep, of course after I made her model it!!

Sad Day

Thanks to some unkind neighbors we will no longer be able to have "live poultry" in our back yard. We knew it was a crap shoot to get the girls in the first place due to the HOA we are under. However the wording in our bylaws make it so that you can have up to two of any kind of animal, live stock or other wise. Now we also knew this was just a technical error, but we decided to give it a try. It had been a dream of mine to have my own chickens to gather eggs from. I LOVED Little House On The Prairie, and would dream of being "Half Pint". I was a tomboy growing up and wasn't afraid to get dirty. I dream of one day owning a small farmette. A place where we can have a few fruit trees and gardens and yes even some LIVE POULTRY. Nothing huge but a place to get my hands dirty and eat things that we have grown and raised.

For now though I guess the raised part of the dream is over for this yard. I got my nasty gram from the HOA stating that some homeowners had reported that we have live poultry on our property and we have to remove them within 5 days. My girls are quiet and don't smell and are truly pets at this point. They follow me around the yard if I am out while I let them free range. We are able to pick them up and they have been known to come to the backdoor and peck for me to come out. We have a six foot high privacy fence around the entire back yard and the coop is no higher than it. So no one is truly able to see in our back yard due to our positioning on a turn and no houses are behind us, just woods and fields. My kids are pretty upset by the whole thing and they of course do not understand why we need to get rid of our pets, try to explain that one to a 7 and 4 year old.

So now all we will be left with are pictures and the sad knowledge that the eggs we are buying from the store quite frankly suck!!

Growing Life..

I have had a busy few days. After church tomorrow all will settle down for a bit (at least this is what I am telling myself to keep sane). After a 10 hour day yesterday and a full morning/afternoon I have fallen into bed in exhaustion. I did how ever get to take some photos for a friend of mine who is due with her first baby (a boy) on Christmas Eve. Could you think of a better Christmas gift?! I had a great time taking photos of her belly and she was just so darn cute. It made me miss my belly (don't worry dad and mom I don't miss it that bad)! So I thought I would post a few of my faves. I'm not claiming to be a professional, but I don't think I did too bad.

Seven years.....

getting her american girl doll Kit

sending off our birthday wishes

she doesn't like cake a whole lot or frosting either

It is hard to believe my oldest is 7. I have such vivid memories of our first hours together in the hospital. She was perfect and all I wanted to do was stare at her. She did everything fast. Walked before a year, talked in 3 word sentences by a year, was potty trained fully a week after she turned 2. We are the best of friends. I get down on my self because sometimes I know I am too hard on her. It is hard not to be though cause she acts so much older than her age and I tend to forget that she is just 7. I am not perfect but she is pretty darn close to it! I am so proud of her and her kind and loving and gentle spirit. She has always shared even when not asked. I don't think there is a mean bone in her body (well unless your her little bother who has bugged her all day and she finally has had enough). She is my side kick and I love that. I love this girl..

Thankful

We had our homeschool co-op Thanksgiving dinner tonight. Christy and Jeff were kind enough to open their home to the whole lot of us. It was such a nice set up. We went earlier in the day to do arts/crafts. The kids made the center pieces for the middle of the tables. Wreaths with autumn leaves and pumpkins and votives to sit in the middle (they looked great LeAnne)!!

We heard the story of the 5 kernels of corn. It was quite interesting. I learned a few things myself. The kids did a few songs for us.

LeAnne and I being dorks. I told you I would make you famous ;) I of course had to give her a hard time cause she had to bend down to get to my level and I even had heels on. Either she is really tall or I am really short OR she had very high heeled boots on, I'm just not sure......

Being with this group of wonderful people (and I truly mean that) made me think of some things to be be thankful for. I am thankful for the life God has given me and the kids he has entrusted to me. I am thankful for a husband that gives us a life that allows me to stay home and raise up our kids, and who is supportive of all my kooky ideas. I am thankful for this new path of homeschooling that makes me often wander why I ever bothered with preschool and kindergarten. I am thankful for the great friends I have who are there to build me up not knock me down (thanks for noticing my earrings Angie, ask LeAnne). Above all I am thankful that I know the Lord and that he sent His son to die for my sins so that I could be saved!! What are you thankful for?

Keegan

Let me introduce you to Keegan Shawn. He was born in March of 2004. He is my second born. The "middle child". He is one of the sweetest boys you will meet. He wants to hug everyone. We describe him as full of life. This kid can do and say some of the nicest things and within seconds change into Max The Horrible.

He was a perfect baby, he LOVED to be swaddled. I swaddled him until he was six months old, the warmer the better. I would nurse him while doing laundry and cooking dinner, the day needed to go along. He was content to nurse for hours, his sister was 5-10 min and done, not this boy he loved his boob time. He was sleeping in his own room by four months of age and could have gone in much sooner cause he was sleeping through the night almost from the day we went home from the hospital.

Then he started walking and soon after that running and after that climbing and jumping. Nothing could have prepared me for him. You would think that growing up with 3 older brothers would have made it obvious how boys behave. I was obviously not paying attention, I was too busy trying to get them to notice me. I have taken him for stitches twice. Too many bandages to count. How many times a day do I say "Keegan Shawn, knock it off...." I say this so much so that Tripp has now taken to calling him Shawn. He loves to live and does it to the fullest. He loves to pee in cups in the car. I swear he holds it until we get in the car just to do that.

Here are some classic things Keegan has been known to say

*Mommy you screamed like a little girl (when a mouse ran past my foot)
*What did I do again, I forgot (when being made to apologize for something ugly)
*Don't touch it, its my lucky miple (pimple on his face)
*Why does he have his hair like a girl (while doing yoga with Rodney Yhee)
*"God, please don't let the poo hurt" (talking to God while on the toilet)
*I think Bain ate it (after finding 3 banana peels under the kitchen table)

We love Keegan and couldn't imagine life without him. He is such a blessing to us. I love him more every day...

Halloween '08

We didn't go trick or treating this year. To be honest I am tired of the fowl mouthed kids that ruin it for the people with little ones the age that are suppose to be out there. I walked a few houses down to see and elaborately decorated house with the two older kids and we walked pass a group of preteens using words they weren't old enough to use or understand. They were also heavily kissing one another and I mean these kids couldn't be any older than 12 or 13. Then we passed two preteen girls one dressed as a naughty ladybug the other a naughty angel thigh highs and all. What are these parents kids thinking?! I was regretting just walking the few houses down.
I decided to let the kids make there own pizzas and eat junk all night. We dressed in our homemade costumes, danced around and watched movies. It was a great night. I didn't miss walking around in the cold at all, neither did the kids. I think we might have started a tradition. The kids got a kick out of my "Wendy's" wig and my mom who was in town visiting surprised them with the ears and tail. Hope you had fun too!!