Finally

I've been wanting to get some pictures of the family and just haven't had the time to do it. I really wanted to take some when the leaves were at their peak but that really didn't seem to happen here this year. I don't know if it was because we got so much rain or what but I was a little disappointed in their showing this year. That's neither here nor there. We went to mom and dad's last weekend for mom's 60th birthday and the weather Sunday was absolutely gorgeous! There weren't anymore trees that had colorful leaves on them but I thought the landscape itself was a beautiful backdrop. I was pretty certain that out of 35 acres I would be able to find SOMEWHERE to take some good pictures. Obviously we couldn't get everyone to smile at the same time. Who does? I'm just happy we got all of us in the same picture. My dad just got a tractor last week and he wanted a picture of us sitting on it.:)

Halloween

Halloween has come and gone and what kind of mother would I be if I didn't put some pics of my kids in their costumes on my blog??!! I told Jared around the beginning of September, when I started seeing costumes at the stores, that I wanted to get the kids costumes early this year so we wouldn't have to just settle for what was left in the stores the week of. Where are we the Tuesday night before Halloween? In the seasonal aisle at Walmart looking for costumes. Since Chase isn't old enough to understand that he gets to choose what he wants to dress up as, his costume was decided for him. We had a clown costume from when Aunt Callie was little(probably 4 or 5) that fit him nicely. Avery wanted to be Barbie so I thought I could appease her by suggesting that we put make-up on her and she could wear some clothes she already had. We did buy her a long, blond wig and some fake fingernails. She was thrilled. Hunter was the choosy one. He wanted to be a ninja but 4 days before Halloween, you usually don't get the costume you want. After much deliberation he decided to be an "army guy". I just assumed he would want the camo face paint to go with it but no. He doesn't like paint on his face. So, his costume was kind of lame but he was happy and he got candy so all was well. (Except that I had to take Avery to the after hours childrens clinic on Saturday morning. She had strep throat.) After a HUGE penicillin shot in the leg, she was good. We already have next year's costumes too! After church on Sunday, we ate at Jason's Deli and went to the Halloween Express store in the same parking lot and got next year's costumes for 1/2 off! Woo Hoo!

Lately

Nothing extremely exciting has happened at our house lately. We're just plugging along. I'm working two days a week now so there's that. Otherwise, it's fall and we're enjoying the last few weeks of beautiful weather outside. We spent most of our weekend outside last weekend. Jared was doing some repairs on the house where he had taken down the gutters. I REALLY wish I had that on video. His method for removing our house gutters was so Griswold-esque. He used a rope and tied one end to the hitch on my car and the other around the gutter. You can imagine what happened next. He inched slowly forward on the driveway to pull the gutter off. It actually worked quite nicely. If he would have told me what he was doing before he got into the car, I would have raced inside for the camera.

Anyway, we enjoyed a gorgeous weekend outside. I snapped some photos.

H's Gig

Two weeks ago, Hunter and his fellow 2nd graders had a school program. The name of the program was "It's Saturday". I can't post the whole program because it was 45 minutes long. However, I am posting a small clip of the program, in which Hunter had a solo part! Before you get to the good stuff, let me give you a little run-down on the point of the show. All the songs are about things kids like to do on Saturdays: sleeping, laying around watching tv, playing football, playing outside or doing nothing. There is one little girl in the show whose mother is making her take piano lessons on Saturdays. She is sooo upset about this and she's complaining about all her previous piano teachers and how they're all the same. She has a new piano teacher now and he's just arriving at her house for her first lesson.

I think Hunter might do well as an actor. I also think Hunter's daddy thoroughly enjoyed helping him rehearse.;)

Enjoy!

Jump on Over

To see some cute pics of Chase and his birthday party, go to Callie's blog. For those of you that don't know who Callie is, she's my sister-in-law and one of her hobbies is taking photos. She's pretty good at it, I must say. I took some pics at Chase's party but hers are better so go to mostlysweet.blogspot.com to see them.

Happy Birthday to Chase!

Today is Chase's 2nd birthday. He was born at 8:01 a.m. and weighed 8 lbs and 1 oz. I'll have to admit, I really didn't think he was very cute when I first saw him. I was a little disappointed. However, after the swelling went down and he had a bath, he was the cutest, snuggliest thing ever! My baby isn't really a baby anymore. It's kind of sad, maybe a little, but I'm kind of ready to move on past the baby stage now. At least, that's our plan. We'll see if our plan turns out to be the same as "the master plan".

Here are a few pics of the birthday boy.

Camp

Last weekend we went to Camp Tahkodah with our church youth group for a retreat. My parents house is only 15 minutes from camp so we spent the nights at their house and during the day, we went to camp to play and hang out with everyone. I love Camp Tahkodah. I went to summer camp there for several years(shout out to third session!) and have many wonderful memories from then. Jared's church in Memphis, Brownsville Rd. church of Christ, used to rent the camp out for a week during the summer too. So, we both grew up going to Camp Tahkodah in the summers and never knew it! AND Jared and I just realized that that's where both of our parents fell in love. Awww... Anyway, our kids LOVE going out there. We didn't really see much of Hunter while we were there unless it was meal time and then he showed up. Saturday it rained off and on so there were lots of puddles and lots of mud, which is exactly what camp is about, right? I threw caution to the wind that day and let the kids play in the rain and in puddles.(They all three have coughs now) Sunday was a no puddles day. We only stayed until after lunch so we asked them to stay out of mud and water. They did really well. No one was wet when we went home.

We really enjoyed our weekend at Camp. It was great to relive memories, enjoy the beautiful scenery AND to top it all off, to sing and worship God in a different setting. I love the examples my kids saw in the teenagers as well. They can grow up knowing that even when they're "too cool" teenagers, they can still love God.

(I really hate the picture of me and the sign because I look fat but it's the only one we got of the sign so it's the one that made the cut.)

Locks of Love

Well, I chopped my hair. It was time. I really didn't think much about getting it cut until Amy suggested I donate it and that it had to be at least 10 inches long. I didn't realize my hair WAS that long. So, I got it cut and brought it home in a ziploc bag to send off to Locks of Love to be made into a wig for a chemo patient. It's kind of weird to think that someone else might be wearing my hair at some point. I am glad to do it though. It does seem kind of a waste to just get a huge haircut and let all that good hair be swept up and thrown away. I mean, I am trying to go green-er. I can just think of this as recycling my hair. Now all you people who are yucked out by hair can go throw up at the thought of that!

The Way It Should Be

First let me warn you that this post has no pictures to accompany it so if you want to skip it, do so now. Anyway, I have just come to realize since being "laid off" from my part-time job at Pleasant Valley church of Christ Day School, how frazzled and hurried even a part-time working mom can make a family. I am so enjoying being home every day right now. Not only to spend my days with Chase as I did with the other two, but to get things done during the day so that when the rest of the family gets home in the afternoon, I am not scurrying around trying to do household things. I also found that when I am home, getting stuff done during the day, I am much more attentive to my kids. Now, let me say that my not working doesn't mean we don't struggle with finances. We struggle just like every other family does. I have learned, in the short month that I haven't received a paycheck, to not spend unnecessary money. In the past it was kind of easy for me to just take off to Target or.....ok, mostly Target, to just look for something to buy. I would tell myself that one of the kids needed shoes or something new to wear. Or that I needed some shoes or makeup or a shirt or something new for the house. Need is a term used very loosely. Of course we didn't need any of those things. I have had to discipline myself to not go anywhere during the day and if I do have to go somewhere specific, not to make any detours on the way to spend extra money.

I'm not criticizing those mothers who have chosen to work outside the home. I understand how convenient and sometimes necessary it is to supplement the family income. However, I also think, and I am probably going to step on some toes here, mommies feel that they have to work in order to keep up the lifestyle their family is currently living. And, if they really tried, the way of life could be scaled down to fit within one income. There, I said it.(Let me say here that this in no way applies to single mothers. That's a whole other challenge that I am blessed to not have!) I guess this time off of work has just shown me that mothers are needed at home when their kids are little and still needing and wanting mommy's attention. I feel that I'm not constantly living in a hurry and I have time to plan fun things. I also have more(just slightly more) patience with my kids. They still get on my nerves sometimes, like they did this morning at 7 a.m. But I am a better mommy when I'm home all day. I think God intended mommies to stay home with small children and it makes a family happier.

Here's Proof

Every once in a great while, when the weather is perfect and we have nothing else to do, we will work in our yard. Saturday was one of those days. Our whole family spent the entire day working/playing outside. The kids mostly played but we did put them to work a little bit too. We were very proud of our accomplishment. If you've ever been to our house, you know that we live in the middle of a pine forest. We don't have grass. We have dirt in our front yard. Sun doesn't ever get to the ground for the trees so we have never had a beautiful, lush green yard. Chase doesn't even like to walk on grass barefoot because he's not used to feeling the grass on his feet. So, after 6 hours and 10 lawn and garden bags full of leaves and pine needles, our yard is cleaned up. You won't be able to tell in these pics because it still looks so awful. However, Jared is attempting to grow some grass in the corner of our yard. He transplanted some grass from along the driveway and just put it on some soil in between the driveway and sidewalk. Now our yard has a soul patch. Anyway, we're pretty sure our yard is going to be chosen for yard of the month of our subdivision.

Also, I just took another pic of the kids before I took them to school this morning. I'm kind of having fun matching their uniforms every day. I'm sure the teachers all notice and appreciate it!

July

July was our fullest month this summer. On July 1st we set off at around 9:45 p.m. to drive 15 hours to see our best friends who had moved to Colorado Springs. We left at night so the kids would sleep at least half the trip. We had all the necessary supplies to keep them busy when they were awake. They did very well, I must say. The two big kids slept from about 10:30 until we stopped for breakfast at 7:00 somewhere in Kansas. Jared and I took turns driving and we finally arrived at the Hammitts house at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 2nd. We had a wonderful visit. Julie had our days planned out and we didn't waste one minute. Our kids love each other so much but fight like brothers and sisters when they're together. We rode a train up to the top of Pikes Peak and played in the snow for about 15 minutes. We had on short sleeves when we boarded the train and by the time we reached the top, we were bundled up in coats, hats and mittens. The view from the top was breathtaking! Gorgeous. God really had a great imagination when he was creating everything. We spent one day at the zoo and another day hiking at Garden of the gods. For the fourth we went to the Air Force Academy and watched fireworks. Typically here in Arkansas, we are dripping with sweat as we watch fireworks but this year, we were all wearing sweatshirts, jeans and had blankets to keep warm. We finally left Monday night at 9:30 to come home. Jared and I knew when we went that leaving was going to be hard. I think our trip really put into perspective how great of a friendship we have. We miss them so much and we aren't sure exactly how to fix it. Even Chase still asks where Casen Ray is. We just have to remember that this is part of the plan and we are just along to see where He takes us.

We also went to Hot Springs for our annual vacation with Jared's family and some close friends from Memphis. We were either on the boat or in the pool all day. Jared and his dad, Randy, can both still slalom and we always enjoy watching them. This year Jared's brother, Jamal, got in on it and learned to slalom. I don't ski or do anything really behind the boat except swim. I usually have a child to hold anyway so it's really ok. That was really our last family vacation time of the summer. It was a good summer and it went by quick, which doesn't disappoint me any right now. I'll post some Hot Springs pics later. I have to find them first.

School Days

I realize that I really didn't deserve a hiatus since, according to my mother-in-law, I only have like 5 posts on my blog! However, I knew the summer was going to be hectic and I wouldn't have any time to waste on trying to upload pics and thinking of witty things to say. So, I have decided to start with the first day of school and work back into the summer. It'll take a few posts but I'll get caught up pretty quick.

So-I'll admit I was a little nervous about how Avery would do this year entering pre-k 4. Otter Creek Elementary, which is where Hunter goes, has a pre-k 4 program. It's great! The hours are the exact same as regular school hours. She'll be there from 7:30-2:20 just like the big kids. I was afraid she would freak out a little since she was being left there without parents or Chase. As usual, you can't predict how kids will react to situations. She did fine. She woke up this morning and said "I need to get dressed". Typical Avery lies in bed and whines for about 15 minutes before she actually gets up. She was ready to go before anyone else. She walked right into her room, I pointed out her desk with her name on it and she sat down and went to work building with the toys provided. She said "that's enough pictures!" Not one tear shed and she didn't even watch us as we left her classroom. Just like that. Hunter was the weepy one. As it turns out, he is more like Jared in that respect too. Jared had a hard time going to school in his early elementary years. He cried and in the 3rd grade, he took a family picture and taped it to his desk. Hunter hasn't asked to take a picture yet but he has cried every year on the first and second days. He is such a sweet boy and he is the one that always tells me that he isn't going to move out and get married. He's just going to live with us forever. We all know his viewpoint will change in a few years so for now I just say "ok, that's fine with me". I hate leaving him crying and I know he's embarrassed that he's crying in the 2nd grade but he just can't help it. The only picture I got of him in his class was from the doorway where he couldn't see me. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Hunter might be fine and Avery might break down when she realizes that she has to go every day.

On Hiatus

New post coming soon!

My Girl

I love this girl.  She is the sweetest thing.  She has her moments that make me a little nervous about having a pre-teen/teenager.  But overall, she's precious.  She loves to play "mommy" with her babies.  Of course, clothes, shoes, hair accessories, jewelry and nail polish are also very high on her list.  She is good about informing me if she approves of my day's outfit or not.  I think she's gonna come in very handy in a few years as far as keeping me in style.  It kind of overwhelms me at times to think that I am her example of how a woman should be.  It scares me a little but it's worth it to have her as my little buddy.  I think we're gonna have lots of fun together!  

She's not crazy about t-ball but she is going to stick out the rest of the season.  She does not care one bit about what goes on out there.  She's too busy spinning in circles or playing in dirt to care what's going on.  Maybe she just enjoys nature more than t-ball.  I don't know.  She is really cute in her hat though.  (The picture of her in the black/pink dress is her pretending she has "boobies".  Hmm...looks like there are two of us in this house that wish we had some.:)

More ball pics

I now have some pictures of Jared playing at his softball game.  See?  Aren't the uniforms so cute???  My favorite pic is the one of Chase up at the fence with Jared.  Jared was asking him to come give daddy kisses and when Chase got to the fence, he threw the softball at him.  Pretty funny.  As soon as I get some more of Avery-the first ones were deleted-I'll post some of her at a t-ball game.  Maybe someone will take some pics of the fans one of these days....