tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63293281009557693342024-03-20T08:13:12.399-05:00Magnolia ManorBrookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.comBlogger791125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-16976792178534716312014-01-23T07:59:00.000-06:002014-01-23T07:59:06.434-06:00Newsworthy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We just finished learning about weather in science, and my friend scored an opportunity to go on a field trip to meet a weatherman. We had no idea what to expect when we arrived downtown. We thought we would see some kind of a weather room with lots of satellite maps and Doppler Radars, with meteorologists running around making predictions. :-)</div>
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Instead, we were ushered into the newsroom and offered a seat on the cozy little couches where they conduct on air interviews. Seconds later, "On Air" lights were flashing and we were watching the 5:00 news being done live! It was completely unexpected and totally fascinating! One of the more curious parts was watching the weatherman point to the green screen. We wondered how in the world he knew where to point, but he showed us the hidden monitors where he could see the maps. The kids got to try it too.</div>
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They stood in front of the green screen, but of course, on the monitors they had the weather behind them. Except Hayden was wearing a green shirt. Hahaha. So he was "wearing" the weather and looked like a floating head! That was pretty funny. (A new fashion trend, perhaps?)</div>
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So we made him zip up his jacket. :-)</div>
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I was intrigued by how many things happen simultaneously in a newsroom, and I was completely stunned by how welcoming and informative everyone was toward us. It appears they don't have visitors too often, and never homeschoolers before! </div>
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The producers showed the kids how they schedule sections and explained the crucial timing behind each segment of news. There is constant communication with the production staff upstairs, so as the anchors are speaking they are also constantly listening to directions in their ear pieces. There were seven cameras in action, and the weatherman and anchors move around a lot to "set" different takes.</div>
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They have to know where to look when, and the camera guy has to be dead on track to give them the correct prompter at the correct angle. There was a short gap between the 5:00 and 6:00 news, and the anchorman showed a particular interest in the kids. Turns out, he works with teens running a state wide civics competition, and he is a real advocate for homeschooling. He initiated lots of conversation with us and was exceedingly encouraging to the kids. We got to ask him all kinds of questions about what he does and he was funny and passionate in his responses. A total blessing!</div>
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The weatherman that we originally went to see was also <b>out-stand-ing</b>. </div>
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(Such a small world....he grew up and played baseball in the same TINY town in Tennessee where Hannah goes to school. That was a crazy connection. Then he played professional ball in the town where I lived as a child.) </div>
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He is BUSY during the news, but he constantly circled around to us, giving updates and information about what was happening and how it was being done. We learned SO MUCH. The only complaint I had was his forecast....the weather here is supposed to be absolutely miserable today! Ha!!!! (Had to razz him about that.) He has a fourteen year old and a sixteen year old, so he was the perfect fit for our crowd.</div>
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He would just be talking away to us and all the sudden need to look right to shoot a little live "blip". </div>
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"Cold front moving in! I'll tell you all about it at 6:00!!"</div>
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We were so pumped when we left there. It was a TOTAL blast, and the kids were made to feel incredibly special. Confession..............they were NOT all that excited about driving downtown to see a weather room full of doppler radar. ;-) And they were even less enthused when my friend and I forced them to come up with a bunch of weather questions to ask.</div>
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"Why do cold fronts move faster than warm fronts?"</div>
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"Since cold air masses produce severe weather, how to you track those?"</div>
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My personal favorite....</div>
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"How much of weather prediction is scientific data and how much is educated guessing?"</div>
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(My diplomatic way of wondering why the weatherman is always wrong!)</div>
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NO WORRIES. Instead they got to ask REAL questions with GENUINE interest, like "How do you read a teleprompter? How much ad lib do you do? What happens if you goof up on air?"</div>
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Oh it was fun. Super fun. I may need to give up my day job and go work in a newsroom. Or not. The first thing Julia did when we left the studio was grab my arm and say, "THANK GOODNESS YOUR MOM IS WATCHING EMMA!!! Can you imagine trying to keep her quiet and BEHIND the cameras???"</div>
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We all had a great laugh over that one. Yes, the local news is very adept at reporting breaking stories, but they may not be quite ready for Emma just yet! :-)</div>
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My friend has set a pretty high bar. I'm not sure how we'll plan another science related field trip to beat this one! Thank you to our new friends at WFAA!!</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-37288118259265390752014-01-22T21:33:00.000-06:002014-01-22T21:34:20.800-06:00Brought To You By The Letter P<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I can hardly believe that one week ago we put Hannah on a plane back to college. This past week has been a blur of activity and playing catch up. I intentionally let many things sit (and slide!) during her time at home so we could enjoy our time together as a family. But seeing her go meant facing a vertical climb to get back on top of real life! Her visit home was fabulous every which way. Here are a few highlights....</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">P is for Pajamas</span></b></div>
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Pajama day at school was a MUCH bigger success than crazy sock day. Thank goodness. I learned some important lessons on the eve of crazy sock day, when WITH MY DAUGHTER'S BLESSING AND FULL PERMISSION, I stayed up very late sewing fancy bows and jingle bells all over her favorite striped knee socks. I proudly draped them over the couch and was caught COMPLETELY off guard when she arrived down stairs the next morning in a hysterical fit of tears because I had ruined! her! favorite! socks! FOREVER!!!! It was a confusing morning that ended in me tearing jingle bells from knee highs in a highly dramatic fashion while my wailing six year old watched from a time out stool. A low, really. A parenting low. I then proceeded to RIP the entire sock drawer out of her dresser and set it at her feet, demanding that she choose a suitable pair of crazy socks to wear to kindergarten.<br />
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She chose white bobby socks. Plain white. I'm not even kidding. With a total smirk on her face.<br />
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I was STEAMED. The child went to school on crazy sock day wearing white socks, and I slammed a fistful of perfectly good jingle bells into the trash.<br />
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So, you can understand why I got a total case of the vapors when the teacher sent a note home saying we had to wear pajamas to school. I resolved right then and there to let her pick out every single thing and to NOT embellish, change, or alter any night wear in any way. She chose to wear cat pajama pants, a horse pajama night gown, and an owl robe. All at once. (With white bobby socks, don't you just know.) I was fine with it. Completely fine. And I only mentioned <strike>sixty seven times</strike> once or twice that Nana and Papa had just gifted her a fetching pair of MATCHING pajamas with little pink hearts on them for her birthday. It was all good. We made it through pajama day, smiling and everything. Victory.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">P is for Perot</span></b></div>
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We visited the new Perot Science Museum, and despite missing the parking lot entrance (twice!) and getting completely lost downtown, it was highly entertaining.<br />
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The musical staircase was a big hit.<br />
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So is this cool thing in the sports exhibit where you can race different animals on a huge screen. Max is faster than a T-Rex, in case you were wondering.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">P is for Pampered, and Pomegranate Martinis</span></b></div>
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Hannah's roommate came to spend two weeks with us. She is fabulous and we absolutely adore her. One night, the girls agreed to hold down the fort so that Handsome Buzzard could take me out on the town for a belated anniversary celebration. We went out for a steak dinner (thank you, Dad!) and spent the night in a hip hotel. P is for a PERFECT evening away.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">P is for Playing Games</span></b></div>
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There's never a shortage of people in my house when Hannah is home for a visit. That's part of what makes having her here so fun! There were plenty of game nights with friends during this break.<br />
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It is tradition for Emma and Sissy to share a tea party together the day before Sissy goes back to college. Except technically, it's a cinnamon roll and chocolate milk party. But they always use the purple tea set that Hannah made in ceramics class in the second grade. This party was extra special since Lindsey was in town to join in the fun. P is for Precious.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">P is for Pumpkin Muffins</span></b></div>
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Life jolted into full speed when the girls left town, and switching gears can be hard when you are six. (Or forty four!) I purposed some special time with Emma this past week to help ease that transition. We spent one whole morning making pumpkin muffins, and since I blocked out the whole morning for us, I didn't worry at all about the mess. I let her do everything....measure the flour (and dump it on the counter), crack the eggs (and add shells to our batter)......you get the idea. In other words, one batch of muffins really did take up an entire morning, but we had a lot of fun. Turns out her favorite part was washing the dishes. I filled the sink with warm soapy water, and she stood on a stool forever playing in it. She was drenched by the end, which was just fine by me. Took me four kids, but I finally got one who likes to do dishes! Wonder how long that will last???<br />
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I picked up a package of paper horses for a dollar at the Hobby Lobby. We did an open ended art project the other day. Emma kept calling out the next supply that we had to use in our masterpieces. Here is my watercolor, crayon, marker, glitter glue, sequence, cut paper, google eyed creation! Who knew you could use so many supplies on one piece of paper! <br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">P is for Penny</span></b></div>
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Penny, the Perfect Pet. I have no idea how we got so lucky. We just plain did. She got her hair done this week, and is now particularly beautiful. :-) She played outside with the neighbor's four pound puppy the other day, and was so incredibly gentle. Don't they look like a mega and mini version of the same dog?? Super cute.<br />
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Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-47379614800973017542014-01-05T23:38:00.005-06:002014-01-05T23:38:44.303-06:00PicassoToday I am posting about a special Christmas gift <a href="http://www.lazydaisyquilts.blogspot.com/">over on my quilting blog</a>.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-37883686843986789742014-01-05T02:03:00.000-06:002014-01-05T02:03:11.818-06:00TearsWe are so fortunate to be part of a well connected, close knit homeschool community. It brings closeness and intimacy, and combats the feelings of isolation that can accompany living in such a huge city. I'm often mindful of how "small" our world really is, and how comforting it is to have so many good folks in our same boat.<br />
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Today a beautiful family in our homeschool group unexpectedly lost their thirteen year old daughter. She was hospitalized this morning with flu like symptoms, and was in the presence of Jesus this afternoon. Her eight year old sister has also tested positive for H1N1 and is hospitalized tonight with high fever. My broken heart aches for the unspeakable loss ringing through this community of precious friends. <br />
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I am humbled by the frailty of this life, and consumed with thoughts and prayers for a hurting family. Amidst a crushing grief, they have reached out to lift high the name of the Lord and to update family and friends. Tonight sleep escapes me. I feel burdened to pray unceasingly......and am unabashedly grateful for a throne of Grace to run to. Mostly I pray that God will use me and my family and every member of this body of believers who know and love this family as instruments of peace and comfort and hope.<br />
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We can always use more hope.<br />
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-3568620579187856162014-01-03T22:35:00.000-06:002014-01-03T22:35:01.407-06:00Like Fleas To a Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today we went to the flea market. It is an annual tradition with our friends to go in January, since that month is by far the least crowded. There is a reason for that. It has to do with the temperatures in January. ;-) I figure I saved $20 more than once throughout the day simply because I wasn't willing to take my mittens off and get into my wallet.<br />
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I bought ear muffs two minutes after we arrived. I found a gray knitted thing that was pretty cute, but decidedly questionable for a middle aged woman. Im not sure anyone over the age of eleven is qualified to sport an enormous crocheted flower near their forehead, but I would have wrapped just about anything around my head to rescue my ears. I never would have made it without the muffs!<br />
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Emma got a cute panda hat too. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90LCwDWLGs6nFhI8pYFghzkeN5XVSJ6l6w7aAHq-HHhLwuof8MoNTw-8BdIu4GmwUpNwkBfG4FWiXNu8itHVgSGpatvYvOizT-04omupC0Iq5voQM64J3YZ5hHRf9liM2VuR21iWcEX4/s640/blogger-image-557740961.jpg" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);" /><br />
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My favorite thing about the flea market in Canton are the fresh squeezed lemonade stands. I probably should have scouted for steaming coffee or hot cocoa, but instead I had TWO iced lemonades. They are so delicious!!! At least I wasn't as bad as Emma, who chose ice cream for her treat.<br />
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It was a really great day. I love spending time with these girls, freezing temps or not, and the more we laughed the warmer we stayed! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjAjIJJckLwBHoAGFL6Y5wQJdMCN68Kz1FyV3j6KkpLBzBvcZLa7KUmcBpbLfcFoSelrF9Ce2hmReJmP1nWlJFHh-4v7K2Wa8SBXP6-MMBR7mPsSa5r-mrVDAlMm12INQAhi9Q0HqZ_A/s640/blogger-image-1311756990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjAjIJJckLwBHoAGFL6Y5wQJdMCN68Kz1FyV3j6KkpLBzBvcZLa7KUmcBpbLfcFoSelrF9Ce2hmReJmP1nWlJFHh-4v7K2Wa8SBXP6-MMBR7mPsSa5r-mrVDAlMm12INQAhi9Q0HqZ_A/s640/blogger-image-1311756990.jpg" /></a><br />
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Oh! And yesterday I posted over at <a href="http://www.lazydaisyquilts.blogspot.com/">my quilt blog</a>. I'm going to get back to that in the coming year. Blogging makes the short list of resolutions. :-)<br />
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-36344752953521906522014-01-02T21:07:00.002-06:002014-01-02T21:08:13.606-06:00Kiwi Crate and A Bun In the Oven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of the activities we continue to LOVE month after month is our <a href="http://www.kiwicrate.com/">Kiwi Crate subscription</a>. Kiwi Crate is a kid's craft club. Each month a box comes to our door with two (minimum) projects for us to do together. I'll admit I was skeptical about this at first. I mean, I love crafts more than anyone. Our homeschool room has an entire cabinet dedicated to art supplies and I'm forever scouring Pinterest for fun kindergarten art projects. Why would I need <a href="http://www.kiwicrate.com/">Kiwi Crate</a>?</div>
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Because it's different.</div>
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1. Every single item we need to complete the projects is included in the box, and the supplies are super high quality.</div>
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2. Emma genuinely loves the activities. Every once in a while I think one is going to be a dud, but almost without fail, she is sincerely interested and has a blast.</div>
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3. The projects are specifically designed for kids to be as independent as possible. Emma is super proud of doing it herself with very little help from me.</div>
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4. When our box comes, it motivates us to have a "date" and spend some quality time together.</div>
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5. The boxes are educational too, and we always learn something new!</div>
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So our December box came weeks ago and I tucked it aside amidst the bustle and hustle. That is super uncharacteristic. Usually we dive in the minute it arrives on our doorstep. Emma and I had a quiet night at home a few nights ago, so we busted a big Kiwi move. The theme was "winter" and one of the projects was this polar bear game of catch. It also has a little velcro ball that sticks to the paws.</div>
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We've played LOTS of games of catch over the past few days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTpup04wB_XXfzf6Cd6l4JHUJuIHNm3BMmc5jr61Krt0aFF9qFnhuaYSLIftC2DKV2V5f0wVFDNYubF7ygJ4pJNo3LXAiHroajqV-4ASDHj9gO36_mhzqx6unGJvmIPsL7wyPcjEbe_A/s1600/IMG_2958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTpup04wB_XXfzf6Cd6l4JHUJuIHNm3BMmc5jr61Krt0aFF9qFnhuaYSLIftC2DKV2V5f0wVFDNYubF7ygJ4pJNo3LXAiHroajqV-4ASDHj9gO36_mhzqx6unGJvmIPsL7wyPcjEbe_A/s400/IMG_2958.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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She even thought this one up all by herself. :-)</div>
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Talk about the greatest dog E-V-E-R.</div>
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You've surely known dogs who could play fetch, but have you known many that play catch?? Haha.</div>
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Speaking of the greatest dog ever....</div>
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She is such a part of every minute of life around here. There is always somebody loving on her. Emma crashed and watched an entire episode of a show curled up like this right after Christmas. Perfect down time. Penny is always up for snuggling!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh4bN_e-8rO6NpD9urbFKv-Jb2uVpPeZ2lErCP8JjUdSMqwLWme3Qr99yILJIzu279Vj02L0YAPPsOuFcBgWs3_kcu8D2J1_AC8tULmZ6VueXJ_Cy9eYiz43ogDgQ09AMr3PrbzX_IZM/s1600/IMG_2965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh4bN_e-8rO6NpD9urbFKv-Jb2uVpPeZ2lErCP8JjUdSMqwLWme3Qr99yILJIzu279Vj02L0YAPPsOuFcBgWs3_kcu8D2J1_AC8tULmZ6VueXJ_Cy9eYiz43ogDgQ09AMr3PrbzX_IZM/s320/IMG_2965.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In other news.....</div>
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I was under the gun for a quick and simple dinner last night and had almost nothing on hand to work with. We were still trying to get Christmas put away and Hannah was headed out the door with friends. I had a pound of sausage in the fridge, so I decided to make sausage gravy, but I didn't have any refrigerator biscuits, so I looked up a recipe to make some.</div>
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I've never done baking powder biscuits before because I'm too lazy to roll and cut.</div>
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Sad, but true.</div>
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This recipe excited me because you just DROP the dough....you don't even have to grease the baking sheets! Easy peasy! And so much cheaper than Grand's!</div>
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These are quick, simple, and REALLY tasty. I'll definitely be making them again!</div>
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I doubled the recipe for our crowd, and it made 24 nice sized biscuits. Perfect with a slathering of sausage gravy and a side of scrambled eggs. ;-)</div>
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<u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Baking Powder Drop Biscuits</span></b></u></div>
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2 cups flour</div>
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2 T sugar</div>
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4 t baking powder</div>
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1/2 t cream of tartar</div>
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1/2 t salt</div>
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1/2 cup shortening (I had some on hand, but many people in the reviews said they used butter and it turned out just fine.)</div>
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1 egg</div>
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2/3 cup milk</div>
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Preheat oven to 450.</div>
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Sift dry ingredients into a bowl.</div>
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Use a pastry cutter to cut in shortening until it resembles course crumbs.</div>
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Whisk egg and milk together and add gradually to flour mixture, stirring as you pour.</div>
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Stir until dough is moistened and well mixed.</div>
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Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.</div>
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Good for hungry kids.</div>
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Or hungry polar bears. :-)</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-50484404575452114642014-01-01T17:11:00.002-06:002014-01-01T17:11:31.692-06:00And Just Like That It's 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!!</span></b></div>
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I haven't bothered giving much thought to resolutions today. I always seem to spend much more time making them than I do keeping them, but I can't help but wonder if this could be (finally) the year of keeping the blog updated??? With two teenagers who homeschool and ONE computer in the family, my screen time is zilch most days. But we shall see. It is something I miss (and friends and family seem to as well) and it is so much fun to keep a record of what happens here.</div>
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I love every single crazy, rushed, frantic moment of December. Always. The pace is frantic, the schedule is crowded, the house is full (of both stuff and people), and it rushes past me far too fast for me to catch hold of it and savor it. So instead, I just give in to it every year. It's like picking up your feet in a wave pool and giving your whole self to the water....swirling and spinning and enjoying the ride as it carries you. This year was no different. I willingly jumped right into the vortex of the Christmas storm and took it for all it was worth. Having a kindergartner in the house at Christmas time means that fun is obligatory....as are messes and crafts and baking sessions and way too many decorations.</div>
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Today we started taking Christmas down. I always envied the "grown ups" in my life who talk about needing to get back to schedule and routine. I always hate to see Christmas end. I'm about 80% done getting it all packed away, but everyone knows it's that last 20% that will kill you dead. I needed to step away for a few minutes. :-)</div>
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I'm happy to welcome a new year, and I count happy holidays spent with the family we love as a great ending to 2013. The year started with the loss of Jeff's Grandmother and a health scare with Papa. My Mom sold her house and moved. There were big changes over the course of the year and a few struggles too, but that just made celebrating together all the sweeter.</div>
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Before we launch headlong into a new year of fresh memory making, I want to capture and reminisce about a few happenings from the past weeks.</div>
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Emma took her turn as star student at school, which kicked my competitive mother gene into overdrive, as I invested far too many hours designing the "ultimate" star student poster.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe4CXoqro88hHCDmL8gTr1dUDUzAJehwYNwc7HyrxB1QMTqO47XL1R99OZyUAY00xgbN_ZEgsmBPknsTQPHpO2Y6LMp6HcxsLYVM37sE20ei1s_abBPvwHwqWhf4AL40E90D9bPILgTY/s1600/DSC_0588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe4CXoqro88hHCDmL8gTr1dUDUzAJehwYNwc7HyrxB1QMTqO47XL1R99OZyUAY00xgbN_ZEgsmBPknsTQPHpO2Y6LMp6HcxsLYVM37sE20ei1s_abBPvwHwqWhf4AL40E90D9bPILgTY/s640/DSC_0588.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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Luckily, Jackie was in town that night and helped take the edge off as she talked me down from my Mother of the Start Student ledge. She even sacrificed some of her valuable fantasy football time to come to the table and help with the poster. In the end, Emma was delighted, and I felt satisfied that I had managed to work seven pink patterned papers, glitter foam, and a giant daisy onto a single sheet of poster board.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1obf6c1VtgE9NQhJI8fgRMBcKlhwITN2y1v3ngvYk32PTVwvXdur_H3Aa-bafNDLZ59BpEFCY2vw_wIuOU5HPvDOGxpXirtzEzJSFI_cibG9C-numIqTFWP7IEFB7xVNqTDaJl1hx7QQ/s1600/DSC_0595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1obf6c1VtgE9NQhJI8fgRMBcKlhwITN2y1v3ngvYk32PTVwvXdur_H3Aa-bafNDLZ59BpEFCY2vw_wIuOU5HPvDOGxpXirtzEzJSFI_cibG9C-numIqTFWP7IEFB7xVNqTDaJl1hx7QQ/s320/DSC_0595.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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We made the annual trek to Nana's house for the Sugar Cookie Extravaganza. She doesn't freak out about sprinkles on her floor the way I do, so she is a good sport about hosting every year. Of course, Kaylyn missed the baking AND the cleaning up (heckle, heckle) but got there in plenty of time for sampling.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVBp943VtutbYgzYrCCdS4uHn7ADuydeIEfvGNWSJN1BXBDjadzT_nWRCksvFpVkqrwYYBHjUNFYHaT6sR5wUQ400tU3BSpzai9K9OnNwIEmTsDDGGF_f9N3GYZbFY7KXcttlvkh8XG4/s1600/DSC_0637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVBp943VtutbYgzYrCCdS4uHn7ADuydeIEfvGNWSJN1BXBDjadzT_nWRCksvFpVkqrwYYBHjUNFYHaT6sR5wUQ400tU3BSpzai9K9OnNwIEmTsDDGGF_f9N3GYZbFY7KXcttlvkh8XG4/s320/DSC_0637.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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My baby turned SIX YEARS OLD. Her request was a tall cake (not a flat one) and a Barbie horse.</div>
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Check.</div>
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It was a very good day!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcrh6dKwkzzN7fz_XlZeIcX4rozK4cx4Qqk0ZeeORD1C94P3z5-jt5L_7JPLaRplf3mU0m4v44z8kXcBwYPAfbOhZmPLgynE9G58aMgWvAMPfg03jC_PnE_N8ZPtuF51kdMxEksf-jcs/s1600/IMG_2810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcrh6dKwkzzN7fz_XlZeIcX4rozK4cx4Qqk0ZeeORD1C94P3z5-jt5L_7JPLaRplf3mU0m4v44z8kXcBwYPAfbOhZmPLgynE9G58aMgWvAMPfg03jC_PnE_N8ZPtuF51kdMxEksf-jcs/s400/IMG_2810.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We ventured to the quilt shop for our annual visit with Santa. He told us his favorite cookie is chocolate chip, which seemed like a reasonable thing to add to the "to do" list, but despite her asking me every single day, they never got made. We did manage to put reindeer food and a few carrots on the lawn though. Santa, next year I'll plan ahead and make a double batch!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHzrqjBtzOZ0t-IKbXxWNt45nnAoWZRJNaJFzKYjWH5Oa7XBvPiChPIsLNComMqwGtRwWcy-9VpActFPpmDMrafBl2Z-FP0eWjanYvdiObcbjzsAMuaPpXCK7AerFa6MzUGaePmbd8Yo/s1600/IMG_2834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHzrqjBtzOZ0t-IKbXxWNt45nnAoWZRJNaJFzKYjWH5Oa7XBvPiChPIsLNComMqwGtRwWcy-9VpActFPpmDMrafBl2Z-FP0eWjanYvdiObcbjzsAMuaPpXCK7AerFa6MzUGaePmbd8Yo/s320/IMG_2834.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We welcomed Hannah home for the holidays and did a little impromptu swing dancing on the square. I absolutely LOVE IT when my kids slip up and act like they genuinely like each other. ;-)</div>
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Emma played an angel in the school play.</div>
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I know.</div>
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Horrible casting!!!</div>
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The best part was when she stepped onto the stage and the shepherd stomped his foot and yelled "WOW"!! He knows a cute angel when he sees one.</div>
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I spent lots of sweet time with my Mom this year. We worked several jigsaw puzzles and cooked some yummy meals together. I enjoyed seeing her new tree in her new house and spending some much needed down time together. I can't believe I didn't get a single good picture to post here of her. I'm going to have to stalk her with the camera more in the coming year.</div>
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Christmas morning was merry and bright.</div>
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Every year I trap the kids on the stairs and refuse to let them to the presents before I've had my fill of pictures. They begrudgingly comply, but the grumbling definitely increases with age. ;-)</div>
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There was only one thing on the wish list this year, and Santa came through.</div>
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The American Girl doll horse Picasso now has a VERY proud new owner.</div>
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The Buzzard pulled out all the stops and gave me a BIG gift. One I have been wanting for a very long time, it is true. Whoever said romance is dead has never seen this man in action on Christmas Eve.</div>
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We had PLENTY of good laughs over that one!! The commode in our master bath overflows constantly.....and always when I'm running late or wearing super cute shoes! :-)</div>
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He even got it installed the day after Christmas. He's a prince, that one. A prince with a new throne.</div>
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I made a feed sack and horse coat for Picasso. I actually did quite a bit of Christmas sewing and need to get busy sharing more of that over on my quilt blog.</div>
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Picasso isn't the only new addition around here. Just before Thanksgiving, Hayden got a new bird. It's been a bit of a rough adjustment, but she has mellowed a lot and finally seems open to the idea of us being friends. Her name is Bella and she is a cinnamon pied cockatiel. She got a brand new cage for Christmas!</div>
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Around lunch time on Christmas Day we headed up to the farm for family time.</div>
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We had a HUGE surprise waiting for Emma up there.</div>
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Papa is a magician. He can wander into his barn and accomplish just about anything.</div>
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VERY shortly before Christmas (as in, no advanced warning) I was browsing Pinterest and came upon the plans for an American Girl horse barn. I instantly knew Picasso could be very happy there. :-)</div>
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Papa toiled and labored and pulled off a Christmas miracle for me! (I told him I'm completely prepared for him to revoke my Pintestest privileges next year.) Anyway, I can't imagine an idea that could ever top this one. The boys went up and helped Papa a few days. It was a family affair that we were ALL super excited about. This was definitely one of those gifts where the givers are a million times more excited than the receiver every could be!</div>
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She was O-V-E-R the moon happy, and this sweet stable has seen hours of play time already.</div>
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On December 30th this handsome gent turned a whopping</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">16</span></div>
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I'm so proud of this one. All my kids inspire me; each in their own unique way. This one...he's fiercely rewarding. God has something big in store for him. He is finding his place in this world and stepping out to leave his mark. It is a mark of determination, courage, and compassion. I can hardly wait to see what his future holds.</div>
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Last night we hosted our annual New Year's Eve bash. Every year we overdose on appetizers so that we are in a food coma by midnight. </div>
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We played Perpetual Commotion, Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit, and Logo.</div>
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We counted down the new year, and by precisely 12:13 everyone was out the door with their left overs in hand. I think this is a major sign of getting older!</div>
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I asked Nana this morning if they popped any corks last night and she said, "Are you kidding me? We don't even drink Diet Coke after 4pm!!" Ha ha ha!!!</div>
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Ending one year and starting another with a (messy) house filled with friends and family is what it's all about. I'm forever learning how to balance more efficiently....fitting more in, being more on time, organizing better, meeting more needs, taking more initiative, tying up more loose ends, staying more consistent, and trying, in general, to have way less to apologize for.</div>
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I fall short on all counts, for the most part. But the people who matter most to me always seem to look past that and show up to help make December crazier, busier, louder, messier, and WAY TOO MUCH FUN. I'm so thankful for the wild ride, and for all the many blessings of this past month.</div>
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And most especially, for that Baby born in Bethlehem.</div>
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The one who lives on in our hearts and in our lives and who DOES NOT get packed away with all the other trimmings and trappings of a crazy month.</div>
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May 2014 be to His honor, His service, and His glory!!</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-50620162371048776202013-12-09T22:28:00.002-06:002013-12-09T22:28:45.731-06:00Snow DayLast Wednesday I finally got around to yanking all the summer flowers out of the front flower bed and getting my pansies in the ground. The weather report was sounding ominous, so I figured I would take a shot at getting them planted before it all turned bad, and I even bought a little frost blanket to cover them with in hopes of a fighting chance at survival. Pansies were my Grandma Honey's favorite flower. She always said they had "sweet little faces", so I thought of her as I planted these.<div>
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The weather man was right on the money. It was exactly 79 degrees while I planted on Wednesday, and by Thursday night we had several inches of snow and freezing rain. It dropped 50 degrees in two days! My little outdoor bear went from this....</div>
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to this.....</div>
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Ha!!!</div>
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Schools were closed Friday, and the kids spent several hours outside "sledding" down the neighbor's yard. It was a fun little break that ended up lasting into Saturday....then Sunday....then today. Many churches cancelled services yesterday, and schools were out again today. Since there was no kindergarten for Emma I told her we would homeschool like the big kids!</div>
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We read Katy and the Big Snow and did several activities related to the book. We learned about snowflakes and community workers and measuring by feet. We practiced counting by 5's, since Katy had 55 horsepower.</div>
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Then we made BIG snow!! I could seriously hang these all over my house. Isn't this gorgeous?? We found a tutorial on Pinterest and they are surprisingly simple to make. Emma did almost the entire thing by herself.</div>
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Unfortunately, I was short a stick of butter, so we didn't get our snowball cookies made. As usual, I had more things planned than I had time to execute them, so we will have to enjoy a few more snow related activities after school this week.</div>
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Late in the afternoon the doorbell rang and it was the delivery man with a special box. Oma Joan lives near a a candy outlet, and she sent the kids TONS of special holiday candy. I had to laugh, because after being snowed in for FIVE DAYS straight, having a huge box of chocolate land on my doorstep was like a little miracle! I think I yelled as loud as the kids did! :-) Of course we're out of nearly everything, but WHO CARES because now we've got plenty of chocolates! </div>
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Tomorrow is a VERY BIG DAY around here. Today was Emma's very last day of being five. Five was a great year, and I'm sad to see it go. I can hardly believe how quickly time is flying with her. But I'm also excited to wake up tomorrow and see what treasures God has in store for SIX. </div>
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The Buzzard is heading to the donut shop early in the morning to pick up sprinkle donuts, which I will deliver to kindergarten with a case of RAIN water. :-)</div>
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Then I need to come home and get crackin'! I have a cake to bake, a present to wrap, and a banner to hang. It's going to be a GREAT day. Here's my still-five-almost-six year old enjoying the snow!!!!</div>
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Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-48666850410263800402013-11-14T17:58:00.003-06:002013-11-14T17:58:57.607-06:00Making<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There is always some level of "making" going on here.</div>
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Always.</div>
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I try to be generally productive MOST of the time, but the craving to make something (usually a big mess!) is always tugging at me, and a few times a week I set aside everything that SHOULD be done in favor of a little time to MAKE something. </div>
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Good for the soul, I say!</div>
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So I'm showing off a few recent creations.</div>
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The week of Halloween, Emma's class carved this pumpkin. The teacher did all the actual carving, but the kids voted on which shapes she should use, and then they graphed all their answers. Pumpkin math. Anyway, I commented on him when I picked Emma up from school because he was on display outside the classroom with this little sign. Emma informed me that she HATED him because he had a bad name.</div>
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Sharp Tooth. His name was Sharp Tooth.</div>
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Emma wanted to name him "Cinderella", but she was the only one who voted for that name.</div>
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With eleven boys and only three girls in her class, I'm not sure how she thought "Cinderella" would win, but she was a bit of a sore loser about the whole thing.</div>
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At the kindergarten Halloween class party they painted mini pumpkins.</div>
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With non-washable paint.</div>
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I seemed to be the only Mom in the room who was concerned about them getting paint all over their costumes. None of the other parents indicated that a little paint on a costume would impede the ability to trick or treat, in the DARK, on a holiday that's supposed to be, you know......fun.</div>
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But I still maintain that washable paint would have been a more prudent choice. :-)</div>
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And no. We didn't bring our mini-pumpkin home. No amount of Halloween cheer could possibly persuade me to put a wet, painted pumpkin in my van to roll around on the way home.</div>
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I'm a real joy on Halloween. ;-)</div>
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But if we WOULD have brought ours home, this guy could have craved him right up for us!</div>
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(And we could have named it "Cinderella"!)</div>
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A good four days after Halloween was over I still had a little pile of craft supplies sitting on my kitchen counter. I gathered a few things with grand intentions of making these in early October, but they never got done. I figured I was the only one who knew (or cared!) that we were off schedule a bit, so we went ahead and worked on some post-Halloween decor. A package of black plates from the dollar store yielded a woven spider web....</div>
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....and some black cats.</div>
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(And I still have enough plates left over to serve appetizers at our next party!)</div>
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This next one was a cute idea I found on Pinterest. We made a pointillism tree using Q-tips. This wasn't one of our more fun art sessions. I was a little controlling. :-(</div>
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I try to work on that and let her be free and creative, but sometimes my desire to have things look a certain way ends up getting the best of me. I felt bad when I went to bed this night because I regretted reminding her a million times to keep all her dots inside the circle. I asked her the next morning if she had FUN making this tree with me and she said no, not really.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YK7rxU87TYaNbHsGEV5sIhrTLTqmC4lJMhyphenhyphenK_1UjLI5M4KzVGilG4NqWxovV9_35bMrPrGcvi_ePT8LlW07xx3JdMyQHedhCqNqjkGIcjMODvQcsgBKX6sj149y-3LUDPS0rbcH5Vwo/s1600/DSC_0560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YK7rxU87TYaNbHsGEV5sIhrTLTqmC4lJMhyphenhyphenK_1UjLI5M4KzVGilG4NqWxovV9_35bMrPrGcvi_ePT8LlW07xx3JdMyQHedhCqNqjkGIcjMODvQcsgBKX6sj149y-3LUDPS0rbcH5Vwo/s400/DSC_0560.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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So, THAT night, I set out all the paints (no Q-tips) and told her she could paint ANYTHING she wanted, ANY way she wanted to. I wanted her to have FUN with me. She told me she wanted to paint a "secret" and wouldn't let me see it until it was finished. This is how it turned out.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjI2AtEN4lKSVd4Si2AdVqZaes7x_LEJ43D3V8mE0m8j-qogq22hLddzsK_W5UdShS9whv6bd5sgNlDGNyfCUHFBQYT4Kk1LMkv6m8uEryMyihSJP8Zki_QTdCeJ-Ad1buDDBPlLEijk/s1600/DSC_0564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjI2AtEN4lKSVd4Si2AdVqZaes7x_LEJ43D3V8mE0m8j-qogq22hLddzsK_W5UdShS9whv6bd5sgNlDGNyfCUHFBQYT4Kk1LMkv6m8uEryMyihSJP8Zki_QTdCeJ-Ad1buDDBPlLEijk/s400/DSC_0564.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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HA! Goofball. I think sometimes she likes learning to do things a certain way after all. It eased my guilt a bit. Pretty sweet girl.</div>
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Last week Daddy came home from work early one day and we decided to have a Play-Doh contest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CAKbGXXYjH3K3t2hDAe_568jXiMOAQIhr-FpvXhOiWKcu1qZ50OPN1IQw84H0fystQd19PY5SueuK2SXwxego2JcWjwvpkoIRuT_QMCzqwauGJFXRchMNTXJFisVEC80KZKW2TbYSqM/s1600/DSC_0559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CAKbGXXYjH3K3t2hDAe_568jXiMOAQIhr-FpvXhOiWKcu1qZ50OPN1IQw84H0fystQd19PY5SueuK2SXwxego2JcWjwvpkoIRuT_QMCzqwauGJFXRchMNTXJFisVEC80KZKW2TbYSqM/s320/DSC_0559.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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I started the whole thing by making this pumpkin, then challenging the rest of the family to beat me.</div>
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(Because I feel the need to be competitive when it comes to modeling clay.)</div>
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Daddy's entry was a snake who just ate a mouse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvFkgHaPBd3TERcq2hFfJRmWLlsMv2qAvw_gOVFlmwmHkZhaagPsKzQ7k2olxNXlO6YrjsKmKpfV0-s21cZEe1Fi1ViEukI3Z5IZZngby7GyJwvrAeFZorISYp-gZDZ3KUOr0Svc9mkg/s1600/DSC_0569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvFkgHaPBd3TERcq2hFfJRmWLlsMv2qAvw_gOVFlmwmHkZhaagPsKzQ7k2olxNXlO6YrjsKmKpfV0-s21cZEe1Fi1ViEukI3Z5IZZngby7GyJwvrAeFZorISYp-gZDZ3KUOr0Svc9mkg/s320/DSC_0569.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Max's entry was a blue horse. The horse won. Naturally.</div>
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No vegetable, no matter how finely crafted, can compete with horses in this house. :-)</div>
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This is what Emma did to Daddy's snake. Gross.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6bNbD9Y2k2NZ9zFQCUiWCsxWVxEHSxzK1PKUdw-DDfndUomKY6GyMey4Mx9WMxqFjvqXgZkuPDmNtBwkE5z_XJgWMxdCu5nCCR_F_s8YyrVuHlsKk4x6sjLBla1Gl52P3m56k6ed4Ns/s1600/DSC_0574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6bNbD9Y2k2NZ9zFQCUiWCsxWVxEHSxzK1PKUdw-DDfndUomKY6GyMey4Mx9WMxqFjvqXgZkuPDmNtBwkE5z_XJgWMxdCu5nCCR_F_s8YyrVuHlsKk4x6sjLBla1Gl52P3m56k6ed4Ns/s320/DSC_0574.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a few minutes later he looked like this. Gracious! A little hostility!</div>
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Then again, I rather agree that the only good snake is a really, really DEAD snake!</div>
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This was a cute little "H" craft that Emma brought home from school a long time ago and it has been hanging on the microwave door. I can't seem to move it to the art bucket. It's just too cute.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0SPZJ8qyzTX7Fgx-JBZw_AsVVhSG23ssOevrcvL7yNCXbrrFgbX3krNGy4_WFfKOEIu3XpOHSiqsV-ig_-MRqST7fQHh7Fr5vHFvM-OCp0_goncjmA8xoDoHl25WUuJ6LopQFs84yi8/s1600/IMG_2332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0SPZJ8qyzTX7Fgx-JBZw_AsVVhSG23ssOevrcvL7yNCXbrrFgbX3krNGy4_WFfKOEIu3XpOHSiqsV-ig_-MRqST7fQHh7Fr5vHFvM-OCp0_goncjmA8xoDoHl25WUuJ6LopQFs84yi8/s320/IMG_2332.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Too bad I can't figure out how to get this next one rotated. Emma and I read a few books about bats because she studied nocturnal animals at school. One day, all on her own, she drew this bat, then proceeded to go get one of the books so she could label it! I was super proud of her writing! So, here's a sideways bat with fur, ear, claw, and wing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfvXMUgK0GpjmXNmPo3kpSnyjNqnKFN05PBDFRn3Y13HTrHBpiltI4tEyZ7EQ-e2VHHwQvapcEvWrbPKEzgJ2VwKNAm5HjxAjjKPg3Gn61YSGwlakPhEpAQP5NE8KEpHnyl4Frp7fgak/s1600/IMG_2494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfvXMUgK0GpjmXNmPo3kpSnyjNqnKFN05PBDFRn3Y13HTrHBpiltI4tEyZ7EQ-e2VHHwQvapcEvWrbPKEzgJ2VwKNAm5HjxAjjKPg3Gn61YSGwlakPhEpAQP5NE8KEpHnyl4Frp7fgak/s400/IMG_2494.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I was in the craft store one day with a coupon that was about to expire, and they didn't have what I needed. I wandered around looking for a fun fall craft so my coupon wouldn't go to waste. There wasn't much fall stuff to choose from, but the Christmas stuff was already out in full force, so I caved and bought this cute little kit for felt trees. It was only a dollar, and it provided well over an hour of entertainment by the time we arranged all the circles by size and color.</div>
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Needless to say, I've had a jump start on my holiday decorating since early October. :-)</div>
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I was afraid if I put these away I'd forget all about them by December, so they've been hanging over the kitchen table for weeks. (Uncle Joel, you're real proud of us, right?)</div>
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Last Friday we baked up a STORM. I had workmen here all day working on a project with the house, and it was super cold outside. Max started a fire in the fireplace, and my helper and I spent the whole day in the kitchen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75FTUIcZzlpdDoBNeGJHa1bQSkFavWMqsyll4Bkt2WQo6-eWWs-rm5eDAc34ytO3WR0abYbkc8twd7_RHG1Lx4nWFJQ8Q-RM4MwVuEr5RvaX1orjBw9oeUZM06PZlUrh4dIn-FKGhIjs/s1600/IMG_2590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75FTUIcZzlpdDoBNeGJHa1bQSkFavWMqsyll4Bkt2WQo6-eWWs-rm5eDAc34ytO3WR0abYbkc8twd7_RHG1Lx4nWFJQ8Q-RM4MwVuEr5RvaX1orjBw9oeUZM06PZlUrh4dIn-FKGhIjs/s640/IMG_2590.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We made FIVE kinds of cookies, and assembled cute little trays to deliver to the neighbors. We wrapped great big bows around them and made little tags with fall leaf stickers. I didn't know at the beginning of the day that this project was going to get so big, but the idea just grew as the day wore on.</div>
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The frosted fall leaf cookies were our favorites. We also made ginger snaps, snicker doodles, magic cookie bars, and chocolate white chocolate chip. YUM.</div>
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Saturday morning I made a book bag for Hayden to take to a birthday party for one of the girls in his choir class. I love these sweet fabrics.</div>
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That night while Hayden was at the party, Daddy and I took Emmie to Chilis for dinner.</div>
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MEMORIES are some of the most fun things to make! :-)</div>
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This week Ems and I worked on turkeys. We water colored the feathers onto heavy watercolor paper using crayon resist for the feather markings. Then we cut the other parts out of construction paper. We practiced cutting, gluing, painting, and drawing. We worked on this one a few nights in a row right before bedtime.</div>
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See? Seasonally appropriate.</div>
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It does happen occsionally. :-)</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-33858295366282346492013-11-07T11:09:00.000-06:002013-11-07T11:09:24.172-06:00Tennessee Trails and AFK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We were up at the farm last weekend and I was talking with my brother in law about texting abbreviations. Apparently, "AFK" means "Away From Keyboard" in today's world.</div>
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AFK pretty much describes October for me!</div>
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I suppose I need to motor through some October news since we seem to be plowing through November at record speed. By far the highlight of October was flying with Emma out to Tennessee to spend fall break with Sissy. I was SO THANKFUL that my sweet hubby let me do this. He and the boys handled everything at home for an entire week so I could have girl time, and it was a highlight of my entire year.</div>
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Every single thing about our trip was perfect, right from the start.</div>
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Emma rode on an airplane for the very first time. <strike>ALL</strike> Most of humanity veers right when entering a plane.....but Emma made a sharp left and headed in to meet the pilot, loudly announcing that this was her FIRST time on a plane and she wanted to SEE what was in there. He was super sweet about her unexpected visit....made a little seat for her, gave her a snack, and even let her hit a few buttons!</div>
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She did GREAT on the ride, and I love that the sweet pilot made it into a special memory for her.</div>
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First thing we did when we arrived on campus was visit with one of Hannah's nursing professors. I loved getting to meet several of her mentors on this trip. It is so easy to see why Hannah loves her school and their nursing program so much....it is a very close community and the relationships formed are something pretty special!</div>
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Then we were off to the dorm room to see Hannah's roommate LINDSEY!</div>
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I love how the girls have their room set up. They are both super tidy....wish my house were as clean and organized as that college room! Seems ironic! :-)</div>
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Lindsey spends most of her study time in the hammock, and this is where they have their "humanities wall" with pictures, quotes, art, and some mementos from their summer trip to Europe.</div>
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They are super smarties. :-)</div>
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My FAVORITE part of the week (okay, one of my many favorites!) was FINALLY getting to meet all of Hannah's friends. I had not been on campus since dropping her off at the start of her freshman year. I've heard so much about the girls she has developed relationships with the last few years, and am even friends with some on facebook, but I had never met them face to face! Jeff takes Hannah back to college at the end of every summer, so he already knew these sweet girls, and he used to brag about that to me. So I finally got to even the score!</div>
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They were SO WELCOMING, and I adored each and every one. I took a group out to dinner on our first night, and I felt like I had known them all along. Hannah is BLESSED with her circle of college friends! After dinner, Rebekah hosted a movie party in her dorm room, especially for Emma. Girls PILED into that tiny room with snacks to watch Little Mermaid with us. A few of the girls had their lap tops propped in their laps studying for tests the next day. I sat in the back of that room and marveled at what precious girls they were and how "together" they all seemed. They have so much more on the ball than I did in college!!!! I was really honored that so many people turned out to hang with Ems and I. Very cool.</div>
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Here's a few more pics of Hannah's room. I know her Grandmas want to see how she has it all set up!</div>
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This is her photography bin, with her photography class materials and her antique camera collection.</div>
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This is her nursing bin, complete with a spleen and a tuberculosis germ in a jar. Because every nursing student needs one of those???? :-)</div>
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Her side of the room.</div>
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(Nana, see your Monet print?)</div>
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Lindsey's side.</div>
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Harry Potter is the dorm theme this year, so there is an owlry in the stairwell.</div>
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(Hannah lives in a SUPER old dorm. It has lots of character, but is VERY old fashioned!)</div>
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We took a minute for Emma to leave notes for all of Hannah's friends.</div>
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So Emma wasn't entirely impressed with the school mascot. Oops.</div>
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This is a professor who led a small group Bible study which Hannah participated in her freshman and sophomore years. He is on sabbatical this semester getting a book published, but he made a special trip onto campus to have lunch with us so I could meet him. A really neat guy who has had a great impact on many students!!!</div>
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Who knew? Baylor bears in Tennessee!! :-)</div>
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The HIGHLIGHT of Emma's trip. Hands down.</div>
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We left campus for a few days and spent some time in Pigeon Forge and Gaitlinburg. Horseback riding in the Smoky Mountains in fall? Yes, please. Again and again and again.</div>
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The girls shared a horse named Hawaii.</div>
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We talk about this DAILY in our house.</div>
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DAILY. Still.</div>
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We also went to see a Titanic exhibit. The outside of the museum looks like the ship. It was very informative and interesting.</div>
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We also visited a parrot sanctuary where I fell in love with 843 birds.</div>
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This little character was named "Jade" and he traveled around with Emma for quite some time. He knew all kinds of tricks and was a real comical fellow. I loved him!</div>
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Honestly, I could have spent days there playing with the birds.</div>
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Emma got a little stuffed black bear, and she became obsessed with black bears. They are everywhere in the Smokies!</div>
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We spent an incredible day in Abingdon, Virginia visiting some friends. While we were there, we had the unique opportunity to visit a homeschooling family who lives on a mountain. To get to their house, you first cross a suspension bridge.</div>
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(I'm not kidding you here. This is the ONLY way to the house, so every single time they leave or come home, every single grocery they buy, gets taken home this way.)</div>
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Then, they get in their ATV and drive a little over a mile to the house. It is so incredibly fascinating. BEAUTIFUL beyond words, but incomprehensibly remote!</div>
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I'm so glad I got the opportunity to see this because it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before! This is Hannah and Mrs. A; our friend who lives in Abingdon.</div>
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Abingdon, Virginia is an old Civil War town, and it is like a picture book in every way. It is truly one of the most charming, endearing towns I have ever seen. Hannah spends one weekend out of every month with the A family helping with their Bible Bowl program. She met them through some common friends here in Texas, and planned to make a one time trip to their house to help give some direction in a new Bible Bowl program. But the friendship blossomed and grew and now this precious family is a very prominent part of Hannah's life. They are one of the most treasured unexpected blessings of her college experience!!</div>
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Our last day in town we went to a beautiful park where Hannah often goes to get shots for her photography class. There is NO shortage of opportunity for stunning nature photography where she lives!</div>
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Hannah and Lindsey help run the youth group for Lindsey's church. Again, I've heard about these cute kids for years, so it was a blast to finally get to meet them. The girls have to really plan ahead with their studies to be able to do this every Sunday afternoon, and after meeting the people at this church I can definitely see how it is completely worth it for them. Another incredibly neat group of people, and yet another confirmation to me that God led Hannah to the right place for college!</div>
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After church we went to Lindsey's house for dinner. Her family owns a beautiful dairy farm in the mountains. Her Dad was sweet enough to rope this calf for Emma to play with and love on. It was so tiny, but really strong! Emma was in heaven!</div>
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I find their home to be so peaceful.</div>
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I love Texas because my family and friends are here, but there is a FRENZY to life in a big city that is taxing in every conceivable way. The pace is relentless, and in many ways it feels like a race. This is the view that Lindsey's family wakes up to every day. It is a gift. They are very lucky.</div>
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I had the best week. It was SO relaxing, and I had an AMAZING time connecting with my girls.</div>
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We gathered these baby pine cones on a walk we took. I brought them home and put them next to my kitchen sink....a special little reminder all season long of my wonderful October get away.</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-68386458661781871122013-10-07T00:28:00.000-05:002013-10-07T00:28:01.433-05:00Friday's Trip To the Pumpkin Patch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm not a huge fan of Halloween, but I have ALWAYS loved a day at the pumpkin patch.</div>
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We have a huge one near our house that is really well done. The people who own it started it several years ago to give LITTLE kids something really POSITIVE and NON-SCARY to enjoy at Halloween. All the decorations and activities are geared toward younger children and everything is happy and friendly. There is NOTHING spooky or scary. That's my kind of patch!</div>
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I couldn't find any cute tee shirts this year, so I bought a sparkly iron on at the fabric store and put it on a black tee. I found these funny knee socks at Target and thought they would make a goofy, fun outfit. You can see her mood before we left the house matched her socks.....goofy! ;-)</div>
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I was super pleased that the boys agreed to come along. They know my sentimental attachment to the great pumpkin patch, and they were good sports for making this family time. Added bonus....they even wore orange for me!!! It feels so good when they do things like that just to make me happy.</div>
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The pumpkin patch has DOZENS AND DOZENS of wooden cut outs for photos. This year Duck Dynasty was the best display. You just KNOW we loved that one!!! We never miss an episode. That show is family night in this house....big time!</div>
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I just love Miss Kay. Her cooking and her love for animals....a girl after my own heart!</div>
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We took a hay ride, and the tractor stopped on the back side of the farm. All the kids got out to pick a little pumpkin from the "mini patch" to take home with them. She picked the one with the BEST stem. She instinctively knew how much that would please me. Ha!</div>
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(All my pumpkins have to have perfect stems. I know.........OCD.)</div>
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The hay maze was a challenge. :-) </div>
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We had a super day. I love this fall tradition. I look forward to it every year. When my kids are all grown they are still going to have to come visit me in the fall to pick pumpkins with me!</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-40741642440130197582013-10-05T19:48:00.002-05:002013-10-05T19:48:59.169-05:00YIPPEE!!!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
Do you think the Doodle is excited that it's Saturday???!!!???</div>
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Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-63391325891327787592013-10-02T15:46:00.001-05:002013-10-02T15:46:19.898-05:00A Loyal Friend<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Our Minders</span></div>
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1994-2013</div>
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Three weeks ago we said a very hard good-bye.</div>
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Mindy was a loyal friend to our family.</div>
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The little one took it the hardest. Mindy was her favorite pet.</div>
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Penny seemed a little lost too.</div>
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Three weeks feels like a long time.</div>
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Good-byes are hard.</div>
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But memories are a sweet gift.</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-80274727547776910342013-10-01T21:56:00.000-05:002013-10-01T21:59:05.619-05:00Show and Tell Tuesday<div style="text-align: center;">
Today I'm linking up with <a href="http://www.ihavetosay.typepad.com/randi/2013/10/show.html">Randi at I Have To Say</a>. I love Randi's blog, and it was especially fun to visit there today and see her striking Pow Wow quilt. It's a stunner. I've always wanted to quilt with linen. Her quilt is a great example of why I'm so tempted. There's a lot of "WOW" in her Pow-Wow. Ha! :-)</div>
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I'm sharing a recent finish of my own today. This project was in the works (on again, off again) for an entire year! A super special quilt that was a looooooong time in the waiting. It was a gift for my dear friend, Marci, in honor of her birthday. We've had a running joke between us for many years about how she was waiting....waiting...waiting in line for a quilt. We joked and laughed and poked a lot of fun about how she was "quiltless". Well, quiltless no more!</div>
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The pattern is by Atkinson Designs, and the fabric is Butterscotch and Roses by my all time favorite, Fig Tree for Moda. </div>
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I've never met a Fig Tree fabric I didn't like, but this line in particular has a great palette. I love how the pale ice blue plays so well with the cozy reds and chocolate browns. Blue is Marci's favorite color, but her house is primarily warm colors, so I thought this fabric line was a good match.</div>
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I auditioned several fabrics for the back, but I didn't want this to get too busy. I settled on a Kona solid with a pieced inset.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcNuCFiusXk5I20alAqkd1ZxdbTK0nxBqoTj4XBELnilknCVzMS-KWTDDURCKdl94qEq8sTW4uUT3U-lbTqRGDc2YfNHLcZEWZgNdSiXmRetnU00-qAWi-zaYkfV1QmBgy8RjPubvAwU/s1600/DSC_0319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcNuCFiusXk5I20alAqkd1ZxdbTK0nxBqoTj4XBELnilknCVzMS-KWTDDURCKdl94qEq8sTW4uUT3U-lbTqRGDc2YfNHLcZEWZgNdSiXmRetnU00-qAWi-zaYkfV1QmBgy8RjPubvAwU/s320/DSC_0319.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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I did my usual embroidered label with a handwritten verse. The verse for this quilt is Proverbs 27:7</div>
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<i><b>"The heartfelt counsel of a friend</b></i></div>
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<i><b>is as sweet as perfume</b></i></div>
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<i><b>and incense."</b></i></div>
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AND THEN I did something I have never, ever done before. I misspelled a word (in permanent pen) on her quilt!!!!!!!!!!! OF ALL THE QUILTS!!!!!!!!!! You would have to know my friend Marci to know why this floored me. She is meticulous, and an accomplished technical writer. Oh the horror! That just made us laugh all the harder about her long awaited quilt. Our beautiful friendship is one goofy example after another of how opposites attract. (I'm the off scheduled misspeller in the relationship.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUSQsf26Pn_Zu-iWBplRH_MwmHd_oynIGiVkSXRy-ln21nayjL-l8T9Hzh6bhwSjfFw5hNW3Jz3jkZXPQofpsSMTL1RsKLt5WWd8utFbv4yNNTaTdOaeBIhEpUwEcrnFiBMqz6ezakUI/s1600/DSC_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUSQsf26Pn_Zu-iWBplRH_MwmHd_oynIGiVkSXRy-ln21nayjL-l8T9Hzh6bhwSjfFw5hNW3Jz3jkZXPQofpsSMTL1RsKLt5WWd8utFbv4yNNTaTdOaeBIhEpUwEcrnFiBMqz6ezakUI/s640/DSC_0312.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Marci's family was coming over for dinner, so we hung her big surprise on the quilt rack in my den with some big signs on it. We wanted to see how long it would take her to notice.</div>
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It took a long time!! Ha!!! Those were the longest appetizers I ever waited through. :-)</div>
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It was a fun night, and I'm super happy to have this quilt done and living happily in its new home. Every quilt is sentimental, but when the recipient is so extra special, it makes the project really stand out. I love this quilt, and I love Marci too!!!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBolqakHfw9jJNtfQmnZ1fV20ew7hRW6IBLHZ7PIelZVZgRCRH2TNAL6Q4G_GxSEwBQ6iM9XIqSSOLSOFOpE8e8vxT8Jmzy7uRkz584Ah8AIotn2MXFdhr_97NvRYOg82w3deKUfVqcQ/s1600/photo-54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBolqakHfw9jJNtfQmnZ1fV20ew7hRW6IBLHZ7PIelZVZgRCRH2TNAL6Q4G_GxSEwBQ6iM9XIqSSOLSOFOpE8e8vxT8Jmzy7uRkz584Ah8AIotn2MXFdhr_97NvRYOg82w3deKUfVqcQ/s400/photo-54.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marci and Me and the Birthday Blanket. :-)</td></tr>
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If you enjoy quilts and sewing projects, be sure and stop by Randi's blog today. Thanks, Randi, for hosting a show and tell!</div>
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Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-23182411996856089002013-09-30T23:41:00.000-05:002013-09-30T23:41:00.990-05:00A Week of Texas and a Pretty Pantry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This week is Texas Week at kindergarten. It's the big time. This school hosts two school-wide special events each year, and the fall theme is always "TEXAS". So yee haw.</div>
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Western wear is encouraged each day, which means I have three more days this week to figure out how to transform our only western looking vest into a new and exciting outfit. It could get tricky.</div>
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Emma missed an entire week of school last week because of her Scarlett Fever, so she was super anxious to get back today. Walking in and finding the gym all set up for Texas week took the morning right over the top.</div>
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They have creative stations set up all over the gym. Each is super clever, and the kids are going to have a blast. Everything they do in the classrooms this week will revolve around the Texas theme, and then each class will spend about thirty minutes per day in the gym visiting all the various stations. Very fun. Tomorrow a petting zoo is coming and we! can't! wait!!!</div>
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...........And speaking of crafty.........</div>
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I got moving on a long awaited project and I'm very tickled with the results.</div>
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The pantry in our home is ridiculous. It is rather small, and since it backs our curved staircase, the back wall of the pantry is curved. The shelves are also extremely narrow. It has always been my organizational nemesis. </div>
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Several years ago I went out and bought a label maker and labeled the heck out of those shelves. (<i>What's up with this photo? Focus much??</i>)</div>
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Turns out, expecting young children to categorize food is a lofty goal. It was a flawed system from the start, and eventually we were all guilty of the same technique.....dig and rearrange until you find what you need, and when you are done with it, shove it wherever it will fit.</div>
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I could never keep up with what I had or what I needed. </div>
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As it got closer to the time for my Mom to move in with us, I started to suffer from Pantry Panic. I wanted my Mom to be able to function in my kitchen, and the hot mess in my pantry had given me a case of the vapors for long enough.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Mission Organization.</b></span></div>
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First I browsed Pinterest. For HOURS I browsed pictures of perfectly organized pantries. Wow, there are some creative and highly organized folks out there! Here's what I gathered from my Pantry Pinterest PhD....</div>
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1. Storage containers are important for keeping like items separated.</div>
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2. Everything needs a label. Everything.</div>
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3. Consistency in storage containers makes your pantry look neater.</div>
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4. Categories are important. (I had sixteen categories after I made my list.)</div>
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5. People with tiny pantries can't (shouldn't!!) buy tons of stuff in bulk. (This was hard for me.)</div>
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SO, I set out my parameters.</div>
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1. I knew I needed storage bins, but because of the strange shelf shapes, I was really limited on my options. I sat in the home storage isle at the Walmarts for-evah with my tape measure, measuring each and every tupperware bin for sale. I looked like a lunatic, for sure.</div>
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2. It was VERY important for me to operate with a budget. I'd be the most organized person in the world if I could saunter into Container Store and have my way.</div>
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3. I needed a system that would HELP my family...NOT frustrate them. I want organization, but I need to be realistic. Not everyone (anyone) who lives here enjoys the thrill of categories the way I do. :-)</div>
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4. Personally, I didn't want to dump food into separate containers. I saw tons of cute pantries on Pinterest with rows and rows of glass jars labeled for pasta and goldfish and cereals, etc. But what if I buy goldfish before my jar is totally empty and the new goldfish don't all fit? Then I have a jar AND a half empty bag on the shelf. Plus, my grocery "staples" change frequently. I didn't want my labels to be so specific that I couldn't change up our grocery list.</div>
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5. I reallllllly wanted to get food off the floor, which was the ultimate "dumping spot" when our pantry got overfull. It just grossed me out to have food on the floor.</div>
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So I fussed around a bit, and here's what I found.</div>
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White handled storage baskets for just over $2 each. These are the exact depth of my shelves and are the PERFECT size for my categories. They hold enough food, but won't allow me to overbuy.</div>
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A bread box to keep all breads, buns, and tortillas. Hooray! No more "lost" bread getting moldy in the pantry!</div>
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Stackable bins for taller items and chips. (Chips were another thing that we never could accurately inventory and they'd always get stale before we used them.)</div>
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I had Papa cut a board from Home Depot to make my top shelf a bit deeper. That allowed me to put baskets up there, which really increased my storage space. Only tiny things fit up there before.</div>
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I found a cute menu plan board to hang inside the pantry. Now I have the perfect place to plan menus and keep reminder lists going of what ingredients I have on hand or recipes I want to try.</div>
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The Odd Oval Owl (greatest art project of all time) also lives there. :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1grwL2fWwMPQXMW24dWpoG1lI40kdGMi5r_Ep6hi23oFCLhgLJcfLc6aze17E9XWelNxE_s2P9XrfxHWqubltH_ce4uAC4UVmtzkDosA5nGu9HstETML6bwjPoLZbDoo4JO-QC69qOI/s1600/DSC_0433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1grwL2fWwMPQXMW24dWpoG1lI40kdGMi5r_Ep6hi23oFCLhgLJcfLc6aze17E9XWelNxE_s2P9XrfxHWqubltH_ce4uAC4UVmtzkDosA5nGu9HstETML6bwjPoLZbDoo4JO-QC69qOI/s320/DSC_0433.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My little board has magnetic clips to hold the recipes for the coming week. I was the worst at buying ingredients for a certain dish, then forgetting to make the dish!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMACeCQ4f76YF2JgmBD-jC6eyVAo0ytas-8XbUHGz1RkkdAaL7lz7CJeqoTgA1iyEELahih5EyicIQQueRjmyKaj_n8_BrOaAO1tqW-YdH1ZMp5L6ihcN3mc4-A-vEc-ZPTCCocaBXBM/s1600/DSC_0435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMACeCQ4f76YF2JgmBD-jC6eyVAo0ytas-8XbUHGz1RkkdAaL7lz7CJeqoTgA1iyEELahih5EyicIQQueRjmyKaj_n8_BrOaAO1tqW-YdH1ZMp5L6ihcN3mc4-A-vEc-ZPTCCocaBXBM/s320/DSC_0435.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And my FAVORITE part.</div>
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I fired up my new laminating machine and made labels for my bins.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTA8RXOOkHrFr7DuhnpkFYuxREF-HOspd7QWZLC4NpXDT_khteJhKA4NCEMWNIkawLMNUlSK8Xj_aq9NzF15psxn7rTJU9xo8IGU1lV0EsHNvv9WTtDJZcc8zH3jwnb_pCcEmaICMoG0/s1600/IMG_2222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTA8RXOOkHrFr7DuhnpkFYuxREF-HOspd7QWZLC4NpXDT_khteJhKA4NCEMWNIkawLMNUlSK8Xj_aq9NzF15psxn7rTJU9xo8IGU1lV0EsHNvv9WTtDJZcc8zH3jwnb_pCcEmaICMoG0/s400/IMG_2222.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Emma's favorite category. :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6anBfJ4r3Bhqkour4sWMn8jNhrH50076UoaMfsBSy2ZtWymz79VAd_V1m_d3RdgG4dHcrjwoCo3XvbyCsxW3y-PO8MhNx6XcsbApc-0gtYNFmSKpgUIFuZuIQqc7Xo4aHAaqs3qJLDc/s1600/IMG_2227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6anBfJ4r3Bhqkour4sWMn8jNhrH50076UoaMfsBSy2ZtWymz79VAd_V1m_d3RdgG4dHcrjwoCo3XvbyCsxW3y-PO8MhNx6XcsbApc-0gtYNFmSKpgUIFuZuIQqc7Xo4aHAaqs3qJLDc/s320/IMG_2227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know what you're thinking....</div>
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Someone in this house will think it is HILARIOUS to move the croutons out of the salad basket.</div>
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(They will be WRONG.)</div>
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I'm so happy with how this project turned out. For under $60 I created a functional, workable space that was pure chaos for nine years. It feels really good to have that done. It has made a WORLD of difference in my grocery shopping habits, and will drastically cut down on the amount of food that goes to waste. I feel certain it will pay for that $60 real quick.</div>
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Of course, this project set me on a roll. You know me....if a little is good, a lot is better!</div>
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I'll show you "phase two" tomorrow! :-)</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-44468780038661617372013-09-29T21:26:00.000-05:002013-09-29T21:26:17.148-05:00Sweet Snacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hayden went to a game night party with the kids in his Worldview class last night, and everyone was asked to bring a snack to share. I don't know what it is about October first, but it's the same thing EVERY year. I just want to camp out in the kitchen and bake, bake, bake and cook, cook, cook. I love food prep in fall!! I've spent the better part of the last few weeks prowling around blogs and pinterest copying recipes to add to my "must try" file.</div>
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Both of these little snacks are incredibly simple to make. The Ritz cracker one was new to me, and I was crazy about them. The pretzel one is fun to make because you can use any color of M&M to make them extra festive.</div>
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The first treat uses one box of Ritz crackers and a package of Rolo candy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYAG24e5QpidxX7Q4L85DeciX3mKgsWYIXw673Troo7gHanEXwIx6H5U_109Q5REAKaRG0ZhSW2BoKnEaxdm6FMpLNC7u08qLQ-xygDqg7NdBkQ58y091M06G-AJjn6WkZGbhiTBg3DYK/s1600/DSC_0452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYAG24e5QpidxX7Q4L85DeciX3mKgsWYIXw673Troo7gHanEXwIx6H5U_109Q5REAKaRG0ZhSW2BoKnEaxdm6FMpLNC7u08qLQ-xygDqg7NdBkQ58y091M06G-AJjn6WkZGbhiTBg3DYK/s320/DSC_0452.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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The second treat calls for square pretzels, Hershey's hugs, and a bag of M&Ms.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a-KcdPcmU2q10hfOpZkKB2lahbU-nb4UN995ay79g-Bu5qhk76rGL5pi_xBMpQ_gjFgck2ETGEtokGWNmzNm6fm3kcM-5DE12vL8DkZWSbEX_ecQ3e1Hr4JnZKv6t-g_8p5Nt9piNCGS/s1600/DSC_0453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a-KcdPcmU2q10hfOpZkKB2lahbU-nb4UN995ay79g-Bu5qhk76rGL5pi_xBMpQ_gjFgck2ETGEtokGWNmzNm6fm3kcM-5DE12vL8DkZWSbEX_ecQ3e1Hr4JnZKv6t-g_8p5Nt9piNCGS/s320/DSC_0453.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Both of these require a LOT of unwrapping, so I found it handy to enlist a helper. One who wasn't quite so enthusiastic about sampling the ingredients may have yielded a greater number of finished products though. :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrtBHyeIPNPe3XAsMvyWxXOOWIwSjIJ5IDrsPv_LXF2dE7ovYRgEN6aHLITNDiox4oTmVE6uvOWLGH80jr37lQTSi8efoFQsgaLicpszHUCl2cCSIkyeMrADK4Hf-nluMeKdl2G1ax9If/s1600/DSC_0457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrtBHyeIPNPe3XAsMvyWxXOOWIwSjIJ5IDrsPv_LXF2dE7ovYRgEN6aHLITNDiox4oTmVE6uvOWLGH80jr37lQTSi8efoFQsgaLicpszHUCl2cCSIkyeMrADK4Hf-nluMeKdl2G1ax9If/s320/DSC_0457.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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But what's the fun in cooking with THREE whole bags of candy if you can't sneak just a few??</div>
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Unwrapping is great fine motor skill practice, and there is something pretty adorable about watching little hands work.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bNiuicivS874jyUdaOrTlwiCypgtbTquYwAWNWA2-pdCTeOMU0h9diJeo_372XhuBt0V0GReePiESCnYNcpssAW1zOFEJrDzvqnP9g8hHShDcqsKTjXYRy0NdEFJPdrQ9nbr1DhEUYSo/s1600/DSC_0458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bNiuicivS874jyUdaOrTlwiCypgtbTquYwAWNWA2-pdCTeOMU0h9diJeo_372XhuBt0V0GReePiESCnYNcpssAW1zOFEJrDzvqnP9g8hHShDcqsKTjXYRy0NdEFJPdrQ9nbr1DhEUYSo/s320/DSC_0458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm sure most people are familiar with the pretzel recipe. You place one Hershey Hug on top of each pretzel, then warm them in a 200 degree oven for about four or five minutes. You need them to be melty, but not too liquid. When they get all shiny, they are ready.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj5zzgznyMk93gdBN4O7rmsyygORgPohma6jIouowmKwX5KaYe65LV-jaPjtiAVyVBgTJiWjaBRR7VbXCWH3sDnpXoylB2YJQNk_P_kldJGqKi91LGbTLWb15h4Gplm7wLrEfG-Hx6rPL/s1600/DSC_0454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj5zzgznyMk93gdBN4O7rmsyygORgPohma6jIouowmKwX5KaYe65LV-jaPjtiAVyVBgTJiWjaBRR7VbXCWH3sDnpXoylB2YJQNk_P_kldJGqKi91LGbTLWb15h4Gplm7wLrEfG-Hx6rPL/s320/DSC_0454.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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You pull them from the oven and immediately squish an M&M into the center of each one. I put the "M" side down because I didn't want that to show. I also only used the harvest colors of the M&M's to make it look like a fall snack. :-) Emma and I practiced our sorting skills, and all those left over green and blue M&Ms were a wonderful problem to have!! (Munch, munch, yum, YUM!)</div>
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I will say that these take hours (many, many!) to set up at room temperature. I ended up sticking my tray in the refrigerator for a few minutes, which isn't ideal with chocolate, but I didn't have time to wait for them to completely harden. I wouldn't leave them in the fridge for too long....you don't want them to get too cold and then sweat when you bring them back to room temperature. Mine were in the fridge about ten or fifteen minutes, which was just right.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lI5szbeArNzM-RiKIEIqIpppeFoLonmomxxrh3ybUbwy-owt1OKmocSKI520vqpsii-GWE334KsXyRc2q3PqqzKUrPJayJc7l_Cpma6Xw1hWE-toZ2NPUv9WTP2y2yoDm8aFaqEhjdDS/s1600/DSC_0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lI5szbeArNzM-RiKIEIqIpppeFoLonmomxxrh3ybUbwy-owt1OKmocSKI520vqpsii-GWE334KsXyRc2q3PqqzKUrPJayJc7l_Cpma6Xw1hWE-toZ2NPUv9WTP2y2yoDm8aFaqEhjdDS/s320/DSC_0459.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The second snack was my personal favorite. Then again, I never met a salted caramel I didn't LOVE.</div>
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For this treat, you line a baking sheet with Ritz crackers, salted side down. Then you place a Rolo candy in the center of each cracker, and again soften in a 200 degree oven until nice and soft. When you pull them from the oven, you make a little sandwich by squishing a second cracker on top, this time salted side up.</div>
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Oh my stars were these tasty. They were BEST when they were nearly set, but still just a teensy bit gooey. So simple, but sooooo good!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7Dw-z-S_RzoWU8BVt3NcMZSZWTlurpt351xzKixHPm93wm4FBFMXzSchZSNqhQ0gtYHys3T4YCq51VJ_ip7qM4AQkygFNlHx8L7AlW7mPtZyJDj-NFR31gehZY-zQ035hSLQorTt8k6i/s1600/DSC_0463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7Dw-z-S_RzoWU8BVt3NcMZSZWTlurpt351xzKixHPm93wm4FBFMXzSchZSNqhQ0gtYHys3T4YCq51VJ_ip7qM4AQkygFNlHx8L7AlW7mPtZyJDj-NFR31gehZY-zQ035hSLQorTt8k6i/s320/DSC_0463.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTUOnu7CQGOiQmFL5K43K62LOFgOVq3Frpu-uWaYeANV3yAjSEwSz-IM087AXkArbT7n5sQA2r16x3K_QwzUcU9RHVvM3ZGoxRQQi9StKz79MK1lSSGh8xlLhdtqjHNO8934kGQ1vfpoi/s1600/DSC_0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTUOnu7CQGOiQmFL5K43K62LOFgOVq3Frpu-uWaYeANV3yAjSEwSz-IM087AXkArbT7n5sQA2r16x3K_QwzUcU9RHVvM3ZGoxRQQi9StKz79MK1lSSGh8xlLhdtqjHNO8934kGQ1vfpoi/s400/DSC_0464.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I got a big kick out of the fact that Hayden asked if I would "fix up the snacks to look really pretty like I normally do". Ha! He notices??? How wonderful! I thought that was really sweet. I wished I had enough time at that point to run to the dollar store for a cute divided fall platter, but I had to settle for colored tissue paper in a cookie tin instead. He was real proud of the fact that he brought home an empty tin. He liked having popular snacks. :-)</div>
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I also baked a new kind of pumpkin bread to send. It was so-so. My Mom makes the world's BEST pumpkin bread, so my family gave me a really hard time about trying a new recipe when the one we already have is so fantastic. Well, the new recipe was super simple - started with a cake mix - and was something Emma could really help me with, which was the goal of spending the afternoon in the kitchen together. The new bread couldn't hold a candle to Oma's tried and true. </div>
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I hate it when my family is so RIGHT! Grrrrr.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxHBh_BKutCTbxH-Q_mNUEC2FjaHU5MsPWE7Zevq-6aCeW4t5lEATFVwxiRu1hKezBzxTz1H_eXbY1ICZr_8odG-N0vpsmyuyhGSE4ekO0GJ02NFhwx0j7O-gEokiO52HWRSkphdsVFDe/s1600/DSC_0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxHBh_BKutCTbxH-Q_mNUEC2FjaHU5MsPWE7Zevq-6aCeW4t5lEATFVwxiRu1hKezBzxTz1H_eXbY1ICZr_8odG-N0vpsmyuyhGSE4ekO0GJ02NFhwx0j7O-gEokiO52HWRSkphdsVFDe/s320/DSC_0465.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In other weekend news, Papa is hard at work fully restoring a '57 Chevy truck. He finally started on the paint, and I am super excited. I have a bit of a hard time relating to engine and speedometer issues, but pretty paint colors I can completely relate to! :-)</div>
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This has been an ongoing project; one that is back on the front burner lately, and I am glad. This is a blast for his five grandsons, who marvel that their Papa knows how to build a truck, and who love to hang out in the barn and work on it with him.</div>
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Let's hear it for that paint job. LOVE the color, Papa!!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh37UA60QQhV8GitR0LcsYwdcEUpvWtMSPBwEGdTT2NuLMOazdHwqsZ_kQwZ67Apac4AGDOPytIf25hhfnmo3J7drPybXD2_83cini9tjtKuqSqMaeX8r4RBMvOMiBFMG_-ju9iSWX7Nb/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh37UA60QQhV8GitR0LcsYwdcEUpvWtMSPBwEGdTT2NuLMOazdHwqsZ_kQwZ67Apac4AGDOPytIf25hhfnmo3J7drPybXD2_83cini9tjtKuqSqMaeX8r4RBMvOMiBFMG_-ju9iSWX7Nb/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-1239798405103622482013-09-29T20:09:00.000-05:002013-09-29T20:09:00.936-05:00Silly Saturday SurpriseI was scrolling through my iPhone photos with Marci the other day, and came across this little surprise...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iF8yPKeB1ikkz6KwjE1orzIwyUdvgv7eFTmZZWwsf0azxL_wcGCn7-ApubApNBqm47WnXbBwNImjOcNBgI7s73etC2a-TqyQZThNkcBZ7Tu_0l0KLzebhdjj9pqy6hcVwxD1HQXCIE5u/s1600/photo-41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iF8yPKeB1ikkz6KwjE1orzIwyUdvgv7eFTmZZWwsf0azxL_wcGCn7-ApubApNBqm47WnXbBwNImjOcNBgI7s73etC2a-TqyQZThNkcBZ7Tu_0l0KLzebhdjj9pqy6hcVwxD1HQXCIE5u/s320/photo-41.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I thought that was kind of cute. Apparently, she was playing with my iphone while we were in the Walmarts and she snapped this picture of her American Girl doll that I didn't even know about.</div>
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And then one more. Awwww......so sweet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZb8rcSrOz3MVvPIHdNWqFpQAL7GdpZem4Oad5SUOcslPljVJykwF8j3gEqGfBgXQQ9kG-MrVpH-DKdGfUGGTQGUIYYQn9XhzuerzqENo9d9G3ZasTY86r1boVy7Q7V6LziizKOh53Mmw/s1600/photo-40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZb8rcSrOz3MVvPIHdNWqFpQAL7GdpZem4Oad5SUOcslPljVJykwF8j3gEqGfBgXQQ9kG-MrVpH-DKdGfUGGTQGUIYYQn9XhzuerzqENo9d9G3ZasTY86r1boVy7Q7V6LziizKOh53Mmw/s320/photo-40.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And then. Then.</div>
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We just about fell out of our chairs laughing at these. I had NO IDEA she put these on my phone, and to find them by surprise was hilarious to me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosQoklk6yY84l4htxk5gYVTDLf20yjohrZUbMWAXEVCKyUMu7g_CuAoqRzCKkY4Fv6ioB73pQaAHyiFM0QF7aCZCIOgCKuYT5TyI6lov6d6RAmmTJ8lIRyBM5luIoi4y8n2VpoATYjp50/s1600/photo-39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosQoklk6yY84l4htxk5gYVTDLf20yjohrZUbMWAXEVCKyUMu7g_CuAoqRzCKkY4Fv6ioB73pQaAHyiFM0QF7aCZCIOgCKuYT5TyI6lov6d6RAmmTJ8lIRyBM5luIoi4y8n2VpoATYjp50/s400/photo-39.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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What did the people in Walmart think?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K6KAzUUmE4s9h3MncGS20ue1ojO0JC64Ki3vUQQZGK5nBZ49o44Jjyzk-wNBjH-0Xb6xIK973Dd3e3E-P180aEhuICy8mgt08My0iYMnwpWG3GxInipO1fSPwile_wLYh-xvfuVx7h4t/s1600/photo-38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K6KAzUUmE4s9h3MncGS20ue1ojO0JC64Ki3vUQQZGK5nBZ49o44Jjyzk-wNBjH-0Xb6xIK973Dd3e3E-P180aEhuICy8mgt08My0iYMnwpWG3GxInipO1fSPwile_wLYh-xvfuVx7h4t/s320/photo-38.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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She certainly knows how to entertain herself, no??</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNMMqJKiyepyQno_wTPt0CYgnlyRJ3NSypKUtnGxBIrEJ5xz15-CbWcTtP63eJ-Gv2LIjlkstw1XXdlZNWRQiKfLl4M9LysPuGC1dCz-ix9z4DVhMvr4BjT1QAAVgsOgjqk0OVfQbnr-G/s1600/photo-37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNMMqJKiyepyQno_wTPt0CYgnlyRJ3NSypKUtnGxBIrEJ5xz15-CbWcTtP63eJ-Gv2LIjlkstw1XXdlZNWRQiKfLl4M9LysPuGC1dCz-ix9z4DVhMvr4BjT1QAAVgsOgjqk0OVfQbnr-G/s320/photo-37.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Love this one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrudFrc2bvGgLuxPbD98ixW7Fw9ckkSwe41z4IT8zuaECnJsTRhY-sfMUSeSQ5d-a0PVZ_JXSZA4QGuEPrCOrWXQhrBptJhT0Zv_PS_U4EgB77JofavhM6CRarKAJqxwSn76FBD940-IFw/s1600/photo-36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrudFrc2bvGgLuxPbD98ixW7Fw9ckkSwe41z4IT8zuaECnJsTRhY-sfMUSeSQ5d-a0PVZ_JXSZA4QGuEPrCOrWXQhrBptJhT0Zv_PS_U4EgB77JofavhM6CRarKAJqxwSn76FBD940-IFw/s320/photo-36.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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But by far, THIS ONE is the best.</div>
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I LOVE THIS.</div>
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Clearly, we know how to rock it in the Walmarts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2TY6Dcm1qHqrMX2m5v5sKFC7Mc7IzrP7hDZWI3rHB5vBfzZwMLFyr-s320F7wylVLi78PUe2x1vzeMg0_mbxxG9ehnNiJMKTey10TgPCS0njwXpVtqAsWUqeqtmvY2wQjRTtrIEDsG22/s1600/photo-35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2TY6Dcm1qHqrMX2m5v5sKFC7Mc7IzrP7hDZWI3rHB5vBfzZwMLFyr-s320F7wylVLi78PUe2x1vzeMg0_mbxxG9ehnNiJMKTey10TgPCS0njwXpVtqAsWUqeqtmvY2wQjRTtrIEDsG22/s400/photo-35.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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And for the life of me I have no recollection of this. Who looks like this in the Walmarts?? Do you think I was excited about all those storage containers in my cart, or what??? Ha!!!</div>
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I'll show you this week what became of those storage containers. It is quite an exciting thing. :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8YaoF9bslqa8_Aaj4kI0nlOsFZvkPQAOVZ9_DXhHcZZ7Ted-DW9S9MwZVzsfal7EX6f38DQBZtNzBmUIzDxxv7jSCDNifpOKUeZeDHbcsWOdba1OGWP1Fs4ubkcnYaGAv7HeOb9qaOAT/s1600/photo-34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8YaoF9bslqa8_Aaj4kI0nlOsFZvkPQAOVZ9_DXhHcZZ7Ted-DW9S9MwZVzsfal7EX6f38DQBZtNzBmUIzDxxv7jSCDNifpOKUeZeDHbcsWOdba1OGWP1Fs4ubkcnYaGAv7HeOb9qaOAT/s400/photo-34.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I'm all happy about these silly surprise photos on my phone. THIS IS EMMA. Loving life. Always happy. Always creating a good time. Anywhere. In front of anyone. I hope she NEVER changes!</div>
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<span id="goog_287162683"></span><span id="goog_287162684"></span><br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-75416276326143034832013-09-27T08:31:00.000-05:002013-09-27T08:31:01.832-05:00FRIDAY FAVORITES!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A few of the blogs I read do a "Friday's Favorites" feature. I love reading those posts because they always give me good ideas for new products to try, recipes to make, crafts, decorating, etc. </div>
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It's fun to read about things other people love, and the power of suggestion is usually pretty strong.</div>
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The brand new mascara I just HAD to buy last Friday is a case in point. :-)</div>
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(And the girl was right. It's great mascara!)</div>
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Today is MOVING DAY for my Mom. We are getting ready to head over to the new house and meet the moving van. Before we scoot, I thought I'd share some of my favorite memories from the last few weeks while Mom has been here with us.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#1 - Science with friends.</span></div>
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We get together with another family to do Apologia science every week and it has made that part of our homeschool something to really look forward to. Here they are doing an air pressure experiment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpy8xRUAjVnKno8-qRuTM5LySObIJHcviN-NptmZtsTTwZ54tJ_kefXKAkV6bOquGr4zyNiE0c4OmWCXmpcUzHw2vKB0BpupogBNiWtBNcj-s9HywpAZ0KY3oB2LfdaSxn77QW1f2Jzui/s1600/DSC_0343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpy8xRUAjVnKno8-qRuTM5LySObIJHcviN-NptmZtsTTwZ54tJ_kefXKAkV6bOquGr4zyNiE0c4OmWCXmpcUzHw2vKB0BpupogBNiWtBNcj-s9HywpAZ0KY3oB2LfdaSxn77QW1f2Jzui/s400/DSC_0343.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#2 - Aunt Jackie's visit.</span></div>
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Jackie came to town and we did Arbonne facials together. ALL of us. :-)</div>
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We even had a little audience watching us.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#3 - Family Night.</span></div>
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The D's came for supper one night. Always a good thing. BUT, this night was extra special because in the middle of dessert, Melanie walked into the kitchen with four friends! She came home from college to surprise her mom. Mission accomplished! Wonderful surprise!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#4 - My Role as Passenger.</span></div>
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Thrilling. Terrifying. My stars. I can't believe this one is behind the wheel. Driver's Ed. Wow.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#5 - Snazzy.</span></div>
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Hayden gave his first speech in his Worldview class. That boy cleans up good. And how long is that ridiculous garden hose, anyway? Can't somebody roll that thing up??? Ha!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#6 - Parent Night at Kindergarten.</span></div>
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Got to meet the teacher, tour the room, and hear all about how Emma spends her days. They journal on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This was my favorite page from her journal. THE CHIN HAIRS! They crack me up so much. I pull this picture up in my cell phone all the time just so I can get a good laugh. I can't get enough of it.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#7 - Mom's New House!!</span></div>
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I love every single thing about her new house, but the kitchen is my favorite room. This was taken the night she signed her contract. I have visions of baking Christmas cookies around that island. And speaking of the move.....I'm out the door. Off to meet the moving van!</div>
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Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-67854368679333376032013-09-26T22:31:00.001-05:002013-09-26T22:31:08.203-05:00A Week In Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started this post last Sunday as a weekend wrap up. Then Emma got sick...(more on that in a bit)...and life sped by in a haze of antibiotic doses and itch creams. Rewind.....</div>
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Last weekend we hosted supper club. We've been part of this group for many years now, and it is always a highlight of our month. It was my turn to host, and since we officially welcomed the first day of autumn last weekend (in name, anyway!) I decided to do something warm and hearty.</div>
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I boldly boasted (jokingly!) to our group that the Old Buzzard and I have won TWO blue ribbons at chili cook offs in the past. I then proceeded to prepare the absolute WORST batch of chili you could imagine. I am not in any way suffering from a false sense of modesty when I tell you it was bad, bad, bad. My guests were exceedingly diplomatic as they choked it down. Ha!</div>
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I was, however, able to pull of a cute centerpiece idea that I found on Pinterest. I find it odd, looking back on these pictures, that it was less than a week ago when the biggest thing on my agenda was how to make mason jars look cute. Emma's little sickness really cured me of all that free time. ;-)</div>
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After dinner we played this really fun food trivia game. What I really liked about it was that you don't have to be a "cook" to have fun playing. There is a wide variety of categories, so everyone could participate in answering the questions. It was a great time.</div>
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The biggest highlight was the PaParella's. I went to a graduation open house the morning of supper club where this gourmet popcorn was served. Now, I'm not normally a huge fan of flavored popcorn, but this stuff was DIVINE. I especially loved the half caramel corn/ half kettle corn combo. Delish! So, Mom and I drove up to find this little place and get four different flavors of popcorn for supper club. We put it out in big baskets and everyone munched away during the board game. It was like a little reward for making it through my wretched supper! </div>
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I need another special occasion fairly soon so I can have another excuse to return to PaParella's. The chocolate peanut butter flavor was the favorite of the evening. To. Die. For. A fun and novel finish to our night.</div>
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Sunday evening Hayden played in a dodge ball tournament. They had a color gauntlet there, and the kids had a BLAST getting doused in colors.</div>
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This is just about the nicest group of kids I could ever dream about for my son.</div>
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He is an active part of a youth group at a HUGE church right by our house. Even though our family does not have membership there, Hayden adores the youth group and is always up to something fun with them. Like dodgeball! </div>
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Monday morning Emma came downstairs with a rash on her legs. I got her a doctor's appointment for 11:00, and by the time we got there she had an angry, inflamed, TERRIBLY itchy rash covering the majority of her body. It spread like wildfire. It turned out to be a strep rash called Scarlett Fever.</div>
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And it was misery. She really had a rough go of it, and we had a horrible time trying to find her some relief. I was so incredibly thankful to have my Mom here this week. I never could have made it without an extra set of hands (and a LOT of emotional support!) during the day. Jeff came home every night and gave her oatmeal baths. It was the only time she was comfortable. She had a high fever and itches, itches, itches. Sooooo pathetic. :-(</div>
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By last night I was ready for a little cheer. We made cheeseburgers for dinner and I decided to do something cute and silly for the kids.</div>
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Anything to put us more in the mood for fall as we continue to melt in Texas temperatures. Ha!</div>
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I also made a big batch of peanut butter cookies. I had to make SOMETHING with peanut butter because we had THREE open jars of peanut butter going in the pantry at once. How is that???</div>
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I was just so ready for something to do that I baked up a double batch, even though no one around here is particularly eating many sweets these days. It was baking therapy. :-)</div>
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I even made a few of them extra kid friendly.</div>
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I packed most of them up and sent them with Hayden to his co-op class today. I find that teenagers are always pretty appreciative of baking sprees!</div>
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It's definitely been a loooooong week, but I'm super happy to report that as of tonight, we are officially on an upswing. Emma's fever is down, her appetite is up, and she is happy and active. The rash is still present, but it has calmed down a lot, and she is able to find some relief from the itching. PRAISES.</div>
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My Mom closed on her new house this morning, so she is officially no longer homeless! Hooray! Movers arrive at the new house first thing tomorrow morning, and I am so incredibly excited. I absolutely LOVE her new house, and it will be so fun to see her get all settled.</div>
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Maybe we need some PaParella's Popcorn to celebrate! :-)</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-46940564462748690562013-09-18T10:32:00.001-05:002013-09-18T10:32:41.044-05:00Back In the Saddle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
WHEW.</div>
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Summer, in a nutshell....</div>
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I took a three week road trip with my kids. It was a memory maker.</div>
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We went up to Nana and Papa's farm to gush over this spectacle...</div>
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Can you imagine having this view out your window week after week? Nana and Papa are lucky eggs. This was God's special gift to a Kansas Nana. :-)</div>
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We celebrated Hayden's 14th birthday. Fourteen!!!</div>
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This has been a tremendously fun year of growth for Hayden. Not only does he tower in height, but his strong character, keen initiative, and outrageous sense of FUN continue to grow by leaps and bounds. What a lucky Mom I am. Truly.</div>
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We ate cake, laughed about his new Duck Dynasty bobble head, and bought him a BIRD.</div>
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Max has had an equally fabulous year, and this dog of his is beyond words.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">LOVE</span> that doodle dog. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">LOVE</span> her!!!</div>
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Max spent lots of time at a horse therapy barn this summer where he has been volunteering with special needs kids. It is a super fit for him, and while I wish the barn was a little closer to our house, he has certainly found a niche that suits him.</div>
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So enjoyed my time with Hannah home this summer. These college years are precious....so much personal growth, and an exciting time for setting goals and blazing trails.</div>
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Hannah spent the first month of summer exploring Europe on a humanities tour with her school. It was everything she dreamed it would be; and for my art loving, history reading, culture minded girl, it was an intensely personal and rewarding experience. She came home different somehow........growing up, coming into her own, so confident in who she is and what she loves about life. You know what?</div>
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I really, really like her!!!! :-)</div>
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Here's the other thing about her increasingly adult life that I just love.....she has the most fabulously fun friends, and they are nice enough to let me bud in on their sweet lives. I love her friends like my own...they are an extension of our family.</div>
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One day, we went to a big cat sanctuary where Melanie worked HARD all summer. It was so fulfilling to see Melanie in her element....she loves animals passionately and is pursuing a career in some form of wildlife biology. She acquired such interesting knowledge about these big cats and we were enthralled listening to her share. I'm so proud of her!!! </div>
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The cat sanctuary where she worked was ravished by a deadly (to cats) disease this summer, and while I don't want to go on about that here, there were parts of the tour that were HIGHLY emotional for me. People who dedicate themselves selflessly to help animals (and other people, for that matter) inspire me greatly. I am constantly amazed at the strength and beauty of the human spirit, and the capacity for compassion and ministry.</div>
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There is so much GOOD in this world. So important to be reminded.</div>
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I'm crazy for this girl too. Hannah went to pick Morgan up at the church camp where she served for the third year running. Morgan started at a brand new school this fall, and I could not be any more excited for her. What a beauty this one is....she will take it by storm!!!</div>
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The Tuesday after Labor Day we started KINDERGARTEN. My very last first day of kindergarten. The night before we had to get our little "all about me" poster ready to go. True to form, I knew about that project all summer and waited until the night before school to even start on it. Some things never change. Why oh why do I give my kids so many lectures about procrastination??? </div>
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We got up early and packed our lunch box, including a special first day note from Sissy. (She made a whole stack of them for me before she left for school, so I have enough to put in her lunch box everyday from now until Christmas. It is a fun little tradition we have.)</div>
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Drop off was dreadful. :-(</div>
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We had some MAJOR sadness on the first day, and it wasn't just me.</div>
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Tears, tears, OCEANS of tears. I didn't even take pictures that first morning because there was no break in the crying that started right out of bed. :-(</div>
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Luckily, by the time pick up rolled around, she was doing better.</div>
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I wish I could gush about how much we're loving kindergarten, but honestly, we may not be quite there yet. We only had tears that very first morning, but she was a little quiet and apprehensive the first several days. It is just SO VERY out of character for her. We seem to be more into a groove by now. We're on week three now, and she gets pretty excited about going in the mornings. I think overall she likes it, but we're still getting fully adjusted to a new school and new setting. She was at the same preschool for three years. We loved it so much. She is now at a little church for kindergarten, and while we may be a tad bit sluggish getting off the starting line, I really do think it will be a great year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFRixHW5P669MGr-x5N-wNgxNhaGdnWSfExISGYeNkiRsrp3x9pMXrwHIbjw9jVYTBCgDy4B_K_TiSKYnO8Ulz7FOkauBmQCTbERbLJnPAd0QHXtw9xEKsXrYLoFKBaHTh9LbfDkNTTcw/s1600/DSC_0342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFRixHW5P669MGr-x5N-wNgxNhaGdnWSfExISGYeNkiRsrp3x9pMXrwHIbjw9jVYTBCgDy4B_K_TiSKYnO8Ulz7FOkauBmQCTbERbLJnPAd0QHXtw9xEKsXrYLoFKBaHTh9LbfDkNTTcw/s320/DSC_0342.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Probably the biggest news of the summer is that my Mom bought a new house!!!</div>
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WOO HA for Oma!!!</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE6ITolu6Ql3oI2lZRYA0zkSm-A7a7eA0k61x-4fLCRyD0YFndzI8pveafxNV64BG0vZ81Lf9SiGyp2oKFfDFJElLfVZJ2i-m0OcM6AnW6xSeY-V86AQOSQ9YyUpZ-MF08xYK0fLTkiGj/s1600/DSC_0304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE6ITolu6Ql3oI2lZRYA0zkSm-A7a7eA0k61x-4fLCRyD0YFndzI8pveafxNV64BG0vZ81Lf9SiGyp2oKFfDFJElLfVZJ2i-m0OcM6AnW6xSeY-V86AQOSQ9YyUpZ-MF08xYK0fLTkiGj/s320/DSC_0304.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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We are sooooooo excited about this new development. She moved out of her old house last week and is here with us until she closes on her new house. The new place is super cute and is within bike riding distance from our house. My boys are over the moon for that part. It has been super sweet having her here....Emma can hardly believe the good fortune of being spoiled all the time. I rather know how she feels.....daily help with laundry, carpools, and cooking isn't an all bad proposition! :-) I'll be more than a little sad to see her go! However, we are thrilled about the excitement that lies ahead and are gearing up for a very busy and happy time as we get her moved, unpacked, and settled.</div>
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So, I flunked summer blogging, but here I am, back in the saddle and full steam ahead.</div>
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Lots going on, and still grateful for this little space to report our happenings.</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-73240143490593476482013-06-14T09:16:00.004-05:002013-06-14T09:16:51.230-05:00Jenna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Emma's friend JENNA has been in town this week. She is our precious friend who lives about six hours away, so when she is here, we like to grab as much time with her as we can get!</div>
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My big news is that Jeff and the boys and Hannah have all been out of town this entire week, so I've had lots of sweet GIRL time with these two lovely ladies.</div>
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My days have been spent in a rotation of the two following stations.....</div>
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ONE: Pool time! Swimming, floating, and eating lots of popsicles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvbLCosxmI7WrVloojodOG5DRcZ1ueJgLLoLnHHvOCPmxtllG3R0Cf0APGbf4HKvEPDgLGdo6vn9Q3ztE88zQzrg02ulGH02CEEYK1kL4qyRphuTGxqt-UtGxqhiAmRiQBzXSpAYEVECH/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvbLCosxmI7WrVloojodOG5DRcZ1ueJgLLoLnHHvOCPmxtllG3R0Cf0APGbf4HKvEPDgLGdo6vn9Q3ztE88zQzrg02ulGH02CEEYK1kL4qyRphuTGxqt-UtGxqhiAmRiQBzXSpAYEVECH/s400/IMG_1592.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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TWO: Craft time! Cutting, gluing, drawing, coloring, sculpting, making, making, making.</div>
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L-O-V-E it!</div>
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Can't think of two better stations to fill up our days with friendship and FUN.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3vxSLT6wIyA28rCMMcRv0UbqFjTHwNG8-NxY05odIb0l8Qup7K4TFoUSAYDCQjYqvp_Bv6aXocyV6kp8GFWMTqNgb6634ziQRwB44avZ3_vuqWGzsSSgB1kSdFkujCj9b0rIdNHjWjaS/s1600/IMG_1594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3vxSLT6wIyA28rCMMcRv0UbqFjTHwNG8-NxY05odIb0l8Qup7K4TFoUSAYDCQjYqvp_Bv6aXocyV6kp8GFWMTqNgb6634ziQRwB44avZ3_vuqWGzsSSgB1kSdFkujCj9b0rIdNHjWjaS/s400/IMG_1594.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last night the family RETURNED!! HOORAY for homecomings!</div>
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Everyone is sacked out this morning, and the piles and piles of suitcases and laundry bags in my entry way look a tad more daunting in the light of day than they did under the cover of darkness late last night. Looks like I already have my assigned "station" for today.......the laundry room! Ha!</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-80447835626627254552013-06-12T09:31:00.000-05:002013-06-12T09:31:03.770-05:00BBQ and Buddies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last weekend we attended a graduation BBQ for Ross, the younger brother of one of Hannah's closest friends. It was PERFECT weather, an absolute exception for June in Texas. I was so happy they had such a glorious day for their big outdoor bash, because honestly, outdoors in June is a risky business down here. It was sunny, so of course.......</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Uvzhp3ahBqj-22JBzyjQKdf494y_WZSHonPWLF31bC9l9V0gJztNWdt3KRnM2xGeKIgMDb-4Bv594PxE6SttXGfaM-glYZgomw7vWhoJo-JEimp1r_0QMQAwlHqVSH7soeVNf28y-oeY/s1600/IMG_1579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Uvzhp3ahBqj-22JBzyjQKdf494y_WZSHonPWLF31bC9l9V0gJztNWdt3KRnM2xGeKIgMDb-4Bv594PxE6SttXGfaM-glYZgomw7vWhoJo-JEimp1r_0QMQAwlHqVSH7soeVNf28y-oeY/s320/IMG_1579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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They are new, and they complete EVERY outfit EVERY day around here. We spied them on sale at Gymboree, and given our recent koala bear experience at the zoo, they were a must have. Plus, they look smashing with her pink floral cowboy hat.</div>
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Anyhoo, appropriate festive eyewear in place, we headed to the bash.</div>
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Alicia and Ross have been part of our lives since Hannah was born.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnfNSVd9rMmxWhLoyotgiQ3mSOvIoV5nLLwT5nYlVO5dP2zLWdAV2nP-5lq8JdJm6u0Wkl8kYqbkqJjSp6POY5YdAKT8igJMJXiVkfJjCdRreppg0oe21_vgi8DxlocTWGMraSGmDXSzu/s1600/IMG_1580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnfNSVd9rMmxWhLoyotgiQ3mSOvIoV5nLLwT5nYlVO5dP2zLWdAV2nP-5lq8JdJm6u0Wkl8kYqbkqJjSp6POY5YdAKT8igJMJXiVkfJjCdRreppg0oe21_vgi8DxlocTWGMraSGmDXSzu/s400/IMG_1580.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of the things I most appreciate about them is that they have very cool parents with a very cool hobby...........FOOD.</div>
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Art and Sheila are smokers. Not the two pack a day kind, but the "I-can-put-any-meet-on-a-grill-and-bring-my-guests-to-their-knees" kind. Art competed for years in smoking contests, and being the supportive friends that we were, we continually urged him to practice, practice, practice so we could eat, eat, eat whatever he was learning to smoke. Those were the good old days.</div>
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Smokers take their meat very seriously. Texans don't mess around when it comes to BBQ. It is all about the wood...the heat...the timing...the rub...the sauce........</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvha4D_JQ3d5vrWdinVhHbA5AGCANVjFvC5PLf8YQxA5tM7t4i-DcUpsVZTbuO95GkheUaOhg31V9NSZ_SmO3r6uN8P4L9-rBwoFActeZjn7j00xYgHkZgmhyc4UGwr1z1TbiVUqKHJiE/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvha4D_JQ3d5vrWdinVhHbA5AGCANVjFvC5PLf8YQxA5tM7t4i-DcUpsVZTbuO95GkheUaOhg31V9NSZ_SmO3r6uN8P4L9-rBwoFActeZjn7j00xYgHkZgmhyc4UGwr1z1TbiVUqKHJiE/s320/IMG_1586.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Actually, I don't know if any of that is true. I know nothing of the actual smoking of the meat. But over the years we became experts on the sampling and consuming side of smoking competitions. It's the most fun side of the party to be on.</div>
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And hands down, if I were ever given a choice in a do-or-die smoking competition, I'd choose to be on Art and Sheila's team. I'm sure when God invented the hog, it was intended as a gift to Art, so he could bless an entire community of friends with his ability to turn it into a southern delicacy.</div>
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I particularly loved how Art and Sheila invited some of my very favorite people to their party, so I could dine in spectacular company. :-)</div>
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It had been many years since I'd feasted on Art's BBQ, but it all came back to me Saturday night.</div>
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Brisket. Pulled pork. Music. Cold drinks. Friends.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsK1294wjli_gcM3ztyIEk35wFZtCaCXC_rsgM7TNrZkYzcOQMObpMJwDj47ywNa441GEpO8MsXb7Rt0V_F6LR387uojmHsRdLxD-laIkL6sT_N-PBzXKO24gei8gecTSXDJwqbKDD_-b/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsK1294wjli_gcM3ztyIEk35wFZtCaCXC_rsgM7TNrZkYzcOQMObpMJwDj47ywNa441GEpO8MsXb7Rt0V_F6LR387uojmHsRdLxD-laIkL6sT_N-PBzXKO24gei8gecTSXDJwqbKDD_-b/s400/IMG_1590.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The best. The very, very best. Art and Sheila have graduated two now, but lucky for me, they still have one at home. I can hardly wait until she graduates, and I can only start to hope that they decide to throw her a really, really big BBQ when she does.</div>
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Because I'm already craving M-O-R-E.</div>
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Thanks, Art and Sheila, for a perfect summer night.</div>
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And congratulations, Ross. You are an accomplished and prepared young man and I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for your future. May you continually be blessed by His Word in your life......and your Daddy's BBQ in your belly.</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-52871857793300366812013-06-11T19:24:00.001-05:002013-06-11T19:24:57.116-05:00The Plunge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Jeff and the boys were gone last night, so Miss Emma and I went on a date.</div>
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The American Girl "Doll of the Year" is named Saige. Saige's two favorite things are horses and art.</div>
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Sound like anyone you know??</div>
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We've read both of Saige's books out loud, and we loooooove Saige. So, last night we ventured to the American Girl store (on a whim!) to visit Saige and see all her accessories.</div>
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Like her horse, Picasso.</div>
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We've had a whirlwind of a few days, and it was super fun to just get girl time on a whim.</div>
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We got to the store shortly before closing time, and since it was late and on a weekday, we had the entire place to ourselves. We played in the isles, held dolls, and had a great time.</div>
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And the night ended spectacularly well. :-)</div>
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Marci and I did a garage sale last weekend, and I decided I wanted to do something super FUN with some earnings. I was extremely proud of Emma for weeding through some toys and passing many things along to bless some other kids. It was one thing to gather the toys here at home, but I wasn't entirely sure she would go through with it when she actually had to watch them get sold. But she really surprised me. She did GREAT, and we have a streamlined toy cabinet as a benefit.</div>
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So, there was a little extra space to add Saige. :-)</div>
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A huge, huge, super huge splurge, I know. Are you guilty of buying things for your kids because you really want them yourself? Maybe? Saige might have been half for Emma....and half for me. Confession.</div>
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I could hardly get her to sleep last night for all the excitement. I think these two have many, many miles of memories ahead of them. They seemed to hit it off instantly! :-)</div>
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It was bound to happen sooner or later.</div>
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It happened sooner than I expected, but our brand new membership in the American Girl club is pretty exciting stuff. Welcome to the fold, Saige!</div>
<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-29410071048842631172013-06-10T09:31:00.002-05:002013-06-10T09:33:07.090-05:00Operation Bird Brain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Kiwi Crate theme for May was birds.</div>
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It could not have been more perfect, as it arrived in the midst of our hayday with the chickens, and birds were a huge topic for conversation and research around here.</div>
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We love, love, LOVE the Kiwi Crate. A box delivered to my door once per month with every single (high quality) supply I need to make crafts and learn about a particular project. It's fab.</div>
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This month we added sparkles to our bird wings. Because we are, clearly, very fancy.</div>
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Daddy helped sort sequence, and I fired up the glue gun. It was a family affair, the blinging of the wings. A wing bling, if you will.</div>
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We also made a bird nest out of yarn, and decorated eggs to snuggle inside of it.</div>
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Our mask has interchangeable beaks. So we can adjust our bird mood.</div>
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Feeling woodpecker-ish? BAM! We've got the beak for that.</div>
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Oh, I love this girl, and her outrageous spirit for creativity.</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329328100955769334.post-26367711985286940522013-06-07T15:05:00.004-05:002013-06-07T15:05:44.348-05:00A Quilt For Baby Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A finish. Finally. Spring schedules don't leave an abundance of breathing room for creativity.</div>
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So, when a baby shower created a need for a gift, I jumped at the excuse to cut fabric.</div>
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Nothing beats playing with a color palette like this one.</div>
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Fabric is by Michael Miller.</div>
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The pattern is my own custom design.</div>
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This contemporary twist on the log cabin measures 45" square.</div>
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The backing was a happy accident. I found a perfect coordinate (by chance!) at Joanne's and bought the end of the bolt, but I was still a good ten inches shy in both directions. It took a lot of extra time to piece the scraps together and do these inserts, but the result left me liking the back of the quilt even more than the front.</div>
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This quilt is on it's way to live in Missouri, to welcome a new little blessing named Hannah Joy.</div>
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So fun. And enough to whet my appetite for more sewing.</div>
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Luckily, I have no shortage of projects in the works......and recipients waiting in the wings.</div>
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Hoping the next several weeks provide a little more opportunity for time in the Brooke Nook.</div>
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Because a finish sure feels good!</div>
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<br />Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11392810979123519326noreply@blogger.com2