Family
Easter Sunday
After church pictures
Easter lunch table
Easter lunch - Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Homemade Marinated Beets, Cranberry Chutney, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Gravy
Traditional Easter Dessert - Banana Pudding
Egg Dying
Ready to hunt eggs
Hunting
Our first annual glow-in-the-dark egg hunt
11.11.11
Morning
(soon before) Noon
Afternoon
Evening
Night
The Last Evening of October
This last evening of October we spent quietly at home together as a family.
Dinner: Pear Gorgonzola Pizza
Dessert: Apple Crumble
Movie: The 1956 version of Around the World in 80 Days
Annual Apple Picking Adventure
Last Friday morning we set out on our Annual Apple Picking Adventure. It was a beautiful day as we walked the rows of Arkansas Black, Stayman Winesap, and Pink Ladys. Unbelievably, we were the only ones in the orchard that day and it was very quiet, for the exception of the creaking of the ladder, the honeybees buzzing by, the occasional thump of an apple hitting the ground, the grass under the wagon wheels, and the conversation amongst ourselves. It was a grand adventure!
Now...what to do with that whole bushel of apples? :)
One Year
One year ago today we closed a chapter in our lives and drove away from Georgia - the state we had been temporarily transplanted in for 8 wonderful years. It was a very emotional day for me and, quite frankly, painful.
The last year has been a ride which has forced me to grow. I've learned to live with less: restaurants, entertainment, shopping, local grocers, and did I mention shopping and restaurants!! I've missed my dear friends in Georgia as well as the house which we called "Home" for so long. The search for our current Home enabled me the opportunity to learn patience, since we spent 7 months in a rental house with barely any of our own personal possessions. Oh...and the experience of m.o.v.i.n.g. a.g.a.i.n (into "our house") was, well, not as fascinating as you might think.
But you know what? Finding our place back in Mississippi has turned out to be quite enjoyable. I can say with sincerity today that "I'm back home."
We've come home to:
Civil War Reinactments
New friends
The Natchez Trace Parkway
Elvis Presley's Birth State
Hospitality
Wild Blackberry Brambles
Bottle Trees
Antebellum homes
Trains
Cotton Fields
Corn Fields
Two-Lane Country Roads
Our Alma Mater
A Church Family
Family
It's good to be home!
A Good Day in the Garden
When we all have our Crocs on, you can be assured that we are headed straight out the door to our garden--a place we all have been a part of.
Today we were welcomed by the beautiful hue of bright red from our ripened tomatoes.
Honestly, I had to contain myself from not picking the red beauties. For I wanted my children to have the joy of having a part of the process from planting to watching grow to harvesting. Much to my delight, they were as excited as their mom.
One little gardener was so proud of the tomatoes that he insisted on toting them all the way from the garden into the house. What good helpers I've been blessed with.
And can you guess what we had for dinner tonight? That's right. BLT's from our first harvest of the summer. Freshly made from our 5 ripe tomatoes. They were absolutely divine and the true taste of summer along with fresh radish chips.
Here's to hoping we have many, many more tomatoes to harvest (and BLT's to eat) this summer in our new garden.
Happy 14th Anniversary!
Fourteen years ago I wed my high school sweetheart. God has blessed us with three amazing children and a wonderful life together. Happy 14th Anniversary Michael! I love you!
Fathers Day 2011
I had the wonderful opportunity to spend Father's Day this year with both my dad and the father of my children. We had a grand day full of activity and making memories.
The morning began with my mom, Isaac, and I teaming up to prepare a hot homemade breakfast of biscuits, bacon, sausage, gravy, spinach and mushroom omelet, and fresh fruit.
After breakfast the kids presented their dad and granddad with handmade fish cards that they had decorated. Along with the fish came fishing poles and a tackle box and messages of "Happy Father's Day! Will you please take me fishing?"
By midmorning my dad and I had dressed in appropriate attire and headed to the back of our property to the wild blackberry brambles. We reflected on many memories from my childhood when we would go blackberry picking each summer. Although many berries didn't make it into our bucket, before we knew it our bucket was full of sweet ripe wild blackberries.
Our afternoon was spent in Shiloh National Park viewing a bald eagle that has made his home there and driving around the park.
From Shiloh National Park we headed to the historical "Catfish Hotel" for dinner where we dined on catfish, sweet potatoes, hushpuppies, and slaw.
And then to top off the day, we returned home to our homemade dessert of Blackberry Cobbler made from the freshly picked blackberries Dad and I had picked earlier.
I had a grand day celebrating two of the most special fathers in my life. I am grateful to God for the role they play in my life and the lives of my children. Happy Father's Day Dad and Michael! I love you!
Colors of our Weekend
BLUE, YELLOW, RED, and BLACK
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Our weekend consisted of:
Celebrating Anna Belle's 14th Birthday (see previous post),
Chick-Fil-A banana pudding milkshakes,
Observing the progress of our wild blackberries,
Setting up my Vacation Bible School classroom, and
Lots of planning for a certain almost-10-year-old's upcoming birthday party.
Happy 14th Birthday Anna Belle
We treated Anna Belle to an extra dose of love, iced cold water in her bowl all day, a nice long brush down, singing "Happy Birthday" to her throughout the day, and a birthday bash complete with (faux) birthday cake, brownies, strawberries, cookies, a cupcake, ice cream, and her favorite . . . (real) carrots.
We love you Anna Belle and enjoyed celebrating another birthday with you!
Colors of our Weekend
WHITE, SILVER, BROWN, and GREEN
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My incredible weekend included:
eating a meal of down home southern food at Cock of the Walk,
watching my dad reminisce with classmates from 50 years ago,
going back to the town my dad grew up in and relish in him showing my kids the station their great grandparents owned and he grew up helping in, his elementary school, and high school,
spending time with my great aunt and uncle and cousins reminding me of my childhood,
exploring my great great grandparents old homestead,
going out with my dad and great aunt to clip and dig up plants to transfer that my great great grandparents, great grandparents, and grandparents grew,
and watching a new generation of cousins become friends.
Mother's Day Pictures Recap
Take 1 ~ Everybody smile.
Take 2 ~ Isaac smile.
Take 5 ~ Joshua smile, please.
Take 8 ~ Alright, let's try something different. Everybody smile.
Take 14 ~ Isaac look at the camera, please and smile.
Take 15 ~ Isaac smile and please don't touch the side of the wagon because I'm just leaning it here for these pictures. It might fall.
Take 18 ~ Joshua please stay seated for some pictures.
Take 25 ~ Everyone please smile and stay seated.
Take 26 ~ Isaac smile. Olivia, you are doing so good.
Take 40 ~ Isaac please smile normally and keep your eyes open.
Take 56 ~ Isaac try to smile normally. Joshua smile. Olivia, why don't you hold Joshua's hand?
Take 59 ~ Ok. Let's try this without me in the picture. Who needs Mother in Mother's Day pictures anyway? Everybody smile.
Take 68 ~ Good job.
Take 70 ~ Joshua please stay seated. Just a few more.
Take 72 ~ Everybody smile. Joshua sit down.
Take 74 ~ Good job. Joshua . . . never mind.
Sarah and Jason's Wedding
Sunday afternoon, May 1, 2011, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 43 degrees, thunderstorms
It rained, and it let up, and it rained, and it let up, and it rained. Not a great wedding day you might say. Well, it was for my cousin, Sarah.
A week before her wedding, my cousin began getting a little discouraged about the forecast for her upcoming wedding weekend. Then the day before her wedding, my cousin shed many tears seeing that the probablity for rain on her wedding day was so high. Sarah had her heart set on outdoor wedding pictures.
But when life gave my cousin lemons, she made lemonade. Sarah asked her wedding attendants to bring along their rainboots and umbrellas for some photographs in the rain. Sarah's wedding pictures turned out so fun and unique. And wait until you see the exit.
God blessed Sarah with rain let up's so she could get her outdoor pictures. And she was also able to get her fun, unique pictures with rainboots and umbrellas.
Back inside waiting to go over to the wedding.
Ready to go
The wedding site
THE WEDDING
RECEPTION
My "little dancers"
EXITING
When it was time for Sarah and Jason to make their exit, it was pouring. So my uncle pulled his truck under an over hanging of the barn and Jason lifted Sarah into the covered back. And off my uncle drove them away.
Sarah and Jason didn't let the rain ruin any part of their day.
CONGRATULATIONS SARAH AND JASON!!!
Sarah and Jason's Wedding ~ Bridesmaid Luncheon and Rehearsal Dinner
Remember the engagement party last December we attended for my cousin Sarah and her fiance, Jason? Well, the grand wedding weekend has now taken place.
The fun festivities began last Saturday. For her bridesmaid luncheon my aunt decorated in Sarah's favorite hue - PURPLE. It was a beautiful day for a girls lunch.
Olivia and Sarah
Lacey (sister of the bride), Sarah, Aunt Christy (mother of the bride)
Grandma and Sarah
Cousin Lacey, Cousin Sarah, me, and Cousin Abbey
Sarah's aunts and mother~ my Mom, Margaret, Aunt Jane, Sarah, Claire, Aunt Marilyn, Amy, Aunt Sandra, Aunt Christy
Cousin Abby (sister-in-law of bride), Sarah, Cousin Lacey, and Cousin Emma (niece of bride)
Sarah and Allison (my sister)
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REHEARSAL DINNER
Jason and Sarah
Me and my sister, Allison
Granddad and Grandma
Olivia enjoying her cheesecake
Michael, Cousin Nick, Cousin Corina, Cousin Anthony, Allison, and Isaac
Aunt Jane and Mom
Cousin Anthony and Allison
Joshua
Dad, Allison, and Olivia
Me and my Mister
Our New House
After searching for 8 months for a home for our family, we had 4 houses to choose from.
The first option is a Civil War era home built in 1871. Two large magnolias landscape the front yard that were planted when the house was first built. It is a Victorian style house located in the historic district. Although it has a very odd layout, it has much charm such as 4 fireplaces. It would be a unique homeschool and is within downtown.
The second option is a sturdy brick home just over a decade year old. It sits on a very large lot out in the country. It offers wooded acreage and much land to explore. It has space to plant a large garden, orchard, and possibly have chickens, goats, and bees. It would make an amazing homeschool.
Option 3 is truly a charming white house around 100 years old. It is located in the historic district and was renovated 20 years ago. It contains a parlor, and it's dining room comes with it's own built-in china cabinet and beautiful chandelier. Four fireplaces can be found throughout the home. The home would make an awesome historic homeschool setting and is within walking distance to downtown.
The fourth and final option is a 30 year old New England style house. It features a sunroom in the back that overlooks Civil War earthworks. It would make an amazing place to raise a homeschooling family and would take the term "living history" to a new meaning (as well as would the two 100 year old homes). Unfortunately, it would take much time and money to make the home livable though, due to it being abandoned for over a year and in great need of repair and updating.
So which one did we choose?
We chose . . .
The brick house in the country. We wanted space for our kids to explore and enjoy God's nature. We wanted land to garden and plant an orchard with a possibility to try our hands at beekeeping (and maybe have chickens and goats down the road). We have lots of storage space and a large kitchen to gather round for meals. One thing I enjoy is having the chance to decompress as we drive out of town over train tracks, past farms, horses, cows, and chickens. The house and property are making an ideal homeschool environment. The kids see the natural world all around them; we have an area for our extensive homeschool library; and they will get to help with the process seeing an orchard and garden being planted and grow.
We are so excited and thankful God has blessed us with our new house. We are enjoying a new chapter beginning in our lives and beginning new memories as we make this house our "home."
House Hunters
Have you ever watched HGTV's show House Hunters? The camera follows a couple or family around as they try to make a decision on which house to buy.
Our family has been "house hunters" for the last 10 months. We have been on house tour after house tour trying to find the best home for our family. Some of our favorites and possibilities included:
House #1 - A Civil War era home built in 1871 (140 years old) located in the historic district.
House #2 - A little bit over a decade old home located on a large lot in the country.
House #3 - Another historic district home around 100 years old.
House #4 - A New England style house with Civil War earthworks in the back yard.
It took a great deal of patience, but we have finally been blessed with a house for our family. We are overwhelmed with excitement and are so grateful for our new home.
Can you guess which one ended our "hunting expedition?"
During our Trip to the Zoo
Saturday was a beautiful spring day with temperatures in the low 70's so we decided to take a trip to the zoo.
It had been 10+ years since Michael and I had been to the Memphis Zoo and we were delightfully surprised by how many improvements they have made. Our kids had a great time and the animals were quite entertaining.
The bright pink flamingos stood tall and still.
But, the giraffes stood even more tall and still.
The grizzly bears played and wrestled in the morning sunshine.
The elephants were unimpressed by our visit and continued to eat their lunch of straw hay.
The sea lions performed a very entertaining show including balls balanced on their noses.
This timid small black bear kept his distance.
But,the very LARGE polar bear strutted around.
The panda bears stuffed eucalyptus in their mouths as fast as they could.
The dominant silverback gorilla sniffed a straw hat and tossed it on the ground so he could lay down on the rock.
The lazy hippos lived up to their description and didn't move a muscle.
This African Black-Footed Penguin darted through the water as if flying.
This cheetah perked upon our arrival.
But, the tiger didn't stir when we appeared and continued his sun bathing by the trickling brook.
And the lion absolutely refused to turn around for a picture.
As we always do after a visit to a new place we each voiced our favorite part of our experience. In the end, Isaac's favorite animals were the grizzly bears, Joshua's was the elephants, and Olivia's, Michael's, and mine were the sea lions. It's interesting how minds change with each trip, for 13 months ago when we were at Zoo Atlanta, Olivia enjoyed the flamingos the most, Isaac the meerkats, and Joshua was still to little to give his opinion.
What are your favorite animals to study and watch when you go to the zoo?
