Mugshot Mondays…

If one falls down, his friend can pick him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up… Ecclesiastes 4:11

Lovin’ Summer…

We are loving summer, so much so that I still haven’t got back in the swing if this blogging thing—but I’m trying, kinda.

We started the summer with an all boy campout at our house to celebrate Riley’s 10th birthday. Aaron took them down to the river for some slightly reckless but supervised fun. Then came home and turned them loose.

No injuries and lots of stinky, dirty boys in a tent—what more could a mama ask for. Riley is growing so quick, the days of Bob the Builder and Blue’s Clues are gone. While, at times I grieve for that sweet time when they are squishy and cuddly, I am in awe of the man he is becoming.

I love that so many of the boys that have been part of his life, since he was old enough to have an opinion about friends are still the ones he wants to celebrate with. Just one of the perks of living in a small community surrounded by good people.

Ansley attended sewing camp last week and had a ball. She learned a lot and the volunteers were beyond patient and helpful.

I was so proud of what she accomplished and even more pleased to see her take pride in her own hard work.

We enjoyed a day at Kirby Farms to see the kids from Duck Dynasty and celebrate Father’s Day. It was hot and crowded but everybody enjoyed the free goodies and entertainment.

We also survived another Dance recital, which may not sound like a big deal if you have never done it. Three nights of hair fixing, and staying up late while running around in a dressing room with 40 other girls for 3 hours takes a toll on an 8 year old and her mama. Of course we can’t forget Daddy, who faithfully came and played his IPhone, watched every night.

The rest of our summer is going to include a lot of hanging out at home. We are smack in the middle of VBS right now, so that will be our entertainment for this week.

I am blessed to have the summer to enjoy being with my family and doing some of the things we enjoy.

 

So, we will say with confidence, The lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what can man do to me…Hebrews 13:6

Learning to use my new camera…

I LOVE my new camera. I do not know how to use it, but I love it. I am not going to let a little ignorance stop me from sharing what I have learned about photography so far.

1. Little girls blowing dandelions are cute..Little boys who are not so little just think you’re crazy.

2. While, “family” pictures are lovely it helps to learn how to use your timer so that the “family” can be in the picture

3. I would really like my hair to be this shade of red—but I am not sure how it got this way in this photo, since it is generally a dreary brown.

4. The adorable, laying in the flower pictures should not be taken at 12:30, it is painful-- (that one should have been obvious).

 

5. Every once in a while you come up with something nice enough to send to the grandparents. So, I will just keep trying, enjoying in the fact that I can easily take 150 photos in a couple minutes and sort through the wreckage.

Side-note: We are so very proud of these two smarties! Riley received an award for A/B honor roll all year and Ansley for most improved in her class!

He will cover you under His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge. Psalms 91:4

Ansley’s birthday, and other things…

Ok, so there is no reason to bother with excuses for not blogging, although I have been cameraless for several months. So, I’m just going to try to play a little catch up for those of you that are still with me!

 

I have been trying to learn what to do with my new camera, a Nikon D3100. My first attempt at the strawberry patch was almost a disaster. As I trudged across the field about to take the perfect shot, I got the insert an SD card message… Thankfully, we happened to run into sweet Franne who was on her way out and happy to lend me hers.

Ansley takes her strawberry picking very serious and only picks and eats the very best. Rogers Farm is wonderful in that they don’t mind the kids  feasting on sampling the produce while they pick. We walked away with 12 pounds and a sunburn. Enough to make 6 pints of jelly, a huge heap of strawberry shortcake and plenty to snack on.

Riley is right in the middle of baseball season, with 2-3 practices and 2 games a week we stay on the road a lot but it is so much fun! Even when the ball doesn’t quite make it to the glove…It actually ended up bouncing off his foot, and while he didn’t get the out the other kid didn’t make it off 3rd base.

Even Ansley finds time to do what she enjoys during the games…

We also just celebrated her 8th birthday! I can’t believe my baby is 8 years old, my baby wears a size 7 shoe ( I wear a 10) and my baby still loves ice cream just as much as she did when I was pregnant with her. That’s all she wanted in utero, ice cream 24 hours a day, imagine that!

Keeping with the love of ice cream we loaded up some sweet friends and headed to the Yum Yum Shoppe for a pig trough to celebrate the day!

I tried so hard to get the cutie in the middle to quit pressing her nose on the glass, but it sure was funny. A pig trough for those of you who have never experienced it, is a scoop of every flavor of ice cream in the shop (about 40) and a slathering of every topping all in a lovely pig sized bowl.

She could not keep her hands out of it. As a mama who can be, let’s just say it, germ-a-phobic, this was really hard. 

 

Good thing we had Caroline there to keep everybody looking good. It was quite a mess to clean up but well worth it. She even included a picture on her timeline project as a defining moment in her life.

Pappa and Nanni gave Ansley a flower garden for her birthday, imagine our surprise when planting day arrived and it was 50 degrees and raining at the end of April. Nanni jumped right in and they got to work anyway. She has a cute little flower garden right outside her play house window.

Nanni is very patient and took time to explain everything and how to care for it. She knows that left up to me it will all die. Hopefully,  Ansley got that green thumb.

Riley helped some, but took advantage of a cancelled game to practice archery.

We finished the birthday with a vanilla polka-dot cake, with chocolate butter cream frosting. I so wanted to make this cake. I thought it came out cute. Ansley, however, simply commented that it was too plain on the outside. She didn’t get my inspiration that it would be plain-jane and then you cut away and the oooo’s and ahhh’s would start. Oh, well, there is always next year…

In the same way, the Spirit helps our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words can not express. Romans 8:26

Mugshot Monday…

Yet O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

Christmas in the Smokies…

So, this year we opted for something different for Christmas. Although, we have always tried to focus on the real meaning of Christmas, Christ- I have felt that despite our three present rule that we are still so busy and everything is so commercial this time of year, we miss the family time, the worship time, the slow-down and breath time that I desperately wanted Christmas to be.

I knew the only way we could slow-down would be get out of Florida. We have many responsibilities outside of our family and even when we are home together, Daddy and I have trouble just sitting down and being still with the kids. Since, we didn’t take a summer vacation and Aaron skipped his big hunting trip this year, I knew Christmas in the mountains could actually be possible.

We found a cozy, adorable cabin not to far from civilization in Waynesville, NC packed up all our stuff, our Nanni (my mom not a real nanny), our Uncle Zack, and hit the road.

Our best Christmas morning picture (I know pitiful, did I mention that my camera died while we were there and I already asked for a trip to the mountains for Christmas, so we were left with the good ol’ IPhone.

We explained to the kids that our only gifts this year would be our trip (and a stocking of course). Everyone kept asking what would the kids think about Santa—easy we have never done Santa. He is a fun story and we aren’t allowed to hurt others feelings by telling them any different.

Even though Santa doesn’t visit us personally, the Polar Express is one of our favorite stories. We took a ride out of Bryson City on the Polar Express, and it was so much fun! We dressed in our jammies, sang Christmas carols with a train car full of strangers, ate cookies and drank hot chocolate. Santa came by and gave all the kids a bell, which will be my kids ornament for this year. I would love to do this every year.

After the Polar Express, we went to the toy makers shop, a little old man with a big beard hand making wooden toys. His shop was amazing (darn my broken camera, and seemingly good sense not to rush out and buy charge the Canon I want) The man was having story time with 4 kids (2 were mine) and he was such a gifted story teller, the kids were mesmerized, he  told the stories about old timey Christmas and even of the first Christmas. Truly a blessed time.

We went tubing at tube world. I would have loved to go to the nearest mountain and bail off but there just wasn’t enough consistent snow. The kids don’t know any better and had a blast. I however am still recovering from a crimped up neck a month later. Y’all 35 is OLD.

Riley loved the hot tub on the deck!

We all loved Joey’s House of Pancakes—yummy!

I can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas, no stressing over a clean house, no cooking for days on end, no worries about the best presents. Just peaceful family fun!

 

He determines the number of stars and calls them by name. Great is Our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limits. Psalms 147:4-5

Mugshot Monday…

   Christmas in the Smokey Mountains

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1