Friday, July 22, 2011

Fun Foto Friday - Maddie in a Box




More to come...

Five Question Friday

1. If you and your husband got pregnant, what would your first reaction be?

Whoo hooo!


2. Best memory about this summer so far.

Probably my trip to the Creation Museum with Marc and Maddie.


3. How often do you change your sheets? Your kids' sheets?

Probably once a week or every other week. Our bedroom is the warmest (coldest in the winter) room in the house. So its probably best they're washed often.


4. Having just gone through TSA, would you rather have a full-body scan or a pat-down?

I guess the body scan? I don't care as long as they're keeping me safe once I'm up in a plane!


5. Since it's fair time...what's your favorite fair (county or state) memory?

Oh my - too many to put in one post. I loved that time in my life. The fairs were a family event for us. We were all there everyday. I truly miss it. I enjoyed showing and hanging out. But mostly I enjoyed working with my family to get our livestock ready before the shows.


More to come...

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Zucchini Time!

This year, after planting our garden, Marc and I had thought our zucchini plants were long gone. Pesky rabbits.... Only to be surprised that the one resilient plant made it! So we picked the produce it had ready and I shredded and froze it to have zucchini bread year round!


Below is evidents of my efforts.




More to come...

Playing with Friends

About once a week, we've been meeting up with our friends to have dinner and let our little ones play. Its been a wonder opportunity, not only for Maddie to get used to playing with others, but to build on a great friendship!

Below are some pictures of the duo playing! Enjoy!





More to come...

Monday, July 11, 2011

A Family Over Nighter

Every once in a while, Marc and I have a craving to get away for a while. While, money is tight and time is much tighter, we like to do something fun now and then with just us and our little bug.

Not long ago, we got a chance to "escape" the real world and do an overnight trip to the Creation Museum. After a day of working around the house (he cleaned the basement and I attempted to organize upstairs) we headed out to Cincinnati. It's not a far drive at all (all in all, about 2 hours and 15 minutes). This was the first time we ever just made a last minute decision to go somewhere. Any time we travel, we always have our plan mapped out - from hotel reservations to where we plan to eat. It was kinda fun to be spontaneous like that!

We ended up in Harrison, Ohio at a Holiday Inn Express. (Which, by the way had the most awesome pancake maker in the world!) We swam that evening, after eating a dinner at La Rosa's (BEST PIZZA EVER). The next morning, we slept in a little, went for another swim, then went down to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. It was a fun little trip and a nice distraction from life. I love going places with my family!!!

Enjoy the pictures!




More to come...

Money Saving Tips

A friend sent me an article a week or so ago with some great tips to help save you money! I've decided to post a few of my favorite below.

-- The mesh bags onions and potatoes come in from the grocery store generally end up in the garbage can. Instead of tossing them, I save a few and use their naturally abrasive texture to scrub pots and pans. The bags are far more gentle on hands than S.O.S pads filled with chemicals.


-- Paper towels are ridiculously expensive. Many people have moved to cleaning with old washcloths or a sponge, and that is certainly a great alternative. However, I am one of those people who prefer to throw away things I have used to wipe the toilet. If you are like me, try using cheap coffee filters. They clean better than paper towels (especially mirrors), and are way cheaper.


-- I love baking soda. It has so many uses. Another of my favorite tips is to pour about half a cup of baking soda into a small dish, add 12 drops of essential oil (or your favorite scented oil from Bath & Body Works), and place the dish wherever a little freshening is needed. I like to put a dish in the car after I've forgotten to bring in a cup of coffee and the spoiled cream has left a distasteful odor.


To view the whole article, go to: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-The-6-Surprising-ac-1760244206.html?x=0


More to come...

Celebrating The Family Tree

I haven't posted in a while. That seems to be the trend - post a lot, then go weeks without a post.... I'm trying to get better. This past week was a rough one for me and my family, however. My grandmother passed away. It was a long week, but we are truly appreciative of all the prayers and thoughts that have been sent our way.

With all that we went through the past few weeks, I was able to get caught up with several of my cousins that I don't often see. I'm just sorry that it had to be at such a sad event. After the funeral dinner, my aunt asked us all out to my grandmothers house to eat some of the food people had graciously dropped off. There was a good spread and it was humbling to know we have so many friends. We had enough food for another few meals, so we planned another get together. My aunt and uncle have a pool and so it made for a good spot to gather to eat, swim, and enjoy each others company.

We had a great time at the pool, despite the week we had! Again, we are so thankful for all of our friends who showed support in many ways.

Below are some pictures from the pool party.





More to come...