Vacation

For Vacation this year we rented a RV and took off North to Beavers Bend State Park. It's in SE Oklahoma, just over the Texas border. Along the way the kids played DS, colored, read books, played cards, took naps (wait that was me)

It was nice having everything at your fingertips. No stopping for bathroom breaks or snack breaks. Because unless the road was really curvy or bumpy we could cook and eat right here in the kitchen.

We took the bikes on the back. Yes ALL seven. I have a picture of that somewhere. It took an engineering genius to get that strapped on. The kids enjoyed having their bikes where they could go riding without worrying about lots of cars.

This was the view from the front door of the RV...Very beatutiful. It made for a lot of nice peaceful mornings, drinking coffee and having quiet time. (at least until someone noticed I was missing and came to find me)

more pics later

Happiness

Oh Happy Day!

Today has been a fun day!!!
We returned from vacation last night and I was dreading all the washing, washing, and more washing....

but I remembered something......

David and Danyel are in Brazil adopting their 3 precious children!!!

I've been away from internet, cell service, texting, and civilization for 6 days

so I ran to my computer and commenced to bawling in front of it,

when I saw their precious faces...with...their NEW MOM AND DAD

you can go there also and follow along

www.uandmeplusthree.blogspot.com

Then if that wasn't good enough.....I called our friends Jay and Paula from Westlake, LA.(our hometown) They are traveling in TEN days to meet their new little guy in CHINA.

Paula has set up a blog and you can follow along with them as well

www.thejourneytowill.blogspot.com

To think that both of these families started their process four years ago and are now traveling in the same month....and that David and I got a chance to share our heart for adoption with both of these families four years ago. AND now 4 orphans have forever homes!!!

A Happy Day....... INDEED

What it would look like if we had SEVEN kids.....

Makes you stand back and contemplate it afor a minute....Then you think to yourself The Duggars have this picture TIMES Three....

Actually I love this picture...The girls have two really good friends who happen to be sisters too. We love having them over and usually when friends are over our own kids get along so much nicer. There's enough people to play Clue, PIT, hide n go seek, kickball or cards.

Blowin Bubbles

The Big SIX

Mia Turned six a few weeks ago. She was so excited about her birthday...you would have thought it was a national Holiday. She wanted to put her two cents into every aspect of the party. But making it all about her is the goal anyway.

Several months back she had decided she wanted a glitz and glam party and I was all set for that. But then she decided maybe she wanted boys at the party too. After a lot of explainin' why boys don't like glitz and glam she changed to a swimming party. And I figure she won't be to old for glitz next year.

So we had lots of Kindergarten, Church, and girl scout friends over for a fun Saturday afternoon.

And my oh my was she excited about the presents! Exicted is an understatement....

I'm sure she's already planning next year in her head....

Before and after

Hurricane Alex has brought several rainy days...So, I took full advantage and did something I've been putting off for a long time (two years, but who's counting)
BEFORE

The best part of these curtains is other than the rods they were virtually free. A while back we were visiting at a friends house and she had finished making her window treatments and had extra fabric and trim. She asked if anyone could use it. I took it because we were moving into the new house and the trim was really cute.
AFTER

My only expense was the black fabric ($2.88) and the time it took to sew them.

There's more than one way to get into the toy basket.....He's certainly independent

Happy 5th Birthday

This year Ty wanted a Football Birthday. He decided that about 3 months ago and never waivered from his idea. The only thing he added was that he wanted his friends to swim at his birthday. Which was A-OK with me.

So while researching Football birthday ideas, I came across these really cute Football cupcakes. Complete with Milk Dud footballs. I knew I wanted to make them, no matter what. I bought a special grass icing tip and half way through I was glad I had not decided to make a full playing field. The grass icing is tricky. But it was worth it.

Excuse me while I go apply for Carpal Tunnel surgery.....

Kindergarten Graduation

Mia's class had a Kindergarten Graduation. They sang a cute song about First Grade and then each child was called to get their award.

Each of the classes tye-dyed their shirts. We're not sure if it was an accident but those shirts sure look like purple and gold to us....

We DID IT!! Watch out 1st grade...

Field Trip

Trent's class took a field trip to a local park. They have an 1800's village set up. Local high school students were the guides and demonstrated all the different areas. I found the field trip very interesting and I think the kids did too.
Cooking over open fires

The smokehouse for curing meat.

Spinning thread and weaving loom

Look who's Riding

WITHOUT training wheels!!!!

Swim Team

It's Swim Team time. That means a variety of things...
learning new strokes
swimming with friends
getting great exercise
hanging out by the pool every afternoon
back to back practices every 45 min from 3:45 to 7:00
and one very tired mom

It's a good thing we all really like swim team. It's a sport that everyone can do...yes, even Ty and Mia are participating this year. They are in the 6 and under category and do freestyle and backstroke. or as Ty says "Backstroke and Front Stroke" (Makes more sense to me that way also)

So we're ready for school to be over....mainly because it's cutting into our swim team schedule

Teacher Appreciation

A friend sent me a link to some cute ideas for teachers.

Teacher gifts always baffle me. I don't know why, I was a teacher....(wait, maybe that's part of the problem) Plus we have a unique situation. Because our children are all in Spanish Immersion there are only 5 teachers and they rotate through them. So I can't have a standard gift, or they'd get the same thing year after year. (We've had one awesome teacher 4 times just between Kaylee and Zane.)

The girls on the blog made this gift look so cute and so fun to make that I just had to give it a try. I think they came out cute and I would have liked one of these so I think they're winners.

Here's the outside

And when you open it, here's the inside.....

Mia's teacher on the other hand is man. So I didn't think he would fancy and pretty ribbon box. So he got a book and chocolates instead. He and I had a conversation one day about books and I asked if he had read this book and he hadn't. So I thought maybe this summer he could fit it in.

*****Book PLUG*** This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's a true story written by two men. One is a modern-day slave(son of a sharecropper) who grew up in North Louisiana. He meets a man who is a wealthy business man and art dealer. How their paths cross and the effect they have on each other is astounding... but you'll have to read it to find out.

Same Kind of Different as me written by Ron Hall and Denver Moore