Hughes X'S 4

PRAYERS

2012-01-19T05:53:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure who visits this site these days.....those who do probably already know the news. But for some reason if there are a few stragglers who pop in here we are begging prayers for my baby sister Karlie!! Monday night she went into the hospital for a scheduled induction to have her sweet baby Mackenzie Grace! Minus gestational diabetes, which the Dr's had under control, she was in good health & all was well with baby!! By Tuesday around 6pm she had only dilated to 3cm & her Dr felt it was time for a C-Section due to her slow dilitation, almost like this was the baby's way of saying I can't come out vaginally! This was not emergent, it was a very controlled & un-rushed setting. We were just getting ready to roll her over to the OR & she was complaining of not being able to breath or cough. In less than a minute she coded {NOT BREATHING & NO PULSE}. I'll spare you some of the grueling details but they had to shock her 5 times & finally got a heartbeat after 14 minutes of her being down. She & her sweet little Mackenzie are both on a ventilator & intubated. They are on a cooling protocol which lowers their body temperatures significantly to protect their brains. We are uncertain of the outcome for both of them but we believe God is HUGE & He is the ALMIGHTY HEALER & GREAT PHYSICIAN! Karlie's life of getting to this day is a miracle & I believe that God is not finished with her yet! She has a story to tell! SO PLEASE WE COVETT YOUR PRAYERS!! Any & all prayers!! PLEASE! We started a Caring Bridge site so that everyone can follow along in her process!!

Christmas Day.....

2012-01-17T04:33:00.001-08:00

a month late....or at least blogging about it a month late! Hoping this is not indicative of my year to come!

Santa did his thing......

& 2 happy girls were the end result!

This one & her LOVE for Toy Story!

This one & her LOVE for crafting!

Even excited about their momma made gifts....makes me happy!

The girls get to shop at school for family members prior to Christmas.....Kayden got Jon an orange hat & Emery got him a wooden puzzle.....I love the thoughtfulness that goes behind each purchase & the sheer joy they see in watching the receiver open up "their gift"!

After opening gifts & a quick bite to eat we headed over to Jon's parents house were the gifting continued! It was a rather rapid gift opening this year & my pictures were scarce.....sometimes though when I let go of the pressure to capture every. single. moment. I find I am ever more present in the moment & those times are worth the lack of pictures in the end!

2 little girls received their 1st EVER electronic device.....& their grandparents went BIG!

I-Pads!! I'm still struggling with today's technology ways.....I know I need to give in somewhat but it is a HUGE struggle for me. I'll leave my soap box at that.....they're happy ladies!

It was a VERY relaxing day surrounded by family.....so relaxing this momma took a 2 1/2 hour siesta!! There aren't too many days I can admit to that!

We came home to try & squeeze in 1 more viewing of Polar Express before the magic quickly disappeared! The lengthened-relaxing-soaking-up-this-time-with-my-babies was wonderful! A gift in and of itself!

Christmas came & went extra fast this year......such a let down every year when it's over. I do love to pack everything up & feel that sense of de-clutter but we are all left with a bit of sadness too! Oh well.....the train continues to speed on & all too soon it will be Christmas again!

Prepping for Santa

2012-01-10T10:27:00.001-08:00

Outside: Food sprinkling

......of the reindeer sorts!

Inside: Santa Tracking

......& maybe hearing a jingle or 2 which quickly ran them off to their rooms!

{must mention a story....as of course this is a journal of sorts for my girls to look back at some day!....Kayden wanted her stocking hung in her room. O.K....done! Emery then decided she wanted hers in her room also....but upon walking in her room she firmly stated "NOPE HE'S NOT STEPPING FOOT IN MY ROOM"....& that stocking was placed on the floor right outside her door!! Love that kid!}

Santa & elves got busy!! Lots of wrapping which I have a love/hate relationship with!

Had some fun with thrifted yarn this year.....

World Market was dangerous this year.....all the mushroom/gnome/cottage/german stuff! STOP!

Everything was quiet as a mouse, cleaned up, & ready at the very early hour of 3 am!

Christmas Eve Day

2012-01-10T09:29:00.001-08:00

Christmas was beautiful.....not snowy white beautiful like last year but beautiful none the less! Beautiful because we're healthy, we were surrounded by family, we have SO MUCH. Of everything. SO MUCH that other's do not have. AND we have an ever loving Savior who loves us despite all of our sinful ways! Yes....this was a beautiful Christmas!

We started the day with church & we were able to hug on a bestie for a few minutes!

GOOD GOOD GIFT!!

From church we went to lunch....nice to go somewhere fancy-ish but eat a grill cheese sandwich {mushrooms & goat cheese were involved}

who says ketchup can't be lipstick?

desert for the kids....cookies bigger than their faces!

YUMMY!

From lunch we headed to my moms for a very relaxing few hours

{Jon bought all the woman "Stars of Bethlehem". Kristi called him a brown noser!}

Once the sun had set we had worship....1st reading a card that my grandparents had sent to my mom several years ago with a sweet message inside. Several tears were shed.....miss those grandparents. Bad. This card was a "gift" from Readers Digest.....they passed it along as a Christmas card cause that's just them! Waste not want not!! Good motto I think....hmmmm New Years Resolution?!

Followed by the 2 oldest taking turns reading about Jesus' Birth.....precious!

{we are German....cuckoo clocks are a part of our family. Found this ornament for mom!}

The excitement of gift opening could NO LONGER be contained!

If you don't know about Teavana....you should. Along with YUMMY tea they also have teapots....you can choose pots according to the receivers personality! This one stands for Strong Person & Shielder=Our Mother!

This niece of mine is easy peasy to pull tricks on.....never says anything BUT thank-you! {last year's trick!} We gifted her with a box of microwave popcorn & an IOU for 40 Redbox movies! SHE LOVED IT....sadly we had to tell her that was not her real gift......

Wishes came true....like pink cowboy boots

.....pants with a skirt buttoned to the back

....baby dolls

& a camera!

Even the baby in the belly received a couple gifts!

There are somethings that only an aunt can convince this girl to be "cool" things....a "bag" {she will not admit that this is a purse} & a headlight!

The evening quickly came to a close....BUT we all left happy....we have each other!

A Very Merry Christmas Eve it was!

Daddy's Homemade Christmas Present

2012-01-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

I've had an idea of a gift for Jon in my mind for some time now......an idea I got here {scroll down a bit until you come to a canvas}. I started saving bottle caps of various colors. Last minute {like week of Christmas last minute!!} I was perusing the paint section at a craft store & stumbled upon something called "heavy structure gel".......it's an acrylic medium. I read the label......quickly learning that when this "gel" is mixed with paint & applied to canvas it will create texture! I have never used this stuff but in that moment my mind thought.....canvas....paint....mosaic type look.....fish....PERFECT!! This was, after all, a group effort between myself & the girls & I wanted them to have as much hands on time as possible! This would allow just that! The night before we painted the fish I painted the entire canvas.....Kayden picked out the color & we were all pleased with the end result....matches our house perfectly! Thursday before Christmas we Googled several pictures of fish & the girls decided on one! I then roughly sketched it on to paper.....erasing & sketching....erasing & sketching until we liked we saw on paper. I then did my best to pencil onto canvas what I had drawn on paper.

We mixed many many colors with the medium & got to work. I had this painters platter from a previous canvas painting birthday party of Kayden's {we used it to told cupcakes} & it came in quite handy!

I had purchased little sculpting tools for the girls to apply the paint....not a one paint brush was used.

There was no rhyme or reason to our paint application madness & there was no worry of perfection.....how can you mess up a "mosaic look"?!!

The girls took several breaks & I just let that inner artist come out in me......good therapy!

Pretty certain that not a one of us are good secret keepers but for the most part Jon had NO CLUE what we had made him!

THEY WERE THRILLED to say the least while watching him rip paper off!

I was still able to use some of the bottle caps to make an "H" for Hughes & 1 for his eye!

Now to find the "perfect" hanging spot.....

Hike

2011-12-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

I have plenty of Christmas blogging to do but I'm taking a break! Cause that's exactly what we did today......took a break from all our lounging and Christmas toys! We {maybe more the parents than the girls} decided a few hours in God's playground was a MUST!

We always seem to find a theme on our long hikes which involves only the 4 of us! Today I realized how much color POPS during these cold, short, sometimes dreary winter days.

Also we found several crosses....

We seem to follow a pattern....stopping frequently during the beginning of our trek....during the middle the girls are ready to go.....& then we are booking it during the last couple miles!

Funnest find of the day.....a tree that was as old as their Aumie {my mom}!! Tree ring counting is pure entertainment!

One of my favorite colors found....a coral color!

Even through some whining it was really just what we needed....a little fresh air!

Reindeer Food

2011-12-28T10:32:00.001-08:00

This was our 1st year that at least one of our girls have not been in daycare.....HOW DO I HAVE 2 SCHOOL AGED GIRLS??? Anyways.....every Christmas while we had a daycare goer we'd have at least 1 jar of Reindeer food to feed those helpful animals Christmas Eve!

We couldn't not feed them so we made some of our own! I just scoured our shelves at home for some random foods, jars, & what girl infested home doesn't have glitter on had at all times?!

Our Reindeer Food Recipe {for this year at least!}: Steel Cut Oats, Glitter, Powder Sugar, Nutritional Yeast, & Organic Blue Chips...crushed!

The girls each had their own ways about filling the jars....older 2 were very precise with the layering while the younger 2 just poured!

Once the jars were filled to their satisfaction I topped each with a piece of fabric and some green & red string!

I know at least 1 house whose Reindeer were MIGHTY happy with the yumminess spread all over the front lawn!!!

Christmas Cookie Baking Day

2011-12-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

We've started a yearly tradition of going to mom's the week of Christmas to bake cookies all day! We each bring ingredients for 3 or 4 cookies....bake them....split all the cookies between each family....leave at the end of the day with far too many cookies & seemingly looking like we've baked for days! PERFECT HUH?!!

What kids don't like to play with dough?.......

.......or sugar!

Kayd got her hands on some Peppermint Meringue Cookies a couple months ago & wouldn't stop eating them! I knew those needed to be added to the yearly Christmas Cookie List!

So for my 1st batch they taste YUMMY but they're more rounded rather than having that typical meringue look! It's more about the taste though right?!

In between baking there was snacking....always good snacking at moms!

Also a 1st was mom making Gingerbread cookies with the girls! My youngest loved this the most!

Did I mention we snack in between baking??

Auntie is always a constant in making sugar cookies with the girls.....letting their creative spirits run crazy!

AND we always have some kind of yummy dinner before going home......

Another successful baking year getting us a little closer to that magical day.......

Snow Globes

2011-12-28T08:44:00.001-08:00

Kayden had a play date one afternoon leaving her sister feeling a little left out! MOMMA TO THE RESCUE! At some point over Christmas break I wanted to make snow globes with the girls! Am I alone in terms of making a craft more complicated than it needs to be? This day called for an instant gratification craft NOT to be complicated by this momma!

Best part of this craft.....it can be done super cheap! I'm sure there is a super techy expensive way to do this but we went in the opposite direction!

up-cycle any jar of any size {our were gifted to us by auntie kristi}

this entire project was kid friendly.....Emery was able to do every single step which also made the craft much more enjoyable.....let's be real what kid likes their momma stepping in every other minute?

put a little hot glue on the bottom of the figurines......

place them on the inside of the jar lid {important step prior to gluing: play with your figurine placement, making sure you can screw your jar & lid without the figurines getting in the way}....

.....while waiting for the hot glue to dry completely add as much glitter as you please

.....fill to the top {almost to the point of spilling over} with water

........maybe not an essential step but fun: stir in the glitter completely

screw the lid on SUPER TIGHT!! WALA! DONE!

Only thing left to do is watch your child shake & enjoy....shake & enjoy!

when the shaking & enjoying is over place on mantel so that other's can shake & enjoy!

At some point I will hot glue some hemp ribbon around the lid to cover up the wording....but again not mandatory!

Plus side of having to make a quick stop for figurines.....finding these hard yummy candies that I remember eating somewhere when I was a kid!!

The afternoon craft was a cheap HIT & she quickly forgot that her big sister was off playing without her!

Christmas Program

2011-12-28T08:19:00.001-08:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE the times when we get to sit back and watch 10's & 10's & 10's of kids singing/playing their little hearts out all to the glory of God & their adoring family in the audience! Precious fleeting times.....

thank GOODNESS she's still ok with me getting up close & personal for some photo's.....did you spot the boy?!! Love all the silliness!

....my angel

& this tween niece of mine....when did she become such a young lady! she is NOT so cooperative with the camera but when a 5 year old grabs your camera sometimes it's all for the good....like capturing the niece playing her heart out {back row 3rd one in}!

The adoring family members.......

and this year we have the youngest auntie close by to attend all their little programs!

Emery's Christmas Party

2011-12-20T05:56:00.001-08:00

I've not allowed myself to spend too much time on Pinterest......for the obvious reason.....I could loose myself in all those great ideas......I think it would be a little harsh to make the girls walk home from school...no?!! BUT here & there I peruse that crafty space.....found this idea several months ago & knew it was the perfect gift for Emery's Kindergarten teachers! Jon & I made an in-the-house date night out of it! He made the "B" & I made the "H"!

{forgive the lighting as we had far to much rain this December}

My girls have been blessed with great teachers.....we are especially fond of their Kindergarten teachers!! {Kayden had the same teachers} As some of you know we had tornado's come through our area this past spring.....Mrs Huggins home was completely lost. When we handed her this frame she started crying.....2 years ago when Kayden was in this classroom we gifted these same teachers marble magnets that had each letter of their last name. She told us how she had cherished those magnets.....they were placed on a file cabinet in their office. After the tornado they walked around the grounds which used to hold their home......she found several of those magnets in the dirt! Needless to say we were both crying & we WILL be making some more magnets for this special lady!!!

......and for Kayden's teacher {not sure you can ever go wrong with this gift}

thrifted piping cord for the ribbon & brown paper bag tags.....teacher gifts were a success!

Emery's last day of school before break was filled with party'ing!

.....that crinkled nose & squinty eyes get me every time!!

each kid got a few swings at the piñata........

.....alas Jon had to give the final blow to break it open!

pin the star above the stable.....

the party ended with singing/acting out The 12 days of Christmas.....

AND we happily left to begin our 2 week break!!

What you wanted for Christmas but didn't know......

2011-12-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

Another yearly tradition my mom keeps with......& quite frankly 3 Hughes chicks look forward to a couple weeks before Christmas is our "what you wanted for Christmas but didn't know" gifts!

as always this year did NOT disappoint.....

puzzles, Scrabble Apple.....

& wooden beads filled the girl's bags!

AND mommy has THE CUTEST green reindeer........

keeping watch over the front door!! {some certain un-named girls may have stuffed some berries in his nose.....}

The FULL dinner that was cooked & also left at our doorstep so that this busy momma could have a break from figuring out 1 night of dinner during this busy season was also GREATLY appreciated!! THANKS MOM!!!!

Nutcracker.....

2011-12-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

This marks our 6th year of going as a family to see the Nutcracker.....an anticipated yearly tradition......

even to the man of our house who sits through this traditional Christmas ballet....men in tights & all!!

In keeping with my mom's tradition of giving the girls some type of Nutcracker......we HAPPILY welcomed Klaus & Hilda to our home this year!! They will not be packed up at the end of this Christmas season.....rather because of the German-ness they exude they will become part of regular home decor! LOVE THEM!

It's an enjoyable couple of hours.....even after the 6th time!

Tree Chopping- {3rd annual outing}

2011-12-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

We made our "day after Thanksgiving" trip to find a tree......over the hills & through the woods we went! Unless for some VERY sad reason this little place shuts down......we will never go anywhere else! It's a beautiful drive out to the middle of know where & we are supporting a small business who could use ALL THE LOCAL support they can get!!

This year it was a race against time due to a, soon to be, setting sun! Because along with finding a tree we've made a tradition of taking some pictures in the middle of all the tree's for our Christmas card......oh the pressure I put on that "to do" almost ruined our day.........

THANK GOODNESS for a man who totally gets my craziness on most days & finds ways to intercede & have some fun! Who knew grabbing a kids hand & running so fast that they were no longer able to keep their feet on the ground would induce SO. MUCH. LAUGHTER.???!!!

AND you know what? Despite my craziness.....in the end we found a tree.....

& some great pictures......even if not all are Christmas card or Christmas gift worthy......

there are signs of fun times out there in the middle of no where!

AND you can't complain when nature has a way of attracting your attention to it's simple beauty......

{1 more and!} AND we did end up with some Christmas card worthy pictures even if they had to be turned b/w due to aforementioned setting sun!

We managed to get that tree...that tree that didn't look so big in the midst of bigger trees stuffed in the back of the truck.....

& said good-bye to our quaint little tree farm!

Recital....

2011-12-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

I promise not to post every single time this child has a violin recital because they are going to come frequently these days. For she has an awesome teacher that thinks it's a) good to become comfortable performing in front of people. b) helps with the memorization factor!

Rather I'm posting again because I love to watch my girls' personalities shine out in different area's of their lives!

This post particularly shows 2 of my oldest's:

1st trait: her "fashion" as she refers to it!

Target recently came out with a Gwen Stefani line called Harajuku Mini......needless to say this was right up her ally! We are mainly consignment {2nd hand} clothes shoppers but once in a while we have to fill in with store purchased items out of necessity! This necessity worked out in her favor....recital/church appropriate yet her style=bonus!!

2nd trait: She goes to a place that I have never seen her go to when she plays this violin! You think she's looking at someone but NO....she's completely in the moment playing that instrument & it makes me enjoy watching her all the more!!

OH & that SILLY SILLY younger one of mines. EEEEK! I love her & kiss her face a bazillion times a day.....wake or sleep!

Birthday of the baby sister!

2011-12-12T11:13:00.001-08:00

She's another year older & this probably will be one her most memorable birthdays ever.....not because we threw her a BIG BASH....not because she stayed out having fun till 3am on her birthday night shakin' her booty.....not because she got 4 ct diamond earrings.....NOPE! In fact none of that happened rather something far greater! She has a special little lady growing in her belly & that was a gift in & of itself!

But later on in the week we got together for a yummy meal made by mom & sang some "Happy Birthday To You" tunes.......

Try as we always try for a good perfect smiling picture.....the silly ones always turn out perfect....!! We're just all a little cookoo like that!

Happy Birthday {a little late} baby sister.....can't wait to see you step into mommy-hood!

Thanksgiving Program's

2011-12-12T10:42:00.001-08:00

The girls had their Thanksgiving programs SEVERAL weeks ago....but you know....at least I'm not posting this in January right?! I am Emery's "Room Mom" & I decided that decorating on a budget was much more my thing than feeding 200+ people on a budget!! Right away I knew I was going to incorporate nature with our decor....can't get any cheaper than that!! Gourds, mason jars, hemp rope, "wheat like" stuff, rocks.......this was going to all come together...I hoped!! Once I unpacked the car into the room where the lunch/program would occur I began to panic....would it look cheap & silly??

Funny how a little hemp rope tied around a fork/napkin can simply snazz things up a bit!

Jon scoured a creek finding 48 small rocks {oh the requests of crazy mom's!}.....each donned with a child's name! Adding just that little personal touch to each table!

It all came together great if I can say so myself!

We then happily welcomed in our Pilgrims & Indians for there special program

So much fun to watch your little ones perform! Proud moments I tell you!

With moments to spare we quickly made our way to Kayden's classroom for a smaller lunch & ballad which took place in the classroom! {the kindergarten class is known for a BIG program!}

Always a silly one in the bunch!

Always thankful for SO much & specifically that day a wonderful school where they learn SO much everyday, are loved by their teachers, are kept safe, & are able to learn about God & love him freely!! OH & all the while they're having fun doing all the above!!

Pilgrims!

Another baby & it's a GIRL {I know you weren't surprised!}

2011-12-01T05:09:00.000-08:00

As a family we hate to disappoint so Karlie & Matt totally planned to have a girl to carry on tradition!! O.K. God I think we finally get it.....maybe?!

Karlie is due end of January & they are planning on moving to the Chattanooga area in the next couple weeks! We are excited! I think this comes as a bittersweet move.....for Karlie especially! She really started a whole new life for herself there.....grew up a whole bunch & made such great friends....some that might as well be family! So the good-bye's will come with sadness even though this change is because of something great...a sweet little girl!!

We made our way to Knoxville a couple Sunday's ago.......her 2nd mom {aka her boss} & 3rd sister {the boss's daughter} threw her a baby shower prior to her move!

Prior to the shower we snapped some pregnancy photo's!

I love how her shirt has made a heart around her belly.....NOT PLANNED!

The parents of Mckenzie Grace

This girl has NO CLUE what she's in for.....let just say "personal space" will not be a part of her vocab!

Mom/Daughter

Sister's part I

Sister's part II

Check yourself!

Then on to the shower we went

{Desi & Lori....2nd mom/boss & 3rd sister/daughter of boss}

It was beautiful!! Everything was mini & yummy!

SINFUL! {nutella sandwiched in french toast....to be dipped in syrup!!}

She was definitely showered.....

She did NOT want a traditional diaper bag....Vera Bradley is good for non-traditional

Tearful moments......my grandma made each girl a quilt & sweater/hat/bootie set! She was SURE Karlie would be the carrier of a boy.....so she had pre-made & tucked away {prior to leaving this earth} 2 blankets along with the sweater/hat/booties!

Blue is the new pink no?! Paired with some leggings & great shoes.....no one will know it was secretly meant for a boy!

Some weirdo's were invited to the event....not identified but photo taken

ummmm who's the cute little blonde german girl?!

{found this little brown wool sweater at a consignment sale for $3 or $4 with the greatest embroidered detailing! it's a size 3 & meant to be a dress but I HAD to have it so a shirt it is}

SQUEEZING in 1 more......

2011-11-29T07:11:00.000-08:00

.....maybe 2 or 3 fall posts before that last month of the year sneaks in! After all fall is one of my FAVORITE times of the year!

I LOVE the flexibility my "career" brings me....I am a nurse. I work 12 hour shifts. I am Part Time, meaning I am only required to put in 24 hours a week, with 2 call shifts in a 6 week period. I complain about work here & there but I am ultimately grateful for my job & the 5 other {usually} days I have off to be a "stay-at-home-mom"! We don't have money coming out our behinds but we live comfortably. We have 2 cars, we have a house which keeps us dry/cool/warm/safe & have running water/toilets/showers, we have health/dental insurance, our kids go to a school where they learn about GOD & can love Him freely {I know thats HUGE RIGHT?!!!}, our bellies are PLENTY full, we have clothes......WOW I'm gonna stop cause now I'm feeling a little braggish {I'm aware this is not a word!}. Really my point is: I work enough to keep insurance & help out with some bills but ultimately I work to get by.....to be able to focus MOST of my time on being with my girls while they're young. For the days I'm off seem to run smoother....ish! I can help get them off to school, I can pick them up, I can get them to their various activities, make sure homework is complete, violin is practiced, ect AND go on field trips! I love to tag along & watch them interact with friends {did I act that way as a kid???!!!}......feeling happy that, for now, they want me close by!

This was a field trip to the Mayfield Dairy Plant & Farm

This oldest of mine doesn't necessarily have 1 or 2 "best friends" rather she is a "jack of all trades" kind of girl.....she seems to just fit in with whoever is around & is loved by many! She gets that GREAT trait from her daddy!

All too soon I'm gonna be SOOO 2000 & eight! So I'll take it while the takins' good {time spent with these 2 girls of mine}!

Grandparents Day

2011-11-29T06:37:00.001-08:00

It's a day for the girls to show off their music talent's, art projects, classroom's, teacher's, friends....oh & so much more {like dragging them into the Book Fair & sucking ever penny out of them!}! I'm sure.....NO I KNOW we take for granted far too often that we have both grandparents {AND a great-grandmother} very close by.....I'm reminded of that "take for granted-ness" when this day rolls around & other kids are not as fortunate to have a GRAND-parent to oooohhhhh & awwwww over!

These 2 people spoil these girls & they're not ashamed to admit it!

Artist: Emery- age 5

Artist: Kayden- age 7

We hope you all {even the ones missing from the pictures} how MUCH your loved!

Bug Party

2011-11-28T08:06:00.001-08:00

Emery's class had a unit study on bugs.....all kinds of bugs! At the end of that study they made Monarch Butterfly wings! We {or they} then migrated to "Mexico".........

.......or to a local Alzheimer Home but who's keeping track? They sang several songs & those old people ate it up!

They passed out cards & I'm telling you these people need so little.....they were beaming from ear to ear {except for that old man.....but he was very appreciative in his own way!!}

While they continued migrating I made my way back to their classroom & got things decorated for a BUG PARTY! I signed up to be "Home Room Mom" & so far it's allowed me to get my creative juices flowing......economically!

The parents brought in different "bug foods" & although the kids didn't eat everything served they sure did have fun looking at it all!

It was a fun day.....

and although this little thing can make me crazy ALOT she also makes me smile ALOT!

I can't believe she's already in Kindergarten. NOoooooo.

Halloween

2011-11-09T11:20:00.001-08:00

I thought that even though I'm on a roll of staying behind on blogging I best get the Halloween pictures out right before Thanksgiving rolls around!! It was a whirlwind of a day......it's not recognized holiday after all.....well in the sense that the world does not stop for this day! So field trips, lunch parties, dance, OH YA and even a 7th Anniversary still were smashed into this day!! We had a fun day even through the busy!

1st year EVER that my girls decided they had an opinion on what they wanted to "be"

Meet the 80's Rock Star.....and yes the sassiness was part of the "Rock Star" look!

& Buzz Light Year.....or Buzz Lightening Year as she prefers to call him!

Our candy collecting crew

For obvious reasons I just can't help but LOVE HER GUTS!! She was a cute little bumble bee.....last minute she found a pair of Mr Potato Head glasses & decided they were a must needed accessory!

My oldest niece never fails us on the greatest costumes......you won't see a sole dressed up like her.....par for her she's always ONE OF A KIND on Halloween!

My littlest has an obsession.....ALL THINGS SPACE! So duh, that's why she dressed up in a "boy's" costume....girls can be space people to ya know! Her daddy found a constellation app & it became it her FAV thing that night!

The closest Jon & I got ALL day on our anniversary......taking each other's pictures!

Interesting Fact: did you know Buzz wore pink undies? {not really a fact but it was became Emery's}

This girl did not mess with the Rock Star sassy attitude!

ANNNNDDD whent he wig was no longer wanted her Auntie decided to get in on the fun!

Buds!

Youngest's must STICK together.....it's the only method of survival!

Mom's of this crew....well minus a few

Of course loot sorting is a must! I must say the promptly the next day this one took all but 8 or 10 pieces of candy to her school to be weighed and sent to our Soldiers in Irac! A plus....she made $2.50!

Enough fun for 1 day......passed out before we even pulled out of our friends' neighborhood!

Happy Anniversary JON HUGHES.....cheers to NEVER EVER forgetting the date in which we wed! I love you more every year & THANK YOU for these 2 precious babies you've given me.....even through our crazy day....we were crazy TOGETHER!

2011-11-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Some days this is all that I can muster this body up to do.......

I can't say I even feel that much more rested.....but the pencils are sharper!

Ending to a perfect weekend.....

2011-10-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

Fall had settled in that weekend & what a better to spend our last night together than Chili, cornbread, fire, & friends!

Fish cornbread for the kids.....

Some of us realized it was chilly.....

And some of us didn't.....where is your mother??

I feel the same way some days kid!

Bonfire equals Smores....no?

PERFECT weekend Crouch's!! We miss you. LOTS.

lounging, eating, playing

2011-10-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

The 2nd day of our company being in town found us ALL sleeping till we could no longer sleep....which sounds dramatically l-o-n-g but we all slept till 845.....pretty great & typically rare! Followed by breakfast & actually lingering at the table to visit which seems rare at this house for breakfast! Dad's left for a mountain bike ride while mom's stayed back talking over coffee.......

& kids playing perfectly {no drama there....they really did!} in the background!

We put a semi colon on the talking long enough for showers & made our way downtown where there is always some fun to be had! 1st stopping for a quick bite at a fav place of ours "Good Dog"

Just the right amount of energy back in our bodies to then go PLAY!

These 2 girls are kindred spirits......& not just for the obvious hair color & height, nope their little spirits just connect!! It makes my heart happy. REALLY happy! I'm sure we're not in a boat alone but this youngest of mine seems to follow always 2 steps behind her older sister.....not on purpose it just is what it is with a bit of an age difference between them. Some things seem to breeze by her but other things she notices....heavily.....& in true Emery fashion, as she lives every once of her life passionately, those things she notices she's not quiet about! So we've recently tried to mix life up a bit for her & make her feel her own kind of special.....not her sister's special.

So without it being purposeful this weekend spent with our friends seemed to focus on these 2 blondies & it's just what the Dr ordered for her!! Sleep-over in HER room with HER friend. Matching hair-do's with HER friend. Walking shoulder to shoulder everywhere we went gabbing like teenagers with HER friend! You get the point! My heart was full for her!

We haven't been hill surfing in a while so it was over-do!

These 2 girls of mine aren't afraid of trying too many new things.....a few times down on their butt for a quick refresher & then on to bigger things......standing! We might need to look into a family skiing/snowboarding trip!

The twin was reluctant but you know her sister wouldn't let her leave without at least 1 trip down!

No worries about crashing....it just makes you laugh harder!

AND the more the merrier!

A park next to the hill was screaming for some kids so we gave in.....

Emery has been INFATUATED with monkey bars since school started......she's got it down pat! You can barely tell but can you see she's only holding on with 1 hand? Strong girl!

Not even sure I have words for this one.....to COOL for school!!

A stop off to another fav....Cool Swirl for some icecream before heading home!

YUMMY DAY ALL AROUND!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T08:56:00.001-07:00

We have some friends who really are like family & it's always easy to have fun together!! The only problem......we live in different states. BUT we try to see each other 1 to 2 times/year! It's fun to have something to look forward to right?! While they were here we took our annual trip to the Mayfield Pumpkin Patch.....no trouble at all to have fun there!! A little drive out to the country......ANNNNDDD the laughing, jumping, climbing, running, bouncing, swinging, hair blowing, dust flying, direction following, pumpkin pickin', rolling, silliness, peddling, milking FUN BEGAN!! Dusk settled in & it was hard for everyone to leave.....maybe mostly me.

Violin Recital

2011-10-24T08:25:00.001-07:00

Kayden is in her 2nd year of Violin, music of some sort will always be a must....I think it's important! We did Kindermusik when they were little & they LOVED it! "Smarter"? No clue, but it was a fun 1 hour of bonding time through music!! My mom had us in piano lessons as kids, then later on {high school} we were in the band & choir......sadly I've let them all go.......

Kayden recently had a recital, nothing formal rather just an opportunity to get her comfortable playing a song by memory in front of an audience!

My girls.....one some rare days they will stand next to each other, arms overlapping or heads touching without a cat fight following!

you already know it makes my heart swell!

This one stumps me every time....she can be super shy in front of people on some occasions & not seem to care one single bit on others.....the latter of the 2 occurred that night!

She played perfectly.....didn't miss a single note!

I think she is really going to take off this year....we LOVE LOVE her new teacher which in turn is causing her to have a new found LOVE of this piece of wood! Even pulling it out at night to sound out an entire song: Jesus Loves Me!

All about some EMERY!

2011-10-17T05:13:00.001-07:00

Kayden was recently invited with a friend to go camping for the weekend & so it was deemed "Emery's special weekend with her parents"! She was elated!! When asked Friday morning what she was looking forward to the most about the day {a daily ritual asked by her daddy} she stated "Kayden going camping so I can have my special weekend"! Then she said "daddy ask me what I'm not looking forward to" to which she replied "Kayden coming home".....I'm sure that was stated with the utmost love for her older sister! I didn't capture pictures of every last thing we did but she smiled a WHOLE BUNCH!

Typically a no no in our home......

{as her sister knocked a tooth partially out when she was little from jumping}

......but sometimes you just have to give in when so much fun is to be had!

We picked up her cousin per request to join in on some Aquarium action

{chow-ing down on some peppers!}

Starting with an up close & personal visit of the Sting Rays

Emery Grae was even able to feed them some shrimp

Moving on to the butterfly garden where she was able to get a butterfly to climb onto her finger

Visiting the penguins.....love those creatures!

AND endless Jellyfish!

Even resting while fish crazily swam by

Stopping for lunch.....

THEN back again.....

for turtle spotting....

stare off's with sting rays.....

races with turtles.....

......& pointing at big fish!

Someone didn't want the day to end.....

So we headed to daddy's work to swing.....

......and be sassy....

......and sweet....

......AND relish a couple more times in the FUN FUN day we had!

Sometimes a one on one weekend with your parents is just what a girl needs!

ENTOMOLOGIST

2011-10-13T04:56:00.001-07:00

Emery's class is studying ALL things bugs right now.....it's always fun to see what my girls find interest in & this particular unit study has her full attention!

Her Kindergarten class went on a "BUG" field trip recently......

They were blind folded {each pair had some type of noise maker} & they had to shake their toy while listening for the same sound until they found each other!

Being schooled on what's a bug & what's not

Out in the "field" searching for bugs.....funny how many boys were scared of the bugs....but not this girl of mine!

Flying like butterflies.....

Emery found several bugs but was most excited about the cicada shell she found.....this one came home to show off!

Hopping like crickets......

Handmade butterflies & cocoons......flying their butterflies around

Official ENTOMOLOGIST!

Skating

2011-10-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

Kayden was invited to one of her friends' birthday parties recently......SKATING! This is the 2nd time in her life she has skated. I don't get pleaser out of watching kids try to keep their balance or fall but MAN it's entertaining to watch a large group of kids attempt to stay upright with 4 wheels under their feet!!

A little practicing on the carpet before hitting the floor....

This girl has determination like no other, I can't count how many times she fell.......

.....but right back up to try again & again

......until she finally got the hang of it, maybe even with some help from the Birthday girl!

Lexi....the Birthday girl!

One of the many reasons it's good to have friends.....to help pick you up when you fall......sweet girls!

slowing down....

2011-10-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

is it just me or do some of you with older{ish} kids forget how much a toddler can slow down your days....in only the best ways?!! we recently kept my niece for a couple days & i was happily surprised to have a toddler at my side.....life slowed down! {i am not saying she didn't keep me on my toes, after all she thinks she's easily in her 20's!}

on the way to pick the girls up from school one afternoon we grabbed a loaf of bread

to feed the ducks

simple delight was found for many many minutes

no rushing around in circles

no grumbling kids because we have to HURRY HURRY HURRY to get no where FAST

even stopping for a bite of bread

yep.....if for even just a few minutes our world stopped & it was dreamy

LE Belly {said elly belly!}

2011-10-06T04:41:00.001-07:00

If you know this sparkling smiley girl you know she's the sunshine in our lives!! She sincerely makes you feel like the most loved person when you walk into her sight! She loves to sing, she loves to smile, she loves to talk, she loves to wear high heels, she loves to wear any & all jewelery, she loves to carry a bag filled with stuff, SHE LOVES LIFE!!

She turned 3 not to long ago.....if you ask her, even today, she'll say "I be free in a couple hours"!

I am Kiki to her

celebrating with her older sister

she opened up every present & gushed like each one was her most favorite!! by the end she had about 3 or 4 layers of outfits & all the rest was tucked into her new backpack!

she LOVES "Beggie Tales" & knows every song they sing! so what other way to celebrate but a beggie tale birthday!

Bob the tomato & Larry the cucumber

Happy Birthday sweet girl.....you never cease in making us smile & laugh when you are in our presence!! WE LOVE YOU!

{does this not make you laugh? stuffed mouth, hand on hip.....she thinks she's 21!}

Some Recent Fun Finds

2011-10-04T18:17:00.001-07:00

We've recently acquired a couple little men in our kitchen.....

....of the gnome type! I must admit I'm in LOVE with gnomes! There it's out!

Found this vintage jar at the thrift store for $1, perfect for our wooden spoons/spatula's

And last a mixture of old but purchased "new"

soap holder!

I love how just a few small accessories can make a kitchen feel kinda new!

ARRRRR Matey

2011-10-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

The only little man in our family turned 2 years old a few weeks ago! He's right at that stage of wanting to be a big boy & do everything by himself.....just enough to make his dad & grandparents a nervous wreck!

He had a pirate party at a place where kids can jump & jump & slide & jump & giggle & jump

PERFECT place for all that pent up energy!

His cousins adore him......& I think he's pretty fond of them!

The ARRR birthday matey

He's not too fond of sitting still for pictures these days so this was the best we could do!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE you Braxton Hughes & know this next year is going to be full of new learning adventures for you!! Even if you do add a couple gray hairs to your daddy, gran, & papa's heads!!

NOT So Laboring Of A Weekend

2011-09-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend found us tucked away in the country.......

........surrounded by trees & a creek....CAMPING!

cooks

even a little rafting was in order

Sunday morning we ventured out of camp which we don't normally do but it was a fun afternoon of window shopping......

middle of the woods mini-golfing......challenging I tell you!

BUT fun!

love nature heart finds

thanks to tammy & taylor for smiling & making the rest of look a bit looney!!

mining

fishing pre-man-made-fishing pole style

love this guy & not just because he whipped up a yummy vegetable stir-fry

nature torch makin

triple chocolate dutch oven cake for my birthday......be jealous! THANKS TAMMY!

banana boats for the kids

chaco lovin' family

AND last but surely not least......a hughes camping trip would never be complete without packing up in the down pouring rain!! at least someone's enjoying it!

another enjoyable weekend......in nature.....without the buzzzzzz of life! see you again in october woods!

a bestie visits.......

2011-09-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

i HATE that most of my besties live far from me & that at any given moment i can't just make a call to grab a cup of coffee! but i LOVE when we are able to get together.....even for a few hours! even for an unexpected visit. even when my house is filled with dust balls. even when my vacuum has become bff's with my kitchen chair {cause he can't seem to make his way to the closet!}. even when we don't really have food bought for a meal. even when my iron/ironing board have become a seemingly permanent fixture in our living room. even when the toilets may have some filth lingering on them. {did i just admit that?} even when i haven't had a shower ALL DAY & i smell from a post work out session......9 hours earlier.

yep......she arrived & it's as if my own child/husband entered my home. i could have cared less of all the above mentioned {well almost!}.......she could have cared less!

we dined on lentil stew & cornbread

we laughed about nothing AND everything

and the kids acted themselves.......cause she's family to us!

BONUS......she'll throw you over her shoulders & run around the house till your empty of the giggles!

the only thing i left longing for more of was her presence......MOVE HOME ROSIE! you are loved.

{what's kinda nice too is i still was able to blog about this cause you can't see dust & dirt in pictures.......BUT did you notice the vacuum & iron? they thought they needed their photo op too!}

Is it "Donuts" or "Doughnuts"??

2011-09-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

So I'm not the kind of girl who CAN'T resist passing up a Krispy Kreme Donut shop when the "Hot Now" sign is lit up......don't get me wrong I'm not a hater of those yummy circular treats with a hole in the middle, I WILL eat them.....rather it's just not my "sweet of choice"! BUT there is this great donut {or is it really doughnut??} shop downtown where they have every doughnut/donut you can imagine! It's my nieces 3rd birthday today & who wouldn't love a specialty doughnut/donut for breakfast?! So her "untle Jon" {as she affectionately calls him} stopped at Julie Darling's for 1 doughnut/donut.....

.......who invited the other 6??? So we couldn't let them feel unwanted, I mean really we have manner's people!! Nope at 8:32 pm the girls & I indulged.....maybe 3 were eaten in less than 1 minute....who's to say? It's forever our secret!

If you're ever in downtown Chattanooga I HIGHLY recommend this place........why is all the "cool stuff" downtown?? Hmmmm

Reporting of 2 August Birthday's in September....

2011-09-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

I get to share a birthday with my best friend EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR!! My twin! Yep! A pretty lucky girl I am!! Love this, especially years where maybe we are more low key about the celebration.....like this year! But we were together & it was instantly a party! My mom always has a special "Sabbath lunch" {our church day to those unfamiliar as to what "Sabbath" is}, it's a tradition we all look forward to....kids & adults!

So here are some scenes from our "special lunch"

always have been a HUGE fan of jelly bean......most the jelly belly sorts!

you will find a variety of foods on these "special lunch" days as we just tell mom some of our favorite foods

special hand made/wrapped gifts from the girls.....warms my heart!!

{from Kayden}

{from Emery}

{gift basket from mom}

My chosen cake every year.....cheesecake! It's the best EVER!

"The Blowing Out Face"! It's just become a tradition!!......and I love all the kids doing their own thing.....like Lauren thinking I'm the craziness Aunt EVER! Or Kayden trying to keep Emery from blowing out my candles!!

and while we dined on YUMMY cheesecake the kids ate ice cream out of the carton & cookies {HELLO HEATHER CHAPMAN!!}......who has the best Aumie {my mom} EVER?!!!

Our actual birthday found me at a computer class but that evening we all met up for dinner

Tired & dirty from school and all!

You didn't think we'd fail you on "the blowing out face" did you??

I LOVE LOVE LOVE her with all my heart & couldn't imagine another person to share my birthday with!

Safety Goggles & Force.......

2011-09-20T11:52:00.001-07:00

Sometimes those 2 things are the only way to get these little people fed at the early hour of 6:40 am.....energized & ready for a full day at school!

Worship in the City 2011

2011-09-15T18:05:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago {YES I am oh so behind on blogging!} we attended a 2 day event in Knoxville called "Worship in the City". I left speechless except WOW!! What an amazing weekend we just had praising God through music & feeding hungry kids! I left reminded that serving & praising God can be JUST PLAIN OUT AWESOME!

This beautiful God sent lady, which happens to be my younger sister boss, had a vision to bring all "brothers & sisters" of God together.....setting aside all denominational views to PRAISE GOD through music! Cause no matter what church we attend we all love some music right?!! She worked countless hours to put this 2 day event together.....and the most humbling thing about it.....she never once got up on stage & said "hey look at me...I'M THE ONE WHO DID THIS"....no she worked hard all weekend behind the scenes. Gives me chills just thinking about how happy God must have been watching all her hard work!

That wasn't the end of her goodness....NOPE! I've made some mention on here before that we have a HUGE desire to adopt a little boy. We still are unsure of all the timing & location of it all but in God's perfect timing all those details will work themselves out. In the mean time I continue to sew & sell pencil rolls to go towards our adoption fund! They had vendor booths at this event & hearing about our story Lori graciously offered to cover the cost of our booth & allow us to be a vendor!! I was overwhelmed to say the least! Thanks to the help of my mom everything came together perfectly!

"Pencil Rolls for Him"........2 meanings: For Him {God} & for him {our little boy}

Pails with vintage pictures from children's books......can be used for all kinds of things....lego's, crayons, blocks, nature nuggets....oh the possibilities!

{found this old ladder many months ago & despite my husbands uncertainty it fit in perfect!}

"Our Story" framed so that people could read the meaning behind selling the rolls.....the globe symbolizing that God has a child picked out for us....we just do not know where that place is quite yet!!

Friday night we were blessed with music from both "Shane & Shane" and "Mercy Me"

Following the concert my younger sister had secretly picked up a variety of cupcakes from her restaurant & had a little "Happy Birthday" celebration back at the hotel!

Kristi was SUPER windy that night & managed to get a head start on blowing out ALL the candles before I could even spit on one!

Hence "THE LOOK"!!!

As mentioned in the beginning of this post hungry children were fed because of this event! The money from this event went towards feeding 1 million children in Africa.....is that beautiful music to your ears?!!! They asked for volunteers to come & spend as much time as they wanted packing up meals for these kids! So for a couple hours while I was "manning the booth" the rest of the family packed over 300 meals! If my memory serves me right they were packing up: rice, dehydrated veggies, powdered soy milk, & soy protein powder.

I was told that once they got into a rhythm Jon started timing them & it became a race!

NOT surprising if you know Jon!!

A few special guest from Veggie Tales were in attendance!

Both days were full of clear skies & sun! Saturday was exceptionally pretty for a hot August day!

Lots of running barefoot in the grass.....

playing with daddy.....

doing flips....

smiling.....

& swinging in circles occurred!

The weekend quickly came to a close & we found ourselves DANCING the night away to "Third Day"......probably the most fun I've had in a while praising God! I was quite certain that in the middle of dancing & being surrounded by hundreds & hundreds of other christians dancing that God certainly wasn't standing still!

A certain someone danced till she fell asleep!

I am thankful for SO much.....1. for a selfless lady living in Knoxville who gave so much of herself & time to serve God! 2. For the 12 rolls & 1 pail God sold for our little boy! While to some that doesn't seem like many I left happy! 3. For the opportunity to be a vendor & get my name out there a little more! 4. That my girls were able to experience a fun weekend praising God through GOOD music! 5. That my girls were able to slightly understand that there are kids SO VERY hungry that dried up veggies, rice, and powdered "stuff" was gonna make them SMILE! 6. That my husband was able to hear "cool" christian music....no matter the genre of music you enjoy.....guarenteed you can find it in christian music! He came home & scoured i-tunes for all kinds of new music! 7. That I was surrounded by hundreds of people who love God & love to serve Him! 8. That I was able to be with my entire immediate family enjoying this event together. 9. That I serve a God who can laugh & have fun 10. That I sat next to an organization call "Haiti Serve" {a blog will be devoted just for them!} & meeting the kindest lady! ........& that list could go on & on!

COME NEXT YEAR! You will NOT be disappointed one bit!

Mud Run

2011-09-08T07:32:00.001-07:00

Several weeks ago Jon & I participated in an race called the Mud Run. It benefits Habitat for Humanity of the greater Chattanooga area! SO. MUCH. FUN. It's a mixture of running, obstacles, slippery hill climbs, tunnel crawls, 4 foot wall climbs, & lots of mud pits! When you can take the pressure out of a race fully going into knowing you're not trying to beat a previous race time & you're just out there for fun WOW it's SOOOO much fun!! Who knew??!! AND that you're racing for a great cause! All the better!

I was invited by our good friends Kami & Carter Fowler to join their group while Jon joined a group of people from his work......so essentially we were racing against each other! We made bets as to who would "win" & yep you guessed it!! WE DID!!

Kami & Carter pre-race

One person from each team had to wear the "time chip" & that person was me

Our team pre-race: Dirty Girls & a guy

The ever creative Kami who came up with our outfits & GRACIOUSLY offered to make all of our tutu's

Silliness prevails! I'm telling you it was a morning of laughter!

Last minute a member of Jon's team couldn't race & so one of my running buddies {Teri} joined their team

Acting cordial pre-race even though we were rivals!

Just getting started

1st climbing wall

Didn't realize how careful we really needed to be going over these walls because the wall we went over after this one is when we lost a team member who BROKE her ankle! Ouch!

Bye to the camera.....wouldn't see Jon until post-race

Post-race.....not even that muddy! We found that you had to make extra efforts to dive and crawl around in the mud to really get dirty! Leah on the far left is the one who broke her ankle.....poor thing

3 standing girls left

After a few post race pictures with my team I was able to catch Jon's team running the last leg of their race

Teri

Last over the wall climb

This is who owns the Real Estate Company Jon works at. He cracked me up with his technique of getting over the wall....he was exhausted at this point!

{Jay}

Post-race you could take your shoes off and leave them.....they washed the shoes and gave them to the homeless

A few more post-race pictures.....it's really funny because I can't really see a difference in pre and post race pics! Our tutu's dried up nicely & we weren't super muddy........

......minus our legs

& hands!

This will FOR SURE be an annual race for us!! Good times! Great memories!!

Woman of Faith....IMAGINE

2011-09-07T09:34:00.001-07:00

I feel like I haven't blogged in WEEKS!!!......riiiigghhhht cause I haven't! Phew....who ever says "what will I ever do with myself when all my kids out of the house at school" must be totally organized! I've got so much catching up to do that I'm already scared it won't be done before summer break!

SO on to the point of this blog! Have you ever heard of or been to "Woman of Faith"?? It's not a Baptist thing, it's not a Morman thing, it's not a Seventh Day Adventist thing, it's not a Methodist thing.....nope it's a whole BIG BUNCH of Christian woman gathering together to praise God through music & speakers! It was an absolute hands down AWESOME way to bond with your mother, sister, best friends, new friends, old friends, & strangers!! We laughed, we cried, we had many "uh huh" moments, we took notes, we SANG at the top of our lungs as if we were the next christian rock star, we smiled, we clapped our hands & stomped our feet the beat of beautiful music........oh the list could go on! It was worth every penny of the $89 we spent!!

Friday morning prior to heading out to the 1st meetings of the day.......only 6 out of many in our group

My beautiful inside & out friend Erika stopping for a quick pose prior to the start of the program

It's always fun and refreshing to have a girls only night out for dinner!

AND UM HI to the only smart ladies out of the hundreds of thousands there.....who doesn't LOVE some sushi?? I guess not too many! We practically had the entire restaurant to ourselves!

And no complaints on the food!

Just so you know this was not an ALL green sushi....I subb'ed some fish for spinach!

I've said it many times before but I do love that my mom loves my friends like her own children and they love her just the same!

Must squeeze in many photo's when you only see friends a couple times a year if you're lucky!

Saturday morning.....really you should go with your mom & sister{s} cause it just makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable!

Bestie from highschool! Lives in Atlanta so she came for the day!

Gave me chills every so often to look around & just picture God smiling down watching SOOOO many woman together in 1 building praising HIM!!

You can buy your ticket on line or you can have an AWESOME group leader who gathers a group of woman together to get an affordable group rate ticket!! That's the route we took!

This is our group leader Jennifer Coble & her beautiful daughter Ashely {a friend of mine!}

2 above the average highlights for me were:

Angie Smith whom I adore & feel like a personal/close friend of.....nope I don't know her at all except through her blog where she writes with transparency & an ENORMOUS love for God.....it also helps that she's SUPER funny!! Angie's husband is Todd Smith from Selah of whom I've become a big fan!! The next highlight & not on the program was some singing by Laura Story who sings this beautiful & touching song "Blessings". Both just icing on the cake from a whole weekend of blessings through many great speakers!

{Angie Smith}

I encourage you to check when WOF might be in your area....it's worth every penny you will spend! I promise you will leave feeling so FULL of God you'll want to burst OUT & share it with the world!! It's even better when you have some family/friends to share the experience with!

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME EVEN WHEN WE FEEL HE IS THE FARTHEST FROM US!!

1st Day of SCHOOL

2011-08-15T13:24:00.001-07:00

It was as exciting as their faces show!!

Emery was over the top excited as seen by only tiny slits of her eyes showing......I think excited to FINALLY be a part of the picture rather than just watching the picture being taken!

We dropped Kayden off first.....her teacher is Mrs Greenleaf & I can already tell it's gonna be a great year! Kayden didn't stop talking about EVERY last detail of her day when I picked her up!

2nd Grade {or peace!}

Messenger bags are HIGHLY preferred by the girls in my house.....Kayd had her heart set on some shade of green when we started this messenger bag browsing & ll bean pulled through! Best lunch "box" ever made! Spill spill spill as they may.....dowsing them in some soapy water, a quick rinse, lay out to dry....WAAAALLLLAAA brand new again!

Time for good-bye's

If you had asked me at the beginning of the summer if my baby was ready for Kindergarten I would have FIRMLY answered NO! All she wanted was to stay home with me & be home schooled {per her}! BUT a girl is subject to change her mind at any given moment & this little girl did just that!! She walked confidently & excitedly down the hall to her classroom!

Mrs Benge whom we already know & love!!

It's as if she'd already been "schooled" on just what to do & where to go.....we walked into the classroom & with ease she did just what she was supposed to do without being told! PERKS of an older sister!

Before we knew it the 1st bell had rung & that was our clue to leave.....I asked Emery if she was ready for us to go & her reply was "YES"!! I snuck in one more squeeze much to her dismay & just like that she ran off to play!

No tears shed from mom or dad {can't confirm if tears were or were not shed by Jon in the car....he was quite sad}......see life was in perspective that early Wednesday morning. The dad of a friend of ours died at the early age of 62 from cancer Tuesday. Then sometime Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning the brother of a sweet friend of mine passed away at the WAY TO EARLY age of 25 from a rare form of brain cancer. So as I dropped my girls off at school Wednesday morning I wasn't relieved to get them out of my hair but rather excited that I HAVE 2 HEALTHY GIRLS TO DROP OFF AT SCHOOL! That's a WHOLE LOT to be happy & grateful about!!

We can't say we didn't make the most of it!

2011-08-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

On the eve of this "1st Day Back to School" I feel content. I think I've cried my share of tears over the thought of my baby going to Kindergarten {don't worry though, I saved some JUST for tomorrow!}. I've wondered countless minutes over "where did time pass us by SOOOO very fast"?? I've worried hours over "did I prepare her enough for school, give her the confidence she needs to withstand MEAN KIDS & to be comfortable about who she is, the kindness to "treat others as you would want to be treated", to respect her teachers & those around her, to LOVE JESUS despite all she faces in her next 16+ years of school, oh & so much more"?? Cry, wonder, worry as I may the eve before that 1st day of school is here! Nothing I can do now but just jump on this school ride enjoy & support her as much as I can! Cause it's what I've done with my soon to be 2nd grader!!

I decided there was NO ROOM for sadness around this house today & so we made our way downtown to make the most of this day!

I let them pretty much run the show....all with reason of course!

Imax was 1st on the list! We watched the most PRECIOUS movie Born to be Wild while munching away on popcorn

LOVE THESE 2

We then made our way over the Ocean side of the TN Aquarium {LOVE being a member.....no guilt in a 1 hour visit!} where the oldest requested to "pet the stingrays"......

the youngest requested to "see sharks"

& stopping for a few minutes to gaze at the wonders of Jelly Fish......being asked by the oldest "how do they have babies"......curiousity! LOVE IT!

I hope these girls never tire of loving on their momma........

cause I know I can't get enough!

Then, quite possibly the highlight of their day was playing in all the various "water play" areas that surround the aquarium for the next couple hours

Foot & Handprint of Emery: 5 1/2 years old

Foot & Handprint of Kayden: 7 1/2 years old

WHO NEEDS LUNCH?

Not these 3 Hughes chicks! Ice Cream at Sweet CeCe's was the best lunch a girl could ask for!

Our evening was just as I had envisioned it to be! A scrubbing from head to toe, clipping of the fingernails & toenails, lotion from face to toes, combing & blow drying of the hair, cleaning of the ears, uniform of choice laid out on bed, & stories in bed! Yep quite a dreamy evening.....for me I guess! But why did I think these 2 girls of mine would fall into a dreamy state of sleep at 745 pm after we've kept the most ERRATIC summer sleep schedule we've EVER kept??!! Messenger bags are chuck full of brand new school supplies, shots up to date, lunch bags are waiting to be filled with their choice of 1st day back to school lunch {will report on that later!}, book reports neatly finished & waiting to be passed off........so I guess we're as ready as we're gonna be.....we'll maybe ready for everything but that dreaded alarm & making lunches everyday! :)

New Do's

2011-08-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

oh how i do LOVE a good before & after.....no matter what it is! a makeover, a piece of furniture, a haircut, weight loss, ect.....

so with no further ado i waited EXCEPTIONALLY long to get my girls' hair cut....like maybe 6+ months, not on purpose rather it just seems to be pretty low on the priority list!

Kayden before:

during:

after:!!!! {we love candy....our hair stylist!}

Emery before:

during: {glorious shampooing! quite dreamy wouldn't you say?!}

after:

yet one step closer to that 1st day of school!

Summer Cooking

2011-07-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

WHERE IN THE WORLDY DID THIS SUMMER GO TO???

Last summer it seemed we visited the market several times a month & enjoyed those fruits/veggies for the next week! Nothing like it! To date I've been {with the girls while Jon worked} ONCE??!! Unheard of.....and so very sad at the same time because this is my opportunity to buy local & fresh. So need to give planting a garden another go....2 summer's ago didn't quite produce we had hoped it would!

I tried a couple new things with some of the yummy fresh goodness we did purchase.

2 different kinds of tomatoes which I was informed were good for sauces.....never have made-from-scratch-spaghetti-sauce so the buying was on....in hopes of enjoying some pasta later in the week!

washed:

boiled:

iced:

peeled:

chopped:

SCREECHING HALT! Who am I kidding that I thought I would get any further than this?? Insert a procedure called a Spinal Tap {performed because of several "migraine like" headaches, dizziness, & ringing in my ears.....ruling out a "pseudo tumor" which produces too much spinal fluid or does not absorb enough} & rest post procedure & work. Nope those toms sat in the fridge until they were used in these SOOO GOOD enchiladas! At least they didn't go to waist right?! I will get around to that made-from-scratch-spaghetti-sauce!

Next up was kale.....last summer was my 1st time ever eating this good for you stuff. Mom sauteed it in some sesame seed oil along with sesame seeds. YUM! Found this recipe for Kale Chips from Smitten Kitten & thought I'd give it a try.....who doesn't LOVE chips?? BONUS: nutrition packed in them...YES PLEASE! I purchased "dinosaur" kale.

Washed:

stem & center ribs removed:

torn into large pieces & lined on baking sheet:

ready to eat:

{i added some garlic powder as suggested by "Soule Mama" but will nix that next time & just keep it simple with the Olive Oil & Sea Salt}

Kayden LOVED these.....I am reminded again & again what good eaters I have! Took Emery to the Dr for her Kindergarten physical, upon Dr asking what her favorite food was she responded "avocado's"! That's my girl....indeed avocado's are her fav & MUST be rationed out to her or she will devour a whole one in seconds!

Last on the list but quite possibly the best was this Banana Blueberry Bread! Bought a pint of fresh blueberries with this bread in mind & letting a few banana's ripen up at home. My addition was adding a streusel topping {3 parts flour & sugar, 1 part softened butter....squish together with fingers & sprinkle on top} which can turn something ordinary into extraordinary!!

Wishing these summer days would sllllloooowwww down & I could go to the market more & enjoy fresh fruits/veggies more but alas it's fleeting fast & we will make the most out of the next couple weeks we have!

Camp Fig Part I

2011-07-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

this marks our 3rd annual "Camp Fig" long weekend retreat to the Chapman's who are now, respectively, the Figueiredo's & Crouch's! we're pretty predictable in our schedule & we like it that way!! we arrive thursday afternoon {or evening if your stupid nav takes you 3 hours out of the way!!} & while the kids play off their cooped up car ride energy the adults catch up on life until we all crash for the night! then friday morning comes early with a run for the momma's followed by more playing for the kids & coffee talk over the newest & greatest craft/food/exercise/ect......this year was "pinterest" & "whole 30" & a possible gather for our next group 1/2 mary! then post lunch we round up our, total 8, kiddo's, throw some suits on, & off to the pool we go!

a visit here would NOT be complete without "official" stop-watch-timed-water-slide-races

they may have been twins separated at birth.....except for the fact that they 1 year apart

did you know that if you turn a swim cap inside out, fill it up with water, & drop it on the swimmers head it's the easiest way to put a cap on?? we didn't either.....don't ever say those Chapman girls can't teach new tricks

we return home just in time for showers before heading over {via 4-wheelers of course} to the Crouch's for an always DELICIOUS meal

next pioneer woman i tell you!!.....or p-w {pronounced p dub}

you know you're a mom when you have a stripe down the center of your chest cause long gone are the days of flipping ever 30 minutes {on the dot....ahem!} without your bathing suit top tied up around your neck

good things she cute cause sneaking hand-fulls of cheese doesn't fly at everyone's house

sometimes it just takes a forceful uncle to get you fed

or laugh till it hurts

the rest of the evening could find 7 EXTREMELY MATURE adults circled around a table playing this game......AND taking it EXTREMELY SERIOUS

or being silly......

and you could find 8 kids, 1 dog, 1 found frog, & countless fireflies outside playing freely!

SSSCCCCCREEACHHHH! all this dreaminess came to a halt when a 5 y/o passionate girl {maybe mine maybe not!} was told she could not take said frog home! AND just like that it was bedtime! BUT we, once again, left we memories of a perfect night!!

4th of July on the 3rd of July

2011-07-05T08:04:00.001-07:00

Our 4th of July was celebrated a day early for 2 reasons: our traditional spot to view the fireworks {"Pops in the Park"} was held a day early AND this momma had to work on the 4th!

So the 3rd felt like the 4th & it found us......

loving on & surrounded by friends who are family & family who are friends

......getting faces painted

......chalking up sidewalks

......running barefoot on grass

.......getting paparazzied OUT

......being silly

......climbing trees

.......dancing on quilts

......blowing bubbles

......playing with balls

......frisbee-ing with dad/uncle

......having the BEST mom who can serve up a simple FEAST

.....making American Flags using imaginations {Kayden}

{Emery}

.......watching the sun go to bed

.......& the moon wake up

.......AND ooooing & aaawwwwwing over the fireworks BOOMING & BANGING!!

Thankful for freedom of soooooo many sorts. Thankful for good weather. Thankful for family & friends. Thankful for yummy food. Thankful for laughter & smiles. Thankful for cold grass & bare feet. Thankful for memories that can SQUEEZE all the fun of this one night into & be fondly remembered for hours & days & months & years to come!! YEP! It was a good 3rd of July evening celebrating the 4th of July!

FREE of the training wheels

2011-06-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

A bit late in this post but it deserves some showing off so better late than never! Early May I was leaving work & headed home when I received a phone call that I must come STRAIGHT to Gran & Papa's {Jon's parents} house to "see something"!

When I arrived this is what I found.....a 5 year old BEYOND excited for she had mastered the skill of riding without training wheels!!

Jon found that once the girls were able to master riding their Razor scooter's they were ready to have their training wheels removed! It proved true with each one! Such a confidence builder this proves to be!! Oh the riding that has taken place since that day....one proud little girl & even more proud are her parents!

A couple videos taken of that special day! Forgive me for making you have to cock your head sideways!

recycling the recycled!

2011-06-29T06:38:00.001-07:00

During our yearly Valentines dinner we gave the girls {as one of their little gifts} toothbrushes which were made from recycled yogurt cups! The extra goodness to them is that once you are finished with them you slip them back into the package they came in & drop them in the mail......no postage required!! Extra DOUBLE goodness!! They are then shipped back to the company where they will be recycled AGAIN! Extra TRIPLE goodness!!

Simple pleasures I tell you is all it takes to make these girls of mine find JOY!

With a simple opening of the door....placement of the toothbrush into the slot....& shutting of the door these used toothbrushes are off for some recycling!

There are some things in life that I don't bother my energy with {ie politics....don't lecture me PLEASE!}.......... where my thinking is "what difference will my one small vote or gesture make??" God is ultimately in control anyway right?!! BUT other things {ie our environment} I feel compelled to be that one small person, in a world surrounded by millions and millions of other humans, who tries to make a difference! After all God graciously gave us this earth to enjoy & so we must respect it & take care of it in order to continue enjoying it right?? We recycle, we try not to be wasteful {TRY being the key word.....we have soooo much more to work on....how does one live without paper towels??!!}, we turn lights off when not in a room, we TRY to not let the fridge/freezer stay open when not necessary, we turn the heat down/air up when we leave the house daily {hubby to thank for that one!}, we don't litter, ect, ect, ect! So although SUPER DUPER small.....we felt good about purchasing recycled toothbrushes & then turning around & sending them off for some more recycling goodness!! Kids learn by example & I hope they grow up to respect & take care of this planet we inhabit!