Life with my sister

Hello. It's been awhile. I decided to check in. I'm here! I've been getting flack about not posting from the 3 people who read our blog! Lol.   Julie posts so well and has such great content.  I hope people read her posts. I love reading them. My mind stays so distracted lately it's hard for me to sit and write. I'm going to work on that. I thought I would update you on us. We have traveled like crazy lately and I love it. I will do a recap of our trips in the next week. Here is our most recent trip through a few pictures. Orange Beach, Alabama. Our fave beach spot.  Henry loves to go to the beach and stay at the Caribe. He favors the pools over the sand though. Honestly, we do too! We likes to watch the water and the boats though. We do too.    Discovering all new things this time. Henry is getting so big and inquisitive about everything! We stay at our resort/condo most of the time and just chill/veg. This was while walking from the beach to the pool one ...

My menu planning has been bad lately. This month has not only been a boring July, but a lazy menu planning month. Hurry, August, hurry! I am not someone that can just throw ingredients together and have a meal. I really need to have a plan so I can shop and be prepared.  Tonight I decided we would have tostadas. I had corn tortillas and ground beef so it would be perfect. Except that I didn't have chips or salsa and that would not go over well with the fam. So, I made chips! I just cut up the tortillas and fried them. They were so good. I fried the whole tortilla and made the tostadas. Anna helped me make homemade salsa and it was a hit! There was no lettuce or tomatoes, because I didn't buy any! The guys were impressed and so was I a bit. It isn't often I impress anyone in the kitchen.  It's meals like this that make me feel like the kids may look back on their childhood and think I was a good cook!

In the great outdoors...It has been wonderful the last two days! Low temps and humidity have been really nice. I've sat outside in the middle of the day without sweating. In July! Wow, so thankful! Within our walls...We still have sickness within our walls.  A heart of thanksgiving...I'm so thankful for the cool weather, pain relievers, and wellness. A heart of prayer...I'm reminded that the convictions I have that don't matter eternally, shouldn't be used to bully or judge people. And the same for others convictions. I'm praying that I won't be so judgemental. Random observations...I hate Mosquitos, gnats, and any other flying bugs. My silly children... Samuel isn't feeling well today. He is achy and feverish. As bad as I feel that he isn't his normal self, I have LOVED lying beside him in my bed and watching tv, talking, and laughing. He's a really great kid. Thoughts from the kitchen...Tonight we're having tator tot casserole and for desse...

It happens every summer, the kids get sick. They don't get sick much in the winter, but summertime hits, and we're at the doctors office. Two weeks ago, David started feeling bad so I called the doctor. The nurse said she could call in some cough medicine, but I had already found the bottle from that same week a year ago in our cabinet, so I told her I'd just use what we had. Apparently, David and Anna were ill at the same time last year. But David continued to get worse, so into the office we went. I remembered then that the month of July is when the med students work in the clinic. We see a new batch every year, because we're always there in July! Turns out David has a petty nasty year infection. We made a quick trip to Little Rock after the appointment and he rode like this. Poor baby. But on a brighter note, my fern is looking great! I've had it since Mother's Day and it's still alive. Wonders never cease!

As I've mentioned before, this summer is going to be known around our house as The Most Boring Summer Ever!  This morning I told Daniel and David they could ride their bikes away from our little neighborhood. This was met with surprised looks and excited smiles. Daniel was the most excited. They quickly got dressed and hopped on their bikes for a little adventure. I took a picture, as you can see Daniel was the most excited! They stayed gone for about an hour, and had fun. Finally! Fun was had this summer! This afternoon the doorbell rang. The kids answered it, and Daniel came to me and told me a man was at the door. I left the kitchen and David followed me. I thanked him for his protectiveness. The salesman at the door laughed and thought it was sweet that he was standing so close to me. I turned around and David was right behind me. It was so sweet, he was making sure nothing happened to me.  These boys are really great. I hope they remember that some days this summer were f...

I don't often write anything about Samuel. Mainly because of his age, but I'm making an exception today.  This time last year we were talking and praying about Samuel taking a class in public school and playing baseball. After much discussion and prayer we enrolled him in geometry and baseball in our district's high school. You remember high school right? In 10h grade friendships have been made. By this time, people have chosen who they want to hang with and who they don't. In this school district there are a four elementary schools, one jr high, and one high school. By the 10th grade, everyone knows the ins and outs of everyone. Friendships have been solidified.  Samuel was walking into a school where he knew just a few people, and none of them were that kind of good friend that we want on the first day. Samuel walked into the school for the first time on the first day of class. I had been to the school, and knew where his classroom was,  but he had been out of town an...

In the great outdoors...It rained this morning, so it's a little humid outside. But just looking out the window, it is a beautiful day. Within our walls...Stephen is off today, well he has to work tonight, but toDAY he's home. So, it's our Saturday, we're being a little lazy and plan on going to a movie this afternoon. A heart of thanksgiving...I have found myself to have a lack of contentment lately. I'm remembering that all of my needs are met, and so many of my desires. All of my wants aren't met, but who needs all of their wants met? No one! A heart of prayer...I am planning two women's events for the upcoming months, and am praying that the decisions I make and those of my team are God honoring. Random observations...I've always known people to say "God told me to do this" but I've never had an overwhelming feeling of God telling me to do something, or in my case not to do something, that only affected me. Until now.  My silly children...

Anna was invited by a friend to go camping for a couple of days this week. She was so excited. She told me that she had been thinking about those kids that got to go on vacation with their friends, and now she was getting to do it! She had a really good time, and made some fun memories.  She took this picture when they went walking. While Anna was gone I found out about a family farm that gives away all the corn they plant. Unbelievable I know! Yesterday, David, Daniel, and I went out and picked corn. A lot of corn! 17 dozen ears of corn! We gave over half of it away, and froze the rest of it. It was fun, we plan on going back tomorrow to get some more.  Samuel was working and didn't get in on the fun of picking corn. I'm thinking he can go with us tomorrow! Haha! It's time to go ou and buy some fireworks. The boys are going to a 4th of July party tonight and need to be prepared! Oh my!

Today is our Mamaw's birthday. Happy Birthday Mamaw!! This is one of my favorite pictures of her. I'm the one she's hugging. When Mamaw hugs you, you know you've been hugged. The smile on her face is the smile I see when she looks at me. Those hands are the ones that hold my hands, touch my arms, and pat my legs when she talks to me. Those eyes are the ones that look into mine, reading my emotions, telling me she loves me with just a look. Today I was schucking corn, blanching corn, and freezing corn. Corn, corn, corn! As I was doing all of that, I remembered Mamaw and Papaw canning green beans at wee hours of the morning. I remember hearing them in the kitchen with the radio, on top of the refrigerator, playing, and the sound of the clinking jars. I don't know what time it was, but for this little girl it seemed like 4AM. As I stood at my counter, cutting corn off the cob in the middle of the afternoon, I felt a new kinship with Mamaw. Mamaw is a woman of passion, ...