Our Day Out

This morning was...

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY!!!!

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How darn expensive are those crazy school photos?

And the 1980's background choices...seriously?

But...I just have to buy school pictures!

I am that mom that buys a million pictues to hand out and I will save some every year...

bring them out when the children graduate, have their first dates (at age 30) and to celebrate other events in their lives.

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So, here's my little snapshot of sweet Emily.
I instructed her to pull up her top and take off the cardi before the nutty photographer snapped the quick shot!

Remember how energetic those silly photographers were? Ugh!

Here's Laney and kitty George showing Emily how it's really done! Smile!

Later on this morning, Laney, Henry and I met my dear friend Kristen and her sweet little boy Brody!

And a shopping we went! Yippee!
(My photographer was a 4 year old...in case you were wondering why we looked like out of proportion amazon women!)

Boy oh boy, we had a great day out!

Kristen makes me laugh so hard...

the kind of laugh that comes out loud and strong...

blasting out into the air so EVERYONE can enjoy too!

Then I snort,

and hunch over in laughter!

I wish laughter was a form of exercise!

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Now to start working on my art orders.

I have a feeling that the money fairy is quite busy!

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BUT...

It's Thursday night...my favorite night...time to start celebrating the weekend!

Moving It Inside

Change is in the air.

Here's what we look out to from our front porch.

Right outside our little woods...

our family lane separates our home from the corn field.

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During the summer,

I'm in heaven...

the corn is up and all of leaves canopy our home.

Pure seclusion!!!!!

Not so much anymore.

Jon's uncle decided enough seclusion was enough!

Goodbye clean air too! ~cough, cough~

While the tractors ran outside, I closed up the house (boo hoo)...

and baked PUMPKIN BREAD!!!!!

And the AFTER. Now I can see the road and Aunt Karla's summer home.

It is refreshing to see out into the world a bit.

The mornings and evenings have been quite chilly,

so we've been creating indoor entertainment.

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My dear Laney, definitely an artist!


Henry and Emily think just like their daddy...all mechanical minds!
Perhaps an engineer like his daddy, but Henry may become a farmer like his grandpas!

And do I see a bit of Mommy in my little guy? Oh how I love a reader! BUT...Daddy is still influencing him...STAR WARS!!!!!

No matter what my three babies become, I just hope that they are happy (and debt free)!

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Fall is here...flannel sheets, warm baths, fuzzy slippers, and warm drinks...AHHHHHH!

Any fall favorites for you?

Getting A Little Creative

I asked for some fun odds and ends...

to add to my artwork,

to add to some hair accessories.

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Ask and I definitely DID receive!

Yesterday, I received boxes and boxes of costume jewelry from Jon's great aunt!

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WOW! Was it fun, fun, fun to go through!

I will tear a lot of it apart,

creating new art.

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I will save some for my little ones too.

Guess they kinda think grown up jewelry is fun!

While I figure out what to create with my new odds and ends,

here's a little shirt that I made for Henry!

I told the children that THIS is what Daddy looks like when he first wakes up in the morning! Ha!

And it looks like I am not the only creative gal!

Remember those bachelorette totes?

Well, the host created these beaded beauties as a THANKS!

Aren't they lovely?

I cannot wait to show them off!

I guess Pi Phis are pretty crafty!!!!!!

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And here's a little peek at my next project.

Yummy, isn't it?

I cannot wait to just add primer to it!

The main color will be a soft, creamy, cozy color.

And I cannot wait to replace those knobs with some FAB Anthropologie goodies!

I want to start NOW, but I have to wait on sweet hubs to move it...

since it does weigh like 35 thousand pounds!

Ouch!

Weekend Tidbits

Another great weekend....

blew by at full speed!

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Lots of fun though!

Jon stayed home on Friday, so we worked around the home.

Jon...outside,

Henry and I...inside.

Okay, so Henry and I HAD to take many snack breaks!

RED VINES...YUMMY!

On Friday night, we went out on a "field trip" with the couple that is helping us host this year's adult Halloween party.

It's all TOP SECRET...

so we cannot give out any hints!

Jessica and I posing...absolutely NOTHING to do with the party.

Remember...TOP SECRET!

Saturday morning...soccer at 8:30!

Jon then sealed the driveway and I spent my day trying to keep anything and anyone off of it!

It was a beautiful day, but was a bit cool...

the weather was perfect for my big pot of chili!

Family movie night followed!

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Today I decided to really prepare for the cooler weather.

I went through the children's closets...

moved too small clothing from one child's closet to the next.

Then ordered new fall staples online!

After the clothing clean sweep, I moved on to my art room!

I moved out old, preparing for new!

Wow...did I organize!

I sharpened every pencil in my container.

I even had Emily cut little papers to put in my little bowl.

For my computer note-taking (AKA promotion codes, new blog addresses, new SHOPPING sites, etc.)!

This evening we had Grandma down for dinner.

HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!

Grandma makes 80 look stunning, doesn't she?

Oh, and one of my favorite parts about today...

ordering these!

Hello heaven!

Oh, don't worry...I'll be sporting the insulated liners as well...

for when it's beyond cold! BRRRRRR!

Hope you all had a happy weekend!

Cool Cats

Yesterday afternoon, all of the guys got out Grandpa's motorcycles...

to tune them up...

to have some fun!

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Here's Jon going down our lane.

He looked quite nice on Grandpa's little cycle...

But...the epitome of cool...

Uncle Rick!

This guy just bleeds cool.

His hair blowing in the wind...

his cool shades!

The guy SCREAMS cool...and he doesn't even try.

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If I remember correctly, Aunt Karla was on a beach in Texas...

and Uncle Rick rode his motorcyle up to her....

his cool looks took her breath away...

and as the story goes...the rest is history!

While all the guys were riding up and down the lane, a wonderful package came via UPS!

My sister and her family sent this amazing cooler!

Our 20+ pound cool kitty George checking it out...see how big it is?

My sister is such a cool cat! She shipped lasagna, green beans and tiramisu all the way from Savannah, Georgia! I love her so! Here's the card.

And a cool little kitty living right in our home?
Emily!

This morning she was up and at 'em at 6:30!

Today is Grandparent's Day at school!

Emily is sooo excited!

It will be an amazing day for her!

Happy Friday to all of you cool cats out there!

Closer Together

How is it that death actually brings people closer together?

I am very fortunate...

I wasn't too familiar with death until this week.

But, looking back...this week overflowed with love.

I thought I might be much more upset and emotional about losing a Grandpa...

but throughout this week I just kept smiling.

Smiling...

thinking about Grandpa...

knowing how much he was loved...

is loved...

how much he will continue to be loved.

Our family was together a lot this week.

I am so proud to be a member of such a great family.

Something so small can create such a grand memory.

One night earlier this week, the family was going over photos.

After everyone went home...

In the dark, wet hair up in a towel~turban style~I ran down the lane...

to Grandma's home.

In my SIL' s words: It (Grandma's home)was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Grandma, Jon's aunt Karla and I laughed so hard over funny pictures.

The kind of laugh that makes you snort out loud!

I will forever remember just laughing with them...

then stuffing my pockets with mini candy bars for my trip back down the lane.

Little, simple blessings...

are definitely the BEST.

This week, so many people have expressed their love and sympathy.

And just that means more than anything.

So, we will begin our normal routine once again...

but I again smile...

because my Grandpa memories are good...

the kind that will make me giggle from time to time.

Grandpa's little pick me ups.

...and not to long ago Grandpa told me that I had every color possible in my hair.

Ya, he noticed the neat little details...

I also love all of those colors, but I went dark again...simple.

Not quite as dark as my natural color...

but, come on....NATURAL HAIR COLOR and 36 YEARS OLD...don't seem to mix well in my life!

Cheers to family love....simple, simple family love.

The Circle Of Life

I started this weekend out celebrating a dear friend's birthday.

Celebrating the day she was born.

Celebrating her life.

Friday evening, was Mom's Night Out.

We celebrated motherhood...

friendship...

and WoW....did we celebrate!

Okay, so I was home...in bed...by 11 pm.

I guess my age is catching up with me.

All of us had to be up at the soccer fields by 8:30 on Saturday morning.

Yes, I wore my baseball hat AND sunglasses for soccer!

After soccer, Laney went to ride in the combine with Jon, while Emily, Henry and I met my parents back in my hometown for a fall festival.

My sweet boy...oh how those animals intrigued him!

Emily doesn't ask for much...but she couldn't wait for a pony ride.

These rides make me cringe.

I feel sorry for those amazing creatures.

I want to let them free.

Before Em's turn, I asked her if she would do one thing...

and of course she did...

I watched her do it.
I'm so happy that she leaned down and whispered to her pony....told the pony that it was beautiful.

It was nice being back in my hometown, with my parents...

with my children....

celebrating my childhood memories.

Visiting my childhood home.

Looking through my bedroom windows.

Celebrating my youth.

We came home to two front door packages.

Jon's Aunt Karla sent some art goodies!

Emily definitely celebrated! She loved her clay.

Later, the girls celebrated Laney's gift as well....scrapbooking supplies!

Today was a day that I will never forget.

Jon's grandpa...

his second father...

his high school coach...

our neighbor down our lane...

passed away.

And what we did later on in the afternoon...was a gift.

Jon, and I got in Grandpa's little pick up truck.

All five of Grandpa's great grandchildren piled in as well.

It smelled like Grandpa.

We rolled down the windows and drove across the road to our pumpkin patch.

Jon started cutting pumpkins off their vines.

The girls and Henry collected.

~Megan~ ~Emily~ ~Madison~ ~Laney~ ~Henry~ The girls loaded pumpkins into Papa Dave's truck bed.

We got back in and drove back to our lane.

As the wind blew threw my hair and I smelled the inside of Grandpa's truck,

I smiled.

I could hear Grandpa laughing...

at what a sorry sight our pumpkin patch had produced this year.

Laughing...giving us all kinds of static about our goods.

Laughing...

our grubby clothes, riding in the pickup, tearing up our weedy patch of bits of nothing...a true gift from Grandpa...something he would have LOVED to do with us.

I will terribly miss the man who I called simply Grandpa.

There isn't one person who didn't love him...

Here's to Grandpa...

celebrating his life...

Both here and above.

haPpy BirThDay Breakfast

This morning, Henry and I met my bestie Alyssa and baby Aspen for breakfast...

to celebrate her BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, B!

Aren't birthday's just the best!

I love them so!

(...and that is a picture on the wall behind me. No, I'm not wearing some weird box on my head! Ha!)

It's been a full week...having friends over, clothing party, practices, meeting with another couple planning our BIG HALLOWEEN party, and tonight is Mom's Night Out!

Fun, fun times!

And yes, the times are changin'....

Our leaves are turning!

And who just HAS to buy Halloween candy...NOW?

We will go through many bags before the actual spooky night!

I'll blame it on the falling leaves...they make me crave chocolate, hot cocoa, and a cozy blanket!

Celebrate...the weekend is HERE!

Bachelorette Bags

Last week, I got an order for something F-U-N...

Canvas bags for a bachelorette spa day!

I got to work right away.

Oh how I enjoyed working late nights...

just my paint brush and me ....

silence while the little ones were dreaming.

Layers of paint...

the key.

Layer 1....painting the pictures!

Ta-da! The finished look! Just finished with the varnish coat last night!

I even added some beading for the bride-to-be.

...She may be just a tad bit special..hope she feels this way when she receives her little bag!

And every artist has an OOPS moment right?

Please say RIGHT!

I painted the hostess's name wrong...yes of all people....the sweet gal who ORDERED THE BAGS!

So, if you know any Kara's out there...with a K...let me know....

We can work a deal!

Hope the girls have a great SPA PARTY!