mommy & me

I'll admit it I like to match Harleigh. Sometimes it's not intentional but then again sometimes it is.

The necklace that I'm wearing is a super easy project. I took a long strip of material...about 3 inches I think...then sewed it into a tube and turned it right side out. I tied a knot in the end and then stuffed a cotton ball down in it. I alternated knots and cotton balls until I got it the length I wanted. I suggest a wooden dowel for shoving the cotton balls. After tying the last knot I sewed a length of ribbon to each end of the fabric. Super easy and super cute!

a new skirt and first time swimming

Pretty much the only thing I got accomplished before Judd got home yesterday (besides playing with the kids) was this little skirt for Harleigh. She didn't want to take pictures though.


After Judd got home we went smimmin' as Lucas says. This was Harleigh's first time so I had to delay him a bit to take a picture of her. I wish the focus had been better but we were in a hurry!

just because

just because i like them

just because he'll need a reason to hate me when he's older

just because i like the fact that i made us matching clothes

Not enough hair for bows? No problem...make one of these!

These nylon headbands can be found online for around $5 a piece. I'm cheap and didn't want to pay that so I decided I could make them myself. They are so simple! I found the knee highs at Wal-Mart for 44 cents. They are in those little plastic bubble things like the toys in candy machines. Pick out whatever color you want. I ended up with white, black, off-white and navy blue. I haven't checked the dollar store but I have this feeling they might carry the more "exotic" colors of knee highs such as pastels. LOL! Along with the knee high you will need scissors, fabric glue, a piece of cardstock (I use a mailer), and ribbon that matches your knee high. For the ribbon I like to use 1/2 or 3/4 inch.
Take one of the knee highs and cut off the top and the toe. Then cut it in half.

Next you want to take one of the pieces turn it inside out and slide it onto your cardstock. I like the cardstock to be a little too wide so that it bows like in the picture b/c it's easier to work with in my opinion.

Now fold up the bottom about a third of the way and put a line of glue along the bottom edge.

Fold the top down and press into the glue. Your fingers will get gluey b/c it will smoosh through the nylon.

Repeat this process on the other side of the headband as well.
Next you will take your ribbon and cut a piece that will wrap around the headband. I like to make it a little tighter so that creates a slightly gathered look. Slide it under the nylon then wrap around and glue.

Once the headband is dry slide it off the cardstock and turn it around. It will look small but of course they stretch. Here is the headband complete with a clippie bow. Sorry for the doll model but Miss Harleigh is napping.


And just for fun here is a picture of the vintage red high chair that we picked up a month ago at a garage sale and the dressmakers dummy in Harleigh's room.

birthday fun

Our day hasn't been terribly eventful but hanging around the place doing nothing is what Judd wanted. We have however had a little excitement. Judd and Donnie killed 2 snakes today. We've been noticing some around the pond lately but up until today they haven't been very successful at getting rid of them. The suckers were pretty big measuring in around 3-4 feet and I'm more than glad they are dead. Now we've got steaks on the pit and potatoes, corn and beans are cooking on the stove. We're eatin' good tonight!

Peanut Butter Bliss

1 brick of cream cheese (softened)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of milk
1 container of Cool Whip (thawed)
2 graham cracker crusts

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add in the peanut butter and milk and beat until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip. Pour into the crusts and freeze until firm.

I made this last night and it's so flipping awesome! Just don't forget to get 2 pie crusts. I ended up having to call Nancy b/c I only had one crust. Pie #2 has a Nilla Wafer crust on the bottom which will probably be just as good if I had to guess.

After making "real" food for supper the past few nights AND making pies last night I'm feeling rather domesticated.

John Deere Pie

I've been meaning for awhile now to try making a customized chicken pot pie. Judd doesn't like cooked carrots so the typical recipe using mixed veggies won't work for us. I started thinking about it (scary I know!) and decided why not just make it with veggies we will eat. So tonight I gave it a shot. I used 2 big cans of chicken and a can each of cream of chicken, cheddar cheese soup, corn, peas, and green beans. The bottom crust was a pre-made refrigerated pie crust and the top was a Bisquick crust-1 cup mix, 1/2 cup milk, and one egg. It made 2 pie plates worth so we ate on one tonight and the other will be frozen to eat later. Can't beat that! Before I put them in the oven it struck me how very yellow and green they were...hence the name John Deere Pie.

Judd's going to give me hell for "naming" it. Last night I made pizza and forgot to put the cheese on. I was putting it into the oven when he pointed it out to me. So I decided we'd call it Topsy Turvy Pizza. Apparently I've decided I have to name things. :)

Diving Back In

I finally got a few pictures to upload to Photobucket. It's not all the ones I wanted but these will work. The first one is the bouquet of Black-Eyed Susan's that Lucas picked for me in our yard. I finally had to throw them out after 2 1/2 weeks. I keep meaning to take him out and pick more since they grow all over the place out here. It's amazing how an old Dr. Pepper bottle with a few wildflowers can brighten up a dining room.

These next 2 are from over the weekend when we went to the lake to hang out with Kyle. For those of you who don't know the deer are all over the place out there and they are protected. They come right into the yards trying to get you to feed them. It's pretty cool! Kyle threw corn out in the yard where the sprinkler was watering and it was fun to watch the reaction of the deer. They were timid at first and would jump every time the water came around but after a little bit they got used to it and it didn't seem to phase them. Check out that little spike...such a cutie!

Rainy Thursday

I know we need it but I'm sick of the rain! I really wanted to get out and go to Wal-Mart this morning to pick up a few things we need like bread, cereal, and the elastic and ribbon I need for Baby Sisters bedding. I thought I had everything for the bedding but I guess that's what I get for thinking right?!

Speaking of BabS...she's officially held out longer than Lucas did. Last night I started having dreams that I was having contractions and of course they woke me up only to realize they had just been dreams. Perhaps I shouldn't have watched Knocked Up right before bed. That movie is cute by the way. Not a family movie in any sense but a fun one to watch when the kids have gone to bed...if you don't mind some adult language and situations.

My brain has officially dissapeared. I went online to fill out a form and needed to put in my past 5 years of employment and couldn't remember anything! Thankfully I found an almost up to date resume and the internet provided addresses for me. I went ahead and updated the last date on the resume to reflect when I quit the last job so that in the future I have it just in case my brain deteriorates even more which I'm sure it will!

Apparently I suck at blogging!

I'll try and be better now that we're HOME! Don't get your hopes up though that might be an empty promise!

Last night we gave Lucas a buzz cut. Still need to trim it a bit though...he was getting mad and wanting down...imagine that! Today he was acting crazy and Judd asked him if we shaved off his brain. He went running in the other room telling us as he exited "go get my brain". I"m not really sure what it was that he brought back though.
Here's his before shot

And here's the after. My sister and aunt pointed out how much he looks like my dad. It's rather scary!

My Sitcky Valentine

I took Lucas' Valentine pictures this morning. He had a ton of fun...guess the trick is to feed him candy!

Bed Head

Lucas normally has a little bit of bed head in the mornings but today was super crazy cute!







Here he is with Judd on the couch the other day. He likes to get up there and lie down with his Daddy and it never fails by the time I get the camera he's acting like a goof!







Grandma (his great-grandma) gave him this towel poncho. It's the Hulk. He calls it his muscles and does this cute little thing with his arms and kinda roars. Naturally though when I got the camera out he decided to be funny instead of doing his serious muscle thing.

Just so I don't go too long without posting...

Lucas has decided that during his baths he likes to put the bubbles on his tummy and call himself a snowman.

He learned how to say Oh my gosh from his Mema and when he says it he gets this huge grin and covers his mouth.

Today when we were coming to town we hit a reduced speed so Judd slowed down. Lucas started patting his lap fast and Judd asked him if we were going to slow. If you've watched Little Einsteins you know that in order to make Rocket go they pat their laps and the faster he needs to go the faster they have to pat.

Maybe tomorrow I'll have something with more to write about!

Lessons Learned

There is a reason I don't like "professionals" looking at my photos. See a normal person looks at a picture and says wow that's a good picture and they appreciate it for what it's meant to be. A captured memory. A professional looks at it and picks at it, tells you what is wrong, and while they might mean well and are truly trying to help you if it was unsolicited advice it can totally come across wrong. I now know that the moon in my photos was overexposed and I need to adjust my f-stop. Does that make my pictures any less special in my eyes NO I still see them as awesome but thanks to someone I don't even know I feel a little less awesome.
Lesson learned: Don't listen to people just think about Noni's moon.

Tonight Lucas went running into his room, fell and hit his face on the front of his Gator. He popped up crying and telling me his nose and head were broke so I gave him kisses and explained to him that was the reason we don't run in the house. Then I saw blood on his nose so I grabbed him up and headed into the kitchen hollering at Judd that he had a bloody nose. Donnie came in to help me and it was about that time I realized it was not blood but in fact was chili from his Frito Pie at supper.
Lesson learned: Make sure you wash your kids face ALL the way off and then you won't be freaked out by dry chili.

Yesterday I bought some used cloth diapers sized XS for Baby Sister. They are so cute and tiny and even have a cut down spot in the front so that they stay off the umbilical cord area. They are pretty bright colors too and I can't wait to use them. Lucas and I stayed in town and when Mama got home we went to JoAnns to look at items I'm going to be needing for Baby Sister's bedding. Afterwards we went back to the house and got Kristina and Daddy and went to Pepe's to eat. While we were there I was talking about the diapers. The subject then moved to the glass bottles I plan to use. Daddy asked why glass and Kristina answered "because they are cool and have that old school look". Daddy then said "you want old school let's talk cloth diapers". Lesson learned: Daddy doesn't really pay attention when his wife and daughters are talking about baby things.

I see the moon and the moon sees me

While Lucas and I were at Misty's party last night Judd took my camera out to try and get some pictures of the moon. He did a good job but wasn't too happy with them so we took the camera out tonight and I gave it a shot. These pictures are really special though because it was kind of a "thing" with Noni and some of us girls to call each other when the moon was pretty. These days it feels almost like she had a hand in making making them and I can't help but get teary eyed and smile at the same time when I see a great one!

FRIDAY!

I'm realizing today that I have done nothing to prepare for this baby other than buy some clothes. I'm also realizing there isn't really much I can do until I can get into our house and get all the old stuff that is just being stored out of it, then the guys can get the work done, and THEN I should be able to actually start DOING stuff. It's driving me insane and I feel rather helpless.

Lucas had a great afternoon/evening yesterday as far as the potty training goes. He went over 5 hours in the same pair of undies and might have gone longer had it not been time to put a pull-up on and go nightnight. If they consider babies as sleeping through the night if they hit the 5 hour mark then can I say that Lucas went ALL DAY being dry?

sharing a few pics

I got a new camera lens for Christmas and I was playing around and snapped this. It's a Frisbee full of Army men.





This is the buck that Donnie shot while we were on our hunting trip. BTW-I did shoot one but after 2 hours of tracking in the dark Donnie and Judd (I was helping until the trail crossed a fence line and there was no way they were getting my pregnant butt over the fence!) had to give up b/c the trail just ended. Just call me the Gourmet Chef to the Wild. It might not have been us that ate the doe but dang it SOMETHING did! Those coyotes/buzzards/whatever else better be grateful!





My munchkinhead playing on New Years Day





My guys





Pretty Miss Manda and a silly little doggie

I finally did it!

I've been saying for months now that I was going to create a blog and I finally broke down and did it. Now let's see how long it takes me to actually get it looking bloggy around here!