More Pics From Last Weekend

Jim, Christiana and Josiah at

the football game.

Jonathan

Matthew, Kyle and me

Kids playing in the yard at Granma's

Jonathan and Micah

Joshua

Kaitlyn

Matthew

ERHS class of '91 being silly

My best friend since elementary school

Wordless Wednesday - Fun in the Leaves

Tuesday's Tip - Removing Stains (from Your Kids)

Ok, today's tip may sound a little weird but it works.

You ever had your kids get into an art kit with markers or some bright colored lipstick that stains? Well, the same product that removes those stains from your walls will remove them from your kids as well. Just use a Magic Eraser! Permanent marker, lipstick, pen, etc. It will remove the stains from their hands and arms and legs (hehe) or anywhere else they may have written or smeared stuff on themselves. Trust me, out of desperation once I tried it and I've used it ever since.

So don't freak out when you're fixing to head out the door only to find that your little one got into a marker set while you had your back turned. Just clean them up and go :)

What a Fun Weekend

We went to NC this weekend for my 20 year high school reunion. It was such a fun weekend. Friday night we headed to my old high school for a home football game. Our class had a tailgate party in the parking lot an hour before the game and we were able to meet each others children. It was so neat to be back at my high school. Our team won 38 to 7 :)

Saturday we just hung out at my Granma's house. The kids had fun exploring in the woods around her place and climbing trees, playing in the dirt and raking up a small pile of leaves to play in. My sister stopped by for a visit along with her family and a friend. That night Jim and I headed to my reunion while the kids hung out with their Pawpaw playing Apples to Apples and Bingo with lots of laughter thrown in. For me, it was so much fun seeing old friends again. Words can't express how much I love my classmates.

We headed home Sunday morning so we could arrive at church to participate in our churchwide Luau. We have some Samoan families in our church that shared their food and traditional dance with us. It was a fun afternoon.

So, as you can see, it was a very busy but fun weekend for us. Now it's back to unpacking, doing laundry and getting the house back in order.

I'm sure as I finish getting all our pictures from this weekend together I will be sharing them with you, so there's more pics to come. Hope you all had a fun weekend. Be blessed.

This is a picture of Kyle taking a nap out

at Granma's in the bed that was

built for my Dad when he was a baby.

Another pic of the bed while Kyle is sleeping.

Wordless Wednesday - They Grow Up So Fast

Saturday's Trip

We like to take spontaneous trips by looking online to see what's going on during any given day. This weekend we found this place. It was the 32nd annual Fall Festival at Fall Creek Falls State Park in Pikeville. It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect for it. After the festival we drove towards Crossville on the way home and saw around 15 elk (sorry no pictures of the elk). We stopped by a cute BBQ restaurant for dinner then headed home. Here are some pictures from our Saturday adventure.

Trying to get Joshua to smile

while waiting in line for our lunch.

Group shot of the kids (minus Kyle who was

in the Ergo) while waiting in line for lunch.

Found an empty picnic table!

Very busy place.

Lunch time!

Some of the crafts there.

A neat fountain.

Sorghum molasses demonstration.

Checking out some more of the crafts.

Christiana and Kaitlyn

Kyle and Josiah (best buds).

Cute place where we had dinner.

Front of the restaurant.

They had delicious fried pickles!

Taking orders before placing our order.

Gumballs for dessert. Happy little guy :)

Weekend Plans

Last week at this time my family was fighting with a 24-hour stomach bug. Not fun at all. I'm so thankful today that we are all healthy and well. It's times like those that make us appreciate what we normally take for granted, everyday health.

This is the first weekend in a while that we have no plans and everyone is well. Not sure if we'll make it a weekend to relax, since we have no obligations, or if we'll go do something together as a family just because we want to.

What are your plans this weekend? Do you have something you have to do or is it a relaxing "do what I want" weekend for you too? Whatever it may be here's wishing you a blessed one.

For Real Thursdays

Having a little of what you might call "writer's block" today. Loving today's weather and inspired to get things accomplished. So that's what I'm doing today, getting things accomplished. So sorry there's not much of a post today. I do have lots on my mind. Will be sharing what I'm thinking another time. In the mean time, have a great day and be blessed.

Wordless Wednesday - (Fall) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I Love When the Stores Put Out Fall Decor!

Tuesday's Tip Response

Last week I posted a tip that got rid of fruit flies and had a few responses of people who were going as stir crazy as I was with those little bugs. I'm curious now as to how many of you have had the chance to try it and if your kitchen is as bug free as mine? Did you find that it worked for you and is your kitchen more pleasurable to be in now? Let me know, I love feedback. Thanks and be blessed.

A Delicious Change

Last Friday night instead of having our usual pizza we had Hobo stove meals. By Hobo stove meals I mean meat and veggies wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked over heat (our kids learned this by making hobo stoves out of cans in Royal Rangers). Instead of making hobo stoves we just used our grill. I have to say, these meals were delicious.

This is how we made ours:

Place hamburger, onions, carrots, potatoes,

mushrooms (we also added cheese) and

seasonings on aluminum foil.

Wrap aluminum foil so there are no

holes or places for air to escape. You

want the steam to stay inside, it

keeps the food moist.

Folded neatly

Place on grill and cook for 15 minutes.

Be careful when you open, there will be hot steam.

Finished product. You can eat it

straight from the foil or...

transfer to a plate. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Locks of Love

Tuesday's Tip - Getting Rid of Fruit Flies

I am so excited about today's tip, and of course, it contains one of my favorite household ingredients - vinegar! So, here it is.

Ever go stir crazy because of those little fruit flies (some call them gnats) that love to hang around your bananas or any other fruit you have lying around? Well, I have found a remedy, and it works great! Take a small bowl and put a small amount of apple cider vinegar in the bottom (it has to be the apple cider vinegar, the white vinegar will not work) then add a couple of drops liquid dish soap (brand does not matter). The fruit flies are attracted to the vinegar and the dish soap changes the surface tension so that they can't fly out. This does kill the flies, they drown in the liquid. If you wish not to kill them, then use a tall glass and still only use a small amount of vinegar and no soap so that flies go down into the glass, then once you have a few in the glass cover it and take it outside to let them escape. I personally prefer to kill them so they don't come back, but you do whatever you like.

This works great! I am so excited that I do not have these pesky little things flying around my fruit, trash can and kitchen sink anymore. Put more than one bowl out in various spots that tend to attract them and catch even more faster than just putting out one. I have a picture below of a bowl that I set out by my sink. It was there less than 12 hours and look how many fruit flies I caught. I have since cleaned it out and done it again, as well as place another one around my kitchen and I'm having great success. Hope you will be pleased as well. Let me know how this works for you.

Yep, those are fruit flies in the bottom.

I placed a piece of paper under the bowl

just so you could see them better.

Climbing Wall

Last night after evening service our church had our End of the Summer Cookout. Some of the things at this cookout were inflatables, a climbing wall and volleyball tournament. It's always a lot of fun and good fellowship.

Well, this year I decided I was going to climb that wall. Last time I had been pregnant and was unable to climb. So, I decided I was definitely going to attempt it, and I did. I made it all the way to the top and hit the button that sounded the alarm that I had finished. Wow, what a sense of accomplishment! I felt so rejuvenated (after my legs and arms stopped shaking, that is). I felt like I could do anything and I felt so young :) It was so much fun! Made me wonder why I don't do more things like that more often.

Everyone got in on it. Even my husband Jim tried it and made it with flying colors. Josiah and Kaitlyn both hung out at the wall the whole time and each went up about 13-15 times. Christiana made it up, her first time climbing a wall t0o. Micah made it up after his 6th try (way to get over your fear of heights. I'm so proud of you!). Jonathan made it half way up and Matthew as well, so glad they tried it. Even Joshua got to try. Little guy thought he was suppose to hold the rope with one hand. Had he realized just to let go and hang on to the wall he probably would have scaled it all the way to the top, he has no fear.

I was unable to get pictures of everyone because we took a lot of video instead, but here are just of few of the pictures we did take.

Me beginning my climb.

Joshua, with some help to get started.

Micah climbing.

Jonathan climbing.