A Few Fall Decorations!

Fall is one of my favorite seasons! There is nothing like eating big caramel apple on a cool crisp morning and making soup for supper on a cool evening! I love it!
    Around the first of September I am ready to get some mums/pumpkins/hay and fodder for the outside..and of course do a few decorations on the inside as well!
    I am not done with my decorations, but at least I have a start! Honestly, I don't like a lot of things sitting around, its just more for a pregnant mom to clean, so this is what I have so far!

This is my Dining table arrangement. I bought most of the harvest pieces at Hobby Lobby on sale last year. I differ from most...I don't like anything big on my dining table, something medium size, but pretty is all I want. Since this picture was taken I have also added a small porcelain pumpkin in front. 

 And then we go to the living room! I have had these globes for several years. I of course keep candles in them until the Christmas comes around, and I replace the candles with some colored tree ornament balls. This year for fall I decided to do as you see..Fill them with some Pumpkins/Acorns and Pine Cones..With some added burlap ribbon to give it an offset. 

A few weeks ago I was on Pinterest browsing through fall and happened to find this free fall subway art! I printed it, found a frame, then added some leaves to the corner! It was all I needed for my coffee table!

I have had this wooden letter (A Hobby Lobby Deal) in my living room for sometime now. It is normally solid black..sorta plain...but not for the next two seasons! I think the burlap ribbon added the touch needed for this season..We will see what touch it gets for Christmas this year!

A Piano Arrangement! 

Last but not least! Last week I was shopping at my favorite store (Hobby Lobby-ha), saw this pumpkin and fell in love with it. I immediately got the idea of putting the kids names on them from the biggest/oldest to the smallest/youngest. The best thing of all was, I got it on a sale and only had to pay $4 for it! I love deals! Its a good fit to complete the top of my piano.

What a different's it makes, changing a few things in a room!

Isn't it hard to believe that we can almost say,

Happy Fall Ya'll??  

  

Summer!

Wow! What a summer it has been for us! I'm having a hard time trying to figure out were to start!

  As you all know when a woman is pregnant, her world normally turns upside-down. Well, that has been for me anyways. Update- I have had several, several complications with this pregnancy...Including being diagnosed last week with gestational diabetes. I do very well with a diet when I set my mind to it, but I was never able to quit everything "cold turkey", but that is what I have had to do. The good thing is, at the present time I am on a oral medication and not shots. Although they have warned me, It may come to that. I keep telling myself I only have 8 weeks to go! As for the baby our little (JaHanna Faith) is doing great, other than her being breech that is! We can since her stubbornness already! We are very excited for her arrival! Benjamin now ask me every morning, 'mommy is baby sissy coming today?", I turn to him and say, "no I don't think so"...and then he just shakes his head at my tummy and scolds her.

   During our past summers, we have always taken the kids to the zoo/creation museum or were ever they ask to go, but this year that has not been so with momma not being able to travel...so this summer was spent doing things close to home! 

  Our summer started with our church Youth Camp, and the birth of my sisters baby.. and then lots of, "mommy with child time"! #1. Potty training! 

And I am proud to say...Benjamin is now Potty trained!! He is doing great! I never thought he would be that easy! But we said many prayers before we started! Prayer Works!

  LaDessa and I had several mother and daughter dates on the town! 

We love these days!..and we took advantage of them this summer! We done lots of baby shopping/walking/eating and just playing/being "girls"! 

  The kids spent many days and nights with my parents! They both love summer, for that very reason! My parents took them on several mini trips, but the LaDessa's favorite was the trip to Cumberland Falls! Mom and Dad also took along my brothers two kids that day. They all come back with a big story to tell.."They walked up on a copper head"....I think that is one of the reasons that trip was so memorable.   

   Pool time! Both of our kids have been very scared of water. So we decided we would get them a small pool to slash in, have fun, and get a bit more used to the water. 

Benjamin has decided to be a water dog! And LaDessa says she thinks she would do ok in a bigger pool now. Time will tell!

That's our busy summer with a 6 and 2 year old in a nut shell!

Before we knew it, school was back in session!

With sleepy eyes we head to First Grade! 

It is so hard for me to believe she is in First Grade already! And it really hit me when she couldn't give me a hug in front of her classmates. She just said, its time for you to leave now! 

She has done very well! We are proud of her! She says she liked it much better this year because she can stay all day! Needless to say, we don't have to say "its time to go to bed", when it gets dark, she comes to tell us "good-night"!

We have been so blessed! I love setting down to recount my blessings! It always brings tears to my eyes! God has been so good to us this year and I am looking forward to the rest of the year!

Until Next Time..........

Vacation 2013!

                         Our vacation 2013 began on Saturday May 18th...back to our favorite spot...
                                                         A week at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina!
For the last 3 years we have gone we have taken someone with us...Which is always a lot of fun!! The first year Jay's mom and dad came along, the second year my mom, dad and grandma joined us...and this year a family from our church joined!! The Hubbard Family (Marlin (we call Chief), Amy, Matthew, Jordan and Kacy)! We had one more blast!!! It was an awesome vacation!

We all stayed in our  favorite resort..."Harbor Lights"! Jay had reserved our Villa back in January so that we could all stay together! It slept 8 people, which was perfect!

After unloading our belongings, we drove up the North Myrtle Beach to eat at my favorite restaurant! The Empire Fire Mongolian Grill! After eating, it also became Amy's Favorite as well!

In the last three months Jay met his goal by losing 60 pounds before going on vacation...And we celebrated with his requested "A Rose Garden Cake"!!! Jay told Sis. Heather Smith he wanted lots of icing.. and she done a very tasty job on it!!! I have never seen so much icing on a cake in my life! 

He was informed before we left by several...Don't get down there and have a sugar high! Well, I think he came pretty close to one with his very first bite! He also had Ice Cream to go along with his cake and Diet Pepsi! I couldn't understand that...why not have a regular cola?

On Sunday after a Morning Devotion together, we all headed out the see the alligators at the Alligator Adventure.

The kids!

My silly husband! Sometimes I wonder!

We had lots of fun seeing all those creatures! I was jumpy the rest of the day!

We got to do and see so much while we were there!

During our stay we took the kids to Wonder Works on the board walk (while it was raining outside)! I think we were there a little over 4hrs! And still didn't do all the exhibits. 

 We walked the Board Walk (between the rain storms) with waffle cones in our hands, Shopped, The Hubbard boys rode the Zip Line...and our kids always enjoying spending time at Kiddie Zone!

Later in the week we took a road trip down to Charleston, SC. Jay is big into history and so is Chief and his boys. It must be a guy thing! We first toured Fort Moultrie (in the rain)! While walking, girls were not too far ahead us, and they start screaming SNAKE!

  We made the guys go check things out, and sure enough!...A live snake right beside the side walk! We are still not sure what kind of snake it was, but it was scary!

After leaving the fort we head over to Patriots Point and toured the USS Yorktown, USS Laffey and the USS Clamagore! It took us all day to see everything, especially in the rain.

Benjamin loved it!

The kids on a top bunk in the Sick Bay Area.

There was so much walking to tour it all. I chose to set out on the deck over the water and watch another storm roll in! But, it was worth it...We got to see a free Dolphin Show just feet away! Pretty amazing! LaDessa thinks the storm may have scared them a bit, and they were trying to find cover! 

The day came when we finally got to go the Beach!! If you have noticed it has rained the whole vacation! So we only got to go to the beach one time!

Huntington Beach!

The men built a sand castle and they done a great job on it!

What a difference one year makes!

While the kids and I were walking down the beach splashing the water, a lady is walking toward us very fast.. She comes to me and says, "mam, you may want to be on the lookout with being in the water, because we just saw a huge shark not far from shore". I told her I greatly appreciated her coming to inform us...and I hurried my kids out of the water! Minutes after, there it was! A big shark! I couldn't believe it! LaDessa was amazed! Needless to say, It was a while before I got back in the water!

We stayed until we were all burnt and until the tide came in and consumed the castle!

Not to long after leaving the beach, in rolled another rain storm! Got out, just in time!

Any free time we had while it was not raining, we spent quality time in the pool! I don't even remember how many times we were in the pool! What kid doesn't like water though!

 

We all got along just fine as long as we let the men eat and they let the women shop!

 Some of our Dinner Meals were... of course the Empire Fire Mongolian Grill, Angelo's Italian Buffet,  Fiesta Del Burro Loco, Golden Corral, Brazilian Steakhouse, Osaka Buffet and Five Guys! And here and there in between!

Our week shopping spots were...Hamricks, 501 Tanger Outlet, 17 Tanger outlet, Cato, the Malls, Book Stores and anywhere else that we saw with deals! And we found lots of deals!

 

This vacation post was very hard.....I had so many pictures to choose from, and I knew I had to cut it short! 

It was truly an awesome vacation!!! But how many can relate to me when I say,

There Is No Place Like Home?   

 

LCA Graduation!

It is so amazing watching kids grow! Everyday brings new experiences!
  When I held LaDessa in my arms rocking her, feeding her, diapering her and so on, just the thought of her growing up would be more than I could take! But I now have to face the fact that she truly is growing up. I have had such mixed emotions this month! I have had to stop and remind myself, "she isn't graduating from high school"...yet...its only kindergarten! But those thoughts of down the road are still there in the back of my mind.. and I can't seem to erase them.

There were five students in LaDessa's class! I have known Sister Bowman for many years, and we count it a blessing to have had her as LaDessa's first teacher! What a change we have seen in LaDessa... It has been a wonderful year! We love and will miss Mrs. Bowman greatly!

The five of them (in there own words).. "we are ready to get this night over with, and no more pictures"!

I would have posted a picture with LaDessa receiving her diploma, but my mom has those pictures on her camera, and I have yet to get them.    

After the graduation, the class parents put together a Kindergarten Graduation Party! They had lots of fun being together one more time and playing there favorite games in the gym!

One of the mothers done a fabulous job decorating the cake! The kids could not get over it!

And they all wanted to eat Mrs. Bowman! She actually took it well...she decided it was very sweet of them! Ha!

The kids had a wonderful time, and did not want to depart from each other!

And after saying good-bye to the classmates, LaDessa said good-bye to her Kindergarten Classroom with an empty locker and lots of tears!

Wow, how fast this year has gone!

We Are So Excited!!!!

I have so much to post about in the next few days, but I will start with the most exciting one first!!
   I went to the doctor on May 16th.....Thankfully all was well with mommy and the baby!.....But before I left, I begged the doctor for an ultrasound! I knew I needed to be at least 18wks, because my office doesn't like doing them before, but I was going to be 18wks in the next few days...I told him we were going on vacation that Saturday and we would like to shop in the right department...And so he gave in!!

It did not take her long to find the gender! So far, none of my kids know how to be modest in the womb! HA!

She told us that she couldn't be 100% sure, but she is 99% sure.. and we have no worries about buying pink!!

LaDessa is overjoyed that she will have a girl to play baby dolls with instead of always having to play cars with a boy! Benjamin was finally happy to say "mommy get me a baby sissy"! I am sure he will regret those words in the coming years when they both gang up on him!

For Daddy and Mommy, it really didn't matter to us....but I will say I thought we were getting a boy, comparing this pregnancy with the last one... now that we know we are getting a girl, we are sooo excited and can hardly wait for her arrival!!! 

 

 

  

I can hardly believe it!

It is so hard to believe LaDessa's Kindergarten year is almost over.
  Last Friday night (May 3rd) was our Church Graduation, and LaDessa was, of course part of the graduation! Here are some snap shots!

LaDessa looking very nervous with some of the Graduates!

This is so hard for me to believe!

Receiving her reading award!

Receiving her Kindergarten Certificate by Bro. John!

After the Graduation Ceremony with all the graduates, except two.

After the Ceremony, everyone gathered at the church fellowship hall for a celebration! Each graduate had there own table display! This was LaDessa's display, with bright colors, just what she ask for! I thought it was very girly and the perfect fit for a kindergarten graduate! Gotta love it!

This is the face she put on almost the entire evening. She said in her own words.. 

"Mommy, I'm just nervous"....What could I say!  

One proud family!

I want to give a big thanks to Sarah.. she covered for me with all the snap shots...for some reason, Jay and I both left the camera at home, along with our cell phones. That never happens to us! I am so glad I had Sarah to cover that area! Thanks Again Sarah!!!
   I will have pictures of  LaDessa's "School" Awards Day and Graduation Night, and lots more, Later!!
                                                         Until Then, Have a Great Week!

  

Come And Vote!!

Back to baby names!!
   We are trying to settle the boy name and then we will work on a name for a girl. We still don't know what the gender is, but we want names before we go. So I need your help!!
   I think we lean more with Josiah...for the middle name...Jays name is "Jonathan Jay" and Benjamin's middle name is "Jacob"..soo... We are sleeping on, "Josiah Jake".  This way we will have Jonathan Jay (JJ), Benjamin Jacob (BJ) and Josiah Jake (JJ). Jay is often called JJ, but the boys will not be called by there initials.
    So what is your vote????....Like Or Dislike????