Apple Festival

Yesterday we took our annual trip to North Ga for the pumpkin patch and apple houses. This was our first trip to the Apple festival. In my opinion it was nothing special. The same old drain your pockets with kid stuff like all the rest. Within the first 30 minutes of being there we had spent over $40 on camel rides, slides and bungee jump things! Don't get be wrong I love seeing the girls having fun but really $10 for a camel ride that lasted 2 minutes tops?! Anyways we had fun!


Grace and Callee with the clown. Hynlee was NOT going near him!!

We made a stop by our favorite apple house. The Panorama. Derick is in LOVE with their apple pies. However he said yesterdays weren't as good as they normally are. I, on the other hand refuse to eat any other than my Nanny's. Called me spoiled if you want! But once you've had hers, no others compare:) The girls love watching them sorting the apples and then making the pies. 

Watching with Granny



This is Derick with Callee Bug's Pumpkin. I love that this is the place I went growing up and now we take the girls. But Burt's has grown so much! It's unreal at how big it's gotten over the last few years.



My girls:)



And after picking out about 100, Hynlee finally decided that this was the one for her. I love this picture. She held it for all of 2 seconds and was then done with it!

It's much easier to just find a bigger one and sit and wait!

So all in all we had a great day. Other than the fact that I had yet another allergy attack. This time to hard butterscotch candy. Yes! Really! It was processed in the same place as peanuts. But all was good. I hadn't ate a whole piece yet when I noticed so a no epi-pen just some allergy medicine and a quick nap.

Pumpkin Patch

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.



Where has my baby gone?



I can't figure out how to flip the picture. But here is her first H!

 Hynlee is no longer a little girl anymore. And this makes me very sad! I still say she is my baby, no more kids for me. But I can't stand that I don't have a baby anymore! Just this week she has slept in her BIG girl twin size bed in her room all night! From 8:00p.m. to 7:00a.m.!! Not sure who's heart this breaks more, mine or her daddy's! She has been in the bed with us or at least in our room since she was about 6 months old. So this is a huge adjustment for us! And a few weeks ago I tried teaching her to write "H". She wouldn't hear of it. And yesterday Callee shows her one time and she picked it up and is writing like a preschooler! I'm so very proud of my big girl, who will always be my baby!

All in a day

Wow!Yesterday was a day!

10 times 4 = Finger nails painted

9 sippy cups made for 3 toddlers through out the  day!

8 assignments laying on my desk needed to be graded and filed.

7 times asking Callee to PLEASE take off the skates

6 wild kiddos ages seven and under

5 loads of laundry washed, folded, and put away!

4 hours of school

3 Hot cooked meals...actually only 2! We ordered pizza but 3 hot meals:)

2 times catching Eli the Lil monkey climbing too high.

1 very tired but very blessed Mommy/Mimi!



Growing old together

Derick sent me this picture yesterday and asked, "Will this be us?" My answer YES! Without a  doubt! I can't...NO I don't want to think of a day when he is not right beside me. This picture reminds me of one of my favorite quotes.

 

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.”

                                                    Winnie the Pooh

Making Memories to last forever

Watching Tangled before bed:)

I remember years ago when I first had the girls, all I wanted was to be the "cool" mom. The mom who always had a house full of kids playing and laughing. Our first house was around other kids but the girls were too little to have friends down the street. Don't get me wrong...our house did have other kids in it. The neighbors kids who were ALWAYS hungry. Our house now is right off the side of a highway so no kids. I had never really thought of this until last night. Even though we're not in a neighborhood we are still the hang-out house. Looking back over the last few weeks I can only think of Sundays as the days when no-one else is here. And the reason for that, we're usually gone all day. So whether it's one cousin, or five, or one best-friend for a sleep over, or church buddies, or homeschooling friends I love having our house open to the kids. I know exactly what they're doing and who they are around. I have always stressed over the house. BAD! But last night as we were completely rearranging the living room for a princess sleep over it hit me. I have my dream, my wish and I couldn't be happier. So if you just drop by our house, Please excuse the mess my girls are making memories:)

Back to the books.

   Well our first break is over and back to school we go. While planning lessons I came across this poem.

Ode to a Homeschool Mom

As a wife, mother, and home educator

You are the embodiment of life, love, and laughter.

Even at times when you do not feel respected,

You are adored by the children you’ve directed.

Your chosen career means there is much to do,

For you are your children’s best teacher, too–

Training them to walk, to talk and say “please,”

Plus reading, writing, math, and social studies.

Gathering books from the library, you strive

To read aloud and bring history alive.

You take kids on field trips and nature hikes,

Arrange play days and set up movie nights.

You are a modern “Renaissance woman,”

Instructing every one of your children

In all of the fine arts and sciences

While you also pursue your own interests.

You are a housekeeper, nurse, cook, janitor,

Counselor, cheerleader, and a whole lot more.

You can give a lesson and bake a cake

While tying a shoe and mending a break.

You teach your children for most of the day,

And carefully listen to what they have to say.

Rather than measuring by height, grade or year,

You track their growth by the character they wear.

You routinely put your family first

And do your best to fix every hurt.

Your heart is full of compassion showing

You are quite wise and always knowing.

Your life is not as glorious as some,

With many days taken up by tedium.

You rarely get what you truly deserve,

As anyone else would surely observe.

But even amid the worst of all days,

Happiness is found in a special way.

God is your strength and Jesus is your mentor;

As you honor Him, He blesses your endeavor.

Copyright 2007 by Teri Ann Berg Olsen

Courageous

WOW! Last night Derick and I went with his parents to see the new movie, Courageous. I have no words really to describe the movie other than AMAZING! It was such a wonderful blessing to watch. I have blogged before about having went to Sherwood Baptist on vacation and absolutely love the church, the environment, and people. This movie was no different other than I think it was a step above the others! Such a wonderful message. I have been blessed with such an amazing husband and father to my children. But the movie was such an eye-opener for us all. I never want to take the moments I have been given with my children for granted. I'm forever grateful the Lord chose Derick and the girls for me. So if you haven't seen it please please make it a point to go see it. You won't regret it I promise!