Sweet Pickin's

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Someone had posted pics of their fresh blueberry jelly on a message board I visit and it really got me thinking. I had wanted to take the boys to pick blueberries and now I had the perfect reason. As I do with most things, I obsessed over it for a few days. I must have read twenty websites with different tips for picking and recipes for blueberries. I even called ahead to the blueberry farm to make sure they had plenty left. I told the boys on Thursday that we were going to get up early on Saturday morning and go. We were so excited!!!!

I was a little worried before I went to bed on Friday night because my throat was getting really sore. Chaz had just recovered from strep and Noah had bronchitis. I was freaking out. I didn't want to have to tell the boys we couldn't go because Mommy was sick. I woke up Saturday and it was hurting so my dear husband let me sleep in until 8 and I think that helped. I sucked it up and loaded myself with Motrin, Vitamin C, Omega 3's and Echnicea.


We got to the farm by 11am. Believe it or not, it wasn't too hot and there was a decent breeze. We each had our own bucket and set out on our quest. Chaz and Caleb were competting to see who could find the most blueberries and who could find the sweetest berries. Zachary was trying to find the bluest berries and was also busy befriending the farmers sheep dog..so cute!
















I have to say the funniest part of the day had to be watching Noah. It was like he was at an all you can buffet. He would have cheeks full of berries and blue juice oozing from the sides of his mouth. Every now and then you would hear him spit and say "nasty" and at this moment you knew he had mistakenly picked a berry that just wasn't ready. It was hilarious. He was in heaven and loved every minute.



In the end we managed to pick close to 2 gallons of blueberries in about an hour. We brought them home and today I made the jelly. I have to admit I was really nervous. I didn't want to make a mistake and waste our fruit. It was simple and it taste delicious. I am really proud of myself and hope to make this a family tradition.



My grandmother always canned and made homemade preserves. It's one of my fondest childhood memories. I hope I can continue the tradition.

Fun With PhotoShop

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

My latest obsession is my SLR Nikon and Photoshop.

Sunday Sprinkler Fun

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Who knew $4.99 could be so much fun. As adults, don't we envy the fact that our children can get such pure joy from something as simple as a yard sprinkler? The boys had a blast and it was so enlightening to watch and to let all the worries and stresses of everyday life, lay by the wayside and listen to their laughter. These are the days that make memories that last a lifetime.

This was a good day.

Thank You

Thursday, May 29, 2008

My husband recently told me a wonderful story. He was sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for his flight home to Birmingham after a business trip. He noticed a man and woman who appeared to be in their sixties. A United States Marine walked by in full uniform and the man said " Soldier! Thank you for your service". It caught my husbands attention and gave him butterflies in his stomach. A second soldier passed by a few minutes later and the man called out to him, sort of loudly and said the same thing " Thank You Soldier". The man than turned to his wife and said " Ya know what would be great honey?" " I should have bracelets made that read "Thank You" and hand them out to every military person I see."

What if we all said "thank you"? Whether we agree with the war or not, we owe our thanks to these men and women. Imagine the feeling those soldiers experience when we extend our gratitude for their service.

Hmmmm.....

We Survived

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I woke up at 6am surprisingly feeling excited to go to work. I am sure this feeling will wear off in a week or so when the reality of having to do this permanently sets in. The morning went rather smoothly because I made sure to have everything ready last night. I had my clothes along with the boys laid out. Both of them would have water play at school so I packed their backpacks with towels, extra clothes and a stuffed animal for each for snuggling.

We were out of the door by 7:10 with only one tantrum and all our clothes clean and neat. I took them into the daycare and at first all was well. Noah handled it well but Zachary not so much. I was caught off guard by this because I figured Noah (being the youngest and a Mamma's Boy) would have the toughest time. Zachary didn't start to cry until I left and from what I am told, it lasted awhile. He had to be comforted and was taken under the arm of some new "buddies" who helped him settle down. Hearing this on the phone when I called for my 2nd update broke my heart and I wanted to run to him and sweep him up in my arms and hold him tighter than ever before.

Amazingly, he did better as the day went on and things worked out well. I hope tomorrow is better for Zachary now that he knows what to expect.

ETA: I only cried half way to work. Not bad.

Beach Boys

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Chaz recently made a job change and had a little free time before taking the new position. We miss all of our family in FL and have been fortunate to see most of them over the last year. We all have been missing Grandpa and Grandma in Ft. Pierce so we decided to take a trip. Zachary and Noah were overly excited to see family and their big brother, Caleb, who was able to miss school and join us.

I was dreading the drive because I knew trying to keep a 2 ½ yr old happy in a car seat for 11 hours was going to be difficult. Typically when we take these road trips, it’s the last few hours that suck. Well this trip wasn’t like the others. I think Noah cried for the entire first 4 hours of the trip. We stopped in Valdosta to eat and were tempted to turn around and go home because things sucked so badly. Thankfully, things turned around and the second half of the trip wasn’t as awful.

We stayed in Ft. Pierce with Grandma and Grandpa and while there, Nana, my mom and Gary, drove over to spend time with us. It felt so good to be with family. It’s the missing piece to our happiness in AL. I miss getting together with family and sharing memories with the people who matter the most to us. The boys soaked up all the extra attention that was being thrown at them.

The boys and I went to the beach with my mom and Judy. Caleb and Zachary rode the boogy boards while Noah tried to sort things out. He had never been on the beach so it was all new to him. He wasn’t having the water and I must say, I can’t really blame him. It was damn cold! Noah did enjoy supervising his big brothers while they dug a hole that seemed like it may reach China.

It was hard to leave our loved ones. Coming home to Alabama felt good. I missed the mountains. Things would be perfect here if we could just add our family to our everyday lives. I miss them all and I wish the boys had more time with them. Maybe one day God will bring us all together. I’m hoping and praying!

Spare Me!!!

Thursday, May 1, 2008

I am sitting here watching Nancy Grace and the same commercial keeps coming on. It's the new Electrolux commercial with Kelly Ripa. Every time I see this commercial I want to throw my shoe at the tv. Her hair is perfect, her clothes are all designer, her children are neat and tidy and her home is immaculate. There's a segment when it shows her looking under the childrens beds for monsters. Okay, in my house, the only monster you find under the beds are the huge ass dust bunnies or the oodles of toys that have been shoved under there by a 4 year old doing his best to spend the least amount of time possible cleaning his room.

If the commercial were shot in my home, the counters would have clutter, the homemade banana splits would be half melted and the children would be covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup. The dog would be doing all she could to jump into the lap of the children eating the banana splits. My hair would be half assed and I would have on some less than $20 Target or Old Navy t-shirt with my favorite pair of flip flops..NOT MINOLO HIGH HEELS.

Okay..so I feel better.