Movin' on up...

Today is the day! I know I haven't blogged in quite a while, but we have been busy! Most everything is packed up and my internet gets turned off today, so this is farewell until I get online in Texas.

I have all kinds of fun pictures to share, but the cord for my camera is all packed away. So until I un-pack, no new pictures. But I would like to say good-bye to Alabama with pictures:

Our visit started with the birth of many baby goats. We got to watch many of them being born and watched them grow up. We even got to milk one of the momma goats and that was yummy. Shelby even bought a kid goat and sold it. She is learning business early!

The kids got lots of Nana time. They got to spend the night and play and work in the garden with Nana. They also loved getting the eggs out of the chicken coop.

Then we met Katy - our pit bull. She was so little! Now she is a big part of our family.

Gator got to try his hand at frog giggin'. He loved it and the frog legs!

We got to fly kites at Nana's house.

Colby got to shoot his .410 and Shelby's .22. They all got to practice with the BB gun and the .22. They had lots of fun with Dad.

Dad and Colby became good fishing buddies. They really enjoyed the many ponds available for fishing here.

And we couldn't travel anywhere and not visit the train museums! This one is in Chattanooga, TN, but our favorite one we have visited yet. Colby got to ride a real steam train, see this real breakdown train, and watch the engine get turned around on a real turn table.

We did so many more things. Like visit our first Mule Pull (which you can see on my blog under redneck category I think.) We had fun here and will never forget it. We have made many new friends that we will have to come back and visit. Good-bye Alabama . . . until we return.

Holiday Traditions

I know I haven't posted in a week. I've been busy doing schoolwork, packing, homeschool group stuff, and yard sale stuff. Fun Fun! Over at In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 Amy is hosting a contest for a Toshiba HD DVD A2 Player! So I am participating and sharing my family's holiday traditions.

We don't do a whole lot for Thanksgiving but the last few years we have started a "thankful garland." The kids really like this and it helps everyone's perspectives. The first year I cut out about 50 orange construction paper pumpkins. I took green curling ribbon and stapled it all he way around the living room wall near the ceiling. Each day the kids would tell me something they were thankful for and I would write and draw it on a pumpkin. By Thanksgiving we had a pumpkin patch hanging on the living room wall. The following year we did fall leaves. Now that was a lot of cutting!

For the past 5+ years we have done a "homemade Christmas" with the kids. This has been so much fun! It makes Christmas a very busy time, but I like it so much better. It takes the focus off "commercial Christmas" and puts th focus back where it is supposed to be. I make the kids simple homemade gifts. I have done pajamas and a baby blanket, and my husband made a baby cradle one year. Last year I gave my oldest daughter a "mommy and me" journal. I took a picture of me and her and posted it on the front cover of the book. Then I wrote a note to her on the first page. She loves journals and doing copywork, so she loved this gift! For other family members I have painted stained glass windows, made kitchen goodies, and personalized scrapbooks. I even made my mom a cookbook last year full of y favorite recipes and a decopage cover. My husband has made deer jerky too. We have had so much fun!

Another family tradition is the Jesse Tree. Every year we work through the Jesse Tree. It takes a full month, but is reall fun. One year I painted a tree onto a piece of butcher paper and hung it on the wall and then the kids taped the paper ornaments up each night. Another year We used a real twig stuck in a coffee can. I made felt ornanments to hang on the tree. I'm not sure we are going to get to do it this year since we will be on the road. :( There is a link on the left side menu about the Jesse Tree if you are interested.

The first picture is the framed scrapbook page I made for my sister's dog. The second picture is of the stained glass window I painted for my sister. And the third picture is Shelby helping making hamburger meat and summer sausage. Last year we gave away homemade summe sausage. YUM!

And the winner is . . .

The Pitter Patter Boutique has won the free book Mothering by Heart! Pleas head on over to her blog page and congratulate her. She sells her homemade nursing covers on Ebay. Check it out.

Thank you for all the participants! I love being able to bless other moms and these contests give me an opportunity to do so. Be sure to visit Cooking for Health and Fun and congratulate the winner there too!

Rainy Days

What do you do when it is raining outside? I am so busy right now with college classes, that I just don't have time to post a lot of stuff . . . so I am asking you guys to help me! I am tagging Something About Arah, Gerlt House, Just Peachy, and My 3 Boys and I! Post what you do on rainy days and link back to my page.

FYI: Don'f forget I am hosting a Fall Y'all Blog Contest. I am really sad only two people have signed up! I will extend the deadline to Monday to give you guys more of a chance. And not only am I doing the book giveaway - I am giving away free season mixes on my cooking blog. I will extend that contest date until Monday too.

Here is Shelby climbing the door way - that is what she does when she is stuck inside. Literally climbing the walls!

This is how Katy, our pit bull, spends her time inside. Looks comfortable, doesn't she?

And this is what I do when it rains. This is my redneck-made indoor clothesline. It hangs in the school/craft room. Lovely, ain't it?