Rip VanWinkle{s} and a Corn Maze

While Granpa Bill was visiting, we took a little trip to the local orchard and corn maze.  Apparently we stayed in the maze a little longer than anticipated as Braden, Tarver and Ryland all grew beards, moustaches and, yes, even ear hair.  Eew!! 

I'm not sure if this incident reminds me more of Rip VanWinkle or MacGyver - Granpa's endless supply of chewing gum came in very handy for attaching the corn silk accessories!

While waiting for the boys to shave I enjoyed looking at the beautiful fall colors.

Granpa Bill and The Boys

Attempting . . .

Our Christmas Card picture.

Enough said?!

I love taking pictures of kids -

especially the kind that belong to those other than me.

How is it I can get a great picture of another family but it's so hard when it comes to my own

kiddos?

Take one . . .

Take two . . .

Take twenty-two . . .

This is more like what I was hoping for!

Adding a cat for full family effect :-)

After what seemed like a very long time I finally gave up on the large group shot and went for more manageable chunks of my kids. 

Maybe we'll try again tomorrow!

A New Recipe: Potatoes au Cannon

There's a different kind of fragrance lingering about our home these days-

it sort of smells like French Fries cooked in Aqua Net hairspray.

Behold - the 2011 Fall Granpa Project

The Potato Cannon

Raspberry War Paint

Safety First

Probably the only use my sons will ever have for hairspray.

  Granpa and Langston excitedly awaiting the first spud launch.

Boom!

The Peanut Gallery

Preparing for the next launch . . .  

The Spud Crew

Just three short years ago . . .

These were my munchkins.

Where did the time go?

Granpa Bill is here to play with the boys this week and I am using the time to {hopefully} knock a few items off my larger-than-life-to-do-list.  One of my projects is organizing pictures.  What a sweet find today!

Birthday Poetry

A few weeks ago, Ryland's Sunday School teacher {and my very good friend} had a birthday.

 Ryland wanted to make her a really nice card to express his appreciation for her friendship.

He decided a poem would be right for the occasion along with a battle scene drawing.

 'Mrs. Udd

is not

mud'

Such beautiful words to express how we feel about you!

He worked so hard on his poem that I didn't have the heart to ask him to make something a little more, um . . . well . . . birthday appropriate.  Thankfully Mrs. U is an extremely gracious lady - especially considering the fact that Ryland gave her a sharpened pencil as a gift instead of dark chocolate, as recommended by his mother.

 

Listening to the boys

Let me just start out here with a confession of gratitude - I am so thankful for my God who, in His grace, grabbed hold of my life and who has gently led me, taught me, and disciplined me over these years.  He has given to me wonderful friends and mentors who have poured their life experience into me so that I may follow the godly path that they have blazed.  I'm so thankful that He showed me His desire for me as a wife and mother, to be firmly rooted in my home and branch out from there.  I'm so thankful for the wonderful husband He has given me and the incredible sons with whom He has blessed us.  I'm thankful that He knows best a woman's ministry center is her home - had I not learned this lesson many years ago I may have been in an office this very morning, crunching numbers on a ten-key, and missed out on an ordinary- but precious- conversation.  Reflecting on these beautiful, ordinary moments between my sons and with my sons has filled my heart to overflowing with gratitude for my Lord.  Truly, truly He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. {James 1:17}

Ryland: "Langston, do you feel like God is calling you to be a Pastor when you grow up?"

Langston: "No.  I think He is calling me to be a man."

Ryland: "Oh.  Do you think you'll be able to make any money doing that?"


'. . . and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.' Titus 2:4&5

Thankful to be at home today loving on the most important people in my world.

Tippy Toes



Langston, Daddy's helper



Mama Mia!

Ryland is such a great helper in the kitchen.

Saturday night he took charge of supper- from finding the recipe through all steps of preparation and even rounding up the crew to 'come-n-get-it.'

Spaghetti Pie a la Ry!

Ryland's helper woke up from his nap just in time to help with the sprinkling of the cheese.

Our dinner bell {one of the greatest purchase I have ever made!}

The kitchen crew, all decked out in camo aprons, waiting for the family to gather.

 Mmm . . .

 You can see it was a huge hit with everyone!