So exciting! Our first sales.

My mom and I opened a shop on etsy http://www.suebandme.etsy.com/ . We are trying some different things we started with hair barrettes and burp cloths and are already excitedly planning what other crafty things we would like to sell. We had two sales this weekend and we were way excited yeah! Now we just need to get some more clips posted!.

Halloween at our House

We made this Boo and Headstones out of some plywood we had at our house. I spray painted them and looked up humorous headstones. I was really excited to see them up, I love that Don is into these things too. TRICK OR TREAT.

Metcalf Bottoms- an addition to summer places

Our friend Lori, introduced us to this fun place of Metcalf Bottoms. I can't wait until next summer we are definetly going back. It's about an hour away and a perfect all day place. The kids could raft down or play in the water, or look for tad poles, and the list goes on.

Yes, it is that cold.

This is the life!

Holly's Birthday surprise

When I asked Holly what she wanted for her birthday she said she wanted a barn. A barn? I don't even know where to get a barn!, was my reply. She simply said, "You just go to Home Depot." I asked her, "You mean a real barn. Why do you want a real barn?" Matter of factly, "So, I can put a horse in it." So for Holly's birthday I set up with a friend in our ward to go over and see her horse. I didn't tell Holly what we were going to do, just that it was a surprise.
She was so excited. I brought carrots and apples to feed Cole, the horse. At first she tried to call Cole like a dog, "Come her Cole, Come her boy.", patting her thighs. She got to lead him and brush him.

She even rode him bare back. I couldn't believe that she wasn't scared at all. Later on she feed him which was a little scary, horses have big mouths and Holly has little hands. This horse was so mellow and I am VERY thankful to Kelly for making my little girls day. (Josh's too, he went for a ride and the kids also rode together) Holly still would like her own horse, but wasn't excited to hear that she have to clean up the poop everyday.

By the way the horse is eating an apple her, not Holly's hand.

A birthday Tradition

One of the things that I do on my children's birthdays is sing Happy Birthday to them for every meal. Who wants just one wish when you could have 3! They also get to choose what they want to eat. Breakfast: Yogurt and berries. Lunch: Ham and cheese roll up. I also made her a tomato flower.

Dinner was tacos and for her cake she wanted a strawberry cake with strawberries on it and a horse on top! I got a little carried away on size. Let's just saw that FHE treat and treat of the week will be Holly's birthday cake.

P.E Art Show

Yep, my son is so talented that he didn't have 1 not 2 but 3 pieces in the P.E. Art show. Okay so everyone had something in the art show. The first huge guy he did with 3 other boys the next piece he calls 'Super J' and the last piece is a fish and sponge bob is standing on its back. Not bad for a six year old. Our budding artist, okay so he may not be budding, but he is ours (and cute).

Ladies and Gentlemen... I give you the preschool class of 2011

This was Holly's last year in mommy co-op preschool. We get to start kindergarten this fall. She had a great time with these kids and learned alot.





From left to right we have Mable, Zoe, Holly, Benson, Brylie, and Cruze (P.J had already left).





For our end of the year party the kids played we had pizza, cupcakes and goodie bags. We'll miss you class of 2011.

Summer Reading Festival

The kids and I went to the library reading festival downtown. We had a real good time we got to do a few free crafts, ate some popcorn, split a shaved ice, played in the water, saw some zoo stuff, put pots on our heads, jumped in the bounce house you know the usual.





It was the perfect weather and the kids were really well behaved. It was and I quote "The best day ever", you know we get a lot of those around here. We must be doing something right.





Oh and Holly won 3 free dance classes, yeah! Mommy loves free.

Summer list

Last summer I was very structured with our time, and I would probably be so again this year if our free summer movies hadn't turned into our 3 dollar movies and we weren't going to be gone half the summer. So I am trying to go by the seat of our pants. But, you know me I can't let go totally, with that said the kids and I made a list at the beginning of the summer of things we'd like to do. Here it is: Go to the splash pad, zoo, a museum (Josh is obsessed with this one, but there are no great museums here), movies (only one time this year instead of every week), play at a friends house, go to Fort Louden, go to Greenville, go to a fun park the Roses told us about, Bounce house, go to a park and play, go to McDonald's, a family date (this was Holly, when I asked what do we do on a family date she said we go out to eat, ohhh), putt-putt golf, movie night, have an all day movie day-at home, picnic at our house, have a play date, go swimming, go to Oma & Opa's house, go to Tu-tu's house, go to Grandma & Grandpa T's house, Make ice cream, go camping and have s'mores, go to the library, ride our bikes at the park, go to the beach and make sandcastles, see fireworks, go bowling, feed the ducks, go bowling, and go to Lookout point.





Pheww, that is a long list, but we've already been able to quite a few and mostly for free, because friends have invited us here or there. So, thank you for all those who are helping us make this THE BEST SUMMER EVVVVVVEEEERRR!!!

Reno update-my food storage room

Here's an update on my food storage room. We have cleared, framed, dry walled, taped, mudded, put in a floating sub floor, primed, painted ceiling and walls and Don just put in the floor pad. All that is left is the flooring and shelves. I can't wait to put in my rotating can dispensers and fill this puppy!

It's looing gorgeous.

Awards

I can never get a clear shot of him. Josh was awarded a couple of awards. He got one for excelled reading, one for doing a math-a-thon and one for testing high in reading. Way to go kiddo!

True Knoxvillian

We were playing at the park with some friends the other day and Holly comes up to me and says, "Mom, where do I live?". I told her you live in Knoxville, she proudly walks back to the three older boys she had been talking to and says, "See, I told you, I don't live in Tennessee, I live in Knoxville!". The other mother and I just laughed.

First Family Campout

Well, I brought my camera but forgot to bring extra batteries. So no pictures, when Katie emails me some pics I will post them.

We went with our friends the Teed's, camping. It was a quick trip, but I loved it. I don't know who was more excited me or the kids. I started packing 2 days before hand and our trip would only last about 24 hours.

Katie, the kids and I went up earlier on Friday and got a site and started setting up camp. Yep, we put up both tents, started a fire, and started dinner (roasted wieners). The guys carpooled up and met up with us after they got of work. Josh was so excited. Wow! look at our tent. Wow! look at the fire. You know I was doing the same thing inside. I love the campfire smell, I love making Smores, I love playing games, I love playing in the water, I love Don telling pretend ghost stories, I love Don pointing out the stars, I loved being together as a family. I would have stayed longer.

Holly loved the water, she kept catching minoes with her bare hands. I think she loved everything except , "The dirty part" on her marshmellow. I think she thought it was cool to pee in the river, play with her flashlight, and get to play the whole time.

Josh loved every new thing. He definetly liked the swimming, and the smores, sleeping in a tent.

Don loved that he didn't get eatten by bugs, playing games around the campfire, and squirting us all with water guns.

I can't wait to go back.

Preschool Field Trip

We got to go to the fire house for Holly's field trip. The firemen were so nice and soooooo patient with our 8 kids plus younger siblings. The kids loved the fire truck. The guys let them go all over it and showed the kids what firemen look like when they try to help them in a fire. Holly was totally getting her flirt on!

The group P.J, Mable, Brylie, Parker (benson's little brother), Benson, Cruze, Zoe, Holly, Charlie (Mable's little brother)

She's ready to drive, just as soon as her feet reach the petals.

A huntin' we will go!

Along with our real eggs we hid quite a few plastic eggs filled with candy. (Note to self only buy to small bags of candy next year, other wise it will just end up on your hips!). We got home from our trip to Atlanta and the kids went down for a nap. We hid the eggs in our backyard. They were way excited for the hunt.

Don watched over the porch to help guide, if need be. We hid them everywhere on the playset, on the fence, in the garden, no not there Holly!

It probally took the 15 minutes to find them all. In the end Don had to point some out.



The rabbit was good this year!