Another Day of Homeschool!

Wow! The girls are really loving school. Both are very cooperative, engaged, and excited about their lessons. I am very proud of them. It works well, because Meleah lays down for her morning nap, and gives us quiet time to focus on our lessons. We do our reading and quiet time in the afternoon while Meleah takes her second nap.

Here are a few pictures from our day! Enjoy!

New Braunfels Vacation Re-Cap

Head on over to Amy Loves It! to read up on our trip to New Braunfels.

You can also read about Reese's "miracle cure" for bee stings.

Total Randomness...

Are you wondering what the last week of our lives have been like?  Check out this post on Amy Loves It!

A Double Birthday Party

My sweet girls, Abby Grace and Reese had a double birthday party on Saturday. It was a lot of fun, and we did it as frugally as possible (feel free to giggle at me and my crazy ideas!).

Reese turned 3 in March, and we had a family party then. Abby Grace will be 5 on May 14. It is soooo sad that my baby is going to be 5! It does not seem like I was preggers with her 5 years ago. Ah....

Anywho, Shane-O and I decided to make it easy on ourselves our family and have two parties in one. Summer gets so busy, and a lot of family and friends are unable to attend both parties.

So, the plan was to have a nice little get-together and hang out in our backyard. Ha! It rained the entire week before... this is what our backyard looked like - minus the cars.

But, not to worry. Luckily, I had cleaned out our garage, and it was nice and neat. Seriously. I don't like it when our garage is messy.

So, while it sprinkled, everyone chilled (and, it was chilly!) in lawn chairs in the garage, while the kiddos rode bikes, dodged the bad drivers played in the Barbie car (that belongs to my MIL), played basketball, and chit-chatted.

Would ya like to know what we ate? I know you're just waiting to hear about my gourmet budgeted birthday meal. Well, here it is... and if you are wondering, yes I really served beans, and no I didn't pay for them!

• Beans (cooked in the crockpot for 8 hours) - all TWO pounds of them were gone. I received a ton of compliments for 'em. Who says cheap isn't gourmet? Thank you, WIC!
• BBQ shredded chicken on rolls. I cooked the chicken the night before in the crockpot. Thank you, Proverbs Wife!
• Cake... what cake? Not me! I used two brownie mixes from my stockpile, and topped 'em with cream cheese icing.

I didn't go to the store for a thing (well, you know what I mean). Does it count that my MIL picked up rolls for me before she came since mine NEVER rose??? {stupid weather} BUT, the unrisen rolls did not go to waste, as my family ate 'em anyway.

The day was great. Shane picked out a swimming pool for the girls, and they got lots of great things from our wonderful family and friends. More importantly than gifts was getting to spend TIME with those family and friends. It was a wonderful, fun, happy day.

And boy was I worn out after it was over.

Photo by U.S. Geological Survey and Lotsa pix by ME

Also posted on AmyLovesIt!

The girls' new video...

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Wordless Wednesday

Mommy's Kitchen Helpers

Planting fruits and veggies

We started our garden today, and if it is anything like last year's, there will not be much to brag talk about come fall. But, I remain hopeful, as I am really excited about what we did today.

After a trip to the local feed store (and played with some chicks), we got to work. I purchased white tubs and let the girls paint them. They did such a good job.

Then, we planted our strawberry plants in their pretty tubs. I planted my basil start in Meleah's pot.

My sweet Shane tilled up a patch on the west side of our house (aka, the "full sun" side) for me to plant my onions, tomato plants, and tomato seeds. Bell pepper seeds are planted in a wooden barrel next to the onion/tomato patch.

In Sunday school, the girls received flowers to plant, so we moved them from their Styrofoam cup to this clay pot that sits in front of our home.

All in all, it was a very productive - if messy - day! We love our Mondays because they are "Daddy's Day Off"!

Random pictures of my sweeties

I'm lovin' it...

I cannot say it enough: I love being a Mommy! And, I am especially blessed to be the Mommy of three aMaZiNg girls.

sharin' some love

Buds, BFFs, Sistas


Look, Mom, Big Sister is reading to me!!!


Reese is such a good big sis!

Helping Mommy

The new sleeping arrangement

The girls are finally feeling better, and are back to sleeping in their room (hallelujah!). Tuesday night was their first night back in the "normal" routine. Neither girl was happy about sleeping alone (haven't figured this one out yet... all three sleep in the same room!). So, Abby Grace invited Reese to sleep in her bed. Thanks to Uncle Jim Bob and Aunt Tabby, Abby Grace has a full-size bed that can accommodate two squirmy wormy girls. This is how I found them.

This is how we... sleep

Well, it is how we sleep when we are sick, and do not want to infect our baby sister. The girls share a room now (and it is working out very well), but because Abby Grace and Reese are sick, the doctor has recommended that they sleep in different rooms. Enter in mattresses from the toddler bed and Ada's bed. Plop them on the floor in the living room and, Voila! Oh! I must have forgotten to mention... Momma and Daddy have to sleep in the living room, too. Thank goodness for our extra-long couch so Daddy's feet do not hang off.

We love Uncle Griffy...

Yesterday was a busy day. We loaded up and headed to two Wal-Marts, VA, Sam's Club, and Lifeway. Shane needed to replace the televisions in the youth building. Wal-Mart in Gainesville had one tv in stock, and the Wal-Mart in Sherman had one tv in stock. So, we visited both. Then, we headed to VA (Van Alstyne, to those who don't already know!) to see Griff and check on little Kailan, who has RSV (no, we didn't get near her). Abby Grace and Reese spent the ENTIRE DRIVE talking about going to see Uncle Griffy. Reese named him that, BTW. Both girls just love Griff, but Reese flat-out adores him. She loves to tease, hug, and talk to him.

On the way home, I texted Griff that the girls just kept talking about, "the fun trip to see Uncle Griffy." He asked why they liked him so much, so I asked Abby Grace. This is what she said:

"Griffy is nice. He likes us. He has Servati daughters. I'm going to find flowers and take them to him. He is kind."

Sweet, huh? Reese replied to my question, "I like Uncle Griffy." :)

Girls' Christmas Slideshow

Pajama Girls

I just had to post these pics... the girls look adorable in their matching pajamas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

After Thanksgiving, we hung up our stockings and decorated the Christmas tree. This is the first year we have actually hung ornaments on the tree (usually, we just have lights). As you can see in the pictures, Meleah is truly excited about all of this Christmas hoopla!