POTD 9/5/08

OK I started to panic tonight when I thought I hadn't take a picture for today, but then I remembered that I took on last night and ended up not using it.

Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, these annoying little bugs, called love bugs, come to East Texas~I have no clue what their purpose is but they are nasty, they swarm and then they just kind of stick to you. UGH





I don't know if you can tell from the picture but it's 2 bugs attached to each other~ANNOYING and NASTY!!!

POTD 9/4/08

Ok people I totally had another picture all ready to post but then Tyson brought the camera in with these pictures on it so I HAD to post

The boy scout man came and talked to the boys at school today & of course Jed wants to join up again~I told Tyson that was his deal and he had to commit to taking Jed~I think it's only fair if I have to take Heather to dance!:) So that's why Jed has on his boy scout shirt.







What can I say~He's a natural like his daddy!:)

POTD 9/3/08

Well folks it's that time of year AGAIN~actually I don't think it ever goes away~yes, it's hunting season AGAIN! Tyson is the most avid hunter I know~he literally thinks about it ALL. YEAR. LONG!

So he was so excited when this was waiting on our front porch this evening when we got home



so you may be wondering what this is~it's a camera mount so tyson can put this on a tree (or somewhere) and mount our video camera to it and then he can record the whole time he hunts and he'll have it on tape when he kills something so instead of telling a story he'll have a movie to go with it!


Maybe he'll get a smaller video camera so it won't be so big! haha

*when I told him to hold it up, he asked if I even knew what it was~My reply~"No, but I know you are excited about it!"

Photo A Day~Sept 2nd

This is so funny~Jed has been begging Tyson to let him shoot his (Jed's) bow one day. So after we had dinner I dropped Tyson and the kids off at home then I went to run an errand~when I came home this is what I saw





Look at that sky!

~Summer Salad~The Recipe

I had to email my cousin LaNan and tell her I blogged about her~so she emailed her secret summer salad recipe~ENJOY!

Corn and Zucchini Melody
4 slices bacon
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 small onion, chopped
1 pinch pepper
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings. Drain bacon, chop, and set aside.
Heat the bacon drippings in the skillet over medium heat. Saute the zucchini, corn, and onion until tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper. Spoon vegetables into a bowl, and sprinkle with chopped bacon and shredded cheese.

*LaNan says she used turkey bacon & more cheese than it called for~I promise it was YUM-O!* Sorry LaNan that I said ugly things about it!:)

Photo A Day~Sept 1st

I thought it might be fun to try to take a photo a day for the month of September so here's my photo for last night~The weather forecast predicted that Hurricane Gustav was headed our way~Tyson & I sat outside last night for a long time just watching the weather and talking about nothing really! I went inside and got my camera and told him what I was doing! Of course, he thought I was crazy!

It tooks us 3 tries to get a decent picture~


Here's the first try~Hello double chin! :) Tyson wasn't happy b/c he said his cheeks are fat when he smiles!

Take 2


Again, not happy with the cheeks~

You know what they say 3rd time's a charm!


Finally, a picture we can both live with! HAHA

Oh, and Gustav missed us!

~Summer Salad~

When we went to Austin this summer my cousin made this summer salad~it was YUM-O~it had some weird stuff in it so I was sure someone else made it~you know, someone who was way into healthier food than us! haha Anyways, LaNan email me your summer salad recipe & I'll post it!:)

~First Day of School~

We were so excited to start the first day of school~Here are the kids on the morning of~




Caroline the Kindergartener!


Heather the BIG 5th grader! She was trying to pose cool! :)



Jed the cool 2nd grader! He asked for a one strap backpack! I think it makes him look so grown up!

Batten Down the Hatches...

Is that the saying? Well, I *might* get another week off of school! They (you know who they are) are predicting that Hurricane Gustav will come our way. We were told at school this afternoon to get prepared today & tomorrow. We signed up for a volunteer list just in case our school has to house evacuees. I'm off to fill our cars up with gas & get a few things that we will need just in case.

I felt so blessed to be able to volunteer at school (I volunteered Tyson & the kids also!)~Pray for us!

Anyways, we won't know until Monday for sure what the status is since the storm isn't supposed to hit land until 1:00~

Wish us the best!

For my Loyal Readers!

Just a quick update on our week~I had to go back to work last Friday~well, it's about to do me in~having to get up early and work all day AFTER sleeping in until 10am or so~I know it's a rough life! I've been busy with school stuff & when I come home I'm exhausted!

Last night we had Meet the Teacher at our school! Tyson brought the kids to meet their teachers & I cannot believe that Caroline is going to be a Kindergartener! She is so excited & she is glad to be at her momma's school! Jed's class is 2 doors down from me & Heather is going into 5th grade! Can you believe it? She is so excited about going back to school!

Anyways, we are supposed to be cleaning house! HAHA and then I am going to the school to get somethings ready for the next week!

We are still alive but barely!

~My post for today~

This was said in church yesterday and I keep thinking it over and over in my head~which probably means I need to cut it out in vinyl and hang it up somewhere in my house! HAHA

"If you aren't doing bad today, then what are you doing that's good?"

I think this can apply to many areas of our lives~are we doing good for someone else (or may or may not need it), are we doing the things that we should be doing by making good choices?

I also have another saying that I heard all the time growing up

"Remember who you are"

For some reason this saying has come back into my head lately~I haven't been doing anything bad I promise! But I thought I need to cut that out in vinyl and hang it up above my front door so we can all see it on our way out~especially the kids. But alas, my wall is a dark burgandy color so I'm still trying to decide what color vinyl I should use!

Have a great day!

~HEY Missy~

I'm calling you out~Share your secret recipe for the cinnamon rolls.:)

Time for a NEW DO...

I couldn't stand it anymore~I HAD to get a haircut~So Tyson's cousin gave me the hook up~I absolutely love it~
Here's the BEFORE~pathetic I know~



Here's the AFTER




OK OK I know it's not that much of a difference, but she cut it in long layers and I really like it IF I can get it to fix like she did!

It WORKED!!!

Here's the secret project I mentioned in my last post..At our school we have an english & a spanish day~so some of the teachers have them made out of posterboard so I decided to make one out of wood~I'm very pleased with the way they turned out.

ACK~the Pressure...

the reputation, the everything! School hasn't even started and I'm already overwhelmed! I work with a lady named Mary, she teaches Kindergarten & she has been telling everyone "You need to get on Autumn's good side, she gives the cutest gifts!" OMG~so now I've got a reputation to uphold~all this time I thought no one cared~hum, yeah whatever! I'm working on a project this weekend & I can't wait to see what it turns out like~I'll post when I'm through!

Last one for today

You might remember me mentioning last week that our hot water heater was on the blink~tyson thought that it quit leaking but yesterday it started making a loud noise so we had to break down and buy a new one.

I'm so blessed to have a husband that is so handy! He went to lowe's and got it & all the supplies and had it hooked up last night. There was one part he discovered he needed at 10pm so he had to stop but he called his boss and told him he needed to leave for a little while and then he would come back to work. He came home and fixed it, now all he has to do is light the pilot light when he gets home!

another one

I don't think I mentioned this on my blog but I needed a new digital camera & figured it would be a LONG time before I could afford to get one. But I found a GREAT deal through Best Buy online for this camera



When I ordered it I was tempted to have it shipped to my cousins house b/c I was afraid it wouldn't get to me before we left~so the day we left I saw the UPS man on one of the side streets by my house so i stopped him and asked if he delievered on my street. He said yes & he gave me my package~I was so happy to have my new camera!

I love it and it takes great pictures! Best of all it was a Smokin' Oakin' Deal!

Our Favorite Breakfast

We've been trying to eat at home more and our favorite breakfast has been cinnamon rolls~Caroline wakes up every morning asking for them! Sadly though they are from a can and not homemade~maybe in my next life! HA

The Prize

I mentioned the other day that I bought a special prize while I was on vacation~it's a Coach purse & I love it! It's my first and I'm so proud of it! Thank aunt Franci for helping me pick it out!

Because I Think Everyone Should..

get a good deal! I've been eyeing Mary Jane Crocs for years~but of course I'm too cheap to pay the $30 price tag! I came across this deal this morning

Crocs Deal
So I placed my order & I got 3 pairs for the price of one~plus I ordered a few other pairs! GO CHECK IT OUT!

DISCLAIMER: I've never ordered from this site so I'm not sure about the shipping! I'll update when they arrive!

~Va-Cay and other happenings~

Can you believe it's been a week since I've last blogged? People have probably quit reading this thing! HAHA

On Wednesday we left to go to my cousins house in Austin~we got there around 8:30 or so~when we got there the kids wanted to go swimming so we walked around the corner to the neighborhood pool. We were the only ones there and the kids had a great time swimming with their cousins!

Then we got up Thursday morning with the intentions to go to Six Flags but LaNan's neighbor was already there and she said it there were so many people there they decided to leave. We went with plan B (isn't there always a plan B?) and headed to Sea World! The kids were so excited. We had originally planned on going there but someone gave us free tickets to Six Flags. Anyways, we spent the WHOLE day there & the kids loved it. LaNan & her crew had to leave a little early b/c they some other things to do that night. I realized after they left that day we didn't get a picture of all of us together~








Then the next day LaNan rented a party boat and we went out to the lake. We really had a great time on that! It was a great idea.







Saturday was my cousin Alayna's baptism~which is the whole reason we went to Austin. She asked me to speak~this is the absolute thing I hate to do the most but I agreed to do it & it turned out ok! We are so excited for her! Congrats Alayna!

Then we hit the outlet malls in San Marcos & I bought a special prize! I'll have to take a pic of it and post later. But I love it.

We had a great time in Austin & can't wait to go back! Thanks LaNan & Devin for being such great hosts!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

This stuff is grass seed & lots of it. My sweet baby sister, Alison, apparently got to drive in grandpa's pasture & she thought Heather should experience the same thing IN MY SUBURBAN!!!!! And I think they got stuck too~Anyways, when Tyson went to change my u-joints the other day he found all of this up by the motor~he says we're lucky the engine didn't catch fire (I don't know if that would really happen or not). There was enough though to make a pretty good pile on the driveway.

So there ya go~GRASS SEED! It's kind of funny, but it wouldn't have been if it would have torn my car up!

~O.M.G.~

Anyone who knows me knows that this has been my favorite saying lately but it fits this weekend so well!

The other day we were riding in my car and it's been making a noise but it never seems to do it when Tyson's with me, finally though it did. UM, my u-joints were going out. So we stopped by the auto parts store to pick up new ones to the tune of $40~UGH. Tyson & Jed changed them yesterday and found this while they were under my car



I'll let my sister, Alison, explain this one~

So today I get up and go switch the laundry & I hear dripping coming from the water heater~so I called tyson in there & tell him~he looks at it and then looks outside & there's water all over the patio~so YEP, our water heater is on the blink! We won't be able to buy one until Monday or Tuesday.

So then Tyson & Jed leave to go get one of tyson's deer stands. As Jed is getting out of the car he smashes his finger in the door & Tyson says he thinks it might be broken!

To top it all off~my allergies in my eyes have been bothering me so I can't wear my contacts & my glasses give me a headache when I wear them for long periods of time!


~AND~ TYson has to go back to work on Monday so there's no telling when the water heater will get fixed.
SO~there's the start to our weekend.

Heather & Chase's 10th Birthday Party

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

A whole week without a post...

I don't know what my deal has been this week but we've been busy! Tyson is off this week so he's being a Groove-Buster as Jill says about her husband! Here's project I've been working on with my friend Rachella~




after asking the opinions of our husbands~who both said the "I" was too big we changed it~it's not that we made it bigger that's just how it cut! Oh, and the middle scrolley thing we changed too!

We made this for our friend Sunshine for her birthday & then I made one also for Rachella for her belated birthday~I know I'm a crap friend!

Happy Birthday Girls!

Happy Birthday Heather!

Wow! It's hard to believe that my baby is already 10 years old! I can't believe it! I keep thinking in 6 more years she'll be wanting a car, in 10 more years she'll be off at college! Ack~I'm getting old quick!

I'll be back with her official birthday post later!

~Afternoon Shopping Trip~

I've had a shopping list waiting all week but for one reason or the other it hasn't been tended to, so today the kids & I ventured out to run some errands. We hit target up first. I had to have a pep talk with the kids before we went in. I told them we were only buying what was on the list and they weren't allowed to ask for anything!

I bought
*4 boxes of cereal (they were on sale 4/$7) $7
*1 8pk Lever 2000 soap~3.50
*2 bottles Suave shampoo for kids~1.50 each/$3
*3 pk Cologate toothpaste $5

My total was 19.something BUT I had 5 $1 off coupons so I walked out paying $14 & some change! I was so excited~it's all stuff we will use (and it probably won't take long!).

So my next stop was walgreens. They had backpacks buy one @ 9.99 get one free. Of course when you wait until the end of the week sometimes you miss out on the deals. They didn't have any backpacksleft!:(

So we headed across the street to CVS~they had Herbal Essance shampoo 2/$5. I needed shampoo & I had a $3 off 2 bottles, so it made my total $2 but THEN I had 1 Extra Care Buck so I paid $1.08 for a bottle of shampoo & a bottle of conditioner making them .54 cents each!WOOHOO

By this tims the kids & I were wondering aimlessly looking for something to eat, we decided we would have Mexican food. We were headed to our favorite local spot but then I remembered I had a $5 off coupon for El Chico so we went there instead.

So for the day I saved $14 total so hum I guess I got my Target purchase for "Free"

I would take a picture but I'm lazy & I'm exhausted so you'll just have to imagine!

*I have a favor to ask of my dear loyal readers~MOM! pay attention...

If you aren't using your coupons from your weekly paper would you mind sending them my way? I would appreciate it!

Bling Bling! ADDED Directions @ Bottom of Post

My friend Jenn found these shoes and decided we needed to make some. I wasn't so sure at first but then she convinced me that my girls NEEDED them & then we decided they could wear them to school because they are tennis shoes I set out to make some.

I had to call my mom to find the shoes because they didn't have them around here (surprise, surprise!) Thanks mom!

I got the shoes in the mail this morning and here's the final creation



My friend Rachella came over this morning so we could work on another project & she ended up helping put the crystals on! They were so easy~we ended up going to payless to get the shoes for her girls.
We started out simple this time & next time we'll do some designs! lol

Ok~here's the directions~These are the payless version of the low top converse. I used E6000 glue to put on the crystals. I picked up the flatback crystals at WalMart then at HL. For Heather's shoes which are a size 2 we used 1 bag, and with the leftovers we started Caroline's shoes which are a size 11. We had some left over so we started my shoes then when we ran out we started on the 3rd bag. I have plenty leftover. The jewels are in the jewerly dept at HL at walmart they are with the craft stuff but not by the jewerly making supplies.

We just used a toothpick to spread the glue on the toe a little at a time. Then put the crystals on a few at a time. Let them cure for a few days before you wear them. We aren't wearing ours until Monday. I took the white laces out and put in the ribbon. Let me know if you have any more questions!

~Good Mail Day~

I came home from summer school this afternoon to a mailbox full of mail~it must have been all the mail from Saturday, since we didn't get any! HA

I got some great mail & some not so great mail the great mail was
this

we had to file an amendment to our taxes, which meant more refund! It's not much but it will help pay for our trip to Austin! WOO HOO

and this

a $10 gift card to Krogers! I will stop by there next week when I go to the dr for my checkup! Thanks Aunt Franci!

Which leads us to the not so great mail! The hospital bills are rolling in & we're at about $50,000~not what I had to pay of course but what they charge! Seriously? ugh thank goodness for insurance.

HAPPY GIRL~

seriously, I know I have no life and it really is the simple things in life that make me happy so this post is going to sound dumb to most of you~I typically don't have lots of expensive material things~not that I don't think they are nice but I just can't see spending the money on them.

So the last time we renewed our cell phone contract 2 years ago, they just sent us the FREE phones. Well, if you ever talk to me on my cell phone you know it was usually a piece of crap! I had decided that I was changing my service to AT&T/Cingular~whatever they call it now. But I'm lazy and I didn't want to have to deal with the headache of changing over!

So I found out this lady, Kathy, who I go to church with is a Regional Manager for Cellular One, who is my cell phone provider. I thought I would call her to see if she could fix my problems. She said I shouldn't have any trouble in my area (where my house is) and that it had to be my equipment~she told me to come in and get my stuff upgraded, which meant new Phones! WOOHOO!!! I was so excited!

I got a silver razor instead of pink. I would have loved a pink one but everyone has one, so I wanted to be a little different! I'm so proud of my new phone I just had to share! I know I'm a dork, but you can laugh with me!

Tyson got a black razor! So we are finally up with the times!

More Pool Pics

so of course tyson can't just put up the pool and be happy with it like most people (including me!) would do. After he got it all set up, he decided to build a deck around it. I'm so amazed at what he knows how to do. He's so smart and he can pretty much make anything! It's not completely finished b/c his funding for the building project ran out (the kids do need to eat this week!), but a few more boards and it will be finished (and I'll post yet another pic!)





Those boards aren't really that close to the pool~it looks like in the picture they could poke a hole in the ring but there's a little space!



Funny thing is that Tyson makes fun of me for having a blog, but yesterday he asked me a million times if I took pictures & put them on the blog! So this post is for him!

Get FIT!!!! Challenge

My friend, Jennifer, sent this to me in my email!

I won't be going anywhere exciting before the month is over, but I'm going to be doing something here where I live. I encourage you to participate! Can't wait to see where your sneakers take you!

There's so much to do during the summer. Maybe you'll visit a museum downtown with friends ... hike one of your local trails ... take a family trip to a national park... or even just enjoy some games in your own backyard. Your sneakers will be joining you on every journey, helping you stay fit and healthy, -- and the American Heart Association wants to know all about where you and your sneakers go to help support The FIT Kids Act!

I hope you will take a part in our Sneaker Story Campaign -- here is how:

1) Take a photo of your sneakers' adventures, wherever you go.

2) Email your photo (or if you like, you can even send us a link to your video posted on YouTube) to sneakers4fitkids@yahoo.com. But hurry, the deadline is July 31, 2008.

3) Be sure to tell us WHERE your sneakers took you this July - what city, state, landmark, or even country.

We'll add your picture to our online Sneaker Story Map, where it will be identified by a virtual "Sneaker Print" to mark where your sneakers took you. All the sneaker images we receive will be collected there to help drive home the importance of physical activity for kids, and to use in our various efforts to urge Congress to pass The FIT Kids Act.

These efforts are critical. Childhood obesity is an epidemic endangering the health of millions of America's children, putting them at risk for heart disease. The FIT (Fitness Integrated with Teaching) Kids Act is one of our key priorities. This important legislation seeks to reduce the problem by encouraging public schools to provide increased, quality physical education and promote healthy lifestyles.

But to pass this legislation we must demonstrate the widespread support -- and that's where your sneakers' adventures come in.

This is your chance to put your best foot forward to ensure our kids have a brighter, healthier future. So lace up your sneakers, grab that camera, and help us promote the FIT Kids Act. We look forward to seeing your sneakers' adventures!

Clarissa Garca
American Heart Association

Heart Disease and Stroke. You're the Cure.

P.S. Everyone can participate, so encourage your friends to email us their photos and videos to sneakers4fitkids@yahoo.com too!

I have family members (you know who you are) going somewhere exciting~I hope you share your journeys by doing this!

Thanks Jenn for sharing!