First day of PRE-K!!

You know most of the kids probably had on smocked or monogrammed something. I asked Kenlee which dress she wanted to wear & she said she didn't want a dress, she wanted an OUTFIT. So I let her pick. She picked her cute sweater Miss Cheryl got her & her new Adidas tennis shoes. I love her little sense of style because it fits her...fun & colorful, full of life.

She & Biggy had a good time together before school yesterday.

Kenlee LOVES her teacher, likes her little friends @ school, she is going to have so much fun this year! They get to do all sorts of fun things...like make homemade applesauce, paint with kool aid, have a Halloween carnival, a Mother Goose visit, safari week, celebrate Earth Day...the possibilities are endless! I'm so glad she is at a great school & loves it there! I think she is a bright star & I know she will learn so much this year. We love you, little girl!!!

Moving up....

We had a low key kind of weekend due to rain, but yesterday the boys (and Kenlee) put together a new desk for Logan's room. (Final outcome above!) Kenlee made a balance beam out of styrofome & had a good time...

And helping her Daddy....

If I were at another angle, you might have thought my husband was a plumber!! HA!
Logan LOVES a good project with his Dad...

We were happy with the way it turned out. Hope your weekend was full of fun! I'm off to get the kiddies ready for school!

Back to school soon & new recipes....

Miss Thang starts school Monday. Tomorrow we are heading to her class for an orientation, we know & just love her teacher, Mrs. Alison, but she is going to go over what they will be learning. Put it this way, Alison left a message for me to call her to setup a time to meet & Kenlee has to listen to it nightly. :) This makes me so happy!!
I've made two new recipes...they are by all means NOT good for you...but they are good tasting. This chicken tastes like Sweet N Sour Chicken from a Chinese Restaurant & is great with rice....and the cookies, well they are pretty yummy. My boys didn't love them, but Kenlee & I thought they were worth eating two or three times :)
Russian Chicken Breasts

8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 jar (we used organic) Apricot Preserves
1 Bottle Catalina Dressing
1 Pkg. Dry Onion Soup Mix (we didn't use this, but I'm sure it would make it taste good, we just aren't a soup mix kind of recipe tryer :) )
salt & pepper to taste

~Season chicken with Salt & Pepper. Combine the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
Layer 1/2 of sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 dish. Place chicken on top. Pour remaining sauce over Chicken. Marinate overnight or for 5 hours. Bake at 325 UNCOVERED for 1 hour. Make some rice too, it's delish over rice. You will thank me.


LEMON ALMOND COOKIES
1 Box Lemon Cake Mix
1 Cup Rice Krispies cereal
1 egg, beaten
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp. lemon juice (I just used the kind that comes in the little plastic lemon-shaped container)
1/2 c. chopped almonds

Mix all ingredients together.
Shape into bite sized balls. :)
Place 2 in. apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
EASY as can be & really tasty!!

I could have done really good & taken pictures, but I didn't.
This has been a busy & emotional week. I'm so ready for Kenlee to get back to school because she has asked to go so much lately, but I want to be with her at all times :) Josh had a stomach bug last night, so I'm praying the rest of us don't get it & we all got adjusted today, which boosts our immune systems. I've loaded everyone up on Vitamins C & D & we ate lots of veggies today ~ so hoping we avoid any stomach mishaps. :) The weather is cooling off & it is HEAVENLY. Barkley has even been inside & stood by the door to go outside from time to time, so I think he even knows how good it feels :) I LOVE FALL!!!!

Nothing too exciting to report although we already miss Katelyn babysitting & are so happy she & Kenlee bonded & got to spend time together. Josh & I had a lunch date yesterday & it was heavenly. Logan scored 651 on his Math portion of the SAT & above 635 exceeds standards. Then he scored 671 on Reading & above 640 exceeds standards on that portion. I only pray he stays on this path. He's having fun so far this year & I couldn't be more thankful.

I will take pictures over the weekend & post some more...I'm sorry I'm not more exciting! Have a wonderful weekend!
Jessica - you and Jason are in my prayers & I have had you on my mind all day today. Just wanted you to know that!!!

The dog days of summer....

Barkley is such an incredibly sweet dog.




Kenlee cries when he licks her, (she's not one that wants her space invaded :) ) but most of the time she is rubbing his back or giving him treats, telling him what to do, etc. You know they say mutts are great dogs, I believe it.
He makes me sneeze like a mad woman, but I am so thankful he's ours :)

Change of plans for love :)

Well, 12 years has passed & each year we say "Let's take a big trip next year for our anniversary" ~ life happens & this year wasn't any different...so mark my word. Josh & Nancy's 13 year anniversary will be spent somewhere away from home & absolutely fabulous. Or maybe I should use reverse psychology & say we aren't doing anything new & exciting!! HA!
I ended up working until about 12:30 on Saturday & took the kids to run errands, get new shoes for school, Target, Publix...etc. Then Josh told me his Aunt's air was broken so he was going to go take a look at it...well he brought her back home with us b/c he said it was the compressor (which he doesn't have enough schooling to fix that & it might have been under warranty - he starts back in October)...I think this was God's plan for us to see that she needs some sort of assisted living & we were up all night with her, so our anniversary was spent us taking turns taking naps from being up all night long :) It made me feel good though, Josh was so patient with her & I was so happy to see his side like that. This has been a bit of a trying year for us (my blog, might as well be honest) & I can honestly say...through good & bad times ~ our love has sustained all by the GRACE of God! Anybody can act like they have a nearly perfect marriage, ours is not & never has been, but I do know that I won't judge others for going thru tough times. I think it takes rough patches to appreciate one another & to get back to why you fell in love in the first place...and I can honestly say that feels good to get back to the roots of a realtionship. And at about 11:00 on Sat. night he pulled out a ring box & I unwrapped this!!!



What a surprise!!! I loved it!!

I just have to add this...If you know my Mom, you know she is a go getter. She is slightly obsessed with a few things, extra ice @ a restaurant, extra napkins, Hershey's chocolate that she hides in the fridge, shopping sprees @ Dillard's...she deserves all of this, she is the most loving, giving, unselfish person I know. She has a deep love for Cape Cod dark Russet potato chips...well...I'm sorry to say folks that they are going to stop carrying this type before too long. So Bon Bon - being the fabulous one she is....comes to our Publix & they have started special ordering these just for her. Did you know you can freeze them? She is practically on a first name basis with two managers @ our Publix & when I go to pick them up they say "Oh! Are you Bonnie Brown's daughter?!" The proof is in the potato...



And you know what? I hope I'm just like her :)

HaPpY gIrLs!!!!

Miss Thang got her hair "did" a couple days ago. She loves products & anything fancy. Here she is on the way home. I wish you could have seen it in the back - it was all poofed up & she looked like a true southern girl! I loved it!


This is Kenlee & our hair girl ~ Amy. She is such a sweet person ~ I am going on Friday to get my hair "did" and Miss Thing will be going with me. I know she will be good b/c she loves watching people get hair & makeup done & this is right up her alley. It's been about 12 weeks since my hair was taken care of & my gray needs covering up so bad! I'm embarrassed to say that I usually just pick up a box of color @ Publix ~ but I think it's drying me out, so Amy asked me if I wanted to trade out...hair for massage....UH, YEA!!!! :)

Now....


We met up with a friend & I brought him a Caramel Frappacino ~ The sweet girl @ the drive thru gave me a sample. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen (besides my family) and I gained 7 lbs. just drinking this little thing. She told me if I ever ordered it to say "extra base" & it wouldn't be as sweet. That's how she made my little one & it was just right.

Kenlee has been with the sweetest girl from church this week ~ Miss Katelyn. She came to our house to watch her & has played babies with Kenlee...done makeup...they have had the best time. She goes to college & goes back to school the same day Kenlee does, so this was just DIVINE INTERVENTION for both of us.
Logan has had a great week @ school so far & hasn't had homework yet. (Except reading) ~ I told him I would email his teacher & request some :) He disagreed.

My love & I are celebrating 12 years of marriage this weekend. I can't believe it. I'm so excited...More on that later!! Hope your day is filled with happiness!

A little of that & this!

This is just a random post of my thoughts :)
My neice, Katie, got new glasses yesterday...here she is with her old one's....would you believe they magically broke right smack in the middle the night before she was due to get some new Coach glasses? Coincidence?



Here we were two years ago on Halloween....
Does Kenlee look tired after Trick or Treating?


I wonder what Miss Thang wants to be this year?!

The weather...I'm ready for a little of this!



This Michigan girl needs a little breeze :) I'm sure everyone else in the state needs some, too....I can't be selfish.

My Mom watched Kenlee for us yesterday so we could work & Kenlee had the best time with Nana! They made a blueberry pie & it was the best thing I ever had (at least yesterday) - here's the recipe...

Ingredients and Equipment
(per 9 inch deep dish pie)
3 to 4 cups of Blueberries - fresh or frozen (without syrup) (3 cups if you like a thin pie, 4 cups if you like it a little higher!)
7 Tablespoons corn starch
3 Tablespoons water (or grape juice)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup granulated (ordinary table) Sugar


One 9 inch pie crust Spices:
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
One 9 inch deep-dish Pie Plate - (grocery stores sell both disposable pie pans and glass pans. Get the deep type!

*My Mom just bought the dough you roll out, but you could always make your own :)

Combine the 2/3 cup sugar, 7 Tablespoons of corn starch in a bowl and mix well! Some people like 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and/or 1/4 teaspoon of allspice mixed in.( My mom just did cinnamon & it was sooo good!)
Add the 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, and 3 Tablespoons of water (or grape juice) and stir it up.

Add the blueberries to the pie crust. Just pour them in! There's lots of air space and it will cook down, so don't worry if they mound up about an inch (2.5 cm) above the edge of the plate.
Just pour the mixture of sugar, juice, etc. into the pie all over the blueberries. If it is a gloppy liquid, don’t worry, just pour it somewhat evenly over the top. But it doesn’t take perfection; it will smooth itself out in the oven.
Then add the top crust.
Cook the pie at 375 F for 1 hour.

Check to see if it is bubbling and crust is golden brown. If if not, check every 3 or 4 minutes until it is.
Enjoy! You will LOVE it!

Love to Love my brother!

So excited to see Biggy when he walked down the street from getting off the bus!

Since Biggy's @ School...

I have a makeup artist on my hands....

5th Grade!

Here's Biggy cracking up on the way to school after Kenlee told him he looked "gorgeous"



I love that smile more than any words can say.
Happy first day of 5th grade, Logan. Your future is so bright & I am so thankful for you!!!

A tiny little vacation :)

We went to Gatlinburg for one night last weekend & had such a good time. We made some fun memories & our little family needed this so much!



Biggy at the pool!

Kenlee enjoying the baby pool. It even had a little waterfall in it that she loved.


Here is one of the slides. Josh, Logan & I all tried it out & this picture doesn't do it justice. It was really a lot of fun & Logan had a great time sliding on it.



This is the view from our balcony....

We had two comfy queen's...Here are the little's getting ready for bed after a fun night of swimming & playing...the first time Kenlee slept with Biggy & he said she kicked him all night :)



And a few family snapshots....




On the way there, Kenlee drank a whole lot of water & going up the mountain to the hotel she threw up everywhere....needless to say, the next day we went & got a new carseat, but thankfully it was just a one time thing!! Bless her little heart!


Ahhhhhh ~ so relaxing :) We took the kids to the Track the next morning...I will post those later...off to work. :)

You are gonna LOVE this.

I work with such a knowledgable woman. She is constantly going to further her education & her adjustments have simply changed our lives. Kenlee's fever last week was the first time she has been "sick" in probably a year. Logan might get croup once a year (usually after having some sort of milk product is when this happens, like a milkshake or icecream - it makes your body produce thicker mucus (or is it mucous?) & slows digestion then your body gets sick), compared to when he was little & he would have it probably 6 - 10 times a year.
She is doing an experiment with McDonald's food - showing her patients how many chemicals they put in burgers & fries (heck, even the ketchup & mustard hasn't molded)....this meal was purchased in April of this year & if you saw it in person, you would think that it had just been purchased. Not even the bugs come after it :)



There is also a book called "Twinkies Deconstructed" and it tells you just exactly what all of those words on the back of boxes mean that we can't pronounce. No wonder we have so many diseases in our bodies these days, nothing is good for your system if your great grandmother didn't eat it :)

We won't be enjoying anymore HAPPY MEALS!

Wordless Wednesday....

Biggy's Back!

SO HAPPY!!! To see our Biggy today. Kenlee smiled all the way to get him & wouldn't let go of him once she saw him. He had the best time with Nana & Papa - I asked them today if he was like their 4th kid...John, Jill & I being the 1st three.
I'm happy as a clam. I have all 3 loves here with me.
Logan said Cameron (his cousin) was more than a best friend could ever be. That makes my heart smile! They are growing up & will be close & hoping they will always have fun together. He loves Katie & Jordyn, my neices, too...but it's so cool that he & Cam are the same age & like the same things.

I'm off to enjoy my family. More updates tomorrow.

:) Happy Nancy

Curls & Carousel

My girl was blessed with some very managable hair.. I wish I had some like it. Her Daddy & I have nappy, curly & mine is most of the time frizzy. :)



I'm so upset with my tiny pictures! What on earth have I done?!
I spilled a little wine on our keyboard the other evening, but just a little bit...could that have done all of this shrinking? No...I hadn't had a lot, just a sip & then I put Kenlee in my lap & we knocked it over that way. :) Guess it wasn't meant for me to have a glass of wine & blog at the same time.

And here she is this afternoon on the carousel @ the Galleria...she calls it the Gallerillia. :) Cute as can be.


Biggy is coming home tomorrow. YEAH!!! I can't wait to squeeze my boy & keep him home for a while! He is going to be in the 5th grade in just 2 weeks. I was in the 6th grade when we moved from Michigan to Anniston. I thought my life was over as I knew it...turned out to be the best thing that happened...I gained my husband, great friends in high school, we just had such a great foundation & I'm praying Logan feels the same way. He's growing up so much so fast ~ I can't believe he's 10!

Hope your weekend has been fabulous!