Tag Archives: fun

Monday madness – Giveaway!

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It’s been a long, long time since I’ve sent off a package to a lucky blog reader, so I’m going to correct that problem today. By the end of today (midnight) I will pick a winner of this amazing bracelet from Premier Designs:

Talk about beautiful!

It’s a beautiful adjustable belt-buckle/rhinestone bracelet, and is stretchy, so I can truly fit anyone and everyone. I already have one, but snagged up this one specifically for you guys (and with Mother’s Day right around the corner, it would make a great gift!)

Just leave me a comment and you’ll be entered. Simple as that. I’ll announce the random winner tomorrow morning.

And don’t forget, help me out by spreading the word about my latest project…and if you have something you would like some help on, just give me a shout and we’ll work something out.

Oh, and stay tuned…it’s a double-post Monday. I’m working on a Hunk of Meat Monday recipe that will knock your socks off! (Well, it’s working on mine anyway!) Here’s a clue:

A yummy slab of pork for my Monday munchies! 🙂 Can't wait to share the rest of this with you!

WW – Enjoying some sunshine

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No words are needed, when the weather is this beautiful!

Just had to get a quick shot of my handsome boys at Easter: George, EJ, Scooter and Big Bro. (Don't tell Big Bro that Scooter has almost a whole head on him, he's touchy about being the "little big brother.")

Cousin K had his birthday last week, George's birthday is this week...so we compromised and had a little cake in the middle!

Have your cake...and eat it too!

The boys love playing with the motorized toys at Grandma's. Spoiled? Yeah, but that's OK.

George, enjoying his first spin on the little 4-wheeler...and glad he's finally big enough!

Young Farmer Friday

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Just loving my day with the boys…and who can blame me? We head to Mayo on Monday, and that’ll be worries for Monday. For today, I’ll just enjoy what we have.

"Mom, will this be mine some day?"

A rare moment of stillness, and no one fighting!

George teasing EJ that he was going to beat him to the shop.

Well, he decided the reward wasn't worth it.

 

 

WW – A Passion for 4H

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Sunday was the annual 4H carnival at a near-by town. Scooter was tickled pink to be a part of it, and eventually Big Bro warmed up to the idea. Check out some of the great pics!

Why yes, yes it does!

Great cake for the cake walk!

Big Bro kept playing the cake walk game until this cake was gone. He was disappointed that it didn't come home with us.

Face painting, er, arm painting booth.

Scooter wanted to help out with the face painting, but he's only 8 and I didn't think he would do a very good job. Mom was wrong, and is proud to admit it. He made this flame, with oranges and yellows, and did an amazing job. He was so incredibly focused. Thank you, 4H!

 

A case for genetic markers

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Not so long ago, I wrote a post about how George seems to enjoy coloring himself from head to toe in markers. And I don’t mean just a little bit.

For Halloween, we'll be going as Smurfs.

After turning bath water several different shades of blue, green, black and orange the last few weeks, I was beginning to think that he had some strange sort of addiction to coloring on himself. (You know, like on that show where people say they HAVE to drink nail polish, eat chalk, etc.)

Well, I may have stumbled upon the answer…it’s genetic.

It appears as though 30-some years ago, this little blonde-haired beauty decided that she rather enjoyed coloring herself as well. Although, I like to think that I pulled off the look a little better.

Yep, he came by the habit honestly. Who would have thought this scene would be replayed 30 years later? Well, and on a little grander scale.

But that’s how it works, isn’t it? The next generation tries to find a way to do it bigger and better?

The way to a boy’s heart…

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Is apparently through his…feet?

Just a few minutes ago, the mailman brought a package to the door that wouldn’t fit in the mailbox. I had an idea about what it was, so I asked EJ if he wanted to open it…

and I have the happiest boy on this side of the county.

EJ opened new boots in today's mail! And they're "tractor boots." How cool is that?

 

Yes, I splurged a little, but not too much. They were on sale through Zulilly (I l-o-v-e that site, by the way) and they are John Deere boots. I knew he would love them, but I didn’t know that they come with a little surprise…

Box for boots, and a BARN!

 

The box that the boots come in turns into a barn! How cool is that! I had to fold some pieces together, but it’s all one piece, and I have one little boy in heaven.

Checking to make sure there's enough room for his tractors.

 

Now, normally I would buy his boots from a thrift store, or off Craigslist, or something like that. It’s not that we can’t afford to buy brand new boots, but really, let’s be sensible. If their main purpose is going to be walking through mud, riding in tractors and traipsing through a barn full of….manure…would it make sense to buy them new?

I’m pretty sure the cows don’t care. And Iknow that EJ doesn’t. But these were a special surprise, and worth every dime, just to hear the squeals of joy.

The box is even printed on the inside. "Just like ours, Mom!"

 

In a world where demands and “I deserve”s are heard more than thank-you’s, hearing my not-so-little boy exclaim with appreciation and tell me that he’s so thankful for his new boots…well, that’s worth it’s weight in cowboy boots.

And, no…they won’t be allowed in the barn yet, but I imagine they’ll make their way there soon. 😉

Dressed to the nines

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It was a weekend to remember…and an amazing Saturday at that!

Boss Man and I went to the Inaugural Stockmen’s Foundation Ball, and even though the day started out rough, Saturday ended spectacularly!

But let me start with the pre-story story. I realized that Boss Man didn’t have the right “tools” in his closet for a formal event. Although I know that he could get by with the different shirts we had at home, I was out and about and thought I would get him one that…well, to be truthful, I thought I would get him one that fit. As in buttoned at the top.

I had never been to a Men’s Warehouse, so I decided to stop and see what they had. I had an “interesting” experience to say the least. I knew when I walked in that the gentleman helping me wasn’t going to see things my way. But I gave him a chance. He asked if he could help me, and I told him that I was looking for a shirt that would work well with a white and black dress for a formal event. He asked the size, and I gave him my best guesstimate. (Have you ever tried to get a man to leave the farm early enough to be “fitted” for a shirt? He keeps giving me the measurements from our wedding…and trust me, those don’t work so well any more.)

The man handed me a plain white packaged dress shirt, with off-white-ish buttons. I asked if he happened to have anything more “western.” He stared at me as if I had grown a second head. He asked what I meant, and I told him that my husband happened to prefer his dress shirts to snap up the front, instead of button. I must have made a major faux pas there, because he kind of sniffled, and proceeded to tell me that, “buttons are what makes a shirt formal. Not snaps.”

Hmmm…I don’t know if I agree with that. I mean, I’ve seen George Strait looking mighty fine at plenty of red carpet events. And I do believe that some of those shirts had snaps on them. Although, I must confess that I sometimes get distracted looking at George Strait and don’t always pay attention to his shirt closures. Same goes for Kenny Chesney, Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw…ummm…what was it I was talking about again? Sorry, got a bit distracted there.

Anyway, my point is that western wear can look just as formal and nice as a regular suit. So I put the gentleman’s suggested starched shirt back and headed to RCC, where I should have just started. I found a great western shirt that looked spectacular, including the pearl snaps on the front.

We went to our ball, we danced, we visited with friends (old and new) and we had an amazing time. And didn’t look too bad either.

Cleaned up and off the farm...hardly recognize us!

On a sad note: last week Monday I asked for prayers for my mom’s best friend, Darlene, who was in desperate need of a liver transplant. I ask that you now keep Darlene’s family in your prayers, as she passed on last evening. The heavens have indeed gained a beautiful angel…and one that my grandma certainly greeted with open arms!

Trucker Tuesday

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Cross one thing off my bucket list…I can drive a semi. OK, not only do I have the ABILITY to drive a semi, I actually did it. This morning. By myself. With a load of straw. And nothing fell off. Really.

What? It’s not your dream to drive a semi? Well, it wasn’t mine either. But when the boys got on the bus this morning, the house phone rang and Boss Man was in a bind. He needed to get the straw bales off the field before the cows came home…today. I know, I know, nothing like waiting for the last minute. But it encouraged me to bite the bullet and say, “Sure!”

This was the view through my windshield:

Big rig mama, that's right!

 

I will admit, all the buttons and switches and doodads kind of fascinated me. But I didn’t play and stuck to the guidelines given. And I would do it again, in a heartbeat!

Some days, when I’m all wrapped up in kids and house-stuff and dishes and laundry, I wish that I was more involved in the day-to-day activities on the farm. I know I’ll have my time (once some of the wee ones aren’t so wee), but I love being outdoors. And the thought of spending a day in the peace and quiet of a tractor is like balm to my soul.

But for now, I’ll enjoy each of these little snippets of farm life that I get to enjoy. Who knows when the next one will come!

Yes, those are black fuzzy slip-ons...I didn't say I was DRESSED to drive semi, just that I was able to! 🙂

A Trick for Treats

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Our 4-year-old, EJ, is in preschool this year, four days a week. Last year I didn’t have the chance to really get involved with snacks and things like that. (George was having problems and EJ only went to school two days a week.) Well, I’m going to do a better job this year!

Now, I didn’t say it was going to take a lot more time…I’m just going to take a few minutes here and there and try to be a more involved parent. Which is why EJ and I sat down and made these last night:

Witches’ Hats

Witches' hats...all ready for school.

Cute little things, aren’t they?

I got the idea from Pinterest, and it’s easy as could be!

Step 1: Buy fudge striped cookies, a bag of Hershey Kisses and orange frosting.

Cookie, check. Kiss, check.

Step 2: Place cookie striped-side down, circle hole with orange frosting.

Circle of orange frosting, used for "glue."

Step 3: Place Hershey Kiss on top of frosting.

EJ spent more time on placing the kiss than anything!

Step 4: Sit back, relax and enjoy the praises rained upon you by your 4-year-old that you’re the best cook ever. Because you are. Really.

Aren't they just adorable?

Yeah, not every one made it on a cookie...but that's to be expected.

What is your go-to school snack for the masses? Do you go season-themed? Or just general snacks?

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Halloween from the Past

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Photobucket(Baxter, the Bat)I’m trying to come up with a great Halloween idea for my kids this year. Last year, we didn’t do anything special, because George was once again not feeling well…but this year, we hope to really do a bang-up job!

The year before that we had a Star Wars theme…and I have to say, the boys were cute as buttons (in a totally Star-Warsish-tough-guy way).

Here were my three big boys:

Scooter, EJ and Big Bro, all decked out.

And then came our little George…I made his costume:

My lovely little Yoda!

Yep, those are Shrek ears, folded down. Simple. The shirt is just a brown onesie (does yours have words on it? turn it inside out, or better yet, backwards!). Then brown pants. The “jacket” is a simple tan sheet, cut in the shape of a hoodie, then sew the sleeves together and put the hood together. Had I been blogging at that time, I totally would have shown a step-by-step way to make your own. Dang it!

Oh well, if you have specific questions on how to make one, I can make another and show it to you…it was a rough finish, but from a distance no one could tell. And I don’t think it turned out too bad!

But now for ideas for this year. Anyone?

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