Happy Hump Day, ya'll!  I can't believe that we are halfway through the week already!  This weekend Eric and I celebrate 7 years of marriage, I get to watch one of my very best friends walk down the aisle, and next week is Fall Break.  CRAZY!!! I have a couple of funny stories that I want to document this week, so hang with me. Yesterday, Sabrina and I tried a new restaurant in town called Pie Queen, and it was right up my ally.  It was tucked in the most precious ally just off of the town square, and it was decorated like a 1940s cafe all the way down to the vintage table clothes!  I LOVED it, and enjoyed the company even more. The problem is that it's fairly small inside, and seating is limited.  It's not a huge issue...except when someone asks for your table and proceeds to stare at you until you finally get up and eat your dessert STANDING UP!  I could not believe that someone was so rude!  It's no reflection on the establishment,...

It's been a while since we have had "Story Time with Eli," so I thought that today would be a good time to pop in with a little update. Yesterday when I went to pick Eli up from school, he was working on finishing a craft, so a grabbed his backpack, checked his homework, and made sure he had behaved.  All was well, so I was surprised when he burst into tears when I rounded the corner.  I was even more shocked at the proceeding conversation: Eli: Mom, I didn't know.  No one told me there was a bad finger. Me: It's okay buddy, but I need to know what you are talking about. Eli:  No one told me the middle one was bad. Me: What? Eli:  The middle finger, Mom.  It's a bad finger. Interject the teacher who explained that Eli was using is middle finger to count, which warranted giggles from the older students.  Naturally, he said responded by flashing them "the bird" to get more laughs.    Ya'll he was so morti...

This post should be called, "My Kids Can't Take Pictures," because as you'll see, we were on the struggle bus this weekend in the photo department. On Friday night, Eric's family came into town.  Eric, Colby, Ronnie, and Chad were playing in a golf scramble, so they rented a hotel room next to the course.  Dixie and I stayed at home with the kids, so everyone could sleep. On Saturday morning we had a quick breakfast and then went to town to do a little shopping.  The kids were turds.  I mean they wore. us. out!  We thought that lunch would turn the tide, but no such luck.   We ended up coming home to let them burn off some energy.  After everyone left, we watched the Louisville game, and Eric fixed us fried rice and chicken.  The kids wanted to have Family Movie Night, but I was skeptical given their earlier behavior.  To my surprise, it was a pleasant experience, and the movie "Home" was adorable. This mor...

I've been holding out on you.  Not because, I didn't want you to know, but because it all happened so fast.  My van bit the dust last week.  I was fixable, but would cost several thousand dollars.  Since that was becoming a little habit, we decided that it was time to start looking.  Interest rates are historically low, and the new 2016 models are starting to roll out, so the dealers were more than eager to cut a good deal on the 2015 models.  Last weekend, we drove to Evansville to test drive some American-made crossovers, but we fell in love with a foreign sedan.  Go figure. After thinking it over, praying it over, and doing a lot of math, we went back to Evansville on Tuesday to buy a 2015 Kia Forte.  I love it, ya'll!  It's a far cry from my mom-mobile, but it feels like "my car" and not the "family van."   The Lord allowed so many things to fall into place, so between the lower gas milage, and Eric's Ford Foc...

I'll be brief ya'll, because I am EXHAUSTED!!  I had to work late on Monday and didn't get home until after 10:00, and last night we drove to Evansville, and didn't make it back until after 10:00.   The busy weekend, crazy start to the week, and late nights are taking a toll on this guy.  He was a toot at school today, so are stepping back, relaxing at home, and going to bed early.  I need to catch up on laundry and change the sheets, but that can wait.  We need to rest. Oh, and I had to share this picture of Ellie.  Let's look at everything that is wrong.  If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this. Q: Why is my daughter basically naked at a church picnic? A. She was ruining her dress by playing the rocks and dirt. Q: Why does she have a paci in the middle of the day? A. Because she has a problem for which I have yet to stage an intervention.  Oh, and she was in need of nap.  Since Eli was still playi...

Today was the annual church picnic, and it was so much fun.  After the service, we ran home to pick up our lawn chairs, and then it was back to the park for lunch, fellowship, and an afternoon of fun. Our church family has become like our real family in so many ways.  Since our parents don't live in town, they love on our babies and help fill in the gaps when we need an extra set of hands.  We are so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our life. I'll tell you something about Baptist.  We know hot to potluck, ya'll.  Oh my goodness, there was so much amazing food.  Even my picky eater left satisfied.  It was just so, so yummy! After lunch we had so much fun with a little home-run derby.  I didn't participate (cause, duh!) but it was just great watching all the guys have fun.  Even Eli had a turn at bat. It was such a blessed afternoon!!

We just had the most wonderful, relaxing weekend, which is exactly what we needed before the influx of fall activities and traveling followed by the craziness of the holidays.  As I mentioned yesterday, we spent the morning being lazy at home.  I was out of coffee, so I treated the kids to McDonalds so that I could pick some up in the drive-thru.  Other than that, it was a morning of reading, playing, and chores. Eric brought us lunch home when he came back from helping with football pictures. We spent the afternoon doing laundry, napping, and of course, enjoying football both on tv and in real life!!! Saturday evening Eric went with me to the grocery, and I was never so happy to have his help.  I posted this on Facebook, but I equate grocery shopping with kids to running a marathon.  Seriously, I live to cross the finish line...I mean checkout line. Sunday was church, and I bribed the kids to take photos.  It went fairly well, e...

Fall has finally arrived!  We woke up to cooler temperatures this morning, we're watching Mickey's House of Villains, and last night was Fall Festival at Eli's school.  I think that makes the season change official. I learned a valuable lesson last year about getting to Fall Festival promptly, so I made plans to work late one night earlier this week so that I could leave early yesterday.  It was a good thing because by the time I picked up the kids and changed Ellie's clothes, the party was in full swing. This little lady is a lucky duck.  She won a dessert in the Cake Walk and a new Snow White in the animal game.  Other than the dinosaur dig, they were the only games she played. When she's legal, I'm taking her to Vegas. Just kidding! While Ellie was winning prizes, Eli was busy enjoying the the inflatables.  Compared to last year, he was so much more confident and just loved every minute of the night. He even wanted his hai...

Since was a slacker last year and never shared our family photos on the blog, I thought that now would be a good opportunity to use them.  So, be warned that these photos are a year old.  This may be late, but thanks Sabrina for sharing your talent!! Moving on, here is my bucket list. Family Activities 1. Fall Festival 2. Golfing Weekend 3. Smiths Grove Days 4. Paint Pumpkins 5. Carve Pumpkins 6. Play at the Garden Patch 7. Jackson's Orchard 8. Chaney's Dairy Barn 9. Fall Break Fun 10. Colby's Birthday 11. Grandad's Birthday 12. Hike 13. Camp 14. Play in the leaves 15. Apple Pie 16. Pumpkin Pie 17. Halloween Jello 18. Halloween Cookies 19. Monster Mash 20. Halloween Parties 21. Trick or Treat 22. Monster Mash 23. Trick or Treat at work 24. Bon Fire Couple Stuff 25. Anniversary Trip/ Kristen's Weekend 26. Nashville Weekend Projects 27. Fall porch 28. Organize Closets 29. Clean o...

Happy Wednesday.  I can’t believe that we are halfway through the workweek, but I guess that’s what happens when you have a day off. I don’t have too much to “muse” about today, honestly. I have been so busy that I haven’t made it to the gym, but I did get a few items knocked off of my To- Do list yesterday during lunch. Eric and I met at Sam’s Club for a hot date/lunch this afternoon while he was getting his new tires put on the truck, so there’s that. My goal is to get back at it tomorrow. The kids have been pooped here lately. At least one child has gone to bed early every night (why can’t it ever be both of them), so Eric and I started watching the History Channel’s mini series on the Kennedy family.  Ya’ll know my history-loving heart is loving every minute of it. Oh, and I’m behind on laundry.  I was doing so well too.  Having Monday off and working last night just threw a spur in my wheel.  We have church tonight, so I won’t be doing any...

I was a pretty big slacker this weekend when it came to taking pictures, but at least I am blogging about it. We went to Lexington to visit with my family, but I thought that we would never make it thanks to all of the other travelers.  When we finally got there, we went straight to my sister's house because my parents were giving the kids new beds, and they were at her house.  They were thrilled! Saturday started with a little doughnut/ yard selling date for me and Eric.  Don't judge, it's the small things in life.  Ha! After a quick lunch, we started getting ready for my cousin's wedding and spent the evening celebrating the new marriage with family.  It had been a very long time since I had seen a lot of my family, so it was good to catch up with everyone. After the wedding, my parents watched the kids so that Eric and I could spend the evening catching up with my sister and her hubby. We kicked off Sunday with another round of doughnuts.  ...

It was a little difficult for these two to say goodbye to summer, so they are mourning by wearing goggles. Eli is a little confused about the seasons.  He's not sure if he should wear goggles or Christmas pjs since it's neither summer nor winter. Fall can be tricky, but I think he's on to something with the gun because hunting season is here.  Ha! HAPPY LABOR DAY!