all is well....

At our house for a few days we get to stare at the most beautiful baby....and that feels like just about all we are doing. We have done some school work today, but then we take breaks to just stare.......I mean really, who wouldn't just stare at this........

Isn't she just gorgeous? People ask me all the time "isn't it hard to be a foster parent?" In all honesty, there are days when I want to scream

"YES!!! It's AGONIZING! My heart is being ripped out bit by bit!"

But the reality is, there are so SO many days like today when I want to say:

"seriously??? SERIOUSLY??? Look at this angel...how could it be hard to love her with all our might?"

Seriously we are having a ball....and it helps us this week as we move into the holiday season missing the little ones we won't be spending these specials days with.

it's a tiny little beautiful reminder that we have SO much to be thankful for!!

*I am thankful for each and every little soul that has graced our home with their presence.

*I am thankful for every smile

*every laugh

*every cry I got to comfort

*every back I got to pat

*Every burp

*Every little finger and every little toe

*every first step and first word

*every sleepless night

*I'm thankful for the world my birth children see and watching their passion grow to help children who can't help themselves.

*I am thankful for a husband who I must take turns with to snuggle and care for these sweet little ones....he loves them just as much as me and each time I see him cradle a little one I love him even more...even though every single time I think surely I couldn't, my heart might burst. But it doesn't and I do

*I am thankful for a wonderful organization like Georgia AGAPE who ensures these precious children are not only fed and clothed physically, but also spiritually.

*and yes I am thankful for the sadness when we say goodbye to these little ones we get to love for a 'little while' (really their whole lives...they just might not know it). yes really, because that reminds me of why I feel sad sometimes...because of all the things I was blessed to experience with that little one. and each and EVERY child deserves to be loved and missed til a heart might break when they are away from someone. There are too many children that don't have someone to love them and miss them that much in this life.....

THANK YOU GEORGIA AGAPE for all that you do (like working into the night on Saturday nights Kim!!) to ensure that so so many children are loved and cared for (and loved and missed)!! Your work is appreciated!!

What I love about Homeschooling

Sunday night the kids spent the night with my parents as a treat since they haven't in so long (something they couldn't have done if they were still in public school). They headed home about 9am. And our day began.


Yesterday we read:

The Bible (and worked on memorizing the 10 commandments...also an assignment for their Bible class and used that as a writing assignment too)
Johnny Tremain (Mommy reading outloud)
The Courage of Sarah Noble (MaryKyle reading outloud)
The Bears of Hemlock Mountain (John Mark reading outloud)
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (Daddy reading outloud)
Little Women (MaryKyle's silent reading)
The Black Stallion (John Mark's silent reading)
Animal Vegetable Miracle (Mommy's silent reading)

The Host (Mommy listening to while walking)

We also worked on US history lessons about the early Settlers to North America & some of the explorers that led their expeditions (French, Spanish, English and Portugese)

also a Math test and Math lesson (and then revew review review!!).

And yes our 'school day' lasted just about all day long. But none of us were fried a bit, not a single bit. We've had a SUPER day!! I mean with this fabulous fall weather, how could you not?? Of course, half of our reading took place out on our swing set or sitting outside somewhere in the GORGEOUS weather!! We reviewed and had a fun family quiz about our History lesson at the dinner table (over our low country boil! YUMMO! Thank you Kroger for your 4 day meat sale!) and the day for the kids ended with their Daddy reading to them....

Oh yes one ouf our best accomplishments.....we taught Caroline (our Florida Gator loving neighbor's 2 yr old) to say "ROLL TIDE!!"

yes, it was a GREAT day!! Even though Mommy had a headache, Daddy has some sort of sinus/allergy stuff going on, and MaryKyle isn't too far behind Daddy....NOT saying that to whine...not a bit, but for me I'm so thankful that we could pace ourselves, not push, snack, eat, wrestle, sing at the top of our lungs, swing, slide, and play football all at home enjoying this day together!!

Love my life...love my family!!

What happened to Thanksgiving?

(thanks to Edie's "12 days of Christmas" And All a Flutter for the fun 'bunting' idea! I'm not QUITE done with mine, but what a fun quick little craft to do in my spare time)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! No 'stuff' involved...just being thankful and spending time with family. It helps that I just LOVE fall....but goodness each year T'giving gets more and more overlooked. Halloween moves in and before it's over Christmas decor pops up. There are some that already have their trees up and lights outside....ack! Not for me...I love love love fall and Thanksgiving! I love the cool fall days, I love making snacks for my hubby while he watches Alabama football, I love the leaves, I love hayrides, I love weenie roasts, I love the colors, I love gathering together with family and remembering what we are thankful for !

oh yeah and then there's fall food and the fact that I love all things pumpkin (pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin cupcakes.....)

about time

So looking over my blog I got sad. Really.

somehow this blog became about cooking and kids, school activities, etc All fine and good things....but the man who makes every single bit of that possible only gets an occassional mention.


Total injustice to an outstanding man!

My husband is amazing! He is good and kind. He is passionate about his family. He's so totally fun to be around! He can make me laugh when I'm in a downright horrid mood, and he somehow patiently puts up with me on those days. He quit his job and started his own business so he could be with the kids more instead of just dinner and bathtime. He wanted to have a bigger influence on their lives and to create memories to last their lifetime. I married a man who is more driven on seeing his family in heaven then a he is seeing his family in the finest clothes, in a big house with expensive things, etc How was I so blessed?? Oh wait...I remember I blogged about that a while back (maybe I'm not SO bad)

I love how he reads to our kids after dinner and listening to all the fun voices he creates for each character. I love how he insisted on changing all the diapers in the first couple weeks of MaryKyle's (our oldests) life and he took off a month of work just before John Mark turned one so that he could have some Daddy kid bonding time. I love to watch him snuggle babies!


He loves bicycling and in the picture above he took the kids all around North Georgia watching Lance Armstrong in the Tour de Georgia. They had a ball...all 3 of them, and is a memory the kids still talk about. It was a Daddy kid time...Mommy wasn't there. He had them all day long, including them in something that he liked instead of seeing them as a nuisance. He does the same for them. This year he was asked to coach JohnMark's little league team. He knew almost nothing about baseball and certainly not about coaching. What he knew is that John Mark had an interest in baseball. He's really good at research and studied how to best go about it and wasn't afraid to ask questions. I was recently told by one of the other team Mommies that he was the 'best coach they'd ever had' why? Because he never lost his cool, never raised his voice in frustration....and taught. He never considered anyone the underdog and assumed they didn't have the skill. he worked with every kid and his goal was to teach each boy something that season. He's such a wonderful Daddy to our children!!

He is amazing!! Truly....amazing!!

and mine...all mine!

as requested

(sorry I'm no food photographer...this will have to do, I'm too tired to care)

I made these for an event tonight and got lots of requests for the recipe. Several wanted to make them for Thanksgiving. They were yummy for sure...but super super sweet....I thought the mini-ones were just right. Others wanted to go all out and they enjoyed the big ones. So I was glad I did a mix of both, but definitely glad I didn't make all big ones as for many, it's just too much!

But truly they are yummy.

so here you go. Here is what I did:

I used THIS Pumpkin Cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart Living for the cupcakes.

Then I doubled THIS recipe from ChockyLit (seriously LOVE her cupcakes!!) for her Salted Caramel frosting- (it's further down the page with a chocolate gluten free cupcake.)

I doubled the Salted Caramel (NOT the frosting just the caramel) because I read that suggestion on another blog (and can't find it now...ugh) and dipped the cupcakes in the caramel. I did that and then also followed ChockyLit's suggestion with some extra (there was plenty extra...still have some in my freezer) I put it on a plate and cut up some pieces to top them with. Which promptly melted and ran down the icing after sitting out a bit, but I liked that look too so no worries!! The picture was taken at the end of the night....so this was a sad cupcake, not one of the prettier ones which was promptly gobbled...poor poor cupcake...

oh oh...and I DID NOT put the salt on top...I put the caramel on top. I actually think the sea salt would be really good. But my hubby and kids turned their noses up at the thought. I might try it tomorow with the leftovers and see what it's like...I'm thinking it might help with the sweetness a bit....I'll let you know!

Again I'm just going to warn you...we're talking filthy rich ladies!!

Have I mentioned today how much I love cupcakes?
no?

well I do...I LOOOVEEE CUPCAKES!! and I love having a reason to make them, because I have to make them when I have others here to eat them!! Otherwise...well...it wouldn't be pretty

Arf! Arf!

I'm going to spend the night tonight at a hotel with MK and 2 of her good friends for a belated b'day celebration of sorts. She wanted a semi-hotel for dogs theme with puppy cupcakes.

This is what I came up with. I was worried about not having time to pull something together today, but these were so super easy!! Whew!!

Fun house

Sorry I've not been on much lately...so much going on.

ACK... is this is a sign of what's to come, going into the holiday season?!?

We've had some impromptu science experiments...it worked he exploded a large ziplock bag!! He was thrilled!! So fun!

And this is what happens when Jason Mraz comes on to play at our house.... no we don't 'think we can dance' (in fact we are fully aware that we can't!)

and we just don't care,

well as long as no one sees us...hee hee!!

Pictures are kid taken so perhaps not so centered...but again, doesn't matter so much.

What matters is that fun memories are captured!

That they remember we would stop all school work to dance around

the family room, laughing together

and thoroughly enjoy being together!!