Things we did the Summer of 2011

As the weather is getting colder I am reminded that summer went so fast! Although I am excited about the cooler fall temps I don't want to forget all the fun we had the Summer of 2011!

Playing Washers in the court yard

Looks like I almost got a Ringer!

JT & Uncle Doy playing Bluegrass at Grandpa & Poppa Jerry's

My beautiful Mother's day hanging basket from my sweet mother-in-law kept
me and the Humming Birds happy all summer!

Claira playing Chicken with her cousins at Grandma & Poppa Jerry's

All we need is Becca to make this family photo complete.
This was taken on the front porch of our apartment.

This was fun. While JT was working a Camp Barnabas the neighborhood got creative.
The McCollum Girls and Claira had all of our neighbors decorate a care for JT. We taped them
together and made an accordion style book out of it. Then mailed it to him at camp.
We have nicknamed it "The Longest Card in the World"

Claira and Mackenzie playing dolls

Claira on 4th of July

The braces are off!! JT requested a burger from Hugo's to celebrate.

Claira got brave and had her burger with vegetables and liked it.
It was a picture worthy moment!

Thanks to Joe and Rosie we spent a wonderful day at the lake.
JT and Jay tubing.

Claira and JT on the boat

One more Can Idea

Watch out I'm getting CRAZY!
I saved three diffrent size cans:
Tomato Paste can, Tomato sauce can, & a Diced Tomato Can
Then I used an ice pick and a hammer to poke hole in the the cans making three different patterens.
They have now become candle holders for tealights.

They actually look beautiful light up at night with my decor of fall leaves and mini pumpkins scattered about.
Money Spent $0
Time Spent 45min
Enjoyment for me Priceless!

Re- Gifting Trash?!

I have had so much fun using trash as containers for gifts. Don't think I have been hording all my tin cans or cardboard boxes. Lately, if  I know someones Birthday is coming soon or I need to make a "thank you" I save only what I need and throw all the rest out. It has been so much fun!

To the left is a picture of the "vase" I made for my sisters Birthday.
I used a diced tomato can, cut with a can opener that doesn't leave a sharp edge. Then I wrapped the can with scrapbook paper. Added the letter C on the front for Christy out of shiny scrap paper. For accent and a extra gift I made a fabric flower put a magnet on the back, placed the magnet flower to the can and she can use it on her frig when the flowers die and the can is thrown away.

This project was fun.

Thank You Candy Bouquets
(Inspired by my friend Rebecca)
Claira helped with this project
We wrapped our cans with stamped brown paper
I printed "Thank You" on to the same color paper not stamped.

Then we used a 3" starphome ball is side the can to hold the mini Popsicle sticks, with candy attached with tape. I found crinkle paper in the same color that we put around the top of the can. I made 6 of these thank you's for $1.50 a piece. The candy was the most expensive part!

This container is a large Parmesan cheese container. I have also seen nuts in containers like this.
I love using scrapbook paper and my computer to design labels to print.

On the top of the lid I added another label that was also designed and printed on my computer.

I used left over scrapbook paper for this project so my only expenses was the ingredients for the cookies but I had all of that on hand so technically I considered this thank you free other than my time.

Claira and I have found that double sided tape works best on these projects.

Warning: If you are a friend or family member you will probably be receiving a gift from us at some point made out of our "TRASH"!!!

17 years of Love, Loyalty & Friendship!

It was so great to get away for two nights and enjoy our time with one another. We started our marriage in Eureka Springs. It has always been a special place to us. We like the eclectic atmosphere and the relaxation and beauty we feel and see. Thanks to my parents we have enjoyed staying at the Grand Central Hotel. http://www.grandcentralresort.com/ We found out from the owner that it was built in 1880 for the railroad executives. It burned down in 1883 and was rebuilt. The structure that is there today is the original 1883 structure.

She told us that the name of the street was once called Mud St. because all the water flow from the mountain would fill the street with mud and water. The building is 4 stories tall but now the first floor is considered a basement due to them building the road up one story in the 1900's! As they built the road up they put in under ground tunnels. She said that the business men would use the tunnels to go to their favorite brothels without being seen. The Grand Central was a brothel at one time. There is also a story of Jessy James escaping from the law through these underground tunnels.  Sorry for the history less but I love the history of old buildings!

This was our romantic spot where would sit on the balcony listening to the music from the street & the clippity- clop of carriage rides while sipping wine and watching bats fly around.

The room was all Victorian! Since we were walking distance to pretty much everything we were able to come and go all day.

Thanks to Corey & Callie's suggestion  we were able to enjoy a wonderful outdoor Mexican meal (my favorite) that Jay also really enjoyed (not his favorite).

The East Look out. This is the famous Crescent Hotel from quite a distance. We just happened upon this view. We had never seen before. This was as the sun was setting. Beautiful!

What a wonderful time we had!

 JT and Claira,
Always make time to get away with your spouse. Grow your friendship, spoil each other, laugh, be playful & never give up on your covenant of marriage.

Watermelon...need I say more!

Katie Anne, Madilynn & Claira

Paxton

Summer Day's On the Mountain

Since we  live in Fayetteville at Woodway Apartments life on "The Mountain" is a little sweeter. We have loved driving out to Nonna & Poppa's for relaxing summer afternoons.

Claira loves to swim in the pool with a view.               

 Poppa loves to nap.

Christy, Alexa, Poppa, Jay & JT

Everyone loves a game of croquet....

Mom having a really good laugh                                


All three of us...good memories...we all need them.

He Shaves??!!

How did we go from, "Momma, hold you." 

To..."Mommy, let's play Thomas the Train."

To..., "Hey, Mom, come take a picture of me shaving."

Older, wiser women would tell me when JT was just a toddler, "Soak this time up it goes so fast."

My days felt soooo long back then but now I am the one reminding my friends with little ones to soak the time up because it really does go so fast. 


I have loved being mother to this son God has given me. I have learned so much about myself and how little I really knew, in the beginning, about boys. Thank goodness Jay has helped me raise JT to be a man's man and not a "girly boy". When they would wrestle I would stand by and and say, "Jay, that is too rough." Jay would always say, "For a girl maybe, but he is a boy, Babe." I would think, "We'll see about that!" Time and time again, it never failed, they would be playing rough, JT would get hurt and come to me to make him feel better and then head back to Jay for more. This puzzled me and reminded me that I really didn't understand the way of a man.

I am so thankful for books like Wild at Heart , Bringing Up Boys and long talks with Jay as he is so patient to explain how guys think and what they need. I try to be teachable and understanding of men and how God made them so different from women. What a loving God we have to  make a protector, provider & leader to care for me, a women.

We are still on the journey of raising this God-given son to be a strong follower of Christ with unwavering character. As I pray for JT's present and future life I am learning to trust Jay more and more in the understanding of young men and trust God that JT was made by him and made for him and that he has given my son to me for a time to teach, nurture, love and then very soon...not long from now to let go of.

Thank you, JT for all of times you tell me that you love me or come up to me and put your arm around me and say, "Come here, Mom, give me a hug!" I need that and I love you for it.

The New Hairdoo!

Claira had been growing her hair since last summer and decided that it was time for a new hairdoo! It was so long and pretty but Jay and I ecouraged her that hair will always grow if she decided she didn't like it short.

Thanks to Anut Christy's talent the short haircut is a a HIT! Claira loves it so much.

Beautiful!

A Labor of LOVE...

 It's time to grill at our house! The smell of a grill heating up brings back so many memories:
Summer Days hanging out around Nonna and Poppa's pool in Farmington grilling burgers.
Camping at Devil's Den and eating grilled veggies and chicken legs.
The year we  lived in the camper while we built our house on the mountain and EVERY meal was grilled, pancakes and all.

I believe that was year Jay fell in love with shishkabobs! The idea of shishkabobs is a beautiful thing. They are pretty and they taste wonderful but it is a process that requires love. First, you have to marinade the meat. Then you cut up all the veggies. Next it is time to put it all on the sqewers! (This is when the hand cramp sets in!) Praise the Lord I married a man that is a master on the grill!!!

As I was preparing this dish for my loving husband this past weekend I realized, once again, how hard you have to work to creat a shishkabob but how happy Jay was about the fact we were having shishkabobs!!

I would have to say that it may be my least favorite thing to prepare for the grill but I hope I get the priviledge of preparing them for my, sweet grill master of a, husband for many years to come!!!
I love you, Honey!

Loving Spring

On one of the first warm spring days Claira made a pallet for Paxton (our sweet nieghbor & Claira's "Little Brother") outside under the umbrella. It was sweet to see the two of them relaxed in the warm sun.

Spontaneous Helicopter Ride!

Step 1 move the helicopter out of the hanger.

 Jay met a friend in LPN school who is a
helicopter pilot. Jay, JT and I got to take a ride in the helicopter for FREE. It was so awesome! It was the first time any of us had been in a helicopter and I have to say that I am a fan...a big fan! I could just picture us in Africa flying over a herd of elephants running on the plains...what a sight that would be. I was begging JT to become a pilot one day so that we could take adventures from the sky all over the world!

Step 2 take a picture before the ride.

Step 3 beg your son to become a pilot!!

Our shadow is on  top of the building.

Claira's Birthday Party #3!!

February 27th!

This was the unveiling of the doll house! Claira asked for her doll house, which was one my dad had made for me, to be “made over” for her birthday. The entire month of February was spent making trips to Nonna & Poppa’s to work on the house. You guys did amazing working helping me with the house. It turned out just perfect and she has played with it just about every day since having it back.

Claira chose Cajun Chicken Pasta for lunch and Strawberry Cake for dessert! It was great to have everyone there to celebrate.

Claira,
It has been wonderful to see you grow and watch how you are becoming a woman but thank you for not growing up too fast! I am so glad that you desire to keep your imagination as long as possible and that you still enjoying playing will your doll house, American Girl dolls & Webkins. You are so incredibly creative in how you play and l love listening in and hearing all the clever dialog you come up with. By listening to you I can tell that you are going to be a wonderful wife, mother & friend!
I love you Angel Face!