They Survived!

Todd and Holden went on their first adventure as Cub scouts in the Smokey Mountains and I am glad to say they came back in one piece.  Todd even said they had a good time!  I don't mean to sound like a such a skeptic, I used to love to camp, but I had some doubts about a cub scout experience.  Todd said the dads were pretty ok and all the boys had a ton of fun.  He said it was beautiful and he even seemed to survive the sleepless night on an air mattress that wouldn't stay inflated-we might make an outdoors man out of him yet :)

 Holden(red jacket) in his element

 Asher, Sloan and I hung out at home.  I painted the master bath and the boys wrestled.  Asher and I had a chance for some one on one time with his pumpkin and a carving knife.

(Holden and George Washington.I know... it's an amazing likeness)

There is nothing like a busy weekend with the additional Monday project due.  Is it just me or is Halloween out of control.  I remember the days when it was just an annoying holiday because of all the candy and hyper kids.  Now we have Fun Nights at school, pumpkin contest this and that, field trips, teacher appreciation, Fall break-I can't keep it all straight this month.  I am secretly looking forward to the calm of December.

Just popping in to say hello!

Hi! Hope all is well in your world.  Just wanted to post some pictures from Grandma Jody and Grandpa Bruce's visit to Knoxville.  Things have been busy here, at least for me.  The best laid plans and lack of blogging have not made my schedule seem more simple.  Some things have been accomplished, some have been nixed, and some have been modified.  Gotta roll with the punches in this house, not an easy lesson for a certain soon to be seven year old.  Next week my mom and John come, Holden celebrates his birthday, and Halloween will be here.  I hope everyone is enjoying October like we are.

 Bruce and Jody drove down to K town(as we affectionately call it) in their new Ford Mustang just for Asher(the "Ford" guy).  The boys thought it was way cool.  See me back there behind my husbands big hair-hahahha.  He's going to love me for that :) Look at Sloan's face-I'm thinking he might be a Ford guy too!

 This is about as far as we made it into the pumpkin patch.  Note to self: do not go to the most advertised pumpkin patch.  There was an hour wait just to buy tickets to get in. We settled for a picture.  Do you see my soon to be seven year old being all kinds of flexible in this picture?  Like I said-

rolling with those punches.

 CHEERS! This baby loves to clink glasses.  When things start to get hairy at the dinner table, it's the best distraction. Onlookers must think we are a pretty happy bunch after watching us toast 10 times.

Thanks for visiting Grandma and Grandpa! We miss you.

Goodbye for now...

Hi, I'm back just to tell you that I'm going.  The next couple of weeks are crazy here, so I think it's safe to say I will not be blogging because I will be loosing my mind.  If you know me, you know I like things simple and routine.  The next three weeks are anything but, so I'll be back in November.  In the meantime here is what I'll be up to. 

• Cleaning up after the Teacher Appreciation lunch
• Decorating for Halloween
• Selling popcorn for pack 251
• Kids Fall Break
• Scrubbing my house from top to bottom for company(kinda not true because they don't expect me too,but it sounded good) 
• A visit from Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Jody!
• The pumpkin patch
• picking up 100 million acorns on the lawn
• picking up 125 million twigs on the lawn
• picking up 200 billion leaves
• Just Moved Class
• Volunteer in the cafeteria during lunch
• Fun Night at Rocky Hill
• Boo at the Zoo
• Starting a volunteer project at school that involves kids, paint and an auction-I should be loosing sleep over this one soon
• Organizing two non-campers for their fist Cubscout camp out in the Smokey Mountains
• Holden's birthday
• birthday treats at school
• Holiday party at school
• single parenthood while Todd travels a lot
• My Mom and John visiting!

So, I'm going to take a breath. The art work/kids/auction is making me want to hyperventilate.  It's what happens when you are a naive new member to the community and you volunteer for stupid events you've never heard of.  Lesson learned my friends

Now I'm going to leave you with some pictures of what we've been up to the past couple of days

 Becca thought she was going to be the mother of the baby with the bucket on their head(from the Parenthood movie), I have you beat girl ;)

 Find a silly band, pick it up, and all day long...

 You'll have fresh pecans.  These things are super annoying AND super handy as chip closers, pecan bag holders, and emergency hair bands. The kids haven't even missed the 25 I have snagged.

 Do you make your own granola?  I'm usually too lazy, but I did get inspired the other day and it is yummy.

Preheat oven to 300

Combine 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats, 1 1/2 cups pecans., coarsely chopped, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 1/3 cup honey, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; mix well to coat.  Transfer to a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in an even layer.  Bake until oats are lightly golden, 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Let cool completely on sheet.

 After agonizing on the color, we finally painted our family room. 

still a work in progress

I'm not sure this could hold up in the rain(haha), but these two thought it was the bees knees(what exactly does that mean?)

Promise not to tell Pottery Barn this is what we do to their rug samples

a natural progression and possible new obsession

I have the tendency to really take some materials to an absurd level(hello cardboard).  It's what a bored SAHM does when she is trying to get through her day.  I get really tired of paying bills, fixing lunch and vacuuming. And I really get tired of running errands, especially ones just to be crafty or decorate a certain spot.  When I shop my house, it feels so good and creative and like I have a lot more money in the bank. 

This wreath I made last year cost all of 2 dollars and I am in love with it. Right now it is hanging on the back of our front door.   It makes me happy every time I walk by it. 

 I bought a canvas a while ago, I think it is about 11x14.  Over at Jones Design(she loves her book wreath too) she covered a canvas with book pages for some art work above her bed. I have a spot in the house that I want to cover up-more on that spot at a later date-and had been searching for a piece of art all summer but had come up empty handed(always happens when I am actually looking for something specific). Her design inspired me to tear up a beloved book and decoupage it onto the canvas.  I added some rub ons that I already had tada...now a beloved book turned art.

That project really got me going, I mean my sponge brush was already covered in decoupage glue-watch out! Several weeks ago I bought a couple plastic pumpkins at the Dollar Store, they happened to be sitting on my craft table.  They fell victim and now they are adorable page pumpkins.

I was feeling pretty satisfied.  I sat back to admire my work but felt the need to do just one more surface.  I had seen a picture in Pottery Barn of a Halloween candle covered in a book page.  I'm not certain when or really why I bought this battery operated candle, but I sure like it more now!  I think I'm done with book pages until Christmas.  I'm thinking old children's Christmas book pages covering votive candles.  I'll be shopping the used book store and picking up more sponge brushes.

sunday nights

I know why I like Mondays so much.  I have written this post a million times in my head, Sarah at Clover Lane just put it in all the right words...