thankful thursdays

i am thankful for...

sugar wafers!

i love them because they are cheap...

i love them because they are delicious...

i love them because they remind me of my childhood, particularly in sunday school with punch...

i love them because you get three classic flavors and they are pretty and dainty...

i love sugar wafers!

lettuce saver...

i was watching mad hungry the other day and she shared this idea about storing lettuce.

my initial reaction was like, "no way that works."

and then i decided to give it a try.

and it is the only way i store my lettuce now!

instructions: wash your lettuce, then lay it out on a cotton towel (i have certain ones that i use only for my lettuce), wrap it up, and store in your refrigerator. 

it is that easy and it really works!!! 

the lettuce stays nice and crisp a lot longer and it makes it easier to get to it. 

i will never ever shove my lettuce in a plastic bag again :)

sidewalk canvas

just because you are outside doesn't mean you can't do art...

turn your sidewalk into a canvas.

get a life...then game on!

game night is such a fun time in our house.

it gets us together the same way dinner does. 

we found it neat that the girls got the careers that they really want in real life...cari - veterinarian and cami - teacher!

it is also a great learning tool using math, reading, patience, and sportsmanship.

this night was our first time playing the game of life and our youngest beat the socks off of us all!

we like to keep our scores in the box for future reference... :)

funny friday foto

our backyard bunny who hands out here in the evenings. i didn't know they chilled like this :)

thankful thursdays

i am thankful for...

my porch!

you might hear me say it a lot...but my favorite spot at our house is our front porch.

i love reading magazines and books on my porch swing...

i love visiting with my husband late at night in our rocking chairs...

i love looking at the little plants that is live in sentimental pots that were given to me from people i love...

i love how my tall bushes (that i transplanted the first year & managed to keep alive) create the feeling of a privacy wall...

i love watching my kids use the rock border as a balance beam and the sidewalk as a race track...

i love having a flag blowing out front representing the great country we live in...

i love sitting out there and having complete silence to relax and listen to God speak to my heart...

we have had breakfast out there, we have spent lazy days of reading out there, and we have even turned it into a hang-out place for us during July 4th which was the perfect spot to watch the city fireworks sparkle...

i am so thankful for my porch!

challenge your kids to amaze you...and they just might!

there are a few things that i remember in school that i made and loved!

one of those things was doing a shoebox book report.

my oldest daughter has a love for books and even though she is entering into the 3rd grade after the summer she reads at a 6th grade level. 

she is my little twin and generally enjoys the same things i do so i gave her a summer project.

i told her that if she reads joody moody and the not so bummer summer in two weeks then i would take her opening night to see it. 

well, she finished it the next day so i threw in a book report as well :)

i was completely amazed at how great she did!!! 

i taught her how to make a rough draft and final copy...and then gave her creative freedom to decorate a box showcasing the main events in the book. 

she presented the book report to us in time to see the movie and we felt as if we had read it too because of her amazing report!

challenge your kids to amaze you...

my future blogger...(told you, my twin!)

and they just might!

(by the way, she highly recommends the book :)

pool parties...

i love discovering what my kids come up with during imaginary play...

this day was a lazy morning in the shade...

i was doing yard work and they were doing this...

enjoy the first official day of summer!

the ferry ride

the cheapest (free) 

and easiest (drive on up)

 cruise you will ever have (you can even see dolphins)

with your children...(they are easily pleased)

and they will love it! (and you will too)

happy father's day

 happy father's day to the man who loves, teaches, protects, entertains, challenges, holds, and inspires his girls everyday. we know how special you truly are. thank you for all that you do for us. love, your girls.

funny friday foto

found these at an entrance of a wal-mart

in honor of my husband who enjoys ketchup on his ketchup...this looks gee-rows!

thankful thursdays

i'm thankful for...

the beach!

my favorite foods to eat at there are stuff like...mangos, cherries, nectarines, summer sausage, cheese, crackers, sugar wafers, chocolate covered almonds, and yogurt covered pretzels with plenty of water!
(okay, i like to eat these things anywhere, anytime, all the time :)

i see the need to rent the $30-a-day chairs and umbrella because who wants to lug that around when you have a full ice chest (see above).

while sitting in the shade i have to read magazines and a new book.

a video camera and digital camera are a must!

along with tons of sunscreen, sand toys, boat, towels, extra towels, towel clips, wipes, and did i mention food!

every year we HAVE to visit a beach and we always take a little home with us :)

 i'm so thankful for the beach!!!

the beach that was named after me (or not)

crystal beach ended up being a great beach for shelling and not a great beach for swimming. 

we took the ferry boat over to bolivar peninsula and experienced the beach that was named after me :)

there were some beautiful finds and the children and i came back with some really neat and very large shells.

my husband found a coconut and then tried to crack it open.

the pelicans were awesome to watch in the sky. 

i would say that hurricane ike really seemed to have made his mark here. 

 

but it was worth the morning ferry trip there to experience this adventure with my family.