Brotherly Love

The boys started middle school today. I can't believe they are really old enough to be there. I was sad to see them getting ready this morning and told them I needed a special middle school photo shoot. I figured they would roll the eyes but they went along with me. As I was shooting the pics I told them to remember that they were not only brothers, but twin brothers and most importantly friends. I told them to remember to  stand up for one another and be good to each other. I hope they will remember what I said. 

After I took a few shots of them I jokingly said alright now hold hands.. I knew they wouldn't.. I was wrong. For a split second they did and then even gave each other a quick hug. Brotherly love maybe there is hope for these two yet!!

New Years Chain 2012

Each year we make a New Years Chain with all the things we would like to do the following year. The sky is the limit and basically you can put anything on the list. We usually have somewhere around 150 goals. It is fun to put the chain together and then put it away until the next year. It is kind of like a yearly wish list/time capsule.This year we completed over 50 of our goals!!

Here are some of the wishes/dreams/goals we completed for 2012!!

Summer and Winter lock in's, Kenna a FB account, Rollerskating, Dentist for all, Ice skating, visiting cousins in Houston, Finishing the 365 blog, a 3DS, Going to see the Hunger Games, getting jobs, going to Six Flags, a trip to Ohio, canvas painting classes, returning to public school, Boys weekend, guitar lessons, getting a piano, visiting a skateboard park, camping, dates with grandma, seeing the Avengers and more. Sometimes we do something on the chain that is a shocker.. This year an item on the chain was "get a playmate for Lucky." We had absolutely no intentions of ever getting another dog and yet we now have our puppy Holly. 

There are of course those items that end up on the list yearly.. Get more organized, a new master bedroom, a trip to France, a cruise, win the lottery, a new back yard etc. I love putting them on the list because they are our dreams and our hopes for the future.. Maybe one year we will scratch them off the bucket list.

I tell the kids " It is a New Year and anything can happen".. Here is to 2013!! May all of your hopes, dreams, and wishes come true!!

My lefty learns to tie her shoes!!

Most kids learn to tie their shoes in K or 1st grade. Maddie has been home schooled her whole life so never really went through some of the traditional things that you would do in public school like learning to tie her own shoes. That may sound horrible to some of you, and maybe it is???? I don't know, I just never really worried about it. I figured when she wanted to learn to tie her shoes she would learn.

Today was the day. She came to me at bedtime and said "Mama I am ready to learn to tie my shoes. Can we try?" Sure I said "go grab a shoe." I showed her a time or two. She tried and failed. Then it hit me that I needed to reverse some of it because she is a lefty. I reversed the way I did the bunny ears, showed her, and within a few tries she had tied her shoe. Woo hoo Maddie!!

She was soooo proud she wanted to show everyone. She started with daddy and failed. Pressure?? Maybe?? She then came back for a few more lessons and before bed was pretty confident that she was indeed able to tie her shoes.

Tomorrow I know she will get up and ask to practice again. Why?? Because she is ready and she wants to know how. She wants to prove to the world that she can indeed tie her shoe!!

What can I say?? This is another proud home school moment.

Some of you may ask WHY?? You may think that she is two years late in tying her shoes. I on the other hand look at it as though she learned in less than 45 minutes because she was ready, wanted to, and is excited about it. That kind of learning makes my day. Learning because she wants to. I call that a huge success!! Way to go Maddie!! So proud of you.

Somehow, I just knew that my girl would know how to tie those shoes before heading off to HARVARD, YALE or OXFORD. When Maddie wants to do something or learn something watch out world!!

Great Aunt Mary's Homemade Potato Skins

About a year ago my mom was telling me that when she was growing up Aunt Mary would try to use everything food wise as much as she could to make things stretch and go farther. She then told me she even used her potato peels to make, you guessed it, Potato Skins.

In the winter I use more potatoes because I make soups. I thought I would give my moms/aunts trick a try. After much experimenting I think I finally have it nailed down. The perfect potato skins using something you would normally toss out. Enjoy!!

The finished product!!

Step 1: Peel your potatoes a little thicker than you normally might. I was never a great potato peeler so this is really not a big adjustment for me. :)

Step 2: Wash them really good and then toss out any that just won't make a good potato skin. This was all that I threw out from the big bucket above.

Step 3: Dry them off a bit and then toss with just a tiny amount of olive oil/salt. Once you have done this you will place on a baking sheet to pre-bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees. You want to bake them to get them dry so they won't turn color when you freeze.

Step 4: Let them cool before putting them in a bag. Freeze them for your next party, appetizer night, dinner etc.

Step 5:Pull as many as you need from the freezer. Bake them at 375 until heated through about 20-25 minutes. Then top them with cheese and bacon and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Voila the finished skins topped with our favorites sour cream, chives and black pepper. So yummy and really your only cost is toppings. Way cheaper than T.G.I.Friday's!!

Silliness!!

I had to post these silly cutout face pictures from the farm today. Normally a place will have one or two of these types of things but I am not sure I have ever seen so many different ones at a single fair. Carson was mortified that we were all getting our pictures taken in them. Obviously the rest of us thought it was kind of funny!! Living the life I tell you, Living the life!!

The Dress

I had to laugh last night. I bought a Sun Dress Cover up for Six Flags. I knew it was going to be 100 degrees and I wanted to be comfortable. I really didn't care what I looked like. ( I mean let's face it very few people look good when they are sweating to death at Six Flags.)

Moving on.. When I got home I tried it on for John and the team.

John was very careful in what he said. (It looks comfortable and airy, It has really bright colors. I knew he hated it.. Oh well!)

Next up my pre-teen Makenna. She just gave me that look..you know the one..UGG.. 2 Down, 3 to go.

Jack came in and immediately pulled the dress lower over my knees.. Hysterical.. Always my protective mama's boy. Heaven forbid I show a little to much knee at Six Flags. I am a mother after all.

Carson then came in and his question alone told me that it was not on his approval list. The question: "Are you going to wear that??"

Last came my baby girl Maddie. She saw me in the dress and immediately said.. "Oh mama it is beautiful!! A dress, A dress I love it. I have looked in your closet and you have none. I am so happy you now have a pretty dress to wear." So sweet.

I think what I love about how Maddie approached me wearing the dress is that it wasn't about what I looked like in it. It was about the dress, the color, the newness, and the fact that I finally owned one. That in and of itself was special right?? To a seven year old it was.

Wouldn't it be great if we could view everything like that? Something for me to think about.





The girls and I in our dresses at Six Flags. Possibly the first time that the three of us were in a dress together.

Growing up...

Yesterday we headed out to the movies and when Makenna came downstairs to leave she looked so pretty. She was in cute khaki capri's, a stylish brown sleeveless shirt and had a matching brown purse. She had put on some lip gloss and looked really fixed up and beautiful.

The best part was her brothers reactions.. They said.. "Mom are you going to let her go out like that?" "Mom she looks like a teenager!" "Mom she is growing up!" "Mom she looks like Scarlett Johanson" Makenna ate it up that her brothers although they would not admit it thought she looked really pretty! You did sweet girl. You did!!

Happy Fathers Day

Our morning was spent bonding over bowling!!

John has been stealing my NIKE flip flops for almost a year. Now he has his own!!

BRATS are one of Johns favorites..Yummy with corn on the cob, and pasta salad. Happy Fathers Day Honey..you are the best!!

Crock pot baked potatoes

My absolute favorite summer meal is a grilled steak, baked potato, asparagus, and roasted red pepper. Heaven! Especially when it is all cooked perfectly. I (courtesy of the internet) have found the most wonderful way to bake your potatoes without turning on the oven this summer. I believe I found it a few months ago on All Recipes which is one of my favorite go to cooking sites.

I used this recipe during the last few months of winter and everyone just loved them! The next time you want to grill a steak, chicken, or smoked sausage think of using these as one of your side dishes. A little butter, shredded cheese, bacon, lite sour cream and voila a wonderful meal!!

I love that the potatoes can cook while I am off at the pool with the kids. Then, I come home throw the meat on the grill, toss a salad and I have a perfectly wonderful meal ready in as long as it takes to grill the meat!! ENJOY!!

For a winter idea pair this with a crock pot of chili, or shredded pork. YUM!!



Place clean potatoes in bag, drizzle with a little olive oil, top with Kosher Salt. Mix around until they are all covered.

MAKE SURE TO POKE YOUR POTATOES 2-3 TIMES WITH A FORK!

Place poked potatoes wrapped in foil in crockpot for 4-6 hours on high. Cooking time will vary based on size of potatoes! DO NOT ADD ANY WATER TO CROCK POT..

The Queen and her royal daughters...

Queen Kaitlyn with her princess daughters.

Tonight we had a sleepover. The girls all decided to play princess. Makenna as the oldest was nominated the QUEEN and all the girls were her royal daughters. They found costumes and made crowns. I love this picture of all of them. Fun times with good friends.

A new adventure....

For the next 365 days John, the kids, and I will be blogging about 365 different family fun ideas. The kids have started the list, we are on a very minimal budget, and we are excited about the idea.

As for the "family" part, the adventures are going to be with a mixture of family. Neither I nor John know what an entire year may bring, who will be here, not be here etc. The goal is fun with family for the next 365 days.

As for this blog, It will continue to be what it has been.. a place for me to share recipes, ideas, crafts, stories about the team, and anything I think might be of interest for my kids in the future. My idea when starting this blog was to have a record for my kids of their life.. It is still the goal.

Summertime favorite... Mcdonalds Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

A couple of weeks ago I tried Mcdonalds Frozen Strawberry Lemonade..YUMMY DELICIOUS as my kids would say.. If you haven't tried it yet this summer put it on your list. I don't think you will be disappointed!! Now to have my husband figure out how to make it and make it mostly calorie free. I will keep you posted!!

National Donut Day 2011

Longest Covered Bridge in Georgia

Tonight we packed a picnic and drove out to Comer, GA in Madison County. On our list of summer things to explore is covered bridges and State Parks. Comer has both. We went to Watson Mill Bridge State Park which is home to the LONGEST covered bridge in Georgia. It is supposed to be one of the most scenic parks in the state.

We had a dinner picnic, drove through the bridge, explored the camping area, walked down to the shoals and waterfall area, and explored the area where canoes are kept. It is truly beautiful. If I had to be honest I would probably not camp there. The sites were nice but nothing spectacular. The park has paddle boats and canoes to rent, a playground, walking trails, and horse trails. I would like to go back again, but in the fall when I think it will be spectacular for pictures, a picnic, and hiking.

Our first family camping trip

This week we ventured out on our first family campout. We had two nights of FREE camping at a State Park courtesy of the family pass we bought last June. It was go NOW or lose free camping. We decided not to lose it. Luckily I was able to get us a spot down the road in Winder at Fort Yargo State Park. We had been to the beach there before but not to any of the campsites.

I would highly reccomend this campground. The spots were large,and the restrooms/shower houses clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. There are a ton of local restaurants and some shopping in the town. The park itself has a dedicated fishing/picnic spot. There are boats to rent at reasonable rates (paddle, jon, bike boats, and canoes.)There is also a putt putt coarse available as well as a playground or two. There is a great beach with a designated swim area.

I wish I had realized what the walk in spots meant. They are spots for tents. You can not pull into the site you just park your car and walk to your spot. They are all right on the lake and so pretty. They do not have electricity, the closest bathroom is a port o potty. There is also just one or two water pumps to share. This may all sound awful but when you are tent camping who cares if you have electricity or not?? I would easily have traded the electricity from the site we were on for the view. The price difference is very little around $3 a night.

We had a great time visiting this campground and will definitely go again. I would highly reccomend the Upgraded State Park Pass that comes with two nights of camping. I believe last year I paid $70 for it. The camping for two nights was a value of $56, and the parking was a value of $60 for two cars. This camping trip alone covered the cost of the pass. We only paid $19 for 3 nights of camping. Talk about a bargain!

Have you camped at Georgia's State Parks? Which one is your favorite? Would love to hear about your camping adventures.

SUMMER CHECKLIST OF FUN!!

Every summer the kids and I make a "mailbag" or a summer checklist of fun things to go and do. In the past I have always used index cards and the kids would write an idea on each one, decorate it and we would pick from the mailbag 2 or 3 ideas each week. Earlier this spring a friend sent me an idea for a summer checklist.. I LOVED it and thought we would try it out.

I love this idea verses my old idea of the mailbag for several reasons.

1.) It is in my FACE and reminding me that it is SUMMER and that means do extra special things with the GREENETEAM! Because we home school year round I think this is EXTRA IMPORTANT.. It is summer after all!!

2.) At the end of the summer we will be able to see ALL that we have accomplished. :) Does this mean everything will get checked off?? NO.. however we have ideas and will TRY OUR BEST!!

We had almost 9 pages of IDEAS for the summer... Woo Hoo. As we complete each one we will put a sticker on the check spot. Should be fun to see what we accomplish this summer. It is sure looking like a great time indeed. If you have a fun summer idea please feel free to share or post it.

Memories

Today I went with a friend to Martins Landing in Roswell. We used to live in the development and would walk the lake daily. I loved that it would wear the kids out. It is such a pretty lake community. While walking we came upon the apartments that we used to live in. We talked about how one Christmas (05) this was where their Christmas photo was taken. When I got home and saw the photos I just had to look up the old one. The kids are not in the exact same spot but boy can you see how much they have changed. Seems like just yesterday that they were that small. Time sure does fly by.

Speaking of Time flying by it has been almost a month since I last blogged. What can I say?? May was amazingly busy. I plan to do a few catch up posts and then move on with current summer fun activities. I hope you are enjoying the Spring where ever you are and are getting ready for an amazing summer!!

Easter Sunrise Service

This morning I wanted the kids to experience an Easter Sunrise Service. I told them about the plan last night so that everyone could prepare. The last thing I wanted was crying kids on Easter morning. We woke up late and had about 15 minutes to all get ready and out the door. Talk about running a quick marathon. Let's just say I was glad that it was going to be an outdoor service mostly in the dark. What we were wearing and what we looked like weren't the priority. Getting there on time was!

The service itself was really nice. I would say there were close to 1000 people in attendance. It was really amazing to see so many people gathering to celebrate Easter. During the service they preached about New beginnings. As I walked away with the kids I was so incredibly thankful and felt so blessed for the new beginnings we have each and every day because of God's mercy.

I hope that when my kids remember Easter this year, they will not think of the chocolate bunnies, toys, and goodies that they got in their baskets. I pray that what they will remember is a beautiful sunrise celebrating the sacrifice that was made for them.

11th Anniversary Serenade!!

John and I celebrated 11 years of marriage today. He started my day off with a dozen white roses, and breakfast in bed. I spent the day out with the girls getting our hair done and going to the library. When we got home John had prepped everything for a wonderful steak dinner. Love you honey thanks!! (Have I ever mentioned how blessed I am to have a man that cooks?? A perk I didn't know until after I married him.)

At the end of the meal the boys had a surprise for us. Jack was pretty hesitant but then he got up with his brother. The video posted is a remake of what they sang for me. Talk about a memory!! I didn't even know the two of them knew this song, much less practice it at night in their room. So much for knowing what is going on behind closed doors. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It made my day.. I hope to see the two of them sing this for me again on my 15th, 20th, 25th and beyond. Thanks boys.

Miss Maddie is officially seven!! Maddie has always been a numbers girl. Last night when she headed to bed she said eight hours and 45 minutes until my Birthday. Her plan was to get up in time to see it on the clock. She started by crawling in my bed at 4am asking what time it was?? She then preceded every little while to ask is it seven forty seven yet?? At one point she woke up crying thinking she had missed it. Finally she woke up at 7:30 and sat on the ground by the alarm clock waiting for the magical moment to arrive. When it did the smile on her little face was priceless. She is ready to soak up every minute of her special day "after all mom it only comes around once a year". Happy Birthday sweet girl!!