Nature trail

On Thursday we took a family hike on a nature trail that led us to a waterfall not far from our car. The kids really enjoyed this time with Daddy. He taught them how to skip rocks! I love the concentration on Katherine's face. She really tried but will continue to practice. Evan of course skipped a couple of rocks once and was very proud. When we got to the waterfall they hiked up beside it. Walking sticks were all around us this trail and I think they found about three each.




I love this tree. Wish I would have put Sean inside too!

Cade's Cove

Since it is snowing...

...Let's make snowmen!



I brought, brownie mix, mini chocolate chips, powdered sugar, marshmallows and these awesome icing decorating pens. They had a great time making their edible snowmen.

Hiking in the Mtns

On our second day we bundled up and braved the 32 degree temps to hike to Laurel Falls. It had been raining for 3 days so they were full and flowing.
It was really cold!
Uncle Steve, Aunt Robin and their two girls
We passed by two little falls on the trail that were flowing over the walkway. We had to carry the kids over one so they wouldn't get their feet wet. Unfortunately we forgot snow boots this day and only had our tennis shoes.
Uncle Steve mapped out all of our hikes for the week and did a great job.
Evan got really tired on the way back down and I had to get creative. I had a fairly long fleece scarf. I made it into a sling of sorts and carried him on my back. We ended up hiking 2.6 miles that day and I was very proud of my big girl for making it the whole way. My baby boy though cried about halfway down it was pretty stressful but he survived. For not having hiked on Daddy's back but once before I could understand that he was DONE.

Haircut

Can I just say that the day when I know I will get a haircut comes with such turmoil. I always look at TONS of pictures and try to decide what I will do. Short, Layers, bangs and then the just simple trim. My man LOVE's my hair long and doesn't think I ever need to touch it but of course being a woman I see the split ends and think to myself it has been...uh...yeah I think it was Sept.

So today is haircut day, it is raining, it is cold, and my hair looks pretty good. I have been loving the length and want to keep it, but I still look at pictures and wonder how different I could look. Do you know that I have NEVER colored my hair? Yep it has been this same Dark brown color all my life and every Summer I think of doing highlights but I have never taken the plunge.

What about you...is haircut day exciting? Does it always mean change? Does your stylist see you and know exactly what is going to be done because you do the same thing every time??

I am sure I will look the same today I am not feeling too adventurous with all the other stuff going on in my life.

Home again

Well, it is official our vacation has now ended and exploded all over our house! We are trying to get everything put away and continue with daily routine. Yesterday, I spent a solid hour in the kitchen and it finally looked decent enough to feed children in it without fear of germs. ewww! This was all started by forgetful little me leaving a chicken breast opened in the fridge for a week while we were gone. Can anybody say SMELLY!?! Just trying to keep it real over here and let some of that reality shine through. Today it is supposed to be sunny and in the 50's so I am not sure how much laundry will get done because this girl has four kids today that will want to get outside!!

Should have some pics up of our trip when I can locate the camera and get them uploaded. We had a great relaxing time with snow, an in home movie theater and lots of GUUD eatin'.

SNOWING

Oh yes, their little prayers of faith reached a heavenly Father and my kids are in Heaven!! We started out by taking a hike this afternoon and about halfway through the snow started to fall. By the time we got back to the van it was about an inch thick. We drove to town and got Kilwin's Ice cream and we are back at the cabin now, fire blazing and waiting for snow to pile up. The cousins report the weather channel says we will have about 4- 10 inches. This GA girl is SOOOO excited.
I am not on my laptop so I will try and get pics up soon but for now we are just wacthing the snow fall.

A cabin in the woods

This is where I will be...

laughing, relaxing, enjoying vacation with our family, Larry's side and possibly my brothers if it snows. Good to know we are loved for just being us-hehe.
Oh! I am already dreaming of the wonderful smells that will come from this kitchen. I think it is just going to smell better because of the way it looks ;)
Now if I can only get all my lists and packing in order. Snow is scheduled for next Tuesday...the kids are already praying!

The toy drawer

All three of my children have done this around the same age. 18 months. I wonder if it is part of their development. Overcoming spacial challenges and seeing if they can fit. This drawer is a perfect height and fit for the little ones.

Response

An automated response e-mail was sent today. We are on a list with a TON of people that are willing to help, could the repatriation happen in GA. They have our info and what we can offer and now we continue to wait.

I do have a call into a Representative that I used to work for and I am hoping that he can help me get in better contact with the Director or his assistant.

All that said...what have you done to help haiti??? There are so many ways! One blogger friend of mine is effected because her soon to be adoptive son is sleeping under the stars while he waits for humanitarian parole. Debra Parker her great friends the Ivey's have already adopted Story and are waiting to adopt their other son at the same orphanage. Jamie Ivey

Here are some more links and ways for you to help with organizations I believe are trustworthy.

1. Text “disaster” to 90999 to donate $10.00 to Compassion International.

2. You can order a Help Haiti t-shirt for $25.00. 100% of all proceeds will be divided equally between Real Hope for Haiti and Heartline.

Keep praying and looking for ways to make a difference. I saw GMA this morning and the Poulter's were able to rescue 5 children and were currently in the Miami Airport. Here is the link http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/HaitiEarthquake/haitis-orphans-us-couple-haiti-bring-home-adopted/story?id=9595752

Helping

I am sitting here patiently waiting for a return e-mail from the DHS director of GA. You may ask why...

We received information that said the displaced children and families of Haiti will be relocating to GA and they are in need of host homes. The e-mail has been sent-now it is time to wait.

Now is also the time to get my heart and mind ready for what this could change. Because it has the potential to change everything!

What if we do get a child or two or three??? What if they never find their parents? What if they ask us to adopt them? What if I get so connected to these kids and then I have to send them back? What if I don't get a child at all? What if this is the very thing God had in store for me when Larry told me Yesterday that this year we were going to take some big steps of faith.

I then take a deep breath read back over what I just said and remember the treasured words of my Savior when He spoke in Matthew 5. Every area that may stir in my heart He gently and with so much authority address'

²He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Then he goes on in Chapter 6

²⁷"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

³¹"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'

³²"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

³³"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I have an opportunity to eat with those who are Blessed because of their mourning and trial.

I have an opportunity to take of what He has provided in my life and meet a need.

I have an opportunity to do something that will cause my eyes to see differently for the rest of my life.

I WILL take this opportunity and LIVE, not avoid and wish I had.

Packages

This is my Aunt Dawn. We are so thankful to have her a part of our family. She takes such good care of us. When we visited her in VA in November I didn't have to think about a thing, except drive the 600 miles to get there ;) She and Uncle Tony have a great appreciation for the Arts and encourage us all the time to expand our horizons and look at things a different way.

I was told, through skype, the other night that I was to look for a package in the mail. My Aunt Dawn is a great gift giver. She had found something, she said, that made her think of me. I was curious to see what it was and so thankful to have something come for me. While we were in VA she got me to do a little painting and started me on a project she is determined for me to finish.

Here is what came:
Acrylic paints
paintbrushes and a sweet little note that said "Just thought this would help you finish your painting you started here-your clouds were great- Keep it up- Love Aunt Dawn"


Well, I guess I have no choice now...maybe on the next girls retreat I will dive into the creative part of my being that can at least make great clouds, if nothing else.

Thank you Aunt Dawn!!!

if you don't know how...

...here is a way to give!

Click on this link and you will find a family personally effected and knowledgeable of ways to give to Haiti!

Outside

I mentioned in a previous post about how cold it has been. Usually in GA you can just say "Oh we will just go to the park Friday" The sun comes out, it is warmer and we are packing a lunch.

BUT in GA this Fall and Winter it has been so cold. We have been inside a lot. I finally came to grips with the fact that it just might not get warmer Friday and we should go out today. After playing in the snow and we all survived the wind and the cold we headed out again yesterday. Norah was with us and so that makes four kids bundling up to brave the 45 degree temps to get some sun and exercise.

IT WAS GREAT! Katherine had her bike, Evan ran and the two toddlers toddled for a total of 45 minutes. We started with venturing down our driveway and walked down to the cul de sac This is not two houses away.

Ok, wait, let me count...
that is 9 houses away!

Like I said they did great. We talked, barked when we heard the dogs and laughed at how many times Norah said "kafrine". The older two found a great rock and pretended to be pirates on a schooner, yes she asked me what the ship was called, I was very impressed she remembered from the story there was another name for a ship.

All in all if you haven't been out in awhile try it you might be surprised.

Tuesday

Good Morning,
I was greeted this AM by two warm bundles of joy and I felt blessed. They had wet runny noses and hair that stuck up a mile high but they were my boys and they wanted to slobber me with kisses. They think I am the bees knees and it makes me feel pretty great! One day they will be too tough to make that journey into my room to just love on me but for now I soak it up.
My prayer today is that I will be in tune to what they need and spend time letting them know that they are some of my favorite people!

Who needs your wet slobbery kiss today to let them know you think they are pretty great??

Snow day

Sledding with the boys down the driveway
As you can see it wasn't a ton of snow but with the little bit of ice the driveway became a great sledding hill



On the cardboard I gave them. Evan was adorable.

Happy snowbabies!

What the New year will look like?

I am sitting here thinking about all that we could do this year. I am now homeschooling my older two and my baby is walking around undoing all things about 2 1/2 feet off the floor. I have been perfectly prepared for this. He told me in the Fall that I would have Evan home next year. I am walking in faith that HE will continue to speak and guide me into what 2010 looks like to Him.

Currently I am feeling guilty that they are watching a movie while I post and read my scripture for the day (Goal- read once through by the end of the year). That being said they did just spend an hour outside playing in the SNOW! Now they have sipped their Hot cocoa and are watching Snow buddies ;)

I do feel the need to put on paper some of the things I know for sure. This way when I talk with you and when I go back throughout the year I can remember to stick with the basics when other choices are cloudy. So far I know:

Pray over them

Read to them

Play with them

Go outside as much as possible-if MckMama can bundle her babies and go play in the snow when it is -14. My kids can go out when it is sunny and 40. I'm just sayin'

Teach them when they don't know they are being taught

Yep, that is about it. But that can take up a whole day. I am going to attempt to be more relaxed about the way my house looks and more involved with how the heart of my children looks this year.

I would like to say that this is only ONE aspect of my life. I have New Year looks for other areas too! Husband, Self, Community, etc... Just felt a little focused on the kids today.

Can anybody say Chicken?

I decided it was high time to make what my husband loves best. Chicken that is fresh off the bone. I was raised with boneless, skinless chicken so this was truly a labor of love. I started from scratch with all the herbs, butter and veggies. This is the first pic of me stuffing my handmade garlic herb butter in-between the skin and the chicken. Surprisingly I was able to eat this dinner after touching every last part.



This was some good chicken. Natalie told me to put Chicken broth in the bottom of the pan to keep it moist and she was right. The veggies should have cooked from the beginning instead of halfway through but they were tasty nonetheless. We had an organic dinner that fed 4 adults and three kids and it only cost me about 11 dollars!!