Happy New Year

We decided to celebrate New Years Eve early. We were watching a movie and Logan was starting to fall asleep. We decided to turn off the movie early and start celebrating the big count down. We counted down and the kids got to pull all the poppers. Leah didn't like the sound of the poppers. Every time a popper would go off she would cover her ears than she would clap her hands! The kids had a blast with all the confetti. Overall, a good, fun, and safe family holiday!

2008 Read Aloud Books

I decided to do something different this year. I decided to start reading chapter books to my children. We started off by reading Farmer Boy. Every Afternoon, we would sit around the kitchen table and drink chocolate milk while I read to the boys. They loved it. They couldn't get enough of it. So, we started with Farmer Boy and just finished Elmer and The Dragon. This has been the best year! I personally, never read a book except for a school assignment. This was my first time reading any of these books. I feel sorry for myself all the time. I missed out so much. This next year we are going to be reading the rest of the Laura Wilder Ingalls series. I'm not sure what other books we will read. Oh, my sister Barbara suggested we read "Matlida" next. So, I'm hoping to read to my kids a whole new selection of books.

Farmer Boy
Little House in the Big Woods
BFG
Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory
Spiderwick
Charlotte's Web
Stewart Little
The trumphet of the swan
My Father's Dragon
Elmer and The Dragon
Ralph S. Mouse
The Mouse and The Motorcycle

2008-A Year In Review

January-Beginning of this year, I decided to take a new approach with my kids. We started our great journey about educating ourselves. I decided to start working with my kids and teaching them life skills. Landon and I started to work on a simple crossstich pattern of trigger and friends. We also, ended up sewing pillows and the kids learned how to wash dishes and clothes.
Landon and Lara
February
This was a quiet month. We finally had our first snowfall. This was Leah's first experience with snow. She was so curious and sweet. I just love this picture. Leah
March
Auntie Jenny was brave enough to take the boys ice staking at the Jones Center! This was Logan's first time ever ice staking. If I remember correctly he tried to ice stake by himself.
Logan, Auntie Jenny,and Landon
April
This month we did several fun activities to celebrate Easter. Logan ended up winning a huge Easter basket at the Bella Vista POA Easter Egg Hunt. Auntie Jenny and I took all the kids to a huge horse show down in Fayetteville. Leah almost flipped herself right into the arena. Luckily, we caught her just in time.
Landon
May
This was a super busy month! Landon graduated from preschool. Auntie Jenny and I took the kids to The Castle in Muskogee, OK. We ended up spending the day at the castle enjoying the recenissence fair. We took our big trip out East.We drove all the way from Arkansas to Maryland and back. It was a great trip. Everyone had a great time. I turned the big 30!!!!!!!!!


June
We finally made it back home the beginning part of June. This is a picture of Leah eating an icecream at a civil war site in TN. After, our big trip we took the rest of the month at home! We spent a lot of time swimming at the pool. Also, when we came back from our big trip. Leroy finally agreed to cut off the cable. Its been the best thing for our family. We are so much closer. We read more, play more outside, and spend more time doing quality activities.
July
We decided to take a mini trip to Devil's Den with another family from church. We still spent a lot of time fishing and swimming at the pool. Mostly, relaxing and enjoying the hot summer weather. Also, we ended up celebrating two birthdays on the fourth of july-Leroy Sr and Leroy Jr. Landon was able to attend Mad Scientist Camp. He was able to shoot of his very own rocket that he made at the camp.



August
This turned out to be a huge month for our family. The boys turned six and four! They ended up having a huge birthday party. Landon started Kindergarten and Logan started preschool. I'm still teaching the kids at home. You would be amazed how little they learn while away at school all day.


September
The boys both started playing soccer! We ended up taking our big trip to Gulf Shores, AL. Yes, this is a picture of me sitting on a real alligator. Leroy and I celebrated 10 years of marriage.

October We had another great month. I decided to go ahead and make all the customes for the kids for Halloween. We went with the Wizard of Oz theme.


November My parents came out for Thanksgiving. We had a really nice visit. My inlaws held a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. We also inherted my sister's cat. The newest addition to our family. The poor cat provides mom lots of unconditional love.


December Leah just turned two years old! The hulk costume suits her personality. The poor kid can take a beating and still come out of it with her head up. She's little miss rough and tought.We had a very big family reunion and christmas get together.

Growing Up Fast...

I walked into the kitchen this morning to discover the boys making their own breakfest. Logan made himself Mayo Sandwich-which I think is the most disgusting sandwich ever! Landon was making himself eggs.

An Artist In The Making...

I'm sooooo bored!!!! The poor kid is so use to being told what to do all day long at school. He can't seem to think for himself anymore. I tried coming up with a hundred different activities to keep him busy. I finally came up with something for him to do. I told him to go inside and grab his paints. I had him start with painting old pieces of wood scrapes than he decided to paint a really long log. Finally, he started to think a little bit of the box and come up with some of his own ideas to entertain himself.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

I sent the boys on a nature sacavenger hunt. One of the best ways to get kids excited about nature is to let them play outside and explore. I decided to change things up from doing a regular nature hunt! I decided to let them use my camera to document all of their discoveries.

Taking Care of Herself

We just finished reading the book called My Father's Dragon. In the book, the little boy picks tangerines and eats them while his on Wild Island trying to resuce the I walked into the kitchen to find Leah sitting on the counter top peeling a tangerine all by herself. dragon. The boys really enjoyed the book and loved the idea of eating tangerines just like the boy in the book.

I walked into the kitchen this morning and found leah sitting on the counter. She was peeling a tangerine all by herself. I'm still can't believe. About an hour later, I found her again in the kitchen and peeling another tangerine.

One word to describe Leah:
INDEPENDENT

New Year's Craft

The end of the year is coming fast upon us. I decided it would be fun to do a New Year's craft with all the kids. Glitter and Glue is all you need for this fun activity. Using glitter with a toddler is alway a challenge! She manage not to make to big of a mess with it. I told the kids we might be able to pick up some fireworks to shoot off on New Year's Eve!

Family Pictures 2008

Bird Watching

After, filling the new bird feeder with seeds. The birds started to come immediately. I thought it might take a couple of days before we would see any birds but I was wrong. We ended seeing several different types of birds: Blue Jay, Red-headed Woodpecker, chickadee, and titmouse.


Checking out the new bird feeder!


Carolina Chickadee
Poecilie Carolinensis

Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus Bicolor