I've seen it all........

Joke for the day:
How many Alma's does it take to play HALO?
oooooo...I know, I know this one.....
(raising my hand, jumping up and down)
pick me, pick me.....
SIX ...because no matter how hard they try, they will never get the mommy to play.

Optional answer: SIX, of course it takes the whole family, but the seventh has to get the camera!

recent pages

along with my first Makenna page!!!

lil' pumpkin

PS. Thanks, Richi, for the outfit!

What can BROWN do for YOU?

Lisa, thank you so much for the outfit. I love it on her!!! (obviously, huh?)

Fall Festival

A church in our area had a small fall festival where the older boys were able to enjoy a hayride, crafts, and pumpkins. (For some reason, the younger boys were scared of the hayride.) Here's some pics of the day.

Party poopers!

Fast Track Go-Karts

Last night our Sunday School class went to race some Fast Track Go-Karts. What fun!! Here's some pics. Of course, the boys were much ore competitive about it all and definitely didn't want to race with the women, but it sure did make my heart happy to see Debbie pass up her husband, Steve when he lost control of his car.......hee-hee.




Ps. Pat, it also brought back memories of me wrecking ya'lls go-cart. Did you guys ever get that fixed?

The End is in Sight

So he's pottying on the toilet now. You see, when I posted a while ago about Kaleb getting potty trained, well, we stopped within a day or two because it was just too much of a battle.

We started again this week, and well...by George, I think he's got it! I'm sure we'll have messes now and then, but he's realizing when he needs to go, and staying dry all night, and even standing up to go and everything. Cool, huh??? This mommy is pretty excited.

Of course, maybe it has to do with the fact that he's stuck wearing girl pull-ups right now. Gotta love Dora. Someone gave us a case of them, and well....they were free. Using them sure beats spending 10 bucks a pack! He doesn't care.

Everyone's Hero

If you have children, then this is the movie to watch. It is absolutely adorable and funny. Picture 3 little boys pretty much rolling on the ground the entire time. My kids loved it. It's set back in the time when Babe Ruth was around. Someone steals Babe Ruth's bat, and the little boy Yankee and his talking ball go about finding it and returning it to Babe Ruth. Absolutely genius. My kids have been wanting to watch it non-stop this week. This is probably one of the very few movies where they all liked it and all cracked up. It's definitely on our Christmas list this year.

new pages

Here's some pages I've done in the past couple of months. I'm seriously trying to simply get caught up on my pictures. I'm still over a year behind. So, well, here they are:
My favorites are the family picture page that has a big white flower on it, and I also like the then & now page of Eric and his siblings. The older picture is from 1983 and the newer one is from 2000. They're both toward the bottom. Oh, and I like the catch one too..but that's probably just because it's orange.

EATING

Yep, believe it or not...I'm one of those law-abiding mothers who don't give their child real food until the recommended age, not before and definitely not after. I've been like that for each child..well, as far as the four months for cereal, five for veggies, and six months for fruits. Since today was the nineteenth, I broke out the box of YUMMY Gerber Rice Cereal mixed with formula. (How anyone could think that it taste good is beyond me. The smell alone about pushes me over the edge.)
Anyway, this is about Makenna, not me. She was so funny. She cracked me up. She thought I was crazy putting her in this chair when she was hungry, and she was letting me know it by screaming at the top of her lungs. Then I started shoveling food in her mouth,and between bites two and three she realized...mmmmm...this isn't too bad, maybe mommy does know what she's doing. I think as far as I can remember, she has been the only baby to actually want cereal at this age. (I remember Luke would have nothing to do with it at first.) Anyways, she thought eating off of a spoon was fun. However, she really enjoyed eating it off her fingers too. She would wipe her mouth with her hands getting the food all over her pudgy hands...then she would use her hands as her utensil and try to suck it all off of her. It was so hilarious to watch her. Then when it was all gone, she let me know how unhappy she was with that idea. I hope this isn't going to be a never-ending circle with her.....cry...eat....cry for more....eat....and so on.

Oh, and here's a picture of what Kaleb thought of the cereal. He actually thought I was giving his sister something good, so he wanted to try it out. He then realized how very wrong he was and sided with me on how gross the stuff actually is.....

Four months old

She's Four months old today, so it was time to pull out the doll for pictures. For those you who might not know, every month since Makenna's been born, I've been photographing her next to the doll to document her growth. (Check out June, July,and August, and September.) She's much more interactive now. She's totally recognizing faces and every now and then we'll actually hear a little laugh come out of her. She's grasping things too. I don't know if she knows she's doing it, but when she does do it she'll bring whatever it is to her mouth and then have some chew time. She's almost out of size 2 diapers....and wearing anything from 3-9 month depending on what it is. I can't believe how fast she's growing. Oh, and she ate some cereal today for the first time....but more about that later.




PS. I looked all over for a little headband for her, but to no avial I couldn't find it, so she just looks like an little Alma boy with pink on.

dr. appt.

We took a "sick day" from school yesterday. The older boys had their yearly physical check-up and Makenna got her 3 month pictures taken. Mix that with a quick lunch at Chick-fil-A, some shopping at Target and then to the library...you get a very full day. The boys are completely healthy. Blake, our seven year old, weighs 55 pounds and is 48 inches tall. Luke, our six year old, is 78 pounds and 49 inches. (and, yes, you read that correctly. I did not mix them up.)

Had a gift card to JC Penney's that our friend George gave us when the baby was born...so it was off to the portrait studios!!!! I hadn't been there since Blake turned two, and WOW was it different now. Of course, Makenna decided to be a little stinker and whined/cried half the time. We did get some cute shots though. Cute enough that I spent the entire gift card....and then an extra $7. I'll try to post them in a couple weeks after I get them back. They were pretty cute.

Let's see.......beyond that...well, that was the excitement of our week. With school going on, we don't go out as often as before. I should, however, tell everyone that school is going great. The boys love it, and I think it's definitely working much better for us this year.

Like Mother, Like Son

...and I'm not talking about being a photographer. We were shopping at Target yesterday, and Luke saw this cool camera. It came with a bag and interchanging face plates; it took videos; and it did funny things to the pictures too. He asked if he could take the other one back and get this one. Seriously, he is soooooo my son. What's a mom to do when she's always returning things??? So we did a switcheroo. (I personally think the new camera is more fun too, by the way.) It was the same price and it does more stuff. What could be better? Here's some of his pictures.

Here's some of the fun stuff kids can do with it and it's so easy to use.

His new camera

So, I mentioned that Luke got a new camera for his birthday. Did I mention it was a little digital camera? Oh my word, He loved it He's been snapping pictures ever since. Now I know how the kids feel when I'm behind the camera! But he sure is a cute photographer. I'll have to post some of them soon.

Pony Rides

We went to a fall Festival at Keehner Park for Luke's birthday. They had a petting zoo, pony rides, inflatables, a haunted trail, and lots of other fun free stuff. The boys' favorites were the pony rides and inflatables. (Okay, except for Blake....he kept talking to the horse convincing it not to throw him off!)

And while we were there, I was able to find out again what a horrible parent I am. We left Kaleb behind, not once, but TWICE! We turned around to count children and two different times, we found we were one kid short. I'm pretty surprised neither I nor Eric panicked. And he was wasn't close by either. It was crazy. Fortunately, he didn't appear to be scared or traumatized by any of it.

Happy Birthday, LUKE!

What a day! It was crazy! We started out by going to Chuck E. Cheese first so we wouldn't have to deal with a crowd. Then it was off to Costco where Luke found his dream come true present....a camera. He had money from his grandparents, and then we spotted him the rest. He was thrilled. Afterwards, it was off to the Fall Festival where there was lots of stuff to do including pony rides. We went to Skyline for dinner, and then back home to have cake and open presents. That evening Luke told us it was "the best birthday ever." That night when he went to bed he was crying and very upset. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me, "I just don't want this day to end!" So, I would have to say that Luke had a great birthday!


Okay, let's see....what did he get....... a US flag coloring book, trouble, connect four, 3 sets of playdoh, a devotional book, and 2 Planet Heroes.....oh, and of course, his camera!

Birthday presents...

a little early....
Eric gave me my birthday present a little early...okay, exactly a month early. (AHHHHHHHHh!!!! In a month, I will be THIRTY! Breathe, Marshan, Breathe!) Anyways, he got me a little pocket camera. I've been wanting one for awhile to throw in the diaper bag, so I wouldn't have to lug my big boy Canon around everywhere. He got me a Kodak Easyshare (I'm thinking that my friend, Pat, recommended this one to me awhile ago.).....and I'm loving it. It's so little, and it takes great pics and has video recording on it which I have missed so much since my original camera died. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow. I'll be taking lots of pictures!
And then, we gave Luke a small present early too. (It wasn't wrapped though.) His birthday is tomorrow.

A History-Making Event

Remember how Eric just thought that God would never give him a girl....and how Eric thought that he would never be able to deal with a girl....and how he was just too manly to make a girl.....and how she would never wrap him around her finger????? It's official. He now will openly admit he was WRONG! His exact words were, "I really like having a girl!" said Wednesday October 10, 2007...Mark it down in history! And here's PROOF!

Movie Reviews and Recipes

Okay, since guys and gals read my blog, I'm going to give both of ya'll something to read, not to mention it's a great idea for a dinner and a movie night.
I've been scrapbooking lately, and when I scrapbook I watch movies or TV shows on my computer. So, today, you're getting reviews of the latest movies I've watched in the past month or two. And the review scale is A, B, C, D. I'm a pretty hard reviewer, C is an average movie.

Dejavu B It was intriguing and non-predictable, and it had a great ending! And who doesn't love Denzel Washington?????? I would easily watch it again

Flags of Our Father C- Well, if you like history, then you might like this movie because is exactly what it is based on which makes it a little depressing if you ask me. I like to live in my fantasy world.

Glory Days B- Have you ever watched Remember the Titans? Well, same thing but with basketball. Pretty good for a sports movie (which I'm typically not into.)

the Break-up C- Too much cussing which is normally taken care of if I watch it upstairs because we have a TV Guardian. However since I watched it downstairs...my ears were hurting from it. But it did have plenty of funny parts and many parts that we all could relate to. Why can't men just understand what we women are thinking without being told?

Premonition C+ First off, let me state...I am not a Sandra Bullock fan, so it took me almost 2 1/2 weeks of having this movie before I watched it. I thought it was very captivating. And very non-predictable. I think that's what makes any movie good.

The Sin-Eater C- Have you ever read the book by Francine Rivers? It's a Christian novel that they made into a movie. I thought they kept it very accurate according to the book. However, it was kinda slow. I loved how they incorporated that only Jesus could take away your sins.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory C- I was very, very skeptical about this movie. I don't like Johnny Depp for one thing, and I loved the original movie. And it seems that they always warp the re-makes of the timeless classics. They did change a few parts from the original and left out a few parts, so that was disappointing. Johnny Depp did make a great Willy Wonka, but Gene Wilder made the perfect one. I thought that the movie had a much darker mood than the first one. However, it ended happily.

RECIPES
And next...well, it's recipe time. I've gotten these two recipes from two friends of mine and they are beyond excellent....the recipes...not the friends...(just kidding...I love you both, Jenny and Lisa!)

Chicken Stuffing Casserole - YUM!!!! I can't even describe how good this is!It's probably one of my favorite meals to make!

Boil 8 chicken breast with 2 chicken bouillon cubes for 30 minutes Let chicken cool and cut up into pieces (save water to use to make the stuffing taste better)

In a baking dish mix two packages of cream cheese, two cans of cream of chicken soup and the chicken together. spread it out in the dish.

Use two chicken stove top stuffing boxes follow directions on the box for making the stuffing. (Only I use the left over water from boiling my chicken instead of new water)

Place the stuffing on top of the chicken mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes......


Crock pot Lasagna - (let me describe this recipe this way...everyone in my family liked this...including Blake, and for those of you who don't know...Blake HATES lasagna.) And it cuts preparation time in half. AWESOME!
Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb ground hamburger meat
1 jar Spaghetti
Uncooked lasagna noodles
Small container cottage cheese
1 Egg
1 16 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Small onion (optional)
1-2 teaspoon Garlic Seasoning*

Brown hamburger with onion, and garlic seasoning. Mix in spaghetti sauce with the meat. In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese with one egg. Mix mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl and keep it on hand.
Place small amount of sauce in bottom of crock pot, then start laying uncooked lasagna noodles, cottage cheese mixture, then sauce, then mozzarella cheese. Keep layering until crock pot is almost full.
Cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Hands

I love it when they start to discover their hands.

Tights

Now, I personally HATE tights or panty hose, or anything even remotely like them. However, they sure do look cute on a little baby girl that I know. Being the mother of four boys, I've never had to deal with all the extra accessories that girls have. Shoot, the most I've had to remember is a belt....now we have: headbands, hats, tights, barrettes, and of course it all has to match. Anyways, tonight it was a little chilly outside, so I put tights on her. SOOOOO cute!!!!! I never would have thought tights could be cute. Seriously, look at those little feet! How adorable are they? And well...here's a few more close-ups of her too. Enjoy!

Jakeb's overnight adventure

Last Friday my mom came over to keep an eye on the kids while I went to the grocery store. Before I left, she asked Jakeb if he wanted to go home with her. I was sooooooo sure that he would say no, but he said yes. I was soooooo sure that by the time it got ready to go, he would change his mind. But when i got home from the grocery store, all I heard was....."Is is time to go yet? Hey, Mom, I'm going to sleep at Baba's!" I wanted to say, "WHAT??? You want to leave me????"
I couldn't believe that he was going to go. I couldn't believe that wanted to go. He wanted to leave me. Sniff....sniff... So off they went. From what I understand, they went to two parks on both days, and Jakeb helped her out in the garden. He watched movies and even slept in her bed. Jakeb got some good quality time with Grandma.
Meanwhile back at home, we were missing crazy little Jakeb. Luke actually started crying later that day because he missed him. Even Blake missed him. Blake's exact words were....."I don't miss Jakeb right now." About 2 hours later, he said, "Now I miss Jakeb!" All of us went over to Lisa's house while the men from church had a Halo party. (Even Lisa missed him, right?) Anyways, we had fun at Lisa and Nolan's (more affectionately called 'Olin by Kaleb).
On Saturday, I was definitely ready for my little boy to be home. I know what you are all thinking.....(PATHETIC! I know. I'm not usually like this.) So after lunch, I decided that I couldn't stand it any longer, and I went to pick up Jakeb. (I think my mom would have kept him forever. She said he was perfect.)
Okay, so get this......the boys and I went to pick him up, and HE DIDN'T WANT TO COME HOME! He actually cried when I told him it was time to come home with us. He actually cried when he was in the van on the way home. I felt so bad. Then I started to think....the poor guy doesn't get enough attention at home. He gets so little attention at home that he didn't even want to come home with us. Man, I felt bad! But once we got home, things were better. However, he did tell me that he was planning on going back to Baba's house fourteen times.

And in case....

anyone didn't recognize the dress...here's Kaleb letting everyone know where I got it from. I can seriously remember playing with this doll when I was little and putting the dress on it and everything. I even dreamed that one day I would be able to put it on my little girl. I can't believe the dream came true!

almost 30 years later

I'm assuming that these pics of me were taken when I was about Makenna's age. Same dress and everything. So, anyone think we look alike?

5 years

It's been five years since my dad passed away, and well, it still feels like yesterday on some days. Of course, we've had three more children since then, and....well....I wish he was here to play with them. He would have so loved them. Anyways, I made a little album that tells some of the things I still miss. There were more things that I missed obviously, but the album was pretty little, so it only go the top few. (On a side note: I'm seriously liking making these little albums. I feel like I'm getting a lot done and well...there just fun to experiment with!)

Bumbo, Bumbo, It's Bumbo time

I just like saying Bumbo. It's kind of fun. Anyways, some of you who keep up with my blog might remember that I bought a Bumbo for Makenna. It's basically a little, very over-priced, foam chair that you put your baby in to (1) to keep them from moving around where they shouldn't be, and (2) to help them strengthen their muscles to sit up. I put her in it a couple of weeks ago and well, her little head kept flopping around. Okay, not really flopping, but you know...she just wasn't too good at holding her head up all the way. Today, I pulled it out again, and ....what do you know.....she's a pro in the little thing.

Kaleb's new pet

He's been toting this around for the past couple of days. It's funny how you can have a toy forever that they never play with and then one day, they discover it like it's the first time, and then they fall in love with it!

Luke's verses to grow on album

Made a new album. I took these pictures of Luke last fall. You probably remember them from these pictures. I didn't want to put them in his regular album because well, there was so many of them and I didn't want a million scrapbook pages on just these pictures, so I decided to do a mini album. I used an old board book that we had that the kids never looked at anymore, and then I went to town on it. I glue, painted, distressed, stamped, and just had fun. I don't normally scrap like this, but it was fun to try something new. I used some quotes that I had already bought from forever ago and then found a verse to correspond with them. Hence the reason it's called the verse to grow on album. I'm thinking about giving it to him for his birthday.

The classroom

Right after I posted the first pictures of our classroom downstairs, I ended up taking everything down because Office Depot had free laminating. I took tons of stuff. I took all the alphabet writing cards on the wall and phonics charts. Shoot, I even took my old visuals that I chalked back in college, but didn't have the money to have them laminated then. You know I'm all about free stuff. When I went back the next day to Office Depot, they told me how much it would have cost had it not been free. Wanna guess??? You'll never guess. I'll tell you at the end of this post. We'll see.Anyways, it took this long to finally get everything back on the walls. I even put some of my old visuals on the walls with verses attached to them because I know that when I was little I would get bored in my classroom and would look around the walls and read everything. I'm hoping the boys are like me, and that way they will end up memorizing verses without even realizing it. If you notice where the orange phone is...that will eventually hold another white board for them to do work on. I even have a little area for Jakeb and Kaleb...which brings me to my next thing. My four year old son does NOT know how to COLOR! How can a kid not figure that out?? Any suggestions? He's been sitting there coloring the same frog for the past 30 minutes and is still not even halfway done. ARGH!! It's driving me crazy.

Oh yeah, I got $250 worth of lamination for FREE!!!!!!! I had 126 feet of laminating to be done. You know that they did not like me very much when they were laminating it all. Of course, I didn't like myself very much when I was cutting it all out, but hey, it was free!