Oh, how I love my home...

Oh my, oh my... I love being home.  I am so thankful that I have a home I love to come home to.  Aside from the things we packed everything is clean and put away... it was a nice way to come home. 
We had a wonderful time in Gatlinburg, it was such a special time to gather with Shannon's family...
Here is the whole troop...
I have a lot to catch up on... tomatoes that are waiting on me, REAL cream to go in my coffee this morning (thank Kristin!) and things needing to be put away.  So I am going to go and get started... Have a wonderful day!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:47 - Monday, July 21, 2008 - comments {5} - post comment

Red, White and Blue

Red- My newly painted toenails... I finally redeemed my pedicure yesterday... Thanks Mom... please excuse my four knuckle toes.
White- Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, a must for any 4th of July cookout! Mmm...
Blue- Freshly picked blueberries, to be made into our Independence Day Breakfast... thanks Linz.

I hope you all have a Fantastic 4th of July... be happy, be safe, and be thankful.  God Bless the USA!!

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

08:32 - Friday, July 4, 2008 - comments {5} - post comment

Homecoming Pictures

Last Sunday was Homecoming at our church.  It is usually a big time, full of good preaching, good cooking and good fellowship.  I took my camera, but I was so busy doing, I didn't take any pictures.  Thankfully Uncle Zach took enough for all of us!
That look on Carlie Jean's face was hilarious, I think she wanted another deviled egg and I told her that 3 was enough... haha...
Here is my beautiful Moma...
Here is my beautiful sister...
My dearest and I...
3 of my darling children...
A view of the crowd...
Bro  Jim was our guest preacher... The Unity Quartet was our special singers...
We had such a nice day...
I hope you are having a lovely Friday... and I hope your weekend is beautiful too. 
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

08:09 - Friday, June 27, 2008 - comments {9} - post comment

Weekend Recap

Good Morning my friends...
I know I am rather late this morning posting, I have just been getting my stuff going for the morning. 
We went to a big get together in Chattanooga Saturday called J-Fest.  It was  FUN and HOT!!!!




I hope you have a great day and I look forward to this week.
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

08:57 - Monday, June 2, 2008 - comments {5} - post comment

Party time

We had a BIG day yesterday.  We had 4 of our cousins to come over and play yesterday so we enjoyed our day from the get go.
We worked around the house getting all the festivities ready and then we had guests start to arrive. 
Alan and Tyler built us a fire in my pit!
Success!!
The cake
Present time...
The girls
Cameo blessed my heart last night, she leaned over and said to Paige, "This is my best birthday EVER!!!"
It wasn't any big thing, just  friends over and fun times... works for me!
Have a great day friends.
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

09:27 - Friday, May 30, 2008 - comments {3} - post comment

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day from My Family to Yours!
We thank God for this country and for all who have given so much to make this great land, and to our Father in Heaven who is the Giver of all Good things...

09:50 - Monday, May 26, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Mother's Day Memories

Good Morning Friends!
I truly hope that you enjoyed your Mother's Day Weekend.  We certainly did.  It was such a great time together.
Friday night we had a special dinner here at our home for my Mother and my Sister's families and then Saturday we worked around the homestead and then Sunday we went to church and spent the rest of the day being a family.
We went to lunch at a restaurant!!!
Such an event, we had to take a picture!
After lunch we went to our favorite creek and had some fun wading and playing about...
My beautiful girls
My wonderful boys
My Beloved Me...We had a truly lovely day and I hope you did too...
Have a great week!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:57 - Monday, May 12, 2008 - comments {6} - post comment

You used to do what??

Good Morning!
(This is an imported stump... I saw it at my Dad's work and asked for it... he laughed and said "Most people want them OUT of their yard!" And I said, "Well, you know me, I am not like most people." HAHA!! How true!  So here it is in my yard with some cosmos planted around... I how it looks!)
What a great day today is going to be! I look forward to all it has in store. 
Yesterday evening I did a little demolition work on my front yard.  Now know this... I have lived in this house for um... 12 years.  Out along the bank of my yard there are some Yucca plants. I don't hate one yucca plant, but when there are about 12 planted in one clump on the slope of my yard... I loath that!!! I have been trying to rid myself of the plants for the longest time.  I have dug them up myself and got rid of them, only to have them come back again!
So yesterday, my Dad brought over his excavator and parked it behind my house.  "Dad, you mind if I borrow that?"  I ask.  "Sure, if you remember how to use it." he replies.
Are you shocked  yet?  haha... for several years I worked with my Dad in his business.  I drove a dump truck, a roller/packer, and operated an excavator.  I have operated a bulldozer as well, but I am not great at that.
I asked Cameo to go and grab the camera to take some pictures, but being that she is a lot like her Dad, her skills when it comes to looking for something are not highly developed... hee hee. So sorry, no pictures.
Anyhow... we now have a bare piece of Earth on the side of our bank where the yuccas used to reside.  I HOPE I was able to get all the root out of there so they will not come back. 
Have a great day!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

05:53 - Friday, May 2, 2008 - comments {8} - post comment

Simple Living

The morning fresh and sweet with its kiss of moisture in the air, the beautiful sunrise and the song of the birds.... God is good!  Today I want to talk with you about my journey to Simple Living, Rhonda Jean, asked us to share and I want to tell my story.
We have not always had a simple life, in fact we ran and ran for the longest time and still do occasionally.  But Shannon and I know that there is a greater life out there to be had.  We are still very much a work in progress, sometimes we think we need or want to do 'more' and then the sweetness of our homestead, watching our children grow up and loving time with each other gives us a reminder. 
We choose not to have lots of new clothes, we choose for me to be a stay at home wife and mother, we choose to homeschool our children so we can keep them close and learn alongside each other. 
We are learning the art of planting, growing, harvesting and canning our own food...
We love knowing these foods are healthy, they have not been tampered with, nothing artificial has been added, they are pure, and simply good for you.
I cook from scratch, we don't buy prepackaged foods, or convenience items... rarely do we go out to eat.  I try to buy our food in bulk when money allows and I look for special values on meat and fruit that I can't or have yet to grow around here. I work very hard to give our family a very healthy lifestyle we limit white sugar, white flour and additives and fillers. We grind our grain and bake our own breads.  By cutting back on 'junk' foods we can afford to replace them with much healthier alternatives.
I can sew and make things.  I crochet dishcloths and blankets.  I have learned to quilt and I can make skirts and dresses for the girls and myself.  I find these types of 'old fashioned' skills soothing.  I enjoy them greatly and am teaching my children and sharing that love with them. 
We are on a journey, we are learning every day how to live more simply.
Our lives are far from glamorous, but I relish our moments, I enjoy our togetherness and I wouldn't trade our Simple Life for any other life out there...
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

06:51 - Friday, April 25, 2008 - comments {10} - post comment

Creative Discovery Museum

Hello!  Last night we went to the Creative Discovery Museum it was family free night! Woohoo! So all it cost us was the $3 to park.  Not bad for this big ole family!  We met some friends up there for a birthday, and enjoyed our time very much.  It was rather crowded, but we weighed it out... Free.. crowded... it is going to happen, so we just enjoyed ourselves.  Cameo and her latest stance when it is picture time, Carlie Jean learning from her sister, and Abe of course is not looking at the camera.. I am learning not to be too picky when it comes to pictures of all of us together.   Take what you can get is usually the idea! HA!
So this place is great and if you live close enough you should try and go...
We have a room where you learn about gears, and levers and weights and measurements... a geeks dream come true right? HAHA
We have the dinosaur dig.... where you unearth the dino's yourself and yes, when we read over some of the material, if there was any millions of years nonsense we corrected the museums error.  
I believe Eli is ready for an archaeological dig!
Abe is loving this part.
More fun learning teamwork and how it is true, many hands make light work...
Water Works... probably one of the favorite parts of the museum.. Water is an amazing thing... how forceful it can be, and how easily you can be wet! There is a splash zone in this section.... be aware!
And last but not least at the end or the beginning, however you look at it, there is the giant bubble... 
Aren't they too sweet standing there all hugged up... awww!
I hope you are having a great Friday my friends.  It is hard to believe Friday is already here.  Oh, I forgot to show you the present I made our little birthday friend. 
It is a pillowcase with his name embroidered on it, and because I know how little boys can be, there is a pocket sewn on as well for them to put their toy car, or action figure or whatever in... it turned out rather cute.  I know my boys go to bed every night with something in their clutches so this is a pretty neat idea. 
Have a great weekend everyone... and I am introducing myself on The Front Porch today... hooray!  If you have a chance you can stop by there.
One more thing... my friend Katie Bettendorf has just had to have her baby girl Jodi put in the hospital... PLEASE pray for this family. 
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:50 - Friday, April 11, 2008 - comments {3} - post comment