Halloween 2012

This year Emma was my only one to go trick or treating. Clay gave it up a few years ago and this was the first year Shelby didn't go. 

Even though Emma still went trick or treating, I was left at home to pass out candy because she wanted to go with her friend, Harley, alone. Now, before my mother goes and reports me to child protective services for letting Emma go out with her friend alone, we do live on an Air Force base and almost the entire fleet of Security Forces patrol the neighborhood, so I felt comfortable letting her go.  I'm not so sure I would've let her go alone if it weren't for that fact.  Plus, Harley had a cell phone and they kept touching base with me.  Although, having a well patrolled neighborhood may have made me feel safe, it didn't do anything to keep my heart from breaking watching her head out without me and being left home!

Emma wasn't really sure what she wanted to dress up as this year, so when we went shopping for costumes, I suggested that she go as an Olympic gymnast.  I figured since she spends much of her free time cart wheeling, hand standing and most recently moving on to master her front walk-over, it was only fitting.  She loved the idea!  My friend Andrea, who has an embroidering machine, was kind enough to save me from myself when I thought it was a good idea to use red puffy paint for the USA, so she embroidered the USA onto Emma's shirt for a much more professional looking shirt.  Emma did help me with her medal and if you're going to make your own, why not make it gold?!

Now, to fight the urge to go eat all the Reese's peanut butter cups out of her bag while she's at school.

Only fitting that she went as an Olympic gymnast

Emma's World Vol. 1

Emma is the youngest of our three and true to the "baby of the family" stereotype, she makes herself known. Whether we are at home or out running errands, she is always saying or doing something that makes us laugh. 

Because of this, I've decided to start a blog series titled Emma's World and share with y'all some of the funny things she does and says. Also, it will be nice to go back when she's older and enjoy the stories all over again.

So here's the first installment of Emma's World!

Just a little fact about Emma, she doesn't really walk, she can, but she usually doesn't. She prefers to skip, jump or twirl to get to where she's going. She's recently even started walking on her hands at home. Now I'm just waiting for her to attempt going up or down the stairs like that. Sigh.

  

During our recent trip to Kentucky to meet my sweet new nephew Alasdair, Emma asked before meeting him for the first time "Are his eyes open yet?". Um, Emma, he's not a puppy.

During the same trip, we were riding with my sister and my mom says to Emma, "It's like riding a roller coaster when your Aunt Amy drives.". Which Emma responded by putting her hands in the air and saying, "I can't wait to go upside down!"  My mom answered, "I hope not!"
 

Recently we went to the movies and saw The Odd Life of Timothy Green, in which one of Timothy Green's soccer coaches name is Coach Cal. Emma leaned over and whispered to me, "Just like Coach Calipari mom!" That made this University of Kentucky, men's basketball lovin' momma's heart happy! GO BIG BLUE!!

So, there ya have it, Emma's World Vol. 1.  I'd like to think this will be a monthly series, but with as much as she gives me, it could be daily.

Back to school

I can't believe summer break is over, it went by way to fast.

So here we are, the first day of school. The house is empty and quiet. I'm feeling a little sad, and there is only one thing to help with that and that's to eat a cupcake for breakfast. :)

There were no tears this year. Although while I waited with Emma at her school, I felt tears welling, so I snapped a picture, gave her a hug and kiss and hit the road!

Emma waiting with her supplies

Unfortunately it was raining this morning, so all the cute, outdoor back to school picture ideas I got from Pinterest didn't happen. Instead, I got some great indoor, fluorescent lighting back to school pictures! (Insert sarcasm here.)

                                 Clay, Shelby, Emma                                

So, here's to the upcoming school year with the inevitable rushed mornings, forgotten lunch boxes and the after school, happy to be home hugs!

Because I was waiting for the repairman

Today has been one of those days where there just wasn't anything for me to do. I couldn't go anywhere because our dryer had gone out and I was waiting for the repairman, which is always a fun way to spend my day, so I decided to make a recipe I had recently found on Pinterest. It's a recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares. The recipe link on Pinterest led me to a blog by the name of Gingerbread Bagels.  I haven't really looked around her blog that much, yet, but it does look like there are some other very yummy recipes. And honestly, if you want professional pictures to this recipe, click here. I don't fool myself into thinking I'm a good photographer. As a matter of fact, all of the following pictures I took with my iPhone because it's what I had on hand. 

But back to the Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares,they are so good! I put all the ingredients into MyFitnessPal to figure out the nutritional value per serving and each serving only has 141 calories, 5 grams of fat, 9 grams of sugar and 4.5 grams of protein. So they aren't that bad for you either!!

So here's the recipe, enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares

Ingredients

                             

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Put the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and mix together.

Now add the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix together.

And finally, add in the banana and peanut butter. Blend everything together.

Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

                          

Now if your like me and don't clean along the way, it's time to clean up!

Once they've cooled, cut into serving sizes and enjoy!!

4th of July Fun

This was our first 4th of July we celebrated in Sumter and I was glad to find out that the fireworks show was, in part, sponsored by Shaw Air Force Base. I was a little surprised to learn it would be one of the biggest fireworks displays in South Carolina because Sumter is a fairly small town.

Emma in her Pinterest inspired patriotic t-shirt*

The festivities were held at a local sports and recreation park. There were some kiddie rides and jump castles for Emma to enjoy.

Of course I enjoyed the fried goodness of a powdered sugar funnel cake.

Once the rides had been ridden, which took all of about 18 minutes, and the funnel cake eaten, which surprisingly went faster at about 18 seconds, the waiting for the fireworks began.

Emma and Jason

Emma tired of the wait

Finally it was time for the show to start!!

Oooohhhh!

Aaaahhhh!

Emma enjoying the show

Closest thing to a family photo I could get!**

We all had fun and I would say it was definitely a successful celebration of our nations birthday. 

*Full credit goes to my amazingly talented friend, Andrea, who made Emma's t-shirt from the picture off of Pinterest.

**Clay and Shelby were celebrating with friends.

14 years ago

14 years ago, we welcomed our second child and our first daughter into our family.  Today is Shelby's birthday and it's hard to believe she is 14! She started out so tiny. Well, that's if you can call a 9 lb. 4 oz. newborn tiny. :)

She made our little family of three into a family of 4..

First picture as a family of 4

And Clay a big brother..

Clay- 2 1/2, Shelby- 3 days

She had some of the sweetest, most chubby cheeks..

Shelby- 4 days

Today she is a beautiful young lady who adds so much to our family and I am thankful she is our daughter.

Shelby- 14

Happy Birthday, Shelby! We love you!

(The first 3 photos are pictures of the originals.. I need a photo scanner!)

My sister

She cracks me up! Here is a conversation from earlier today.

This is the picture I sent her of my niece and nephew from 1997.

Morgan and Jordan, 1997

Then I got this text..

With this current picture of my niece and nephew.

Jordan and Morgan, 2012

I love my sister and her sense of humor!

You know it's summer vacation when...

...you break up at least 16 fights before noon.

...you buy two loaves of bread on Monday and you only have 1/2 a loaf left on Friday.

...same goes for the two gallons of milk you bought at the same time as the bread.

...you don't see your 16 year old before 11am.

...there are at least 2 extra kids in your house at any given time.

...you realize the nice tan your child has going on was just a good layer of dirt after she takes a bath.

...you can still smell the sunscreen on your child even after they've bathed.

...you have to sweep the floors every hour and it's not due to your o.c.d.

...you wash more pool towels than you do bath towels.

...it's 8pm and you have a backyard full of neighborhood kids.

...rarely is anyone in bed by 11pm most nights.

...and rarely is anyone asleep by midnight those same nights.

And finally, you know it's summer vacation when...

...you don't feel like you're sleeping in on Saturday! :)

Kentucky Trip

Every summer the kids and I make at least one trip to Kentucky to visit our family. Jason has been deployed the last few summers, but this summer he is home and was able to join us. Which was nice since I don't like driving through the mountains of North Carolina and I hate driving in the rain which it did a lot of on the trip there.

Somewhere on I-75 with lots of rain

We left the day after the kids got out of school. One of the main reasons for the trip was to attend my brother and sister-in-laws baby shower. They are expecting their first baby and it's a boy! The whole family is so excited. We haven't had a baby in the family since my youngest, Emma, was born over 9 years ago and we haven't had a boy born into the family since my oldest, Clay, who will be 17 this year.

Sara and Trevor- expecting baby Alisdair

We had a great time and it went way to fast. Along with attending the baby shower, we went shopping, stayed up late talking and celebrated my nephew Jordan's 21st birthday. Which I managed to not take one single picture of!!  I'll chalk it up to a rookie blogger mistake!!

On our last night there, we had our traditional fire pit and marshmallow roast with s'mores.

My Dad a.k.a Pa, getting the fire going

Pa adding a few more sticks

Pa helping Emma

Even though my nephew Jordan wasn't there because he was working, his girlfriend Kate joined us.  We all love Kate!

Kate and my niece Morgan

Shelby and my niece Taylor

Jason

Emma and her first s'more of the night

Clay really not wanting his picture taken

At some point it was determined that we needed more firewood and one of my parents trees still had some dead limbs in it from a winter ice storm, so my dad, sister and brother set to work.

Dad trying it the easy way first

The easy way didn't work out the way it should have so Trevor and Amy thought of a better(?) way of doing it.

Amy giving Trevor a boost

Up ya go Trevor

Trevor in the tree

Dad cutting the limb to size

Unfortunately, Emma had a run in with a melting hot marshmallow and burned her top lip and the skin below her nose.  Fortunately, it has already healed and you can barely even tell she had a burn.

Emma icing her lip

It is always a good trip to see family and this trip was no different.  I'm already planning our trip in August to meet sweet baby Alasdair.  Forget the rest of  'em, I can't wait to get my hands on the baby!