Sunday, November 27, 2011

Pinterest Test Test

When my friend Melanie told me about Pinterest a while back, I didn't get it! I became addicted just like everyone else! Here are a few of the projects we have successfully completed with my favorite site!  The kids made these bags of personal care products this summer for homeless people on exits with their signs!  We made five and went through them very quickly!  I was surprised!
 We made pilgrim hats for a playdate with our new little dance friend!  Better picture at the bottom!
 Pumpkin muffins! Two ingredients and very yummy!  A can of pumpkin and a box of yellow cake mix! Great for handing out to our older friends!
 Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars! I am not a great pie maker and these were easy and perfect for Thanksgiving!
 My latest and most favorite Pinterest find: Santa Hat Mix! Here are my helpers in their pjs that were were all in almost the entire day Saturday!


 Take Carmel Bugles and dip them in red chocolate! Dip the bottom in white sprinkles..add a mini marshmallow...

 Take a few munchies and add white chocolate and you have a Santa Hat Mix!  This was a hit! We will be making it again...you may see it as your little gift my friends reading!
 We happen to have a fair amount of Christmas books and I saw an idea of wrapping them up and letting the kids unwrap one a night and read them!  We had 19 books!  We will probably forget six nights anyway! Can't wait to start this one! The last book is "The Night Before Christmas"!

These are just a few of the ideas that I have taken off America's favorite website! Thank you Pinterest for helping me step up my game of creativity or my lack of!

I Made the Paper

Must post the article I was quoted in our local paper!
Children Experience Museum




Amanda Ware, a Harding University faculty member from Centerton, said she was surprised at all the opportunities for learning at Crystal Bridges. She visited the museum with her two children, Harry, 4, and Georgia Kelley, 2, last Sunday.



She said it’s important for residents who may have had limited exposure to art up to this point to have the opportunity for an educational experience.



“The only art I’ve ever been exposed to was my art appreciation class my freshman year of college,” Ware said. “(The museum) opened up a whole new world for us.”



Her son, Harry, was much more interested in the paintings at the library than she had anticipated, especially the emotions expressed in the art, Ware said.



She said she looks forward to learning about pieces in the collection with Harry.



“I’m so excited that Harry will grow up with all this knowledge. It will be one more link in his learning process,” Ware said. “He will be able to experience the art that we all looked at in textbooks and forgot about.”

How We Celebrate Thanks Day!

We celebrate with our Christmas decor already up! We celebrate with our closest family! This year I went to my folks house early by myself! It was so weird! I haven't been able to just hang out with them only!  Mom and I went to see Breaking Dawn and giggled through the whole thing!   The whole Edward thing is silly to us!

The kids came Wednesday and we cooked and played! Dad and Harry played this Zingo game for hours!  Georgia Kelley joined in too!

 Cousins bring the most fun!
How sweet are they?? We all just laughed the whole time! Family is the best!


 We went to the Ware's on Thursday! Harry helped cut the fried turkey!
 Playing with cousins are so much fun!

 Sandy and Harry had this really cool idea to retell the story of Christmas with the Little People's Christmas story!  The kids loved it!  They also got to pick out animals to help kids in other countries!  It was a very cool idea!
Friday, I shopped all day with my mom and then all night with my MIL! Two people I love spending time with and doing something I  love to do!
 I insisted on the girls staying the night with us Saturday night! We had the best time! I was so sad when they left! We made snacks!
 Read books!

 Painted self portraits!  These girls did not last long painting themselves!
The older kids got in to it!  They painted a princess and a cowboy!


 While they finished up their paintings, the girls wanted their toes polished!

 Before church!
 I was so sad when I was packing up their bags! They are the sweetest girls and we had the best time! I got the best compliment from Mallory! She kept calling me Aunty Mommy! I know it probably won't stick but, it melted my heart! I am crazy about these girls!
We celebrate with family!

End of Season

Harry loves soccer! He had a great season with a great coach(wink wink)!
 Georgia Kelley has become a great little specatator! 
 Our last game, we played our favorite  other soccer buddy, Maddox!


 I have a feeling that I will be a soccer mom for many more seasons ahead! 

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thankful for...

I am sitting on my couch in a very quiet house, while Chad and Harry make their way up to NWA and Georgia Kelley naps in her little bed! We spent, what could be considered one of the best days with my folks yesterday and now we are getting ready spend the rest of this day with the Ware family. I sit here thinking of all the "things" I am thankful for and what I am most thankful for is the feeling of contientment.  Now, I do not know the "secret of being content" that Paul talks about in Phillipians 4:12; but I have it right now at this very moment.  I believe when Paul says it is a secret, he is not exaggerating!  My favorite thing about Paul is his passion and I think if we all "got" the secrets and understandings he did about Christ and our true idenity as Chrisitians, we would be as passionate as him. Contentment is what I think of when I think of being grateful.  Gratefullness breeds contentment..would you agree?  I would love to say I am always content but, that would be a lie, I don't know anyone who is completely content....that is why Paul says it is a secret.  Isn't incontentment why Eve took the bite? This is getting to deep...moving on...
I am not content in many aspects of life but today I am grateful for what Christ as given me.  I never dreamed my life would be as "rich" as it is right now. I laugh at how little my plan for my life was just five years ago. It was so simple and with Christ it is so much more! This year I am not going to write down all the "stuff" I am thankful for because frankly I am so tired of hearing about stuff! If people are talking/writing about it, they are showing it in pictures. I am guilty as well but today I am going to just show my thanks in things you cannot buy!
I am thankful for my church family who put their extra effort into serving each other and those in need. The more I get to know them, the more I want to be like them!
I am thankful for my time with Harry before he goes to kndgn.  I love hanging out with him and Georgia Kelley during the day more than anything else in this world! Our time together is truly treasured and I NEVER take it for granted.
I am thankful for my two year old! Georgia Kelley is a pure joy! A life without her whould have no color.
I am thankful for my job! I work for a school that really desires to serve God with their teaching! I supervise student teachers and it may be the most rewarding job I have ever had. I get to see them start off being "novice" instructors to very confident and efficient instructors! It is by far the best job I have ever had! I would do it for free!
I am thankful for a few friends I do have! I feel like I have a handful of true blue cloese friends!  People like me have to have girlfriends, and God has blessed me with the best! I would love to write them all out, but I just can't! I will say, I have had quality time with every one of them this year and I have treasured it! 
I am thankful for my friend/mentor Kathy Cherry! She has invested a exhausting number of hours in the last two years! The understanding of God's word has hooked me...and I will never be the same. 
I am thankful for my family! I had the most amazing time with my family, minus Emily the last few days! I went up early Tuesday and Mom and I went to the movies and had such a good time, just us two! Wednesday, I spent the morning cooking with my mom and then the rest of the crew came! My brother and I laughed so much, I am sore! It could be the Insanity workout I did with Paul, Chad, and my Dad this morning!  It was so fun hanging out with all of them! Nothing can beat family time!
I am most thankful for my husband Chad! Speaking of being content, it is so easy to be content with a man like Chad by my side!  He is an amazing example of being a provider, friend, father, and especially husband.  I do not deserve my Chad! I am mostly thankful for him and everything about him!  What an undeserving blessing he his! I love him to pieces!

I am also thankful for dinner tonight with the Wares!  More to come!  Once again...I love family! I love love family! I hope I always strive to bring peace when it comes to family! They are tough bonds to break!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

IPhone Catch Up

These are very unedited days around town! Two weeks ago Georgia Kelley slept until 11:30 am and so we were able to go out for lunch before dance! Usually we are racing to get her nap.
 It was a rainy Monday, so we were were hunting to find a nice spot to eat a quick lunch!
 She ended up being the only one in class on Monday! This week was a busy week in town because of Crystal Bridges opening!
 Her favorite part is jumping!


 Harry gets into it too!
 Harry is obsessed with the whole ninja thing! He has an new "ninja" outfit on everyday! Georgia Kelley gets dressed up in "little ninja" gear too.
 Friday morning was a very fun exciting day for us! That morning we went to a local elementary and watched the HU Pied Pipers perform a hilarious high energy show!  We were so excited to get to see them!  The kids loved it!
 Georgia Kelley was glued!

 Blake is our favorite Pied Piper!
 Afterward we met Mimi to observe the grand opening of Crystal Bridges!  We were a little early, so we ran in the local barber shop to get Harry a trim!  The guy cutting his hair was just like a guy from a Adam Sandler movie!  We usually love it when Gabby at Wal-Mart gives Harry the Bieber cut but, this was just convent! 
 Mimi was there for moral support! She is super fun to hang out with!
 We had to take Mimi to Table Mesa! The grand opening was kind of long but, we had fun doing our own thing on the square! Harry and Georgia Kelley loved showing Mimi all of our local stops!
 I have been having WAY too much fun with this disguise! Harry said I wasn't very pretty in it!
 I was able to spend Saturday at Noel's Lady Day! My friend Kathy was the key note speaker and it was very informative and inspiring!  I am so glad I went!  Sunday we went to visit the new museum!  Chad and I were so excited!  It was amazing; even the kids loved it!
 We loved spending our first tour with the grands!  It was pretty crowded and we needed the extra eyes for our kiddos!

 Harry loved the dress up area! 
 I think we spent an hour in the craft room!  We can't wait to go back! 
 We hit the trails a few days later!  This museum was made for bike riders and they were perfect!
 I actually set out a whole day to spend at the museum on Thursday.  The kids went to extended MDO and I spent the morning with my dear friend Kathy C and the entire afternoon at Crystal Bridges! I put on the headphones and spent four hours listening to the history and reasoning for the paintings! It was one of the most relaxing days I have ever had!  The day was pure luxury!
 I have been helping with our senior servant dinners at church.  Monday night was a "Depression Dinner"! I helped set the whole room up with decor that resembled the Depression Era!  Everyone brought a dish they remember eating or hearing about in the Depression!  I was surprised at how wonderful it was! 
 A lot of people told stories and I sat in awe of their experiences!  It was a very rejuvenating night! I was the only person that was not a grandparent! HA! I look forward to next month! Sometimes things like this help put my priorities in check!
 I am planning Harry's birthday party! We are actually having a family one and a small slumber party with his best friends!  He wanted a sumo/ninja/chopsticks party! We got two sumo costumes and four sets of weapons! He is having only his closest friends for a night of fighting and Chinese food!
 My darling neighbor came over late last night to help me put my tree up!  I love all my Christmas decor but, I can't put it all together.  Ashley has an eye for design and can make a pile of nothing look like something! In one hour...
 she did this!  She took what I already had and threw it together! It is so much prettier in person! I love my tree!  Harry decorated his tree in his room and it was an experience! He wanted rainbow lights and all of his and Chad's ornaments! After it was up he turned off the lights and Georgia Kelley and I went in there with him! He told us to stand two feet back (that is what the volunteers at the museum told us when we were around the paintings). Georgia Kelley tried to blow the lights out!
 We have had a wonderful low key weekend!  Georgia Kelley was running a fever and Chad wanted to finish the UA game so Harry and I had a little date to see the Lighting of the Square! We watched the ice skaters skate in puddles of water! It was 65 degrees! We ate  on the patio at Table Mesa!  Harry loves their hummus platter! He was able to brake dance while the gospel choir sang Christmas carols!
 All the restaurants had desserts out to try!
 Look who we ran into? 
It was a wonderful little night with my little guy!  I love hanging out with Harry!