Sprummer and the magical power of dirt....

What? You've never heard of Sprummer? Really? Then you must not live in Alabama. We have had a very mild winter and with that came roughly 2 weeks(give or take a few days) of spring like weather and then we went straight into summer weather. Hot. For the past week we have had weather in the 80s! I must admit, it has been nice. We've had the windows open, the kids playing outside, and Popsicle's on the front porch. Sigh. It has been such a fun week. The rain is suppose to come in this week, so thankfully, we will be relieved of some this pollen. Pollen, aka the death of my sinuses. We live in the middle of pine trees. This means lots of pollen. The kids come in at night covered in dirt and pollen. It's not pretty. But, I do believe that there is a "magical power" in dirt. When kids get covered in dirt from playing all day long, it makes them extra sleepy. When they come in and get their baths, within 5-10 minutes after baths they are out like Shout! I love it! It's much better than being cooped up inside, trying to entertain 3 kiddos. :) At least in Alabama, we have warm weather 6-9 months out of the year. Give or take a month or three. I haven't put pictures up in a while so I'm going to empty out my camera and give you an update of our month, so far. Enjoy!

This is my sweet nephew, Baby E! He is so sweet. He loves me the most. :)

Baby E getting a kiss from Corndog, our fearless watch dog. 

I made 70 chocolate chip cookies for my baby brother's wedding. 

I live with Batman....

....and 2 extremely silly princesses!

Last Wednesday, we woke up to these white spots all over the yard. Know what it was?

Spider webs. Yuck, eewww, and gross. Excuse me while I go to the store and buy bug spray.....Right after I take another shower, because that just gave me the creeps! 

We went on a bug hunt. Because seeing spider webs all over the yard wasn't creepy enough. 

A boy and his dog. 

The kids and their fearless leader, Corndog. 

Mimi and Paw have new chickens. We love fresh eggs!

My new porch swing my sweet husband got me for our anniversary! I love that man. 

Mmmmm. Popsicle's on the front porch. Love it!

We canned  lots and lots of strawberry jam.


I saved the best for last! Are you ready?

Wait...


For....



It....
...
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...
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Bahahaha! I don't know how I captured this just right, but I did. Sweetie Pie is trying to  act like she is mad, while  the Boy is trying to crouch away from Baby E's incoming hand! Look at his face! It was hilarious! All the boy said was, "HEY!" Then  baby E got a, " Don't be hitting him Baby E!" from Mimi. We all laughed. These boys, these boys! What are we going to do with them?

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I know we have had a great weekend and a great month of March, so far! We are so blessed! Have a wonderful week!


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8th Anniversary...

Today, my husband and I celebrate our 8th anniversary! I think that's pretty darn good, myself. On the day I married him, I didn't think it was possible to love him any more than I did that day. The next day, a new day began, and I actually loved him more than our wedding day. Every day I love this man more.  Eight years later, we have 3 beautiful children and lots of happy memories. We are so blessed! Happy Anniversary Micah! I love you!

Cutting the cake with his Marine Corps sword
(p.s. I should know the name of the sword but I really can't remember what it's called. This is why he loves me!)

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This was when he first saw me. I. Love. This. Picture. Just love  it!

Kissing under the swords. This is one of my favorite pictures. I have this printed on canvas and hanging in my living room! I really did have a "princess" wedding! :)

I love you Micah....here's to eighty more years. :)



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A call to Parents on Titus 2sday....

I'm linking up with the Time Warp Wife today for Titus 2sday! If you'd like, head on over there and enjoy! You'll be blessed!

I was reading in 2 Peter today. A particular scripture really spoke to my heart.


         I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.          2Peter 1:13-1

Peter was talking to all believers in Christ here. After reading over this a couple of times, I thought this really applies to parents as well. How many times a day do we tell our kids to stop fighting, pick up your toys, stop running, etc.? At least, a million, right? Peter was telling fellow believers over and over about Jesus. The things he and the other apostles had seen first hand, the works of the Lord, be prepared for His{Jesus} return, etc. Peter wanted them to remember everything they had learned. As parents, this also applies to us. We should always have the word of God on our tongues. We should always be reminding our kids of scripture. I know, personally, that it takes more than just one time for my kids to really hear something. We can't just tell them a scripture or bible story once and expect them to remember it. We have to repeat it multiple times or else it's void. Repetition is key. Just like Peter said, I think it is right to refresh your memory.  If we want the word of God to always be on their tongue and in their heart, we have to always have it on our tongues and in our hearts. Sometimes, that's easier said than done but it's not impossible. As parents, my husband and I, want to establish a great, hardcore foundation for our children. A foundation in Christ. I want to know that when they are grown, they will remember the scriptures my husband and I taught them. I want to have assurance that when I have gone to be with the Lord, that they will be fully equipped with the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That they will always remember the lessons and the scripture that was taught. This is my prayer today, and everyday, that my husband and I will be obedient and plant seeds of God's word in our children, everyday of our lives. So that when we are gone, they will remember the word of God. This is a great responsibility, one that as of today, I will not take lightly.

I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday and may the Word of our Lord be ever on your lips!

Love in Christ,

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Leap Day and a Guest Post...

Happy Leap Year/Day! I am really not sure if I should call it Leap Day, or extra day, or Leap Year Day. Who knows? Anyone? The point is, we have an extra day this year. So enjoy it!  I'm so very excited today. I am a posting over at His Path, My Steps today. Eeck! It's my very first guest post. So exciting! So go over there, now! Read about what kids and apple pie have in common. (There may be more in common than you think!) I also suggest you stay there and look around, you'll love what you see! As Miranda said, we've known each other,"since our teenage days. Days when spaghetti covered faces and snotty noses weren’t in the picture." 
We won't really say how long ago that was.....
Just know it's long enough. So enjoy your extra day today, and go start reading. Happy Wednesday! :)

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I am not dead, although a time or two I thought I might be close...

That's right folks! We had an encounter with*dum....dum...dum...* terrible colds and bronchitis. Very flu like is this terrible cold we had. The whole family. At once. Running fevers, is terrible. It's bad enough when your babies are all running fevers but add fevers to yourself and it's 10 times worse. But, thankfully, after 4 doctors visits, 2 shots, 6 prescriptions, and 2 weeks later, we have recovered. Thank GOD!!! I am so glad. I do not like to be sick and I definitely do not like for my family to be sick. At all. Here's a quick update on everything else that's been going on. List style. Because I love a list. Seriously, I may need help for it. :)

• I still have a lingering cough. The cough syrup the doc prescribed is terrible. Awful. Thick and Nasty! And it makes me loopy. 
• Meds that make me loopy are not good. *like I need any help in that department* Especially, when it's just me and the kids. They like it because they get to watch endless episodes of ridiculous cartoons on Netflix. I repeat: Like I need anything else to make me more loopy....
• I am going to do a week of Dr. Seuss crafts next week, with the kids. Then we're going to go watch the movie The Lorax. I'm may or may not be just as excited about it as they are. 
• I made a homemade chicken pot pie for supper Monday night. After a week and a half of not cooking, it felt really good to cook. I am beyond tired of "fend for yourself" night. Beyond. 
• I made fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, shells and cheese, homemade biscuits, and....um, and gravy. I know, heart attack on a plate. But it was so good. And in my defense, it was the first time we've had fried pork chops in about a year. 
• I'm from Alabama for crying out loud, if I don't make fried pork chops with biscuits and gravy, at least once a year, they take your southern woman card away. 
• What, you don't have one? Wait, what card? I have no idea what your talking about. Moving on. 
• Publix is having an awesome sale. If you have one around you, you should totally go. I Love Publix. Dear Publix, I love you and your buy one, get one free deals. It makes me happy. Thanks to you, I am going to make not one but two lasagnas. Not one but two dishes of jumbo stuffed shells. Both with homemade spaghetti sauce. Thank you. Love, I like to think I'm Italian, but lets face it, I just like to eat Italian food, Jessica
• I finally, found my husband the kind of waffle maker he likes. It's taken a very long 5 years, but alas, I have done it. He is not particularly fond of Belgian waffles, he like the round kind, with tiny holes. Like the waffle house. I found one, yesterday, at JCPenney. He loves me. :)
• My son. *SIGH* is such a sneaky little stinker. Last night, he somehow, got past his father, who was watching a basketball game{His mother may or may not have been right there beside his father...this detail is not important} with a bottle of mustard. Yup, mustard. There is now a nice big yellow stain on his carpet. 
• Did I mention he was only wearing underwear? Why is this detail important, you may ask? It's not really, but it is kinda funny. Today, I'm laughing about it. Last night....not so much. 
• I booked a reservation for the beach today. WOO-HOO!!!!
• I am beyond excited to be at the beach. I wish I could go right now. I just want to roll my jeans up and splash in the water. *Sigh*
• I saw on Pinterest that you can steep two bags of tea in boiling water, dip a rag in it and clean your hard wood floors. It's suppose to make them shiny. I'm thinking about trying it. Has anyone ever actually tried this? Anyone?
• Have you seen this commercial? It may be wrong, but I think it's hilarious. Especially, when he points at the nurse, I lose it. Every time. Look back and I'll say it again, Like I need any more help being loopy! Happy Friday!! :)

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January 2012 in Review....

I can not believe January is gone. Months, days, and weeks go by so fast. I guess it's true what they say, when your young, days are so slow and when your older, they go by, often times, too fast. But, I have enjoyed the growing and the stretching that I've done in my relationship with Christ. At a moment or two, I most certainly did not. Looking back, however, it was worth it. So this is what we've done the first month of 2012!

• Home school started back in full force. Well, as forceful as starting school at 10:00am daily can be. ;) My sweet girl is learning so much. She is finished with 2 of her kindergarten books. We have started 2 new books(math and English) that are kind of like a preparing for 1st grade book. She loves it. I love that she loves it. My other sweet girl, has learned to spell her name. I'm so proud of her. She must be proud also, because her name is literally written on many walls. And one closet door. sigh. Here is a short video of my sweet girl reading. Love it! P.S. ignore the mess behind her. Kay? 
• Yeah, we also home school in our PJ's. And we usually don't brush our hair until...well...let's be honest, after lunch. Do we care? Nope! Not at all! Do you notice she has what looks to be, zero teeth? Don't worry she does have teeth, just not in the front. ;)
• I took only 20 pictures and only 1 video the entire month of January. Wait, that can't be right. Oh never mind, I forgot I took some and already down loaded them to the desktop. Whew! I was going to call myself a slacker. Good thing I didn't speak too soon. ;)
• I started a cooking/recipe blog. It's called Aprons and Hardhats. I'm super excited about it. I love to cook and my husband loves to cook. I am 90% sure my kids will love it too. You know, since they immediately flock to the kitchen when one of us starts to grab pots and pans. Love it!
• My sister in law and brother had a wedding shower. I made her a cute "kitchen utensil cake". I found it on Pinterest. I was rather proud of it and thought it was adorable. It was really easy to make. You could really do anything with it. Baby shower, teacher's gift...the list is almost endless. Here's a picture of the finished product with the rest of the gift. 

I made her a baking tray full of things you need to make cookies!(besides butter,eggs,etc.)

• My son decided to pee in his room and then rub his head in it. That was not a good day. He also attacked me with kisses and hugs. It turned out to be a better day. 
• My office has been a disaster for probably most of the month. I cleaned it on Monday. So it will be clean at least 2 days in January! 
• Sweet Pea went to the dentist last week and had zero cavities! Woo-Hoo! She also lost her 5th baby tooth. Adorable. I also made an appointment for me at the dentist. 
• I cried a little when I thought about it. I hate the dentist. Thankfully, the kids haven't picked up on that. Sweet Pea loves the dentist. Every time she goes, she walks away wanting to be a dentist one day. Every time I go, I want to cry and never return. Let's face it, that's usually what happens. Don't tell her. 
• We need to file taxes. I hope we get money back. I need to go to the beach with that money. Oh, you too? Ok, lets go together. :) It'll be fun!
• Sweetie Pie, to be such a comedian, can ask some deep questions for a 4 year old. "Does God make all the stormadoes (aka tornadoes) that come around?" Deep question. 4 year old. I will need guidance on the answers when the bigger questions come, that's for sure. 
• Had a few date nights. Watched the movie Courageous . It was a great movie. I suggest you watch it with a box of tissue. If this movie doesn't choke you up, nothing will. 
• Our cute little Corndog, our weeny dog, decided to eat my blinds. Eat them. Why do dogs like to eat stupid stuff? I just don't understand. It couldn't be a back yard facing window, could it? Nope, it had to be the one facing the front, the one closest to the front door. Grrrrr. I'm still a little angry about it. I'm sure I'll get over. 
• I have a tendency to be cheap. So, it will probably be a while until I get over it, because now I have to buy blinds. I don't want to buy blinds. I want to buy....well anything buy blinds! Actually, I'm perfectly ok, with buying nothing. Sigh. Oh well...moving on. 
• We repainted both bathrooms. They look great. I'll post all about that later. 
• My sweet nephew Baby E, turned one. I can't believe it's been a year. It was so cute at his party. He looked like wasn't quite sure about other kids playing with his toys. He dug into his cake and looked like he rather enjoyed it. I forgot my camera, so I didn't get any pictures. :( 

I think that pretty much wraps up the month of January.  It was a month of blessings. I really enjoyed most of it. Even the parts that where taunting, there is still no other place I'd rather be! :)





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Fantastically Delicious....

I have mentioned before, I want to start doing one new recipe a week. I really enjoy cooking and baking. I delight in making a satisfying meal for my family. Now, with three kids, that's not always an easy task. Sweetie Pie, is my what is that smell?...I am not eating that, child. She doesn't even like potatoes. POTATOES. It's only the best vegetable ever.  It's so versatile, you really can do just about anything with it. She gags if she thinks she smells a potato(aside from a french fry). Or ketchup. Or mustard. The only condiment she likes is bar-b-que sauce. sigh. I love her. I have no idea where she gets it from. Not her mother. ;) The boy. He loves to eat. If you can slow him down long enough, you can usually sneak something new on his plate and trick him lovingly convince him to eat it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. P.S. If it has ketchup and mustard on it, he's more likely to try it. I. Don't. Even. Know. Why do kids love ketchup so much?!  I mean, it's good on a burger and fries, but come on! Then there is Sweet Pea. She is my culinary saving grace. She will try anything once. And really, this is all we ask. Try it once, if you like, great! If you would rather poke your eye out than ever again eat what I put on you plate...at least you tried it! This is something, over the last 8 years of marriage, I have really had to work on. I would look at something, crinkle my nose up, and turn my head. I am so glad, I'm over that. For the most part.... ;) And of course, there is my husband. He will try anything once and lovingly says I'm one of the best cooks, he knows. I paid him $10 to say that.  He is my true inspiration for trying new foods. (Eating them and cooking them!). So, now that you have my life story, you have a little back ground information, I'll move on to the point. I want to start making one new recipe a week. I want to try new things and I want my kids to try new things. I decided, to start a new blog in addition to Life, Love and Laundry. The name of the blog is....
wait for it.....
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wait for it...
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Aprons and Hard Hats 


Cute, right? Why Aprons and Hard Hats? Because, apparently, I am a bit dangerous in the kitchen. I do not admit to anything. What's that big scar on your arm, you say? I have no memory of almost dropping a fully baked cake on the floor, only to catch it with my bare arm. No clue, what your talking about. I also did not take this incredibly cute picture of my kids while they were baking with me one day. They're such comedians. They are looking cute with their aprons on....and their hard hats. 

Cute, right? P.S. At least two of them are looking at the camera...It's a miracle!

So, I'm going to try really hard to complete one new post a week over at apronsandhardhats.blogspot.com
I really hope you join me on my documentation of new recipes. I hope to have enough recipes to print my own "cookbook"(you know the blog to book prints) at the end of the year. I think it will be a lot of fun for my family to have a copy of all of my successful....or as some cases may be...unsuccessful recipes. So head over to the new place and start following me. It will be simply delightful! :)



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