Everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Finally Fall

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Hasn’t the weather been wonderful here this week?  (Except, of course, for the severe storms Monday.)  I tell you, these monkeys were super excited about the cooler temperatures.  Yesterday afternoon they had the best time out in the yard running and playing in the leaves and grass and dirt.  Even Tacy Mae got in on the action exploring the outdoors.

It’s been a long time since I’ve taken candid pictures of the monkeys while they were playing around, just being kids.  But yesterday afforded me the perfect opportunity to snap a few shots of them enjoying the fall weather.

Ah, my sweet country girls in their rubber boots…

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Ty took a hunter’s safety course last week and learned about emergency preparedness in the woods.  He’s spent the last few days packing a “possible bag” full of tools and necessities, and yesterday he practiced building a makeshift shelter using limbs and palmettos.  Then he kindly let his little sisters join him in his new digs.

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Even though Tacy Mae was a little wobbly walking across the gravel and uneven ground, she really enjoyed being outside.  She had the best time digging in the flower pots and inspecting newly fallen leaves.

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That fat neck.  Makes me want to get some sugar!

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She may have been wearing rubber boots and blue jeans, but nothing could stop Lucy from striking a ballet pose, even if it is atop the propane tank.  This girl loves dancing!  However, she did not want to take ballet lessons this year.  I tried several times to talk her into it, but she refused, stating that she “already knew how to dance.”

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This is Lucy’s “clee-ay,” as she calls it.

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A boy and his dog – I’ve never seen a boy love a dog as much as Ty loves Dee Dee.  She really is a good dog.  The perfect size, a beautiful coat, good with the kids, well behaved (mostly), and super smart.

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One of Lucy’s favorite things to do outside is swing.  She finally learned how to do it on her own this year, and true to her nature, she loves to swing as high as possible.

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Isn’t this a beautiful crew!

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Happy fall, everyone!

Lindsey

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

One’s Upon a Time ~ Tacy’s First Birthday

October 1 was Miss Tacy Mae’s first birthday, and this weekend our family gathered to celebrate her special day.

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How I would have loved to have given Tacy a magnificent, birthday blowout, but I don’t have the time or the money to afford such an affair.  Instead we celebrated with a simple, Sunday lunch at home with our closest family.

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Even though my goal was to keep things simple, I still wanted a theme for Tacy’s party.  Inspired by the book parties I’d seen on Pinterest, I decided on a storybook theme which I called “One’s upon a Time.”

I designed the invitations to look like an old library card.

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For the decorations I set around some old vintage books belonging to me, the Tool Man, and my mom.  Vintage sounds so much more pleasant than old or antique, doesn’t it?

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My favorite book was this Little Red Riding Hood.  Y’all might remember that this book is normally on display in Tacy’s Little Red inspired nursery.

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In fact, Tacy’s nursery sparked the color theme for the party – red and aqua.  I even used leftover fabric from her room to make Tacy’s party dress. IMG_3597 - Copy (531x800)

Another fun detail I made for the party was this chalkboard summary of Tacy’s first year milestones.  I finally broke down and ordered myself a chalk pen, and let me tell you, it works soooo much better than traditional chalk.

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For lunch, we dined on delicious lasagna, green beans, fresh salad, and breadsticks.  Yum!  I was surprised at how much Tacy liked the lasagna.  Although she was down on the floor running around, she kept making her way over to me with her mouth gaped open, ready for a bite.

Before cake and ice cream time, Tacy got some loving from her grand-ma-ma’s.

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For the birthday cake, I made a red velvet with cream cheese icing.  I left the sides un-iced to highlight the layers.  To spruce it up a bit, I added a banner made from scraps of fabric.  Simple but sweet!

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Time for presents!  Tacy would rather have eaten them than opened them.

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Tacy got more than enough help from Lucy while opening her presents.

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Of course, Tacy got lots of books for her birthday, but she also got a Little People car, a beautiful, pearl bracelet, a snazzy pair of red shoes, and pint-sized chair for reading.  Here she is sitting in her chair, reading a book, and admiring her new shoes.

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After she was done opening gifts, Tacy got to try some birthday cake.

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She loved it, as you might can tell by looking at this face.

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Then she tried a bite of ice cream.  I don’t know why, but for some reason, Tacy wasn’t into the ice cream at all.  Every time I’d try to give her a bite, she’d spit it back out.

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So, we just stuck to birthday cake instead!

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Happy birthday, Tacy Mae.  We love you!

Lindsey