Are You Ready for Some Football?

This weekend is a busy, yet exciting one!!!  It will kickoff Tiger Football and Gator Football.  And to top it all off, we’ll finish the weekend in Fernandina.  Whew!

We are so excited for football this year.

This little fella has earned a starting position on his football team, and Momma couldn’t be more proud!!!

   I can’t wait to waddle my pregnant belly up those bleachers and scream and yell like a maniac tomorrow.

Of course, he will have his favorite (right?) cheerleader cheering him on.

These pictures are from last year, and I can’t wait to get the new ones.   They took them last night, and they were adorable!!!

Once we are finished cheering on the Tigers, we will change clothes and colors, and mosey on to the Swamp!

We all love Gator football, and we can’t wait to see them in action.  We have made lots of memories at the Gator games, and since I’m feeling a little nostalgic, here are some of our favorites…

      

  

Happy Labor Day Weekend, and GOOOOOOOOO Gators!

SG for the Gold

SaraGrace has started “real” gymnastics.  This is different than the first go around because they get to do balance beam and uneven bars.

 

Sassy got a new leotard because the first one caused her to pick out wedgies CONSTANTLY  for a solid hour.  It was driving me nuts!!!  So we got this one with the legs in it.  Of course she doesn’t like it as well, but she will just have to deal.

She is loving this gymnastics class.  She asks me everyday, “Is it junaxtix  today?”  She is always so disappointed when it is not a Monday.

Her favorite part is the uneven bars.  The item on the top of her Christmas list is:

She has high hopes!!!

Her little friend is in her class, and she loves getting to see her.

I think we have found a perfect fit for our sassy little monkey. 

Tips and Tricks- Clean Shoes

I have a board on Pinterest that is named “Tips & Tricks.”  This is where I pin all of the neat ideas for home solutions to real-world problems…like stain removers, etc.

But if you hang around the Pop Warner fields long enough, you will find that you can depend less on Pinterest, and more on the experiences of others. 

As they handed out our brand spanking new football uniforms, there were several grimaces around the room.  I couldn’t figure out what the problem could be.  Then, I realized they gave us WHITE pants.  That was bad news for Cade because I have no luck with with whites.  However, they passed along some helpful washing instructions- Cascade.  I heard them talk for several minutes, and walked away with little faith that Cascade would ever work.

Then, I had the opportunity to try it out.  SG had PE yesterday, and had to wear tennis shoes.  Because I am cheap frugal, I could not bear to buy her new tennis shoes because the ones she already had were in good shape….just a little dirty.  So I decided to give the old Cascade a try.

Now, these pictures do not do the nastiness of these shoes justice.  They were NASTY!

We use the Cascade/Dawn tablets in our dishwasher, so I filled up a dish tub with hot water and two tablets.  The water was BLACK after soaking a little while.

I was extremely happy with the results.  No they are not stark white, but they look far better than before.

I can’t wait to try it out on the football pants!  I’ll keep you posted.

Life Changing Battle

I have made it no secret that I have felt like I was wandering in the wilderness over the last several months.  I have struggled with feeling so distant from God at times, and I have beat myself up over it.  I have so much to be thankful for, and I should be in a season of joy, not defeat.

Two weeks ago, my Uncle Ron came into the office telling us of a book that his son had read.  He said it changed his life.  He got the book on audio and checked it out himself, and gave it great reviews.

During my most recent trip to the Christian bookstore, I picked up the DVD version.  It has changed my life!!!  I, for the life of me, couldn’t figure out why I struggled with the things I did.  But this really opened my eyes to the strongholds that Satan had on me. 

I have been in a season in my life where it seems every past hurt that has ever been in my life has been relived over and over in my mind.  From losing Faith, friendships, our marital struggles, Satan was using every last one to defeat me in my mind. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

King James Version (KJV)

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

⁴ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

⁶ And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

The battles that were raging were not with the people that I love, but of Satan who wants to destroy.  He made me believe that everyone and everything was against me.  That is NOT what God’s word tells me. 

I am going to encourage you to check this out!  The DVD is 4 sessions that are about an hour long.  Joyce Meyer is a wonderful speaker, and the Lord has used this to make a tremendous difference in my life, just over the last week.  I am so thankful that Uncle Ron shared it with me, so I didn’t want to hold out on you! 

First Day of School – 2012

Our summer is officially over, and we got back to it this morning.  We woke up with a Kindergartner and a Fourth Grader.  Part of my hormonal, pregnant self wanted to be a little emotional about it, but I when I saw how excited they were this morning, I was excited for them.

Cade is way too big to be taking “first day of school” pictures.  It liketa killed him.

I cannot believe he is in fourth grade.  It blows my mind.  You see that belt?  Now that was a story.  At their  school, the dress code calls for shirts tucked in and a belt at fourth grade and older.  Cade despises having his shirt tucked in and wearing a belt.  I can’t get upset with him because he gets it honest.   Rob is the same way!  However, I think he looked mighty handsome:)

Miss Thang was ready to go, too!

She talked nonstop from the time she rolled out of bed until I left her at the school this morning.  She was really excited.  It made her day that everyone noticed her glittery “toms”.

I just love school uniforms.  I know that everyone doesn’t share that opinion, but it makes life so easy.  SG can pick out her own clothes in the morning, and there is no argument.  Can I get an Amen?

Last night, I had them lay out their clothes for today.  When I told her to pick out what she was wearing, she said, “Let me ask Cade what color he is wearing.”  They can choose from red, navy, light blue or white.

She hollered at Cade down the hall, so he came running.  She asked him what color he was going to wear and he said, “Red.”

She then told me, “I’m gonna wear red too.   That way, I can match Cade.”

I thought it was so sweet that she wanted to match her brother.  Cade wasn’t as thrilled, but I was really proud of him.  He played along and made her feel special.

 

I have prayed for their teachers all day long.  Especially that Kindergarten teacher.  I have a feeling she may need some Tylenol and a nap when her day is over:)

Throwback Thursday

When I was in Wal-Mart this past weekend for my weekly grocery trip, I spent some time digging through the $5 DVD bin.  My heart skipped a beat when I found one of my  favorite movies of all time.

Robin Hood.  The one with Kevin Costner.

This, in my opinion, is the best Robin Hood movie ever made.  Disney’s version runs a close second.

Rob had never seen this one, and neither had the kids, so we made it a family affair. 

This crazy lady freaked us all out.

SaraGrace said, “She has crazy eyes!” 

We all really enjoyed the movie, but the best part was the end.  You know, when Bryan Adams sings that mushy love song that was sang around the world when we were younger? 

Rob and I sat on the couch and sang the entire song.  Word.For.Word.  We were so proud of ourselves for remembering all of the lines.  However, our kids thought differently.  We totally embarrassed Cade, and SaraGrace looked at us as if we had two heads.

I love this movie, and I’m so glad we got to watch it again.

This Little Piggy

We finally made it to the Hun-Tin house for the first time in a while.  It was so good to be back!  SaraGrace stayed behind this trip for a birthday party, so it was just me, Rob and Cade.  We had a lot of fun!!!

Cade was ready to work.  He looked so cute all dressed up, even in his Papa’s hat.

He was so cute, I had to take two pictures.  Especially while he’s looking like a little Rob.

Rob had to drive the tractor to the woods, because when we got finished checking on the hogs, the boys mowed and cleared roads. 

When we came to the first pen, this is what we saw.  I think they are so cute, but not many people agree with me.  These two got wormed and sent on their merry little way.

Macy helped us at our next stop.  Not really, but she thought she was helping.  A hog dog she is not.

This fella was a good size.

These two gals were a little ornery.  Once they were worked and wormed, they ran off happily ever after into the woods.

The next morning, we went to check hogs again.  None of the girls went except me.  It was a last minute decision, and it was terribly hot.  When I walked out the door, my husband insisted he take a picture because I looked like a “Hot Mess.”  He hit the nail on the head with “hot” because I was sweating before I ever made it outside. That’s the best looking brood sow in them there woods!

Cade and Papa were partners in crime. 

This picture cracks me up!  It’s like they wanted to say, “CHEESE!” 

I guess Rob didn’t get to laugh enough at me that morning, so he took yet another picture of me.  However, I think I wear the mountain momma look pretty well.

After we worked hogs, the boys had more work to do.  So Cade escorted me back to the house.  He thought he was big stuff driving that buggy all by himself.

I can’t wait to go back and have time to actually hunt.  Emmy is coming in the middle of the season, so I better get busy from the start.  That tree stand is calling my name!

This Week’s Happenings

We have a busy week this week.  We are spread out from here to there with our children, and it’s not about to slow down any time soon.

This week is VBS at Sardis Baptist Church. 

This theme has been awesome, and I have thoroughly enjoyed leading the music this year.  I have been blessed with a wonderful team and we are having a BLAST!!!

This is SaraGrace’s first year in an official class and she is living it up.  Last night, she got to hold the Bible for the pledges, so she thought she was big stuff!

She’s been tearing up some dance moves with the music, too.

This little man is missing VBS because he and Daddy have football conditioning all week.

  But he must be working hard.  Word on the field is that he may have just earned a starting position, and he is super excited!!!  I’m so proud of him!

We have been debating for some time now if we will need a bigger car when Emmy Claire gets here.  This is our current ride:

Rob and I both think we may be in for a swagger wagon in the near future.  But we decided to put our little Rogue to the test.

One morning last week, I had my two and Brinley.  Here is what the back seat looked like:

A little crowded, but they did all fit.  I may just be a little concerned for Emmy’s safety if she sits by SG.  She is a little momma for sure. 

I hope you are all having a great week!   

The Baby Bed

As an expectant parent, one of the most exciting things to do is put together the crib, wash the bedding and imagine how adorable your little bundle of joy will be as he/she lays in there.

I will NEVER again take this small, exciting task for granted.  When we were pregnant with Faith, I didn’t set up a nursery because we knew that even if the Lord chose to spare her life, she would spend some time in the hospital before coming home.

We set up Emmy’s crib Tuesday night, and it literally took my breath away.  I am so immeasurably grateful for the chance to do something as small as set up a crib.

As I tied the bows on the bumper, I thanked God with each bow for giving us this gift in Emmy.  I was reminded of the verse, Psalm 30: 5 “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Just as we were promised, our joy has come, and it keeps on coming.  Sometimes it feels as though we have wept longer than a night, but in a way, it is good to know that Faith isn’t forgotten.

If you are walking through a trial in your life, just know that God’s Word is true.  He keeps His promises.  If you turn your eyes to Him, your joy will come in the morning!

SG’s Birthday Party

It is no secret that SaraGrace turned 5 on Monday.  She has told everyone she has been in contact with all about it.  I had posted about our trip to Weeki Wachee last week, and we finished up our celebration with a family birthday party.

The cake:

Oh the cake.  SG had a special request.  She wanted a strawberry cake with strawberries and cherries on it, and Rapunzel on top.  So Momma delivered.  I did talk her out of the cherries (because I forgot to get them at the grocery store.)  It looked like a HOT MESS, but she loved it and it tasted oh so good!!!  Pops looks so excited for cake, doesn’t he?

Do you like her outfit?

She dressed herself in her “birthday dress”, which happens to be about two sizes too small.  But hey, when you’re that cute, you can rock it!  She is posing with all of her birthday jewelry.  She got tons of ankle bracelets!  She looked like a little gypsy.

Cade was happy when we finally got home.

 

But not as happy as SaraGrace.