~ to catch you up ~

O
h Man! I've missed blogging!
There is just something about
sharing, getting my thoughts
out and keeping in touch with
other friend's lives that I really

LOVE!

I wanted to write today to catch all ya all up on what is going on in our

little life here at her Household - 

so here goes...

God is doing amazing things in my heart! Yay! We have become involved in a

awesome church and all of us enjoy it so much! I've met some awesome women,

my kids love their kids' program and THEY all are truly part of an answered prayer.

This church happened to be a church I had drove by a half a million times and a old schoolmate

from high school's family goes there - so that was encouraging that we would know somebody there.

Just goes to prove you never know when, where, who, how God

will work in your life. He is oh, SO good!

My body is healing nicely from my surgery I had.

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughtful messages to me.

I started just this week going back to the gym. I was inspired by

this gal as well as several different messages I've been hearing at church - namely,

a message from this last Sunday, regarding complacency. I hadn't ever really thought

about the word but doing the Brave Girls Soul Restoration class I did at the first of the year

definitely put a whisper in my ear and then all the things God has been putting in my road (including a sister who humps herself to work out at 5am, comes back to the house and gets herself and daughter ready for school and work - I thought, Whoa - if she can do that, I can go spend a half hour to 45 minutes at the gym every morning. I'm a tad competitive so I like to see if I can wake up before

her...  lol!) I decided it was time. I'm only on my 3rd day - so far SO GOOD. The time for myself is turning out to be such a blessing! Then when I come home my boys are still asleep and I get even more mama time and couple that with a cup of coffee and my Bible... VERY happy girl. 

Can't go wrong with that!

I think we've come into the crash and burn episodes of our life here in the Melton house - one night Pauly falls off the bunk bed onto his head, the next night William face-plants right into the wooden drawers under the bunk bed only to give himself two beautiful black eyes.
To sum it up...
THEY'RE FREAKING ME OUT!
I feel like I need to wrap them all up in some bubble wrap!
We haven't had any trips to the doctor, thankfully, but you know... scares me.

We are all LOVING the fall crisp weather that has finally shown up!
My trees are turning colors and I've got my bulbs all ready for this weekend as I attempt
to develop my green thumb...

I've given myself a new challenge and that is a weekly-challenge and I've decided I need to go to a new neighbor every week and take them cookies, a gift, or just go introduce myself. So far, it has been such a blessing and I'm so glad we decided to do it. We tend to make it a family event so far and the kids love it and finally, I'm able to meet my neighbors. We don't live in a subdivision - we live in just a old-town neighborhood that has tons of rentals... I've been using this as my excuse for years now NOT to get to know my neighbors but I decided ... (and again, this was influenced from Paula Dunn) it's time to LOVE ON my neighbors - no matter how long they stick around. No matter who they are. No matter where they live. 

So this all sums it up... We are still enjoying, very much, my sister living here with us. Sweet Pea is in her first year of school (preschool) and the boys and I go pick her up everyday at noon. It's so fun to see her sweet lil face everyday - so happy I'm there. Makes my heart skip-a-beat. I just love that girl.

Now, I've got to get on some planning and plotting for decorations for a birthday party for a very special lady in my life (more info on that later). If you have any suggestions for websites or decorations that are fun, affordable, and totally girlly - let me know. I would love to for you to share your ideas with me! I will do a post soon on what I'm working on all ready.

You all GO and enjoy your week and soak up in God's goodness!!

Turkey in the Frozen Tundra...

So.
We went to Washington for Thanksgiving.
My sister lives there with her family.

This is William on the drive. He was such a good boy.

 

 Pauly - for some reason the camera over the head picture got to capture him putting
"The Thing" in his nose...
 Such an added blessing to our family memories.


We left at about 10:30 in the a.m.

Dashing through the snow!

It actually got really ugly and at times we were going about 30 mph.

We were so blessed and did make it to our destination
at about 7:30 p.m.

So a trip that was supposed to only be about 7 hours turned into a 10 hour drive.
My husband was stressed out!

This was before the stress set in.
The boys took a pretty good nap and we decided to listen to Ron White.
He's a hoot.

Then I did make-up time.

Riding in the car might be stressful to some - I think of it as a break! I LOVE IT!
I put my make-up in the front with me and do my make-up, pluck my eye-brows,
do my hair... I'm a dork, I know - but I take any breaks I can get!
Oh! and I definitely nap!

We made it safely and got settled in.
The next morning my sissy got out the crafts...
such. cute. crafts!

This is my nephew, Birch. He was REALLY concentrating! Love it.

This is my niece (on the left), Pauly and he's looking at his Aunt Jojo.
I SO love the look on his face.

You can see in the picture that my niece, Bailey, has on her play-dress over her thermal long-sleeve.
I was really lucky - she let me do her hair a couple times and pick out her dress for Thanksgiving - got in my girlly-time since I don't have a girl of my own.... yet.

Get it Pauly! GET IT OUT!

I also brought some fun crafts/gifts. I wanted to bring something for Jodi sort of as a gift... even though she had to help me finish it.

I also was making one for a friend.
I got the idea from a magazine to make fabric garland. So I got two strings of Christmas Lights (LED work best) - then I sorted through material and decided what colors I wanted them to be.
Then I tore them into strips of material about 2 inches wide and 9 inches long and tied them on the Christmas Lights.

This red, white, black and grey one was for a friend.

This one is Jodi's.
Her home is very western, rustic, country.
So I found colors that I thought would go with her decor and tore the strips and we tied them on.

Her colors were like turquoise, reds, yellows, browns.

We tried hanging it above her kitchen sink and decided it just didn't quite go with the decor in her kitchen. She decided she would put it on her Christmas Tree this year - which I thought was a great idea and it gave us a ton of other different ideas regarding color and use. 
She was thinking about making her daughter (Bailey) one in pinks, creams, browns, and whites as her bedroom is very girlly with a touch of shabby and rustic chic.  I think it will beautiful and twinkle lights in a bedroom will make any girl dream
very.
sweet.
dreams.

The next day we had a baking day.
We baked pies - 2 pumpkin, 2 chocolate and 1 pecan.
Lots of baking.
Lots of fun and fun memories!
Jodi's kitchen recently got a make-over.
New tile floor, new paint and new shelves.
Awesome shelves, huh! My brother-in-law made them!

Here's the pumpkin. My favorite.

Daphnie went along with us as she does most everywhere. She was a good girl and only chased the cat up the tree for ALL DAY once.
So that's pretty good, right?

Here is Ben playing his ukulele for us while we baked. Ever since Bailey was a little girl she has adored listening to her Uncle Ben play.
I just love this picture.

Remember the Chorizos on my "To Do List" a couple of posts back?
Here it is featured with my Blueberry Streusel Cake... recipe found here.
Just FYI I doubled it to make the cake and cooked it at 350 instead of 400. Also, I didn't have to double the Streusel - there was enough for the top of the cake without doubling it also.

3 little munchkins at the breakfast table.

This is just a glimpse of the country we enjoyed and my sister's adorable little farmhouse.

I love the wreath and don't you just love the color of her house... funny story.

This little farmhouse is back in a canyon with cliffs all around it.
She has a little old vintage bike parked just to the left there and she had pumpkins all around. The snow was piled up but I could see that she had put her touch here and there and everywhere.

I didn't have snow boots. I didn't stay out long but while I was out...

I got this good pic of this hunky guy... *tee hee*

captured this little stinker that kept jumping on my bare legs.
SO wanted to take him home with me!

Fell in love all over again with this girls' face.

Got a kick out of the snowman makin' crew!

Don't you just love the smirk on the snowman's face and look at the dog. She worked SO hard!
By the way - see the field behind them? That field is right in front of their house and I saw a herd of deer one morning and dozens of pheasants the next.
So. Cool.

This was on Thanksgiving Day.
This is Jodi and her family -
Her husband - Brian, then my sister - Jodi, holding Birch and Bailey down below.

This family came to enjoy Thanksgiving with us.
The Taylor Family.
It was great getting to know them and...

she brought this! I call it the sinful stuffing!
It had sausage and bacon grease in it!
Bad BAD girl, Ashlee!

Yes, we put marshmallows on our sweet potatoes.
Don't hate!
It's DELISH!

Then you have us!
Pauly's face is cracking me up!

Her turkey was delicious and her gravy  INSANE!

So glad she knew what she was doing because I was scared - so I just went and took a nap
and woke up and made the salad... Turkey scares me.

We put on our aprons and it reminded me of my Grandma Sally - who always wears her holiday aprons and it warmed my heart.

We grew up having Thanksgiving with my dad's family - so during Thanksgiving, if we can't all be together...
I ache to be near them.
These were part of the art projects that Jodi had for the kids and we used them as name place cards.
They worked like a charm and they were super fun to make!

This is our little family.
There is Ben, then me, then Pauly, then Bill.
Perfect, don't ya think?

Miss Bailey made mine. Loved my hat! Oh! and my mouth.... hilarious.

Here is the platter of turkey.
Insane! I tell ya!

The next few days were packed full of leftovers, naps and laughs .... then repeat.
I'm sure you can relate.

We left Sunday as the weather up to that point was too scary since we had been through ... uhem HECK trying to get there -
So! Sunday it was - the roads were clear, a little fog but mostly good.
I adored looking at all the little farmhouses and barns.
Adore.

Then we came across this weird fence that someone had put a bunch of Dish Network dishes on...
Cracked me up!

Oh! Here is my house and barn...

Note to family who owns this barn: I will trade you my little house in the city - straight across.
Think about it.

So. Fabulous Thanksgiving in the Country aka Frozen Tundra of Washington.
Not sure if we will ever travel so far in the winter but fabulous memories none-the-less!
Thank you my dear Sister and family for inviting us and feeding us all those tasty vittles!
Love you.

and

I hope YOU had a wonderful Thanksgiving too! Do share details!

Now!
I'm off to
Deck the Halls!!!

~ Happy Harvest ~

 Rodeo Clown and Lion.

 Playing games at the Church Harvest Party...

 Little lion...



 William was growling, can ya tell? Hilarious!!