Hubby has a new hobby

My dear husband has suddenly discovered a hidden wood working talent! For several years I have wanted to do a garden but our soil and size of our yard had prohibited it. Not anymore! Husband built me two, count them two boxes for vegetables and herbs. He then went and built String Bean a balance beam because he was trying to use the sides of the vegetable boxes for that purpose and I was afraid he would fall into my new baby plants.  He also heaved all the dirt into the boxes so that I could come along in my new cute gardening gloves and plant my plant babies.  I am one spoiled girl!

The boys had a great time watching daddy use his saw and drill and loved digging in the dirt. Little Butter bean caught on very quickly that he plants were supposed to go in the ground and we had to keep an eye on him or he would have planted tomatoes in the sand box.

I look forward to tending the plants and teaching the boys were our food comes from. Hey, maybe they might eat some of the vegetables once we get them growing. A mom can dream right??

Big Boy Bed

Butter Bean is a big boy now.

Since he has been trying to crawl out of the crib lately I decided to go ahead and convert the crib. He was really excited but not as excited as String bean was for him. String Bean immediately asked if I would move his bed into Butter Bean's room. I told him no for the time being since I had no idea how this would work out.

I just put him to bed and I don't hear anything so I am going to assume all is well!

Here are of some pictures of the boys showing Daddy the new arrangements tonight. I apologize in advance because once again String Bean does not have any pants on. He got into a habit of running around in only underwear when we potty trained and his neglectful mother has not corrected it yet.

 

Lift your voice in song

We had a area wide singing service last night at our church (Church of Christ at Katy).  It was so wonderful to sit and sing and praise God for two hours.  I thought I would share the lyrics from one of my absolute favorite hyms "When all of God's Singers Get Home."

What a song of delight in a city so bright
We'll be weft beneath heaven's fair dome
How the ransom will raise happy songs in His praise
When all of God's singers get home
Chorus:
When all of God's singers get home (God's singers get home)
When never a sorrow will come (or heartache will come)
They'll be no place like home (like heaven my home)
When all of God's singers get home (God's singers get home)

Having overcome sin, hallelujah amen
We'll be heard in that land o'er the foam
Every heart will be light and His face will be bright
When all of God's singers get home
 
One of the song leaders put it very eloquently when he said that it is hard for us to fathom what heaven will be like, but for him our singing songs in praise to God was a small glimpse. 

Hmm what to write about...

So, as those of you who follow this blog might have noticed, I have not kept up with the blog since Halloween.  Yes, that is right, Halloween.  Man does that seems like yesterday to anyone else?  We had a busy but very fun Holiday season starting with Halloween and ending with New Years.  I made the boy's costumes this year and I was so glad that I was able to produce what Cooper had requested because it was so gosh darn cute!  String Bean told me he wanted to be Copper and Butter Bean to be Todd from The Fox and the Hound.  Cutest Fox and hound ever right??? You be the judge:

After Halloween came Thanksgiving, which for me was not a lot of work since my mother and sister handled all of the cooking and cleaning.  All I had to do was show up with the grandchildren and make sure they did not get in the way of the aforementioned cooking and cleaning. 

Christmas was so much fun this year.  Robert and I got most of our shopping done early so there was no shopping stress for us.  However, I did make three gallons of carmel corn for the nice ladies that watch the kids on Wednesdays so that I can go to Ladies Bible Class and act like an adult for two hours.  Except that I forgot said candy corn at home and did not have enough time to turn around and get it.  So sadly, we had to eat it all ourselves.  I know, tragic is it not?  Don't worry I made the nice church ladies some New Year's candy corn and almost walked out the door without it again had String Bean not wondered where his backpack was a mile from home.

The week of Christmas was fun as well.  We spent a couple days at Granny and PawPaw's and got to watch PawPaw cut down tree limbs in a cherry picker.  I had two very happy little boys who were happy to sit and watch Pawpaw fell limbs.  We then headed back home to Katy to get ready for Santa.  We had a great Christmas morning with the boys with lots of presents and hot chocolate and pancakes.

I then starting to pack up the food I was taking to my mom's and we headed out for lunch with parents.  After lunch with my parents we went to see Rob's parents and catch up with all the cousins.  To say we were tired that night when we got home is an understatment but I had leftover chocolate peppermint cake to look forward to.

I tried a several new dishes this year.  I made a cauliflower gratin and rosemary acron squash for sides for lunch.  My parents hated it and I will probably not be allowed to cook again but my sister (THE CHEF) seemed to enjoy it.  Now I would love to tell you about that chocolate peppermint cake but it is a sad and not pretty story.  Sad because the cake layers slid all around and it was a hot mess by the time I got it to my mom's.  Not pretty because I ended up having to invert it into a bowl from the cake plate to make a trifle out it.  But man was it tasty, at least I think so.  My parents probably hated that too!  I am guessing I will get to bring the cranberry sauce next year.

So here we are mid-January and it was 76 degrees today.  I am hopiong we have some more cooler weather because I am not ready for summer yet!

But mom, I want to ride the trebuchet!!!

After seeing Husband off this morning (he's helping his mom today, ahhh what a guy), me and the chicks went out to one of the local high school's pumpkin patch/carnival.  Of course, we had to do this for several reasons,

1. To take up time during the day while Husband is gone since I am spoiled beyond belief with a very hands on dad who entertains the boys on the weekends 
2. I needed to get some pictures (that did not happen!) of them near a pumpkin for the day very long from now when I get into scrapbooking
3. I thought they would have fun!

 Of course, they would not sit still for pictures so I finally gave up and paid the lady three bucks to get a decent photo of us.  Then I released them out into the pumpkin patch to roll around for awhile with the most orange of sqaushes.  Then we did the moonwalk and played a little pint size basketball and then headed over to the bake sale table to get them all good and sugared up.  I get such enjoyment out of them cramming cookies and cupcakes in their mouths! 
Anyway, then came the trebuchet. I like to call them catapults but the fancy french word seems to have caught on (mental note: look up difference between catapult v. trebuchet).

So they load the perfectly good pumpkin up and launch it and the instant the pumpkin explodes, String Bean says "I want to ride it!" I am in serious trouble, this child just watched a pumpkin get smashed to bits and he wants to go next! I think I will start making him wear a helmet from now on just in case.

Belly Art

In my attempt to distract my boys from all things that "go," I took the easel outside and told them to paint.  I suggested they paint the sky, the birds, or even the grass, whatever their little minds came up with.

 

So what did my two little stinkers paint?  Their bellies.  I mean they literally painted their bellies.  I then begin to see the wheels turning in String Bean's head, I can hear him thinking... I have just made myself into one big stamp!  So, they spent the rest of art time making belly impressions on the patio.

When they go tired of that they started painting my legs.  Note - red paint (even washable paint) stains your skin! 

Ahh well, at least they they did something else besides crashing cars!

Long live belly art!

One fine meal

Tonight I made something that made my whole famliy happy and I just had to share about it.  It may not look pretty (cassoroles rarely do) but it tastes great.  What is this ugly mess you see above that had my whole family asking for seconds?  Shepard's pie.  Meat, vegatbles, gravy and mashed potatoes all in one dish creating a wonderful homey dish that leaves everyone feeling full and sastified. 

This is dish I did not grow up eating.  I actually have my dear friend Alison to thank for introducing this great dish from across the pond (I love that phrase).  She was preggo with her first child and all she could stomach was mashed potatoes.  First I was shocked she was cooking in the first place but if Ali could make this surely I could too (I know that sounds a bit wicked of me but trust me Al and I's friendship is based on a healty competitve nature).  So five years later I have finally perfected this masterpiece of home cookery.  In fact Cooper told me that it was as good as snack and treats!  Now that is a compliment any mama would be proud to hear.