Squeezing in a Little Fun Time

Too many days or evenings have been spent in hospitals or funeral homes here lately. In between all of this, we’ve had some normal moments and just some fun times we’ve squeezed in just for the sake of giving the kids something to look forward to or something more uplifting.

One evening after visiting Jason’s dad at the hospital, we discovered it was the last night of the carnival in town and Joy had been asking to go. So it was late….really too late to have our 4 year old out, but we stopped in for about an hour and a half of fun for the kids. It was a nice distraction from all the sadness lately. And I had forgotten just how entertaining those carnival folks can be. :) Let’s just say that I am convinced that one of the requirements to work a carnival is that you have to be very unique. Joy has her theory but we won't talk about that here. :) We definitely got a few laughs and are still laughing when we recall those moments!

Joy is up there on the top. :)

Luke rode everything with Joy except the Moby Dick and the ferris wheel.

One day after a doctor’s appointment, we stopped in at the big city park. My niece, Laci, was here from Alabama for her spring break. Bless her heart, we didn’t get to do many fun things while she was here because of everything that has been going on, but we managed to do a little. They enjoyed a little bit of fun at the park followed by a trip of Baskin Robbins for ice cream.

Luke loves his preschool games on the iPad. It’s a wonderful tool to keep him busy (and happy) while we are getting very needed time to work on our school and he's getting a little school and doesn't even realize it!  :) He is quite a whiz at it now! Maybe better than me! :)

Before his very needed haircut by Amber.

When we went to Alabama for my Grandma’s funeral, Missy (my SIL) gathered all the grandkids and attempted to get a picture of them all together while we had them all in one place. It’s not that great of a picture and it was no easy task trying to get them all to cooperate at the same time. But it is what it is. At least they’re all there!

Luke loved his job of trying to keep Ellie still....can you tell?  :)   From the top left to right:  Trey & Colt,  next row Kemper & Joy.  Next row down Laci & Luke and Sydey & Ellie in the front. 

And I did get a couple of pictures of Joy and Luke on Easter before they came in from church and got comfortable out of their Easter clothes. Colt came out later for lunch and I never even pulled the camera out the rest of the afternoon. I wish that I had!

Obviously, I needed my glasses on when I took this picture. I cut Joy’s head off! I think that is payback because I used to tease my mom about doing that!

Okay, I did a little better here, but it’s on the blurry side. In my defense, I was using Joy's point and shoot camera (which I am not used to), not my camera because the battery on mine was dead.

I'm thankful that we were able to grab a few enjoyable family moments the past few weeks.

Thanks so much for stopping by! If I haven't been around to visit your blog lately, it's not because I don't want to. Don't give up on me! :)

Have a great day!

This is the Stuff.........

I love moments like this. In a rare moment (on camera), Luke cooperated and sang with Joy. Notice the foot motion. And they’re holding their pretend microphones. Yeah, “This is the Stuff” I definitely treasure! :)

** Song - This is the Stuff (by Francesca Battistelli) **

A Family Evening at the Drive-In Movie

I’m not really sure why we haven’t done this with the kids before now, because I have a very fond memory of my Uncle Jesse taking my cousins and me to the drive-in movie to see The Apple Dumpling Gang! My uncle backed his van in and opened the back doors where all of us kids could hang out with our snacks. We had a blast! (However, on the adjacent screen in the distance, they were showing Mommy Dearest….not exactly a child friendly movie).

Colt and Amber love going to the drive-in movie. It was because of their remarks about it that we ended up going. It’s less expensive; the concessions are more affordable; and it’s just a different, comfortable, and fun atmosphere. So Jason suggested we go one Sunday evening a few weeks ago.

You get a double feature for $7 per adult. Kids under 10 are free.

We saw Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2. They were both okay. I think so many of the movies these days that are supposedly made for kids are over their heads. They still throw in inappropriate comments sometimes that I could do without as well. However, we had a really good time, just being there!

It was fun sitting out in our lawn chairs with a big bucket of buttered popcorn and soft drinks under the stars. We didn’t stay for the rest of Kung Fu Panda, because Luke and Joy were having a hard time holding their eyes open, and Jason and I weren’t far behind them! So we packed it up and headed on home before that movie ended with everybody climbing in bed rather late.

We’ve decided that going to the drive-in movie will be especially fun this fall when the air starts to get that crisp feeling, snuggled under a quilt in our lawn chairs with hot chocolate.……..and a big bucket of popcorn of course. I wonder why it is that popcorn tastes much better when you’re watching a movie?  :)

Music to My Ears!

We now have two guitar players in our house!

Friday, Jason and I took Joy to get her first guitar. She used birthday money for her big purchase. She had this planned for quite awhile. After looking and trying out several guitars and with help from the folks there at the music store, Joy found the guitar that felt most comfortable in her hands.



I have been impressed with what she's already taught herself in three days through tutorials off the internet! She quickly learned four chords and can go through this chord progression changing chords fairly quickly (much quicker than I could ever do)! She played and sang most of a Taylor Swift song for us yesterday!

Last night, Jason made us some (delicious) homemade milkshakes, so we were all gathered in the kitchen. Joy brought her guitar in the kitchen to show Colt what she had learned. Then Colt grabbed his guitar.....and I loved it! Of course, I had to grab my camera!



Colt giving Joy pointers...and Joy taking it all in.....it was a special moment for me! I think she was hanging on Colt's every word!



These informal moments of teaching really are the best! Colt learned so much this way...and by leaving him alone with his instrument!



Music is such an important part of our lives, in so many ways!

Joy's new guitar is an Ibanez. She liked this one because it was actually a full size guitar, yet not too thick for her hands.



Colt has several guitars, including an Ibanez too. I don't even remember exactly how many he does have. This one he grabbed was his Aria.



Oh, and see Colt's hair? That's what happens when your girlfriend goes to cosmetology school! Colt told us Amber was giving him a haircut and red highlights Saturday night. I was expecting red, as in "my kind of red hair". I wasn't prepared for the fire engine red.....but it's growing on me.....well sort of. However, I do LOVE his haircut! Amber does a great job!

Colt is such a natural with his guitar and music in general....and Joy seems to be following in his footsteps. I know she loves music just as much. Rare is the day around here that music doesn't happen in some form in our home! And that's just the way I like it!



I hope there's many more moments like this one ....hanging out in the kitchen..... sharing these moments.....it's truly music to this mom's ears!



** Pictures coming soon of Joy's new bedroom makeover....I've got one more last accessory touch to add. **

Have a great Tuesday and thanks for stopping by! :)

~ Tammy ~

One Horse Power

The second outing we had this weekend was a carriage ride. The weather was perfect for a carriage ride....not too cold....not too warm...!

Our local town goes all out with lights in one of the parks. The entire park is decked out with Christmas lights and decorations. There is Christmas music playing over the speakers throughout the season. Across from the park is a quaint coffee shop. Carriage rides leave from there on the weekends during December.



The carriage takes passengers on a leisurely ride around two blocks surrounding the park. Most of the older homes in this two-block area decorate their homes beautifully for the holiday season. Some even sit on their porches, play music, and wave or speak to those on the carriage rides, or even hand out candy canes.







We've driven down these streets many times looking at the lights from our car, but it was entirely different viewing them from the carriage. Maybe it's the slow pace or the open-air, but everything was just beautiful!







Our horse's name was Jeff. Our driver (Krissy), had her golden retriever, Molly, riding along too. Joy and Molly hit it off quite well!



Our carriage ride ended back at the coffee shop. Joy and Jeff are saying their goodbyes here.




What a charming little carriage ride it was! :)