Merry Christmas from the Girls (and MM)

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With love, from us to you,
Gen, MM, AJ, AR, CM, CG, and Miss V!

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Cuties

Right? Precious

when sleep head attacks

shes cute even with morning breath and bed head!

You have no right to be rude to large family moms!

so...there is a train of thought that five children makes a large family...and another that says five makes a small family.  I get comments...mostly ignorant comments....all the time about the size of my family.  one man, a stranger in wal mart mind you, asked me if i knew what condoms were for?!?  none the less, i was tagged in this photo on fb:

now, i know the person tagging me thinks this if funny.  he also found it hilarious when his wife, upon finding out I had five girls, responded with "good grief woman, its a va*ina, not a clown car!"

i laughed when she said...b/c i was horrified and rendered speechless.  many jokes since them have been made on my behalf.  I try very hard to be polite, laugh it off.  but enough is enough.  this is the epitome of RUDE and unacceptable.  first off, even if you don't want six children, *I* do...and it's none of your business.  I didn't ask for your opinions or your help with said children...so put your nose on your face rather than in my business.

what's worse is that occasionally these comments come in front of my children.  i can't tell you how often i've heard "better you than me!"  now, i respond with "that's true., much better me than you"

so those of you who don't understand large families, or disagree with large families, remember that we could be rude to you as you are us...but we aren't.  momma shoulda taught you better, bless your hearts.

kidneys....le sigh.

Long night for AR and mommy.  High high fever and pain in the side means ER visit...and another kidney infection for AR.  After just over 8 hours....we got home to eat dinner at 2:45 am.  yeah...we were starving.

Lots of antibiotics...and tylenol and soup. God willing she will be well soon! Pray for my AR please...and for my mommy heart. she'll be seeing a urologist when we get an appointment.

my precious girl....love her!

Memories...

Here lately i've been on a slight jog down memory lane.  I was asked to post a pic of a childhood memory.  about 90% of my good childhood memories take place at my grandmothers house.  this blog post is totally about that...and will include pics. :)

This is me...about age 2.  Cutie right?!?

my grandmother was a special kind of lady.  she was a cook...like no body's business.  She made the best shrimp stew....so good, that one time, around 5th or 6th grade, i wanted to make it like she did for a cooking competition...so i asked her for the recipe.  it was then i learned she'd never cooked it with a recipe.  so my mom took me over there and she "measured" and dumped it on a cookie sheet, and mom and i measured it that way...b/c i needed a recipe for the competition!  now i cook like she did.  i look like she did too...i have one more child than she did...and my youngest girl is named after her.  i loved that woman.  still do...

She kept her house so cold...so cold.  she had window units in every window, and they went full blast.  she spent the bulk of her day in the kitchen cooking...guess that's why she was always hot!

see the a/c unit?

she had a porch swing...she'd sit on it waiting on us to arrive...she'd hug us on the front porch and usher us in...to the smells of our favorite foods.  she'd ALWAYS make shrimp stew for me and mom, beans and rice for dad, and she'd have peanut butter, bananas, and chasassi ham for my sister...with bunny bread of course.  back then, you couldn't get bunny bread in mississippi...so she would buy several loaves for us to take home and freeze...a taste of home. 

me, my mom and sister on that porch...

so many memories...she had this ottoman...loved it.  big tv where we'd watch the cubs play...never mattered if they won, they were her team and winners to her...even when they disappointed her. LOL...she wasn't a football fan...guess that's where we differ...

we'd make pallets on the floor to sleep when we'd come over...memories are flooding back...i'm fighting tears ya'll!  now my girls make pallets at their grammas house...their gramma is a LOT like mine...i hope to be that gramma when i have the chance.  my mom's mom was a special lady....just like my mom.

My grandmother with my Uncle Carl, her younger son.  Uncle Carl was number 3 of 4.  My mom was the baby.

Day 4, Thursday

We slept LATE! Swimming wears us out! Decided toay was the day for hiking. Went on the smallest of hikes. CM fell and hurt her hand. V and her short legs had a hard time up the hills. CG fell in the river and hurt her pride b/c daddy laughted at her! MM found me a nice walking stick. Came in uqite handy for the hills...which, to a deep south girl, were more like mountains.

Went back and fixed a picnic lunch...drove to the mountain top for a picinic/sightseeing/photo op. Stopped on the road for a photo op too...check out these mountains.

Had our picnic, took lots of pics...imagine that! Decided after our pics and picnic to head to town for a couple grocery items and to do laundry. Four loads later we were on our way back up the mountain. We put away the groceries and headed out to the lake. We fished a bit (fishing with little girls is an exercise in futility). Sent MM off in my boat again, then took the girls back to the cabin for some mommy/daughters time and dinner. Dined well, after putting some aside for MM, then shower time.

Picked MM up just before dark at the lake...he caught more fish! AR helped him clean the fish...AJ and I played Phase 10. AR and MM go tomorrow to fish...if they catch a few, we'll have an incredible fish fry!

Day 3 Wednesday

Woke up to a cereal breakfast. We all got dressed and went to the pond. The three big girls fished with dad while the two lil girls played in the sand/dirt. I got in my new boat and relaxed on the lake! Tried to get out of the lil boat...turned into a Laurel and Hardy comedy moment...boat tried to slide out from under my feet, so I got myself righted....just to have it slip out and me fall into the river...that water was cold!

Came back from the lake without dad. Dad stayed in my boat on the lake to fish. The gils and I went back to the cabin and changed for the pool. We swam for about 3.5 hours. Went to find dad to make lunch, but couldn't see him on the lake. We went back to the cabin without him and had lunch. Made dad a lunch, got our things gathered, and went to find dad so we could all go sweiming. Found him onl the lake, complete with four fish! 2 catfish, 2 small brim....a fish fry in my future! So, rather than swim, we went back to the cabin to clean fish. Great learning experience fo the girls...gutting and cleaning fish. Wish i'd have gotten some pictures!

Fish all done....time for swimming! After about an hour, the thunder started...so out we get! Bak to the cabin...again...so mom could shower! Girls played outside before the rain...but once it started raining I brought them all in. one by one we all showered...so refreshing. MM had to smear aloe all over my shoulders...stupid sunburn! (yes I used sunscreen, but obviously not enough!)

All in one vitamins from SmartyPants

This is a post written by me, sponsored by smartypants.

Do you take your daily vitamins?  I take so many supplements that it's hard to remember what's what! In this day and age, when we're all so on the run, vitamins are important.  Important, but gross!  If you remember taking chewable vitamins as a child, like i do, you prolly remember how yummy they were.  Of course, now they don't taste nearly as good as they did back then, but gummy vitamins are a yummy alternative!  These all in one vitamins from SmartyPants  are packed full of vitamin goodness.  They include vitamins as well as omega 3s.  These vitamins are not made with high fructose corn syrup, but with real cane sugar!  These are even safe for my CM, b/c there are no corn products at all!  These vitamins are sweetened with all natural ingredients!

I'll be buying these for my CM...they look just like the gummy vitamins i buy for her sisters!

For a review, check out this link to "SmartyPants vitamins reviews"


Have you tried these before?  leave me a msg, tell me what you think!

day three...no one lost!

We decided on day three to head to the lake...which is actually a river.  the three big girls fished with MM, while the two littles played in the dirt/sand.  I got in my new boat and relaxed, putzing around on the lake. 

came back from the lake without dad.  dad stayed in the boat on the lake to fish...the girls and i went back to the cabin and changed for the pool.  we swam for about 3 and a half hours!  went to find dad to make lunch, but didn't see him on the lake...so we went back to the cabin without him and had lunch...


made him a lunch and took it with us to the lake to pick him up...found dad....complete with four fish!  so, rather than swim, we went back to the cabin to clean fish.  great learning experience for the girls...gutting and cleaning fish.  wish i'd gotten pics!

fish all done, time for swimming.  after about an hour, thunder started...out we go.  back to the cabin so mom could shower!  girls played outside before the rain came, but one it started raining, i brought them all in....so we could shower one by one!  refreshing...even if mm had to smear aloe gel all over my shoulders...stupid sunburn! (yes i used sunscreen...)

morrow mountain day two...

after our crazy start, we decided to check in with the park staff and get our swimming passes since we got in so late.  they told us about the natural park history museum...very cool place!  decided to run to twon quickly for a fishing licensce and coffee....came back with an inflatable canoe...fun for momma!!!

before the run to town we explored the park a bit...drove up the mountain, took lots of pics, and made plans for other pics. :D

once we got back, we went swimming!  the girls enjoyed that...after swimming, we came back to the cabin for some dinner and relaxation!  MM started the grill, and i started the sides.  mm sent CM on an outing within eyesight of the cabin.  CM still got lost. :(  She wandered off and a kindly couple found her.  Thank you Lord, I taught the child how to react if she was ever lost.  Once she got back to me, she said she cried and was afraid, but prayed out loud that God would help her find her mommy and her daddy.  Then she asked a deer (who was close enough to touch) if she'd seen mommy or daddy...the deer didn't answer.  God sent His answer in the forfrm of a kind set of strangers, who picked her up and brought her back to me.  after i calmed her down, i cried myself....i'm tearing up just typing this out.

we enjoyed our dinner, and thanked God for HIS grace in seeing CM returned safely.  Then we reminded the girls that this is why its so important to do as we are instructed.  if CM had done what MM asked, she'd never have gotten lost...

we played a couple of board games and sent the girls to bed with movies....more tomorrow...

did ya miss me?

I know i've been missing for a while now, but i had good reason....we went on a family vacation!!!  we decided to go to morrow mountain, north carolina.  it was GORGEOUS!  i took plenty of pictures (you knew that right?) and kept a bit of a journal chronicling our journey to and from...this is the first entry from that journal. :)

day 1
after 14 hours and one shopping trip of massive proportions, we arrived to find a locked gate and a closed park.  we went back to town to find cell service and a phone book...and called the park, which had a voice message directing us to call the sheriff.  The sheriff got in touch with the ONLY full time park ranger, who met us at the gate to let us in.  We had no idea there was a closing time...found out MUCH later in the week that we should have gotten an email with directions, a packing suggestion list, and a list of what is in the cabin...but we never got it.  We finally got to the cabin and with the girls' help, got everything out of the van...got the girl beds ready and put them to bed, then we put away groceries and such.  MM and i went to bed at midnight...after driving all that way!  since we left around 6 am, we were exhausted!

here are the pics of the cabin, which was lovely by the way...

Pintrest project

You guys know pintrest right?  Got this idea off pintrest....what do ya think?

Breakfast at the lil farm

As u can see, this is only three of the girls...but they were being so cute I wanted to share....hehe.  you're welcome!