Botanical Garden 2009

You cannot hardly see this but Reece called this his "thinking" pose like a monk! That kid makes me laugh!!!

These two "super models" where posing it up!

Ring around the Rosey anyone?

This picture is so sweet. These are my two kids and my niece!

We took the kids to the Botanical Garden in Fort Worth and took alot of pictures.

Our Unforgettable Camping Vacation to Turner Falls 2009

Okay so you know how when you go camping you expect for things to NOT be like home. Well this year started off great. We rented a screened shelter (yeah, to no tent camping) and had a fun couple of days and nights. We went swimming, kids and husbands went cave exploring...campfire smores'... On the evening of what would have been the the third night we were approached and told that storms were coming our way and that they expected strong winds, hail and alot of rain. We were also told that we had about 40 minutes until the storm hit... and that we could possibly be stranded in the park if we stayed do to flooding of the water bridge that is the only way into the park. As I looked south of our location I told myself it would be more like 10 minutes. As we scrambled to get everything packed and into the car before the rain hit it became a downpour in a matter of about 5 minutes. Reece starts screaming at this point because his sister is sleeping peacefully and he wanted her to be the first into the vehicle. I then am yelling at him to calm down and that we would get her but, this did not satisfy him in the least. He jumps on the bed she is in and starts screaming at me again "GET MADISON....MOM MADISON....PLEASE JUST GET HER....! This is a huge change from the Reece who usually could care less about his sister. I grabbed her, waking her up and in the chaos she started crying and was visibly scared. I put her in the car and told Reece, who was already ahead of me to get in and calm down. Needless to say we got soaked putting the rest of our stuff in the car. It took us all of about 10 minutes to take down our canopy, deflate two airbeds, pack up all the food, clothing and toys and get in the car to head out of there. Meanwhile the Ganus Family who we were with did the same minus the canopy...as soon as we got across the bridge they closed the gates.

So I know what you are thinking end of story...wrong. We headed south to Fort Worth only to run into a huge storm and tornados in the area. Had to pull off and wait it out because we could not see the road. Finally arrived home only to find that our electricity was off.

I don't know about the rest of you but I really could use a vacation after my vacation. We really are happy to be home. The electricity finally came back on and we have been trying to put things away.

It is still storming but at least we are home.

Field Day!

Reece had a really great time at his school today. It was field day and to say that they got a little wet was an understatment. Those kids got soaken wet! His favorite part was putting a really wet sponge on the top of his head and then running down to squeeze the water that was left in the sponge in to a bucket and then hand the sponge to his classmate. FUN!!!!!

Russell's New Toy!

I think it is official Russell has finally gone to the Green side of life. For a couple of month's now he has been talking about getting a "Real Mower" and today was the day. We are one more step in becoming the greenest family we know. I am really interested in seeing how long the new mower last! I have to admit though not hearing the deafening sound and smelling gasoline in the air is really nice! He got his inspiration from Ryan Wells....thanks!

Going Green!

Okay so for those of you how do not already know, our family is trying to do our best to help preserve what is left of our Earth. I have been really convicted to use my reusable shopping bags and after watching Opera I now am going to make a concious effort to go green when I clean. I have found two great recipes for making your own cleaners. The first is for cleaning window: Combine 3 Tbsp of vinegar 1/3 tsp of pure liquid vegetable soap (like Castile Soap) and 2 cups of water. And instead of using paper towels use a microfiber clothe. The second recipe I found on the site is for a multi-purpose cleaner: Sophie Uliano, author of Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life, doesn't use conventional all-purpose cleaning sprays—she makes her own cleaner with nontoxic ingredients. Her cleaner cuts grease, germs and grime and saves her money too! Sophie says you can use this spray on just about everything, including refrigerators, countertops, walls, doorknobs, toilet seats and sinks.Gorgeously Green All-Purpose Spray
32-ounce plastic spray bottle
2 cups water
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure castile soap (peppermint is a favorite)
3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
20 drops tea tree oil
20 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil
Simply fill a large 32-ounce plastic spray bottle with the water. Add the vinegar, castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil and lavender or lemongrass essential oil. Lavender is lovely for the bathroom spray and lemongrass for the kitchen, so make two separate bottles at the same time. In the hot summer months, add about 10 drops of citronella essential oil to the spray, as it is an excellent insect repellent.This spray is suitable for acrylic, ceramic tile, wood, marble and granite.
I am going to try these recipes as soon as I can and will try to post how well I think they work.
Hope everyone is having a great week and remember live GREEN!

AAARRGH!

This Picture makes me laugh. It also describes how I feel about trying to figure out all of this blogging stuff. I have decided to start a blog so that when I do not have time to scrapbook my childrens lives maybe I will have the time to post something here. I do not intend on stopping the scrapbooks but lets me realistic you cannot put everything in the books! If anyone has any tips or suggestions please let me know, I could use the help!!!