Friday, fun times!!

Hello friends! Awww...you guys thank you for making me feel like somebody is reading/listening to me when I blog! Today has been a really good day! Fridays seem to always be really good. Maybe it's because we have a definite place to go and things to do. Or maybe it's because I know Adam will be home the weekend. Or that I get to sleep in Saturday mornings until 9:15a.m. because Adam gets up with Anderson and then I get up on Sunday and let Adam sleep in a bit! Do you have an arrangement like that with your spouse? It's one of the best ideas we've had...it allows us to still sleep in a little and you don't need two people up anyway:)

We've done our usual...the mall playground, the carousel and Chick-fil-A! What a great day!! Actually any day that has Chick-fil-A in it is a great day! ;)

The playground was fun!I actually met another mom today that is also from Mansfield! She invited me to come to a Mother Morning Out kind of deal. I think I just may go! We'll see! It's so hard making new friends! I feel like I am rushing a sorority again...ugh!

Have I ever mentioned this?
This is an ice rink in the middle of the mall. They have 5 year old boys hockey leagues. I really would like Anderson to do something like this! (yes, that's me, the momma who runs every time he falls down;)

Happy Happy Birthday to my MIL Ms. Tami(aka Gami to Anderson) We love you and thank you so much for being such a wonderful grandmother to Anderson!! Hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday! Wish we could be there with you to celebrate!

Holla if ya hear me!

Hello friends! I find myself wondering why do I blog? I blog because I want my family and friends to know what we are up to and hopefully in some small way feel that they are part of our lives. My hilarious fellow mom blogger friend Becky says it best when you post a comment on her blog, she writes," I love my stalkers, but I love it more when I'm not talking to myself!!" I TOTALLY LOVE that phrase! It is hard blogging when you think nobody is reading and I KNOW my momma is and sometimes other folks cause they're sweet and comment. So if you are out there reading, please let me know, so like Becky I don't feel like I'm talking to myself or just my momma. All you got to do is go to comment and leave me a comment. And if you're not sure what to button to push on the comment, you can leave it as anonymous and sign your name, cause ya'll know I love you and today is one of those days that I NEED to feel validated!
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We've had a good day! It's been rainy and we haven't stepped one foot out of the door, I really like and need those days sometimes, I think Anderson does too! I didn't even change him out of his jammies until 10 a.m.!We decided to wash the pups, cause they were stinkin' it up and super shedding their hair. This pic cracks me up cause it looks like Anderson is deciding if the duck is to bathe with Gus. Gus on the other hand doesn't look too thrilled.Ha!

We've vacuumed and mopped that's always a blast! And last but not least. Happy Happy Birthday to my SIL Kelly who I'm proud to say is not only my SIL, but a good friend to me too! Happy Birthday girl! We love you!

Lions, Tigers and Graham Crackers...OH MY!

Hello friends! Anderson and I ventured out to one of our favorite places the Ft. Worth Zoo! We have a membership and I LOVE that we don't have to spend ANY money when we go. I know we already paid for our membership...but I just feel like Anderson and I are getting such a cool deal when we go.

I promise you there was seriously like 15 people in total there today! It was so AWESOME! It was a nice 47 degrees and Anderson was layered( I promise Mom) with clothes so he wasn't chilly at all. I let him walk most of the way and I just pushed the stroller and he followed. I'll let the pictures and my ramblings tell the story ;)

First, we always go see the "mingos" Anderson just thinks they are funny and he today he did his Happy Dance because he was getting to walk and not ride in the stroller!Next, the monkey house. They were all inside because it was cold out. The gorillas are ALWAYS obsessed with us! I thought this pictures was hilarious, because the gorilla was REALLY enchanted with Anderson.
Next, we walked over to the tigers. They have this beautiful white tiger who was obsessed with Anderson...but for a different reason. Every time she would walk by, he would die laughing and he kept saying "tiger, cracker?" We walked by the African termite mounds(note they are not real;) and Anderson just wondered what was inside all those holes!(darn that camera...it's so blurry)
And these are my favorite animals! I think they are so beautiful! Maybe that's why I love all things zebra(like purses, shirts, bracelets etc...)

And finally we stopped at the House of Parquets. SO MUCH FUN! We bought a seed stick for the birds and we were the only ones in the parquet house. He would RUN as fast as he could and try to give the seed stick to the birds and say "eat it"! He'd let them get one little bite and he was off to the next bird. One bird got tired of it and started chasing us and finally I gave him the rest of our seeds! ha!

Laundry Smaundry...

Hello friends! We've had a pretty good day! I just wonder can I EVER get out from under this laundry? I really HATE folding clothes. I don't mind the washing, but the folding and putting away....yuck. Just ask Adam, bless his heart, a lot of times he has to go to the dryer because he can't find it....and I've left it in there because I didn't want to fold it. We've had a good but boring little day. Lately, we've been staying home because I feel like we do the same things over and over again. Case in point, we are going to the zoo tomorrow, ha!

Anderson has been traveling around in the laundry basket this morning. He thought it was funny when I was washing clothes to get inside of it and hide

And then again while he was watching Sesame Street.

Oh the fun you can have with a basket!**************************************************************************
I am SO excited about this season of American Idol! We have watched it ever since the very first year and I'm going to be sad when Simon moves on to the X Factor. I CAN'T wait until Hollywood week and they narrow it down to the top 36!!

A Monday Recipe

Hello friends! Just when we thought we made it out of the throws of blustery season, old man winter makes his appearance again. We are very tired of freezing temperatures and wrapping up to stay warm. But, no worries, I hear that the Texas summer has Alabama feeling more like Maryland. We haven't been doing too much today. Just a quick walk, with Anderson bundled to the hilt of course. I could only see his little face, nothing else was visible! Ha!

I've been working on soup this cold morning and wanted to share Mimi's recipe with you. It's DELIGHTFUL! Don't disregard because you KNOW how to make soup...just try the recipe..ok?

Start out with stewed beef, cover it with water and chop up about two thirds a cup of onions and let them and the meat simmer on low medium until the meat doesn't look pink and it tender.

When the meat is tender and the onions look clear pour in a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and continue to cook on medium low(around 4 on my cook top)
Pour in a 16 oz can of diced tomatoes ( I used Rotel to spice it up)

Cut up 1 cup of carrots and pour in(I used two of the half cups)Cut up about 4 potatoes ( I just dice them up and put them in) do not boil them, they WILL cook with the soup.
And I used kitchen cut green beans and finally put corn in and continue to let it simmer on low. Here are all the cans I used. The whole meal runs about $7 and will last about two days with a family of 4.
And hopefully you have a precious little helper who can assist you with any taste testing! It makes it that much better! :)One more thing before I go. We bought this at the store on SaturdayI'm SOOO addicted. This is the best thing I've ever eaten. It is a hazelnut spread and I've been putting in on graham crackers for Anderson and myself and on toast in the a.m.

See you tomorrow!

Just 2 pictures

Hello friends!

No, Anderson hasn't taken up smoking a pipe. This was Adam's papa's pipe. We miss you Papa! Oh how you would have LOVED this boy!
Stay warm this cold weekend!:)

When I was 19...

Hello Friends! I was looking through some old pictures today that I had taken. I took a photography class at Wallace. It was the "old" kind of photography class, our instructor taught us how to actually take pretty good pictures AND develop film in the dark room. That was A LOT of FUN! I LOVED being in the dark room and developing my own pictures...it was VERY therapeutic for me at the time. I think I was 19 years old when I took this class and looking at some of my work...I remember thinking A LOT of my skills and thinking I had talent like Ansel Adams...hence my using all black and white film. Ha! I look back now and go...what the heck was that? Come to think of it I still LOVE Ansel Adams work...it's so beautiful and relaxing.

I wanted to share a few with you just because. These aren't very good pictures, because I am taking pictures of pictures but you get the idea.

1. I LOVE this photograph because it's my Papa Ivey and he was 79 here, he's now 91. This is the drug store that serves coffee In Graceville, FL where he lives. He's been going to this store for over 40 years every morning. 2. This is my mom and Bob about 1 year after they were married. I LOVE it because look how in love they are and young too..hehe!
3. This is my grandmother Ivey and Papa Ivey again when they were about 79 and 80. My grandmother passed away when Anderson was 2 months old. I miss her sometimes. I think to myself about things and wished that I had asked her about some things like how to make her macaroni and cheese and our family lineage(not in that order...or her mac and cheese was that good...so maybe in that order:) They were married for 61 years when she died.

4. This is just the negative sheet that I printed. I know you can't see exactly what all is on it, but it gives you an idea of what all I photographed.
5. I took this picture the other day when Adam was pulling up in the driveway and I just thought it was so precious. I really NEED to get a nice camera so that I can take more pictures! :)