Summing It Up Saturday

Hello bloggy world, I've missed you!
This week has been extremely busy.
A good busy, but still busy!
I thought I'd sum up our week with pictures.
Enjoy!

Our first t-ball game this week was canceled because of rain.
We were still on for our second game.
Here's James playing catcher.

He also had a few great hits.

Boompa , Joseph, James and of course James' post-game snow cone!

Op and the boys.
I'm so impressed that my grandpa (who can barely walk to the mailbox) came to James' game.
It was such a blessing to have him there.


Here's what we spent the majority of our week doing...
a YARD SALE!
Since I'm a newbie yard-saler (is that a word??) my sister and her mother-in-law let me participate in theirs.
I'm so glad they did because it definitely requires a system for it to run smoothly.
We setup on Wednesday and then the sale was Thursday and Friday.
We had all four of our kids with us.
They were great help and they entertained each other.
James' and Addison found lots to play with.
This was a game they turned into a building block set.

Here's Claire, who I'm giving the "nosiest baby" award.
As long as she had plenty to look at she was happy.

Look at how sweet her little smile is!

The McPhillips' house backs up to the city cemetary.
On Thursday there was a burial with the military honor guard present.
The boys watched as they played taps.
I was so impressed that they took of their caps to show respect that I had to snap this pic.

When it came to cleaning out their rooms, the way I got my boys on board was this...
They got to keep the money they made from selling their toys and video games.
Here's James celebrating his payday!

Of course he quickly spent his money.
He had been eyeing a real treasure chest that Linda had in the sale.
This is Linda giving James the chest he worked so hard to pay for.

Captain James Yard-Sale ;>

After a long week the boys and I decided it was time for an afternoon of fun.
Joseph and James performed swimming and diving tricks, while Mama got some sun!

James' is doing his tricky handstands that his Mama taught him.

Last but not least is Joseph's "do".
No worries, this was just a fresh from the shower laugh. :D

Happy Not Me Memorial Day!

Happy Not Me Monday and Memorial Day!

Today we'll start with our Memorial Day lunch at my Mom's.
As our family was enjoy Bar-B-Q Boston Butt and Hot Dogs with all the trimmings,
I DID NOT look over to see my sister and youngest son eating Edamame.
What is that you ask?
That would be a type of soybean.
That's right, we DID NOT have two vegans crash our bar-b-q! ;>


After lunch it was time for some fun in the sun.
The boys and little Addison certainly DID NOT swim in freezing cold water.
And every picture I attempted to take DID NOT end up with someone's eyes closed.




Once we got home Andy laid down for a nap and the boys headed outside.
While the boys were playing with their friends I thought I'd make the most of my time.
I spent several hours prepping for the yard sale we're having this weekend.
My family DID NOT walk in the living room and see this...


That's right, I would NEVER let my living space look like a yard sale threw up.

Last but not least,
I certainly DID NOT monogram every old dish towel in my possession,
nope, NOT ME! :D


Late Night Add In:
11:30pm- I WAS NOT asleep in my bed when the door bell rang... durn ding-dong-ditchers again. This was the second time tonight. I certainly DID NOT load up in the pimp bus with Joseph and his CO2 gun. Driving through the neighborhood chasing a group of boys, all the while loading their tails up with B-B's. Oh NO, NOT ME! To see those boys run you'd have thought they were on a football field, and to hear their talk you'd have thought they were sailors. I'd say we scared the meanness right out of 'em. Once we realized it was the neighbor boys I most certainly DID NOT go to their house and tell them to get their mother. They scurried around like a bunch of roaches. We all had a nice little chat and they promised not to ring my doorbell again. So, when Andy asks me, in the morning, if I heard the doorbell ring I will just reply, nope NOT ME!!! ;>

Happy Birthday To Me!

As you all know my birthday was this weekend.
We celebrated with my family on Friday night.
Nanny cooked a delicious dinner with all my favorites...
Chicken and Dumplings, Corn on the Cob, fresh Green Beans, Vidalia Onion Casserole, Broccoli Casserole (that one was new), Coleslaw, and Cornbread.


Now that my friends is the way to celebrate a birthday!
I couldn't have asked for a better meal.
To top it off Andy ordered a fabulous cake.
It was pretty and tasty too.


Look at this pic.
Once a little sister, always a little sister!


Jo-Jo and Addison


My sweet boys!


Among all the great gifts, I got my Brother Sewing and Embroidery machine...
Hooray!


After eating breakfast with the boys on Saturday, I spent the rest of my day sewing.
It took me three hours to monogram the first thing.
But, since then, I think I've monogrammed most of the towels in my house.
More details will surely follow!

Check out some of my favorite gift wraps.
I love, love, love gift wrap!



Thanks everyone for a terrific birthday.
I love ya'll more than a hog loves slop!!! :D

Summer Fun

Happy First Official Day of Summer Break!!!

The kids are celebrating by having an Airsoft war with their friends.
Gotta love those boys. :)
So, while they're outside I thought I'd share an idea with you.

Every year at this time the boys and I dream up all the fun things we're gonna do all summer.
But, it never fails, come August 1st we'll look back and sadly realize we didn't do most of our ideas.
I hate that feeling, so this year I got smart.

I took a plastic Solo cup and with a Sharpie wrote Summer 2009.
Today while we ate lunch I wrote all our fun ideas on slips of paper.
Things like putt-putt golf, a knife throwing contest, skating, bowling and even a Wii contest.
I tried to think of inexpensive things we could do locally.
Some of the things will be just the boys and myself, while Andy's at work.
Other things, like going to the movies, will be all four of us.
We briefly entertained the idea of ice-skating.
Briefly entertained and then dismissed because...
I'm too chicken to take the boys by myself,
and Andy said we depend on his income too much for him to break his neck ice-skating.
Hmm, good point!
We plan on pulling an idea from the cup every Sunday.
Then we can plan what day of the following week we will have our "summer fun".

Edited to add: I'll probably divide these into categories like rainy day activities, back yard activities, etc. I also see a cute little container in their future as well.

I'm really excited that we've started our summer with a plan, and not just a dream.
We still plan to spend a lot of time at the new Aquatics center.
We're doing a yard sale next week, with the McPhillips, to clean out clutter and give us some summer funds.
I'd consider that a two for one!
Of course we're also looking forward to our annual beach vacation in July.

Whew, so much to look forward to...
memories to create...
AND more activities to blog about!

So, what do you have planned for summer?
I'd love to have some fresh ideas to add to our cup.
As always, God's blessings! :>

The Best Gift This Girl Could Ask For

Happy Thursday everyone!
As you know, this is my birthday week.
Yes, we actually laugh about how I celebrate my b'day for entirely too many days.
Every year on my birthday I spend a lot of time thinking about how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family.
This year I feel especially blessed to have my husband.
I know I don't talk too much about my "Big Daddy of Love" (long story).
I usually have hilarious kid stories or some other random thing on my mind.
So, please indulge me a moment to share.

Andy is the greatest man.
If I were to describe my Prince Charming, I wouldn't even think to describe all the things about Andy.
First off, he's cute.
Yep, I said it.
Those sexy legs and cute dimples were too hot to resist.
Second, he's hilarious.
Don't read: funny.
Read: Pee your pants you laugh so hard!
Third, he's the most thoughtful, loving man you will ever meet.
And he's that way to everyone.
He treats others just as he wants to be treated.
Andy truly leads a life of selflessness, almost to a fault.

Sure, he wears overalls to cut the grass and sometimes even to run errands.
Hello fashion don't.
He's been known to work himself into exhaustion and be a little grouchy.
Sorry, not enough to run this girl off!

Sweetie, I want you to know that there isn't anyTHING you could give me that is a more perfect gift for me, than YOU!
Thank you so much for all the love and support you give unconditionally.
Thank you for encouraging me when I said I needed to work from home.
Thank you for allowing me the time to prioritize our family.
Thank you for not choking me when the sink is full of dishes, you don't have any clean scrubs, and I ask you to pick up dinner on your way home.
YOU are the best gift this girl could ask for! :D

T-Ball Tuesday

James' t-ball team played a good game last night.
It seams the Black team is having an undefeated season.
Which was enough to get our team ready for a victory.
The ending score was 13-14, and sadly enough we weren't the 14.
Our team played a good game.
Just so you know that James is taking it ok, his first question after the game was...
Can we go get my snow cone now?
Yes, I'd say that child keeps his eye on the prize!


Jo-Jo and Jack :D


James and his buddy Ethan


Addison came to cheer James on.


James' Head-Cheerleader In Action!

Slippery Slope Anyone??

Good Morning Loved Ones :D
I need to start this post with a WARNING:
This is my attempt to think through this gig I've been called to do. (You know the one... Child of God, Wife, Mother, Family, Friend, etc)

Here's what's on my mind:

On this journey called life, there's the path and then there are side roads (some of them paved and some are just nothing but dirt and gravel!). The problem is that those side paths can all to quickly become a slippery slope.

While traveling our path we notice these detours. We linger at the side road and look over into that greener grass. Oh yeah, it looks like a fun place to be. Maybe, just maybe, we could visit it. We won't stay long. No, we just want to check it out. We're curious by nature. No harm done, right?

Before long we're thinking... hey, this place isn't so bad! Come on, these people are just people struggling like the rest of us. Hmm, maybe we could stay just a little longer. And, we do.

The path we traveled from starts to seem so far away. We could go back. But what about all the newness we've experienced? What about our friends. They certainly won't come with us. Do we bid them farewell?

Moment by moment, day by day, that slippery slope carries us down. We're traveling so slow that we don't even notice where we're heading. Not necessarily hell, but certainly away from our path with The Father.

So, here's my question...
At what point do we realize it's time to get back on our path?
Do we run daily checks and balances?
OR, do we wait until we've hit rock bottom?

One of my all time favorite quotes is from a popular TV preacher, I just can't remember which one?!
" To find balance in life is to be centered in THE LORD."

I think that suggests a daily walk with The Father. Whatever that looks like for each of us. I like structure and actually find comfort in it. But, it's really about relationship. When we're in the bosom of our Lord and Savior, He provides us with everything we need... warmth, nourishment, companionship, shelter and most importantly, unchanging love.

Thanks for bearing with me. For the last several months there has been this recurring theme. I needed to think it through and grasp how I view it for myself and for the teaching of my children.

God's blessings on your day!

Not Me Monday, Birthday Edition

Hi everyone and happy Not Me Monday.
Since my birthday is this week I thought we'd celebrate by discussing what I'm NOT asking for.

Anyone that knows me well, knows two things about me.
Number 1. I grew up saying I would NEVER become a nurse, and I am.
Number 2. That I said I would NEVER want to learn how to sew, and now I do!

For my birthday I have asked for the Brother 350 Sewing and Embroidery Machine...
wait, did you hear it??
The angels were singing!!!
Don't laugh, you know you heard it too. ;>

Now don't get me wrong, I am not about to leave my BFF JJill.
No, I don't intend on making all my own clothes.

Why do I want to sew you ask?

I want to make throw pillows and dust ruffles.
Oh yeah, that's me.
The one who's bedroom is in desperate need of some attention.
Since I can't find what I want, without paying the equivalent of a house payment for it, I will create it!

Yes, with the help of my new "Brother" and a few online tutorials I will become the master crafter.
And yes, said master crafter will share her creations with you.
Promise!

I have even downloaded the owner's manual and I'm secretly reading up on it.
Go ahead and laugh, but I don't intend on wasting any time!

So, when asked if there's anything I've done that I said I wouldn't, I'll simply reply,
No, Not Me! :)

Happy Not Me Monday!

Colossians 3:23

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I recently read about giving our children life verses. I think this would sum up what we are teaching here... At Home With The Hinsons. Working with Love, Respect, Kindness, Patience and the having the Joy of the Lord overflow from our hearts. What's a life verse you'd give your children or yourself?

T-Ball Game Time

Tonight James' t-ball team played our cousins' team.
We spent the whole game cheering and won 16-5.
I think this may have been our best game yet.
It was so much fun to cheer for Hayden and James.

Here's James in his catchers gear.


James had a bat on him tonight.
Here's brother in action.


James and Hayden after the game.
What a couple of cuties!!!


James ate dinner and then used Andy for a pillow.
Poor guy, he was so tired!


Since we ate at Cracker Barrel we had to take home some old fashioned candy.
Zotz candy is one of Andy's favorite.
He said he always ate it after his childhood baseball games.
It's a hard candy that fizzes on the inside.
Mmmm :D


Finally, here's James with the "game ball".
Since James played so well the umpire wanted him to have it.
As he handed it to Andy, he said "Here give this to your grandson"!!?!
Oh no he didn't...
Oh yes he did!!!
Poor Andy, the umpire thought James was his grandson!

A Day In The Life Of A Middle Schooler

Today I had the honor of being a chaperone for Joseph's field trip.
The middle school spent the first half of the day at the new Aquatics Center.
After lunch they headed over to Funzone for the afternoon.
There were kids everywhere!
They had a great time.
Thankfully, all things considered, the kids were pretty good!

Here's Joseph and friends in the whirlpool.


Now he and Tyler are on their way to shoot some hoops.


Here's a funny shot of Joseph's going down the slide in Air It Out.


Next up was riding go carts at Funzone.



Here's a put-put pic.


Last but not least, time for a chocolate milkshake!

I Tasted Summer Today

Today I tasted my first bite of summer, and I just had to share it with you. My bread wasn't white like my Nanny's, and the tomatoes weren't vine ripened like my Grandpa's. But, all things considered, it gave me a taste of summer which was exactly what I needed. A glimpse forward... the boys out of school, slower paced mornings, the sun shining bright and a wardrobe consisting of bathing suits and flip-flops. Yep, I'd say that tomato sandwich was just what I needed to keep me going these next couple of weeks! :D