State Parks and such

Today we went to a birthday party at our newly opened state park. It is ruffly 5 miles from our house. It was awesome! Only $1 a person to get inside. We went to the day area which included a slide, and water area. The kids and hubs LOVE it!

Here are a few pictures....

This picture above is my silly hubs playing with a kids from church!

 My neice and nephew,Daylinn and Caleb and I

(Can't wait till Lakyn Grace is here in August!)

Uncle Darrin and DJ

I didn't get any pictures of the girls. They would not be still long enough for me too!

It was a really nice state park. We plan to surprise DJ and go camping the weekend of his birthday instead of having a BIG party with his friends. We are gonna ruff it. LOL Kind of.

Other news:

I filled out my appilcation for the Technical College. I have to take a Compass test at the end of May. So lots of studying for me. I pray I do well. If I do I will register for a summer science class and hopefully will start my 15 month program for LPN in August.

So excited!

So nervous!

So TIRED!

(LOL)

Till Next time~Val



still pumped!

So all of my co-watchers of the Royal wedding are knocked out! Yup, thats right! Any other night they would be up till the crack of dawn being fussed at to go to bed but the one night that we where to have us a little late night party they are out! Other than Kaylee as of right now but she looks half asleep. Oh well....I hope to stay up and see it for myself but if I don't I know there will be replays. Or clips of it atleast.

I have some excited news.....


I am going to school starting this summer! Yes, thats right little ole me is gonna go back to college and do the practical nursing program. I have been really down in the dumps lately. My feelings where all over the place. But last night at church something clicked in me. I've prayed and prayed and I know this is what God has in store for me. I am already a care giver to my grandmother. It just took some serious thinking and praying to come to terms of what I was going to do.
I've always wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember and I am finally going to go forward with my dream.
I'm going in the morning to sign up for my Compass test. Thats in May. Can you believe I have been out of school for 10 years this year?
This is a whole new chapter for me. Us, really!

Also please pray for all the families that where affected by the tornaodo in Alabama. I can remember being in a similar situation with Hurrican Katrina. Losing everything. Not knowing if my loved ones and friends where safe. But I do remember all the prayers and helpers and donations. They really meant alot. So if you want to help I know you can contact the local Red Cross. Also here is a blog I follow that has some helpful stuff.

http://www.lambertslately.com/2011/04/ways-you-can-help.html

and

http://legislativebarbie.blogspot.com/2011/04/tuscaloosa-tornado-relief-efforts.html

Well till next time~Val

Royal Wedding Party

                              I am so excited about the upcoming wedding on Friday! Aren't you??

I have drove my husband crazy about talking about the wedding. For the past month or so I have picked with people about waiting for my invitation but it must of gotten lost in the post! HA!

The kids and I are going to stay up all night and have a pre-party till 3a.m. They are always wanting to stay up late so I figured that this would be a good time. I am sure by 3 am they will be sound asleep but we will see. They might surprise me ;)

I plan on letting the kids have fun and dress up and we plan on having Tea, scones and tea sandwiches. We do this all the time minus the dressing up.

Guess thats it! I'm so excited!!!

1 day 3 hours to go!!

Well till next time~Val

 



Easter 2011

Easter 2011

My Granny Bott

I wanted to share a few pictures from our Sunday. It was a beautiful church service. We had alot of babies dedicated. We also had tons of vistors.

After church we had a dinner on the grounds and then we had a get to gether that included a bunch of bounce houses, and a bunch of contests. My little ones won a chick each! Yes, you read right. I a chick!

The chicks are doing fine but I am not. I am so tired of all the animals.Only if they cold lay eggs right away! LOL

I'm picking about not being a happy.

The church did raise a good bit for our bible quizers.

Till next time~Val

I wanna win!

I wanted to tell about a blog that I have been following for years. It actually was my first blog to follow. It orginally wasn't on blogger.com but I am so excited that it has been now for some time!!
I wanted to enter a free give a way and if you want to as well click on the link below to check it out. I've orded soaps, cd's etc from this blog and LOVE em'!

http://homesteadinghomemaker.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-ever-blog-giveaway.html

Till next time~Val

Easter 1

Today we dyed Easter eggs. The kids love this. They love anything that we do as a family and that their Daddy gets into. He said as we where laying in bed he was not wanting to do it. But as soon as he got in there with them he wanted to know where all the eggs where. I had only boiled 12. He's a nut!

Don't mind my CraZY hair!

DJ

Emilee Grace

Now look closely to this picture. After we where done dying them we sent Dadd outside to hide them. While they where on the hunt Kaylee found a small turtle by an egg.

That girl can find any type of animal,reptile,bug!

I went to one yard sale today. Actually it was a dealer that buys things and sells them. She is always having good stuff for cheap.

I found this today-A Vera Bradley purse for $1

YES,$1! I was shocked too!

                                         

Then this which I am going to repaint.

Sorry for the sideways picture. It won't turn for me for some reason.

Then this afternoon I made Tuna fish with our eggs and DJ baked us a cake and cupcakes.

I didn't get a finished project picture. But you get the idea it was a heart shaped cake.

Happy Easter, Y'all!

He is Risen!!!!

Till Next time~Val

Tn

We are back from our trip to Pigeon Forge. I am glad it was a short one because I was so ready to be home but we did have a good time. Other than having to ride in the church van.

These few pictures where taken Friday outside of the Hotel where the bible quizing was going on.

DJ was following a Momma duck and her babies.

Too sweet!

This picture looks like a mug shot! HA!!

I only took this because we where standing in line at Dollywood and a lady ran past us looking for her little boy. They had just gotten off the Veggie Tales roller coaster. We where waiting to get on. A child can go missing that quick!!

The lady infront of me told me she always takes a picture of her children with the clothes they have on before entering a theme park for that purpose. So I quickly did this just in case and then gave him the low down on what to do if you get lost etc.

I was a nervous wreck for a while and then I finally calmed down.

I pray that sweet lady found her little boy......

One of our favorite rides was the flying elephants.

Reminds me of the Magic Kingdom.

Daddy and his two little ones riding the tea cups.

Momma will NEVER and I mean NEVER step foot on them ever again.

The last time we where here I took the babies on this and I got dealthly sick.

Sis Sabrina and Emilee Grace waiting in line for my first theme park ride.

I was so afraid.

I kind of liked it afterwards.

Not enough to ride it again.

LOL!

Momma and DJ waiting to get on a ride.

Kaylee did not go with us. She wanted to go fishing and visit my Mom.

That will never happen again! We missed her so much.

But she had fun.She fished, played online and spent some time with her old friends from Hahnville.

I am glad to be home.

Oh...and Sabrina if you are reading this....

Happy Birthday, Sabrina!

Till next time~Val



The count down begins...

We only have 2 nights left before we leave for out trip to Pigeon Forge,Tn. The kids wanted me to wait for them to get home so they could pack their OWN suit cases which I thought was too cute!
I love to travel and this was the perfect opportunity to. My dad is head of the Bible quizing team at church and David is having to drive the van this time so we (meaning the kids and I) get to tag along! YAY!

We plan to swim alot at the hotel that we are staying in. It has a lazy river, slide and a inside pool. The kids will love it. There also is a huge car show going on up there this weekend so David will be in Heaven!
I can't wait to be able to go back to Dollywood. We didn't see everything last time and I hope to ride a few things we didn't get to this past summer when we went.

So I guess I need to get off here. I have a few lists to make before bed and I have two books I am knee deep in and I have to finish them....

Till next time~Val

a good day

Today has been a really good day. We slept till 9ish. Got up, got dressed and headed to Mandeville. I love Mandeville. We used to live there. Sadly the apartment we lived in was horrible! Any hoot...We had a wonderful time. We stayed in Barnes and Nobles for about 2 hours or more. I got to update my Nook (YAY) and downloaded a bunch of new books. The kids all had their money on hand and was ready to do some shopping. DJ bought some bug binoculars, a super hero coloring book with colors included and a shark book.

 Emilee got

  

Mummies in the Morning (Magic Tree House Series #3)

and

 

Pirates Past Noon (Magic Tree House Series #4)

She loves this series!

Kaylee got a cute all about me diary that she filled in all day long. Its really cute with questions to fill out about all sorts of things. I am sure in years to come that it will be nice to look back on and read what she was into then.

David was so funny at the book store. He is normally into dragons, fighting etc books but this time for someone reason he took a different turn. I had went and got

Water for Elephants

just to see what it was about and low and behold David picks it up and reads the first few pages and says "I'm getting this one!"

I was shocked!!!

So as he was sitting in bed tonight he was reading his book he purchased! I was thrilled at the same time because I wanted the book too! So I ventured off to find me something to read while he was reading it.

I found this.....

The Backyard Homestead : Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!

It has alot of really helpful hints etc. I know this is going to be a favorite for some time to come.

After leaving the book store we headed to the lake front to feed the birds and look at all the sail boats. It was so much fun. The weather was just right.

We also went the back way to Slidell and stopped at a few stores and then off to the house we came.

Once we got home everyone was in a cheerful mood so we did some much needed cleaning and rearranging. I love to move stuff around. It makes me HAPPY!

Well its off to bed. Church in the a.m.

Till next time~Val

April

Can you believe it is April!?

I can't!

 I just don't understand why this year is flying by.

 It feels like I just got done with Chritmas.

We have so much going on this month and next and the following month after that.

This month we have already gone on our Ester conference. Photos to come soon!

Next Thursday we leave for Pigeon Forge,Tn for a few days. We have a bible quiz tournament up there and we are going take this time for a mini trip as well. Then May will be on us and the kids last day of school is May 16 or 17th and we have a banquet on the 18th and DJ graduates and awards night is the 20th! Then Kelly should be having her baby somewhere in that time as well so I will be heading to FL that weekend. My little couisn is geting Christened the 22nd and I almost forgot my day! Mother's Day is the 8th!!! Following that is my Mom's birthday on the 31st. Then June 11th is our first violin recital. Then we have a bunch of birthdays that month, David and DJ's mainly and then Father's Day!!! Ah...I am sure I could go on and on about how much we have going on but that would take forever. I know I left something out too! Its just not coming to mind what it is.

On a sort of calmer not tomorrow I am going to bring a birthday cake to my PawPaw tomorrow. It was his birthday last Monday. He is 72! After we visit with him we are going to go my the cemetary which I dislike very much and drop off flowers. It is very hard doing that. I don't do well with death but I am gonna suck it up for my MawMaw. I miss her so much this time of year. I miss her year round.
 Its been 6 years....
The arrangement is beautiful. Its an orange vase with big sunflowers!  

Well I guess that is about it. My google reader is begging me to read some blogs! LOL

Till next time~Val

special day for my baby boy

Today was a very special day for DJ. He prayed threw the last Monday night and he got baptized this morning.

 

Also when we got home from church today he lost his first tooth!

What a awesome day its been!