{sweetness}

since molly claimed the other one...

this little one has found her boy....

probably because he slowed down long enough

for her to catch him {wink} 

and, then there's molly,

ignoring it all....

{oh, how i love....}

ribbon.....

at the rate i think we all purchased from the same store,

we should probably have a yard of ribbon swap to mix it up!

i'm not sure i can use 50 yards per design!  that's A LOT of ribbon....

but, i'm certain i'll have fun trying ;)

{this & that}

the barn/my office-studio.   it's coming along.

he is sick again.

low grade fever, aches and a big case of the blahs.

aka crankiness. :) 

i must say he looks pretty good in pink. :)   

below is right when savannah got caught eating crayons.  

i've totally lost it. 

it's not quite nov 1st yet.  my declared D-day. 

so, i've got a mix of fall, halloween and christmas going on.

a very small mix. 

but, if i don't, i won't by the looks of my calendar.

{never, ever, ever}

bake a spice cake with homemade cream cheese icing again.

on the very same day i start weight watchers.

epic fail. 

here's to day 2!  

{rain on me}

although I feel bad that some have had to reschedule their

sessions this week for various reasons, i've used it to make

some lemonade.  and, i've savored it.
it rained us out today, thus the above title.

i have three unexpected nights off this week.  

and, in saying that, i've used them to edit like a mad woman.

but, it has also afforded me some much needed time with the

boys.  for me, as much as them. 

i've cooked.

i've cleaned.

they have clean laundry.

the laundry is in a huge pile, but it's clean.

we've read books, history articles, and devotionals

wrapped up in my pink quilt in my fluffy chair.

i've studied them. 

every freckle, the lines of their faces, their toes

we've laughed so much i could barely breath {due to a book

we were reading}

we've worked on scripture memorization.

we've researched george washington

{have you ever read the rules of civility?}

we've researched vikings, the revolutionary war and

the bermuda triangle.

in no particular order i might add. 

i purposely avoided the titanic.

we've planned a big family dinner for tomorrow night.

we are bracing for impact.

the next crazy, busy three+ weeks. 

and, then.....

thanksgiving break. 

glorious thanksgiving break.

{big words}

"Children should have the best of their mothers........"

Charlotte Mason

I LOVE that!

And, need to remember that often.

{is it only wednesday??}

i feel like a month has passed since last week.  whew!

the normal, frantic pace of the fall season.

throw in a little guy who gets sick.

and a mama who follows close behind.

flu-like symptoms of aches, headache, EXTREME

fatigue minus the flu part.

a photo session in which i left not one battery charging AT HOME

.....but, two.  and, session was in fort smith. 

a little one who couldn't "hold it" and decided against brothers

advice he could pee into a cup inside my vehicle.  well, he got

a bad case of the giggles and missed the cup.  i won't even go into

details, but, just know my car is having to be detailed and some 

major damage to areas of lining was done.  

two boys who locked my keys and phone and dog inside my running

vehicle and no one at home to answer the phone i borrowed. 

nice.

a barn that is underway and all that goes with that. 

 i feel like i am building a house. 

pto program to decorate for with instructions not being

changed once.........but twice. 

a sick molly.  a very sick molly.  she has the most
sensitive stomach EVER.  and, she gets stressed when she
is left anywhere.  so much for the nice grooming she had received
the day before. :(

a little guy who is still sick and exhibiting some worrisome symptoms - trip

to md with not the greatest news being received but not the
worst either.  we are  praying this round of medication

works and we do not have to go to round two of diagnostics.  
a mommy brain in overdrive unfortunately. 

i am absolutely missing my friends  like crazy.  i haven't really

even had time to text let alone chat.  seeing everyone may be reserved

for 2012 by the way it looks. 

{November 1st = D Day}

in my world at least.

Since I already know that November

will be zipping by at a very rapid pace,

the fact that I won't be home for a little stretch,

and the fact that the bug bit me early....

I am going to start decorating on that first day of November.

In spurts.  Otherwise, it won't be done until Easter.

And, you know me......

I wouldn't be able to take it down until

the 4th of July.  So, although an early start for me,

it's the only way I'll manage.....

so excited!

Notice the Whimsical aka "crooked trees"  perfect for me as

all of mine are typically crooked by accident. ;)

I've got a stockpile growing!!  

I haven't bought much of anything for years, so this

year I am strategically stalking the Christmas aisles early. 

{blah}

e woke up thursday sick. 

he was well for friday.

i woke up sick yesterday.

i'm still sick.

NOT the way to spend a busy weekend.

{laundry room redo}

i made my purchase.

now, i'm pretty certain i'll be calling h.g.

{this is what i heard}

as they were playing just dance II on the wii.

evan:  "okay, noah, i'll let you make me do the pussy cat dolls song

if i get to choose next time."

noah:  "okay"

evan:  "man, i hate that."

:)    

{isn't she lovely??}

i am tickled pink!!! 

sorry, i couldn't resist....

but, when we turn 40 in the walker-wiggins family,

the sister-in-laws get a quilt from our uber-talented

SIL, angie.

dentist by day, quilter by every other moment in between.

i kid you not.

so, i have known for years i would be a lucky girl the 

year i turned 40.  another bit of icing on the cake. 

when she asked what i had in mind, i told her....

i wanted pink, pink and more pink. 

my house and everything that surrounds me is 

not girly.  at all.  i think i shyed away from pink

living in a house full of boys so i wanted my quilt

to surround me in girly-girl colors and patterns.

she did not disappoint. 

i received it last night and it is perfectly beautiful

in every way.  i can't keep staring at it as i continously

find a new detail.  i can't thank her enough!

i am in love!  

 the back.....so pretty!

the boys will hate it, but i think i'm going to incorporate this in our

family pics this year.  they can suffer for a bit! 

i plan on many hours snuggling under this blanket, being

wrapped up with a sick child,  watching movies with the mr., 

dreaming, rainy days, and simply taking in its beauty.

thank you so much angie!  it is such a treasure! 

{yum-O!}

i've been waiting anxiously.

and, despite TWO broken coffee pots....

with a new one purchased this morning.

these are filling my shelves.

LOVE this time of the year!



{love}

homemade dishwashing detergent.

VERY inexpensive. 

huge batch {this is only half of it}

works GREAT.

will probably last me for years....

{fun night}

we had a great time tonight.

the movie caused tears.  that's a good thing, i guess.

evan told me countless times how much he loved the evening and 

how "perfect" it was.  he was almost giddy. 

noah hung with friends. ;) 

lots of popcorn and candy.

tons of quilts.

a pretty sky full of stars.

wonderful friends and family.

all was good.  

if it doesn't get too cold....our next showing will be cars 2. ;) 

it releases nov 1.  

{getting ready for the red carpet to the field}

not! :)

just making loads of popcorn and packing up goodies.

i know it's a super-busy weekend,

hope to see you if you can! 

{i "no bake cookies" anymore}

after seeing this....



never, ever, ever.

again.

like a i did two nights ago.

and, i think i'll run tonight.

i do.

{our children}

i read something this morning that made me stop in my tracks.

{my paraphrase....}

it was concerning decisions we make as spouses and parents that have

an undeniable effect on our children. and, although our children may ultimately

"be okay" through whatever consequence they have to live through because

of our choices and our actions we should filter every choice with.....

"will this or i be a stumbling block or a stepping stone" to our children.

i most definitely want to be a stone.

{ahhhh.....}

a starbucks mint mocha frappuccino....

enough said. ;)

{movie night + WPS}

fyi, the game will be on here as well as the outdoor movie. ;) 

{first feature}

okay, our first movie feature in the field this saturday will be....

"the secrets of johnathan sperry"

although it came with rave reviews from a friend, i also pulled it up on

amazon and read numerous reviews that netted it a 5 star rating.  here is 

a description from amazon.....  

A Christian family film about faith and forgiveness, The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry is a leisurely paced story concerning an elderly man who shares his faith with a young boy and how that simple act helps shape the lives of many. The movie is set in the simpler times of the summer of 1970. Dustin is a respectful 12-year-old boy who mows lawns for the neighbors, has just developed his first crush on a girl, and is spending the summer hanging out with his two good friends Albert and Mark. When elderly neighbor Mr. Sperry asks Dustin if he'll start mowing his lawn, Dustin gladly agrees, and soon Mr. Sperry begins sharing the Bible and his faith with Dustin. Before long, Dustin and his friends find themselves enjoying regular Bible study at Mr. Sperry's home. Through gentle words and engaging activities, Mr. Sperry helps Dustin and his friends discover how faith and the Bible can improve their lives, not only in the broadest sense, but also with some very specific lessons about forgiveness, problem solving, and even effectively dealing with bullying. This film delivers a wholesome message about faith and seeing things from another's point of view, but the pace is deliberately slow and the complete absence of normal preadolescent energy may well cause some contemporary viewers to lose interest. Gavin MacLeod and Jansen Panettiere give solid performances as Jonathan Sperry and Dustin, respectively, and it's great to see Robert Guillaume in a highly effective appearance as Mr. Sperry's neighbor Mr. Barnes. Bonus features include a 39-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with Gavin McLeod, director Rich Christiano, and producer Chad Gunderson; a full-length commentary with Rich Christiano and Gavin McLeod; a look at the various houses used in the film; interview footage with composer Jasper Randall; a special message from director Rich Christiano about his own faith; and contact information for related ministries. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi 

i hope that several of you can make it but i know that there are football games

that evening.  we will start at dusk, around 7:10 or so - so even if your late,

you are more than welcome.  hoping for nothing more than a relaxing night

under the stars!!   i have a "vision" for the area, but don't be surprised at all 

if you drive up to find nothing more than a basket of blankets and bowls of

popcorn at the rate my last couple of weeks have gone. ;)