We're Going Camping!

We are headed for the great outdoors this weekend! We are taking the teenagers from the church camping. There will be a hayride, games, devotions, a fire (Possum's favorite), and of course plenty of good food. This will not be just an old hot dog camp out. Joel is smoking meat for us and we will have all kinds of good food. Of course what camp out would be complete without making smores? I have also made some other good treats to munch on. We will probably all have to keep close to the fire to stay warm, but that is okay. Possum and Squirrel are excited about the camping trip. We normally leave them with Poppy and Marshie while we are with the teens, but they are tagging along this time. I guess that is a perk to your parents being in charge!! Actually, they both love the outdoors so much we won't even know they are around because they will be off shooting something with their stick guns! I'm sure I will have many pictures to share after our adventure. Right now I must go and finish getting all of the camping equipment together. Have a good weekend!

*My Daddy had surgery this past Monday on his neck. Continue to pray for his full recovery.
*My Maw Maw is having surgery this morning. Please pray for her as well.

Sick Squirrel

We can't catch a break around here. Last night Squirrel started complaining that her ear hurt. By bedtime she was screaming and wouldn't quit! We put numbing drops in her ear and gave her some Tylenol. It didn't help. First thing this morning I called our pediatrician who said bring her right in. Squirrel's left ear drum had ruptured and her right one could anytime. Man! I guess our little girl was hurting last night. We got plenty of medicine and came home to rest. But that isn't the end of the story. One of her medicines must not agree with her stomach and she got sick (if you know what I mean). Poor little thing. She is just miserable. Thankfully her Daddy hadn't left yet and was able to cheer her up while I cleaned everything up. Now as you can see in the picture, she is resting in her Daddy's recliner.

I took the picture of Possum because I thought it was sweet. I told him he could take his nap by the fire today. Doesn't he look cozy?

Hardy Party

Yes. You read that correctly. A hardy party. That is what Possum called our harvest party that we had tonight. Mr. Bill and Mrs. Regina hosted the event this year and everyone had a great time. We ate, and ate, and ate, bobbed for apples, went turkey huntin', and got a sackful of candy to go! Possum and Squirrel had a ball hunting for turkeys (decoys). All the way home Possum wanted to know why we couldn't stay longer and play more games. It was a great hardy party!

Rainy Day Fun

It has been cold and rainy here today. Joel was not feeling well from his surgery yesterday. He couldn't take the pain medication that the doctor prescribed him and it took most of the day to get a new medication called in to the pharmacy. The kids couldn't go outside to play because of the rain and so add them to the mix of Joel being in pain and it has been a tough day!

The kids are all the time asking to get their pop-up tents out and usually I say no. Today was the day! As you can see it was a pretty good distraction. Squirrel filled her tent full of baby dolls and played away. Possum was in and out of his. They both even took their naps tucked inside of their sleeping bags.

On one of our trips to town today to get Daddy's medications, I overheard Possum talking about his Daddy. "Poor Daddy" he was saying and then he started praying for Joel. After he finished praying Squirrel made the comment that we had bought Daddy some medicine. Possum quickly informed her that Daddy didn't need any medicine because he had prayed for him and God was going to make him better. After we had gotten home Possum went up to Joel and asked him if he felt any better. Joel told him that he was feeling a little better. Possum said "That's because I prayed for you Daddy." If we all had the faith of this three year old. Both of the children have gone up to Joel several times today telling him that they had prayed for him. I'm so thankful that they are learning early on about prayer.

More Birthday Fun

Since we had Squirrel's party on Saturday, we saved her presents from Daddy, Mommy, and Possum for her actual birthday. When everyone woke up she got to open them and then got to choose what she wanted for breakfast (pancakes and bacon). We got Squirrel a princess dress and accessories like she had been wanting. I'm sure she will get many hours of fun out of that dress!

Yesterday afternoon Squirrel asked me how much longer it would be her birthday. I told her that it would be her birthday until she went to sleep. Let's just say that she stretched bedtime as long as she could. The last picture shows what I found when I went to get into my bed-both kids sound asleep!

Happy Birthday Squirrel

My baby girl is two years old today! Time goes by so quickly. It is hard to believe that two years ago we were in the hospital with a little baby Squirrel. That is when her Daddy gave her the nickname Squirrel. When she cried she sounded just like a squirrel!

Squirrel is a joy to be around. She LOVES to eat-anything. Today, Possum and Joel both had doctor appointments. In between the appointments we were going to take Squirrel out for her birthday. We thought the plan was to go to Chuck E. Cheese. That was not what Squirrel wanted though. She wanted shrimp from Red Lobster. We tried to convince her to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Trust me. Her brother tried everything to get her to go. But no. Squirrel wanted shrimp. My girl knows her food. She has a more refined pallet than her brother. She chose food over the fun!

Squirrel loves her baby dolls, dress-up clothes, and pigs, but she also loves to get dirty with her brother outside. She is a girly tomboy!

These first two years have flown by. I think with the kids being so close together (16 months apart) Squirrel just grew up with Possum. She has done everything early. Some (like potty training) I don't mind. Others (like wanting to wear make-up) I do mind. What a fun two years we have had with Squirrel.

More of the Party

After I uploaded everyone's memory cards I have almost 1,000 pictures from the party. There are so many that I want to share and will as I get them sorted through. I am going to make a slide show or something so you can see more of them. To see more pictures of the cake you can go to Sweets by Shae. Squirrel truly enjoyed her party. She had many of the people here that are very special to her. Even Pop felt up to coming for a little while. Squirrel came to her Daddy and myself both at seperate times telling us how thankful she was for her pig party and the hay ride that Daddy took the kids on. Pretty impressive for a two year old. I'm thankful that she is thankful. I'm sure that I will be sharing more in the coming days.

If you give a Squirrel a party...

She'll want to wear her favorite dress (That Aunt Cricket
had Aunt Debbie to make special with pigs on it). She'll want to invite her favorite friends to come to the party.
She'll need some balloons and pretty party decorations...

with a special pig cake that her mommy made for her...
and pretty piggy cookies too.
She'll want to have her picture taken with her cake...
and she'll want a picture of her special friend.

She'll want to eat her favorite foods like marshmallows...

and roast hot dogs too.



She'll want to open her presents...

and read her favorite book to everyone.
She'll have to blow the candles out on the cake...
and then her Mommy will turn her special pig cake over.

She'll want her Daddy to take her on a special hay ride with her friends.


If you give a Squirrel a party she will be very appreciative to her Daddy and Mommy and all of her friends and family for making her second birthday very special.