Busy, But Fun Times

 We have still been busy around here. 

I have the girls everyday and they get here bright and early every morning.  Me and Poppie get up before the sun and have to have those few minutes of strong coffee to hit our soul before they get here. 😂😂 These girls are so tired some mornings and when its naptime, they can sometimes take 3 to 4 hr naps. Our son is doing a great job at being Mr. Mom. Our DIL is working, going to school and doing clinicals for long days and long hours. The girls are missing her badly but we are trying to help them stay busy and keep their mind occupied. It is hard somedays because they can get very irritable. Makes it hard on me too because I have to play judge and jury. 🙄 We are hanging in there. On the bright side, she has completed this course and has passed and got her license.Now, she has to go take her registry state exam. She will get a small break from school in December but she is still working. Her next course is advanced EMT and will be even longer hours and still work. It's not going to be easy but we have to do what we have to do. 

On a more serious note, because of this stress, some serious changes have come into our family and we are going through some trials. We are not liking any of them and it hurts and we are all hurting right now. We have been in much prayer and weeping stage. We are just going to have to leave it in Gods hands. We don't understand, but God does. The situation will overcome itself, or God is heading our family into a different direction. We would covet your prayers. 

On lighter notes:

Oh Lord, these girls.  Some days they are best friends,  then some days they can fight like cats and dogs, esp on the church pews over whose gonna sit in Gmaws lap. Gotta love em'. #divabrawl ❤❤❤😂😂😂😂

I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving,  however you got to celebrate. We ate too much. We had dinner with my MIL that we do every Thanksgiving day. However,  it never crossed my mind to get pics. The next day we spoiled my momma and daddy again. 

4 generations and grandparents with grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

Babies always look good on us. Rockin' chairs, rockin' babies,  rockabyes, rock of ages, side by side we'll be together always.....❤❤❤❤ 

Sometimes we can choke each other out, sometimes we can't do without each other. #sweethearts . We have been lovers and best friends for 30 yrs. 

I caught this scene and just had to laugh and this is what it looked like:

Ummmm....me Apache Warrior Scrappy think me will scalpem' sleeping Apache Princess while she sleeps......hiya yaya....hiya yaya.....😬🏹 

This girl loves her Prince:

The girls are still making money. I set them up a big girl table and they are responsible for putting their dishes in the sink when their done and wipe off their table and chairs.  

And then there is days when they would much rather play, traitors.....

This was taken at church on Wednesday night for our program we have for our kids and youth. I have started taking them to a class with the kindergarteners instead of just playing in the nursery. Atleigh is too old for that and enjoys learning and class and making crafts. However, Caroline can't sit still long enough and distracts the other kids from listening. So I'm thinking of letting Atleigh stay in the class as long as she is comfortable with me leaving the room and I will take Caroline to the nursery or preschool room where another woman a I have discussed coming up with some kind of activities for them. They can learn and do small simple crafts too. I will go back and forth from class to class. 

Atleigh loves to do school and she loves to play teacher. 

We have gotten out all the Christmas decorations and started decorating. They have their very own little tree that we let them decorate. Then last night was our hometown Christmas parade.  

I can go for these snuggles any day. 

Finally getting to use our fireplace. My sweetheart knows what makes me happy.  Boy, if you got a good man, you'd better do what you can to keep them.  Not gonna let mine go anywhere. ❤❤❤❤ 

Dear hubby has gotten us one deer in the freezer so far. He will process it for us. I can't wait to have some of his own deer breakfast sausage that he makes. 

We will be busy on and off with watching Christmas movies with the girls, baking and cooking for all of our meals and just enjoying ourselves. I will pop in and out occasionally.  

We Tried A New Thing

I tried something one day. I don't know what these are called, but they were delicious.  Me and David were watching Food Network one night and this popped up.  Yummy. All you do is wrap hard boiled eggs in sausage, dredge in egg wash, roll in panko crumbs and fry. I served with Dallas' secret sauce. 😊😊 you can air fry these too but you would have to figure it out.

 These girls love pay day and chilling with poppie.  He said I was going to have to quit working them because he is going broke. 😂😂😂

 Well this is entertaining.  He was always  good at keeping the boys entertained so I could cook, clean or take a shower.  Now for round two. She had to tie me up because I called the principal on her. 😂😂

You give these girls water, and they will play for hours. But we had taters to put up.

Atleigh loves to do school. I took some old preschool books I had of the boys and made some activity binders. I am a sentimental pack rat. I also bought some new ones. However,  I've had to call the principal twice on Caroline. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️😂😂😂😂

Well, at least they were reading. I asked them to look at books while I made breakfast.  #pickyourbattles

Sometimes its play time, sometimes its work time. Yes, you can teach a 2 yr old to hang clothes. These girls know how to do more than grown folk. Poppie said they are making him go broke because they are making so much money. 😂😂😂😜😜😜

And people wonder why I'm such a worry wart. 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️😲😲 this is our oldest son on his job. 

I incorporated my little chef's to help me with Thanksgiving Dinner. I am doing all the sides for his mommas house and the next day for our house for my momma and daddy. We had so much fun and were covered with flour.  We cooked for two days.  We were so tired. Thank goodness for nap time everyday. 

We made some Turkey crafts to go on the fridge. 

I am going to go ahead and tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to all. Please count your blessings everyday and never take them for granted. Keep the faith and pray. 

Staying Busy

 

We have been staying busy here on the farm. We have worked, played and entertained.  

Poppie loves picking his girls flowers. They love receiving them as you can see. 

I was in the shower one morning and Poppie was on breakfast duty. Well, I come in and I see ice cream cones. 

Me: "Ummmmm......Poppie, why are we eating ice cream this early in the morning?"

Poppie: "Cause she ate all her breakfast and I'm weak." 

Me: "And why are you eating one?"

Poppie:"Cause she asked me to."

He's so wrapped. ❤❤❤

That face is the reason why he is weak and that is not even her saddest face. 😂😂

Poppie to Caroline: "why is a 20 lb little human being leading around a 275 lb human being?

Me: " because you're weak Poppie"

Poppie: "yep"

We gathered the last of the peppers and got them put up. I kept out some to eat fresh. The girls love them with ranch dressing. We had an assembly line going

 Poppie told these girls if they worked hard and helped Gmaw, they could have some chore money and I could take them to town to spend it. They kicked it in high gear. Atleigh is such a slave driver

 She said, "Girl, get these peppers, I'm beating you!"  They washed, I cut and we all bagged. They use to be terrified of my vacuum sealer. Now they want to help

 They helped us dig and gather all the sweet potatoes. We got them stored in our garden shed to cure. 

We celebrated Halloween. Mommy had to work and we took them to our community Trunk or Treat.  

With all the deer in our yard, they leave evidence of being there. Caroline saw deer poop and said, "Ewwwwww, YUCKY!!!"  This girl cracks me up. 😂😂😂

There is a little chaos in their little lives right now. Mommy is working and going to school and sometimes she has to work night shifts. Daddy kicks it in overdrive and helps pick up the slack.  Sometimes they don't know wether they are coming or going. But when they come to Gmaw and Poppies house, I want them to feel safe and comfortable. We keep them as relaxed and happy as possible so they don't notice any difference.  

I made them something one day to help them with motor skills and learn beginner sewing. I took a cardboard piece and punched holes in it with a hole puncher. Tied a shoe string to it and taught them how to go in and out of the holes like stitching. It kept them busy for a long time.  One day we made necklaces with small beads to teach hand skills. 

And then you have to teach them to blow a bubble within a bubble. I have talents. They loved it and I loved watching their faces. 

Of course there is alot of baking and cooking. I let them make their own little cheese stuffed breadsticks one night. Then they helped with supper. 

Then there is times you just need to let them be kids and play. 

Me and Poppie tag team sometimes if they get on each others nerves. He keeps one happy and I get one. 

About 13 yrs ago I got something started. I bought the boys some money lock boxes. Everytime they did a chore, they got a marble for it. They would put them in their lock box. Every Friday they would bring their box to dad. Dad would cash in their marbles for dollar bills for pay day. Well, 13 yrs later, I'm doing the same with the girls. I bought them some money lock boxes. They are having fun learning how to open them and already put a button in their for today since they helped us work today. I'm using buttons with them instead of marbles. ❤❤❤ 

They are loving doing chores and getting buttons. They love doing anything I'm doing and it helps me alot. It is also teaching them responsibility and work ethics and reward. 

They took their lock boxes to Poppie on pay day and then I took them to town to spend their money. They loved it and was so happy. 

Then there are times of rest. Even for Poppie. The girls were spoiling him and singing to him. Then Caroline just crawls up there with him and momma Atleigh sang to them. ❤❤

You know, there's days when we dont see eye to eye because Gmaw has to be the tough guy, cause we know Poppie is weak, and they will say "I'm not your best friend anymore!" Then there's this. They are so forgiving.  They fight to take turns to sleep beside me and they grab my hand and kiss it and snuggle it and say, "I love you Gmaw, you're my best friend!"  Then your heart is just all gooey. ❤❤❤❤ #teamgirl

I know our country is in total chaos right now.  Just keep yourself occupied and distracted. Lean on family and pray. God is still in control.  

Have a blessed day. We sure are.