Camping

This is how our weekend started. We got there after dinner time... 6 hungry kids... 1 tiny flame.
Don't worry, it did get better after that.
The kids had so much fun. They thought we were roughing it because we slept in tents. Nevermind the blow-up mattress, the fully functioning bathroom within 100 yards and coke machine glowing on our plot. Oh ya, we were like Survivor :)

We did several fun "campy" things. We went to the nearby spring and went on a nature walk.
These are the ones I said yes to. See all the sticks on the ground? He wanted ALL of those too. What a boy :)We turned pancakes and eggs with a paper plate... Oh, wait, that's not "campy"? Right, just stupid. Yes, we forgot the spatula and had to make due. Not to worry, the plate flipper worked out just fine. Like I said... Survivor.Everyone enjoying their freshly flipped pancakes and eggs :)We made S'Mores. You can't camp without S'Mores, can you ?And we lit the Hanukkah Candle. Yes, it was the first night of Hanukkah. No, we are not Jewish. Yes, we think the celebration and the meaning behind it are just that cool.And like I showed in the first picture, we cooked hotdogs over the fire. That was certainly an adventure.All in all, we had a good time and the kids loved every minute. We are looking forward to heading back out into the "Wilderness" again soon.

ICE

This year, my brother/sister-in-law decided to take us to the local attraction of ICE! For those of you not familiar, it is at the Gaylord Palms and it is a walk-through attraction where everything is made of, you guessed it, ICE. They have elaborate carving and an ice slide. In order to keep everything frozen, the entire exhibit is a chilly 9 degrees. So, we borrowed and bundled in our best Florida winter gear and headed out.

It only takes 45 minutes to walk all the way through, but we wouldn't have been able to last any longer. Everyone was cold and ready to go by the end. Fun times! Thanks Jarrett and Jaime!

Getting a Tree, Decorating and Turkey Day

Ok, I have a few minutes (actually this took me 4 days to complete :) and I just have to document some fun moments to look back on one day. This post will include 3 different events because they all happened within 4 days of each other.

First, I should include that my husband has some temp work that started last week that will last through the end of the year. The good news is that he will be working 6 days a week (50 hours). The bad news is that he will be working 6 days a week at the same time as I am working 4 evenings (25-30 hours). So, this next month is going to be even crazier than usual.

So, we looked at the calendar last week and realized that the only time our schedules were going to mesh for decorating a tree was going to be this week before Thanksgiving. So, on Monday, we headed to Home Depot for our tree. Luckily, they had just received all their trees that day. So, we had some good, fresh trees and nothing picked over. Also, the size we were looking for were only $20 and we split the cost with the family living with us. The first tree we looked at is the one we picked and we were gone in 5 minutes. Doesn't Jordan look happy to be there?

Our very own "kid tree"

It couldn't have gone smoother. Then, we headed home and set the tree in water for a couple of days.

On Wednesday, we decided to have our decorating party. We have a tradition in our family of eating a prescribed diet of junk food while we decorate the tree. In case you wondering, it is Rotel dip (with hamburger), french onion dip, chips, pigs in blankets and Christmas candy. Oh ya, junk food to the max.Junk food on Wednesday night and Thanksgiving the next day. I'm pretty sure I gained 10 pounds in 2 days.

So, the main point of my blogging about Thanksgiving is to have documented proof of my fun-ness (is that a word?). I actually decided this year to do something creative with my kids. I usually rely on someone else, but I have been learning creativity by doing a lap book all year with my students at school, so I figured I could handle it. So, we worked on a family Thanksgiving lap book and made turkey pop-up cards. Below is the result.

Now, That's Dedication!!

I read this news story today and just couldn't help but to share!

Sometimes, you should just let the turkey burn :)

Avery's 9th Birthday

About a month ago, Avery turned 9 years old. We had a great day. We started the morning with breakfast sandwiches. After much debate between herself and herself, Avery decided she wanted to stay home and watch a movie and play outside. She is so my home-body.I know this isn't the greatest pic... but this is all the kids enjoying the movie and eating in the living room (big treat around here).

We had some frozen pizza for lunch and then headed to grandma and grandpa's for chicken pie dinner with the whole family.

The week before, Cory took the kids to Georgia for 4 days and she celebrated with Mimi and Papa. She was so excited to get a brand new bike!! Actually, I think that is the first new bike my kids have ever gotten. Until now, we have been fortunate to get bikes handed down.

Back to Orlando, she also asked that she be the one to decorate her cake. So, we got a cake mix, frosting and different colors of icing and sprinkles. Below is the result. What a creative little girl! She is one of a kind.

Happy Birthday, my little love bug!! And yes, she is already planning her 10th birthday party :)