Theresa's Thoughts

The New School Year

2011-08-11T14:40:00.003-05:00

Well Its a new school year for my girls!! We decided to go back to SCA and I can only hope that they will have a wonderful school year!!

It has been a long time!!!

2010-11-18T22:40:00.004-06:00

It has been a very long time since my last post. I have had a lot of changes in my life. One thing that happened to me was that my seven year old dachshund Emma died. This was a very sad time for me. She was like part of my family. I miss her so much and I still get really sad when I think about her. She was the sweetest dog ever and my girls just loved her. She would scratch on the door at night and wait for me to let her in the house. She would get on her bed and not move until the next morning when she was ready to go outside. I always bought her a Christmas preset and she would tear into the paper to get her surprise. I am going to miss that this Christmas. I tried to replace her with another dog, but it did not help. She was a very special dog and I will always keep her memory near my heart.

Valentines Day Special Dinner

2010-03-25T00:29:00.002-05:00

Every year for Valentines Day I always cook a special meal for my family. I decorate the table really fancy and my girls just love get to drink out of wine glasses. I usually have it by candlelight, but this year we did it after church in the daytime. I still put candles on the table for looks. I have been doing this for years and it has become one of our family traditions. I always get the girls a little something special to unwrap. This year was special because we had our Aunt staying with us and she was able to join us for the dinner(Lunch).

Snow Day

2010-02-24T20:48:00.003-06:00

It snowed here and my entire family was sick. My girls just had to play in the snow anyway. They made a couple of snowmen and their dad pulled them on the sled with the four wheeler.

Before and After!!!

2010-02-03T22:10:00.004-06:00

I bought a chair at a yard sale that was a benefit for a little girl with cancer. I needed a chair for my oldest daughters school desk and this chair looked like it would work just fine with a little work. My dear hubby sat in her other one and broke it somehow. I only paid $15.oo for the chair (and it went to a great cause). I think it turned out really cute and was a good investment. I spray painted it black to match her desk and I had some cute black and white stripe fabric that I used to recover the seat.

Homemade Gifts

2009-12-30T23:27:00.003-06:00

I usually make some of my gifts at Christmas time. This Year was no exception to that rule.

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-30T23:05:00.003-06:00

Christmas Traditions

2009-12-25T01:42:00.003-06:00

I started a Christmas tradition with my kids a couple of years ago making sugar cookies. You know the kind you roll out the dough and cut shapes out and decorate with icing and sprinkles. It makes a mess in the kitchen, but the girls love making them. I bough them some plain aprons last year and never got around to doing anything on them last year. So I was determined to get them finished in time for our sugar cookie making this year. They looked so cute in their new aprons.

Lazy Acres Tree Farm

2009-12-18T01:43:00.002-06:00

Last Year we went to the Lazy Acres Tree Farm in Mississippi to get a real tree. So I decided that we would go back this year and get a live tree. We have had an artificial tree up until last year. I just love the smell of a real Chistmas tree. It had been raining all week so I new that it would be muddy, so I packed extra shoes for the girls to wear. I guess it was a good thing to because it was so muddy. We caught a ride on the sleigh and headed out to the feild to pick our perfect Christmas Tree. My deer husband cut our tree down with a hand saw. He loaded it on the sleigh and the guy got it ready for us to take home.

A little bit of Sewing

2009-12-07T14:08:00.004-06:00

A good friend of mine and I went on a girls weekend about 2 months ago and we went to Hobby Lobby and bought an apron pattern. When the new Joannes opened in Meridian, I bought some really cute fabric with my apron in mind. I changed the pattern a little bit and put a d ring on the strap so you could adjust the strap. It was really easy to make and I think it turned out really cute. I may use it for a Christmas present!!!!!

Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-26T01:20:00.002-06:00

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving because it is a time that we can spend with family. I am thankful for so many things. God has blessed me so much in my lifetime. Sometimes we need to just stop and thank him for the many blessings of life.

Fall

2009-11-25T01:38:00.000-06:00

Shoe Boxes

2009-11-18T14:15:00.003-06:00

Our Womens group at our church does the Samaritans Purse shoe boxes every year. The girls and I volunteered to do shoe boxes for girls ages 5-9. We had so much fun buying things for the children. I hope that my children will learn to have a heart for missions and realize how fortunate they are to have so many things. Each one of my girls filled their own box and put a picture of herself in the box. We did five shoe boxes in all.

The Princess and The Bunny!!!

2009-11-18T13:51:00.004-06:00

My Anniversary!!!

2009-11-10T10:00:00.001-06:00

Today, November the 10th, is my anniversary. I would just like to say Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. I feel that I am truly blessed to be married to such a great man. Don't get me wrong he has his faults, but God has taught me to look past those and see the good in him. He is a great provider for me and my girls. He has given me 4 wonderful daughter(3 of mine and one of his). He has been very patient with me over the years and has overlooked my faults. I truly believe that he is my soul mate and I thank God for him. I know that he loves me and he often prays for me. God has truly blessed me with a wonderful husband and I am so very thankful for him...I LOVE YOU TERRY!!!!!!!!!

Family!!

2009-10-28T13:34:00.000-05:00

We went and visited Uncle Mickey and Aunt Brenda!!!

The Mountains

2009-10-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

The colors of the mountains are so beautiful!!

DollyWood!!

2009-10-26T13:02:00.000-05:00

We spent 2 days at DollyWood.

Smokey Mountain Vacation

2009-10-25T12:22:00.000-05:00

We had a great trip to the Smokies. It is always fun to get away and have some family time. I look forward to our vacations every year. We had a very busy week which included a trip to Dollywood, riding in the Smokies, going to see the Black Bear Jamboree, eating at our favorite restaurant the Old Mill and visiting with family. The leaves in the mountains are beautiful this time of year. We also did a little shopping at the outlets before we left and I found some really great deals on clothes.

To The Mountains We Go!!!

2009-10-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

We got to Pigeon Forge about 7:00 Saturday night and checked in to our room at The Oakmont Resort. We used our timeshare to book a week in Tennessee. We unpacked our truck and headed to Wal-mart for some groceries. We stopped at the candy store and bought some taffy on the way back to the room. We also went by Krispy Kreme and bought 2 dozen doughnuts by my request of course. I rented the new Scooby Doo movie for the girls at a red box in Wal-mart. They are only $1.00 a night for a movie. Where I live it is $4.50 to rent a movie, so we always catch up on our movie watching while we are at the Smokies. We popped some popcorn and settled down to watch the movie.

Down on the farm pumpkin patch!!

2009-10-24T12:50:00.000-05:00

We found the pumpkin patch in Rainsville, Alabama a little town outside of Fort Payne. It was misting rain and cold, but we went anyway. They actually grow the pumpkins there, but the lady told me that they had to buy some extra because they did not have enough because of all the rain. They had a corn maze, but we decided to just do the hayride to the pumpkin patch. We loaded up on the trailer and headed to the patch. It cost $7.00 to go on the hayride and that included a pumpkin. We got off and picked our pumpkins and then headed back to the farm. They had paint for the girls to paint a face on their pumpkin when we got back. We had a really good time. We loaded our 5 pumpkins up on the truck and headed to the mountains. I think we were the only people at our resort that had pumpkins by the door.

Trip to the Smokey Mountains!!

2009-10-23T20:13:00.000-05:00

We planned a week long trip to the Great Smokey Mountains. We are staying at the Oakmont Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We acquired a timeshare about six years ago and we usually travel to the Smokies about once a year and use our timeshare. We have had some really great vacations. We are better able to use it now that we home school our girls because we can travel anytime not just peak time. We decided to leave a day early and travel half way and spend the night in Fort Payne, Alabama, and drive the rest the next day. Fort Payne has some pretty mountains also and we decided that we would plan to stay their for a weekend in the future. We drove through a State Park in Fort Payne and stumbled on to a beautiful waterfall. It was well worth the drive. I wanted to take the girls to a pumpkin Patch, so I asked around and found out they had one. My wonderful patient husband drove around until we found the patch!!!!

Homeschooling in the Camper!!!

2009-10-16T18:05:00.002-05:00

My husband and I recently acquired a travel trailer from my sister and decided to put it in the town where he works. He has about a 45 minute drive to and from work everyday. We decided that since I home school that we could spend a couple of nights a week in the trailer. We equipped it with everything that we would need so I will not have to pack every time we go. We spent our first night in it the other day. I loved it and I think the girls really enjoyed staying in it also. I stress a lot about keeping my house very clean. I will enjoy having a tiny space to keep clean. It will free up more of my time to spend with my girls. I think staying in the trailer will make us grow closer as a family. We will not have so many distractions to keep us from spending time together as a family. Our first night was great except for the fact that we are parked under a pecan tree and it stormed and pecans fell all night long. I am looking forward to some really great times in the camper!!!!!

Homeschool Day!!

2009-10-08T00:52:00.003-05:00

I just had to blog about this and put up a picture. The girls were in the home school room doing there work when I looked out the window and our dog Emma and Cat Jasper were just standing at the window watching us do our day(I guess they were learning also). I went and got my camera but Emma had moved but Jasper was still there. The girls thought that was the coolest thing.

Just the girls and I!!!

2009-09-29T17:45:00.003-05:00

Friday I had to pay a bill in Meridian so I decided that we would school early and take the afternoon and go shopping. We went to Sams and looked around at everything and of course the girls had to sample everything. We decided to eat there because they have a good price for pizza. We left there and went to Lifeway to do a little shopping(one of our favorite stores). I just have to write about what happened in there. I felt about a half inch tall. One of my twins is always touching things and I had just gotten on to her for turning the volume up on a cd player. She was standing behind me in the checkout line and a lady walked by her and she dropped this cute little candle and it broke. Well of course I preceded to fuss at her and she started crying. I offered to pay for the candle and they said no. I tried again but I gave up and left the store. My oldest daughter told me that my other daughter was standing in line to pay for the candle for me for Christmas. I felt like the worst Mother in the world. My girls love to buy me things. It warms my heart to know that they would spend there money on me instead of buying something for them. We left there and went to Belk me feeling worse than dirt and discovered that they were having a sale. They had an extra 40% off of the marked down items. We found some really cute clothes for a little of nothing. My ticket said that I saved $696.00. I thought that was pretty good. We left there and made our usual trip to Wal-Mart and bought a few groceries and then headed home. We had a pretty good shopping trip and I think that I was humbled by my daughters kindness.

Ballet/Gym Class

2009-09-24T21:01:00.003-05:00

My girls started ballet last week. They were so excited to go to class. They were so tired when it was over that they had no problem going to sleep. We had to get ballet shoes and some outfits for them to wear. I can't wait to make them all a cute little bag to carry all of their stuff to class. I love to sew for my girls and this will give me something new to make them. They have a ton of purses that I have made for them. I have so many cute ballet and gym appliques to embellish them with and I have been dying to use them(now just finding the time to do it). I will post pictures of their bags when I get them finished. Since we home school I like them to get some exercise and boy I believe that they are getting a workout which I think is great. I also get an hour to do something for myself. I usually just read a book and sit and watch them. It is so nice to just sit and relax.

Pillowcase Dress!!!!

2009-09-12T23:02:00.005-05:00

Well I finally found a few minutes to do a little sewing tonight! I found some green pillowcases marked down to $4.00 at Wal-Mart(one of my favorite places to shop). I decided to make my girls a dress out of them. I had some ribbon on hand that matched the pillowcases. I plan to embellish them later with their initials or an applique. They are really easy to make. One of my daughters tried them both on for me so I could take pictures of them. I think she wants the one with the smaller ribbon that has pink on it for her dress. I love sewing for my girls it makes me so happy and they love it when I make them things.

My New Lamps

2009-09-10T14:29:00.002-05:00

I saw the cutest lamps at Freds the other day and thought that they would really look good in my new Bedroom. They were 20.00 dollars each so I decided that I could live without them. I checked my mail the other day and there was a Freds sale paper in the box and guess what was on sale!! You guessed it my lamps. I decided That for only $10.99 each that was just to much of a bargain to pass me up, so I hurried off to Freds and made my purchase. I am now the proud owner of two really cute lamps. They looked really good in my bedroom and I was so proud that I saved $18.00 dollars.

Sunflowers

2009-09-09T12:32:00.003-05:00

My husband planted some large sunflowers in my garden this year. They grew very tall and were so pretty. I just loved looking out my window and seeing those beautiful flowers. They started getting so big that they were leaning over. I was sad because they weren't as pretty any more. I plan to plant some more next year in my garden. A friend told me to take the seeds and boil them in some salt water and then bake them and they were good to eat. I guess I might just try that soon. One of my daughters went with me to take a few pictures before they were all turned over. I guess I will just call her my little sunflower. She also helped me pick some peas in the garden. It is nice to have a little help sometime.

My New TV

2009-09-04T22:44:00.003-05:00

When I got my new bedroom suit I decided that I needed a bigger TV to go on my new media chest. So my husband and I made a trip to Meridian in search of the perfect television. We checked out Sams and Wal-mart. We found the perfect 32" flat screen television at Wal-mart.
We loaded it up and headed home with my new baby. I have to say I just love my new Television. I am still working on my bedroom makeover. I am really enjoying my new bedroom suit.

Apples, Apples, and more Apples!!!

2009-08-25T00:12:00.003-05:00

We have an apple tree in our yard and it has several apples on it this year so I decided to pick them and make some homemade applesauce. Me an my hubby picked a bowl full last night in the dark and I decided to make the applesauce today. I made some at my mother-in-laws house last year with her help, but I have decided to tackle it this time by myself. Well I peeled the apples and cut them up into small pieces. I then put them in a large pan and covered them in sugar. I turned them on low and they cooked down and the sugar melted and made a syrup. I cooked them until they were all mashed up and looked somewhat like the applesauce you buy in the store. I got it really hot and put it in a jar and covered it with a lid. I heard the jars pop so I know they sealed. I hope that it taste good. I use it when I make apple tarts. You just buy canned biscuits and flatten them out and put the apple sauce on the biscuit and fold it over and seal the edges with a fork. Then fry it until it is a light golden brown. My family just loves them. It is neat that I am able to use apples from my own tree.

Transamerica Mission Trip

2009-08-24T23:51:00.002-05:00

I forgot to blog about a youth group that we met in the parking lot of the Great Sand Dunes while on Vacation. We had just come back from climbing the dunes and some kids came up and offered us some Pepsi to drink. We accepted and thanked them for we were parched to say the least. In conversation with them we learned that they were a youth group from Burnt Hickory Church of Christ in Marietta, Georgia. They were very sweet and gave me a card with their information on and told me that they had a blog about their trip. I thought that was neat to be able to read all about their trip. They told us that they were on a Transamerican Mission Trip and their mission was to experience life outside of the community which they lived and their focus was to appreciate the wonders of God's creation and the people that they meet. The card that they gave me thanked me for helping them on their journey and asked if I would pray for their trip that they would grow closer to God and to one another along the way. I just thought that was an awesome thing and they looked like they were having loads of fun!!! If you would like to check it out the website is BHYM.org and click on the blog.

School Days

2009-08-19T13:54:00.003-05:00

I am a home school mom of three very different little girls. We officially started school on Monday. I decided to blog about our first few days of home school. I guess I need to give a quick overview about my decision to home school(some people thought that I had completely lost my mind). My oldest daughter went to the 3rd grade at a Private School where we live and my twins went to K-5. I just decided that I wanted to try to home school because my oldest daughter came home upset most days after school. It also was very expensive for Private School. I must admit it was a hard decision to make at first, but well worth it now.(I had to give up my freedom that I had waited so patiently for when my girls were little) I have been homeschooling for 3 years now and it gets a little easier every year. I had a 3 year old when my twins were born and I had a lot of long days. I know that God is in control of the decision I made to home school my girls. He had been laying it in my path for years, but I just did not realize it at the time. I can see the difference it has made in my girls life. My oldest daughter is in the 6th grade and my twins are in the 3rd grade. I use the Abeka DVD program for my home school curriculum. It is a christian program and we have a bible class first thing in the morning. It is great to be able to worship God freely and allow my girls to pray. It is one of the great things about homeschooling. The bible class is good for me because it starts out my day with Gods word. It makes for a much better day for all of us. It has been a little hard to get the girls to understand that summer is over and school is now in session. We had a great day Monday because they were excited to start school and see who their teacher was going to be for this year. Tuesday was not as good as Monday(the new had already worn off)and it took a little longer for them to finish. Today I think they(the twins) are just out to lunch. I will be here all day trying to get them to finish. My oldest is doing great because she has figured out that if she gets her work done she will have all afternoon to do what she wants.(now if the twins will just figure that out we will be doing great!!) I hope I have a better day tomorrow.

zucchini Baby

2009-08-13T00:07:00.004-05:00

When we came home from vacation and checked the garden , we found a rather large zucchini. The girls decided that they wanted to make a baby out of the zucchini. They had me draw a face on the squash. They wrapped it in a blanket and put a hat on its head. They had so much fun with the zucchini.

Headed Home!!!!!!!

2009-08-10T11:05:00.002-05:00

We got up at about 5:00 a.m. and headed home. We have a 2-day trip back to Alabama. I had a wonderful trip, but was so ready to go home. We stopped in a small town and had breakfast at a little cafe. The food was good and it had a mural painted on the wall that was very pretty. We were still traveling on the old Route 66. Outside the restaurant was a phone booth that you get in and I haven't seen one of those in a long time. I just had to take a picture. We stopped at a Logans Roadhouse to eat Dinner and What did I see but a hobby lobby and I was so excited. My sweet wonderful husband let me shop for about 30 minutes. I bought some ribbon for the girls hair to match some fabric that I had already made dresses for them out of and some new cute fabric. Oh yea and of course a magazine to look at and my husband says that I have a magazine obsession. I can't help it I just love reading magazines. We spent the night in a nice little hotel in Oklahoma. The lady and her son were very nice and the hotel was very clean. We headed out the next morning and drove all day. We arrived at home around 11:00 p.m. and I was so excited to see my pets and my home and garden. Soooo good to be home!!!

Ice Caves and Banderas Volcanos

2009-08-05T00:01:00.003-05:00

After we arrived in Grants, New Mexico we found a campsite to spend the night. It was really nice and cheap, only 15.00 a night for a full hook-up. We got up the next day and ventured out to see the ice caves and volcano. The ice cave was cold when you got close to it and when you came up on top it was hot. On the walk up to see the volcano and lava rock we met a super nice family and their friend. She had been a teacher on the Indian Reservation and she was very nice and interesting to talk to. We chatted on the walk up the hill and we later exchanged e-mail addresses. She said she would send me some information about the Reservation that I could use to teach my girls. The girls did another Junior Ranger Program at the El Mapis National Park. We ate lunch at a neat little restaurant in the Park and the food was really very tasty. We had a great family day. We were planning to get a good nights rest and leave out early the next morning heading home!!!!!!!

Route 66

2009-08-03T00:00:00.004-05:00

We were traveling on the old Route 66 on the way home. If you have ever seen the movie cars you remember lightening McQueen was lost on Route 66. They call it the historic Route 66 on the roadsigns. I thought it was really neat and it made me think of the movie. The town just went to nothing when they bypassed Route 66!!

Petrified Forest and Painted Desert

2009-07-31T23:14:00.006-05:00

We left the Grand Canyon and headed to Grants, New Mexico to see the ice caves and lava rock. We stopped along the way at the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert. It is best known for its vast deposits of petrified wood. It is rumored that a Spanish explorer is rumored to have named the area El Desierto Pintado(the Painted Desert) because the hills looked like they were painted with the colors of the sunset. It was really very beautiful and an interesting park. They have a Junior Ranger Program where kids can earn a badge and a patch if they complete the activity booklet. My girls were excited to become Junior Rangers and get their badges.

The Grand Canyon

2009-07-27T22:42:00.003-05:00

We headed to see the Grand Canyon and I was really excited because I have always wanted to go there. We got to the first observation place and got out to look and it was simply breathtaking. It is so big and vast and beautiful. I took several pictures because it was just so beautiful. My aunt and husband wanted to hike down into the canyon. I was not so thrilled with this, but I did not want to be a stick in the mud so I opted to go for it and hike a little ways down. It was not to bad going down, but I imagined that it would be much harder coming back up the canyon. After about 1/2 mile my feet slipped out from under me and I fell down on my rear end. It scared me a little, but I got up and brushed my self off and kept going. I was determined to hang in there with everyone else. We went about 1 1/4 miles down and so we had to come 1 1/4 miles back up the canyon. So I guess 2 1/2 miles is not to bad for my first time. My husband wants us to come back next year and hike to the bottom and spend the night and hike back out the next day. I am not sure that I am up for that or not. I will have a lot of work over the next year to get in shape. I forgot to mention that it was about 98 degrees and in the hot sun on the way back up and it was much harder going up than coming down. I was totally drained when we made it back to the RV. I think that I was the first one to sleep that night. It was a great experience and well worth the effort. I really enjoyed everything about the trip down the canyon.

Four Corners

2009-07-27T22:25:00.002-05:00

We left Mesa Verde, Colorado and headed to Arizona. We stopped at the four corners monument on the way. It is the coolest thing to be able to stand in one spot and be in four states at the same time. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. We had our picture made while we were standing on the four corners spot. They had booths set up with all kinds of things for sell. I just had to look around and I bought the girls a silver bracelet. We left there and headed towards the Grand Canyon.

Mesa Verde National Park

2009-07-22T23:18:00.003-05:00

We got up early and my Aunt cooked us a big breakfast before we headed to Mesa Verde National Park which is one of the premier archaeological parks administered by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. It was established on June 29, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt as a National Park to "preserve the works of man", the first national park of its kind. Mesa Verde preserves the largest cliff dwellings in North America. We opted to take 2 guided tours which cost $3.00 per tour. We toured the Cliff Palace and the Balcony House. I must mention that I do not like heights. The Cliff Palace tour went pretty smooth. It is a one hour tour that involves descending uneven stone steps and climbing five ladders for a 100 ft vertical climb. The total walking distance is 1/4 mile round trip. Well when the Ranger gave his speech about what to expect on the Balcony Hour Tour I started getting cold feet. My husband seemed a little frustrated at me so I talked to the Park Ranger and told him my fears. He was very nice and said I could go a little ways and if I got scared I could turn back. I decided to face my fears head on and it felt really good. The Park Ranger let me go first through the tunnel and was very sweet and helpful. This tour involved climbing a 32ft ladder and crawling through a 12ft long tunnel(which I thought I would not make it through ) that you have to crawl through, and climbing up a 60ft open cliff face with stone steps and two 10ft ladders to exit the site. I made it and I was so proud of myself. I have done so many things on this trip that I thought I would never be able to do. The Ranger gave me a Junior Ranger badge for giving it a try!!! It was very interesting and well worth the climb!!!!

Cherry Tree

2009-07-21T23:50:00.003-05:00

When we were at the Mesa Verde RV Park my daughter told me that they had a cherry tree. I have never seen a cherry tree so I had to go take a look. Sure enough it was a cherry tree. My uncle tasted it and said it was really good and tangy. I picked some to bring home for the seeds to see if I could grow a cherry tree. I doubt it will bear any fruit because it will not get cold enough where I live. It was neat to see!!!!!

Elk

2009-07-21T10:20:00.003-05:00

On the way to Mesa Verde My husband saw Elk standing in a field and he had to stop and look at them. I guess it is just a guy thing, but he loves to look at Elk. He goes to Colorado Elk hunting about every other year.

Pagosa Springs

2009-07-20T23:15:00.003-05:00

We left Alamosa and was heading to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. On the way we stopped at an overlook site in the San Juan Mountains. The view was simply breathtaking. We also hiked about 1/2 mile to see a waterfall and it was beautiful. I really enjoy looking at waterfalls because they are just so pretty. We finally arrived in Pagosa Springs and decided to check out the town. We were not going to stay in Pagosa just wanted to visit for a little while. Let me give you a little history about Pagosa Springs. It has been called the largest and hottest natural mineral outflow in the world, the spring is often coveted for its healing and restorative qualities. It got its name from the Ute Indian tribe and is known as "Pag-Osah" meaning a place of peace and healing. It has a Resort there that hot tubs and pools that has temperatures ranging from 90 to 110 degrees. The main spring is 144 degrees and is to hot for bathing but its water heats the Springs Resort. It also heats many downtown buildings by a geothermal well. I thought it was a really neat little town and I would love to come stay in the Resort and soak in the pools. My husband and three girls decided to tube the San Juan River why we were there, so my aunt and I went shopping at all the little shops along the streets. I bought a cross cookie cutter and would have loved to have had more time to shop. My husband had a blast tubing, but my girls did not have as much fun. So we loaded up and headed to Mesa Verde where the cliff dwellings were and found us an Rv Park to spend the night so that we could go to Mesa Verde the next day.

Sand Dunes Swimming Pool

2009-07-17T23:00:00.004-05:00

The Sand Dunes RV park that we stayed at had a Natural Hot Artesian Pool. The water came from a spring in the ground and was about 130 degrees. They keep the pool between 98-100 degrees and they had a 25 person therapy pool that they keep between 105 and 107 degrees. The water is amazingly clear with no odors and no added chlorine. It felt so good and it helped heal my sore legs from the sand dunes climb. I ate a hamburger at the little concession stand at the pool and it was wonderful. We had a really great evening at the pool. The park is located near the small town of Hooper, Colorado, nestled in the scenic desert surroundings of the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado.

Giant Cinammon Roll in Alamosa

2009-07-16T23:29:00.006-05:00

We left the Great Sand Dunes pool and Rv Park and was headed to Mesa Verde. I will blog about the Artisan hot springs pool later that was at the Sand Dunes RV Park. We went through a town called Alamosa on our way. We stopped at Wal-mart to get some more things and I asked the cashier where was a good place to eat there and she said the Campus Cafe. She said they had the best cinnamon rolls ever, so I new that was the place to go. We drove around until we found it and went in to eat. It was packed at 10:30, so I felt pretty sure the food was going to be good. I was right the food was delicious. The cinnamon role was huge and was wonderful. It cost $3.00 , but it was worth every penny. I was hoping to loose a little weight on this trip since I would be doing a lot of walking. I doubt that will happen if I keep eating giant cinnamon rolls!!!

Zapata Falls!!

2009-07-16T08:36:00.004-05:00

We left the sand dunes and headed to the falls. We had a 1/2 mile hike to get to the falls. I was so tired from the sand dunes, but I didn't want to be left behind. I was beautiful when we got there. The girls immediately ran to the water when we got there, but it was freezing cold. You had to walk in the water along the rocks for a little ways to see the water fall. I did not go at first, but I could not resist the chance to see a beautiful water fall. The water was freezing and after a minute you could not feel your feet. It was well worth the effort because it was absolutely beautiful. We found a squirrel sitting close by and fed him some sunflower seeds. He was very tame and the girls just loved watching him eat the seeds. On the way back down I saw a cactus with beautiful blooms and had to take a picture.

The Great Sand Dunes!!

2009-07-15T23:11:00.002-05:00

We left Buena Vista this morning heading to the Great Sand Dunes. We stopped at a quaint little cafe in Hooper, Colorado and had a great breakfast. We headed to the Dunes about 11:00 and started hiking up them about 11:30. When I say Sand Dunes I mean really big mountains of sand. Everybody thought that I would wimp out early, so I was determined to prove them wrong. about 1/4 of the way to the top I thought I that I had made a bad decision to attempt to climb these massive sand dunes. My husband said he would give me 100.00 if I made it to the top. I had to keep going with a prize of 100.00 waiting at he top. The air was really thin and I had trouble breathing, but I was determined to keep going. I got almost to the top and I got really sick and all I could think about was the fact that I had to go back down. I sat down and just wanted to stop, but my sweet husband came down and helped me make it to the top. When I got there a sand storm came and it was blowing so hard I could not see. The sand felt like tiny knives on my legs. My husband tried to shelter me and my oldest daughter from the sand. My aunt and one of my twins were a little away from us and I could hear her crying. I was really scared and my daughter started praying and the sand stopped blowing so we immediately headed down the dunes. It was quite and experience to say the least. I am so proud that I did it now and I am going to enjoy spending my hundred dollars. I don't think that I will ever want to climb the Great Sand Dunes again.

Our Trip To Aspen!!

2009-07-14T23:45:00.004-05:00

Well we left heading to Aspen, Colorado this morning around 9:oo after eating a big breakfast that my Aunt cooked for us to eat. A really nice man gave us some information about a place to go see here in Buena Vista. He had a cat on a leash and I don't think that I have ever seen a cat being walked on a leash. He was a really pretty black cat. The girls just thought it was so neat. People are very friendly in the RV parks. We found the road that he was talking about and checked it out. It was a winding road into the mountains and we got out and hiked a little. It was a beautiful site when we got to the top of the mountain. We left there and headed to Independence Pass, which is on the way to Aspen. The roads are very curvy and scary, but it was an awesome view. It was cold and windy there, but some of us hiked a little while some just watched and stayed cold. Aspen is a neat place that I would love to live one day. It has a neat little town with sidewalk cafe's and the most beautiful flowers. I would have loved to stay longer, but at least I got to experience the ambiance of the town. I told my husband that we were coming back to stay there soon. It was a wonderful day filled with beauty and some wonderful learning experiences for all of us.

Royal Gorge in Canon City Colorado

2009-07-13T19:41:00.003-05:00

We were headed to Buena Vista last night, but we were tired so we decided to find an Rv park and spend the night. We stayed in Canon City, Colorado which was about 7o miles from Buena Vista. We got up this morning and decided to go see the Royal gorge before we left Canon City. I was really glad we went because it was a really neat thing to see. They had a bridge that you could either walk or drive over to go across the gorge(a huge hole). It was an interesting place to say the least. We left there and headed to Buena Vista to stay for a few days. We are now at the Snowy Peaks RV Park in Buena Vista. It is really nice and the lady that checked us in was super nice. The girls are riding their bikes and meeting people everywhere. We are having so much fun. It is so nice here because it is about 70 degrees and the wind is blowing. It should be in the 4os tonight which is a whole lot better than the 100 degree days we have in Alabama. We are going to venture out tomorrow and find some fun things to keep us busy.

Our trip to Colorado!!

2009-07-12T10:26:00.005-05:00

We left out from the house at about 5:30 Saturday morning which is great for me because I am not a morning person. My husband always fuses because we never get to leave early when we travel, so he was so proud of me. I think it has a little bit to do with my aunt because she helped me get the girls packed, which is a job in itself. I am so looking forward to this vacation!!!! It is always nice to get away from all the stresses of everyday life. We drove all day stopping at rest areas a long the way. We stopped at a rest area in Texas and my aunt cooked hamburgers. It was really nice. My husband and I are following behind the motor home in our car and it has been so nice to spend some quality time together just getting to talk without any interuptions. We spent the night in Witchita Falls, Texas and we rolled out at about 7: 00 this morning. We are stopped at a rest area in Donley, Texas now eating some breakfast. Rest areas are so cool now because they have Wi-fi- access.

Wow What an Adventure!!!!

2009-07-12T10:06:00.005-05:00

We are headed to Colorado for two weeks with our three girls and our aunt and uncle in their motor home. We are going to stay in Buena Vista, Colorado and venture out to other places. I plan to try to blog about our trip along the way, so come along and enjoy the trip with us as we hopefully have some great adventures.

Rain Rain Please Don't Go Away!!!!!

2009-07-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

I was so happy to see the rain, but it went away to fast. I am really enjoying gardening this year and my poor veggies are dying from the heat and no rain. I was so excited when I heard the rain Monday morning. I new when we got so much rain in May and we were wishing it would stop, there would come a time when we would be begging for rain. I have 2 garden spots and the one in my yard I have been watering by hand every morning and the one across the road I have been watering about 1 time a week. I pray for more rain because the one across the road from where I live is burning up and dying. So please rain rain come again!!!!

2009-07-06T11:00:00.004-05:00

4th Of July

I had a wonderful 4th of July with my family and friends. It is always nice to spend time with family and friends. My dad(stepfather--the best dad I could ask for) cooked the most awesome ribs(he is a fantastic cook)for our meal. All of the ladies brought a dish to share with everyone. It was also a special occasion for my younger sister. She was born on the 4th of July, so we celebrated her birthday with cake and ice cream. She always thought that people were shooting fireworks for her birthday when she was little. It was a really great evening that we ended with shooting some fireworks. I feel really blessed to be living in the USA where we still have our freedom.

2009-06-27T21:59:00.003-05:00

Wow what a Day!!!!!

I am so excited about my new bedroom furniture that I bought today. I have been wanting a new bedroom suit forever and my darling husband told me to go pick out what I wanted today, so I did just that!! I could not believe that he just let me go by myself and pick out what I wanted. I got some really pretty furniture at the Ashley store in Meridian. They had a great sale today. It should be here in about two weeks. I took my oldest daughter Sarah with me and we had a great mother/daughter day. I also bought myself a desk at wal-mart for my sewing room. I am on a mission to completely redo my house before the summer is over and I have to start teaching school. All in all it was a wonderful day!!!!!

Look out Bloggers- Here I Come

2009-06-26T19:58:00.002-05:00

I've decided to plunge head first into this crazy thing called blogging. I'm not sure who will read this- or if anyone will read it at all. Never the less, I'm putting my thoughts out into the abyss. If my thoughts find you- I hope they find you well. Whatever ideas pop into my head- I'll post them. Thus, you never know what you might find here!