Carnival Fun

While visiting my sister and family there was a FREE carnival being hosted by a church and who doesn't like FREE? Especially, considering that Klayton had never been to a carnival before so we weren't sure what he would think.

We decided that he wasn't particularly fond of waiting in the lines.

But, the rides were pretty fun!

We also decided that the carnival was pretty boring for Justus...as you can see he slept through it all.

Oh, look! Another line!

And this time a ride that kept daddy chasing Klayton...

and Uncle Kenny chasing after daddy and Klayton!

Here's the big finish!

Woohoo Klayton!

Loved the photo finish and making memories!

Three Strikes

Take me out to the ball game...

Yep, my little guy is now a baseball fan!

He has a bat and a ball!

And his own "stance"!
Just add this sport to the ever growing list of favorite sports!

Summer Fun: Recipes

Today is our final post for the Summer Fun series and I am excited to have Hollie from Blog-a-Holic sharing a favorite recipe! I have been following Hollie's blog for a couple of years now and have had the opportunity to "chat" with her via email a few times and really enjoy her sweet spirit! Thanks Hollie for sharing!

Summer is here which means long days, sunshine, grilling outdoors, pool time, and fun! Here is a great recipe for a fresh, summery salad. You can serve it cold with tortilla chips or hot over grilled fish! It is so versatile and has all the great flavors of summer wrapped into one super easy dish! Enjoy!

Source

Roasted Corn Salsa

16oz pkg frozen corn

1 diced tomato

1 diced jalapeno

1 diced green bell pepper

The juice from 1/2 lime

Chopped cilantro to taste

A swirl of olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Dump the corn into a saute/fry pan. Cook over medium heat until corn begins to brown slightly. Add corn into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool. While the corn is cooling, dice your other veggies. I cut the ribs & seeds out of the jalapeno, but they can be added in according to your heat preference. I also cut the innards out of the tomato to keep it from being too wet. Add all the ingredients into the mixing bowl with the corn and toss well. Taste and season accordingly. Refrigerate overnight. 

Ten on Tuesday

1. Busy week ahead as I prepare for Klayton’s grandma and grandpa to come visit!
2. This photo really puts into perspective how tiny my niece is!

3. I must confess that I was nervous about the post I did on infertility. But, I am SO thankful that I did, I received comments and private messages from some sweet ladies that are now added to my prayer list!
4. Keep praying for my Grandpa Collins, he is still in the hospital with some bleeding on the brain. We are hoping he will be released sometime this week.
5. I am thankful for friends who have become adopted family! We have a sweet couple in our church, Adam and Afton who love Klayton and well Klayton just LOVES them as well. He loves them so much that he may have thrown a fit when they told him goodbye.
6. Klayton and I have now read over 60 books for the summer reading program! Woohoo! One of our favorite books has been, Goldilocks by Dom De Luise! Such a cute version!

7. Dear Candy Crush, Would you please consider letting me pass level 169 sometime VERY soon? Pretty please and thank you for your consideration! Sincerely, Defeated Player of Two Weeks.
8. I am working on a post about Obedience and I would LOVE for you to answer this question, why is obedience important?
9. So, I'm just going to say it...when is Kendra going to get into shape? I'm hoping she will start making an effort yesterday!
10. What is a post without a picture of Klayton? Not happy...so to make things happy here he is!

Happy Tuesday!

Summer Fun: TIps for Vacation

Today I am continuing with my Summer Fun Series and I am excited to have, Kendra Thornton blogging for me!

Bio: Kendra Thornton: Travel advocate, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, proud wife and mama of 3. I am a long time travel expert who has been packing my bags and traveling the world since I was 3 months old! I've found my utmost desire in life is right here in my own home. I have taken my excitement for travel and brought it to you with some of my favorite travel tips and tricks. Enjoy!


What Moms Should Know For A Stress-Free Family Vacation


A family vacation is the perfect way to get away from it all, have some fun, and spend quality time with your husband and children. However, an unplanned vacation is a stressful vacation. Here are the top five mom-approved tips for planning the perfect family getaway!


1. Bored children are unruly and difficult to deal with. Always choose a destination where they will have plenty to do. Look into family friendly resorts, because they are kid-friendly but fun for adults too. Try a serene resort in the mountains, a hotel with an indoor water park, or even an adventurous ski lodge. These places specialize in fun for every member of the family. When deciding where to take my family of five in Hawaii, I did some research to find the perfect balance between luxury and kid friendly (I know! I was surprised they exist too). My kids love the water, but with three of them it was essential that we find a resort with close proximity to the beach. We were able to secure an excellent room at a top Honolulu hotel just minutes from Waikiki. Family friendly accommodations offer plenty of clever kids activities, giving mom and dad a chance to relax.


2. Carefully choose the toys you bring along. There are few things more annoying on long trips than noisy toys, so choose quieter options. Bring toys that are easy to pack and easy to play with in the car or in-flight. New toys will hold your kids' attention longer, but old favorites work great too. Keep a few surprise toys packed away in your luggage or carry-on bag. When your children start getting bored, these surprise toys will be a great distraction. Finally, don’t underestimate the value of silly items like straws and unused toothbrushes. In a jam, these can keep kids entertained for much longer than you’d expect.



3. Do not forget the essentials: zip lock bags in a variety of sizes, first aid materials, a sippy cup or two, and plenty of extra clothes and diapers. Traveling is messy and spills are likely! Shop for travel-sized options for your carryon. Buy extras in case you lose a few. The more prepared you are with the essentials, the more comfortable you will be. These items will ensure you and the kids all feel comfortable and refreshed when you arrive!


4. Baby food and formula are allowed through airport security and are not subject to the 3-1-1 rule. If you are flying, be sure to pack plenty. However, only pack gentle foods your baby is used to as to not upset their stomach during the flight. Further, being away from your family pediatrician means you need to be more sensitive and aware of potential food allergies. Traveling with a baby is hard, but traveling with a sick baby is harder.


5. Don't forget that it is your vacation too! You and your husband can take turns watching the kids. You can get a spa treatment one day and he can golf another. Many top hotels offer certified babysitting services so you can enjoy a romantic dinner. This is your vacation too – make sure you have some quality adult time as well.

10 on Tuesday; I May or May Not

1. I may or may not drink right from the juice jug that is currently in our fridge.
2. I may or may not have left a burner on low causing the leftover pasta sauce to scorch and burn the pot.
3. I may or may not have sunburnt knees and only sunburnt knees.
4. I may or may not have baked a batch of cookies and ate them all in one days time...with the help of my lil guy of course!
5. I may or may not have started this post yesterday (Monday).
6. I may or may not have had a craving for bacon that finally got fulfilled.
7. I may or may not have finally cleaned out my 500+ unread messages in my email boxes. Who has that many unread anyway?!
8. I may or may not have read 15 books thus far to Klayton for the summer reading program.
9. I may or may not be jealous of the tan my child is getting while I only continue to get sunburned.
10. I may or may not want to use my final thought just to say, Happy Tuesday!

Summer Fun in the Heat

Today I was asked by someone if they could do a guest post for me to share some tips for traveling with kids this summer. Well, that got me thinking that it would be fun to do a little Summer Series every Friday for the rest of June! So, to get things rolling I will start!

Last year, March of 2012 to be exact, we were in Oklahoma City. While there we decided to walk around Lake Hefner as someone (my brother!) told us it was a 4 mile walk-we could handle that! As we started walking we overheard someone say it was actually 6 miles...we were already at mile marker 3 so we figured it was safe to keep pressing on! That 4 mile walk ended up being more like 10! We completed the walk in the afternoon when the sun was at its highest, without sunblock, pushing a 17 month old in his stroller! When we got back to our van we were all hot and a little flush. Unfortunately, as the night progressed Klaytons face seemed to get redder and redder. On Sunday we were visiting a church and a nurse asked me if Klayton had sun poisoning?! So...I went to google and yep it was sun poisoning-talk about a bad mommy moment!
So, this summer we are going to do our best to avoid those kind of bad mommy moments!



The 4 S's!

1. SUNBLOCK!
When you know you and your kiddos are going to be in the sun, especially to go swimming make sure you lotion your kiddos up at least 10 minutes before going out!
Reapply every 80 minutes when swimming and reapply after toweling off!

2. STAY HYDRATED!
Playing in the sun usually causes sweat and just being in the heat can wear a person down physically. So, it really is best to have a bottle of cool water to sip on while you play!

3. Sunglasses!



It really is wise to sport some cool shades to protect your eyes! Besides, early prevention just might keep those crow feet away longer! And if you are not going to sport sunglasses, consider a hat!

4. STAY COOL!
While it is fun to send the kiddos outside to play, remember sometimes it really is just too hot to play outside. So be sure to find some great indoor activities for days like that!
If the kiddos are going to be out in the heat,dress them accordingly. Light, loose clothing that will not attract even more heat!



**I am by no means a medical professional and I only wrote 4 simple things to remember! Just practice being smart in the heat and you will avoid a lot of trouble!**

Ten on Tuesday

1. Hello Tuesday! Can I come up with 9 more random thoughts? We shall see folks, we shall see...
2. Dear Mom, you can thank me later for getting you addicted to Candy Crush Saga; but don't feel obligated to text me in the night what level you have made it to! Love, Me!
3. Dad, I did not introduce you to Candy Crush Saga so you will just have to blame Mom for that one!
4. What do you think of my new blog design? It had been awhile since a good updating, I think I like it!
5. Our summer reading program has begun at the library.I took Klayton to get books this morning and of course they were all about dogs!
6. Am I the only one who dreads cooking in the summer heat?
7. Today I went to the gas station to buy a 12 pack of pop. The cashier said that if I bought a 2nd it was like 1/2 price; but I didn't have enough cash. I told her I would just pass on it and she told me to go get another one and she would take care of it! What a sweet blessing!
8. This may or may not be considered strange; but Klayton likes to drink steak sauce right from the bottle! We open the fridge and he is found trying to sneak a drink...no clue where this like for steak sauce came from!
9. I baked these cookies last night and they are already gone!

Source: dessertnowdinnerlater.blogspot.com via Kendra on Pinterest

10. It may or may not have taken me all day to come up with the above random thoughts. Nonetheless, it is accomplished and I hope you had a Happy Tuesday!

Water Baby

When Klayton was six months old we took him swimming for the first time. I remember holding him on my shoulder as I knelt into the water. A few minutes had passed when all of a sudden Joseph was rebuking me for not being careful as Klayton's face was all wet. So, I tried to be EVEN more careful and yet it happened again! We soon realized that Klayton was putting his own face in the water! We could not believe it! He would dip his head in and then lift it with a huge smile on his face!



To this day, Klayton still remains a water baby! He loves being in water, bath time he spends an hour at least in the tub! And now this summer just across the street we discovered a FREE KIDDIE POOL! We discovered this treasure on Friday and have been there everyday since! Its been SO nice because we have been able to use it all by ourselves!



I know where we will be catching some rays this summer...at the FREE KIDDIE POOL! Woohoo!

A Day in the Mud

I am SO thankful that we live in an area that has so many great FREE stuff to do! I really don't like spending money on activities that we don't really know how long Klayton will maintain interest in! About 15-20 minutes from us is the Dillon's Nature Center! We just "discovered" it last week and will be visiting often this summer!
Today we took Klayton to their "mud pit"!

What boy doesn't love mud?

Klayton spent his time digging...

Getting water to make more mud...you can never have enough mud!

We spent a good hour playing in the dirt and I enjoyed having the time to just sit back and enjoy watching my little guy get dirty on purpose!

Wordless Wednesday-1st Snow Cone

10 on Tuesday

1. Last night I made homemade French fries for the 1st time. So, yes that means I peeled the potato, sliced it, seasoned and fried them myself.
2. We also pulled the grill out for the first time this summer, the burgers were yummy!
3. Ants, I have an ant problem in my kitchen. Help!
4. Today has been a very long day and that is no exaggeration!
5. Add another injury to the growing list for Klayton. This time it was a busted lip. Poor guy.
6. It's official, once I get a lil extra money I'm going to start selling Scentsy!
7. Thankful for good friends in my life who pray and are there for my family.
8. I've been dealing with an on again, off again tooth ache. Once I announce that I'm taking myself to the dentist, you will know it's serious-I hate the dentist.
9. I confess, I've spent 2 days coming up with random thoughts for this post...
10. Well, off to bed I go. Hoe you had a happy Tuesday!