A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

Creating a Southpaw

Rylen is doing great with his cast and is doing everything with his left hand. Jeremy and I tease that this may be the only way we get a southpaw in the family. The only problem that we are having is that he is FILTHY!! He has had tons of washcloth baths but they just don't seem to work. Tonight we are going to try saran wrap and see if that will keep the water out. Otherwise, this kid is gonna be D-I-R-T-Y by June 1!!!

Rylen's Broken Arm

Well, Rylen has become the latest victim here at our humble abode. He has a broken arm and it is probably from being hit with something, which in our house corresponds to a baseball bat. The x-rays show that it has already started to heal and looks like it has been that way for a couple of weeks. He didn't start complaining about it until Friday and Sunday we took him to a friend's house to have a quick look since we could feel a bump. He is such a tough little guy! He just watched everything today at the doctor's office and smiled the whole time they were putting the cast on, and even said "Thank", which means thank you and waved bye as we were leaving. He hasn't slowed down at all and he even drew a little bit on his cast after I signed it for him. Here is a picture of him "saying cheese".

I am sure this is just his first baseball injury out of many. Seeing that he can't use his right hand...think this will make him a Southpaw??

This is what he was doing Friday, and again today, before we went to the doctor. Playing just like he normally does, like nothing was wrong. Now that's one tough kid!! Must take after his Momma!! Ha ha!! :)

Zachary

The Yanks beat the Astros 10-0 in this game. Zachary had some great hits and was fast on the bases. Way to go "Crazy Legs"!

Up to bat...He sure was a hitter this year!!

In the field...

He only took this one because I said it for his dad!!

Folk Festival Fun

We visited the Sam Houston Folk Festival on Friday with some of our MOPS and Homeschooling friends and had a great time. The festival is usually packed with 4th graders that come in from a couple of hours away but this time there wasn't anyone there. The swine flu cleared it out for us! It was so nice not having to deal with crowds and the kids had fun not having to wait and being able to go where they wanted. They learned about the kinds of guns they used, how to make fire, what they used certain animals for, how to saw wood and so much more. I think the biggest hits were probably the face painting and the swords, guns and umbrellas they bought. You know, those modern-day things!

Rylen...Here we go in the stroller, again! He is such a good sport!!

Waiting to go in...Some ladies thought we were a daycare. ;o ha ha!!

Learning about how and what they used the sheep and longhorn for.

Learning how to make fire. Watch out Suzy, you have way more room for them to do this at your house than mine!

"Are they doing what I think they're doing?" Rylen wasn't sure about what he was seeing!!

Mountain men that we came across.

Learning about the different guns they used. They all enjoyed holding the guns. They were so heavy that Joshua and Codey had trouble holding them with one hand.

Part of our group. Some of the Winston's, Riley's and Allen's, plus Ethan.

Frugal Friday

So, it was once said that I had champagne taste. If you have known me for more than 5 or 6 years you will know that that statement is definetly true. However, I have learned that I can have champagne taste, I just don't always have to have the champagne. With that said, this is my Frugal Friday freebie to you. This week Codey and I ventured into the arena to make our own homemade laundry soap. That's right...Jeremy chuckled and gave me one of those looks when I first mentioned it, and then when he saw that we had actually done it, he laughed. But we have been using the soap for a week now and our clothes smell great and have a lighter feel to them. Now, that may be my imagination but that is my story and I am sticking to it! Here is the recipe we used. It made about 10-12 lbs. of powder laundry soap and only takes 1 Tbsp. per full load of laundry. You can make a smaller batch with one bar and one cup of each of the other ingredients. Keep it in a tightly sealed container. I add a little bit of white vinegar to the rinse cycle as our fabric softener. The white vinegar is also great for helping to keep the hoses in your washing machine clean. This is definetly much cheaper than buying the laundry soap and much better for our machine and our skin. 10 bars of Ivory soap (Grate with a cheese grater or cut into small chunks and grind in a mini-chopper. We did both and preferred the cheese grater.) 10 cups Borax 10 cup Washing Soda (The only store I could find this at in Huntsville was Kroger, right by the Borax.) My next frugal freebie is this great, light meal that we made on Tuesday. It is protein and nutrient packed, so easy and takes very minimal time. The best part...it is cheap!! This whole meal cost about $11.00 to make and it feeds our family of 7 with leftovers! The leftovers are enough for a side dish at some other point in the week or for 2 lunch meals. That means we ate for just $1.22 each! Chicken Pasta Salad 1 bag of spiral noodles (cost aprox. $1.59) Cook according to package. 1 16 oz. bag frozen mixed veggies (cost .99) For the best value use veggies in your garden! Add these to the chicken once it is fully cooked. They just need to be warm. 1 bottle italian dressing (cost .89) For a zestier taste ust a Tuscan dressing. Toss 1/3-2/3 of the bottle of dressing in with all of the other ingredients once they are cooked. 1 bag boneless skinless chicken breast (cost 5.99) I marinate the chicken in 1/3 bottle of dressing for 30 minutes- all day depending on my schedule. Then all I have to do is cut up the chicken and cook it in some evoo on the stove-top before adding to the other ingredients. Toss everything together and serve! Now add on the side: 1 loaf french bread (cost .89 from the day old rack) Usually I add some bananas, apples slices or strwaberries on the side for a "dessert". YUMMY!!

Nonna & Poppy

My parents came home Thursday and made a surprise visit to Huntsville to see Brogan and Joshua play in their ball games. The kids were very excited since they did not know that they had come back from San Antonio. Brogan's team tied and Joshua's team won so it was a good night for all. Thanks Nonna & Poppy for making the trip!!! We know you had lots of other stuff to be doing. Love you guys!!

Our Softball Girl is Back!!

Brogan was back in action last night as she played in her first game since she hurt her finger. She did great and had fun being back playing with her team and not sitting the bench. Her team won the Family Fun day tournament they were in this past Saturday and after last night's tie they are now 9-0-1 with only 2 weeks left to play! They have great coaches and team moms that help them have fun and do their best!!!