Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We had a blast at Thanksgiving. We headed up the hill to Grandpa & Grandma Cavey's, for dinner. The whole family was there, armed with FOOD, hugs, & enough laughter to make your side hurt! The three siblings are too much together! Throw in some spouses, and crazy kiddos you have a recipe for side-splitting laughter! We have so much to be thankful for. My heart was so touched looking around at my family. There is a sticker I saw once that captures these moments:

"We may not have it all together,

but together we have it all!!"

Nicholas getting brave with his Uncle Aaron

One little 'turkey" in the air!

One "ham" in the air!

One princess in the air!

And they all come tumblin' down!!!

Silly cousins ~ Ashleigh & Abbie

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Enjoy your turkeys!!!

Goin' Back

Luke Measuring Up!

Goin' back pretty much encompassed our day, here at the Abshires. It was our first day goin' back to school, which starts our fall routine. Summers seem to get shorter and shorter as the children get older. I know this time is coming about a week before it is actually here. A somber cloud sits right over our home, okay, actually just over me, the week before my babies head back to school. I even add salt to the wound by visiting the Pioneer Woman's website on homeschooling. Papa just shakes his head at my melancholy mood. He has just learned to live through this "week before". So the day is here when they are goin' back to school. Papa likes to stay home on this day to take them to school. I have a funny suspicion that he likes to keep an eye on his attachment-disordered wife. Whatever the reasoning is, we all love that he is here and part of our morning. We both have our jobs on this "goin' back" morning. I get breakfast together, pack the lunches, do hair....he measures the children, makes sure they have backpacks and lunches, and herds them out the door. Off to school we go!

Kayanna is getting so tall.



Abbie had a big growth spurt this year.

The girls are so excited to return to school. To see their friends they don't get to see over the summer, meet their new teachers, and to get back to a routine. They could hardly sleep last night. Needless to say, they don't have attachment-disorders! I am glad they enjoy their little school. It makes this transition so much easier on the Mama.

Kayanna with Mrs. Knox - 3rd Grade

Kayanna can’t wait to see her classroom and hug on her new teacher. That’s my girl! She meets her teacher, barely lets Mama snap my traditional photo, and dashes to the playground to see her friends. Oh, okay baby, don’t worry about your Mama’s heart that is breaking! You just run off like you have been freed from prison!!!

Abbie with Mr. Cranfill - 6th Grade

All righty then…..off to Abbie’s class. It is weird to see how quiet my spirited Abbie can be on her first day. She quietly finds her desk and checks out who is in her group. There are 20 boys to 10 girls in this class; so finding that female close to you brings an extra measure of comfort, in this classroom of testosterone. It is crazy to think that she is going to be in junior high next year. Okay, we will stop there! **Deep breath…..exhale**





Abbie & Ellie



In all the chaos of going to the different classrooms and chatting with teachers and classmates, we lose track of Luke. We know where he is.....playing in the kindergarten playground, like he does every year. The other parents probably think he is a classmate of their child; riding the bikes, going down the slide, and talking with the other kids. Not a stinkin’ chance! He is hangin’ out with Mama another couple years. Yes, we have already noted the attachment disorder in this post. We need not visit the issue again. I have two years to prepare for his departure to school. That should be plenty of time to deal with things! Yeah, right!!!!

A boy about his toys!

So with girls off to school and Papa off with locksmith jobs, Luke and Mama head home to our routine. Luke has no problem with the girls goin' back to school. He has so much to do, explore, and play with, without anyone getting in his way. Mama has plenty to do as well. This first day always goes so quickly. I manage to squeeze in lunch with my two favorite men before picking the girls up. I love hearing all about their day. It is a battle for air time for the next hour.

So begins our goin’ back season!

Goin’ back to school.

Goin’ back to friends.

Goin’ back to homework.

Goin’ back to a much needed exercise routine for Mama!

Goin’ back to Bible study & the ladies I love studying His Word with.

Goin’ back to more structure, which I thrive on.

As the day ends, I sit in my rocking chair on the front porch watching a dozen neighborhood kids play in the yard. My heart is warmed by the laughter and carefree spirit that surrounds me. There is no goin’ back to these days once they are gone, so I sit & soak it up! Life is precious! 



Magic Mountain with Papas

Reward Trip for BBQ ticket sales!  Way to go Abs!

Red vs Blue

Aaron, my baseball-crazed man, got a fabulous opportunity that he wasn't about to pass up. For him that would be a win-win situation when it comes to “the game”. For this native Buckeye, it would be the Reds (Ohio) vs. the Dodgers (California)! The opportunity arose for great seats to watch the Reds vs. the Dodgers, in LA. He snatched them, we jumped into the car, (Note: I was a very good passenger ~ see Wild Rides), and we enjoyed a fabulous, action filled, spirited game this evening. There is NEVER a dull game with my man around.
Check out our view! Wow!!

Dodger Town & Wild Rides

My man loves the game of baseball. He isn’t just a nonchalant spectator but a serious lover of the game! He will go at any given opportunity. Well tonight was one of those opportunities. He had four tickets in some awesome seats for a Dodger game. We called up our buddies the Cobbs and made a date. Grandma Kay was available to babysit the grandchildren & off we went.
There is just something about being at a ballgame. The crowd, the energy, the Dodger dogs……. We had a blast. The game was excellent and had you on your feet several times. I love games like that! Stand up sit down fight, fight, fight……oops, wrong sport! Take me out to the ball game……that is more like it! :D
So as we head home from LA, I have learned to just hold on, sit back & SHUT UP when my man is driving! He knows what he is doing, so let him drive woman! I just pray I am living right and we get home safe! ;-P
Well, Aaron's driving was not the only exciting part of our trip home. We call to check on the children and find out about another wild ride that happened. Can you guess……….
Yep, Hope! Somehow she managed to run over herself in the golf chart at Mom’s. We will save the “fabulous” (there is that word again) details for another post ~ see Adventures of Indestructible Hope!!! We will tease you with a picture of the shirt she was wearing when the ride took place!

WOW, is all I can say!

My Man & His Game

Aaron loves baseball & softball. In his own words, he has loved "the game" forever. I refuse to share our story of his autographed drawing of Johnny Bench. We are NOT going there. This post is about my man & his love for the game. This year he is in not one league, but two and happy as can be. The only thing that makes him happier is his bride making it to his games. Last weekend was far too crazy for me to make his games (see Mission Possible post). Things lined up for me to make a game of his today, which made his day. I was the proud wife snapping shots of my man at his game.

My man coaching first base.

An outstanding double to right field.


This is how I got to watch the game...just kidding.
We all had a blast.

Funny Conversations

As parents, you will have those funny conversations that just have you in stitches for days. Today it was Hopie's turn to crack us up. I will leave names out to protect the innocent!

Hope: Is that_________?
Papa: No Hope, that isn't__________.
Hope: Well it looks like him.
Papa: It isn't Hope.
Hope: How do you know?
Papa: ______ is not that skinny.
Hope: Papa, are you calling him the "f "word?!
Aaron & I just lose it at this point. Hopie has no idea what she just said.
Papa: No Baby. Papa DID NOT just call ______ the "f" word.

**The "f" word in this dialogue is "fat". Fat is a big word when your first grader is learning to read.
Oh my, what a life! We are so thankful that Hopie has no clue what she said.

In For A Storm

Talk a about a day filled with sweetness & surprises,

this was that kind of day!

It started off sweet. A counter full of loved ones eating some awesome cinnamon rolls, thanks to Pioneer Woman.

So yummy! I believe I just gained a pound revisiting this post.

These were some pretty sweet boys. Luke's buddy, Elijah, stayed with us this weekend.

Then it began.......a storm blew it. I am talking about the kind of storm that blows Mary Poppins in with it, along with cold weather, clouds, lighting & thunder, high winds, torrential rains, & freezing hail. I kept looking for Mary Poppins to float on in but she was nowhere to be found. What is up with that?
It started slowly at first. The children wanted to experience the hail, which is rare for us. So we let them jump.

We were good parents, or so we will tell you that, and pulled them off the trampoline when lighting & thunder started. We aren't crazy, ya know. We enjoyed the storm from the comforts of our front porch.

Here are some of the results of this crazy storm.

Okay, forget the front yard. We looked out back.

Soooooo not cool. The next storm that blew in was hurricane Aaron. It blew for a couple hours as my amazing man pump hundreds of gallons of water out of the yard, garage, & our weight room.

I sat and watched from the comforts of my bay window. This storm needed no help out there....trust me, I asked! I bet he was wishing Mary Poppins would have floated in about this time and snapped those sweet fingers of hers. He was NOT finding the "element of fun" in his task that must be done!

So we weathered both storms and embraced the rest of the day. My man built a wonderful & peaceful fire for his family & dog.

We spent hours playing Horse-opoly! Of course Mama won! Silly girls thought I'd give up a good horse. What were they thinkin'?!

What a crazy, wacky, sweet, & peaceful day all wrapped up together.
Happy Trails!

Where's Papa?

Papa: "I am not Papa......I am Aqua Man!!!"

Mama: "My Hero!!!!!"

A New View From Our Old Home

I procrastinated as long as my patient but irritated man would let me. We have been talking about getting new windows, for this old home, for many years. I was comfortable with the talking part, it was the action part that I drug my feet on. I was attached to the old windows. I even made curtains to compliment them. I knew we need to get more efficient windows, but I just couldn't part with the original ones. After much debating in our home, sometimes louder than others, we came to a decision. I found a window that matched very closely with the original windows.

It was crazy how fast Aaron, Rob, & Jim (Rob's dad) installed thoses puppies. We have NEVER been able to open the windows in the living room, and the girl's window had a lovely family of termites dwelling there. So we are thrilled with our purchase, the look, and the lack of cold & noise the new windows provide. All of them are open right now........I love my new windows!

Valentine's Day

I came across a quote that has just stayed with me regarding men & women. It seemed appropriate to share it for Valentine's Day.

"Sometimes when a woman falls for a guy, she [asks him to change], and he changes so much that she loses her Huck Finn, the rascal in the man she fell in love with. Men are willing to change to make you happy -- but don't completely take the boy out of the man. You're gonna miss him." ~Matthew McConaughey

This is so true. I have seen it.....heck, I have lived it. I married a Huck Finn almost 16 years ago. He would do anything for me. I have grown to love, appreciate, and respect that "Huck Finn" of mine.

I love him so.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Whatcha' Cookin' Now Pizzaman

Adventures in Pizza continue in our home

Luke is Papa's Sous-Chef, 2nd in command of the pizza kitchen!

This particular pizza is a buffalo wing pizza.

Aaron made everything from scratch!

Here it is!

There it went....into our bellies. Along with some help from thankful neighbors, who we called, due to the fact that Derek LOVES wings!