Do you make memories with your children and family? Memories that will last a life time that they will cherish when they have their own children. I was thinking this morning of a time when my Dad, was addicted to Waffle House coffee. On Saturday mornings he would yell out, “Who is coming to Waffle House with me”. Mind you this was at 4 am. Back then I remember thinking, “you have got to be kidding me”. Yet the times when I did go, I loved it. It was time with just me and my Dad and the other crazy 4 am coffee drinkers. Everyone that came into Waffle House knew his name. We would all chat and laugh and I would get a handful of quarters to play songs on the jukebox. It is a fond memory for me.

My Dad & Sugar Plum Fairy (Making Memories)

I was reading a blog recently about as a family they go out to eat once a week at the same restaurant. Actually here is the post, My Home Sweet Home. Just had to give you the link, she is a good read. The point I loved about this post was community. They are making memories with their family but they are also building lifetime friendships and bonds. So many times nowadays we get caught up with ways not to make friendships, (twitter, facebook, google+, tv, smartphones, blogs, email, texting, etc.) or build communities face to face. It almost feels like this generation is losing the art of communicating face to face, even with family.

Take the time to spend quality time with your family, friends, children, parents, strangers each week. People is where life is lived. Where bonds are formed and memories are forged. In fifty years, heck 10 years, are you going to remember that facebook status or are you going to remember that time with that guy and the thing that brings a smile to your face.

What ways do you spend quality time with your family? How do you build community? Me and my bunch have a day of the week that we have family night. As for community, that is something I want to start. I would love to begin a weekly or bimonthly time where we meet in the same place at the same time and with friends and family where we bond, share, and play.

I am writing this post as much for me as I am for you. I write this thinking do I have the time? And, then I think in my wee little brain. What does God say? Time is like the mist. It is fleeting. With that fleeting time I need to spend it wisely. Other than God, people are the most important thing on this planet. Telling them about God, showing God’s love and compassion to them. If we do not take and make time for the people in our lives and the strangers on this planet how can we ever be called children of God ourselves. My mission and only mission as His child is to love and obey Him. Part of obeying Him is reaching out to others. Reaching out is not preaching to them. It is showing them His love. Being a friend in need, a hand to help, a smile, a hug, an ear. By building a community where I can spend time with others can also lead me to be there when people need God’s love. I would love to start a community that may start with friends and family but where those friends and family can and will feel comfortable to bring their friends and family and that community grows.

So, for the next 30 days, I am going to pray and write about ways to make time in my life for others. I am hoping that with God’s help I can start building that community.

It is a sure bet that one of the proudest days in an enlisted individual’s naval service is the date on which a first class petty officer dons the uniform and is accepted into the Chief Petty Officer community. At this time, the PO1′s leadership and professional abilities are recognized by superiors. These qualities continue to be honed with experience and maturity until retirement.

On April 1st, 1893, the grade of Chief Petty Officer was established.

On September 16, 2011 – My brother was promoted to Chief Petty Officer.

We are all proud of you!

We went to a wedding recently and I got the chance to take a few pics of the kids. I had to tell this quick story. My husband’s cousin has a beautiful little girl and as we walked into the reception she said to her mommy, “Mom, who is that princess?” She was talking about my daughter Sugar Plum Fairy. So here are the two of them after discovering each other!

How, absolutely precious was that?!

Now, Little Old Man couldn’t be outdone, therefore he played the ninja/vogue/silly card…

and…

Hee Hee, I love him!

110 degree temps and we decided to travel even closer to the equator. It was well worth it, because the company was grand. But, as the pictures will tell, we didn’t do much out in the blazing sun.

Our first morning, Aunt Summer and Little Old Man peacefully relaxing in the sumo bean bag chair.

Later, we head to town and the kids decided that it was just to exhausting to lounge at home that they must then snooze in the truck.

Yep, even the one who never sleeps partook.

Now, I must introduce my brothers oldest (the youngest being still in the womb at this time), Miss Lilypad. As she sits in her bucket nibbling on a pickle and contemplating life.

And, finally our host, my sister (in-law). As she snuggles with a sleeping Smiley.

I love to name the characters in my life that frequently or infrequently appear in my blog. So far we have…
Me – Lady of the barn
My hubby – Geek Adonis
Oldest – Little Old Man
Middle – Sugar Plum Fairy
Youngest – Smiley
My oldest brother – Doc
Other brother – Chief

I listed these because I need your help with a new character. My sister (in law) in MS. She reminds me of a iconic 40′s silver screen beauty. Flawless skin, raven hair, and a great personality to boot.

Help me figure out a name for her please! If you do and I pick your suggestion then I will send you a gift certificate for $20 to fandango.com. (Name will be picked on Monday, August 22nd.)

Is everyone watching the last NASA launch? I so wish I was there. I have friends and family there and many other fellow bloggers. I like many of you will be watching vicariously through others.

My Dad is one of the very lucky few that will be up close and personal. He got the opportunity of going in with a TV crew to watch and document the launch.

Isn’t he just the dashing giant? (Like my Genius brother pointed out, he is and will always be a giant to me.)

Speaking of Mr. Genius, he led me to a website that you might want to check out quickly, today is the last day – you can have your picture possibly sent up with others on today’s launch. The site is through NASA and its the Face in Space Program.

Jenn over at Daze of Adventure, just posted a quick video of her at the NASA tweetup site. She shows some background pictures of the area where she is.

I will hopefully be posting some more pictures soon (through my Dad) of the launch.

Happy Watching! Launch time is 11:26 am EDT – eastern standard time.

~If you want to watch the launch, NASA casts it live at NASA.gov

When you were little did you ever take a bath in an old wash tub? I did, and to me they were fond memories. In one of the many houses we lived in growing up, one of them was an old 100 year old farm house that needed many renovations. Well, during one of those times, Mom let us take a bath in a metal wash tub in the kitchen. I haven’t done that with my kids in our kitchen, but they have been in one outside. During these 90 to 100+ degree days it is nice for them to get to play in the water. Plus, we do not get to make it to the pool very often. To make it more fun we add a small fountain and bubbles to the water.

This is a very easy way for your kids to bathe themselves in the middle of the day, plus bathe their toys, and makes mustaches out of bubbles.

Older cousins enjoy it very much too!

All, you need is a wash tub, small pond pump from a hardware store (local hardware store, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.), pvc, and a way to hold the pvc to the side of the tub. (and, a bucket to throw water on your siblings) We used this arrangement…

A small metal fitting and an all-in-one bracket. The bracket bent easily to hang the pvc on the side of the tub.

Next time, I think we might add food coloring to the water… (its the small things)

Do I really live in a Barn? This is one of the most asked questions of my readers. I have been putting off this post, because I so wanted to pretty up the barn and make it look great before anyone saw it on here. I finally came to the conclusion it could take till the kids leave home before I get a chance to make it look great, but I thought well even then, we might actually at that point get to do some of the major renovations we want to do at that time. So, I realized that if you are going to see my life in a barn, you might as well see it as it really is day to day. I am definitely not Martha!

A Brief History

Our house was originally a horse barn that my dad built with the idea of having horse clinics there. It was used as such for a few years. After a time the above area where most barns store hay, was renovated into an apartment for cowgirls and cowboys to have a place to bed down when they came to visit and take classes at the clinic. After years of use the ole cowpoke who taught the clinics moved on and the barn was abandoned to used equipment and storage. My dad decided after a bit to renovate some of the downstairs into a living space and rent it out. After a few different families lived in the barn it was passed down to me and my husband three years ago and we have since made it our home. We hope to continue to renovate and change it bit by bit, yet keep it looking like the barn it has always been.

Here is the side (right side) that most have seen just from the heading of my website.

This is the front of the house (me and sugar plum fairy in the entrance).

This is part of the back of the house, with two of our additions to the house. The flower garden and the wood burning stove. You can see the stove pipe/chimney from the back.

Here you can kind of see where the stalls used to be between each 6 x 6 pole, which is now my husbands shop. When the downstairs was renovated it was split between a shop area and a living space.

This one is a little harder to see, we were tromping through the woods behind the house one fall and took a quick shot of the back of our house. The large deck that you see upstairs, we would like to eventually make that into the master bedroom.

This one shows the left side a bit (not much to see).

This is the last one I promise. I thought this one was a good overall front view.

Perhaps, in a few years (in my family a few years can be 2 or 20, just like the other day could be last tuesday or 5 years ago), we will have new renovations or changes. I hope this answered a few of the curiosities of if I really live in a barn. If you have any other questions, please ask.

I love that my kiddos have such a good relationship with all of their grandparents. I was not close or even really knew any of my grandparents. It is so neat and wonderful to see the love and bonding that my kids get to have with their, Pop Pop, Maw Maw, Grandma, Nana, etc.

My little old man with his Pop Pop, they truly are buddies.

This is a our current favorite paper airplane. It is really simple to make and my four and two year old love flying them around the house. You start out with a regular 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.

Then, fold it in half.

Open it back up and fold down a right and left corner to the middle of the piece of paper, where you made the crease from folding it in half.

Next, take that and fold it down to where the point from the top of the paper is almost reaching the bottom. Leave about an inch between the bottom of the paper and the point.

Now, take the left and right corners again and fold them to the middle crease just like you did earlier.

Next, there should be the small point under your folds facing down toward the bottom of the paper. Take that point and fold it up and over your previous folds. This makes those previous folded corners stay down.

Now, flip it over and fold it in half.

You can leave it like this or you can fold the corners down one more time.

And, your finished airplane looks like this.

Has anyone ever heard of these guys; Thread Up, and whether or not they are reputable. I am curious, just because I do have quite a few clothes that I would love to swap or sell.