The Santa Clause and Ruby the Elf

Day 4 of our countdown to Christmas was a busy one. Madelyn had an orthodontist appointment in the morning, followed by lunch out, a trip to Wal-Mart and a trip back to the orthodontist because something came loose on her braces. By the time the other girls came home from school, all we wanted to do was watch Christmas movies and drink hot chocolate. We watched The Santa Clause while munching on candy canes for the perfect relaxing evening.

Today on Day 5, we celebrated the arrival of a new friend!

Stella has recently started asking for an Elf on the Shelf. All of her friends have them and she loves hearing about their Elf shenanigans. While I was out shopping today I decided to pick one up for her to find after school. When she got off the bus, she was super excited to tell me that Jingle the Elf arrived in her classroom today. Imagine her surprise when she came home to find an Elf of her own. She named her Ruby! We told her, she must have flown into town with Jingle. So, a new tradition is born for our family. 

Do you have an Elf on the Shelf?

Christmas Bedtime Stories

Reading with my kids has always been one of my favorite things. I've been adding books to our Christmas collection for almost twenty-five years now. So as you can imagine, we have quite a few. Although we don't only read them one night during the season, tonight we read several. Stella's favorites are the ones with sparkly illustrations! 

Decorating the Church

Decorating the church in preparation for the Christmas season is one of my favorite traditions. Our church is such a beautiful place already, but adding the holiday decor makes it magical. 

Gingerbread House Making

Happy December! 

When I look at my calendar for December, it is jam packed. While I love being busy, I also want to slow down and enjoy the holiday season. I'm really trying to focus on the little things that make Christmastime so special. So, let the countdown to Christmas begin!

On Friday evenings for the past several years, my kids have attended Kids Club at a church in our neighborhood. One of their favorite activities is the annual gingerbread house making. Of course, they do more finger licking and snacking on the building materials than actually building, but it is the most fun! Stella came home sticky and super sugared up. Ha! 

*A little tip for you mommas of little ones that want to do this fun activity: skip the traditional gingerbread house kits and get a small empty milk carton, graham crackers, frosting, and assorted candies. Building on the milk carton makes it easier for little ones to do on their own. Less frustration=more fun!

For the Love of Fall

My love for fall has never been a secret. The colors, cooler temps, fall treats, and Halloween fun are a few of my favorite things. September and October were jam packed with all things autumn!

At the end of September, my sister Diane came to visit from Texas and we had our annual fall cookout at World's End State Park, along with my sister Karen and family, our parents, and a few of our kids. It was a great day...

..just a little chilly! Aaron, Madelyn, and Stella had to cuddle to stay warm! Ha!

 A few of the cousins.

 Pop and Aaron's usual shenanigans!

Honestly, this is my favorite place to be every fall. Spending a day unplugged, with my "circus" is a day well spent!

Our next fun, fall day was Stella's school Harvest Festival. I had the pleasure of being the tattoo lady once again this year. Thankfully, it was much warmer than last year and I didn't freeze my fingers off applying temporary tattoos to all the kiddos. Days like this, give me life!

Next up, our tiny town had it's first ever Halloween Festival! There was a pumpkin decorating contest, a costume contest, and so much more. It was followed by the annual Halloween Parade and fireworks. Another great day! 

We wrapped up October with pumpkin carving and trick or treating. Although, I love me some Christmas, I really am in no hurry to let go of fall! After all, my favorite holiday has yet to come! 

Happy Fall!

Trick or Treat

Another Halloween has come and gone and it was all treats and no tricks for us! While Stella is still all in for trick or treating, Felicia and Madelyn had decided they no longer wanted to go. However, after school yesterday, they both changed their minds! A little makeup and a few props later, they were all set to go. It was a good night for all!

I hope you all had a Spooktacular Halloween too!

First Day

Ahhh! It's so quiet here!

The girls headed off to their first day of school this morning. Everyone was awake early and ready to go. We are hoping they are just as eager to get up and go back tomorrow!

Madelyn(6th),Stella(1st),Felicia(8th)

Road Trip {Animal Adventure Park}

Along with much of the world, we spent months awaiting the arrival of April the giraffe's baby. It was fun to check in every day to see how things were going and we were so excited when the day finally came. Early on, we planned to make a trip to Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY to check on April, Oliver, and Tajiri. Yesterday, my parents invited us to go with them and we were thrilled.

Giraffes have always been my favorite animal, so I couldn't wait to get up close with them. Feeding them carrots from the deck was definitely fun. Except maybe for Stella who was a little freaked out by those giant tongues!

Although the giraffes were definitely the stars of the show, we did enjoy visiting and feeding the other animals as well.

We all had such a great time and plan to go back again soon!

Vacation 2017 Myrtle Beach, SC

Ahhh, the beach=my happy place! 

We had literally been counting down the days to our vacation since the day we arrived home from the beach last year. We needed to recharge our batteries and this is the best way to do it!

We stayed at Pirateland Family Camping Resort in one of their vacation rentals. Spending the week of July 4th at the beach is the best! The weather was nice, but a bit hot so anything involving water was a good thing. We spent some time on the beach, but the majority of the time we were in the pool and lazy river.

The morning of July 4th we visited Ripley's Aquarium. We've been there a few times and always enjoy it. My parents came along with us this year and haven't been to the aquarium for several years so it was fun for the kids to show them a few things. They even touched a jellyfish!

Stella's favorite part of the aquarium is seeing "real live mermaids"!

Also on the 4th, we enjoyed a golf cart parade in the campground and fireworks on the beach.

It really was a great week and we didn't leave without making reservations for next year!

The countdown is on! 

A Few Things...

Hi there! Long time no blog!

Here are few things on my mind today.

~The last day of school was a few weeks ago and we've been enjoying the lazy days of summer. It's nice to not have to wake up with the alarm every morning. We do what we want, when we want to! Ha! 

~We haven't been completely lazy this summer. Last week, Stella and Madelyn had VBS at a church in our area. They had a great time! The church volunteers were so welcoming and energetic. Sadly, our own church isn't having VBS this year due to lack of volunteers. I'm now faced with the decision to stay at the church I've called my own my entire life or venture out and find one that focuses a little more on children (the future). It's not easy and I am praying I make the right choice.

~Recently, our neighborhood has had some new families move in adding lots more kids to our block. Several have girls around Stella's age and she loves it! For years, she felt left out because the big girls had friends close by and they didn't exactly want their kid sister hanging around with them. Seeing these little girls playing "mommy" to their "babies" in my backyard makes me smile. #juststaylittle

~This weekend we are packing up the mini van and heading to Myrtle Beach for a week. I am so excited to get away and actually spend some time with the family. Especially my workaholic hubby whom lately I've only been able to see while he sleeps. The girls have been counting down the days since we came back from vacation last year! Now if only I could get motivated to pack. 

That's all I have to say for now. I guess I can't put off packing forever!

Happy Thursday!

Bubbles

Warm and sunny days are finally upon us and we couldn't be happier! Spending evenings on the front porch with my girls and even a few extra neighborhood kids is pretty much perfect. Sometimes they toss a ball around, draw with sidewalk chalk, or blow bubbles. Because guys, you are never too old for bubbles!

I recently bought a big bubble wand and solution for my girls. I have never seen bubbles so big and the solution really makes them last a long time. I'm telling you, this thing is AWESOME! Bubble making has become a nightly thing and bonus...squeaky clean kiddos!

We are all so happy that summer is right around the corner and I am looking forward to many more bubble filled days to come. 

Happy Friday! 

*This post contains affiliate links

Our Weekend in Maryland

This winter has been a tough one. Although, for the most part, our weather has been unseasonably warm and we haven't really had much snow. However, we have had one sickness after the other and have been cooped up a lot! This past weekend, we finally got to get away and recharge a little.

A few months back, I got a message from my cousins who were planning a surprise anniversary for my aunt and uncle. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary! Their anniversary fell on the weekend of their annual trip to Maryland to watch my cousin, Erik, participate in the Deep Creek Dunk. It's a polar plunge to raise money for the Maryland Special Olympics. The plan was to rent a house for the weekend and hopefully surprise the couple!

Surprise!

When we arrived Friday the weather was beautiful! With sunshine and temps in the 70s, it was perfect!

There is just nothing better than having a house full of aunts, uncles, and cousins! Because we don't all live close to one another, getting us all together is the best. We did miss a few that were not able to make it. :(   

Friday night, we enjoyed this gorgeous view and the last of the warm weather.

Saturday was dunk day! We awoke to a cold rain and lots of wind. Still, warm by dunk standards because usually the lake is frozen over this time of year.

During the dunk, we stood in the cold wind and pouring rain. Immediately after, the rain stopped and the sun came out again. It was crazy!

Saturday evening was a surprise vow renewal ceremony officiated by my cousin, Courtney. It was beautiful!

This was truly the best weekend we have had in a long time! I was honored to be part of my Uncle Rod and Aunt Pam's special day and being surrounded by family is always a good time. Can't wait to do it again soon!

Ranch Oyster Crackers

These classic crackers are perfect for snacking and so addictive! I.Can't.Stop.

{Ingredients}

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 (1oz.)package of Ranch dressing mix

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

6 cups oyster crackers

{Directions}

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F

2. Combine oil, dressing mix, dill, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. Pour over the crackers and stir to coat. Spread crackers on a baking sheet evenly.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring gently after 10 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Seriously, so addicting! Enjoy!

Loving

Well, hello there February! January was not the most fun month for the Adams family. We spent most of it fighting off one sickness after another and generally feeling pretty crappy. Needless to say, I was so happy to flip the calendar to a new month and start fresh. Plus, I love February! It's a nice short month and one step closer to spring. Also, Valentine's Day is pretty cool! Since today is the first day of the "love" month, I thought I would share a few things I'm loving about today.

Pizza for dinner! While I really do love to cook, sometimes having someone else do it is just what I need. The coolest thing about this, back in December, Stella(6) won a free pizza a week for an entire year. Thank you very much, Stella!

Mini Valentine's cupcakes for dessert! Yum!

The Notebook! Getting cozy on the couch and watching a movie while snacking on mini cupcakes is the perfect way to spend the evening.

These are just a few things that I am loving about today. I'm also loving that we are all feeling so much better!

I hope you all are loving this first day of February too! Good night!

Winter Blahs

I can finally say that I think we are all recovering from all the crud that we've been passing back and forth this winter. The coughing is dwindling and so far, aside from Stella, the stomach bug has stayed away. But the rain and gloom have really been relentless. Gray skies are making for some very grouchy kiddos (and mom, too)! Yesterday, we had more rain in the forecast, as well as sleet and a little snow. Ugh, more time stuck inside! We decided to make cupcakes to brighten the mood a bit.

Who wouldn't be happy with a cupcake covered in M&M's? Another good mood boost came this morning when we actually had a little bit of snow and a two hour delay!

It wasn't the blizzard we've been hoping for, but it sure made everything look pretty. Finding ways to chase away the winter blahs has been quite a challenge. I think we need a mini vacation!

Down for the Count

Yesterday started with my waking to a pretty horrible headache and a bit of a queasy stomach as well. Not a good way to start the day. Of course, Mike was working late so I was on my own to get the girls up and off to school. We made it to the bus stop on time (a miracle) and soon they were on their way to school. I made my way back home and immediately hit the couch. It wasn't long before I was sound asleep. When I finally woke up, I was actually feeling much better. But, it was then that I received the dreaded call from the school nurse...Stella was vomiting. Boooo! I picked her up from school where the nurse declared, "She's the third one so far today!" We spent the rest of the day lounging around and napping. She was feeling much better by evening, but still home from school today. Hopefully, the rest of the family is spared, but that is unlikely. *fingers crossed*

Easy Two Ingredient Slime

Happy Monday! I cannot express enough how much we needed this extra day off. It turned out that Mike had the weekend off as well (which is very rare), so we just had a well earned "lazy" weekend. We spent the weekend mostly hanging out at home watching movies and football. It was perfect!

Today, the girls wanted to make one of their favorite things...slime! It's super easy! You only need 2-ingredients: liquid starch and glue. Of course, my girls like it to sparkle, so we use glitter glue.

Just mix equal parts glitter glue and liquid starch. At first it seems too runny and messy, but after a few minutes, something magical happens and it turns into slime. Honestly, I don't know how something so simple can keep these girls entertained for so long, but it works!

Stella's favorite thing to do is put a straw in the slime and blow bubbles.

So much fun!

*This post contains affiliate links.