~E~M~I~L~Y~~G~R~A~C~E~

Sweet sweet Emily! Today she turns 13. She is a teenager. She is an young adult and she is a beautiful young lady. Here are 13 things about our sweet girl.

1. When Jamie was a baby she called her "MeMe" It stuck. I still call her that.
2. Her middle name is Grace. It suits her perfectly.
3. She plays violin and piano.
   
4. She is a wonderful artists. Her baby dragons are so round and cuddly I could hug them.
5. Her sweet disposition is a joy to all of us.
6. She loves her huge oversized Golden Retriever/ Lab mix.
7. She reads anything she can and she reads fast.
8. She likes her school work.
9. *At the age of two she proudly talked about all the things her "other mother" would let her do. (Ex. Stay up late, eat ice cream before bed, watch TV)
10. When she was three our friends loved to ask her what her name was, she always replied "Emily". And then when asked her name, "3"
11. Again at the age of two, she acquired a small wart on her thumb. When the tree men came to remove a tree in our yard, she proudly introduced herself by holding up her thumb and proclaiming, "I have a wart!"
12. When she was 8 she made a canning jar into a piggy bank and gave it to our grandfather. When asked what he was supposed to do with it she replied, "Fill it up and give it back!"
13. She has a sweet, gentle, and loving spirit. The man who wins her hand and heart has won a treasure.

I love you MeMe,
Jessica

Mother in the making

How can a mother ever explain the love she has for the child who made her a mother? I can remember when Jessica was born and this incredible love that just swept over me. All the feminists of the world have lied when they tell a generation of women that any moment in a career can be better than the moment you and your husband bring a living soul into this world.

To say I had zero idea what I was doing when I had Jessica would be to overestimate my abilities. I was raised to dream of a career, and so I was unprepared for the sacrificial roll as a mother that God had planned for me. I read and I struggled. I listened to Christian speakers, and I sought Christian fellowship. And God... That is what all my children must know... that I struggled and GOD did an amazing work in each of them in spite of me.

So I have Jessica, who is God's grace in my life. She is a leader to a big family of siblings, and they love her. She is kind and compassionate. She is patient when her parents are not. She is quiet and shows wisdom beyond her years.

Jessica has been able to read since very early, and she is the one who can say to me, "Mommy, I don't think this book is appropriate."

When I was on complete bed rest with twins Jessica was one. She was so sweet and so understanding. When I had a nursing baby and 2 year old twins, she would put them to bed at nap time and teach them songs she learned at Sunday School.

Jessica may not tell the jokes and pull the pranks Erin does, or try the crazy things Rachel and Erin and Emily will, but she is a strength in this mother's life. For that I am thankful.

~The Loving Mother~

Rachel, Rachel, Rachel

Yes, I have 6 daughters, and they are most eager that I write about each of them. Up now, I have Rachel - Erin's twin (by birth only). Rachel is my second born, and many say she is the only one that looks like her mother! Sorry Rach! Erin and she are the most different of any of our kids.

Rachel is definitely her own person. She goes in to the craft room and whips up a skirt which she designed. She knits and crochets and is the one who saves all of our projects when we drop or skip a stitch. She can grow an incredible garden of flowers and works tirelessly in her garden.

This is my daughter with as many interests as I have. The only difference is she is not reserved about trying something new. Where fear of failure would have held me back, I see that Rachel can do so much because she is willing to try so much. God has given Rachel an ability to enjoy the world.

Her greatest gift to our family is her incredible work ethic. Rachel will come in to the kitchen and just start putting away dishes or cutting fruit or any of the numerous things that need to be done. She quietly and quickly gets a job done.

She can beat any of us at any sport, but she especially likes to trounce us at running and soccer.

The funniest moments are when I see her respond to her daddy the same way I do. He mutters something about having two of us in the house now, but he says it in a way that we all know he loves Rachel's cut and dry view of the world! Then he says something about having a long talk with her future husband!

~The Loving Mother~

The Film Festival of 2010

You and your family are invited to join us in the

The
Plants and Pillars Film Festival
of 2010!




What?
A Film Festival is basically a film contest. You make a film and the judges decide who qualifies for which prizes.

Why?
First, because it is so much fun to make a film of any kind. Second, because you should never miss the opportunity to enter a contest!

When?
The Contest starts now and the Plants and Pillars Film Festival (that is the Award Ceremony) will be held later in the year.

Who?
Anybody! Be creative with what you make!! (We are even excepting slideshows) And have fun!

How?
To join and read more visit our website... www.plantsandpillarsproductions.com

Hope to see you there,

Jessica and film crew!


Additions: When you enter you receive free tickets for you and your whole family.

Jessica Turns 16!!!

Shiloh you are so right we MUST do a post on Jess but for now here is a picture seeing as how I am supposed to be helping make her birthday dinner.
-Erin


I removed the previous picture
Jess

"all 'da sweet tators'"

Here we are harvesting all our sweet tators! We got about 150. Maybe more? I am not sure, but it was wonderful! Who has enjoyed the harvesting this year?

Land Between the Lakes!! Part 2

The loom was enormous! How many of you think of something this big when you think of a loom? I don't!

A charming photo!

Big beautiful horse!

Those horses were sweet and huge! I loved seeing them!

I love this! Erin got this great shot of Sarah and her favorite animal!

I love the way the house slopes down to the yard. This was a cabin in the pioneer farm we toured!

This was a really funny story! We payed 5 dollars to drive for an hour through the "bison prarie"! Did we see a bison? NO! Then the next day we are out driving and we see 42 for FREE!!!!

These girls are hunting for the coons that stole our hot dog buns!

We had the best time! I am trying to get photos up, but Blogger is not cooperating! Bear with me here!

Anyway we had a great time with our friends!

More later!

ANNIVERSARY!

HAPPY 19TH ANNIVERSARY MOMMY AND DADDY!

WE ARE SERVING THEM DINNER RIGHT NOW SO PICTURES WILL COME LATER...!

CONGRATULATIONS ARE WELCOME!

Guess!

What movie is this from? Tell us!

Water Park!

a


At trip to a water park in the middle of summer can be a real treat! Especially if you go with some really good friends! We went to a water park near us with our sweet friends the Boyds! (I would make their name a link like all the cool people do, but because I lack that talent here is just their link! http://seedstosew.blogspot.com/)

We had a whole lot of fun! They have nine and we have eight so all together there were seventeen kids! What fun!





More photos later...


What we are up to!!!

Just to let you all know what we are doing! We are filming a movie. It is set in the American Revolution! We are having so much fun! We are having a family reunion this weekend, but after that there will be photos on the garden and all the canning we have done! See ya then!

Why we love the South!

A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.

If it grows, it'll stick ya. If it crawls, it'll bite cha.

'Onced' and 'Twiced' are words.

It is not a shopping cart, it's a buggy.(Amen)

People actually grow and eat okra. (At least I do!)

'Fixinto' is one word.

There is no such thing as 'lunch.' There is only dinner and then there is supper.

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you're two.
We do like a little tea with our sugar! (Amen)

Backwards and forwards means, 'I know everything about you.'

The word 'jeet' is actually a phrase meaning, 'Did you eat ?'

You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work
until you're done or it's too dark to see.

You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH EM.

You measure distance in minutes.

You switch from heat to A/C in the same day.

You know what a 'DAWG' is.

You carry jumper cables in your car --- for your OWN car.

You only own five spices: salt, pepper, Texas Pete, Tabasco and Ketchup.

You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.

You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit 'a bit warm.'

You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas.

Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time known as 'goin' to Wally World.'

You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good stew weather.

Fried catfish is the other white meat. (I like squirrel better, but that’s just me)

When mothers teach their young children phonics, they explain how the ‘g’ in some words is sometimes silent. For example: fishin, huntin, tresspassin, eatin,--the list goes on.

While ya’ll is the proper contraction for you all, the contraction for “did ya’ll” is “jaw”. Example: “Jaw see that buck?”

A wallago is not an animal that lives in Australia, it is a phrase meaning a little while ago. Example: "Naw, I didn't see it, but I did wallago."

If you don’t fix collard greens and black-eyed peas at least on New Year’s, you might as well be shot.

Every young girl should know how to make Brunswick stew. If she don’t, she ain’t fit to marry.

You get beef jerky in your stocking at Christmas.

You own at least two pets that bear the name “Dixie”

I got this from Dixie Farm Girl...Why I Love Georgia.

Swimming Fun

A Friends pool is our saving grace this summer!