Thanksgiving Campfire Tradition

Today is the second day of Giving Thanks, hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home. Just click on the button above to find out more.

For the second day I would like to share a tradition that began when my oldest, Sweetie, was just a baby; about five months old. My parents and other family were gathered at their home for the "usual" Thanksgiving weekend. My parents at the time lived on about two acres of beautiful wooded property.

By Friday, I was getting stir crazy cooped up in the house with too much turkey, so I persuaded my dad and the men to build a campfire. As they went to build the fire, my mom and sister also got a bit inspired, and we found some hot dogs, marsh mellows, chocolate, and Gram crackers.

We made our way out to the fire that the men had built, all bundled up, and stood around the fire making our food, telling stories, singing, and laughing.
The older children (my children's cousins) thought this was so neat that they wanted to do it the next year. So we did. And the year after that, and the year after that. This will be our fifth year doing the campfire after Thanksgiving.

Sadly the cousins won't be around this year. However, I have invited my pen-pal who moved to the same state as I live, and now only lives a few hours away! (Yippee!) She, and her husband, along with their children, Lord willing, will be coming and doing the campfire with us. We will also have my mom and dad, and our good family friend. Perhapes we can persuade my husband's brother to join us also. (hint hint) It is something that started four years ago, and I would like to continue this tradition as long as we can

This is the campfire from the year 2004 up at my parents place. After they moved away from their property, they moved into a very nice trailer park that allows camp fires in an outdoor fire place. Those are my nephews and niece pictured there.
Me with Bean and our good family friend enjoying good conversation. Bean was about 10 months. Look at how long my hair was! After seeing these pictures, I am debating if I should let my hair grow that long again. What do you think?

Well thanks for reading and have a great day. Please stop by Kelli's and read about what other people are doing for Thanksgiving. :)

My Last MOPS Meeting for the year

For the last year the children and I have been attending MOPS. (Mother's of Preschoolers) It is an organization to help get moms together who are in the same life stages. There is another group in my area that is like that, but secular. I like the fact that MOPS claims to be a Christian organization, so I am free to express my faith in Jesus Christ. Many women that attend MOPS may not be Christians, so this provides an opportunity for them to be exposed to the Gospel.

Each MOPS group has it's own flavor so to speak, and will often reflect the beliefs of the church that is hosting it. My church doesn't host MOPS, but a local Southern Baptist Church does. From the meetings I have been to, they once shared the gospel message around Easter time, which was very well done. The Lady who shared the Gospel emphasised the importance of knowing you were a sinner, and the only thing that would satisfy the justice of God was death. That death resulted in Hell, and Jesus came to the world as God in the flesh, took our sins upon him, and God's wrath was released upon Jesus for our sin. The blood of Jesus was offered to God on the mercy seat as testimony that all sins were paid for by His blood, and God accepted that payment and is satisfied. One could not get into heaven by the things that they have done, and only trusting in the finished work of Christ would make them acceptable before God.

I was very happy to see that there was such a clear gospel presentation at MOPS. It wasn't a water downed gospel at all.

MOPS runs by semesters so last MOPS meeting was the last one for the Summer. Each MOPS meeting has a little theme, and the last one was "Tea and Testimony"

A few days before the meeting, my MOPS coordinator called and asked for me to share a testimony. I told her over the phone, that I would like to give a testimony, but I really couldn't think of anything worth testifying about. ( I know that probably sounds horrible!)

She asked me to think about it, and if I so decided not to do it, then she would understand, but she thought I would do a good job. When I immediately hung up the phone, a testimony came into my mind, so I believe that is what the Lord wanted me to speak about.

There were only a few things that I have gotten up in front of a group to speak, and I did a horrible job. One was in college, where we had to give an oral report, and another time was for my Sister In Law's bridal shower, which I stumbled my words all over the place.

The idea came to my head to write out my testimony word for word, and just read it out loud. I remembered that Johnathon Edwards the famous preacher, read his sermons. So if he could do that, than why not me?

That day, I got up there, and I did it. I couldn't believe it! The only reason I got up there was for the pure fact that I believe that God wanted me to share my testimony, otherwise I would of never gotten up there!

My testimony was along the lines of what I have been learning in my Firm Foundations Bible Study. It was the first lesson that I learned. If you want to know what it was, read it here.

As part of the Tea and Testimony theme every one's discussion group had to decorate their own tables. Our table came up with a citrus theme. Our group did not know what a big deal it was going to be, so our table wasn't as fancy as the other tables, but I think it turned out *very* pretty nonetheless.

One girl provided the china and silver. The China was her Great Grandmothers. Another girl provided a lace table cloth, and a bowl to put the lemons in. I provided a crystal container to put the limes in, I made napkins out of an old sheet, and napkin rings to match the lime and lemons with scrape materials that I had already at home. Each of us bought some lemon and limes, which we ended up having way to many in the end. But it turned out so pretty I thought. I like to call our table the frugal table because we just pulled together what we had. The other tables ended up buying a lot of things to decorate their tables. I must admit they were beautiful, and they gave me ideas for another time, but they each must of spent a small fortune on it. So I am kind of happy we were clueless. I only spent like $5.00 for my lemons and limes!

This was the Table we decorated

This was another Table. The theme was antique Baby things. Someone made these really neat plates that had Victorian baby pictures on them. It had old toys, and bibs, and shoes, etc. There were silver baby cups with pink roses tucked inside of them. This was my favorite table.

This table's theme was Pink flowers and brown I think. Again someone made these really neat plates. They took huge candle plates in the shape of a flower, and decoupaged a black and white photo of their children underneath it. You can't see it, but it was really neat!

This Table was a tropical theme. I thought that the hibiscus flowers they used were such a neat idea!

Bean's Third Birthday

Bean and Tiny Boy share the same birthday month. Thankfully his is in the beginning and hers at the end of the month. It gives me time to plan and breath in between. We celebrated Bean's a week after her original birthday, so that actually put her into another month.

The theme we decided on were horses. Bean likes horses; although the real kind are a little intimidating to her. I had this brilliant idea of asking a neighbor if he would be willing to bring a miniature horse for the children to pet at Bean's party. But it rained that afternoon, and there were scheduling conflicts on top of that, so that didn't fit into the plan. Thankfully, Bean forgot about "that" part, and I didn't tell any of her friends the plans.

We began the party by playing Horse, Horse, Pony, which is just like Duck, Duck, Goose. All the children liked the variation on that game. When it was Bean's turn to be the pony, she went around the circle of kids saying, "Horse, Horse, Horse, Horse, GOOSE!" She forgot the variation in the heat of the moment.

The next game, was a variation of "Hot Potato". We called it "Vice Horsey". In the world of horses, a vice is a naughty habit that a horse has. Our horse had the vice of biting, so we didn't want to keep him in our hands for very long. The music we used to play "Vice Horsey" was The William Tell Overture, which all the kids knew from The Lone Ranger. That added to their excitement.

For Prizes I bought blue ribbons at the party store and gave it to the blue ribbon winner.

I also made the kids Horsey head bands like the ones seen here. Sorry I can't show you the ones I made because the're other children in the picture, and I don't have permission from the parents to put it up here.

While Daddy made our menu of Hot Dogs and Chips, each child colored a picture of a horse. One of the little girls colored her's for Bean since she was the "birthday" girl. Isn't that sweet?

We then ate the hot dogs, chips and soda. After everyone had their fill, we did the "cake" which were Cupcakes, spread with green frosting, with a horse figurine placed on top. I piped on some pink and purple flowers on the "grass" per Bean's request. I then placed them all together on a cake plate, which made it look like a herd of running horses. It was pretty cool.

Bean sort of spit on everyone's cup cake though, as she tried to blow out her candles. She got two out, and asked the little boy sitting next to her to blow out the last one.

After cake, we all went to the living room where Bean opened gifts. From Grandma and Grandpa in another state she got beautiful dresses for church and a puzzle, From Nana and Papaw she got a bathing suit and a Leap pad Bingo Game. From another little Girl, she was given Candy Land, and from Nana's friend she received Poly Pocket Cinderella, much to her older sister's dismay.

Mommy and Daddy got her a live sized Baby Doll on her "real" Birthday, which has scared me a couple of times, because I was thinking it was Little Tiny Boy, laying there all stiff.lol!

At the end of the party we gave each little girl and boy, a bag of "goodies". The girls got play dough, a horse pencil, a little pony figurine, Smarties, and My Little Pony Gummy snacks. The boys got the same thing, but instead of the pony figurine they had another figurine like they had on their cupcake, and pencils with cars on them, and a bean bag sport ball.

We had a fun time!

Bean Opening her Leap Pad Game

Trying so hard to get into Cinderalla

Polly Pocket

Tiny Boy found something he can play with

The Doll we got Bean is to the left

The Table Setting, and a Close up of the Herd of Horses. A Far away View of the Table. Notice Bean getting all excited about "her" table in the mirror.

Little Tiny Boy's First Birthday

Looks like a closed case

For each of our children's birthday's we have carried on a tradition that was done on Daddy's mom's side of the family. The 1st Birthday is celebrated with a Train Cake.

My mother in law made Sweeties first cake when she came to help celebrate her birthday. For Bean's she sent me the pans so I could make the cake. So of course we carried on the tradition with Little Tiny Boy. I think it is absolutely perfect to celebrate the 1st Birthday with Trains.

We invited a family over from church that has six children total. All of the children from this family love Little Tiny Boy, and I thought that we should keep it simple and small. So we just served Cake, Ice Cream, and Coffee around 7:00pm.

Tiny Boy didn't know what to think of all the commotion! He just stared bewilderment at all the happenings going on, but his sisters were very much excited at the thought that Tiny Boy was now one. When the friends arrived, Sweetie and Bean were excitedly telling all the children that Tiny Boy was now one.

I had extra batter from the Train Cake, so I used that to make a few Cup Cakes, decorated with a smiley face. We used that as Tiny Boy's "dig in" cake, as the train cake was a bit much for him to handle.

This was his first taste of cake, so he wasn't too sure what to think, but once I put a lick of icing in his mouth he dug right in. He was making happy grunts the whole time he was eating. He basically finished up the WHOLE thing. Yummy!

We then proceeded to open gifts from everyone. Grandma and Grandpa from another state sent him some adorable outfits, and a puzzle. Nana and Papaw gave him some more outfits, and his first sippy cup. Nana's friend gave him some bright colored footed sleepers, and the family of friends gave him and every one's favorite; an activity cube with lots of bright colors.

I still can't believe he is already one!

P.S. I have a picture of the cake, but I can't post it, because it gives away Tiny boy's identity. Sorry! :(

Now Maybe this is why the girls were so

excited about Tiny Boy's First Birthday!

Yup!I think so!

"Now, Tiny Boy, you need Share!" :)