Halloween Cake Balls!

I found a recipe for a cute Halloween treat this year - they are called Cake Balls. They are very easy and fun to make, just a little on the messy side. Basically all you need is a box of cake mix (I used Red Velvet), tub of icing (I used white), lollipop sticks, and some meltaways (decorative icing) in different colors and some tubes of gel icing for the eyes and mouths. You bake the cake like normal and when it cools you crumble it all up in a bowl, then you mix the icing in. I admit, it looks kind of gross at this point. But I still went with it. Then you shape them into about walnut size balls and freeze them for an hour. Once they are firm, you stick a lollipop inside, melt some icing in whatever color you desire and then decorate. Once the icing is set, you can gobble them up! I had them ready to decorate when the kids came in from school this afternoon. Thought I would show how they turned out.

Here's some of our batch. We made pumpkin heads, mummy heads, ghosts, skeleton heads, and a few others thrown in like Iron Man, smiley faces, etc...

Here's Mr. T working on some of his...

Here's a bloodshot eyeball that Mr. T took a bite out of...

A pumpkin...

a mummy head...probably my fave!

a little ghost...

okay, this is supposed to be a little skeleton head...work with me here...

Thomas made this and I have no idea what it is supposed to be...someone with the measles???

The kids had the most fun decorating them!! As for the taste...well, it's not bad but it's definitely different so if you've never made them, you need to just try it out for yourself.

Happy Trick-or-Treating!

I don't like the word Halloween!

I don't like what it stands for.

I don't like what it has become.

So today, I will say, Happy October 31st or Happy Trick-or-Treating!!

The kids like to Trick or Treat and that is really all we do on October 31st. As long as they want to dress up in something "cute" and tasteful and do some trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, we are cool with that.

I will be posting pictures hopefully tomorrow of the kids costumes!

So, whatever you do today, be safe, have fun, and Happy Trick-or-Treating!

Learning About the "S" Word...

Another thing we are starting to do with Shelby and Thomas is learn about the "S" word....sex!! Yes, you would be amazed at their young, innocent ages the stuff they are already hearing about amongst their so-called friends at school. So James and I decided it was high time to get a tool to help us discuss things like this with them at such young ages. To make matters more difficult, although my mom openly discussed and talked with me about such topics, I was much older than Shelby and Thomas and James' teachings were non existent with his parents. But I know a lot of my other friends growing up were in the same boat with him. I was in a boat pretty much all by my lonesome, which makes me feel fortunate. Nowadays you have to be ready to discuss with them very early on and I think it's so important that parents beat the so-called friends to the punch!!

So, we came across this book that we ordered from Christianbook.com.

Not only is it Christian based, but it is written and targeted for kids between 6-8 years old. Just what we needed!!!!

This is actually the 2nd book in a 7 book series. The books are listed below and I plan to get as many of these as I can get my hands on!!!!

I can't wait to hear Thomas' constant giggling as we talk about where babies come from!! But at least he'll be giggling to us and not to his friends, or at least when his friends talk, he will already be educated and know what they are talking about.

Wish us luck on this adventure!

Thomas is a GIANT!

Some of you know already but Thomas is playing Flag Football for the first time!

He has been put on the GIANTS team, which he is very excited about!!

Next week we have two practices on Monday and Thursday and then his first real game will be on Saturday, November 8th. Not sure what team we are playing yet but I will keep everyone posted. Wish him luck in his first ever team sport!!

On a side note, we are going to Saddlebrook Ranch this coming Saturday morning to check out the horses for Shelby and possibly get her signed up for some horse riding lessons real soon!

Swingset - Final Addition!!

Well, as you can see from the sky, it was another GORGEOUS weekend here in Houston!! We had lots of fun all weekend with Gramms and PawPaw here (shopping, dining out, miniature golf, etc.) and PawPaw helped James put on the finishing touch to our swingset - the canopy!

James and PawPaw working on the canopy frame:

One side of the frame done...one to go

Most canopies on swingsets like this are done at a much higher pitch in triangle form, but we decided this would be better. It's flatter and more spread out so it covers more area and the kids have more shade up there, even almost half-way across the monkey bars.

Here's T-man demonstrating - he can fully stand up under the canopy.

Project Swingset is complete - here's a full shot of it!

We think it turned out great and the kids love it!!

Shelby's Recycle Project

Shelby's first real science project was due today. In science they have been learning a lot about the Three R's - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. She had to take something that could be Recycled and turn it into something to Reuse.

She chose to make a Bird Feeder out of a water bottle. James was her assistant and I was her photog.


She made a cone in order to pour or drop sunflower seeds into the top of the bird feeder.

With a string attached to it, you can easily hang it in a tree.
Trinity is trying to sniff the sunflower seeds.

Here's what the bottle turned bird feeder looks like and you can see the perch she made that goes through the bottom of the bottle. She even cut the wood piece herself, with Daddy's help of course.

She did a great job on her first science project - too bad we don't have a tree big enough yet to use it when she brings it back home. :->

We Have Sod!!

Time for another Northside Church Property Update...

The sand volleyball area has already been sodded to prevent erosion and looks great! This is going to be one of those constant attractional components of our campus, helping us to be more externally focused.

The recent rain has helped the progress of the pond. Don’t worry, it won’t always be bayou brown!

This picture of the front of the building shows the concrete “turndown” that is being poured to protect the slab from the pond. The water feature runs along the front of the building and is going to be beautiful. Sorry, no fishing on Sunday morning during the services!

A side shot of the “Fellowship Plaza.” It has a huge sitting bench that runs around either side.

This is a shot of the asphalt parking area that is on the north side of the building. We should be seeing it near completion in just a few weeks. We’re planning on this parking being mainly for special needs: Handicapped, expectant mothers, elderly...etc.

Gingerbread Mayhem...

Thomas and Shelby made this little gingerbread boy and girl the other day. Cute, right??

Belle's little gingerbread girl is so cute and decorated just so, with a pretty little dress and sparkly red heart with a candy cane and bow in her hair...

THEN...
There's Thomas' version...
His gingerbread boy is one to behold...
Let's take a closer look...shall we?
Here is the back of his gingerbread boy...Thomas explained to me that these two Christmas trees placed upside down serve as jet packs! Need I say more...

Now let's look at the front...
Thomas then told us that the stars on his face are actually a mask...
Wait....it gets better...
The peppermint in one hand is a grenade while the upside down candy cane is a sword!!
And the star on his shirt is his super power boost.
He does come complete with a nifty green bow tie.
I love his imagination!
And last but not least, we noticed there was a small heart between the gingerbread boys legs. When I asked Thomas what that was for....couldn't wait for that answer....he simply said, "That just means he loves and misses his Moma!"

I love my son.

Chick-fil-a Family Night...Part 2

Last Week, you may remember we went to Chick-fil-a Family Night mainly for Thomas because it was Star Wars themed. Well, this past Tuesday night, it was High School Musical night and Shelby was not about to miss out on this!!

Here is Belle right after she got the "HSM" painted on her face. She even got balloons, a HSM notebook and free breakfast coupons because she dressed up. Sorry...can't show the full costume because she is wearing this for trick or treating next week. Full pictures will be posted then. I will tell you this, she is dressing up as Sharpay! It's very cute.

Oh and here's James hiding behind the HSM balloons and being Mr. Goofy!!

High School Musical 3 opens in theaters TODAY, which we will all be going to see very soon, after the chaos dies down. :-)

Happy Birthday Trinity!

Trinity is 10 months old today!!

Oil Ranch - Pumpkin Patch 2008

During the month of October, every child who comes to the Oil Ranch gets to visit the Pumpkin Patch and pick out a free pumpkin to take home.

Here's Shelby with the one she picked out!

Thomas, however, took FOREVER to pick his pumpkin out....James had to start helping him. That boy is picky about his pumpkins, let me tell you.

Now that's A LOT of pumpkins...

Yeah....this concludes our visit to the Oil Ranch! It's a great place to take the family, especially in the Fall.

Oil Ranch - Train Ride, Scenery & Animals

This is a combination post from the Oil Ranch showing the train that we rode, some of the animals we saw and got to pet, and some of the ranch scenery.

We were on our way to catch the next train ride here. You can see James, Shelby and Thomas out in front of me. It's a very cute train that probably gives you about a 10 -12 minute ride around the ranch.

Here's a shot from where me and James were sitting on the train. If you can see the back of a little boy's head on the very front row, that would be Thomas. And Shelby is seated right next to him.

This is when we were going around the big pond and I took a shot of Indian Village:

Here's one of the many barns on the property. This is the petting zoo barn:

Here's a moma with a baby horse. You can still see some damage to barn roofs from Ike.

This pretty black one was very sweet and friendly. James really liked this one.

Another view of the pond from the train ride. This one shows the gorgeous swans swimming.

Shelby at the petting zoo barn with a goat friend.

Had to take a picture of him - our school mascot. Go Roth Rams!!

You can all start rejoicing now....only one more Oil Ranch post to go!! :->