Families that Play Together Stay Together

This weekend, our family went camping together for the first time. Graham and Tim have been together several times, but this was the first time Wesley and I joined them. One of my best friends, Christine, told me her husband read a survey that said the one thing that most happy families had in common was they went camping together. After experiencing it myself, I think I would agree with the survey. We had a lot of fun as a family. We left behind distractions and obligations and got to enjoy the beauty of God's creation and just being together. Plus, my boys both love getting dirty and doing anything outside.

Now, I can't say that there aren't some difficult things about camping. You have to do a lot of planning and packing ahead of time, sleeping on the ground is not the most comfortable thing, and sharing a bathroom with a bunch of strangers can be a little awkward. Yet, there's just something special about snuggling with your kids around a campfire under the stars, listening to an owl hooting as you fall asleep, and waking up the next morning to see your kids giggling at one another in the tent. The daily struggles seem a little less overwhelming, and things seem a little simpler.

So, come on...what are you waiting for? Get some camping gear together. You can borrow ours if you want. Take your family camping. It's totally worth it!

I think we've got a lot of camping trips ahead of us. Can you see Graham's head sticking out of our tent? Tim got a new tent for his birthday and it had lots of space.

my little guy walking

snuggling by the fire
roasting marshmallows for smores

breakfast the next morning

I did not tell him to pose. He just did it. :)

Foster Falls-for those of you who were wondering (Amy-does it look familiar?)

Two of My Favorite Fall Traditions

Caramel Apples and Caramel Popcorn...okay, so I love caramel and I love to eat sweets. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve cooking with my mom. She's an excellent cook, and every fall, she would make caramel apples. This is the first fall Graham can really eat a caramel apple, so I thought we would start this tradition together this year. He loves to cook and eat sweet things just as much as me. Most days before "naptime", he says, "I have an idea. Let's make cookies after my nap."

Back to the caramel...I also love making caramel popcorn. I started this tradition shortly after Tim and I got married. I found a great recipe in the Baylor cookbook, and I still use it today. I've made this popcorn for lots of parties and friends, and it's the reason Heidi's husband likes me so much. Unfortunately, my little man, Graham, isn't too fond of the caramel popcorn. Oh, well...more for me. Below you will find the recipe if you'd like to add it to one of your favorite fall foods. I know some of you may not be fortunate enough to have inherited an air popper when you got married, so you might have to get create.

Do you have any fall food traditions you'd like to share? I love to try new recipes.

Caramel Corn for a Crowd

¾ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
2 cup pecans, roasted
2 cup cocktail peanuts, roasted
2 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

Pop kernels using an air popper. Pour popped popcorn into 2 or 3 9X13-inch baking pans. Sprinkly pecans and peanuts evenly over popcorn.
Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a large 3-quart saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Remove from heat, add baking soda and stir well; it will be foamy. Pour over popcorn and nuts. Toss with spoons to coat well. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Pour out onto wax paper to cool. Store in tightly sealed containers.

A Fun Fall Morning

I love going to the pumpkin farms in the fall. My brother and his family joined us today at the pumpkin farm. The boys enjoyed a hayride, seed trough, hay bale maze, riding the little tractors, and picking out pumpkins. Wesley, Will, Drew, and Graham playing with the corn kernels.

Graham and Will enjoyed the tire swing.

We took Graham to the same pumpkin farm two years ago when he was one.

Brothers, Bubbles, and Bears

More of Wesley

Wesley and I spent our Saturday morning together while Graham and Tim did some yard work. Thus, more pictures of Wesley. He's at such a fun age, and I just love spending time with him. With the exception of some fussiness due to teething, he's a very happy, loving little boy. He's doing lots of walking now.


Perpy had another Shermie bear made for Wesley. Shermie bear is made from one of Tim's dad's shirts with his initials on his foot-SMF-Sherman Morgan Franklin. All of the grandkids have one, and it's a great way to remember Grandpa Shermie. He would have been such a great grandpa and we wish the kids could have known him.
Wesley always makes high-pitched squeaky noises when he sees stuffed animals. He's giving his Shermie bear some love.

Baby Steps

So, this is Wesley's usual face-mouth wide open. :)

Wesley Walks!

Wesley started out this week taking one or two steps on his own, and now he's walking seven or eight steps across the room. He thinks it's quite funny and seems very proud of himself. He looks at me every time and gets this huge grin on his face. Graham likes to try to encourage him to walk by moving his hands off of whatever Wesley is holding onto. I keep trying to explain to Graham that's not the best tactic. Regardless, Wesley has given us great excitement this week. I'll try to catch a picture of it soon. Ahhh...my baby is now a toddler!

A Morning Hike

While my dad was visiting last weekend, my brothers family joined us for a hike one morning. I think the boys got a little hot and tired, but we still had a good time.

Wesley is Movin'!

Wesley is fourteen months old today! He's really getting interested in walking. He likes to hold my hand and walk, and he's discovered how to push things around the house and sidewalk so he can walk. Here he is having a great time with the digger outside.

Our First Night at the Beach

After a long day of travel, everyone was happy to be out of the car and excited to see the beach. Close to the restaurant where we ate dinner, we found a grassy area for the kids to run around and play. My brother got some amazing shots of all the kids. He's such a great photographer and I love the faces of each of the children.Will's first glimpse at the ocean

me and my baby boy

Davis and Hayley

Graham and Will

Drew

Hayley

Graham-Graham-Bo-Bam (as Will so affectionately calls him)

Davis and Graham

in the sand where his heart is content

Celebrating Davis's birthday

Davis, Tim's sister's son, turns three this week, so we celebrated his birthday while we were at the beach. The kids enjoyed some craft time, ate dinner, had birthday cake, and then went outside to play with water balloons. Will enjoying the crafts

Will and Graham eating cupcakes

Patsy, Melanie, Davis and Hayley

Don't they look like little angels waiting for the cake?

Graham looks like his daddy with a go-tee.

the birthday boy

Beach-Part 2

Some of the highlights of our trip were playing on the beach every morning, floating on the raft with Wesley purring contentedly on my lap, getting ice cream with Graham, watching the kids play with water ballons, glow sticks around the ankles on the beach at dusk, laughing with my goofy brother, watching the cousins make great memories, going out to dinner with my hubby, and a birthday party for Davis.
Davis and Graham (Drew's hiding in the back.)

Hayley-the only girl on the trip-but she could keep up with all the boys.
Wesley

Tim, Graham and Perpy