It's Birthday Time Again...

As I've said before, October is a busy month in my family. Not only is it Mackenzee's birthday, but it is my mom's, sister's, neice's, and three nephew's birthdays. All but one of those are part of the Robinson clan. It's crazy! So, every October conference weekend, we get together at my mom's house and have one big birthday party for everyone celebrating this month.

Unfortunately, only my sister Melanie was able to make it this time, so we were short a "few" people. But, we still had a good time and were able to have a great celebration.

Yesterday was actually my neice, Savanna's birthday. She is now 7. I can't believe it! I used to babysit her when she was just a little bit older than Mackenzee is now. :0( And now she is so big! Mackenzee just adores her and whenever Savanna is around, I am no longer her bestest friend. Her "Nana nana" takes that spot from me. I've always called Savanna "Savanna banana" and so apparently Mackenzee has now taken it upon herself to use that nickname as well. Though, the way she pronounces it ends up taking on the form of "Nana nana" instead. :0)

My mom's birthday then comes on the 8th, though she swears she doesn't have anymore birthdays. :0) Mackenzee was actually supposed to be born on the 8th and we were hoping for a double birthday. Mackenzee even has her Nana's middle name as her middle name. But, she obviously wasn't ready to come and play for a few days, because she was born 4 days late.

My sister's birthday isn't for another week and a half, but we share the love with her too. And my two nephews don't celebrate theirs until the end of the month. All in all, there are 6 Robinson birthdays in October. It's a popular month around here. :0)

Landon really enjoyed the cupcakes I made for the brirthday party....can't you tell? :0)

Anyway, happy birthday family! Austin...I still have your present here waiting for you {along with Alina's}. I can't wait to see you at Thanksgiving so you can open it! :0)

Go figure....

I can hardly believe it, but in 12 short days my baby will be 3 years old. When did she get so big? :0( Sigh.

In anticipation of her upcoming party, I have had a few people ask what to get her. So, I figured it was best to get the answer straight from her. I'm thinking maybe I should have just left it alone. :0)

What does she want for her birthday you ask?

Cheese.

You know, the kind you eat.

Go figure....

Just Peachy!

I have wanted to more "homemaker"-ish for a long time. I don't sew, though I really want to learn. My mom is an amazing seamstress and my grandmother is the Queen seamstress of them all. And then...there's me. Sigh.

Though this is the third year I have planted a garden all on my own, this is the first year I have produced more than a few green beans. Bugs ate everything the past couple of years at my old house. :0( This year...I've finally got tomatoes, corn, squash, and jalapeno peppers! The watermelon plant still died...but hey! It's a start right?

I picked more strawberries this year so that I could make more freezer jam. I think Jaysen would die without it. :0) But beyond that, I have never canned ANYTHING all by myself before. I helped in the process growing up, but haven't ever done it alone.

Well, Jaysen's mom has a peach tree. And she wasn't going to can them. And so they would be FREE! My mom....she has about 40 million quart canning jars and said she would give me some....for FREE! So how could I NOT can some peaches? Seriously! FREE!

So, yesterday I went out to Jerome and with the help of Mackenzee and Rita I picked two ginormous bins of peaches. Sadly, though I grabbed my camera on the way out, the memory card was not in it. So, no pictures of my little one picking them. :0(

After picking, we went out to my mom's house for a crash course in canning. Fourteen jars and two hours later, I had it down. I had only made a slight dent in one of the bins of peaches though. :0)

Today...

today was the day I pushed up my sleeves and finished off the first bin without my mom's help.

I did have others helping though. :0)

Notice how thrilled Jaysen was to come home to a messy kitchen and a pleading wife. Isn't he so nice to get his hands all peachy for me?

And look! Another 14 jars! I did it! I know...It's sad how excited I am. But it's my first time! And they turned out...and the lids sealed and everything! {That was my biggest fear}

Now....only one ginormous bin and about 30 jars left.

Anybody want some canned peaches? :0)

Priceless

Dora Hair Barrette..

$0.25

Dora T-shirt...

$7.99

Dora Tights...

$1.25

Dora Shoes...

$12.99

Being able to put together this "amazing" outfit to show it off to Great Grandpa Anoot....

Priceless!

Mackenzee has been so excited to go back over to Grandma and Grandpa Burnham's house to visit with her Great Grandpa again. He lives in Texas and because the hurricane was coming, he decided to head up this direction to avoid the problems associated with power outages and bad weather. We went to visit him earlier in the week over at Jaysen's parents' house. I don't think that Mackenzee has ever met him before, and if she has, she was too small to remember. But she informed me before we even went in the house that she wanted to give him a big hug.

I don't think she was prepared for how long the hug turned out to last {she's not the biggest hugger}, but obviously the visit made an impact on her. All week long she has asked when we were going to go and see BIG PAPA again. :0) I told her this morning that today was the day and so she carefully picked out what she would wear....clear down to the hair barrette and shoes.

I'm not sure if Grandpa Anoot has even heard of Dora, but he has definitely been educated today. :0)

The Joys of Motherhood

Too many times I hear that phrase and think....

"Whoever coined that phrase could not have possibly been a mother."

Because, seriously, kids are a lot of work and oftentimes a huge frustration. They never listen, they talk back {not mine....but I've heard other kids do} :0), they complain, they grow out of their clothes too quickly, they break bones or get sick, and scare you half to death when you can't find them....

But then...there are other times, I look at my babies and wonder how I could possibly complain. They are wonderful, adorable, kind, sweet, and giving kids {at least sometimes anyway}. More importantly.....they LOVE their mama.

And I eat it up.

See? The joys of motherhood.....

Honesty is the best policy

My sister is going to kill me for posting this picture. {I love you Smelly!}

We had a fun weekend at my mom's house scrapbooking and chatting away. While there, Melanie, Shelby, and I decided to color our hair. Why? Because we can.

I went dark as I did last fall, Melanie went darker to a light brown shade, and Shelby got some pretty blonde highlights.

So, after I got home and Jaysen saw what I had done to my hair THIS time {I change my hair frequently...I always have} I asked him what color he has liked the best. He, of course, tried to give me the "appropriate" answer of...."whatever you like, I like". The problem is that I don't want a politically correct answer. I want the truth. I like looking sassy cute for the hubby. :0) Anyway...after 5 minutes of attempting to drag the truth out of him he finally drops the bombshell...

"I like you better blonde."

What? What? Sigh.

I asked him last year, when I went from blonde to brown if he liked me better blonde or brown. His answer? "You look great both ways." Safe answer huh? If he would have just been honest...we could have avoided the whole month of red....and now to the almost black again. Sigh.

He was concerned I was mad at him after he made his revelation. Mad that he was honest? No. Frustrated that I just dyed my hair chocolate brown and could have dyed it back to blonde if I would have known? YES. Sigh. That's what I get for having such a nice hubby who didn't want to hurt my feelings.

Punk. :0)

He told me not to just go and change it back just because he said he liked it better blonde. I let him know there was no way to go from DARK brown to blonde without ending up with ORANGE hair. So, I am staying dark...for now.

Perhaps I'll go purple next time.....just to teach him a lesson in honesty.

It is always the best policy you know....

{love you Jaysen}

Full circle

You know those moments when you wonder if your child really does belong to you because what they do isn't anything remotely close to how you would do it?

Like how Mackenzee is such a free spirited child and has yet to meet a stranger....I often look at her and wonder....but then I remember who her father is and realize she probably does belong to us. :0) {She gets her stubbornness from him too. It couldn't possibly come from me. I'm way to laid back and easy going.....what's that? Oh...you knew better than that, huh? Oh well, doesn't hurt to try}

Anyway.....I have had these moments with Landon too, but today I knew for sure he was mine. We were on the way home from his soccer game and as I was driving I was doing a little potty dance. {Too much information?} Landon noticed and told me that he hoped I didn't pee my pants. I told him I was in full agreement on that one. And then....he said it.

"Just think about dry things mom."

My immediate family is now busting up laughing because they know...oh yes, they know what I am referring to. Sigh. And I about did pee my pants just hearing him say those six words.

When I was younger...oh, about Landon's age....I told someone else to just think about dry things.....you know...like flour, and sand....

I have never repeated this to my children because I would like to forget about the retarded things I said as a child {though my family keeps reminding me}. So, for him to randomly come up with this on his own....

You can only imagine. It has come full circle. He is my child. Not that you were really wondering.