Remember my high hopes?

Remember this post?

All that pampering is beginning to pay off.

A teenage boy babysitter

When I was pregnant with Adam, everyone would ask if I was hoping for a girl.

I was. 

Really, really bad.  

I was surrounded at home by two little boys under the age of 4. 

Noisy, active, messy little boys. 

Who I loved dearly. 

Really.

They were (and are still) sweet boys.

They were  just noisy, active, and messy.  

One day I went in for a prenatal checkup.  I saw the new midwife and she asked the usual questions. 

How many children do you have?  

What are their ages? 

Boys or girls?  

Are you hoping for a girl this time?

The midwife then told me that she had five children.  Three boys and two girls. She said she understood how hard it was to raise little boys.  Little girls, she said, are a breeze.  They are quiet and play ever so nicely with each other.  Little boys on the other hand love to play rough and are always into something.  You can never take your eyes off of them.  

Now that her kids were teenagers she felt the boys were much easier than the girls.  She told me that eventually the noise, mess, and tendency to get into trouble will go away (or at least become more manageable).

Then she gave me the most practical advice.

She said the key to raising a teenage boy is to give him an old car.  One that needs lots of work. Tell him that if he can get it running, he can have the keys.  She said that  a good clunker will get you through the teenage years.  They won't come out from under the hood until they are 18. She called it her "teenage boy babysitter."

I thought of that story tonight when I looked out toward the shed and saw this sight:

A bucket full of delicious

Some pictures just speak for themselves.

Pigeon Forge Camping Trip

We took a short camping trip this past week.  Some friends invited us to go to Pigeon Forge, TN.

Adam 

Zach was either riding go-carts or texting.  Heaven forbid he miss a text from his girlfriend.  I offered to pay one of the park attendants to tell him he had "texting issues" as he got off the ride.  She just laughed.  
They rode the Scrambler at least 20 times.  They would get off, let their stomachs settle, and get back in line.  I got dizzy just watching them.

Seth-my nephew.  This is the face of a boy who is worn out and ready to go home.

It was a fun trip.

A peek at Adam's room

Last spring I painted one wall in Adam's room with chalkboard paint.  

A couple of weeks ago he was gone to camp and  I decided to clean his room. 

It's been awhile since I have read the messages on his wall.  I couldn't help but smile.  The wall has become a reflection of Adam's personality and interests.  Here's a peek...

Different visitors to his room have left messages on the wall.

Notes to a song he was practicing for band and a reminder about spring football practice.

Bible verses  to help him practice for Bible Drill.

And last but not least....

typical 6th grade boy humor.

Summer Blooms

Jam

(My new Paula Deen enamelware pot...love, love, love it.)

I made jam today.  

Every summer I try to fill the freezer with peaches, blueberries, and strawberries. What doesn't get used through the winter is made into jam/jelly the following summer.

Last year my aunt's cherry tree was filled with sour cherries. This is a rare event because a late freeze almost always kills the cherry blossoms.  If any cherries survive, the birds clean the tree in just a few hours.  But last year there were tons of cherries.  You could sit in the house and look out toward the pasture and see the cherries hanging in the tree.  I grabbed the boys and we picked for an hour or so.  

I've never made sour cherry jam before. This is the best stuff.  I could eat the whole jar.  It's like a Starburst candy.  The sweet and sour combination is sooo good.  

My kitchen is a sticky mess right now but I know next winter when I'm opening a jar of peach jam, I'll be so thankful for a taste of summer.

The 4th

We celebrated the 4th at the lake this year.  This year's weather was perfect.  Low 80's and low humidity.  Just perfect.

Here are a few pics from our day.

Yes, Zach's eyes are this blue.  No photoshop touchups needed on those eyes.

This was the year of THE GIRLFRIENDS.  Both Clay and Zach asked if their girlfriends could join us at the lake.   This was a first for us.  I hope we didn't scare them off.  You have to have a pretty thick skin to hang out with us.  If you can't handle being teased or splashed with the jet ski by a cruel aunt and uncle (inside story), then you probably will never make it in our family. Luckily the girls seemed to enjoy themselves.  
The twins were there.  They just turned 1 and get cuter every day.  


It was a nice day.  

I baked this cake to celebrate Clay's birthday.  This recipe is a keeper.   Of course anything that combines chocolate and over 3 sticks of butter can't help but be good.  

More New Orleans pics

I'm posting a few more pictures from our mission trip to New 

Orleans.

(Clink on the links for a little more info about the mission trip)

A few houses in the neighborhood have been remodeled since our last visit.  However, most of the houses are still in desperate need of repair.

I love the bright colors.  

Absolutely love the kids that came to the summer day camp.

Smiles,

smiles,

and more smiles.  

Here are a few guys showing off their sock puppets.  

Yeah!  Drywall.  What a difference it makes.

The archway in the front room.  We painted it to match the colors on the front porch.

I wish I had taken more pictures but we were so busy that I didn't take the time.