What...a new post? No way!

Wow! Is summer really almost over?? It has gone by WAY too quickly and I have lots to update and LOTS to do in the next week! So- first, I will give you a recap of some of the things that we have done this summer....

We went with the Dennis family and Maggie to Blue Bell in Sylacuaga, AL. This is definitely not a tour for toddlers- while it WOULD have been interesting if I could have heard any of the spill...I head none of it thanks to this cute, smiling face and her cousins who cared NOTHING about the different flavors of ice cream Blue Bell has to offer, when its offered, etc...

 But it was all worth it at the end of the tour when we received our scoop of ice cream! (I would say free scoop, but we had to pay to take the tour- therefore we actually just paid for the ice cream!) Next time we go, we are definitely just going straight to the ice cream parlor and purchasing some ice cream- no more tours for us anytime soon!

 Then we participated in Chick-Fil-A's dress like a cow day, we dressed up like a cow and got free food! The line wasn't long at all and it was definitely worth the short wait to get a free combo meal! I think we had about 10 people total with us and on my Aunt's ticket they comped approximately $40 worth of food just for dressing like a cow! This is definitely something we will be doing every year, if possible!

Janie Ann wasn't too sure of the cow...

Nor of the playground...this was the 2nd attempt at playing while at a Chick-Fil-A. The first time ended with 2 strangers (2- approximately 10 year old girls) pushing her down the slide after they dragged her out of one of the tubes! This picture shows her screaming for me while attempting to get out of the small crack! Thank goodness we had some boys (not strangers) that were willing to get her down! (And she was only on the 2nd step!) Needless to say...we will wait a little bit longer before we attempt this again!

 Other than that we have been hanging out at the house and swimming at Memaw's house! Janie Ann has become super ROTTEN this summer and I'm dreading next Friday when I have to wake her up early and send her off to MeMaw's because I have to return to work!

This is one of Janie Ann's ponytails! Too cute- right?!?

Another thing....I'm supposed to be packing for our trip this weekend. Seth has been at Drivers Ed training for about a 1.5 weeks now and he will complete his training on Friday- but that is when Janie Ann and I will be flying out to Nevada to visit my mom, so we will be going up tomorrow to visit Seth for a couple of days before flying out. Please remember me, Janie Ann and Papaw Goss on Friday-Tuesday while we are traveling and flying. We will be flying out Friday at 1:55 and arriving back in Birmingham on Tuesday 11:30. This will be the first flight with Janie Ann- I'm anxious, but I know that the Lord is going to be watching over us and keeping us safe! But, extra prayers would be appreciated! Hopefully next post I will have TONS of pictures of Lake Tahoe and all the adventures we get into out West!

Wow...long time, no post!

I have a lot to update on here...since my last post Seth and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, we spent the 4th of July at the lake and I have had a birthday! Some more things...we have TONS of veggies from corn to beans! Janie Ann has become addicted to Toy Story 3, Georgia spent the night with us, all the cousins came over and played outside, Seth will be leaving us for 2 weeks to attend a Drivers Ed training course and become certified to teach Drivers Education, and we (Janie Ann, Papaw Goss and I) have booked a plane flight to Reno, NV to visit my mom! Oh yea...I also hit a deer in my brand-new 2011 Toyota Camry- that sucked- but the rest of the summer has been great! The summer is going by way to quickly and before you know it- school will be back in session and I will be sad!
Needless to say, we have been busy this summer and I am currently supposed to be working on an assignment for school, but instead I'm updating the blog...procrastinating? Maybe! I promise to upload some pictures and add them to my next post- I know, who wants to read a blog without pictures?? (And let me go ahead an confess- I have taken very few pictures this summer.) Until the next time I need to procrastinate...!

Seth's Garden...YUM!

This process began in March. Seth used my dad's tractor to break up the ground- he used many different types of equipment and pulled it behind the tractor. I think he went over the ground multiple times to get it ready for him to till. This part was done while everyone sat on the brick wall and watched! :)

 This is what the garden looked like after Seth had completed breaking the ground up....now how it went from this....to....

 This, I will never know! But he had it broken up very well and started tilling the lines. Papaw would sit and watch him, but he would never tell him anything- it made me laugh because Seth would ask Papaw what he needed to do and Papaw would always say what he was doing was just fine, then Papaw would turn around and tell me or Daddy, "I would have..." and then proceeded to tell us he would have done it differently! Seth finally just started asking him before he even began! Also- I don't have a picture of it, but when Seth was hoeing the places to plant the seeds, Seth asked Papaw how he should do it- Papaw, at 90 years old, got up and hoed him a row and told Seth exactly what to do! The impressive part? (Well, besides hoeing the entire row) He hoed the entire row so straight! It is probably the straightest row that Seth has in the garden!

 Seth planted all the seeds on Good Friday...and then it never rained or anything. So he replanted some of the seeds. Not sure which ones, but the beginning of June is when we were able to pick our first batch of veggies! We had squash EVERYWHERE! And it is wonderful!! We have about 18 bags frozen and the first week we ate fresh squash daily!

 The next veggie that we (as in, Seth!) were able to pick were snap beans or better known to everyone else as green beans! We have fixed a couple dinners with the green beans, but Seth has taken up a new hobby...see below!

 Yep, canning. He decided that he would learn how to can all the green beans so that we didn't have to freeze everything and take up all the freezer space! While we have eaten some green beans fresh from the garden, we haven't had any of the beans that he has canned yet. It has been very interesting to watch him learn how to do this... and I helped him for the first time today. While he packed the green beans, I sprinkled salt on them! (A lot of help, I know!)

 Then we Seth placed them in the pressure canner to cook...

 I think currently we have 33 quarts of green beans canned...and we still have another 5 quart bucket in the fridge waiting to be cooked or canned!

The next veggie that we will be picked is bush peas or better known as black-eyed peas (I think...). I'm really not sure what or how or when you plant, pick, can, etc. But I do know how to eat the veggies and I have loved everything the garden has produced so far...can't wait for the rest!!

Yummy!

So, Janie Ann has hit a stage where she doesn't eat as much as she once ate...which was all the time! So what do I do when she request Mac and Cheese for breakfast? I let her have it! My thoughts? At least she is eating! I tried cereal, pop tarts, oatmeal, goldfish...everything, but she continued to request Mac and Cheese! She LOVED IT! The proof is in the pictures....

I'm beginning to wonder how much she actually ate and how much was on the floor afterwards! If you notice all the yellow "spots" on the floor! It took me a while to get that cleaned up!! Then we headed straight for the tub!

Beach Bums!

We were able to spend the weekend (Friday- Tuesday) at Gulf Shores! Thanks to some friends for allowing us to stay at your condo for a reasonable price!! We arrived Friday afternoon around 4- after leaving Daviston around 10. Needless to say- EVERYONE was headed to the beach! 

When we arrived we didn't waste anytime getting down to the beach- we came in, found our swimsuits and headed back out! 

Yes, she is a diva! 

 I LOVE this picture- Janie Ann and her daddy! She LOVED the ocean!

 She truly LOVED the ocean. She would stay out there all. day. long. We had to come in for a nap and when she woke up, the first thing she said was, "beeach momma." And off we went again...

 Monday night we went to the Hangout to eat. It was wonderful food and a great environment for families! Janie Ann could get down and dance and have fun without anyone caring!

 With Pickle (Grandpa) and Grand-daddy at the Hangout.

She was a little tired and didn't want to smile! 

 Then after we ate we attempted the beach pictures. Again, Janie Ann was tired and was not interested in smiling or letting go of me! She steadily patted my arms while we tried to convince to smile!

I cannot wait to bring her back! We had a wonderful time with our family- Memaw, Grandpa (whose new name is Pickle), Grand-daddy, Uncle Stick, Kaci, Seth, Janie Ann and I. Needless to say Janie Ann was SPOILED rotten the entire weekend! Now, we have to pack up and head home...back to school on Wednesday... :( 

Happy Memorial Day everyone!! 

Happy 90th Birthday, Papaw!

My grandfather, Papaw Stephens, turned 90 on May 21! We had a little gathering at the local community center, even though he didn't want us to. We told him that you only turn 90 once and we wanted to celebrate with him. 

I think he looks pretty good for 90! (he had been a little under the weather the week prior to)

He really enjoyed himself- and he barely had time to enjoy any cake because so many people came by to see him! I told him that we would be celebrating in another 5 years- to get ready! 

And while I'm posting about my grandfather I would like to say a huge thank you to him and other Veterans and current soldiers that are serving our Country. 

WAY behind! HUGE POST!!

Ok- blogger has changed on me since the last post- so that shows how busy I have been the past 2 months!! Well, I guess I will go in the order of the pictures- so it is going to go from the most recent happenings all the way back to spring break! :) Yes- it has been a while!! So I will start with yesterday, May 9, 2011.... my LITTLE BROTHER GRADUATED FROM AUBURN UNIVERSITY- WITH HONORS!!

Below is a picture we took (of about 100) on Friday, before graduation! I think I did a wonderful job with the photography skills- if anyone wants to pay me to take pictures- let me know!! HA!

 Here is him on the jumbo-tron walking across the stage!! Go Uncle Stick!!

 This was after the graduation- Seth got out lucky...it was EXTREMELY HOT and the graduation was OUTSIDE on the football field...needless to say, I have tan lines to prove it! People were passing out left and right- thank goodness Paden was in the College of Business and he was in the first 1/2 that graduated. As soon as he walked across the stage- he kept on walking right out of the stadium! I felt extremely sorry for the COSAM graduates- they were the LAST college to get to walk....I'm not sure anyone even stayed long enough to watch them!

This is a picture of my dad, me, Paden and Seth- all 4 of us hold Auburn Degrees! Hopefully Janie Ann will be the next generation of AU graduates! Seth already has his masters degree- I'm working on mine and Paden will be starting in August! (Yes- I'm back in school- fully paid for by a grant! And yes- Paden was offered a GTA position and received a scholarship to help pay for his!!)

 Me, Paden and mom!

 MOTHERS DAY!

My mom was in town for Mothers Day this year and I could not have been happier!! I was so excited that she was here to celebrate with me! She was in California last year and was missed greatly!! This year she home to keep Janie Ann for 2 days and was able to stay through Paden's graduation (almost 2 weeks!!) Here is the ONLY picture we took (well, multiple ones of this same pose). Janie Ann was EXTREMELY sleepy, but refused to take a nap- therefore no decent picture could be made!

My brother and sister-in-laws took a lot at Mrs. Vickie's house- I will have to get some of them to upload to the blog! We had a wonderful mother's day and I loved spending it with my family! Also- Janie Ann (and her daddy) gave me the CUTEST necklace in the world and I LOVE it! It has a little moon and it says, "I love you to the moon and back" and this it has a charm with Janie Ann's name and her birthstone! Now- to the next event....

The Alabama Tornadoes!

OMG- that was a scary day for me for MANY reasons- but the main one?? That was the day that my was flying into Birmingham Airport- where some of the tornadoes were also coming through!! I was watching WSFA at 5:30 and that is exactly when the tornadoes were coming through down-town!! My mom's flight wasn't landing until 8, but my grandfather was already in Birmingham so that he would not be on the road in the bad weather! Well- he was safe, in the airport stairwell, while I was pacing the floor in Daviston, AL waiting on a call back from him! I did get a call and we packed our bags and headed to Jackson's Gap where Seth's sister lives- they have a basement!

We were lucky in the fact that we had no storm damange and my mom and grandfather made it back to Alex City safely...others were not so lucky. Lake Martin and Dadeville was hit pretty hard- but not as hard as Tuscaloosa and north Alabama. I would love to go help, but I don't think my emotions can handle seeing all the destruction. Children's Harbor on Lake Martin was hit pretty hard, too. We have friends that live/work down there and they are still not able to use the home phone and watch TV. We drove through one afternoon and took some pictures- below is one that kind of sums up everything...

A tree that was broken and stripped- with a pine-cone stuck in it! Amazing.

 Now to Easter....

Moving right along to the next holiday!

What does Easter mean at the Clark household? (Besides the rising of our Lord)

The first swim of the year! After a wonderful church service and lunch- we hit the pool. It was so warm- Mr. Billy (Grandpa) had the pool heated and ready for the grand-kids to jump in! Janie Ann wasn't too sure about the water- I hope she warms up to it over the summer!

A picture with all the grand-kids and Memaw and Grandpa! It's almost impossible to get all 6 looking at the same time!

She LOVES to run! It is her new favorite thing to do- she loves being outside and running!

This is at the Easter Egg hunt at RCBC the day before Easter!!

Last one....this was taken when my mom was down about 4 weeks ago- they were at Mamaw and Papaw Parker's house on the lake. It was too cold to get in, but she loved being outside with her swimsuit and life-jacket!