HOGS vs REBELS

FALL

FALL

I LOVE FALL! It's my absolute favorite season!

I Love the Fall weather ( though in Arkansas you never know what weather you're going to get from one day to the next!) I Love FOOTBALL ( in person & on TV)! I Love the Fall colors, the falling and changing leaves, the pumpkins, gourds, and fall flowers. I Love hot chocolate, and hot apple cider on a cool fall afternoon/night. I Love being outside with Jarrett & playing with our 3 kiddos on the awesome Fall afternoons! I Love having that first "small" fire in the fireplace ( Last year it was October 27th!!!)I Love pulling out my comfy sweaters, and my even comfier hoodies! I Love getting my kiddos dressed up for Halloween & taking them Trick-or-Treating ( this year they are going to be Skeleton, Cheerleader, & Thomas the Train). I Love Thanksgiving ( Good Family, Good Food, Good Times, Good Memories!)

So what are some things that you Love about Fall?

A Hamrick Family Update!!!

So I took a blogging hiatus ( deleted my blog), then created this one, but still haven't had much time to blog! Which I hate, because I LOVE to write & express myself through written words as much as I do vocally! So I'm going to try my best to be better about blogging again. Since school has started back & I work at school, life is moving extra fast around the Hamrick household.

For now I will just give an update on what's been going on in our family lately.

For starters here's a Family Photo Taken recently at a Family Reunion.... you'll have to forgive Tayden's hair being all in her face... The kids had been having a BLAST dancing on stage to the music!

Our oldest child is our son Asher is 8 & 1/2 & is in the 3rd grade.... he LOVES school. He's such a smart boy ( not just because he's my child, but he truly is smart). He was recently accepted into our school's GT ( Gifted & Talented) program, and we are very proud of him. Jarrett & I were both in this program when we were in school, but at that time it was called ISP. Asher is always trying to come up with new inventions & new ways of making money! He's such a sweetie, he loves his little brother & sister more than any big brother ever has... He plays the proctective older brother role very well!

Our middle child our daughter Tayden is 5 & 1/2 & started Kindergarten this year! She's also a very smart child ( again not just because she's mine) She LOVES homework ( though she rarely has it being in Kindergarten). She's the little Mama around here. She likes to do anything her big brother does, but also loves the boss of her little brother. She carries our cat Halo around like she's a baby....and she even dresses her ( Yes that's right our cat wears clothes)! Tayden is a very good little artist & loves to sing! She's just as precious as can be!

Daxon is our youngest child & he's 3 & is he a MESS! He's our child that we seriously have to have an eye on 24/7! He's obsessed with Thomas the Train! He's constantly on the go! He goes to the best Christian babysitter ( two sweet ladies-mother & daughter-) that I have known my entire life. They have had him since he was 3 months old ( because he was born in May & I was off until August ) They kept Tayden since she was less than a year old, until she started school. Daxon loves to do what his older brother & sister are doing. He's too is a smart little boy & is doing his first year of the H ippy Program ( all three of my children have done this program). He's my boy & never misses a chance to tell me he loves me!

Jarrett & I are both working hard these days! I went back to work the 4th day of school for a 2nd grade teacher who had to have an unexpected surgery. I have had that class for 4 weeks, but the teacher is due back in class tomorrow, but I'm already booked up for other classes! I just Love my job! Jarrett's work is picking up too!

We've been bus with Razorback Games ( so sad they lost last night), High School games, Reunions, Parties, Showers....etc..... We Love staying busy, but enjoy a nice day at home watching TV, movies ( or NFL like today)!

A few things going on in our extended family are.....

My mom is doing well, we are still waiting to get her into a program at a nearby hospital ( but her insurance continues to screw the plans over) She's physically healthy & she still has her smarts, but in all other aspects, she's not herself. For a background on her situation go here http://bigmamasrecovery.blogspot.com/2007/11/up-until-now.html

My mother in law just got back from Chicago ( she & my father in law travel there every three months to go to the Cancer Treatment Center for my mother in law).... a little backround on her story....She was Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2004 (Tayden my middle one was less than 2 weeks old), over the next year or so she had her surgeries & then it was discovered that it was in her bones, and she had to have surgery on her neck to replace the vertebraes that were eaten away by the cancer. Then in January 2007 ( when Daxon, my youngest was just 8 months old) she was at the Cancer Treatment Center in Chicago & they discovered it had gotten into her brain..... Back to the present time..... she got a pretty good report & will continue to go every three months as they have for almost 3 years now!

My husbands brother & his wife have struggled with getting pregnant for several years..they suffered through several miscarriages & then they were blessed enough to deliever a healthy child in 2003, but struggled again to get pregnant, and were finally given basically no hope of ever conceiving another child ( Specialist told them that their son Garret was simply a Miracle child). We were ecstatic to find out in the beginnning of the Summer that all our Prayers had been answered, and they were pregnant again. I was just as ecstatic to get a text message this past Friday that said " I need help picking out shades of pink!!!" I believe she's about halfway through the pregnancy now & we are just so excited for them! Tayden is excited because she's the only girl of the younger grandkids. and now there will be another one!

I'm sure I could continue on & on & on, & I'm sure I've left something out, but I suppose that's enough for now!

MEAT BOAT

This is so Yummy... Even my 3 kiddos & My Husband Love it! I Love it too ( and I'm not a big beef eater!)

Ingredients

_________

*1 loaf of French Bread ( a whole loaf... & NOT a pre-sliced Loaf )

*1 pound of hamburger meat ( I sometimes use a little less because it tends to overflow with too much meat)

*2 cans of cream of chicken soup

*1 package of Taco Seasoning

*8 slices of cheese ( or you can use Velveeta if you want)

*On the Stove mix together 1 lb of cooked hamburger meat, 1 pkg of Taco Seasoning ( do not add water -just add the taco seasoning), 2 cans of cream of chicken soup & cheese ( you can use any kind of cheese...sometimes I use Velveeta... but usually I use about 4 slices of regular American Cheese)...Cook & Mix it until it's all mixed up really good..... ( remove from heat & set to the side)

*Take a cookie Sheet & lay ( probably 2 long pieces) of aluminum foil on top of it.... The foil should be long enough & wide enough on all sides to wrap around the bread...kind of like you would cut paper bigger than a present to wrap it.. do the same with the foil, because later it will need to cover the bread!)

~~~~

*Take a loaf of French Bread ( NOT SLICED ) & sit it on the Foil/cookie sheet)

*Cut it open like a bowl ( see photo for the correct way to cut)

* Pull all fluffy parts of the bread out of the bread bowl & off the bottom of the top of the bread. ( You'll want to pull it into pieces about the size of a funsized candy bar..... or maybe a little smaller) Try to get as much of the " fluffy" bread out as you can...but also try not to make any holes in the bottom or sides of the bowl when pulling the " fluffy" bread out. As you pull the " fluffy" bread out... toss it into the pan with the Mixture you have set to the side..... When you have all the "fluffy" bread out.....Stir the "fluffy" bread until it's completely covered & blended in with the the Mixture )

*using a spatula pour the mix into the bread bowl use the spatuala t even it the best you can ( I usually add four MORE slices of cheese across the top of the mixtiure at this point) and then add the "lid" of the bowl back to the top! Wrap the loaf in the foil like you are wrapping it up as a present & leave it on the cookie sheet....Put it in the Oven for about 10 minutes at 375! When it's done... unwrap from the foil & Slice into how ever big of pieces you want! ( I usually try to cut it in half first & then transfer it to a cutting board for eaiser cutting.. otherwise you will probably cut through the foil as well & risk eating a mouth full of foil! lol YUMMY!

One Mama's Junk is Another Mama's Decor

I like to consider myself very Thrifty & Crafty.... Yesterday morning I decided to get my 3 Monkey's up & go to my sister-in-law Roxanne's Yard Sale ( and today just Happens to be her Birthday!..Happy Birthday!!) I made out pretty Great at the Yard Sale..... I got several home decor items, 2 Shirts for myself, 2 Summer Dresses for Tayden, a 3 piece Winter Fleece Outfit for Tayden, a CUTE pair of Brown MUDD dress Shoes for me, Tayden found 2 toys, & Daxon found a Toy..... All for $15.00! I don't have a photo of any of the clothes or toys but I did take pictures of ALL the home decor items, because I knew I was going to transform some of them into something special & functional for our household! As the Hog vs LSU game ( in the College World Series) was a complete Blow out from pretty much the start I decided to go ahead & update all my new items as I watched the rest of the game).....Here they are & I hope You Enjoy!

I knew the second I picked this up at the sale that this would be PERFECT to put in my kids bathroom for them to hang their towels on ( considering they can't reach the hooks that they have now that hang over the bathroom door )!

All I needed to do was paint the 2 outside knobs to match the trim & cabinets in their bathroom!

I think it was a great idea & will function Perfectly in their bathroom!

Decorative Bowl..... BEFORE
Another view of the Decorative Bowl..... BEFORE

Decorative Bowl.... AFTER..... now how cute is this?

Decorative Planter.... Before

Decorative Planter.....AFTER.... I promise it doesn't look as Silly as it does in this picture ( I guess it's just so close up) We started out with 8 Goldfish on my Birthday ( January 21st ) and as of this past week we are now down to only 2 fish.... So I decided to put away the big fish tank for now & have gone back to using just the classic fish bowl.

I Loved the Distressed Frame & Had no intentions of changing it, but I knew I could scrape the remainder of the paper off of these "chalky" squares & paint something on them. I thought all day yesterday about what to paint on them... I wanted something that was a reflection of our family since I planned to hang it in out Living/Family Room.....

What better than The Arkansas Razorback Signature A & The St. Louis Cardinals Logo - since we are Huge HOG & CARDINAL fans & we watch all televised games that we don't attend in our Living/Family Room!

This is a photo of the table that up until this past week did house the Big Fish Tank..... Now you can see the Updated Decorative Planter & the Updated Frame ( I also Purchased the Candle Holders & the Decorative Bowl from My sister-inlaw as well...... I will now be on the hunt for the Perfect Candles for the Holders!

I also purchashed a Cute Tall Candle Holder, but I haven't decided where to put it yet ( I don't plan to update it, as it will work perfectly with the decor that I already own) .... I just have to find the perfect spot for it & then I will post a photo!

Show Us Where You Live Friday ( Laundry & Playroom)

This Weeks Show Us Where You Love Friday is ....... any combination of........ Bonus Room, Play Room, and/or Laundry Room! This is our Laundry Room & our 3 Monkey's Playroom!

Looking into the Laundry room ( if you are standing in my kitchen) This is the door we use to enter & exit the house! We park right outside of this door!

Above the washer & dryer..... the big basket holds hangers & the little basket holds taboggins & gloves for the winter....... The cabinets hold all the "laundry room" necessities! The rack is where the kiddos clothes hang before being put away!

To the right is our Washer & Dryer ( Trashcan & Umbrellas)

To the left.... The rack is where mine & Jarrett's clothes hang before being put away....and the Basket on the rack is empty at the present time! Then the many Laundry hampers below! Notice the hat hanging on the door? I have hanging hooks over my door that holds Coats in the winter & now ball caps in the summer!

Also to the left.... these cute containers hold smaller articles of clothing..socks...etc.... The polka dotted are mine & Jarrett's Then each child has a shelf & basket ( their folded clothes go on the shelves until they are put away! The basket is obviously for shoes... & the hooks for Backpacks, Daxon's "Orange" Backpack that we take to the Babysitter, my purses, the dog leash...etc......

The kiddos Playroom..... as you step inside.... this is directly to your left! It's our " craft center"... construction paper, stencils, paints, stamps, glue. chalk, markers, crayons....etc...etc....etc....
"Learning Wall" You've all seen these $1.00 or less Place mats for kids at Walmart...... Great For Learning :)
The kiddos DVD & Playstaion/ Gameboy / Ds Games & accessories Shelf...... and on top is their plastic Bats & Plastic Gardening tools....as well as another Craft drawer ( I'm short & the other was getting too tall...haha)

The bucket is full of outside Balls & baseball Gloves...etc...etc... & the pink Drawers are full of Tayden's dress up...shoes..jewelry....clothes.....etc...
Toy Shelves.......
More Shelves....For Games.....Toys...Books...etc.....

This Door leads to mine & Jarrett's Bedroom!

In the cabinets are tons of VHS Kids movies the first Shelf is full of Thomas Tracks..trains..... games....etc...... ( Daxon is Obsessed with Thomas! ) & in the baskets are Stuffed animals & Baby dolls!...The door to the right leads out into our kitchen....and you may notice Daxon's Race car rug too :)