It's Raining.

That stinks.

I can only hope the skies get it all out of their system and let me have my weekend...dry.

I am on here again, basically, to gloat. No, not really. Well....maybe a little. :-)

After a picnic in the mechanics yard while we got our car inspected, a visit to Matt's work, an extended trip to the bank, and then to the grocery store, we FINALLY got home at 3:00. That was WAY longer than I wanted to be gone. ARGH! (Needless to say, I was a WEE bit stressed.) Now comes the happy part: In three hours I finished... TEN pies. I am a hot and sweaty pig. And I am tired. But I am happy. The secret to success? I did myself a HUGE favor and bought premade piecrusts. Wow-since I always make the crusts myself, I had NO idea how much time it really takes to do so! Boy was this a SERIOUS shortcut!

You may be asking-WHERE were the children during her pie-making expedition. To that, I have only to ask, "Children? WHAT children??"

No really, for about an hour they took a later-than-usual nap and then when Matt got home, he took them outside to play (Wonderful MAN!)

So-here is my bake sale list THUS far. And as it seems right now, the list of things we will be eating OURSELVES in the next week or two.

2 Lemonade Pies
2 Butter Pecan Pumkin Ice cream pies
2 Strawberry Rhubard Pies
2 Creamy Peach Pies
2 Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pies

About a gazillion Jumbo Molasses cookies
A Dozen Spiced Apple Butter muffins
2 loaves Tropical Banana bread
A dozen iced cinnamon rolls

I also have a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough in the fridge now...

I sure hope this weather CLEARS up. As nice as it would be to have these treats in the freezer for last minute entertaining and such...I want to make some MONEY! Especially after all that work!

PLEASE STOP RAINING!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

Last Day of Yard Sale Prep #1

...and I am blogging. Actually. I gave myself 30 minutes and did pretty well. All these photos are still from our weekend away last weekend. But these are the end of it, so there ya go. I figured I HAD to get caught up or I wouldn't be able to focus on YESTERDAY'S secret adventure when I finally DO get the chance.

At the Newman house, today is...
pie making day
car inspection day
bank day
and grocery shopping day

Not sure how I will fit EVERYTHING in today. Especially since we live 30 minutes away from every grocery store. I guess the first step would be to...get off of this computer!

Have a great weekend!

Corynn's first driving lesson...

Yeah, I know. When she is at Grandma and Grandpa's house-she has fun every single minute. She really did drive this lawn mower too...and did great at it...

until she steered right for the truck.

She missed it by an inch.

Aunt Holly and Sally

Aunt Holly got a goat. The goat was named Sally by Uncle John. Corynn, meet Sally. Andrew, meet Sally. Sally is so silly.

Corynn and Andrew love Sally.

AND she gave her

the opportunity to feed the goat, though try as I might, I could not get a shot that wasn't blurry. The feeding lasting approximately 2.6 nano-seconds.

Just like a little kid...get it?

My Panda's first haircut!

Well, I *STILL* wasn't brave enough to take the little boy haircutting plunge...so Grandpa took over. Better that way anyway-as now I have some pictures! He tried to show me how to do it-but it still looks hard. I'll get it eventually. You know what they say, right?

The difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is about a week.

He didn't sit still by ANY means, but at least they were mostly HAPPY squirms.

Much BETTER!

Corynn gets to have all the fun...

She even got to go KAYAKING with Grandma. I was SERIOUSLY jealous of this one...but I never got a chance to go out. NEXT TIME we visit, for sure.

In the midst of Milkshake

I am really in the thick of things here now, as I prepare for Friday's arrival and my yard sale weekend. Yesterday I got a lot done in the way of preparations.

I 'organized' the piles I had set aside in each room of this house, into piles in ONE room of the house! That doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment-but each of those mounds on the floor is seperated for its own table and each is freshly priced.

Yesterday I made the signs and today we will be hanging them around town and such.

Last night I made my first batch for the bake sale-and boy, do they look SCRUMPTIOUS! Apple Butter Spice muffins. When you bite into them, the centers have applebutter baked right in! They are resting peacefully in my freezer until the big day-of course, Matt got to try one this morning...

My plan of attack is this: Each night when the children get to bed, I will start a baking project. That way, during the day the house will still be cool and hopefully, I can accomplish ALOT. I am hoping to do several pies because they are 'big tickets'.

During the day, I will work on yard sale stuff-though, in truth, that is mainly all done.

Now-to keep the children from playing in these piles and mixing them all up; to keep them from peeling ALL the price stickers off and displaying them on themselves; to keep the Panda from pounding my fragile things together.

My baking might be the LEAST of my worries!

The last of the picnic pictures...

On Sunday, the Cantrell Clan had *almost* a family reunion (missed only by one) at a local park after church. I dressed the kids to match, to make sure I could find my kids in the mess of kids that were there.

Not really.

I matched them because I LOVE it when kids match. That's why!

too cute

Cute as a Button

Lance made my day when he started giggling and smiling at me. Though he looks nothing like Brookelinne, Corynn kept getting confused about the babies. She asked "Who does THIS belong to?" and "Wait! I thought she was wearing a dress!" etc etc. It was actually REALLY funny.

Hippie Girl takes a break

to hold the baby.

Just when I thought it was waning...the *baby sister* bug has stuck again. I have heard *A LOT* about wanting a baby sister again these days...

Cameron was Caterpillar King

She's got the touch...

Aunt Jessamyn finally lulled the Panda to sleep. I knew he was toast when I saw his head start to nuzzle in her neck. He was one tired dude!

I wish it were so for the car ride home...

The last hour, our Panda's wails had our eardrums a'rockin...
Matt and I took turns stroking his legs and touching him. It was the only thing that halfway calmed him.

I was happy to get home.

Reality Check

Our family headed 'home' for the weekend (but alas, farmers don't get Memorial Day off...) and we had such a fabulous time visiting with everyone. I must say, a very BIG highlight was getting to meet my new little niece Brooklinne. The pictures I have seen just couldn't capture the actual size of her. Pictures never do. SO I was flabbergasted to see the little Rosebud curl up into a little snowball and practically disappear. I was even more shocked to hold her. I guess I shouldn't be too shocked. She is two pounds less at a week old than BOTH of my children at birth!!!

I wanted to take a few (ha!) pictures of my sister holding her new baby and I made it my personal goal to take a few pictures that help to capture her SIZE a bit. I still don't do the wee one justice. But atleast I tried.

I have tons of pictures of the weekend away, but knew my sister would be wanting to see some of these pictures (*Elizabeth, there are twice as many as this...and many turned out nice so you can expect a letter in the mail soon filled with pictures!) so I post them now. The rest will be saved for some OTHER day (s).

In the meantime...the week that lies ahead is going to be a BUSY one. There is LOTS on my plate...including a yard/bake sale that I am putting on Friday and Saturday-all proceeds go to my camera fund! :-) Funny what you are willing to part with in order to purchase a dream.

This weekend I will post my own personal yard sale tips and tricks, and the results of my efforts. We shall see...in the meantime-I am a sorting FREAK! Have a Happy Memorial Day!

I couldn't resist a *FEW* close-ups, though

I think Samuel and Brookline look A LOT alike...

don't you?

hey! What's THAT way up there?

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