{ Advent Countdown- Tutorial }

Hurry wake up.  Time to see what is in the calendar.  

I love hearing that during the countdown to Christmas.  

The excitement, the joy, the kids just running to see. 

 Usually I take the easy way out for advent calendars.  I buy the cheapie cardboard one with all the doors full of chocolate from World Imports.  

But this year easy eluded me.  I could not get to World Imports.  

(Surgery and no driving allowed after)

So, I searched the great google and found a nice easy tutorial that I could tweak for our use.

I found it at maya*made.

All I needed were toilet paper tubes, mini clothes pins, wrapping paper, tape, staples, and a frame.  Easy enough right?

Step 1.  Take a toilet paper tube and staple the bottom closed.

 

Step  2.  Cut a piece of fun wrapping paper to cover the tube.

Step 3.   Tape paper around the tube securing on sides and bottom.

 Step 4.  Don't forget to tuck in at top and secure.  (Don't want to see toilet paper roll)

 Step 5.  Repeat steps 1-4 twenty three more times. :)

Step 6.  Print out little number tags, stamp them with numbers 1-24. 

 Step 7.  Cut tags out and glue them to the front of the tubes.

Step 8.  Hook all the tubes to the chicken wired frame using your mini clothes pins.  Make sure they are in order- your kids will point it out if they are not.  Believe me. 

 Final step.  Fill with candy and small treats.  

Do you make advent calendars?  Link up some ways you do them in comments.

tammy

linking up to Home for the Holidays party

{ TEXAS bound }

Yes that is right. 

 We are moving to TEXAS.  

To Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls to be exact. 

Hubby has put off his flying career for over 8 years so he could stay here for the 

big boys to graduate.

He has the opportunity to fly again and he is taking it.

This means we get to go back to old stomping grounds. 

We are all excited and a bit apprehensive at the same time.

Welcome to my stressed out, chaotic, gotta get everything ready for a move world.  

Hope you enjoy the ride with us.  

tammy

{ A change is in the air }

Any ideas?  

tammy

{ halloween recap }

Was I the only one not in the mood to decorate for Halloween? 

 It makes no sense if you know me at all.  Christmas is my fave decorating time but Halloween is almost neck and neck.  This year however, I was in no mood.  I almost didn't do it at all but then it would have been a rip off for these two. 

 

I mean look at them, my gory two of the dead.

This is why I did it - for them.  

And once it was done and all the neighborhood people told us how much they love our house it made me realize that I don't do it for me- I do it for the kids to enjoy.  Next year it won't be an issue..Heck I already ordered more gore at 50% off from Grandin Road.  

Jack is so much easier than Sophie- he just loves a good mask and his clothes.  Sophie, on the other hand, knows her mama can sew so she comes up with an elaborate plan every year. Nothing like buying expensive fabric only to bring it home and shred it for a costume.  OH well they both looked amazing.  

 

Now bring on Christmas decorating please.  

tammy

{ beach 2012 }

 

Our family beach trip is always over the 4th of July week.  This was no different except that Kirk was still deployed and this was the first time it was all on me.  I am not the best or most confident swimmer so things were going to be a bit different this time.  For one I couldn't take the kids waaaayyyy out like they like to go.  And I also don't fish so that was out.  We did manage to have a good time anyways. 

Lots of water time:

Lots of sand time:
  

 

For teen son, always lots of texting time :

Boogie board time:
  

Tie Dying time:
  

Bird feeding time: 

Time for some competitive running: 
  

Time for some relaxing kite flying:
  

Always time for more ocean waves:
  

And we couldn't leave without some watermelon eating contest time:
   

Some medal winning time- oh yes she did come in 3rd place in that watermelon eating. So proud. 
  

Some water games time:
  

Yes we had a great time.  Can't wait to do it again - but next time Daddy has to be there :)

Until next year,  tammy

What we did over our summer break...2012

My kids are on a year round calendar so summer is a short season for us. That was especially good this summer as Daddy is still gone in Afghanistan and he is our major outdoors summer guy.  We miss him so much.

 We get out of school mid June and are back in school mid July.  We cram a lot of living into 5 short weeks.  But we have a blast doing it. 

We ended the school year - ahh wonderful the kids say..

Then we had lots of this to do- swimming in this horrible heat wave was a blessing.  But it is very strange to get in the pool and it is luke warm like a bath.. :)
  

This year the kids went to sleep away camp for the first time.  AMAZING camps I might add. Wish I could have gone.  They are YMCA camps on the shores of North Carolina and they fill up fast.  I couldn't believe kids come from all over the United States and abroad to attend.  They attended the one week starter camp this year.

Jack went to Camp Sea Gull:

Sophie attended Camp Seafarer.

And of course we ended our summer with our annual 4th of July beach trip.  I'll share those pics next.

tammy

{ beach week }

It's that time again.  

Beach week: 

 4th of July, fun in the sun, relaxation, reading lots of books, just wasting the day away.  

We look forward to this day every year and this year is no different.  

Boogie Board time...

 brotherly and sisterly love time...

unfortunately, no daddy time (or hubby time- he's still in Afghanistan)...

sandcastle time...

giggling time...

 decorating the bikes for parade time..

For me its time to relax and read some books.  I finished the 50 shades books so I'll have to go back to regular Cowboy romance novels..not sure they will measure up after those books but hey - no brainer reading is it for me while at the beach. 

what are you doing over the 4th of July?

tammy